[Game Thread] Act 1: Subplot: Martigan

[Evil Pie]

Martigan cups his hands around his mouth and calls out HELLO?! Can I get some assistance?
He quickly cups his ears and listen for any response.
Fe follows any voices he can hear but if none respond to him he goes about searching the many bookcases pulling a book, skimming over it, then checking another bookcase.

rolls

[Magnai]

Martigan hears some rustling from somewhere in front of him and around the right corner. He hears some heavy footsteps slowly walking towards him. Within about 15 seconds, Martigan sees a gigantic creature that he doesn't recognize from all of his travels.

The creature turns towards Martigan and walks towards him. It seems like the creature is from some forest land in which hunting and large size are quite good. It looks like this creature could smack you sideways and you wouldn't really know what was happening until you were lying on the floor twitching in shock. The creature seems to be wearing some type of animal fur that is almost indistinguishable from his own fur and flesh. His hands are gigantic and you see a stump on the top of his torso, but you don't see a face or eyes or anything all the way up there. This thing has to be at least 8 feet tall.

As the creature gets close to Martigan, it stops then bends down lightly and it's hand moves towards it's head. It sticks out a single finger and places the finger to where you imagine is it's mouth. You notice that it seems to be shushing you.

[Evil Pie]

hmm seems intelligent and it didn't try to kill me.
Martigan cocks his head at the creature wondering if this being could knock out a minotaur in 1 hit.
His mind come back to him and with his palm facing up, he points at the creature with his index finger and curls it back towards himself beckoning it down to his level. weather it complies or not. Martigan cups 1 hand around the side of his mouth and speaks just above a whisper.
who do I speak to about taking one of these books?

[Magnai]

The creature just nods and turns around, not really seeming to respond to anything that you just said. The creature walks back where it came from, just as it walked towards you. You were beginning to wonder how it would speak because you didn't see a mouth anywhere. It just seems like a hump of flesh with arms and legs and a mighty craving for silence.

In regards to the minotaur question, most minotaurs probably wouldn't stand a chance. Only the very large and the very crafty would be able to avoid those arms that you are sure bring quick death to those that are on the wrong side... or really any side of them.

[Evil Pie]

Martigan follows the hulking mound of flesh wondering if it is showing him the way. This place just keeps getting weirder and weirder........

[Magnai]

After you follow the creature for a few steps, it seems to pause and look over your shoulder then pause. After half a second it seems to shrug and then continue walking. You get the sense that it didn't intend for you to follow it.

As you walk around the corner, you see that this library is huge. There are multiple stories with balconies that are also filled with an endless sea of stacks of books. It looks like a huge group of people could spend their entire waking lives here and still not make it through most of the books.

There are also many other stairwells that look identical to the stairwell you just came from. It's got to be easy to get lost in here.

As the creature continues walking, you see that it's making it's way towards a small structure that seems like it's relatively near the center of all of the tables. You don't see an opening from this angle, but you imagine that it looks quite like a small information booth with a rounded top and simple whitewashed walls. The structure does seem to be perfectly circular.

[Evil Pie]

Martigan picks up the pace and tries to make his way around the creature and to what he hope is 'help' from something that can talk.
hmmm I guess if nothing comes out of this I can always annoy the creature till it kicks me out... unless it kills me first.
Martigan shutters at the thought of him being nothing more than a greasy and bloody smudge on the ground with bits of him stuck to the creatures appendage.
He looks around trying to find anyone at the central booth.

[Magnai]

As Martigan looks around the booth, he sees, not surprisingly, a window that looks in to a hooded human that is reading a book. He looks up to you and says, Why, isn't it busy today? Hello strange looking one. Did you fall out of a tree recently or something? He giggles to himself and adds. What can I do you for?

Out of the corner of your eye, you see the large creature disappear into the back of the booth. You don't see it appear behind the hooded human when it seems to go into the booth.

[Evil Pie]

Well kind sir. I'm searching for several things.
1sp is a map of this place, the second is the rules and costumes of this Library, third would be information on how to "borrow" these books and any membership that is needed.
Forth would be a book on the afflicted or the ones called "the finer ones" and also called "Vampires" from what I am told.
finally I am looking for a small group of people that have come in here ahead of me.
Martigan gives a brief description of the group. He pulls out his writing supplies, ready to jot down any notes.

[Magnai]

The human reading looks up at you and replies, astoundedly, Wow. You've got a lot that you're looking for. He clears his throat then shrugs and says, Well, okay, I'll answer one at a time.

He holds up a singular finger, There's no map. If there was a map, I'd love to see it. It'd be really useful.

He holds up a second finger, The rules and customs are quite simple. We don't have any costumes, unless you call this robe a costume. He giggles at his own play on words then adds, Be quiet or else Shush will shush you. Respect the books and their olders. He looks at you sternly and adds, Please no shedding of blood in here. Have you ever tried to get blood stains out of pages, it's sorta impossible.

He holds up three fingers, Take the books and read them at your leisure. If you take them out of the library, we'll know. If you attempt to take them out of Tristrast's walls, then you'll find yourself in for quite the surprise.

He then holds up four fingers and looks at them, puzzled, Methinks your fourth question is actually three questions, all of which are better answered by the books in the research information library instead of the entertaining fiction library that you're in right now. Please make your way up the stairs past two sets of hallways and another big library that looks like this one. My answers to your questions probably won't be much help to you. He pauses for a second then adds, in a queiter voice, You'd be wise to not speak the "V" word too loudly, if you know what's good for you.

He then holds up all five of his fingers, seeming to be happy with himself that he can count. He answers, There was a mighty group here just a bit ago. They too asked about the afflicted, but not all these other questions that you posed. I directed them, like I directed you, to the research information library. I have not seen them come down from there yet.

