Runae City Library

[Busterbugs]

A old massive, two story Building in Runae city that holds long twisting hallways filled with books of all sorts. 

[Minorikawa Deactivated]

The large wooden doors to the city library swung open with a thunderous creak, the tall and broad figure of Roland Greyplains standing between them. The vast interior echoed with the sound even as the Incubus shut the doors behind him, layering a similarly loud groaning of the hinges before concluding with a shuddering shutter. With an expression that was all too pleased with itself, Roland stomped through the library at a purposeful pace, his boots clomping against the floor with each great stride. Many of the denizens of the library perceived him with a great stink eye, but none seemed to possess the nerve to tell the hulking fellow to perhaps try taking softer steps.

Brandishing a rolled up piece of parchment before him, he began to aim it towards the many signs identifying the different sections of the bibliophile's wet dream. There were three categories he'd need to visit, far as he could tell, with one on the bottom and two on the top. Perfect! With a self-satisfied smile he strode to the downstairs selection of shelves, a finger swiftly tracing along the well-dusted spines to glance over the titles to the varied volumes. He managed to snag two of the books from the shelf, holding them in his hand as he then headed for the steps. His great, lumbering legs skipped every other step as he swiftly hurdled up the stairs, the stomping echoing all the louder. He tossed the two books upon an empty table with a great flopping clatter, once more summoning the furious glances of the scholars populating the building. For the next several minutes he skipped between the two sections, occasionally tossing another book or two onto the table until finally he had a tower of roughly a dozen.

With a satisfied sigh, Roland unfurled his parchment on the flat surface beneath him, a scrawled sketch of a bangle of sorts with scribbled notes pointing to different features. Possible languages scrawled along its inside, crests or symbols on the exterior, and several jewels set into it for decoration. There was also an elegant metalwork design that gave it a combined appearance of thorns and ocean waves. Dragging the chair back from the table before dropping his posterior onto it with a loud thud and relaxed grunt, withdrawing a quill pen and well of ink from his inner vest pocket. He also pulled out a fresh, blank piece of parchment. Once he was settled he began to flip through his first great tome, skimming lines and cross-referencing, before suddenly drawing a symbol upon the blank parchment. He then tore the marked strip from it, the shredding of which sent yet another attention ensnaring echo through the building as he set it between the pages of the book. He then placed it aside and opened another, repeating the process, studying the lines of the pages, examining its contents before glancing and occasionally making notes regarding his sketched out bangle, then placing a strip of marked parchment into the book. Over and over he repeated this, and once he had gone over the books once, he started over and began flipping through them again.

[BladeRunner]

Amongst the scholars and those of the likes were a red skinned individual looking through a braille. Though these types of books were made for the blind, the Hobgoblin was not blind at all and instead was reading word for word the various marks and engravings amongst the thick pages. There were few literatures he tended to seek out that were rare, his own little shop of books and herbs were more an exotic taste however that never stopped him from seeking out different styles and forms of foreign literature. His finger traced across each piece of the paper and was writing down from the other hand onto a selection of scrolls the words he perceived. 

Kuran was a Hobgoblin researcher, in some sense, and he thoroughly enjoyed a good read if not a good discovery. His kind weren't necessarily welcomed to Runae City and it was a rare sight to see one at all due to their home being so far into the bogs. People whisper and gossip and come up with wild theories that Hobgoblins are just a devilish breed of Goblin. No, that wasn't the case at all, all Hobgoblins come from Kao'Crys, far away from the Lowland continent. Idiots, all of them, but at least he did good business and the people who actually speak to Kuran will know he is soft spoken and respectful. Right now he has closed the shop to come to the archives where he indulges in various writings. 

Ignoring the loud footsteps, Kuran was deep in focus as he just finished the final pages of the braille, "Mysterious Things Hidden in the Mist." In the braille were the various reports and happenings around the wastelands of Lowlands and these, "Mistmen," were practically a cult of banshees. It was worth looking into, and this book, amongst other Eldritch-like things. It was the only recorded piece on the matter as the actual written words for people to visibly read were destroyed long ago. It was well worth looking into! The research and the investigation are something to look forward to! 

