Solo Blueholme: Second Delve (Part 2 of 3)

This continues the previous post:

https://aloneinthelabyrinth.blogspot.com/2025/12/solo-blueholme-second-delve-part-1-of.html

Illustration by Alec Sorenson

Aged philologist and wannabe wizard POLSTRUM had organised a second delve into the STYGIAN LIBRARY after previously failing to retrieve MAZIRIAN’S GRIMOIRE. In addition to his faithful servant, MAREK, he has enlisted the aid of the following adventurers:

• Larkin (Eliza Larkinkis), fighter 1
• Sirka, changeling fighter-mage 1/1
• Bastien, fighter 1
• The Yellow Librarian (charmed by Sirka)

Additionally, two oarty members—the thief KURDT and the fighter EMMELINE—were slain by Yellow and Red Order Livrarians.

Turn 19

Depth: 9

Lantern: (remaining): Larkin (9 turns), Marek (4 turns)

Location (detail): Printing Press (scrolls)
Event: Find an extraordinary book!

While Marek and Polstrum scour the scrolls for any useful information, the party poke around hoping to unveil something useful amid the din of the printing machines. Bastien finds something potentially interesting and passes it to Larkin: a book detailing the secret techniques of oriental assassins. She wonders if this might be useful to Kurdt... before remembering he's dead, and then remembering that Emmeline is, too. And Rupert. And Ser Ingo... she winces.

Then again, she's just found a book that just might clear her debt with the Thieves' Guild. The party continues.
Progress: 24

Turn 20

Depth: 10

Lantern: (remaining): Larkin (8 turns), Marek (3 turns)

Location (detail): Infernal Gateway (Letters)
Event: Gust of wind extinguishes light sources!

THIS ROOM CONTAINS A SINGLE HUGE HORRIBLE DOORWAY IN ADDITION TO THE NORMAL EXITS. Made of gnarled dark wood set into a stone frame, with black iron hinges and a sturdy lock. The whole thing—door, frame and lock—is engraved with the sort of horrible sigils that hurt to look at for too long. The doorway leads to Hell.

Schmidt knows exactly what this doorway is: he holds up his symbol solemnly. Larkin and Bastien are visibly disturbed, while Sirka's attention flits between the doorway and Schmidt, both of whom seem somehow ridiculous to her. Marek and Polstrum search through the stacks of letters for any reference to Mazirian.

Each turn, I roll to see if a devil emerges from the gateway to hell. On this occasion they do not, but I enact the random event, and a gust of wind blows from the gateway to hell, putting out the lanterns.

The party are incredibly spooked: besides which, there's no sign of correspondence from Mazirian,

Progress: 24

Turn 21

Depth: 11

Lantern: (remaining): Larkin (7 turns), Marek (2 turns)

Location (detail): Paper Beehive (Portcullis)

Event: ?

The location lies behind a huge portcullis that must be broken down or have the lock picked. Cunning or strange solutions could be found—if the party can’t get through, they must go back to the previous location.

Beyond the portcullis the library is infested with bees: 8, to be precise. Polstrum spies what can only be a magic wand upon a pedestal, and asks the party to break the portcullis down. The Yellow Librarian is unimpressed, forcing Sirka to smooth things over but suggesting they try the key they found upon the neurovore: sadly, it is not the right key. They're forced to backtrack
Progress: 24

Turn 22

Depth: 10

Lantern: (remaining): Larkin (6 turns), Marek (1 turns)

Location (detail): Infernal Gateway (Letters)
Event: Something returns to its lair...

Reaching the Infernal Gateway at the same time as 3 Lantern Bearers would usually be a recipe for disaster: these cursed former-thieves are on the look-out for library looters. Fortunately, the Yellow Librarian (prompted by Sirka) is able to smooth things over while the rest of the party look for an alternative route into the libraries depths. Marek refills his lantern with a flask of oil. No devil present.

Progress: 24

 

Turn 23

Depth: 11

Lantern: (remaining): Larkin (5 turns), Marek (24 turns)

Location (detail): Infernal Gateway (Letters)... again?
Event: Fight spills into the room!

Bastien begins to panic: they've left one room to emerge in one that appears almost identical. Schmidt is stoic, but mutters that they may already be in a hell. Polstrum notes some subtle differences that enable everyone to calm down just a little... in time for a bizarre fight to spill into the room.

3 animate books are battling 5 crawling things: 

Improbable chimeric organisms that should not be biologically viable, and yet somehow live—twitching, shuddering, crawling. Driven by glitching muscle memory and scrambled genetic instincts. A broken democracy of mismatched anatomies. Tragically incomplete.

