Onestar pushed the wooden door all the way open. Unsure of what they'd find inside, the officers of the Eternal Wanderer stood, spells and swords at the ready, and peered carefully into...
A library?
"What the devil is this?" Blaise asked.
The door opened into a huge chamber. Bathed in daylight from large glass skylights above, they were now standing at the rear of an extremely large, seeming endless chamber. It's walls were off-white, and there were shelves upon shelves of books.
Down one corridor was a desk. Made of the finest vallenwood, it's rich dark cherry color glowed from the light. Resting on top of it was a large scrying crystal, several smaller tomes, parchment, writing quills and ink. A leather padded vallenwood chair sat behind the desk, slightly away.
"This is... magnificent," Crystal said. Onestar and Hall both stood, mouths hanging open.
"Do you know where we are?" Hall asked, looking down the rows upon of books.
"It cannot be," Onestar replied, his voice a whisper. "It cannot be."
"What cannot be?" Belieth replied, nudging Hall in the arm. "Will one of you answer me!"
"Belieth, this is Lord Monitor's Repository of Knowledge," Onestar replied. Hall walked over to one of the shelves, gently removed one of the tomes, and began to inspect it.
"The Repository disappeared shortly before we left the Rock. No one knows what became of it. It simply vanished. Many believed it to be another act of vandalism of the GATH."
"This is the Repository, all right," Hall replied. "I spent one week here, two years back, as a guest of Lord Monitor's. Onestar was away on a mission in Heartspace, so Lord Monitor invited me...I can't believe this." Hall replaced the tome and began walking around, looking over the shelves. Onestar made his way to the desk.
"Hall, Onestar, come in for a landing, will you?" Belieth asked. She, Crystal and Blaise stared at the pair of seasoned adventurers as they wander around in a daze. Questions needed to be answered. Blaise walked quickly, passing Onestar as he stopped to look at another book, and examined the crystal on the desk.
"Crystal, would you look at this please?" Blaise asked, and the elven bard joined him a few seconds later. "This looks like some sort of retrieval crystal, but I can't be sure. Could you possibly use a legend/lore spell on it?"
"I'll try." Crystal closed her eyes and placed both hands on the orb. Moments passed as Crystal tried to read something from the object. Suddenly, it began to glow to life. The elf maiden opened her eyes and stepped back in slight shock. The orb pulsed with a reddish glow, and inside, words began to form.
MRRTS ON LINE. FUNCTION?
"What is that thing?" Belieth said as she walked over to the desk. Onestar and Hall were still wandering about in a daze.
"It seems to be some sort of database," Crystal said, "but I have no idea what that means."
"It's probably an anagram for something. Since this was Lord Monitor's Repository, I imagine the first two letters stand for Monitor Repository. The last three..."
(The last three, good sir, stand for Retrieval Tracking System.)
Blaise, Belieth and Crystal snapped when they heard the voice.
"Who said that?" Belieth said, moving her hands like she was preparing a spell.
(You need not be alarmed, Lady Belieth Dargass. I am what you might call...a librarian.)
A light green mist slowly rose from the floor behind the desk. It began to take shape... humanoid shape, slightly taller than five foot in height. The mist condensed, becoming a light-green skinned male humanoid, wearing baggy pants, pointed shoes, a white shirt (buttoned to the top with a plaid bow-tie), and round rimmed glasses. His eyes were wide, his white hair ruffled and all over the place, and his ears were pointed.
(Greetings, and welcome to Lord Monitor's Repository. I am Arator. How may I serve you.)
"Amazing. Truly amazing." Hall walked right past Arator without noticing him, still looking around at the books.
(It seems your husband is quite enamored with our collection.) Arator said with a slight laugh.
"Arator," Crystal began, unsure of what to say, "where did you say we were?"
(We are in Lord Monitor's Repository of Knowledge, Crystal Ravenheart.) Just then, Onestar walked past Crystal. She grabbed his arm, trying to get the samurai's attention focused on the strange creature standing before them.
