It was a smaller group than he'd hoped for, to be sure, but there was a strong core of Loreseekers present, and at least Libbs and Aonghas would benefit from learning about the world they had found themselves in so recently. With luck they'd learn to avoid some of the dangers without having to stumble into them the hard way! And people could still come in late, after all, so Jigano didn't give up hope as he looked around those gathered a final time before clearing his throat and deciding where to begin.
"Since we're in the Atheneum at the moment, beginning with the potential hazards closest to hand seems like a good place to start." His smile turned a little crooked as he looked to Sam, tilting his head in acknowledgment of the Loreseeker who had encountered the coming Fauna with the Provost, back at the Guild's dawn. "Though closing the hole in the building has kept most of the wilder elements outside once more, this building does have two natural inhabitants. The first we'll talk about are the Sentient Books." He grinned wryly as he held up a slim tome, utterly innocent-looking, with a faded blue cover. "They're well-camouflaged in here since on the outside they look like normal books. The main difference is that Sentient Books can move, and they are ambush hunters." He flipped the book open to show that it was harmless, but arched a warning brow. "If this had been a real Sentient Book, opening it would have shifted me inside it. Some of them are clever enough to tip themselves over so that they fall open, and can draw in those nearby." He closed it gently, setting it on the table. "For the most part they aren't dangerous; as many as three people can be drawn into one, where they will assume the roles of characters within the book and can play out the story inscribed within. There's a bit of room to shift the story's details, but generally it's a fairly straightforward experience, and all you lose is a bit of time. If you're killed within the book, you simply reappear outside it, unharmed and back to normal." He paused, tapping a warning finger against the cover of the book he'd just set down.
"There are, of course, exceptions, as we've discovered. Some books hold hazards that can trap or imprison you. If you're thrown in jail or turned to stone by a Gorgon or basilisk, you can be trapped in the book, not dead enough to be ejected but unable to continue the story, stuck until someone else comes along and is able to go through the story to its conclusion." People had disappeared for years at a time in the book Jigano had first led Sam, Remi, Isla, and Kalt into 'defeating.'
"The second creature to be wary of within the Atheneum are the Paper Wasps. They're book-killers; black-and-white insects about the size of a fist." He held his clenched fist up in demonstration. "They have a nasty sting that can cause fevers and migraines. The queens are larger, more colorful, and more dangerous. They lay eggs in books and those eggs feed on the pages, absorbing them into the growing larvae inside. When the pages are gone, they use the covers to build their hives. They're a dangerous pest, and one we try to keep cleaned out of the Atheneum, though they can be dormant for decades so they're hard to find."
He finally stopped his flow of words to look around and grin ruefully. "Any comments, additions, corrections, or questions so far?"
"Since we're in the Atheneum at the moment, beginning with the potential hazards closest to hand seems like a good place to start." His smile turned a little crooked as he looked to Sam, tilting his head in acknowledgment of the Loreseeker who had encountered the coming Fauna with the Provost, back at the Guild's dawn. "Though closing the hole in the building has kept most of the wilder elements outside once more, this building does have two natural inhabitants. The first we'll talk about are the Sentient Books." He grinned wryly as he held up a slim tome, utterly innocent-looking, with a faded blue cover. "They're well-camouflaged in here since on the outside they look like normal books. The main difference is that Sentient Books can move, and they are ambush hunters." He flipped the book open to show that it was harmless, but arched a warning brow. "If this had been a real Sentient Book, opening it would have shifted me inside it. Some of them are clever enough to tip themselves over so that they fall open, and can draw in those nearby." He closed it gently, setting it on the table. "For the most part they aren't dangerous; as many as three people can be drawn into one, where they will assume the roles of characters within the book and can play out the story inscribed within. There's a bit of room to shift the story's details, but generally it's a fairly straightforward experience, and all you lose is a bit of time. If you're killed within the book, you simply reappear outside it, unharmed and back to normal." He paused, tapping a warning finger against the cover of the book he'd just set down.
"There are, of course, exceptions, as we've discovered. Some books hold hazards that can trap or imprison you. If you're thrown in jail or turned to stone by a Gorgon or basilisk, you can be trapped in the book, not dead enough to be ejected but unable to continue the story, stuck until someone else comes along and is able to go through the story to its conclusion." People had disappeared for years at a time in the book Jigano had first led Sam, Remi, Isla, and Kalt into 'defeating.'
"The second creature to be wary of within the Atheneum are the Paper Wasps. They're book-killers; black-and-white insects about the size of a fist." He held his clenched fist up in demonstration. "They have a nasty sting that can cause fevers and migraines. The queens are larger, more colorful, and more dangerous. They lay eggs in books and those eggs feed on the pages, absorbing them into the growing larvae inside. When the pages are gone, they use the covers to build their hives. They're a dangerous pest, and one we try to keep cleaned out of the Atheneum, though they can be dormant for decades so they're hard to find."
He finally stopped his flow of words to look around and grin ruefully. "Any comments, additions, corrections, or questions so far?"
