Devilish Research

They'd gotten inside just in time.

All the way over here to the library, the wind had been picking up, the leaves of the trees that dot the Temple District and Sage Orum's Plaza had been flipping over as they fluttered in the breeze. Dark and angry-looking clouds had covered heat-whitened blue skies, and the temperature had been dropping quickly. Dolan had been planning to explain on the way over exactly what it was he wanted here, but whatever it is, it seemed like serious business, and the weather suggested that getting inside before it broke would be a Good Idea(tm). Thus, the walk was brisk rather than leisurely.

The first fat drops had begun to fall as they approached the door to the library, and they'd shut the door and gotten perhaps five steps inside when the storm broke in earnest.

It's still raining heavily, wind lashing the impervious and uncaring stone edifice and rattling the glass of the high windows above. The odd peal of thunder can be heard outside, and Dolan had led Magpie deep into the stacks, after a cheeky grin at her for the close call. "A couple of weeks ago, I was on a Guild job, and ended up taking out an imp that was causing the whole damned thing. Before it died, it said it was working for something or someone named Jal'goroth. If it's got friends, we'd better find it quick, but before I do, I want to know what I am dealing with."

One would imagine that the library to be anathema to a mind like Magpie's. All those books, all that knowledge, catalogued and cross-indexed and referenced in a form of order rarely seen outside of a dragon's hoard.

In truth, Magpie *loves* every library. When you spend enough time in one, you realize the sheer volume of things one can stuff into one's noggin just by grabbing books with interesting titles. Do that often enough, and store memories at a high enough detail, and something you read in the 'Ars Arcana Bestiarium' will remind you of an odd little note in 'Physiarchy Quarterly,' and suddenly you have the beginnings of a research paper.

Bliss.

The *CRACK* of thunder outside startles a laugh out of the gnome as the library doors close behind the pair, and Magpie trundles in Dolan's wake, nodding attentively to his primer. "Okay," she says, clapping her hands -- and then trying to shake the light sogginess out of her sleeve, to predictably little avail -- "So then let's start with the obvious; *does* this place have a section on demonology? If not, we'll want student references on Conjuration magics. If only to check the 'immediate expulsion' list."

Auranar is not so deep into her book as to miss Dolan striding (rather quickly) through the rows of books and scrolls toward a remote section. Curiosity draws her to her feet, her book on botany tucked under her arm for safe keeping as she makes her way toward him and the small woman with him. Her curiosity hits all new levels of interest when she hears his words about an imp, and she realizes that he must be here to do research of his own. Research probably more important than her own (which is not to say that hers is unimportant only for very different reasons).

Auranar comes around the last batch of stacks and offers a lifted hand to Dolan in greeting. "Something I can help with perhaps?" She asks in a gentle, quite tone, then offers a somewhat self-deprecating smile. "Sorry, I overheard, but if you're looking for books on the fiendish.... I know just the section you're looking for."

"Probably, although the Arcanist's Guild might have more," Dolan answers, but that's all he gets out before Auranar approaches him. "Auranar, brightest of days," he greets the woman who approaches him with a warm grin. "I should've known you'd be here, although that's a storm and a half out there." He absently brushes at the shoulders of his loose, informal shirt, the cloth dotted liberally with wet spots. "You know where it'd be? I'd love to have your help."

A cheeky grin follows, his eyes going to the gnomish woman in a motley rainbow beside him. "This is Magpie. Magpie, this is Auranar."

"Hi!" Magpie chirps, thrusting a hand up in greeting. "Good to meet you, and yeah we'd *totally* love some home-ground help on this one. 'Specially since we don't know if there *will* be a problem but it looks pretty likely that problems might come up, and I haven't fallen asleep behind a book palisade here yet. I'll definitely be making notes to follow up back at Arcanists' just in case, but anyway did I say hi? Hi."

It's hard to blame Magpie for being excited, really. New adventure, unambiguous goals to benefit the citizenry, and the chance to haunt a fresh pile of words on paper, and all against the backdrop of being warm and snug from inclement weather?

Today is just a good day.

"Indeed they do - the Guild have more that is." Auranar offers in opinion, leading the way through the stacks to a section practically in the back - not surprising given the nature of the literature. "But half of it is usually checked out by various students of the arcane, and the wait list to get a copy of something you need can be terrible." She nods her head to Magpie at Dolan's introduction, flashing another warm smile.

"Pardon if I go on a bit about the benefits and draw-backs of various informational resources. I promise that I'm not always so tedious to listen to." She shakes Magpie's hand. Her touch is a touch more firm than feather-light, but it's clear that she isn't used to shaking hands. After that is handled, she continues to peruse the sections. "In any case here we are!" She keeps her voice low, but offers a bit of a flourish with her hand to emphasize her words as they find what she's looking for. "There's even a table right here so we can sit if something proves a useful resource."

