Monks, priests, and scholars paced the halls of the temple library as soft chanting traveled across its lofty ceiling. It was a calming, practiced sound born of dedication and lifted by the vigorous voices of the devout. As the gentle sound swept through the cloistered trove of knowledge, all Tatalia could think of was how annoying she actually found it.

It wasn't the priests' fault, really. They seemed like very faithful, loyal people that truly believed in what they sang. But to Tatalia, it was foolhardy faith; rumor already had it that the gods were dead (and gods being killable made her past hypotheses seem very real), but moreover she'd always believed the temples were as much a tool for propaganda as they were for unity and the nourishment of the soul. The Temple of the Sun certainly didn't make any efforts to provide protections for goblinkind that she could remember.

Nevertheless, the Temple was one of the places where Tatalia could possibly get answers to the questions that were burning inside her head. Sure, there were other options, but the knowledge of generations had been gathered in Capitol Landing, and the greatest number of books relating to the cosmology of the universe and the nature of the divine was almost certainly to be found either in the Temple of the Sun or on the Isle of Mages... and Tatalia didn't want to try sneaking into the Academy again. The wizards had many ways to detect monsters in their wake, and she was seen as a monster to most of the world. And that was before she was afflicted with a curse!

Nevermind all that, Tatalia thought to herself. Focus on the now.

Dressed in oversized dwarven robes she'd nicked and wearing her gloves so as to hide her green fingers, Tatalia wove her way through the temple as casually as she could. She had to speak a couple times, but her gift of gab¹ gave her an edge in convincing the priests she belonged in the library.

Once she'd gathered an armful of books, the overburdened goblin in disguise trudged to a table tucked into a corner and set the books down with a thunderous THUMP! Wincing, she pulled herself up onto a tall chair - really, she climbed the dang thing - and plopped herself down upon the human sized seat with an annoyed sigh.

"Where to begin?" she asked herself excitedly, choosing a book titled The Truth of the Gods while expecting to find nothing resembling truth inside. But still, maybe if she read between the lines she could find out what the author didn't want her to know...

   Ah yes, the old church. Always ever growing, pushing for religious growth. It's so silly to see this act, this play, of these scholars who choose to be blinded of the reality of the world. Claiming magic is a part of the gods, that the gods are where spells begin and end. Yet it's the best place for my research. The lands beyond always told a form of white lies, truths sprinkled in with lies, about how they worked. With everything that's been happening, Vulc who I helped kill, the dreams and memories of one who is not me, the shift in the land of spirits that is changing Taki. It can't be a coincidence, and I intend to find out what the core of this is.

   While I hate the main nobility, our relationship is...neutral. Neither wishes to be in dept to the other, and so we always only owe the other a minor trade. From basic information to me killing a lowly enemy that escapes basic capture, and they let me sit in on meetings/court dealings to hiding the deadly business and paying me fairly for the troubles it took to take a life. It's a fine balance, so walking into the library is not a hassle, the hassle is to not be asked 'where are your parents?' and trying to get to the proper books and not be told to go to a kids section, where priests and nuns sit and play with children while preaching their false stories.

   So I had to focus on as much simple movements to blend in with the crowd, then hide till I find a book I need, then mentally reach for it and lower onto my slowly growing stack. Gaining a good stack of fifteen books, I lower them into my hands as I let my vision glance around the rest of the area, now needing a good place to read. In my scanning of the room, the sound of books hitting a table echos lightly through the air. My eyes quickly shoot to the sound and see what looks to be an old lady. I grin as I walk forward, balancing my books as I get closer, as I might get the seat across from them. I quickly read over the titles and grin, more works of literature in relation to the other lands. I reach the table and softly speak in my light and high voice, "Hi there! Could I...sit on the other side of the table? Please?"

SPOILER: Click to show

Quest Name: Nose in a Book
Participants: Two or more
Location: Anywhere (libraries)
Post Requirements: 4 posts per person, 200 words per post
Reward: +1 Renown
Description: The world is starting to warm up to the idea of Scern's story being truthful, at least to some degree. Many still can't fathom how they were able to be tricked for so long by an imposter god, and had absolutely no idea about Vulcadreaus. Scholars are starting to realize they know very little about Charon's true history and are now asking for help from the public. People have begun to pour over old texts, study forgotten scripts, and attempt to find any information that would help shed a light on the world’s current situation. You are being asked to study old texts from libraries or book collections around Charon, hoping to find any clues to help explain things. (No information is found, however.)

“Sit wherever you please!”replied the goblin a bit too readily and a bit too cheerily, but most importantly a bit too yourhfully. She was dressed more like some old bag lady than a scholar, after all, given how much she covered up her skin and the gloves she wore and the oversized robes that belonged to someone a foot taller. Still, that didn’t mean the end of the world. It just meant she had to fill a role.

