It took your quite a bit of time, but in the four hours you stayed to read, you managed to finish four of some of these massive story books. You where here for so long the acolyte was surprised, but he didn’t bother you. If you wished to take a short break, they had some communion wine and shortbread you may snack on, but not in the library. The first book was actually about a king who managed to claim the title of Arisen. King Harshnag Bear-Wolf, Lord of the North, Hydra Slayer, and Arisen after he slew the Troll King Shagrol Fireblood, a massive troll warlord with dragonblood. Each section of the book detailed a particular conquest of his starting with his northern homelands, then slaying the Hydra who stalked the seas of Gransys, and finally repelling the Troll King. Strangely enough it seemed like it wasn’t until the third act he was even crowned Duke, as he was a mere war chief all the thee times. His tale didn’t go over much about what the Arisen do but it did tell you a considerable amount about trolls, as the book goes into great details about the things Harshnag learned to prepare and battle Shagrol himself. [hider=New Lore] You’ve gain an academic knowledge about trolls. You know they have an amazing regenerative ability that can only be halted by acid or fire, though Shagrol in the story was immune to fire thanks to his dragon blood. You’ve also learned that it’s possible to sever the limbs off a troll and for them to still live, though severely weakened until they reattach their parts. [/hider] After you finished that book you decided to pick up a different one. Smaller than the rest, this book was apparently about goblins. Not slaying goblins, but the book was from the perception of a goblin. Her name was Orchid and she awoken in a cave, scarred and confused, but it detailed her rise through the ranks of goblin king as she fought against different types of beasts and monsters, eventually evolving to become an orcish warlord who created a kingdom for herself and her people. And this wasn’t because she was a mighty warrior either, actually it was because she was a very skilled craftsman and survival expert. There were even some weapon designs drawn in the book that you’ve committed to memory; who knows, you may need this knowledge later. [hider=New Lore] You’ve gained survival knowledge to make simple weapons from basic materials. As part of a rest whenever you’re outdoors, you could try and craft a two dagger, three javelins, or a hand axe whenever you do a survival check. These items can only be made of basic materials such as stone, wood, or bones. [/hider] Onto the third book. This one didn’t have a specific main character, rather it was about a great cataclysm and how specific people reacted to it. The cataclysmic was one you might be familiar with: a zombie apocalypse. Only without guns and access to modern medicine, the book when into gruesome detail about the difficulties and horrors the common people felt when their lands were swarming with the living dead. Even nobility were affected as whatever turned these people into undead could certainly affect them. It wasn’t until the few focus characters finally managed to band together that they managed to organize the people and stave off the undead hordes, before finally appealing to the gods and creating a means for the people to protect themselves from the undead. Apparently this helped form the church of the Maker. [hider=New Lore] You learn about some low level undead and their notable weaknesses and abilities. Skeletons have a notable weakness towards bludgeoning attacks, though their magically reanimated bodies allow them to act with better grave and dexterity to their fleshy counterparts. Regular zombies are notably slow and sluggish, very vulnerable to radiant energies, however their bloated and stiffen bodies can take quiet a beating. Lastly you learn a commoner’s means to make holy water using purified water, salt, sugar, liquor, and beetles. [/hider] The last book you managed to sit through was less adventure and more of a romantic drama. It was about a princess born from the east, who lived a quiet but prosperous life thanks to her father, a king. But soon political intrigue set in motion a chain of events that results in the death of her father while she is unexpectedly elevated to the position of queen, as her younger brother was not old enough to rule. It speaks about the various hardships women of this place struggle with even when they are in positions of considerable power, as her personal life and her political one become u comfortably intertwined but how she eventually overcomes it. [hider=New Lore] You learn more about how to see through the lies of others. Whenever you have to deal with nobility or someone of greater political authority such as the guardsmen, religious leaders, or merchant groups, you’ll have a better sense of what they’re trying to do when they speak their honeyed words to you. [/hider] As you finish the last books a loud bell rings. It was [i]very[/i] loud, especially considering that you’re right underneath it, and soon you notice some people coming into the temple. It was a mixture of old and young people, mainly young ones. They all gathered inside to sit at the pews, partaking in the communion wine and shortbread as the priest with the fancy hat began with what you would presume to be religious chanting. It certainly wasn’t words you understood. In any case it was clear that it was roughly noon right now, and many people were leaving work to go eat or otherwise rest. Since you’ve spent most of time recent time reading in relative comfort you’re not tired. If anything you could use a good stretch. A lot of towns people moving out and about. Where are you going?