Who's Going to Clean this Mess Up? [Session 35]

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Current Situation

• With a wealth of dangerous books in their possession, a dragon's skeleton set free, and a horrendous amount of shattered glass and scattered tomes, the Trollmates work to manage the aftermath of their investigation of the Nandar Library. But first - they must fight their way through these skeletal attackers summoned by the green dragon's remains!
  

Session Summary

• Immediately, the Trollmates go on the defensive. The skeletons, spread out across the second floor of the library, begin to make their way towards the north room, where the gang is working to block the doors and figure out if they should vanquish the foes, or work to escape.
• Z, by the western door, sprints further into the room, saying "Let's trap them in the room!" and joins up with Elyana while activating his bracers. Dhann readies himself to block the doorway, seeing the skeleton directly in front of him preparing to advance. Ely casts Bless on Dhann, Rascal, and Z, while taking a better position to view as many of the doorways as possible.
• The loud clomping of hooves signals that the Minotaur skeletons are heading as quickly as possible towards the northern end of the library. Barrett shuts the western door to the smaller room, and then leaps through the northern door, closing it after him. He guards the rear of the group, watching for skeletons approaching from that direction. And, seeing one, goes in for the attack. Within seconds, the skeleton is a pile of unmoving bones. Foe vanquished, the Monk hops out and onto the railing in the center of the northern part of the room.
  
• The skeleton facing Dhann steps forward and swings his shortsword, but the Cleric leans back, easily dodging the attack. In the space Dhann moved from, Z rolls in for a double claw attack and lands a solid blow against the enemy. With a clatter, the skeleton drops into a mere pile of remains. Z rolls backwards, and lands on his feet with a small bow. Rascal applauds! Dhann then steps forward, continuing to block the door, and, Sacred Flame missing his target, holds position.
• Ely moves to stand behind Dhann and shoots an Eldritch blast over his shoulder, and the third skeleton begins to look pretty scrappy. Rascal flies to hover over Ely, and shoots with his little bow at the same enemy, and makes short work of the skeleton.
• Finally in range to swing at a target, one of the Minotaur skeletons swings his great axe at Dhann, but must be confused by the stack of heads in the doorway, missing completely with his attack. Barrett, seeing the second Minotaur to the west, along with another skeleton, happens to notice there's a lack of shimmer where the glass ceiling underneath Deldreg used to be. But the undead near his friends takes priority, and he flanks the Minotaur with Dhann and attempts to shove the skeleton over the railing and see if it falls to the first floor. Unfortunately, the Minotaur is just a bit too dexterous and is able to keep his feet. Attacking now with his fists and feet, Barrett is able to deal out a significant amount of damage.
• With Elyana Eldritchly blasting away, Rascal delivering arrow shots, Barrett's elbows and hands breaking bones, Z's whip sharply whipping and lashing, and Dhann's mace rattling skulls, the gang makes short work of all of the remaining skeletons and are left with bones littering the immediate area, and questions on what to do next.
• They decide to comb over the second floor one more time, and catch wind of voices from below, maybe three or four separate people. Someone calls up, asking if they can help, and Ely calls down to stay where they are, and the voice replies they couldn't get up anyway, but if there's anything they can do, to let them know. Z calls, "Grab a broom!"
• Everyone splits up to see if there's anything else to be found. Dhann makes immediately for the red room. While all the books in there deal roughly with Shadow magic, they don't seem to hold any detail that is more important than the red tomes Ely has already picked up. He does find, however, one small book, a recent journal, with an entry on Elminster Aumar and his dealing with Shadow magic over in Myth Drannor. Dhann takes this journal and gives it to Ely to store in the Bag of Holding.
  • Thultanthar, The City of Shade
    This journal describes a brief history of The City of Shade, a Netherese flying city formed almost 3,000 years ago was once situated above the Anauroch desert. The high mage of Thultanthar had been experimenting with moving the entire city to the Shadow Plane. Legend holds that he finally resolved the issue and was able to shift to Shadowfell but then, for some reason, was prevented from returning to the material plane. For over 1,700 years, the inhabitants battled the malaugrym and the other shadowy horrors of the realm, while each generation became gradually more attuned to the plane itself, becoming what were eventually known as shadovar. Finally, in 1372, the city returned to Toril and the and the material plane. For the next 113 years, they attempted to expand the city. Attacks on Myth Drannor brought the city into a time of ruin. In 1487, Elminster Aumar brought the city to the ground completely destroying it the final remnants of Myth Drannor in the process.
    This book describes, in detail, Elminster Aumar as a villain, responsible for the deaths of thousands of people on the ground and in Thultanthar. It villifies him and seems to be written from the perspective of a survivor from Thultanthar.
    
