by Kyle Johnson
“Welcome, then, Lord Evenshade, Expert of the House of Stars.” The figure bowed. “In life, I was Clanire of House Quital. Now, you may address me as Parmassae. How can I assist you?”
Aranos glanced at Silma. “My Companion there isn’t too comfortable in the Library, and we have another party member still out in the city. If she leaves, can she return on her own?”
“You would need to exit the Library and bring her inside, I am afraid,” the Parmassae said with a tinge of regret. “However, the exit portals can be made to lead almost anywhere within the city, save those places barred by magic. If you know of your stray companion’s location, we can bring you close to them, so you may gather them without undue difficulty.”
“That’s useful,” Aranos muttered. “I’d like to know how you do that.”
“I can bring you information on the Library’s Enchantments, if you wish. It will not include an overview of our defenses, of course, but I believe we have blueprints detailing how our portals were fashioned. That information is not considered vital.”
“I might take you up on that,” Aranos smiled. “However, I’m here for something very specific, first. I need to read the Library’s works by Namestria, specifically her writings on the Arcane Doors. Can you bring those to me?”
The spirit was silent for several moments. “I cannot do that, Lord Evenshade, to my great regret. Those works are stored within our Vault and are prohibited for any to view. Only the Vaultkeeper can grant you access.”
“Okay, can I talk to the Vaultkeeper, then?” Aranos persisted. “Maybe they’ll allow me to go inside if I ask nicely.”
The librarian was silent for several moments more, and Aranos got a sense that it wasn’t thinking; it was communicating with someone or something else. Somehow, he suspected, all of these Parmassae could speak telepathically to each other. He was glad for an instant that he hadn’t tried to break in; fighting against magical spirits that could instantly communicate would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible. You know, he realized silently, now that I’ve got mind mana, I could probably create a Spell that lets us talk like this, too. All I’d have to do is…
“It is permitted,” the Parmassae said at last, breaking into Aranos’ wandering train of thought. “You may follow me, and I will guide you.”
“Okay, let me just tell my party what I’m doing.” He walked over to Geltheriel and touched the Shadedancer’s arm, breaking the Spell of silence between them. “I’m going to see about getting permission to enter the Vault,” he told her with a smile. “Will you make sure the Travelers don’t get into too much trouble?”
“You ask a great deal, Oathbinder, but I will do as I can,” she replied, her face twisting wryly. “I wish you great luck.”
Aranos nodded and walked back to the Parmassae. “I’m ready.”
“Follow me closely, Lord Evenshade,” the spirit warned. “Do not wander, or you may be considered a trespasser. Just as the House of Stars is unfriendly to those not of its ilk who wander its halls, the Library has layers of defenses that may take umbrage should you be found without a guide.”
“I’ll stay close,” Aranos promised. The Parmassae bowed and floated off toward one of the crystal domes bulging from the walls. Just as the previous one had, the dome swirled slowly open, revealing a crystal-lined tunnel that the spirit led Aranos down. As the dome swirled shut behind him, Aranos felt a surge of suspicion – was he trapped in here, now? – but he tamped it down. It wouldn’t make sense for the creatures to let he and his party enter the Library just to trap them there, after all. At least, it wouldn’t make very much sense.
The passage was smooth, well maintained, and lit by small, glowing gems set at regular intervals in the ceiling overhead. The spirit floated ahead of Aranos, keeping a consistent distance between the pair no matter how fast the Sorcerer walked. Even when Aranos activated his Aura of Movement and boosted his speed by 100%, the Parmassae seemed to have no trouble staying just a few feet ahead of him. Aranos wondered why the librarian had warned to stay close, if it could basically stick to him the whole time, until he realized that these creatures probably had no idea what he was capable of. For all they knew, he could teleport around freely or walk through walls; dealing with a magic-user made everything a bit more uncertain.
