Bookwyrm

I have four sessions to transcribe and catch up on. The Campaign is now in the level 10 to 14 range, and it is definitely starting to wind down. I am also down to just three regular players. Two have been in the game since the start. Other players join for a while and then wander away. A common issue for this GM when I run games with Roll 20.

The Bookwyrm in this suggestion and much of the library comes from "Seven Days of the Serpent God" by Alex Kurowski published by Goodman Games in the Fifth edition fantasy line of books.

Session 157: The Bookwyrm

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Aldus (human cavalier), Domago (human cleric NPC), August (human magic-user NPC), Ian of Darkhollow (human cavalier NPC).

A few members of the Company of the Black Dragon are in the City of Glass, staying overnight at a Guest House after discovering the Hidden Library of Hukarramma under the Royal Library. Lakima, Aldus, Domago, and August enjoy an uneventful rest.

The next day, Lakima suggests to the group that if they fight a red dragon, they will need Eathwund. Lakima casts a Limited Wish spell, wishing Eathwund into their presence. But the spell fails. Back in Edgerton, Eathwund feels an enchantment settling over him, and he fights it off – too late, he hears Lakima’s voice calling him in his head.

With the spell failing, Lakima tells everyone they should head back to Edgerton to pick up Eathwund. As a bonus, they can also bring Ian the squire and his red dragon-slaying sword. The group takes the bridgeway from the City of Glass to Valnwall. Lakima tells the custodian of the bridgeway about the hidden library. Ezmeralden expresses interest in visiting. They then take the Cloudstealer to Edgerton and meet with Eathwund and Ian.

The next day, the entire group (including Luna) heads back to the City of Glass using the bridgeway. They head directly to the Royal Library of Hukara. At the Library, Lakima speaks with the Head Librarian, Kalil, and the Royal Librarian, Jahara. Jahara tells them he has arranged for Lakima to meet with Princess Orla. Jahara leads the group to the Royal Palace across the square from the library. They leave their weapons in the inner courtyard and enter the throne room. They come before a raised dais with throne chairs in the beautiful throne room. A large throne is in the center, and two smaller chairs are on either side. A beautiful woman who appears to be about 35 sits in one chair while a black-robed bearded man in his 50s sits in the other chair. Looking around, the company members see guards under the raised balcony. On the balcony above, they see more guards armed with crossbows.

“Lakima? It is so wonderful to finally meet you!” the woman exclaims.

“You did not need to put a bounty on my head to get me to visit, your highness,” Lakima says.

“That was not my intent, dearest,” Princess Orla says. Turning to the man, she says, “Gal-Unan, did you follow my instructions? I wished to be informed when Lakima was in the city so I could meet him, and I did not ask for a bounty on his head.”

The man bows to the Princess, “My Princess, I believe the Castellan may have misinterpreted your interest in your stepson.”

Princess Orla tries to assure Lakima that she wishes only to meet him. Having heard of his exploits in the City of Veil against the Efreeti Pasha, she wonders if Lakima might be the grown boy of her beloved servant Lekai. Throwing protocol aside, the Princess insists on approaching Lakima with her arms outstretched, and she hugs the surprised mage.

Recovering quickly, Lakima gives Princess Orla the gift of a potion of longevity. Princess Orla hands the gift to one of her servants. The Princess asks Lakima and the rest of the Company to stay for lunch. They head out into the gardens, where a lunch has been set up near a pool with a fountain. The conversation is kept light, and Princess Orla is introduced to the other company members. She takes the time to ask each of them a few questions about their history. After lunch, the Princess hugs Lakima again and insists he promises to visit her whenever he is in the city.

“If you ever need my aid, you need only leave a message for me pinned to the obelisk just outside the city near the glass desert,” Lakima says.

The company members then say their goodbyes and are escorted out of the palace. From the Palace the group heads to the library. Lakima shows Eathwund how they enter the hidden library through the sun well. The staircase to the hidden library is revealed, and the group heads down. Lakima asks Aldus to lead the way, and they head directly to the library room using the burrow tunnel. The group then heads directly through the door to the Royal Stacks. A three-story library with shelves stacked full of books covering all the walls. They see a dim red glow from the bottom of the library.

Aldus leads the way to the stairs. The broad stone steps appear to be held in place magically. There is no support visible underneath them. Once the entire group is on the steps, the whole staircase suddenly spins slowly in the air to meet up at different points on the top and middle floors. Once the stairs stop turning, the adventurers see a giant red dragon that flies up from below them and swoops above them. Lakima casts a mirror image spell, and multiple images of him appear on the stairs.

The dragon roars at the adventurers and swoops down but misses Luna and Aldus with its claws. A series of 8 books fly out of the stacks and try to strike Lakima. They miss and continue to spin above his head.

“Stop this; we are trying to save the books!” Lakima yells at the shelves.

“August! Use the wand of webs on the dragon,” Lakima yells at his apprentice.

A cloud of webs appears around the dragon, binding his legs and wings. The dragon plunged, roaring in anger, and smashed to the stone floor sixty feet below.

“Let’s get after him while he is down,” Aldus yells to Eathwund. Both fighters, followed by Ian, run down the stairs toward the bottom floor of the library.

The dragon struggles to its feet, but its wings are still constrained. The dragon begins carefully breathing fire on the webs. Lakima casts Limited Wish, willing the webs to become immune to flames. The webs stop burning. The dragon starts tearing away at the webs to get free. Luna tries striking the dragon with arrows but keeps missing. Aldus reaches the struggling dragon first.

