Party: Wenceslas, the Captain, Claudia De La Quinne
As Wenceslas gathers his bearing upon leaving the party, he spends a little time considering where he would be able to find the best source of information about the mysterious stone and happening around town. He settles on the University Library in the Noble District and heads there post-haste.
Offering one of his Faerie Flowers (trademark dubious) as a research specimen for the duration of his stay in the hallowed halls of learning, he quickly crosses the granite floors in search of knowledge.
As the Library contains a labyrinthine inner structure, he promptly spends half an hour trying to get a feel for the place, but winds up seeking aid at the reception counter after that.
The man behind the counter is helpful, if a little slow, and armed with a hand-drawn map of the basement (indicating "Elfhomes", "Myths and Legends" and a skull) Wenceslas quests on.
He gets to the location marked Myths and Legends, where an iron-bound tome titled "Erichtias, the rise and fall of the Cherscoi Aoroi" catches his eye. The book, removed from spell-warded shelves, proves an interesting read until a group of phantoms set upon the researching elf and force him to abandon his study, as a skeletal lion guardian also animates and strikes out at Wenceslas. Thinking discretion the better part of valor, the elf decides to leg it after slamming the book back in its place.
The Captain and Claudia, after taking a dip to wash off the guano they had been faced with, examine the obsidian stone they had claimed from the bats, but apart from a very clean cut, find that it is unremarkable.
They also proceed to the Library, but ere they reach, they are hailed by an elf with obvious battle-scars that proffers them a letter for Wenceslas. Claudia tucks it away and the elf melts back into a shadowy alley. Before long, Claudia and the Captain stand before the Library, where the Captain offers up some of his history with the mercenary group known as 'The Second Sons' and their doings during the Siege of Remis (specifically the Battle of No Leaders) to gain the approval of a distracted bursar that was standing watch for the night.
They meet up with Wenceslas there (who is in a bit of a state) and decided to head to the Archive of Jewels to learn more about their obsidian piece and maybe the flint shard bearing the rune that was absorbed into Emiel.
Their search is in vain, as little of interest turns up so the group lays down to rest.
Ill and warped dreams about her time at the Furnace (of the Order of the Scorched Oath) plague Claudia and Wenceslas rests uneasy as well. As they come to full wakefulness abruptly, the party sees a black wave move through the entire Library before hearing the clatter of skeletal feet and bones disturb the peace of the place.
They face off against a small group of undead that accompany the Guardian Lion and successfully dispatch of them, in spite of the Lion reforming into a skeletal giant while fighting Wenceslas.
The elf gives an extremely good accounting with his new-found arcane strength, beating down the giant with a grasp of fire that leaves little room for other magics.
The party reasons that the emergence of these creatures and the uneasy knowledge that a Darktide is approaching are linked, and thus try to figure out where the nearest Elfhame may be...
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