024 - Don't mess with the librarians

October 30th FA 15

The instructions from the High Seer was to seek a book called the "Treatise on Shrouding Palantirs". All that the company had to go with was that the book was to be found in the Seer section of the Royal Library. This was not much of a clue. Arnadil, closed his eyes and uttered a few words. His ability to sense enemity was to come handy in this dark place. He sensed that the company was in a clear and imminent danger: that something really bad was lurking in the other wing of the vault. However, he couldn't said anymore than that. They didn't know about the Stone knights, but they knew that a few librarians had been walled in the vault when the Witch King assaulted Annuminas. These librarians were left behind to tend the library for the centuries to come, until the King of Arthedain would come back to free them from their oath. 

They broke first into two vaults by smashing the doors with Halin's warhammer. The vaults were large, some 20 yd deep and 12 yd wide. Both were severely damaged by mold and moisture dripping from the ceiling. A quick scan revealed that both vault were dedicated to bestiaries and zoology. They moved on to to a new door. They had a stroke of luck as the book in this new vault were on divination art. A small adjoining circular rooms was discovered and revealed a domed ceiling with gilded stars and constellations. A number of exotic astonomical instruments made of gold and silver were stored in the center of the room. The room next door was also dedicated to the mystic Arthedain art of divination. 

The company decided to retreat to the surface to regain their breath. Arnadil and Finbert were in pain, still reeling from their encounter against the stone knights. Halin, Arnadil and Irina were very tired and not up for more trouble. At the surface, they rested a bit. Halin insited in engraving his name on the stone of the spiral staircase, which was objected, but not vehemently enough by Arnadil. Sir Galdor scoured the troll hoard to find material to make more torches. There was plenty of wood, some fabric and enough orc fat on discarded bones to make 6 makeshift torches. These, added to their small pool of 4, should provide enough material to keep the company looking down in the dark vaults for a few more hours.

Arnadil used his mystic skill to pinpoint the danger in the other wing of the Library. So they ventured in the area and attempted to knock down the first door on the left. After a few strikes, a visibly irritated wraith passed through the wall adjoining the door and paralyzed most of the company in fear. Sir Galdor, with his usual bad luck and low Will, managed to faint one more time. Only Arnadil and Finbert remained alert and capable to defend their friends. The wraith of a librarian, visibly angry passed through Irina who was stunned and standing nearby. Irina felt the frost pass through her body and drain some of her ususal light-heartedness. 

Arnadil, taking on his Gondolin sword swung at the wraith who managed to distort enough to dodge the blow. The wraith replied with a wide sweep of his arm. Arnadil suffered the same affliction as Irina and felt the deathly cold pass through his soul. Arnadil attempted to hit the wraith one more time while Finbert was waving the torch in the wraith's eyes. The wraith seemed startled, the sword was a real danger for him and the torch was blinding him. He gently withdrew through the wall and into the next room. The company debated whether they should pursue or run away. The later option was selected. 

Back into the other wing of the library, they decided to scour the two vaults containing divination art material. Arnadil and Araliniel were searching  in the first room while Halin, Finbert and Galdor were scanning the other. Irina kept an eye for any incoming wraiths. Kasper, being NPC'd for this session, conveniently remained at the surface to "take care of the horses and the dogs". Neither Galdor nor Finbert were very good at Researching, but they nonetheless ran for books while Halin, scolarly dwarf and old warrior examined the most promising books [I used the collaborative skill check rules that I made up for this check]. They got very lucky and actually managed to zero in the book in about 20 minutes. Arnadil and Araliniel had a close look and confirmed that it was the right book. They left the vault in a hurry and concealed the secret door the best that they could. Araliniel was given the treatise and told to study its content as soon as possible to find out what content could be useful in advancing the quest.