Part 31: A Missing Pug, Part 3
Update 31: A Missing Pug, Part 3
Turns out Nivek's sobered up enough that he's capable of using language again.
I' m sorry to interrupt your hangover, sir, but it's very important that we speak to you. Have you seen or spoken to Pug of Stardock in the past few days? He's disappeared from the palace and we' re trying to find out where he might have gone or done before he left.
It could be that he and I dressed in the Princess Anita's finest gowns and danced with skeletons on the docks, but I don't remember a single detail of this last evening. I had a bit too much drink, I believe...and I'm regretting it with great acuity at this moment. Surely you might remember the events when you entered the bar? Nothing. Not a moment...mind's as blank as a slate...I don't even remember where it is I mislaid my keys. Maybe if you found your keys, you'll recall last night's events. That is a respectable theory, young friend, but as I am in no condition to move I cannot test your hypothesis... Tell me what they look like. If we run across them, we will bring them back to you and maybe then you'll remember. Not much to distinguish it from other keys...It has my name etched up on it...that is all... good luck. Take care of yourself, old friend.Now, we walk out of Krondor...
BaK posted:
Cast in brass, the key type was unfamiliar though it's size suggested it was made to open a door rather than a chest. On the reverse side was a royal seal, over which were inscribed three lines of script: Prop. of Nivek; Lrd. Mnst. of Fincs., Wstrn. Rlm; Krndr.
Good thing a corpse literally right outside the gates of Krondor had the key and we didn't need to undertake some sort of quest for it.
Let's hop back to Nivek with it.
If you mean, have we found your key, the answer is yes. I have it here in my pack, but...it might be advisable for you to consult a solicitor for advice. A solicitor? Why? Where were my keys? We found them on a dead man. He was just outside of Krondor. It looked as though the side of his head had been bashed in with a large, blunt weapon. Was he an enemy of yours? If you're suggesting that in my stupor I killed someone, you've lost your senses. I'm not violent when I'm drunk, and in fact I tend to fall unconscious after even a few tankards of ale... I am starting to recall a few things about my...episode...shall we call it? I remember a man who came into the Rainbow Parrot and offered me a drink and then it seems I followed him somewhere...outside of town, perhaps? Where you killed him. No, where he...he offered me more to drink...and then he took me someplace else, or did his friend take me there? And then...after that, everything's still a blank... So these strangers got you drunk and stole your key. Does your house key open any other locks other than your house? Yes, it opens the locks to my correspondent's office in Eggley. The Prince had my keys made especially so I could have access to any of the Kingdom treasury offices. Mind if we borrow this key for a while? I want to test a theory. Be my guest. Anything to help my own cause. I'd really like to get this cleared up. We'll do what we can. Thanks.I wonder if Owyn's going to ever enlighten us about this theory.
Mostly whether I can enrich myself with the official key of a Minister of Finance.Off to Eggley! The roads nearby have gotten repopulated with a few more rogues at some point, but once again nothing of big interest.
Nicely enough, having sorted out the Stranger quest back in chapter... did we do it in 1 or 2? I think we did it in 2. Anyway, having sorted the quest, the town's actually gotten re-populated!
It's pretty good stuff. The inn is repopulated and we can knock on a few doors.
BaK posted:
Gorath stood motionless, waiting for a response. Seconds later a large, amply endowed woman came to the door, holding a small child on one hip.
"My husband still has chores to do. You just head on back over to The Stranger and maybe he'll join you when he's through."
Before he had a chance to reply the door slammed closed. On the other side Gorath could hear a man weakly protesting, "But Butterball I've never seen those men before." This was followed by a THWACK and a muffled shout. Then silence.
...
The door swung open and Gorath found himself staring into the wide eyes of a small boy. "Hello there, little guy. Is your Mom--"
A new figure appeared at the door, a young woman. She greeted the visitors and introduced herself as the boy disappeared behind the folds of her skirt. After a short but unenlightening talk she offered them some water.
Owyn bent down and waved goodbye as they prepared to leave, causing the boy to disappear into the house with an excited cry.
