Soar will try to use the nature's wrath version of her channel divinity on the cultist, which causes more vines to restrain them if they fail a STR or DEX 13 save. Totally understand if the moment passes her by, but she'd try if she can.

If it doesn't work, she collapses back onto Mondath. 

When Elspeth gets to her, she'll accept a bit of healing, but more importantly the hand and the meaning behind it. "Yes I think you're right. I do rush into things, don't I? I just have trouble imagining how things might go wrong. I thought 'if I can just take down the leader, all these people will give up and we don't have to kill them, and none of my friends will get hurt' but that's not how things usually work, is it? I also want to draw the incoming fire so it doesn't hit any of you. I don't want to be one of those foolish martyrs they're always droning on about in the hymnals, though. More fun to be alive than dead. So maybe I'll hang back a step and let them come to me so I don't get swarmed, you know? And work with you all, so you don't have to save my bacon so often?"

She rubs at her wounds, partially healed but still very sore, and looks at her friends, and the eggs, and the bodies.

"Thanks again, to you, and to Nate for the healing, and to Jalt for calling in a favor with Bahamut to guide my path. Yeesh, I never thought I would take up beheading as a hobby, but it seems I'm doing it a lot now. Messy, isn't it? Still, I think we'd better take Cyanwrath's head, and all of Mondath, back with us to Greenest if we can. Governor's going to want to see it."

She'll help search the bodies of the cultists, and especially Mondath, as she's becoming cargo for the trip to Greenest herself. Perception 13

(Missed these earlier posts, sorry! Soar would help loot Mondath and would be very interested in the lenses, and wonders if Greenest has someone who can identify magic things like they do in the stories.)

The sun is low against the horizon as you pull the sled slowly and by hand to the outskirts of Greenest, the large eggs very visible despite their padding.  There are not too many people around, but they all stop and gawk.  They also greet you all warmly, and a guard patrolling one of the streets waves to you, and then sets off at a trot towards the keep, probably to inform Governor Nighthill that you have returned.

You head for the keep, drawing more and more stares, but people don't crowd round to follow you - they have their own business to attend to.  And soon you find yourselves within the now familiar stone walls of Greenest Keep, headed towards the small room that the governor uses as his office.  The eggs, you have left in the care of Lasani, the healer and druid who resides in the keep; she is startled to see them, though she says nothing and agrees that they should be kept safe, somewhere a random passer-by will not decide to smash them thoughtlessly, and they are brought to her infirmary.

You stand in the governor's office.  Castellan Escobert sits by the fire, and Lasani also joins you, taking a seat by the narrow slit of a window. 

You have returned, the governor states, formally but warmly too.  And with strange cargo, or so I hear from Lasani.  What news do you bring?

If you can carry the body, that's on you. Jalt says What was on Mondath's person I hope someone in Greenest will be able to tell us if its from the town or what exactly is in these bottles. Jalt lifts up the lenses and shows them to Soar I see your keen on these. Let's make sure they belong to no one in Greenest. I dont see why you couldn't have them other than that. 

"The cult had mostly left, to the north, judging by these notes we got from Mondath's bedroom, by the time we got back to the caves," Soar says, holding up the notes. "Seems they're headed west through Beregost on the Trade Way, then north to a place called Naerytar. Never heard of it, but maybe you have. Anyhow, we snuck and fought our way through the caverns through the remaining cultists. Also some mushrooms. That was odd. But we ended up bumping into our old friend, Cyanwrath. It nearly killed us to fight him, his fighters, and a guard drake, but we did, as you can see from that head over there. Beheading someone is... messier than I thought. I don't want to make a habit of it," the half-elf says, her expression turning distant for a second.

"Then we got the eggs and didn't want to leave them for the cult to do... whatever.. with them. Some of us felt strongly that we couldn't destroy them," she says, looking at Jalt with a begrudging but warm, compassionate smile. "So we brought them to you. I'm sorry about that. It might have also caused our deaths on the trek back, because Mondath caught up to us with a half-dozen cultists, looking to kill us. They nearly succeeded. But we're tougher than appearances suggest, and we prevailed. Barely." She coughs again, blood coming up that she tries to wipe away daintily. 

Soar's eyes clear for a second, remembering where she is, and presenting a final report with military precision. "Ahem. Governor, the threat appears to be gone from your lands. Moved elsewhere, but Greenest is safer. Two of the leaders, Cyanwrath the half dragon and Mondath the... well... purple-coated dragon priestess who writes terrible dragon poetry, are dead now, as are over a dozen of the die-hard cultists who stayed behind. We didn't make our way entirely through all the rest of the caves, but we made enough noise that anyone still there would have been able to follow us. We brought back the eggs they so dearly tried to protect, and I for one will accept whatever judgment you pass on them. Maybe Leosin would have an idea of what they wanted to do with them? That's about it, I think," she says, looking to her friends to see if she forgot anything.

