The Secret Library; It’s A Nice Telescope; Fawn, You Fools; A What Kind Of Ritual Now
☕ Start of session
30 minutes left on Invisibility; Detect Magic done; 2:30 until comet is overhead (10 AM)
Vera has found herself alone in the basement of the observatory with Sparkrender.
Elmer and Michael are just outside the tower. Robin and “slugger” have left the observatory and did not see Vera descend.
7:30 AM
We cut to Vera first. She stayed in the library with Sparkrender and checked out her immediate surroundings. There didn’t appear to be any exits beyond the staircase, and she wasn’t sure how the door opened from below. Some broken glass cases, empty potion bottles, and other bits and pieces and clutter on the floor seemed to indicate there was a struggle here that hadn’t been cleaned up.
Cut to Elmer and Michael.
As they started walking toward the tower, Elmer chucked a stone at one of the dragon effigies. It thudded, indicating the messy construction was solid throughout, and bounced off into the sea.
They walked into the tower, didn’t see anybody. “slugger” confirmed that no one else was there. While Elmer examined the telescope (a nice model), Michael checked out the room and pieced together that the statue should be moved to start the “descent into knowledge”. Elmer also found some notes about the King-Killer Star, recalling this as a commonly mentioned element of dragon mythology/stories.
As Elmer and Michael approached the statue, we cut back to Vera. Sparkrender was clearly getting impatient and antsy.
7:45 AM: We move into present tense because this is how I wrote these notes
Sparkrender has been reviewing notes and pacing, almost going back up several times. Eventually he decides to take a nap. As he decides to take a nap, Vera looks more closely at the desk and sees:
- A detailed 1-foot tall statue of an adult dragon
- An inkwell and various quills
- No notable levers, buttons, triggers for the trapdoor above
- Several aged books in draconic
- Several parchments
- Calvin-and-Hobbes style diagrams of a star moving overhead and lines pointing upward from below the surface up into the sky, along with angry faces and crude dragons
- Some of the notes are in common and note the king-killer star. Vera knows that the passing over of the KKS is commonly used as part of a climax point in dragon mythology and more modern tales, plays, etc. Maybe a dragon goes mad, or rises to power, or dies tragically, is born, makes a discovery, etc.
- Two dark but iridescent orbs about 6 inches in diameter
She checks out the hoard; it’s about a 3-foot-wide heap, in which she can see:
- Coins (several dozen cartoonish moneybags’ worth)—some gold, silver, copper
- An hourglass
- A flute (the instrument)
- A couple of empty beer bottles
We cut back to Michael and Elmer!
They move the statue and the floor starts widening, creaking and groaning as the stones below open up to reveal the staircase to the library below.
Vera sees Sparkrender awaken, straighten up, and project a shining blast of lightning through the newly opened stairwell, hitting Elmer and Michael. Sparkrender growls out “Who’s there?” threateningly in Draconic (which Elmer and Michael both speak), but also starts to stumble out of the hoard heap and takes a tumble for a second.
Elmer heads toward the exit and tries to just mumble star/planetary stuff but Sparkrender hears that as the gibberish it is.
Michael pops his head in and asks hey how’s it going, we’re looking for someone, can you help? Beats the persuasion DC 12 with a 16.
Sparkrender starts to ask what they’re up to. Michael tries to introduce Elmer, but Sparkrender misunderstands this introduction and thinks “slugger” is named Elmer, since he can’t see Elmer himself.
Vera dashes up the steps and tells Michael that Sparkrender is probably drunk.
Michael and Sparkrender have a short exchange about what he’s up to and that he’s very busy and they should leave.
Sparkrender starts to come up the stairwell. As he approaches, the party asks about Runara; he says she’s gone; she was here, but they had a disagreement and she left. The party can tell that this is a lie.
Elmer starts mumbling more about astronomy stuff in the corner. Sparkrender gets a nat 1 on his int check, of all things, and is fascinated by this. Sparkrender is convinced that Elmer but actually “slugger” the bat is also working on a ritual to raise his bat ancestors and is very interested in sharing notes, but is also defensive of this time and place for his ritual and seems to want to be left alone to do it.
Vera takes a peek through the telescope, with limited invis time left, and sees the star continuing to move. It’s a good telescope.
8 AM
Vera’s Invisibility has worn out. 2 hours until comet is overhead (10 AM)
The party continues the conversation with Sparkrender, including Vera’s fawning, offering him some (newly emptied) beer bottles, and Sparkrender gives more detail as they ask more questions.
Sparkrender is awaiting the time of the King-Killer Star to perform a ritual that will raise his ancestors and give ancient dragons rule over the world. Sharruth is the only name mentioned.
After further prodding and banter, Sparkrnder states that he is very busy and must continue his studies, seemingly convinced that the party are not here to disrupt the ritual, but also not interested in continuing to discuss his plans in much greater detail.
He says that if they are looking for a bat-star and a bat-ritual they should look elsewhere, and to rejoin him at 9:30 if they want to help with this one.