Lothan looks to Iolar questioningly. "What the heck are you spewing out about predators and wolves and dragons?! I'm talkin' about Tyrrol here! Anyway, you're probably right about the whole time thing - man he really loved that watch of his." He nods in agreement. "Anyway, hurry up! I ain't got all day. Let's get this place clean and get him back to leader lady." He lays the half-elf's body down and helps search the room for anything that might be of importance.
Iolar kneels beside Tyrrol. She knows where he kept the watch. Its bright gleam caught her eye whenever he drew it out. All birds share the magpie's grasping nature in some degree. Her fingers dip into the pocket and ease out the watch.
"Lothan, take this in memory of your friend. If he should return, then return it to him likewise. But if death holds him tightly, keep it to mark his time with you."
You find 8 alchemical fire bolts, 8 acid bolts, 4 drow poison bolts, 6 smokesticks, and 6 flasks filled with liquid of some sort.
There is also a large supply of ingredients and reagents here used by the drow to make their weaponry.
Vendric joins the others around their deceased comrade but remains silent until Iolar addresses him.
"Ah, right, I'll see what I can do."
He walks off and starts looking for any way to naturalize the acid and any thing that could be related to the experiments going on here.
And upon seeing the flasks he tries to identify whats inside them.
Lothan looks to Iolar a moment before reluctantly taking the pocket watch. "Okay," he says, shrugging. "But I plan on returning it. So is this all the junk there is?" he immediately turns to the issue of the items found. "None of it seems particularly useful."
Iolar looks at her summoned raptors, she shrieks at them a few times and they flap out the doorway.
Hey, are those bolts sized for hand crossbows or regular size?
Lothan looks to Iolar a moment before reluctantly taking the pocket watch. "Okay," he says, shrugging. "But I plan on returning it. So is this all the junk there is?" he immediately turns to the issue of the items found. "None of it seems particularly useful."
Iolar waves at the flacks and bolts. "Some of these may be the same as the ones that killed Tyrrol. Useful indeed if we can turn them on the drow. Maybe some of Eviana's people use crossbows."
At this she suppresses a shudder. Elves using crossbows.
He lifts and steels himself. "Let's at least try to stay together!" he offers.
"I think you are right. We will be safer as a pack."
The materials here can be neutralized with a craft (alchemy) or knowledge (arcana) check and assisted with castings of purify food and water.
One of the vials contains drow poison.
"The acid could be neutralized but I'll need need some help with castings of Purify food and Water."
"I am sure that tomorrow Gozreh would grant me that spell to help clean up this -- desecration."
She glares around the room and her face hardens even more than usual. What kind of people act like this? They poison the land they live in with no regard even to its effect on themselves.
Vendric and Zoltan work together and neutralize whatever reagents are found in the tanks, the kettles, and whatever else remains lying around in the workshop. They can do nothing about the waste outside, however, and the pool of acid remains on the ground. It takes them 15 minutes in total.
After clean-up here, you head back to the camp. On your way there, a shadow passes over you for an instant.
Everyone continues towards the elven encampment, oblivious to whatever Zoltan is talking about. You avoid further conflict and make it back to the camp.
It's slightly calmer than before, but still quite busy.
"Did you see that!?" shouts Zoltan with wonder and fear in his voice.
"Something big and dark, flying towards the camp!"
Lothan looks up, seeing nothing. "Well I don't see anything. Whatever it was, let's hope it doesn't have everyone dead when we get there."
Lothan makes his way over to Eviana's tent with Tyrrol's body. Speaking to anyone who will listen, "Hey! I need help over here! My buddy's dead and I need to know if there's someone here who can make him un-dead!" He looks around, waiting a moment for a response until what he just said finally hits him. His eyes going wide, "No no no! Scratch that. I don't mean undead, I mean alive again. I know there's magic that can bring people back to life and that's what I need. So, who can help me? Anybody?"
