We traveled to the diviner’s library and found that the guardians had been corrupted and instead of helping us tried to kill us. We also discovered some of the Siscaria’s insect minions, who had been taken over by the power of the library. I myself was taken over a few times, feeling the intense desire to clean up the messes and protect the books. In the future, I will be careful not to touch the doors if we ever have to travel there again.
After dispatching the insects, including one very large one, we found the books we needed, as well as some spellbooks, some books on battle tactics, and a portable library. We also decided to take a huge tome (as in 6 ft tall) with us. Yberre found a cart and was pushing it along when we came to opening of the library. The red dragon statue/guardian had breathed fire everywhere, so we took that to mean someone unsavory had tried to gain entrance.When we opened the doors we found Nixus Sly and a small army waiting for us. The men in the army looked haggard and strange, and some of them were foaming at the mouth. Yberre, quick thinking as always, used the huge book to block the many arrows and bolts that came flying towards us. Markus and Cluidhn blasted away at the army with fireballs, while Yberre was like a whirlwind with his blades. I barely had to do anything, for which I am very grateful.
Near the end of the battle, Nixus Sly himself came after us, and singled out Cluidhn. Sly seemed to be moving at a speed far beyond what was natural, as well as being clouded in shadows. I managed to get one or two swipes at him, and then suddenly the shadows around him faded and he cried out that he had been betrayed. He swore he would take Cluidhn down with him, but we struck him down before he could do so.
At the end of the battle we met Sly’s betrayer – a wizard who had been imprisoned by Sly with a magical collar. The collar was controlled by a ring, which Yberre cut from Sly’s body and gave to the wizard, freeing him. In exchange, the wizard gave us ample information about Sly, including a map of his hideouts in Valeria and Hibernia, and a map of his lair, including the location of a communication stone.Apparently, Sly has been feeding eggs to men which allows him to control them. The eggs hatch into strange purple snakes, some of which we saw slither away from the men we cut down in front of the library. The provider of these eggs can be reached through this communication stone. The wizard also promised us he would not actively work against us in the future if he could help it, and he definitely would not for at least a year. I think better to have made an ally with this man, albeit temporarily, than to have fought him. He was clearly exceptionally powerful and I don’t doubt he could have killed us all right there.
The wizard also told us that Sly has continued to hunt for elves, wanting their blood for some nefarious reason. It might have something to do with a rumor that the elven diviners did not go mad when scrying upon the old empire. Sly was also looking for the old emperor’s crown, which might be in Lumen.We looted Sly’s corpse, along with some of his other top agents who Yberre and Hralf had slain. From Sly I gladly took a magical rapier that seems specially designed to find all the squishiest parts of your enemy. After this we reported back to Gaius Wind and brought him all the books to look at, including the huge tome of monsters.
Among the items we found in the library was a bone with runes on it. Markus and Cluidhn both rolled the bone like a die and were granted some temporary powers. When we showed the bone to Gaius Wind he told us it was his and was in fact a minor artifact. As a finder’s fee he granted us amazing magical items, but not before Markus rolled the die one more time and was temporarily blinded. Oh, Markus.After a few days of preparations, which included buying much needed supplies, we headed off by ship to Forge. The poor dwarves were terribly sea sick, and honestly I didn’t feel much better, especially when a storm hit. But this wasn’t just any storm – we were attacked by a huge, massive, immense, gigantic, I could on and on, sea serpent!
This monster seemed to be 200 feet long, maybe 50 feet in diameter. It banged against our ship again and again, finally causing the ship to break in half. Yberre, Cluidhn, Markus, and I were separated from the dwarves as the ship broke in two. My trusty necklace allowed me to breathe underwater which saved me from drowning, as well as allowing me to swim after Markus. The four of us held on to Yberre’s trunk as we watched, helplessly, while the serpent attacked the part of the ship where the dwarves were.
