Episode 4 - Civic Temple Library

[SilverBen]

Episode 4 - Civic Temple -Library
Time: shortly before noon
The party departs the vacant Hospice room, to find Noden (Vatn's large canine companion) obediently waiting in the corridor.

With Noden at his side, Vatn leads the party from the Civic Temple's Hospice through the complex of rooms and hallways to its Library. A muffled voice behind a set of closed doors quickly becomes recognizable as Brother Mundi.

Opening the doors reveals an organized but crammed space. Its shelves bursting with leatherbound books, stacks of scroll cases, and high piles of single page folios. Natural light fills the room from windows in the walls overhead. Sconces along the wall and candelabra remain extinguished for now but hang throughout the large rectangular room.

Brother Mundi sits at the end of several narrower desks arranged end to end to form a long table where eight younger clerics are seated attentively listening to him deliver a lecture. He speaks slowly about lofty spiritual concepts and takes a few questions from the students surrounding him. As Brother Mundi concludes, he transfers a kiss from his mouth to his hand and ultimately to the book that he gently closes in front of him. The students rise in respect while the old man eases his way away from the arranged desks to his palanquin. They depart in silence and close the door, except for his four attendants, standing dutifully on each side of him.

He smiles addressing the party softly with eloquence and sincerity, "Without your direct intervention this morning, the boy you brought to the hospice may have otherwise tragically died of his injuries. He will remain with us while we identify his family to return him to them in good health. Please tell me about yourselves. What do you know about him? And how can we find his family?"

Mundi already knows Vatn, so others may introduce themselves to the elder priest

[Rex]

Vatn

Vatn will remain silent for now and let everyone else introduce themselves.

[redwarrior]

I am Thrainel , recently raised to the status of Journeyman in the Warrior's Guild, after 7 years of apprenticeship to NAME, the guild master. Just a young warrior ready to make a name for himself!

[Urson]

Mudlark
Yer won't find his family, Father. He's a guttersnipe. Might as well have grown straight out of the cobblestones.
Yer pardon, Father. They call me Mudlark- like the little scuts that search the mud at low tide,
lookin' for dropped goods to sell to the scrap merchant.
While the others make their introductions, Mudlark will casually wander around the room, casing the place in case she wants to burgle it someday.

[SilverBen]

I am Thrainel , recently raised to the status of Journeyman in the Warrior's Guild, after 7 years of apprenticeship to NAME, the guild master. Just a young warrior ready to make a name for himself!

Mundi nods in acknowledgment to Thrainel, "... a name is one of the most precious possessions we may ever acquire. My blessings upon you, Master Thrainel, in making a name for yourself rooted in kindness and duty. May Njord grant you kindness in times of need."

@Vince, please update Thrainel's character sheet with Brother Mundi's blessing - you may reroll all natural results of 1d20 = 1.

[SilverBen]

Mudlark
Yer won't find his family, Father. He's a guttersnipe. Might as well have grown straight out of the cobblestones.
Yer pardon, Father. They call me Mudlark- like the little scuts that search the mud at low tide, lookin' for dropped goods to sell to the scrap merchant.

Brother Mundi's eyes widen in recognition at Mudlark's explanation that the boy is an orphan. He lifts his hand from its resting place and firmly motions to silence Mudlark.

"Mistress Mudlark, do you mean to say the boy you brought to us is an orphan under Madame Hildrgid's charge? We must not return him to that woman without proof of her integrity." with the concern and defiance rising in his tone.

Mundi looks around at the others in the party and reads the empty expressions on their faces. He follows with an explanation, "Many claims have been brought against her, claims of children pressed into involuntary servitude, unexplained disappearances, and worship of dark forces."

He pauses again awaiting Mudlarks reply, settling back into his cushioned seat with his four attendants ready to follow his orders. His clenched hand eases back to a relaxed position.

@Bob, for Mudlark's pilfering fantasy... As Mudlark walks around the room, she notices four oddities among the reading materials in the Library. They stand out to her as if objects for display, rather conspicuously placed in the large, overstuffed room...
1) a ceramic forearm and hand of a female human bearing a silver bracelet. The arm is clearly intended to serve as a display rack for several pieces of jewelry but only hangs this one woven bracelet featuring a large deep blue jewel set into its head.
2) a bone or white wooden flute, recognizable by its regular finger holes down its narrow length. The mouth piece contains its only sharp angles in contrast to its otherwise finely rounded shape
3) a single plaitnum coin, laying in a stoppered flask.
4) a conch shell with additional holes fashioned into its outer layers. A ceramic hand of a burly male is slipped through the hole, thumb extended to hold the shell in place on its palm.

[OGRE MAGE]

Nesta

"Greetings goodly Brother Mundi. I am Nesta Silvatone, an elf of the forest who now lives here in Ravenglass. Our initial meeting with the boy was unplanned and rather brief, I'm afraid. He didnt offer much of an explanation, either."

"I must mention that the ritual used to save the little fella was incredibly impressive, sir. I have never seen its like in all my 75 years. That watery fish was one of the most interesting things I have ever witnessed."