Asking around, It seems a few of the elves caught a glimpse of the flying creature, like Zoltan. Nobody could identify it for sure, but Shalelu swears it was Razorhorn. Also, Kaerishiel and some others have gone a scouting mission. They left soon after you, and should be back soon.
Eviana can do nothing but offer her condolences. "I'm sorry, we don't have the means to revive your companion." In brief, she offers to keep Tyrrol's body safe for burial purposes, but tells you about the supply merchants from Kyonin that teleport in a regular basis. If you were to pay for a magical item that you could use to bring Tyrrol back, she could have it brought to you.
Iolar faces Evianna, "Guard his remains well then because he was brave and gave his life for the elven cause. He deserves a hero's burial."
She turns away toward Lothan. Odd I should bespeak Tyrrol as a hero. I thought little of him in life. Why is it only now that I recognize his worth? What does that say about my opinion of these others? Would I think better of them dead? Are they not more worthy alive than as a lump of raw material for the next cycle of life?
She smiles mirthlessly to herself. Just a few days ago, I would have said they were worth more dead and feeding the worms and vermin that would feed the grasses and trees, and the birds and frogs and lizards. Who would then feed wolves and men and hawks and elves.
Her eyes drift to her companions and fix on Lothan. For their elven blood, and for their worth -- I shall soften my heart.
She gently reaches for the archer's hand. "Lothan, the magic you seek is rare and powerful. Neither Nethys nor Gozreh grants even me the power to return someone to life. I am sorry. Let us honor Tyrrol's life. We will find food and you can tell us the life and deeds of your friend. And on the morrow we will hunt down his last enemies, the drow."
Vendric solemnly approaches Lothan. "I did not know him as well as you did, but even I could tell he was a good man, and that the world is lesser for his loss. As with Iolar I also don't have the power to bring back the dead." He gives Lothan a gentle pat on his shoulder making sure to keep from stabbing him with his claws.
Looking quite dejected, "Well this sucks! Now where am I gonna get my laughs from?! Because the rest of you just aren't near as comical as he was. He was always looking at his watch saying: "Not your time to die, chump," and all that. Man, you should see the reactions he'd get when he'd tell people that... that was just too funny. Those were some good times." He grins as he loses himself in thought for a moment before it eventually leads to a sigh. "Well he might not've said 'chump' but, six of one and a half dozen of the other I guess. Anyway, without Tyrrol we're gonna be in a heap of trouble. Because none of us here could destroy, um... 'whatever' I guess, the way he could. When he brought the pain with that weapon of his, it was all over but the crying for those fools. Well, they weren't exactly crying, I guess. More like... dead. And like Zoltan here - except I'm not nearly as bad of a warrior as he is - I surely ain't no Tyrrol either. So I hope one of you have a plan to replace him 'cause I sure don't."
"Did he have family or other friends, Lothan?"
"Did he have family or other friends, Lothan?"
Lothan shrugs. "Not to my knowledge."
Backing up a bit from the crazed oracle, "Hey, I'm all for raising ol' Tyrrol, but what kinda cost does that run into? I mean, something like that can't be cheap. And just so you know, we aren't sitting on a gold mine, pal."
Iolar tilts her head. "The wind blows whether or not we need it. The rain falls or not with no regard for what plants need. Plants and animals die in their turn. Some forces are beyond our control. I am sorry there is little comfort in nature."
And sometimes our time is done.
Lothan looks to Iolar curiously. He just about says something but stops, a look of pondering upon him before finally speaking. "You know, elf lady, I have no idea what in the Nine Hells you just said. But hey! It sounds really important so that ought to count for something." He gives her a slight pat on the shoulder and a grin before finding a place to sit. "Well if we aren't going anywhere until tomorrow, I might as well rest up before we go and get ourselves killed," he states nonchalantly.
"Yes rest would be best for us now. if you dont mind i need to go and re-brew my mutagen and examine some of the things i got earlier."
Vendric leaves the others as seeming to be deep in thought about something.
