Ulmwin would have found himself rather useful helping earlier, so was all too glad that Coljin had things covered regardless. The least he can do is help perform their ritual. A "comprehend language" spell to better understand the meanings of their chant, before a respectful nod. Still... After all that, some rest would be good.

Randy waits until the Dragon born are done singing.  He then begins to softly sing an elvish song of parting.  He then beseeches in dragon that the All Mother look in favor on her fallen children and grant them swift and safe passage to the next life.

After the ceremony, he tiredly turn towards bed.  He collapses into his bedroll and falls into a deep slumber.  He dreams vividly during the night, seeing the All Mother in maiden form working at a forge fueled by stars,  hammering souls into shape.  Randy feels a resonance deep inside as she hammers away on one in particular.  She gives it a few more whacks, studies it critically,  then carefully sets it to heating again in the flames.  She turns and looks Randy in the eye. "The Blade is Forged, but it still needs Tempering."   Randy bows in acknowledgement and then drifts into a deeper sleep.  The next morning, he notices that the desert seems especially vibrant and that certain aspects of knowledge seem especially easy to recall.  He spends a quiet morning a little ways off from camp meditating on the meaning of the dream.

((Randy picks up a new favored enemy: Undead.  He also picks up a new Natural Explorer terrain: Desert. Next time he levels, he'll be going into a new class: Rogue. ))

 Dornikal sits patiently and listens to the rites, putting on the helmet of comprehend languages he was borrowing if it is still available.

As the fire dies Dornikal whispers another prayer Dumathoin to carry them on their way.

He then turns in, dropping like a stone once he's said his nightly prayers, asking only for the strength to carry out Dumathoin's will and, if it is His will, to protect his friends.

---

The next day he makes sure the tower gets its gems and then checks in with Szartha to see if he recognizes any of the odd loot from the mine as well as seeking his help in appraising the art objects and confirming Dornikal's appraisals of the jewelry.

((Any rolls for those appraisals?))

While they are working he will ask,

"Szartha, do ye know anything that can be done to fix Galt's arm when we get back to a city?"

He will also absolutely mess around with the ewer to see if has anything in it.

It's a few days travel back across the sand with the dragonborn before you get to Kreldoran's tower an the dragonborn encampment. It looks quite a bit different, with permanent structures fashioned from the sand beginning to take shape around the oasis.

During the travel, as they are approaching the oasis, Galt took Dornikal aside. "Hey, I didn't mention it to Tren, but I know you were only doing the guard thing short term, and it's what the two of us have been doing for years... I'll still talk to the boss, but with everything that happened... I think I'm going to be looking for a change. Maybe try civilian life back on again... find a job for a one handed fellow... I know, I know, you said you'd find a way to get me an arm back, but if that doesn't happen, I can't be pinning all my hopes on it, right? If she's wanting to keep on with Szartha though, and doing the guard job, I'd not feel right leaving her to build back the team from scratch... not that she can't, of course, but spoons. I mean... fork it. I'm just thinking over my options, yeah?"

A short while later, Tren bends his ear, "I'm afraid he's gonna think it's cause he's only got the one arm now, and I don't think he can handle the work... but I'm thinking of leaving the guard life, and I want to ask if he'll join me. I'm good with horses, I could train them for some noble who doesn't appreciate the animals they've got... or something, you know? I've not run it past the boss yet, but he's not the same after what happened when we got... captured. I think he's lost a bit of his love for the road, and might be looking to retire, or find new work of his own. I don't want to leave Szartha and Galt in the lurch if I leave, and I'd like if Galt would join me... but he's a proud man, and I'm afraid he's gonna be extra touchy when it comes to his pride now. If anyone even hints he's not up for the job, I'm afraid he's gonna march out into the desert dragging his sword behind him. I don't know... thanks for listening."

When he returns to the tower, Szartha welcomes Dornikal, and muses aloud while they are appraising goods, "You've been a solid dwarf to have at my side these past few months, but I know you're on to bigger things soon. My little caravan was lucky to have you... maybe only spot of luck we had this trip."

He goes silent for a bit.

