View source for Renew the Pact: Ecclesia, part 2

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== Log Info ==
*Title: Renew the Pact: Ecclesia, part 2
*Emitter: Cryosanthia
*Characters: Aryia, Aimarra, Jozi, Rigby
*Place: Ecclesia, Myrddion
*Time: Tuesday, May 04, 2021, 2:01 PM
*Summary: Sage Goldweaver wants a group to retrieve a book of ancient knowledge from a library near Ecclesia. Or, lost underneath it, as it turns out. The adventurers explore the basement of a local tenement dweller and discover a fantastic cistern-palace, with a library. With medesae! Or snake-women at the very least. A hesitant shoot-out starts, with the two groups calling incomprehensibly to each other, then attack and not adequately coordinating. The snake-women are injured, as are the adventurers. Finally Rigby calls a halt by shooting the ceiling, and they attempt to parlay across the language barrier. Determining that the adventurers want a specific book, the lamia-like snake-women find one that seems to match their description and hand it over. There are other things to be found in this sunken library.</div>

<pre>-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  Appearing  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Aimarra      5'1"     128 Lb     Half-Elf          Female    Brown hair and eyes, breastplate, leathers, pointed ears.
Aryia        4'8"     110 Lb     Shadow Elf        Female    A heavily scarred mul with a lost look about her.
Jozi         5'8"     148 Lb     Half-Orc          Female    A brunette half-orcess with a sunny disposition.
Rigby        5'10"    170 Lb     Human             Male      Ponytailed Acanian with curled moustache and pointed beard.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  As the GM  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Cryosanthia  6'9"     291 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=</pre>

The Lost Library of Ecclesia.

One of them. There may be more. It's an old city.

In the striving light of the sun the decay and decriptitude of the classic structure is visible. Once smooth surfaces have pitted and cracked, had growths that have long since died, and tiny inhabitants that have moved on. There are dusty sheets of cobwebs on the ceiling and the high parts of the walls. The lower sections near the floor have crumbled outwards from creeping dry-rot.

There's a mosaic of pottery chits, semi-precious stones and glass that remains mostly unbroken on the floor. It's still cracked and worn enough that the god(s) it is for are indeterminate. It stretches off into the darkness. To either side are doorways into rooms that have shelves. Shelves that are stocked with books and scrolls, although they have experienced the ravages of time.

There is a basket of fishing rods at the top of the steps Aimarra is tying off the boat, and sixty feet out, the dim light from the sunrod reveals some amphorae, lying on their sides and propped against the wall. Also movement. Glittering flashes of reflected light off copper scales.

"Leave! Or stay as stone!" A husky feminine voice calls from the darkness. It echoes through the halls. There are sounds from other sources, a heavy scraping, the sound of something dragging on the floor. <mynsandraal>

<pre>GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+5: (16)+5: 21 (Intimidate on Aimarra. DC 17. Success)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+5: (18)+5: 23</pre>

Immediately after the words, there's a glint of light. An arrow streaks by Aimarra's ear, passes through the doorway and makes a distant 'plonk' in the lake beyond.

A miss. Except the half-elf saw it in flight. She saw the wobble of the shaft, the rotation of the arrow-head. The way the edge went verticle as it went by. As if the archer aimed to miss and knew just how wide the arrowhead would be as it flicked by. The light stroke of the feathering adds to the effect.

As this happens, there are sounds of movement. The shot was from the North-west, there's movement to the North-East, and something dragging itself into the western alcove.

The interior is somewhat illuminated, close near Rigby's sunrod, and dim further away. The distant walls are lost in darkness, but there are flashes of movement, and the sound of heavy things sliding.

Hearing an arrow whizz by doesn't prompt a curse from the half-orc and she looks at her current hand loads for a moment and says, "Anyone see the shooter?" as she slips her warhammer back into it's frogs, then starts to work the bladed gauntlet of that hand free to hook back on her belt. As she does, she edges a little further out to try and get an eye on things ideally without getting shot.