Just as the red man finished his recordings he sighed, and at the same time he heard plops of books on a nearby table sounding in the library. A pompous scholar looked up as if annoyed, but upon seeing the tall fellow grumbled something under his breath. He immediately looked to Kuran and whispered, "I swear! It's like some people don't know how to be a tad more quiet!" 

Kuran raised a brow as he started to roll up the scrolls and carefully closed the braille, and with a smirk he replied, "I know, it's almost as if others cannot mind their business either! Strange times these are."

The scholar threw a glare at the Hobgoblin, and Kuran could have sworn he heard a slur when he was walking away. Pompous prick, thinking more about how to write romantic poems that were too cliché and caught some poor girl's heart, that relationship wouldn't last a week. At the last possible second Kuran cast a trick spell invisible to the eye and immediately the book to that scholar closed and smashed his fingers with the force of a rock. He cursed out loud which caught the attention of everyone else, and all the Hobgoblin did whilst walking to put the braille in its proper spot was smile at the satisfaction. 

 

[Warning]

Meanwhile floating around from a corner of the library to another was Lumina, a fairy barely bigger than a tome who had made the library her home but also worked there, carrying books one by one to their shelves. Between couple of rounds, she took a moment to rest her wings in order to continue until she was done. As usual, she also flew around guests of the library to make sure they didn't need help to find a book or another piece of information. Being too kind for her own good or especially unconcerned for her safety, she flew close to Roland and bowed gently in the air. "Welcome. I am glad you've come to visit but please do less noise, for the sake of others...", she said with a smile before she flew elsewhere to keep her work going.

As it happened, she still had a pile of documents to take care of and she wanted to be done with them soon. Observing some more guests as she worked, Lumina sometimes stopped by them and part of her responsibility was to point them toward the right direction if they looked for something specific. And so, this old fairy was often seen flying here and there but usually quietly or carefully so she didn't become too much of a distraction. Dressed in ragged clothes and with bright white hair, it was difficult for her to go unnoticed but it was alright since she felt it was better people found her easily if they needed anything. If Roland made lot of noises still, she wouldn't shy away from going to see him, begging nicely for less noises before moving elsewhere.

With Kuran, the fairy librarian didn't have to stop by them too much except for the end where she stopped to observe the interactions between him and another visitor, which made her blink in surprise. In any normal times, she would not need to interact with any of them but being a smart magic user herself, she knew a trick when she saw one. The issue however wasn't the spell cast, by who or toward who, but the noise it resulted into and the swearing from the other visitor, which made Lumina grab her own head in shock before she flew to them. "No no... Please be quieter. We cannot let other visitors be bothered by such behavior, please...", she told them before she would leave them be calmly.

Lumina finally gave a sigh before she flew back to a desk and landed on it, needing to sit down from all the effort she had done so far. She hoped that the visitors would behave now since she was getting tired. She would be alright after a moment of rest, however. All she wanted now was a moment for her before she could resume her work. Thankfully, the natural atmosphere of the library otherwise made it a good place to relax. The tree growing in the middle of library somewhat served as her nest for when it came to sleep or take a break, as well.

Edited December 12, 2021 by Seraphina

[Minorikawa Deactivated]

Roland would never have been brought out of his own studies were it not for the little flitting fairy coming about to inform him of his supposed noisiness. What a peculiar thing. Roland had not uttered a single word since entering the building, and yet here he was being given a tongue lashing (and not the fun kind!) from this itty bitty fairy girl about noisiness. He opened his mouth and raised a finger to object, but before he could even let out a single vowel she had flown off. So strange! Especially when there were others whispering nearby, making much more of a racket.

