Salazar perked up to the sound of crumbling stone, but dared not take his eyes off the bugbear for too long. Choosing to have faith in his words reaching what lay beyond, the Scholar jabbed a hand out towards the bugbear before him. "The end approaches, our time shortens, but toll the bells shall all the same; calling for the spirits to join the ranks of the dead." Upon speaking the final word, and just as the Bugbear might be winding up for another strike, Salazar snaps his fingers.

As the beast of a goblinoid reeled in either surprise or pain, Salazar shuffles more to the right of it, hoping to at the very least bar the most direct path to the crypt should it remain standing all the same. 'Come what may, I will not bow this time, Zalidar. I swear it!' He vowed mutely and narrows his eyes. 

Action: Salazar Casts the Cantrip Toll the Dead, inflicting 7 necrotic damage on a failed Wisdom Save(DC 14) to Bugbear(1).

Movement: To 1-D.

14 - 8

 Salazars spell wracks the already agonizing bugbear, nearly finishing it off, but whether it be by sheer willpower, or something else, the bugbear clings to life, though still unable to do much more than gurgle. its remaining eye watching him with hatred.

While lark attempts to introduce his own to a different culture  and as the spell attempts to take hold, the bugbear seems to know exactly where it came from... though by the time it looked.. there was nothing there.... 

 B1 raises its moriningstar for a sweeping strike this time, trying to make it harder to dodge with a sideways arc... Attack: 19 Damage: 8 slamming HARD into salazars side, and based on the angle, only stopping once it had slammed him into the nearby wall with a sickening crunch. The bears teeth exposed in a gleeful, malicious, and .. given the state of it's flesh, disturbing smile.

R2 looks at R1 as panic sets in from having killed his own ally, breathing hard... panic sets in We're going to ******* die.. we're goign to die.... his voice was shaky.. quaking... he panics and dashes out of the room towards the trapped hall. BBAOO- Attack: 12 Damage: 14 but the brands movements were erratic enough that he missed, as the redbrand that had been the first to hear about the bugbears 'betrayal' fled the room.

Alynoa scoffs Coward! Traitor! I will deal with you when I am done with him! she would say as she readied another ray of frost... Attack: 15 Damage: 1 finally landing a solid blow on the bugbear, its fingers freezing over temporarily.

The bugbear is pissed, whoevers voice that had been speaking to it needed to pay and it must have come from that sarcophagus... The bugbear charges at it, raising its club in a downward strike... Attack: 7 Damage: 11  but the fine dwarven stonework avoids even the most minor of chipping.

Initiative: B1, alynoa, r3, B2, Salazar, Lark.

(Lark! Play that Funeral Dirge. Oghma! Take me away~)

Death Save #1: 5. 

Blissfully unaware of the grissly in awaits, Salazar drifts ever closer to the otherside...

For DM/Future Reference: 

Lark will yelps when the club strikes the sarcophagus. Raising his crossbow,  Lark leaps out from his hiding place and swings around with both hands, yelling "Teach you to pick on the little guy!"

Attack: 22 Damage: 10 (+2 damage for Fury of the Small is added into modifier)

He then ducks into the cell room, reloading his crossbow and hiding once again. 9

(OOC: Oh shit Salazar!)

Salazar 's breathign catches from a rib having temporarily punctured a lung, plunging him closer to death. The bugbear that wouldn't look out of place in a zombie video game smashing salazars body one more time with the club before continuing on it's now agonizing way bursting through the doors behind where most of the people fighting in the crypt are, getting JUST beyond the door.

As the bugbear leaves, something is carved into Salazars head, though not in such a way that would hurt him... outside of the sensation of being stun by a large cactus needle. Then whatever had done it continued walking on in the wake of the bugbear.

Lark shoots a bolt that hits the bear square in the chest, causing it to momentarily collapse like someone struck in the gut, before standing back to full height though clearly weakened. R3 see's that a second.. horrifyingly ghastly looking bugbear came in from the north (17) not noticing Lark but seeing everyone else. But notices the one they had been fighting seemed on the edge... Hacing clawed his latch back, placing the bolt his breathing slows, as does the time around him.. and he lets loose another bolt. Attack: 20 Damage: 3 but the bugbear manages to just barely deflect it with his shield.

Alynoa, frustrated, casts magic missiles 7 the creature taking all 3 blows, and then.. collapsing, right on Alynoa, crushing her, and killing her under its weight. 

Initiative: B1, r3, Salazar, Lark.

