((lol... ok, ok.  Zombie Girl recognizes the skeletal kitty sketch but advises she sees her kitties with their fur on.  It leads you to thinking she recognized the skeleton drawing but chooses to see them differently.  If further pressed on this she will get a bit defensive and sad, think a little girl being asked why her dolly is missing an eye when it's the best dolly she has and she loves it and thinks it is perfect and beautiful and does too have two eyes even though she knows it doesn't?))

     "Oh him?  What is he doing down from the wall?" the girl asks.  "I never seen him do anything but hang there...  He's never come down before.  You think he's down to find my kitties?"

It appears my associate has let him down.” Raevyn would respond to the little girl’s question. “Was he up there for a reason?” She asks. “He could be. Maybe he’s already excited to get started?” The doctor continues on towards the doorway, speculating openly about the ‘excited’ runner.

Krumar unsure what to do plays a fun little jig for the game hoping to lift spirits and not get them killed for releasing the "guy" on the wall

https://youtu.be/k2w-q9vPxN0

     The dice game skeletons are all getting antsy and a bit riled up about the game being held up, but so far are just waving hands and shaking fists.. 

Anyone is free to act until we get to a “will violence break out” moment :)

Nefire turns to the room and sees everyone occupied and keeping the creatures occupied as well.  Wanting to move forward through the Tower, she shrugs, then turns towards the door again.  

Pulling a crowbar out of her pack, she shoves it into the door jamb and attempts to break the lock (Athletics 15)

She presses her weight into it and breaks the handle, and the lock.  She smiles and presses the door open a bit to peek in...

     Raevyn is slowly but surely leading Zombie Girl out of the dice room and back towards the climatic Skele-Kat Battle.  Raevyn is slightly slowed down by Zombie Girl's slow gate and constant dialogue about her kittens.  At this time the undead girl has rambled off surely three or four dozen cat names and Raevyn is pretty sure not a one has been repeated.  Further, each seems to have a totally unique description and personality which the girl is more than delighted to expound upon.

     As the Deathly Duo are exiting the room and more or less entering the short zig-zag hallway back to where the party climbed up onto this floor, there is a bit of a crash far behind them.  Zombie girl doesn't flinch but Raevyn instinctively looks back over her shoulder.  At the far end of the room she spies Nefire using a crowbar to pop open the door they found the undead girl sitting against.  Nefire looks back quickly and sees that Raevyn has noticed.  She gives an "All Good!" sign and then turns back to the door, slowly pushing her weight against it to try to get it to open slowly and, hopefully, more quietly than she busted it open?  Raevyn nods to the halfling in acknowledgement and...  ((DM will pause in the narrative here as Raevyn can choose for herself if she continues on or what.))

     Nefire pushes her weight against the door and finds it does not budge.  Then, in a total "D'oh!" moment, she realizes the door opens inwards.  Once she tries pulling instead she finds much more success.  Slowly she pulls open the door while doing her best to look around it into the next room.  She doesn't get far before realizing that standing at attention along the far wall are soldiers, or at least full suits of armor spaced about four feet apart seemingly standing deathly still at attention.  ((How about a Stealth Check for reference?  Also... Keep opening the door?  Close it?  Throw in a chicken and yell fire?))

     Meanwhile, back at the dice game... Krumar finishes his jig and is moving on to a lively version of "Can't Touch This" on his lute.  ((Just playing and distracting?))

     Dabbert continues to hold the game dice hostage, refusing to pass the dicey to the left hand side.  ((Sorry, very bad pun/song reference.  If you don't get it just be thankful and move on...))  It is becoming quite apparent though that he is starting to have some really pissed off gamblers on his hands.  The Skel to his left is using both hands to try to pry Dabbert's hand open and release the dice.  If Dabbert doesn't do something soon he's likely to start taking some incidental damage from the boney, scratchey skeletal fingers digging into his hand and wrist, whether the skeleton intentionally inflicts harm or not.  The other skeletons in the game are getting quite animated as well, gesturing wildly and with the two further skeletons having gotten to their feet and making some rather profane gestures...  

     Jaylan, at the far end of the dice circle as well, seems to be trying to calm the two most animated skeleton gamblers down but it is hard to reason with a pile of bones.

