Daventry gasps, arching her back suddenly as she lies in the throes of a feverish dream, hair splayed out behind her, silk gown clinging to her body.

"Do we have a deal?" she whispers, and though she speaks the words, the voice is not entirely hers, more like the old man's. "Good... good..."

She gasps sharply and snaps awake, breathing heavily, beads of sweat on her forehead. She clutches at her throat, feeling the base of it as if it were tender, before raising herself to a sitting position. She speaks dreamily, as if lost in thought.

"Our shared fate before us. A tiny watcher to our doom. Four screams, four sacrifices put to the blade, a finality sealed with blood. A tower of red stone in a wasteland remade to shining spires of silver... a creature with a star-shaped head and five flaying tentacles, a barrel-thick body and bat wings, brought to the realm by our undoing. A deal struck, and the sun is blotted out by the wings of those not meant for this world, borne by this eldritch rookery..."

Daventry blinks, and shakes her head. "Gods... what was that?" Her voice has returned to its normal cadence. She first feels for her lockpick, and is disappointed when there is naught there but robe and skin. She sees the brand at this point, and mutters, "Gods dammit, not again."

She stands, and looks to her friends. "Ok. We're alive, at least... so there's a chance we can keep it that way." She approaches the small window and peers out.

Perception: 6

Before shutting her eyes again and stepping away, unable to focus.

Pardot wakes a bit before the others with his usual zen, and calmly assesses their situation. Taking a few minutes to meditate and prepare for the day ((spells and 2)), he then looks up to the window and once the others are awake will ask, "What can you see out there?"

While the others awake, Pardot again takes 10 minutes to himself to meditate and then opens his eyes to see what his new arcane sight might show him in their room.

As Ludolf eventually comes to, he frantically looks around the cell to make sure the others are there with him, his gray eyes staying with Triäsa and ha draws a breath of relief. Then he briefly examines himself and his white silken gown and then the strange glyphs on his palms. "Alive to be sacrificed." He says bitterly without looking up, then going silent and looking sad before resuming his studies of the glyphs.

Arcana: 9 + Guidance: 4
LotFR: 33

Peering out the small window Daventry doesn't see much. A poorly lit corridor heads off in each direction and as best you can tell it is very quiet in either direction.

Pardot sits and starts to work his magics. About a minute into the ritual you feel an odd sensation along the brand on your palms. A burning tingling sensation that won't go away. As you continue your ritual the sensation gets stronger and stronger until it is very uncomfortable. You feel strange... very strange as you reach out toward the weave but you can''t feel it's presence, just the burning tingling in your hands. Your ritual completes but you know that the magic did not work. 

Ludolf You are not familiar with any of the symbology that adorns your clothing or your palms.

Triäsa quickly glances about the cell as she recovers, a bit surprised as the numerous wounds she suffered seem to have been healed.  As Daventry says little after looking out, she stands and goes over to look for herself. (Perception: 13)

Triäsa looks out into the hallway and doesn't see anything different, however, you do hear the soft footfalls of movement in the corridor. It seems to be moving away from your cell.

As Triäsa turns back into the cell she catches a glimpse of movement from the darkest corner. There is something there small, on all fours. It moves forward out of the shadows as Triäsa gaze settles on it. The creature purrs, "Well that didn't go very well now did it?" In the dim light flickering in and out of the cell you are not entirely sure where the cat came from or how long it has been there. You can tell one thing for sure, the cat is dead, well mummified  to be precise. Its desiccated flesh is wrapped in linen bandages marked with protetective symbols, and it wears a gold and carnelian collar with a scarab amulet.

"The tiny watcher?" Triäsa asks of the mummified cat. "Or are you something else?" 

Hearing Triäsa speak, Ludolf turns and notices the mummified cat, his gray eyes widening briefly in surprise over having an inmate. He doesn't want to scare it away but ponders if he has ever read about such a creature.

Arcana: 23

"Lucky for you I am far more than a casual observer. I was sent by Lord Bastet to help you out of this situation.... I mean really you went toe to toe against an Avatar of an Elder God. Takes some moxie... but not a lot brains." The cat pounces up on the nearby cot and licks it's paws. "Your kind called me Dandelion in life you may do the same."

