C1E16: Illuminations

Chattering about the potential of their new estate on the Menagerie Coast, the FGC parts ways for the rest of the day. Ferric heads to the Platinum House while the others split their time between the Valley Archive of the Cobalt Soul and the steamy private bathing rooms of The Steamed Buns.

Valley Archive of the Cobalt Soul Khoraka's Visit Khoraka makes the Archive a priority. Within the cool, soaring walls, he's greeted at the desk by a dignified silver dragonborn who introduces himself as Archivist Zohtul Baalex. He introduces Archivist Gräbner [https://www.dndbeyond.com/profile/madamemuse/characters/56311500], a slight human female with a light Zemnian accent, who takes Khoraka back deep into the towering stacks of shelves in the public section of the library.

He tells her everything he can think of about his powers, when he acquired them, how it feels when he uses them, and his desire to understand them better. Like... EVERYTHING. He also shows her the whip he can manifest with thought, and explains how it shifted from a plain leather whip to this. She's a little ... overwhelmed at the font of information, and moves him deeper into the stacks, away from prying ears.

> I am your Archivist, not your therapist. – Archivist Gräbner Despite the Archivist's help, his research into the acquisition of arcane magical talent yields little beyond some basics: there are those who learn it, those who are born with it, and those who bargain for it, whether knowingly or unknowingly.

Khorka then describes his most recent dream [https://aedificium-arcanum.com/khorakas-second-dream/] in exacting detail: the inlaid circle, the sounds of the jungle, the strange statue of a snakelike woman with six arms.  At this last part, the woman's eyes go wide. She quickly pushes her glasses up on her nose and exuses herself – there's something she needs to acquire from the Demonology section.

Archivist Zohtul Baalex & Archivist Emmi GräbnerReturning with another tome, she flips briskly to a page and points a delicate finger at a sketch, asking Khoraka if this fits the vision of what he saw.

M is for Marilith, y'all.And it does. Indeed it does.

> Terrible to behold, a marilith has the lower body of a great serpent and the upper torso of a humanoid female with six arms. > Wielding a wicked blade in each of its six hands, a marilith is a devastating foe that few can match in battle. These demons possess keen minds and a finely honed sense of tactics, and they are able to lead and unite other demons in common cause. Mariliths are often encountered as captains at the head of a demonic horde, where they embrace any opportunity to rush headlong into battle. This being the public section of the library – and therefore housing the basics and story-based overviews of more arcane subjects, but not material that is more tactical or questionable in its application – Khoraka isn't able to find much more about this particular demonic entity.

Archivist Gräbner admits that she's quite passionate about demonology, but even so, not well versed in their representation in dreams and dream interpretation. She can tell him that given their typical role at the head of armies, marilith figure large in stories of the Calamity and the war between the gods, if such stories would be of interest. She skitters off to another section of the library and returns wtih more books.

In these books – tales of the Calamity, which read of myth and legend as much as anything – Khoraka finds something that gives him pause. In the great battles between The Wild Mother and the Cloaked Serpent, the latter's champion, who's name has been erased from history, wielded a whip known as The Lash of Shadows.

> The legends say that this snakeskin whip was touched by the power of Zehir and ends in five animated serpent heads. The weapon is sentient, and has a short temper, experiencing only extreme emotions. It is most happy when dealing harm." With that, a shaken Khoraka quickly leaves the library under Gräbner's escort. As he exits, he sees Snow, Erash, and Phelan on their way in, having spent most of the day doing... whatever it is they were doing. Snow immediately senses his distress and knows he shouldn't be alone, so she parts ways with Erash and Phelan, taking Khoraka to the Steamed Buns to soothe his raw nerves instead.

Valley Archive of the Cobalt Soul Erash & Phelan's Visit As Snow leaves with their friend, the archivist who was escorting him turns around, shakes off her concern, and heads into the stacks once more with her new patrons. She politely refuses to discuss their business, or what had Khoraka so shaken.

Erash settles in to talking with the archivist while Phelan wanders around awestruck at the sheer number of books available. Erash tells Archivist Gräbner about the manifestation of the mark on his arm, how it originally appeared when he freed some fire elementals in the Temple of Tiamat (she's impressed, she heard about all that). And that it appeared again during a recent altercation with a band of adventurers-gone-bad on the road. The mark seems to be reataining its starkness longer this time around. She reads the Draconic script fluently:

> Child of Gold and Child of Flame The phrase doesn't ring any bells with her. He also tells the archivist that the fire elementals said something to him that he translated as "one yet lives." She posits that the elementals he spoke with were most likely native denizens of the Plane of Fire, who returned to their home plane as soon as he released them from their bonds. Perhaps their pure elemental nature had something to do with the manifestation. Unfortunately her collection of interplanar research on this level of the archives is limited, but the City of Brass on the Plane of Fire is the most expansive point of interplanar trade and the friendliest to those from the Material Plane (which, admittedly, isn't saying a lot). She does have some travelogues she can share with him.

Erash combs through the books for hours, but comes up with nothing beyond some observations around the etiquette, customs. wonders, and oddities that come with a visit to The City of Brass. No mention of a "One" or any stories that allude to the magical marking he has experienced.

While Erash reads, Phelan strikes up a conversation with the archivist and takes the focus towards herbalism, plants and reagents. He confides to her that his goal is a potion that, when administered correctly, can ease the side effects of involuntary transformation for Cursed Bloodlines (a.k.a. lycanthropes). Most notably, he seeks to enable them to retain a sense of self and control of their actions, even if the transformation can't be helped. But he's having trouble finding ingredients and an alchemical process on the Material Plane that will get him there. She is quickly absorbed and the two whisper over sketches and diagrams and books about the cultivation of exotic plants until Erash is done with his (frustratingly fruitless) homework.

The Steamed Buns Khoraka is clearly shaken, and Snow sits him down in a steamy private room and asks a few questions. He dodges the details, but after a few drinks, encourages Snow to pursue Echo, because she deserves it.

With that in mind, Snow talks to Crystal about the Quicksliver Cabaret and the best way to go about creating an unforgettable experience for Echo. She assures Snow that... well, for the right price... she can get Echo the night off and set the stage for a memorable event at the Cabaret. They talk flowers, food, and logistics while Khoraka, silent and alone for the first time in hours, contemplates what the weight of the information he has learned means for him while the steam from the bath mixes with the alcoholic fog in his head.