Lothan looks to Iolar curiously. He just about says something but stops, a look of pondering upon him before finally speaking. "You know, elf lady, I have no idea what in the Nine Hells you just said. But hey! It sounds really important so that ought to count for something." He gives her a slight pat on the shoulder and a grin before finding a place to sit. "Well if we aren't going anywhere until tomorrow, I might as well rest up before we go and get ourselves killed," he states nonchalantly.
Iolar watches the others go then turns to Lothan. "I do not drink alcohol, but I understand that many do to mourn a friend's passing. I will keep you company if you wish to drink."
And immediate image of Iolar drinking causes Lothan to burst into laughter. "Sorry. I was just imagining you drunk. Nah, I'm good; I pretty much stay away from the stuff anyway. When you live on the edge most of your life you learn to avoid those things that dull the reflexes. You learn not to trust anybody when you live in Riddleport, so, you best be on your guard at all times ... especially when you owe people money," he says with a wry grin. "So stop worrying about me and go do whatever it is you do to... well... whatever! You know, I'm curious: Do you do anything that's fun? You do know what fun is, right?" He looks to her with a wry grin and a raised eyebrow.
Iolar looks at Lothan quizzically. "I do what I do. If I succeed I enjoy it. Is that fun?"
You inform Eviana of the alchemy lab's destruction before going to your tent to rest.
The next morning, you're woken by an elf at your tent, who gives you an urgent request to report to Eviana's tent. On arrival, you you see Eviana, the Celwynvian Watch leaders, and a firepelt cougar all gathered together. "Thank for coming. I have a most urgent mission for you. One of our scouting groups, let by Kaerishiel, has been pinned down in a ruined tower. I'd like you to rescue them. Kaerishiel's companion, Ashka," she gestures to the firepelt, "knows the location and will show you the way."
Iolar looks at Lothan quizzically. "I do what I do. If I succeed I enjoy it. Is that fun?"
Lothan rubs his chin as he ponders her words. After a moment, he simply shrugs. "For you, I guess I would have to say yes," he concludes with a grin.
Once he finally makes his way to the meeting and Eviana explains their next mission, "Well, time to go to work, folks. And make sure you bring all your toys 'cause we're gonna need 'em now that we're down a man."
Iolar approaches the firepelt while Evianna speaks. Kaerishiel has gotten himself trapped? How typical of a wood-headed warrior.
She kneels beside the cougar and runs a hand along its flank gently, appreciatively. Still there must be something good in him to attract a beast like this.
Once he finally makes his way to the meeting and Eviana explains their next mission, "Well, time to go to work, folks. And make sure you bring all your toys 'cause we're gonna need 'em now that we're down a man."
Iolar nods, then adds, "Is everyone healed from their injuries of yesterday?"
Ashka leads you through the woods, just outside the city's borders, until you come to a pair of ruined towers. Approaching from the south, there are two towers north of you, with one further away, northwest of the nearer tower.
The nearer tower's crumbling walls partially cover the six drow standing atop of it, as well as a ballista that the drow are maneuvering to aim at the further tower. The drow seem to alternate their focus between the ballista and the other tower. One of the drow looks takes a moment to look out in the opposite direction, towards you, as if looking for anyone approaching, but he doesn't seem to notice you and goes back to helping the others.
You can't see either tower's main entrance from where you stand, but the nearer tower has a 10-foot wide hole in the wall on the ground floor, on it's southern edge. The ground near it littered with collapsed stone pieces.
Lothan looks up at the drow and the surrounding area, wondering their next move. "Well? Now what? Probably get spotted if we move but we just can't stand here all day. And I sure as heck don't wanna get shot by that gigantic arrow launcher. So if any of you have some sort of fantastic plan that doesn't involve having bolts the size of small trees coming straight at us, I'm all ears."
Iolar nods agreement. "Surprise is desirable."
Her eyes narrow as she looks at the two towers. "No doubt Kaerishiel has gotten himself trapped in the farther tower, but we should learn the lay of the land before choosing our path." Her voice tightens with the strain of asking," Will you wait hidden here for me to return before doing anything?"
You're at the edge of the woods on the bottom, near T-12.