"Aye, we'll room together and be out of your hair at first light," Asano says. "Provided there are no surprises this evening. Would I, perhaps, have the occasion to bid farewell to Savra?"

"No," Thurl says curtly to Asano's request. "She is being punished. Perhaps if she survives you can bid her adieu in the morning."

He motions to a door in the far corner of the stairwell, and one of the initiates slides cautiously past Jak and Asano to open it. "You can take those as your quarters, if you insist on rooming together. Each room has only two beds mind, so splitting up would be more comfortable for you all."

---

Map updated.

Interact with Thurl and his fellow some more as you like, but when ready we can move on to evening & decide sleeping arrangements, etc.

"I thank you for the hospitality, Lord Thurl," Asano says, bowing his head slightly. "Come, my friends, let us retire and discuss our plans for the morrow." He gestures for the party to enter the offered room.

She followed, baffled by the monk's hospitality, but eager to rest, pray and regain her powers.

The group files into the proffered sleeping quarters, and one of the initiates closes the banded-iron door behind them.

As Thurl had described, there were only two spartan beds in the irregularly shaped quarters. A fireplace, closet, two chests, and a small tapestry on the wall rounded out the room's accoutrements. Several windows spaced around the room looked out on the setting sun to the west.

---

Map updated.

Anything else prior to going to sleep? I assume you'll want to eat some food from your provisions - Thurl and the others did not offer any meals - and from Morg's post it seems likely you'll want to post a watch?

Let's iron out the details - ask questions as needed, as usual.

"Jakrynn, would you be so kind as to strum us a quiet ditty? Just a little something relaxing," Asano asks loudly, an eye toward the door. After the bard begins playing, he continues quietly, "I don't trust this Spire any more than the monastery they are feuding with. However, there is someone close to my heart enmeshed with this organization, and if I can, I will not leave her in their clutches. I won't put your lives to needless risk, though. That said, I am open to suggestions as to our next plan?"

Morg checks the fireplace for anything strange, and turning to Asano says "Sleep, and then go look for your special lady friend and the strange talker, or go search for them first?"

---

If resting first, Morg will quickly scarf down some rations, and lie down on his bedroll near the entrance (s67).

19:15, Today: Morg Danforge rolled 17 using 1d20 with rolls of 17.  Investigate check on fireplace for anything strange.

"Searching first means we spit on the hospitality and likely re-enter battle with someone at one point or another.  We need the rest.  If they haven't killed your friend than likely they aren't going to before morning."  The tiger in her was more matter-of-fact about their predicament.  She didn't care for cages, even fancy ones with beds.

"I could try and have my familiar seek out Savra if you'd like, Asano." Mayon offers up, having been quiet throughout the proceedings, thinking to himself. "They can turn invisible and I can look through their eyes and call them back to me as needed...though, I'm not sure if there will be anything here that could detect something invisible."

"I'm useless without a chance to sleep, meditate and pray. They gave us this opportunity against all reason. I say we take them up on their hospitality. But let's make sure we have two guards up at all times, or spells to alert us of any attack."

Tessa volunteers to sleep early and take the last watch.

Jakrynn watched the 'knights' (he used that word in his mind sarcastically) leave, and said nothing until they had gone fully. He let out a long sigh and shook his head. "Could'a gone worse..."

The group started making plans. He shook his head at Morg and Mayon. "No, we rest up first, an' then we find out what we can in the mornin'." In case the knights were listening on, he didn't say they were beat up and low on everything after the monastery fight. "I'll take first watch."

He began to play a song of rest on his lute, gently strumming, but loud enough to cover quiet conversation at least as far as he knew.


OOC: Taking First Watch.

Song of Rest won't help for a long rest but it will for a Short Rest, so he's playing one while he takes the First Watch, just in case.

"No, rest is in order first. I think we are all spent from the day's exertions," Asano says. "Mayon, if your friend doesn't mind looking about, without getting in trouble, I would appreciate the favor."


OOC:
I'll take whichever watch spot is needed.

Mayon nods at Asano's words, sitting down and allowing his own senses to go dark as the sprite slips from the room, invisible and searching.

