Ludolf's smile turns even wider as Triäsa hugs him, even though just quickly so. He then reverts to his more somber self again, turning to face Crinkle. "How do you feel? Do you still feel his influence on your mind?" He says, trying to determine if her answer is truthful. Insight: 21

Daventry leans against the wall, eventually sliding down it. She simply focuses on breathing, eyes looking upward, face still covered in rotted blood.

"Hey, Pardot, you have one of those berries on you? Or... Like twenty?" 

Noting Daventry's condition, she comes over as well. "I can help you too, if you can put up with a little of my singing," she says with a grin.

Fembris happily hops down from Ludolf and promptly rushes Triäsa giving her an identical hug. She then skips to Klin, Pardot and Daventry embracing each of you enthusiastically. "Remarkable! You accomplished in one day what we couldn't do in two weeks!" She then lets out a big yawn "My, my I think it is very very late."

Crinkle turns her beak away away from Ludolf as he speaks. It seems her attitude toward you all has not changed. Defiant still, she has nothing more to say. 

The book is closed there are no further markings or locks on it. As you mention leaving Fembris pipes once more, "It should be pretty obvious to everyone the curse is lifted. I bet by the time we get to top floor the door will be open and you will be receiving a hero's welcome! We can turn Crinkle over to the Avowed at the top I am sure the Great Reader will have questions for her." She narrows her eyes menacingly at the captive.

(Go ahead and do whatever else you would like I'll leave it here for a while. Let me know when you are ready to head to top floor and the door that leads to freedom... probably...)

Quote from Viper15E >>

"Hey, Pardot, you have one of those berries on you? Or... Like twenty?" 

 "I can easily make more." Pardot says, holding out both hands as if cupping water when suddenly, pop pop pop pop, ten berries appear in his hands being offered to any who would like them. He then looks to the fallen bookshelf and says, "What exactly happened to it? I know being under a shelf is uncomfortable, but..."

Quote from Alsdad >>

The book is closed there are no further markings or locks on it. As you mention leaving Fembris pipes once more, "It should be pretty obvious to everyone the curse is lifted. I bet by the time we get to top floor the door will be open and you will be receiving a hero's welcome!

 "Perhaps we should investigate the room above? The appearance of this symbol," Pardot's hand, almost unconsciously going into his pocket to finger at the cufflink, "here, now, means that there is something even bigger happening." Pausing to think he then adds, "Or perhaps the Great Reader might have some insight into it. I had hopped to ask him of it when we first found it, and that was before we found it the second or third time. Let alone here..."

Ludolf gives Crinkle a quick look of contempt before he turns to his teammates. "Yes, going upstairs to see how the rest of the quarantine is doing seems like a good idea. I agree with Pardot, the symbol and that body suggests that this is only part of something bigger. Perhaps the man in the hat was even behind releasing the Shemshine i the first place. We still have a lot of investigation to do." He says as-a-matter-of-factly, ready to move upstairs when the others are.

Assuming there are no other plans downstairs (if there are go ahead with them) you move down the corridor past the other rooms. You note the door to Ebder's room is closed and the quiet sounds of laughter of a father and daughter can be heard on the other side. You pass through the kitchen and into the long corridor before reaching the stairs to the middle level. 

Wandering through the stacks on the middle level you see a number of people with relieved looks on their faces. They smile as you pass but don't stop you. Most are busy cleaning books and debris from the floor. You notice blood stains speckle the ground in areas and a few of the folks around you have black eyes and crooked noses. You do not recognize anyone here.

Here is the map of the firefly cellar. The room Pardot was in was the second room to the north on the middle level. 

As everything seems to return to normal Ludolf turns to Fembris on their way up from Crinkle's chamber. "I think we would need an audience with the first reader as soon as possible Fembris, we have many things to discuss with him. And could you se to that the body Pardot found is identified, if possible?"

Daventry eats a handful of berries (we'll say five).

"Thanks, Par. Think this is the first time I've actually had them!"

She gives a haggard smile to Triasa. "Of course! I'd like that, but... that should be enough magical effort wasted on me for the moment. Save your spell in case we aren't out of this yet."

She tries to wipe away the blood with a rag and some water from her gear. She's mostly successful, though her eyes are bloodshot and her face more gaunt than normal. 

((oh wait!!)) Before leaving the bottom floor, Pardot looks back towards the secret room that had been opened and says, "Actually, I'd like to see if the fireflies have dispersed down here before we head up." ((also looking for shinies ^^ perception 16 looking back in that room))

Right after Fembris gives Pardot his hug he wanders over to the wreckage of that ended Shemshine. You see two potion vials have been knocked to the floor, smashed. Their contents shall remain a mystery. Mixed in with the liquid you find 50 gold pieces that spilled out of a coin pouched and lie on the floor.

There is also a very ornate dagger amongst the wreckage. The hilt and blade are a bright reflective gold and adorned with multiple red gems. It reflects the yellow-green worm light brilliantly and for  a moment you think it might be very valuable. But then you look closer. The metal it is not gold just a very fancy paint job on common iron. The gems are also an elaborate forgery as they are made of plain, colored glass. It is sharp and could be used but unlikely to sell for much more than a common weapon

The only other thing you notice as you start to move toward the second floor is Crinkle's ring. It is a well polished silver piece. Instead of a center stone the metal bends to form a ram's head. As she sees you looking at it she places her other hand overtop of it in a not subtle attempt to hide it from you.

