Last Friday was the final session of Dragon Heist, and perhaps the final session of Librarians as a whole. It was a 10 hour marathon that picked up where last week’s session left off, with David and Matilda unconscious in the anti-magic field; Rolf, Schnoz, and Sebastian running to catch up; and the three mysterious drow fleeing the scene. We ended at 4AM after returning the hoard to the city of Waterdeep, with the assisting Librarians each being awarded a cut as a gift for service.
During the final session, we killed Jarlaxle, rolled all but three pcs into initiave (for a total of 15 pcs, although four would be controlled by the DM in absence of their player), avoided a fight with Big Belchy, attuned two different characters to the Stone of Golorr, had two different characters crit their attraction rolls to Aurinax (in dragon form), and leveled everyone to 7.
There are still mysteries to be solved — IT THAT IS NOT IS — but for now, all is well.
My notes from the session are long, and before I can write them in David, Lydia, and Bluevolt’s voices, I need to write my final paper. But I wanted to make a post for posterity: thank you Eli, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for the wonderful story and thank you for allowing me to share in it.
Librarians Assistants may yet return, but I’m not going to hold my breath.
We got some new staff at the Library, or rather one new member (one Sebastian Tyrne) and one old temp hire now reinstated (Schnoz, the firlbolg). In the midst of all of this, the new edition of the Waterdeep Enquirer came — delayed by all the snow, it’s still the news from this past Uktar. The main article was on the Gralhund Villa, written by a Rolf Typsetter who seems to know a great deal about all of this! (He also wrote an interesting article about Luna, which I think I will enjoy using for tinder.) Tilly, Schnoz, Sebastian and I went out to pay Mr. Rolf a visit.
He seems interested in the case and is willing to assist in the investigation. We walked back to the Library to discuss things further and on more official terms. While he and Lydia talked, Sebastian called his hawk. Lovely! Perhaps I could talk with him about familiars, which the animal most certainly is.
After a long discussion, we (myself, Tilly, Sebastian, Schnoz, and Rolf) then walked all the way to the Vila — a necessary sacrifice. It was pissing down rain.
We saw Nim’s child in an alley nearby and quickly engaged. Rolf seemed hesitant, but no matter. It did quickly become clear that Schnoz is the only one among us who primarily uses weapons. I’ve gotten used to Widdershins, but I have been neglecting to familiarize myself with armor. Ultimately, it was Sebastian who stunned the nimblewright: I caught the barest flash of an illusion but the nimblewright was absolutely hypnotized. We deliberated on what to do with it for some time (I offered to freeze its joints — they’re fiddly and delicate things, waterlogged as they were) before deciding to take it back to the Library for interrogation. Tilly removed its legs (so that it couldn’t run) and in the process caused a map to fall out of its coat.
After some paperwork, we set up in the iron room on the Fae Floor. It is sparse and uncomfortable, yet still I nearly fell asleep on my feet. Bluevolt managed to calm the thing down (it couldn’t speak at all) and did us the favor of asking questions, as the nimblewright would only respond to Bea. I will admit, I did not pay the most attention, as exciting as the interview was.
I managed to catch a quick rest before Rolf, high on the chase it seemed, urged us to continue. We went first (obviously) to the house that the nimblewright had circled on the map, that of Mr. Fenerus Stormcastle. Xanathar’s Guild had arrived before us, however, leaving a broken door and their gorey insignia. Whilst several of us debated in the house as to what we should do, Sebastian (who was waiting outside) had an intriguing conversation.
He met with someone disguised as Lareal Silverhand, who gave him a map. Initially Sebastian claimed that he had conversed with the Open Lord herself, and only under Rolf’s (very familiar) persuasion divulged the details. While his behaviour was strange, far be it from I to condemn Sebastian. I think Schnoz is the only one among us without secrets. (Perhaps I will talk to Rolf about his patron later...)
Nevertheless, we continued, following someone or other’s lead (I forget whom it was that lead the group) into the sewers. Tilly helpfully pointed out the doorways hidden in the walls.
Naturely, combat ensued. I made the mistake of stepping into the room and was quickly knocked unconscious — not before catching a glimpse of a metal Beholder in the next room. Tilly was kind enough to heal me just in time for Rolf to cast some soothing magic. He speaks undercommon, interestingly enough. I used the resulting calm to shoo my coworkers out of the room (unfortunately, the duregar took the hint as well) to do some spellcasting.