...
They were met at the door by a friendly couple.
Gorath introduced himself and greetings were offered all around. He sat and traded stories for several minutes, then rose, "We really must be going. You have been very kind."
...
Thankful his key had worked, Owyn pushed the door open.
Inside they found a variety of objects, including an assortment of papers and ledgers, a writing table and a small bed. Stooping down to examine the papers more carefully, Owyn saw they were tax records of some kind. He also found several notes that had been signed: Stellan.
"Search this room carefully," commanded Owyn. "We may find something we can use."
The last one is the shop-looking structure in town, which is Stellan's office, all it contains is a single note, sadly for Owyn's dreams of personal enrichment.
BaK posted:
The mines of the Mac Bourgalan Dok are hereby deeded to Mejakaar Blackpatch and all wealth therein ... A section of the caverns were sealed by a special door which may only be opened with this map, a magical spell having been put upon it ...
You may recall Naddur from the Mac Mordain Cadal saying that Mac Bourgalan Dok was the ancient dwarven name for the caverns underneath Sarth, and we've had a few folks, including Owyn, mention that the scribes at Sarth might also have some interesting information for us regarding the Book of Macros, and since Sarth is on the way up to Elvandar in any case, may as well drop by.
Like the rest of the region, the coast road has gotten repopulated to avoid the trip being boring. The only encounter that particularly stuck in my mind was the one nearest to Krondor, though, simply for the sheer volume of enemies in it.
I think seven enemies at once may be the biggest fight in the game. Looking around, I could only find three other 7-enemy fights on the Krondor site, and barely any 6-enemy fights. Still, nothing greatly noteworthy about them. Mages are the things that make battles spicy at this point, little else does it.
He gets the dogs and then the freeze and then Gorath hacks his buddies to mincemeat.
A trio of scorpions have also parked themselves outside the Temple of Sung, a speedbump that Gorath and Owyn hardly notice.
Six rogues are also hanging out outside of Brother Marc's field being annoying. Of note is that one of them is packing Flaming Quarrels, which are super-inaccurate but also do a hell of a lot of damage. Thankfully dragon plate and the archer having a trashy crossbow means that Owyn hardly feels it.
No thanks for clearing the bandits out of your fields, huh? So much for gratitude.
Why didn't anyone treat the fever before it became serious?
None of us knew he was infected until this morning. When he woke this morning he reported to the brotherhood's herbalist that he was experiencing dizziness. It's one of the early signs of the fever, but I wouldn't be overly concerned. Quegian Fever is rarely fatal to adults. It's not the fever's primary effects that concern me. As Keeper of the Gates, Brother Dominic is the greatest wielder of the magical arts among us. Should he begin to hallucinate, he may lose his capacity to discern between real and imagined threats. He might view other members of the brotherhood as enemies or perhaps he will see a threat in the outside world. We know from Pug of Stardock that things of this nature can occur when magicians fall ill... No one can break his fever? I am sure the herbalist will do what he can, but our best hope resides in Brother Dominic's iron will. Until such time his fever breaks, the Abbey of Ishap at Sarth will be a fearfully dangerous place and I would advise against going any closer. Was there something you needed from the Abbey?[MINE]
My grandfather used to tell me stories about the chambers beneath Sarth that he said were once part of a rich dwarven mine. He called it the Mac Boogalan...Borgu... The Mac Bourgalan Dok I believe it was called, yes. At one time it was quite an impressive emerald mine. He suggested that there still might be tunnels that connect with those directly beneath the Abbey. If you have any of the old dwarven maps or deeds, we might be able to get in through the old mine. Unfortunately, those maps are not in the hands of the Brothers of Sarth at the moment. We gave it over to the assistant tax collector who lives in Eggley, a fellow named Stellan. I understand that there was some confusion in regards to how much the Abbey could be taxed because of it's connection to those old mines. If you speak to him, I am sure he could show you those documents. At least it sounds like a way we may be able to re-enter the abbey![MACROS]
Do you know anything about a Book of Macros? Of Macros, no. About Macros, I know we have a few of them in the Vaults, most concerning the legends about the Villa Beata while he was living on Sorcerer's Isle. We might also have a few things by him in there, but I couldn't be certain without checking.I'm certain there won't be any problems getting into Sarth.