“Stay back, puny human, or I will incinerate you!” Bookwyrm, the red Dragon roars. Aldus attacks anyway, slashing the dragon in the chest and opening a large wound. The dragon increases its efforts to free itself and tears itself from the webs. It flies up and away from Aldus and Eathwund, hovering above Ian on the second level.

“Hit him again, August!” Lakima yells.

August casts web again from his wand, and the angry red dragon is again trapped in webs and falls onto the second-floor balcony. He struggles to free himself as Ian runs toward him with his dragon-slaying sword. Lakima casts a barrage of magic missiles, and the dragon cries out and falls off the balcony, falling and hitting the stone floor with a loud crash. The dragon lies unmoving.

The entire company descends to the bottom floor and approaches the red dragon. Ian draws his dragon-slaying sword. The dragon raises its head and opens its eyes.

“Stay back! Or I will breathe fire on you!”

“You won’t, you won’t risk damaging the books,” Lakima shouts.

“I can tell you secrets of the library and gift you with magic tomes. Just leave and never return,” the dragon says.

Lakima dismisses the dragon, telling it that they know you cannot take books from the library. The dragon tries enticing them with the location of Queen Hukarramma’s spellbook. Lakima nods to Eathwund and Aldus, who finish off the dragon.

“Better check that it is dead this time, Ian,” Lakima says.

Ian stabs the red dragon with his sword, and with a death twitch, the dragon’s claw strikes Ian, knocking him to the floor.

“Domago, can you speak with the Dragon’s spirit?” Lakima says.

Domago casts the speak with dead spell, and the spirit of the red dragon rises up.

“Leave me be, disturb me no more murderers,” the spirit moans.

“Where is Queen Hukarramma’s spell book?”, Lakima asks.

“Her statue holds the book,” the spirit says.

Lakima, Eathwund, Aldus, and Luna head to the stone sphinx statue in the center of the chamber. The sphinx holds a stone book open in its hands. Against the wall, they see a large rug covered with pillows and piles of books.

“This must be the dragon’s treasure,” Lakima says.

The group looks around at the books and pillows, but they do not find any gems, gold, or other treasures. Lakima walks over to the sphinx statue, and a magic mouth speaks.

“Tell me a riddle I have not heard before, and my treasure will be yours.”

Lakima thinks for a moment and then tells a riddle to the Sphinx. The book in the sphinx’s hands magically transforms into a white spell book emitting bright white light. Lakima reaches out, takes the book, and puts it in the bag of holding.

“We still have two questions for the dragon,” Domago says.

The group heads back across the chamber to the waiting spirit of the dragon.

“Where is your treasure of gold and gems?” Lakima asks.

“My treasure is these books, the spirit says; I care not for gold.”

Lakima asks another question about the dragon’s treasure but again gets a negative response. The spirit of the dead dragon vanishes.

After the dragon's death, the group spends some time checking out the thousands of books on the library's shelves.

“Can we take some books?” Aldus asks.

“We cannot – but I can copy some, and we can take the copy. I need only rest.”

The adventurers return to the stairwell, and they head into the garden. Speaking to the golem there, they tell it they killed the dragon. The golem steps off the pedestal, activating the secret entrance to the mummy's tomb. In the tomb, they speak to the mummified librarian. He thanks them for killing the dragon and promises they can move about the library freely.

The adventurers return to the guest house for the day and evening. In the common room, Lakima tells the owner, Hateem, and a local bard about the dragon and the secret library beneath it. Hateem is skeptical of the stories, but the bard seems interested.

The next day, the group heads back to the library. They are surprised to see the large doors closed and a crowd of people outside. The people are shouting to be allowed in to read the secrets of the Sphinx Queen. Lakima tries convincing some of the people to leave, but they are adamant that the treasures of the Sphinx Queen are beneath the library. Lakima casts a fear spell and drives all the people from the square.

The door is locked, but Luna opens it with the Helm of Free action. Inside, they meet several surprised guards. Lakima tells them that he asked the crowd to leave. They talk to the librarians and express surprise that the crowd thought a secret treasury was beneath the library.

“What nonsense,” Lakima says.

“Spread by a disreputable bard,” the librarian says.

Lakima asks the librarian if there are any lost books they wish they had in the library. The librarian gives him a title and says the book has been lost for a century.

The adventurers descend into the hidden library and head to the library shelves. Using the catalog, they each find a book they desire. Eathwund declines to take a book as he struggles to read. He tells Aldus he will read over his shoulder. Luna, of course, does not have enough free will to express an interest. Lakima takes a book and picks up the book the librarian had told them about. Lakima uses Limited Wish to make copies of the books. The books are all placed in the bag of holding. When they leave the library, Lakima gifts the librarian with the book.

“How? How did you find this book? Where?” the librarian says.

“I have a magic bag of books,” Lakima says, pointing at the bag of holding.

The librarian immediately demands to be able to purchase the bag. The librarian becomes insistent when Lakima tells him he does not wish to sell it.

“You do not want this bag,” Lakima says, “It comes with a curse.”

“The person who holds the bag is cursed to wander the world forever searching for lost books.”

“Oh,” the librarian says, stepping back from Lakima, “Perhaps it is best that you keep the bag. But should you return to the library, we would ask that you gift us a book.”

Lakima agrees. The Company gathers up its gear and returns through the Bridgeway to Edgerton.