[Nexus] The Nest/K's Forest V: Now with more arms per Karyana!

[Beans]

[Clearing]
Aseti is quick to give her robot double an excited hug, babbling about... something.
As always.

[Mindfreak]

Clearing
Robo-Aseti hugged her back, also babbling about something.
She wouldn't be much of a double if she didn't do some of the same things
"I haven't seen you in FOREVER."

And Mr. Squiggles will find the rabbits hopefully plentiful enough for his tastes!

[Beans]

[Clearing]
Aseti pauses for a moment.
... Meggy, is she getting married too?
She's marrying one of the blenders, of course!

[Mindfreak]

Clearing
"Not that I know of."
Robo-Aseti shook her head.
"I haven't met the right person yet."

[Beans]

[Clearing]
I'm sure you'll find him, her, it, them, or a nice fractal entity whose existence is too complex for such ideas as "singular" and "plural".
... Aaaaaaaaand I'm sure it'll be soon!

[Mindfreak]

Clearing
Robo-Aseti smiles.
"Thanks! I'm sure I will."^_^
She looked around.
"Have you guys been engaged for a while? I was surprised when I got the invitation a month ago for the wedding...then again, I haven't seen you guys in a while."
...
A robot blushing looks very, very weird.
Mega nods.

[Reinholdt]

Mister Squiggles eats many a tasty rabbit. Omnomnom.

[Beans]

We may have.
Time is, like, this thing.

[Mindfreak]

Clearing
Robo-Aseti shook her head.
"Time may be wonky in the Nexus, but it isn't that wonky."
She looked around the clearing.
"Where's the person known as Karyana? Shouldn't she be here by now?"

[Earl of Purple]

Abandoned Library

Within this desolate building of mouldering Victorian, Gothic Revival architecture and broken glass, are several rooms of potentially lootable qualities (depending on if Tlannae wants to explore further, and C'nor is up for a slight dungeony thing). But just inside its dingy, broken-down door is a reception area with a low ebony table, a long counter behind which librarians once worked and several shelves of crumbling novels and tomes. A single book stand, ornately carved with Celtic knots and twining dragons from polished yew, stands underneath a mouldy painting of some dogs playing poker. On that book stand sits (or possibly stands) a tome of unadorned black leather, with no sign of an author or a title upon its cover.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Abandoned Library]

((Tlannae will, and C'nor is. Assuming that Tlannae doesn't get her soul sucked out or some such first.))

Tlannae, on entrance, frowns slightly, confused by the cleaner nature of the stand, and reaches out to run a finger down the cover of the book, trying to see if there's the amount of dust on it that there should be, as compared to the rest of the room.

[Earl of Purple]

Abandoned Library

There is no dust on the book. It is completely dust free. It's also bound in leather, that may or may not be made from human skin. Seriously; I don't know what animal that leather came from. It is nice and soft, though.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Abandoned Library]

Well, that's not reassuring. Though fortunately, this isn't Spreagadh; she'd probably be able to recognize human leather, what with having a quiver and belt made out of it (well, technically, that of a Mortal Wendigo, but close enough), but Tlannae is completely oblivious to its dubious origins.

In any case, that test completed, she's now quite certain that this is not a normal book for this place, and, keeping a firm hold on the stand, goes to flip the cover open with a dagger.

[Earl of Purple]

Abandoned Library

Looking at the shade, I'd say it's more likely to be goblin, orc or ogre rather than human. But, I don't know. It might be sheep leather, or cow. Something nice and ordinary. Or cockatrice, pegasus or even unicorn.

Result: 4

The book's title is The Tome of Haemomancy. Tlannae is not hit by any supernatural forces or compulsions forcing her to read further, but she may be soon.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Abandoned Library]

Haemomancy. Blood magic. That's what her sister does, isn't it? Reshaping her body, making new life forms... And Tlannae, magicless, rendered safe because of it, has been somewhat jealous ever since she came here.

Replacing the dagger, she reads on despite the lack of compulsions, and will be completely unresistant to any that might occur.

[Earl of Purple]

Abandoned Library

Result: 2

Tlannae will learn the secret behind a vampire's kiss, and gain the ability to heal herself by drinking blood. Nothing else vampire-y, though, so no turning into a bat, making more vampires, or violent sunlight allergies. It will take far less time to read than might be expected; it's magic like that. Also, when Tlannae finishes the book, she'll find it crumbles to dust before her eyes.

A different form of Haemomancy, it seems.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Abandoned Library]

Fitting, as her sister is a vampire as well as a blood mage.

And, the book read, she heads into the next room, unless something would stop her.

