It's a short march east to the clearing, which thankfully goes by without any ambushes, thanks to the king's intervention. After an hour and a half, you arrive at what must be the ritual site. Still standing are druidic standing stones, arranged for some rite. Lying on the ground are the skeletons of the druids, still wearing their garbs, although tattered and discolored by the passing of time.

Upon their arrival to the ritual site, Yvan takes a careful look around the area, immediately spotting out the skeletons on the ground. "Do you know how the spell works?" He asks softly to Alys. "Can you talk to all of them or just one...?" 

Regardless of her answer though, he does make a note to try spotting out the most 'important' one (ie, a more intricately designed garb, looking for the 'main/leader' druid).

Investigation (Perception is the same mod): 10

He'll also use his Magic Awareness ability, just in case.

Alys' steps would slow when they'd happen upon the ritual site. Her eyes would sadden as they'd scan over the remnants of what happened there. At Yvan's prompts, she'd dip her head a little before nodding slightly. "In theory..." The cleric had access to and studied the spell a little on their way over. "I haven't done it before..." She'd admit before glancing up at him with playful concern. "Let's not make it an undead party... Heh." A nervous laugh would leave her lips.

Following along with Yvan in his efforts to locate the correct druid, Alys would ask Hoodini to help them. Once they locate the lead druid, or the best choice with an intact jaw, she'd pull out some incense to light. Wafting the scent around, she'd inhale a deep breath and begin to hum a melody as she'd settle herself comfortably in a cross legged seated position before the skull. All efforts were made to address the spirit respectfully. She'd then follow the grimoire's instructions to animate it.

Casting: Speak with Dead

"Eh, uh, a moment, Yvan. May I have your hand?" Courage asks, offering his own as if a simple handshake. Once he clasped hands with Yvan however, the newly empowered paladin would feel a tingling sensation as if some kind of.. energy or very low charge of electricity just shot up his arm, and spread through the rest of his being. While painless and probably confusing for a second, his focus and mind would feel sharper for just a little while as whatever guiding magic or energy flowed through him.

After which however, Courage sat back least his clunking footsteps and armored boots accidently crushed a skull in his search. Souperb sat back for similar reasons. And by similar, moreso to avoid accidently absorbing any important bones in itself during the search... not that any has seen it do that to anything. Yet. >.>

“Courage, I’m a taken man.” Yvan cants his head at the tieflings request, but obliges regardless and takes his hand. The goliath is taken aback at the sudden energy that surges up his arm, and retracts his hand back to his space. Forest green hues eye his hand for a moment, noting that it didn’t hurt at all and that his senses felt somewhat heightened afterwards. It was a spell. Right.

” …Thank you,” Yvan murmurs, nodding in Courage’s direction. When Hoodini poked his head out from underneath his furs at Alys’ request, he cracks a smile and gives the familiar a scritch. “Let’s try this again…”

Investigation: 14 + Guidance 3

Yvan is able to identify one of the dead druids as the leader based off of the remains of their headdress and necklace. Alys' spell goes off and the skull of the archdruid temporarily animates, ready to answer your questions.

Seeing the plan start to bear some fruit, Courage whispers over to Souperb, sending the living soup to go digging about the tieflings pack. Eventually it returns with a small book and pen, ready to take notes on the answer. Unfortunately, if either are looked at for suggestions on what to ask, the two just look to each other, and then back at the questioner with a shrug. For apart from the obvious being asked (aka the Ritual and how to hit undo or complete it properly), the pair were on the unimaginative side on what to ask century old bones of a druid.

"What ritual were you trying to perform?"
"Ritual for fertile crops."

"What went wrong?"
"Mahera must have sabotaged ritual."

"How do we reverse the curse?"
"Destroy her and her implements." 

"Who is Mahera?"
"Mischievous Eladrin. We tried to teach her our ways."

"Where is Mahera?"
"She took up residence in the Emerald Caves. She found them pretty."

And with that, the skull goes back to dormancy as the spell ends.

Courage waits a few moments after the final question is answered, so that everyone could process it all and perhaps even begin preparations to see to any funeral rites for the Druids. In that time, he checks over his notes one last time, before nodding sagely at the results. "So, color me a touch, uh, presumptuous for saying what I will, but uh.... What you lot think the odds are this Eladrin and the witch aren't one and the same?" He asked with a smile in his voice.

Alys begins preparations for a ceremony.

Stella nods to Courage. "Seems plausible," she agrees with the tiefling before whistling sharply to call Obsidian back before he starts playing with druid skulls.

After the ritual had been completed, Yvan assists Alys back on her feet, then gives her another forehead kiss for a job well done. He laces their fingers together as Courage speaks, the goliath giving a nod in agreeance. "I truly hope that is the case. It would make this mission just a bit easier..." Forest green hues glance over the ritual site once more, a frown thinning on his lips. "They were only looking to fertilize their crops... Makes me wonder why she sabotaged the ritual... Then again, some people don't need reasoning to do bad things..."

He than shakes his head. "Should we look for anything else before we go?"

"The druid said that she was mischievous, although this seems to be more malevolent than the standard mischief. Although if this witch is Eladrin, odds are that she comes from the Feywild and doesn't realize, or care, that what she's doing is actually causing harm."

Courage shudders, and if not for the faceplate, others would even see a grimace at the mention of the Feywild. Wishing not to interrupt Alys' next ceremony(?) over the bones, the tiefling motioned the group at least a little ways away, if not already far enough, before regardless addressing them once more. "On the subject of that particular issue, I... and I hope I'm not overstepping of course, but... given what's been done, are we to seek a violent end to this Eladrin? Or, assuming they don't mind us undoing this mess, are we to try and hurry them along back to the Feywild by some means? Because if they have done some as malevolent as all this -- /even/ if incidently, well... I would rather go knowing if we should be making sure the same doesn't come of us... or worse." 

"There's a lot at steak on the line at the moment. Far beyond just the revival of a once great kingdom, assuming all goes well." He admits, and would turn to everyone each in turn with an appraising  look.

"We were told that reversing the curse on this country required the death of the witch, but maybe we could convince the Eladrin to dispel this and go home? It require us to deal with an alien morality, but it might be possible to deal with this nonviolently."

Stella nods thoughtfully. "It's possible. Could even end up netting us a new ally against the giant dracolich."

Courage shook his head, before crossing his arms. "Considering how capricious even the most kind hearted fey tend to be... well... Again, it is up to you lot. But, best to have this talk now rather than on the scene, least their be any, uh... unexpected confusion or division." He admits. Souperb seems to give the tiefling an almost... solemn look? Worried? Hard to say with the semi-amorphous entity, but it did pat the side of his head, before plopping down on the tiefling's shoulder. "If anything, news of this worlds possible but inevitable destruction though might convince them to skip town, if nothing else. So... there's that conversation piece.... Unless.... they are into that sort of thing."

You depart from the clearing, heading north and west until you get to the Emerald Caves, like the king and the lead druid directed. It's evening when you get there and the caves are absolutely beautiful this time of day, with the oranges and reds of the setting sun contrasting with the green of the forest and the emeralds in the caves. Standing inside the mouth of the cave is a summer Eladrin, clad in very little, wearing a pointy witch hat on her head. She would look ridiculous if you didn't know what she was capable of. "It's been a while since anyone has come to my cave and you don't look like the Druids. What brings you all here?"