(Bibliophile) Hollow Souls

[CyledyrWyllt]

Marcus steels himself against the eddies of cowardice and terror that momentarily swirl about him, and tries to be the solid rock which allows the crashing waves to wash over it while remaining unmoved. When he sees the gaping maw open in the automaton's chest, the elemental impulsively reaches for the tomes inside without thinking. Some tiny part of him really hopes that the chest plate doesn't suddenly snap shut on his hands, but he is mostly concerned with getting his hands on the books.

  3 successes

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2015-07-01 17:03:09		Marcus Evan rolls 12 to Resolve + Composure + FE (10 Again, WillPower)		1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 3, 2, 1, 9, 3, 8, 8		5 successes

OOC

Stupid me forgot to subtract the -3 penalty, so my roll was actually:

Marcus Evan rolls 9 to Resolve + Composure + FE (10 Again, WillPower) 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 3, 2, 1 9
3 successes

[Forn Clakes]

By the door, two of the blue hobs turn and flee the workshop, leaving Kathryn and Crystal Edge with enough resolve to fight off whatever fears were besieging them. The larger hob shook his head clear and bore his glass teeth in frustration but didn't make a move as Kathryn calmed him with a hand on his shoulder

"The Dragon Fairweather is afraid of music," the shade of Mr. Bates replies in a monotone quality, somewhat similar to the Wizened's old voice but without humour or emotion. A dead-level echo of the man that once was a staple of the Freehold. He stops speaking and continues to look through Daniel, his knowledge exhausted.

The Librarian doesn't move as Marcus' hand enters his chest, taking a hold of several books. Taking them out with ease, each one is quite thick and hefty but no issue for the strong Metalflesh. The first two seem to be journals of some kind, detailing many of HAL's ideas and notes, filled front to back. The last book appears old and worn. It is bound in some type of hide and the moment Marcus lays his eyes upon it, dark whispers of fear, loathing and hatred bathe him.

For a moment, it is easy to forget the world around them for right now, the changelings have uncovered the lost Book of Fear.

[Morgan Bellanar]

Morgan sent a dumbfounded look towards Mr. Bates's shade, "Music? Ssserious-truth? Wonder-types most effective. Heh-heh," she chuckled as she turned back to watch Marcus extract the books, "Dub-step ah-assault no so silly-foolish now." If music did spook the dragon, loud and lightweight boomboxes would be very useful. It also made that old idea of hers not so far fetched anymore. She'd have to tell Ava.

The fear resonating from the book was unsettling, it had her leaves acting up. Morgan felt it had potential at least to be a powerful boone to the Freehold. It was something strong and dangerous. "Meh-beh-b-best let Scrivener-Ava oro-or Queen-Betony messss with the book. Uh," she looked at the clockwork man and then the book, "Terrorifying-literal und-and powerful token-ken that one. Truth: heh-hope tis an out-of-sight-no-effect deal ano-and not ssspecial seals that toin-turn off the scare-fear uh..aura."

The other two books she tried to skim through to see what they were. She'd leave tokens of great power to be cautiously investigated. Though a thought occured to her. And she seemed quite worried as she spoke and got fidgety: "Um, eh-heh, anybody think-tink Fear Book be-be less uppity if-if in heh-hands-claws-whatever of-of sssomeone with Autumn's mantle?...Um, I really-really-really hope not."

[Daniel Leto]

One weakness. And hardly a silver bullet either. It was more than a little discouraging, especially considering Mr. Bates may very well have died discovering it.

It was something, though. And if the Wizened truly had perished gaining the knowledge then at least now it hadn't been in vain. Then again, Bates hadn't died in the fire. He had died here, in HAL's Hollow. And here in the workshop had also been the book it seemed they were looking for. The situation was stinking of manipulation. Not only on Horace's part but on Gianna's too. How much of this had she known?

"What music is the Dragon Fairweather most afraid of?" he asked the shade. It was a hard question to ask. If there was no particular genre or song then it would seem wasted. However, if there was then it could make all the difference later. Two questions down, two to go and he'd prefer not to have to waste them.