That was my first time casting Hunger... I aligned my sword with the Ioun stone and tried my best to channel the energies from the stone, not the sword; my connection with Hadar, not the fae. As natural as anything, the void flowed from Widdershins and appeared without a sound, rendering the area a pitch and lightless black! What a thrill! It had been so long since I last tried to connect with the Star, and to feel that power running through my body again was divine. My only regret was that I could not see the results.
I wandered over to Sebastian and Rolf (whose imp familiar, Deirdre, could see into the void) while waiting out the Hunger. Sebastian looked a little shaken, but not supremely affected. Schnoz befriended a kobold who named himself “tall.” I poked around in a nearby room and found only a small drawstring pouch. It pours out an endless stream of viscera and blood. Rolf seemed interested in it, so I gave it to him. I dismissed my spell when a goblin escaped and ran into Tilly. The three of us rushed over, and I dealt the final blow.
Rolf and I inspected the Beholder. I managed to turn it on and it lit up beautifuly before burning itself out. We briefly argued over ownership before deciding to give it to the House of Gond. I don’t know what I would’ve done with it myself, but I feel as though Lydia might’ve liked to tinker with it.
Schnoz found a rock (perhaps the Stone we’re looking for, although it is non-magical) and his friend informed us that there were “big lizards with swords” in the next area. Schnoz decided to forge ahead while the rest of us spellcasters waited behind. Eventually I stepped up to lend my aid, only to find that it was wholly unnecessary. Schnoz did not need our help until near the end of the battle; “tall” held his lantern as he downed troglodytes in one swing each.
Rolf warned us about a “big pile of flesh and teeth” in the area — a warning which only encouraged Schnoz. I recognized that this thing might be an abberation, similar to the Star but made of flesh, and decided that its remains would be worth the study.
We took a moment to heal before repositioning around the room. The... thing was disgusting. We played cat and mouse with it, shooting spells and retreating before Schnoz landed the final blow. Unfortunately, it disintegrated upon death(?).
Tilly found the chest it was guarding — the coins will go to the Library, but the pendant is hers. Sebastian whacked open a bricked up door so we could escape without going through the sewers again. Rolf left and went to his home while the rest of us walked back to the Library in the dead of night. Schnoz went to bed, but Sebastian and I talked briefly about possible leads before retiring.
Those flyers are still out there, somewhere! Someone came in today with one, looking for a job. Sebastian Tyrne. He seems weird, but benign. Wasn’t scared off when I told him that this library can, has, and very likely will continue to kill people who work here, so he’s hired. He’s some kind of spellcaster, carries around a big, metal staff.
After I finished up his on-boarding, BV decided to inform me that there was a “chill tall person with pink hair and an axe” on the Fae Floor — Schnoz has been living down there for over a year.
I caught him back up to speed and reassured him that he could join the “upstairs party” and was welcome in the Library. We extended his contract, so he’s full time now.
David and M Tilly went out with Schnoz and Sebastian and then came back with the skeeviest reporter in all of Waterdeep, Rolf Typesetter. Works for the Enquirer, the one who wrote the article about Luna. I don’t like him. He knew about Bluevolt and he’s got some sort of familiar, some invisible owl or some shit. Tried to fly it in on Tilly and I when we spoke together in the Self Help section — apparently she’s on Xanathar’s radar again. She’s moving somewhere safer and I’m going to keep an eye out. I’m not too worried about her in here, we’re pretty well fortified. I did ask her to go with the group, though. They need a healer.
All that aside, we’re working with Rolf for the time being. I don’t trust him an inch, but he’s got information. David, Tilly, Sebastian and Schnoz went with him on some kind of excursion.
They found Nim’s kid?! Had to chop its legs off, poor thing, but that’s reparable. They brought it back to interrogate it about the bombings and figured BV could help. I made Rolf sign an NDA — I’ve decided I trust him like a fae. He's a slippery bastard, but I don’t think he’d ever break a contract. The lot of them went down to the iron room and came back up about an hour or two later, and then went right back out. Must’ve found something promising.
Got back late. Doorbell woke me up. Schnoz went down to the Fae Floor, David and Sebastian are talking.
I decided that I would accompany the outward party on their most recent dubiou definitely illegal outing. I sensed that it would not do for Lydia to go out in such ways.
