The hairs on the back of the warrior's neck stood up, upon seeing the ghostly figure emerge to accept the items in trade. Part of Marklin wanted to hurl his spear at the thing, another part wanted to quiet this place.

Valthur's grip retightens on his axe. He wonders whether his new weapon would even make contact with the ghostly savant should it be needed. He silently hopes he won't have to find out.

The spectral figure floats forward and takes possession of the tome and the acrons. Gathering these things up, it turns and glides down the corridor toward the mirrored beads, passing through without causing a single bead to sway.

Several tense moments pass before the Insatiable Savant responds, "Leave behind, mortal possessions no more, embrace Mother Goddess, return to Earth, Stars, Moon, and Sky. Generations follow, your offspring etern..."

"Bah, Druidic mumbo jumbo," the voice scoffs. "Rather than read the rest of this utter tripe, I will have my servant trancribe the rest and you may read at your leisure."

"As to the other question," the Savant continues while obviously holding back laughter, "Seek out the Beast of Barren Hill. There you may find your, alive companions, but not for long. The  Beast grows hungrier with each passing breath!"

Moments later, the spectral servant returns with a roll of parchment in hand. It gives the roll to the nearest adventurer and retreats through the mirrored beads.

"Leave the way you came," the Savant calls out.

A squeal escapes Sarah's lips at these words.

It is not a squeal of excitement.

"By Moradin's great hammer," Valthur curses. "He's feeding them to the beast!"

 Marklin snorted,and gripped his spear more securely. He leaned over and whispered to Valthur. " Are they about done? I want to get out of this place, before we end up like that bugger that took the offering."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:20, Sun 12 Mar 2017.

Aldara groans at the prospect of having to face the Beast.

Eoni was not happy with the Savant's reply but there was nothing she could do about it.  Holding the translation in her hand, she gritted her teeth and turned back to the others.

"Let's go."

They'd accomplished their mission and stretched it to include Ebermund's friends but at what cost?  Now they must find and face off against this beast and hope they didn't add to that price in blood.

"A local problem I imagine?"  Charlotte asks.  "Unpleasant, but if it needs to be sorted out, then it's best to do it cleanly."

" We trek all the way here, offer up some good stuff, and that is what we get in return? Any hedge wizard  could have done just as well. Let's get out of here,bloody waste of time."

Marklin turned and started to head for the exit.

Anxious to dispatch of the beast before any of Eburmund's friends get eaten, Valthur heads toward the stairs. "Well, it looks like my axe will finally get some use. We could hear that beasty when we were upstairs. Hopefully it's still there when we get back."

"Local to the locals," Aldara clarifies to Charlotte.  She follows the warriors, first drawing the daggers in her boots, and then half-joking, "If anything should happen to me, my Will is in my spell book."

Sarah follows along too.

Quietly.

Taking their leave of the Insatiable Savant, the party exits the mausoleum with translated text in hand. It is dusk as the party exits, the surrounding countryside bathed in beautiful yet haunting violet hues. Somewhere out in the dark folds of the the rolling hills to the west, the Beast of Barren Hill lurks. If the Insatiable Savant is to be believed, within its lair, a couple of unfortunate lore seekers oin its midst.

If the tales and the Savant's words themself are to be believed, Ebermund's companions haven't very much time. Of course the Savant didn't exactly offer up a lot of information as to where Ebermund's companions might be within its lair, or in what state; but then again, nobody seemed particularly brave enough to push the issue.

While scanning the dark hills to the west, the party hears a savage howl in the distance.

Ebermund gulps hard and summons up the courage to speak, "You folk seem like an awful nice lot. Would you find it in your heart to help me find my friends?"

  Marklin was more than happy to get out of that place of death. He took in the fresh air in deep breathes, like he was starved for it. When he heard the distant roar, Marklin walked over and hopped up on a tree stump.

"Beast of Barren Hill! I be Marklin, and I am going to skin ye for th fur, and mount yer pug ugly head on a pole. Roar bout that, ya piss pot drinking son o' a whore!"

 Marklin stepped off the stump with looking rather pleased with himself.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:11, Mon 20 Mar 2017.

Eoni turned from observing Marklin's challenge and replied to Ebermund, "I think that answers your question."

The Sister of Avandra took a deep breath and looked around at the others, Ebermund now included.

"We'd better hurry."

Sarah's eyes grow wide at the howl, but otherwise she does not move.

When the party begins to move, she shuffles along somewhere in the middle.

"Aye", Garik agrees. "Best we find this beast before nightfall."

The dwarf scans across the western horizon for a possible source of the chilling howl he just heard. He looks for cave openings or other outcroppings that may somehow be used by the beast as a lair.

"Listen to him, Beast!" From her place near Marklin the Mighty, Aldara adds to his challenge, shouting, "Listen to Marklin the Mighty, who once climbed out of a pit of starved dogs every day before he was fed!  Marklin the Magnificent, Who seared a mage's flesh as his own armour was heated!  He will not be denied your death throes!  You will fall!"

That said, Aldara falls into place near the back of the group, clearly very satisfied with her performance.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:19, Tue 21 Mar 2017.

"So, do we have an actual plan in mind?"  Charlotte can't help but wonder as the challenge rings out, getting her staff ready and hoping to hell that she doesn't end up getting eaten by an angry an unknown monster.  "Or just one of those 'Everyone out for themselves moments'?"

"We generally let Valthur and Marklin take the lead," Eoni explained.  "Aldara throws knives and Sarah..."

The woman paused to look back at the girl to think what she had actually done during their previous conflicts.

"She does something," Eoni finally concluded with a generic wave of her hand.  "I'm just not sure what it is.

"And then I usually try and stop someone from kicking Marklin in the head.

"And I hold the torch," she added as an afterthought.  "Did you want to hold the torch?"

Sarah gives no indication that she heard her name mentioned.  She merely marches along, woodenly.

"Staff's a two handed weapon..."  Charlotte looks to her own weapon and shifts it ever so slightly.  "I'm sure I'll be able to make myself suitably useful though"

When Aldara hears that she just throws knives, she adjusts the strap that holds her spell book.

Valthur finds his chest puffing out with pride as he overhears Eoni's explanation to the new cleric. That's right, he thinks to himself. Brave Valthur and Marklin in the lead!
What courage those two must possess!
Indeed they are very courageous. Why one time Valthur charged into a ring of a ten zombies!
Oh my, what bravery. What happened?
Well, actually, he was nearly killed by them and the rest of us had to intervene...

Valthur snaps out of the imaginary conversation with a grunt.