Nonetheless, he dug right back into his studies and comparisons almost as if his concentration had not been broken. In fact, he hadn't even noticed the slamming of the book or the yelp drawn from crushed fingers. No, it wasn't until the fairy had flown in again, making more of a racket by complaining about the far less noteworthy racket of others! Did she not live in a city? Was she to fly outside and holler about the clopping of horse hooves upon cobblestone? He once more opened his mouth and raised a finger, ready to give a thorough "Now see here!" to her, but she had vanished once again. What a rude little fae creature. Roland would be sure to file a complaint, were he to remember to do such a thing at all.

Still, now that Roland's attention had been lifted, the red-skinned fellow before him carried a noble and educated air about him that lacked of snobbery. Confidence was in abundance, certainly, but the sort gained by one whose knowledge outweighed his ego. A perfect companion that might be able to assist.

"Psst!" Roland waved to get the fellow's attention on him. "You there! With the crimson flesh!" His whispers were louder than the fairy's shouts. "You seem a learned fellow. Would you have a moment to perchance assist me with my evaluation?" He pulled a spare chair to his table with a loud dragging of its legs upon the wooden floorboards, oblivious to the collective wincing found throughout the library.

@Seraphina @BladeRunner

[BladeRunner]

@Minorikawa@Seraphina

Kurans attention was caught by the... Literal horny fellow, and started to make his way. The chair's legs scraping across wasn't a quiet noise either, and if the two were going to be talking it wasn't going to be quiet. It was evident that this man was not the quiet type, and though the Hobgoblin was a soft speaking man he too wasn't necessarily the quietest either. To prevent any further distractions from the pair and to help that fairy gave a "peaceful" place for other patrons. Kuran reached into a small satchel and pulled out a pinch of blue dust and spread it into the air, he then put his arms out in front and rear his right palm atop the left with his left hand straight up; and with a spin of both index fingers a full circle of blue surrounded the table. 

The Muffle spell was an illusion that muffled the caster altogether, with years a practice and experimentation Kuran was able to make the spell work in other ways. In this case he cast a circle, more so a bubble around the table with a ten foot radius. The spell itself was completely silent with only a dull humm sounding once during the cast, and with how powerful it was the two despite any noise would be completely silent to the outside world. Within the circle was quite the opposite story, they could still hear everyone else outside. 

Stepping into the circle, Kuran say's with a calm and a smile but vocal tone, "You seemed quite at work here. What is a crimson-fleshed Hobgoblin looking at?"

Kuran didn't say yes but with setting his scrolls, empty and written down it was evident he was interested. There was an air that surrounded him, the stain if the magi that was neither malevolent not benevolent but simply just. His clothes appeared to be made of a refined silk, but the satchel he wore was tattered leather that was clearly used for many years. An adventurous man he once was, now settled to being a simple alchemist and shopkeeper... And having a second occupation he wouldn't speak of. He placed his hands on either side of the table as he stared at the curious writings, leaning on the opposite of the table Roland. 

[Warning]

Lumina wasn't really looking at the two specifically but the noise made easy to get her attention, especially if it visibly bothered other visitors. having already warned them made her pout lightly, figuring she would have to get more drastic if they kept being an issue. Why was it so difficult to be more quiet in a place of calm like the library? With how loud one of them especially was being, it would be easily noticeable that she was giving them a cold stare before she sighed and prepared to get up to fly and do her job. The next moment however was an odd one as the other guest created a spell around themselves that pretty much eliminated the problem. Quietness in the library, finally. The old fairy usually was not the kind to complain a lot but she cared about the well being of all guests and being able to relax and study quietly was one of those rare things she enjoyed.

At any rates, she could not rest too long anyway as there was always work to finish. And more people to help, as she experienced from being asked directions to certain documents from times to times. Despite how exhausting it was, Lumina always found comfort in being able to help someone. It was a reward in itself to see them appreciate the help even if not everyone did or cared, unfortunately. Other than if she was called, she probably would have no reason to go see Roland and Kuran again but she could easily be seen flying around as usual, only rarely taking a break to recover her lost stamina. Compared to most other fairies who were younger, she was not as energetic and even could be seen as forcing herself beyond her limits sometimes but her small body took it pretty well otherwise. When she did nothing, her eyes sometimes observed the bubble.