The Gralhund Villa is a fort, surely. We entered through their stables (and concussed their stableboy) and Shard took whatever he found in the getaway horse. I wish we could’ve had Lance accompany us, as he could’ve asked the horses about the fortifications, considering his interest in horses. They at least would’ve warned us about the shadows in the courtyard — I nearly died.
We moved into the house, and into the fray. Zhents and guards were fighting but by the time we made it in, the battle had mostly calmed. I had an interaction with a strange dark elf with some sort of wand of blasting — nearly did me in a second time. Luna healed me, but my head was too cloudy to continue. Hiss walked me home to the library.
Simon is getting more into the IT THAT IS NOT IS mystery and gathered everyone together to make a speech about it. I went down after the meeting and grabbed my volume — 98 I think? — and on the way up, I heard Luna talking to Simon about Mino. He went through the fire, sounds like, but he found Rocko. Luna also said some things about Rocko being “possessed by the spirit of the Library Guardian“ and reawakened, but I didn’t really understand it.
I hope he’s doing well.
Later in the day, I was in the entry way and overheard Simon talking about the god of secrets seeks your knowledge. Something about it just... struck me. I told him about my short research of it and called David over to give more info.
LUNA GOT ARRESTED. She apparently had Anthony cast Speak with Dead on some of the suspects from the bombing and the guard (predictably) got back to her on it. The argument... she really does believe that she’s got the best solution to any problem. I’ll be fair, the guard is far from the most capable, but listening to her try to persuade the guards to let her continue... wow.
They gave her two weeks of labor and some fairly hefty fines. Anthony got his family to send her some money and I chipped in as well. Welcome to the club, dear. I sincerely hope this didn’t make Vajra mad at her.
Over the past month, I’ve been telling my story to the goblins of clan Goblinfox as well as any interested coworkers, which I suppose at least some of the goblins might count as. I conduct these tales in the faemote house. As faintly upsetting as it is to be back in the Faewild, the familiarity of my old living space is comforting. The observatory is fine for spring and summer weather, but I fear that the colder months may render it wholly unsuitable.
Regardless, I told them of the small brushes with goblin culture in the marshes, of the splashing and of the rest house. I then told them another marsh story of that damned fish, the one that’s carved into my blade. At the end, I summoned it and let it swim through the air. Much to Clord’s displeasure.
He’s so suspicious of the sword. Yes, it was Lewellyn’s. Yes, he went crazy and died and now I have it. It’s not wiggly star stuff, and that displeases me too! And finally, I would NEVER release anything dangerous onto a gathering of my friends and coworkers! The fish is under my command, as my... weapon. It was of no risk whatsoever.
I really must find some way to compile these tales into something more easily accessable. They’re quite fascinating.
.
Much later in the month, one of the newer assistants (a changling who calls herself Baby-Eater — also a regular attendant of my stories) told us of a strange encounter at the docks. Some man had invited her and the rest of the library to dinner. I decided to attend.
The man, Zardoz, really was... something. His ship was named Eye Catcher, and the two for his carnival were Heartthrob and Hell-Raiser. The men he employed were fairly handsome, though Zardoz himself was a little disconcerting. The man was coated in illusion magic and could sense when I invoked my... associate’s presence, which most people cannot. I do not trust him more than I can throw him, though I suppose I could fling him a good distance if pressed. Assuming he consented to being thrown; he does have that aura to him. Someone who talks like they think nothing of backing it up.
Regardless, we had a lovely dinner. Lance traded a story of Dark Market for more information regarding the nimblewright population of Waterdeep (there’s been an under-the-table sale of one to a noble family lately — perhaps our culprit?). Zardoz may take us up on a “safari” at some point, but I did invite him back for dinner. It is only polite.
Perhaps he is a dragon in disguise who has been granted passage into Waterdeep.
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.
Song of the Sealark, Luna, probably David and Simon as well finally got the teleportation circle up and running. I am surrounded by spellcasters.
We had a nice time meeting the neighbors — there’s a nice couple (who I can only assume are genasi) who run a blacksmithing place nearby which I must visit at some point, and one of the magic supply shops that Luna frequents is also on the same alley. The proprieter is friendly enough, might get some books on arcane theory from him at some point.
Then Trollskull Alley/Mannor got bombed, because we can never know peace. The explosion was terrifying enough, but seeing the fire... it felt like I was burning. Hiss, Sig, and Luna ran in and tried to help out. I shook myself out of it not too long after and tried to assist where I could, but I was more than a little spell-shocked.
