IC V

[riftstone]

Thordin the dwarf is willing to check out the lair of the abomination.

[thirdkingdom]

Saul tries the door at which he has just listened and determines that it is, indeed, locked.

[Luis]

Saul looks to his companions.

"Well, it's locked. Time to pick... well... Do I pick the lock and we investigate or do we go down and deal with the girl right here and now?"

He realizes they will also want his vote in the matter.

"Oh... I'm already on my knees, got my tools out and the girl is going nowhere, sadly. I can't hear anything inside so I say we at least check this room. If we learn nothing we can leave her corpse here and seal the room, at least she won't be a danger to us as we go down. If there is any danger to be found inside... well, I'm sure Thordin and me can deal with whatever is inside."

Intentional grammatical error, figured Saul would have that flaw.

[thirdkingdom]

Okay, gents, so as I count it there have been three propositions:
1)Leave, take Sasha's body and consecrate/burn it. Return as desired.
2)Pick lock and investigate this room.
3)Venture deeper into the mountain in search of the Stitched Servant's lair.

Can I get a vote in the next 24 hours on these three items, please.

[Luis]

Okay, gents, so as I count it there have been three propositions:
1)Leave, take Sasha's body and consecrate/burn it. Return as desired.
2)Pick lock and investigate this room.
3)Venture deeper into the mountain in search of the Stitched Servant's lair.

Can I get a vote in the next 24 hours on these three items, please.

I'll take a #2 "Picky Meal" with a side of unknown, please.

[frobozz]

Lanny the elf

Lanny turns to Marodin.

"What do you think? I am not keen on trying to pick the locks on any locked doors, or trying to bash down any locked doors. I vote that we check all of the doors, one by one, to see if they are locked, listening at them first before checking the handle, and starting with the doors closest to the stairs and proceeding down the corridor. We can investigate any rooms that are unlocked, and then move on to the lair, which must be near."

Okay, gents, so as I count it there have been three propositions:
1)Leave, take Sasha's body and consecrate/burn it. Return as desired.
2)Pick lock and investigate this room.
3)Venture deeper into the mountain in search of the Stitched Servant's lair.

Can I get a vote in the next 24 hours on these three items, please.

Of these, I guess I would select #3, but with a couple of stipulations. (1) Verify first that all side doors are locked before proceeding. (2) Venture no further than earshot past the arched doorway in search of the creature's lair. If it is not immediately found, then return to the surface, unstitch the monstrous parts from the girl, and then proceed with cremation (or burial).

[sulldawga]

Marodin

"We are at odds with ourselves. We are wounded and scared and second guessing every decision made. It is time to return to the surface, take care of the dead as best we can, and get some rest. Tomorrow, as they say, is another day."

Marodin votes to leave immediately and return to the surface with the body (bodies?). He will not proceed past the doors without knowing what's inside of all of them so he's staying put even if the rest of the party votes for option #3

[rremedio]

Meagnor the Elf agrees with Marodin.

votes for #1

[Finglas]

Bregalad the elf

Bregalad still votes for option #1: Leave, take Sasha's body and consecrate/burn it. Return as desired.

[zebediah]

Drudsa the dabbler

"Well said Marodin. Though I am eager to investigate further We have seens that these halls are just as dangerous as the kobold hinted earlier. We would stand a better chance once we have rested our bodies and minds."

votes for option 1

[Bouv]

Tratiln would like to bury/burn the body. "Those poor souls, to suffer so to be made into that abomination. The sooner we lay them to rest, the better I feel."

[thirdkingdom]

Thanks guys, will update in morning.

[frobozz]

Lanny the elf

Lanny nods in head in acquiescense.

"Very well then... Where shall we build the pyre? Should we remove and separate the beastly parts from the girl prior to cremation? Should we make any attempt to reclaim the ashen remains? I leave these questions in your capable hands, my friends..."

