Ben:

"Hmm, then maybe the distraction of an owl let loose might work...Or we could just cover the person's mouth before being freed--both options have their risks, and I am okay with either one.  Should the Jabberwocky awake and be hostile, I will do my part to stand up to it," replies Ben.

( Matilda votes for A, with B second if we need to conserve the chime.)

(( Horatio will follow the group's vote ))

(Titaani would prefer B, but is willing to go with A if that's the route everyone else wants to take)

Ben:

Route B works for Ben.

Pud steps forward and taps Strongheart on the arm. 

“Hi. Nice to meet you. Question. Back when you were frozen, did you hear me talking to you?”

OOC: looks like route B is the winner. 

"No, no, I don't recall that," replies Strongheart absently, still brushing debris off his plate armor.

Led by Ben, the party opens the door and begins to enter the ruined stateroom to the north. Peering around the corner, the first thing Ben notices is that the Jabberwock seems to be gone...

Poking her head out from underneath Ben, Titaani is delighted by the lack of dragon.

"Let's quickly free everyone now before he comes back!" She whispers to the party.

Ben:

”Yes, please do that,” he agrees, looking and listening worriedly for the dragon while she does.

”Does anyone know how the cauldron works or have the skill to figure it out?” Ben asks, given that this is the first time they can freely approach it now that the Jabberwocky is gone.

Given previous experiences, he also checks to see if any of the frozen figures are faking it—especially the ones not from Valor’s Call.

Perception:  16

The party begins to make its way into the ballroom. Ben examines the frozen figures.

Zybilna and the armored cleric Mercion are here, frozen exactly as you left them. There are quite a few other frozen figures here (the map only showing a representation of some of them): There is a bullywug knight, two drows in robes, a goblin with dragonfly wings – clearly of some important stature – attended by four similarly winged goblin bodyguards, seven pixies, and two quicklings. They are all frozen exactly as you left them. If they are faking it, they are very talented at doing so.

"This one's your friend, right?" Titaani asks Elkhorn and Strongheart, pointing at the cleric with the unicorn horn. "Mercion, wasn't it?"

Matilda is very relieved that the dragon is gone.........it was MUCH bigger than the last one she had chased off........

Pud slowly walks into the room where the Jabberwock was. Last time they were here, he didn’t get much time to snoop around, so now he takes his time and looks around. He looks up high for any signs of the dragon or any indication where they might have flown off to. He walks over to the caldron and checks to see if there’s anything in there. 

Perception: 16

"Yup," answers Elkhorn. "Mercion. One of ours."

"'Truth begets art and beauty,' she would say," adds Strongheart, touching Mercion's frozen shoulder with his armored hand, "'while deceit does nothing but tear the fabric of our souls.' She is our loyal cleric. She worships no deity; light is her domain. How do we unfreeze her?" 

Pud examines the black iron cauldron atop the dais in the middle of the chamber. Dark vapors rise from it. The cauldron is made of iron and embossed on the outside with images of bats, toads, cats, lizards, and snakes—eight of each animal. The cauldron is roughly 3 feet in diameter and has a 2-foot-wide mouth, a round lid with a molded handle at the top, and eight clawed feet for stability. Peeking inside, Pud sees that it is half-filled with perhaps fifty gallons of boiling black liquid.

He sees no sign of the jabberwock.

" Ok, lets hurry up before the Jabberthing comes back!", Matilda said nervously.

"Ok!" Titaani quickly hurries over to the cleric of Valor's Call and touches the horn to her forehead. "Mercion."

"NO!" cries Mercion. "Zybilna, LOOK!" She points at the cauldron, then storms forward toward it. "They've VANISHED!" She turns and looks at the party, confused. "Strongheart, Elkhorn, who are these people?" Then a look of concern as she sees Zyblina, frozen, and sighs. "They've frozen her! It was a set-up!"

Just then, you hear the heavy sound of something big thumping on the floor to the west, the loud clacking of clawed feet, and a curious burbling sound.

" Go! Go! Go!", Matilda whispered forcefully as she grabbed Titaanis hand and head for the owls cage.....

Ben:

"The jabberwocky returns!  Quickly, free the last member of Valor's Call and let us hasten to the east behind cover!" Ben says quietly but urgently.  He tries to usher people east, but looks to get the horn to someone who knows the last Valor's Call member's name.