The 3 books are wrestling 3 of the crawling things, leaving two to creep and crawl their way towards the party... 

The slow-moving things are picked off with ranged attacks, but the Yellow Librarian insists that the books are not harmed so they can be restored. This means the remaining crawling things have to be dealt with by hand, which is fine until an animate book attaches itself to Schmidt. Fortunately he escapes with only minor scratches.

The party continues to delve deeper, though they have made little progress...

Progress: 24

Turn 24

Depth: 12

Lantern: (remaining): Larkin (4 turns), Marek (23 turns)

Location (detail): Planetarium (Silent)

Event: a bookshelf swings out from the wall to reveal a secret passage, leading somewhere else.

Polstrum is excited to find another Planetarium, though Larkin is wary of another silenced room and insists on everyone remaining in close proximity. Polstrum and Larkin then argue (via scribbled notes) about whether or not to fetch the bodies of Emmeline and Kurdt and restore them to life using Sirka's special horoscope trick. Sirka, meanwhile, reveals a secret passage back to the other side of the portcullis, 

Lots to ponder!

In the end, Larkin asserts herself and Polstrum capitulates: the party are going to traipse all the way back to the Calculation Engine, retrieve the bodies of Emmeline and Kurdt, then rewind time back to the point before they were assaulted by the Yellow and Red Librarians. Sirka realises this will end the charm spell she used to save them in the first place, and wonders how the Yellow Librarian will respond once she is no longer Sirka's best friend. She decides that there's no reason to share this information with the rest of the party.  

Progress: 24

Turn 25

Depth: 11

Lantern: (remaining): Larkin (3 turns), Marek (22 turns)

Location (detail): Infernal Gateway (Letters)... again again?
Event: Lose progress

The party are in such a hurry t pass through here, and Polstrum is so frustrated by the shift in power from him to Larkin that they lose sight of their mission (abstracted as progress losing one point).

Fortunately no devil materialises to hinder their progress further.

Progress: 23

Turn 26

Depth: 10

Lantern: (remaining): Larkin (2 turns), Marek (21 turns)

Location (detail): Infernal Gateway (Letters)... again again again?
Event: Doorway back!

The party give the room a cursory check as they pass through: they are wary of surprise attacks and monsters. During their search the uncove yet another secret passage... which leads back to the Holding Pens they passed earlier. No devil disturbs them. Nonetheless, their plan is to press pack to the Calculation Engine, they can investigate the secret passages later. 

Progress: 23

Turn 27

Depth: 9

Lantern: (remaining): Larkin (1 turns), Marek (20 turns)

Location (detail): Printing Press. (Scrolls)
Event: Extraordinary book! 

Something catches Marek's eye: a scroll is being printed... which appears to be a fabled magical text! It is in actual fact a scroll concerning the Secrets of Eternal Youth. His quietly passes it to Polstrum: both men are aware of the great renown that awaits Polstrum once this delve is complete, and the old wizard lets his servant understand that he will not be forgotten with a solemn nod.

 

Larkin decides not to refill her lantern when it eventually burns out...

Progress: 23 

Turn 28

Depth: 8

Lantern: (remaining): Marek (19 turns)

Location (detail): Trapdoor Spider (Silent)
Event: Ominous ticking stops, roll TWO events... something curious shows up, something disturbed while eating

The party arrive to see a Hungry Book feasting on the corpse of the Trapdoor Spider, while two animate books arrive to see what's happening. The party are able to surprise the Hungry Book and bombard it with missile fire, including Sirka's flaming spear... which hurtles offer into a bookshelf and sets it alight.

Schmidt, Larkin and Bastien hold the line while the hungry book flaps angrily towards them. The Yellow Librarian notices the animate books and wanders off to pet them, while the armoured trio brace for impact. They batter the book to pieces.

Meanwhile, the Yellow Librarian is able to dispel the magic animating one of the curious books: the second book is unperturbed (reaction= neutral) enabling the librarian to repeat her magic-cancelling. Sirka runs off to extinguish the flames.

Polstrum applauds the (mostly) efficient display then sarcastically asks Larkin to lead on. 

Progress: 23

Turn 29

Depth: 7

Lantern: (remaining): Marek (18 turns)

Location (detail): Calculation Engine (Negligible Gravity)

Event: something’s empty home or office is found.

The party bound, moon-landing-like, across the calculation engine's span. Two librarians attend to the engine, disinterested. The party consider resting before moving the bodies of Emmeline and Kurdt back.

