Jorzu 

Jorzu takes the jar gingerly from Fergus' hands. He slowly and steadily walks to Quinn with the jar held out far from his body. "We think you should hold on to this for the moment" he says as he passes the container over. He then rushes back to Fergus, but not before shouting over his shoulder "Boona may have broken the door. Might want to check that too..." His voice trails off as he disappears down the hall. He follows Fergus as they head downwards, again.

Fergus and Jorzu climb down the broken left shaft. From the top of the lift, the badger watches them descend, together with a couple of curious goblins.

Quinn is left holding the odd, quiet, canopic jar. 

Boona waits patiently at the front gate, open a few inches to the cool night air. Laiti is somewhere above her, on the parapet, out of sight.

Quinn, Jurgen, Bryony, and the three freed captives stand with the rest of the goblins in the battle-damaged mess hall. The villagers are still weak, poisoned, and sick. They cough and wheeze in the fouled air. 

You are all near exhaustion. It's been a very long day.

What next?

Fergus:

”Come on, Jorzu, let’s get this done.  Do you have a way to communicate with Quinn to come down with the jar if this pans out?” says Fergus as they retrace their steps to the top of the ladder where they first encountered the lucid Dwarven undead.

Fergus:

When they reach the miners, Fergus calls out, “Greetings to the Dwarven miners of Zorzula’s Rest.  Before we leave, we have something that might interest you.  I have found a jar that contains a presence claiming to be your captain, Hjoldak Hollowhelm.  He says he was imprisoned long ago when the tentacled ones overtook this outpost.  Does this tale ring true in your ears?”

Quinn takes the curious jar and tucks it under his arm with no questions asked. He walks over to Boona.

"Jorzu says there's a lever that opens the door. Let's not break the door unless we need to." He breaths in the cool night air flowing through the doorway. He things to himself that the fresh air might serve the villagers well.

He walks over to check on the sickened townspeople. He does a cursory checkup to try and discern if their condition is worsening. "Come with me to the doorway. Breath in the cool night air might be good for you."

Medicine check: 3

The night air smells cool and refreshing to Quinn, as he joins Boona at the obsidian double doors, now slightly ajar. Returning to the freed villagers, he finds them quite sick, their breathing labored, their faces grey. Nevertheless, they seem eager to follow Quinn a little closer to fresh air and freedom. When they get to the doors, Tumblewick, the gnome apothecary, doesn't stop; he marches right through the gap between the doors and out into the night, gasping for air.

Fergus and Jorzu retrace their steps in the mine – through the maintenance chamber, through the storage chamber, and to the cliff strip mine overlooking the churning blue lava sea. They find the six ashenwights where they last saw them, on the cliff’s lowest scaffolding, clawing at the rock in a vacant pantomime of mining. The three more self-aware ashenwights look curiously at you, as the other three grimace in barely-restrained hostility. "We remember so little of the old days... we wish to learn more... we would want to speak to this captain..." comes the reply.

Boona began swatting at her head and shaking it looking around in confusion.

" Jar?". she queries Quinn.

Fergus:

”Perhaps now is a good time to retrieve the jar for them.  Should we try and open it for them, or just hand it over and see if they can figure it out?” suggests Fergus to Jorzu.

(Will take an investigate check that Fergus can Help with).

Jorzu 

Hiding behind Fergus during the intercourse, Jorzu almost sighs when his halfling friend spills the beans about the jar. He whispers to Fergus; "Maybe we shouldn't have mentioned the jar straight away." When asked what they should do with the jar he replies; "I say we'd just give it to them and watch from a distance. Im not overly keen on potentially standing in the mix of an undead grudge. We don't know who this Hollowhelm really was."

Quinn looks down at the jar and back at Boona. He shrugs. "I have no idea. Jorzu asked me to hold onto it. Jorzu seemed...concerned about the contents." Quinn shifts his body, aiming to keep the jar away from Boona just in case she gets temped to pop it open. He attempts to change the subject. "So, what are we gonna eat once we get back to town? I'm starved!"

Quote from richgonehiking >>

Quinn looks down at the jar and back at Boona. He shrugs. "I have no idea. Jorzu asked me to hold onto it. Jorzu seemed...concerned about the contents." Quinn shifts his body, aiming to keep the jar away from Boona just in case she gets temped to pop it open. He attempts to change the subject. "So, what are we gonna eat once we get back to town? I'm starved!"

" Eat........Hmmmm......maybe eat ragu?"

" Need to make first."

Her eyes drifted to the jar, " If I am in jar.......how can I see outside of jar?"

Quinn, holding a curious jar, stands with Boona in the crack of the gates having an odd conversation, while Tumblewick beckons you to follow him outside in the dark sand. "The air is good! Let's get out of here!" he urges. Laiti is somewhere above them, on the parapet.

Jurgen and Bryony remain in the Mess Hall with the other two freed prisoners, together with a gaggle of curious goblins.

Fergus and Jorzu continue to speak with the strange ashenwights at the edge of the cliff strip mine, and decide what to do with the jar and how they might fetch it. "We wish to speak with this captain. We are so curious..."  one communicates telepathically. Jorzu's throat itches. The air here is caustic.

What do you do next?

" Can I hold jar?", Boona said to Quinn, confusion obvious.

Fergus:

”Sounds like a good idea to me, Jorzu,” says Fergus, “and just in case the presence in the jar is lying, it won’t be us opening it.”

”I, uh, wanted to get this done quickly and take the townspeople home, so I attempted to accelerate negotiations,” replies Fergus by way of apology.

”Do you want me to go get it and hand it over, or can Laiti take care of the transfer?” he asks.