Froskan shrugs at Reverie, still looking somewhat distant.  "I'll be fine.  I didn't actually learn all that much compared to some of you.  Apparnetly I have some unseen benefactor, but..." He shakes his head.  "That's literally all I know about it.  That they exist, but I have no idea who, or what, or why..."

(OOC: For using hit dice to heal, you can see the results of the hit dice, one at a time, until you are satisfied. You add your CON bonus to each die.

So if Trim is not satisfied with the horrible results of his 2 rolls, he can continue using hit dice in his next post. Or, to make up an example, if Jack rolled 3 hit dice but healed up after 2, he can edit a note saying that he only needed 2 of the dice.

That reminds me: if Jack is doing Song of Rest, then any ally who uses any amount of hit dice to heal gets an additional 1d6 healing.)

Isk brings a hand to mouth as he feels his gorge rise again, but does not vomit.  He shakes his head and plops down next to Reverie.

"Ok, so, we have quite a few tasks ahead of us." He props the glaive up against the wall and looks it over.  The scarlett ruby set in the hilt is weeping a dark, almost black, red shadow that falls and rolls off it like mist.  He gestures it away and it disappears into a puff of the misty red with a hiss.

 "The first is the more obvious one, fulfilling our half of this deal. We are all bound to that task and so we should all take part.  After that..." Isk takes a moment to cast a still weary gaze around his companions, "After that, we would be free to pursue our quests on our own.  My friends, I would ask that we stay together, and help each other.  It will be some time before I can challenge the divine might of my former master, so my quest should be last.  I will help each of your with yours first."

Trimyrai: (to the party) "Isk is right. We should stick together, we got this far in our journey as a team, and we should continue to do so."

Froskan nods.  "I agree.  We're stronger together than we would be if we go our separate ways.  And I don't even have a true 'quest' myself the same as some of you guys do.  You heard them," he nods at their hosts.  "For now, all I really have to do is keep 'adventuring'."  He looks around between the others.  "I think the first thing we should do, after fulfilling our promise here of course, is to go back to Nunkreet and help Trim track down the missing people from his village."

Isk nods weakly at Froken's suggestion, "Yes, the deal and then the people who may be in danger.  We can set next steps after that." With that he stands and gestures back the way they came,  "Shall we?"

Reverie nods as a silent agreement at Iskander’s statement and also towards to Froskan’s and Trimyrai’s words. Moving forward as a group for this adventure, she thinks she would learn more about her friends during the time of being together; however, part of herself starts to worry (or more lean into the fear) of possibility to hurt her friends from now on since she obtained this scimitar of raging aura. Gazing her friends quietly, she states as she stands up from her seat: ”yes, let us go now, ” she then gazes at Jack, notifying for their new adventure, ”I am sure we will all find our answer as long as we stick together.”

(Everyone is healed up except for Trim. He was the only one to use 2 dice instead of 3, so let's roll for 1 more die plus the Song of Rest: 3 + 1 ... I am ruling that Trim is at full health, in spite of the D&D Beyond die roller.)

On the way out, Reverie decides to ask what the Sages are doing in the Shadowfell (since she was curious, way back in the temple of Oghma). The Sages inform her (in more flowery words) that they are spying on the Raven Queen. She is the being in control of much of the Shadowfell. Her minions collect memories and secrets from the dead, the souls passing through or trapped in the Shadowfell. (As they said earlier to Isk, in the Shadowfell dead men do tell tales.) The Sages are eavesdropping on the agents of the Raven Queen.

------

The Sages activate the exit to the Shadowfell. The party passes outside, and marches at a slow pace towards the return point. The land outside the hill is as dreary as it was earlier. You are watching the surroundings carefully. It will be difficult to track a wraith-like Allip, but the Sages assure you it is nearby, and will seek you out (unless you try to avoid it).

Your pace is also slowed by Iskander, who is twitching and staggering, while saying that he is feeling better now, really.