Sprite is going to be invisible and stealthy as possible, searching mostly for Savra and Huet while Mayon perceives through its senses.
20:58, Today: Mayon Graycross rolled 24 using 2d20+8 with rolls of 3,13.  Sprite Stealth (Invisible).
21 for Stealth

Mayon's sprite slips out one of the room's windows, and flies up to the top of the Spire. Four giant vultures sit preening in the slanting rays of the setting sun. Slight breezes stir the air in the valley below.

Thurl Merosska speaks quietly with a group of knights for a few minutes. They then descend the stairs, leaving a single knight to watch over the animals. The sprite then flies around the outside of the Spire, noting that the shutters on the windows of one quarter of the third level are shut. The other rooms on this level look similar to the chamber given the party, and are unoccupied.

Sneaking down the stairs, the sprite notes two initiates standing guard outside the room used by the party, and a single knight standing outside Merosska's quarters.

The doors leading out of the stairwell are shut on both of the lower levels, so the sprite continues to the stables. There it finds Thurl and three of his knights rummaging through a large pile of supplies stacked around the spiral staircase. Two of the knights are those who had been tied up previously.

---

This took about an hour, so you're good for a short rest at least.

As you settle in for a long rest, you note a few more features of the room. The windows are about 3' tall and 4' wide, and each features iron-banded wooden shutters with a bar that can be used to lock them. The door also has a bar on the inside.

There's no sign of Savra or Huet, though the sprite didn't try opening any doors - if you want to do that you can but it would be an additional stealth check. Also, if you want to get close enough to Thurl and the others or spy on them for a length of time that would take a second stealth.

Zzzzzzzzzzz

Tessa hears Zora breathing and wonders if the cleric has dreams of godly things.

Tessa drifts off and her limbs twitch slightly as dreams of the tiger come over her and she prowls and hunts her prey.

The sprite hovers a bit closer to Thurl and his comrades, trying to stay silent within the invisibility.


15:58, Today: Mayon Graycross rolled 11 using 2d20+8 with rolls of 1,2.  Invisible Sprite stealth.
oh my god...

"See if you can find more oil in that pile," Thurl says, pointing to his right, as Mayon's invisible familiar brushes the side of the spiral staircase with a wing. The sprite has to flap its wings furiously for a few seconds to keep from falling out of the air.

Thurl freezes, then looks questioningly over his shoulder. "Did you see any familiars with this group?" he asks the group angrily. One of the other knights nods grimly.

"Alright. This should be enough. Go." Thurl and two of his fellow knights hurry up the stairs, carrying what look like flasks of oil and alchemists fire to the sprite's eyes. One of them carries a heavy block of wood with a ram's head carved into one end. The third knight hurries to a stable door carrying several flasks. Mounting a hippogriff, he launches the animal into the deepening night.

---

What now?

Mayon's eyes fly open and he sits upright.

"They're up to something. Gathering oil, alchemist's fire, large blocks of wood. I think we need to go." He says softly, frantic even as he snaps his fingers and sends the sprite back to the Feywild.

Jak was mildly startled when Mayon suddenly started talking. He'd sort of forgotten that Mayon wasn't actually sleeping. He listened to what Mayon had to say and then groaned. "Maybe they're just...making a bonfire...to celebrate the mighty blow down to the monks, their hated rivals?"

He looked hopeful for a second and then let out a sigh. "Man, I am TAPPED. I need t'SLEEP! This sucks." He shook his head. "I guess we should wake the others, at least those that need t'put armor on."

"They may be planning to strike the monastery since weweakened the earth cult's defenses," Asano yawns. "We may as well rest as we can, but keep a rotating watch, just in case. Lock the windows and door. We can move the furnishings to barricade both, as well. It may not be as restful as we'd like, but we need the break. I think most of us are running on mist."

A few minutes pass, with no sounds disturbing the darkening night.

Then, hurried footsteps ring off the stone outside the door. Whispered tones, barely audible, can be heard through the wooden door. The beat of large wings comes in through the open windows.

Jak having awoken the others, paused a moment when he heard things outside the door, looking back over his shoulder to make sure the others were awake, or mostly awake. He then took in a deep breath...and yanked the door open. "Evenin'." One raised eyebrow, a half-smile on his face as well as short sword and shield in hand - he looked to see who was outside their door, hoping it was the two knights who had been nice to them, but expecting people about to try and burn them.

Morg rubs his eyes, and slips on his backpack and broken shield when he sees Jak arming himself. He turns to the window when he hears the wings.