When Nesta notices the flute on display in the room, he quickly makes eye contact with Mudlark, silently motioning to the instrument with his eyes over and over.

"As a musician myself, can I ask if you or anyone else here has ever played this beautiful instrument? It is very impressive. What can you tell me about it, good sir?"

[Darithe]

Tove

Tove bows before the priest, "I am Tove Ulfhjarte, a newcomer to this place. I know little of the boy, since I only first saw him earlier." Rising she steps back to stand near Vatn.

[SilverBen]

Nesta

"Greetings goodly Brother Mundi. I am Nesta Silvatone, an elf of the forest who now lives here in Ravenglass. Our initial meeting with the boy was unplanned and rather brief, I'm afraid. He didnt offer much of an explanation, either."

"I must mention that the ritual used to save the little fella was incredibly impressive, sir. I have never seen its like in all my 75 years. That watery fish was one of the most interesting things I have ever witnessed."

When Nesta notices the flute on display in the room, he quickly makes eye contact with Mudlark, silently motioning to the instrument with his eyes over and over.

"As a musician myself, can I ask if you or anyone else here has ever played this beautiful instrument? It is very impressive. What can you tell me about it, good sir?"

Mundi smiles warmly and replies to the elf in a modest tone, "It is an honor that our healing ceremony is regarded with such admiration among the elves of the forest, Master Nesta. Fish have always been Njord's symbol of sustenance, abundance, and peace. The animal form that the holy waters assume, namely the fish, reflects our collective intention to heal the boy in a time of urgency. Njord favorably answered our devotions."

Turning his head gently to the flute, Mundi closes his eyes in solemn concentration before explaining its history, "That instrument you have mentioned is an artifact, created by the Clerics of Njord, out of their compassion for those poor souls lost in storms at sea. It was carved from the coral among the reefs and enchanted with the power to raise shipwrecks from the depths - in order to retrieve their remains for a proper burial. This prevents the lost souls from becoming an evil, wandering spirit, in search of consolation that only a proper burial can provide."

The elder priest opens his eyes in full awareness that his four servants are transfixed on every word of his explanation. He fixes his attention back on Nesta to conclude, "It requires a skilled musician to play a melody of compassion while in the vicinity of a shipwreck to awaken its enchantment. Only then does the flute create a vortex of water that raises the shipwreck long enough for a salvage crew to retrieve the remains for burial. It is among the highest honor in our priestly order to participate in such an expedition, showing the greatest possible compassion to those souls lost at sea." Mundi's servants nod silently in acknowledgement and understanding of his message to them.

[SilverBen]

Tove

Tove bows before the priest, "I am Tove Ulfhjarte, a newcomer to this place. I know little of the boy, since I only first saw him earlier." Rising she steps back to stand near Vatn.

Mundi graciously leans in recognition of Tove. "Welcome, Tove Ulfhjarte, my blessings upon you. May Njord grant you refreshment in reward of your kindness and effort to heal the boy."

@Darithe, please update Tove's character sheet with Brother Mundi's blessing - you may reroll all natural results of 1d20 = 1.

[OGRE MAGE]

Hearing the others receiving blessings, Nesta wonders if Njord's powers only work on humans.

"Your impressive magical instrument sounds more like a divine relic to my ears. It is most certainly imbued with extremely powerful magicks to raise a ship from the depths."

Nesta directs his former comment more to his friends than the priest.

"The thought of it being used for such a compassionate purpose warms my heart. Is there any chance you will be putting the item to use sometime soon? I would love to witness such power with my own eyes.......only by your blessings, of course."

[Urson]

Mudlark
I'm not so sure Ganny's under anybody's care on the regular. He's footloose- I think he's got an old stove-in barrel he sleeps in most nights. I know he's been to the orphanage a few times- I seen him there on some of the High Holy days, when she serves a hot meal to all the beggars.

Mudlark catches the nod from Nesta, and returns it. She visibly loses interest in the flute, and takes a few steps away, studying the spines of some old books.

**She goes into burglar mode, studying the layout of the place. She's pretending not to care about the flute, but she's gathering ALL the information she can about the room- locations of windows, size of windows, protective runes worked into the decorations, landmarks she can see through the windows, condition and location of the bookshelves, etc.

I'm throwing in a couple of die rolls vs. her INT, if you need them.
IN 10, [1d20]=14 [1d20]=9

[Rex]

Vatn

Vatn would use whatever the appropriate tittle for Mundi is but I can't seem to find where one was used so will go with Father for now.

"Father Mundi, we have a driftwood map, it may show a shipwreck we are unsure. If you look at it with your greater experience of the sea perhaps you would recognize the location?"

Vatn will signal for the map to be shown to Father Mundi.

[OGRE MAGE]

Pssst.

Brother Mundi's eyes widen in recognition....

Spotting the nod from Mudlark, Nesta almost coughs out loud when he hears Vatn spill the beans to Brother Mundi about the map they found.

