Heroes' Hearth

[Morty]

[The Beach]

"I doubt we'll give chase now, but we need to meet up with her anyway," Wenomir says, before heading back to the boat. There they'll presumably meet Ilpholin and agree to resume the search later when they're better prepared.

[Personification]

((The following might be too much, (especially as it is my first IC FFRP post) but the OP did say to add locations that we thought were lacking, and a place to learn things both mundane and magical, as well as a magical dueling hall, felt like they belonged on the island. Plus, there I had an "old professor" type character concept I wanted to use. If this is too much, I would be fine with retconing it away.))

[The Clean Room]

Deep beneath the surface of Avalon is a stark white room, all that is visible are a statue-like robed figure, and a bank of instrumentation and magical warning lights, which are turning off one-by-one. As the artefact is finally safely contained and the last vestiges of the magical fallout it caused are purged from the air, a gnome in a multi-layered grey robe is released from suspended animation.
"Gah! I hate suspended animation! Well, let's see how long its been."
The Professor leaves the room and goes up the stairs to his main study in
[The Library]
He touches his desk, and his (usually) blue eyes begin to glow purple. Suddenly he jerks upright, eyes normal again.
"THREE HUNDRED FORTY SEVEN YEARS!!! AGAIN!!!!
Well, at least the failsafe system worked. Hrrmm, I'd had high hopes for that cube, but c'est la vie.
Ah, well. Better open up shop again."
Stroking his long white beard with one hand, The Professor uses the other to flip open a small control panel and press a large purple button. After thinking for a second he also presses a smaller one next to it, on which a small hourglass icon is printed.

[The Village of Avalon]
In a relatively central part of the village is a house-sized patch of ground surrounded by force fields, in front of which is a heavily graphitized sign which once said:

Dangerous Magical Item Testing in Progress, Do Not Enter

Your Nonentry Will Be Enforced

Suddenly, the ground rumbles a bit, the force fields fade, and the sign retracts into the ground below as, for the first time in 347 years, a large marble building rises from the barren patch of land. The building looks like an ancient marble temple, with large double doors. Above the doors, carved into marble, are the words:

Avalon Library, Magical Dueling Hall, and Academy of Basic Spellcraft

A second later, a different sign pops out of the ground: "Help wanted: Skilled historian to explain historical context of a statement to the Professor. Also, a new Motivational Owlbear Cub Wall Calendar would be useful."

[Morty]

[The Village of Avalon]

It's not long before a visitor appears. He's a young, short hobgoblin, about 155 centimetres in height, with yellowish green skin and short brown hair. He's wearing a dark brown coat and lighter brown trousers to keep him warm. He'll knock on the door and see what happens.

[Personification]

[The Village of Avalon]
When you knock, the heavy-looking varnished wooden door shifts slightly on its hinges, implying that it is both magically "oiled" and unlocked. Otherwise, nothing happens.

[Morty]

[The Village of Avalon]

Batu looks around, shrugs and tries to push the door and enter. He's walked into weirder situations and he does have a few spells with him that should help him out in a pinch.

[Personification]

[The Village of Avalon]

Batu looks around, shrugs and tries to push the door and enter. He's walked into weirder situations and he does have a few spells with him that should help him out in a pinch.

[The Library Foyer]
Inside, Batu sees a single large marble room that takes up the entire visible area of the building. Evenly spaced marble columns on either side hold up the vaulted ceiling. In the center of the room is an unoccupied semicircular desk. On the desk is a sign that says: "If the desk is unattended, you are free to move on to the library." Set into the front of the desk are two dumbwaiters, each with a small plaque underneath. The one on the left says "Book/magic item/misc. return" and the one on the right, which has a small slot next to it, says "Insert ticket into slot for preordered book/magic item/misc. pickup". On top of the desk is a bin full of order forms, next to another slot and a sign telling you that "If you don't have time to trawl through miles of shelving to find your next great read, just fill out a form, drop it into the slot (don't forget to tear off the ticket on the bottom, though), and come back to pick it up from this desk any time between 12 and 72 hours from now!*" Finally, there is one last sign which proclaims to the world "To avail yourself of this great institution's services, you must get a library card (it's FREE!). If the desk is unattended, inquire inside."