Provided that you ask no follow up questions, recognizing that this librarian seems to be enjoying your antics in a way that almost makes light of the serious questions that you are asking, the librarian waves to you as you make your way up to a stairwell.

You walk up the stairwell and when your head gets above the level of this library, you find yourself walking into another long hallway, this time from the stairwell end. Following directions, as Martigan is notoriously bad at, I assume that you walk up the stairwell further and into another library, appearing exactly as it did before. You can't see much difference between this one and the one you just left. You walk up and suddenly find yourself again in another long hallway. Finally, you walk further up and find yourself in yet another library, looking identically to the previous two, only this time you can see a stone tower instead of the information booth. The stone tower looks quite formidable and like there was a good deal of military engineering that went into it.

Looking around, you see Neira, Kindli, Belnan and Kolik standing about talking in normal voices. They seem to have just finished reading books from the shelves. Should you choose to approach them immediately, you will find yourself in their company.

OOC If you approach them, please do so in the Church Thead.

[Evil Pie]

Martigan poses a few more questions but nothing that would take him out of his way.
how do I get in here and leave. all I remember was that they places their hand on the wall from the outside and just pushed on through the wall as if nothing was there. I have no idea how to leave this place or where the exits are.
can I only read the books here? I do a lot of traveling. how and where do I return the books when I am done reading them?
would you happen to have any books about this place or those hooded figurescloaked beings that say they are protection the town?

[Magnai]

The librarian tilts his head as he talks to you, seeming to be confused by you. Well, if you don't figure out how to leave, then I don't suppose that you will. He giggles a little then adds, Someone will let you know all these things when it's your time. Do not worry.

He clears his throat, showing that he's moving on to his next question that you have tasked him with answering. You can read the books in Tristrast. If you do traveling, then you'll return the books. I'd say that you shouldn't worry about returning the books. When you desire that they be returned, you'll find that it'll be easy to do so. If you find returning difficult, just say something about it and that could help.

Then he just points up towards the ceiling. You'd be best to ask those questions about this place or the cloaked ones upstairs. You really don't want to hear about my expertise... He smiles, mysteriously, Well... unless you do. He winks lightly.

[Magnai]

OOC After the library. One post in this thread before you post in the top thread. Spot check from both of you please.

Kolik and Martigan walk south towards the central square of the town. You both see that there are only a handful of people still there lingering around. They all seem to be moving towards another direction and trying to get out of there. You look over towards the sun, setting in the west as you move towards the east, and see that it'll be dark in about 90 minutes or so.

Going east, you look out onto the square in front of Griswold's. It's absolutely empty. Griswold seems to be clearing things up. Kolik and Martigan walk up towards the large man, who smiles and says, Well hello you two. What can I do for you? Kolik quickly asks for arrows and gives the requisite gold. Griswold walks over and grabs a quiver of them and tosses them over towards Kolik, taking his money. Why thank you. That was simple and easy. You bid him farwell and move south.

You look to see a lot of the bazaar has been cleaned up. Martigan recognises the mountaineering cart that he had seen before and quickly walks up to stop the man. He smiles and says, Why if it isn't the talkative Martigan. He holds out his hand and wags it towards Martigan, Just let me get out of here before dark. Kolik requests his list for chalk, a signal whistle, two wooden nails and a sack. The man smiles and says, See, right to the point. I like this little goblin. He takes out all of the items and you notice that the wooden nails seem to be a little different from what you expected. The man says, These wooden fastens that go into rock are the closest thing that I have to nails. You might want to check the construction cart before he's off. Kolik pays the conventional price for them and bids the man farewell.

Turning around, the man points towards a cart with construction materials. It seems like it's already been taken up and is moving out of the bazaar. Kolik rushes over and makes his request. The man pulling the cart giggles, making his large belly ripple. The man looks a lot like Griswold, being human and quite tall and portly. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out two wooden nails. He offers them to Kolik, saying, Hello, you'd probably also want a hammer to go with those. Would you like to purchase one? He offers you a wooden hammer at the conventional price.

Having finished the shopping, you both walk up north, walking next to some of the carts. You turn west towards the setting sun. You see that by the time that you get over to the tavern, you'll have about an hour or sunlight left. Walking by the central square, you both see that there are even less people there. They seem to be cleaning things up and getting very comfortable that they are out so late.

As both of you get to the tavern, you see that the large gate that is open during the day is now closed. You walk to the smaller door and attempt to open it. It opens without issue and you both walk in. Both of you see the gnomish and minotaur gaurd standing nonchalantly near the door. They don't even seem to look up much as you're walking in.

[Lord Loco]

OOC Oops. When I said wood nail I meant a nail that goes into wood, not a wooden nail. Iron nails for wood is the stuff we want.

"I do not require a hammer, thank you, I already have one," the goblin said. Surely Belnan's head was hard enough to qualify? If not he could "borrow" Kindli's helmet.

On the way to the tavern Kolik made a matching pair of amulets out of the two nails and bits of string from a ball in his pack. After a moment's consideration he also tied some string to the whistle so he could carry it about his neck. The nail amulets he put into a pocket.

[Evil Pie]

Martigan nods and greets all the people he knows around. he always kept an eye on the little hahahahagreen one.
as they finish the tour and collecting their items Martigan joins the goblin to the tavern/Inn.
10 feet away from the open entrance Martigan looks to the Goblin and speaks in its own language.
One way or another, you're going to be wearing a dress before this is all over.
Martigan has a rather focused and serious look in his face as he and the goblin enter the tavern.