A middle-aged human woman stood behind a desk here, with others around her giving some indication of her authority. She has a calculating look and an air of ambition about her. Some of the other patrons of the establishment look at one another, but most looked directly toward her after listening to Akyra's words. "A diamond of that size is not easy to find, nor," she gave Akyra an appraising look, and did not seem terribly impressed by what she say, "easy to purchase. What danger has Phandalin faced that would warrant the kind of protection that would end in death?"

The draonborn looked at the woman, her patience thin, but she reminded herself that  the warrior within was not always the answer. "My friends and i went after the redcloak threat the town had suffered from. We found they were led by an evil necromancer and his undead minions....it was facing him that our friend fell in battle.  The diamond will be used to bring him back to us, as he, like us, has more work to do"

Her eyes soften as she looks at her. "This halfling ave his life to protect this town from an undead hoard. I be, if you have such a stone, to sell it to me. I am aware the cost will be great, but we have golod - and magic we can trade. Plus, you show good will, i will assure that any magical gear we gain in the future will come to you and your store."

Khorth had followed Akyra in town, partially because he had never set foot in it, partially to avoid getting lost. When the smug looking soft skin down played the urgency of finding the shiny rock, he showed his rows of sharp teeth.

The danger ooof the red wrapped preys. Tiny Dancer gave his life fooor your tooown, are yooou prepared tooo dooo the same? If nooot, give Darkscale the shiny rooock she asks fooor.

Although he was not hungry, and actually quite sleepy from devouring the necromancer, he did his best to look like he was ready to bite the fool's head off.

The woman was hard to read when mention was made of the redcloaks and necromancers. She seemed at once confused, angry, surprised, and afraid. It was difficult to tell what was real. "You've killed the wizard, Arthin Dol?" Noise from the other patrons had already begun to die down just from your presence and the abruptness of your business, but when she asked this, all discussion and other sound ceased all together. All eyes were on you, waiting for confirmation. As you gave it, she stepped moved the stool under her desk and picked up a small ring of keys, "I may have one that will suffice..."

Skill Challenge: Diamonds Are Akyra's Best Friend
You will be able to find a sufficient diamond, no matter the results of the challenge.
Success/Failure will determine the total cost of the diamond, and have some slight impact on future events and relationships.
Akyra, Ariadne, Khorth: Each of you make a skill check. It can be any skill you want, that you feel is relevant to the situation, the negotiation of price, etc. You can also use an ability that is not usually associated with that skill, as long as you can describe it in a way that makes sense (Intelligence can Intimidate with knowledge, for example). In your post, describe how your character is trying to use that skill to further your goal of obtaining the diamond or getting a fair price for it. Each of you must use a different skill from one another for this challenge.

Not being a "people person", Ariadne didn't try to speak,  but merely stood nearby to, perhaps, civilize and soften the image the two towering lizard folk presented.
It actually amused her that, as a hardened hunter and woodland survivor,  SHE was "the nice one", but everything was relative, she reckoned.

Still she tried to use what she'd learned about civilized society to try to perwent herself in a reassuring way
Unfortunately,  she was obviously out of practice

OOC:
23:01, Today: Ariadne Greenthorn rolled 5 using 1d20+4.  Perception

This message was last updated by the GM at 07:42, Sat 12 Mar 2022.

Akyra held her hand out to Khorth, looking at the woman. [Language unknown: "P rores Riesca.....manted-thioun os sti atsi ha whtipr lar."] She looked at the woman and grasped her hands in front of her "Forgive my friend - his passions run deep and does yet know the ways of the civilised folk."

She nodded and sighed. "I am fortunate as I have some knowledge of your kind - half of my life has been spent in service to Bahamut in a monastery. "

She looked at the two, then back to her. "It seems you have heard of this man and his capabilities. May I suggest that ridding him is also good for you as well as the town."

She held out her hands. "Such evil as undead, not to mention the raiders hassling the town can put a tole on the good folk, as well as travelers. But now their gone, the roads open, your business has more chances to prosper."