Daniel addressed the rest of the group.

"Something about this doesn't feel quite right and not just because of the stuff the book it putting off." Daniel tried to avoid looking directly at the tome. It made him uncomfortable "We should find out more about what happened here. See if the Librarian or the cat know anything more about why Mr. Bates and the books were here in the first place." The Darkling didn't want to be the one asking questions right now. He wasn't sure how discerning the shade was.

He spared a glance to the cat. The mechanical beast hadn't moved since they had arrived and was another surprise the room had held. The Gravewight had assumed it was deactivated like the Librarian, maybe Marcus could get it talking too.

[Trickster]

Lynn wrote furiously, taking down both Daniels questions and the answers the shade was providing word for word. But the fact that Fairweather might be weakened or afraid of music caused her to pause for just a moment. It seemed that she might be of more use in the upcoming fight than she had first thought. As they both paused, she glanced over her shoulder and eyed the journals doubtfully.

"Those must be the journals that HAL wanted. If they've got notes about what he's doing, they might have some clues as to how to undo whatever it is he's planning. They might be useful for that alone."

"And..." Lynn cut herself off abruptly. She didn't know if the shade would answer any questions in general or only those that Daniel directed towards it and she didn't want to accidentally waste one of the answers. Instead she took a moment and carefully considered how to ask a question without asking. "I'm not sure I've heard about that last book, but it's obvious that it's important. One of those that allows somebody to gain greater power than they would have access to on their own."

[Marcus Evan]

After shaking off the effects of the supernatural fear, Marcus slowly nods his head as he listens to the ghostly echo of Mr. Bates and another piece of the Fairweather puzzle falls into place.

That's why he closed the Empty Orchestra when he came to town! It makes sense. I mean, a karaoke bar's scary enough, but for someone that's afraid of music...?

After pulling the three books out the automaton, Marcus shrugs at the theories and suggestions of his companions before handing one of HAL's journals to Morgan and the other to Lynn.

"No idea. Might be a good idea to flip through them and see if anything catches your eyes."

Running his hand over the remaining book, the metalflesh thinks about the other such volume he had held in his hands. Lucas had told him that the Book of Sorrow had been bound with human skin. He suppresses a shudder as he wonders what might have been used to make this one.

"Thank you, Librarian. You have been a huge help. Can you tell me how this particular book came to be here?"

Glancing at the others, Marcus realizes that they might not all be up to speed on the mystery of the prophetic books that has haunted the freehold for the past few years.

"The Book of Fear is one of the four books that the king of my court believes that Fairweather is after. We found one, the Book of Sorrow, a few years ago in the hollow of a deranged fetch during that year's Ash Run. It was given to the freehold sovereigns for safekeeping, but I am not sure of what happened to it after the destruction of the Four Seasons. Lucas possessed the Book of Wrath, and as those of you who were at his coronation will no doubt remember, he burned it to ashes by majority vote in order to prevent Fairweather from getting his claws on it. There is still one more, the Book of Desire, which is unaccounted for, as far as I'm aware. I have no idea if Bates knew where either of the other two were at, but I'll bet he knew that this one was being kept here. Hell, he might have even brought it here for safekeeping after the attack."

Looking down at the Book of Fear, the elemental recalls the glimpses of Fate that had been printed upon the pages of the fetch's book. He also remember's Lucas' description of the books when they had first sought out the preacher to question him about what they had found. The metalflesh steels himself before attempting to use his innate power like a key to unlock the magic within the tome. Marcus lets out a long, deep breath as he focuses his Wyrd and opens the book.

  2 successes

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2015-07-12 16:49:40		Marcus Evan rolls 5 to Wyrd (10 Again)		9, 1, 4, 7, 10, 2		2 successes

[Morgan Bellanar]

"Uh, w-what cat?" Morgan hadn't actually noticed the cat, as it wasn't moving much. Looking around the room, she did take note of it. "Oh-heh-kay, right there. Um, g-guess Marcus oro-or Lynn tis converse with the librarian-clock-man. Ssso I'll, uh, t-talk with the...cat. Ssssure." Morgan sounded quite dubious about the option.