The walls in the front half of the building are lined with wooden benches (four on each side) of the same material as the door. The ones in the back half are lined with old-timey looking elevators (four on each side, three on the back wall), all of which have a large round green indicator light above them and stand open (if for some reason one is out of order, the light will turn red, if one is on another floor, the light will turn yellow). The elevators have wood panel walls (like the door) edged with gold, and a button panel with the following options (white buttons, glow yellow when pressed):

• Foyer
• [1]Library: Literature
• [2]Library: Literature, History
• [3]Library: History, Biographies, Reference Books
• [4]Library: Science, Magical Research (Books do not contain magic), Magitech (Books do not contain magic)
• [5]Library: Inherently Magical Books, Spellbooks, Non-Volatile Magic Items, The Professor's Study
• [6]Academy: Scientific, Magical, and Magitechnical Laboratories
• [7]Offices, On-Site Staff Housing
• [8]Dueling Halls

^{*This service costs a small amount (between 3 and 5 GP or an equivalent) which will be charged to your library card and is not available for all items. If your requested item is not available you will not be charged, and you will be notified as soon as possible. Terms and Conditions Apply}

[Morty]

[The Library Foyer]

Batu can't help but be impressed. Still, the library is remarkably empty. Is anyone even here?

"Hello?"

The desk says "inquire inside". Maybe they mean the offices? He gets into an elevator and presses 7.

[Personification]

((I am retconning the dueling hall to be on the eighth floor (alone) and for all office related things to be on the seventh, because what I had before doesn't really make as much sense))
((Morty, because you didn't specify, I will assume that Batu took the centermost elevator))
[Library Foyer]
The elevator closes and descends to the seventh level (the levels increase as they go down, because the building is one story tall, but several stories deep).
Library Offices
When it opens, you are in a rectangular area, with elevator cages (none of which have elevators is them except for yours). All properties of the elevators are identical to what they were in the foyer. Directly across from you is a blank wall with a long hallway, with hallways branching off from it and some doors (none of which are open) set into the walls. All of the walls in this area are taupe. It is reminiscent of a modern office building or apartment building.

Soon after you arrive on the floor, a voice appears in your head (unless you have some sort of ward against that):
"My apologies for your confusion. I am The Professor, and currently nobody else is in the building. Please meet me in my 5th floor study.

You somehow know that you will be able to give a 25 word magical response if you so choose.

((Also, once I give the general description of a floor, you are free to do with it what you will as long as you keep it in line with the description of the area. The rules for the library are similar to those for the Village of Avalon and the area with the smiths and craftsmen (though the Library currently has no NPCs).))

[Morty]

[Library Offices]

"That explains why it was so empty in here."

Batu heads back to the elevator and presses "5" this time.

[Personification]

[Library Offices]
Batu rides the elevator to floor five, which contains the magical section of the Great
[Library] of Avalon
The outsides of the elevators all look the same (they do on every floor) but they are now only set into individual columns, with a large rectangular area in the middle (the relative non-vertical position of the elevators also doesn't change). Directly across from the elevator-less "wall" is an equally sized enclosed space with a large door labeled "The Professor's Study". The elevator area, the study, and two similar enclosures, one to your left labeled "Restrooms (Humanoid)" and one to your right labeled "Restrooms (Quadruped)", form the points on an imaginary square. Though the rest of the area has a single-story ceiling (one story in the library actually being about 1.5 times that of most regular buildings), within the imaginary square is a circular area that goes all the way to the first floor ceiling. The area is lit by an enormous chandelier, and there are railings around the open spaces on the higher floors. On floor five, the space below the circle is full of desks, chairs, and bookstands, many of which hold inkwells, magnification devices, and handheld measuring tools. Radiating out from the central circle are seemingly endless shelves of books of all sizes and designs. Many of the books have locks on them, and some shelves hold safety-deposit-box-like containers instead of books. Small lamps hang from the ceiling at regular intervals. The walls and ceiling are the same color as those in the offices, the doors, their lintels, and all furniture are made of the same material as the main entrance doors of the foyer, and the floor is covered in deep red carpet with gold-brown swirling patterns on it.

