Malice of Infinity

As Dolan, Magpie, and Auranar leave the residence of the once-captive adventurer's home, Auranar turns to Dolan. "You know... That book he wasn't certain the name of... Didn't it sound like the name of the book you found in the library? The evil one?"

It might not be actively raining, but it's still damp out, and Dolan's still settling all his gear and weapons on his back for travel when Auranar says that. He stops, blinks, and turns towards her, his flesh-and-blood eye still blinking. The effect is jarring, because the other eye in its bed of scars twitches unblinking like a gem in a twitching socket might. "You're right, damn it. Didn't he write that one, too?"

"...I can't believe I forgot about that book!" Magpie groans.

And let's be honest, she *can* believe it, and so can anyone else.

Smacking a palm to her forehead, the gnome sighs heavily. "So okay... Go back to the library, grab the book, take it *way* away from any public place just in case, and give it a study?"

Auranar shakes her head. "The library won't have it anymore." She motions to Dolan. "I'm sure that Dolan made sure that they turned the book over to one of the temples. Which means that it'll be more difficult to get ahold of..." She trails off a bit, thoughtfully trying to determine how they MIGHT be able to get ahold of the book.

"Depends on which temple they sent it to - or if they did," Dolan mutters, pursing his lips and staring off into the distance as they walk. "I asked them to, but that doesn't mean they actually did. If they sent it to the Sunlord's Temple, I bet I know who's got it. If they sent it to Eluna, we're probably out of luck." He wears a distinctly grumpy look. "Shoulda known."

"...Can't we just tell them 'Hey, that book is our only lead on maybe stopping a demon general?'" Magpie wonders, pulling up her hood just in case the rain decides to take an encore. "I mean... which one's worse? Reading literally bad words, or more people being assassinated by imps, or worse?"

"Depends on what's in the book." Auranar says carefully. "It could be something that takes over your mind and causes YOU to kill people. Or it could hold arcane secrets that melt your brain... There's no end of mischief really." She has the grace to look embarrassed remembering how she had almost casually touched it herself.

"Yeah. That's why I dumped it right off." Dolan's still staring off into the distance, and has shortened his stride to accommodate the other two. He does not yet pull up his hood. "There's wards for that, though. Don't think I know the warding spells, but I damned well should learn that. If nothing else, I ought to be able to get ahold of a scroll."

"I mean, if I got ahold of the scroll, *I* could at least manage a personal ward," Magpie notes, absently hopping from puddle to puddle on the road. Always careful to let some distance get between her and her friends to minimize splashing, but hey... Puddles, yo.

"So should we go see where it got handed off to, then?"

Auranar avoids the puddle-splashing as best she can, smiling a little at the other's enjoyment of the rainy weather. "Sounds like a plan to me. We need to look into that book one way or another that's for sure."

Dolan, too, evades the splashing, slowing his pace to walk well behind the other two in pursuit of that end - and possibly others as well. "Yeah. When we get back, I know who to ask." He does not elaborate.

"Awesome," Magpie says, hurling herself into a puddle... right under which is a pebble just loose enough to roll away under her foot, sending the gnome directly onto her backside in the mud.

"...Less awesome..."

Struggling back to her feet, she takes a more sedate path down the road, now avoiding further puddles, for all that the urge to splash is strong.

It doesn't take long to reach Alexandria again. At least this time it's not necessary to search through miles of land looking for a home. There's pleasant conversation to be had along the way, but a quiet tension underneath it which is born of the knowledge that the book is their destination. A quiet question at the Temple of Daeus proves that the book is indeed in their care. Locked away in safety due to its evil nature.

The answer draws a relieved breath from Dolan, and he merely nods his understanding to the Sunguard he'd buttonholed off to one side. "Yeah. Good. It might have what I need to locate a general in Hell's army we think is running around in the area, though. Think Master Zein might be able to do us a favor?"

