Session 34: "Having Fun" Even Without a Library Card

General Summary

Downtime Recap

We started the session going over some of the things that y'all did during your downtime.
Agave explained how he explored all the different Mothlight Trees and their surrounding areas.
Mothlight Tree Locations

Location 1 (The Liminal Logging Camp) - “You see, coming up on this mothlight tree, an unusual sight for your time in the spirit world. An incredibly liminal creepy space: There appears to be a completely empty logging camp. There are still tents, saws stuck in trees, a campfire that looks to have long since been extinguished and no smoke rises from it, it’s cold. The tents have clothes, gear, bedrolls and so forth, and there’s a meal set up on a table near the campfire. The meal looks to have gone incredibly bad with time. Whoever was here logging has long since left, nobody is left, yet it leaves you with an eerie feeling like it should be populated."
Location 2 (Near the Sleeping Oak) - "Here you saw lots of sleeping creatures, plants, spirits and so forth. How does a plant sleep? Hard to say, but these plants are sleeeeepy. Speak with plants would provide some evidence of this as well as the drooping leaves. Your guide explains that the Sleeping Oak is nearby and it would be best to not wake it.
Location 3 (A Small Town and a Spooky Old Barn) - "Near this tree you saw a small idyllic town complete with a creek/river, bridge, homes, businesses, and a spooky old barn on top of some hills. Might be worth looking in to in the future. The citizens of this place are...humans?"
Location 4 (Uneventful) - "Nothing much to say, just the usual unusual spirit world stuff. There is a creek nearby that leads up to the nearby river though."
Location 5 (Holes) - "Several holes…probably 5 in total though some could’ve been missed. Each is situated at a 45 degree angle and surrounding the tree. They seem to lead deep underground, likely to the underground tunnels that Kaswink discovered a while back. Could have valuable resources like gems and other minerals, metals, and places to explore."
Location 6 (Uneventful)
Location 7 (Small River) - "This location is near a small river that leads up to the nearby, and far larger, Spenolt’s River in the north, it also leads south all the way to the massive chasm where Meets Travelers was left to sky fish. This tree is also close to the first pit of darkness that was found before encountering the old woman, Logren and Ilven for the first time."
Location 8 (A mostly regular patch of forest) - "Here there is a (mostly) regular patch of forest. Nothing really out of the ordinary for the Spirit World, there’s still things like wisps and bugs floating about as usual with all the wild colored flora. Though, as the exploration around this area is coming to a close, Agave picks up on a far away sound. It is hard to distinguish what it could be at first, but pointing it out to the nearby court member provides some insight as they help observe the situation. They explain that “I…don’t really understand what I’m seeing. Saws, massive and held between two outsiders…they’ve been changed though. Something about them is off, they seem larger than they should be and some of them have a glow about them emanating from seeds inside their bodies. They’re cutting down trees…I wonder what they’re building?” The seeds, as they further explain, are not like Vine-Beast seeds or vines...rather they are much larger and located near joints or replacing organs entirely. "This is something new..."

Location 9 and 10 (Near Lake and Twisting Stumps) - "These two locations were fairly similar so I grouped them together. The only difference really is that one is on the north side and the other is on the south side of this lake. Neither tree is close enough to the Stumps to cause problems, but the influence of that…thing could continue to spread, possibly. Both trees are a short walk to the lake."
Location 11 (A Natural Map) - "In the surrounding area of this mothlight tree, you don’t really see a lot of new terrain at first. It seems like the rest of the forest, though the weather is different than the last tree you were at as storm clouds hang high overhead with threats of rain. As the scouting mission is about to be ended for this tree, you do spot something unusual about the way the branches are oriented that catches your eyes and sparks some interest. You gain a map that can be followed from this mothlight tree to find…something!"
Location 12 (Near Dorchar/Aotri) - "Everything seems fine here, nothing out of the ordinary, but it is notably a fast way to get to Dorchar or Aotri. When Agave explored it it seemed less hostile than it was when you hurriedly escaped through it while fleeing the Unblinking Sein."
Location 13 (In Swamp near sinkhole) - "A more active logging camp is set up here. Myotling soldiers are patrolling the perimeter, humanoid workers are cutting down trees and a barrier has been placed around the mothlight tree itself. Agave was able to glimpse plans involving this tree before the court member that was guiding him pulled them both back into the village and out of danger. This is…concerning."
Location 14 (Near hag village) - "The weather is incredibly foggy here, at least on the day that Agave explored the area. The court member mentioned that Simol’s Village should be nearby to the east and slightly south. Evidence of a nearby farm can be seen as there are scarecrows, the clucking and occasional crowing of adderfowl, as well as fences. Agave would’ve discovered some strange vegetables on the other side of the fence, though any attempt to climb it was met with a stern glare from a nearby scarecrow along with the ominous sound of something rolling towards him. Thankfully no forest destruction can be seen in this area yet."