She crosses her arms, a draconic smile on her face. "And imagine the talk when people hear that your establishment and your Wisdom and kindness was paramount in keeping the saviours of Phandelvin whole. People will travel from water deep, Silverymoon, amn at your wares."

She leans in. "....not to mention being our exclusive vendor for gear."

She stepped back, awaiting the woman's answer.

---

<OOC: Akyra Clethtinthiallor rolled 14 using 1d20+3.  Wisdom based Persuasion roll.>

The hunter was rebuffed by the cleric, and he looked at her with cold expressionless eyes when she was trying to convince the soft skin of giving her the rock. He was not cultured in the ways of the soft skins and didn't understand half of what his hunts mate was saying, and he turned his yellow gaze to the merchant once Akyra was done.

That's when the Mother inspired him. Licking his lips, he thought for a moment, trying to put in words what his inspiration told him.

I am a simple hunter fooor the Mother. I dooo nooot knooow thooose villages Darkscale speaks aboooout. Trade is simple fooor my peooople.

He paused, the complex thought process needed to persuade someone being almost alien to the simple paladin.

But I knoooow the land. I knoooow the Mother's will. The Mother doooes nooot approooove oooof Fleshless, dooooes noooot approooove of Walking dead. The Mother wants thoooose moooonsters returned toooo her, toooo give new life.

The Mother hates thoooose that create thooose mooonsters mooost oooof all. Sooo She appoooints hunters like me toooo hunt and destroooy them. That is what I did, that is my duty.

He paused again to make sure he had the woman's attention... he was not used to talk that much.

Walking dead and fleshless destroooy life, destroooy the land... yooou are all dependent ooon the land tooo live. That wizard that raised thooose mooonsters wooould have killed everyooone in his mad quest. We hunted him. We killed him, and the red coooovered preys that served him.

Tiny dancer did nooot have toooo be there. He cooould have left and leave yoooou all tooo slooowly die as the wizard killed this land. But he didn't. He fooought with bravery fooor yooou. He foooought until he died toooo proootect this land that give you all life.

Another pause... Mother, he was sleepy! Fighting a yawn that would defeat his entire speech, he finished.

Tiny dancer is given a chance at life, and yooou can help a heroooo that sacrificed everything foooor yoooou.

Today: Khorth rolled 18 using 1d20+4.  khorth survival.

Ariadne tried to ground the group's more exotic members. It might have even worked, had Khorth not just threated to kill everyone in the room if they didn't hand over diamond worth more gold than most of the people here earned in a decade. (Fail)



Akyra, meanwhile, managed to calm the situation and appeal to the woman's apparent interests. (Success)



The whole place still seemed cold to Khorth's initial comments, even after Akyra's message. Things changed, however, when he started speaking of the land. The Miner's Exchange was a mining guild of men and women who depended on the land for their livelihood, and they took pride in the land that they called home. Those with the insight to look around and read faces could tell that there were some here who likely had spoken with the Thayans regarding business deals, with some looks shifting to shame while others moved to anger or disappointment in their fellows. Heads began to nod as Khorth shared his encouragement with them, and heads turned toward Halia.

---

Halia was moved as well, and opened a series of locks and safes, retrieving a small blue pouch of a soft fabric none of you were familiar with. "A diamond that size will cost you five hundred, maybe more. I do not have one that size. However, I do have one that is larger, valued at eight-hundred sixty. Mind you, this one jewel is worth more than most in this town will earn in their lifetime. I cannot simply give it to you. I can offer it to you at a discount, however."

Skill Challenge: Successful
You can purchase the diamond you need for 500g worth of value. Of the items that people have mentioned so far as potential barter items, the Immovable Rod will cover 400g worth of that price.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:51, Sat 12 Mar 2022.

Akyra looked at the woman and placed a hand over her heart and bowed. "All will hear of your kindness and wisdom in this act." She reaches I to her bag and retrieves the magical rod once in Pavel's care.

"This rod is magical in nature - one click and the rod is immovable from any force. I hope you will accept this in some stead of gold. Also, while we are here in this town, you have my word thaht any items, mundane or magical, will be offered to you first."

She hands over the immovable rod in stead of gold, plus the remainder for the gem and nods again. "May Bahamut smile on your place with luck, wealth and health."