     And Syl continues to be Syl, finding the humor is even the least humorous of situations...

     Nefire probably can't really see the full northern room at his point but I forgot to edit most out so you all get a sneak peak.  Most southern room is where you crawled up from below and fought the skeletal cats... You proceeded east through the hallway and to this eastern room where you met the skeletons and Zombie Girl.  The yellow dashes are doors...

     We're once again not in initiative but it could break out at any moment.  We have Nefire and the Northern Room brewing, Raevyn leading Zombie Girl to the Great Skeleton Cat Slaughter Room AND Dabbert refusing to allow the dice game to continue.  Who knows what any of these could lead to??  But everyone is free to take actions as they wish for now...But if you, or someone you know, does something crazy then it may be wise to wait and see what I say?  :)

"Gracious me."  Dabbert says as the skeleton reaches over and starts to pry his hand.  He uses his free hand to reach over and slap the prying skeletons mitts.  "Be nice dammit.  I don't have to hand them to you.  I can hand them to this guy."  

He then hands the dice to the closest skeleton that is still sitting down.

"Or uh...gal.  Can't really tell if I'm being honest.  They really should feed you better.  Kinda skinny."  

"I am not sure if they are going to accept that" says Jaylan do Dabbert as he hands the dice to another skeleton " And that if this game will ever end... it seems that they are pretty fixated on it, perhaps even from when they weren't so skinny. Perhaps we should retire now and let them be... " suggest the human. 

Nefire turns around to face the rest of the room, "When you guys are done messing around with the skeletons, there are some um.. others.. in this next room and some doors.  I mean, aren't we supposed to get through this Tower?"

Krumar hears Nef and continues to play his music while casually heading towards the door.

Dabbert releases his hold of the skeleton's hand and then stands and reaches into his pocket, producing another gold piece before dropping it in the center of the skeletons.  

"Apologies uh...my good...skeletons."  He says, grappling with how to address the group.  "Seems you're not who, or what, I thought you to be.  Have a piece on me, and enjoy your game."  

He steps around them and then toward Nefire while squinting in Raevyn's direction.  

"Uh...cute kid."  Dab says, regarding the little zombie girl.  "What's uh...doc up to?"  

Jaylan srughs and stands to walk away with Dalbbert 

"Yeah thanks for the game... guys... I guess..." he says

Syl looks up at Nefire's reminder about purpose.  "Eh?  Right, right.  We are supposed to be on some mythic quest, after all."

Not entirely sure where Raevyn is going with a zombie child, he moves on toward the next door.

Raevyn was satisfied to know she was able to assist Nefire with her goal of proceeding forward through the door. And my was she skilled at wrangling the boys distracted with their bones.

As for the Doc, well, with her team efforts of assisting to make the door accessible to Nefire a success, it was obvious she still had a little undeath on her hands. While she hadn't entirely had an endgame, she was aware of the stories of a 'ghost whisperer' and considered this could be an opportunity to test the theory. While it was simple to cut down and fight undeath in it's many blasphemous forms, questions to her remained: was it possible to face, and understand it like death? In the right circumstance, could they make peace with them without always resulting to violence? They had all wondered why, and how long they were stuck here. Could they pass into the next like fading into stardust? 

Having had looked back over the room while listening to the many kitty names, Raevyn reflected on the light the team brought to this room, besides any physical light. Even without 'glossy goggled' imagination, anyone could academically note cause and effect of their efforts. The gamblers got to enjoy a game with new players, entertainment included! An individual got their freedom, and some laughs to boot. A little girl was acknowledged and while the Doctor was aware she couldn't guarantee she could reunite the little girl with all of her lost kitties, she at least provided hope of seeing them. And ultimately, should it come down to it when they reach the hole, with or without the kitties, with or without their corpse dust, the cleric would then face the consequences and in effort to make peace first, share the lessons of one (Raevyn) taking responsibility and the natural cycle of death.

     Nefire is at the northern door.  She currently has it mostly shut (I think?) to muffle the sound when she called the others.  She hears no sounds coming from the other side of the door, nor feels any push against it from that side to indicate someone trying to open it.  Though, admittedly, listening for sounds from the other room is getting tougher as Krumar is joining her, continuing to play his music.  Syl is also catching up with Nefire and Krumar, going on about the "mythic quest" you are all on.  Perhaps it is Syl mentioning it that jars the thought into your head but it does occur to you that the assigned task was to enter The Tower.  Nobody mentioned "epic quests" or even "getting through" it.

