Mission: Lost and Found

Accepting Troom's request to search for his missing spellbook, the group headed downriver. Encountering an interesting shrine and a few plant monsters on the way, they found themselves in a cave with a magic door, which posed a riddle. Solving the riddle, they entered into a haphazard library of sorts, and fought past many animated objects to meet an eccentric wizard, Jaymem. Jaymem had them recover a different book in exchange for Troom's, which the party accomplished with some difficulty. Mission accomplished, the party made their way back to Farhaven, failing to herd a group of sheep along the way.

## Mission Report (by Troom)

- *Excerpts from the travelogue of Troom, a near graduate of the l’Académie République de Magie*

As a student of both the Archæological and Arcane sciences, this Loxodon shall endeavor to provide an objective and faithful narrative in the land I have dubbed "The New Realm".  Although there is little I may contribute to the world in acts of practical magic, I hope my observations on this unique location within the realms can contribute to the prosperity of every good creature.

We have stumbled upon a shrine of sorts.  It was too weathered to glean any information about the culture that established it, but the offering bowl was in perfect condition: obviously preserved through magical means.  I offered a sheet of paper to it, but there was no immediate effect. However several hours later, all who approached the shrine but did not offer a sacrifice were attacked by a swarm of bugs.  If used in the correct manner, could this provide an infinite supply of bugs? Further research is required.

A magic door in a cave!  This is the sort of thing that sets my archæologist heart aflutter!  Alas, it was not left by some long lost civilization, but appears to be a recent installation by the tenant downstairs.  It wasn’t a complete loss however because the tenant — a wizard named “Jaymem” — houses a small library down there! This does not seem particularly noteworthy until one considers that this world seems to be a sort of nexus of the realms.  I do not mean the planes, for this seems to be a material plane, but different from my home material plane. If this is true, then this wizard seems to have a collection of books from across multiple realities. A comparative study of these works could lead to breakthroughs in understanding of the nature of reality itself!!!  He has agreed to let others come study in his library if they are willing to pay, preferably in books. This has spurred me on to complete my work on the origin of sentient species (excerpts included below) so that our community may trade a copy of it for information in the future.

My companions on this journey are most singular individuals.  Apparently Chappy was previously one of the enlightened animal species. Although misfortune has seen him transformed into a merely humanoid race he is still a great boon to us all through song and subtle magics.  Dando is a whirlwind of blows in combat, and I saw Reinhart nearly fell a Cave bear with a single thrust - were he not merely human he would be truly terrifying indeed! Akame is another terror (in a good way). How so much power can reside in a frame so small is a mystery.  I’m just glad she’s not using it against me. And Vacant...well...he’s helpful to be sure, but I believe he’s spent a few too many hours staring into the void. Whatever the case, I am truly grateful to all of them for aiding me in recovering my spellbook. I must admit I am much comforted by its return.

On our way back to town we saw the bug-shrine had disappeared.  My disappointment is great at the loss of potentially infinite bugs, but there is nothing to do but carry on.  What a strange place this is.

- *Excerpts from Troom’s “On the Origin of Sentient Species”*

It has been noted that most sentient species follow the “elfine pattern” or as the humans say are “humanoid”.  Dwarves and gnomes are short elves, humans are boring elves, many legends claim that orcs are elves twisted by evil (although this has been proven definitively untrue as any orc would tell you), etc.  The prevailing theories are the “seed of life” theory stating that all sentient beings came from a common ancestor, and the “shape of the soul” theory. This theory states that all sentient beings have nearly identical souls whose complex relationship to the material world lend themselves to certain physical structures:  upright torsos, two arms, a superior positioning of the head, etc. Now the opportunity the “New Realm” provides of studying diverse sentient species from a variety of realms sheds new light on the topic.

…

Given the ample evidence that at least some of the deities are ascended mortals and that many of them are evidenced liars, the theory that EVERY deity was originally a mortal member of a sentient species who has gained ascension seems quite probable.

…

Thus it seems the so-called “anthropomorphic” species (Loxodon, Centaurs, Driders, Tabaxi, etc.) are almost entirely the result of divine power or mortal experiments merging an animal species with one of the earlier humanoid species.  This would not, as some would claim, make the humanoid species superior for their chronological primacy. It instead suggests that the anthropomorphic species are in fact members of one of the humanoid species that have been improved upon, and endowed with enhanced abilities (excepting of course that poor cursed people: the Kenku).  Perhaps in time a reliable method may be found to bring all species up to this enhanced status — but in the meantime all should strive to bear with and support our less-evolved cousins.