Closed doorways lined the walls of the passages, and Aranos could sense the wards hanging on each of them. “Each door leads to a part of our collection,” the Parmassae explained when Aranos expressed curiosity about the sealed portals. “The collections are organized by the type of work, subject matter, and level of expertise required to make use of them. Behind this door, for example, are books on principles of Engineering and Architecture that are appropriate for Novices or Students. The door across from it contains similar works for Adepts and Experts, while one behind us has tomes designed only for Masters and Grandmasters.”
“How can you tell?” Aranos asked a bit wonderingly. “Have each of you memorized every room of this Library? If they’re all that specific, there must be thousands of them!”
“While we of the Parmassae are skilled in learning, we are not that skilled. Each door has a symbol etched magically into it that appears only to the Parmassae. The symbol tells us the door’s contents, media type, and Skill level at a glance.”
As they walked, Aranos began shifting through his various types of Mana Sight, trying to make out the symbol etched in the door, but it didn’t appear in any of them. Aranos guessed that meant that either the symbols were warded specifically against this kind of Ability – which was certainly possible – or were made of a mana type he hadn’t mastered, yet. While he had unlocked the basic forms of Enhanced mana, he knew that there had to be aspects that were mixtures of different Enhanced types or, like restorative and necrotic mana, blends of Enhanced and Primary mana aspects. For one thing, he’d learned in his journey into his core that each Enhanced mana type would blend with two others; he was pretty sure those mixtures would constitute a unique aspect of their own. For another, if he’d unlocked every form of Enhanced mana, his Quest would have registered as completed.
They passed through three more of the crystal bubbles on their journey, and Aranos kept his Sense Mana Skill active on each as they went through it. The domes were filled with multiple types of mana, but the most prevalent were mind and spatial. Each time the pair would approach one, the mind mana would flare, no doubt checking to see if whoever neared it had permission to move forward. Once they entered the tunnel, there would be a pulse of mana that was mostly spatial, albeit significant amounts of soul and elemental mana in addition.
Aranos was pretty sure that the spatial mana burst was moving the pair elsewhere in the tunnels below the Library, which meant that the mind mana surge as they approached might also be checking with the Parmassae for a destination for their travel. If that was the case, then Aranos was beginning to understand a bit how the Library was set up.
It looked to him like there were probably dozens or even hundreds of these passages carved in the rock, each bounded at both ends with a crystal plug. The Parmassae navigated by passing through the crystal bubbles, which allowed them to pass from one corridor to the next. While Aranos supposed that it was possible that every crystal connected to every other crystal, the convoluted path they were taking suggested otherwise. It was more likely that each crystal dome linked only to a limited number of other passages, so to make your way through the Library, you had to know which passages were linked and plot a route that would take you through the minimum number of corridors. Either every Parmassae had that knowledge memorized, or some Ability of the spirits allowed them to know the route without needing to memorize it. To anyone else, even if they could somehow activate the crystal domes, they would have to mark the corridors somehow and use trial-and-error to map out where each path led. It could take years for an intruder to find exactly what they wanted.
As they passed through a final crystal bubble, Aranos felt a sudden pressure p
ushing at his mind, as if something were trying to invade his thoughts. He instinctively tensed against the intrusion, gritting his teeth and pushing away the intense force. He glanced around, seeking the source of the attack, but the room they had entered was mostly featureless. It was wider than the previous passages and had a high ceiling that was inset with myriad, glowing gems that bathed the room in a bright glow. The walls and ceiling were otherwise featureless; the entire room was dominated by the massive bulge of crystal erupting from the wall opposite where Aranos had entered.
That crystal radiated power and seemed to be the source of the mental intrusion. It was huge, 15’ in diameter, and a brilliant, prismatic orb of light swirled madly in its center. As Aranos stared, the orb slowed, stabilized, and resolved itself into a massive face that was clearly not elven. Its cheekbones were deep and prominent, and its eyes were large and round, glowing silver in the midst of the prismatic swirl of its face. Its chin was square and broad, with backward-pointing barbs jutting along its jawline. What Aranos found the most interesting, though, was that the face’s skin resembled extremely fine scales, so tiny that if it hadn’t been for his recently enhanced Perception, the Sorcerer wouldn’t have seen them.