She leaves and comes to the shrine with the gem. "I believe this will do for the ritual." She takes it out and hands it to the priestess.

With the material component of the spell secured, the party returned once again to the Shrine of Luck, where they found Sakamoto laid out on a table. His clothes had been removed, his body washed, with red & gold towels placed over his significant wounds and another to maintain his modesty. His clothes sat folded on a small side table nearby, perfectly cleaned and mended, which you can only assume was done through magical means.

Sister Garaele raised her weary eyes to look at the heroes as they entered, apprehension on her face as recognition hit her.

She was visibly relieved as she saw the diamond, nodding her head in approval. "Yes. It will be an arduous ritual, taxing to us all. Are you ready to begin?"

Skill Challenge: Resurrecting an Assassin
Sakamoto will be resurrected, regardless of the results of this challenge.
The success or failure of the challenge will determine how much of the resurrection penalty you can remove from the spell's effect (if any), and have a small impact on the next boss fight.

Akyra, Ariadne, Khorth: Each of you will make three skill checks. This time around, you can use the same skills as one another, but you cannot use the same skill more than once for your three rolls. For having a diamond worth at least 250gp more than required, all of your rolls will be made with Advantage.

Your goal here is to convince Sakamoto's spirit to reunite with his body, and to beseech the gods for their aid as none of you possess the ability to cast this spell on your own. You can be as elaborate or brief as you wish in your description of the skill usage. Additionally, you may sacrifice any non-consumable magic item that your character personally owns/carries, to guarantee success for everyone for that round.

Ariadne, never having had to help resurrect someone before, wasn't exactly sure what to do,  so she drew upon all her skills to help out in the ritual.
Her knowledge of medicines,  to help heal.
Her knowledge of survival,  to hwlp lead the halfling back to them.
And her knowledge of physical endurance,  as she tried to lend her own energy to the endeavor.


OOC :
18:13, Today: Ariadne Greenthorn rolled 13 using 1d20+5.  Survival .
18:13, Today: Ariadne Greenthorn rolled 8 using 1d20+5.  Survival .
18:12, Today: Ariadne Greenthorn rolled 10 using 1d20+5.  Medicine .
18:12, Today: Ariadne Greenthorn rolled 24 using 1d20+5.  Medicine .
18:12, Today: Ariadne Greenthorn rolled 9 using 1d20+4.  Athletics .
18:12, Today: Ariadne Greenthorn rolled 7 using 1d20+4.  Athletics

Khorth's passionate speech had secured the shiny rock needed to return Tiny dancer to them but the tired long-eared asked for their help to persuade Sakamoto's soul to come back to them. He was tired and thirsty so he didn't want to linger... if the soul was still around, listening, it had better be listening good.

Tiny Dancer, yooou helped us kill the wizard raising thooose mooonsters, yooou have helped save the land, the Mother is grateful, and wants yooou back tooo cooontinue doooing her bidding. I need yooou, yooou are a huntsmate and we still have a looot of hunting tooo dooo tooogether...

He growled, his tiredness becoming apparent.

And if yooou dooon't cooome back, yooour cooorpse is mine tooo eat!


Khorth rolled 22,21,24 using 2d20+4,2d20+4,2d20+4, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 18,16,17,7,15,20.  Survival, persuasion, intimidation

Akyra had seen many people wounded close to death, and only one prepared for teh afterlife, but never saw a resurrection before, and to take part, she knew she would need all her skill.

The dragonborn began slow, helping clean the wounds of the halfling, humming as she went an ancient song of Bahamut, a song of beauty, heroism and bravery - something akin to this little warrior.

Once the cleaning was done, she lay her hands on the halflings head and chest. "Sakamoto - the little dancer. You are a strong and faithful warrior and friend, and you have earnt your rest if your soul deems it, but if you have anything unfinished, By the light of the sun and the will of the dragon, we open a path for your soul to return to us, your friends - your family."

Ignoring Khorth's final comments, she closed her eyes for a moment, and focused again on the warrior, for any twitch, any sign of life, and she knew at that point she would need to push her limits.