## Book Depository (by Rheinhart)

Chappy is back! I was so excited to see my buddy again! Everyone said he had perished, but he came back with that group that ran into some goblin tribe. Chappy was being held captive there. He isn’t quite the same happy-go-lucky monkey boy he used to be, though. I think being held captive has changed him a bit. That happens, sadly. At least he is safe now and back with us! Huzzah!

I met a large, curious individual yesterday! He has big ears, a large tongue-nose he calls a “trunk” and the largest ears I’ve ever seen. Troom is his name and he says he’s a Luxodon, but I know the big guy is a wizard, I just know it!  He claims he is no such thing, but what else would you call a graduate of the Academy of Arcaneology and the Arcane? I’ve been asking him to teach me what he knows but he’s too distraught over some book he’s misplaced. Understandable under the circumstances. Keeping a grip on something familiar in this far off land where most things are unfamiliar helps keep your wits about you. Chappy and I decided to help him out, along with three other recent arrivals:

Dando the erratic catman, though I’m pretty sure I’m being redundant.

Akame, a quick, deadly, and intelligent girl.

Vacant, a “blue, unicorned tiefling” with what seems a speech impediment.

We headed downriver towards the forest where Troom said we should begin searching for his lost book. He is like me in that everything around him piqued his curiosity causing him to write many notes and expound on profound thoughts a bit beyond my understanding. At one point along the river, we spied a weathered, seemingly ancient, shrine. Worn engravings washed out by the wind and sands of time juxtaposed with only a slightly tarnished metal bowl containing a small flame and ashes. Curious. Troom stuck in a piece of valuable parchment and watched the flame consume it.  I was a bit taken aback by such a wonton display of waste, but perhaps he truly isn’t aware of how rare that commodity is right now.  He’s new here, paper might have been plentiful where he came from, but not here. I kept my parchment safely rolled up in its scroll case and we resumed our march westward towards the treeline.

In hindsight, I perhaps should not have worried so much about parchment being scarce because it seems Troom’s paper sacrifice is what kept him from harm. Those of us that did not burn anything at that strange shrine found ourselves the target of every creepy crawly for many hundreds of yards around. After an hour or two, giant centipedes swarmed at our feet and we had to fight for our very lives against the mass of insects, spiders, millipedes, beetles, etc. Thinking back on that, I still get shivers from all the little bitey things that snuck between the plates of my armor. UGH!

Soon after that, we encountered some swamp things.  That’s the best description I have for the plant-men-things that attacked us. They were a bit like the undead in that you could knock them over pretty easily, but they just got right back up and came at you again. Troom created an illusionary wall during that fight, it was incredible! He even tried to teach me the theory of whatever it was he did. I may have to review that theory a few more times before I likely understand any of it.

You know, I don’t recall how we ended up inside a cave with a magical talking door in it. Somehow, Troom was certain his book was nearby, perhaps beyond the magic talking door. A wizard is mysterious and seems capable of knowing all kinds of unknowable things! The door’s riddle was answered, “a coin” and it allowed us ingress into some kind of cell-like foyer with old dungeon cells along each side and a bunch of disheveled books on tables and small shelves down the middle. Troom immediately starts searching for his lost book and the rest of us kind of snoop about since we have no clue what kind of book we’re looking for.  Some of us look for interesting titles to the books lying about as Chappy and I check out the cells on either side of the room.  I tend to “activate” things. Its a habit borne of both curiosity, pushing my limits, and just moving faster than the others around me that I tend to “find”/”trip over” more than my fair share of nasty surprises.

Our nasty surprise turned out to be a bunch of objects flying around the room trying to batter us. Dando seemed to be playing with them instead of fighting them at first. He definitely put an end to that thought when he smashed that onyx orb to bits with his bare paws!

