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Tenebrae - Friday, July 01, 2016, 9:22 AM
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--<* A10: Temple of Althea *>=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
The term 'marble temple' only holds up insofar as the temple's outer edifice is concerned. Twin statues of Althea, each of them bearing gently glowing blue staves, provide welcome either side of the entrance, a door which has never been closed in recent memory. A place of community and warmth, a sense of warmth and welcome quickly overtakes most visitors upon entry.
Serrielite and Angorite devotees guard the outside entrances, while blue star-robed Hearthguard wander just inside, performing and guiding various charitable tasks. One can even see a smaller, more discrete entrance if one looks, from whence comes and go the Mourners of Vardama, carrying their somber burdens.
Designed to be open and welcoming, the place is a bustle of family and community-centered activity. A great, central oven serves the double duties of fireplace and food preparation on a grand scale that makes the temple a favorite for gatherings. Althean worshippers and Hearthguards alike tirelessly bake and cook for the less fortunate, while younger Hearthguards sit on comfortably cushioned divans with worshippers and petitioners, dispensing advice and Althea's kind words. Wreaths of herbs hang from the ceilings, giving a pleasant scent, while a pool fed by a small artificial waterfall provides fresh water for bathing wounds or blessing of children and worshippers. A procession of doors and halls lead off to various rooms. While many lead to places such as rooms, offices, and libraries for the Hearthguard, there is also a well-known hospice, as well as the transient bunks, and even counseling rooms for when a family member nears their end. This last area is overseen by Hearthguard and Mourner alike, in respectful accordance with local customs.
"The library," Diemma says --- but the shelves of books lining the small space make this rather moot. It's an attractive room at the heart of the Hands of Ithildin corpus house, clad in wood, with two reading tables in the middle. No librarian here, but there are only a small number of shelves, most dedicated to books on the mundane healing arts and comparative anatomies. At the back of the room is another door, somewhat smaller, with a small brass knob and a little keyhole. "Ah," she murmurs. "The key."
Jessamy has arrived.
"The library," Diemma says --- but the shelves of books lining the small space make this rather moot. It's an attractive room at the heart of the Hands of Ithildin corpus house, clad in wood, with two reading tables in the middle. No librarian here, but there are only a small number of shelves, most dedicated to books on the mundane healing arts and comparative anatomies. At the back of the room is another door, somewhat smaller, with a small brass knob and a little keyhole. "Ah," she murmurs. "The key." (repose)
Yelrona regards the keyhole with amused curiosity, stooping slightly to regard it. It seems a simple enough lock, which makes sense for an inside relatlvely low-security door. "I could probably just open this," she offers, "if getting the key would be a bother."
Mikilos laughs quietly, and good naturely shoos the acolyte following him. "No no, go back to your friends, it's quite alright. I've been here before, if it has been a few years, I'm sure I'll find thigns easy enough. Ah, there, see? Already others to lend a hand if need be." Turning focus, he nods politely to Diemma and Yelrona. "Good morning ladies, how are you today?"
Diemma smiles at the sila, mischief twinkling in her old eyes. "Oh, dawn's child," she says. "I suppose I can't condone that kind of behaviour, but I haven't even tried the handle yet. I suppose, if I turned my back to talk to Mikilos a minute, and I turned back around and found the door open, then that would be good." With this, she very deliberately turns to face the arriving Mikilos. "Good day, mage," she says, buoyantly. "What brings you to our library?"
GAME: Yelrona rolls disable device: (13)+10: 23
Yelrona grins broadly at the freakishly tall elf's arrival. "Good to see you again... Mikilos, right? I'm glad to see you haven't injured your head on these low ceilings. I should thank you for recommending the Fernwood... they've been quite lovely." She laughs at Diemma's 'cooperation' and leaves the pair to manage their own introduction as she probes the lock with small metal tools that she probably isn't supposed to have.
As she'd expected, the lock itself is hardly a challenge... two pins, one of which has been worn almost to uselessness. She opens it more handily than she could with a key, or almost, anyway, and the door squeaks as it opens.
"Well, look at that," she observes brightly as the small metal picks disappear in her hands, "it isn't locked after all!"
It's about this time that Jessamy, following the sounds of conversation in an unusual place, turns into view. The armor is audible before she is visible, but she rounds the corner, slowing as the words reach her ears and approaching with more caution. She's dressed in the blue and silver of Althea, but in armor rather than robes, and a longsword sits at one hip.
Mikilos watches the door opening with mild amusement, but says nothing of it, nodding to Yelrona and Diemma. "'Philious Labrinious', better known as 'Miner's Breath' or 'Ravine Stink'. A small yellow flower, with an unplesant smell and a toxic oil on it's leaves. Some miners in the Ridge are have trouble with local wildlife getting into their stores, are looking for ways to drive them away. I seem to recall a small work detailing the plant." The mage mutters absently, and a small glowing ball appears in his hand, moving around easily to illuminate the assorted texts. "Small red leather, 'Plants of the Mountains' or 'Mountain Plants' or something like that."
Kira has connected.
