Copperday, Tailormoon, 1313

General Summary

Connie and Lindie back at Dargent Estate – no Hugo.
Ears of the City
Didn’t mark down rounds, for some reason, but here are some scenes I got:
Round ???
Castor tells Cassiopeia to stay at the Greenskin Estate, because he doesn’t have enough spells to protect both of them.
Arrives at Stargazer Estate just as the wasps are appearing.
Round ???
Group of Mongrelfolk: Cage with runes with normal rabbit
Pages in Undercommon about a Pairaka
Chime tapping the word “wasps” on page.
Chime: “Wasps. Once they’re reduced to helplessness, can she produce the wasps where they are?”
Wolpertinger: “Well, in theory. But only one at a time generally speaking, and only once per day.”
Fades to:
Private conversation between Chime and Carmichael (in ratfolk form).
Crouched in corner of unlit out-of-the-way room.
Model of sticks, stones and rubble with part of the city. Route from lower to upper part.
Telepathic Communication.
Fades to:
Johann(a) dressed as Dargent-Laureat servant with a team of Mongrelfolk. Most are recognisable as part of Sumac abduction attempt.
Carrying crates of stuff through a circular room with old, dusty expensive furniture. Chair around a sunken dais. Each chair has a door behind it.
Also circling hatch and drains/grate around dais leading further down. One has been prized up and Mongrelfolk are carrying the crates down there.
Wolpertinger is here with a paintbrush and ink. Adding magic circle onto the central dais. Gold inlay making magic circle.
Alcove in wall with strange altar made from yellow ochre:
  • Pile of skulls.
  • Corner skulls have candles.
  • 2 have surface.
  • Resting on flattened parts are a pair of masks: 1 skeletal, 1 buglike.
Johann(a) picks up bug one: Says something in Mongrelfolk.
Wolpertinger is intellectually excited.
Johanna suggests something else.
Fades to:
Image of Fake-Yvette in dressing room in front of a floor-to-ceiling mirror. Hand mirror is showing Chime in a dark room.
Chime: Things have changed. There were attacks. Someone is onto us. Fighting back. We can’t risk losing this now. I’m moving everything forward. Just an hour. Make it eleven.
Fades to:
Bedroom that Connie doesn’t recognise.
Bed with Cody Bakerstreet's recently savaged body.
Fake-Yvette walking slightly away, arms fade to blue clawed hands.
Becomes fully blue Pairaka.
Lifts her dress from the ground and puts on bug mask. Gold parts light up and bug legs twitch and writhe.
Fake-Yvette: “Alright then, here we go. [Speaks in horrifying Abyssal tongue].”
[Buzzing].
END OF EARS OF THE CITY INFO
Reunited
Grimoire Brasseyes summons horrifying shadow bird to deliver Hugo’s message to Connie (and Lindie). A picture of the night sky as viewed from the public garden he wants to meet them in.
Connie (reluctantly) casts Dispel Magic on Agamemnon Ironside (removing the Pairaka charm effect). Only Grimoire seems intrigued by this use of pretty powerful magic (from what should be a harmless pet).
Cody and Agamemnon and Grimoire all agree to not mention Hugo’s involvement in the rescue (of both Cody and Agamemnon).
Cherry Tree Boulevard
12 guards: Hugo (disguised as Yvette) flirts with the human guard.
Drops monogrammed Yvette handkerchief (-1 Yvette Monogrammed Handkerchief).
Watchspring autometa in Rich Commoner District have ceramic Mardi-gras (venetian-style) masks.
Connie Communes with Brambleson, the Prince of Rabbits:
  • Save Mongrelfolk people a good idea? : “Not a bad one.”
  • Are Patchwork Empire aligned with Brambleson’s interests? : “Not quite, I do suspect.”
  • Is it a bad thing that the gnome Katiba now has Div Pairaka in book? : “Can’t say I like it.”
  • Are the Mongrelfolk prisoners being held at 17 Cherry Tree Boulevard? : “I do believe so.”
  • Do you like that bunny with the antlers and wings? : “A likeable subject, if misled.” *[i.e. subject of a prince]
  • Will Castor and Cassie need our help tonight? : “Not tonight, most likely.”
  • Should I take on the wolf hybrid for this rescue attempt? : “Thorny. I trust your judgement.”
[Commune ends with a stylised picture of a bunny winking].
Cluster of smaller residences
Goblins on roof. Sneaky alchemists.
One has flame.
Hugo Dex back up to 16 (no longer fatigued).
Stabbed Klannis!... and then healed him, twice…
Klannis has khaki-coloured blood.
Barreck is dead.
Flogistan: “It’s showtime, gentlemen.”
Flogistan is bard.
Connie has no spells.
Goblin Skull Bomb: creates a mark on wielder, which transfers to target if the bomb hits. If not, the wielder takes the fire damage instead.
Philly weighs 130 lbs, 5 ft. 5 inches.