Lark will stay hidden, standing against the wall on J-3. Nervously listening to the goings on in the prior room. He looks to Droop and raises his finger to his lips telling him to stay quiet. Lark wipes the sweat of his palms on his breeches, and takes deep slow breaths trying to calm himself. 

"Fine mess you've gotten into now Lark my boy. Its going to take a steady hand to get out of this one. I hope Salazar had the sense to stay invisible and let that brute pass by. Look alive, Lark, someone has to write the story."

(OOC: Mechanically, I am taking the dodge action while remaining hidden, not to telegraph my actions but my plan is to wait until Bug 1 moves to engage Red 3 and then *try* to sneak by and head out towards E-1. Lark would have no idea about the creature trailing the bugbear.) 

(A little death delusion dialogue for the interested)

 Salazar awoke coughing with a quiet cough before slowly cracking open his eyes. The events of the previous moments fast fading from his mind like so many dreams. Not that he cared before long, as one tentative rubbing of his forehead drew out  a pained hiss. Confused for a second, he starts and stops as the situation floods back into mind. No longer willing to be content just casually taking in the scene, the scholar suffered through cracked ribs and thensome to get back to his feet, groaning and grunting the whole way. 

But by some miracle he manages the task, and would push himself as far, and eventually limp his way to bend to peek around and see if enemies were still about in the crypt. Although silently he prayed for otherwise. If he sees at least the half-dead bugbear still lumbering about in the other room, there isn't even a moment's hesitation. He points, says the word, and soon the bell's of the dead would tone for the bugbear. If however he sees the creature from the crevise first, he just... stands there in shock. 

(Toll the dead stuff for IF it becomes applicable.)

R3 See's the bugbear come in, bravely standing before the terrifying brute, imagining Lark was still nearby in the 'guise' of a goblin. Letting out a raucous battle cry, Driving his sword at the bugbear Attack: 23 Damage: 5 the blade sinking easily into the necrosis-pocked flesh. The creature stands there for a moment, stupefied....  169 and the redbrand realizes his sword is stuck deep within it a little too late, just before he too is crushed  underneath the weight of the bugbear, letting out his last breath.

The entire time, Droop was looking to Lark with a look of utter 'what are we gonna do' terror, the only sounds being droops knees comically rattling together as his body quivered in fear. Until the last bugbear and redbrand had fallen in the prior room with a heavy thud, the second sound of tiny humanoid being crushed beneath the weight of a larger being. Then silence.. I-Is it ova? are they dead? Are we safe?! despite his obvious attempts to whisper, his voice was overly loud, and his knees were still clacking together. Daring to peek outside, whether Lark protested or not... Y-yeah... it's ova.... Everyone out der is dead! Oh Jeez...  droop says, swooning and falling to his knees, puking his guts onto the floor, whether from fear or disgust was hard to tell but easy to guess. 

Just as Droop had closed  the cell doors, Salazar had came into the room, seeing the door close, but not whom was behind it.

Seeing the door closed, and none living in the crypt room, Salazar starts for the door. However, the first step is one made hacking and coughing until spitting out blood and spittle on the ground, and the words of a spell die in mind. 'Gotta.. Gotta hang in there.' He thought before his eyes lands upon whatever remains of Alynoa could be seen past one of the fallen bugbears. That, more than almost anything so far, nearly breaks him.

If he had just held his ground...
If he had just not asked for their aid...

And on and on he would've spiraled if not for Zalidar, his guardian angel, not urging him back to the door. Unable to hold a spell in mind, he chooses to ready  himself to defensive maneuvers as he went to open the door. If he still sees no enemies, or Lark and Droop for that matter, he turns away muttering, "I'm losing my head... need.. need to get back to the others." He'd go on saying as he made his way to where they hid the prisoners. There were still some unaccounted bugbears after all, and the door could last for so long. 

Or did the redbrands ambushed on the otherside take those others out? 
.... something he hoped and silently prayed for, but would confirm with his own eyes first. 

Even if he does see that Lark and Droop are okay, he would still insist upon checking on the ex-prisoners. Although not before breaking down just long enough to wrap them both in a hug. 

Salazar opened the door, speaking to himself in hushed tones, with a clearly pained expression. As he did so, he would spot Lark and Droop  not too far inside the prison area.  The cellars were deathly quiet, and deathly still. Leaving an aura of silence hanging about everywhere aside from the sounds made by the trio. Droop, who had jumped when Salazar entered calmed down quickly. So it's over.... The bugs are dead eh? Can't say i[m not a little sad.. they were my distant cousins but like... they treated me like shit.. so yeah. A shiver ran down his spine and he did his best to shake it off.