Location 15 (Near Tullenur) - "The trees here seem to be reduced to stumps though there is no sign of a logging camp or any logging at all. They’re just stumps, no twisting either, and each one seems to be dead by Agave’s examination. Near these stumps there is also a graveyard which marks the outskirts of a small village. The village is recognizable from the Field Guide as Tullenur “The Dead Village”, and its usual inhabitants of robed “Caretakers” were present and going about their business. The first “Gate” of the titular “Gates” that any of you had seen was also here though the court member that was taking Agave to these places suggested staying clear of it for now."
Location 16 (in Meli’s Garden)- "This tree is located within the village known as “Meli’s Garden”. Mushroom folk referred to as “Mycokin” are walking about doing silly fae things. A variety of vegetation can also be seen and enjoyed. Not much time is spent socializing, however, anyone can now visit this place using the mothlights. Amongst the plants, Agave discovered something special within the time allotted to explore all these places: A plant eventually identified as the Nine of Cups was growing on the lake on the edge of Meli’s Garden. A teal and sky blue lotus with 9 petals. Staring into this lake while this flower is about can invoke various feelings. The flower was still attached to the stem and invoked feelings of inner happiness, materialism, dissatisfaction, and indulgence. Mechanically speaking, this provides disadvantage on wisdom saves. Based on the other flowers that caused such things it was labeled the Reversed Nine of Cups."
Location 17-20 (Mostly Uneventful) - "These locations were largely uneventful, however, the weather, similar to other mothlight tree locations in this area of the map, was far colder than previously experienced, and there was even snow in some of the locations with these trees. At Location 17, Agave did discover an Upright Ten of Cups which had the appearance of a hydrangea with sky blue petals. This flower invoked feelings of divine love, blissful relationships, harmony, alignment. This is represented, mechanically, as advantage on insight checks. Agave was able to harvest this flower to make essential oils with Hysteria’s help which can later be used in Incense or other occultist projects."

DAN did some research into Spalsis, The Spiral Hermit and spirals in general though didn't reveal much of what they witnessed to the group yet besides that Spalsis really likes cinnamon rolls.
Hysteria didn't reveal what they did during their downtime, but supposedly they had apothecary lessons to attend as someone paid for those. Though, maybe they were doing something else. They also spent some time building a magic item to let them fly.
Kaswink spent a lot of her time crafting a magical item using the gems from the Refracted Stalker, a glaive and some poles. She also accompanied Namina outside when she went to the lake and helped Meets Travelers get to the sky fishing spot.
Namina went to Lake Carranashtuss and followed a series of labyrinthian tunnels. She revealed that, in the depths, she was able to commune with her god. She also enjoyed some tea with a group of spirits and learned of a recipe for a talisman that can protect against The Unblinking Sein, though the ingredients seem quite rare.
Knowledge from Namina's God

Consumed by guilt, He must not be freed
Lost, dwelling on sins that He cannot forgive
Half cries out again for Her love is lost
This time curled up in Anguish, in Despair, Fatigued
By the Hope that is drowned, Her tears, like ink and oil
Will stain the rays of sunlight.
As She hides, frightened and reckless, while the world around her ends
No more cycles, no ticking from the clock
No more death, or life, or rot
An end to a bitter tale, no longer tainted by Hope
An end to a ceaseless spiral, and to His darkness
Ever-chased by Her light.
Uncover His secrets, hidden before Time could see
Fight, or free, those that are devoted to His will,
Remind them of the Hope they once had, of dreams forgotten
It is more than Rot that corrupts, for knowledge is truly rotten
The Usurper will wear His crown, but bear not His guilt
And the missing pieces will be bathed in light
To repair the broken Cycle is to know your past Anguish
To protect the Cycle already broken is to lose your Self
Freedom from the Reel, a Death unending with balance tarnished
Find Hope to forgive, to redeem, and end the denied suffering
It is shared by all that know Him, and will be destroyed
Less they are saved from the Lying dark
A Wanderer with no Knowledge, but methods to defeat It
Find him, your path revealed but unwalked
As he writes and ponders and forgets his day
Tricked from him, stolen, by the one that demands to be forgot
The light he gives her taken from his own is lost
Will no longer be lost, freed from Twisted dark
Spirits washed, their pieces cast like paper on the wind
Bats that remember them, faces like an old friend
Or the heart that is trapped beneath the surface even now
Will all be lost this time around
As even now she works against it all, misguided and tortured
For her will is not her own, but rather the Coiling dark.

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Let's All Go to the Library!

After everyone met up and heard the poetic knowledge that Namina received from her god, some planning was had about what to do next. Initial plans to go to the different mothlight trees were temporarily scrapped as Agave had already completed that, and new plans began to be formulated that involved preparing for The Rotting Gate and stopping by the Expedition Base.
Before any of that would be commited to though, some knowledge about how to prepare for this Gate needed to be gathered. The local library, which had yet to be explored, was then at long last approached.
The entrance to the Sylvan Library was on the same building as the town hall in The Hidden Village of Mothlights. Though the stone material of the library is distinct and different from the wooden town hall. Additionally, the architure was quite unusual compared to the rest of the village.
The walls were covered in moss and vines, though stone did peek through occasionally. The shape is mostly square, but the corners are shaped in such a way that they almost blend into the environment with the intricate swoops and swirls that line them. Not only that, but the barrier between the Library and the rest of the world is blurry, hard to see, yet still draws you in as if leading the eye away from the entrance.

