H.o.B. Lumencroft Arc 2
Table of Contents
Secrets of the Gilmerbury Library
Overview
The party is tasked with uncovering secrets held within the deeper, and unseen parts, of the Gilmerbury Library. Undertaking this means the party will learn key components about a weapon used in the Nastirn Era to defeat evil and what is guarding the beacon.
Gilmerbury Library
The Library is attended by the following staff:
Blethers are used as staff instead of clockworks to form better opinions on what a customer would want to find.
Entering inside, the overhead bell jingles. The music outside becomes droned out for a quieter and cozier atmosphere as soon as the door shuts. There are a handful of people inside sporadically around the place sitting at tables and browsing bookshelves. Blether attendants wheel carts to return and organize books back in their place or polish surfaces for a spotless shine.
Nastirn-Era Mechanism
Sequestered in a small 15-foot cylinder room is a statue of a woman in a toga presenting a scroll with wording that says, “The path to ascend is clear. If one does not better the mind through reading nor the learning of the past from the start, they shall instead...” By her feet is an empty shelf.
The puzzle is to collect books around the library. Using the beginning letter of each book, they can spell out “DESCEND” or any synonym to the word that involves lowering, like fall or drop. A spiral staircase going downward opens up should a correct entry be placed.
Some books that the party can choose through:
The Hidden Library
Deep inside, there is a small ruin that tells the tale of Isidore, Andraich, Cosima, and Adonis. These heroes saved the region from Astlar, the Tyrant Mage. Cosima and Andraich survived and they built the “beacon” as a holy site. Ever since the Mists came down, Astlar now guards the site for his “dark master” to stop it from being lit.
Guarding the library is a seraph, Elythos, sworn to protect the secrets of the heroes. City Council has tried sending clockworks to investigate the dangerous site but they keep getting cut down by the seraph. Seeing only Nastirn-Era clutter and not wanting to waste time on nothing of interest, fewer clockworks have been pouring in.
Elythos, Seraph Guardian
Stepping down into the staircase, you descend into a small 15x15-foot antechamber. Scattered across the floor are clockworks, some still intact or others in pieces. Degrees of rust suggest that some of these drones have been down here longer than other ones.
Read should the party proceed:
Stepping forward and into the next room, it’s a beautiful courtyard within a grotto with four massive 15-foot diameter pools and bookshelves to the sides. Beautiful yet haunting murals of the past decorate the walls. A lone seraph with majestic feathered wings stands at attention, awaiting patiently with silvered spear in hand. His head tilts a moment when he sees you all in full, “Mortals? State your intention! I trust you are able to engage in dialogue where the constructs are not.”
Should the party wish to seek questions about the “Beacon,” Elythos states the following:
Know the past, know the purpose as to why things are, as those answers can be found here. My purpose is to guard the secrets from sinister powers. Prove to me you are worthy by telling me your plan of action for the Beacon and you may have my aid.
Bookshelves
Looking through the bookshelves, the party can find stories about Isidore, Andraich, Cosima, and Adonis. These stories involve their daring adventures combating the Stlikers. It was up to them to confront the powerful Tyrant Mage Astlar. Astlar had plans to conquer the region of Radian, which is roughly the region where Lumencroft is, and dabbled in dark powers to bolster his strength.
The greatest evil that calling upon this dark power had done is strip away people’s identities and wilted their memories, making them more easily submissive. Only by recounting their names and past did it begin to heal them of their wretched state.
Murals on the Walls
The murals here are from left to right:
Mural 1. The mural depicts an ancient village where Lumencroft stands today but those with the infamous snake eyes are seen in the far distance scheming and plotting.
Mural 2. The mural depicts the lone snake-eyed mage ruling the region. Dark auras radiate from the mountainside nearby, fueling the power of the foul leader. The civilians appear weak and wretched as they tend to their duties and their dead forms used for sinister purpose.
Mural 3. This mural depicts four brave heroes confronting the snake-eyed mage in a terrifying battle, showing two of them perishing while two others soldier on with a glittering blade that defeats the terrible power.
Mural 4. The beacon is built where the battle occurred to ward off and disperse the dark aura that was summoned. The area becomes cleansed and livable yet again. The two survivors then start a new life in the area safeguarding it from the snake-eyed menace.