(Ah, I see you have won the samurai's affections,) Arator commented, clapping his small hands quickly. (Lord Monitor will be pleased. It is just as he predicted.)
"Whaaa..." Onestar said, finally remembering what was going on. He looked at Crystal who pointed her head Arator's direction, then shook it a few times. Her eyes narrowed, and her lips curled into a frown.
(I bring you greetings from Lord Monitor, Captain Onestar of the Eternal Wanderer.) Arator bowed as he spoke. Onestar finally noticed the green man bowing before him. Returning the bow, Arator's words finally sunk in.
"Arator? The Repository?" Onestar shook his head for a moment. "Forgive me, Arator, but what the hell are you doing here."
As Arator began to explain what was happening, Belieth took off to find Hall. She turned down row after row of books, checking both sides of each aisle for her husband. Finally, she found him sitting at a small table (which seemed to just be an extension of the floor), looking over a very, very old book.
"Hall-ee-mor Dargess, what in the nine hells are you doing?" Belieth asked, hoping to get some reaction from her husband. All she could sense from him was a strange combination of joy, wonder, and curiosity as he poured over the tome.
"truly amazing... truly amazing. one of darran-koor's lost spellbooks. how did he ever get this here?"
"HALL!" Belieth shouted, which seemed to vibrate off every book and every shelf. Off in the distance, Blaise stuck his head around a corner to check out what was wrong. Hall just blinked a couple of times, shook his head, and looked around for what made the noise. His eyes widened when he saw Belieth, hands on her hips, tapping her foot, scowling at him.
"Honey, you're here! You should see this! It's one of Darran-Koor's old logs, with some of his lost spells! It's got information on the Nimar in here! This is great!" He looked at her, hoping she would share his enthusiasm, but only saw that same scowl.
"Belieth?" he asked, standing, "is something wrong? And why are you wearing your bathrobe in public?"
Off in the distance, Blaise grinned.
"Hall, do you have any idea where you are?"
Hall just stood there for a second. He looked around, a blank look on his face. For a minute, he stood there silently.
"Un, I'm in a library?" he finally answered quietly.
"Which library?" Belieth replied, a slight amount of frustration in her voice.
"Well..." Hall answered. "I'm not sure."
"Tell me, Hall, do they often let patrons into libraries with only a smoking jacket and a smile?" Belieth stood back and watched the fun. Hall wrinkled his brow, frowned and thought about what she said. Then he looked down and saw what he was wearing, then looked Belieth over. It was at that point his eyes widened as he understood what was going on.
"That's better," Belieth said, grinning. "Come on, honey, let's see if someone knows what's going on around here."
Hall replaced the tome and followed Belieth back to the main desk. Crystal was sitting, with Onestar standing over her. Blaise was off to the side, leaning his tall frame against one of the bookshelves.
"...truly amazing." Onestar looked over at the returning half-elves. "Hall, Belieth, come here," Onestar said, waiving them forward. Arator stood before the bard, arms behind his back.
"This really is the Repository, Hall," Onestar began to explain. "It seems Lord Monitor was more powerful than anyone gave him credit. He created a pocket dimension..." (Hall and Belieth's jaws fell open as Onestar said those words) "...and shifted the entire collection, along with a few other 'hidden' collections, inside it. He then established where one could enter...the door in your library."
(Naturally, should you ever decide to leave the Dreadnought, for whatever reason, you may take the door with you,) Arator added. He then opened the desk and removed a pair of silver keys. (These are the keys to the locks, one for you, Mister Dargass, and one for the captain.)
"And what do I do with this?" Hall asked.
(If you ever need to know, you'll know,) Arator replied.
"Just like Lord Monitor," Onestar added. "Only tells you just enough."
"This is all well and good," Belieth started, "but, forgive me Arator, what are you?"
(I am what is commonly referred to as a 'tasked genie'. Once upon a time, I was Jann, but over the years I spent so much time on one task that I've... changed. Through an agreement with Lord Monitor, I has agreed to be caretaker of the Repository.)
