Random DM nagging.

[Corwin]

Really? It feels authentic to me that looking things up in the library takes time.

[Merc]

Notes from Aurora:
Current capability (upgrade blurb) - Repair library sorting and translation system(Takes 1 hour to consult with the library on a check)
Current research time (library blurb) - As of now, you can gain a +5 bonus to any knowledge check, presuming you spent 10 hours studying in the library first and have the capacity to read several languages.

Because of above, I was understanding that the sorting system just finds books with relevant information and plops them in a table in front of you. As it is a huge magical library, the sorting just finds us the likely 'best' selection of books with stuff based on what we consulted it for, and upgrades just do it much faster, 1hr->10min->1min. It doesn't work like googling/wiki'ing stuff and getting an immediate blurb of text with relevant info that grants +x to knowledge checks.

After the consulting, we'd still have a pile of books to actually read, and we might want to cross-reference/request more books along the way, which adds to the research time as well.

...Of course, I guess it's also pretty likely Dune meant for it to work like you said, and the 10 hour should have been reduced to 1 hour and then he forgot to update (I don't remember the library's blurb before repairing it so it's certainly possible). I do like the intent implied with the different times based around the use of the words 'consult' vs 'studying' for the similar reason of authenticity.

[Corwin]

I just know it's 1 hour right now after our original repairs. I don't really mind it all that much if you do want to focus on speeding things up.

[Anastasia]

Metamagic: The myths, the legends and the cold facts

This book is an extensive analysis of metamagic. It asserts that metamagic is by and large not worth the investment of magic, save for only a few certain metamagics and the occasional specialist. The author further ascertains that most spellcasters learn too much metamagic, and that the metamagiced spells are not worth the sacrifice in both spell levels and training elsewhere in a wizard's overall ability. The author states that he speaks from experience, and has learned a few methods to gain more benefit from using heavily metamagiced spells.

Reading this book unlocks the following feats for selection.

Metamagic Power [General]
Prerequisite: Any three metamagic feats.
Benefit: When you cast a spell that has three or more metamagics applied to it, the caster level of that spell is considered one higher. For example, a 19th level wizard casting an empowered, maximized, silent fireball would cast it at caster level 20th.

Metamagic Recovery [General]
Prerequisite: Any three metamagic feats.
Benefit: You learn to harness the energies of metamagic into your body. Any time you cast a spell that has three or more metamagics applied to it, you heal 5 hit points.

[Anastasia]

The shocking truth of fey decadence!

This book is written in the style of an expose, chronicling the horribly decadent and lavishly indulgent lifestyles of the fey. According to this book, fey are little more than natural pleasure seekers, having great feasts, grand revels and zero work. They live off nature's bounty, while watching what they term 'lesser' races such as humans. Going on, the book further and further paints the fey as living the high life and having no shame or control, while other races struggle and strive to survive. By the mid chapters it begins to detail more sordid things, such as the fey kidnapping infants for 'unspeakable acts', corrupting young maidens into toys, stealing harvests for themselves and leaving lesser races to starve and other such atrocities. The last chapters advocate violent rebellion against the fey, going so far as to assert that the systematic extermination of them is the only way to safeguard the other races. If there is to be any future for any but the fey and those they pity as slaves, they must be exterminated!

[Anastasia]

We need real food, dammit!

I'm growing it!

Will be adding that to the next Aurora topic update.

[Anastasia]

Dune, add to Tannin's list of stuff to gather info on:
-Search for someone willing to give good rate on baatorian greensteel coins that isn't a devil. Ithea's okay dealing with shady and potentially evil types, just as long as they're not devils. She'd still prefer someone neutral (or good, but that's unlikely) if possible, though.
-Alternatively, can any interesting non-evil items be created after melting the coins, using the material?

Priority isn't high, I'd mentioned before I'm just holding onto it and then giving any profit that results from that to Aurora pool after grabbing my 900g share of it back.

Added.

[Anastasia]

Speaking of Tannin, let's first ask him to look into the people Elena mentioned as Medi's old pals and for the Stars of Mystra? Even the very act of searching for them will probably set things in motion, so let's go for it.

Done.

[Anastasia]

Okay! Suggestions for our home improvement, now actually in order.

Before it all, let's get more +15 skill boosters like the three we already have for K:A, C:A and Spellcraft from the Aurora funds! K:A&E, K:N, Appraise, K:P for 22,500gp.

So we're starting out with 167,589.54gp.

First round, starting as soon as we finished our lab repairs (all those listed under a given 'round' are in parallel):

Improve cafeteria(Just like the real thing! Keeps everyone happier): 35,000 gold; 2 DC 25 spellcraft checks; 1 DC 25 K:N check; 4 days.
Sylvie. K:N +36, Spellcraft +31 normally; K:N +51 with the K:N booster, Spellcraft +34 with the floating feat.

Aquarium (For the tortles and other aquatic or amphibious races): 5,000 gold; 2 DC 25 K:A&E checks; 4 days.
Tepen. K:A&E +33 normally; K:A&E +48 with the K:A&E booster.

Speed up portal enlargement to 1 full round action: 50,000 gold; 1 DC 23 spellcraft check; 3 DC 40 K:A checks; 5 days.
Kascha. K:A +42, Spellcraft +39 normally; K:A +57, Spellcraft +54 with the K:A, Spellcraft boosters.

Set up electricity styled trap in the courtyard, 3d6 damage: 15,000 gold; 5 DC 25 spellcraft checks; 7 days.
Annalise. Spellcraft +28.

Let's have a couple of the middle ranks aiding on each. Except for K:A&E the other skills are fairly common, so aiding should be easy enough.