Her eyes are dark, but lit in such a way that certainly suggests that she's not only willing and able to help Dolan do some research on a fiendish being, but perhaps even eager to be of aid in such a quest.

Dolan's still grinning, and takes the offers of help in stride. Auranar is clearly someone that he is happy to see, and he follows quite readily. "You're a lifesaver, Auranar. It would have taken me several marks to get this far in. As for being tedious to listen to, just ask her about her girlfriend." The cheeky grin widens into something positively wicked.

He sets his small knapsack down haphazardly on the indicated table, and immediately walks over to one of the shelves, the grin fading into a much more focused and almost grim demeanor.

"I can imagine getting anything from the Guild would be a problem. Especially anything restricted."

"Funny story, only if you're trying to take books out," Magpie says, grinning at the shaken hand. "I mean, it's how I earn my board when I'm not working for the Explorer's Guild; doing research so students have time to actually eat for once. Or throw a party, but y'know what? I get it. Revisions are *brutal* if you don't have bigger things to worry about." As she natters on, and on, she searches the shelves indicated.

"But if you're just planning to leave with a stack of notes and cited sources? No problem."

"Like I said, we're *really* happy for home-ground knowledge here, miss Auranar. It's not boring at all! And I might even remember it, cos it's useful!" Pausing, the gnome frowns to herself, mentally rewinding the conversation. "A girlfriend! Niiiice, who dat?"

"My pleasure to help, you should know how I feel about devils and demons." Auranar murmurs, casting her eyes to the side and then flushing at the mention of her girlfriend. "Verna is not tedious to listen to!" She looks at him with some measure of rebuff, but she clearly doesn't intend to really rebuff him.

"I've gotten in the habit of taking notes rather than trying to leave with an actual book myself." There's a measure of respect in her gaze as she glances Magpie's way and then gets to the business of looking at the full breadth of the books available. It's not a lot, but it's still a fairly decent collection. "Ahhh."

She blinks, derailed a second time by Magpie's question about Verna and she flushes again. "Verna is my fiance. She's a Mourner, and..." She flushes more darkly. "Anyways. How about we start with demonology lists? If we find the fiend referenced it might tell us other books that it's in?" She points to the appropriate section.

"Or we could start with summoning scrolls... The actual books will take time to get through." She pulls a tome off the shelf and shrugs.

GAME: Auranar rolls 1d100: (45): 45
GAME: Magpie rolls 1d100: (60): 60
GAME: Dolan rolls 1d100: (8): 8

Dolan merely chuckles, then goes silent, bending to his task. He's quiet for several minutes, then lets out a bark of laughter. "I've got to show Andie this," he chortles. "A demon hunter's cookbook. Demon stew. I wonder if it has an acid tang." A shudder seizes him, driving away the laughter. Clearly he just gave himself the creeps, and he tucks the book back in its space quickly, then moves over a section without looking further.

"Wow," Magpie says, examining the spine of a book for a moment, tilting her head in Dolan's direction. "That's kinda creepy, but now I'm curious. Would you want to make it spicy for the *theme,* or would it be spicy on its own? And what kind of demons would you even use?"

Just as the gnome replaces the book, another crash of thunder roars from outside, causing her to jump and knock a few scrolls off the shelf next to it. "Sorry, sorry, sorry, one sec!"

Hurriedly she starts to gather up the scrolls, then pauses... and unrolls one, dropping the others. "...Huh. Whaddaya know."

"Hey Auranar, what would it mean if there's a star next to a name?"

Seriously?

"Ahhh! This one is alphabetized!" Auranar sighs in relief as she goes through the demonology list that she picked up and quickly pages through to the section that the demon should be in. Checking a few spellings to be sure and then sighing. After a moment she's putting the book back and picking up a new one. "Ahhh a star? Should be an index that tells you." She pauses with her next book. "Read back to the beginning and it should tell you. Ah... I'll put the scrolls back for you."

The elvish woman sets her book down and starts picking up scrolls to put back in place.

GAME: Dolan rolls 1d100: (53): 53
GAME: Auranar rolls 1d100: (83): 83

"Be spicy all on its own," Dolan answers tightly, not turning around until the sound of the scrolls hitting the floor reaches his ears. He's still looking through books, and pulls another one off of the shelf, turning around with it and regarding Magpie steadily. "A star? Might be important. I'd listen to the researcher." The cheeky grin returns, but there's something ragged in it.