After a few minutes, there is a dry, deep voice from somewhere nearby. "You met them. What did they say to you? Tell me what I should know... What do I remember? It is there. It isn't there. What is it?... Share my secret. Share my doom..."

(OOC: Please make 3 rolls for your character: Initiative, Perception, and Arcana.)

(OOC: hahaha, the game wants me to not be fully healed, two more natural ones)

Initiative: 14

Perception: 4

Arcana: 7

Initiative - 10
Perception - 10
Arcana - 12

(Edit: Dice WHY)

Init.20
percep.5
Arcan.21

As they make their way towards the allip. Slowed by Isk, Jack had turned towards his angel teammate. “Ye sure you’re alright? We don’t need ye keeling over while we fight, ye know”

As the Allip reveals himself, Jack takes out his new longsword, and says something under his breath. “Ok then. Time to get started, blade.”

((heh, Jack’s blind as always)

Isk nods at Jack and puts a lot of effort into a convincing smile that falls laughably short of it's goal as he begins coughing violently, "Ya buddy, doin' great." he says before summoning the glaive to his hand and using it to lean on.

• Initiative:11
• Perception: 8
• Arcana: 3

Initiative: 17
Perception: 15
Arcana: 12

Froskan peers into the darkness around them, trying to find the source of the voice.

Jack searches his brain for useful lore abut the allip, which he shares with the group. (Arcana 21, it looks like this: link ) It can become incorporeal to pass through solid objects, and its smokey form lets it hide easily. One of its abilities can cause people to use their Reactions to attack their friends, so Jack has the party spread out to avoid "friendly fire". (I have put Reverie in front, and Trim furthest back 40' away.)

The group is uncertain where the allip's voice is coming from. But it is nearby.

30' in front of Reverie, there are 2 humanoids perched on a ledge of a rocky dune. (They look like this: link ) Despite their batwings and fiendish appearance, they don't look like devils. They are dark, with an intense intelligence in their eyes. They are staring at the party, much in the way vultures look at corpses in the desert sun.

(OOC: I will post a map and the initiative order soon. Also, Trim has more information, which is being sent by PM.)

B1 and B2 are the bat-winged humanoids on the ledge, 10' up. The green objects are leafless, blighted trees. There are also boulders in various places (like Q18-R18). The squares are 5'.

Initiative Order: Iskander, Jack, (allip), Reverie, (B1, B2), Trimyrai, Froskan

If Isk and/or Jack want to wait until the allip shows itself, I'll let them act the same time as Reverie. Otherwise, they are first to act.

Trimyrai: (to the party) "Theres more than two!" (OOC: i hope that was short enough to count as a free action.)

Jack calms himself, and looks around. “Didn’t expect it to have backup. Oh well, this should be fun.” He sits prepared, clutching his Moonblade in his hands as he waits for the monster to show himself

Reverie gasps as soon as she finds the opponents in front of her, then she grabs her scimitars in both hands. The first time of using a treasure of her family that has been neglected for a long time, she prays to her deity that she could control herself from hurting her friends. "I am ready for this quest to be finished," she mumbles as she stares at the two bat-winged creatures, waiting for them to move.

 Isk holds his glaive in one across his body as it weapons ruddy shadows.  His other hand he holds ready to cast Light as soon of the shadow creature makes himself seen.

• Move: None
• Action:  Ready the Light spell to cast on an item or article of clothing the Allip is wearing once he can see it.  (DC 15 Dex save for it to avoid the spell)

The allip passes through the rock at T10, and floats to O14. (DEX save: 18 ).  Isk's hand was trembling greatly, and his spell misses the allip, and lights up the boulder at T10.

The allip lets out a Howling Babble: everyone in the party needs to roll a DC 14 WIS save. On a fail, your character is stunned until the end of your turn, and take 8 psychic damage. On a successful save, take 5 psychic damage, and you are not stunned.

Jack and Reverie are up. If you are stunned, your turn is over.