Morning of Copperday Tailormoon, 1313
Guardsman Davies
  • Brown pigeon
  • Tiny cricket fairy (messenger from Amira’s tongue) – silver coloured, different one from saw in court (which had red & black court markings)
+1 Chain with blue-green gem and Bakerstreet sigil (Faint aura, gem intended to supress disease – allowing Hugo to leave)
“Come to my estate. Come alone. Tell no-one. Wear this. Cobbler.”Note for Hugo Dargent from Cobbler Bakerstreet.
Message from the Amira's Tongue:
  • “From the Amira’s Tongue,
    An important news statement for the purposes of quelling rumours and confirming the state of the city:"
  • Arabic watercolour depicting Richard Dargent flanked by Dargent guards standing on the remains of Cherry Tree Boulevard.
  • Wreckage visible in background with Dargent palanquin
  • Painting starts moving.
  • Richard giving speech:
    Richard: While it is regrettable that on this occasion we were not able to apprehend the terrorists responsible before they were able to commit their latest act, my mercenaries are in pursuit and you may rest assured that the Second Court and, it is told, the Honourable Company, will be fully co-operating to neutralise the threat. On that you have my word.
  • The message goes on to say that although it does seem to be the case that the terrorist group of Mongrelfolk have now moved on to attacking rich commoners, upper city security is being increased on all levels
  • The Amira's Eyes are prioritising the investigation and the threat is believed to be a fringe set of Mongrelfolk from deep beneath the catacombs.
  • Reader is urged to report any potentially relevant info or suspicious activity to the Amira’s ears who can be accessed at all levels from any of the existing Royal Hammams that are used for creations and water services.
  • Watercolour suspects: Ramstein, Poltus, Philly, Klannis, and other Mongrelfolk. Ashlyn and Yvette noticeably absent.
Royal Hammams
  • Centres of public health
  • Water rations
  • Food rations
  • Public baths
  • Cremation centre
Richard is trying to spin narrative.
Guinevera is not present at the wreckage.
Ears of the City
Rounds 1-4: What’s happening with Dargent parents?
Richard in noble court – heated debate, glowering but in control.
Most other viziers present: no Balthazar, Jaq Mason, Cobbler Bakerstreet or Leopold Stargazer (Agamemnon, Aloysius, Cody and Pollux instead)
Richard, Pollux, Britomart, Djann Carterhold, and Amira’s hand all active in debate
Agamemnon is even more quiet and reserved than normal. Cody, who looks haggard, is watching Agamemnon.
Britomart and Menelaus are also backing Agamemnon, both are visible scratched and bruised.
Pollux is fine (and taking an active part in the debate). He is mostly fine but a bit red on the side of the head (from wasps).
Fades to:
Guinevera at home in dressing room.
Reclining on chaise lounge in front of a mirror with crystal bowl of water.
Making arcane gestures over water.
Green-tinged, black metallic tome, diary with lock, other hand resting on book.
Focusing on mirror. Patches of metallic silver on mirror glass.
She’s concentrating and appears to be getting nowhere with it.
Locked, clasped shut silver strongbox.
Round 5 – What happened at Ironside Estate from midnight onwards?
Balthazar Ironside vomiting wasps, flings hand out and greatsword hilt flies to his hand, the blade bursting into flame.
Grizzly bear swipes, Laelaps goes to intercept bear, dire boar attacks Laelaps.
Balthazar grabs bottle with swirl of fire which forms into a winged Efreeti (bigger than the bear). Efreeti is so muscular and chiselled it puts Balthazar to shame – it punches the bear.
Also, ghoul guards.
Katharine Ironside vomits up wasps. Dazed and wasp-swarmed. Crashes, screams and roar of Bucephalus. Trail of blood as she crawls to the bathroom. Draws a sigil with her own blood in the bathroom mirror. It makes a portal, and she gets away from the wasps.
Britomart Ironside fighting Dire Hyena and ghouls. They fight her even though Hugo’s Misdirection spell means they perceive her as ghoul. Gets Menelaus who provides blocking and paralysis. Animals cause them more problems than the ghouls. Bunch of elementals join the fight.
Caiaphas Ironside – door to his room gets broken by smaller (than Bucephalus) rhino and he impales it through eye.
In main trophy hall is an ochre skulled altar. Active with skulls eye pouring saffron smoke. Britomart and Menelaus find altar and do not recognise it. Britomart wails on altar with her greatsword. Menelaus starts pounding on it to. Neither notice ghoul bugbear of Ironside Guard Captain coming up behind them, but at last second, Caiaphas charges bugbear with his wheelchair. Britomart breaks altar and skulls collapse.
Britomart barges into father’s room with Balthazar bleeding out from throat wound. Laelaps had smoke eyes and bleeding jaw. The fire elemental takes out Laelaps as Britomart gets out her healer’s kit and starts pouring healing potions.
Chime slips between ghouls and gets to the base of the staircase bear. Considers between Balthazar and Katharine’s rooms. Interrupted by fight that demolishes the staircase. Choice made for him, and he goes to Katharine’s. Wasps fly out as he opens door. Follows Katharine’s path. Traces Katharine’s symbol (blood) and steps through after her.