On other floors, all of the above is true, except their is no central area full of desks (instead their is a hole in the floor), none of the shelves are locked or have boxes (that is a precaution for magic items), and the space where the Professor's study would be is instead occupied by a spiral staircase that goes from floor one to floor four (while allowing people to get off on the intervening floors).

((Sorry for dragging down the thread with Wall of Text descriptions, but at least they are out of the way (unless somebody wants to go to the dueling halls or the Academy ).))

[Morty]

[Library Offices]

Batu stands there for a while, taking everything in, but then remembers that he needs to meet this place's owner, and seemingly its only occupant, first. So he heads for the staircase.

[Personification]

[Library Offices]

Batu stands there for a while, taking everything in, but then remembers that he needs to meet this place's owner, and seemingly its only occupant, first. So he heads for the staircase.

((I think you misunderstood my description, the study is on the floor that you are on, directly above it on the other floors is a spiral staircase, so you can't actually get to the stairs from where you are, and you don't need to go to them to get to the study anyway. Also, the location tag is now [Library], with no "offices" attached.))

[Morty]

((Yes, looks like it.))

[Library]

Batu takes a moment go admire everything, but he quickly gets back to business and heads for the study.

[Personification]

[Library]
The study doors open smoothly. The room behind them is brightly lit by an orb floating near the ceiling. The walls are lined with cluttered shelves, containing books, knickknacks, and a few safes similar to those outside, many have short ladders attached. Where there is room on the walls they are covered in maps, most of which you don't recognize, though the few that you do appear to be centuries out of date. In the center of the room is a dais atop which sits a short desk. The desk itself contains several opened and unopened books, a few panels of colorful buttons, and some odd instruments. Leaning against the desk is a staff, straight and inscribed with runes for most of its length with three diamond-shaped protrusions near the top, made of a dark grey metal and a warm bronze-like metal. Sitting behind the desk is a grey-robed gnome, who gets up and moves around the desk as you approach.
He reaches his hand up to shake yours.

"Hello young sir, welcome to the Great Library of Avalon! I apologize for the complete lack of staff. You see, every once in a while there is a lull in which very few people come to Heroes Hearth. During these periods, most of my auxiliary staff will leave to, and I am left alone with the Library to myself. I use these times to close the Library and investigate any especially volatile or confusing magical items that I have in my possession. One of these items is a nondescript cube found at the exact center of a suspiciously circular desert. While investigating it, I managed to activate whatever power caused that destruction. Thankfully, my safety precautions, which lock the room in a practically impenetrable bubble of antimagic and abjuration, as well as lock me in suspended animation using a system I devised based on the "Donjon" card from the Deck of Many Things which I am quite proud of, also activated. And before you get any ideas, that system was the result of so much time and cannibalized magic items that even if it could be replicated, which I find unlikely, it still would only be useful for detonating magical bombs. Anyway, usually when this thing happens the fallout last at most a decade, but this time it was 3 and a half centuries, which is sadly not a new record, so now I have to completely reestablish myself. Oh, and I probably owe Nyneve money, saying as I bet her that I wouldn't break 275 again after that last time... Oh well. Anyway, what's your name?"

He says all of this in like two, maybe three breaths, and definitely no more than 30 seconds.

[Morty]

[Library]

Batu listens to the introduction with a mixture of curiosity and bewilderment. This man seems to confirm the stereotype about powerful sorcerers being... off in the head. Is he a halfling? A dwarf? Doesn't look quite like either, so he must be of a race Batu hasn't encountered before.