Rigby ducks as he hears the arrow whizzing by- even though it was not directed at him. Sunrod nestled into his belt loop, he stays low as he moves- until eventually he reaches one of the pillars, pressing his back against it and raising his rifle to aim in the general direction the arrow came from. "We've no quarrel with you, but we are armed and prepared to defend ourselves!" he shouts out into the darkness. "Stand down, and we'll not need to spill blood over dusty old tomes."

Whoa. 

That was close. Too close.

Aimarra's blood runs cold in her veins as that all-too-well-aimed arrow whistles by her ear and the unfamiliar language rings out. Without thinking, she dives for the cover of the nearest pillar, her back to cool stone as she tries to slow her pounding heart.

Aryia flinches as people break into a flurry of activity, an arrow crashing and movement sounds further beyond in the inky black makes the shadow elf silently mutter a curse. She jogs over towards one of the pillars, squeezing past the boat. Reflexes were set on a hair trigger. She didn't have anything to deal with things at a range, but she could keep on eye on their right flank. It's something.

<pre>GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+5: (7)+5: 12 (Intimidate on Rigby, DC12, Success)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+5: (18)+5: 23
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (16)+6: 22
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Shaken is -2 on lots of things for 1 round."</pre>

"What are they saying?" Another deep, feminine voice comes from the side room, muffled and shouting with slight sibiliation.

"I don't know. Surface speak. Something about a book." The voice that is the source of the arrow growls gutterly. "I'm shooting again. Try throwing a book at them."

"A book?" <mynsandraal>

"Yes." The conversation amongst themselves seems over, and more aggressive shouts are directed at the entrance. "We live here. Go away". An arrow flies out of the dimness, the archer is also positioned behind a pillar, but Rigby was able to see a long, snake-like form trailing away on the ground. As an arrow pings off the front sight of Thunderbelcher.

There's a grunt, and a thump, and an ancient tome bounces off the statue nearest Aimarra. It thumps on the ground, the dried leather spine cracks from the impact, and the paper sheafs spread out like a fan.

There's more heavy slithering from the north-east as well. 

<pre><OOC> Cryosanthia says, "anyone that wants to roll a Linguistics or raw Intelligence, DC20"
GAME: Jozi rolls int: (5)+int: 5
GAME: Rigby rolls intelligence: (7)+2: 9
GAME: Aimarra rolls intelligence: (8)+2: 10
<OOC> Aryia abstains because poor literacy.</pre>

Something doesn't seem right about the language, it's not clear what. They aren't speaking Sildanyari, but it has Sildanyari components

Jozi gets her close quarters options secured and starts to move up, glancing tither and yon to try and get an eye on an incoming threat. Her compact bow is pulled from it's case as she moves, using one of the pillars for cover from the eastern sides and nocking an arrow as she peeks around, trying to spot a target. "Wea ain't here for a fight!" she tries on a lark. <yrch-speak>

<pre>GAME: Rigby rolls weapon1+1-2-1: (7)+6+1+-2+-1: 11
<OOC> Rigby says, "And reload as a free with Firearm Mastery."</pre>

Rigby ducks back again as the arrow hits the end of his gun, he pauses a moment to swallow his fear, and then decides to quip back to mask it- "The hard way it is, then." he says, and then breaks into a run again, keeping low and his thunderbelcher clutched to his chest as he makes it up the stairs and rounds the bend towards where the arrow came from. As the light of his sunrod illuminates the brassy scales, he skids to a stop. The firearm report is a flash of light and a whip crack, like its namesake briefly illuminating the room. The pellet of lead sails through the air, colliding with the pillar the serpentine creature hides behind, blasting away a chunk of it in a cloud of dust and high-velocity shards of aged marble.

In one fluid motion, he sets the rifle against his shoulder and levers forwards the trigger guard- a gout of steam and alchemical smoke, along with the charred and tattered remains of the paper cartridge it had been loaded with, are ejected from vents on its side. While he does this, his other hand leaves the rifle to thumb a fresh cartridge loose from his bandolier, he rolls it over his knuckles and slides it into the waiting slot before levering the guard back again.

_Get a grip, Ai. You use that tactic yourself._

It takes Aimarra a minute, but she shakes herself and pulls her wits firmly back into line. _Book._ Ignoring the pitched battle going on, she dashes out from cover, grabs rotting cover and sodden pages, and dashes back to the safety of the pillar, peering at it.