Wh-WHoa buddy! Poisonal space! Poisonal space! Ah whatever... fine, a hug... but you'll have to do more if you wanna bed me! he said, laughing nervously, as if as soon as he said it, his poor jokes existence had been revealed to him causing him to realize how stupid he had just sounded. A-A-Anyways...  You guys saved other people too? he would say in response to Salazars intentions.

Lark breathes a sigh of relief as Salazar enters the prison area. "Master Salazar are you okay?" Lark exclaims rushing to his feet and helping the injured man stand. "I'm afraid I can offer no aid beyond this potion of questionable healing." He offers the potion of healing he bought from the merchants. 

"We did indeed save the prisoners here. We kind of, more-or-less, on accident found ourselves agents of chaos. Tell us dear Droop, whom DID you serve? Why were you and the bugbears here? 

While Droop is talking (hopefully) Lark will walk over to Alynoa's body. He removes her bag and folds her arms over her chest. "I don't know anything about elvish burial rites. But here goes; How wonderful is Death; Death, and his brother Sleep! One, pale as yonder waning moon With lips of lurid blue; The other, rosy as the morn; When throned on ocean’s wave It blushes o’er the world; Yet both so passing wonderful! Good Bye, we hardly knew you."

Lark places 2 gold pieces (ahem! from her pouch that he pockets while doing so sleight of hand 22) over her eye lids. He stands and rejoins the group. 

Droop jumps a bit at the question as it seemed to come out of nowhere. His hands both raising in a 'wai wai wait!' sort of manner as they flail  in front of his face. I'm on my side.... But I'm weak, and.. if you haven't noticed I'm a bit of a ... s-scaredy cat.. so like, I've done what I had to do to not die. And so like, I don't know all the details y'know? Me and the bugbears  were sent down t-to help the reds. The bugbears were the muscle when people decided to stand up to em. I don't know why I was dragged along.. m-aybe.... to show solidarity with the goblins too?  kinda like when countries go to ware yeah? their allies go too. And not all of us have a choice in allies. I just happened to luck out this time... unless of course you kill me, then well... I guess I ****ed up. But I can help you get to where they came from, the uh... cragmawr castle.

Salazar shakes his head 'no' immediately to the offer. "Save it for... just save it..." He just trailed off there, and after giving Droop a pat on the head for the joke earlier, gets back to his feet. With's Lark's aid, of course. Although he turned a curious gaze upon Droop after Lark questioned him about who he served, hearing Lark speak of Alynoya, he cannot help but more promptly return to her side. As much as he, well, frankly everything hurt, Salazar helps Lark in at least moving the bugbear's body off of her enough to carefully extricate the woman's belongings. The staff too, should she have still held it. This he would go on to keep a hold of as a walking stick as Droop carried out his... ritual.

"Elves live a strange life... If I recall right... Though the body has died, her... I believe his name was Carl... Coral... no... Corallion or something. Unlike most other gods, that one... recycles the souls, as it were... no... More accurately, elves remember their past lives whenever they do there... Remi... something... oh... starting to--" Salazar had to lean just a little more heavily on the staff or nearby, but manages stay to his feet at the very least. "This is not the time. First, we need to see to the others. Once we know their safe, we can worry about what happens next. Droop. If you would come with us, we'd hear more of your particular tale along the way; such as a course to this castle, should you not wish risking getting caught leading us more directly there." He gives a ghost of a grin. "Maybe you'll even receive honors for 'aiding' in the rescue of those kidnapped here... But regardless, you need not worry of us killing you for being an... envoy, for lack of better words." 

Salazar lets that thought play around in Droop's mind before making his way back to the cistern room. In his current condition he could not make the goblin come along. Nor would he, for that matter. All semblance of stealth is abandoned along the way. He remained careful about the unstable ground, and assuming no other threat loomed in the cistern room/guard sleeping area(?), he knocks on the door and says, "You can come out now. It's... it's safe." 

(WIll post when I can, but 'droops ritual' ?)

(Meant 'Lark's' ritual. Or more accurately, his send off for Alynoa.)

"Droop, my new friend. Might I suggest a career change giving your disposition to violence. How are you with paperwork? I know a certain town councilor that might be in need of an executive assistant," Lark snickers thinking of Droop following Harbin around carrying papers and such. "*quietly* That would serve that buffoon, *much louder* Honestly, can you say you like it here?"

