The Forgotten Wish

Sylvera almost moves to check on Pallen, as she has her suspicions about... how much time he has left, but upon seeing Rick enter the tent she decides against it. At least the greasy cat has the decency to take care of the older elf. Regardless she isn't particularly comfortable around Pallen and his sickness, and is even less comfortable around Rick and his greasiness. So, she'll simply pace outside, waiting as everyone else prepares for the end of the journey. Finally. She's not sure what she'll gain from seeing Pallen's final resting place, but at least she has a chance at getting the information she needs... hopefully. 

Pallen for his part, genuinely does not seem hungry. Though the specific reason for his failing appetite could be many, he will gladly eat some offered and, only upon heavy insistence, actually finish the bowl. As elves are won't to do however, even on what may very well be the man's dying day, while some worries reflect upon his visage, he seems as young as most elves do, with the only sign that his time has come the stony exterior that is slowly taking over his body.

Once all is said and done, and he is helped back on the cart, he quickly helps issue directions of what way to go.

(Assuming no one wants to do something special, I'll take perception rolls from everyone.)

Perception: 20

Breldo: 21

Before long the group is on the "road" again, though it does not take long before it is merely a figure of speech rather than what they are actually doing. After crossing the bridge in the village, the group almost immediately heading directly into the forest,where Pallens instructions for now are merely to follow the general direction of the river. The awkward atmosphere that now hangs over the group, their escort objective having gone completely silent, only occasionally broken by brief discussions about which road through the forest seems easiest. Not difficult discussions, because beside the occasional bits of plant life blocking the road, the terrain remains easy for now. It's a few hours of this before Pallen finally seems to snap out of his stupor as he speaks up.

"... I suppose I should explain exactly where we're going,and what we're doing. Especially to you, miss Lark. You helped make this possible, and I can hardly promise you will find anything worthwhile - I hope you do, and will still answer.. Everything I can, before it is time. "

."We're heading to some Ghurnian ruins. I think it used to be an outpost. Doesn't matter. What matters is that my family line - and some others, though I'm not sure how many come to this day, have long held a belief that... Going there, perhaps we can be saved, or at least be together. "

He pauses for a very, very long time at those words, his bottom lip quivering before he finishes. 

"... I have family there. I will only ask you to escort me inside, and... That's it. I won't ask more. "

As they continue on like this, Rick eventually notices something odd through the trees, something distinctly not belonging in a forest - It's... It reminds him of the standing lanterns you sometimes see in the big cities, where the top gets filled with oil or fat to shed light. Except here the green metallic poles top seems to be solid stone rather than something that can be filled--glancing from a distance at least. 

"If... If you were to ask more... What might that be?", Breldo asks gently.

Rick nods solemnly to Pallen's words.

"Rick can come with Pallen and stay with the Boss for as long as the Boss likes."

Then when he spots the whatever in the trees he'll point it out,

"Rick sees...a big stone lantern? Big green stone lantern."

He'll point it out for them.

"That mean we're close Boss Pallen?"

Khond perception: 15

"I...  Actually agree with Rick.  We can hardly just drop you off and then leave you there."

Rick beams at Khond.

As Breldo asks the burning question, Pallen pauses for a very long moment. When he responds, his voice shows the first signs of breaking.

"... I don't know."

A simple statement after which his voice starts to break in full. 

"I don't even know if this... Is the right thing to do anymore. The point - the whole point. We'd all be together someway, right? No matter what happens. And my darling wife, she already rests there, and I do want to be with her, but,"

It's around this point the man's composure breaks in full, and the tears start to flow.

"But my boy - my poor boy, taken too soon, he doesn't even get to make the choice! And now, do I have to choose? Eternity with her, or my boy? And what if he's right, and I'm just condemning myself? I just - I don't know anymore."

As the man falls quiet, Rick likely feels awkward and brings up the matter of the lantern far more gently. Pallen stops snivelling just long enough to speak. 

"... That's probably the old road. We can head in that direction, it might be a bit easier to travel."

((His son was the one in the tavern fight, yes? Had been intending to make this trip with his father? Had that been shared with Breldo or any of the others that weren't there when it went down?))

