Introducing: Babartus, Kael, and Seiz

[Yuthirin]

"Well, no time like the present." Babartus quips, heading toward the baths.

[Brian]

The demon's quarters have been cleaned when they return (post bathing expedition).  Everything looks to have been thoroughly scrubbed, swept, mopped, and who knows what else.

They even left mints on the pillows.

But there are clean uniforms awaiting, and The Record of Silver is on the table in the trio's main room.

[StormDragon]

Kael munches on his mint, while pulling on his clean uniform. Scrubbing his damp hair with a towel in one hand, he wanders into the main room and arranges himself comfortably on a couch.

[Carthrat]

Seiz flops on a couch in a towel, eschewing getting changed for the moment.

"So what's in the book, library-boy?" he asks, quirking an eyebrow.

[StormDragon]

That's what we're here for," Kael replied serenely. "To find out." He carefully folded the towel and set it aside. He leaned forward and opened the cover of the tome. For a moment he just sat there. He just loved the scent of old parchment.

edit: added word that I've missed typing.

[Carthrat]

Seiz irreverently grabs the cover of the book and opens it. "Man, it's not that hard," he mumbles.

[Brian]

The book is written in an elegant script that's unfamiliar to most of the demons, though Kael can read it.  It's the same script as what was on the obelisk in the center of the library.  However, this script has each character attached to another character in a different script.  Essentially, two complete texts occupying the same space.  It can be read four different ways.

1.) Alternating the lines of each script as a whole.

2.) Reading just the familiar script.

3.) Reading just the unfamiliar script.

4.) Taking each of both script's characters and completing them into more complex words (though, it'd take quite a while to translate the entire thing like that).

Vexingly, all forms of interpetation seem to return actual information, so they're all valid.  But they all say different things....

1.) Using this interpetation, the book is a journal of two newlyweds as they explore their new marriage.  Odd.

2.) This script seems feminine, and any of the demons can read it easily.  It details the use of feminine wiles in controlling men.  Not really that handy, all things considered, but it gives you an idea of what to look out for.

3.) This is an odd script, but essentially it seems to go on at length for some obscure principle called 'justice'.  It gives Kael a headache to read it alone, though.

4.) This is perhaps the most revealing of all interpetations, though Kael only has enough time to translate two lines before he needs to rest his eyes.  It seems that this reading reveals what this book really is.  It's a journal from two demons that were married at some point.  However, demonic script is pretty efficient, and the script that it's linked with is pretty detailed, too.

When the two are combined, it becomes less text, and more a detailed celestial/infernal blueprint to the fundamental workings of a given concept.  This means at any point where the two journals discuss a common point, information can be extracted from this tome on how to manufacture that common point, be it weather, a ball of fire, or a really, really awesome hat.  It's a pretty thick tome, with very thin (though seemingly quite sturdy) pages.

[StormDragon]

"This tome," Kael said, looking up with glee. "is awesome."

[Carthrat]

Seiz peers over Kael's shoulder.

"Man, those weird characters give me a headache," he notes, recoiling.

[Yuthirin]

Babartus peers over Kael's other shoulder, his left ear flicking with consternation. "But what the hells is it, really?"

[Brian]

There's a knock at the door, and then (unbidden) K'thosis sweeps into the room, setting down a large platter of tiny sandwiches and a tea tray.  "The Lady will expect to see you in an hour," he informs everyone before vanishing.

For a big guy, he sure is quiet.

The sandwiches are of varying types, similar in style to the sandwiches they used to make at Poppa Diablo's Infernal Eatery, before they went out of business a few years ago.  The tea comes in two varieties: mint, and lemon.  Sugar and sulpher are provided.

[Carthrat]

Seiz yawns a little. "Aww. And here I was hoping for a nap," he comments, pulling himself up from the couch and heading into his room to get changed.

[Yuthirin]

Babartus sighs, inhaling a sandwich. "You'll get used to it. These types think they're the most important thing since the Overlord."

He pours himself some mint tea and adds a pinch of sulphur. "For now, let's see if we can translate some of that book. If it's at all important."

[StormDragon]

After eating a satisfying amount of sandwiches, Kael drank his lemon tea with sugar and sulphur -- he liked how the tastes clashed -- and wiped his hands carefully. Going into his room he grabbed paper and pens and wandered out again to sit at the table with the tome.

[Brian]

Kael manages to work a bit on translating what will probably be the most useful part of the entire book: The index in the end.  It seems to shift around when he's not looking ... it's certainly ... wily.  But Kael can still slowly make a key to translate it, which will eventually allow him to look up anything he'd desire.

He gets about one page of his key complete (of, at an estimate, twenty) before there's a knock at the door, and K'thosis pokes his head in.  "The lady is ready to see you," he answers gravely, his massive jaw working carefully to pronounce each sylable correctly around his tusks.