That is all the intel that we gathered. Jalt adds We did come across some valuables and bottles that I hope you might be able to help us either locate their owners or find out the contents of the bottles. I believe we dealt them a great blow toppling the half dragon and one of their priestesses. 

“Oh yes, thanks Jalt - we found some items in the cave, and then Mondath had some very fancy-looking jewelry when I, when I, cut her head off....” Soar says, trailing off and looking down at her beaten-up hands, obviously puzzling through the insane few days she’s had.

The three leaders of Greenest inspect the head of Cyanwrath and the body of Frulan Mondath in silence.  I... we would have believed you, had you simply said you had slain these ones, the governor says.  I cannot pretend I do not feel great satisfaction at the sight of this one in particular, and he holds the half-dragon's head in his hands.

We should mount them on a pike, Escobert says firmly.  It will give the people heart, that the attackers have been brought to justice.

The governor shakes his head.  There are... sensitivities we should respect, my friend.  We will let the news be known, and let a few people see the heads - with your permission of course - so that they can provide confirmation first hand.  

(If you are happy to do so, they will take what you have of Cyanwrath and Mondath for others to see, and then return them to you tomorrow.  Does Soar intend to keep them?)

Lasani inspects the potions, and smiles.  These are quite familiar to me, but come, there is no danger of wasting them simply by opening them and sampling the contents.  She will show you that for almost any potion, it is safe and effective simply to open them and taste a single drop in order to learn their nature.  You do so:  the red liquid tastes energising, similar to goodberries, and potent; the other potion makes your vision blur for a couple of seconds, and you can tell that what you have is a Potion of Healing (Superior) and a Potion of Invisibility.  

She continues:  Except in a few cases, where a potion is intended to deceive as to its true purpose, this method is usually successful.  As for the crystal lenses, you can take a similar approach; wear them for an hour, and the knowledge of their nature will come to you - it is part of the magic.  Again, this is not entirely without risk, if the items are cursed.  If you believe that to be the case, you may need to seek assistance in removing them.  But magical items are rare, and cursed items rare upon rare.  I think you should give it a go.  Smiling, she hands the lenses in their peculiar frame back to you.

Talk turns now to the dragon eggs.  A strange thing to bring.  And you are reluctant to destroy them?  May I ask why?  And what would you have us do with them?  You... the governor clears his throat... you are certain they will not hatch?

(They take the ring and pearls from you, and a servant takes them away for inspection.  Some time later, you receive news that the owners have indeed been found and have expressed their gratitude for returning their precious objects.   They are among the richest citizens of Greenest, and have offered you a reward of 75 gold for the pearls and 225 gold for the ring, a quarter of their full value.)

Nate remains quiet as per usual when the party reports their findings. He will respond though to the governor's question about the eggs, almost blurting out "Destroy them. I think we should destroy them. They are Black dragon eggs. Pure evil."

Jalt looks at Nate when he says this and then back to the Governor If you will allow sir, I can contact the Platinum Cadre and they will send someone to gather the eggs. I did not ask for them to be brought back all this way for them to be destroyed. I'm sure my family will be able to take care of them and raise them in the love and glory of Bahamut.

"I trust your judgment about what to do with their heads, and Mondath's body. It just felt... odd to leave them there. I do not want them. Enough people probably saw them on our way back into town that I assume word has spread. I am... sorry for bringing them into your presence, now that I've had time to think about it. I hope we have done well in your eyes, otherwise."

She nods at Lasani's wisdom, and later will volunteer to examine the lenses, with supervision. When the talk turns to the eggs, she defers to the governor and Jalt and any others who wish to provide input. If pressed, she will argue they are dangerous and unlikely to turn into something good, and ask Jalt if he is sure the platinum cadre can and will take them for safekeeping. She again says Leosin should at least know about them, and could be a candidate for safekeeping, until the platinum cadre can weigh in. Greenest has been through enough and won't want to guard black dragon eggs for any significant period of time.

Elspeth waits as Soar delivers her report, only adding in her opinion when the subject of black dragon eggs are raised.

"If it helps you decide, there's no harm in keeping the eggs as long as they're out of warm damp places, and it'll be a week or two before they hatch even in ideal circumstances. For them, that is. No little black dragons running around the town. I wanted to destroy them while they were still in the cave but we did end up lugging them all the way here, so it seems like it would be a bit of a shame to destroy them now."