As he speaks, he traces into his palm a symbol, its lines simple enough, and when he is done, he lifts his gaze to the woman again, direct and intense, to see if she understands.

When it comes to Temple matters, it's always best to let the people who work there do their jobs, and not get in the way.

Besides, the Daeusites so often go so hard on decorating their places of worship, it'd almost be an insult for someone *not* to do some architectural ogling, now and again. And Magpie can admire a building like nobody else!

When Dolan asks for permission to view the book, however, her attention focuses right back on the conversation, because the answer to the question will determine the course of their whole day.

Auranar looks a bit nervous as they stand in the temple of Daeus actually. Not because of the temple itself, but because of what they are here for. She tries to settle herself a bit by focusing on Dolan's words and the answer which she hopes will be forthcoming.

The woman looks confused a moment but then she glances down to Dolan's hand and nods sharply. "Right. I'll take you to where the relic is. Should I get Master Zein for you?" She leads the way through the temple itself as she speaks, her steps slightly hurried as if she's eager to be on about this business.

Another let-out breath, and Dolan turns to follow, gesturing the other two to follow as well. "Depends on what protections are needed. I haven't mastered the warding spells, and we just might need it, unless -" He cranes his head to look back towards Magpie. "You don't know that one, do you?"

"Not offhand," Magpie says apologetically. "Plan to change that, but... Meantime I would *happily* drop the gold on scrolls, if it makes this a bit safer for everyone."

"I have a spell to protect us from evil," Hazards Auranar gently, but seems uncertain of herself. "But it I might suggest a more powerful alternative to the one I am capable of casting currently." She glances down at her own hands with chagrin. "Would that I knew more powerful magics."

The sunguard leads you into a small room, really little more than a cubby of space. It's just down the hall from a handful of other guards whom are watching the length of door-filled wall length intently. "I can see if he is available." She motions toward a small drawer built into the side of the room. "The book is in there, I don't suggest messing with it casually. I'm sure you know the drill." She nods to Dolan specifically and then heads out.

"Believe me I know that feeling," Magpie says quietly to Auranar. "But that's just time, practice, and study. We'll get there."

As the trio are led to the cubby, Magpie peers warily at the drawer in question. "...Okay I *know* it's just in my head, but man, I've never seen a more sinister bureau."

Dolan returns the Sunguard's sharp nod, and sets about divesting himself of weapons. "Yeah. Thanks." The greatsword and crossbow get left on the far side of the cubby from the drawer, and he steps aside to allow the others to do the same if they wish. A chuckle escapes him at Magpie's remark. "You think that's bad, imagine a writing desk where the ritual knives are kept. They don't always bother to clean them first."

The laughter vanishes, but he doesn't say more, instead, he looks around for something, and does not appear to find it. He pulls the waterskin from his belt and dribbles water across his hands. "Cleanse my hands, Sunlord, that my soul stay clean in Your sight," he says as he does so.

Auranar watches Dolan divest himself of his weapons and shakes her head subtly. "Dolan. If anyone should handle the book... if we intend to do so... it should be me. If something goes sideways... I'm the easiest of us to handle. I'm no powerful mage, nor good with a sword. Certainly my physical abilities are nothing to be lauded. And I've some training in how to handle mental attacks. It should be me."

"...Auranar, you're a great friend and I adore you, but um... I'm'a call bullshit?" Magpie turns, placing her hands on her hips and glaring up at the elf. "If something *does* go wrong and someone gets possessed, *either* of you could literally pull me off the ground and hold me there. I might be a spellslinger, but I'm probably most dangerous, like, to *eyes.* Might fracture a tailbone if you slip really hard on a grease puddle, I mean, but..."

Trailing off, the gnome shrugs. "Point is I trust you both with my life *and* my brain, and that includes cracking it a bit if it's needed."