“A high arcane?” the voice spoke loudly, causing Aranos to wince as the sound rang in his ears. “My apologies, arcane,” the voice continued in a lower volume. “I haven’t spoken aloud in some years – 562 years, to be precise – and I’m afraid I’ve lost the knack for it.” The voice was smooth, deep, and urbane, its words highly polished and spoken precisely.
“The Parmassae have told me that you wished to speak with me,” the face continued. “I admit, I mostly agreed because speaking with anyone relieves some of the tedium of guarding this place for all eternity. Now, however, I am intrigued. How did you resist my mental probes? Is this an as-yet-unknown quality of your race? I would love to learn something new.”
“I’m assuming that makes you the Vaultkeeper,” Aranos bowed slightly to the massive apparition before him. “I’m Aranos, Lord Evenshade. Before you ask, I’m not really a high arcane; I was an aleen that Evolved into a high arcane. And I have a Skill that grants me really high resistance to mental attacks and pain.”
“Fascinating,” the voice replied curiously. “I was unaware that one of the Faytouched could Evolve into a pure Fay, at all, much less an advanced species. Do you mind telling me how you did it?”
“I’d be happy to,” Aranos smiled. “Do you have a name, or should I just call you Vaultkeeper?”
“Vaultkeeper will suffice. I had a different name once, of course, but I willingly gave it up to become the custodian and guardian of this Vault and the secrets within. Secrets that, I understand, you’re interested in seeing, yes?”
“I’m looking for the works of Namestria, specifically her studies of the Arcane Doors. I’m hoping to use her research to figure out how to restore the Doors to their proper function.”
“Yes, those writings are contained in the Vault. However, I’m afraid I can’t let you in to see them at the moment.”
Aranos sighed. “Does my being an Expert in the House of Stars matter at all in that decision? Is there anything I can do to change your mind? My Avowed Follower is on a Cleansing Quest, and we need those works to move the Quest forward.”
“Generally, only a Master in the House of Stars has access to the Vault. However, in this case, it doesn’t matter if you’re a Grandmaster, or even Annalee Keytheyra – the Founder of the House of Stars, if you didn’t know that. I still can’t let you in.”
Aranos’s eyes narrowed, but he paused and considered the Vaultkeeper’s words. “Wait, you said that you can’t let me in, not that you won’t let me in. Was that deliberate?”
“Very good,” the Vaultkeeper said approvingly. “You have seen the crux of the problem. It is not whether or not I wish to allow you entrance – I currently don’t have the ability.”
“Of course, you don’t,” Aranos sighed, leaning back against the wall tiredly. “Because that would be too simple, right?”
“I can’t speak to the simplicity of your situation, I’m afraid,” the Vaultkeeper chuckled. “However, I will wager that it is vastly preferable to mine. Would you like me to explain?”
“Please,” Aranos nodded.
“I suppose a more specific introduction is in order for you to understand what is happening, here. As I said, I once had another name, but I also had another existence, one that was far removed from this world. I am one of the Larandar; have you heard of this race before?” When Aranos shook his head, the Vaultkeeper sighed.
“Then it is as I feared; my race is likely lost to this world. Just as the arcanes – the true ones, not Evolved aleens – originated in the Realm of Faerie, the Larandar come from a distant Realm, one where magic as you know it does not exist. Instead, our world runs on the power of the mind; we are able to affect reality directly with our thoughts.”
The face shook its head. “That’s not really important except to say that members of my species tend to be very intelligent and have fantastic memories – as well as being all but immune to any form of mental manipulation. Those qualities encouraged the builders of this Library to summon me and ask me to become the warden of this Vault, and here I am.
“However, the vault is magical, and as I said, I have no access to what you consider magic. That meant the Vault needed a separate power source, one whose flows I could control mentally and one that would be nearly inexhaustible.”
