Dixie hands the Closed Parchment over to Jack or Doak, whichever is closer. Think you can clean up those ink splotches? Might be useful information. Thanks.
Doctor Doak is now in possession of the
Closed Parchment. One Eye'd Jack has opted to stay behind in the treasure room, on account of the difficulty posed in coaxing a bear to climb ladders.
She then sets her sight on the locked chest, running mana diagnostics onto it as per usual. What does the keyhole look like? Dixie tries charging mana into it and looking around, to see if a hidden key resonates with it.
The keyhole looks like a keyhole. The locking mechanism feels to be unlike a standard padlock. Channeling mana fails to garner a reaction from the lock, and generates no signs of its key inside the treasure room.
"Aw dammit looks like someone already got to kick the ass of whoever built this tower, and it looks like they broke all the shit in here."
Burt walks around the room looking at all the books that are scattered around even the damaged ones to try and get an idea of whats here.
The shelves must have been stocked with books in the hundreds, going by the mess of torn papers and ragged book covers scattered everywhere. Judging by the covers and contents of pages the books dealt with magic, mostly. It seems to be a mix of theory, application and autobiographies. Trying to discern any greater detail would be a monumental undertaking considering the state of the books.
Doctor Doak will take the books on gardening, exotic plants and elementary nature magic, 'cause they sound interesting.
He'll also look through the other books for some interesting reads, starting with opening the one bound shut on the desk.
Doctor Doak gains
intact books on nature magic (x7).The journal opens easily. However large chunks of this journal are missing, with many pages either ripped out or damaged. However Doctor Doak recognizes the handwriting used on the few pages inside, which is the same as the torn page he found earlier in the hidden room. Of the remaining pages most are full of technical details relating to the construction of the tower, the language used is esoteric or else coded, and it is difficult to make sense of this information without consultation.
There is an occasional entry or paragraph that gives insight into its author’s life, and his efforts in creating this tower over several years, perhaps more than a decade. The vignettes have been compiled and paraphrased below:
I, the great archwizard Gorohill Vercressen Pierre, hence withdraw from my travels and observation of of magical phenomenon around the globe, and retire to this forest, due to the-
My respite did not last long. It seems to me that that there is an overwhelming source of magic somewhere in this forest, and I need to investigate further. My steward shall look after [illegible] while I’m-
Some sort of shrine, dedicated to a local forest deity. The central ziggurat is given over entirely to a Seed, and most of their rituals revolve around it. It also seems to be the source of power for-
I have had the most splendid idea. Surely, not since the first arcane runes were conjured by the consciousness of great sages a millennia past has there been an insight like this. To attract more adventurers and fame-seekers to the region I shall erect a tower here, a magnificent edifice unmatched by any. It will be an easy matter for one with my magical proficiency. The tower shall challenge their guts, their wits, the well of their souls. Promises of wealth and trinkets, such as I can spare from my vast amassed hoard, will draw them in. And the reason for doing all this is-
Some sort of disturbances have been taking place of late. My sentinels have notified me of it but the source has yet to be determined. Probably another dratted pigeon if I had to guess.
Time and again I am hounded about the seed, blast him, just as I near the completion of the tower. All my concentration must focus on it solely, I must not let anything stray me, not even-
The final paragraph is on the last readable page, the two pages following after suffering burns and the words rendered unreadable.