"We've just been sorting through the logistical nightmare. Setting up temporary shelters for those who've lost houses to the harbour fire, figuring out how to ration out food while we wait for trade to start up again, rooting out any remaining cult presence..."

Looking into the councilors' thoughts:

Joren's voice is quiet as he finally responds to the three councilors.

"I will come to the chambers to inspect the bodies as you are asking.  My countryman Jean-Lou was the first of the councilors to warn of the imminent cultist threat, and the first to be slain by the ten masked assassins sent after him, taking several with him.  In his honor, I will be trusting you."

A weight seems to shift from the shoulders of all three councilors as they behold the earnestness and confidence of the bloody but resolute warrior before them. There is some commotion behind the group as two guards stumble up from below deck, supporting Marion between them. She looks up wearily and says, "I'll not be coming. I think I need a rest, and perhaps an escort."

At Ashley's touch Vilus backs off a little with his aggression toward the council members, and telepathically speaks back to Ashley.

"Someone is going to need to stay with marigold, I doubt the cult presence is completely wiped out and she'll be a target for kidnapping."

To the councilmen, "Please, be wary of anyone and everyone.  Even someone that looks like a person you've known for years... they can wear the face of someone you cherish.  Ask them questions only the person you know could answer to be sure."

Ashley then walks over to Marion and hugs her, "You did so well.  Thank you."  She responds to Vilus, I got this.

"C'mon, let's get you home.  Samir?  If you want to come with us I understand, you look a bit shaken up."

As Ashley asks Samir to depart with her and Marion. Vilus takes a step back on to the gangplank of the boat and crosses his arms. He nods his head up toward Joren and Malachi, "whatever you guys decide to do, go back to the house or go with these council members, I'm staying here, I'm not letting that woman out of my sight... I'll get the information alone if I have to, I'm capable, I've done it before, but the decision is yours..." 

"Yes, yes, I think that would be a good idea." Samir runs a hand through his disheveled hair as he moves to join Ashley and Marion. Shifting his ever-present satchel, he offers a shoulder to Marion to lean on. His eyes pass over the council members briefly before settling on the ship's captain. "Thank you, Captain, for your help and leadership today. You have offered an invaluable service to your city, and I hope that you and your sailors will be remembered for a long time to come." With a quick nod to Vilus, Joren, and Malachi, the artificer begins leading Marion towards the gangplank so that the trio might make their way to their erstwhile home.

Joren clasps his companions' shoulders, including a whisper to Marion.

"Thanking you, knight of the Blue Lady, for the ritual you invoked to counter our enemy.  Certain I was that we were going down with Marigold's ship."

He turns to follow the council members, his echo flanking on the other side, Dunamis Blade drawn and ready, despite the lack of apparent danger.

Malachi visibly relaxes as he reads the councilors thoughts and he passes them along telepathically to the others. They seem genuine, they are just as nervous and scared as everyone else.

He turns to Joren “I would go with you, but I am spent right now, I can barely stand.  You probably are too, perhaps we should investigate the council’s chambers tomorrow. I don’t like the idea of you going alone.” 

As the group discusses the next steps, Malachi looks nervously at Marigold and Vilus “We need to talk with her, but you want to do it here? Should we bring her back to the shop?  We can probably protect her there better than in a city jail cell.  Or do we not want to see how you get your information?”  Regardless of the outcome of the conversation, Malachi joins Ashley and Samir and escorts Marion back to the shop to recover from the battle.

Several of the sailors from below deck come up and start lashing ropes to the rowboat and hauling across the deck. Reginald says to one of his guards, "Can we get them a cart to lug... that on?" The guard nods and runs off, returning a few moments later with a large cart. Together, they awkwardly position the boat atop the cart and tie it down. Then Reginald looks around for a moment, uncertainly. "Well we thank you for investigating. I understand if you need a rest after your ordeal. I'm not sure what to... Captain?"

"Aye?"

"May we seek succor aboard your vessel in the interim? It seems the only place we can be sure more cultists won't come for us to finish off what they started."

"My well isn't this becoming an important ship. Sure. We'll drift out aways and set down our anchor, not unlike how another councilor was just sitting and waiting out in the bay, eh? We can discuss the possibility of some lucrative contracts while we float." The big man keep his tone light, but it's clear he's worn out too.

Vilus gives a short sharp nod at Malachi's question of his methods. He watches the ship hands closely as they maneuver Marigold onto a cart and then he takes it from there. Asking Chemain for some materials before he leaves.

Half way back to the shop a shadow flickers from Vilus' back and disappears into the night, he stops a moment to check the last pages of a book from his breast pocket and then keeps moving. 

Back at the shop he unloads the cargo and takes marigold into the cellar.

Chemain obliges Vilus' request, providing 2 coils of rope, and 4 sets of manacles.