The book's cover is pretty tattered, no symbols.

A quick glimpse in dim light is all she can manage. Text. Also, a lot of it is rotting and falling apart. It's been soaked. Maybe it's in an ancient Myrddion language. It does not look like what they were sent for.

A quick glimpse of the western room was all the half-elf saw. No details, beyond there being a lot of books in it.

The barrel near Aryia has fishing poles in it. Large enough for a small person to hide in or behind it. The bottom hasn't been checked. It's at a convenient position near the steps for things to be place inside when entering. The place one might put a hatrack.

<pre>GAME: Aryia rolls stealth: (10)+7: 17
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls +1d20+2: +(4)+2: 6
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+2: (1)+2: 3 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+2: (3)+2: 5
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "they are highly distracted by the Thunderbelcher"</pre>

With the sunrod on the other side of the upper room, the light is dim enough that darkvision some features are visible. Directly north of the stairs there is a lot of junk. Mostly stone furniture that has been moved and arranged in an indoor camp. There are amphoraes, a couple tables, a collection of rocks that make a firepit with corresponding soot on the ceiling. Pots. Small stacks of books beside chairs.

Also, a large mass of shredded books that seems like a rough bed. To the east, there's another chambre that seems full of shelves, containing scrolls and books.

There are two archers, coppery and elfin, above the waist. Below, they have thick snake tails that coil away behind them. Both are aiming at Rigby.

Aryia instinctually ducks at the blast of the firearm, heart rate doubling. The reverb was horrid, her grimacing and rubbing at one of her ears. However, she tore out of cover. If there was a time to move up, it was now. Once she passes a pillar, she drops down and slides flush against the ground before putting her back to the ledge. Slowly, she raises up to her tiptoes to peer over, scanning. 
 
She drops back down, barely leaning out from behind the pillar and pointing to the north east and north west and making a bow shooting motion towards her team before slinking back into the corner.

<pre>GAME: Jozi rolls weapon6: (15)+6: 21
GAME: Jozi rolls 1d6+4: (5)+4: 9</pre>

Spying the movement over the way, Jozi peels out from behind the pillar, bow arm starting high and levering forward and out as if on a hinge. Sinew and horn make a deep, ominous creak as the exotic cavalry bow flexes to it's proper extension and the arrow is let fly with a sharp hiss to thunk into the scaley flank of her would-be sniper. "Fine! Be that way!"

<pre><OOC> Cryosanthia says, "1 shoots at Rigby, 2 does something, 3 shoots at Jozi"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+7: (6)+7: 13
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+7: (19)+7: 26
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d8+2: (3)+2: 5
GAME: The Archer damaged Rigby for 5 points. 16 HP remaining.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "attacks on Jozi"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (12)+6: 18
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (10)+6: 16
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+5: (5)+5: 10</pre>

"Something about a fight. Try throwing ano.. AH!" The archer in the corner is interrupted. Her words end in a scream. The Thunderbelcher goes off. She's in the light. She's too close, he's too close! The shot smacks into her pillar. She shouts again, it sounds like an order. "Fight them!"

"But one of them grabbed the book. Maybe they're leaving?" The voice form the side rooms calls. <mynsandraal>

"Then shoot the one shooting me!" A lot more hissing from the first archer's position.

She leans around the corner and snaps off two arrows at Rigby. These aren't as well aimed as her first, one misses, but the other scores a good hit on his arm just above his bucker.

Across the room, the other serpent archer leans out, also targetting the Belcherman, until she catches an arrow from Jozi. With a frustrated hiss she switches targets, firing at the half-orc. Her arrows go wild.

There's a grunt, and a flutter, and another book flies out of the west room. It lands right in front of the doorway. "Sunlight!" 

<pre>GAME: Jozi rolls weapon6: (16)+6: 22</pre>

Jozi didn't want to get into an archery competition today, yet here she is. She edges momentarily back as her target lines up on her, now, and the sound of arrows deflecting off her pillar are a mixed comfort. Plus: They didn't land. Minus: Someone's shooting at her. Still, they're shooting at her, instead of coordinating fire on Rigby. She peels out as she had before, though this time, her own arrow sprinkles chips and dust about much as her foe's had previously.

