[The Library]Of Runes and Writings

by **Crylon Stonecraft** on June 9th, 2019, 3:16 pm

2 Summer 519

Heading through Stumble Alley to get to the Library, Crylon once more marveled at the silence.

This part of the city seemed mostly abandoned, odd since so many other parts were filled with people and action. This part seemed quiet, sedate, hushed. Like a grave, his mind related. The thought gave him a momentary shudder as he walked down the road, leaving him to wonder what sort of people would have lived here. And what could have happened to make it as it was now.

When he got to the Library he quickly made his way inside, not wanting to dally out in the open air.

Then it was time once again for the same thing he always did when entering the library here. Research. Breezing through many books, mostly full of nonsense or useless information, in an attempt to find something of use.

Then once he found something of use, digging in deeply and reading it more in depth. Often he could spend bells, or maybe even a full day, and find only one good book to read. Other times he would find several in a short span, though this was much more rare.

The entire building was packed with books, often being moved or swapped about, and as far as he could tell there was no particular order to them. This left him with little better method than picking one at random.

Heading into a small area off to the side, more of an odd nook due to how the rooms were shaped, Crylon began his search.

Some element of him however as he paused and looked about, perhaps his trained Architects mind, had a gut feeling something was off about the room and building. What that was he had yet to figure out. But something was not quite right or as it seemed, and he knew if he visited enough times it would come to him. This feeling rose once more, stronger than ever as he considered the odd shape of the nook.

Shaking off the feeling once more, Crylon grabbed a book, and readied himself to peruse it. But as he did, he noticed something odd. A slim book stuck out just a bit from the spot he had made open by removing this book. It was a book which had fallen behind the others, wedged between the wall and the bookshelf itself.

Pulling out a few more books Crylon widened the opening, being careful not to let the book fall clear. If that happened he would need to move the entire bookcase to get at it. Carefully he extracted more books, till he could see the entire top of the book. Then he carefully pushed on the book, wedging his hand around the side to try and move it sideways and up. At first it did nothing, but then slowly it began to budge. A bit more. A bit more.

He had to stop to remove some more books twice, but within a few chimes he had the book slid up enough to pop out and freely lay on the bookcase.

Noting his position Crylon set aside the book he had found, and then began replacing the other books he had removed from the bookcase.

Once he finished this he turned and picked up the book, his eyes landing on the spine. It was at that moment he froze, uncertainty and confusion overcoming him. For on the spine of the book, inscribed quite clearly, was an Isurian rune. It was the rune of his own family, the Stonecraft family. Here, in a book in the library in Sunberth. A place that, as far as he had been told from speaking to family members before leaving Sultros, had never been visited by his family.

WC: 628

by **Crylon Stonecraft** on June 9th, 2019, 11:19 pm

Crylon looked at the book and the rune inscribed on its spine, unsure what to think. That it was his families rune was clear. Crylon had been away from Sultros for awhile, but he had grown up reading Isurian runes and knew them far better than common.

But it did not make sense, seeing as no other Isur of his family had been to Sunberth. He had asked before leaving where all his family had ventured, and had purposely gone to places they had not.

Syliras. Zeltiva. One had even spent some time in Nyka. These were all places his family had ventured to before. But never Ravok. Never Sunberth. It was partly why he was here now, along with having learned quite a bit while in Ravok and wanting to breath a bit more freely than he did in its religiously tense atmosphere.

But if someone from his family had been here before... Cutting off the line of thinking, Crylon decided to put off judgement. Perhaps it was simply a fluke. A book that had ended up in Sunberth, as odd as that would be. Or perhaps from someone who had met a member of his family, and had written and left the book in Sunberth. Or, Crylon thought, perhaps it was simply someone who had obtained and item forged by a member of his family, or a structure they had built, and they had seen the symbol of the rune and thought it a nice marker for a book end. Yes, that was likely it.

Feeling silly for jumping to conclusions, Crylon decided to look inside.

The first page was blank. And the second... Crylon paused again as he looked a the book.

The second was filled in neat Isurian runes, marked across the page. Written no doubt by an Isur, for while it was rare for a foreigner to learn his peoples tongue... Learning their written language was even more rare. No, this had been written by an Isur no doubt, Crylon was sure. And by the marking, a member of his family. Not just an Isur. Not just a Pitrius Isur. But a Pitrius Isur of the Stonecraft family. His own family.

