Stephen had leapt at the opportunity to leave the empty houseboat and go on a trip while Gwenaëlle’s on her own roadtrip to Cumberland, but now he might be— well, he still doesn’t regret the excursion, but he’s quickly realising it isn’t the same giddy thrill as delving into the Grand Necropolis. It’s smaller, shabbier, claustrophobic. It’s his very first time inside the ruins of a proper Circle. The Gallows don’t count; they’ve been repurposed. There’s always the bones of it underfoot, but Riftwatch has painted murals, added lyrium lowlights, widened windows, cut into the oppressive gloom until the towers are almost cozy, if you squint.

Kinloch hasn’t had any of those renovations. It’s abandoned. It feels haunted. Even the bridge to the tower was in ruins. It’s not exactly a fun sightseeing excursion.

“Would anything be left of the library?” Stephen finally asks after a moment, mulling. “Or did the mages take everything with them after…”

After.