[Earl of Purple]

Abandoned Library

Result 4 would be rather handy then, especially if Tlannae didn't know. But that's spoilers. The likelihood of the 4:4 being rolled given the 20 different titles each with 4 different subjects is rather small, however.

To the left is the Children's Wing. It's large, airy, with several bookshelves against the walls and a playpen in the corner. The walls are brightly coloured, though the paint is peeling and faded, now. There's several steps down behind the counter, which is shorter than the main one- it's for children, and the area behind is sunken to enable the librarian behind it to deal with the children without seeming threatening. There's no visible way out of this room, but some partially-dust filled footprints (they're old) lead towards one of the bookshelves and disappear.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Abandoned Library]

Tlannae is aware, and they're good friends despite it; her sister is Karyana.

In any case, she lays a line of salt across the threshold of the room, then follows the footsteps, drawing the dagger from earlier, which is made of reasonably pure iron, as she goes.

[Earl of Purple]

Abandoned Library

The footprints stop at a bookshelf that seems the same as all the others, in that it's dusty, old and missing most of the books. Lying sideways on the bottom shelf is 1,111 Types of Demon & How to Control Them, there's three different books about the alphabet and a boxed set of The Famous Five missing all the books is several shelves up. There's a knothole behind the Famous Five box, however.

There may, however, still be more interesting items hidden within this chamber.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Abandoned Library]

Tlannae pokes at the knothole with the dagger, though unless that has immediate results, she'll turn her attention to the demonolgy book, since that, if it's actually a serious book of rituals, seems to be a very odd thing to have in the children's section.

[Earl of Purple]

Abandoned Library

The knothole is pressed! There's a click, and the bookshelf slowly creaks outward slightly. Turns out the demonology book is just a book, if misfiled. Or maybe it isn't, and this library was creepy before it was abandoned.

[Lady Serpentine]

[AL]

She goes to snag the book and stow it in her pack - after all, there's no reason not to at least rip off the rituals and sell them to new mages -, then tries to pull open the bookshelf the rest of the way, if she can do so one-handed, so as not to let go of the dagger.

[Earl of Purple]

Abandoned Library

The book is snagged! Behind the bookcase is a small space containing a ladder leading upwards. The hidden ladder is slightly rusty and bolted to the wall. There's no sign of any light sources along its length, meaning that it will be quite dark. Lying at the foot of the ladder is the dessicated corpse of what once was a fox; quite how it got there is unclear.

[Lady Serpentine]

[AL]

Dessicated corpses. In a building with a book on how to heal yourself by drinking blood.

Well, that's hardly reassuring. Even if it is only a fox.

However, she decides, perhaps foolishly, to press on for now, and goes to climb the ladder.

[Earl of Purple]

Abandoned Library

Given that the book crumbled to ash after it was read, it's doubtful that it was involved in the fox's death. Indeed, it seems natural dessication.

The ladder leads up to another small chamber, much like the one at the bottom. It also continues on. However, it's dark, and there's very little light. It's possible that Tlannae will pass by the small cubbyhole and its exit to the floor above without noticing it.

[Lady Serpentine]

[AL]

Tlannae is moving fairly slowly, and rather observant, so she does indeed notice it, and goes to slip off the ladder into it, drawing her dagger again as soon as she's on solid footing, and, unless something would prevent her, leaving another salt barrier across the opening between the ladder and the room.

[Earl of Purple]

Abandoned Library

Nothing prevents the salt barrier. This secret door is behind a cupboard, which swings forward silently. The room it leads to is dark; the windows here have been boarded over. It's also much cleaner, though there's still only a few books on the shelves around the room. There's two doors leading away; one is marked 'Supplies'.

[Lady Serpentine]

[AL]

Probably it's useless, then. But still. Can't hurt to try...

Tlannae goes to slam her dagger into one of the boards and twist, hoping to drill a hole in it and let some light in, though regardless of whether or not it works, unless something tries to prevent her, she'll examine the books, taking any that might be interested, before checking what's presumably the supply closet, not wanting to leave something unchecked behind her.

[Earl of Purple]

Abandoned Library

When the dagger hits the board, it may have more of an effect than Tlannae was expecting- it's an old board, and rotten through. The only thing keeping it up is force of habit. Anyway, there's light entering the room now.

Most of the few books are foreign language, divided into sections on language. There's a German-French translation guide (though of little use if Tlannae speaks neither). Standing out is a children's alphabet book using the Abyssal alphabet of letters designed to hurt when carved into the flesh of still-living captives (a fact clearly shown in the illustration for B, D, E, F, G, K, M, P, R, S and T), a book called Thirty Years Experience: My Findings on the Sasquatch, and a book called 101 Recipes For Eyeballs.

Also, I'm not fully aware of what the salt barrier is designed to stop- evil spirits, undead, both or something else entirely?