Pool of Radiance - Textile House and Mendor's Library

As promised, here's the update on my progress through Pool of Radiance.

I planned to head down to Mendor's Library and poke around in there, trying to satisfy the council's quest to find books, tomes and maps about Phlan.  What better place to look than in a library.  I headed down, but found when I got there that no matter what I did, I could not get through either the front, or back entrance to the library itself.  It must be magically sealed, and none of my casters know the knock spell.  I'll have to get some more experience and be sure to choose that spell when I level up one of my casters.  So, I'll go off and do what Cadorna has asked me to do.  I'll check out the textile house and get his treasure back.

The door that just won't open.

After exploring around the northern part of the textile house and encountering scorpions, trolls, and wights, I found another well at the northwestern corner.  I had one of my thieves climb down.  At the bottom was another thief named Restal.  He seemed nice enough, and didn't immediately attack.  He offered to sneak us into the textile house and to help us with the treasure.  We took him up on the offer to get us inside the textile house. 

Restal offering to help us out.

We were blindfolded and led around to another well, this one inside the textile house itself.  With a warning to not try and contact them at this well, they were gone and we were standing in an open area.  We headed to the west to a building there.  Not sure if it was a good start or a bad start since we burst in on what looked like a makeshift temple, no doubt to some deity we should have no part of.  A hobgoblin priest had problems with our presence and tried to force us to leave.

Infernal wrath... has to be a woman.

We dispatch the group fairly quickly.  Hidden among the belongings were a couple of magical items and a brass key.  We took the key and headed deeper into the building.  Behind another door were a set of hobgoblin guards, guarding another door to the south.  These fell just as quickly. 

Inside the south door the hobgoblins were guarding was a chained prisoner.  The brass key we just liberated from Grishnak unlocked his chains.  His name was Skullcrusher and was the servant Cadorna has sent to recover the treasure before me.  He would have joined my group to continue searching for the treasure, but I didn't have any room in my group.  He left to go back to report to his master I assume.  Wonder if I'll get paid for finding and releasing his servant too... 

At least I got a thanks.

Laying in the room still was a page that pointed to another journal entry.  This time entry number 47 which read:

A small wrinkled parchment with roughly scratched notes.
'Hobgoblins transferred out of Valjevo Castle.  Now replaced by giants and trolls.  Sounds very tough.
Stojanow Gate guarded by bugbears and ettins.  Heard ettins didn't like light.  Must be charmed or controlled.  Sounds tough!
Some smugglers sneak supplies through Stojanow Gate to The Boss.  Must check it out.
Overheard hobgoblins say a dragon scared them into leaving nice lair in the mountains out east.  Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of creeps.'

These must have been notes Skullcrusher was taking while searching for Cadorna's treasure.  I would guess that most of this info was overheard from the hobgoblins in the area, so I wouldn't put much stock into what is said, though I'll have to look into some of this.  Hearing of a dragon in the area doesn't help put me at ease about this situation at all. 

Also while searching the area, I ran across another note, maybe a page missing from some traveler's journal.   This page explained some of the happenings at Valhigen Graveyard.  Since so many of the proclamations have to do with checking that place out, I was interested to hear some news.  The author went on to explain that 'The Boss' is not pleased about the presence of the undead there.  The author assumes that the boss is reluctant to send in powerful priests to take care of the problem fearing that they would take control of the undead and then pose an even greater threat to his power.  Most likely a safe assumption.  It sounds like the undead are being controlled by something powerful.  The note suggests a vampire or demon.  I'll be sure to keep that in mind.

I headed back out into the courtyard and explored some of the southern buildings.  I ran across a couple of hobgoblin patrols, and entered into a building that was apparently used as a nursery.  As I opened the door, some baby hobgoblins scattered.  No doubt left alone since I had most likely killed those that were taking care of them. 

In one of the southern buildings, I found a secret entrance.  This lead me into the lair of the hobgoblin leader.  An ogre of all things.  He took no time in telling me I was going to die and attacked.  This battle finished fairly quickly with a few well placed sleep spells.  Among the treasure was a locked box, sealed with Cadorna's seal I would assume.  I put it in my pack and finished clearing the area.