Oh hey let's just walk up to the front door and-
BaK posted:
Light blinded Owyn.
Screaming, he arched back from the doorway he had been about to press open and covered his eyes, as if averting some great horror. Stumbling backward into Gorath, he trembled in the warriors grasp.
"Magic," Owyn gasped as last. "Terrible, terrible magic. It was like...like looking in to a nightmare. Someone has warded the door."
Releasing his hold on the boy, Gorath stared at the doorway doubtfully. "Is there anyway you can banish it?"
Owyn shook his head. "No, no. It is far too powerful. We will have to find another way in if we are to enter this place."
So now we use the ENTER on the left side of the screen that takes us to the mines under Sarth.
BaK posted:
Trees whipped at their faces.
Mumbling about the inconvenience of castle engineers, Gorath lead the way down the fir covered slope, arriving at last at the mouth of a large cave. "Told you I wasn't mad," he muttered. "Looks like a cave mouth. Want to have a look inside?"
It's the same mine textures as the Mac Mordain Cadal, but a much simpler layout. There's a more or less straight line through, with three rooms connected, two of which have chests in them that we care to poke at.
So this first one, as you may be able to tell from the Scent of Sarig rune at the top of the screen, is trapped! Now, it's not hard to disarm, 22 skill, but it's 140 damage, 140 damage, if you don't have Scent of Sarig up. So clearly, with that sort of threat, it's gotta contain something real cool, right?
This game sometimes. There's also a code chest in the same room.
WALNUT
All it contains is a shell and some +Spell Accuracy potions.
The last chest in the cave is behind a 90-difficulty door that can also be opened with a Virtue Key. There's no way you have James at 90 skill yet, at least not without multiple Amulets of the Upright Man, if you bring him here in Chapter 2, and unless you want to actually pay for one (lol) the only place I'm sure you can get a Virtue Key for free earlier than Chapter 3 is Prank's Stone on the far side of the gameworld. Still, you might've taken that route down to Krondor if you were really fucking around.
What's the reward for dealing with that kind of bother, though?
TRADE MARES
The chest contains a Sword of Kinnur and a Grey Tower Plate, both at 100% durability. We skipped over the Sword of Kinnur for everyone because of the route we took, but if you took the long, circuitous route and skipped the Dimwood, then it would still likely be an upgrade for James, Gorath or Locklear, depending on who you're bringing along, and unless you're paying out the nose for it at Highcastle/Northwarden, you're unlikely to start packing everyone with Dragon Plate until Chapters 4 and 5, so the Grey Tower Plate will still be a noteworthy upgrade.
It only takes a couple of minutes to blaze through the mines and get this far, with the only enemies along the way being a couple of giant spiders and scorpions. Despite wild animals showing up as threats a couple of times in the books, I don't think giant insects or arachnids ever do.
BaK posted:
Owyn disappeared up the stairs. He returned a minute later, a look of grim determination evident on his face...
"These stairs must lead to the Mac Bourgalan Dok emerald mine. The tunnels are very complicated, but with the instructions we found in Stellan's house we should be able to make it through. Shall we try to find the library vaults?"
Gorath nodded. Together, they climbed the moss covered stone stairway that lead to the mines. Bits of rock and splintered wood covered the dirt floor, making it difficult for them to walk. But they picked their way through the rubble and after nearly an hour came to a wrought iron ladder, piercing a dark hole in the ceiling.
The rungs were rusty, and metal splinters ripped at their hands and snagged their clothes as though trying to deny them egress from the mines as they climbed upward. The ladder ended up in a small wooden hallway, thick with dust and decorated with silky strands of spiderweb. A door at the end of the hall opened, after some effort, into a huge room stuffed with books.