Impressing Elythos
Should the party recount their findings, opinions, and plan to meddle with the beacon, and mention safe intentions, Elythos then gives a piece of the story he knows:
The Blade of Refined Radiance wielded by Andraich is what you will wish to see if you truly wish to wield it for a greater good. Despite the fall of the Tyrant Mage, the Stlikers of Hastliven continued to be a threat to the Empire as a whole. Assassins and spies would still be a problem to steal away a blade that could destroy baleful creatures. So, he gave his blade to the wood elves in the Juniper Forest as they could hide it far better than anyone else. Only when the needs were dire did he call upon its retrieval, which were thankfully few.
Seek the dwellers of the Juniper Forest. Tell them that Andraich’s oath must be fulfilled and to retrieve the blade of radiance.
Radiant Blade Retrieval
Into the Juniper Forest
Read when first entering the Juniper Forest
Read when entering inside:
Into the forest, you hear loud ticking and steam hissing as wood groans and creaks. Finding the source, you see a massive walking tree giving one last swipe of the arm knocking back clockwork automatons as they clatter onto the ground. The tree then conjoins its legs together and roots itself in the earth.
Arbus, Treant Guardian
The treant is Arbus. He is suspicious of the party with them being outsiders but is curious seeing actual people coming into the forest instead. So naturally, he wishes to know their purpose. Once told about the Blade of Refined Radiance, Arbus is immediately surprised. His progenitors recall retrieving the blade once called for but once the Cultivarum fell away and mortals clashed more with each other, the call for the blade had stopped.
Arbus does know Elythos. The seraph sometimes left his post when the blade was retrieved to ensure that it would be returned, otherwise his role as a guardian to the knowledge of the sword would only be in the stories than the actual place of it. If the party would like the Enclave to summon Elythos to provide aid, they can.
Juniper Enclave
Leadership
Cervatien. Cervatien is the Eminence of the Enclave.
Arbus. Advisor to the Eminent
Overview
The Juniper Enclave is dealing with assaults from the clockworks. The addition of undead threats has made defending the region difficult. The main treant, Arbus, knows that something dark has come upon the old tomb containing the blade. That's typically the direction that these monsters come from but nothing else is certain. Those few who have been sent to investigate have not returned. Should the party enter the tomb, they are to look for the following:
Corrupted Tomb
Some good ambient to use:
Null Corruption Effects.
While the Black Gateway sigil is undisturbed, Null corruption influences the tomb:
Lighting Effects. Sources of light have their lighting halved in this magical darkness. Living creatures with darkvision also have their range halved.
Desecrated Ground. Undead and Null-influenced creatures have advantage on all saving throws. Holy water can purify a 10-foot square area.
The Tyrant Mage is placed as the Beacon guardian. It has convinced the Host that to better hinder explorers, it is optimal to guard the Blade of Refined Radiance. The trouble is that the Mage has gotten greedy and began to harass the Juniper Enclave. Now, it lurks here trying to setup a foothold.
Looking down into the entrance, it is simply dark with no form of lighting. Even taking a few steps in, there is an awful stench of rot. The air feels dry and hard to breathe in. There is no denying that something has befouled this once sacred place.
Read when heading inside:
Further down into the uncertain darkness you go. It's a terrible feeling of just walking into the jaws of a beast willingly. Down the hall, you see only a dimly-lit skeletal face grinning with glee, "A final chance to turn back and return to the light. If not, it may be the last you see of it." The face then retracts, submerging back in the shroud.
The party can then freely head downward.
Finding the Blade of Refined Radiance
Picking up the blade, it awakens a Scather on the opposite side of the map. The Tyrant Mage also steps in, eager to taunt:
Deep in the darkness to the side, you hear the Tyrant Mage cackling in the distance, "The Telum Lux? First you try running from It and now, with but a drop of light, you have worked up the courage to confront the sea of the Null's darkness? Behold what comes for you all!"
On round 3, Elythos comes in to aid the party. By the end, he is keen to aid the party in lighting up the beacons so long as the Blade is in their possession and wielded with non-malicious intent.
Corrupted Tomb Aftermath
With the Blade of Refined Radiance acquired, the Thomter Twins urge the party to the Beacon for it to be lit and they can all head on out of Lumencroft finally. However, if the party wishes to stay behind and aid the Juniper Enclave, they will want to coordinate with Cervatien. See H.o.B. Lumencroft Arc 3.
9/11/2023
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