Rob
"But out of disaster could come an opportunity. When Minaryth has
chosen the works he will take from Whitewall, I will propose to Broyan
that all of the rest be sacrificed, to be kept safe in the library of
the Knowing One himself -- let the Lunars try to defile them there!
And with such a great sacrifice, we have a chance: A modest sage, even
your humble servant, will be able to travel to Lhankor Mhy's home with
the sacrificed works, and there seek an answer to your most important
question."
So Korlmhy took Cholanth to Broyan, seeking permission to sacrifice the remaining documents of Whitewall. Broyan was suitably respectful of the sacred LM writings to require A LOT of persuasion by Korlmhy.
But at last, Cholanth spoke in his squeaky but penetrating voice:
"Great King, you must remember Mytelding Whitehair. You don't? That's
not surprising, because the God-King's troops burned down the
Durengard collection that had the last remaining account of his deeds
and cult. A great hero, and all we have now is his name! And of
course, Chaos can eliminate even gods from the world, so throroughly
that even their names are as forgotten as the cult of Vadrus."
"Your remaining books will be safer in the Grand Library than here,
and I shall personally not rest until they are returned to you when
the danger is past. Unless, of course, you, ah, personally join them
in the Storm Realm before then."
At this, Broyan granted his assent, but he required Cholanth to first let all other sages in Whitewall take their own picks from the collection.
Cholanth and Korlmhy then quickly enlisted some Lightning Rams to gather Broyan's documents at the small shrine to Lhankor Mhy, the place of sacrifice. Cholanth presided, but Korlmhy ran the ritual while most of the Lightning Rams gathered to sing hymns to the god of Truth. Dorasa appeared, painted black and brandishing her iron claws, to accompany Cholanth as Alusar. Then Cholanth lit the entire collection, and he and Dorasa soon joined the ashes of Whitewall's library in the realm of the Middle Air.
Cholanth arrived quickly at the Grand Library, where he spent some time helping the librarians catalog Broyan's collection and consulting them on his own errand. He wasted a few moments examining other new arrivals (was his own masterwork there?) before entering the Grand Library proper. Before Cholanth left, Alusar licked him up and down, blessing him to help him ferret out the truth.
Cholanth raced through the Grand Library, coughing in its desert-dry air, like an ant skittering through an anthill on a queen's errand. The Library is a maze of rough sandstone passages brightened by translucent windows that let in the light of Truth. Along each passage are niches and side rooms with scrolls and incriptions of every kind. It seemed an impenetrable maze, but Cholanth knew that the territory is the map: Every work in the library is closely connected to other works on similar subjects, and stairwells and ladders lead the scribe to all the works from a given source.
Cholanth began to search for information on the cult of the Bat: What deeds had this "god" done for his followers, and how did his followers convince him to do them, and had the Bat ever punished his followers for their impudence as some gods do? He spent a lot of time climbing up and down the Stair of the Northern Orlanthi, copying out passages of what he later called "almost-indecipherable canine yammering".
Exhausted, he at last returned to Whitewall, and consulted with Korlmhy to interpret the older and more obscure passages, especially those written by what Cholanth slipped and called "mushmouthed Sartarites". Most useful was commentary on the Book of Drastic Resolutions, which is basically a demonology text. This commentary, called "The List of Demons at Castle Blue", yielded the following answers to Korlmhy's questions:
What deeds has this Demon done for his followers?
The Crimson Bat is a mighty demon, a horrific manifestation of the Cosmic Death. It exists to travel about and reminds everyone of Shepelkirt's great power. It flies through the air with a distinctive slow beat of its immense winds, emitting its terrible, maddening Chaos Scream that affects everyone with a one mile radius, except for its cultists. It can belch forth a cloud of acid, squeeze chaotic blood from its numerous eyes, and knock down people and buildings with the wind from its wings. It so full of Lunar power that it emanates a Glow Spot that gives all Lunar magicians in the region the benefit of the Full Moon. It also absorbs any and all magic cast at it or any of its followers who ride up on it.
How do his followers convince the Crimson Bat to act?
The great Crimson Bat is ill-tempered and difficult to persuade. The senior priests of the Bat possess a series of rituals called Mastery of the Bat that gives the cult control over the Bat and prevents it from returning to a wild demonic state.
Has the Bat ever punished his followers for their impudence as some gods do?
The Bat devours impudent followers and annihilates their souls.
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