They had been heard.
Assembled in the book lined passage were six priests, all keenly interested in the arrival of the two strangers. From amidst them, a broad shouldered priest stepped forward.
"Your presence may explain a great deal," the priest said, stabbing a finger in their direction. "We have been unable to leave the vaults since this morning and we found the door is bolted from the other side. And since I find it unlikely that our brother priests of Ishap have chosen to starve us to death..."
"It's not like that at all," Owyn replied, waving his hands. "We ran into your Brother Marc when we were coming up the road. He said that one of your brethren has fallen ill with the Quegian Fever and somehow his condition is linked to the passages being blocked..."
"The mystic defenses?" one of the other priests offered. "It is possible his delusions may have triggered them."
Quickly a debate ensued between the robed priests, finishing at last with several brethren scurrying off to shelves assigned for their examination. With a stern look, the angered priest also pointed to a shelf and directed that Owyn and Gorath look for anything that mentioned the mystic defenses of Sarth or outbreaks of Quegian Fever.
Hours passed...
His eyes aching from reading the nearly illegible hand writing of ancient scribes, Owyn leaned his head back against the ancient shelving. "I have no idea what we're looking for, Gorath. I've run across a half dozen references to this Abbey, but then I discover it has something to do with experiments with peas or an account of a new system of organizing these books..."
A sound drew their attention. At the end of the book strewn passageway in which they sat, a priest eyed the disorganization with distress. "Why are you still down here?"
"Still looking for the answer," Owyn said. Vaguely he gestured at the half dozen opened books around him. "Haven't found it."
"Oh." Biting his lip, the priest seemed pensive about continuing. "Well, I am afraid we solved that problem about an hour ago. Brother Dominic is doing a bit better now. We were wondering where you two had gotten to."
Angered, Owyn slammed shut the cover of the book which he held in his lap, a translation of Dorcas' Treatise On The Animation of Objects. Likewise, next to him, Gorath stuffed away a wormy looking book on history...
"Keep it," the priest insisted before Owyn could put away the magical treatise. Dorcas' is popular here. We have other copies cross indexed in the library. I was also instructed that once I found you, I was to reward you with these..."
Opening a pouch, the priest handed them three nearly perfect emeralds. "They are yours, in appreciation for all you have done here. It is a small gesture, but I hope a useful one. Please feel free to continue to scan our library if it please you..."
The reward is a Dorcas' Treaty on the Animation of Objects, a +spell accuracy training book, and three 100% Emeralds which is a fat chunk of cash, though by the time you're here in chapter 6 you're probably well set for most resources and gear.
This also gives us a chance to root through the library for stuff. There are several interactible locations among the shelves, each producing huge amounts of lore dumps.
BaK posted:
Owyn studied the shelf. While many of the titles on the shelf were either too faded to be read or printed in foreign tongues, most of the subject matter seemed to be related to magic.
The books concerned magic.
Snatching the closest volume at hand, Owyn began scanning the pages, hoping to find a gramarye of spells from which he could learn. Flipping pages, he was nearly oblivious of the priest who marched down the aisle and snatched the volume from his hands, politely replacing it from where it had come.
"These books are restricted," the priest said sternly. "Long ago, we learned the wisdom of making sure an initiate has some training before embarking on reading our magical themas."
"I've had some training," Owyn began, but was silenced by a hard look from the priest.
"You are more than welcome to visit our other collections, but this is restricted," the priest said, his tone indicative that he would tolerate no argument. "I am sorry."
...
Owyn studied the shelf. While many of the titles on the shelf were either too faded to be read or printed in foreign tongues, most of the subject matter seemed to be related to theology.
The shelves were overburdened. Massive books which all appeared to be older than anything Owyn could imagine, most of the works in the section appeared to be concerned with theology or philosophy. Not as well versed in the history of the gods as he would like, he reached for a less intimidating looking volume and began to read.
Having expected by the title to find a book about Dala, the Protector Goddess, he was surprised to find that within seemed to be a registry of the names of people who regularly attended services at the temple. Also included was a special page which seemed to be a proclamation made by the priests of the Temple of Dala.