Sirka and the Yellow Librarian find an Jack the Giant Killer's home, in a cosy void tucked behind the steam pipes. Polstrum has already spotted them, and is quickly beside them to inspect whether there's any treasure there for him. They find an esoteric treatise (extraordinary book) and a cache of gems worth a small fortune! Polstrum shows it to Larkin to ensure she keeps up her side of the bargain, but slips it into the folds of his cloak. Larkin agrees but insists they rest for ten minutes.

Progress: 23

Turn 30

Depth: 7

Lantern: (remaining): Marek (17 turns)

Location (detail): Calculation Engine (Negligible Gravity)
Event: something’s empty home or office is found. 

While Marek, Larkin, Bastien and Schmidt rest up, Polstrum, Sirka and the Yellow Librarian poke around in the pipes to see if there are any further mysterious homes to be found... sure enough, they find one! It appears to be an office: a temporary base used by a visiting scholar. I seems the scholar was a nun with an interest in magic. They find a diamond monocle and a spellbook with three spells! The notes made by the researcher also galvanise Polstrum's resolve: he really believes he is on the right track now (+1 to progress).

After a brief rest Bastien and Larkin hoist up Emmeline's body while Schmidt and Marek carry the smaller Kurdt.
Progress: 24

Turn 31

Depth: 8

Lantern: (remaining): Marek (16 turns)

Location (detail): Trapdoor Spider (Silent)
Event: Secret cache of treasure!

While cautiously moving through the silenced, trapdoor spider lair they find a magical coat providing immunity to the cold! It looks stylish, too.
Progress: 24

Turn 32

Depth: 9

Lantern: (remaining): Marek (15 turns)

Location (detail): Printing Press. (Scrolls)
Event: Detailed notes!

Returning once for the fourth time to the printing press, the party aren't expecting to find anything again... except they do! It's a detailed set of notes made by a previous visitor. Polstrum is buoyant: he can see that previous arcane researchers have been following this route, and he feels closer to finding Mazirian's Grimoire

Progress: 28

Turn 33

Depth: 10

Lantern: (remaining): Marek (14 turns)

Location (detail): Infernal Gateway (Letters)
Event: Something turns up, badly injured

A wounded WHIE LIBRARIAN is dragging itself a long the ground beside the GATEWAY TO HELL. The Yellow Librarian rushes over to attend when Schmidt remarks on the stench of brimstone and—finally—a devil deigns to make an appearance. 

The bat-human hybrid seps purposefully forward, proclaiming (triumphantly): "THIEVES!" prompting the Yellow Librarian to correct him: "RESEARCHERS!" which elicits a chuckle. The devil takes a confident step forward, toiling with a coiled whip in its hand. The party are temporarily stunned: only Schmidt has the wherewithal to raise his holy symbol in defence, though this has no effect.

The Devil explains that it can help the party: to find a way out, to restore the lives of their loved ones... to make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. While Polstrum runs the numbers in his head larkin takes the lead and points out that they're doing okay and will be happy to go on their way. The devil responds by assuming the form of one of her late brothers, explaining he can restore any lost loved one to life... 

Such devilry steels Schmidts resolve and he begins recanting the formal Prayer of Turning [this devil is only a 3HD thrall so I suggest a result of 11 or greater will do it]. The devil is only angered, and lashes out at Schmidt with its whip. Schmidt deflects the blow and the party pile on...

While the Yellow Librarian tends to the wounded White Librarian, Larkin and Polstrum merely look on—each paralysed by their own temptations. Marek lanches a crossbow bolt and Sirka lobs her flaming spear [while both hit, the devil takes half damage from non-magical weapons: Marek's bolt does 3 damage... luckily Sirka's magical Spear does a huge 12 damage!] the devil is consumed by magical fire and is sucked back through the Infernal Gateway. As he disincorporates, he yells to Polstrum: "This way true knowledge lies, wizard!"

The party gather their wits and the wounded librarian: Sirka suggests that the White Librarian can be healed by the Planetarium's time travel tricks, and they help her to her feet. The party gather the bodies of Kurdt and Emmeline.
Progress: 28

Turn 34

Depth: 11

Lantern: (remaining): Marek (13 turns)

Location (detail): Infernal Gateway. (Letters)... but the other one
Event: Secret passage

The party are nervous passing though the second Infernal Gateway, trying to give it a wide berth and scanning the bookshelves for alternative routes... as luck would have it, they uncover a secret passage back to the Printing Press, bypassing the other Hellmouth at least!
Progress: 28

Turn 34

Depth: 12

Lantern: (remaining): Marek (12 turns)

Location (detail): Planetarium (Silent)
Event: Spiral staircase back to the beginning

Double page spread from the Stygian Library bu Cavegirl, published by Soulmuppet, text below

As the party find a place to lay Emmeline and Kurdt's bodies upon the floor, while struggling to communicate through the silence with each other and the injured librarian. A doorway reveals itself, leading back to where the party first entered.

