AMiH Sidequest: Lydia's Little Room

[inexorabletruth]

Lydia’s cottage is small, but cozy, with only a minimal amount of clutter. A pile of empty sheets of vellum adorn her desk, next to a few old hand-me-down beakers, a pestle and mortar, and two rusted measuring cups. A potbellied stove sits, cold and dark, in the corner of the room. A collection of old bones, with arcane symbols etched into them sit in a sorted pile next to a clay jar marked, “Do not touch!” A heartwarming painting of Lydia and a humanoid covered in tiger fur playfully hugging and laughing adorn the wall near her bed.

The place is clearly designed for one, with a small bed in the corner, 1 bowl, 1 plate, 1 spoon and 1 cup. Her cupboard is sparsely stocked, and mostly reserved for spices, herbs and other items typically small, strange items, like torn pieces of cloth, a bat's wing, or vials labelled "sweat" "tears" or other such items.

[missmvicious]

"So, uh, this is my place." Lydia says awkwardly gesturing for Natalie to go inside. "Its for the best if you just don't touch the stuff on the desk." she gingerly places the vial amongst the beakers. "Let me get some spare blankets."

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

The group arrives horseless, with Vlad tagging along on his way back to Ehlonna's Respite. For the first few minutes, Natalie was asking whether he'd be okay on the latter part of his trip, to which he insisted yes, he'll be fine. Which is probably true. It's not even that much farther, plus there will be a freaking lion made of bushes to protect him when he gets there.

At some point in the uneventful walk, Natalie just kind of forgot about her paranoia and started looking forward to the sleepover.

"Huh?"

Naturally, being told not to touch something brings it to the forefront of Natalie's attention. "Oh, is this your wizard stuff? Cool!"

She lets her gaze drift about the room and soon notices the portrait, which brings a smile to her face with its cuteness.

"Who's that?"

[missmvicious]

Lydia recoils "Wizard stuff?" and it looks like fireworks have gone off around her she glances around nervously taking in the sights of the little cottage. Okay maybe its a little obvious….Should not have had company over.She replies quietly. "Yes, well no, its alchemy stuff, but it has to stay secret. There is a price on the head of any wizard. But I am not insane [POP POP] so there is no danger from me."
She fidgets a bit as several more sparks go off around her. She shuffles a bit and adds even more quietly. "That was Monica, or Mighty Mo as she was called a lot back home."

[Lexin]

Vlad looks around the place finding no obvious source of trouble, unless there was a monster hiding under the bed.
Or the ladies wanted him to squish a spider...
Nope, a jar full of spiders was just by the one with bat...pieces. They will be fine.

"Do you need my help with anything?" he asks just to be sure.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Oh! Right. Uh, alkami," Natalie repeats. "Runes, pink stuff and whatnot. Sorry, I won't tell anyone. And I didn't say you were insane! Did I? I don't think I did. You're not."

She can't think of anything she needs from Vlad. "Just be careful, okay? Say hi to your friend at The Respite for me."

Natalie's attention returns to the painting. She sighs; the, 'was,' in Lydia's answer was pretty easy to work out.

But, mom always says you should be happy that someone lived, not just sad that they died, so Natalie adopts a position of relentless good cheer. "I've never even met a real cat-person before. It must have been fun, having one as a friend! What was she like?"

[missmvicious]

When Vlad asks if they need anything else Lydia shakes her head in response "Thanks though." And she nods in agreement with Natalie's advice to be careful while out and about.

Then she lets her gaze fall upon the painting herself and Mo and lets out a doleful sigh. "She was amazing, she was actually a shifter? Have you heard of them? They have lycanthropic heritage. She was fierce and centered and loyal and sweet and caring."

[Lexin]

Vlad nods to that "Good night." he says and leaves, finally going home.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Natalie tilts her head helplessly, needing a quick reminder to put it together. "Shifter? I don't think so... is Lycanthorp a city, or... Oh! Oh oh oh. Okay, yeah. Well, Mighty Mo sounds amazing alright, so I sure wish I knew more about them now, ha ha!"

She waves and says good noight to Vlad, and with a big yawn, she thanks Lydia for the spare blanket and lays it out on the floor. "But yeah, we should probably hit the hay... uh..."

Natalie reaches up under her suede cuirass to unbuckle it and takes it off over the top of her head, revealing a cotton peasant's shirt marked with enough farm-related stains that its original color is anyone's guess. The mark left by their adventure from earlier remains easily striking - her left shoulder is still covered with enough thick, dried blood that the shirt seems to merge with her neck.

She sits down on her blanket to set about removing her arm guards and scratch pants. "This leather's pretty great during the day, but I can never get to sleep wearing it." She looks back up to Lydia. "So, how did y'all meet? Uh, you and Mo, I mean."

[missmvicious]

Natalie tilts her head helplessly, needing a quick reminder to put it together. "Shifter? I don't think so... is Lycanthorp a city, or... Oh! Oh oh oh. Okay, yeah. Well, Mighty Mo sounds amazing alright, so I sure wish I knew more about them now, ha ha!"

