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WHO: Bethany Darton nee Hawke, Fenris, Jim Kirk, Inessa Serra, Velenna, Hermione Granger, and whomever else wants to go exploring
WHAT: Book nerds!
WHEN: Last week of Justinian
WHERE: The Kirkwall Library
NOTES: You cannot handle this much nerd.

Bethany was waiting for her little group in front of the Viscount's Palace, and if they happen to get there early they can see her pensive expression as she looks off to the crater where the Chantry once stood. She was, after all, a Fereldan dog who called Kirkwall her home, so every wound here is personal.

Yet as soon as the others appear, her cheer returns, as she excitedly leads them to the Library of Kirkwall, in the lower levels of the Palace. Scholars wander between the tall shelves, but Bethany has an old brass key, and she leads them further down, down, down into the cellars of the library, where crates of books await them. Some are moldy, some are old and falling apart, and some of them are just useless ... but keep looking, you don't know what you might find ...be

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Inessa arrives fairly early, Garahel rushing ahead of her to greet Bethany while she takes her time catching up to them. At her hip is a canteen with the promised tea inside. A smile is barely given before others begin to arrive, so she won't hold them up, instead following Bethany's lead into the cellars. Garahel sniffs about, the dust causing him to sneeze but not stopping him from investigating whatever looks interesting at the time. Glancing over to him periodically to be sure the mabari isn't getting into anything he shouldn't, Inessa pauses at the nearest crate and carefully brushes off a tome.

"It's probably wise to retreat upstairs every so often for fresh air." And yet, Inessa is on the verge of forgetting those words as she speaks them, bringing the book over to where she can sit down and carefully inspect it.

Bethany rubs Garahel's ears affectionately, beforehand, and even as she sat at a rickety chair in front of a rickety table, she was still petting the mabari when he wandered over to check on her.

"Hmmm. Yes. Probably." She's squinting at a scroll in front of her, trying to make out the words. They might be in Tevene. Or they might just be that faded. "At least we shall have to eat at some point."

Garahel rumbles his agreement at this, firm in his determination to protect the bookworms from themselves. Inessa ignores that, though, frowning in thought as she conjures a light to read by. "This is so faded as to be nearly illegible. It wasn't stored very well...." But she'll flip through it all, just in case the latter pages are more fortunate.

Velanna has always had a fondness for books. They were generally rare and precious things among the Dalish, as most history is passed verbally between the clans, but Velanna had always had a love for the written word. Even when she didn't necessarily agree with the words written, it was a special thing, to be able to record and permanently have your thoughts and insights left for the world.

So the state of many of the books and how they were stored is abhorrent to her, and she's scowling as she sorts through the tarnished volumes, looking for something legible.

"Idiot shemlen can't be bothered to take care of all their books only the ones that agree with how they live their lives," she's muttering as she gingerly leafs through the pages of a tome that looks like if she's too hasty with her pursuit it'll crumble.

Bethany dimpled at Garahel, scratching his head. "Yes I know, we're not taking care of ourselves. But it will only be a little while longer. People aren't going to let us lose ourselves in here all night."

A sigh, a nod of agreement. "None of this was stored well."

Bethany looked up from the pile of scrolls she was gently sifting through to make sure that she wasn't crumbling them with her fingers, and winced at Velenna. "Please, I know you're angry with stupid shemlen but don't take it out on the book."

"I know that guilt-tripping tone. He also wants this to be over so we can play fetch with him, instead." Which is also true, given the slight tail-wagging from Garahel before he stops and looks innocent. Inessa smirks, then grows thoughtful. "I can begin sorting them, separating those which may be salvageable from those that clearly aren't. A glyph of preservation will prevent them from deteriorating further for a time, at least."

She smirked faintly, as she looked over at the mabari who was attempting to look innocent. "We're onto you, my fine furry friend." She scrubbed his ears again, before she glanced over at Inessa.

"Now that is a grand idea - anything we can still make out something we should preserve."

Garahel whines; fetch is good exercise for everyone, isn't it? But Inessa motions for him to go lay down, so he does. She, on the other hand, stands to take as large a stack of books as she can manage to her spot and begin sorting them out then and there.