Aside: Sirka previously used the orrery to alter time itself and bring Schmidt back to life. The plan is that they will perform the same exercise to revive Emmeline and Kurdt: rewind time to (26 turns) turns ago. As described:

...resetting the position of the orrery has a distorting effect on the time-stream. Those present find their state reset to the time shown on the orrery.  If they set it to a point in the past, then the consequences of events after that point are negated for those present injuries disappear, curses were never bestowed, healing never happened, etc. 

The time-stream for the rest of the world remains unaffected; only the PCs skip back or forward in time. The orrery can go forward or backwards in increments of one round, turn, hour, day, week, month, year or century.

Despite this, I feel as though the power of the library might resist such meddling:

When you die in the Library, your soul lingers among the stacks rather than passing on. Very soon, the White Order Librarians (115) will capture and catalogue it.

I've decided that for every turn that has passed since their death, the chances of their souls being taken by the library increase by 1%. This overrides the power of time manipulation, which would merely return their physical bodies to life (perhaps as "soulless" clones?).That means Emmeline and Kurdt each have a 26% chance of being trapped forever...

Sirka arranges the orrery... time reverses... 

Kurdt is confused and angry, and both are frustrated by the silenced chamber. The rest of the party are overjoyed...

...except for the librarians, who are very confused. free of Sirka's charm, the Yellow Librarian teleports through a book case.

Progress: 28

Turn 35

Depth: 12

Lantern: (remaining): Marek (11turns)

Location (detail): Planetarium (Silent)
Event: Fight spills into the room

While the party try to assuage the anxieties of Kurdt and Emmeline, Polstrum prepares to cast a horoscope... but a fight spills into the room! 10 educated rodents are quarrelling with an "escaped fiction": Sir Lancelot!

In imagining the scenario I wonder if this began as a heated debate (perhaps concerning Lancelot's ontologically detached worldview vs the pragmatic and educated stance of the rodents) which has reached boiling point after falling into the "silenced chamber". A few reaction rolls indicate that Lancelot is not going to be given the silent treatment by a gang of vermin and the knight responds with force.

In a confusing few rounds of combat the kobold-sized mice swarm around Lancelot but struggle to penetrate his shining armour: in coming to his aid, the party present themselves as viable targets. None are harmed but Larkin is charmed by a magically-versed mouse. She's tasked with attempting to calm the situation (using mime) but Schmidt is oblivious and destroys one of the educated rodents. The mice fail a morale check and are pursued by Lancelot.

The party are exhausted.

Polstrum's horoscopes, meanwhile, have proved very fruitful! He is happy that they are very close to locating the grimoire [progress +4], and is gesturing for the party to venture deeper... however, he suggests they use the earlier secret passage back to the paper beehive...
Progress: 32

Turn 36

Depth: 11

Lantern: (remaining): Marek (10 turns)

Location (detail): Paper Bee Hive (Portcullis)
Event: Spiral stairs back to the start!

Ducking back towards the protcullis/beehive room, Kurdt is immediately VERY vocal: he is demanding a full share of treasure or he's leaving. Although he has no clear memory of DYING he is aware that something heinous happened to him and the place freaks him out. Larkin tells him to fuck himself and he heads back to the planetarium (and the spiral staircase back to the College Library), wearing his magic coat... except Polstrum cunningly swapped his coat for that of cold immunity, so Polstrum has his coat of protection against electricity.

Polstrum is overjoyed to lay his hands on the magic wand: the party give the bees a wide berth and aren't challenged. It's a wand of dispel magic: Polstrum undoes the charm placed on Larkin, and still has 9 charges remaining.   

While wary of the bees, the party still check the interior for other treasures, unveiling yet another spiral staircase back to the Chained Lectern. Polstrum can barely contain his glee: they're within sit of his prize and won't need to embark on an epic journey back... at least as far as he's aware...

Progress: 32

Turn 37

Depth: 12

Lantern: (remaining): Marek (9 turns)

Location (detail): Jarred Brains (Letters)
Event: Uh oh...