(yes, and I don't believe so, unless either Khond or Slick can argue they would have shared that Intel while they were in private?) 

((Rick and Breldo haven't been close, otherwise Rick would have shared with Row's character.))

((Khond has been treating Pallen's personal affairs as personal.  Wouldn't have shared the details with others))

Sylvera gives Pallen a stiff nod, looking decidedly uncomfortable as the conversation progresses. 

"I am sorry for your... predicament," she says, her voice sounding strained, as if she's attempting to hide some unwanted emotion. She clears her throat, not looking at Pallen as she asks in a businesslike tone, "How did your family learn of this place? What meaning did it hold before its... current use?" 

Once that has been answered she asks another question... this one a little more hesitantly, "Perhaps this has been asked already, but why did your family see fit to... let this end meet them instead of following the common practice?" She lets out a long breath, "I do not know if my research here will yield any worthwhile results, but rest assured that if it does I will put the information to good use. Hopefully no one in your family or any other family will have to face such a choice again." If such a choice even exists... she doesn't say out loud, but can't deny her thoughts. What difference does it make if your life ends with the wasting or by the sword? Does one truly leave you trapped and the other set you free? Could there be hope that, if a cure is found, that the statues of this family could be restored to life? Hopefully someday these questions will be answered. 

She'll likely have more questions once they reach their destination, but for now she'll wait. As much as she doesn't want to witness Pallen's end, she intends to stay until he takes his last breath. This is likely her only opportunity to document the death of someone by wasting, so as unpleasant as it may be, she can't afford to miss it. 

((It's safe to say then that Breldo and the others wouldn't have known.))

Sylvera - Likely either waiting until Pallen calmed down a bit, or starting the gentle conversation in an attempt to maybe distract the man, starts asking a few questions, beginning with the importance of the location in question. After drying some tears, and trying to recover as if he hadn't broken down for a moment, he does his best to answer, even if the answer was likely unsatisfactory.

"I've no idea. It's been abandoned for far too long for it to be remembered what it was. For my family, it was just... My father and mother are there too. And theirs were as well. And theirs... And so on. At some point, I don't even know if we could be traced back all the way to the start of it all, or if my family line came later, merged in through marriage from another family,"

At the next question he gives a grave nod. The tears don't immediately start flowing again this time. If anything, it seems more like he's angry at himself.

"...It's merely tradition at this point, isn't it? Everyone before me did it, so why should I not? My family is no doubt of the belief that the spirit remains, which means that maybe one day could return to life if a cure is found, but... I'm not so convinced. Even if a cure comes, I doubt it will be for those already lost. It is likely just death by a different name, and so I shouldn't even worry about this non-decision."

"...But what if it's not..?"

(Some information about the wasting anyone with at least some general knowledge about it would know, to give more context to Pallen's words:)

((Is it a safe assumption the group would approach the lamp post?))

 ((Yes, Rick would head that direction.))

Under Pallen's recommendation, the group heads toward what one presumes to be a lamppost, which... Well, it's still the image that comes to mind looking upon it, though now they are close they can only conclude it has to be something else, given how there is no way they can discern that one would actually light the pillar in question. Perhaps it's more a form of an ancient signpost, something else? 

Though it's obvious now at least that it is not the only one. The road that was once here is almost entirely gone. In many places dirt has covered the road entirely, and the bits of it that still shine through show brickwork, once upon a time intricate and splendorous, now lies entirely ruined, but there is just enough that one can make out the vague path it once followed. Just as one can make out that this post is not the only of its kind, though it is perhaps the one that survived best. Widely interspersed, others like it have fallen over, been overgrown by nature, destroyed somehow, or completely taken over by nature. A few of these lie "behind" them too, now, although knowing which direction they have to go the group has a clear path.

"...Do you know what those things are, miss Lark?" Pallen asks, tentatively, seemingly trying to push on from just a moment ago.

(Sylvera can give a history or arcana check with advantage if she wants. Assuming no actions from others, can I have another set of perception rolls?)

Sylvera eyes the object in question, looking it over with calculating eyes.

History: 15

And perception: 18