_Huh?_ Dolan turns at Auranar's negation, and looks up, his remaining eyebrow lifted, the scars on the hairless side raising. "You want to open it? You sure? You want the same blessing? Or-" A helpless shrug follows. "Point is, we're all willing to do it. Whichever you think best." He gestures towards the two women with the waterskin in one hand, his own hands still glistening damply. "Let's wait a minute. I'm hoping Master Zein'll help."

Auranar looks at Magpie, eyes widening somewhat. "I... I never thought of that. Honestly, if it came down to a wrestling match I would probably bet on you over me." She laughs at herself and at Magpie, offering the other woman a gentle touch on the shoulder. "Perhaps we both underestimate ourselves at that. But I think we can both agree that Dolan has us both easily handled."

A flash of her white teeth here and she nods to Dolan. "Perhaps this Master Zein can assuage our concerns. If not then me and Magpie will come to an agreement and one of us will handle the book."

At this point, the sunguard from earlier renters the room. Offering a slight nod of her head to the group, she turns her attention on Dolan. "Master Zein is dealing with a small emergency. He said that you can do as you will with the book. Apparently though it is evil, he has determined that it is not a danger to touch or open - directly. It could have effects that he hasn't discovered yet, so you should act with care. Still, you brought it in and he trusts you to act where necessary. I'll be right outside the door if you all need anything." She nods here again and closes the door.

"...Okay I know what you *mean* when you say that," Magpie says after a beat of silence, following Auranar's observation, "but I'm also *real* glad you didn't say that around people, where it'd get back to Andelena."

"Aaaaanyway," she continues, "you're right Dolan, let's see if your buddy can help before we do anything drastic and stupid, which means it's *gotta* be me who does it."

If either of them thought that Dolan might be embarrassed by the reference, Dolan's thrown-back head and bark of delighted laughter should put paid to any such notion. "Never assume that anything said in this Temple won't get back to Andie, Magpie." All seriousness forgotten, his flesh and blood eye and the mobile half of his face fairly light up with warm affection and laughter. "Besides, she'll just tell you she's got me handled, and she wouldn't be wrong."

Auranar looks very, very confused for a long moment before she is stricken by embarrassment all over again. She laughs a little, the sound light and she shakes her head at the pair of them. It's more the sound of Dolan's amusement that brings her laughter than anything else. "Alright. I bend to your will Magpie. But if you become possessed by it or something..." She shakes her head again, more seriously. "Just hold onto yourself okay?"

"Always," Magpie chuckles. "If anything I'm more worried about the demon trying to take it over! I mean just imagine!" Taking on a bad, deep voice, she raises her arms in front of her and stomps a bit in place. "'Souls, destruction, chao--hey wait what's that smell? LUNCH, CIDER, CHAOSSSSS.'"

After a few moments, Magpie taps her foot, crossing her arms, and looking about the small cubby. "...Okay so it looks like that emergency was an emergency. Auranar, you said you got that spell I was talking about before?"

"We don't know if what's in that book is a demon or devil," Dolan puts in, although he, too, is chuckling. "Still, pastries as weapons against the forces of evil? I'm game." He caps and clips his waterskin to his belt, then nods to the Sunguard and folds his arms across his chest. "I figured, he's pretty busy. Let's get this over with. Thanks." With that, he turns away and towards the drawer in question.

It seems that the time is at hand, Auranar folds her hands nervously over one another and then nods to Magpie seriously. "I do. I'll cast it now. Hopefully it will do some good." It takes but a moment to cast the proper spell, but she still looks worried when she's done. It seems... paltry in the face of everything that they're up against.

GAME: Auranar casts Protection From Evil. Caster Level: 3 DC: 14

"Oh nice," Magpie says, as the ward settles over her tiny frame. "So I was researching that spell once, and I learned a few interesting things. Did you know that the resonance field it sets up around the inside of the skull makes it *impossible* for a thoughtform to invade and usurp mental processes? You could be an archmage, or a baby novice, it'd still come out the same! Meaning, Auranar, you have single-handedly made *sure* that if anything *does* show up and try and infect me when I open it, it'll waste enough time trying that Dolan can murder the hell back into it."

