The Goblins Fan Forum

"From what I know, and have learned of drow, they will destroy everything rather than let another possess it. For whatever reason they have linked you to me and I have unwittingly reinforced that belief and brought the drow down upon me."

Her expression turns nervous as she considers the implications of this, her eyes sliding over the many books in the chamber.

"Perhaps I should simply seal the passages to this level. After a few hundred years I can begin reopening them, perhaps the drow will have lost interest."

"Yes, I have many spell books. You may read them. Do you have preferences language or school?"

To where they are coming from,

"The duergar breached the third floor. It has been a long time since I've seen up there. Your friend would likely have a better idea."

To Lurn,

"Jaq mentioned you followed a golem here. I am the creator of the golems. The Drow likely think I control all golems everywhere. The one you followed is almost certainly one of the original custodian golems. I haven't a clue as to where it would be retrieved from or it returns to, they were largely stored in the library proper."

Joe's eyes light up when she mentions that there are multiple. "Languages Ah know be halflin', comm'n, n primordial but if ye got one of em books with compreh'nd languages in those languages Ah'll be able ta read em all. Me school be conjurati'n but Ah also like tha oth'r schools. Ye got any spare ink and n empty book?"

Looking at the Librarian Jaq states, "Well, you can determine how you want to handle them, what you think will be best in the long term, and I will assist you however I can."

After introducing himself to Mikram he asks, "Are there still any of your group living in that level of the library? How far away is your actual home? It'd be nice to get you back to your family."

To Joe the Librarian says,

"I will select a conjuration book at random them in one of those languages, though I doubt I have any in primordial." She gives Joe a bit of a disapproving look, "I have no 'empty' books. Nor have I any ink or writing implements."

((Roll a d100 please Lost))

To Jaq,

"I would prefer not to risk the books in anyway. If you can get an option better than sealing this level off, I will listen."

Mikram, from the floor, grimacing in discomfort answers,

"No, Drow ran us out while back. Aye and my team was supposed to check on them. We aren't all that interested in this place 'cept we can use it to stage our mining and store things. Aye ain't telling ye where meh home is or how far away it is long ear."

He gives Jaq a distrustful look after he asks about his home.

” Tha be okay, Ah’ll figure somethin’ out when Ah get me spellbook back.”

Joe will use magehand to handle the boojs.
Spells?: 1D100 = [39] = 39

"Mikram, Jaq here is a trusted friend. As much so as one can trust a merchant, at least." With a chuckle, Lurn continues, "What about the drow? Any clue where they got in, or why they would want the place?"

Jaq nods to the Librarian. "Earlier you said you had some maps of the library. Could we see them, please? It should help us figure out a plan that doesn't mean cutting off this level."

He glances over at Joe and then back to the Naga, "Part of Joe's plan may have merit, I think. Collapsing the tunnels that lead down to the underdark may keep the drow and, in the long run, a lot of other potential nasty stuff, from getting into the library at all.
If we figure out what tunnel or tunnels they can use to breach the library; we then go down and use magic or whatever to cause collapses. We just have to make sure to go gar enough away from the library when we start damaging the tunnel. And we stay on this side of the collapse. Then we come a bit closer and make another collapse. And repeat.
They would probably try to dig out one collapse. But if we do numerous ones, eventually it will make it far too much of a project to be worth their while."

To Mikram he smiles and tries in a reassuring tone. "We have no malice in finding your city. I just thought you might want to get back to some other Duergar. With what the drow did to you, you aren't going to be travelling far alone. If there were still some in the area, we could get you back to them. " With a smile he adds, "I doubt you want to spend the rest of your life strapped to the back of the big blue giant and only seeing what he is walking away from."

((@Lost, I'm away from home so I will get your spell book and maps soon.))

