Lost Mine of Phandelver

Marcon sighs and mumbles under his breath, "Figures it wouldn't be that easy." He then looks to Ronk and Rigel, giving at least an approving half-smile, followed quickly by a hapless shrug. Apart from that, the ex-farmhand frankly didn't have the mental capacity to even try and work in an idea, so he stayed quiet and tried to stay focus with eyes forced wide in trying to stay attentive.

Rigel returns Marcon's look with a half hearted smile and says, "Yeah if it wasn't for bad luck we probably wouldn't have any at all. But it maybe possible that the Djinni can keep him engaged in a fight while we slip in to the tent even if he can't out right banish him. What kind of things get under this things skin Harlan? Have you ever seen him leave his post for anything?"

“We’ll, no,” said Harlan “however, I’ve sometimes wondered if the sentries would stay their post or continue to pursue attackers if Malachi were killed. And while planar banishment seems ineffective, there’s nothing to indicate that holding them in place with other restraints wouldn’t work. A magic circle spell or perhaps a pit trap formed by a portable hole both come to mind. Even better would be a spell of reduction to shrink the dullahan down to an-easy-to-run-away-from size…”

With all this talk of magic circles and shrinking things, Marcon immediately looks to Vanzaren with a raised brow. But though tempted to ask, he refrained from possibly pressuring the wizard more. If noone had anything else to add to the suggestion, only then would he speak up saying, "I can probably physically hold'em in a pinch, if need be. But... I ain't gonna lie. If the rest of ya really don't got other ideas, I wouldn't, uh... probably a good idea to have a back up plan fer that."

"I'm thinking if we can get the dullahan distracted and away from his post for a moment or two I may be able to slip in undetected by the dullahan. I'd have Ronk use his monk skills but I'm afraid we'll need him to control the Djinni if things go sideways. I just don't know how long I'll need or if Malachi can call the dullahan back. If he can, we'll have to put some distance between it and Malachi before I enter and that will be the dangerous part. Okay it's all dangerous and weak but I just can't seem to come up with anything better at the moment. Once we have some distance between the dullahan and Malachi everyone split up and Ronk will have the Djinni move into position between it and the tent . Hopefully that can keep it busy enough for us to bring Malachi back here so we can extract what we need. Plan B? Marcon wrestles it down along with Garet and Ronk while Van ties it up. I'll also set a magical snare before I move into the tent but I don't want to rely on it or we hold Malachi hostage while we make an escape. How does that sound? I wish it was better but with out any way to banish it, restrain it or a better idea of it's weaknesses I just don't see another way." says Rigel. 

"Alright so I guess that's the plan." says Rigel when no other ideas are presented. "Go ahead and show us this tent Harlan." Rigel leaves all his gear except some rope and his weapons and waits for their ally to lead the way.

Garet shrugs his shoulders "I h..hope it w..works"

Int Check(For Flavor): 13.

Against all odds, Marcon manages to just barely piece together Rigel's planning to at least seem confident of having understood it all. But either way, he voices no complaints, but would instead simply nodded in agreement and make ready to follow the others out of the tent.

Ronk shrugs and nods. "That might be the best plan... Do we want the djinni out now or before we strike? I think it can be out for an hour."

"Let's see how it plays out. You can call him forth when I lay the snare. We need to get an idea of where you will escape to. Harlan, can you take us to the next tent over?" Asks Rigel.

"Let's just all be careful," Vanzaren says simply, not sure what other advice to add in the moment

Garet stops for a second and looks at Harlan "What h..happens if you die h..here?"

Harlan casts a final spell transforming himself into a human boy of about 8 years old. "I'm not quite sure what happens when you die in this realm," he says as he motions the party through the tent flap, "let's hope we don't have to find out." They exit his tent and looking back realize that it is invisible behind them.