<pre><OOC> Rigby says, "Move to 10, 7 and take cover, fire at 1 again."
GAME: Rigby rolls weapon1+1: (13)+6+1: 20
GAME: Rigby rolls damage1: aliased to 1d12+0: (12)+0: 12
<OOC> Rigby says, "Reload as free and done."</pre>

"Shit." Rigby exclaims through gritted teeth when the arrow catches him in the arm. He ducks low to move once more, heading to the nearest pillar and ducking behind it, back against it for a moment as he catches his breath. After a few moments, he leans out and around and levels his thunderbelcher at the archer that struck him. He squeezes the trigger, and again the loud report echoes in the large room, the muzzle flashing again. The pellet finds its mark, this time, the ball of poured lead hitting scaled flesh and burying itself deep within.

Rigby ducks back behind the cover after firing the shot, and he levers the mechanism on his rifle again- a fresh gout of steam and alchemical residue, and the scent of sulfur, as he pulls free yet another cartridge from his bandolier and slides it into the waiting chamber. "I don't do warning shots, but I do accept surrenders!" he calls back towards the serpentine woman while he reloads. "Drop the bows and we can end this."

<pre><OOC> Cryosanthia says, "roll sense motive DC20 Aimarra"
GAME: Aimarra rolls sense motive: (5)+2: 7</pre>

The book could be a trap to sucker someone closer, that's the obvious intent.

<pre>GAME: Aimarra rolls weapon1+1: (20)+8+1: 29 (THREAT)
GAME: Aimarra rolls weapon1+1: (8)+8+1: 17
GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d6+3: (1)+3: 4</pre>

The thrown book is enticing - but Aimarra's pretty sure she's smarter than that. Well, the shooting has well and truly started, and she didn't start it. Finishing it is fine, though, and her own bow is off her back, strung, and in her hands in a trice as she runs forward a few feet to place the state between herself and her target. *Twang* - the shot is true, and only the need to nudge it past the stone entryway saves it from being a terrible wound. "Don't think you're the only one with fancy tricks," she warns.

<pre><OOC> Cryosanthia nods, DC5 athletics, then you can get right up in her face if you want at 28,7, or not as close.
GAME: Aryia rolls athletics: (7)+7: 14
<OOC> Aryia says, "Right up to them at 28,7 and will do nonlethal stunning fist"
GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (13)+5: 18</pre>

The snake woman has a scarey stone face! Oh wait, it's a mask with a bunch of carved snakes on it. She is howeverer, still very much a humanoid snake-woman with a bow.

Aryia sucks in a breath and gets herself psyched up. With a nod to herself, she pulls herself up the ledge and broke out into a sprint towards the north eastern archer. Teeth bared, she does a pivot and crashes a haymaker into their gut. She wasn't looking to kill, but getting them out of the fight seemed a better option. It hits, but doesn't land just right. It's clear she's trying to not go for anything life threatening, but she puts her hands up and bounces on the balls of her feet while keeping an eye on her back just in case she gets shot again.

Jozi peaks out from cover again and sees the Mul' move huffs and peels out after, letting her bow fall to the ground to rush after. Her warhammer emerges from it's frogs again and she moves to support the quiet girl with hammer and claws.

<pre><OOC> Cryosanthia says, "1 shoots at Rigby, 2 does stuff, 3 melees"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "attacks on Rigby, with Cover"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+7: (11)+7: 18
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+7: (9)+7: 16
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "attack on Aryia"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (15)+4: 19
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (9)+4: 13
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "there is also a grab, vs your CMD20"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (17)+4: 21 (Grab, no AOO)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d8+1: (8)+1: 9
<OOC> Aryia says, "Got improved grapple, so CMD 22 for this!"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "then it misses, you still take the damage."
GAME: Ms Hissyfits damaged Aryia for 9 points. 10 HP remaining.</pre>

There's a cry of pain. "AH! Help! Little help here Sisssters. Would be much obliged." The first archer grunts and growls. Her bow snaps up. She fires two quick shots at Rigby, while side-winding so she's behind the pillar again.

