Examining the tomes, Garet finds that most are histories:

• The Forgemaster's Register of Phandelverian Weaponry
  • This tome appears to be a listing of all the magical items created by the Phandelvers and who they were sold/delivered to
• The Pact of the Phandelvers
  • This tome, dated 934 DR, contains the original charter of the Phandelver's Pact to include a list of all of it's members
• A Brief History of Faerún: The Sword Coast and Sword Mountains
  • This pamphlet provides a general history of the region of Faerún in which Phandalin and Wave Echo Cave are located
  • It details topics such as the terrain, weather patterns, flora and fauna, settlements, resources, trade routes and notable civic leaders and significant events
• A Brief History of Faerún: Icewind Dale
  • This pamphlet provides a general history of the region of Faerún far to the northwest near the Reghed Glacier and Spine of the World Mountains
  • It details topics such as the terrain, weather patterns, flora and fauna, settlements, resources, trade routes and notable civic leaders and significant events

When Garet opens the pamphlet about Icewind Dale, a small map that has been folded into quarters tumbles out 

Ronk frowns, staring in the direction the 'boy' ran off to. "Don't like the idea of ghost running around down here. And a kid ghost at that..." The bugbear shudders a little, having a brief case of the heebie-jeebies then turns back to the others to look at the books as well.

"Hmmm...that's good to know.' replies Rigel to Gundren. The ranger continues to pace back and forth at the tunnel entrance. "Definitely makes me believe that wasn't Carp. But then where did he go?  Rigel heads back to the door to the room they others are currently searching. "The tracks just end. I have a bad feeling about this. Does anybody have any ideas?" Rigel re-enters the room and continues his search.

Survival

10

"You and me both, Ronk. Poor kid.... But uhhhh... Well, if this place is still connected to Isolda's tent Rigel, I'd assume she pulled some sorta trick with the entryway there when Carp came ducking inside the room." Marcon commented as he'd absently join in helping Rigel search the room for anything of note. "In which case, as far as we know, he could very well be back at the entrance this whole time, and she's been toying with us this whole time."

It does not take much time or effort from Rigel and Marcon to realize there is a small door on the south wall of the room. The ranger finds no tracks in the thick layer of dust covering the floor, leading him to believe this are has not been trod upon in many decades.

Scrolling through the list of names in the book labeled The Pact of the Phandelvers, Ronk finds one name that seems somewhat familiar: Ogden Rockseeker.

The effects of Ronk's ring of djinni summoning are still active (for the next hour) and thus the massive blue female djinn Olrai still hovers near the group. Seeming bored, she speaks up in a booming, other-worldly voice: "I can go places you mortals cannot. I could inspect the fungal cavern to the south while you catch up on your...reading," she says to Ronk.

Garet can feel the effects of his turn undead powers wane, and knows that the remaining four ghouls would be free from their compulsion to retreat from his presence.

"If the boy turns out to be dead," Van looks down at his sword. "I understand your own thoughts on the matter. But I dont know how I would feel returning you to someone who allows an innocent child to die."

"Returning who to-..." Marcon catches himself and looks to the Djinni. "Ah... right. Uhhh... I mean, it'a probably bite us in the butt, but any chance you can like detach yourself from the ring 'fore we gotta give it over. 'summing whatever Van mention cooking up before doesn't quite pan out miss, uh... I-I'm sorry, but what was yer name again?" He asks of the Djinni. 

Ronk looks up at Olrai, as though he'd forgotten she was there. "Huh? Oh! Yeah, what if I.. Wish you free from the ring? And I also wish you'd poo gas mushroom cave for us to see if Carp really went that way. Um... Thank you."

"Olrai," booms the djinn at Marcon. "I am nearly 8500 years old, and we used different names back then." She then turns to Ronk: "Perhaps no one explained to you how this ring works, so allow me. An extremely powerful wizard bound me to it, and though I am a djinn, I am not the wish-granting type - that sort of binding would require a lamp, and much more powerful magic, but I do have several spells at my disposal, sadly wish is not one of them. When you call me forth, I am friendly to you and your allies, but the magic of the ring will send me back to the Plane of Air after only an hour. In other words, you can't wish me free, but I am deeply honored that you would consider doing so. We djinn are a goodly race, so you need not worry that would cause harm to anyone you would not want me to, however I am compelled into the service of whomever wears this ring...should it fall back into the hands of that dastardly eladrin, I would have no choice but to do her bidding if it was her will to turn me against you in battle. If one of you is able to cast dispel magic, then you could effectively banish me from this plane and thus allow me to avoid the displeasure of killing you."

Rigel is only half listening to the conversation going on. His focus is trained on the newly discovered door. Resolving his internal debate of whether the door is trapped or not he steps forward and tries to open it.

"Good to know," Van says. "I'll keep that in mind if we come across a dispel magic scroll."

Both confused about the importance of Olrai having different names in the past, and a little worried at that at having maybe offended her asking since it was brought up, Marcon held up his hands as if in surrender in response. Yet he still listened, and bit by bit, started to relax some of the tension in the shoulders.

"Yea, uh... yea, I'll leave that sorta thing to the more magically inclined folks. But thanks for the heads up on that one, Miss, er, I guess Madam Olrai? Lady Olrai? I-I, uh, whichever you'd prefer I s'pose." He said awkwardly, before looking to see what came of Rigel opening the door. 

Garet is quite amazed by the djinn speech but collects the map and takes a closer look at it

Rigel pulls open the door and finds...an empty closet roughly 10 feet wide by 5 feet deep. A portal hovers near the back wall, glowing with dark, purplish energy. Peering through it, the ranger can see a room filled mostly with old, dusty barrels. He is unsure whether the space beyond the portal lies on this plane of existence or another.

Examining the map, Garet is able to determine that Icewind Dale is in the far northwest corner of Faerún. He spots the seafaring town of Luskan near the south edge of the map. A large, hand-drawn "X" has been placed near a settlement titled "Ten Towns" near the center of the map.

Rigel backs out and informs the rest of what he found. 

"Well shucks Rigel. If nothing else, we ain't short on options, that's fer sure." Marcon gives Rigel a wiry smirk. "Tho' consider'n we know the other Carp is a fake, I s'pose that makes this thing ya found the better option, yea? So prolly best we get a move on through 'fore them dead heads find their way back here." He starts to make a move for the closet, but stopped short of more than a step to look back at the others, or more pointedly for Gundren, if the dwarf happened to be in the room. If not, he'd let his gaze settle on the party. "Unless there's any objections of course? I know Lady Olrai more or less volunteered for that other path. But I think things might get a little funny if she winds up way somewhere where that ring ain't, ya know?" 

Garet stares suspiciously at the portal "i..is it s..safe?"

OOC: Flat INT as Garet has +0 to Arcana etc. To try to understand if this passage/teleport is safe and not some kind of magic trap

4

Van, still not hearing anything from the sword in response, turns to Garet, "Im not 100% sure but i am fairly certain that you shouldnt walk through strange portals."

"You don't know how you would feel returning me to someone who allows an innocent child to die..." responds the sword after several moments of silence. "But I suppose you'd be just fine with leaving me in the hands of a murderer of adults then, hmm? Will you remind me once again just exactly what it was that led you to Phandalin in the first place?"

Garet is unable to glean or remember any useful information about the portal, but thinks Vanzaren's advice would be well heeded.

"Touche," Van says after a pause. "Though I would like to make the counterpoint that you're the one who wants me to give you to her. Man my Master really knew how to pick his students."