Working at the Grand Library has calmed down significantly after The Boss plane-shifted us out of the Shadowfell prematurely and then went off to seek a badger to make it a Boss of Dark Market. Nothing too magical or life-threatening has happened since.
I come in three days a week and usually I work with the Quartermaster, Clord Clubbreaker, to clean the third floor of the library. He’s very good for conversation, quite an interesting fellow. We’re mostly done now, so I’ve taken to doing a more in-depth exploration. There’s two rooms near the portal to Dark Market, one consecrated and one desecrated (the latter is full of what I assume to be burned books). I’d have to ask Tamworth Truenature about the history of that.
Today was quite different.
I had known that the Library had aquired a property in the North Ward. It was primarily Lydia and Luna cleaning it out, and I decided that I would leave them to it. They’re quite a pair.
Apparently it was bombed earlier today. Luna came to retrieve me and ask for my service in casting Speak With Dead. The guard rebuffed her at the scene of the crime (I waited in the house; no sense pinning more scandal on myself that truly necessary) but we went to the precinct building and went to the morgue there anyways.
I ended up casting a Zone of Truth (always fun) and two Speaks. She seemed to get helpful answers. On our way out, she gave some information to the guard posted outside and reassured me that, while this was highly illegal, she would maintain that I was not involved and was coerced/just accessory.
I wished her luck and took the rest of the week off.
My curiosity finally got the best of me. I’ve been meaning to pay the library a visit for nearly two years, but better late than never. They seemed to be wary of me, which I suppose is reasonable. I’m not exactly the most inviting and my brother did die in their service. I don’t believe that the fear was so warranted, though. It’s not as if I came in, blade in hand, shield raised.
I spoke to Markus’ employer, a very pale and timid man who transferred me to the current manager. Lydia seems to be a competent fighter, which is an unusual thing for a librarian. She introduced me to the only remaining staff member of Markus’ cohort — a goblin named Clord. He himself was retired; must be a very dangerous position. He showed me where it happened.
I asked to know what else happens in the library and it was extremely obvious that was a touchy and secrative subject. Going down the big staircase is apparently for employees only, so I’m now (at least temporarily) dual-employed. Cheers.
They said I had come at the right time and that the current “active” staff (a tabaxi, an aracockra, some sort of dark eladrin, and a half-elf) were going to explore a dark market. What kind of library has its own market away from the public?
I suppose one that has uncountable floors. It is impossible to tell how deep this stairwell descends, I was told that they had only “cleared out” three floors below ground level, and the third very recently.
This third floor was the darkest place I had been to and was beyond dirty. I could see that some movements towards cleaning had been done, but. Endure.
We approached a massive circular door set into the far wall. The floor around it was soaked in gore, but old, maybe even ancient. I doubt that stain will ever come out. Sayyadina (the tabaxi) stepped forward and opened the doors.
Immediately we were greeted by an almost incorporeal form who kept teleporting around us and calling himself(?) the Boss and welcoming us to Dark Market. I admit I was not paying the most attention; we were on the top of a massive spire and I had my own things to take care of.
I was told, once we descended, that secrets are currency in this place — how convienent. I was also told that we had no way to return. What joy.
The group of us made our way slowly through the twisted and shadowy plane of what I am told is the Shadowfell. We came across a book seller (I sold my secret about the ledger) and later, the City of the Dead. I wandered around a little as my companions attempted to gain passage — I returned just in time for a zone of truth, as they had apparently tried to claim to be vampires.
We were allowed access into the city after some debate (the password is “All hail the boss”) and found an inn for the night. We drew lots and I had a room with Sig, the aracockra, while Dina and Lance (the half-elf) had another, and Hiss (the strange eladrin) got a room to himself. He clearly has a history here and needs his space. Sig took the first watch and I took the second. We paid to stay here (the entry secret was telling our names) and I trust that contract, but I don’t particularly trust the clientelle. On my watch, I saw, just for a flickering moment, a shadow. It was as tall as the hallway but completely black — nothing to say what race it was, only the sillhouette. I met with Sayya and told him about what I had seen. He said that Lydia, the head librarian, had told him about something similar, but couldn’t recall the name. Lance shouted out the name (THE WAVERING SHADOW AT THE EDGE OF THE CANDLELIGHT) which was concerning, as he had been on the first watch and should’ve been dead asleep. He had no further information about whatever it was, so I decided to tell Sig and Hiss about this in the morning.
We set out the next... time? and went further towards the larg circus tents we could see in the distacnce. Those things must be larger than Mt. Waterdeep. On approaching one, there was some fiasco with attempting to cross a moat. It would have been a good time to remember that Water Walk is a ritual spell, but hindsight is always sharper. We started tying to find a doorway in when we were accosted by... a chicken house.
It ran on two legs and a horrid cackling came from within. It was also accompanied by a squadron of skeletons, some armed with crossbows. My companions told me this was the Bonefarmer, the nighthag who had lived on the third floor. She was one of the “sub-bosses” here and was back for her revenge.
It was a long and disgusting battle. Sig’s flight was a great boon and he was able to take out many skeletons who tried to ford the river. Hiss showed himself to be a powerful caster, throwing three Lighting Bolts into the house. Lance and I did a lot of healing, though we each had some offensive spells prepared. (I had removed most of my powerful damage spells, thinking we wouldn’t initiate any combat. Fool of a took.) Everything was proceeding as well as can be expected until the house... forded the river.
It crushed Hiss and Lance as Sig made good work on dismantling the roof. I blessed Sayya’s weapons so he could kill the hag and healed Lance in order to let him heal Hiss. I don’t remember much after that, as I was kicked by the house and knocked unconscious.
Lance woke me up with enough healing for me to see that Hiss... well, Hiss had been destroyed. The house had utterly destroyed him. Sayya pressed a massive diamond into my hand.
Revivify is one of the gorier hands-on spells and bless whoever created it. A diamond heart is a fragile thing to have, but it sure beats the cold touch of death.
We looted the witch’s house and cought our breath. I found some books and a set of ivory goats. Very well made, two even have little saddles painted upon them. Our rest was interrupted by The Boss, who was incredibly mad that we had not killed his subordanite and that now he had to “promote a badger!” He cast Planeshift on Sayya for speaking out and then decided to Planeshift the whole lot of us. We appeared in the City of the Dead in Waterdeep — it makes perfect sense now that I think of it. The Boss whined at us for some time before telling us not to return (I think not!) before leaving to find the badger.
He did indeed return with a badger under his arm before Planeshifting away (three times in a day, without rest!) presumably to knight it or something.
The walk back to the library was pleasant, partially because it turns out that a night in Dark Market is a month on the surface. We were recieved well. I returned to the Temple and had to do some explaining to my Abbot, but I’m not prohibited from taking other work. I can do as I please, and I believe that I can go over and help those folks again. They certainly have a lot to endure, and having a cleric around will only benefit their work. I can certainly see why Markus took the job.