Diemma grins as she hears 'Rona; she looks over her shoulder briefly to see the open door. "Marvellous," she says. "I didn't need to send for the key after all. Hello, Sentinel," she says to the approaching clank of armour, before she spots Jessamy. "Mikilos, look on the middle shelf on that wall---" She points vaguely at a shelf with a collection of volumes. "Groquelle's 'Plant Life of the Mountainous Regions', perhaps. Urgh, Ravine Stink." A wrinkled nose. More wrinkled than usual.
Yelrona tries to remember anything like Mikilos' book from her mother's attempts to teach her herbalism, but comes up blank. She usually does, as she didn't pay much attention to her mother's attempts to teach her herbalism. Or, to be fair, much of anything else. She looks briefly nervous at the clink of approaching armor -- in most of the stories Kalniss' friends told about their exploits, such sounds were never a good thing when picking a lock! But Diemma seems unconcerned, so she bluffs her way through. "Ah, hello," she greets the Sentinel. "No, I guess not," she continues to Diemma. "Though it's really a poor security practice to leave such doors unlocked. Why, _anyone_ could have just walked in here," she adds, a shocked tone in her voice.
"It would have been no trouble, Hearthguard Diemma," Jessamy answers, eyes on Yelrona, and none too kindly. Her lips are set with disapproval, but she says nothing for now, since it's clearly okay with Diemma. "Shall I bring you the key so that you can lock up when you are finished?" She's not moving.
Yelrona looks innocent.
Mikilos searches where indicated, finding the suggested book swift enough. "Ah, no, not the one I was thinking, but perhaps useful anyway. I'm sure I'll find it soon enough. Anyway, just what is it that's locked there? I didn't take the time to explore last I was here."
"That door has never locked very satisfactorily," Diemma says, both to Jessamy and 'Rona. "We shall have to send for someone from the Lock and Key to replace it. Still, it does not matter so much. My assumption was that it was locked to prevent it from swinging open when the coal chutes are opened." She looks over at Mikilos again. "We keep the corpus archives down there. Records of those whom we have treated, records of manuus who have passed through here, papers of those who have died. Some other items too. I don't imagine there is anything valuable down there that is not locked in something else."
Yelrona looks up brightly, opens her mouth, looks at Jessamy, closes her mouth, nods quietly.
"Very well, Hearthguard." Jessamy's small bow of acceptance has no bearing on her apparent intent to remain and watch. The longsword has not come out yet, but she takes up a guard pose near the door, facing the group. "Perhaps later I will have someone from the Lock and Key sent for to look at it."
Oh, and she's still watching Yelrona at least as closely as anyone else.
Kira follows the sounds of voices to the records room. She's a little late, but walking through the entire house to offer bread to everyone does take a little time. Even when moving quickly. She stops outside the door when spotting more people than she expected. "Oh! Hello. Did you find the records you were looking for?"
Mikilos nods absently, his attention on the collection of books, finding a few to add to his small pile to sort though. "Ah, here it is. Faded more to a brown now, oh well. Any case, why down to the archives? And do you mind if I take a look myself? I'm always intrested in how others sort their files." He peers at the door with idle interest. "Easy enough to fashion a new one, if you so desire. I'm not exactly an expert on locks, but could craft a quality one simply enough."
"That would be most helpful, mage," Diemma says to Mikilos. "I am going to look for a record on behalf of an individual, who may or may not wish for me to disclose their identity. More hands," she says to the room at large, "Would be most welcome, as we have only scant information: A name, a decade, and only the possibility of having passed through."
"The archive visit is for my sake," Yelrona explains with an appreciative nod to Diemma for her discretion. "I'm hoping to find some record of my father having visited Alexandros, hopefully some clue as to his current whereabouts. Diemma graciously offered to help me look through the Order's medical records. It's, ah, not entirely impossible that he might have needed some healing while he was here," she clarifies, staring intently at Mikilos' knees. "<The second locking pin is worn down>," she adds to the mage conversationally in the elven tongue. "<Should be good enough to just replace it. Well, as long as you don't expect it to stop anyone who knows what they're doing.>"
JEssamy says nothing further, simply listening to the conversation, but maintains her guard position. She does look over as Kira enters, and smiles a greeting at the woman, allowing her inside if she wishes to go.
Mikilos nods to Diemma. "I'd be delighted to help. Now, let's take a look at this lock. Mmmm, nothing major, just general wear and tear. Easy enough." Muttering softly, the mage presses a hand against the lock. There is a silent concussion of force, and the lock shines in the light, glowing as if freshly installed and polished. "There. Good as new. Perhaps better. Won't keep out the determined, of course, but really, a three foot layer of stone and an arcane guardian wouldn't stop someone who really wanted in."
GAME: Mikilos casts Make Whole. Caster Level: 10 DC: 20
The venerable hearthguard smiles to Kira, Jessamy and 'Rona. "Aren't arcanists /wonderful/?" She says brightly. "I couldn't do that. Not to something not living, anyway. Shall we?" Tugging on the brass knob, Diemma opens the door, leading to a dim staircase downwards. Cool air wafts out, and there's the musty smell of old paper and vellum. "Goodness," she murmurs. "Nobody's been down there in a while." She steps through the doorway.
Yelrona wrinkles her nose several steps behind Deena... keen senses have their downsides, it seems!... but perseveres. Looking around, she nods confidently... far more so than she actually feels. "All right. How are your archives organized?"