[IRP] Secrets of the Empire

[Toogee]

“You will of course need to leave whatever weapons you have with the guards. We can’t have people coming in armed.” Paige nodded to the others to follow Leroy’s request, though her sword was not on her person.
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Lucky for Kalin, the group wasn’t very far away when she arrived. In fact, Paige caught sight of the peg knight just as the group was crossing the drawbridge. The librarian waved at Leroy to let her pass (following the request to leave weapons with the guards). The guard obliged and the group was more or less reunited.

The halls of Castle Pherae were made of thick gray stone, typical for most strongholds of the day. Flags were prominently displayed along the ceiling, displaying the royal emblem. The group passed by the courtyard, where new recruits were practicing lancing techniques. Several people passed them by, giving a quick hello to Paige.

It would have been easy to get lost within the halls, especially given that there were multiple floors. Fortunately, the library wasn’t far: Paige led the others through thick oak doors. They were immediately greeted by a large room full of books. The walls were lined with shelves ten feet high with thick tomes on all topics. Smaller shelves in the middle of the room held elder old scrolls, the notes of famed scholars. Parchment labels kept everything organized and convenient for visitors to delve into. The room was still big enough for two long tables with a set of six chairs each.

“Here we are,” Paige announced as they entered. She led them to one of the empty tables to explain her predicament.

“Pherae has enjoyed a fruitful alliance with Ostia. And yet, we know so little about the current state of Ostian affairs. Even the name of the current emperor remains a mystery. I’ve been told that we have a fine record of Lycian rulers throughout history. Strangely, our Ostian volume has gone missing. The author responsible for keeping it updated unfortunately passed away a few months ago. Now, it should have been in our history section on the north wall. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been looking over that wall to find it. I suspect a reader may have misplaced it in another section. Failing that, it could be in the archives in the basement.”

She pointed over to another door, this one made of wood and metal braces. It looked more at home in a dungeon than a library.

“I wouldn’t think it would be down there, but I have yet to find it up here. I think I can find it a bit faster if we work together.”