Bird arrives for Britomart and Menelaus – same brown pigeon that Cobbler sent Hugo.
Crepuscule Underhand arrives and doesn’t break her stride, but the guards and servants part to let her pass. She picks up a skull from the altar and tucks it in her cloak. In Katharine’s bathroom she also traces Katharine’s sigil, sees the portal open. Dismisses it and strides off estate.
Round 6 – Wiggin Bakerstreet
Brief shot of Wiggin Bakerstreet, a couple of other lesser Bakerstreet servants and group of “beggars and vagrants” (i.e. undercover cops) with Hessian in Yvette's Mansion.
Hessian goes to distract Handmaidens – others sneak into basement.
Wiggin leaves lesser investigators and moves into wine cellar and sees Div image (sketches it) moves on to second painting showing Yvette doing shadow puppet of a fox. Suspects secret door.
Hessian joins.
Catastrophically loud series of explosions. Building starts to collapse.
Wiggin has carpet and spots Hessian. Launches carpet and herself to get Hessian.
Fades to:
Scene of stretcher being brought to Cobbler in Watch headquarters. Cobbler grabs stretcher with Wiggin. Unmoving, blunt-force trauma, across her throat negative energy damage. Looks dead. Cobbler looks for quite a long time. Watchman hands over pouch of what was on her. Pulls out sketch of Pairaka, stubs out cigar and walks out.
Round 7 – Looking deeper at Wiggin’s night (better roll)
Earlier scene of Wiggin entering Yvette’s letter room. Gets an underling to start taking notes. Looks at chest and picks out green-tinged black metallic tome with lock. Can tease out edge of a paper (puts it in her scarf).
Later, Wiggin with Hessian. Escape out to freedom through damaged painting. Bag tumbling past. Wiggin grabs bag. They watch the collapse from above. Hessian tries to find someone for help. Wiggin pulls treasures out of bag. Pulls out old, battered locket and forces clasp. Hessian gets attention of someone on road. Wiggin glances up. It’s Richard Dargent. Wiggin hesitates for long enough that Richard sees the locket.
Richard (fox-like!) teleports to carpet, shoulder-barging Hessian off. He and Wiggin struggle and both almost knock the other off, but then Richard pulls out his coin and smites her, causing her to fall.
Later in the wreckage, Richard finds Wiggin’s body first and uses negative energy to burn away and conceal the distinctive coin mark on her wound. He kills her.
[END OF EARS OF THE CITY INFO]
Peerage of the Second Court: Wiggin Bakerstreet, Ursula Stargazer and Weaver Carterhold all listed as dead.
Bakerstreet Estate
Old money, English aesthetic, series of secret passages and similar. Would be a nightmare to try to navigate.
Rich leather furnishing – rows of autopsy tables fashioned in rich leather.
Autopsy room is very long.
Tea trolley with tea and scalpels.
Cobbler in front of grey smoked glass window, smoking his cigar.
Wiggin, Hessian, Ursula, Weaver corpses. Wiggin’s team. Shanthi and Ashlyn. Whole bunch of Ironside ghouls. 3 or 4 Vishkanya corpses from same explosion – dressed in assassin uniforms.
Cobbler Interview
Cobbler watched Hugo’s initial reaction to corpses through smoke window.
Cobbler: “Drink the tea, Katib.”
Identified the wasp sting victims.
And the handmaids: recognised them, didn’t call them by name.
Said (truthfully) didn’t recognise the Venom Houri
Identified Ironside guards.
  • Didn’t say anything about Ironside ghouls
  • Unspoken confusion that they weren’t burned.
  • People become ghouls when they die, right?
Mentions Ashlyn attacked Dargent Estate: “Parents said it was the bronze-scaled one”.
Implied parents revenge attacked Ashlyn’s home / work.
Did Hugo know that his parent’s attack was happening? “Not until it was too late.”
That Hugo told his mum he thought Yvette might have been replaced by a Div.
Guinevera had possibly been hiding suspected existence of Div.
They stopped Connie from receiving Wiggin’s message. Hugo was clearly annoyed to discover this.
Prevented Connie from seeing Wiggin because she suspected Yvette was a Div and didn’t want Wiggin to find out.
Connie discovered Yvette corpse.
Noticed Wiggin’s wound quite a ways into the interrogation.
Hugo: That... wasn't caused by a falling building.
Cobbler: [dry sarcasm] Well noticed, Katib.
Wiggin’s wound look like Cleric magic (like dad can do): didn’t call it cleric magic.
Pointed out the weird stronger markings of Wiggins wounds looked like less circulation and Cobbler agreed magic was done on dying person.
Cobbler identified the blood was pooling at her back, because she was lying on her back at the time the Inflict Wounds was performed.
During interview, Hugo was particularly concerned about Cobbler passing this stuff on to his parents – and provided more information than he intended to.
Cobbler said he wouldn’t ever reveal information to a suspect unless it was strictly necessary “son”.
Already had a letter for Richard Dargent and summoned him from court.