On the other side from Aimarra there's the sound of scales grinding over stone, and several soft thumps getting further and further away. Nothing peeks around the corner nor comes flying out at her.

"Ahh!" There's a similar shout from across the room, as the other scaley archer finds herself confronted by the punchy Mul'niessa. She rears back and pulls something off her bow. An elven war knife. Her tail lashes out and coils around the the Mul'niessa's legs. A solid slap that's hard on the knees. She moves in with the knife, but it helps to hold it edgewards towards the opponent. Her coils tighten, about to grip and take down the little monk, except some martial trick defeats the snake-woman and her coils slip. She hisses again as Jozi runs up, "Back off!" Her knife waving about.

Across the room, the book thrower emerges from the small steps and takes cover behind the statue. She shouts at Rigby, "Over here! Shoot over here." <mynsandraal>

<pre>GAME: Rigby used a Sunrod.</pre>

Rigby keeps his back pressed against the pillar as the arrows keep flying his way. "Any luck?" he shoults back to Aimarra who was looking through the books. He releases one hand from his rifle and tugs the sunrod out from his beltloop. He leans around the bend, and then tosses it down to Aimarra who he'd glimpsed looking at the books. "Use that!" he calls out to her, and then promptly ducks back into cover lest another arrow comes sailing for him. He pulls the last of his sunrods from his belt, and strikes it against the pillar over his head, replacing the one he just handed over. "Something seems off about them. Why was she throwing books at you?" he adds.

The half-elf catches the sun rod and sets it in a sconch on the wall to keep the entranceway illuminated. She runs, vaulting up the level distance to crouch behind Rigby.

<pre><OOC> Aryia says, "Aryia will flurry two nonlethal strikes."
GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (2)+5: 7
GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (15)+5: 20
GAME: Aryia rolls 1d6+2: (1)+2: 3</pre>

The shadow elf let out a silent gasp of pain as something in her leg pops. Fighting through the pain, she twists into the grab, getting some slack before tumbling out of coils over the tail. She pops back to her feet, and launches a fast one-two jab at the snake towards the torso. Not looking to end things permenantly. "St-p, st-p!" Aryia pleads in a hiss, probably lost in all the sounds of combat. <sildanyari>

<pre>GAME: Jozi rolls weapon2: (8)+8: 16
<OOC> Jozi says, "warhammer forgot the minus 2 for dual wield"
GAME: Jozi rolls weapon3-2: (9)+7+-2: 14</pre>

Now that's she's in position, Jozi tries to press on Aryia's foe. She makes a swipe across the snakey one's belly, but doesn't get all that much closer than she does with the warhammer that whistles past the archer's head. On the upside, she's got two enemies to worry about, now.

<pre><OOC> Cryosanthia says, "so things. #2's attack on Rigby"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (12)+4: 16
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "#3's attack on Aryia"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (14)+4: 18
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20: (2): 2
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (17)+4: 21 (Grab vs CMD 22)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d8+1: (6)+1: 7
GAME: Ms Hissyfits damaged Aryia for 7 points. 3 HP remaining.</pre>

"Move! I've got you covered." The snake-woman behind the statue shouts at the archer. The archer immediately slithers out of cover, running, in as much as she can, towards the western alcove.

A book flies through the air, arcing over the statue and landing in front of Rigby.

"You're covering me with a BOOK?" The fleeing hisses, her words both angry and confused.

"I don't have my bow!" <mynsandraal>

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, the struggle continues, the third snake-woman archer getting pressed by the Mul'niessa and the half-oruch. She absorbs another blow with a grunt, and clearly doesn't like it. Her tail lashes out again, taking Aryia in the hip. A solid blow that shakes the smaller woman. She follows up with her knife, attempting to hammer Aryia on the forehead with the pommel. It's not really designed for this, and doesn't work. Once more her coils twist and tightent to constrict, but slip because of the monk's evasive training.

Then, an unexpected look of surprise in her eyes behind the mask. Followed by a rough, "You... stop. Down!" She throws her bow to the side. <sildanyari>

She keeps hold of her knife, and she's clearly very attached to her tail. 