Second repairs round:

Improve growing farms(Things grow in 1/20th of the normal time): 10,000 gold; 2 DC 23 K:N checks, 1 DC 24 spellcraft check; 5 days.
Sylvie. K:N +36, Spellcraft +31 normally; K:N +51 with the K:N booster, Spellcraft +34 with the floating feat.

Improve courtyard electricity damage to 6d6: 10,000 gold; 3 DC 20 spellcraft checks; 5 days.
Kascha. Spellcraft +39 normally; Spellcraft +54 with Spellcraft booster.

Improve library's selection(+10 to knowledge checks): 50,000 gold; 1 DC 27 K:P check; 1 DC 30 Appraise check; 7 days.
Vul'lath. Appraise +28, K:P +32 normally; Appraise +43, K:P +47 with the Appraise, K:P boosters.


Third round:

Improve growing farms (Things grow overnight): 25,000 gold; 2 DC 28 K:N checks, 1 DC 25 spellcraft check; 5 days.
Sylvie. K:N +36, Spellcraft +31 normally; K:N +51 with the K:N booster, Spellcraft +34 with the floating feat.

Improve courtyard electricity damage to 10d6: 30,000 gold; 3 DC 30 spellcraft checks; 6 days.
Kascha. Spellcraft +39 normally; Spellcraft +54 with Spellcraft booster.

Improve library's selection(+15 to knowledge checks, aka Sylvie special): 100,000 gold; 1 DC 33 K:P check; 1 DC 36 Appraise check; 7 days.
Vul'lath. Appraise +28, K:P +32 normally; Appraise +43, K:P +47 with the Appraise, K:P boosters.

I think we can decide what to do next, once this happens.

Okay, that's fine. We'll work these out in the coming days. There's various things to do around Aurora that are up now, so we'll see how those go.

[Anastasia]

Study of a Goddess

This book is be a study of the goddess Saint Alicia. It is a biography of her, composed via years of interviews and studies. It chronicles her early life, growing up as a member of the petty nobility on a Prime Material. Her life was unremarkable - a marriage and child, until brigands slaughtered her family. From there it tells tales of her time, ending up eastward in a nation known as the United Baronies. She joined an elite group known as the Crimson Guard and was involved in various incidents, such as a war with the neighboring empire of Malmuth, whispered battles to the west in a desert, confrontations with liches and other such tales. Finally, it ends with her leaving the Prime and becoming a Goddess - here the information becomes fragmentary and largely suppositional, culled from religious texts.

Internal Power, the answer to magic

This book is a deep elaboration of the natural forces that reside in each and every person. It titles them psionics and elaborates on the roll of them in each person's lives. There's more ,but I need Muirfinn to make a wisdom check here.

[Corwin]

I'm kind of interested about a few of the past books.

[Misc]Book of the scriptures and tactics of the Red Knight.
[Misc]Revelations from the Truth.
[Misc]Burning Hands, variants on the classic.

[Anastasia]

You're free to ask Sylvie to borrow them if you like. If you do I'll post the info from them.

[Corwin]

Mmm. Sure, I'll do that. I was originally interested in the Elysium one as well, but Ithea pretty much told me how it went so that was good enough.

That aside, is it possible to use Amanuensis to copy these books for myself/our library, assuming I have permission from the owners?

[Anastasia]

Certainly. Book information incoming.

[Anastasia]

The first is a carryover from Balmuria 2, so it's mostly just information.

Book of the scriptures and tactics of the Red Knight

This book is written by the followers of the Red Knight, detailing tactics and strategy. It goes into the theory of warfare, what war is and how to properly use war. Once war is begun, it talks about the proper strategies and tactics. As the Red Knight's faith revolves around these, it is as much a religious tract as a book of strategy. It references several battles and history in a Prime Material, involving such countries as Malmuth, the United Baronies, Pallanth, the Desert Fiefdoms, Kelara and other regions.

Revelations from the Truth

A tome of religious ecstasy and insight, this book is written by a nameless pilgrim who claims to have glimpsed into Chronias, the Seventh Heaven. Reading it is difficult, as the author uses no punctuation, breaks or pacing. The entire book is one fantastically long run on sentence, endlessly expounding and darting about. It repeatedly refers to the Column of Light, though it never delves into details about it. It speaks of the Seven Signs who stand before it in waiting, each with a blade of fire. Often he calls these terrible to look at, referring to them obliquely save for three passages. In the last third of the book, the author begins to write in some form of Celestial. You are aware of reading...something, but the moment you finish it is gone from your mind.

Burning Hands, variants on the classic

This book has several variants of Burning Hands. They are as follows:

Flaming Hand
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature or object touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

Chanting the syllables for fire, you engulf your hand in flame. Your successful melee touch deals 1d4 points of fire damage per caster level, maximum 5d4. Flammable materials burn if the flames touch them. A character can extinguish burning items as a full-round action.

Notes: This spell was developed by a wizard who had problems with his allies getting in range of his spells.

Smack of Burning Shame
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 30ft
Target: 1 creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: No
Spell Resistance: Yes

On casting this spell, a hand of burning fire appears and smacks the target. This requires no attack roll and deals 1d4 points of fire damage per two caster levels, maximum 4d4.

Notes: This spell was designed by a sorcerer who liked to insult his enemies. It is noted he did not live long past creating this spell.

Singing Mists
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 60ft
Area: 60ft radius spread based on the caster
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell causes steam and sparks of fire to momentarily engulf the area. All targets within the radius, including the caster, take 1d4 points of fire damage. A successful reflex save negates the damage.

Notes: This spell was created by a wizard who used this spell to create fires to control the battlefield.