Looking more closely, Crylon noted that the book was not new. It did not look like the book was a day old, no it looked like it was likely closer to a century since it had been inked. Though, Crylon had to admit to himself, that was a rather wide margin and he was no expert in such things. But it surely looked old. Reading the first passage, it appeared to be some sort of journal. Likely meant for no other reason than to jog ones own memory of what was read. For the writer and no one else.

Looking down at the page Crylon scanned the words, wondering at what it said.

“I entered the city today, like a giant smoldering garbage pile. Literally, I saw smoke as I entered and I think half of the place is on fire. If the alternative was not staying on the boat... Well... Izurdin be praised for sturdy boats, those Zeltivans can make decent floating tubs even if they do not know how to build a proper building. Well, except some of the old ones, some of those are not bad. But the old ones that have been repaired, no style, no cleanness. Like a duck who lost some feathers, and replaced them with leather. And they call them fixed.”

Crylon could not help smiling despite himself, finding another Isur who had a similar penchant for metaphor and comparisons. Even somewhat silly off topic ones. It seemed from examination this was a journal began when reaching a new city, Sunberth. He did not see any name, but then if it was written for oneself, it would not have any. Crylon continued on reading for a bit, wondering at what he had found.

WC: 656

by **Crylon Stonecraft** on June 9th, 2019, 11:41 pm

As he read on, it became more and more clear that this person writing was an Isur. And one he felt... Familiar with. Which was odd, since he had never even heard of such a Stonecraft to have come here, and did not know their name.

“Well, once I got further inside, I saw just how bad it was. I did not believe the sailors, though admittedly when they told me about the place I was heaving over the rail and was not fully listening. Some human tried to mug me on the way to the inn I would be taking room in. Little more than a hovel once I got there, but four walls and a roof to keep out the weather seemed to these peoples standards a full formed citadel. He went down easy, one punch to the jaw and he was on the ground. Shattered it I think, though serves him right for trying to stick his hands where they did not belong. Break one bone, to save the next three from trying.”

A bit dark. A bit angry. He could see some of what the person meant, though this was clearly someone not so forgiving as he was. Not so willing to be open with the humans, not so hopeful that they could change. Or perhaps simply more experienced than he was in his own youth. Hardly sixty years old, barely an adult by Isur measures.

Not unwilling to show force. Though he had not killed the man for trying to rob him, which was something he had seen other Sunberthians do. So perhaps... Reading on, Crylon scanned to the bottom of the page.

“Well I will sleep tonight, and go to meet my contact tomorrow. He has spent some time on Sahova, and can perhaps tell me more of the place and those rotting bodies before I venture there. And there were no direct boats from Zeltiva when I left, something about something or other the humans explained which did not seem much better than an excuse. But it is but a short ride to Sahova, and perhaps I can be there sooner rather than later.”

Sahova, the name pricked something in Crylons mind. He had heard of the place before, something about an island full of the undead, but little more than that. Walking rotting corpses from the words he had read. And apparently this Isur was to head there. And it was close to Sunberth. He was not sure though that such a place would be of interest to him. If Isur prided themselves on their body as a sign of devotion to Izurdin, then walking rotting corpses were surely the opposite of what he strove for.

Shutting the book gently, Crylon headed back to the front to find the single worker he usually saw within the library. Perhaps she could tell him where the book had come from, or some hint of its provenance.

WC: 492

by **Crylon Stonecraft** on June 10th, 2019, 11:45 pm

Heading to the front, Crylon set the book down on a table and caught the human woman's eye. She seemed learned, but did not likely know Isur, the tongue or the written language.

Speaking in common, Crylon pointed at the rune on the spine of the book.

“This book, is by person... Think my family. Family symbol. Is now where found book? Where come from?”

Staring him in the eyes for a few moments, the human woman took up the book, gazing at it as deeply as she had met Crylon's eyes. She rubbed a finger down the spine, opened the book to a random page and did likewise with the paper. She even seemed to scan a few pages, though if she understood anything she did not give it away.

Finally with a shrug, she set the book aside.

