Oh hey look at those tracks, should we follow them?
Nice catch, Raiden! Ravvek exclaims, stymied by the water...
Scram adjusted the hood on his lantern nearly dimming it to nothing, and tried to creep along without slipping in the muck.
Sashah grumbles as he checks over the scrolls and then crouches down to look at the floor of the sewers, his joints giving little pops! reminding him of his years.
"I found tracks."
Sashah zeros in on tracks and points them out to the others. They seem to be one-way tracks though, entering the area but not leaving. After some time, using his knowledge of magic and his superior skills of logic Sashah finds additional tracks some distance away that seem to match those found below the grate.
The party travels roughly an hour before the sewer opens up into a larger area. Only a short distraction when the group find a series of runes on the wall in a series of locations. With Scram’s knowledge of many forms of short hand codes, Sashah determines that the runes were some form of code, presumably being used by the rebels of Mulmaster leaving messages to one another.
The tunnel opens to an outlandish tearoom decorated with trash and dead vermin. It’s unclear what the original purpose of this place was. Several tables have ornate porcelain tea sets, complete with plates and serving trays, arranged at each table. A grimy, forest guys sits at the back sitting next to the re-dead corpse of Tick Tarry Tanner. Soleil gasps from the back of the party and walks forward a short distance. ”Thelma Scrollcaller? Is that you?”
Unsettled by the scene, Anton scans the room, looking for any hidden dangers.
Raiden has no idea what to make of this. He was ready to draw his sword, his hand is still on the hilt, but his surprise at Soleil recognizing the...woman?...stays his hand. He examines the corpse of Tick Tary Tanner closely (without moving any closer), to see if it's still dead.
Well then. Uriah says as they enter the woman's mad tea party
I guess she won't give up those ashes...maybe she wants them for steeping?
Rav whispers to the others, I think that is a former member of the Enclave... rumour had it that he (?) lost grip on his sanity...
Then addressing the individual next to Tanner's corpse, Were you a friend of Tanner?
Scram inches closer to the figure listening closely to her response, one eye on the ornate porcelain trying to judge its value.
You notices there is a lot of rodent droppings all over.
The strange gnomish woman smiles when she sees you. She lets go of the corpse, which slumps a bit in its chair. “Oh, dearie, we have company!” She waves you over and invites you to take a seat at the table. [b]”Did you hear that Ticksy Wicksy? The man wants to know if we one another.
@Scram The tea sets are impressive and could fetch quite a nice price.
Anton lays a hand on his sheathed sword, glancing at the dark corners and shadows on the floor. Rats, he mutters.
Raiden looks to the more social members of the group, hoping they can peacefully talk this nut job out of the corpse. His hand is still casually on the hilt of his sword. This place was creepy enough before the tea party.
"What is it with crazy people and tea parties?' Zayless grips his spear, "If you knew Tanner and were a friend then you would let us take his remains to see them interred with honor."
[b]Lady Scrollcaller, the Enclave sent us to bring Tanner home. Please, if the Enclave still holds a place in your heart, please allow us to take your friend home to give him to the winds in the the Grovetender's Circle...[/ooc]
Sasha looks on at the sight with his brows still furrowed, clearly he is very unimpressed by this development. He stands with his robed arms crossed, impatience is palpable from his posture.
Anton carefully watches the exchange, ready to act should things turn violent.
At Anton's comment, Rav nods, also ready for things to go South...
The woman looks at you expectantly as if waiting for you sit. When Zayless and Ravvek make thier pleas, she seems confused ”Nooo, nononono. No. Tick “remains” here with me. No need for him to remain anywhere else, is that right my love?” she asks of the corpse smiling sincerely.
When pressed further she pauses. After a moment, Thelma sets down her cup. “Tick and I would go for long walks in the Goldenfields orchard. Thought it meant something. But he wasn’t interested in me. No, no, no, no, not really. He was the hero. I was just another supporting character in his grand adventure. I knew he would die eventually—at the hands of some elder evil or demon lord or lich king or giant frog monster. He always ran toward the danger, you see, never from it.”
“I wanted his ashes, so I could bury them in the orchard. It was one of his favorite places, and it would give me closure. So, so, so, I went to Silverymoon. I knew the Uthgardt would eventually lead me to him. They did not know I was tracking them. They did not. I was too stealthy. Now, here I am.”
She picks up her cup and takes a long sip of her tea. “You’re not taking him from me. He’s mine. Forever.”
Scram rolls his eyes inside his mind and walks up to Tick's corpse "Wait why are you talking to Tick like he's dead? Is that true Tick? You want to stay here forever with her?"