[Minorikawa Deactivated]

Roland's mouth opened to comment upon the satchel and powder at first, but then immediately silenced himself upon seeing the red-skinned hobgoblin extend his arms out. Though the Incubus seemed quite boorish in manner, he was, in fact, quite studious and observed both the gestures of his newly met companion as well as the blue powder that filtered the air, soon transforming into a bubble of sorts. Immediately Roland stood to his feet, his horns able to pierce the bubble though he could neither feel it nor did it result in the barrier being pierced by any noise.

"What ho there!" he declared, but there was no response from the surrounding patrons. Even the glare of the little fairy seemed more of observance than disturbance.

"You seemed quite at work here," his companion stated, stepping into the blue ring. "What is a crimson-fleshed Hobgoblin looking at?"

Roland did not notice or perceive the inflection in the fellow's comment regarding his skin-tone, but instead gave his new compatriot a might smack on his back shoulders with a guffaw, powerful enough to at least urge the fellow forward. "Well met good stranger! Is the powder a compound you yourself have made or do you procure it somewhere?" He then immediately shakes his head and his hand. "Nevermind, we can discuss such things later. I am Roland Greyplains, procurer and seller of artifacts, trinkets of old, and treasures of the land. A recent expedition team recently brought in a golden bangle just like this one." His finger stabbed at the parchment with the illustration of the bangle in question before pointing at the various notes he had written down. "As you can see, I am in the process of determining which potential time frame it came from, which culture, and if it is a specific and unique bangle or one of many. It is certainly pre-war, though perhaps only fifty to fifteen years before it all began, which already prices it at a decent sum. Yet I wish to discover more specifics to get a more accurate determination of its value."

With a wide smile he looked up to his new partner. "With double the hands and double the eyes I feel I might stumble upon more details of its make. And do not worry, friend, for I shall ensure a percentage of the earnings shall be forwarded to your address once it has found an owner. I do not take those that assist me for granted." With that said, and giving the hobgoblin little time to respond, he began to go over his notes, comparing similarities to jewelry of different regions and different races, helping him to pin down a few guesses as to what sort of origin the bangle might have.

@BladeRunner @Seraphina

[BladeRunner]

Kuranaro could have spoke about the blue powder, all it were a simple mixture of- Well it doesn't matter now since the tall fellow was moving onto more important matters. Those matters being the large books opened and spread across the table. At first glance it appeared to be all history going over certain cultures and a particular item this Roland that he seemed so invested in studying the... What was it? Time frame from it's original make, that was it. And already Kuran could see the texts that points to a variety of makes from the specific culture. 

"Hm... So we'll see..." Kuran started to look over the book himself, his eyes were darting back and forth until he pulled another book from the pile and started to look through it. After a few minutes of silence until he looked at the bangle for a moment before taking off to find a different book. 

Upon coming back into the circle Kuran set two small books on the table, one of which had almost nothing to do with cultures, however they did involve catalogues of certain trinkets, odds and ends, and the various museums and collectors that either sold or displayed the items. The second book was extremely old and slightly tattered, however it was thick and clearly the Hobgoblin wouldn't have picked either of they weren't worth anything. With a sigh he started searching through Exotics and Eccentrics, the catalogue of all things. It was quite possible if someone knew further info of the bangel all the collectors were in Runae City or just nearby, to add, many museums could help with information... Granted they might be stingy and require Roland to hand over any items regarding the matter for a public display. 

"I've been in this library time to time, reading as much as I can taking in any form of knowledge, useful and useless, but knowledge nonetheless. I remember coming across something in both these books, something very similar to your bangle from the markings to the shape. If we can perhaps find a brief description in this catalog and a further... And it may give us a chance to see if there are others like it. While that may not be as fruitful, it is worth a shot. This other one should have what we're looking for... Perhaps more than that. I'll search the other ones too after I'm done with these."