logs | (no subject)

THE STOLEN TOMES

OOC NOTE [click to expand]

ooc note

Exploration logs aren't events per se, nor are they mandatory. They're another type of prompt, not unlike the Notice Board's -- albeit (typically) a bit more fleshed out. And they serve multiple purposes! We use them to explore uncharted territories, specific establishments in Stygia or an NPC's motives, for instance. They do sometimes moderately correlate to the overarching plot, and will most of the time offer some kind of reward: artifacts, new transformations, clues, boons, etc. These prompts are generally available during less eventful months and for an undetermined amount of time. Just like the Notice Board's, they might create great opportunities for CR building. You're absolutely welcome to share your discoveries!

You are approached by the chief librarian of the Academy, who explains that several important books have vanished, and that theft is suspected. Rather than admit that they have been lax in their duties, the librarians ask you to investigate the losses.

“Can I count on your discretion? We have been losing books. Well, not exactly losing … we think our books are being stolen. Naturally, it would not do for the Academy Elders to learn that we librarians have allowed important volumes to go missing. I’m asking you as a favor to discreetly find out what’s happening. We can’t offer much, but you would certainly have our gratitude.”

You enter the main hallway and are met with rows upon rows of colossal balconies, which stretch impossibly further than what the exterior of the building would suggest, housing seemingly endless rows of nearly identical bookcases. The shelves are filled with tomes both famous and obscure, innumerable in subject and author. All around, strange orbs of light seem to dance and glimmer about, as if sentient, through the bookcases and main hallway, as if to invite you forward. Books, both single and in small collections, levitate through the air, moving about as if to organize themselves back into their place - wherever that place may be. The scene is wondrous, chaotic, and oddly serene. The librarians lock the main doors behind you, and for a few hours, the library is quiet, allowing you to explore and search the place.

► STORAGE ROOM
Reams of parchment, blank vellum, quills, and ink are stored on shelves in this small area.

► CHIEF LIBRARIAN'S OFFICE
The head librarian’s chambers contain book-lined shelves, a desk, a small bed, a table, and chairs. It is homey and crowded, with decanters of fine liquor, jars of aromatic weed, and a collection of handcrafted pipes. The wall behind the desk looks a little odd, as if altered or repaired in the recent past.

► DOCUMENTS ROOM
The walls of this room are lined with shelves containing varied documents—old manuscripts, maps, records and the like—as well as several tables and chairs for study. Stairs go down to a basement that ends at a locked door. It contains various items including food and water, three tall statues, cleaning supplies... and skely-tons. One of them carries a rusty key in its mouth, which unfortunately doesn't unlock the door there.

► BOOKS YOU MIGHT COME ACROSS

► Under The Silver Moon: This book contains information on lycanthropy and the effects that it may bestow upon you. The author of this book makes lycanthropy sound like a REALLY good idea.
► Cooking with Grandma: This seemingly pleasant sounding book goes into great detail explaining how the flesh and bones of older humans can be used to make delicious food.
► Call of the Void: A strange tome written in an unknown language. Attempting to read it causes headaches and dizziness.
► Mnemotical Magic: This tome has moving pictures of funny situations and animals. Which seems like a humorous pass-time soon reveals that the magically animated graphics are powered by a curse, probably. Directing an open page to a person will also make them repeat the depicted action; if the page shows a dog wagging its tail, for instance, the targeted person will feel the urge to mimic exactly that.
► Bargains of the Netherworld: A mysterious memoir recording the author's descent into madness before murdering his family.
► Incredible Creatures and How to Kill Them: Details weaknesses monsters are known to have.
► Claiming the Crown: An Experienced Guide to Assassinating Royals. How to brew a poison, how to create a disguise, tips on wielding daggers, and more!
► Half-Human, Half-Darkling, All Man: Porn. It's porn.
► Nightwalkers: A well used guidebook of general information on creatures that hunt humans such as Nightweavers, Werewolves, and Hags.

If you go back to the Chief Librarian's chambers and investigate the wall, knock: it's hollow. There's a safe on the other side: unlock it with the key, and you'll find a diagram detailing three highlighted areas in front of three different statues. The basement. In truth, there are three pressure switches in front of each statue on there; when all three are pressed simultaneously, the locked door opens on a secret passage. However, if any weight is removed from the switches, the door is once again locked. Parties with 4 or more characters may make easy work of this predicament, but smaller parties may have to improvise and use books or furniture in lieu of other characters.

When all four switches are triggered, the hidden passage is revealed... and as you reach the end, you realize, too late, that it's a trap. The Chief Librarian stands before you, the glimmers of the library congregating around him; books begin to float, most likely the stolen tomes.

“It was a joy watching you run in circles. It would have been much quicker to just lock you in, but I'm in dire need of entertainment. I've been under the scrutiny of the Elders for a while, you see. So many of these tomes are filled with lies... It is my sworn duty to revise and redraft, but they would rather follow in those damnable stingers' footsteps. Well, no matter. These books will disappear with you, and the truth will finally adorn the shelves. You've been a most excellent decoy. May you rot in peace now as I continue my work.”

The door locks behind you, and the Chief Librarian lurches forward, transforming into a giant, monstrous beast. A werewolf, particularly weak against silver. If you're bitten or scratched, you'll experience your first transformation on the next full moon, which will also negate the alterations you may already be going through.