The fireflies and their larva still squirm and fly about the room. They do not appear to have changed at all.

"Of course Mr Ludolf! I am sure Bookwyrm will want to hear about everything first thing in the morning. I will find him just as soon as I get our trouble maker into a very uncomfortable cell! No seafood stew for you Ms Crinkle, bread and water till you talk!" She gives Crinkle her tough guy look before turning back to the party. "You all probably should get some sleep once we get out of here. I don't think I'll be able to get you back into Fistandia's Mansion tonight...  Not sure where the others moved the entrance to... I am SO excited for you all to see your rooms... I hope you like them! There is probably plenty of space at the House of Rest since we haven't let anyone in recently. Oh I am so excited to get back to normal and see the sky! Oh wait I heard the stars all disappear?! Is that true? I have been down here for way to long... I wonder what Davy is doing..." She skips along with you still rambling about all the things she missed being locked downstairs... milk, Davy, the Sun, Davy, milk, books, flowers, her own bed, Davy... The list is surprisingly long.

Pardot scoops up the coins to pass out later ((just everyone add 10g now, keep it simple)), and then just gives Crinkle a stare as she tries, not well, to hide the ring as Fembris talks about taking her to the dungeon. Once she's (hopefully) aware of her predicament he takes the ring and says, "Anything I should know about this?" Then, as Fembris talks about the rooms perks up and asks, "Ah! How is Pocket?!"

Triäsa starts to sing softly as she casts Cure Wounds on Daventry. 
'I call upon the mystic weave,
To mend this wounded body.'

(Heals 8 hp)

"All right, let's go up and see what's happening," she says after casting the spell. Once they reach the middle level she asks, "Where was the symbol at? Perhaps we should take a look. I guess."  She looks a bit reluctant to actually look given her past experience. 

"Yes, a rest, a proper rest, that sounds good Fembris." Ludolf says nodding to the excited gnome, realizing how tired he is after their strenuous stay in the Firefly cellar. Before leaving for the House of rest he joins Triäsa to see where the symbol was at, hoping it will give some clue to if there is a connection between the Shemshine and the behatted man in black.

Crinkle avoids looking at Pardot and simply mumbles, "Just a ring." and continues walking with you all.

Fembris goes pale at the mention of the cats, "I have no idea... Coriander and Cumin are hopefully feeding them... oh my I hope they are OK... do you think cats could be affected by the curse... wonder if cats can sing...."

You walk through the stacks on the middle floor to the north passing through the first room which appears to be a sort of study or transcription area. Three writing desks sit against the north wall, with a sheepskin rug beneath each one. The room is in a significant amount of disarray with papers, quills and ink litteri g the floor. A moldering tapestry hangs, off-center, on the west wall. To the southeast is a wood-paneled wall with a closed door set into it. A weak yellow glow emanates from under this door.

Fembris ushers you through the room to the wooden door to the southeast. "Here is the scene of the crime!" She says dramatically as she flings open the door.

This room is an odd mixture of death and fireflies. Hundreds, maybe thousands of fireflies swarm the rancid air in this room. Broken jars liter the floor while a large stone block rests on the floor in one corner. Nearby is a matching defect in the wall where a humanoid corpse is crammed into a very small space. The air smells heavily of death and decay. Fembris turns the same green-yellow as the firefly light and looks as if she is about to vomit, "Oh dear I forgot about the smell... I'll be outside..." She turns and leaves.

Pardot -- on your last visit to this room the walls were covered in blood with the words of the song grotesquely scrawled upon them with the strange symbol displayed on ceiling. However this time the walls and ceiling are pristine. Not single a single mark or drop of blood to be seen. ...it all seemed so real but now it is gone...

"Ahem, yes, interesting smell but I can't really see any symbols." Ludolf says as he looks around the room. "Still, it would be good if we could get help to identify the body Fembris." He says to the gnome before she leaves. "I'm not sure there is anything else for us to do here. Perhaps we should allow ourself to rest a bit now, neither the body nor Crinkle will go far before tomorrow." He says, sounding very tired.

“Just a ring eh?” Pardot says as he puts it in his pocket for later ((insight 18)).

To Fembris he adds, “I’m sure Pocket has found food. Even if she got used to the kitchen, the Keep isn’t as free from rats as you might like to think. We found some hunting grounds prowling around together.”

Once they arrive in the room, Pardot braces himself for the smell, and then seeing the walls, now clean, looks again to Fembris to ask, “the… the walls were covered in bloody phrases and symbols were they not?”

Crinkle is obviously lying and clearly does not want you to have the ring but knowing her situation there is nothing she can do to stop you from taking it.

You (or anyone) can roll arcana to ID at some point.

Fembris pinches her nose as she responds in an artificially nasally voice, "Yes, definitely blood everywhere along with words..." She waves her free hand widely, "and that weird diamond shaped thingy on the ceiling. Wonder who cleaned it up?"

Sounds like Ludolf is done investigating the Cellar. Anyone else have something they want to do here?