"My name is Batu. I'm an apprentice sorcerer and word of a magical library springing up out of nowhere has reached the tower where I normally study. If you were magically suspended for over three centuries that would explain a lot."

[Personification]

[Library]
"Oh yes, the gaps do often create issues. So, are you only here to reconnoiter, or would you like to check out an item, learn a minor spell, I do know quite a few, or apply for the post as my assistant historian? Unfortunately, the dueling halls are closed until I re-hire a full staff. But I forget myself, would you like a library card? Oh, and that reminds me, I need to put up the posting for a new regular staff."

He leans backwards over the desk and hits a few buttons.

[Village of Avalon]
The "help wanted" sign outside of the library grows larger, and below the original text, which is still there, it now reads, "Additionally, several assistant librarian positions, both full and part time, are currently available, inquire within."
((Because I doubt most people would want to have their character be an assistant librarian, I will probably fill this up with NPCs once the scene is over, but anyone who does want one of the jobs, or even just wants to make some NPCs for them, is welcome to.))

[Library]
"Oh, and when you say "sorcerer" do you mean someone whose magic is innate, or just any arcane magic user?"

[Morty]

[Library]

Batu's ears twitch slightly.

"People ask me that a lot. My magic isn't innate and 'sorcerer' is what people call those who practice academic and scholarly magic back home. I came here to see the library and find out what else is here. I study magic with a few other magicians in a tower, but there's never too many places to learn from. Besides, my homeworld's magic is a bit weird, so I need to piece a lot together myself."

[Personification]

[Library]
The gnome seems genuinely concerned at your upset.

"I meant no offense. I myself have both innate and learned magic at my disposal, and I see no shame in either. Some of my power was even granted by a pact with an angel. Anyway, you said that the magic of your homeworld is strange, does that mean you, like me, are incapable of learning magic from other worlds and systems? If so I may not be very helpful to you, though my library may have a book that will help. If you don't mind me asking, where are you from, what is your species, what magics do you know? It will help narrow the search. Oh, and here is a library card form."

He quickly reaches back behind his desk again and hands you a form. It asks for your name, some form of verifiable ID, and a few details about your appearance (ostensibly for security purposes) such as skin color, eye color, ear-shape, etc. In addition, it has a long list of optional questions, such as homeworld, species, place of residence, magic type, organizational ties, and anything else you could think of that you don't need to fill out, but can if you want to.

[Morty]

[Library]

"I'm a hobgoblin," Batu says as he starts to fill out the form. "I come from... well, I don't think this world has a name. It's a pretty dreary place, though. My place of birth is the Blind Crow tribe, roaming the forests and foothills south-east of what we call the Endless Grass. They've banished me for practising sorcery, but in the interest of completeness..." He shakes his head. "I've learned a variety of spells, but I seem to have the greatest aptitude for those that control kinetic force and momentum."

[Personification]

[Library]
"Hmm, interesting. I certainly know some spells in that category, including one which allows me to move an object at high speed along a line, potentially to use as a weapon or just to quickly get it to someone else. I also know a spell that allows the user to manipulate small items in a more detailed and intricate way from a small distance. Like all of my magic, these spells are not especially powerful compared to others, but are designed to use the minimum expenditure of magical energy. If, however, you have already mastered the basics of that field, I may be better suited to teaching you the rudiments of a different class of magic with which you are less familiar."

[Morty]

[Library]

Batu considers this.

"It sounds like you specialize in the reliable basics, so this sounds like a good idea. What other spells do you know?"

[Personification]

[Library]
The Professor grins.
"With the constraints of them being low-level and me being even capable of learning them? I know them all! A better question is what do you want to know how to do. There is actually a great variety and complexity in what can be done with efficient and low-level magic, and I am more powerful than many would imagine. There is, of course, a small fee."
((Is Batu filling in the Library Card form?))

[Morty]

[Library]

((Ack, sorry.))

Batu hands over a finished form.