Of course, the goblin couldn’t help but notice the titles of some of the books the other woman carried. Her eyebrows rose beneath her hood.

“Are you researching the nature of divinity, by chance?” asked the goblin in a friendly manner. “Fascinating subject! Please let me know should you need any help! I’ve a bit of interest in the field, myself, especially insofar as it relates to history and our understanding of Charon as a whole. I-”

The little historian paused. She contemplated briefly just how much she was saying, and decided the answer to that was “too much.” She shook her head, then raised her hand up in a sort of ‘stop’ motion.

“Ah, don’t mind me! My fascinations and ramblings are not something I should inflict upon a stranger,”mused the little scholar with a chuckle to her voice. “I’ll let you focus.”

   I let a bright smile form along my lips as I lightly place the books down and take my place across from them... her by the sounds of it. In fact it sounded really young, not to mention, the outfit she had on is able to fit me. I tilt my head at the seat in front of me, on one hand, I could use magic to hold it down, on the other... well, who would want to give up a chance to talk as I moved? "Thanks so much!" I raise my hand over my chest as I curtsy down before skipping to the chair and grabbing the back side as I lift myself onto the chair. Standing on the center of it, I fix up my dress and sit down nicely.

   "No, no! I love it when others ramble! It shows their natural interests!" I wave my hands as I look over to my books, "I am actually looking at the other realms in general. As the... elevated ones," I quickly roll my eyes as I say it, "Are located in a general field, but what do the others contain? What is the differences that caused them all to be separated? Why were they able to be separate from one another in the first place?" My eyes shined in raw curiosity, this was a rehearsed speech, as I needed to convince the adults her to let me in some how, but it was close enough to my true reasons for being here.

   "Besides," I glance to take in every bit of my new found person to focus on. Short stature, completely covered even though we are inside, the voice not matching the outfit, not to mention the clothing looks to be large even with the short stature. I can feel my smile shift into a smirk, "It seems like I got to meet another person of unique stature, not to sound rude, but your voice is a bit too high pitched to act older than you are." I release a little giggle as I open my first book and read it at a pace that seems abnormal for even skimming, though I am reading it all.

"Wh- Excuse me, but what are you implying?" protested the disguised goblin, throwing her hands up in exaggerated offense. "I'll have you know gnomes like me are well known for having high pitched voices!¹ Goodness, didn't they ever tell you not to ask a lady her age?!

"And besides, you're not exactly the picture of adult posture yourself, miss!" retorted the goblin, employing the ever-so-powerful tool that was deflection as she wagged her finger across at the childlike figure seated across from her. "See, it's not exactly a polite thing to say about someone else, is it? By your diction you're clearly more than a youth so I doubt you'd appreciate any implications to the contrary. Mm!"

Of course, Tatalia had far more to argue about. Being referred to as having a "unique stature" felt like a hidden insult, the sort that the noblewomen she had been raised to serve would accompany with a haughty giggle and a flick of their fans. She also really didn't want to have her aged pried at too much, especially since there wasn't actually much in written record about goblin aging and she wasn't sure how grown twenty years of age for a goblin actually was. It was a wholly uncomfortable topic and she had absolutely zero intention of partaking in it further. But moreover, the more such topics were discussed, the less work she could get done, and the more likely she was of being discovered. Tatalia sighed, then took a deep breath and buried her negative thoughts.

"You have my apologies. I should not take so much offense to comments that in retrospect were not meant to upset." The hooded woman smiled, not that the smile could be seen from the angle at which she wore that hood, and she reached into her own pile of books.

"Perhaps I can make up for my error by offering some help? You seem to have an interest specifically in the realms beyond, in the planes of existence that are tied to Charon but are separate. You might find your answers in Edelwen's Chronicle of the Cosmos. It's a bit flowery for my tastes," mused the goblin, sliding the thick book toward the other woman, "but between the purple prose and sanctimonious ramblings you may glean something useful about the different planes metaphysical and otherwise. I wouldn't hold my breath, though. When it comes to matters of magic, the planes and divinity, the works in here are more dogmatic than they are scholarly. Obviously."

Apparently, the diminutive bookworm was very particular and opinionated when it came to her reading material. Being so openly dismissive of religious teachings in a temple was perhaps a little brazen, however. Luckily, Tatalia had chosen the very corner of the temple's library for a reason.