The room beyond that foyer, is where we met the loud, eccentric Jaymem. He had found Troom’s book and was only willing to part with it if we traded him for it. A finder’s fee, I suppose. At least Troom’s book was safe and sound, found, and all we had to do was retrieve some other odd book in a cave just a bit to the north. Jaymem tried to get it himself, but “something big” prevented him and his little animated sticks from bringing it back to his library. So he’s asked us to get it for him and we get Troom’s book back. Seems a bit much for a book, but Troom is beside himself, so we agree to skip over to that cave and see what’s what.

A bear. Not just any bear… the biggest momma bear I’ve ever seen along with a few of her cubs. We can see the book lying there next to the dead, mauled courier in the cave by the sleeping creatures. Akame, Dando, and Chappy plan to sneak in and snatch the book hoping to avoid a fight. Next thing I know, the cave quickly fills with fog and Troom zips in, off to one side. The rest of us shrink back from the fog, unsure what to do as it blinds us as well as the bears. Planning strategies does not seem to be Dando’s greatest strength for as we started to put our heads together on how to approach, he dashes into the fog straight for the book. I think I spied Akame put her face in the palm of her hand as I try to peer into the gloom hoping Dando would reach the book unseen.

Unseen, perhaps, but bears have uncanny senses other than sight and for a frightening moment, we hear a small cry of fear from Dando as a roar and a grunt from the bear echoes from the cave. The fog vanishes as quickly as it formed and we can see Dando is seriously injured and lying motionless on the ground! I grip my zwei-hander and point the tip of the blade directly at the bear, charging the dire beast with all my might! The bear rears up on its hind legs standing a good 12 feet tall, arms wide ready to deliver a fatal blow to anyone foolish enough to get near. Someone behind me hurls a mote of fire directly at the beast and where it strikes the bear’s chest is where the point of my blade skewers it. I buried the blade completely through the beast, felling it in that instant. The risk was quite high, but mein Gott smiled upon me that day to help save my new fuzzy friend Dando.

We returned the book to Jaymem and, as promised, he gave Troom his book back. While eccentric to live all by himself out in a little cave, he seems reasonable enough to deal with as long as you bring something worth trading. We may see him more often in the future, I think. On our way back, Troom tried looking for that strange old shrine, but there was no trace of it. Just a hint of a scent.  Oh, and sheep. We found a flock of collared sheep without their shepard. Chappy tried talking to them, but I think he may have accidentally insulted them and blamed me for it because shortly afterwards when I approached them all friendly like, they got scared and ran off. I understand horses. I don’t understand sheep, or chickens, or pigs, or cows.  I think I’ll go on patrol with Koristos next time he’s out. I need to learn more about scouting the wilderness and he’s so good at it. Many years of education and yet, I still have so much to learn!

## Library (by Chappy)

I'm trying to maintain that same "Chappy" smile and attitude. It's hard. I keep myself almost totally covered now. No one would like what they would see underneath. So in an effort to keep my mind off things, I volunteered to help a newcomer retrieve his lost spellbook.

Rheinhart, and Akame joined me. As well as the newcomers Troom, (Elephant-Man), Dando (cat-man) and Vacant (I...he's odd). We set out toward the forest where Troom had first appeared on this land.

We found some plant based creatures the attacked us. It seems much of this place can be agressive. After awhile we found a cave with a door iin it. It had a magical spell on it that opened with a correct answer to a riddle. Troom new it right away. Maybe he'd been here before.

Inside was a giant library with all kinds of books on shelves and strewn about. It was here ome of them ani,mated and attacked, with a few other random objects. After we dispatched of them, we were greeted by a Wizard named Jaymem. I can only assume he was a barter by trade as he was not willing to part with anything, even information without a trade.

He had Toom's book but wanted us to retrieve another one in exchange. We set off to do so and found ourselves in a bear cave. Dando tried to rush in and grab it, but he spooked the bear inside and she swiped at him, knocking him unconscious in one swoop.

I tried to calm and make friends with the bear, but she was too angry at our intrusion into her cave with her cubs. Our saving grace was a quick fire bolt from Vacant which distracted the bear while Rheinhart took advantage of this to strike hard and true, felling the creature. While the rest of the group butchered this dead beast, I tried to calm the cubs.

We traded the new book for Troom's and Jaymem advised we could coe back if we ever needed the library...for a price. It may be worth checking out. Maybe there is something in there that could help explain what happened to me. And continues to happen to me.