<pre>GAME: Rigby rolls diplomacy: (12)+3: 15</pre>

Rigby jerks back as the projectile comes towards him, but he realizes it is just another book. He sighs, and shakes his head, "Pretty sure we're just beating a dead horse, at this point. Shame none of us speak their language." he says. He hefts his rifle, and then fires it- directly upwards, bringing down a shower of debris from the ceiling where it struck. "Everyone! Back up!" he bellows out across the hall. He then shrugs its sling off his shoulder, and sets it down on the ground, coming out from behind the pillar and into the view of the scalies to the western side of the room with his arms outstretched, hands empty, and palms facing out to show he's holding no weapons. He gestures towards a pouch on his belt, to indicate he's reaching for it, and then produces a piece of chalk from inside, and gestures to the ground infront of him. Hopefully they get the message.

<pre>GAME: Aryia rolls sense motive: (17)+8: 25
GAME: Jozi rolls sense motive: (6)+9: 15</pre>

Her tail-coil attack was definitely to hurt and try to grab hold of Aryia. It's not clear if she can do that non-lethally. She definitely was trying for a non-lethal strike with the knife though. 

The tail causes Aryia to crash against pillar, vision flickering as her whole side erupts in pain. Again, she hisses and pops "St-p, st-p..!". Barely understood with there being no real voice behind it. Though she raises her hands and stumbles backwards out of the snake lady's reach. "St-p... St-p..." <sildanyari>

Aryia breaths a sigh of relief as there wasn't an retalitory strike.

<pre>GAME: Jozi casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 2 DC: 13
GAME: Jozi rolls 1d8+2: (3)+2: 5
GAME: Jozi damaged Aryia for -5 points. 8 HP remaining.</pre>

Jozi is set to make another pass at ringing Ms Hissyfits bell, noting the attempted pommel strike as less a bloodlust than a territorial response.

Then the shot rings out, and everyone freezes. There's the tense moment, as she looks between her partner and opponent as Aryia peacefully withdraws, and she refrogs the warhammer, edging back toward the battered Mul'niessa. Her clawed hand rises to something at her collar and she murmurs something softly, "Great Mother, please grant me the power to mend your child's wounds." <yrch-speak>

A soft golden glow suffises her bare hand and she looks to Aryia, "Hol up, sugar, lemme atcha, there." she says gently and reaches out to touch the Mul tending some of her injuries.

She looks to the snake woman, asiding to her team, "I can try an buy us a little more good will." then, hand still holding at her collar, she cants her head with an arched eyebrow and points to one of the arrows wounds of the snake lady, gently crooning, "How bout it, hon?"

The silence after the Thunderbelcher seems deeper. There's a faint hiss of scales on stones, then a clatter. The first archer's bow appears near the corner she vanished behind. When Aryia backs up, the third archer turns on Jozi, her tail coiled to whip and her knife ready. She stares. Her face is fearsome, stone coloured with snakes twisting out radially.

No, it's a mask. She holds Jozi's gaze for a moment. Watches as she moves and performs her healing. She does not strike. When the half-oruch points at the arrow stuck in her, she tosses her knife to the side. It clatters away into the darkness.

There's an expectant silence. It grows. Finally another book lands at the top of the steps near where the second one is hiding. Followed by questioning tones, "Are we surrendering? What are we doing?" <mynsandraal>

The answer comes from the first, "Trying to figure out what they want, give it to them, and hope they go away." She slithers into view and the light of the sunrod. A woman, a snake, five feet tall with slightly more than twice that behind her, covered in coppery scales, wearing an archaic set of scale mail on her upper torso, and a stone medusa mask. She slithers over to examine Rigby's chalk drawing.

The reluctant second peeks around the statue. She's similar to the other two, without a mask.

The third takes off her mask and attaches it to her armour at her hip as Jozi approaches. Her features are remarkably Mul'niessian, even down to the ears, although her coppery skin and scales on her cheeks indicate she clearly isn't. She nods, displaying empty hands and spreading her arms back. 