"*Always* listen to the researchers," Magpie intones gravely, nodding. And doing so, she unrolls to the top, scanning the writing a couple times to make sure she's interpereted the handwriting properly. "...So this guy successfully summoned the dude without it killing him? *Why would you even--* No, nevermind, wizards. *Terrified* to see what mark he made when he summoned something that *did* kill him. Probably a bloody knife and an 'aaaaaaaaargh'

After a moment of collecting scrolls and placing them away Auranar rises to her feet, flushed again with praise. "Who wrote that list Magpie? If he wrote an autobiography, or if one was written about him, or if he ever did research papers on his studies... There might be more about the fiend!" She sounds excited now, not exactly reading over Magpie's shoulder, but sort of hovering in place, her own book forgotten.

"Got you," Dolan suddenly snarls triumphantly from his position over by another stack. The book in his hand, a fairly old thing with a dusty blue leather cover - well, one hopes that it is leather, anyway - is open to a page, and he turns and strides towards the table, laying it open so the others can see. "Jal'goroth. To learn more, read _A Compilation of the Eternal_, written by one Albus Kinkade."

Indeed, that is what is written on the page he'd turned to and laid out to show the others.

"Wait, you found a wizard that summoned - what's the name?" His flesh eye narrows, all humor fled.

Auranar looks toward Dolan, his serious tone stealing the edge of the smile off her lips. It reminds her that this is serious business at hand. It's easy (for her) to get into a research mode and forget that the information that's held in these tomes and scrolls might be of vital importance. To be excited by the fact of discovery. "I know the mending spell... but I don't think we need it."

She points to the book on the table. "The book right there is the one that Dolan is looking for. Though... on second thought." She offers to take the scroll from Magpie. "While you look through that I'll mend this just in case the author is someone else who might be able to offer more information."

One thing is plainly evident to anyone watching Dolan - he may be relaxed and funny most days, but fiends are _serious business_ in his eyes. His whole demeanor has changed, swapping the sometimes-wicked and simple farmboy for the focused and driven Corona. The change would be jarring to many, but he doesn't seem to notice, focusing instead first on Magpie's words. "Damn. Can you mend it, Auranar? If not, maybe Verna can."

Even as he speaks, he's abandoned the open book on the table, to examine the one that Auranar points out, inside and out. Remembering something suddenly, he stares intently down at it. "Bright Sunlord, reveal to me the presence of that which is anathema to you." As he speaks, he reaches for the stylized dragon hanging around his neck. It glows briefly, and he stares first at the book, then looks up and around him, slowly scanning the shelves. One hand rests on the book in front of him, and he stops and frowns.

"What in the name of all the green garden hells is something like _that_ doing in the library?" He's staring at a book entitled _Malice of Infinity_.

"Funny thing about libraries," Magpie says quietly, keenly aware of the change in demeanor as she hands the scroll over. "Books are a big deal, right? And there's only so many ways to *make* books tough, and still hold up to use. So... if say you wanted to hide a book, d'you actually bind it in ratskin and ink it with the blood from your gums? Or d'you just make a book, and a title that's *just weird enough* to maybe not need to be where it is. So it'll get reorganized, but nobody'll *read* it past the first few pages cos they just want to sort it properly."

Looking at Auranar for a moment, Magpie feels a light chill touch her spine. "Hey Dolan? Can you tell if things are evil? Cos... might be important, and books can *definitely* be evil."

Auranar accepts the scroll kindly and looks at the book that is on the shelf. It's not _immediately_ apparent which one Dolan is staring at, but it's not impossible to figure out either. "This one?" She asks curiously, reaching for _Malice of Infinity_.

"Don't touch it," Dolan snaps, staring intently at the book for which Auranar is reaching. "Yes, I can, and that's it," he answers Magpie. "The other one isn't, but that one sure is." So that's what the prayer had been about. The gnome's thought had clearly coincided with his. "Don't touch it with your bare hand," he warns. "It's not that strong, but it's something."

He's still got his hand on the book Auranar had identified for him as having information.

"Nonononono!" Magpie says at the same time as Dolan's warning, tugging on Auranar's pant-leg. "He's right. If a book's evil, it's probably magic, and if an evil book's magic, it's probably cursed, or just trapped. We gotta be *careful* with this thing. ...Do either of you have a way of telling how enchanted something is?"

GAME: Auranar casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 3 DC: 13

The double warning is more than enough to convince Auranar to pull her fingers back shy of the book. She flushes again and looks at Magpie. "Oh yes! That's a good idea! I can use a spell to see if it's magic or not. Might even be able to determine what kind of spell it is." She sets the scroll she's holding down near the book that Dolan is hovering over and waves her hands in the air, murmuring a fairly simple incantation and motioning to her eyes which begin to glow darkly.

Dolan watches the entire process, never taking his eyes from Auranar or from the book, glancing back and forth between the two. The other books seem to have been entirely forgotten.