• Getting the sense there's nothing else in this room that can be taken immediately, Dhann exits, asking the group if anyone has any objection to him sealing off the door with Stone Shape so that it looks like the rest of the wall. Everyone agrees to do it, and Z says he can always paint in a new door later if they need it. Dhann pulls a new section of stone out of the wall, matching it seamlessly with the rest of the room. It looks like the red room never existed.
• Back in the green room, Z and Ely take notice of a large book on the top of the shelf to the east. It seems to emanate an absolutely evil aura. It's enough to make her pause before picking it up. So, she points it out to Z and he can't place the kind of book it is, either, but he knows of books like it. The book itself doesn't seem to have power on its own, but most likely needs to be studied to generate the dark magic about it. It should be safe to pick up, at least. Elyana touches the book, and it feels absolutely gross, like cold, dead flesh. She shudders, and if she wasn't in a better frame of mind, gets the sense that it would be too frightening to keep holding. Ely puts it straight into the Bag of Holding. They also find a labeled Potion of Invulnerability.
• In the hallway, Dhann is looking around the urn that was on the outside of the red room and takes a closer look. It's very finely made, looks quite expensive, and he notices a small, silver plaque at the base of the urn. Upon looking even more closely, he sees that it reads, "For Always - Vel," in Common. Curious, Dhann lifts the lid of the urn - surprisingly heavy - and takes a peek inside. At the bottom, there's a much smaller urn, maybe 8" tall, sitting there. It looks to be of a different design completely compared to the larger urn. He gets the sense there's something magical about the smaller urn, and whatever the magic is, it's not pleasant.
• He calls out to the group about this urn, and that it would be odd, for someone who's interred in a crypt, to have an urn gifted to them, with another urn on the inside. Z suggests letting him Identify the urn. First, Barrett ritually casts Detect Magic, and in the meantime, the voices downstairs begin to increase gradually into a bit of a commotion as the people down there, maybe six or seven, are trying to figure out what to do, and what's happened. They're obviously very unsettled.
• Elyana offers to go downstairs for crowd control while the rest of the group try to solve the puzzle of the urn. Dhann reminds Ely, if she needs to, to let the people know that Morak Ur'gray and the house help know the gang was sent by Velrosa Nandar to check out the library. He also hands over the library key, just in case.
• Going downstairs, Ely sees two guards heading out, and she is left with a woman named Melantha Xelbrin, her husband, Lathan Xelbrin, and a frumpy halfling who introduces himself as Larlow Summerhawk and his wife is there as well. There are also two servants from the main house who have started cleaning up the glass.
• Melantha, elderly woman with a long grey braid and brown simple robes, approaches Ely and she also has a winged cat on her shoulder. Her hands are ink-stained and she has a stern look on her face. She harries her husband over to Ely as well, asks what happened, and Ely explains that through a series of unfortunate events, the dragon escaped, but the town should soon be free of its fungus infestation. Melantha expresses frustration and that she knew the dragon would have been trouble.
• Melantha lets Elyana know that she's essentially the recordkeeper of Nightstone and has kept track of all the happenings in town since she moved there at the invitation from Lady Nandar. The two women are close friends and it's obvious that Melantha knows more than she's saying out in the open, not wanting to talk badly about a friend of hers. Elyana asks her how long she's been in Nightstone, and she and her husband say they were one of the first families to move to the place. Perhaps a year or two after the Nandars did.
• Ely asks if Melantha has specific records of what's happened at the library, and Melantha says she may, but would prefer to get permission from Lady Nandar before sharing anything, as there are private details.
• The Warlock asks Melantha to wait for the rest of her group, if she doesn't mind, and they can discuss details with the recordkeeper in a bit. "We'd very much like to know what you've recorded." Melantha agrees and says that in the meantime, she and her husband will help with the cleanup, and there's a shelf of books on the first floor she wanted to look at anyway, so she might as well do that now. Her cat makes to leave, and she scolds it, calling it Rillix.
• Before he leaves, Lathan quietly asks that Elyana not think of his wife as a gossip, and that there really were strange happenings going on that she was able to record.
• One of the guards runs back in and shouts generally, "Everything seems safe! No sign of the dragon; we'll keep a watch." Mrs Rengar's lantern has her fully illuminated and she's flying between the shelves, obviously very stressed by the state of the library.
• Elyana is able to Misty Step up from the first floor to the second. Barrett's Detect Magic is fully complete now, and focusing on the two urns, is able to deduce that the first is mundane, but the second, smaller urn, is glowing with a necrotic magic. It's very faint, almost like an echo left behind of magic rather than it being fully magicked in some way. Almost like the spell left behind has faded, or is in the process of fading. Dhann recognizes the artistry of the small urn as being reminiscent of Luskan, and reminds him nothing of anything related to Shadow.
• Dhann expresses his concern that if this is actually the burned remains of Drezlin Nandar, either he's not in the crypt, or Lady Nandar has been lying. As he's talking, he then pauses and asks the group, "...Do we know if they've had any kids?" After an awkward pause from everyone, he says he could Send her and ask.
• Ely, rejoining, says that if he's going to send, to ask about Melantha and if the group can get permission to talk to the recordkeeper candidly. Dhann asks for a minute to think of a message because there's a lot to ask in only a few words. Z mentions going to look in the Throne Room in the meantime, and horrified, Dhann remembers that room held a large amount of children's books and is concerned he's about to ask Lady Nandar about a dead child. He also remembers the painting of a six or seven year old boy on the first floor. Elyana follows Z to the Throne Room, and Barrett follows, with Detect Magic.
  