Focusing her gaze upon the metal cat in the chair, Morgan waved hello though her posture was quite submissive, "Um heh-hello pretty-black-metal-cat. Um...are ye able to speak?" She started to walk over to the chair before freezing as her paranoia kicked in.

She looks over her shoulder at Kathryn and quickly asks" "Um, are ye at all familiar with metal-cat? I heh-hath no desire to be rude orrr-receive-angry-cat to face. Aaany insights would be welcome. Pretty-pretty-please?"

[Forn Clakes]

The shade's voice, at hearing the second question, was just as emotionless and empty as before.

"I don't know," Mr. Bates' echo replied.

Over by the Librarian, the automaton gave a small bow towards the compliment it received from Marcus. "Why, thank you, sir! As I believe it, the departed Mr. Bates had it in his possession when Mr. Liebowitz carried him back to the workshop. He had been badly burned in a fire and was in a delirious state. As far as I am to understand it, the book was kept in Mr. Bates' safekeeping at some point in the man's past but I am afraid I have no inclination as to when they may have been. I do know that Mr. Liebowitz was quite surprised to find it with Mr. Bates but could not open it...oh! It seems you have accomplished what he could not!"

In that moment, the book opens at Marcus' gesture, the binding under his fingers like the rough bark of a tree, and in a single instant, he receives an image of a great tree in a dark forest being stripped of its bark by the spines of a dragon, the screams of an elder treant dying with terror and pain in it's voice.

The pages of the book are line like veins and the words pulse akin to blood pumping through each page, giving it power, drawing in Marcus' eyes...

...Behold! The Dragon rises from Flame and Death. In shadow, He bathes in the blood of the innocents and bequeaths His majesty on the world! Yet time is against the Weakness. Life's tune and the Spirit's voice sends Him a-reeling! Alas, Here be Dragons! The edge of the harmony when Time and Fate takes note and the Dragon screams...

"This cat is not a cat," come Kathryn's voice, breaking Marcus' attention and drawing the eyes of the others. She kneels by the automaton cat, it's head flipped open to reveal a hidden compartment. In her hands was a dead rat, but one that had a small belt with a pair of holstered pistols. Sorrow floods her eyes as they well with tears. "He didn't stand a chance."

[Parable]

First things first "Are there any wishes you would like carried out beyond your death?" Daniel asked the shade of Mr Bates. Maybe not to others was it the most important question but to the greavewight it means everything.

Daniel listens as Marcus explains the history of book. The Darklign knew some but not all. He'd still leave what to do with the Book to the others in the group, even if they knew less than him. Sorrow was his court and Onyx his alliance. This sounded like something Morgan should have input on.

When Kathryn revealed the mouse inside the feline, the Darkling felt a swell of pity. This time it was tempered by the recent chiding he had received.

"Would you like me to revive its spirit?" he asked. Daniel still had blood blood to give and Lynn's concern lay forgotten in his ear.

[Morgan Bellanar]

Morgan eyed Marcus with concern as he did...something with the book. She got a little worried when he started to space out: "Uh, Marcus? Ye oh-okay dood?"

Kathryn's actions however drew her focus away from Marcus. And the revelation of the dead mouse gunslinger. Morgan's face saddened with sympathy for Kathryn, "Um...sorry for yer lossss. F-friendsss d-d-passing is never easy. This-I-know. At-at least...ye...have his remains to b-b-honor." Morgan would have offered a sympathetic hand to the shoulder, but a worried look cast towards the blue hobs prevented that. Given how the door reacted to Kathryn being touched, she was disinclined towards unauthorized physical contact. "Umm...zzorry can nay offer but words. Oro-or hug do ye want?"

The issue of Fairweather's musical fears was briefly forgotten. Replaced with concern for someone experiencing what she could relate to: seeing a dead friend.