Adventures in Beast World - Session 18 - Starting the Investigation

Session Date: 2024-03-26 6 Saattaa 1365 After the crew finished dinner with Baron Mansque IX, they head back to their wagon by way of the city center. After sitting through the odd dinner, they all decide that a little bit of street food is worth stopping for. Finding some food carts that strike everyone's fancy, the crew fills their bellies on something a little more substantial and less classy. The next morning, Vaughn Larkspur shows up bright and early to deliver the advance payment that the Baron promised. He is as haughty as usual. The crew also wakes to find that sometime in the night Alex has slipped out. No one knows what happened, but the crew suspects that something the Baron had said about his past may have made him a little skittish. The crew goes off in search of a good cup of coffee as well as some items for their journey before starting their search for Sam Howell's missing parents. While in town Fynn Callaghan wants to find some spell components for some of the more intense magic that he can wield. With the new infusion of gold, getting what he needs is not a big issue. They find a Gemologist who can supply the diamond dust that Fynn is looking for, and they manage to haggle out a pretty good deal. Stacy Charelston asks the proprietor about magical gems. He doesn't typically deal in inherently magical items, but he has been known to make items on commission that the purchaser has then taken to be imbued with magical properties. Sam is interested in finding some sending stones so the party heads across the street to The Mystic Arcanum, a shop of magic and arcane items. The proprietor, Ignatius Stoneheart, is a large Ursine Bear who clearly has done some magical experimentation. He sells Sam a pair of sending stones, as he often has them because they are a project that many of the students of magic here in the city try their hand at making. It isn't the best pair of stones, but they function. The crew also notices that Ignatius is reading a book that seems to mention the Pink Goo. This is of particular interest to them. While they debate if they can afford a magical tome, Fynn reads through the section, committing it to memory, because, well, he can do that. As the crew is doing their shopping, Phil Calling sets off to find some realtors as he is interested in buying a place here in Mansque. While the crew doesn't understand his motivations, they assume he has found a way to start his real-estate empire because he never comes back. After completing their shopping, the crew makes their way back to the library tower at the center of town. The time has finally come to start their investigation. Fynn guides them through to the main circulation desk where they meet Roderick Thistlemoor, one of the librarians. While Fynn tries to figure out where to go to get the information they are looking for, Stacy manages to aggravate some books, that start flapping around the room. Roderick say they must tell a story to calm the books, though a few take some good hits from the party first. Stacy ends up telling a tale that pacifies the swarm and Roderick cautions the crew to be a little quieter. Roderick also gives a bit of a history lesson as he tries to pacify the book swarm. (Magic libraries, who would have thunk it) El heads off to find some books on beginner magic while Fynn and Stacy get their bearings on where to go.