Lanny stands there quietly for a moment, reflecting on the tenseness of the situation.

"I think we are all on edge after seeing the demonic abominations today, first at the top of the tower, and now down in the crypt. This is indeed a powerful magic we are facing. Perhaps we need a night away from this tower and its influence, to clear our heads and reinvigorate our spirits. We still have half a day remaining, I believe... Perhaps a return to Jessup and a restful night spent back in civilization is what is needed for all of us..."

I was trying to think of a good IC reason to return to town before finishing our mission - maybe this is it? The OOC reason, of course, is that by going back to civilization with our current treasure haul, all of us will be able to go up a level (except for those already at level 4, I think). More spells, more hit points, etc. Not sure how deeply everyone wants to delve underneath this tower, but the level-up will definitely put us in a much better position to deal with whatever we might face.

[thirdkingdom]

Having reached a decision, the adventures set about the grisly task of separating sewn on body parts from the corpse of the young girl. It becomes fairly obvious that no attempt was made to attach organs, arteries or muscle between the limbs -- the additional parts were simply sewn on with a coarse, brown thread.

Once the corpse is wholly itself again the companions retrace their steps, exiting the tower. They find that it is late afternoon; shadows are already beginning to creep across the mountain valley. Off in the distance, in the direction of their camp and the road, a column of smoke can be seen rising into the air.

Wandering monster (1 on 1d6): (1d6=3)
Let me know when and how you would like to cremate the girl's remains.

[Luis]

Saul looking at the smoke offers his thoughts.

"That doesn't look good. Maybe you folks should find a clearing and set the girl's body to rest by fire while I go check out what's going on over there and then report back. Tratlin, Thordin, any of you want to come along?"

Yeah, levelling up seems like the best option. I think Bregalad's curse is IC reason enough for us to do so but that's a better way of putting it. To be honest I think I'm running out of arrows, haven't really been tracking those, so that's something that needs to be taken care of.

[frobozz]

Lanny the elf

"I hope that is not our campsite... I hope the kobolds have not returned looking for their slain kinsmen..."

Lanny takes out his spyglass and tries to get a closer view of the smoke column.

"It is a long way down the mountain, Saul. By the time you get there and back it will likely be close to nightfall. Making a funeral pyre outdoors may draw unwanted attention to ourselves. I propose a rite of burial instead, and then we all go down to investigate this smoke column. If indeed it is the kobolds, they have probably returned in greater numbers, and we will need our full force to have a chance against them."

[riftstone]

Thordin the dwarf

"If you go, Saul, I will come with you."

I propose a rite of burial instead

"The immortals require fire, according to those knowledgeable in such things. I am not daunted by peering eyes! Whoa to those who would interrupt our rite!"

[Luis]

"That only leaves us with two options, either we leave the girl here and we deal with her tonight or Thordin and me go down right now and try to deal with whatever is down there..."

Saul is worried about Castanha and isn't thinking clearly so he still tries to argue even though he comes to the obvious realization that it will take them too long to get down there and by then it will be too late to do anything anyway.

"... You're right. It is too far away. Let's just make preparations for a cremation and leave Bregalad and Semele here. They are wounded and they know how to deal with the ceremony. If we survive whatever is down there we can put out the fire and that will be their signal to start their own."

Saul offers Thordin the best thanks a thief can give. "I'd repay your kindness even if I weren't already in your debt, master Thordin."

[sulldawga]

Marodin frowns at talk of leaving Bregalad and Semele behind.

"Splitting the party, especially when night is coming, is not a good idea. We all head back to the base camp and we take the body with us. We can handle the funeral rites there."

[Luis]

Saul isn't happy at putting the injured party members nor carrying the corpse around any longer than necessary but acquiesces hoping to at least get the party moving.

I just realized Saul may be coming across as overly pushy, not at all my intention, just reacting as I think he would given that he cares about his friends and Castanha. I'm fine with any option you folks decide on.