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While entering this library, a sign with a plethora of different languages advertised it as "Sylvan Library" and proudly proclaimed its current status to be "OPEN".
The interior of the Library was simplistic, similar to a local library that might be found in Esther or Remlit. The walls were more evidently stone and a stone spiral staircase led to the lower levels. The first thing that was seen was a help desk with a Librarian standing patiently or perhaps sorting returned books onto one of 10 different carts. Around and behind the help desk were bookshelves that are 5 shelves high and paired back-to-back in rows. There were a total of 10 sets of bookshelves (20 back-to-back), each completely covered in books and leaving room for reading nooks with tables and chairs. This same layout was repeated on each of the 10 floors of the library. Depending on the person, the door may be missing and another exit would need to be found. The Librarians mentioned that if there is no exit you'll have to "find your way". Thankfully for the Spiritual Travelers, they all had an exit on Floor 10.

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During your time here there were many hyjinks, confrontations, yay, and even the occasional shenanigan.
Agave was able to quickly find some recipes to help protect against rot on floor one and some maps along with an Atlas of Rot on floor five. He began studying and spen the rest of his time at the library doing so.
DAN spent a great deal of time looking for information about spirals and Spalsis. They spent an amount of this time investigating the other floors during this quest before finally asking a Librarian for assistance. She took them to floor ten and explained that information about Spiral based things can be found in the dark corners of this floor. They read over some of the books before finally finding a biography about Spalsis called "Following Spalsis" and an incredibly cursed book with only one word repeated throughout. The book damaged DAN and they took this up with the nearby Librarian whom read the book as well and immediately died.
Hysteria seeked out some secretive information about some undisclosed person.
Kaswink looked for a book about Onis and eventually a book literally lept off the shelf with a small explosion on Floor Five. This book, titled ONI, seemed to be what she was looking for and she spent the rest of her time reading.
Namina needed a way to stop her bioluminescence and found just the information she needed on Floor five and spent the rest of her time reading. She also found information about herbs.

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Escape the Library

DAN, having had enough of this Library, decided to leave. The spial staircase that brought them down to this floor was missing, and the one leading down ended with a stone deadend. They began digging through this wall with their pickaxes. Beyond the stone was dirt, and beyond this dirt was something unexpected: clouds. The same beige-pink clouds that could be seen in the sky or surrounding the Mothlight Village.
DAN then decided to look for another way out and found the door in the lobby nearby. The windows on either side still had light shining through though it was heavily dimmed by dust much like the rest of this floor. They tried the door only to find it locked.
Hysteria, noticing that DAN wasn't on stage, decided to ask the age old question "Where's DAN?" The answer was received thanks to their ability to message people telepathically and they went downstairs to help DAN out of this pickle.
Hysteria's lockpicking skills were put to quick work and the door opened easily enough revealing the village and the late afternoon sky overhead. Having found an exit, and assuming it to be the only one, Hysteria reached out to the rest of you with this information.

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As some of you left, Kaswink decided to look through the "Cloud Hole" created by DAN. Not much information was learned from this besides the fact that there are clouds blocking her vision. To better get a grasp of the situtation, Namina turned the Serpentine Owl she had received as a reward for bringing Tympi back into a real big owl and sent it out to see what's going on.
The own saw more clouds in each direction it flew, almost like wherever this was was in its own space. The bottomside of the Mothlight Village was still visible though, and the owl was able to take some roots that were sticking out. These roots would later be identified by Agave as the roots of a mothlight tree.

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Time to Sleep

Exploration of the library, fiding this information, and eventually having an owl explore the surrounding area all ate up quite a bit of time. By the time everyone was regrouping and deciding on the next steps, the sun had already set and darkness filled the Mothlight Village. Beautiful sights could be seen as bioluminescent moths flew through the air, lanterns gently provided some guidance to different buildings, and glowing moss could be seen lining streams and trees.
“Those of you that sleep, do, and those of you that meditate find yourself experiencing an uncomfortable level of what could only be interpreted as “dreams”. Some of you may not be sleeping, and you see some of the strangest, hardest to explain things of all.”
“In fact, your ability to perceive the world around you during your meditations (or staying up) actually lends some benefit to the whole situation as you see the area that you and your allies were resting in begins to change. This could be a hallucination, part of the strange “dream” or vision that is being forced upon you, or maybe the environment is actually changing… either way, what becomes of the world around you is a mystery, just a shimmer or a mirage, but what you see is a brief moment of sandstone as the changing environment is suddenly replaced entirely with a blindingly bright light.”

In-Game Date
Nurend 30, 308

Report Date

23 Jun 2022

Primary Location

Sylvan Library

Secondary Location

The Hidden Village of Mothlights

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