---

<OOC: Here goes nothing

Check 1 - Medicine

Akyra Clethtinthiallor rolled 21 using 1d20+5.  Medicine check.
Akyra Clethtinthiallor rolled 10 using 1d20+5.  Medicine check (With advantage).

Check 2 - Religion

Akyra Clethtinthiallor rolled 5 using 1d20+2.  religion check.
Akyra Clethtinthiallor rolled 21 using 1d20+2.  religion check (with advantage).

Check 3 - Perception

Akyra Clethtinthiallor rolled 15 using 1d20+3.  perception check.
Akyra Clethtinthiallor rolled 23 using 1d20+3.  perception check (with advantage).>

Ariadne strove to lend her own health and strength to the ritual. She knew not what she was doing, nor how truly dangerous and deadly it was for her to do so. Life was a powerful force, but death was an endless void that would feed on all the life that it could ever gain access to (Fail). Khorth spoke more yet more words; more than he'd ever spoken before. He called out to his huntsmate, calling the small man's spirit back toward his body (Success). Akyra joined in the cleansing, humming and ancient song of the dragonkin as she did so, a song fitting for one such as laid on the table before her (Success).

Round 1: Success

It did, however, draw her spirit more closely to that of the fallen, allowing Sakamoto to follow the path she would lead for him to return (Success). Khorth called for him to return, to rejoin the long hunt they still faced ahead of them (Success). Akyra shared her religious guidance. Whether he believed the same or similar, or something else entirely, she did what she could to guide him back. (Success).

Round 2: Success

Doing so allowed her to pull her Life force back in to herself, and she leant her knowledge of healing to guiding the rest of the ritual (Success). The humor of the lizardfolk was not easy to mark, and whether in jest or earnest, he called out to the soul of the wee assassin and told him that if he were done using the body, Khorth would put it to use for a snack (Success). Akyra stood steadfast, watching for signs of life, and signs of life, to know when she should push herself to give whatever she might have left, to pull him the rest of the way through (Success).

Round 3: Success

Akyra's guardianship over the little man's life made her the first to see - Sakamoto drew breath.

Akyra watched, holding her own breath to the halfling before her. When he drew a breath, she in turn, breathed a sigh of relief, blinking. She looked at the others with a nod. "He has returned to us." She leaned over, feeling the weariness of what had happened, she felt drained.

Placing a hand on the halflings shoulder, she spoke softly. "Rest, my friend.....your time is yet done here, and we have much to do. Just know the necromancer has paid for your injuries with his life and soul."

she looked at Khorth. "...though Khorth may regret it later."

she smiled as she looked at him, then back. "Rest now....we will return tomorrow.."

She looked at the priestess's, and nodded. "You forever have my thanks. If you ever need me, Bahamut will guide me to aide you."

She then went to the side and leaned against the wall, waiting on the others before returning to the inn.

The party's efforts for the ritual have resulted in reducing this penalty by three, to a single -1, which will be removed after a single long rest.

Raising the dead was, technically,  an unnatural thing, but Ariadne was more pragmatic than devout in her feelings.  So she was happy to see the halfling breathing again.
"We'll be back to check on our small friend.  Thank you again. "
Almost more weary from this ordeal than she'd been after their brutal battle,  Ariadne joined her friends to get a much needed meal and drinks.
Many, many drinks.

Sakamoto's eyes slowly open and begin to focus on his surroundings. He was no longer outside, no longer wet, and no longer dead. He also slowly began to realize he was no longer dressed. A quick glance to a waiting priestess brought a nod from her, and, almost immediately, a soft, warm, concealing blanket.

His eyes flickered to each of his comrades and he smiled a small, frail smile. Their words had come to his soul as it lingered about the area. As if in a dream, and ethereal, fleeting. But they had warmed him, comforted him and, eventually, led him back to life. He, quite literally, owed them his life. He could not even say that about his own Emperor, now. Sakamoto's loyalty belonged to the Emperor, but his life belonged to his friends.

He looked first at Akyra, and bowed his head slightly. Though the movement was insignificant in size, it was not in meaning. His voice was weak and lacking in any sort of energy - barely above a whisper.