Back out on the Phandalin thoroughfare, the groups winds their way through the crowds and street performers to a tent with a large sign out front that reads "The Amazing Talking Headless Wonder." The carnival barker goads the crowd to enter and test their wits against the "marvelous, mind-reading brain of Malachai the Mystical."

"Ok everyone, this is it. If we can take out Malachai, then Isolde will be effectively blinded, from finding us magically anyways. Someone get Malachai talking and focusing on them. At some point, someone will need to draw the attention of the dullahan and keep him occupied while the rest of us smash Malachai's jar...I think nature will mostly do the rest at that point. If we get separated, try to escape any pursuers you have and we will meet back behind the Sleeping Giant pub at the east end of town."

The party steps through the tent flap to find that the inside is much larger than it would appear from the outside and is elegantly decorated like a tasteful theatre. Gilded seating clad in red velvet stands in front of a beautiful stage made of dark walnut. A single spotlight ignites as red velvet drapes that match the seating part revealing an ornate stand, atop which rests a large glass jar containing a floating humanoid brain. "Greetings curious ones," says a voice from nowhere in particular. The dullahan is nowhere to be seen.

The disembodied voice continues, launching into what seems to be somewhat of a prepared monologue under the guises of the sideshow act: "I am Malachai...once a great wizard skilled in the arts of arcane awareness, that was put to the guillotine by an evil tyrant. Though my mortal coil no longer exists as nature intended, my consciousness survives within this glass prison, here to serve and amaze you with feats of intellect and foresight..."

Another wooden stand, much like the one holding Malachai's jar, begins to ascend from beneath the stage. A red velvet drape covers a spherical object atop it. As the stand reaches full extension at the surface of the stage, the draped sphere continues upwards, floating above the surface of the stand. "Behold!" cries the voice in a campy theatrical tone as the drape falls away revealing a desiccated severed head, "...look upon the face of Malachai!"

The two stands then begin to move apart from one another as the red velvet curtain begins to open slowly. A large muscular figure can be seen coming forth from the darkened backstage. "And now, gaze upon the fantastic vehicle that once carried me forth through this world and many others...the BODY of Malachai!" The voice comes to a crescendo as a towering, headless humanoid steps into the spotlight at center stage, clad in a shining breastplate and toting a massive battleaxe at port arms.

Harlan, jumps up and down clapping his hands furiously in his best impression of what a small child might do in such a scenario. 

Rigel leans in close to Van and whispers "You keep the brain busy, and get the others to stand by. I'm going to see if I can get closer or even behind the curtain."  Rigel then tries to slowly mingle his way through the crowd to the side of the tent before working his way towards the stage.

Stealth:  18

Tired as he was, Marcon couldn't help but lean back a touch, and stare somewhat in awe of the theatrics. Despite having been warned about the nature of the performance, words did the actual visuals little credit! Just as he's about to get too wrapped up in the performance, noting, if after the fact, Rigel start to slip away, brings the ex-farmhand back to the present at hand. Not at all trusting himself to be able to shadow Rigel for the sake of providing back up in a pinch, he trusted Ronk to do so. Meanwhile, stood closer by Van and tried to mentally prepare himself to assist however he could from that point forward.

Garet leans to Van (other side than Rigel) "If you c..could ask about m..my f..father. Where h..how h..he died"

Ronk moves away from the group partly to be ready to back up Rigel if it's needed and partly to make room for the djinni when the time comes. He leans on his spear, and just in case, tries to do a quick little mediation to empty his mind, just in case Malachi focuses on him.

Pre-emptive Charisma Saving Throw: 6

"What questions doth thou bring before the mighty Malachai? What mysteries of the cosmos shall I reveal?" says the brain in a jar as if to prompt the group to do more than stand there staring in slack-jawed amazement. The floating severed head flitted about the room, at one point zooming in for a close pass by Harlan. The child clapped gleefully, even though the head looked rather terrifying. After several loops around the room, the head came to rest atop the shoulders of the headless body.

Vanzaren laughs outloud, "Well then, that's a rather simple trick."