Remarkably, Tick talks back! Scram throws his voice using the ol' ventriloquism trick while reaching one hand up its back like a dummy "Truth be told, I have a few things to do first! I have a tailored suit that needed to be picked up for starters...this ones getting a bit mouldy! Hahaha!"
"He speaks!" Zayless starts and looks with genuine surprise.
Anton suppresses a smile and watches Thelma to see if the deception works.
Raiden was going to ask about the ashes, but decides to see how Scram's ploy plays out. If she buys it, he's rolling with it.
Ravvek is silent, but his eyes go wide when Tanner speaks...
He is clearly dead... what is going on here?
Scram, no...
Uriah watches, dumbfounded, as someone else tries to accomplish Bard things.
Uriah watches, dumbfounded, as someone else tries to accomplish Bard things.
Zayless looks at thed dumbfound Uriah, "I know right. He is animated to life and speaks again."
Uriah deftly recovers himself and tries to salvage the situation.
He surreptitiously casts a minor cantrip designed to create noise and has it say
Fool of a halfling. Of course I want to be buried in the orchard. I want you and the other fools to escort my love Thelma to the orchard.
Fool of a halfling.
Obviously slighted "..." and feigning indignation "...hey I'm not the dummy, you're the dummy..." Scram says to Tick.
Zayless narrows his eyes a moment but when Uriah's additional illusion is added he totaly buys it.
Thelma looks down at her tea cup as Scram animates the corpse. ”Go ahead, make your fun of me. I know how it must look. Tick was the only person I knew that showed interest in me. He was the best thing that ever happened to me and probably always will be. That’s why I can’t let him go. He is mine. ”
Between Rav's 'WTF' glare and the woman's rational sorrow, Scramsax actually felt some regerts, hanging his head in shame. After a moment "...what's so important about his ashes anyways? And just how the hell did the ashes become a body again?? You know, wherever you bury him, they are just going to find it. Those barbarians with the pecs bigger than me wont stop looking. I'm not trying to convince you of anything, just saying...that's how its gonna be."
Sashah exhales as his scrunched, frowny face relaxes. "Thank Mystra you are sane. I appreciate zhat you are sad, stories of zis man's greatness are many. But, for someone as smart as you? For you to give up? Mystra is great, you may agree or not. But, surely you know zhat zhere is magic to bring him back. His story need not be over. Mystra has not blessed me vith knowledge of how to bring back. Zhat said, she expects vork for knowledge. Hard knowledge not easy. Hard knowledge hard." Sashah begins to get much more animated and energetic, "Zis is thing I need! I looking for motivation! Looking for goal! I vill bring Tick back!"
Sasha begins huffing after his little monologue and adds, "Oh...(huff)...zhere muscle heads coming...(puff)...please let us take now...""
Raiden tries to combine their various odd efforts into one story. Tick was the best thing to happen to a lot of people. It's why so many are trying to, ah, hold on to him and his legacy. In fact, Sashah here is correct, there are others coming for him. Perhaps we can, um, help you find a better place for his, uh, for Tick?
Lady Thelma, Ravvek speaks up thoughtfully and presenting the oak leaf pin on his cloak, You were once a member of the Enclave. Goldenfields is still an Enclave stronghold, if I am remembering correctly. Would you come with us? Perhaps you can still bury some of his ashes there... We just need to get Tanner out of Mulmaster, out of the influence of Thay. Please... And if Sashah can find a way to bring him back, then perhaps you will be able to confess your feelings to him while he is alive.
Zayless looks about sheepishly Thankfully dragonborn don't blush.
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Rav looks back at Sashah, then back to the druid and her corpse guest. He tries to read her reactions, searching for some sign that they are getting through...
"Yes vell, ve must leave soon. Zhe brainless barbarians vill be here soon," Sashah reminds the people present while giving them straight up shoo motions with both hands.
While she is quite unsure of how to handle the death of her friend end, the party spend a few minutes reassuring her that to let the remains go and move on is the best course of action. The party now has the remains of Tick Tarry Tanner and is now able to get moving again. Soleil who also seems quite frustrated with the whole ordeal, recommends burning the corpse immediately. It would be too wet here in the sewers but there is an exit to the surface not far from here. What would you like to do?
Ravvek nods solemnly, The Enclave thanks you, Lady Thelma. We will take good care of him and return him to the earth if we cannot bring him back from death...
As they leave, he turns to Soleil, We will have to find some drier grounds. There, let us take this back to the streets. Scram, scout it out and see if it is clear above. We will be making our way behind you.
"You got it, Rav. Back in a sec..." As soon as their eyes are off him Scram nabs the most expensive looking cup in the tea set...
Once topside, he scans the horizon for the bulging barbarian pecs and thighs while trying to stay out of notice.