Getting Marigold's cocoon into the cellar takes some doing, but after disassembling most of the rowboat, and using it as kindling to start the fire, the mass of vegetation that houses her, plus the handfull of boards fused to the cocoon's root-like vines, is wrestled downstairs.

Upstairs, Marion carefully plods over to a wall and leans against it, sliding down into a seated position. Finally able to catch her breath, face pale and sheened with sweat, she says, "So what is the deal with that cocoon? Is it keeping Marigold alive somehow? Healing her?"

Ashley helps with what she can to get Marigold in the cellar, but realizes she is mainly just in the way and goes over to Marion.  Taking a seat next to her, "Honestly?  I'm not exactly sure.  I am interested to see what we find when we open it.  I'm thinking we wait until tomorrow?  I don't want her to heal all up, so don't want to give her too much time?  That's my thoughts anyways.  It'll be cool to see what is inside!"  She looks like a kid the night before Christmas, ready to open a present.  Though tired and after thinking about that, she turns to her friend, a more concerned look on her face, "Are you alright?"

Marion holds up a hand before her, and opens her fingers. She stares intently at them for a moment, and then slumps. She looks disappointed. "That fight... it cost me. The Blue Lady aided me, but even her power could not overwhelm Razmus. Just bring him to a stalemate. His power is equal to that of my God. And so in the clash, Marigold lost half her body. And I..." A silent tear runs down her cheek. "I think my magic is gone."

Malachi helps the others move Marigold’s cocoon into the house and downstairs before moving back up to the main floor to sit against the wall with the others. “Eh, maybe we should not have brought her back here, but she is probably better off with us watching her than anyone else.  We should post a watch tonight, though.  Just in case.”  He listens to Marion and Ashley talk and sits up in shock as Marion mentions losing her magic. “What? I’m so sorry.  Maybe you just need rest, you are probably exhausted from the effort. So much more magic is being released into the world now, it doesn’t seem right for you to lose yours” 

Joren knows by now that his powers, his echo and its connection to his Dunamis Blade, are fundamentally different than the Blue Lady's arcane magic that the others channel, or the Watcher's power which infuses Vilus.  He tries to imagine losing his echo and shudders.  It would be like losing a vital body part.

He kneels and puts a hand to Marion's shoulder.

"I am told my father was once saying that one cannot know the true meaning of sacrifice until it is necessary to make it oneself.  I will likely never be truly understanding what you have lost, but I will be doing my best to honor your sacrifice for the Blue Lady with my own when the time comes."

When things seem settled, Joren will proceed to head to city hall where he had pledged to inspect the bodies and do... whatever else needs doing.  (Happy to do so with the whole party or with whichever subset, if any, decide to come along).

As the crew return to the shop and marigold is deposited in the cellar, Vilus makes short work of securing the boat upright to a pole using the ropes, and makes use of the manacles on some of the branches, or Marigold's remaining arm if he can find it.

Once that is done he flips through his book, lingering on something in the final pages, "the rest await rasmus without..." He mutters to himself. 

Having no time to listen or respond to Marion's claims of having lost her magic, Vilus seems to be obsessively wracking his brains and researching, quickly taking out the book of god's tongue runes, he spends time searching for a specific rune or phrase and then asks the group if any of them have a pot of ink for him before they turn in for the night. He offers to keep watch in the cellar all night if the others can make sure to keep watch in the shop.

As Joren makes to leave, he hears Vilus' voice in his head. "There are traps everywhere, I have reason to believe the cultists are simply regrouping, their numbers as strong as ever. At least rest and let the others rest before you go, we'll all be happy to accompany you once that is done." But ultimately Vilus makes no other attempt to stop Joren from leaving if that is truly his wish.

Ashley wraps her arm around Marion and draws her close.  "I'm sure you just need rest.  Sometimes my magic is gone if I have spent every last ounce of myself.  But... even if it is, you're still you and you'll always be part of us, no matter what."

As Joren gets up to leave, Ashley protests, "Joren, we told them we would help them in the morning.  We need rest ourselves, and that includes you.  The council members aren't there so there isn't any eminent danger, no reason to put yourself or any of us at risk.  Get some rest."

Samir finds that there is little more that he can do but gaze upon Marion's sadness from where he has slumped across the room. Lost her magic? The potential ramifications of such a thing whirl through his already exhausted mind, quickly sputtering into lost threads and nonsensical trains of thought. Vilus request for ink jars him from his broken, meandering inner monologue and he rises to fetch a pot from his own stores for the goliath. It doesn't take long after for sleep to claim him, slid down against one wall, his bag clutched in his lap. 

Malachi looks up as Joren gets ready to leave "I will go with you Joren, but tomorrow. I can barely stay awake right now.”  He leans back against the wall and, true to his word, is soon asleep.  Visions cross through his dreams: the Blue Lady, the unknown creature banging at the door, his mother in her favorite rocking chair, Marigold torn in half, and just below the surface of all of the scenes, the slithering and squirming of tentacles in the back of his mind, searching for another door to unlock.