Aranos’ eyes widened as the Vaultkeeper’s words sank into him. “The Tree-heart,” he murmured. “The Vault is linked to the Tree-heart.”
“I must say, I’m enjoying this conversation more than I expected. Yes, your conjecture is correct: the Vault’s seals are powered by the Tree-heart. Or, more specifically, they were powered by the Tree-heart, since I long ago cut the connection between the Corrupted Heart and the Vault.”
“I wonder if that’s why Zoridos Corrupted the Tree-heart instead of draining it, the way the rabisu had in Haerobel,” Aranos mused aloud. “Maybe it was hoping that if the Tree-heart was Corrupted, you would be, too, and you’d willingly open the Vault for it.”
“I came to the same conclusion a few centuries back,” the Vaultkeeper agreed. “That’s why I cut the connection. While I don’t technically know that Zoridos shouldn’t have access to the Vault – after all, we’ve never formally met – I strongly suspect that to be true.”
“I think you’re probably right,” Aranos said feelingly. “Wait, if the Vault is cut off from the Tree-heart, how is the Library still powered? How are all the wards intact?”
“Ah, those draw from mana crystals buried around the Library. They pull mana from the world itself and funnel that energy into the wards. The Parmassae are also linked to the wards and provide more advanced mana types that the crystals are unable to produce.
“I do have a small store of power left,” the Vaultkeeper finished. “Enough to open the Vault once more. However, that’s it; if you go in, you don’t come back out. It’s a one-way trip.”
The Vaultkeeper looked at Aranos with a grin, revealing sharp, canine teeth. “Do you understand what I’m telling you?”
“Yeah,” Aranos said heavily. “If I want to get into the Vault, I have to get rid of Zoridos.” As he spoke, a notification appeared in his vision, and he quickly glanced at it:
Cleansing Quest Updated: A Door Between Realms
Quest Objective: Discover the secrets of the Arcane Doors and restore them to full functionality.
Difficulty: S
Reward: +50,000 XP, New Title, Cleansed of all accumulated CP, ???
Failure Conditions: Fail to complete any objective within the time limit, Geltheriel dies
First Objective: Liberate the Library of Antas
Objective: Gain access to the Vault of the Library of Antas and discover Namestria’s works within.
Objective: Restore enough power to the Tree-heart of Antas to allow access to t
he Vault.
Difficulty: A
Reward: +15,000 XP, Class-related Item set, ???
Failure Conditions: Fail to access the Vault within 30 days, Geltheriel dies
Failure Penalty: -15,000 XP
“That’s interesting,” Aranos said as he read the Quest. “It just says I have to power the Tree-heart enough to allow you to access the Vault.”
“I honestly don’t care about Zoridos,” the Vaultkeeper said unapologetically. “It can’t get into the Library, and if it did, I would just let it into the Vault. It would be pretty surprised when it couldn’t get out.”
“It could destroy everything in there trying to escape, though,” Aranos pointed out.
“That’s not very likely. The inside of the Vault is warded against all types of mana. Magic is impossible inside there, period. Without mana to sustain it, I’d imagine Zoridos would die rather quickly.” The face looked piercingly at Aranos. “And before you ask, no, I won’t allow you to lure Zoridos here and trap it in the Vault. I mean, it would die quickly, yes, but even without magic, it might do some damage before it expired. I’m not really interested in taking that risk unless I have to.”
Aranos grimaced; he had considered that as an option. “It’s fine,” he shrugged. “I’ll figure it out. Thanks for the chat, but I need to head back to my party and tell them what’s going on.”
“It was my pleasure. Please, come back sometime and explain how you managed to Evolve into such an advanced form. I’m rather interested in that story.”
The trip back to the main room felt nearly identical to the trip down to the Vault. Aranos followed the Parmassae silently, his mind lost in thought. He had an idea of what they could do, but it was risky, and the biggest hurdle that he could see was Lily. Depending on how good a gamer the woman was, she might figure out his plan and neutralize it. That meant that he needed a separate plan to deal with Lily, and he had an idea of how to make that happen.