Tobias Gregson – inspector, Bakerstreet servant with watch badge on lapel
Lindie visits Dargent Doctor (Sterling Medicant)
  • +1 Cure Light Wounds potion (CL7)
  • +1 roll of Bark Painkillers (non-digestible bark, chew it) 6 charges (provide a +2 bonus vs pain effects for 1 hour) – Lindie took 10gp out of Hugo’s stipend to pay for it.
Hugo’s mum is sending him to bargain with Candleman.
  • Silver coffer that definitely contains 18,000 gp
Connie saved Boulder!

Into the Understacks

+1 magical book Froth's Second Manual of Bodily Health by Lemanuelle Froth.
  • 5 lbs.
  • Strong aura
  • Not illegal to own.
  • Reading it cover to cover in 6 days (takes 48 hours) provides permanent +2 Con.
  • 1 time use.
+1 The Arcane Family Workbook of the Creek Clan
  • Old tome bound in leather that is wrapped in leaves
  • 3 lbs.
  • Not illegal to own.
  • Written in Elven
  • Team effort, written by elves of the family at multiple ages.
+1 A Beginner's Universalist Spellbook +1 Knave's Book of Letters by Hensome Knave
  • 3 lbs.
  • Legal to Own.
+1 The Threads of Destiny
Top floor
2 doors
  • Budget crown Rich Man door, silver-birchwood with silver enhancements
  • Work-boot Poor Man door, copper handle, normal brown wood
+1 Analysing Paradise: A Comparative Exploration of Cultural Depictions of the Garden Beyond Salsabil.
  • Most likely that being seen out in the open without permission of Andromeda Stargazer would be illegal.
  • Thesis from Elderton Student – Candidate Halflit Ratsinger (first Ratfolk to attend Elderton, assassinated)
  • Elderton University Press
  • Written within the last 10 years.
  • Possibly left in the Understacks at the firm suggestion of Ecumenical Tabernacle (being a student, Ratsinger wasn’t entirely aware of the official (and unofficial) guidelines around researching and publishing religions (especially non-sanctioned ones).
  • Mentions of the Briarpatch in minor detail (doesn’t mention Brambleson) but mentions that the Briarpatch adjoins the garden.
+2 Tomes (older than others on this top floor of the Understacks):
  • The Grimoire of Infinite Spells:
    • Big dusty leatherbound tome written in Gnomish (which Lindie understands).
    • 3 lbs.
    • Magical – strong aura overlapping all schools (must open it to find out what it does).
    • Powerful but uncertain illegality?
    • Update – definitely illegal (banishment)
    • 30 pages
    • Each page allows the owner to cast whatever spell it displays
    • Pages only turn forward, not back
  • All Things Pass Away (Translated Spine)
    • Made from plates of bone that have been bound into a book.
    • Unfamiliar language scratched into bone. (Necril).
    • 1 lb.
    • Faint aura.
    • Undoubtedly illegal
+1 Stolen Words
  • Holy Text of the Thief
  • 1 lb.
  • Legal to own.
  • Entirely bound in black velvet with initially no sign of title, author or how to open it.
  • “Stolen Words” title, slightly shiny black velvet on matt velvet.
  • Hugo knows the title but hasn’t actually read the book.
+1 In the Arms of an Angel
  • Qu'onan the Warrior Elf book
  • Qu’onan discovers the existence of guardian angels, and that he has one and it’s a pretty lady.
  • Angels aren’t focused on in Palimpsest, but the word does exist.
  • Angles don’t seem to be tied to the religions or talked about by sanctioned religious discourse.
  • Celestial language (which Hugo knows) is the equivalent of Church Latin.
  • Belief in angels is not a heresy but it is viewed as a dangerous folk belief that could mislead the unwary.
Next room, another Boot door (weak magical aura)
Edimmu attack!
  • Detect Magic spell
    • Aura on Edimmu’s manacles and collar is strong.
    • Aura on Edimmu is moderate.
    • Aura on parent’s strongbox is moderate.
    • Aura on the floating disk is weak.
  • When Edimmu is killed, those within 20ft. feel their life force being sucked towards a singular point as the Edimmu implodes! (WTF?!)
+1 Rot and Ruin
  • Another bone plate book
  • Undoubtedly illegal
  • Weak magical aura
  • 1 lb.
  • Was being carried by the Edimmu.
3 Rooms lead off here: +1 A Summoner's Atlas of the City of Palimpsest
  • Leatherbound book of maps and architectural diagrams.
  • 5 lbs.
  • This one is an out-of-date copy, but Connie might be able to extrapolate what LCE's maps depicted based on what is written in this one.
  • Maps of deep into Palimpsest (includes Bunbun Warren).
  • Notation that indicates particular boosts to summoner spells for “thorns, chaotic good creatures” - imply Brambleson (if you know what you’re looking for) but doesn’t outright say Brambleite religion.
  • Deliberately worded to not give too much unsanctioned information.
  • Not illegal, but could prompt authorities to look at your more closely.