Name: Batu
ID:
Description: Yellowish green skin, yellow eyes, broad pointed ears, brown hair, tusks
Species: Hobgoblin
Magic type: Sorcery
Organizational ties: Stormguard wizards
Other notes: Blessed by the god Sobek with the ability to turn into a were-crocodile and manipulate water. Sometimes I just turn into a regular crocodile.

"A small fee shouldn't be a problem. As for what I want to learn..." His ears flick. "I've never been good at changing one thing into another. Transmutation. Maybe I could learn something about it here."

[Personification]

[Library]
The Professor looks at the forms.
"Let's see. Well, I do have some ideas. Most low-level Transmutation is actually moving things around, but seeing as you apparently already have a knack for it, that's probably not your goal. There are a few spells I know that not bridge the gap between manipulation of position and manipulation of material, but also mesh well with your other powers. Hopefully, they will be easier for you to learn, and unlock higher level transmutations for you in the future. Unfortunately, due to being so understaffed, there will be a bit of a delay. Come back in a week or two, and by then I should have everything ready, a library card to give you, and maybe even some staff members as well."

[Morty]

[Library]

Batu frowns and his ears pull back a little. It seems they're part of his facial expressions.

"How is transmutation moving stuff around? One is changing the internal properties of an object and the other is exerting force on it from the outside." He shrugs. "I'm sorry to say about your lack of staff. I wish I could help. The people upstairs didn't seem like the, uh, reading type." He's not sure if some of them are even literate.

[Personification]

[Library]
"Well, spells that move things around are parts of the school of Transmutation, which includes spells that don't actually transmute things. I don't know why it is. Also, did you say that there were people upstairs? As in 'in the village' or 'in the Library Foyer'?"

[Morty]

[Library]

Batu shakes his head.

"I meant in the village, yes. They seem mostly warriors, heroes and adventurers. Not really the academic type."

[Personification]

[Library]

"Well, in their defense they haven't had access to the island's magical academy or repository of knowledge in nearly three and a half centuries. Anyway, unless you had something else you wanted, I can't really help you more until I have set up and reactivated some of the Library's functions. If you come back in a week or two things should be running much smoother."

The professor starts to lead Batu towards the door, and will proceed to walk him to the elevator if allowed to.

((I don't mean to be rude, but I have gotten a bit anxious to end this scene (or whatever the term is) so that I can montage^TM some NPCs in and open up the Library more to other users.))

[Morty]

[Library]

((That's fine, Batu will just come back later.))

"I'll just come back in a week, then," Batu says as he heads for the exit. "I'll tell people I know about this library. Not that I know too many."

[Personification]

[Library]
"Thank you so much. Have a nice day."

After escorting Batu out, The Professor prepares to hire people.

Time Lapse!

One week later, the library has a moderate staff of dragon acolytes. For anyone else who comes in, the front desk is occupied by a centuries-old elven NPC who is the only member of the old staff to be around. She is a D&D-style "I can live for over 700 years" elf, who is by now beginning to show some signs of age, being over 500. She can basically do all of the things that you can do with a form from the desk, and, because she actually worked at the Library for long enough to know about it, can answer questions about the Library and give some directions. On every Library floor there will be a few NPC librarians who know there way around OK and can help you find books, but they are pretty new to the job and haven't quite gotten used to there being a knew building on their island. The offices are starting to be used, but are still mostly empty, and nobody except the Professor is using the labs yet. The dueling hall is still closed, though it is technically accessible by elevator. You can use NPCs to check out non-magical books, but all magical item/book checkout has to be approved by the Professor for the time being. There have been no applicants to the position of historical assistant to the Professor yet, and he still doesn't have a new calendar. You can treat the Library as an open space now and do with it what you will (though please don't destroy it and stuff) and while I will be keeping the Professor out of plot in general, I am fine with using the Library as a place to find and store plot relevant stuff, and I will even use the Professor as a holder of plot relevant knowledge if whoever wants him used that way tells me what it is and asks my permission to send questing people in my direction.