"I'm thinking this was my last trip... financially, even with what we managed to get out of there, it's a bust. They were good people, Dornikal. My people. And I didn't see them through. Least I can do is make sure their families get what coin I can get together for them. I'm not sure how to tell Galt and Tren, which is why I'm telling you first. Easier, somehow, to tell the "new guy". I think I might just set up a small shop somewhere, maybe a little place with a bed in the attic... nice, quiet. But those two have been with me through it all... I can't just tell them they're out of a job, they're still my people, how can I abandon them?"  

On the long trek back to Kreldoran's tower, Coljin will ask if anyone wants some holy water created for themselves, as a bit of something they can carry to fight undead if needed.  Or he explains on the long walk back he can also create an item for someone with Continuous Flame on it.   He explains how it is accomplished:

• Bless Water. You touch one vial of water and cause it to become holy water.  Needs 25 GP of powdered silver to create.
• A flame, equivalent in brightness to a torch, springs forth from an object that you touch. The effect looks like a regular flame, but it creates no heat and doesn’t use oxygen. A continual flame can be covered or hidden but not smothered or quenched.  Needs 50 GP of ruby dust to create.

He will also, one of the evenings of the journey, cast detect magic on the probable magic items they found and try to figure out a bit, what they might be.  If someone wants to try attuning or trying an item on, he will use augury (if they person wishes) to see if it is a good idea or will cause harm if we do so.

A sealed metal ewer (the ewer itself isn't magical, but pick up transmutation and abjuration, requires attunement)

An empty grey cloth pouch (conjuration)

A set of reed pipes (enchantment, requires attunement)

A black cloak (conjuration, transmutation, requires attunement)

((If any of you are thinking about attuning, let me know. Coljin, for flavor, what are you using as your divining items for augury?))

Dornikal wanted to mess with the ewer, is he consulting Coljin first? Is this on the way back, or once you're back? What is the specific course of action being questioned?

Ulmwin does show some interest in the reed pipes at least, given how it's an instrument - But overall, seems glad as usual to distribute items mostly as how they seem most useful, though that is a bit of a task if it's unknown what those items are in particular. He spends some time casting detect magic, using that together with his arcana to see if he can deduce, or maybe outright recognize, some of the items.

16

Ulmwin picks up the same schools of magic that Coljin did, and concludes that it is the contents of the ewer that are magical, the pouch probably conjures something, the pipes might affect rodents, given their artistic motif, and the cloak resembles bat wings.

((Dornikal would have probably messed with the ewer without consulting anyone, but he wouldn't have been sneaky about it. Likely Coljin would notice anything he did on the way back.

The rest of the checking he would have waited until they got back.

No, not true. He would have also looked in the empty gray pouch. Trying out the back of holding stuff on it.))

During the walk back to Galt,

"If a dragonborn can become tree we can get ye a new arm. Aye'm confident of that. As far as staying a guard?" He shrugs, "Ye've put in yer time but aye understand ye gotta follow yer heart." He looks in Tren's direction. "Ye maybe should talk to her about it though? Aye'm not really all that experienced in...the sort of thing. Aye'd suggest ye pray on it but aye know yer no so inclined and it doesn't really fall under...-" He stops talking and gives a chuckle,  "Aye. Ye should talk to her, aye think, no, aye know she feels strongly for ye." He'll give Galt's good hand a squeeze,  "That'll help ye figure out the real options, lad."

Later with Tren Dornikal opens his mouth to speak then closes it as he looks up towards his friend, a small smile on his face and glassy eyes. He sniffs and wipes his eyes clear,

"Tren, lass, ye need to talk to Galt about how ye feel and what yer plans are. He maybe has lost some love of the road but he did find ye."

He'll give her hand a squeeze and push her in Galt's direction.

Back at the tower with Szartha, Dornikal just nods along adding,

"The best of people, it was meh honor to get to know them. Ye can't blame yerself for what happened to them, sir. It was the job, they knew. We all did, but that yer taking care of their families...well aye'm glad aye signed on with ye, as honorable a man as aye've ever met."

When he talks about quiting the business Dornikal just shakes his head and chuckles, slapping Szartha on the back.