GAME: Auranar rolls knowledge/arcana: (7)+7: 14

Standing by on Auranar's other side, Magpie watches with clear trepidation as the elf examines the book. Slowly but surely, a list of dire outcomes begins to build in the gnome's head, and not even the fact that she caught a glimpse of 'There and There and There and There and There and There and Back Again -- A Drunken Halfling's Tale' a couple of rows back can wrench her focus away from 'my new friend might hurt herself!'

Auranar studies the book intently and then finally stomps her foot in frustration. "I can tell that it's something pretty powerful, but I can't tell what it DOES." She sighs. "Not that it probably matters. You guys are right, it's probably something nasty and we should tell the librarian... after we finish up here." She nods to the book that Dolan has his hand on. "I'll mend the scroll and you see what we've dug up thus far." At least she can do that much.

"Daeus can show me that, too, if I ask." Dolan's not letting go so easily, although his hand remains on the book he's identified and she'd handed him. "Let's do this first, but we ought to make sure that book doesn't just vanish or something. Magpie, can you make sure we don't lose track of that, without touching it?"

At last, though, he starts paging through the book beneath his hand, remaining standing, reading intently. "Ah ha. A devil, not a demon. A malebranche, whatever that is. Generals for armies. Dangerous as all the green garden hells. Merciless, lethal, and loyal to their masters. Does it say who this one's master is....?" He keeps reading, as far as the book will take him.

"...I have glitter?" Magpie offers. "I mean specifically powdered silver and quartz, but it's *basically* glitter and a wet cloth'll make it stick to leather for as long as you need it to."

Whipping out one of her ever-present notebooks, she starts scribbling in a shorthand that might possibly only be legible to herself and perhaps one other very specific madman living on the peak of a mountain and surviving off dew, unfortunate insects, and prayers to Navos. "Auranar you been the *biggest* help so far already, one researcher to another. *You* know how you'd feel if *I* just saved you three weeks of stack-crawling, right? C'mon. Don't put yourself down like that."

Auranar takes up the scroll and begins casting her spell to restore the item. She tries not to be distracted by the woman's praise, but she finds herself endlessly grateful for her dark complexion to hide the color that has been rising to her cheeks today. Not that her embarrassment isn't entirely evident anyways. "Thank you Magpie. I tend to get a little hard on myself. Verna says it's one of my biggest failings to think that I'm not as useful as I actually am." She fumbles with the scroll and settles it back down, fully restored. "Looks like we won't get much more information this way. This document was written by Albus Kinkade also."

Dolan looks up from his reading to watch Auranar cast her spell. "Magpie's right, Auranar. You've just saved us days of stack-crawling, and I owe you drinks for that. Don't sell yourself short. Fiends are tricky, and their intentions aren't always obvious."

_Albus Kinkade again, huh?_ He strokes a chin that is beginning to gather 5-o'clock shadow. "So this Kinkade was a summoner of fiends, eh? And summoned this one successfully."

He snaps the book shut again, scowling. "Too damned many people in this city summoning. No _wonder_ they sealed the city against teleportation. Seems like it was past due. Maybe we'd better learn more about this Albus Kinkade fellow."

"That means Albus Kinkade's become our primary source," Magpie says, bobbing her head in agreement. "I'm *definitely* gonna fall asleep in the Arcanist's stacks looking for everything I can about him, cos if he's been writing demonology texts to put in libraries, he *definitely* has a record somewhere. And it's all thanks to you. You got a favorite lunch I can buy you a couple times a week to thank you?"

Looking back at Dolan, Magpie rubs at the bridge of her nose, thinking. "So remember what I was talking about before, taking just a report out of the library? Gimme about... three days? Maybe four. I can have as complete a report as I can get for you then?"

Auranar ducks her head behind her hair. Clearly unused to the attention. "Well I'm glad I could help. You don't have to buy me lunch, but I'd love for you to come by the house sometime. I live in the stone house at the edge of the cliff near Vardama's Temple." She smiles at Magpie through her curls and nods. "If you guys want I'll keep looking too. Maybe ask Verna for a hand. She's almost as good at researching things as I am. I'm sure together we can find all sorts on this guy."

"Any help you can get, Auranar. We'er going to need it. From what I am reading, this Jal'goroth is no joke." Dolan looks up and around again, and nods to Magpie. "Thanks. That report would be great. I'll see what I can find out, too. Sorry about the glitter, but the less we touch it, the better off we are. Here, I'll get it."

So saying, he digs in his knapsack, and comes up with a spare shirt, pulling it from the bag, striding purposefully over towards the book _Malice of Infinity_. Without touching it directly, he throws the shirt over it and fishes it from the shelf, checking to make sure he has the correct title before wrapping it firmly in the shirt, tying off the sleeves, and turning towards the front. "I'll see to it that this doesn't make it back into the stacks. This was planted here. A hell of a trick."

So say, he turns towards the main desk.

-End