The patrons surrounding you begin to return to their seats, and the inn hums with conversation and friendship. In this haven of comfort, you are at last free from the pain and suffering that you have endured.

Congratulations! You may all level up.

Misha laughs and lets you poke her. She giggles at your touch. Her skin is tan, and soft, but definitely not the bumps of her stomach, you note. "No, not anymore, comrade! Once was, now something greater to be able to bring honor and glory to Lord of War!" She looks at her mug. "I don't theenk you and I have same drink, you seem, ehhh, drink make you smile more, a little dizzy, no? Nothing happen to me, ya? Maybe drink more?"

"Did they give you an iron liver or something when they made you? You should be so drunk that we have to carry you out of this tavern." Jill turns to the rest of the group. "I know what we're going to do now that we got out of that keep! We're going to travel to every tavern in the Northern kingdoms and we're going to purchase the hardest ale they have until we find something that gets her good and drunk. I refuse to accept defeat in this!" After finishing her rallying cry, she notices that there's only four people with her at the table. "Where did that other one go? Did anyone catch him or hear him say goodbye before he left? His food is still here."

Misha receives a communication from Banehold in the form of a MESSAGE spell. It seemed very important. She decides to read it in the morning. Right now, she was having a great time talking to her new friends.

"No, liver made of flesh, silly Jill." Misha smiles and scoffs, as if you said something very silly, she takes Oni's bowl of food. "Shame to waste protein, ya? I feeneesh. And what defeat you speak?? No one defeat here. Only champions! Glorious winners of battle, there is no other way to live." Pondering on the other things you said as she eats, "Would like to travel to other places and try drinks! We put it on our list of buckets."

Natasha looks up from her seventh bowl of soup (having been eating the whole time while Jill and Misha conversed) and glanced over to the vacant spot of where Oni should have been sitting. "No se, I don't know," She sets down her spoon, her eyes following Misha's hand when the paladin had taken his bowl. Mm... "Maybe he went outside to take a breather, he didn't seem all the comfortable in here, honestly..."

As Oni sits outside, he takes out his longsword and his crystal. "Whoever you are, I need you right now. I've always appreciated your help throughout my life, as unfamiliar as I am with you. I don't know if your intentions for me are evil or good, if I abandoned your path or if I have recently set out on it. I know I wouldn't be alive without your help, but I need your help. I know I can be stronger than this." Oni isn't sure who he is praying to at this point. Minutes pass and nothing happens. He feels a sense of disappointment thinking he failed. An hour passes and he starts to notice his crystal and sword begin to glow. He gets a little nervous looking around, and watches his crystal float to the longsword and implant itself at the bottom of the pommel. Curiously, Oni picks up the sword and feels the magical energy flow through his body. He closes his eyes and concentrates, then feels his sword disappear from his hand. He quickly opens his eyes but sees no one around, and his longsword was gone. Focusing again, he watches a dark rift open in his hand as his longsword appears once more, this time it looks darker and has more jagged features. Oni smiles and sheathes his sword, for a moment he lets his disguise drop and runs his hands along his filed horns. I can be more than I was. I can be better. He relishes in the moment before re-disguising himself.

HP Increase: 6

Jill focuses on Natasha to the best of her ability, but is slightly distracted by the pile of bowls in front of the elf girl. And I thought I was hungry. "Now that I think about it, he did not seem like the type to want to be viewed as a hero. I respect his wishes, but am concerned by his disappearance without even letting us know of his location. I would like to speak to him about it some time, but I fear that if he has not returned to us in the morning when my head is clear, he may never do so at all."

About this time Oni will disguise himself as the human he was before and walk back into the tavern. Seeing it calmed, he feels more relaxed about being in here. He orders a bowl of food and sits down with the group to start eating. He overhears Jill and Natasha discussing his absence and as he sits back down he looks over to them, "Sorry for not saying anything, I needed some air and a moment to myself. I feel better now." Oni starts eating the warm food and tries to enjoy himself for once.

 As the night went on, Misha told more stories and laughed as Jill slowly succumbed to inebriation. She was pleasantly surprised to see Tasha have an amazing appetite, and glad that Oni had returned to have a meal with them. Surprised the drinks were not affecting her the way they were affecting the others, she ate and drank some more, laughing and learning more about her comrades. Every now and again, she would look at Jill with wonder, and Natasha with something a little more. Strange as it was, a warmth was growing in her stomach she did not feel often, and caught herself staring a bit too long sometimes.

She reminded herself to, at some point in the evening, to listen to the message from her home, but in the meantime, enjoyed the festivities as the night wore on. She was not sleepy, and had an urge to make sure everyone was safe, and having a good time.

 In response to the patron asking if I were a cleric of Torm, "What? Oh, this. Um...I don't think so? Well, no, I'm not a cleric. This was recently gifted to me by a majestic lion, that wasn't really there. Hmm, that sounds weird. I don't know. I'm not a cleric, but I think I may have received his blessing."

As Oni walks out, Grum notices. Grum finishes his bowl of stew, figuring Oni may need some time to himself. Then he heads out to check on him. Grum sees the older human male with long and unkempt dark hair, sunken in eyes and a wrinkled face, continues scanning for Oni, shrugs at not finding him and wanders back in to the tavern. "I'm sure he'll come back." Grum thinks. 

Grum orders a second bowl of stew and is very content. He sits back, not withdrawn from the conversation but simply listening. He marvels at the amount of food his new friends can put away and watches their conversation and antics with amusement, studying the way friends interact. 

Roll for HP: 5

Kelric happily eats the bowl of stew enjoying some warm food again, he again declines the offer of alcohol and listens to the others tell stories of different places he's never heard of. As they continue their tales Kelric goes to the counter "Excuse me sir are there rooms available for the night?"

"You missed a lot my friend. We told some interesting stories while you were gone. We also partook in good food and drink, including yours. Misha over here seems resistant to ales. I just mentioned how we have to take her to a tavern where she can find something strong enough for her now that we're free to travel."

Oni looks at Jill trying to decipher if she is joking or if she's being serious, but the alcohol in her system makes it difficult to tell. "Sounds like a plan, I hear there is a popular tavern but it is far from here. We could set out in the morning if everyone's business is done in "Mill of Cheese," he says in a joking matter, partially mocking Misha's dialect. If Misha notices he gives her a wink.

Deception: 24

(Shit, that was REALLY my bad, everyone. I'm running so many campaigns I forgot that you were already at level 2... Sorry, I'm going to have to ask you to all level down to 2. Apologies for the inconvenience. )

It did seem like that level up was too easy .

((No worries DM, I was curious how we leveled so fast lol. For the sake of the narrative I'll keep my alley scene but won't mechanically use the change until we hit level 3. Oni needs some time to comprehend his new abilities))

(I am very opposed to leveling up too fast. I only leveled you up because I thought I had forgotten to do so after the battle of Garumn's Keep. Sorry again.)

It's cool. Mistakes happen.

Jill, feeling tired and intoxicated, bids her friends goodnight and goes to find a room to sleep in.