The eerie room of jarred brains disturbs the remaining party members, with the exception of Polstrum. The academic notes labels beside their jarred brains each bear a name, and several renowned scholars are so denoted. His mouth is agape when Hoeronynus Sonne, founding dean of Old College is named beside one such brain. He places his hand on the jar.

Marek searches the correspondence stacked in shelves bereft of brains: bundles of letters sent between minor diplomats of foreign empires in scripts indecipherable to him. The others poke around in the gapes, hoping to find loot.

Polstrum pushes the button in front of the jar. A static whistle is emitted and the bubbles noisily.

Unbeknownst to the party thee shelves begin to shift, closing off their route back… the brain speaks.

“What do you want?”

Polstrum interrogates the late academic, and he receives a clear answer: the grimoire is in the office of a researcher, hidden in a holding pen nearby.

Aside: the requires progress score has been reached, but I wanted to randomly determine a location for the book using the depth (15). Essentially the party will find the room if they can push deep enough.

While Polstrum is excited to finally have the grimoire in his sights, the party have realised there is no way back. Bastion is muttering that he should have followed Kurdt : Larkin promises him they’ll get back. Schmidt sighs:

“this may well be hell, but it keeps offering us ways out. If we keep pushing deeper I’m sure we’ll find a safe route back eventually…”

“That’s the spirit!” says Polstrum, his eyes wide and his grin maniacal…

Progress: 35

Turn 37

Depth: 13

Lantern: (remaining): Marek (8 turns)

Location (detail): Calculation Engine (vault)
Event: Lost Soul

The party happen upon a sealed door, marked CALCULATION ENGINE. Unlike the portcullis, the vault door does not prevent going deeper from this point: Polstrum is keen to keep pushing forward. However, Marek (of all people) suggests trying the key...

This triggers the materialisation of a lost soul, who begins to shake the bookcases flanking the vault door, sending books flying and triggering alarm among the party. But the lost soul merely wants to talk: when Schmidt hoists his holy symbol aloft, it laughs. Sirka extends the hand of friendship, and an invisible presence shakes it warmly—well, as warmly as a lost soul can shake a hand...

The lost soul was a physician who—ridden with  the plague—came to the library hoping to find a cure for the malady afflicting them. She did not. They enjoy sharing their experiences with Sirka, informing her that the office Polstrum seeks is located in the Holding Pen just after the Sheol Computer. Sirka thanks it, but wants to ask if the Doctor has heard anything of the mythical Gardens of Ynn. Dr Benway says "no". The party delves yet deeper... 

Progress: 35 

Turn 38

Depth: 14

Lantern: (remaining): Marek (7 turns)

Location (detail): Sheol Computer (too large)
Event: Something is disturbed and wants to defend its lair!

So this is it: the be-all, end-all: an exaggerated calculation engine, hard-wired to arrays of jarred brains, phantoms feeding a clockwork soul counter, steam pipes and valves releasing occasional spurts of smoke and vapour. The proportions are ridiculously exaggerated: a crew of eight white librarians scatter here and there, attending to the computer's mechanisms, like tiny rodents scampering over a normal-sized computer terminal... and all watched over by the blue-white glare of the enormous screen.

But this is also the home to a gang of Lantern Bearers, returned to their lair and spotting would-be thieves intruding on the library's most sacred site. They immediately release a Radiant Beam, dazzling the party and inflicting 1 HP. Polstrum  and Sirka raise their hands in protest, though they no longer have the support of their Yellow Librarian ally to support their claim of "We are mere researchers!"

Polstrum appeals to the White Librarians, having experience working with them at the Calculation Engine. Their response is friendly but equivocal, leading to the Light Bearers to shoo them along. The party are grateful, though concerned as to how they are going to fare on their way back...  

Turn 39

Depth: 15

Lantern: (remaining): Marek (6 turns)

Location (detail): Holding Pen (too small)
Event: Something is returning home to its office and is surprised by the PCs!

Aside: the location of the grimoire was randomly determined, but I added the detail of the “office” and its occupier. My intention was that it would be uncoloured when the party arrived… but the event roll had other plans…

The party watching neon-blue phantoms flitting about the holding pen, a macabre  yet bewitching aquarium. Polstrum curses as the low ceilings necessitate a crouch, and slow his search for the office where his prize awaits…

But then he finds it: a door, barely 4’ tall. He calls the party over to assist him: Bastien opens the door, flanked by Emmeline…

A thin, rasping voice greets them:

“Welcome! I’ve been expecting you…”

To be continued…