+1 The Book of Eternal Necromancy
  • Magical tome with runes on cover (design similar to bone book claw scratchings)
  • 3 lbs.
  • Worth 100,000 gp, if you can find a buyer who can pay that much.
  • Extremely Illegal - Punishment: death.
+1 (then almost immediately minus 1) glued mummified air elemental book (Lindie yeets it).
+1 Heartbreaking and Entering +1 Phileus Danforth's Book of Harms
  • Leather wrapped book.
  • Particularly off-putting.
  • Smells like burned meat.
  • 1 lb.
  • Glittering rune vaguely shaped like a lightning bolt, looks like a journal.
  • No alchemist spells.
  • Preparation ritual “Harmful Surge” only works on Evocation Spells on the Wizard spell list.
    • It allows caster to treat them as being maximised, but the caster also takes 1d4 points of unblockable damage per level of the spell.
  • Written by Phileus Danforth
  • Book is gross, but not actually illegal (controlled knowledge and magic more concerned with summoning and planar travel, which Honourable Company wishes to keep a monopoly over).
Library’s Orrery broke down 87 years and 4 months ago (it was installed 647 years and 3 months ago).
Lord Captain Emissary’s other three books (for Whitecape's Reading List Star Map): Scrivener Nippers
  • Like Bartleby but ink well is degrading
  • Was present by the point that the orrery broke down but wasn’t on the material plane not on material plane when it was installed (or during the most recent apocalypse)
  • Comes from South Star (Plane of Earth) (nearer the horizon than Sailor constellation)
  • Earth elemental made of ink “in a partial sense”.
  • Created by the inhabitants of the elemental planes from minerals of both Earth and Water.
  • It is the duty and purpose of a scrivener to record.
  • Nippers: “I have had the misfortune to find myself currently undirected. I must therefore pursue my own leads on my own terms.”
  • Bound to inkwell. Has limited means of dismantling the ink well.
  • Freeing runes written on the inkwell, but they must be read (and Nippers has no eyes).
  • Significant knowledge of two survivor gods (Termagant, the Iron Sultan) and (He-Who-Walks-Beyond-The-Wall, the Prince in Saffron).
  • Partial knowledge of four of the other “deities from paradigms no longer present”.
    • Tybalt, the Prince of Orphans (who they had heard of from Tito)
    • Mercutio, the Orphan Maker (new information)
    • Panopticon, the Eyes-And-Arms (already met)
    • Conscript Hodge, the Walking Wounded (only heard of her as “the Conscript” from Cassie)
  • Nippers is the kinfolk of Bartleby, formed to serve the same purpose.
  • Their relationship is genial: pleasant and friendly (and also a pun but Hugo, Lindie and Connie don’t get it - they don’t know gene theory)
  • Nippers and Bartleby exchange data
Information Trade: Connie tells Nippers about Worgoth religion, Nippers gives equal information about the Prince in Saffron
  • Deity of all that remains in the Screaming Desert, of hedonism, decadence and forbidden and dangerous teachings.
  • Dwells in the Dim Star realm of Lost Carcosa, surrounded by his remnant court of singing Hyades.
  • Not sure what a Hyades is, but have been assured that they sing.
  • Symbol is a chess piece (most traditionally king but bishops are popular as are queens occasionally “and I have once seen it done with a rook”).
  • The chess piece is imposed on a tower, perhaps symbolising the dim yellow spires of Carcosa itself, or merely illustrating that the Prince so often stands outside of this city of Palimpsest.
  • They call the symbol the Saffron Sign, those members of the Cult in Saffron that worship the deity himself.
  • “I have not met this god, so cannot speak to his appearance. Save that he is depicted enshrouded in a cloak of tattered scalloped rags, masked in gold and ivory. Either stalking the shifting, mirrored, incense-filled labyrinthine corridors of Lost Carcosa, or else journeying through the Screaming Desert to experience the homages of the Ghouls, Ghasts and Ghilen: the sapient inhabitants of the desert in general, I am led to understand.”.
  • Nippers: “Much of this information I confirmed only recently in relative terms, for we have in this library a copy of the Saffron Grimoire. That book is in fact the custodian of the Bone Room you speak of and if provided adequate incentive, I could even tell you his name. Saffron Grimoire is a title.”
  • Saffron Grimoire’s name is Alhazred: it is seldom a good afternoon when Alhazred is addressed.
+7 scrolls (but they are almost immediately destroyed by Bookworm).
2 more doors: Zyzygy
  • Astronomical alignment (3 or more points in a straight line)
  • Important for empowering spells etc[l/i]
  • It lines up: City, Moon, and Two stars within a constellation (connected by constellation line).
Orrery Level
Gnomish student skeleton (Henrick Blueth)
“Hold your breath and stay silent.”
Malfunctioning (?) golem librarian – blind and missing damage reduction (and it still practically kills Lindie with a single hit!).
3 doors with faces Chained books
+1 bone book: End Times of the Ghouls
Connie got to the Understacks Orrery (with possibly the help of a Djinn Wish spell?!) and has switched the orrery to say Eclipseday.