Rigby doesn't take any chances as he emerges more fully, stepping slowly and keeping the hand not holding the chalk out and away from his swordbelt. He lowers down to kneel, and then on the stone he traces out his best effort of the symbol their gnomish patron described for them back on the airship. He's no expert artist, but he hopes it gets the message across. "We want this." he says, pointing at the symbol. Then to one of the thrown books, and then back to the symbol he has drawn. "Have you seen this?" he asks then, despite knowing full well they likely can't understand his words.

Aryia seems to shy away from the magical healing, flinching as if she was used to the sensation feeling much worse. But she sighs quietly in relief as she holds a hand to her hip and limps over to column. She slides down to the floor, glad the stone was cold.

Jozi frowns a little at Aryia's reaction, but she resolves tolook into that, later. Instead, she eases closer to the snake lady, murmuring again, "Great Mother, please grant me the power to mend your child's wounds." <yrch-speak>

She then reaches out to carefully remove the arrow and infuse the snake woman with her healing touch.

<pre>GAME: Jozi casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 2 DC: 13
GAME: Jozi rolls 1d8+2: (2)+2: 4</pre>

The first one stares at the symbol Rigby creates. The second one slithers up beside the first, now that things seem calmer. She doesn't seem to have any weapons, but otherwise appears similar. With her coppery skin and scales, she resembles a golem, or a statue. They'd be easier to distinguish if their names were known. Nicknames might do: The Archer, the Librarian and Ms Hissyfits.

"Isn't that...?" The Librarian asks, a fearful look appearing on her face, her tones rising and worried. <mynsandraal>

"Yes." The archer sounds resigned more than anything else. The words may be alien, but the demoralized tone is clear.

"Aren't we protecting that?" The librarian asks, looking at her twin.

"From thieves." The archer states firmly, and frowns. She turns and slitheres towards the area directly north of the steps. An area cluttered with stuff. She coils up on a pile of book covers and pages. She takes a goblet, one of the amphorae, and tilts it to pour herself a drink. "They aren't thieves if we give it to them."

Ms Hissyfits grunts in pain as Jozi removes the arrow, and then seems to relax as she feels the healing power flow through her. She stares at the two, the half-oruch and the Mul'niessa. She nods, gesturing across the room.

"What about the curse?" The Librarian asks something again, still worried.

Ms Hissyfits chimes in, something growling, grumbling and hissing, "If it would cure us, it would have. How much worse will losing it be? If it curse them, who cares?"

The Librarian nods, and slithers after the Archer, waving to be followed. 

Rigby glances between them as they speak, but it seems as though combat is not imminent for the time being so he eventually rises back to his feet. "Well, they don't seem especially pleased, but they aren't shooting us anymore." he glances back to his companions, and then the librarian who seems to be leading the way. "Might be a trap, If I don't come back in five minutes... come get me." he calls out, reasonably confident the serpentine ladies don't understand him anyway, and then he moves to follow the Librarian into the side room.

Aryia raises her hands slightly and slowly pulls out her journal. She mouths a "Sorry" in Sildanyari, feeling bad that she hurt them. Quietly, she scribbles out, "I cant undurstand thm wel but they somethyng abowt kurses and theevs." She shows the shoddy Tradespeak to Jozi.

Jozi smiles a little bit without baring her teeth, then she edges back out of Hissy's personal space slow and deliberate like. She turns at the curious sound of scribbling and regards the note offered her way, thoughtful and she nods. There's a little smile and a, "Thanks, sugar." then she calls over to Rigby and Aimarra, "Locals are on about a curse an thieves, it ain't real clear. Watch yaself."

The Librarian leads Rigby through the side room. It has books, and scrolls, and they all seem to be in good shape. And old. Very old. None are under three hundred years and some could be ancient. The snake-woman is careful about touching them, even though she fills the corridor between the stacks. She rears up, balancing to look at something near the ceiling, then sometimes crouches like an inch-worm to look at something near the floor. She completes a circuit, then calls out. "It's not here!" She sounds anxious.

"Was someone reading it?" The archer hisses, a question that doesn't seem directed at any of the adventurers. <mynsandraal>

Ms Hissyfits breaks away from Jozi and Aryia, and undulates over to the living area. It looks quite lived in, and a bibliophiles nightmare. Books have been ripped apart and made into bedding, pages stuffed under the stone furniture to stop it rocking on the uneven floor. Some, have clearly been burned in the fire. It smells very strongly of snake.