Grinning, she looks up to the drawer, leaning from side to side. "...Okay, Dolan. Open 'er up."

Dolan's arms drop to his sides. "You're ready, then? Let's get this done." He lets out a breath, and reaches to open the drawer in question, carefully averting his eyes from the object(s) within, and stepping back when it is done to allow the warded Magpie to be the only one to touch the book.

"I didn't realize it was so effective!" Auranar blinks at Magpie, feeling infinitely better about the situation than she had a moment ago. She's almost smiling in fact - until Dolan opens the drawer and his caution leaks into her. She's ready to act at a moments notice, and hoping desperately that she is not required to.

There's just a book in the drawer. Looking innocuous and unassuming. Sitting there as any other book might. The title 'Malice of Infinity' marking it as the one they were looking for.

'Innocuous and unassuming.' Magpie snorts, reaching in to pick up the book, closing one eye and turning her head away as her tiny fingers close around its sides, and with a grunt she heaves it out of its resting place, letting it lean against the open drawer.

Nothing happens.

"'Malice of Infinity,'" she murmurs. "Screw you Kinkaid, I'm'a title my next book 'Spite of Ages' and *throw it at you.* See how you like it."

Taking a deep, deep breath, she opens the cover.

Time to scan the Table of Evil Contents.

The room darkens subtly as the book opens, and a purple light spills like a mist out of the pages that Magpie has opened. A cranky voice then emerges from the book itself, sounding like a much-harassed older gentleman. "What do you want?" The book demands irritably. "Unless you've figured out a way to free me from this blasted book you can just take yourself and blast right off!" Only he didn't say 'blast'.

Some people choose the most serious moments to burst into laughter. Maybe it's a defense mechanism. Maybe it's sheer ignorance of the gravity of the situation. Whatever it is, Dolan does exactly that, tipping his head back and laughing. "So someone trapped you in the book, yeah? Was it Albus Kinkade?" He looks in turn to each of the others, but keeps his hands to himself.

Auranar blinks several times at the book and then glances at Dolan in surprise. "Oh my." She murmurs, wondering if that might in fact be the case.

"I AM Albus Kinkade!" The voice sounds even more irritable. "I bet that you're an illiterate! Can't read, can't listen. Now close this book and find someone who knows better won't you?"

"BAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHA!"

At this revelation, Magpie falls onto the ground, clutching her aching sides as she just gives herself over to a paroxysm of mirth. "He... he's trap--trapped in his own book! Wh-- he-- OH MY GODS I AM SPREADING THIS AROUND THE ADJUNCTS' CANTEEN."

Dolan's laughter echoes Magpie's, if less close to convulsions of laughter. "You know, I believe you," he answers between snickers, "but only because only someone stupid enough to get trapped in his own book would be stupid enough to insult the people who might be able to get him out of the pickle he's gotten himself into."

His arms don't uncross. "Still, maybe we can talk. Did Jal'goroth trap you in that book?"

Auranar has to admit that it's pretty amusing, but the truth is that she actually feels a little badly for the poor mage being stuck in his book. "Yes, don't dismiss us so easily. Perhaps we can help?" She's not entirely certain that she should be helping the mage if she's honest (the book is evil after all), but offering the suggestion that they might be helpful is not precisely the same as promising to actually be helpful. She's mage enough to draw that distinction.

The book grumbles to itself, making unhappy noises at the sound of laughter. "I'll have you know that I was researching important information! My discoveries could lead to the ability of mages to pass down their knowledge in more than just writing! Imagine being able to TALK to the mages who want to impart their teachings to the future generations. I just... didn't account for dimensional theory and got pulled into the book incidentally. No, I can't blame Jal'goroth for this... it was quite my own fault. One that hopefully someone out there can correct?"