"'Tasked genie'?" Hall asked.
"I've heard of them," Blaise replied, stepping over to the desk. "They're most commonly used in Zakhara, a small island on Toril. Powerful mages make arrangements with genies to take care of things, bind them to service, whatever. Usually, it's a standard contract, one party provides a service for the other. The Arcane have tried for years to get a tasked genie, but to no avail. It seems they have no interest in spacefaring ventures."
"You're," Belieth laughed, pointing at Arator, "a genie."
(Yes, I am ma'am.) Arator, folded his hands in front of him. (Do you need me to prove this?)
"Maybe later," Onestar interrupted. "For now, I think it's time we tested this new... extension on the ship."
Sometime later, the senior staff of the Eternal Wanderer met in Onestar's office. Onestar sat behind his desk, with Blaise leaning against the wall to the samurai's right. Hall sat in his usual chair beside the desk, with Belieth standing right behind him. Ville, Illeria and Phantom sat on the couch across from Onestar' desk. Crystal was manning the helm, but managed to listen in on the conversation. Meridian stood near a portal, looking off into Wildspace.
"...So it would appear the Repository takes up no additional space. The helm isn't affected by it. Hells, Eloiela was on the helm and didn't even know it was there!"
"Thanks, Phantom," Onestar commented. "It seems that Arator, the genie/librarian in charge of the Repository, cannot leave it for any length of time. He says that he may leave for one hour per standard day, but to stay away any longer may have profound adverse effects."
"That's the reason why he's not here," Hall continued. "Besides, it is a dimensional pocket. We'll have to remember not to be inside it when we hit the Phlogiston."
"How?" Meridian asked, looking at the samurai.
Onestar gave the kenku a long look. Meridian was known for giving short, to the point statements when anyone else was around, but the samurai was an old friend. Usually, if the two of them were alone, it was rumored he could speak volumes.
"If you mean how'd it end up here, I don't know," Onestar replied. "If you're asking how the dimensional pocket was created, (Meridian merely nodded), according to Arator, Lord Monitor did it."
The Kenku's jaw dropped, as did most of the others.
"That's impossible," Ville replied. "I mean, I don't know that much about spellcasting, but I do know mortals can't toss around spells of that much power!"
"You're right, Ville," Hall replied, "mortals can't. But Lord Monitor isn't a mortal."
"Lord Monitor," Onestar continued, "is a magi. They're a race of immortal spellmasters. Once they learn a spell, they never have to study it again. Rumor has it they can cast a powerful spell, and within minutes, cast another just as powerful. They make the Nimar, forgive me for this Hall, look very weak."
"That's all right," Hall laughed. "Try telling that to a Black Nimar!"
"It is fortunate," Onestar continued, "that there are but a handful of Magi. It isn't something that can be learned: one is born a magi, not made."
"What now?" Belieth asked.
"We continue on to Omnispace," Onestar commented, "but first, we still have to stop at Toram. Crystal, how far out are we?"
[Still another day's travel at Spelljamming Speeds, Captain.] Crystal's voice seemed to emanate from Onestar's desk.
"Very well," Onestar said. "As a precaution, I want all shifts to be armed at all times. I want whoever is on the helm to report anything unusual, no matter how insignificant it may seem. I want all crewmembers to be ready for anything. After Colicor's last attack, he has all but admitted he's gunning for me. I don't doubt that for a second he will stop before one of us is dead."
"Onestar," Hall said, "I know you're not going to like this, but I'd like a chance to look over the repository for a while."
Onestar grimaced. It was unlike Hall to ask permission, since anytime he did, he knew what Onestar's answer would be.
"I'd rather you didn't, old friend," Onestar replied. "I know you're dying to get in there, and look around, but I want you out here. We can't seem to contact anyone in there, the helmsman doesn't register them as being on the ship. There will be time to check out the collection later. I promise. I need you out here right now."
"I understand," Hall compromised.
"And I'll make sure he stays out of there, Onestar," Belieth said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"All right. You have your instructions. Let's go."