Henceforth Let It Be Claimed. Blessed of Dala be the daughters of Flendel Halfgate; so named Thea, Andrea, Gena, Sara, Kira, and Larissa; who in good mercy hath been rightworthy and true to the goddess, having provided much needed leather goods, grain, and entertainment for the woefully poor in their hour of need. From this day in the second year of the reign of good king Lyam the first, forever shall your issue be watched over by the fortunes of the goddess.
A ponderously heavy volume that took a great deal of effort to support, the book was permeated with the darkness of mood which seemed to surround Lims-Kragma, the Goddess of Death. Surprisingly enough, the book suggested the bodies of the dead should be burned rather than buried as the body was no longer of any importance after death. Of primary interest was a short passage near the end of the book...
...Once wounded so that ye may nearly touch the face of the goddess of death, thou shalt be suspended in a deathless state until it is deemed either thou time hast come to enter the Halls of the Dead, or thou has yet more to do among the world of the living. In such a condition, ye shall find great weakness and a slowness of healing which may only be healed of a priest or by rest most prolonged.
Thankfully the contents of the book on Sung, God of Purity and Healing, were relatively light and easy to read, though it told him little he didn't already know about the Temple of Sung and its tenants. Before closing it, he did take special heed of the fact it implied that the Temple of Sung offered more extensive healing powers than those offered by any other temple.
One of literally hundreds of books on the subject of Ishap, the God Above All, the book was difficult to understand and written in a barely legible hand. Setting it aside, he looked back at the other books on the shelves.
After an expansive description of Kahooli, the God of Revenge, and how he was often misperceived by most of the common folk of the Kingdom, the book made brief mention of a series of penances required of the faithful including an odd practice known as mortification in which they starved themselves to make themselves worthy to the temple. It also listed the fact that the most frequent petitioners into the temple were assassins.
Just a few pages into the text, Owyn realized it was yet another book of dogma, though its author put a few new spins on religious theory he had been unaware of. After flipping through a chapter, he replaced the tome where he had found it... "Perhaps there is a more informative book on this shelf," he thought.
...
Owyn studied the shelf. While many of the titles on the shelf were either too faded to be read or printed in foreign tongues, most of the subject matter seemed to be related to finance.
Owyn scowled. The books arrayed before him all concerned theories of finance, a subject which his father had long ago exhaustively bored him with. While he thought he would never again be interested in the subject, he found himself reaching for one of the volumes.
A very new looking book, Owyn had selected something titled Strategies of Trading, Vol. II. Just below the title, he noticed a special note which had been glued to the face of the tome: RARE. Flipping through the pages, tables and charts of numbers confronted him, most of which he supposed would take him weeks to understand, time he didn't have to waste. In the center of the book, however, he did manage to find something of use...
...At the suggestion of a colleague, I have decided to include here examples of the finest shops in the Kingdom, examples which illustrate my point rather elegantly that good attention to finances will allow the shopkeeper to offer the lowest prices without sacrificing significant profit and ensuring a reliable returning clientele:
Dabeh's Fanciful Trinkets near Cavall Keep
Roots 'N Herbs in Prank's Stone
Arms of Dala in Wolfram
Kingdom Goods in Loriel
The Mercantile in Darkmoor
A pitiful remnant of what once was a wonderfully scribed book, numerous pages appeared to have been ripped out whole, leaving only the ragged remains at the edges. Disheartened, Owyn glanced quickly at what was now the top page before closing and returning it to the shelf.
......many make the mistake of believing that a general goods store will offer the best prices on jewels. In practice, it is by far better to sell to a store which has emeralds, diamonds, and rubies on display...
Immediately upon opening it, he discovered it was a simple ledger, containing only row upon row of numbers which didn't seem to add up properly in his head when he ran his finger across the columns. Closing it with a snap of his wrist, he replaced in on the shelf.
...