Finally, finally, the laughter dies down, and Magpie flattens herself on the floor of the cubby for a moment, struggling to regain her breath. "Whooo... I mean, that's *classic* wizards for you..." Rolling onto her belly, the sorceress pushing herself back up to her feet, wiping a tear from the corner of one eye.

"So I mean, we *could* get you into helping hands, but we need to call that a reward for good faith, cos Jal'goroth's been up to some nonsense, and you are *literally* our only source. So we need some questions answered."

"What she said," Dolan agrees, jerking a thumb at the gnome. "Tell us what we need to know, and I might see my way clear to getting you into the hands of someone who can help you out." At least most of his mirth has faded.

Auranar for her part keeps her thoughts to herself as well as her words for the moment. The others seem to have things well in hand.

"I've a counter-offer for you." The book replies slowly. "You get me back in my body, and I'll answer your questions THEN. It's really not that difficult. You should be able to simply place this book into my hands and then my spirit should return to the body! Simple enough for even - you to handle."

"Couple questions about that!" Magpie says, brow furrowing. "Where *is* your body? And how long ago did this happen? Only we just found you jammed into a shelf, and took you back to the Temple like... last week? And nobody's complained about missing you at Arcanist's that *I* know of..."

Oh *nice,* Magpie.

"WHAT I MEAN TO SAY IS, um... *do* you have a body to go back to?"

"Vardama's people might know that," Dolan puts in, continuing to regard the book. "Tell you what. Forget the insults and we've got a deal. Fair?" He remains standing right where he is.

A hand goes over Auranar's mouth at Magpie's words. The thought that this man is dead or worse - disembodied forever is a rather terrible one. She bites her lip and looks at Dolan then nods her head. They have greater concerns, even if the thought was a terrible one.

"I should have one to go back to!" The wizard sounds alarmed by the concept that he might not. "The body should simply be... asleep. Or in a coma-like state. I'm surprised that no one has noticed me missing though. You should have heard something by now. Time is hard to keep track of when you're trapped in a book without the ability to see or anything so.." He sighs and sighs again. "Very well, I will try not to insult you all further. Being made a book has not improved my mood but that's hardly your fault."

"I mean.... okay," Magpie answers, voice a bit smaller. "...But maybe on the way grab like, lunch or something for you? Because if you've not been eating all this time, you are gonna be *hungry.* Soup, maybe...? And water. Yeah... Where *were* you when this happened, anyway, you never said?"

"It probably wouldn't make mine great, either." Dolan seems mollified by the response, and nods, relaxing enough to let his arms loosen from their cross across his chest. "It's the fifth of Daeshen in 1024 by Alexandrian reckoning. Where'd this happen? Chances are that's where the body is." He nods to Magpie. "Exactly. That's the place to start."

The mage seems to consider this for a moment, or at least the book falls silent and then there's a breath that sounds like relief. "Same year then. Good, good. I have my own room at the Arcanists Guild. They should be able to tell you where I am. I was worried for a moment that you didn't know about my disappearance because it's been a hundred years or something!" His voice does sound relieved. "But the sooner we get me back to my body the better. It does sound like it's been at least a couple of weeks... Strange that no one's even noticed me missing..."

"...D'you happen to have an assistant?" Magpie says suddenly, thinking back. "Because I was trying to find any monographs you'd written, but the only one the Arcanist's had was checked out by someone using a stupid joke name, 'Buttfor Poupin, Esq.' And I mean, that's a name that *sticks.*" The gnome scratches under her chin for a second, thinking. "If nobody's heard you were missing, maybe whoever checked out that book is why...?"

"Unless something else is using your body," Dolan mutters darkly. "Well, best we go find out. I'll need to get permission to remove it. Stay put, and I'll have a word with the Temple." Leaving his weapons where they are, Dolan turns to stride out of the cubby in search of the woman he'd spoken with earlier.

-End