book quest part 2: the bookening

[kartereo]

WHO: Waver; Kirk; The Medicine Seller; anyon else who'd like to join
WHAT: Part two of this
WHEN: A few days after the Crystal post
WHERE: Various points in the Gallows
NOTES: Mention of blood magic

Waver had been pleasantly surprised by the response he got to his initial question regarding where one might consider hiding missing books, and equally surprise that the contents were not as big a turn off as he had anticipated. Far more important than either one of those things though was that there were several people willing and ready to help explore the highs and lows of the Gallows itself.

A. The Old Templar Tower
Towers had come up time and again, and the idea of going and mucking around in all of them seemed to be an exhausting task. It had to be done though, and there were a number of old chests found in the tower itself.

It was a total crapshoot if any of the old, rotting chests would have anything. Moreover, how easy they were to break would define the whole experience. Looking at the chests, doubting their contents, Waver sighed.

"Did anyone think to bring a hammer or something?"

B. Exploring
There were books. Lots of them. But not all, and to that end Waver had been unhappy with what were otherwise stellar results. The only clue as to where the others might be had been in a little note found on a far older inventory list in handwriting that he didn't recognize.

On the note had been speculation that some of the mages had hidden a number of books, but the question of where was yet to be determined. Waver was quick to pass the note around, and hope that someone might have an idea of where to go.


C. Wildcard
Mix and match, and tag around. Part D/finding the books will be posted later on after some of A and B have been done.

Comments

[kartereo]

"I did, yeah," Waver admitted, shaking his head at himself. That was a simple concept, and how he had missed the point was beyond him.

"We'd need to start with a list of names then."

[meds4sale]

Probably because the Medicine Seller's language of choice was ambiguity. It had been for as long as he lived and damned if he was about to change just because people weren't mindreaders.

"First then, disciplinary records," he said slowly. "And then who would be able to take the books without drawing too much notice."

[kartereo]

"I think I saw some kind of record books over," Waver trailed off, casting his eyes around the room. Right, he had taken it out and placed it aside because it was out of place with the content of everything else. He walked over to a very small stack, and plucked the book on top off of the pile. By sheer luck it was the one he wanted.

"There, this is it," he said, starting to flip through the pages. "Found it!"

He opened the book wide, and leaned over slightly so that the Medicine Seller could pop his head over Waver's shoulder to read.

[meds4sale]

With the kind of care someone who was very used to handling aging or ill-treated books, the Medicine Seller closed the tome he'd been perusing and set it back on the table. He followed Waver as the mage seemed to have some epiphany, and was silent as he studied the page.

When he'd finished, he gave a small nod of affirmation. It wasn't the first time he had to find things out through records - though he generally preferred when the sources for the information he needed were alive or at least around in some capacity.

"The next step then would be to find if any of them are available to be questioned."

[kartereo]

"If any of them are even still alive," Waver said, realizing that this might be a possibility. He sighed, not happy about the matter taking so long.

"Wait. Would assigned rooms be an easier way to start? The books could have gotten left behind."

[meds4sale]

"Perhaps," he said. It was hard to say which he was answering - maybe both.

"If you like, I can start matching names to numbers, and then we can proceed?"

He was eager to get going - largely driven by curiosity for how the whole thing turned out. Likely bad, but he was rather used to such sordid affairs. What he wasn't used to was pursuing something other than a Mononoke with this kind of... well, one could call it a fervor perhaps. Comparatively so.

[kartereo]

Waver nodded, and proceeded to walk over to the corner where an old desk had been shoved. It must have been moved somewhere in the cleaning process, then left be. The book he was holding was placed down with delicate hands. The paper was in perfectly fine order, but the sewing on the pages that kept them bound together was a bit more unstable.

"That sounds like a good plan. I'll flip through anything else to see if there's additional information."

The drive was a pleasant surprise. Waver himself had only agreed to do this little mission because he ached for something to do, and this seemed like a challenge without being it being terribly physical in nature.

[meds4sale]

The Medicine Seller was not a particularly fast note taker. He was, however, an exceptionally messy one. Somehow, within a half hour, there were papers scattered all over his work area.

He was also meticulous in his work. There were a lot of records to sort through, and his keen eyes spared no detail his ever-constant scrutiny.

Hours later, he had something workable for Waver. At least, places to check on the first three floors - which were rather numerous. Meredith, it seemed, was also a thorough individual, though that applied more to seeing Blood Magic in every shadow than it did to taking notes.

[kartereo]

Waver hadn't been idle in the passing hours. Beyond walking in every so often with more books to be examined, and then messy folios that probably contained something but were badly organized, he had gone on a mission to find a small toolbox. Smashing chests open with rocks had not been the most fun.

He managed to come back with a canvas bag with two hammers, two chisels, and a few small, sharp knives. There was a paintbrush in there as well, all the better for removing dust or bits of masonry work.

The bag was placed down beside the desk as Waver looked over all of the Medicine Seller's work. A low whistle escaped, and there was a look of admiration and respect in Waver's eyes.

"It would have taken me a day to compile this," he said, shaking his head as if to chide himself for being so hypothetically slow. "Where do you think we should start?"

[meds4sale]

"It is not, of course, finished," he said slowly, sitting back and inspecting his mess with a critical eye. He clenched and unclenched his hand which was starting to get a writing cramp.

"Your kind words are welcome, nonetheless."

It was nice to be appreciated.

"The lower floors would, perhaps, be the best starting point," he said after the ache had receded from his knuckles. "They are the most likely to have secret ways and hiding spots."

[kartereo]

That hand clench did not go unnoticed, and Waver made a mental note to offer to do any and all writing for the rest of the day. The suggestion on where to start gave him an idea on how to make it so.

"C'mon then. Might as well go together."