"Honestly, for the information you're looking for, you may be best off searching for the words that aren't written versus the words that are," mused the robed scholar as she stroked her chin. "Especially in regards to older texts, you can pick out what sorts of information has been selectively left out and perhaps come to an interesting hypothesis based on that. Looking critically at the accepted texts of those who came before us is crucial to developing a greater understanding of our world."

---

_{1. Smooth Talking}

   I shake my head at the throw back at my age, so close, but so far. My smile remains as I speak, "No apologies needed, I was merely hopeful of a fellow, how to put it... outlier in looks to who we are. Besides, I quite like it if someone tries to guess how old I am, most fail." I continue to read and my place is already past three fourths of the pages. "I have met someone else similar to me, though they hold different terms and gains from the abnormality. You could say I had an interest to see if you leaned more to them or to me." I wave my hand as I continue, a smile present on my face, "No matter, sounds like you are not one to see the first layer of things." I close the book as I look up, eyes shining in curiosity, "All while being one of few more than willing to bluntly say it as well."

   The finished book floats over to my other side as another floats down and opens to it's first page in front of me. I simply take it and begin reading once more. "I will have to look at your recommendation, sounds interesting. I have always loved a good story, from fables, myths, and even from rumors." I let a giggle escape as I continue, "Every one of them starts with a truth, what those truths are is the puzzles I so enjoy to figure out."

The young-looking woman had an odd manner of speaking. Tatalia was able to piece the gist of it together: she wasn't upset with Tatalia, appreciated the honesty, and also believed Tatalia could see more than the surface layer of a person. That all sounded like a series of compliments, but that wasn't the curious part. Oh, and she called Tatalia funny looking in a more polite series of words. All of that was fairly straightforward. Much more curious was the child-like woman's last few words:

"I have always loved a good story, from fables, myths, and even from rumors. Every one of them starts with a truth, what those truths are is the puzzles I so enjoy to figure out."

It truly was a curious way to express one's thoughts, Tatalia decided. She tapped her chin, considered them for just a moment as the woman made books float in the air, and then finally the disguised goblin spoke.

"Fables and myths sometimes carry truth in the lesson, I suppose," Tatalia mused, pausing from her own reading to dwell on the words. "Sometimes the story itself bears an inkling of truth in the content itself, but that's usually not the case. Often, though, both the lesson and the truth are born of a lie, or of a need to convey a particular idea for someone to believe. They are deception in and of themselves.

"And yet that means there is a truth hidden there - the truth between lies!" Tatalia smirked, leaning backwards in her seat so much it squeaked in protest. The goblin lazily picked up a new book off her own pile. She glanced inside the religious tome with a pensive expression. "You find the lesson the author intended to teach, the message they wished to send, and in doing so can find the true heart of the text. It may be less pretty than it seems at first glance, but that is where the heart lies.

"Take a simple rumor about orc raiders coming out of the Marsh Flats," the goblin suggested, flipping through several pages in the book idly. "A hypothetical rumor, that is. It could be true that orcs are raiding, or it could be that orcs are not. Then you find the truth in what the rumor is meant to say... or, if nothing else, in what it reveals about the people that spread it, about who they're willing to cast as an enemy and what sort of people that makes them."

Tatalia found the passage she was looking for in her newest book, and for a moment she was excited. But after a few seconds of reading, she grew crestfallen. Then she just grew disgusted. The goblin smacked the book back down with a sigh.

"And sometimes," she grumbled, "all you learn is that whoever wrote this particular book is an absolute buffoon."

"And sometimes," she grumbled, "all you learn is that whoever wrote this particular book is an absolute buffoon."

    There is nothing I could do about it, I laughed at the end of her whole analysis. Not a small giggle, not a chuckle as I do sometimes. It was a good belly laugh. I quickly covered my mouth as I laughed, trying to not let out to much as to not disturb the others, but I also knew it was strong enough to be heard by my table buddy. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my laughter as I spoke, "I-i, pfft, can't agree, more. Haha!" I closed my mouth but it couldn't hide the bright and high reaching smile my face was holding. I let out a light cough as I pick back up my book, trying to find my place from before she spoke so clearly about her opinions over the church authors.

    I read a quote, "And hail the goddess Sylvia, ruler of seas, blessing use with abundance of fish and water travel." I shake my head with my smile, "There is so much flowery language when the only think she showed was water control and creating, nothing to do with animals in any stories that hold any weight for who she was." I point to the book I just read, "That one spoke of how she talked to the sea monsters to calm them while lesser beings travel, this one," I point to the book in my hands, "Speaks of how she attacked them as a distraction." Shut the book with a sigh, my laughing high finally over, "All I can say is the writing styles keep me entertained enough to keep browsing some books, even if they are entire fiction and it's blatantly obvious."