She waves and says good noight to Vlad, and with a big yawn, she thanks Lydia for the spare blanket and lays it out on the floor. "But yeah, we should probably hit the hay... uh..."

Natalie reaches up under her suede cuirass to unbuckle it and takes it off over the top of her head, revealing a cotton peasant's shirt marked with enough farm-related stains that its original color is anyone's guess. The mark left by their adventure from earlier remains easily striking - her left shoulder is still covered with enough thick, dried blood that the shirt seems to merge with her neck.

She sits down on her blanket to set about removing her arm guards and scratch pants. "This leather's pretty great during the day, but I can never get to sleep wearing it." She looks back up to Lydia. "So, how did y'all meet? Uh, you and Mo, I mean."

Lydia, rather then preparing for bed sits down at her desk. "She was a monk that worked to help protect the college in Highwyn, that is where we met." She begins pulling little things out of jars and mixing them into beakers.

Spoiler: Alchemy time.

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I'll roll OOC

[inexorabletruth]

Natalie awakens to the sight of Lydia asleep at her desk next to a boiling beaker of roiling crimson goo. A trail of drool connects her face to her desk. To her right, is a scroll emblazoned with a strange, beautiful script.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Natalie yawns and wipes the gunk out of her eyes. Yesterday really was a long day; she fell asleep as soon as she laid down.

She picks herself up and notices Lydia, still at her desk.

"You're up early... I fell asleep before I got a chance to ask what y'all were... oh."

...fast asleep. Was she up all night? Well, may as well let her sleep in, then; I don't think she was going back to work today. Was she? No. Was she? Shoot, can't remember.

...oh for heaven's sake, she was still up all night, don't wake her. What's that bubbly red stuff?


"Uh..." Natalie nervously slides the glass of thick, smoking slime to the corner of the desk, away from Lydia's face. She also regards the cool scroll. "Whoa," she whispers, "I guess you really are a wizard, huh?"

Anyway, she promised Mr. Grundy that she'd be back in to work this morning, and also she's starving and Horsie is probably also starving. Natalie grabs up her leather stuff and straps it all back into place. It takes a minute, but it's still easier than carrying the whole set without a pack.

Spoiler

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Move Silently to avoid waking Lydia: (1d20)[17]

[inexorabletruth]

Natalie sneaks out the front door to a typical scene.



It's filthy and smelly. To your right, a few hundred feet away, some guards are chasing down someone who is most likely a criminal. A few cottages down, a couple is fighting loudly. Apparently the husband was out all night drinking and now doesn't feel good enough to go to work and the wife is in no mood for this because the rent isn't going to pay itself.

The creatures of the night, prostitutes, beggars and thieves mostly, slink home to get some rest from a long, stressful night. Your walk to the forge is otherwise quiet and calm.

[missmvicious]

"Zzzzzzz" [pop] *snores gently*

[missmvicious]

Lydia shifts a bit in her sleep and a pop goes off startling her awake. "Phluh wha- huh" She sits up and looks around then blinks. It is morning now. I fell asleep at my desk... Then she glanced over at her work from the night and smiled a bit, it had been a productive night. "Night… oh yeah, wonder what happened to Natalie." before thinking about it further her eyes landed on the vial of strange blood from the creature last night. "Hmm" She picked it up looking at it more clearly now in the light of day. She proceeds to take a small sample out of the jar and begins experimenting on it, trying to learn its properties.

Spoiler: INT CHECK

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[roll]1d2-+3[/roll]
Sorry for the flat science description.

[inexorabletruth]

After about an hour of tests and study, you conclude that this is most certainly the work of necromancy, and the effects on the blood suggest it is a zombie. The blood is human enough and the craftsmanship was pretty stable, so you have to conclude that for the zombie to have survived long enough after summoning to wander into the Poor District, engage in a fight, and last long enough for guards to come and take it down, the wizard was fairly competent... you'd say at least level 5.

But what's truly odd about this blood is that it didn't disappear when the monster was destroyed. It's possible that it has something to do with the crazy nature of magic these days, but the more likely answer is that it wasn't summoned. It may have been constructed. With such a small sample to go on, it's hard to say. But this is definitely human zombie blood.

[missmvicious]

Lydia thinks about what she knows about zombies for a bit before deciding the right course of action is expand on what she knows. She'd heard of the great library in the Tower of Knowledge and this seemed like a good day to finally visit. She spent some time changing the spells that she had prepared before heading out.

[inexorabletruth]

Your walk takes you through the Merchant District and on to the Tourist District with little diversion. You enter the vast structure, a spiraling tower of rosewood and stone, where a nearly obscene amount of books, scrolls, maps and tomes are found.