It looks like a typical undead cat to Ludolf. Certainly anything can be mummified and undead why a cat would have this done is anyone's guess.

Ludolf Religion regarding Bastet: 9
and LotFR: 30

Bastet seems like a familiar name to you . Something you read once in your Uncles library but you just can't quite place it.

"Well, to our defense Dandelion, we had no inkling about what we were going toe to toe with, just that the poor grippli needed help, so we tried to help." Ludolf says, finishing with a strained smile. "We would of course be most grateful if you indeed are able to help us out of this precarious situation." He adds in a more humble tone.

Persuasion if relevant: 24

Surprised that his magic failed, Pardot holds his hand out, palm up, and attempts to conjure up a sign of the day's weather, testing why the last failed.

Triäsa, seeing Pardot's attempt at magic failing, watches him closely as he tries to use his cantrip to test his abilities.  She tries to get any insight as to what is happening - or perhaps how to work around it. (Arcana Check: 14)

"Ah so you are not brave just stupid, always know your enemy! But it makes much more sense. It does seems your intentions were noble and anyone that stands against the Old Enemy is a friend of ours."  Dandelion purrs as she watches Pardot again try his magic. Again the magic fizzles as the tingling along the brand on his hand intensifies then fades. 

"It's not going to work you know. That's a magebrand on your palms. Powerful curse that interrupts your connection to the weave. So long it's there your magics are useless." He hops down and prances over to Pardot. "I can take care of it for two of you.... I am afraid I can't remove everyone's curse at least not now..."

Triäsa, you have not heard of this magic before but what the cat is saying makes sense. You suspect that magic that does not rely on somatic components might work but your not sure.

Daventry looks at the cat, and to her own hand. "Our enemy were a bunch of yuan-ti eating frog eggs and disrupting supply lines. Had we known they actually had a prophesized Old Enemy... Well, suppose it doesn't matter now."

She looks back at the cat. "Was it you who gave me that dream? Are you and Lord Bastet related to the Nodens?"

Daventry wonders if her own source of magic is equally barred... Given that she has no idea what that source is, it is worth the experiment. She tears a strip of the end of her gown off and holds the white cloth in her opposite hand from the brand, holds it close to her lips, and closes her eyes. She first thinks of Sune, but no. She thinks of the Nodens instead, and dreams of resilience.

Aid on herself, Triasa, and Pardot... Or not? 

"Then help Triäsa and Pardot." Ludolf says firmly, motioning to the young half-elven bard and the hafling druid. "Daventry can easily fend for herself given a blade." He turns to Dav and says with an encouraging smile.

Ludolf would try his own telekinetic power, possibly making himself slide sideways in the small cell.

Quizzically the cat turns its head sideways at Daventry, "Well you're an interesting one." It purrs "I am a simple messenger of the Lord and no one gives anyone dreams, certainly not I... We should make haste soon but let me guess. Your dreams are of a barren waste land maybe a strange city in the distance? Do all of you have this dream? If you do it would make getting out of here much easier."

As you consider the questions from the Dandelion and try your magic you find that it too fails as the tingling in your palm intensifies and fades. 

Ludolf reaches into his mind and pushes himself 5feet. It occurs without any trouble. No tingling or strange sensation in your hands. It seems your telekinesis is unaffected. 

"I think perhaps spells that do not rely on somatic components might work," Triäsa suggests.  "That isn't a lot of spells."  She then looks over at Dandelion. "Do you perhaps know if this is true?  I could try something, but I'd rather not waste a spell if not needed."

She then looks at Ludolf. "Before we decide who to remove the brands from, let's think it through. You don't just get to sacrifice yourself Ludolf," she says sternly. "I agree that Daventry probably functions best among us without magic. If we are to get into a fight, you Ludolf are best at that with your magic. Pardot too has a lot of useful magic. I can help, but in a pinch, you are all better suited to getting us out than I am." 

Having said her part, Triäsa also tries to think back through her reading and studies to anything she might know about Bastet. (Religion Check: 23)