Jurgen shares what he sees to the others. "Well, continue or call it a day?"

Bryony followed the small kobold down the tunnel. She was almost a head taller than him and still her head didn't even reach the top of the tunnel. But the tall folk behind her had to hunch far over. It looked very uncomfortable. There were advantages to being so short, she realized with a small smile.

"It doesn't look like we can get much further from here," says Bryony. "I say we return and finish laying Sir Roderick to rest. We still have the delivery to make as well."

Jurgen will have the group head back out of the tunnel the way we came. He ponders how best to safely cross that crevasse.

(To clarify, the shaft ends at the bottom of a rock crevasse of sorts – it is closed at the top as well as the bottom, but continues laterally (and irregularly) as far as you can see. The "floor" of this giant, 20' tall crack is narrow and pinched – and considered "difficult terrain" – but would be straightforward to walk along. It appears natural in origin, as if some ancient calamity partially pulled apart the bedrock here. It makes a rough tunnel; no immediate barriers stop you from proceeding.)

Tessa fishes out a few berries and holds them up, calling for the bats in their squeaking speech. "Fruit here! We are friends!"

Tessa: Make a persuasion check, with advantage.

Everyone: Retreat or continue? And if you want to retreat, what's your next task? (Sir Roderick? Where?)

Quinn stands and stretches. He looks about the cavern as Tessa converses with the bats. Quinn purses his lips and subtly nods his head side to side.

"This doesn't feel right to me. Who knows where this cave leads. We're not equipped to thoroughly search this cave and we're still licking some wounds from the past several days.

We should take care of Sir Roderick and get things squared away with the wagon before those Redbrands cause any more trouble."

(OOC: Quinn wants to bury Sir Roderick, deliver mining materials and goods and then meet up with Sildar. We can even escort Bryony over to her Aunt's place in the mean time.)

Kimberley nods agreement, " You should definitely get your friend to rest first then your mercantile endeavours....it will give the Redbrands less to steal at the very least."

" Hopefully the bats are stating there is nothing dangerous down here.....but you should reseal that door again just in case...."

" Not that I want to interpose myself......but I'm kind of with you lot now after my performance with are barbecued assailants.", she smiles crookedly.

" Lets head up, can't have my new parishioners get killed on the day we meet...."

Unless you have further business in the cold crevasse, the party crawls back up the shaft and into the old cellar, where it's easy enough to hoist yourself back out into the sunny, warm, weedy lot above. There, you can see no one around, and the embers of the pyre are beginning to fade, leaving behind a heap of charcoal and blackened bones. It is early afternoon, and the day is clear and warm.

" How about if we dig your friends grave on the other side of the yard while I prepare the ritual?", Kimberley ventured.

"That would be great" Jurgen says with a smile.

With a nod to Jurgen and Kimberly, Syzygy again takes up the shovel and begins to dig a grave for Sir Roderick. Blisters form on his fingers. He winces with each cut of turf.

Now and then, Syzygy glances Kimberly going about her preparations. Hmmm harmless, he reasons with himself on consideration of her trustworthiness. 

"So," he pauses to wipe sweat from his brow, "what called you in service of the Moon Maiden?"

Syzygy begins digging with one of the new shovels, this time on the west side of Sir Roderick's cottage. Like the first hole, it's tough going at first, but the softer sand below soon makes the digging easier. But unlike the first hole, the bottom doesn't fall from under you. Eventually, a crude hole is prepared, perhaps not as deeply as some graves might be excavated, but deep enough for the job.

However, you have gained an audience. A surly-looking female orc eyes your progress warily from the back of the establishment on the other side of the ruin to the west, as she moves small crates between a shed and her establishment.

"Get a good look why don't you. Take joy watching a person bury his friend?" Syzygy call out with coldness but no aggression. He pauses inspecting his work, crawls out of the hole and walks over towards the orc.

"Did you know the man who owned this cottage?"

