The walk back to the Wishing Well is rather quiet. The events of the evening have caused most of the townsfolk to retire to their homes seeking shelter. Most of the people that had traveled here for the Festival had gathered up their goods and started making preparations to return home. The bell tower falling was a minor setback. The attack of animals was an inconvenience. The rampaging elemental that destroyed the large marble building in the middle of the town square was too much for most of them. Guards were working extra shifts as they needed the help at both the damaged gate and operating the large lift. The general feeling of despair washed over Holden Heights and people just wanted to get back home where things were more routine. 

Paren walks over to Ombre. "It seems we are back again. Could we trouble you for some food. And maybe a drink or two to help calm some nerves." Before he sits down he turns back again. "Oh, and what do we owe you for the last meal we ran out on. I assume no one paid you before we left to fight."

The lounge in the Wishing Well is crowded as it should be but the group had grown quite accustomed to their privacy. Looking over the crowd, it seemed to be mostly travelers that had secured one last night before departing in the morning. Not wanting to risk sleeping in their wagons with wild beasts on the prowl, they found themselves here in the very strange Wishing Well. 

Ombra raises her eyes from her book when Paren approaches. "Welcome back. There is no fee for your stay or your room but tonight is the last night of your stay. You all have been wonderful guests but we'll be closing up for a remodel tomorrow morning after breakfast." She calls for her husband who brings out a large platter of meats, fruits, and vegetables that have all been cooked fresh. You hear him bark some orders at a table and the patrons scramble and find other places to carry on their conversations. He gestures towards your group and places the food and drinks there for your enjoyment. He then dashes back into the back surely busy keeping this crowd fed and properly intoxicated.

Paren leans on the bar, trying to remember how to act calm and cool in a public setting. "Might I ask who paid for our rooms? I just want to know who I should thank."

Jonathan won't be entering the inn with a corpse, did we have a plan with what to do with the half-orc?

Ombre let's out an exhausted sigh and says, "Do you lot never talk to each other?" She makes a gesture over toward Finan.

(formatting)

Paren's eyebrow goes up with this information. "Apparently not. Thank you. It's been an interesting stay." He then wanders back to the table and sits, whispering to Finan, "Apparently I have you to thank for my room. Let me know if I can pay you back somehow." 

(OOC: @ pokepaladdy, maybe we left it with an acolyte that was in the crowd. Paren is assuming it's Krusk's body so likely they would want it.)

((I'm fine saying an acolyte rushed to you to accept the fallen Messenger))

Falaine, once they are all settled into a meal, will address Paren. Loud enough for the party to hear, but not for anyone else. "You said you wanted truth, and I owe it to all of you. I don't know what to say, but I will answer any questions you all might have. First and foremost however..." Falaine will put up her hood then drop her form. She sits before the party a grey and featureless androgynous humanoid. Her eyes overlarge and devoid of pupils, her nose a flat and shapeless pair of nostrils. 

Paren's eyes grow a bit wide looking at his friend. "Well. That's certainly not what I expected. Explains why you're so much less snobby than all the other elves I've talked too though." He scratches the back of his head. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you? I've never met one of your kind before."

She replies in a much different voice. "It's difficult, because there is no official name, but most call me changling in common. There is so much prejudice that we often never let others see us in this form, but I trust you all... And trust that I can dispatch any one of you if the need arises." She says the last part with a bit of sarcasm.

Paren let's out a small chuckle at that last remark. "You're welcome to try, move than a few have," he says with a smile. "So. A changeling. Well, I can only speak for myself but I can say that you are more than welcome here. You've proven yourself smart and capable and that is all I need to know." He looks to the group for affirmation before continuing, "Now, fill us in on what you've learned while you were gone and we will do the same."

She nods and looks around a bit nervously, but begins "When I saw the smoke I had to see what was threatened by the fire. When I got a day's ride out, I saw that it was in the fields that feed the people of the region, I turned desperately needing to come and warn the Lord, but on the way back I was accosted by those animals... The poor things, afflicted by something altogether unnatural. That is all I know. That and what the messager told me about the shards."

Paren lets out a sigh, similar to the one Finan gave off before. "Well my friend, it seems we have been drawn into a war of the gods. The shards seem to be pieces of an obelisk, similar to the one in the Grove where we first met. It seems that Lugh has an opposite, a messenger of death as he is creator of life."

He lets out an even bigger sigh before continuing, "Finan and I managed to track down one of the shards. It was guarded by a strange bird but when we separated it from the rest we were able to gain access. After we killed some sort of undead guardian we both became covered in a red dust. The dust seems to have allowed this other god to speak to us. Finan resisted it and was eventually cleansed by the Krusk. I let this god speak to me and have been in contact with it since."

"This god claims that Shamara and her family are attempting to absorb it's powers somehow, in an effort gain power over death and expand their purview."

"I know it is a lot to take in but this is where we find ourselves. Oh, and just in case it helps the conversation," Paren offers his rapier to Finan, hilt side first.

Falaine just nods along for a bit, she reflexively assumes her elven form again. At the mention of a good of death she chimes in "That makes sense, life needs death to live and vice versa. It's a delicate balance, and that balance is being upset. That's what me and my order..." she sets her druidic focus on the table "strive to protect."

(Are changelings common in this world? Just working out how Jonathan would react to this revelation.)

Quote from Cromusz >>

"Ombre let's out an exhausted sigh and says, "Do you lot never talk to each other?" She makes a gesture over toward Finan.

 Finan frowns at her, and with a tone of slight anger creeping into his voice he replies, "We were a bit busy."

When Paren thanks him for the rooms, Finan shakes his head. "It wasn't me, but I appreciate your offer." He then lifts his head to speak to the group with a somewhat pained smile. "Our rooms are courtesy of Aiden."

Then when Falaine reveals her true nature Finan says nothing, just numbly accepting the new situation. It hadn't been the biggest surprise today, after all.

"I appreciate your concerns for this God that caused a man to go mad leading to his death, and caused some undead horror to appear before me and Paren and tried to kill us." he says flatly, refusing to take the rapier offered by Paren. "I would not at all be surprised if he was responsible for the attack on the Temple, either, and whatever it was that affected those animals at the gate."

He then turns to face Paren, a serious expression on his face. "I was informed that you delivered a dagger to this establishment. Is that true?"

Paren looks slightly surprised at the question but answers back calmly, "On our first night here I delivered a box in exchange for information. I did not open it and asked no questions about what was inside. It could be that the dagger was in the box." 

A serious expression then crosses his face as well. "If the dagger we were looking for was in that box then I know who we can go to to get information about were the other shards and artifacts are. I can take you Finan," he turns back to the rest of the group, "I'm sorry, but the person we're meeting isn't very trusting and having a large group might spook them."

Finan sits back, pinching the bridge of his nose before dragging his fingers down across his face. "Alright. Could you tell us who it is? And what information you bought with the dagger? Where you got the dagger to begin with?"

Paren looks only to Finan now as he speaks. "I have never seen or possessed the dagger itself. I asked this contact to deliver a letter to an old friend asking if he knew about the boxes. Unfortunately they have never responded. In exchange for this I was asked to deliver the sealed box to this location. I never opened the box or asked anyone what was in it."