There's a brief discussion between Nighthill, Escobert and Lasani, and it's clear that both the druid and the castellan favour destroying the eggs.  The governor is less forthcoming, at least in the beginning, but he brings the conversation to a close after a few minutes:

For all our misgivings, the governor says, the one who asks us to stay our hand is the one who stood against the cruel half-dragon and earned the title of Champion of Greenest.  Such titles are not given lightly, not in my town.  Nor can the danger of black dragons be ignored.  Jalt, please send for your comrades in the Platinum Cadre.  I will only promise them an opportunity to make their case if they come, and others will have the same opportunity.  I will make my decision then.  Is this acceptable to you?

Elspeth, Lasani confirms what you have said - the eggs can be stored, perhaps indefinitely, in a suitable place with no risk of hatching.  Lasani nods: I have just the place.  Despite my misgivings, I will ensure they are safe in expectation of your decision, governor.

I agree that Master Leosin should know the outcome of this matter.  I would ask you to rest the night here and then follow him, as he already departed for Elturel.  Before he left, he purchased horses for himself and his fellow monks, and also for you - horses and riding gear are in the stable.  

The governor sighs.  The cult is moving on, northwards.  I think Greenest's part in this matter may be over, and I cannot deny I am glad for that, if it proves to be true.  Yet someone must follow them and ensure they do not bring disaster to the North, or perhaps to everywhere.  I wish we knew something more of their goals - it all seems very unclear, but a scholar such as Leosin may be our best hope.  He shakes off what appears to be a mood of gloom, and looks at you warmly once again.  In any case, please, rest my friends - I regret I cannot offer you rooms in the keep, as our cries for help have now brought many visitors from neighbouring towns and cities who will work with us on our recovery, but I have reserved rooms at the inn for you.

(If there's anything further you wish to discuss with Nighthill, Escobert or Lasani, please feel free to do so.  Otherwise, you can head to the inn for the night and deal with your shared equipment and gold.  There is less and less coin in Greenest as it is committed to its own repair efforts, so you may find it difficult to sell certain items here.)

Nate is definitely confused at the final decision to not destroy the eggs, but just still feeling very overwhelmed even being involved in all of this. I was just trying to start a new life!

Nate doesn't say much of anything else, realizing in this moment now that he should be grateful that he is still alive. He's happy to learn the information from the druid Lasani about tasting potions to be able to learn their nature. Thinking that meeting back up with Leosin to tell him all of the news as well as get his insights on the cults next moves is a good idea, he will retire to the inn with the others for rest to prepare for the next day.

Nate's plan was to come back here to Greenest after this latest recon mission and start his new life here, but he feels connected to Soar, Elspeth and Jalt now, and wants to see this through until the end. Also... he wants ultimate revenge for his capture only a few short days ago. 

Nate will say to the party once they all get to the Inn "Guys sorry I get so... upset sometimes. And I know I didn't have a lot to contribute back there. You all know by now I don't do that well... socially... it's just have a really really bad feeling about those eggs and this cult in general. They captured me... I saw what they did to people... it was terrible. I wish I could just forget about all of this but something inside me feels that they need to pay for what they've done. They all need to pay.... anyway, I would like to accompany you all to meet back up with Leosin tomorrow and see what he has to say about all of this... see if he can help us figure out the cults next move. If you will let me, of course."

"Jalt... I'm sorry about the eggs and I promise I won't say another word about them. I do trust you and your judgement." Nate will bow to Jalt because he thinks that is appropriate (lol)

"Good night everyone, I am glad we are all still alive."

As you are talking, eating and resting at the inn before heading to bed, any of you can spend an hour wearing and examining the crystal lenses; they are Eyes of the Eagle.  (Note that they require attunement - whoever keeps them should mark this on their character sheet.)

The inn is as you remember it, and busy and warm in the evening as the town is recovering its spirits.  People interrupt your group from time to time to say hello, which is unsurprising given your celebrity status, but the innkeeper keeps this from excess and you do get time to talk and reflect.

(As well as managing inventory, do feel free to talk to each other about your experience in the raider camp and the caves beneath, if you wish, and then head off to bed when you are ready.)

Soar is fine with moving on to update Leosin, and agrees with the governor's plans. "Just make sure you keep the eggs well-hidden, and well-protected. I would feel terrible if someone guarding them got hurt by any remaining cultists in the area trying to steal them back."

"Can we send word quickly to the towns in along the path of where the cult seems to be heading? To warn them? You mentioned you had put out the call for military aid. More people need to know about their movements."

As the group leaves, Soar will hang back at the rear, almost out in the hallway, and then lean her head back in. "Since you're giving out titles, please, sir, don't name me 'Decapitator of Greenest.' My order might not understand, if they ever found out. I'm sorry I unnerved you by bringing those heads back," she says, nods quietly, and follows her friends out. 