Once you've defeated the Chief Librarian, report to the Academy's Elders. They'll investigate the scene and reward you with a Slumberbook, which soothes and calms the listeners’ Shadows if read aloud. If you ask about the stolen tomes, now scattered across the ground among ripped robes, they'll hesitate and mention that 'the truth will rise when you gaze upon the cantilever stairs.' And with that, you're encouraged to leave, but not without an invitation to come back whenever you wish to browse the available collection of books.

being a were doesn't limit you to lycanthropy. you may choose to turn into any beast you like. available changes include:
► sharper canines, pointier ears, and claws
► longer hair, patches of fur anywhere on your body
► uncontrollable urge to turn into beast on full moons
► berserk-like behavior during transformations
► enhanced strength and agility, five senses heightened
► can turn others by scratching or biting them
► pack instinct
► memory loss and exhaustion after transformation
► transformations may be triggered by strong emotions
► may be cured by piercing the were's hands with silver nails

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Bruno shuffled around to keep out of Silco's way as he pilfered the slip of paper and turned to spread it out on the desk. Once it was out and open, though, he did take a peek over the other man's shoulder. ]

Are those... oh! Hey, those are the statues! The ones from under the document room!

Observant.

[ He noted, dryly. Silco looked over his shoulder at Bruno, and rolled his eyes just slightly. ]

Look --

[ He pointed, one, two, three... ]

It looks like they have buttons.

[ Yes, he is very observant, isn't he? Bruno decided to simply ignore the sarcasm. The diagram for the statues put this firmly into "treasure hunt" territory all of a sudden and that was exciting. ]

I bet if we weigh all of them down, they'll open something!

[ At least that was how he would write it if this were a story. What else could it even be? ]

Hm. I suppose it's worth a shot.

[ Silco didn't really know what all of this was, but it meant something, and maybe there were switches on the statues, or buttons... He didn't know, until they moved back. ]

I guess it's worth trying. Anything else you want to look at in here?

[ There didn't even seem to be any files, or anything of use. Ugh. Why was he even playing along at this point? Mere curiosity, really. ]

Huh?

[ Bruno looked up from the diagram and did a quick glance around at the surrounding office. Was there? No, not really. He couldn't see anything of any real interest beyond what the wall had hidden. ]

Nah, I think if there was anything else weird to check out it would have been behind the wall, too. [ But since there'd been nothing else, he was quick to snatch up the paper they did find and head for the door. ] Though I don't think the missing books would be somewhere that this guy, uh... hid on his own? Like, why wouldn't he have looked there first?

Right. Unless he's absent-minded.

[ Wasn't that a quirky flaw some people had? Wouldn't that be hilarious, if they had been here. ]

Always worth a shot. Although this seems like a lot of... [ A wave of his hand. ] work. To find these books too, don't you think?

[ He was already hitting the hallway, though. It was worth a shot, but who knew? Maybe other people knew how to get into this special, secret location? ]

It does feel a little, hmm, like some kind of wild goose chase, I guess?

[ Bruno had been wondering about that. Ask some random restless to look for missing books, lock them in, nothing really obvious anywhere except behind a poorly hidden wall. It was a tiny bit contrived. ]

I thought libraries kept track of who took books out but this library is so big, I have no idea how they even manage that.

[ But it's a short trip down the hall back to the document room and once in there, they have together things to consider. What looks heavy enough to hold a button down in here? ]

We don't really have them where I'm from.

[ He said, flatly. The idea of a public service of books is so achingly Piltie that Silco barely knows what to make of it. He's accessed records before, of course, in the course of doing business and trying to work within the tight constraints that Piltover kept hold over them, so he knows the basics, but whether this was contrived or not...

Well. He thinks it's weird, but... Weren't all Pilties weird? He can't help but think that this exudes the kind of overly-complex energy everyone in the Academy has. ]

It doesn't make sense, but I simply assumed it was because they liked to be oddly contrived.

I mean, I only have a... really vague idea. My village was waaaay too small to have a library.

[ Hence his unbridled excitement for this one. Even if dying sucked, the thought that there was a massive library full of every sort of text one could hope for... It was nice. He could read forever. That sounded like a great idea. Not that he would share that with Silco, since he got the feeling he would only get mocked for it, so... ]

Although I'm also pretty sure most libraries wouldn't have secret doors opened by buttons in front of weird statues in their basements, so, that's. A thing. Maybe things are just really odd down here?

You're pretty sure?

[ He asked, his tone only... mildly mocking, as if he wasn't sure himself. Really, contrived winding corridors? Puzzles? This was the kind of thing that Silco really did think would be best suited for something out of a drama, or a fantasy book, or some nonsense he'd probably leafed through briefly, before he'd determined that it would be no use to him.

Well, now who was boo boo the fool? ]

We are in a strange world, though. Even if they weren't in libraries in our world, I suppose this world could be quite different.

[ A few steps more, and then he turned down a hallway. ]

Do you really think the book is behind here, or are we just...exhausting the possibilities?

[ Turned down a hallway and once again found themselves outside the documents room. Bruno opened the door again, peeking inside first as if expecting someone else to have magically appeared since the last time they were here, not even twenty minutes ago. No one has, of course, apart from the little skeleton constructs who've made their way up to dust this room now instead.

He pushed the door the rest of the way open and stepped in. ]

Sure, weirdly different, and no, actually? I don't really think we'll find the books there but you can't tell me you don't want to know what they could be hiding behind a contraption like that. It's just... it's too bizarre!