The hobgoblin leader.

After a couple more battles with hobgoblins, I left the area.  I had meant to go ask the thief about the treasure I had found, but in my haste to return to the civilized section of town, I completely forgot.  As I passed into town, I was immediately stopped at the entrance and made to turn over Cadorna's locked box.  I was told that my reward waited for me with the council clerk.

They waste no time.

I stopped by the clerk and received the reward that Cadorna had left for me.  I bet he was happy that the seal wasn't damaged, and the box wasn't obviously opened.  I wonder what was inside...

Cheerful as always.

I stayed around town, and trained those who could level up, being especially careful to make sure that one of my mages learned knock.  My next stop was to try again at getting into that library.

I stood again in front of the door to Mendor's Library.  This time I came prepared with a knock spell.  I cast it and entered the library.  I carefully searched every nook and cranny in this place and ran across a few useful tomes, all of which I took. 

In the philosphy section I ran across a couple books that gave some breif details of magical pools.  It described these pools as not being a conduit between planes, and can shift locations through the constantly changing realities in which it travels.  It also says that very powerful beings may be able to control the location by affecting its path through these planes.  It would take creatures of almost godlike power to affect this path however.  This tome also said that there are many ways to take in the power of these magical pools, the best of which would be immersion, as this way, you surrender your entire self to the magics in the pool. 

Another book in this section gave a very brief list of names that seemed to be important to the situation.  Tyranthraxus is a name which I have heard before, and this short passage implied that he was of great enough power to be put down by the greater god Bane. 

In this history section of the library is where I found my more usful books.  One of which was a very well drawn map of Old Phlan and its surrounding areas.  I'll have to make sure that this stays close at hand.  Also was an account of Tyranthraxus as a living being.  He was a conqueror and was referred to as 'The Flamed One'.  The flames that surrounded him eventually consumed his body and and his spirit was free to fly and travel among his men.  A man named Baron Schodt imprisioned Tyranthraxus in a vial which glowed brightly and sank the vial in Lake Longreach and defeated his army.

Map of the city

As I wandered the library, I ran across a basilisk which made life difficult.  I defeated it thoughbefore anyone in my party could be turned to stone.  I imagine having a mirror equiped would have made this fight a bit easier, but everything turned out ok as the characters who were gazed upon made thaie saving throws.

I got the drop on this one!

Also deeper inside the building I found a man huddled in a corner, apparently gone mad by his stay here.  He ranted about something that wasn't human and cloaked in flame.  He must've seen our mighty Tyranthraxus about and found a way to hide here.  I left him be as he presented no real threat, and was apparently beyond and help I could give. 

Driven mad.

In a storage room, I ran across some kobalds.  They were quick to surrender and offered to help me out by describing some of the surrounding area in detail.  This led to me piecing together a map of what they were describing.  It turned out to be a description of the nearby textile house which I had already explored and cleared.  It would have been nice to have this info beforehand but it was worth the kobalds lives.

Finally something fears me!

I finished exploring the library and decided to head back to the council and turn in these books.  When I tried to exit the library, a spectre materialized in front of me.  This one was upset about me taking the books and was willing to kill us all to protect them.  This must be the spectre of Mendor himself.  Spectres are particularly nasty in battle, able to drain 2 levels out of an adventurer.  Thankfully, he was defeated in short order. 

Talk about steep late fees!

I finally made my way out and back to the civilized section of town to turn in these books.  The council clerk was thankful for the books and rewarded me appropriately.  They also gave me a reward for clearing the block.  I was given another task by the clerk, this time to clear out some bandits that have taken up residence in Kovel Mansion.  Also a new task is to find the nomads in the wilderness and prevent them from joining 'The Boss'.   

So that clears out most of the sections of town according to my map.  All that is left on this side of the river is Podal Plaza, which will be my next step to see whats going on with the auction.  Then it looks like a trip across the river is in order to visit the wealthy areas where the mansion and temple are. 

It has been a long week of work, and this is the product of two weeks worth of play.  I hope that in the next few weeks, work will settle down again and allow me more time to play.  Until next time.