Ask The Pursuit of Knowledge

[Oigzienqea]

A goblin traveling alone wasn’t exactly an uncommon sight, but the steep mountains of Tor Ironith had proven to be taxing on one in particular. Strangely, Oigzienqea missed the company of humans and orcs, as odd as they may have been. Perhaps that was why the Myst had called her to Avsolom, to experience the magic of humanity and their odd customs. Regardless, the Myst had called to her once more, this time, separating her from the caravan she had been traveling with, though she reassured everyone that she would rejoin in time. When the magical entity called to her, she found herself compelled to obey. That was the only reason she would dare navigate the treacherous landscape alone. The sands of Cathwa she had grown accustomed to had swiftly been replaced with peaks featuring glimpses of vegetation and patches of grass, a far more familiar sight to the woman than the near endless dunes.

Armed only with her knowledge of magic and enough rations to last her a few days, Oigzienqea had spent much of the day propelling herself from rocky outcropping to rocky outcropping only to find her feet on the peaks of mountains. From there, she used her control over wind magic to help propel and glide her to the next mountain upon which she could find her footing. The trek was tiresome, but Oigzienqea believed it to be rewarding; her magical prowess grew with each cast she made. Even still, the goblin followed the currents of magic the Myst had laid out to guide her with and within a day and a half, found the intoxicating buzz grow stronger. The woman was close, she could feel it. To the west, she could see rivers of magma flowing into the desert while to the east, she could see verdant grassland and forests. The juxtaposition was an interesting sight; something within the woman stirred. Was this what the mortals called ‘awe?’

As she crossed her last peak, the goblin saw it: What appeared to be a vast library hidden from the common person’s view. Perhaps she could see it, given her vantage point, or perhaps, she could see through whatever magic was implemented to protect it. Regardless, this was what the Myst was calling her towards; she could feel it radiating all around it, calling to her with its cloying sweet aroma. As she looked over it, she produced a piece of jerky from the human-sized rucksack she had taken with her. Tearing into it with her sharp teeth, the goblin seemed pensive.

The library did not appear to be something someone simply walked into unannounced. Humans and orcs had their customs, but the energy surrounding the library felt different, like something she had yet to encounter during her time on Avsolom. Still, it hummed with a feeling similar to that of humans, albeit different. Perhaps this breed of beings might prove to be more welcoming than the others; humans tended to be, once they got past their skepticism and xenophobic ways. Or perhaps, this breed would be less welcoming and there would be a repeat of what happened in the oasis.

Either way, the goblin was certain of one thing: The beings of Avsolom were a strange bunch. Oigzienqea could only fathom how well she would fare amongst this new group. As she finished her jerky, the goblin produced a waterskin and waved her hand, refilling it before taking a swig and debating her options of approach. One was to simply observe from her vantage point until she could verify that the library’s denizens were friendly, while the other was to wait until dark and sneak in. Despite whichever she chose, Oigzienqea knew one thing for certain: She needed to rest.

Samaelkor

 

[Samaelkor]

Thump. Thump. Thump. The beats of a mighty pair of wings would likely distract Oig from her thoughts as a large red-scaled dragon loomed over her. He was huge compared to the puny goblin, of course, although the dragon didn't seem to be a threat. He, in fact, circled a few times above her, and then landed, making the ground underneath himself shake from his several tons of mass. His wings neatly folded themselves on his back, and he leaned down his head, putting it at roughly her same eye level, observing her. His warm breath smelled of sulphur and carbonized meat, although there was also a slightly... sweet note to it, oddly enough. Maybe he chewed on some kind of herb to keep his breath to smell too much?

The dragon observed her for a while, and then said, with a deep, gravelly voice: "Well well well, may I ask what a goblin is doing alone here on these mountains? My name's Samaelkor, and I am the Guardian of Knowledge of the Krynn Library of Knowledge." Once he said so, he sat down, still looking at her. His expression was neutral, but there was a little hint of mistrust. Maybe he was just wary.