"Clerics," he whispers to himself, shaking his head slightly.

[redwarrior]

Thrainel listens in on the conversation. He's a bit lost at all the conversation flowing around. At the talk of the flute, he starts to think that maybe they are being "handled" Which he honestly doesn't mind as long as there is potential for glory and gold! into retrieving something from a sunken ship. But he keeps that to himself for now, knowing that he isn't as clever as some of his companions. In tones just a little more credulous than he really is he asks Do these other displayed curios have similar abilities?! This Bracelet, doe it give fair winds? Maybe the Conch shell salmons aid? I can't imagine what a coin would do, other than to pay for a fine meal?!

[Urson]

Mudlark
Mudlark continues her 'thief's tour' of the library. She's following the discussion, even if she doesn't appear to be.

[sastaz]

Thorily joins the conversation after a few minutes of silence, being stunned by the surroundings.

"This is a truly beautiful place you have here Brother. Speaking of which, I do support myself as a scribe from time to time. But I'm rambling, sorry, I should introduce myself. I am Thorily Emersat, proud resident of this city since many years back. My parents passed, I'm afraid to say, but left me with a small inheritance, enough for me to get by."

Hearing Brother Mundi's comment about Madame Hildrgid she shakes her head and sighs.

"Yes, yes, I have heard those rumors as well. Terrible, if they were proven to be true. Then again, life is hard for the street urchins, regardless. Say Brother, do you provide food and shelter for the homeless?"

At Vatn's mention of the map she just stares wide eyed at him, and then at Brother Mundi, in anticipation.

[SilverBen]

"... I would love to witness such power with my own eyes.......only by your blessings, of course."

Mundi replies to Nesta with an encouraging smile, "My days of playing ended long ago." He holds up his hands for all to see how noticably swollen and somewhat disfigured they are by arthritis.

In an encouraging tone, he continues, "Perhaps, Master Nesta, you would kindly demonstrate your playing skills to those of us gathered here? Do not be anxious, I bestow upon you my blessing to evoke a tune powerful enough to attract lost souls, as a single candle can illuminate a room of darkness. Play for us here, on your own instrument, as if we were in a vessel floating above those lost souls who wander near their watery graves - yearning for eternal rest among their loved ones ashore. Consider it an honor to guide the lost souls with your melody of compassion for their plight. This is a voluntary position and it is our custom not go impose this responsibility on anyone "

He gently folds his arms and sits back in his palanquin.

[OGRE MAGE]

Nesta raises his eyebrows to the offer, but tries not to look overly shocked by the Brothers impromptu request.

"It would be an honor to play for you after what I just witnessed with the boy. And I know just the tune, good sir. It is called The Fates of Oceanus."

Remembering an old elven tale about a fair maiden who lost her love to the sea, Nesta tries his very best to impress the clergy and his friends by putting his heart and spirit fully into the song.

Chr check (12): (no bonus) Ability Check [1d20]=11

Dex Check (16): (at -2?) Ability Check [1d20]=16

Though it isn't the elf's best performance, he manages to get through it without goofing up too badly.

[SilverBen]

The four young attendants surrounding the palanquin are visibly moved by Nesta's emotional performance. After several moments of silence, allowing the elven melody dissipate from Nesta's flute, Mundi smiles and shakes his head sideways in satisfaction.

Mundi adds with admiration in his hoarse voice, "Well done, Master Nesta. You are clearly worthy to call upon you in the future. We have been in search of such a talented and sensitive soul such as yours to use the coral flute as intended."

Mudlark
Mudlark continues her 'thief's tour' of the library. She's following the discussion, even if she doesn't appear to be.

Thorily joins the conversation after a few minutes of silence, being stunned by the surroundings.

"This is a truly beautiful place you have here Brother. Speaking of which, I do support myself as a scribe from time to time. But I'm rambling, sorry, I should introduce myself. I am Thorily Emersat, proud resident of this city since many years back. My parents passed, I'm afraid to say, but left me with a small inheritance, enough for me to get by."

Hearing Brother Mundi's comment about Madame Hildrgid she shakes her head and sighs.

"Yes, yes, I have heard those rumors as well. Terrible, if they were proven to be true. Then again, life is hard for the street urchins, regardless. Say Brother, do you provide food and shelter for the homeless?"

Mundi effectively disregards the mention of the discovered map at this time and does not understand its significance, answers Thorily, "You are welcomed, Mistress Thorily, and have keenly raised an important doubt in my mind. Food and shelter is provided to Hilgrid's orphanage through the Civic Temple fund, including taxes collected from our brotherly order." He holds up a single defiant finger of protest, "We cannot return the boy to Hilgrid's care. If that woman is misusing our funds, or taking advantage of children to her own benefit, it would be a disgrace at best and a sacrilege at worst. Our brotherhood cannot tolerate those doubts and I am asking your party to explore these disturbing allegations."

Mundi looks to Vatn,"Brother Vatn, will you lead such an investigation with delicacy and diplomacy on behalf of our order?"