“Yeah, I vaguely recall, don't find books this worn and old too often. I think someone found it, tried to sell it to me. Got it from one of the buildings close to here. Broke in, ended up with this. But I cannot recall who took it, or from where. You might want to check the buildings on the street, maybe you'll find something. Just don't go getting lost on Stumble Alley. Alright? You want a copy of this?”

For a moment Crylon paused, considering insisting on keeping it, but then thought better of it. It was in her possession. And it seemed safe enough. And none but an Isur would understand it... Letting out a sigh, Crylon nodded to the woman.

“Yes, copy. Thanks.”

With a nod the woman nodded, taking a moment to think before continuing. “Right. I can make a copy for... Twenty gold mizas. And I will need a few days, since it is not in common.”

With a nod Crylon let go of the book, and headed for the exit. He would need to search the street, but looking for things in a different manner than his prior searches. Now he was searching for signs of his family, and of Isur. Workmanship. Runes. Whatever might indicate that he had found the place.

Heading down the street, Crylon wondered how he had not found such a thing in his prior searches. But then, when looking about the street he had been searching for building features in trying to find the library. He had not been looking for Isurian workmanship, or signs of his family.

Now he was informed of just that, and so was searching out just such features.

WC: 423

by **Crylon Stonecraft** on June 11th, 2019, 12:16 am

Heading up and down the street, Crylon focused his attention differently than before. Small details. Features. Things which hinted at what he wanted to find.

Most of the buildings were in general disrepair, but that was not what he was searching for. An older building. By the nature of the book, he was fairly certain his family member had been in Sunberth long ago, or long ago by human measures. So if worked on by an Isur, then logically it would be an old building... But one still in generally decent repair compared to others.

Something made well, Crylon reminded himself, could last much longer. Even longer than something made much more recently, but more poorly. But then, the issue was telling the difference between damage due to age and time versus just bad work. The latter was much more common in the city from Crylon's experience.

One building had a open side, a hole in the wall where some kind of animal had made its nest inside of what had once been a room of some sort. It was in far too bad repair to tell more, but clearly not what he was seeking.

Another building further down the street looked newew, but also poorer. Random bits of things closing holes, and the walls where the holes gaped were little better. Not anyhting a decent Isur would make.

It was almost a bell later, when something caught his eyes. Akin to a butcher eyeing a beast and getting a sense of its bones, so Crylon could see the bones of the structure. This one had strong bones, even if it had seen better days.

What was more, it had strong columns at the corners which held up the roof. Columns that would not look too far off in Sultros. Ones that had a vague similarity to ones he had seen before. The building, with some work and supplies, could be fixed to working order. It was simply old. The windows busted in. The walls grimed and in need of fresh paint which had peeled. Boards that had swollen and shrunk in the weather, and never been replaced. A wound which had festered over time with neglect.

And there it was. On the lintel of the front door, his families rune. Stonecraft in Isurian.

The door frame and lintel where intact, but the door was damaged and did not shut properly. The hinges were old and damaged, the door itself likely needed replacing. With a grasp of his left arm and a groan of metal, the door pulled open with protest.

Inside where what had once been leather furniture of some sort, now molded and seeded. A nest of some smaller critter which had clawed and bitten it. But there, a table which would fit perfectly in an Isurian home if the legs had not been chewed up and one almost completely off. A cabinet just the right size for an adult Isur to reach and place something on the top shelf. If it still had a door covering it.

He quickly went through each room, but did not find much more. A few pieces of furniture, broken bits of ceramic and glass. Anything of value had long since been pilfered.

With a sigh Crylon headed out of the building, vowing to return another time to check it more closely. But this had clearly once been the abode of an Isur. Though what they had been doing there Crylon could not tell. Or, Crylon thought, why they had not told anyone back home that they had come to the city when they had clearly spent time here.

A few days later Crylon returned to the library, paying the woman and taking his copied book. But first he took one last look at the original, opening the cover. There he saw something he had not seen before. A date. Smudged, hard to read. But the year... The year looked like it was... 450 something? 453? 454? 450 something. Regardless, the book was around 65 years old. Around 65 years or so ago regardless when the date had been put on it. What, Crylon pondered to himself as he returned the book to its hiding place almost falling behind a bookshelf, had been happening in Sunberth then? And what man from Sahova had his family member been meeting then?

WC: 727

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