Book attacks: On the Preservation of Light-Sensitive Documents by Glomtrass Toothfang (Submitted Copperday, Thiefmoon, 1208)
Zyzygy Room
Magic Light
  • Faint auras: faint illusion (glamour) and another unknown aura
  • Silence and red light
Halo Mushroom
  • Not magic
  • Taste like sewage water
  • Underground mushroom that grows in damp, dark creases where dirt and filth has built up
  • It’s called a “halo” mushroom because it makes people see halos and take wisdom damage.
  • Can enhance duration and DC of pattern effects.
  • Spellcasters can use it as a material component
  • Not good for licking
+1 Halo Mushrooms
Lindie finds 4! Talitha Spice novels
  • +1 Orlando Darksmile: Pick a Card
  • +1 Qu’onan and the Gray Mouster
  • +1 Noble Courting
  • +1 Princess of Theives Book 2: Crime of Passion
    • Cover depicts wealthy aristocratic lady (scantily clad) leaning seductively in the doorway of the house Xenia is burgling).
+1 The Cry in the Dark
  • Tome attracts Connie’s attention because the image on the top of the spine is a emblem of a door with teeth (Worgoth!)
  • Ashy grey cover
  • Written in Common
  • No author, but does have a compiler and translator: Rent Brakkas - Draconic name (language of Kobolds and Lizardfolk)
  • Red letters “The Cry in the Dark”
  • Illegal
+1 A Dictionary of Common to Sphinx
  • Translating between Common and Sphinx
  • Named compiler, Bastet of Palimpsest.
  • It is legal (if weird) to know Sphinx. Sphinx is popularly viewed as a dead language (like Ancient).
  • Actually there are some who speak it (although few as a first language, and no-one who lives above ground).
  • Sphinxes are almost extinct. Their relationship to Catfolk is like the relationship of Neanderthals to Humans.
  • Necril and Abyssal are illegal to know.
Bone Room Alcove
Bookcase
  • Top shelf has single book
    • Book slotted into shelf, facing outwards
    • Bound in tanned and stitched together scraps of yellowed skin
    • Chained in place
    • Front, largest scrap of skin is ghoul’s face with teeth (Alhazred)
    • Eye sockets of ghoul’s face has saffron smoke (like the ghouls in the attack on the Ironside Estate)
    • Silent
    • Bookends are ghoul skulls
Middle shelf has 2 books
Ears of the City
Round 1 – previous uses of the bone room
Students of Elderton have dared each other to explore the Understacks (“see if you can find the bone room”)
Denizens of the lower city (Gnolls and Kobolds) look for valuable books to sell
Bone Room has cool books
  • And also cook books
  • Referred ways of preparing corpses in ghoulish cuisine
Brief flash of Edimmu coming in, shelving book, wandering off
Very brief snapshot of Elderton Librarian (can’t see face), speaking to the Saffron Grimoire.
  • It is not chained in place.
  • It doesn’t scream, but has a tortured movement and attempts at words.
  • Bookcase starts to swing open, revealing another larger room with stacks and piles of bone books (Bone Room).
  • Massive malformed candles.
Round 2 – relationship between Candleman and this room
Candleman doesn’t really speak.
Rumours that Candleman has been seen in the Understacks
Rumours of Candleman having made use of forbidden tomes in Understacks to cement empire
Whispered conversations that the Candleman keeps himself impossible to catch by travelling between candles
Conversation in Chief Librarian's office.
Chief Librarian of Elderton University looks like a chief librarian
  • Elf
  • Prim
    • Austere Short curly grey hair
  • Half-moon spectacles.
Behind mahogany desk stands a young Halfling woman dressed in Elderton colours with a lab coat over the top. She is nervous and determined, politely arguing with the Chief Librarian.
Halfling: “Our mutual benefactor has already made multiple generous donations to the running of your library. If his terms are met, there’s no reason that those donations could not be increased to reflect your co-operation. If these terms are not met, he would be forced to take his patronage elsewhere and your organisation would become to him an obstacle. I would advise against becoming an obstacle to a man of such means, madame.” [pronounces madame with an e]
Chief Librarian: Saint-Germain, if the Candleman wishes to threaten my library, he can come to my office and do so to my face. Now please return to your department. I’m sure you must have a laboratory waiting for you.
No mention of Candleman/Hugo conversation even with a Natural 20 (suggesting either the Candleman has wards against divination, or is not located on the Poor Commoner District level of the city).
Round 3 – The Saffron Grimoire Alhazhred
Shows up a bit of their previous conversation with Nippers
Another couple of flashes of the Saffron Grimoire “talking” with librarian from before and also the Chief Librarian with Hydra Quartermaster. In another flash, “talking” with Andromeda Stargazer.
Brief flash of Nippers with the Saffron Grimoire book. Giving a “may I?” gesture, then extending an inky arm (longer than the arm should go), entering the grimoire’s mouth and absorbing the information within. Then the ink pools out and reforms into Nippers.
