This entry is still being written, so it contains some notes.
[start very practical – details about the town. Maybe end before the series of fights begins. Write in library, or while waiting in brothel?]
In case we remain here long, I will summarize our situation.
The people of this town live in fear of a military which must constitute at least a third of the population, and which includes about fifty wizards and fifty clerics. It patrols the streets constantly in groups of sixteen or so. The one or two thousand members of the military live in fear of the nine Lords, who wear some sort of amulet which gives them a great deal of commanding power. The amulets were crafted out of a magical rod which the previous ruler used to control the town alone. The lords consist of a pirate, who is the leader, a powerful wizard, a cleric, the head of the assassin's guild (something which seems quite useless, given the small number of people who might be assassinated when only nine people rule the town), a monk and four others.
Six frigates patrol the lake which provides the only exit besides the caves. Two of the six are usually docked.
The lords live in a tower whose only entrance is in underground catacombs, and no one has found the entrance to those catacombs and escaped to tell anyone. One member of the resistance got close once, and left nothing behind except a couple of cryptic clues. So they won't be forgotten, they are:
“Not all who lie may be sleeping” and
“Learn from the knowledge that never dies.”
The wizard and elf only arrived in town a couple of months ago. They stole some of the identification badges that everyone must wear around here, and quickly integrated themselves into the city. Another powerful group, possibly the one we encountered outside the caves, arrived in town a few days ago. Yet a third powerful entity, some dwarven magic-user, also arrived recently, as a slave. The most powerful lord, a wizard, wants to take advantage of this dwarf's power. The dwarf is kept in the western half of the second floor of the impenetrable fortress used as a slave pen, with the political prisoners.
There is word of the lords wanting to conquer the rowdy town we visited a couple days ago. I cannot imagine what good it would do them, since it would only divide their power and dilute the wealth they make off of the slave trade.
Wherever you look in this town, glowing blue orbs are mounted. The orbs are scrying devices used by the lords to observe the town, and they deliver electric shocks and alert the town guard when they are touched.
It was only a couple hours after we returned when the town guard found us and attacked. It is surprising it took so long, since when first entering the tavern, the Brute announced that he was here to overthrow the Lords. Without the convenient reappearance of the elf and wizards, who had left to find us clothes and identification badges, I would have had to use my teleportation scroll to bring the Brute, Healer and Swordsman to safety. When the attacking force was put down, we were brought to the home of another member of the resistance, where we hid for a short time. One of the others suggested that the “knowledge that never dies” may have referred to a library, so we left, two-by-two wearing guards' robes, to visit the library and see where that would lead us.
These libraries in the World of Man are vastly more expansive than our master's, but far less focused. In our master's library, one need only glance and a useful book would present itself, whether it be on magic, dangerous creatures or military strategy. Here, one must wade through thousands of volumes on agriculture, art, music and other trivial matters to find a single useful book. If I ever have to do serious research in one of these libraries, I can not fathom how long it would take.
While I learned a few interesting things about travel in the elemental planes, I could find nothing regarding the catacombs, and no hint as to the answer to the second riddle. When the Healer arrived, he spoke to the librarian and was able to determine that he was part of the resistance. While he would tell us nothing for fear of the blue orbs, he did give us a book about floral art. I skimmed it myself, and now I write while I wait for the others to read it.