Then the guard showed up and we didn’t manage to find the person who did it and we didn’t find the person who ran away and we ended up meeting and defenting a kobold who was one of Chip’s old merc buddies and some changling showed up and demanded that we take her to Tamworth and it was all so much.
I talked to a little boy who had found the fireball necklace that was used — two beads left. The guards were harassing him, poor kid. He probably just had to watch his friends, his family, burn up in front of him. I calmed him down, got the necklace, and when he left, I gave him some gold. It’s nothing compared to what he’s lost, but it’ll help him. He’s going to need it.
We think it was an automaton. Hiss overheard a lady describe it as a “puppet without strings,” the same way people sometimes talk about Bluevolt. We went to the Library first (had to introduce “Baby-Eater” to Tam and convince Shard that Chip had died. Both agreed to hang around the library and work) before heading out to the temple of Gond.
Got attacked by a mechanical bird before walking in, but the priestess was cool. They do have a nimblewright there, an old fellow named Nim, who’s a known troublemaker, but not one to bomb a street. He did admit to creating a nimblewright of his own. As punishment for attacking visitors, the priestess cleaned his room and gave us a nimblewright detector. And an offer of 500 gold for the death (or arrest) of Nim’s nimblewright.
I know it’s not Blue, but it still feels... bad. I know their workings inside and out and I know how I would. But I don’t know if I could face Bea with the full knowledge of how I could kill them.
Once this all settles down, I think I might have to open up the fourth floor for exploration. It’s been a long time.
If people would ask, information would be given. However, I cannot abide by teaching incorrect or outdated knowledge.
Truly, I had affairs of my own to attend to upon my return from the Faewild. An arm to regrow, a lovely lady to aclimate to life in Waterdeep on the Material Plane, and potentially a contract to renegotiate. My completion of only two of those tasks notwithsanding.
I’ve taught Clord the Goblin alphabet and spent much time talking about Nem and the things Nem told me. Seafaring goblins, what a concept.
Yet to be done: coordinate the casters in the library to teach this child how to properly use magic
I guess it was kind of inevitable but I still wasn’t expecting it because how could I, really, as someone who knows so much about magic but still can’t actually harness it myself I didn’t realize that, in making another being through magic, I would be creating a magical being.
Bea summoned a familiar. Just by watching Luna changing Smooch’s form.
It’s a tressym, a young one at that. I’m not worried about either Bea or Bookribbon, I’ve seen how Bea interacts with Smooch they’ll both be fine. Mostly I’m worried about how to train them in magic.
I don’t know what their capacity is (I don’t know if they know either; it’s not something I thought to measure to give them the tools to measure!) and I don’t know how to safely find out but I can’t imagine it’s too high considering that magic is their life force and I’m not sure how it recharges.
Watching them play with Bookribbon and mess around with their voice and make little Thaumaturgy tricks just gives them so much excitement. I wish I could share it with them, but somehow… I still know what it feels like.
Progress: Bluevolt is a fast learner and it’s hard to match their speed. They’re a voracious reader and endlessly curious. They respond to Bluevolt, Blue, and Bea.
Yet to be done: They still don’t quite understand the necessity of clothing and I’ve stopped trying to explain it.
Bea still preferrs gesture over speach, but I can’t really get on them for it. They elaborte if their meaning isn’t immediately clear and communicate well enough. I’ve included lessons by the other librarians in Bea’s cirriculum(?) which has the unintended but heartwarming outcome that they occasionaly refer to other staff as their family:
Me - mom, which is crazy to think about
Luna - also mom. I have no idea what she thinks about that
David - uncle, sometimes dad, sometimes granddad
Sayyadina - aunt or uncle. Bea seems to have picked up on Dina’s presentation very quickly
Anthony - uncle
Simon - cousin
Lance - cousin
Clord - uncle
Hiss - alternates between uncle and cousin
Sig - uncle
Tamworth - uncle
Matilda - alternates between aunt and cousin
Sometimes I try to teach Bea something complex, like bookbinding, and they already know it and sometimes I try to explain something that seems intuitive, like class or gender, and it just doesn’t click. Things like gender and clothing I’ve just decided that they don’t particularly need. Hopefully I can convince them that they have to be polite to some people before they start talking to patrons. Some people who visit are cool about it but Alistair... I’m torn between not wanting them to ever meet and desperately wanting to watch that interaction.