At the mention of Cragmaw Castle, Lark will look to Salazar. "This is not the first time I have heard this name mentioned. Why does this sound so familiar?" Lark walks back over to stand near Droop, raising his hand as the cowardly goblin shrinks away instinctively. Lark places his hand reassuringly on Droop's shoulder, "What, pray tell, is at Cragmaw Castle?

After the answer, Lark thanks Droop for being so cooperative. "You can join us as far as Phandalin. Your path is yours beyond that." Lark falls into step behind Salazar as her makes his way to the secured hostages. 

Droop looks confused and terrified by your actions. P-paper work? Executive? What ... what do those mean? It's not torture is it?  I-If so, I'd rather pass... But like if you'll kill me otherwise I suppose I'll take it... Between Salazars hinted assertions, and Larks outright moves accompanied by them, he was beginning to reconsider his choices as they were treating him just like the bugbears, atleast until Lark had calmly touched him. Though he still flinched initially, he relaxed when he realized a beating wasn't coming. 

He breathed a sigh of relief and put his hand over his chest to calm his breathing. As both Salazar and Lark inevitably asked essentially the same question he'd say Well, it's kinda hard to describe.... it's like a human city.... or town I suppose? But like made up of all the people or well.. some of the people usually not allowed into human towns. So like every goblin, bugbear, and those sorts. It's where King Grol is! Well Dats what he calls himself. He weren't elected or whatever you do. But he's got da run of the place. As for how to get there... Well you see... Despite everything else, he gives some relatively good directions on how to get there from here. Saying it'll only be perhaps a four day trip from where everyone is now. But I'm afraid I can't give ya any idea of how many'll be there at the time... cause well people come, people go... it's a busy place... Though I don't know why it got so busy all of a sudden.... But y'know... it is now. And Uh... Ah.... Thank you for helpin me...

Salazar takes what mental notes he can along the way, yet his focus stayed mostly on getting to the former prisoners. "Be that as it may. Now that we know, our next objective seems clear... at least...." He looks to the ground in deep thought, but kept pressing on the path. "... Your vengeance upon those bugbears.... at least, those we saw, has been seen too droop. If you wish to go your own path rather than town...Well, it is not as I was in condition to stop you." He lets out a pained chuckle.

"But it is like Lark said. It might be difficult in the beginning. But if you wished to live apart from the others... to not go back to this other city and... just possibly get in trouble, the chance is there. If there's to be any torture in Phandalin, it'd only be of the boredom kind once things calm down.... It is all up to you." Salazar lets the words sink in while they continued on, hopefully reaching the barracks door without further issue, and then coaxing the people out with a few knocks and hearing at least Salazar's voice. If he needed to yell he'd try his best in his condition. Just before greeting them however, he stops by the cistern to check out his reflection, if only to find out why his forehead itched so much. 

But... no matter what he finds, he brushes his bangs so that the bruising or what have you is more covered before attempting to get to the barricaded prisoners. 

(Arrows shows the course, for what it matters. At least roughly. They still keep to the sides of the one wall to avoid the floor possibly giving out on them. That aside, does anyone passively notices anything along the way; such an odd set of footsteps behind them from perhaps the creature from the cave crag?)

(OOC:I think Rai said that the little nothic thing was smashed by the bugbear as well. I could be mistaken.)

Droop begrudgingly acknowledges that those are his only real options. Falling into a contemplative expression as he waddles behind the pair. Everyone carefully making their way to the cistern.

When Salazar seeks his own reflection, though in the dim light the reflection was dull and faded he would see an awkward star-shape carved into his head. It thrummed with dull magic power of a special sort, that seemed unlikely to be easily removed outside of divine intervention of the highest order. Though even knowing this, he did not know what it meant. Salazar does the agree'd upon greeting to assuage the former prisoners fears, but notices the door opening, and an alien presence filling his mind, speaking to him.  I answered your plea. And knowing the fight would be over swiftly, I chose the better course... And .. assisted your continued existence. And even protected these delicious looking morsels. the Nothic moves to the side, allowing the prisoners to be seen. And though they're clearly afraid of the beast, especially the woman, who's husband had been eaten by it at some point in the recent past, they were otherwise unharmed. H-h-h-h-h-hh-he did protect us... He sent the bugbear away... though I don't know how... Carp said, the little gnomish boy you had been asked to rescue by the farmer in the town. Indeed. But I have marked your soul for reclaimation as compensation. When you cease to exist as a mortal, you shall fuel me for so long as your soul can last as I slowly devour your essence. A small price to pay for my aid.