 

[Oigzienqea]

The dragon circling over Oigzienqea didn’t seem to alarm her. In fact, it was almost as if she sensed its presence upon her approach to the library. She continued to sit, pondering her thoughts as if ignoring its looming presence. In reality, she was fully aware of it, though rather than gaze toward the encircling creature, she kept her pupil-less gazed turned towards the library below the edge of the peak. It was only once the creature landed upon the mountain, its massive visage shaking the very ground upon which its weight landed, that the goblin turned her attention towards it as the being addressed her.

“I am Oigzienqea,” she responded, using her native tongue. To those unversed in the goblin tongue, it would sound like a string of gibberish; her own name was difficult enough for non-native speakers to say. However, following the series of harsh sounds that may very well have been mistaken for a coughing fit, she addressed the dragon in the tongue common to those who lived in the world of Avsolom. “People here call me Oig.” She paused for a moment, surveying the dragon, as if examining him like one might a tome or text. “Sa-mael-kor.” She repeated, almost perplexed. “Not a human name. Different sequencing of speech. Interesting.” She continued to observe him, almost to the point to where she nearly seemed to stare into his very soul.

“Guardian... Library?” The words were foreign, the goblin seemed uncertain. Should she divulge her purpose here? The dragon’s demeanor wasn’t particularly threatening, but Oigzienqea had grown to understand humans and that all shouldn’t be trusted. Some information shouldn’t be divulged, but the Myst… The Myst spoke to her, sending a wave of encouragement shuddering through her body.

“The…” She paused, the next word was difficult for her to say. The goblin possessed some sort of accent, though its origins were difficult to determine. Some words sounded like the Cathwa dialect, while other words, whether unknown or difficult to say, rolled off her tongue in a similar way to that of her native tongue. “...Myst, it asked me to come here. It has been testing me. Teaching me. New ways of life, yes?”

 

[Samaelkor]

The large dragon listened to her, humming some. "The Myst guided you here? Interesting, I daresay. Perhaps it wanted you to search for something in particular in our library. Allow me to accompany you inside, hm?" he said, and a flash of light surrounded them for a few instants.

As the flash faded, she found herself in front of the enormous gates of the library, with an elf with red eyes and scales covering his ears, hands and forearms at her side. He smiled and offered her a hand. "Welcome to my home" the elf said. His voice was the dragon's just a bit more high-pitched, more fitting for his current form. It looked like the dragon had quite the magical knowledge.

Wess

 

[Oigzienqea]

The magic of the dragon was strange; Oigzienqea had known that since she had sensed him. As he began to cast his teleportation spell, she felt the Myst tug upon her body gently, as if to relax her from any fears she might be experiencing and encouraged her not to resist his magic. Seconds later, she stood beneath the gates of the library, their massive size further dwarfing the short gobliness. She cocked her head to one side, studying the details of her surroundings, apparently least of all interested in the new form the dragon took.

If she was shocked, it didn’t show; her pupil-less eyes finally turned their gaze towards him as he spoke as if staring into his core, his very soul. “Thank you.” She responded, shifting her weight almost uncomfortably. Part of her felt like she was expected to say more and talk about how magnificent the structure was – that’s what humans, particularly the pompous ones with their grand displays and odd customs that defined nobility.

Turning her attention back towards the gates, she took a step forward then paused. The pull of the Myst had left her; she was at her destination, but she was left in the dark when it came to why she was here. The library seemed expansive enough; there were plenty of tomes she could research. Spells she could learn. And while that all seemed interesting to her, Oigzienqea had never needed to be taught magic; it came naturally her. So why was it that the Myst had brought her here? Left to her ponderings, Oigzienqea seemed to remain completely still, as if using all of her energy to rack through her brain. Synapses fired left and right, untold situations and scenarios began to unfold in a fit of mass prediction, and within a few seconds, she turned back in the direction of the dragon, now turned scaly-elf.

“Information on the people of this world. You have information, yes?”

 

[Samaelkor]

The elf chuckled lightly at the goblin's question, then gently took her hand and led her towards the gates. "Oh, you have no idea. Our library is the biggest collection of knowledge coming from all across Avsolom you'd find. We have books from all the realms, all sorts of treaties, essays, fiction, studies... if you need a book, you'll certainly find it here. We also gather forbidden knowledge and arts, because our order believes that even forbidden lore should be kept: you never know when it can be useful, no?"