Owyn studied the shelf. While many of the titles on the shelf were either too faded to be read or printed in foreign tongues, most of the subject matter seemed to be related to medicine.
Healer's journals littered the shelf. By far the most extensive collection within Sarth's impressive stacks of books, Owyn felt a little intimidated. Unsure what titles or names would be of the most use to him, he picked a book at random and began to read.
After skipping a fairly lengthy discussion about the benefits of various herbs, he found a list of fairly obscure potions and their effects, most of which he had never even heard. One item listed, however, was a familiar potion which he had cause to use on many occasions in the past.
RESTORATIVES.
Generally, the use of these potions are well known among the common folk of the Kingdom of the Isles, but it is not so commonly apprehended that these formulas may help speed the healing process for those who have suffered near fatal injuries.
Quickly, he felt himself drawn into the book, apparently a journal which was kept by a healer who had travelled with one of the larger military companies of Bordon. While it actually dealt very little with the actual practice of healing, it did have a few useful bits of information.
...in comparisons, it has seemed that herbal packs by far offer more beneficial effects, but only inasmuch that they will do more for the injured in question over an extended number of days. Usually, however, my patients have been near death and in need of the more immediate healing effects of restoratives.
More a book of home remedies and folk cures than anything else, there was little in the book about which he had not heard. Practically speaking, the only advice it had given of a practical nature was that it was better to sleep indoors in an inn while sick, rather than toughing it out on the hard, cold ground.
Of particular interest because it had actually been written within the walls of Sarth, the book was designed as a quick manual to instruct the reader on how to deal with the critically injured.
Immediately as may be performed, the injured party should be conveyed to the locality of an inn or other place they may spend the night out of the night's humors. Once bedded, it is advised they be administered four dosages of restoratives and a herbal treatment. Providing they are left undisturbed for a period of three days, the chances are reasonable that they will recover from their "near-dead" condition.
The newest volume on the shelf on which it was located, the book concerned itself solely with the administration of a new anti-venom, created by a Father Nathan of Krondor.
...following the unfortunate events which transpired shortly following the ascension of Arutha conDoin to the Princedom of Krondor. Unfortunately, since that time, border barons have seen a proliferation of the use of this poison, now harvested in mass dosages on the shores of Moraelin and elsewhere within the Northlands. If there may be said there is any good in this, it is that the new strains of Silverthorn now used are significantly less harmful than those used to wound Princess Anita ten years ago. Although many scholars have been speculating that perhaps only the nutrients in the soil near the Black Lake give the plant its lethality, the true cause of this shift is unknown. Fortunately, in the case of the Princess, I was able to formulate a Silverthorn anti-venom which may be taken internally to neutralize the poison, and it may be that I can make it into a treatment that may be smeared on armor to neutralize the effects of any Silverthorn poisoned blade which comes in contact with it.
Unfortunately, much of the book he had selected was confusing or contradictory, and after struggling with it for nearly half an hour he finally gave up, putting it back on the shelf where he had found it. "Next book...," he thought.
...
Gorath studied the shelf. While many of the titles on the shelf were either too faded to be read or printed in foreign tongues, most of the subject matter seemed to be related to warfare.
Gorath smiled. Pleased to find something in the Vaults which appealed to his interests, he thumbed through a book which apparently had something to do with combat techniques.
Beginning as a basic soldier's text, it seemed there would be little of value to be found in the book, but moments before he closed it, he stumbled across a treasurehouse of information in the last chapter.
This last chapter is reserved for the most well prepared of soldiers who are also familiar with the enemies they are to face on the battle field. With an adequate amount of information before a battle, it is entirely possible for an enemy to be defeated even when the enemy has the advantage of surprise, providing you learn what their natural weaknesses are. By exploiting this feature, it is possible to take down enemies who might otherwise seem unkillable. Based on reports gathered from soldiers from different battle situations, it would seem that the following things tend to be true: Trolls in general seem to take more harm when they are attacked with any form of magic, but they likewise are quite resistant to physical harm. When fighting magicians of any stripe, it seems they generally are poor when it comes to hand to hand combat, though there are exceptions to this rule. Though wyverns have never to my knowledge been exploited for use in battle, farmers troubled by the red variety have spoken of good results when attacking with blades prepared with an Althafain 's Icer. I highly suggest that in the future you attempt to take notice of similar weaknesses and resistances so you may use your resources to the fullest of advantage.
