Are we to abandon our mounts outside this tower?

OOC - d'oh!

Pedivere shakes his head and sighs.  "I fear the venom may have addled my senses.  Thankyou Father for reminding me of our valuable friends that await us upstairs.  No, I think we shant abandon them, and shall return to rest under God's sky and stars."

With that, he leaves the body where it fell, and makes ready to depart, leaving the dagger underneath the door to wedge it still shut.

agreed  Colm travels back with the party to the mounts.

  The party retires to the landscape outside the wizard's tower.  The day is still bright and the sun, high in the sky.  Although it seemed like time dragged during the battles they fought.  They were brief indeed, lasting moments only.

  The horses are in fine shape, grazing contentedly.  Aeron however, is not to be found.  The bells of his cockscomb are not heard jingling on the breeze.

  OODM:  You have several hours of daylight before the sun even begins to set.

*before the party leaves where they are*

Would someone help me carry the deceased? He deserves a burial...not to be left down here entombed in web.

Colms shakes himself for you lack of thought about this and hurries to the pastor's side o'carse, Father.  O'carse I will.  he puts his bow away to carry the body outside.

Thank you Colm.

Colm and Fr. Rys carry the deceased outside.

While I can't say for certain that this is Fillian, my heart tells me it is. He should be buried somewhere nearby his tower.

Fr. Rys looks around for a likely spot for burial, preferably a shady spot out of the way. While looking he notices that the fool is gone completely.

When was the last time anyone saw Aeron? He wasn't downstairs, and he isn't here.

The priest and the yeoman readily find a nice oak tree under which to bury the thin body of the deceased man they discovered.  It is shaded and nearby the tower.

  Colm then remembers the tools he discovered in the tower's dungeon...

Smacking himself in the middle of the head, Colm lets out a groan of frustration Och, Lard' donna strike dan' yer servant for bein' a bloomin' fool.  He shakes his head.  Father, I clean fergot 'bout the tools we I found in the dungeon.  I donna suppose any of us should go travelin' alone, 'specially with the fool, disappeared.  Will any'a ye follow me down to get the tools?  We may wanna' spen' a few minutes huting for the fool as well.  Like as not he's gotten imself in trouble.

Calis also returned to help out however he could, while also keeping track of his mount to make sure it was fine. Looking up at the sky, the druid basked in the light that still poured down from above. Lightly whispering to himself, so the others couldn't hear, he sent a small blessing up to the sun god to watch over him and the other's on thier journey even though most of his companions followed the One God.

An excellent spot. Now let's see if I remembered to bring a shovel with me.

Hmmm, yes, you probably should go back and retrieve those tools. As for the fool, I am concerned about his disappearance.

Chrissa? Did you ever encounter the fool in your prior meetings with Jeremiah? If so, is he prone to just wander off?

Or perhaps he was just sent to lead us hear and, having led us here, has now left to return to Jeremiah?

Pedivere starts to strip from his armour.  Exhausted he leans against the side of the tower, his steed, Thunder nuzzles the side of his face, concerend that its master may be hurt or injured.

"Chrissa.  Might I trouble you to further inspect this wound.  It still pains me and saps my strength" he indicates the puncture wounds caused by the monstrous spider.

  Father Rys and Colm ducked back into the tower, carefully picking their way through the entry way and the great room to the trapdoor and stairs to the dungeon, retrieving the spade and pick.

  Returning outdoors, they began to dig while the hermit Chrissa softly prayed over the knight's wounds, her mature features, kindly and warm as she regarded him.   The knight's wounds knit together but the strength of his limbs continues to be greatly diminished.

   "I shall see what the woods will yield and I will concoct a healing potion for you sir knight."she gathers her robes about her to seek out the ingredients she requires in the surrounding meadows and woodlands.

Colm labors over the shovel, but quickly notices the padre goining in.  Colm looks at Fr. Rys and shakes is head  Nae, Father.  This is a job fer the likes 'o me.  Ya needen't feel obliged 'ta help me in the diggin'.  Yer time is bes' spent praying for this poor lad and fer' me, the Lord's humble servant.  That he'd have mercy on one such as I.

Colm worked steadily switching from the shovel to the pick and back again, as the terrain called for it.  Though not a particularly strong man, his efforts began to pay off with the sod being turned over and the hole ever deepening and lengthening.

   The man's body remained wrapped in the web of the spiders, dried and partially preserved from the lack of moisture contained within.  Father Rys stood nearby, quietly praying.

   Calis stayed close by to his friend, Sir Pedivere, whom was convealescencing quietly under a tree while the hermit worked her way through the woods, trying to find what she needed to restore some of the vigor to the the knight's limbs.

   The fool, Aeron, was no where to be found...

Once the body has been interred in the earth, Fr. Rys walks over to Sir Pedivere and lays his hands on him.

God Most High, please restore this knight's strength to him.

22:58, Today: Father Rys rolled 4 using 1d4. lesser restoration.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 03:59, Wed 19 Jan 2005.

The flush of colour returned to the young knights face with the administration from the Priest.  "Thankyou Father." comments the knight, before raising back to his feet and starting to reapply his armour.

"Now that I am whole once more, shall we re-enter the tower?"

Colm labored, glistening with sweat.  The hole he dug was barely covered over when the call came to depart.  As ye say Sir
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:30, Wed 19 Jan 2005.

  With the burial of the man found in the tower and the funeral rites said, Sir Pedivere armours himself again and proposes that the group return inside.  They had not yet found the critical ingredient of the potion needed to save the King of Norway.  There was still time in the day to continue their quest.

  Colm regained his weapons, putting the shovel and pick aside for his bow and blade again.  Chrissa re-emerged from the woods with new herbs in her medicine bag and quickly discovered that the knight, thanks to Father Rys' prayers, was feeling much better.  Calis, having spent some time alone in prayer and supplication, was now with the group, confident that the horses would be safe while they were away.  Only the fool remained a source of question, he was no where to be found.

Pedivere again asked the priest for the loan of his magical brand.  Then, armed with the torch in his left hand and sword in his right, he began to travel the paths the group had already traversed.

Past the broken doorway of the tower past the dead spiders and down the trapdoor into the depths below.  In what was most likely Fiallan's bedroom where he and his companions had vanquished the half spider, half faerie beasts of darkness he approached the door where his dagger had been wedged at the opening, to prevent it from being forced.

"Colm, ready your bow.  I will open the door."

With that, Pedivere handed the torch back to the priest and stepped forward, kicking at the hilt of his dagger to loosen it, before he placed his foot over it and drew it backwards.  Once the blade was free, the knight used his free hand to grip the handle of the door and open it.

The knight's desisive action is not without reward.  Pushing on the door, he finds it stiff.  There is a smell of earth in the air with the first push.  A second push brings with it the smell of grass and weeds.  Throwing his whole weight against the door, Sir Pedivere bursts through the door, as it swings outward, it is revealed the exterior surface of the door is covered in sod.

   Bright sunlight streams into the antechamber, increasing the ability to see considerably...

Pedivere moved through the door, surprised by the swiftness of which the sunlight came, and moreso by the fact that it now appears he again stands outside the tower.

  The knight steps through the door and onto the base of the hillock.  There was no path at the door's entrance, just tall grasses, wild flowers, and weeds.  The soft breeze the caressed his face, blew into the dungeon too, clearing the musty air and making it entirely more breathable.