"Oh, r-right." Cassian calms down a bit, remembering why he usually keeps his nervous thoughts to himself. "A-anyway, I'll go get that water." He clears his throat awkwardly and leaves for the well room.

"Let's take the potions with us at least, and indeed clean this place up a bit." Doc agrees and helps Cassian cleaning the floor.

The heroes worked together to neutralize the dried puddles on the floor.  Between Chromir's poisonous cantrip and Cassian & Navrine's dirt and water combination ... the floor was no longer covered in any sort of magical concoction.

A further search of the room revealed nothing of value.

Treasure  
A spellbook (600gp, carried by Doc at the moment)
5 potions (types sill TBD, carried by whom?)
Silver platter (50gp, lost in the depths of the well)
Gold paint (10gp, in the engraved poem near the trapped section of hallway)

Cassian glances about the room with a look of satisfaction at a job well done. "There. This place shouldn't cause a-anymore problems now." Peering over the potions, he takes one of the ones with the growing and shrinking red beads. Invisibility would do little good for him with how noisy his armor is, and the fire one unnerves him a bit.

“Well, good job guys.” She looks around surveying the work, “I think we should be getting back to Mr. Glowkindle and let him know the job is done.” She looks at the potions. “How do you all want to divide these up?” She is a bit distrustful of old potions. “I’m good with whatever you guys decide.”

"I'd suggest we first head upstairs and later investigate what these potions are before we decide who takes what. Regarding the spellbook I think let's sell it as I don't think any of us can do much with it?" Doc chimes in

Cassian nods. "Yes, that all m-makes sense to me."

The heroes emerged into the cool evening air, weary but triumphant.

Glowkindle stood waiting, his anxious pacing halting the moment he saw them. His eyes lit up, and a wide grin split his face beneath his impressive beard.

"You’ve done it!"  He exclaimed, rushing forward, his small hands clasped together in delight. "And all in one piece! Truly remarkable."

The gnome wasted no time fetching four small, jingling pouches from his pocket. "Here’s your reward — 25 gold pieces each — as promised. Worth every coin, I’d say, considering what you’ve faced down there."

I have added 25gp to each of your sheets.

"Thank you very much, now let's get the good ale to the town, shall we?"

"G-glad to help." Cassian remarks with a shy smile, taking the bag of coins gratefully. He has mixed feelings about accepting payment, but he does need to eat and such. "Y-yes, and we can identify the potions and ask around about someone who might buy the book."

"Do you have some more supplies made ready and you couldn't access it properly because of the rats, or do you need to brew more? I am in need of a good, strong drink. Not the watered down version they are serving currently"

Navrine says to Glowkindle, “Thank you very much! Do you need help getting the shipment of Ale to the town?” She looks to her other companions to gauge their interest in helping get the shipment to town. “I sure could use a nice cup of hot tea back at the inn.”

Glowkindle accompanied the heroes back to town.  His wagon laden with a well-overdue delivery.

The Weeping Willow stood as a warm beacon in the crisp evening air, its soft glow spilling through shuttered windows onto the cobblestone streets of Hope's End. The tavern buzzed with life as locals gathered, eager for news of the heroes’ latest adventure. Inside, the aroma of spiced cider and roasted meat greeted the returning party, accompanied by the cheerful clatter of mugs and laughter.

Mira was the first to notice their arrival, her keen gaze softening. "Back already? Either Glowkindle’s cellar wasn’t as cursed as he claimed, or you lot are far more capable than I had given you credit for."

From his usual perch at the bar, Klem grinned, his leathery face lighting up. "Nevermind all that,"  He said.  "They’re back in one piece — and with a full wagon, no less!"

Near the hearth, a wiry woman clad in mismatched cloaks stirred her tea with a deliberate rhythm. She peered at the heroes with a far-off look.

Other patrons filled the space as well.  At least a dozen other townsfolk, including at one table in the back with a few members of the gentry. 

A barmaid made the rounds, balancing a tray of drinks with practiced ease.

Glowkindle directed his men to wheel in the crates and barrels, and — ever the showman — began to regale the guests of the Weeping Willow about the adventure that had just transpired.

Doc suggests to take a quiet table in corner and have a drink, while having a look at what potions they have found exactly, and to divide them.

Cassian steps into the warmth of the Weeping Willow with a shy smile. As Glowkindle launches into his tale, Cassian lets his companions take the spotlight, content to blend into the background. At Doc's suggestion he moves toward an empty corner table and takes a seat.