Mikram responds to Lurn and then Jaq,

"They drow stumbled across a tunnel that led them to our gold and amethyst mine not too far off. They killed our miners then followed the tunnel here where we stored everything. We fought'm but they got right deep here. Aye don't think they give a lurker's arse about this place cept it's a good place to hole up. Aye know the tunnel in here, it's where aye got jumped. Third level. Right proper construction."

"Aye'm not going home. They'd kill meh for bringing ye back. Aye made peace with meh death before this skinny blue giant grabbed meh. Also, aye can turn meh neck, see what's coming."

He gives Lurn a positive sounding groan to growing his legs back.

The Librarian doesn't interject but does seem to consider the plan and her gaze goes distant for a moment.

"The maps are coming."

”Ah have many quest’ns if ye donnae mind answ’rin’”

If joe gets the go ahead
“Didye create tha golems? How were thay creat’d? How do ye control ‘em? How does it feel ta have so many active at once? Do ya ev’r get disorient’d? Can ye show me how ta make n command me own? How many gol’ms do ye have? How far away can ye control em?”

“Do ye have books on ancient ruins? Ones befer tha elves got here? What are yer customs and histories of yer people?”

"You may ask."

She answers the questions as follows,

"Yes. That I will not reveal. Nor that. It is distracting at times but something one grows accustomed to, so no I no longer become disoriented. I can show you the process but will not. You may perhaps find such knowledge in a book here but I will not direct you to it."

The remaining questions on her golems and control over them get a narrowing of her eyes and the response,

"This line of questioning is over."

To the next questions, especially on the books on ruins, does lighten her mood.

"It would depend on what you mean by 'on' ruins. There are many different materials referencing such in more or less detail. Do you have a region of interest? That would narrow the number of books."

To the final question,

"I have no people in any common sense of the word and as such have no customs or histories. I am something like a construct and have worked to follow a goal outlined by my creators. Specifically, the preservation of knowledge."

Her eyes flick to the books with satisfaction.

”Sorry I didnnae mean to ov’r step. Ah got a bit curious fer me own good. Thay are facinatin’.

Ye donnae have ta answer but since te see through tha golems n it sounds like ye’d rath’r stay here....would ye like to go with us as un of tha golems? If we get out tha is.


As fer ruins Ah like em all but me focus is on tha pre-divine era, where people spoke ta gjinn n spirits rath’r than gods.

Preservin’ knowledge be good. Ah’m n archelogist meself n event’lly Ah’d wanna build a museum dedicat’d ta various eras n artifacts.”


Spellbook?

((Okay back home now but been busy getting back home.))

"Go with you as a golem? No, thank you."

She declines politely.

"I will send for a book on pre-early ruins."

Her gaze goes distant momentarily then she looks at Kroshav to answer him,

"I am preserving the knowledge, I don't have a specific person or reader in mind. That said, I do have my own preferences."

She casts a glance at Mikram.

"And the books will not rot away here within the archives. I, together with many powerful mages, have worked protective magics on this grounds. This level was under construction during the disaster which struck the city but still are included. It will eventually fail but I am working against that."

After a few moments a golem arrives with several blueprints and lays them out on the floor. There are five floor plans shown. The first and second align with what the party has already explored. The third level appears very similar to the second in all ways except that a section of northern wall has been marked with a notation "Breached". The fourth floor has the same dimensions as the first three floors except the larger rooms have been sectioned into many smaller rooms, noted as 'study rooms' and 'archival storage'. The fifth floor is identical to the fourth.

The party can already tell that the plans are not up to date. The removed stone on the second floor is not shown and the collapsed areas on the first floor are not noted. All floors have staircases in the same places, the north and south center. The only exception is on the fifth floor that has staircases only down on the east and west center outer walls. There is not plan for the sixth floor provided.

A few minutes later another golem arrives and presents Joe with a grey and black book.

((Roll me an arcana check Lost and I will let you know how hard its contents are to understand.))

Arcana: 1D20+5 = [20]+5 = 25


Joe will use mage hand to turn the pages

Kroshav peeks over her shoulder, but quickly gets nauseous.