• The Throne Room has absolutely nothing magical inside. It just has the throne, and just has books. It's mainly children's books but there are a few novels interspersed. They do notice that under the seat, as the throne folds up to expose the trap door, there is a small latch that may have a panel that opens up underneath. Z investigates this, and it doesn't have any trap on it. It's a simple sliding latch. Z opens it, and a huge rope ladder drops out of the seat of the throne to the first floor, and the chair, locked in place, finishes the escape route.
• Elyana picks up one book to look at, but replaces it back on the shelf after looking at it:
  • The Adventures of Nara (it details the adventures of a young giant that ended up in some sort of dramatic mystery involving elves, and the kidnapping of her father)
    
• Dhann Sends to Lady Nandar: "Library potentially resolved. Much to discuss. Town hopes you'll return. I'm sure it's private, but, who is For Always for? The answer could be important." And she replies: "Hope everyone is safe. Glad things are resolved. For Always was for my husband. Should I come there quickly?" Dhann relays this to the group, and that he has enough magic for one more send. Elyana them tells the group about Melantha and having Velrosa in town would help them gain information from the recordkeeper.
• After discussing options, Dhann sends Velrosa again, "If teleportation is available, come now. If not, wait until daylight to travel. Elyana met woman, who keeps records of happenings - sorry, what? Melantra? Thanks-" And gets the response: "We will leave at first light. Melantha is a dear friend who knows the history of our town. She may have information to help you." Dhann then lets the group know the response.
• Z then casts Identify and prepares to touch the urn. Dhann casts Death Ward, and then casts Bless on Ely, Barret, and Z, and Barrett gives a blessing to the Bard. Z then reaches forward, and places his paw on the urn.
  • The urn feels almost soft, as if it's made of packed sand. He starts to get visions in his mind as to what the object is. The images come almost as if they're memories, and he sees Lord Nandar on top of the castle, he's looking out over everything around him. Elves on horseback are riding in, and off in the distance - one elf on a black horse, dressed in all black leather, and looks completely different from all of the other high elves charging in the attack. The others are heading towards the walls and moat, but this one pauses. Lord Nandar glances over at this particular elf, and the figure raises an arrow to the sky, and looses it. The arrow flies, hits Drezlin in the neck, and he falls. Then...almost a yellowy grey vapor rises from the body, seconds after impact with the ground. It swirls around him, and then flies from the body, to the library, into the larger urn, and into the smaller urn. The vision concludes with the knowledge that this small, dark urn was used to house Lord Nandar's soul.
• Vision over, the small urn crumbles to dust under Z's paw. While Identify would normall let Z know if the item in question was created by a spell, and this seems to very much have been, the spell used eludes Z and he can't figure just how this urn was made. He can tell it was some combination of "imprisonment," and something else. Z has been relaying the vision to everyone as he's been seeing it, and then shares the knowledge of the magic afterwards. Ely thinks on it, and with the descriptions, recalls from past research in the Per Historia Arcandor Materia that this urn was used as a phylactery. While he didn't have a vision of the soul leaving, Z is able to let the group know that the phylactery was empty.
  
• At this time, Dhann says he thinks the nasty, fleshy green book sounds like a necronomicon for the Lich Drezlin. He doesn't have much knowledge of Lichs, but he thinks that they have spellbooks, like wizards, and the green one sounds like it would fit that description. Until they know more, the plan is to keep it in the Bag of Holding. The book most likely requires some sort of study or attunement before it would have any effect on a reader. The Historia may have more information.
• The group heads downstairs where several people are cleaning and the Librarian is dismayed in a corner over the damage done to the library. Morak Ur'gray's voice can also be heard, helping to direct folks. One of the guards is speaking to the head of the Nandar staff and says the dragon is definitely gone, but he came out of nowhere, blasted them with rancid breath, and a poor guard killed. The threat of Deldreg seems to have gone after this. Hopefully, the fog will begin to dissipate soon.

Next time on...

It seems that the mess in the library is well under way to being tidied, and the Maybesitters have some new folk to talk to to hopefully gain more information from, both on the Nandars, and on Nightstone. Only time, and conversation, will tell.