"The line between religious scripture and fictional writing is certainly a blurry one," the goblin mused with a little smile beneath her hood. "The Venn diagram for those two is suspiciously shaped like a circle at times, but far be it from me to tell someone how to express their faith."

Tatalia couldn't quite get the grin off her face. It was nice to have someone to banter with on such matters, certainly, and it was also nice to be able to make someone laugh like that. She'd expected their interaction to be a little... well, a little more confrontational early on, but it was turning out swimmingly! And she had to admit, she was curious about the other person. They were keeping some sort of secret...

But that's THEIR secret, not mine, Tatalia reminded herself. They'll tell it to me if they feel like it!

Instead of prying, the goblin decided it was time to be polite.

"I don't think I introduced myself earlier. Please, call me Tatalia the Explorer!" the little woman chimed, standing up in her seat to bow fancily to the other woman before plopping back down into her chair. The oversized robes gave her a little trouble sitting back down, but the disguise didn't fall off or anything like that, so the goblin didn't complain. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, by the way! Would you be willing to tell me what you're trying to research in particular, by chance? I happen to be something of a scholar, and I certainly wouldn't mind lending you an ear and maybe a helping research hand if you need it!"

It was a sincere offer. Tatalia really didn't think the church texts were going to help her discover some hidden truths about the gods and the past. Everything in the temple archives was just too... too clean. Everything was probably reviewed personally by one high priest or another, so the answers Tatalia sought wouldn't be there.

But the stranger...? Her questions could possibly be answered still. Why, it was possible Tatalia even knew an answer to a question she might have, simply because she'd spent so many years cooped up in a castle library! She wasn't supposed to be in that library and it mostly had storybooks, but she'd read everything, dangit!

    Her little bow was adorable, and as such, I follow their lead. I stand up in my seat, careful to not cause any disturbance as I do it, and do a curtsy to her with one hand lifting my skirt and the other on my chest. "My apologies, I am Keyke, Arcana of the Storm." I raise my head while in curtsy form. "A pleasure to officially meet you!" I let the smile spread on my face.

    I calmly flatten my skirt and lower myself lightly onto the chair as she speaks. I shake my head at the question, "It's no problem, my research is something common, but so lightly covered it's sad." I gesture to the books around me, "Believe it or not, the universes and the worlds beyond are what I look for. The world of where the gods, fae, and those in the in between. We know they are there, but because of the chaos in the area along with the sheer power those places held prevented casual travel but was broken by a stone. I mainly wanted to look into this because, I don't know if you have heard, but there was a huge dragon in the Ashlands that took a group of adventurers to take down, and now there's greenery over there!"

    I raise my hands to the air as in amazement, "Altering the permanent aspects of that region, holding a raw energy form, not to mention the number of hits it took in that battle to even get to that point. I get being resistant or immune to like fire only or something, but it was immune to the entire earth domain or magic and physical attacks." My eyes begin to look as if they are glowing as I talk more and more over the effects and abilities of the other places. Without realizing, those with even novice levels of magic could feel a raw energy build around me as my magic raises with my excitement.

"Huh! The study of other planes," mused the goblin, stroking her chin. "And specifically the study of them in relation to how they can affect our world, and the nigh deific entities that could dwell within them? I should think it's obvious why there's not too much research on the topic. I'm certain it's difficult to arrange an expedition to travel to the faerie realms, for example, and set up a meeting with their dignitaries!"

Despite joking about the impossibility of the research, Tatalia found herself feeling curious. She didn't bother cracking open one of the books between her and Keyke, but instead reached into her robes and pulled out an old, weathered map of Charon. She also thwapped her journal down onto the desk, and she started flipping pages rapidly, reviewing her own scrawled notes with a sort of feverish excitement.

"Yes, yes... near impossible to get any sort of study about that sort of thing! There's realistically only two places we could look, neither of which would be particularly easy to get the information out of," mused the goblin as she explained idea.

"The first option would be to seek a specialist on the Isle of Mages - from the Academy, most likely," mused the robed little woman, rubbing her hands together. "Getting a willing specialist would be a bit harder. You'd either need to do someone a favor or pay some astronomical fee to even get a chance to learn what you need. So... that's not really a viable option, even if it's technically one that exists. The second would be wherever that famous man Scern is, as I'd imagine he'd have some of your answers; however, I doubt we'll be able to find him. That limits our options a rather lot.

"Considering all that... I believe what you need to do is to seek more unorthodox sources!" Tatalia flashed a huge, toothy grin across at the other woman, her scarf actually slipping a bit and revealing her sharp, sharp teeth. "I'm not much of a mage myself, but... How do you feel about summoning? Or, say, about asking the dead some questions? I believe those are the most viable means to get answers in this sort of scenario!"

