Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

( Boonas basically all healed up so she will just keep watch while she sits........not that she's much good at that...)

Jorzu 
Byrony's glance and comment remind him of his recent affliction. Self consciously Jorzu adjusts his collar as to best cover the ocular addition before heading into the library. "Yes, yes. Perhaps we will see once we have captured our new target" he murmurs as he takes a seat against the E most wall. He relaxes as he knows Boona watches over them.

As he rests he concentrates on his third eye once more to see if time has allowed any more control or integration of his new appendage. Alâedixx rests nearby only occasionally muttering about his hope that Laiti recovers soon so he can return to the Feywild.

Jorzu takes a short rest - recovering expended spell slots.

Nightblade:

After making himself available for conversation should there be more questions, Nightblade goes into a corner and meditates with his glowing sword drawn and laying on his lap.  The glow is oddly soothing.

(Short Rest)

An hour or so passes, tensely, in the ruins of this old library. The drow pace and plot uneasily in the other room. Everyone may receive the benefits of a Short Rest.

Jorzu spends some time trying to somehow connect with his third eye. He finds, when he closes his eyes and concentrates, he can almost see through it... Make a Charisma or a Perception check - your call. 

Bryony prepares her dagger. (You are all attuned. It should be in your inventory, ready to go.)

Jorzu 

Jorzu loosens his collar a fraction. As he sits and focuses a sliver of light appears even though his eyes are closed. He concentrates deeper. More light, this time blurred shapes move from left to right. He squeezes his eyes closed even harder.

Charisma check 22 (add another 3 if it's a save)

Jorzu begins to see something through his third eye. But what he sees makes no sense - a swirling cacophony of undescribable images and sensations that bleed into taste, sound, smell, and beyond. This way certainly leads to madness, he concludes. What he can see sheds no discernibly helpful information - just a vast emptiness in which titanic nodules drift like strange islands - an unpleasant odor, like scorched metal - swirling, colored light suffusing everything. Unhelpful, unhealthy, not appropriate nor compatible with Jorzu's earthly brain. Bad.

Your short rest comes to an end. What's next?

Quinn awaken's in a heap on the floor. His beard and hair soaking wet. HIs head is pounding. He slowly sits up and tries to remember what the hell happened. He takes a swig from his waterskin.

From the shadows, Quinn's raven gurgles and croaks to get his attention. It flies down from his perch and lands beside Quinn.

"What the...where? Where'd they go? How long was I out?!" Quinn barks at his feathered friend.

The raven bobs his head towards the eastern exit. He squawks and croaks before flying off out of the eastern door. Quinn gets up and follows.

Quinn staggers out of the room, his head still pounding as he tries to keep up with the raven. The raven leads Quinn through the training room and into the main hallway where they found the stone-folk. Quinn looks south, then north, still no sign of his friends. The raven darts into the western doorway.

"Where the hell are you going?!" Quinn yells at the raven. It squawks back in protest before disappearing to the south. 

Though frustrated, Quinn trusts his magical companion and he runs through the hallway trying to keep up. He makes a left and finds himself in a room with a massive table that's been shattered by who knows what. Quinn makes a move to follow the bird south through the tunnels before recoiling at the vision of a dwarf striking down a mind flayer and crushing the table. Quinn nearly considers following the dwarf to the chests, but another croak and squawk from the raven snaps him at attention. 

Quinn follows the raven's lead and heads south down a corridor and then east down a stairway. Quinn stops in his tracks, out of breath and yells for the raven to wait up.

Boona frowned......everything was weird and wrong.....but she knew how to make it better.

" Come. First we squash crazy woman and flesh nuggets, then follow stupid bird."

Quinn rejoins the party! (He may also enjoy the benefits of a Short Rest.)

The drow party urges you to accept their job – to negotiate, bully, bribe, trick, or fight your way into the cultists' rooms to the east. To extract the elder drow named Ontharyx, willingly or not, and return him to the brothers here. Your payment will be a magical pendant currently kept by drow Yanthdel Henlifel. Brothers Nythalyn and Yanthdel, together with their drow servant Erdan, will stay behind and wait, and guard the rear from Falfark or any other surprises. The other drow – Thiala, Vellios, and Nightblade, may join or stay as they may be persuaded.

You can distantly hear the strange guard in the other room, still slowly chipping away at the massive statue, while her alien pets eat the fallen pieces.

What do you do next?

Nightblade:

"I am happy to accompany you in any capacity you would like," offers Nightblade, "As you have seen, I have some healing power, and I am also skilled in the use of my blade."

 Jorzu 

Minutes pass as Jorzu meditates, however this introspection is unlike any other. He jolts back to full consciousness just as the hour ticks over. Frantically he covers his neck again, this time securing his collar with a thread. "No, no, no. Never again" he gasps as he stands. His nerves settle a little when he sees Quinn has rejoined them although his body language reveals the extent of his disturbance.

Boona waves the others towards the statue vandal.

Your rest is over. The chipping sound from the distant hall of the defaced statue comes and goes. The drow become more restless.

Brothers Nythalyn and Yanthdel and their servant Erdan will stay behind, guard the rear, and wait. Nightblade offers to join you. Thiala and Vellios might be persuaded to join you, too, but somebody would need to roll a Persuasion (or Intimidation?) check. (DC15 and one may join you; DC20 for both. And how do you persuade or intimidate them?)

Boona doesn't speak with the other drow as she walks north through the room, and then turns towards the statue maul casually balanced on her shoulder...

"Quinn!" Bryony exclaims. "You're all right! Gods, I'm sorry we left you behind. It was so chaotic. That awful snake lady almost killed us. She turned Fergus to stone!" The halfling tears up again. For one horrible moment, she wonders if Fergus is still awake and aware of his surroundings. She prays to Yondalla that he is not. 

Bryony quickly recounts the situation with the drow and what they want to Quinn. "Nightblade at least will help us," she says, giving the dark elf a grateful look. "Thank you, by the way."

She turns to the remaining drow with a pleading expression. "We need all the help we can get. If you want us to be able to rescue your father alive, some of you should come with us. We have a better chance of succeeding if we combine our strength!"

Persuasion - 19

Nodding to Bryony, Thiala quietly agrees to join your party in the coming push. Vellios will stay back to guard his bosses.

Meanwhile, Boona has already exited and is in the hallway looking 20 feet up at the strange woman still perched on the shoulders of the massive dwarven statue. "Back off, giantess," she calls down. "Or did you come to feed my little ones? They are so precious. And clever! Would you like to see their little trick?"