"It will last a month before needing to be renewed, and that will give us plenty of time. I can teach it to others as well; it's a useful skill, outside the library as well as within."

Bethany looks over at Inessa again, then over at Garahel, a giggle coming out of her lips.

"Well that will be good - and if you wouldn't mind teaching me? I'd like to take some of these to my other books to see if I can compare scripts."

"Of course. Let me find a book in better condition. There's no sense in preserving the ones already crumbling into dust." Inessa searches until she finds one with intact pages and definable print, deeming it acceptable. Setting it down, she'll beckon Bethany and then trace the glyph on the cover's surface.

"This can work on any dead organic material, and will suspend its current state for up to a month. The glyph can be renewed during its duration, which extends the effect for another month. When it expires, the process of decay continues. It was a useful spell in the Western Approach and the Anderfels, for preserving foodstuffs...and it can be used to preserve bodies, as well."

"That's very true." She sighed deeply, her expression saddening as she looked at the scroll in front of her. "It's such a shame they let them fall apart like this. Look at these. They should have lasted forever."

She moved closer so she could could watch Inessa work, brown eyes following the glyph. She tried tracing it with her own finger, testing it.

"Some never consider the long-term, to their detriment and ours. Perhaps I should do this to our own library books at the Gallows." She might have to give up a project to do it, but isn't the preservation of lore important? The glyph glows briefly when she completes it, then sets it aside. "It will hold. You try."

"If you do, I'll help you." She wouldn't want any more of their information to be lost because of poor handling on their own part.

She put her finger on one of the text, drawing the glyph as carefully as she can, drawing upon her will to press into the paper.

"I appreciate that, Bethany. I know how our time is divided in so many directions."

Inessa then turns her attention to Bethany's tracing, nodding as she seems to get the hang of it. "Whether or not they contain information for our immediate needs, at least they will last us a bit longer now."

"Yes, well. How else will our predecessors learn from our mistakes if we don't make sure they have something to read?" Bethany dimpled, as she traced the glyph again, to make sure she had it perfect.

"Now, even if we get nothing from this scrolls - I've learned something new."

"I'm glad to share what I know." She smiles back, then grows thoughtful while selecting another book to mark. "If Anders or anyone else is contemplating another mage gathering to share spells, I'm quite willing to teach others that glyph, as well as other spells for practical use, especially those that apply to travel. Such spells weren't needed in the Circle, but circumstances change."

"I'm not" Velanna replies somewhat sharply, looking offended that Bethany would even insinuate that she'd harm the book. "I know how to treat things with respect." Really, books get more respect from her than most people.

Bethany gave her a steady look, before she said quietly, "You're very upset - and you know as well as I do that the slightest rough touch on some of these parchments could damage them." A pause, "I can show you the gylph of preservation I learned, if you like."

Velanna takes a deep breath before speaking again, the calm almost forced into her voice.

"I'm not that upset. The book is in no danger. Look," she gestures at the book opened before her, and it is, in fact, unharmed. She can be angry but also gentle, it's a talent she's cultivated from years of having to do slap-job healing patches before getting someone to a real healer when out in the field.

"Good! Knowledge should be shared between all of us." She carefully picked up another book, and practiced the mark on the next bed. "And all circumstances change, I've found. Nothing is static, any more."

Bethany looks, nods her head slowly, before she smiles apologetically. "I am sorry, Velenna. You're absolutely right, you're taking care of the book beautifully."

"That can be a comfort, but change isn't always to our benefit. We'll see what happens when the dust settles, though I doubt it will for some time." And in the meantime, they have plenty of books to inspect. Inessa falls silent, hoping to find something useful after all her preservation efforts.

"That is quite true. I've often found that change can be ... less than useful in our lives." She sighed softly, before she nodded. Turned to her own books to carefully parse through.

She relaxes as Bethany agrees with her, letting out a breath that's a little less forced.

"I wouldn't harm the books. It isn't their fault their caretakers are wasteful."

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