"Aye think ye need to call a company meeting together, sir. Aye think it'll clear some things up. Aye'll go get the other two. Trust meh."

Closing his eyes outside the tent he'll say to the air,

"Thank ye Dumathoin for whatever hand ye hand in this."

Dornikal will then go to find Galt and Tren, making sure they've talked first, then bring them back and urge Szartha to let them know his plans. If needed he'll help Galt and Szartha along.

When Dornikal pulls free the lead sealed cap on the ewer, he peers in and sees an opaque silvery liquid sloshing back and forth. If he were to go to pour some of it out, it doesn't behave like other fluids, it flows easily enough, but when he tips it back upright, rather than the portion poured splashing on the ground, it clings to the side of the vessel, and flows up and back into the ewer. Neat!

The bag looks completely empty, much like it feels when patting the side. However, when he reaches in, he feels something. Pulling it out, he holds what appears to be a marble sized ball of felt. Weird.

When he talks to Galt, "There's a bit of Maji in Zokk, but they're not really still him, are they? I get what your saying though, and it's appreciated."

The three take his suggestions, and long overdue conversations are held.

Coljin smiles, a bit wryly, when he sees Dornikal begin experimenting on his own without any divine assistance.  The guy seems to be doing ok, though, so he just keeps his distance, just in case something bad happens, but lets him keep doing what he wants.

(Coljin has small bones, and one tiny skull, from mice from his home village that he scatters in a small pile, to get a reading on his augury)

Dornikal goes to stick a finger in the silver stuff before pausing and instead pokes the neat stuff with a javelin.

He looks at the lint briefly before flicking it away and shaking the bag.

To Galt he just nods,

"Aye, a bit of Maji in Zokk but, we're just needing an arm. Not even a full one. Gotta be some magic for that, if ye got the coin. An' aye, we, got the coin!"

The tip of the javelin comes out clean.

When he flicks away the lint ball... [roll a d8 please].

One evening after the traveling is done, but before bed, Coljin cast Augury by ritual.

He spends the minutes sitting quietly nearby a fire, with the clean, dry mouse bones in hand, intoning quietly to Mielikki to offer her divine guidance.   Once he knows enough time has passed he hums for a few seconds shakes his hands and the bones just a bit theatrically, and then lets them fall into a pile in front of him.  

Just before he drops the bones he says, "My Goddess, would it be a good decision for one of our party to put on and attune to the new cloak we found?"

D8:5

As Dornikal shakes the bag, there is a strange whooshing sound followed by a loud thud, then a thunderously high warbling scream as he's cast in the shadow of something with large extending spikey bits...

 Looking over his shoulder, he sees a huge elk towering above him, it casting the looming shadows. It steps forward and lowers its head, giving the dwarf a bump with its snout that leaves him sprawling in the sand, then follows it up with a lick that covers most of his body.

Coljin, you get a sense of [WEAL].

((Recently say an elk a little ways off, too near honestly,  at Yellowstone. I was in a car and he thought it was too warm to move from besidethe road. It didn't look like that elk/moose picture though!))

Dornikal looks at the bag in confused horror as he remembers the dice thrown when he first met the party.

The horrible nearness of the monstrosity catches him off guard and leaves him horribly vulnerable to it's...tongue?

Laying in the sand looking up at the elk he is completely at a loss for several long seconds before he says, to the elk,

"Uh hello? Do ye speak? Can. Ye. Understand. Meh?"

He tries to scoot away in the sand to be able to sit up and get to his feet, and if possible put some distance between himself and the mega elk.

((This is a giant elk, a huge creature, which I've always taken to be based on the real world Irish Elk.))

"Bhweeeeeeeeee--oooouuughhhhkkk."

When you go to stand, it lowers its head, placing the tine of one of its antlers in easy reach if you wanted to accept its assistance.

((Real world but sadly extinct. 😥))

Dornikal smiles tightly up at it.

"Aye, thanks. Aye got it."

He struggles up on his own. He takes a moment to look upon the magnificent animal that isn't, apparently,  going to gore and trample him. Yet.

"Where'd you come from?"