    My smile of excitement quickly turns to a grin, one that to an outsider would look happy, but to those that where paying close attention to her eyes, could see an almost predatory look in it. The sharp look as each word in response to the topic growing a feeling inside of me. A long pushed aside feeling for my own safety, in my mind, a gradual numbness takes over, quickly followed by a poking and prodding of needles along the areas. An itch and pain I have long learned was the breaking of my mental barriers to hold back my curious self. Quickly glance away to break the hyper focus, I see the sharp teeth, I let my smile grow more pleasant as I glance around as I speak. "In all honesty, I am neutral to it. It's magic, it's not inherently good or bad."

    I feel as the pressure eases off, draining away, compacting into the doll in my little bag that seems to be hidden behind my hair. I lift my finger as I keep my eyes glancing around, "Most locals here detest those practices, so I think we will need to speak a different way." I point to my head as a hint to what I plan to do; "Do I have your permission to use my magic on you to talk in a different way?"

So wrapped up was the goblin in her work that she didn't spot the warning signs that flashed on her conversation partner's face. Excitement had its grip on Tatalia as she both searched her own notes and listened eagerly to the other woman.

Tatalia had to admit, her curiosity was piqued the moment a magical means of communication was mentioned. She had been a little reckless to just openly talk about the matters she did in the temple, yes, but had she been given the option, she would probably have simply traded notes with her journal rather than tried to use some magical solution. But if there was a magical solution... well, Tatalia had to bear witness to it! She had to be subjected to it! Because if there was a more subtle means of communication, that could be incredibly useful!

The goblin cast one last quick series of glances around her to make sure nobody was watching. Fortunately, the archives were not so busy that day, and Tatalia had purposefully chosen a remote corner of the temple library to do her reading in... but it was still worth being cautious, just in case. 

"Very well," said Tatalia with a grin. "Let's see what this spell of yours is!"

Of course, Tatalia couldn't contain her curiosity. Before the other woman could use her magic, the goblin started asking questions excitedly.

"Is this going to be some sort of telepathy? Or perhaps something to do with the planes? I understand you have a fascination with the other planes; could it be that you have some sort of fae-related form of magical communication at your disposal? Goodness, I must know what has you so interested in the planes, but-"

The goblin cracked into a grin beneath her hood. Each word she spoke seemed to pick up her vocal pace, and she just grew giddier until she finally hit a breaking point. Then she composed herself, took a deep breath, and cleared her throat.

"Sorry! I'm rambling. Please, would you be so kind as to demonstrate this magical communication spell?"

    With a smile, I practice my first spell ever learned in an instant, no trace, no residue from magic power, or anything related to it. The only hint of something happening is my eyes barely glowing, with a color of shine that reveals a often looked over fact, showing her lack of pupils to any focusing on her eyes.¹ "You would be correct of a form of telepathy, it's a very basic spell from the space domain to allows communication in short distances." The voice is not the one you hear from my child body. It held a clear and deeper tone, octaves lower than my cheery child voice. Each word holding a monotone sound at the same time sounding almost in a sultry fashion. ²I nod and let the books flip open to different pages, all of them being with in my sights as they each land on a page that seemingly looks random, "If you can't tell, I had a fixation on mental spells when I was younger."

    ³I flick my wrist to summon two tea cups with a kettle steaming in front of us, and speak out loud in my kid voice, "Lets discuss this over some tea!" I with a little clap, I reach up and pour the tea before blowing and sipping on mine.

---

1. Message

2. Telepathy

3. Space Pocket

Tatalia had been giddy when she heard telepathic words in her mind, but the thing that really caught her attention was the scent coming from the teapot. It was... it was so familiar, so rich, a smell she hadn't enjoyed in a long time! It was one of the few true delicacies to come out of the Marsh Flats! It was-

"Bug tea!" the little goblin squeaked aloud with glee, her hands shaking with delight.

Bug tea, yes. It was a Marsh Flats specialty, one that outsiders were always asking questions about and never receiving an answer. It was well known to outsiders that bugs had to be involved in the process of making the tea. What they didn't know was that the process was actually very simple. All that was needed was some bugs, some tea leaves, and somewhere to store the bug feces after the bugs ate the tea leaves.

Yes, bug tea was made from bug feces, and that secret was closely guarded.

The end result was a truly powerful tea, one which was rich in flavor and quality, and Tatalia practically melted as soon as she picked up the scent. So enthralled was the little goblin that she entirely forgot the previous topic and the telepathic communication the other had started. She was too busy slurping down a rare and wonderful tea... made from bug dookie.