"You go, I'm going to wait up here, see if I can spot them coming. I'll holler when I see anything. You do the same if you find another way out or something."
As he runs back towards the rest of the party, Bringor yells, "Gotcha. Will do."
Zabela's brow furrows, "Well that doesn't help us at all. The ground and the mirrors are both emanating magic, which means they could both be required, or one could be imbuing the other with the spell's magic. There's just no way to tell without the caster."
Walks back into the mirror room, empty handed
Could the floor be detecting as magical just because of the little ground up glass parts? I didnt mean to interrupt that was just my intuition. If we could find a broom we could probably see. I mean, if we're out of other things to try.
"Inspired!" Zabela says excitedly. She almost shouts Prestidigitation in elvish, and a one foot square of the floor in front of her becomes immaculately clean. A bit calmer, she says Detect Magic once more in elvish to see if there's one square foot of mundane floor where there wasn't before.
This time when Zebela casts her spell, only the pile of dust and not the floor that was under the portal begin to glow.
"Well done, friend! Now we know it's the glass that's magic...but what does that mean for us, I wonder?"
Fenn nods, "Ok.. collect what we can and pack up tha' lab as best we can. You tell me what containers we'll need and ah'll try ta' scrounge together what ya' need."
Bringor grabs three more bottles to go with the one for which the party came and says, "All the bottles seem to be the same; let's just grab what we can and go."
Fenn will take four bottles from the Cellar. Fenn will go upstairs and pull one of the wooden doors off the hinges and using his piercing shortswrod bore a hole at the corners of the top of the door to loop rope. He will use this door as a trevoy to drag Brom's body back on. Fenn will affix most of the loot he has collected to the trevoy with ropes and drag it back to New Wesel himself if no one will help... but he will NOT leave Brom's body behind!
If the party wishes to leave Fenn behind because of his slow pace.. that is their business.
All he says on the matter is, "Some things... a man must do to show honor and respect to fallen comrades..."
Zabela leaves.
Bringor grabs four bottles of wine in addition to the one he already had, then goes to the basement lab and grabs the healing potions and the potion of endure elements. Then he heads upstairs and grabs a goblin's shortsword and shortbow. He also grabs the treatise on dwarven wine. Having assembled all he can carry, Bringor leaves.
Then I leave
It's not until the second night of traveling, that the wolf, again, makes it's way to sleeping just on the outer edge of the camp fire's light. Like before, he sleeps until just before dawn, then disappears into the brush. You spot him from time to time, throughout the day, cutting across the path before you or walking on the ridge above you.
Fenn watches for his 'Shadow' and everyday forages for the party leave a share for 'Shadow' in hopes of earning his trust. At night he will take the latest watch in hopes of seeing 'Shadow' and slowly moving closer to the wild wolf... but only as close as 'Shadow' let's him.
In the morning and during the days of travel.. Fenn practices the pronunciation practice and the meditative mental exercises upon the magical scripts of Zabela's spellbook under her occasional tutelage as he tries to master the magic fire he feels roiling within him... but just out of reach of his will...
As part of his foraging he seeks herbs and to grind into a paste to rub on his slain companion Brom's body to help preserve him... and prays over him every morning that the gods of light guide and keep his warrior's soul among the honored dead. And he tries to compose a letter to send to his mercenary Uncle to go with his body in condolences for his nephew's death... but the words are hard to come by as sorrow and ... regret grip his heart. No one called him leader... but still the young half-elf blames himself for Brom's death... his heart still wondering if anything he could have done would have saved his young.. now lost life.
It is clear to all he is deeply troubled by his self-perceived failure...
Prepares and casts gentle repose on the body as we travel. The first day we get back I'll assume one spell used.
The following is assuming weve reached sight of town. If not just assume I do little besides become increasingly obvious about being rather unfond of nature
I did not get to know Mr.Brom enough to know his religious preferences but, unless there are vocal objections, I will remit his body to the temple of Abadar. From there I assume they can contact any family he might have in the area and see that he is treated fairly. He'll be magically reposed until tomorrow morning but I would still prefer to see this done sooner than later.
