As he moves about the cavern, Lucien answers Rissa's question. "I managed to collect a few new cuts and bruises, but nothing of immediate concern." He looks over the zombies as Lathan moves them into a pile, but his focus quickly shifts to the two dead necromancers when it becomes clear that they have nothing of significance on them.

Lucien collects the cloak, the jewelry, the key, the scrolls, and the model cottage from the woman's body. He moves over to the man and similarly removes the man's cloak, jewelry and scrolls. He holds all the scrolls out to Rissa. "It's probably best if you hold on to these. When there's time perhaps you can look at the rest of the equipment to see if anything is enchanted. The last necromancer had quite a few magic items."

Holding up the symbols of Cyric, Lucien voices some thoughts aloud as he answers Kuiper's question. "There's been no sign since we entered the mine. These two appear to be followers of that dark god. Is there some rivalry between Torm and Cyric?" He makes eye contact again with Kuiper, silently expressing his gratitude once more.

Contemplating Rissa's question he gives his own answer. "There may still be more dangers in this mine, we should be cautious about proceeding. My familiar has yet to return. If we wait and rest, I could scout the area quietly."

Alisandra was sitting against the cave wall snoring softly.

"A rest then."

Rissa agreed, taking a seat with the items that Lucien had offered her and sitting in deep communion.

Kuiper shrugs. "I don't know of any specific rivalry," he replies to Lucien. "But I doubt Cyric and Torm are on good terms." He surveys the scene, then continues, "If you all need to rest, I can help keep watch. I'm only slightly injured from the fight."

Three Elks never much cared for armor.  It was too constricting for his taste.  It felt as if it slowed him down.  So while he did briefly consider wearing the armor, he ultimately decided against it.  Of course, he usually was the one coming away from battles more injured than the others forcing them to waste valuable spells on bringing him back up to health.

Finding a place to rest near Rissa he pulled out the flail obtained from the first necromancer, killed at the old fort.  "I know you need your rest, and the others expect you to look over all the items gathered today, but do you think you can take another look at this flail?  I know it carries magic, but until I know what I don't know how to use it properly.  My hopes is that, since the Necromancer used it, perhaps it may be of use against future zombies."

"Can I trust you to finish disposing of these bodies, Kuiper? I'm not about to fight them again," Lathan asks as he finishes placing the last of the dead into the bloody pile of body parts in the middle of the cavern. He then sets to cleaning himself and his weapons before grabbing a bit to eat and eventually leaning against the side of the cave to enter his restorative trance.

While the others recover, Lucien goes to the exit from the chamber that they have not yet explored, he goes to where the passage forks and then pulls some string and a bell from his pockets. He sets a warning across the passage and then returns. "I'm am going to scout the areas behind us. I will return in an hour." That said, Lucien steps back into the shadows and his form suddenly melts away until only a bat stands where the elf once stood.

The bat takes off and flies back along the passage that the party had entered through to the place where another passage split off into a water filled chamber. He'll fly around the chamber looking for another exit.

Using the polymorph ability of the Cloak of the Bat.

While Kuiper works on disposing of the bodies and the others begin to get some rest, Lucien explores the caverns in bat form.

That bat continues it's exploration.

Lucien continues to explore the tunnels.

Alisandra stirred, ”Just so you all are aware, I have no spells above cantrip and no more inspirations until I sleep for eight hours.”

Lucien investigates.

Lucien continues to investigate...

Deciding he's seen enough, Lucien returns to the group and shifts back to himself. "The two offshoot passages that we passed both appear to be dead ends. Barring any hidden exits or underwater passages. I'm not sure where the necromancer who came from behind was hidding. There's a body floating in the pool of water in the closer passage. After we've had a chance to rest, we should check that out before moving forward. Otherwise all I found was another empty cabin."

"Then the question is, do we exit the caves to rest, or do we hole up in the cabin?  Assuming we post a watch, I say the cabins.  Good chance whoever occupies them might come back, if it were any other than the two we've already slain."

Alisandra nodded, ”Indeed, I agree with Rissa. We can fortify the cabin easily and safely.”

Lucien nods in agreement. "I suspect that the cabins' occupants are currently burning in that pile. Neither cabin appears to have been used recently." With that, he'll collect his trip wire warning system from the passage ahead and then lead the way back to the closer of the two cabins. He'll reinstall the string and bell at the passage that leads deeper into the mine after everyone has passed.

Following Lucien, Alisandra is quiet and yawns a bit now and again. ”We should at least barricade the door. We should also with the windows and set a watch. I will take the last shift, if everyone consents.”
This message was last edited by the player at 23:21, Wed 22 July 2020.

"Let's go then."

Rissa said, taking the lead.

Alisandra nodded as she was already following Lucien.

Lucien takes a seat right outside the door of the cabin. I'll watch first.

The party rests in the cabin undisturbed for eight hours.

Long rest.

Alisandra was up first, having taken the last watch as was her usual habit. She is cooking breakfast with the others wake up with whatever is available. ”Good morning. I thought we might all take a moment to discuss tactics, if you are game for it?”

Rissa nodded gravely.

"It's... I've been traveling with this band for many weeks now, but I still feel the panic and the fear take me whenever we get into a fight.  When we had the two Dragonborn with us, I still lost my head more times than I could count, and neither of them let a foe so much as scratch me."

She looked down at the floor apologetically.

"When that shambling husk got through, I lost my control, I'm sorry."

She looked up, and favored them with a morose smile.

"But I do have some good news, these are enchanted!"

She set the flail, the model cottage, and the robe upon the table.  One by one she gestured to them.

"This is a simple working, to strike harder than a flail of mundane steel might.  This robe is full of useful items, items that should not fit in its pockets, yet could each be drawn out once.  It's potent magic, I don't really understand the basics of it.  But I'm pretty sure if you reached into this pocket here..."

She patted a pocket within the robe.

"...that it would summon forth a pair of mastiffs!  I don't know if they would be magically bound to you, but that is quite the trick.  These others summon a simple dagger, a bullseye lantern, a steel mirror, a 10-foot-pole, hempen rope, a sack, these both call wooden ladders, a window, and a pouch of one hundred gold pieces."

She demonstrated each hidden pocket in turn.

"And this little cottage is similar magic.  I don't know exactly what, but somehow it is bigger within than without.  We should try it when next we rest, and see what happens."

She said cheerily.

In the morning, Lucien emerges from his trance to the smell of breakfast. Joining Alisandra, he listens to Rissa voice her concerns. "I will admit, it has been a struggle to adapt to fighting with others. Though my old life never called for battles quite like this, I was always able to deal with violent encounters quietly and on my own."

Taking some of whatever Alisandra has prepared, he studies the items as Rissa explains them. "Neither flails nor robes are quite to my taste, though the items that the robe can produce do sound quite useful. I think it doesn't matter who carries the cottage, but someone should hold on to it."

Eyeing Alisandra curiously and then asked: "You're the soldier. Do you have suggestions when it comes to tactics?"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:54, Sat 25 July 2020.