Mornin turns his head in vague recognition when he hears "Cobalt Soul."

Aldith also looks toward the other group. "I think my group has agreed to take this amulet while you can have the Eye. Go ahead and take it from the shark."

Turning to Nexus, she nods along with what the woman is saying. "You're right. We should take this relic to a temple to find out more information about it. I'm afraid I've never been all that religious so I'll defer to yours and Kenar's judgment in this area."

Ayo gives you guys a thumbs up. "Great. Glad we could come to an agreement. I'll go grab the eye."

She dives down the tunnel while you all discuss what to do about this vision, then she reemerges after a few minutes with a suspicious look on her face. "The Eye's not there. I doubt it sprouted fins and swam away, so which one of you has it? We made a deal. Give it to me."

Almost instinctively, Maggie and Irvan take up positions next to Ayo in front of the tunnel's opening. Dermot and Galsariad soon join them.

"It must have fallen off the shark and into the water. Did you look at the bottom of the cavern?" Mornin says, taking a few steps toward the blocked exit. In his mind, he was treating this race with all the seriousness of a hunt for a hungry tribe back home. But seeing the other group corner his he realizes that trying to hide this may wind up hurting this group he's found. But he can't reveal he had the Eye this whole time. If he does, the people here might think he's clever, which he's supposed to avoid. He initially assumed Ayo's group would search the cavern while we went back to town, but seeing how quickly they cornered us shows that even at Mornin's suggestion they will probably keep an eye on us until they find the Eye. Maybe there's a way he can satisfy them without revealing that he swiped the Eye. 

Assuming they don't all stop blocking the exit, Mornin will say, "Move out of the way. I will help you find the Eye." His plan is dive underwater and sneakily drop the Eye somewhere. Hopefully it can be found by someone in Ayo's group. If they try to resist at all, Mornin will produce the empty water breathing potion bottle and act annoyed and worried, "We don't have time."

"I can help look too," Shayone says, moving to try and intercept a standoff. "A lot of debris got knocked over when this passage got opened up."

Kalhala thanks Nexus for her help.  "Sounds like we have some options on learning more about this relic and the man we all saw?  I hope so, we can't just do nothing after what we all just saw.  I hope you're all in it with us." Looking to the new group they have just formed.  He muses what a great day, meeting new friends, enjoying the festival, and now a mystery to solve!

As the other group questions them about the eye, Kalhala lifts an eyebrow, "It's not down there?  That's odd.  Sorry, we all got distracted by the light." and he shrugs his shoulders, not really interested in the eye anymore.

"I'll help you search," says Aldith. "I'm sure none of us would try to hide the eye. It probably just fell off the shark somewhere."

The way Ayo and her group have closed ranks rankles at her; it reminds her of the gangs back home, shaking people down for protection money. Aldith tries not to let her irritation at being cornered like this show though; the last thing she wants is a confrontation. She just wants to get out of here really, take the strange amulet to a temple and maybe try to help the man they'd seen.

She gets back in the water and starts diving, searching around, especially near the body of the shark, although she's slightly disgusted by the corpse. So far the potion of water-breathing still seems to work, but she wonders how long they have left before it runs out.

Kenar lights up his hand with the light cantrip “Let’s look around it has to be down their unless it has some sort of spell on it if it gets lost it returns to the owner but I doubt it would have an enchantment so expensive.” 

Nexus didn't move to help search, rather staying put alongside Kalhala who likely still held onto the amulet. "I'll stay put till the eye is found---You have my word, Ayo."

A small reassurance to an old friend that she'd not be going back on the deal they made. Perhaps they'd pick up on her body language she was being earnest, and cast her sight elsewhere. Nexus not leaving meant that Kalhala was unlikely to leave, too. And neither of them was likely wanting to start a fight with people they grew up with and held little animosity for. 

"It didn't get squished by the shark, did it? Catch some rock face, get buried beneath it's body...."

Ayo's party and yours all funnel back into the shark's lair and look around. After a few moments of searching, it's pretty clear to anyone watching him that Mornin drops the eye nonchalantly. Nonetheless, Ayo swims over and snatches it up from the ground.

"Well, there it is... how convenient," She grumbles, shooting a look over at Mornin. "Well, it looks like we both have what we bargained for. Thanks for letting us take the win. And for helping with the shark. Come on, team, let's get out of here."

Nodding to all of you, Ayo's group swims out of the cave. The rest of you soon follow. After a few more moments of swimming, you make your way out of the cave and back to the surface. As Ayo walks out with her group, she holds the eye aloft, and the congregation of Jigowan festival-goers erupts with cheers and applause. Elder Ushru ushers them before the crowd and declares, "People of Jigow, behold your Festival of Merit champions!" 