"Thank you, it was your words that brought me back. I can never repay that, but I will spend the rest of my life in the effort."

He then looked at Khorth, another nod, but this time with another thin smile. "And I am sorry, my friend, but you cannot eat me just yet. It was your appetite that brought me back. I can never repay that, but I will spend the rest of my life in the effort."

Finally, he turned to Ariadne and his head nod was accompanied by a flush of his face. "Ariadne. It is perhaps you I owe the biggest debt to. I ... " he stopped and looked at the other two, seeming to draw strength from their inhuman and cold-blooded hearts. "It was your heart that brought me back. I can never repay that, but I will spend the rest of my life loving you for it. If you will have me do so..." he trailed off, not sure what else to say, but happy that he'd made such a confession in front of those he cared so strongly for. Such was the custom in his land, for confessions of such magnitude.

The paladin was not used to such emotions, his pragmatic view of the world having not prepared him to even consider rescuing a huntsmate. But the strange views of those softskins, and mostly of a sister of the scale, had changed him more than he thought he could change, in such a short time.

He had fought with huntsmates before, and devoured the fallen, fully expecting to finish his life in a stomach, his bones used to make tools. But fighting with this group had furthered his connection to the Mother, a representation of the land.

A living land, needing living heroes to defend it against the monsters that wanted to kill it.

Raising from his crouch, he got close to the bed and tried to emulate Akyra smile, a weird twist of his lips that he was not used to do.

I am glad that we'll hunt tooogether again, Tiny Dancer.

Putting his clawed hand on Sakamoto's shoulder, a green glow surrounded the halfling. ( OOC: the rest of my healing touch, 10 points)

The blessing ooof the Mother ooon yooou, huntsmate.

Turning away, he followed the dragonborn to the inn.

Ariadne smiled at the halfling,  taking his hand.
"You gave your life defending me.  We've drawn blood together,  and shed blood together.  Defending us. As far as I'm concerned,  we're family here.  I'm happy to have you back."

If Sakamoto was pledging his love, or some other kind of relationship,  Ariadne seemed oblivious to his intentions

Akyra was the final one to speak of the three as she looked at him. She realized each had changed from the ordeal. Khorth was less animalistic and more civilized (though she did not know if this was a good or bad thing). Ariadne was learning her place with her powers, not just a druid, but a beacon of nature itself. Sakamoto, in his death, had learnt the value of friendship and trust - that fighting as a family was worth more than alone.

...and Akyra.

She had learnt probably the most in her mind.  She realized that brute strength was not always the answer. She had developed a stronger connection to Bahamut with the help of her friends. The grief of losing friends, the joy of fighting side by side, for something worth it.

The dragonborn looked at the small form, and nodded. "We did not bring you back, little one. We opened a door - you walked through it yourself.  It's your strength and heart that brought you back. We may not be of the same blood, but as Ariadne has said, we are family. You owe me - you owe us nothing." The cleric had no magic to bestow on the halfling - she spent it all fighting and raising him back.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Rest - We still have much to do."

She looked at the others. "Come....let's let him rest." She made her way out of the temple, towards the inn.

...she needed a meal and a drink

Gundren arrived at the shrine to check on Sakamoto, glancing toward Sister Garaele for confirmation that things were fine. Garaele was beyond the point of exhaustion, she looked even worse than Sakamoto did, and Nyevnen watched after her as best she could.

Gundren's voice was gentle, "Sakamoto, I am glad to see you've made it through. I know you will need your rest, so I'll not keep you. I just wanted to see that you're alright. Is there anything you need?"

Akyra looked at the dwarf and smiled. "He needs rest now....come, you can buy us an ale while we fill you in on what happened."

Gundren gave Sakamoto a chance to answer, then nodded to Akyra and followed her back to the inn.

Gundren can be active in both threads.

"Yes. Family..." Sakamoto's voice trails off but not before the disappointment registers. As Gundren enters, his eyes flicker to his Dwarven mentor with a renewed brightness which quickly fades. "I am happy to see you, but I am afraid ... " his voice trails off again, this time, his eyes droop heavily and within moments, he is alseep.