However there are also small stacks of books, several of which have bookmarks in them. Ms Hissyfits moves over to a stack, lifts books and flips through it. She moves to another. "It's here. I was." The serpent woman turns and holds a book facing out towards the party. She asks, "Is this what you're after?"

It's a book bound in dark hide, with a silvery script that resembles a skull and spine. 

"Got it." Aimarra had lowered her bow when the others did, but is clearly still wary, even if she has put her weapons down. For now, she remains in the background, letting the talkers do the talking.

Rigby follows his escort around the library, peering at the various books as he passes them- keeping an eye out for any that strike him as valuable, perhaps. Old habit. But when they complete the circuit and it's still not found- and seperated as he is from the others- he wonders, "It's gone?" guessing the cause for the alarm he detects in the archer's voice.

<pre><OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Hmm... Rigby, do you have profession/bookkeeper or craft/bookbinding or k/history?"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "k/dungeoneering would apply also"
GAME: Aimarra rolls knowledge/dungeoneering: (18)+7: 25</pre>

There's a non-descript sort of book, on a hunch you open it. The pages have gold letters, and other than a half destroyed dust-cover it seems pristine. It screams 'magical book' of some sort.

Aryia groans and gets to her feet, her limping over towards the snake that presents the book. She flips back a few pages in her journal. Dark hide, silver writing, skull shape with a spine. Kinda sorta looks like Sildanyari if you tilt your head one way. She scribbles again and shows it to Jozi. "I cant read the tytle, but it looks lyke it matchs what the guy told us."

The books are old, the scrolls even older. While the tomes can be identified by their spines, sometimes, the only way to recognize a scroll would be to read the lable on its storage spot or unroll it. The label might be incorrect, unrolling could crumble it. Each tome on the shelf could be priceless or worthless.

Some have divine symboles, others have arcane ones. Possibly they are religious texts from an earlier time.

Jozi edges closer to Hissy now that they're in somewhat better terms, eyeing the book in the snake woman's hands. She draws up as Aryia hastens up to get a better look see, examines her note in turn, then nods, "Seems proper ta me, sugar, but I ain't big on the lingo." There's a look toward where Aimarra hurried off to, then, "We might have somethin over here! Neither of us can read this title here, but the bindin looks right!"

Ms Hissy is unperturbed by the half-oruch's closeness. She's has flipped open the tome when she notices Aryia's note, and startles and straightens up in a way that suggests she comprehends it. She grabs a scrap of moldy paper, there's a lot in the ruined book pile, and writes slowly, a single word at a time as she pronounces it.

The script is clearly Sildanyari, the pronunciation something entirely different. She hisses, "Tome. Is. Cursed. Knowledge." <mynsandraal>

She writes, "Tome. Is. Cursed. Knowledge. Present!" <sildanyari>

Sadly, neither makes any sense to the Mul'niessa. Although the enthusiastic way she thrusts the book towards Aryia and Jozi suggests she's happy to give it away.

{{LineSkulls|300px}}

==Combatty==

<pre> ===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 2 =====================
 ---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
     23   Scalies          1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     20   Jozi             4  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     19   Rigby            1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     17   Aimarra          1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  >> 9    Aryia            1   <<
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ==============================================================================
 ===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 3 =====================
 ---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
     23   Jozi             4  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  >> 23   Scalies          1   <<
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     19   Rigby            1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     17   Aimarra          1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     9    Aryia            1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ==============================================================================
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|   Name   |   Race   |   Class   | CHP | HP  | AC/FF/T |CMD |For |Ref |Wil |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Aimarra   |HALF-ELF  |Rgr        | 50  | 50  |20/18/13 | 20 | 6  | 6  | 3  |
|Aryia     |SHADOW_ELF|Mnk        | 19  | 19  |16/13/16 | 20 | 5  | 6  | 3  |
|Jozi      |HALF-ORC  |Ftr/Inq    | 31  | 31  |19/17/12 | 20 | 8  | 3  | 5  |
|Rigby     |HUMAN     |Ftr        | 21  | 21  |19/15/14 | 18 | 6  | 4  | 0  |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------</pre>