((Indeed, most tales about people who were chosen for The Tower previously talk about how they returned with no memory of what happened within.  Some were gone hours, some days, some weeks... The vast majority had no memory of what occurred.  Those who did?  Well... Their tales tended to be SO fantastical and outrageous that nobody really buys that shit.))

     Dabbert and Jaylan, with some reluctance, decide to step away from their game with the dead.  Releasing the bones and tossing a coin to his skeletal friends, Dabbert watches as one expertly catches the gold coin.  This skeleton quickly slips the gold piece into their green and gold coinpouch, the only non decaying object amongst the skeletal crew, pulling out ten silver instead.  Two coins are flipped to each of the remaining players and the two extra silver dropped into the middle of the game.  The players, seemingly mollified from the departure of game decorum, give the exiting players a nod and return to their spots.  Dabbert and Jaylan can also get to the door with the others...

     Meanwhile, Raevyn and Zombie Girl...

     The duo return to the entry room of this level of the tower.  Raevyn is, likely, a bit worried about what will happen when the undead little girl sees her broken and smashed pets but... Their is no bone debris.  Not a shard, not a bit of dust.  Assuming Raevyn goes over to the hole in the floor leading to the original level she can spy those undead cat skeletons which fell down there milling about doing their cat things...  But by her estimations it is just the amount of cats who fell down there, not all the cats.

     As for the girl, she sees no cats at all.  "How much further?" she asks, as kids do.  The girl is obviously eager and anxious to see her pets.  Yet she does not see them on the floor below.  Raevyn, in fact, has to pull the girl back by her had to prevent her from walking right into the hole in the ground.  A hole she apparently can not see.

---

Door Sitters - What's the plan?  We boldly rushing into the northern room?  We trying to sneak in after having so loudly broken the door?  Perhaps the rest can toss Syl in as an experiment to see what happens?

Raevyn - The zombie girl is getting anxious and a bit whiney wanting her kitties.  "You promised!"  Do you want to go down and retrieve the one that are on the first floor?  Or you could head west and try to discover why there are no bones.  Or you could just leave her here and return to your party...  All that and much more is available as options.

Nefire breathes a sigh of relief as the undead allow the men to join her at the door, but then she realizes that Raevyn is not among them.  She just catches a glimpse of her still holding the zombie girl's hand as they walk out of the room back to where they had come.

Letting go of the door, she pushes past Krumar and the others till she gets to the corner and peers around, "Raevyn!  Let go of that girls hand and come on!  Let's get through this Tower!"  She waits to make sure her new friend is able to do this or if she'll need help.

"Had you noticed that the pouch were they had the money was the only thing in a pristine condition in that whole bizarre scene?" says Jaylan to Dabbert as they walk towards the door. "curious...this whole thing is being alien... wonder if anyone would ever believe us..." 

Dabbert's brow furrows as he listens to Jaylan, and then he shakes his head.  

"I uh...no, I didn't."  He says, looking back at the skeletons as they get back to playing dice.  "That's a good catch.  Keen eye, Jaylan.  Sorry about that back there.  I uh...I've played a lot of dice while sitting around on duty so I assumed they were guarding a prisoner...  But I appreciate your patience with my bullshit."  

He turns back toward Raevyn as he watches her and the little girl on the far side of the room. 

"Hey uh...doc?  Do you uh...need to help?  Maybe your little friend can go this way with us?  What are you two doing?"  

Krumar figures this would be a good time to chronicle everything that has happened so far seeing there's no danger. He takes out his little book and begins writing everything down. "What a story this will make...I could write songs and make money become the bard of the realm...." He says to absolutely no one but himself. 

Raevyn closes her eyes, lets out a deep exhale. “Just give me a moment…” She was well aware she was suddenly holding up the group. Hiking up her robes a bit, the Doc proceeds to lower herself back down the hole that the Zombie Girl apparently can’t see, and takes the chance that she may or may not be attacked by the cats, so she could maybe grab one, or some of them, or what she can, to perhaps plop them back up onto the ‘correct floor’ with the little girl.