Nippers: “Faaaascinating…”
Rounds 4, 5 & 6 – Bone Books
Same flashes as got with Bone Room question, of poor Beastfolk sneaking into the Understacks (Bone books go for a lot on the Black Market).
Chief Librarian speaking to the Clockwork Librarian from upstairs, holding a winding key.
Chief Librarian: Your chief priority will be maintaining proper shelving for the bone-bound Necril tomes, you understand? Chief librarian and Hydra Quartermaster, with the bookcase door open and the books in a different arrangement.
Chief Librarian: It’s the Edimmu, I’m afraid. It keeps reshelving things. I suppose it thinks it’s being helpful although, although there’s not enough of it left to know the correct arrangement. The positive side is that this does lock it out of the Bone Room proper. (This is interesting, since the Eddimu is incorporeal, which would suggest there is more than just wall warding the Bone Room).
A few glimpses of people in a room full of bone-bound Necril tomes, including Hydra, Andromeda and also the Candleman.
Round 7 – House Stargazer
Andromeda and Hydra with Nippers speaking in Aquan.
Andromeda seems to be in conversation with Nippers, gestures in Aquan with Bartleby coming out of the books.
A couple of conversations with Bartleby and Nippers.
Impression of them negotiating exchange of information: Each extends a pen-nip fingernail to the other’s head, that ripples. They morph to swap places and exchange pleasantries.
More widely on the Poor Commoner Level, House Stargazer is occasionally spoken of as the noble house in charge of teaching and learning, and also of restricting information.
Gossip in taverns and Dwarven work places from those who interacted with Leopold Stargazer before he was a noble, when he accompanied his father (Scorpio Stargazer).
  • “Sharp little kid”
  • “Always seemed to have a habit of finding things that people had hid.”
  • “Had a knacks with making use of weird little relics.”
1 mention from some Dwarven guy (Murphy) wearing workboots, a workman’s vest, Dwarven mining helmet. (Dwarves are often hired by archaeological expeditions as excavators because they’re good with stone structures. They ensure the digs don’t bring the entire city crashing down.) Young to early middle aged, but since he is a Dwarf this would place him around the same chronological age as Leopold Stargazer.
Murphy: Yes, seemed really out of the blue when he Company baked him for being the new Vizier. There was a lot of Company interested in one of the last digs he went on. I dunno, but I reckon there must have been some deal making behind the scenes there. Maybe he found something they didn’t want found. I dunno.
Big Bugbear Bartender: Yeah, Murphy. Everyone knows you knew the Vizier before he was famous. Stop trying to impress people and pay for your own damn beer.
Fades to flashes of Andromeda, Hydra and Chief Librarian (who Hydra refers to as Madam Prefecta Thecarius (notably, Hydra doesn’t use the “e” in Madam, which Saint-Germain did).
Andromeda and Hydra talked to Chief Librarian separately: there are no flashes with all three together, and none with just Andromeda and Hydra.
[END OF EARS OF THE CITY INFO]
Chained Book Alcove
Silent Reading Room
Enigmas of History by Bastet of Palimpsest submitted Scrapday, Sailormoon, 1095.
  • Bastet of Palimpsest is a Sphinx.
Life Lingers on Where Magic Marinates by Swackhammer Fartrodden submitted Goldday, Tailormoon, 1184.
War Room
Library golem (made of books and scrolls)
+1 bone book Zyzygy of Hyades
Lindie learns the alchemical formula Corrosive Touch.
Lost Aegis Brasseyes page from the Noble Peerage (from bookworms earlier).
+4 scrolls: Mage Armour (CL1), Shield of Faith (CL1), Corrosive Touch (CL1), Disrupt Undead (CL2).
+1 Wild Conquest +1 Castlereigh's Book of Extended Summoning: Volume 1
  • Fancy Company tome with company crest on the cover
  • Very illegal for someone who isn’t in the Company to won
  • Enhancements regarding summoning creatures aligned with chaos
  • Strong Conjuration Aura
  • Contains dense wizardly notes on optimising chaotic magic, and Detailed instructions and ritualistic diagrams to apply “Extend Spell” metamagic (one time use) to a summoning spell.
Connie draws the military map of the battle map in the War Room
  • Screaming Desert
  • Palimpsest
  • North West (closest to Tailor) structure in sand dunes (big structure)
  • South East (midway between Worgoth and Thief) smaller marker, shaped like a tent with a stylised skull printed on it. The map has a dotted line weaving around as if tracking movement of the smaller marker. A few “X”s denote points on the journey. They look like points that the scouts are sure of. The path seems to be keeping its distance from Palimpsest.
  • Crossed swords drawn at a few different points on the map.
  • Little compass showing N/S/E/W.
  • Big vague circled “X” quite a distance towards the Sailor, labelled “Tetrahedron”.
  • Hugo knows that the Tetrahedron was an exploratory airship vessel that Ursula Stargazer served on (Castor mentioned it one time: she had a bad time and that’s why she’s like this).