I’m going to teach Bea to fence. They’re not strong enough to wield a greatsword, but they’re faster and more agile than anyone’s buisness. They’d be fantastic with a rapier and a whip. I think I’ll let them read my fighting manuals as well.
It’s been slow lately. It’s nice. It’s summertime, bright and hot and I like walking down to the beach and standing in the waves or going out to the market. I know it can’t stay this way forever, but at least for this summer, we can have some peace.
I had my birthday party in the Yawning Portal, because that’s the kind of person I am now. 21. I had a few, but Luna is such a lightweight, I swear. She had one and that was more than enough. We were there with Sig and Eth and sat with Yagra (I beat her at arm wrestling). Her boss, the leader of the Zhents, talked to us even though Eth kept trying to kick him. She’s a feral little thing.
He told us about some serial killer on the loose, after elves and half-elves in the Dock Ward. We said we’d get on it. Luna, ever the pragmatist even while absolutely smashed, managed to negotiate a pay of 50gp per library staff. I said we’d get to it the next day.
(Luna’s present to me was a night away from the library, in Warm Beds. I invited her to join me. She’s got a lot of stories to tell, and we swapped tales late into the night.)
The next day, Eth brought some guardsman into the library to show him the Faerift. Luna and I shut it down and Eth ended up taking him into Goblinfox cave. Apparently she was looking for that boy who was on Nemmish with her and Simon. Clord told her that he’d left months ago, don’t know why his brother was still looking.
Later that day, we were investigating the serial killer buisness. Luna ended up getting Fort Grey’s help for the next floor, which will be fantastic. She also talked to the next victim and we had to send Smooch hunting to track them down. Found Eth and the guy she was looking for too, helping our drunken friend home. The killer found the three of them before we did. Eth held him off and we got there to finish the deed, when WHO SHOWS UP but THAT RED BASTARD. I knew there was something sketchy about him from the moment he kept trying to get into the library.
He talks like someone who thinks nothing of backing it up. There was a hard moment where I nearly considered the last fireball, but... that guy seems like he wouldn’t go down so easily. I shot his friend unconscious and he... teleported the two of them away.
Luna told Fort Grey about it. I’m looking into protective wards for the library. I don’t like that guy and I know it’s not the last we’ll see of him.
...
I keep hearing Mino’s warning and I can’t stand not knowing what’s down there, but I also can’t bear to send people down and not see them come back alive, or at all.
Luna, Sayya, Simon and Lance, David, Anthony, Sig, Hiss, Matilda... they’re too dear to lose. Eth just woke out of a coma and Clord isn’t letting her descend yet, but she’d be in danger if she went down there. Bluevolt, too. They’re just barely three months old now and already vividly capable but if they died down there, I don’t think I could ever forgive myself. I understand Tamworth.
I need to think of a better name, something other than Successor Project, that’s so... morbid, now that I think about it. I guess it was fitting at the time, when I was horribly depressed for three months, but things have gotten a lot better (!!) and while I don’t think I’m ever going to go clear out another Library floor, it doesn’t feel like I’m preprating to leave.
As I write this in the Pixie Theatre, watching Project gently explore the room... I think I’m as close to understanding magic as I’ve ever been. This is a living thing.
Balthazar’s modifications worked perfectly. I protected the carvings (in the end, that’s what worked best) and the whole interior is covered with so many little runes. There’s a large and clear chunk of Caster’s Quartz right where a heart would be (keep thinking about diamonds and having to remind myself that this isn’t a Revivify) and I put some smaller ones in conduit points in joints as well as two for eyes. I’m not sure if Project knows how to talk yet, though it could be that I just haven’t asked.
I think the next month is going to be a lot of teaching.
I named the season again: Summer of Rippling Gold. Seemed fitting.
I went with Luna to Trollskull mannor a lot. She would clean and I’d work on notes from Balthazar’s book, occasionally bouncing ideas off her. I like getting out of the library on occasion. That ghost of a bartender is still upset at us being here. We’ve taken to calling it Getout, as that’s how it responded when we asked its name. Luna went down into the cellar and found a barel of wine that hadn’t gone off — we could sell it, but we could also drink it. I’m not much of a wine drinker myself, but I know a lot of the others are.