There is a receptionist's desk in the middle of the main lobby, and it's a long walk on cold stone to get there. When you make it, a sour-faced old man looks up at you from the desk and adjusts his spectacles. He raises an eyebrow inquisitively, but says nothing. The refraction of light from his spectacles magnifies his eyes to comical proportions as he stares up at you.

[missmvicious]

Lydia fidgets nervously a bit. "Uh hello, I'm trying to find books on zombies and the undead, could you point me in that direction?"

[inexorabletruth]

The old man blinks twice and his chin trembles a bit before he speaks, like a rusty door that isn't used to opening. "M-my dear. Um-uhhh-um. F-fantasy and f-fairy tales will be directly ahead a-and to your right. Um-ummmm-uhm. Yes. Science and research on, on, on the subject can be found on the third floor. Umm. Necromancy and Dark Arts are on the restricted section, I'm afraid. You'll need a form to go up there at the moment, I'm afraid. Um-um. Yes."

[missmvicious]

"I would like to go up the third floor please then." Lydia replies.

[inexorabletruth]

The librarian goes back to his reading when you head up the stairs to the third floor. The halls are more silent than a tomb and your boots clack hard against the stone, inciting angry glares from patrons of the tower. Winding your way up the massive structure you estimate that there must be over 20,000 books here, not counting scrolls, maps, tapestries and other works of literature and art.

Finally, you reach Sciences and Research section. Following the books in alphabetic order, you reach a book called Libris Mortis: The Book of the Undead, Chapter 1 Excerpts.

Only Chapter 1 remains of the book. The rest has been carefully removed, due to restrictions and censorship. However, the first chapter has most of what you need:

Table of Contents:
What is Undead?
- Manifestations of Undeath
- Origins of Undeath
Undead Physiology
- Undead Metabolism
- Undead Propogation
- Undead Development
- Undead Senses
Undead Outlook and Psychology
- Sentience
- Time and Immortality
- Compassion
- Spawn
- Sidebar: Influencing Undead
- Sidebar: Undead Density
Undead Society
Undead Religion
- Deity Descriptions
Fighting Undead
- Know Your Foe
- Know Its Weakness
- Defensive Tactics

Another book, one of your early Necromantic study guides is also in this section. It’s titled Monster Manual 1, which you recall has a detailed dossier on Zombies.

[missmvicious]

Lydia spends quite some time pouring over the Libris Mortis and the Monster Manual 1. She has the Monster Manual 1 while she reads the Libris Mortis and the Libris Mortis copied while she goes over the Monster Manual. She finds the undead quite fascinating so its easy to get lost in the work.

Spoiler: note

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its 2 sp to get the stuff copied.

[inexorabletruth]

The scribe offers to have the work finished in a couple of hours. In the meantime, you are free to roam the unrestricted areas of the library.

You find your studies to be quite rewarding and gain a +1 insight bonus to damage when fighting Undead subtypes.
Once scribed, as a full round action in combat, you can research any Undead subtype to receive a +2 Insight bonus to Knowledge Checks regarding the Undead. Out of combat, you can take one minute to accurately and completely know any data available in Chapter 1 of Libris Mortis or in the Zombie dossier in Monster Manual 1.

[missmvicious]

The giant library reminded Lydia of home back at the collage in Highwyn. The library there was not so grand but she had spent many long days and nights in some corner of the library surrounded by piles of books. She took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of the ancient tomes and ink before striding off looking for a read to pass the time while the scribe finished copying things for her.
Thinking about it a moment, it seemed that Ibra Down was her home now so reading up on it seemed like the right choice. To the history department!

[inexorabletruth]

Ibra Down’s history isn’t overly deep, but it is wide, with a massive influx of new culture and trade spring-boarding it into one of the most prominent cities in Hepmonaland over the last century. There are almost no books about lineage, royalty or foundational facts. Most of what you find involves celebrity information, census statistics, trade information and demographic studies. The reading is a bit dry, but overwhelmingly informative.

Roll a Concentration check to determine how much you can retain.

[missmvicious]

Spoiler: coooonceeeeennnnnttttaaaaaatttteeeee

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(1d20+5)[20]

words and ****

[inexorabletruth]

The reading takes the remainder of the time waiting for the scribe to finish his work. A little gnome attendant hands you your notes, now written in common for your perusal.

Add the book Libris Mortis: Excerpts, CH 1 and the scroll Monster Manual I Excerpt: Zombies to your inventory.

Your time reading about local culture grants you a +1 circumstance bonus when rolling Knowledge Local checks and Knowledge Nobilty checks.

[missmvicious]

Lydia rubs her eyes fighting off drowsiness, she feels quite pleased with her efforts today. She leaves the library and steps back into the hustle and bustle of the bright sun then starts heading to the cemetery to look for clues.

[inexorabletruth]

You have little trouble picking your path to the Cemetery. And soon, you are crossing the old stone path and approaching the forlorn walls of the once great Ruby Tower.



Guards can be seen passing by the windows and another guard is strolling through the cemetery.