28 Kythorn 1491

Session 21 cont, 4/23/2021

After some discussion the next morning we decided we would approach Ravenna peacefully and request access to her library. She had indicated to The Professor that he would be welcome to make a social call again in the future. Also, we believed we had killed all the guards we had encountered the previous day so hopefully she would not be aware that we were the cause of Marrik’s escape.

We tied Marrik up in The Professor’s room and paid Kevin’s dad to stand watch over him. We let Kevin’s dad know not to risk his life, but to do his best to help keep him from escaping.

We then walked over to the castle. The Professor went in alone while the other 4 of use waited outside. Ankeli did send his familiar in with The Professor so we would have an idea of how it was going. The plan was that if things went poorly we would use wind walk to try and rescue The Professor.

Ravenna agreed to meet The Professor in the same sitting room we had met her in before. They shared some small talk and then The Professor expressed his interest in her library. He offered that if he was given access he would help catalog and organize it for her.

In the end, they played a round of some board game to see if we would get access. Apparently The Professor is quite skilled at the game and he easily beat Ravenna. She stayed true to her word and we were given 1 day of access to her library. During that time we were to catalog and organize the tomes. Of course, several of Ravenna’s servants were assigned to “assist us” in our work. Obviously they were spying and attempting to determine what we were interested in.

True to his word, The Professor cataloged and organized the entire library while we helped him. He took notes on a number of books to help obscure what we were looking for. Part way through the day we located the list and he noted down the names of the members of the council. We decided not to try and remove the book as that might be too noticeable.

The members of the council are Ravenna, The Shadehill Specter, Zaris Narim (the Boneclaw) and the ghost of Gavin Tarramor. Only 4 members and we have already encountered 3 of them.

At the end of the day we joined Ravenna for dinner so The Professor could give her a report on his work. It was a mostly cordial affair, but not without it’s tension. Ankeli refused to eat anything that we served, but I did my best to make up for this.

Ravenna questioned The Professor on his work and tried to pry from him what he had truly been looking for. She also tried to get the true nature of our visit to Larondell in general and her library from myself. The Professor and myself both told her partial truths, he is on working sabbatical, and I am in the area on guild business.

We then had a lengthy and detailed discussion on the benefit of guilds and union of all sorts and tried to convince her that she would benefit from joining some such organization herself. I then went on a long rant about “The Sullen Dwarf” blacksmith in town and the fact that the owner was neither dwarven nor was he paying guild dues! I may have become somewhat heated, as this really is unconscionable, and he will be hearing form the guild lawyers!

But I digress. At some point I think she just became frustrated and gave up on her line of questioning. We finished dinner and left the castle peacefully. Well, mostly. I may have been riled up and I spoke to the servants about self-organizing and promised to drop of some literature sometime soon.