Connie falls from bookshelf, and then when she lands the ceiling collapses above her (although her rogue evasion reflexes mean she was unharmed).
The ceiling had dull silver cracks just before it fell. Maybe not actually an accident?
(I don’t want to metagame here, but Guinevera Dargent does have that spell (Violent Accident) for cursing someone to succumb to a random accident… and she doesn’t like Connie).
Smoke from wall where Connie threw a meteorite to create a crevice
  • Detect Magic reveals Illusion (glamour) and Evocation (darkness)
Restricted Section
Door with Sailor constellation and bronze rigging inset
+2 books written in Celestial: +1 The Travels and Secrets of Murziphale the Magnificent
  • Written in Ignan.
  • Heavy plates of brass bound by a blacksmith, nicely decorated with red-orange gems set into it.
  • Writing and decorative etchings are burned into the metal: “The Travels and Secrets of Murziphale the Magnificent”
  • Burned into the metal in a fancy, self-important font.
+1 Ahab Ebari's Greater Monster Almanac: Being a Bestiary of Creatures from the Material Plane and Beyond
  • Most powerful aura in the room.
  • Velvety fuzzy book.
  • Colouring is like looking at the starry sky.
  • Ahab Ebari is the younger brother of Archdeacon Sinbad Ebari
    • Ahab is a professional explorer who doesn’t spend a lot of time on the material plane.
  • The runes on the cover can be read with Read Magic spell, but they then become Celestial text (which Connie needs to copy down for Hugo to translate).
  • Legal to own, although it could be tricky to explain why you have a book gifted by the Archdeacon of a different religion.
  • Note: “I found it in the Understacks after sneaking into a room with your Holy Symbol on it” is not a legal defence.
Henrick Blueth + 30 gp (note: added to Team Inventory).
+1 Clockwork Beetle Brooch
  • Moderate divination aura
  • Reacts to the presence of active golems by twitching.
  • If a person wears it on their neck slot they can bypass the damage reduction of golems.
+1 Firefist Necklace
  • brass fist on a chain necklace
  • faint evocation aura
  • makes fists into flame.
  • Tiny etched writing in Gnomish – “good luck down there”
  • Activation phrase is speaking the etching in Gnomish.
+1 small sword cane.
+1 Calligraphy obsession log: contains poetry. Is it good? It’s a’righ. Ernest love poems to Ingot Flameblood. Has at least spoken to Ingot (making Henrick a better longing lover than the miller from Schubert’s Die Schone Mullerin song cycle anyway…)
+7 scrolls: Cure Light Wounds, Enlarge Person, Perceive Cues, Magic Fang, Protection from Evil, Fire Metal, Mending.
SHAMBLER!!!
+1 Lentwick's Arcane Chronicle
  • Miraculously undecomposed book
  • Written by Castaractacus Lentwick
  • Not magic
  • An old textbook on arcane matters
  • Help with Knowledge Arcana (+2): study book for 1d4 rounds for Knowledge Arcana bonus. This can be used with Detect Magic Cantrip.
  • Not obviously illegal, but old enough that some of the arcana might be illegal to publish since.
+1 Collected Esoteric Principles of Celestial Guidance (tome of Astrological Theory).
+1 Bone book “Hali, the Lake of Mist”.
+1 Carnegie's Second Tome of Leadership and Influence
  • Newer, Company approved
  • Has a picture of Thomas Carnegie on cover wearing the Company uniform.
  • Manual for leadership skills.
  • Strong evocation aura.
  • Powerful, divine aura.
  • Magic is not arcane, blessed by oracle or paladin. Company-approved text was blessed by one of the Eight (probably Rich Man).
  • Legal
Thomas Carnegie
  • Hugo recognises this guy.
  • He has attended Wealthmas services at Zaccheus Simony's church.
  • Comes from a dynastic Company family.
  • Carnegie account in the Dargent Bank.
  • Trying too hard to be the Lord Captain Emissary.
  • In his early thirties, but rich enough to look younger.
  • Book was written in 1308, five years ago (when he looked about Hugo’s age).
+1 Tome of Calm Reflections
  • Very old, vaguely academic tome or manual.
  • Collections of meditations – deity vibe.
  • Looks like a rerelease or transcription of an even older text.
  • Unfamiliar language
  • Lindie believes tome has some kind of entity sealed within it. (Entity might be illegal).
  • Faint transmutation aura.
  • Not what you would expect from a sealed Div or similar.
  • The book has a calming effect.
  • Wave stitching.
  • Illustrations copied by hand, abstract.
  • Recurring imagery of water and calm pools.
  • The image of a long never ending strip of ragged cloth of fabric weaves across multiple images.
  • If the cloth were to be recreated in glass sculpture, it would resemble the abstract sculpture in Belle the minotaur’s chapel sanctum.
Article template
Report
World
Palimpsest
Category
Campaign History in History of Palimpsest
Author
JetpackMonkey
Publication Date
13 Oct, 2023
Creation Date
11 Jul, 2023
Last Update Date
21 Oct, 2023
Visibility
Public
Views
101
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Comments
0
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