His gaze flickers across the room, taking in the other patrons, before lingering curiously on the mismatched woman. She looks a little out-of-it which makes him wonder if something is wrong.

Insight on mismatched cloak woman: nat 1

Navrine sees Cassian go over to the corner she muses to herself “Cass must be another person who prefers to stay in the background.” She thinks back on her past where Lyra had kept dragging her out of the dark corners to engage with the other urchins in the gang. She gets a couple mugs of hot cider and slips into a chair at his table across from Cassian “I’m not much for celebrations and crowds” She passes the mug of mulled cider across the table to Cassian “I think there might be more work around this village to be done.” She follows Cassian's gaze across the room to the woman in the mismatched cloaks. “Perhaps we should introduce ourselves and see if she is ok?” Navrine notices she is drinking tea. “I wonder if she has spiritual leanings.” She leans in and whispers “If you noticed I too often drink tea instead of alcoholic drinks as it dulls the senses, it's a habit from my temple days.”

Cassian offers Navrine a grateful smile as he accepts the mug of mulled cider, the warmth of it already helping to ease some of his lingering tension. “Thank you,” he says softly. He takes a small sip, savoring the sweetness. “I’m not much for drinking either,” he admits after a pause, his voice a little sheepish. “I prefer things on the sweet side.”

He glances across the room at the woman in the mismatched cloaks, his brow furrowing slightly in concern. “You’re right. She does seem…d-distant. And if there’s more work to be done here, maybe she knows something.” Setting the mug down, he rises from his seat, rolling his shoulders as he steels himself. Crowds and introductions weren’t his strength, but he knew Navrine was right—it was worth checking in on her.

He approaches the woman slowly, not wanting to startle her. As he stops a respectful distance away, he clears his throat gently. “Excuse me,” he says, his voice kind but tentative. “My name is Cassian. Are you doing alright? Is there anything you need?”

If she doesn’t respond, he will try raising his hands and using common sign language to repeat his question.

Doc joins Cassian and Navrine at the table with a big mug of ale

"Let the others celebrate, and let's hope we get more jobs here. Now let's see what kind of potions we have" he says as he gets them out of his backpack to get a little taste from them all. While he does so, he watches as the other two take their ciders towards the woman with the Tea.

Chromir is enjoying the attention. While Glowkindle is talking of adventure, he is showing off his muscles and greataxe, while also helping himself to a drink or two as the barmaid passes. He is not bothered by the potions or the woman in the slightest, though he does keep an eye on the party members locations so that he can share a drink with them all in celebration once Glowkindle finishes, eventually making his way to the table with Doc.

Cassian and Navrine checked in on the woman as she drank her tea.  She peered at the pair of heroes with a far-off look. 

"Hope’s End rests on a fragile thread. Blood and fire will test its heart, and the shadows will howl for their due. Perhaps even your strength will falter."

The barmaid, Cora, laughed lightly from the bar. "Don’t mind Sarael, she’s the resident seer and fortune teller of Hope's End ... and she's always melodramatic. I’ll bet she’s just talking about the next time Klem overpours." 

Cora's comment drew a harrumph from both Klem and Sarael.  The old man set his mug down with a clatter and the old woman muttered something into her tea.

Cora flashed a beautiful grin before heading toward a table where a young woman was sketching with a charcoal pencil.

"She may be melodramatic,"  The young woman said, not looking up as Cora approached, her pencil darting across the page. "But the world needs a bit of mystery now and then, don’t you think?"

"That’s what you always say, Luna." Cora set down the drinks, playfully ruffling Luna’s hair before pulling up a chair to review the artwork. Their laughter and easy camaraderie painted a picture of two friends deeply entwined in one another's lives.

From the quiet table in the corner of the tavern, one of the gentry rose, his tailored coat catching the light. He approached the group with the effortless grace of nobility, offering a warm smile. "Our valiant heroes! Your deeds have not gone unnoticed. Allow me, Baron Adrian Thorne, the honor of hosting a celebration tonight in your name.  A night to remember, with music, fine wine, and a feast worthy of champions."

The room hushed for a beat before erupting in applause and cheers, the locals toasting the heroes’ return. 

After some investigation, Doc determined that the four potions were:
-Two potions of healing, a potion of invisibility, and a potion of fire breath.
-The fifth potion, the one Cassian carried, turned out to be a potion of growth.