#earthrunes

It was the most amazing thing, the day the Bookwyrms vanished from their hoards. Bronte was no exception, actually GONE from Earth Runes, and not even to visit Zara's more modest library in her and Earl's home. No, she was out of STATE entirely.

And other librarians reported the same, other book collectors, "Where have the Bookwyrms gone?"

Naturally there was worry some poachers had done a massive scale operation.

But cantrips confirmed the Bookwyrms were alive, just... all centering in a specific location

Dozens, nay, welll over a hundred of them.

Zara... oh, certainly, SHE is scrying...

And so it is, Zara sees them, like little book obsessed fighter jets flying in formation In Nashville. Each bookwyrm goes to a memorial park to enter the mausoleum and pay their respects. Bookwyrms ARE Dragons, they bow to almost no one. But here? Here they bow. For few dragons have ever built up such a hoard, such a trove! And then... then SPREAD IT, like Seeds everywhere! The Dreamers born from this effort are legion, the glamour trailing about the globe. For her, for HER, the Bookwyrms bow.

And Bronte is no exception, as she bobs her head before the remnants of one of their most powerful allies and benefactors. She's known for Song by many but to the Bookwyrms as well as to children numbering a multitude? She was "Dolly Parton, the Book Lady"

Zara is not the only one scrying, and some kithain IN Nashville watch this mass gathering, a few weep, why even a sluagh might be moved to tears... but would be rude to conjecture so.

(End Scene)

Delores has made sure some funding has gone to the Imagination Library and new books continue to arrive for childlings over the barony.

And it must be said, she gets help doing it. Often from childlings.

This leads to another game... sneak a book into the library without Miss Zara OR her spiders noticing.

Nolan and Lily make a game of it.

Of course, one could just.. offer it up, let it be listed? But where is the fun in that?

Hardly fun at all.

The spiders are startled when their security is breached, someone released a dozen house flies in the hallways and... well, distractions!

Bronte's brief absence allows a bypass.

But can one sneak past a librarian? They need a distraction!

Zara might be scrying, but she does have sluagh senses.

Being childlings, they do not understand that spritzing Earl with a LOT of Cologne does not make him a LOT of a lure for Zara. Instead of him coming in wooing her? he sniffs himself outside the hall and goes 'What the heck?" And goes to shower.

Zara does smell someone is over doing the cologne outside the hall, but given her delicate senses it is not likely her desire to go sniff it out.

She can smell it quite well enough from here, thank you!

Lily tries to climb the ceiling to sneak in. Oh so sly, oh so... she nearly coughs at the stink cloud from the hallway.

(Percep plus Alertness for Zara, slaugh traits balance out so Dif 6)

The slightest tilt of her head, though she ostensibly has her eyes on her scrying crystal.

Lily is too proud to take charity, and having realized how poorly she did, scuttles BACKwards and out hissing quietly to herself.

Then Nolan just walks in, to return a book he had before.... he a acts nonchallant...

Zara realizes this is not stealth, this is trickery. So Eiluned.

But she's not sure of the ruse. The boy puts a book she knew about back, and leaves as if he's done naught.

She raises an eyebrow.

There's a soft hiss from the hallway, perhaps young Lily needs to learn to accept defeat more graciously? That does suggest however that somehow the boy snuck something by. Mmm

Zara gets the feeling she has missed something. Interesting. Earl's squire bears watching in the future.

She will investigate. But it behooves her to play it cool.

She checks later... oh that boy. He has swapped covers and snuck in a new one. This could lead to chaos, but arguably he DID sneak it in. Now if he doesnt' return the OTHER original book, there maybe consequences.

Oh - no, Nolan later will find a neatly-scribed "Past Due Notice" on his pillow, for the erstwhile volume.

And HE will there by get a lesson in what a true mistress of 'sneak' can do, for he'll likely wake up to it startled and never heard a thing.

Lily will feel a touch petty and pleased about that even if it wasn't her doing. Sluagh pride and all that.

(end Scene)