Motions his head around to indicate people noticing they are carrying a dead body.
I assume you all will find a way to occupy your time. I also assume that someone intends to hawk some of our souvenirs. I shall return to the locale at which we originally met later tonight to claim a share.
Turns to look sternly, but at no one in particular
I would suggest no one get the idea of running off with anything, either. Theres not many places you can run away from the hand of Abadar, and having to be in one of those places is not worth what we've scrounged.
On the way back Fenn will swing by the grove where he hung up the goblin to see if the little guy is still there .. , but if he is still there Fenn will take him back to for interrogation as he mentioned their leader's name he may know more.
Fenn will smile solemnly, "Thank you father Mahan. Brom told meh about who his Uncle is.. and Ah'm writing a letter ta' him to come retrieve his nephew's body with all due honors."
Fenn sighs, "Its mah intention ta go back to tha' magistrates office and tell Officer of the results of our breaking up the bandit ring o' goblins and the Hobgoblin and Bugbear! He may know who that 'Goot' fella is that the goblin told us was their human boss. See if there is any reward for our efforts."
"We can then put in a word at the on tha' way for , the owner, ta' send word ta' , our scalawag of a dwarven employer, and git his booze to him so we can close this contract sooner rather than latter..."
"After tha' Ah was thinking of dragging tha' magic portal mirror to tha' wizard's guild HQ ta' consult with tha' wizards as to what should be done with such a hazardous artifact... maybe..", looking over at Zabela with a questioning expression, "..tha' is unless Miss has a better idea...?"
On their way back, even Zabela's elven patience was tried in trying to help Fenn pronounce the elvish words which would grant him access to the magic in her spellbook. But he tried so earnestly that her irritation, however mild, soon dissipated.
Upon hearing Fenn's idea about the mirror, Zabela's eyebrows leapt and she answered excitedly, "No! That sounds like a perfect plan! I'd like to come with you on the other two errands as well! I'm not one for dealing with merchants..."
"I have no plans to speak of at the moment, which makes it a fine time for a drink. If you don't mind, I might follow you two at least to the Blue Boar, further if needed." Bosk says, with a smile.
Bringor listens attentively as Zabela lectures Fenn on the finer points of pronunciation. He decides to follow the group heading to the bar.
The sun rises on the companions final day on the road. If the rain that has threatened the group for the last two days holds off, they should reach New Wesel by midday.
Fenn gathers his belongings as the others are beginning to wake. Shadow lies at the edge of the camp, still dozing in the sunlight that peeks through the falling leaves of the canopy above them.
Suddenly, the wolf's eye open and he jumps to his feet. Cocking his head, for but a moment, he turns and disappears into the underbrush. A few heartbeats later, bells can be heard jingling from behind the camp, around the corner of the road.
By the time Fenn has roused the others, a large metal...box, being pulled by four shaggy ponies and being led by a squad of seven, no eight armored dwarves comes into few. The bells announcing their way, jingle from where they hang on the ponies' reins.
"There's something you don't see every day."
Still drowsy, Zabela opens one eye just enough to see what's happening, a single dark sliver on her fair face. Seeing the ponies and bells, she sits up slowly, blinking. Realizing it wasn't a dream, she leaps out of her bedroll and excitedly approaches the odd caravan, if at a moderate pace.
Fenn stands immediately at 'Shadow's' sudden alertness... and watches as the wagon and escort of dwarves arrive.
Walking forward ... seeking not to startle or make them suspicious he addresses them openly, "Good Mornin', and well-met stone lords of the forge... hope yaw are having a splendid day today! May your road find strong ale and warm beds at yur journey's ends!"
He does not get in their roadway...merely address them from the road's edge waving amicably as they pass...
At Fenn's greeting, the dwarves stop, flip the visors down on their helms and raise the crossbows they carry. Keeping their weapons leveled at the ranger, they move themselves into a half circle, cutting the road off between the, what Fenn now sees is a, coach and the companions.
The ponies do not stop, but keep trudging along, the dwarves continually shift their position so the coach is never in the open.