"I don't know nobody," she replies flatly, waving her hand dismissively at Syzygy as she turns to enter the back door of her establishment. 

Quote from YorrickThePoet >>

With a nod to Jurgen and Kimberly, Syzygy again takes up the shovel and begins to dig a grave for Sir Roderick. Blisters form on his fingers. He winces with each cut of turf.

Now and then, Syzygy glances Kimberly going about her preparations. Hmmm harmless, he reasons with himself on consideration of her trustworthiness. 

"So," he pauses to wipe sweat from his brow, "what called you in service of the Moon Maiden?"

" My mother is a Silverstar in Waterdeep, her wife a knight of the Half Moon.....so you could say I've always been called.  Since I was a child i have attended Temple and read the holy scripture and assisted with ceremonies."

" But I wanted to prove my devotion away from any others who may have counted nepotism as a reason for my success. So I came here, well....not directly here but here is where i landed."

"" I'm hoping to gather a great flock from local communities and build a temple here one day.....hopefully more mendicants and other priests of the Silver Lady will join me once that is underway....perhaps even some of the Moon-Touched...", her voice trailed off a little.

" Anyway, I am ready to undertake the burial rites when you are.  Would each of you like to say something during the ceremony?"

Quote from cbaer8 >>

Syzygy begins digging with one of the new shovels, this time on the west side of Sir Roderick's cottage. Like the first hole, it's tough going at first, but the softer sand below soon makes the digging easier. But unlike the first hole, the bottom doesn't fall from under you. Eventually, a crude hole is prepared, perhaps not as deeply as some graves might be excavated, but deep enough for the job.

However, you have gained an audience. A surly-looking female orc eyes your progress warily from the back of the establishment on the other side of the ruin to the west, as she moves small crates between a shed and her establishment.

( Casts Ceremony- Funeral)

The funeral was fairly sedate, being her first Kimberley was most concerned with saying the right words and her voice did not convey much emotion but she intoned the prayer for the departed, extolled Sir Rodericks bravery and made some fairly generic statements about his good character and generosity.

As he was lowered into the grave she scattered powdered silver over the body and asked the others to say a few words before his mortal form was consigned to the earth.

Jurgen thanks Kimberley for the funeral service. He says his final good bye to his friend and heads into the house. 

(Sorry was out this weekend)

Persuasion: 23

She is asking what might be found farther down. Obviously a bat wouldn't have much context, but at least a general idea of what creatures or structures might be there.

At the funeral she thanks Sir Roderick for his kindness and bravery and eyes the orc suspiciously.

As Syzygy goes about digging the grave, Quinn wanders the immediate area around Sir Roderick's cottage. He finds a small piece of hardwood and whittles it into a medallion. He carves glyphs, taught to him by one of the druid elders of his clan. His focus on this task is broken by Syzygy's comments directed at the Orc observing the scene. Quinn takes note of the Orcs claim that they "don't know nobody". He thinks this statement to be odd and maybe a sign of the times due to the influence of these Redbrands.

When it's time to bury Sir Roderick, Quinn he tucks the medallion into Sir Roderick's hand. He leans in, whispers something in his ear. Quinn helps lower Sir Roderick into the ground and then says a few words in remembrance of their friend.

"We're gatherin' here to remember Sir Roderick, a true hero. He fought with all his might to keep his friends safe in the thick of battle. Sir Roderick was a lively and kind soul, a bit wild but generous to the core. As we bid him farewell, I pledge to carry the fire of vengeance in my heart, and I am determined to make the darkness that claimed him pay its dues."

( Persuasion: 9. She is asking what might be found farther down. Obviously a bat wouldn't have much context, but at least a general idea of what creatures or structures might be there.)

(The bats had nervously backed away without responding to Tessa's questions. "Beware the eye monster!" squeaks one as it vanishes into the gloom.)

The funeral has now concluded. Sir Roderick lay in his makeshift casket at the bottom of a none-too-deep grave, covered in powdered silver. It is time to fill the grave. 

The orc does not return.