Written by a magician, the text was rather muddleheaded when it came to the idea of various tactics, depending far too much on information gathered by spies or certain formations which rarely worked as well as they looked on paper. Mixed in between a rather prolonged discussion of magically enhanced siege engines and battlefield enhancements, he did manage to find a useful snippet of information which he could relate to Owyn.
A rather simple tactic first applied during the battle of Carse against the goblins was the use of the spell sometimes known as Invitation. Thought of as a mere prank by studying mag icians, it became quite effective during the battle when Althafain used it to drag a band of the Dark Brothers into a trap which they had devised.
Highly specific in nature, it dealt with a variety of tactics for dealing with an enemy when they resorted to using various ballistic or magical tactics. While he could understand most of the ideas involved, he realized it would take several months of practice for him to master any of the more advanced techniques. In the end, the most practical information ended up being the first few lines of the book.
If it may at all be arranged, it is best to confront your enemy on a battleground of your choosing in such a way that you have the element of surprise and command any setpieces which might mean the turning of the battle. If, however, your opponent has command of magical or ballistic means, it is always a better stratagem to close range so as to deny him the ability to load his weapons without obstruction.
Gorath scoffed as he began to read, realizing the author had little or no idea about the actuality of fighting hand-to-hand. Disgusted with it, he shoved the work summarily back into the slot from which he had pulled it. Examining the shelf full of volumes, he muttered to himself, "There must be another book here more helpful than that one."
...
Owyn studied the shelf.
While many of the titles on the shelf were either too faded to be read or printed in foreign tongues, most of them appeared to be journals by various scholars or nobles.
Owyn pulled down a book.
"A text of interest?" Gorath asked, looking over his shoulder.
Owyn tapped the words on the spine. "It's a journal written by Pug - titled 'Regarding Theories of Trans-Spatial Gateways Proposed by Macros'."
"Do you believe this is the book which we seek?"
Responding only with a shrug, Owyn began to leaf through its pages, discovering immediately the majority of it was a technical document, filled with diagrams and columns of numbers with notations off to the side in a curious shorthand. Whatever the book contained was far more advanced than any of the things he had read on magic thus far.
"He might as well be writing in Keshian," Owyn said, shaking his head. While searching for an index, he discovered a small addendum which related a few of his conversations with Macros.
"This is interesting."
"Something to help us find Pug?" Gorath questioned.
"No, but something that might lead us to someone who might know something about this Book of Macros," Owyn replied with excitement. "It says here that someone named Tomas Megarson of Elvandar once travelled with he and Macros. Perhaps this Tomas fellow would know something about Macros or his book!"
Smiling grimly, Gorath's eyes held a dark humor. "You intend then we should enter Elvandar? They will not be well pleased to see the likes of me."
"Why is that?" Owyn asked, putting the book back on the shelf.
"The kin of Queen Aglaranna and those of my blood are enemies of old. None enter Elvandar itself save those sworn to her or are considered the most intimate of friends," he said. "It will not be an easy journey."
Chuckling, Owyn patted Gorath on the back. "After the past few months, I can't imagine this trip being all that difficult. Besides, we'll be back close to where we met near LaMut. I believe there may be a way through to Elvandar near there."
Gorath stayed Owyn's hand. "Enough of reading," he said. "We have a trip to Elvandar to make now. Let's be about it."
So, technically this path gets us the hint to fuck off to Elvandar, too, but otherwise none of the reading provides any skill boosts or other advantages.
That's for next time, though, now we're finally (almost) out of optional content, only the most treasureful of sidequests still lies before us.
And hopefully it's true that it's been unbugged so it won't accidentally make battles unwinnable in the latest patch.