At one point, she asked me to smelt some new glass windows. They’re not the prettiest, but not half bad for a first try! I think we pleased Getout. I really do want to make some furniture and repair the walls of that place at some point. Once we run out of things to do above the fourth floor, I suppose that’s what I’ll work on.
We’ve had people puttering off to do their own things a lot these past two months, which is all fine and good until Luna didn’t come back from doing Force Grey things. It was a day and a half! Apparently she was just sitting up there on the top of Mt Waterdeep, meditating! Wizards.
She went off with David and Sig and Hiss near the end of Kythorn, doing some errand or another with the Church of Chauntea (...the Emerald Enclave?), something about some scarecrows.
I stayed back to work on the Project (!) but she was there when it happened.
We. had a long conversation in the bathroom. But I think everything is sorted out now (!!!)
Having spent much of the month of Mirtul restoring my lost poetry from the Faewild and aiding Song of the Sealark in creating a teleportation circle between the Library proper and its newest aquisition, I decided to get out in the city of Waterdeep, now in the early summer.
I thought it only proper to repay the Church of Chauntea for their aid with my arm (which has regained most if not all functionality at this point). Oleander Pendergrass is such a charming fellow, greeting me as Bad Vibes Dude. Truly, he’s correct. I can deal with that later; this deal has not soured yet. Perhaps I should seek Nem after this — I might be losing touch with his advice. I wonder how he is.
Oleander asked me about the badger who “vibe checked” me the last time I visited, as Chip has apparently gone missing. I do hope they find him. A small white cat then instructed me to meet in a manse in the North Ward — druids are such strange folk.
I assembled the present members of the Library staff (we all have had dealings with the Church in the past; it makes sense to continue to foster good relations) and went to the Emerald Enclave. The folks there offered us membership — which we all accepted, though not institutionally. The Library will remain officially unaffiliated, though most of the present staff agreed to join these friends of Chauntea.
The Emerald Enclave in turn sent us out to the northward hamlet, as there had been reports of animated scarecrows causing trouble. There had not yet been fatalities and as such the Guard had not bothered to be involved.
We walked down to the village and luckily found an older man who was happy to tell us of the plight. The scarecrows had killed some of his cows. He offered us a “lucky sword” (the item was not magic in any way) despite my urgings that he keep such a valuable weapon for his own defense — Luna took it to pacify him. It was better for her to do so, as I already have a sword of my own, Hiss is perfectly capable of summoning his, and Sig does not use blades.
Locating the damned things was easy with Sig’s flight, though the walk over for the rest of us land-bound creatures was less enjoyable. Lo and behold, four shambling scarecrows. I’m very grateful for Tamworth’s spell-tinkering; the scarecrows are extremly flammable, but so is the wheat around us. We were not out to cause more damage — his Harmless Fireball works wonders.
As expected, the scarecrows were just vessels for vengeful spirits. I attempted to speak with them and ask them what their purpose was. They had been killed (obviously) by some... green things in the forest. I could not ascertain more as they were quite mad.
We slew them handily and returned to the Library. I ought to do some digging into that. Especially as I find myself unable to pick up new spells — quite frustratingly, I discovered that this power gate is an aspect of my pact. Truly unfortunate as I was so hoping to find a familiar for myself, perhaps one of those lovely little birds from the marshes.
Progress: I figured out how to smelt that alloy — bronze and electrum. Got a larger chunk of caster’s quartz, cast the parts, and spent days engraving them all. The little prototype is... functional!
Yet to be done: A larger version, a more autonomus spell.
The prototype — I’ve named Curiosity, Currie for short — is about the size of a child. I can tell it to do a task (like “clean this table” in the mannor) and it does so without explicit instructions (eg, dust the top, cobweb the interior, wipe down, etc etc). It’s not especially strong, but it’s definitely sturdier than a normal Unseen Servant. (The runework for that spell... it’s a good thing I’m surrounded by mages.)
The mechanics work. I know how I’m building this; making that alloy was a big step (I don’t remember what the Lantan word is, but I’ve been calling it kuanoform). Now I need to work on making this thing more resillient. That will partially come with scaling it up, but there’s more smelting in my future, I can feel it. I also need to work more on the actual magic component. I’ve got that Balthazar Stonespeaker book and it’s pretty detailed, just need to figure out how to apply it.
...I might want to find a better way than just engraving things onto metal. Or just find some way to better preserve them? We’ll see how complex this gets. Going to work more on the minis; I can scrap most of them, reforge and enchant.