Back at the inn, Soar ruffles Nate's head when he's finished talking. "You're fine! It's been a long few days. Let's get some rest, and I for one think that Leosin will be able to tell us a lot more about what's going on once he hears our report. I'm glad he paid for horses -- I've had my fill of walking for a while. I think one of you should take these fancy glasses -- I wouldn't be able to do them justice. It's a good thing we've got a bit more gold in our purses, too, though there's not much to spend it on in Greenest." She takes a pull from her tankard. "Wow, those fights were very close calls! Thank you, my friends, for healing me and backing me up when I got in over my head. I was trying to draw attention away from you, but I can maybe do that a bit better in the future. Not run into the middle of everything as often. Getting surrounded is not fun. I almost died! Twice!" She drinks a bit more deeply. "But I'm getting a hang of this sword. Been a while since I trained with one, but it's coming back to me now."

She converses warmly with the people who come to say hello, telling stories about their adventure, re-enacting battles, and heaping praise upon her friends. She asks the people how Greenest is rebuilding, what they are hearing from other towns, if trade's started up again, how the temple is doing. Later in the evening, before the group's about to retire, she returns to the table.

"Something more must still be weighing on the governor, even beyond rebuilding his town. I thought he might be a little more excited hearing about our report from the caves. We did exactly what he asked, and more, and removed essentially all further threat from his down. Maybe I just need a good night's rest! Let's get some sleep."

Jalt remains quiet as they sit around the table in the inn talking and eating. He finishes his meal before the others and excuses himself. Once he goes to his room, he separates the 40 platinum pieces into 4 piles of 10 and places them in separate pouches. He goes to each member's room and places the pouch upon their bed. He leaves the scimitars, armor and greatsword in their own, larger backpack which he places at the foot of his bed. He says a quick prayer to Bahamut and the dragonborn goes to sleep.

Elspeth agrees with the governor's plan, pleased to hear that Leosin has left horses for them to make their journey easier. Already very tired, she follows her party into the inn without lingering elsewhere, collapsing into a chair the moment they cross the threshold. 

"You hardly need to apologize, Nate, without you we would have had an even tougher time of it. I understand, and yeah, those cultist have to pay for what they've done, I don't think anyone disagrees on that part." Rather amused by Soar's enthusiasm, Elspeth smiles. "I do what I can, but I have to thank you too, Soar, for keeping us safe in the midst of battle. Thinking back, it could have gone so much worse."

Elspeth picks at her food for the rest of the evening, eating what she can. She speaks little to the townsfolk that approach, although she remains polite in conversations. Finally she leaves for her room, almost asleep on her feet. 

"Night, all. We can talk more tomorrow."

In the conversation with the governor, Escobert reassures you that word has been sent to those towns the cult is likely to pass through, though the matter is not so simple as might be wished.  Large cities and town often have complicated leadership structures, and there is no guarantee that a message will reach the actual leadership.  Nevertheless, someone has been informed, and he understands that Leosin may have connections as well.

At the inn, you all get a good night's rest at the inn, and complete a long rest.

In the morning, you eat a breakfast of breads and fruits, and then gather at the keep.  At the stables, you see four horses set out for you to use:  a black mare with little white speckles in her mane named Starlight, a somewhat disdainful brown mare named Corala, an eager black stallion named Hunter and a friendly placid chestnut mare named Netta.  The stablemaster explains that the horses belong to Leosin Erlanthar who has provided them for you to use, along with the necessary riding gear and bags of feed to get to Elturel, which is 200 miles away and should take around six days on horseback.

Castellan Escobert is there to greet you, and to speak to you before you head off.  It's shortly after sunset, but the keep is already busy with activity, as guards, servants, masons and labourers move from place to place.  Many glance at you and smile, and some greet you, but most keep their distance and get on with their tasks.

The Governor is already locked in negotiations with emissaries of the Lord's Alliance, he says ruefully.  He wanted to be here but... well, as the governor of a small town in need of assistance, what he wants doesn't always...  ahh, nevermind.  I'm not one for long goodbyes.  You've my thanks, the thanks of the whole town, for everything you've done.  I wish we'd time to organise a parade to say goodbye, but I think you folks need to get going.  You're always welcome in this town.  Now, off with you.  

Though people in the town have not been informed of your departure, there is one exception, and as you are leaving the keep, you see the small figure of Jasa Redbrooke, the halfling merchant who employed you to guard her caravan.  Nate, you do not recognise her, but Elspeth, Soar and Jalt do.  To the three of you she gives a quick hug and a quiet word of goodbye.  Take care in your travels.  It looks like you're headed towards more danger and more excitement than guarding a merchant's caravan.  Though guarding a merchant is fine work too, and don't you forget it.  I... thank you.  For everything.  This world needs good folks like you.

You set off along the road to Elturel.  Can I please have a marching order?