Tools of Chaos

[INWranger]

You reach the ruins without incident. Nobody seems to be there. As you turn around to check the surrounding trees you hear Aloras voice from behind you "Well met Angus. You turn around to see her in a cloak whose color you can't decide on carrying a wicked looking dagger and wearing a shirt that you aren't sure if it is armor or not.
You are no doubt wondering why I asked you here. I have associates that tell me that you are good at obtaining things. In this ruin there is an order of record keeping Dwarven clerics who record everything and release nothing. I need you to go in, find their records on the kingdom of Lathasia between the years 876 and 890 and bring it to me. I have no idea what you will be dealing with. Once you enter, you are on your own and once you exit, unless you are a member you can never re-enter.

[madtinker]

Is there any particular topic of interest, or you just want anything and everything they have?

[INWranger]

Anything and everything. They don't catalog it by subject, just chronological order. by place. The capitol city records if they have a separate batch.

[madtinker]

Okay. Where's the entrance? Oh, and I should mention I'm having some goods shipped me here. I hope it's not an imposition of me to have them delivered to you.

[INWranger]

The entrance is on the rock face at the other side of the ruin. Having something shipped to me is no imposition, if you accomplish your task. She points you in the direction of the rock face then disappears.

[madtinker]

Bow as she is leaving, Of course. Go looking for the entrance.

Spells

Spoiler

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3rd lvl
Magic Vestment
Searing Light
2nd lvl
Sound Burst
Bull's Strength
Sound Burst
Owl's Wisdom
1st lvl
Comprehend Languages
Obscuring Mist
Comprehend Languages
Comprehend Languages
Shield of Faith
0 lvl
Detect Magic
Guidance
Virtue
Guidance
Detect Magic

[INWranger]

As you head in the direction Alora indicated you see the seams of what could be an entrance to a passage. As you come closer you see a panel on the wall with what could be a hand-print on it.

[madtinker]

Press my hand to the panel.

[INWranger]

It reacts to your touch by warming, and some script starts to appear, but nothing else happens.

[madtinker]

I read Dwarven and common. Is it one of those?

[INWranger]

It is an older style of Dwarven, but you can read it. It says "Show Your Strength"

[madtinker]

Push on the panel harder.

[INWranger]

The panel gives a little and a door begins to open a crack. Encouraged you push harder and it opens wider. Your veins stat popping out and just as you are about to give up from pushing so hard the door opens fully. An unlit passage carved out of solid rock is before you.

[madtinker]

Let up a little on the panel to see if the door will swing shut immediately. If it seems to hold open, enter the passage, using my darkvision to see.

[INWranger]

The door stays open, until you step into the passage, at which point it swings closed. The passage echos with the sound. About 30 yards ahead you can see some type of firelight.

[madtinker]

Head towards the light. Try to be as non-threatening as possible.

[INWranger]

You come to a room about 20 feet by 20 feet with a stone table in the middle of the room. Dwarf size statues bearing weapons line the sides of the room. At the table facing you sits a middle aged dwarf in robes of a diety you don't recognize.
Greetings pilgrim. What knowledge of events do you bring to us? What can you tell the Stone Chroniclers?

[madtinker]

Bow deeply, consider the question for a moment, and say:

I have spoken with the ghost of Chamille Bluehelm, who died to prevent the rise of a powerful lich. With her help, the lich's phylactery is destroyed and the lich is no more.

Blackmoor Crypt has been plundered by agents of Dagon Hamstringer. He is searching for something called the token of Prosperity. And he is of course not the only one searching for it.

Are these tales worthy of your chroniclers?

[INWranger]

This bit about Chamille Bluehem probably closes a chapter in local events. Make a note of the locations and dates and our records will be properly amended. This business with the Token of Prosperityis another matter entirely. This could be one of the greatest quests of the ages, surfacing followed by growth and destruction, and then disappearing. Some set out and come close, and others try to bury it. An eye witness to part of the current quest for it would prove valuable indeed. If you will wait a moment, Johnson will be in and you can tell him all the details of what is going on now. No one will know it was you, unless you wish to be named as the source.

[madtinker]

Bow to the dwarf. "Although my knowledge of the details will probably give me away, I would prefer to remain formally anonymous. I would gladly relate the two tales. However, there is something I require in return."

[INWranger]

This changes things. The Stone Chroniclers do not usually give knowledge of events or our secrets to outsiders. You are a pilgrim and would have to rise to initiate to even return. There may be a way. What do you want?
If you want to understand, read this. He hands you an old scroll.

Spoiler

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The Stone Chroniclers: Created in year 30 of the second era to keep a record of everything that can be known. No event large or small is unworthy of our attention, though many will escape it. We record everything on stone, for the stone remembers, and even tells us things, though it can take years to access said stone and learn what it knows and can be a cumbersome process indeed. We are to know all, but judge no one. Anyone can join to become an agent, or initiate, but only those who wish all knowledge to be recorded can rise higher. No one is to compromise our security, for the stone remembers and will be called on to retaliate for broken oaths of secrecy. no record may be removed and copies may be made only once in exchange for a lifetime of reports on their assigned area of interest. Now pilgrim, you know all you need to. What will you do? Join us, or give your report(s) and leave forever, to have your place taken by another.

[madtinker]

Can you tell me more about the duties and privileges of being an agent of the stone chroniclers?

[INWranger]

The duties of one of our agents is very simple. Whatever events you see and hear, you report. Births, deaths, other events, buildings, businesses, pretty much anything. Most of the time it is unimportant. There are only two privileges. The first is you can read our records, the second is that you can return. If you decide to advance past there with us then you may have further training in how to obtain knowledge from the stone itself, which you then report. It may also help to keep a journal.

[madtinker]

How often should I report?

Assuming the answer is something like once a year, Angus agrees to become an agent.

[INWranger]

As often as you can without compromising who you are and preferably with a lot of information. Some of our agents report monthly, others report every ten years or longer. It is not as important to us when it gets here as much as that it does get here.
Now that you are an agent, relay your information to Johnson and then try to find what you are looking for.
Another dwarf, this one much older comes and introduces himself as Johnson and asks you to follow him. As you do you walk down a long corridor. You pass several passageways, some of them labeled. One is Myths, another Legends, Magic and several others. You come to one named Quest for Artifacts. He then asks you to relate all events you have seen and participated in, as well as any guesses you have.

[madtinker]

I give the details of my employment, the items I have retrieved, my encounters with others possibly questing, including most of the names, but leaving Saran as simply the elf whom I helped escape.

[INWranger]

As you speak Johnson writes rapidly on a tablet that sits on a bench of rock, sometimes asking you questions. Each word he writes disappears. Once you are finished he sets his writing utensil down and says that it is getting late and that it is time for dinner, drink and dreams. since you are an agent you may join him for dinner and there is a room set aside for reporting agents to sleep in.

[madtinker]

Great! I'll eat with them, keeping my ears open for any interesting news. After dinner, see if anyone is up for an arm wrestling match.

[INWranger]

At dinner you find that not all the people here right now are dwarves. There are a couple of halflings, a gnome, three humans and an elf. However, almost everybody is up for arm wrestling. Your arm is sore by the end of the night, finally losing to one of the humans. He doesn't appear to have a neck. You hear plenty of interesting things. a tid bit about some old rebels that are starting to make some noise, an elf dying at a prison, a couple of obscure people murdered, and something about an awesome chocolate fondue recipe in one of the neighboring kingdoms.

[madtinker]

As long as none of the halflings is Oogy I have nothing to worry about. Excuse myself for bed after buying the winner a drink. In the morning I'll refresh my spells and see about searching for Alora's information.