As your rivals get absorbed by the throng of celebrating villagers, Ushru approaches the lot of you. "You know, I chose your group for a reason. Do not let their victory dishearten you. True merit is something that is proven not in a single day, but over the course of a lifetime, one small act at a time," He says with a smile. "As a reward for making it this far, each of you may stay a night at the Broken Tusk Inn for free. Kalhala, Nexus, that includes you, if you are so inclined..."

"That thing was tied to a shark," Shayone says sharply. "What kind of festival competition sets itself up for a possible bloodbath?"

Kenar laughs at Shayone “Apparently Jigow dose” 

Kalhala slaps the back of Ayo as the town congratulates the other team.  "Well done friend, well done."

As Ushru addresses their group, Kalhala gives Nexus a sideways hug and about crushes her, "See, he's right, we won't let this dishearten us!  And we've got big things ahead for us, can't you feel it?" he looks to the rest of the group with a sparkle in his eye.  "Yes, lets head to the Broken Tusk!  First round is on me!"

Aldith congratulates Ayo's team, though she gives a slightly wistful smile to the adulation that is being heaped upon them. She's never experienced that kind of celebration before. Still, if they can help the man from the...vision or whatever it was, she'll feel good about herself.

"I'm exhausted. A drink at the inn sounds like a good idea to me," she tells the others. 

Nexus, like Kalhala, congratulates Ayo with the rest of the crowd on her win. The offer by the elder appreciated, but she initially made to just start heading home for some rest---Only for Kalhala to surprise her by wrapping an arm around her, pulling her into a crushing hug that nearly left her breathless. A moment of fluster, before she gave his chest a little pat with both hands and tried to free herself, clearing her throat and looking sidelong at the rest of the group.

"...I suppose if everyone is going to stay the night at the inn I could join, yea."

Exhausted although she might be by the evening, by the numerous threats, challenges, and socializing, a few more hours with her best friend and the strangers she had just started to get to know couldn't hurt. But she'd definitely sleep like the dead. 

You all sleep (while Kenar and Aldith trance) soundly after an exhausting day full of competitions and physical exertion. The next day comes and a hearty breakfast is served up to each of you. While you eat, a familiar face steps through the front door - Elder Ushru. He looks like he has something on his mind as he approaches your table intently.

"Good morning, all of you. I hope you rested well... May I join you a moment? I wish to tell you something of... grave import." 

He takes a seat at your table before you can respond. "A vision came to me last night. A golden amulet rose to the surface of a pool of blood, and countless hands lunged upward out of the blood to grasp it. In turn, all the hands fell back into the pool until only one remained. The one whose hand claimed the amulet was a human man with curly hair and a somber expression. He turned to me and said, ‘They must find me. The ones from the grotto.’ Tell me, did anything happen to you in that place that would help me understand this vision?"

Aldith is somber and quiet at breakfast the next morning. She is still thinking of the vision she had during her trance in the night. It was clear her patron wanted her to focus on the amulet and unravel its mysteries. Even were it not for his instructions, she found herself intrigued by the amulet and the man they saw who needed help. It was certainly more exciting than anything that had ever happened to her back in Rosohna, except for meeting her patron of course.

As Elder Ushru joins them at their table, the drow looks at him with surprise. It seems she is not the only one having visions lately. She responds slowly, glancing at her companions as she does so. She doesn't want to say too much, but the Elder seems like a trustworthy fellow.

"I...we did encounter something strange when we reached the grotto," she explains. "We experienced something like a vision of sorts where we saw a man like the one you described."

She'll let the others talk about the amulet or even show it to the Elder should they decide to, she thinks.

Nexus, groggy from the events of the day prior and nursing a slight headache from the drinking that no doubt took place, rubbed the bridge of her nose while sitting down for breakfast with the others the next morning. It's to her surprise as well to hear of the elder's vision, and although she knew little of him, frankly, as she was just a common citizen she didn't necessarily think he was in poor character. Least, her mother had never made any commentary of the sort while she was growing up. 

"....Yes, we did see a man calling out for our aid, at the end of the little journey." 

Nexus glanced over to Kalhala, if he was up and with them, letting him decide whether or not to show it. Assuming he still held onto it. 

Kenar sits in silence head still pounding after last nights drinks and celebrating. Then as the Elder comes in and tells them about his vision he nods with the groups tale. “It’s true I’m not sure who the vision was about but it’s odd we all experienced the same thing.” Kenar looks to Kalhala “Show the Elder maybe he can make sense of it.” 

Shayone nods. "Yes, it was very strange. If he doesn't know what to do with it, we were planning on taking it to a temple," she adds.