With one business concluded and another awaiting him on the horizon, Flux eventually departs the privy cleaned up (as best as one could be given circumstances) and already looking over one of the scrolls, trying to discern its meaning while humming a tune. "One, two, three, four~ Ugo, Twa, Kreya, Quazo~ Click to the knock on my to the depths, Dolphin has it all on lock -- Oi, Seems I hit the mother load, mates! Come check it out." He'd call out if necessary, forgetting in the moment the precariousness of the situation.

Once he sees the dwarven delegates among the rescued prisoners all cheer leaves his faced, replaced by a conflicting measure of relief, embarrassment, shame, and... worry. For last they saw of him was that of a cowardly guard, bargaining for his own life with pirates. Though he had, had an opportunity presented itself, would've promised in dwarvish his intent to rescue them, he would not be able to recall in the moment their response... if any, given again his behavior. So, he stood there, scroll half-dangling from a hand and head bowed, awaiting their judgement.

Ebele would stand there a bit protectively, ears listening, unable to actually see the scene before her.

The scroll half dangling from Flux's hand was a level three scroll, that of the Stinking Cloud. Whether he was presenting the other items of interest that he found was still yet to be determined. The other piece of 'reading material' Flux found was also a level three spell scroll but this one is of Call Lightning. The two vials he found were potions. One was a potion of Greater Healing and the other a Potion of Growth. The salve? Oil of Slipperiness. And the bath salts? Dust of disappearance.

Herse just stares at Flux shaking his head.

"Ye certainly are a strange one" he mutters shouldering his axe

(OOC: I thought I posted on this ages ago, but apparently not!)

Perhaps it was the mutter from Herse that jump started Flux again, or simply the feeling of the scroll slipping a few centimeters more. But either way, the water genasi snapped back to attention, hurriedly reaffirmed his grip on the scroll, and then with a false air of bravado held his arms open wide to the dwarven delegates. "Look at this! All, er, more or less all alive and accounted for, rescued just as I promised! Well, almost anyways. Heh... *ahem*... a-anyhow, uh, I'm keeping this, but, uh-" Flux hurriedly stuffs the scroll away, only to produce the potions and salve and offer them to the group at large.

"Here! I have a potion of healing, one of, uhhh... growth. And the salve, mmm... very, uhh... I dunno. My fingers felt very smooth when I tried out a bit. But here. Someone, uh, take these, and uhhh.... Oh! So, uh, time to be looking for an exit, yea?"

Kerric:

"I wouldn't mind a potion of healing," says Kerric, "But I am fine if someone else needs it.  We have more prisoners to save, but we need to also ensure our rescued ones remain safe.  We should look for both an exit and the other prisoners."

Coming back into the room after handling the disturbing sight within, the white-haired half-elven courtier politely declines Flux's offer. She wasn't in any dire need of healing and there were most likely others who deserved the items better. "So, what about the leader of the cult, will you return for her, to stop the kidnappings and sinister sacrifices here for good?" She asks her brave rescuers with a concerned look.

Ebele places a hand on Kerric's shoulder. "There's no trouble. Please, take the potion." She encourages. Then the monk would step forward, easily able to locate the direction in which Flux stood. She'd hold out her hand, "I'll accept the salve and dust if no other speaks up."

After a long pause in the room, Ebele engages the conversation once more. "Depending on one's interpretation of exit, I believe we have already found a few." She notes. "For example, we have the 'exit' in terms of going back through the way we arrived. Which would be the worm tunnel. There was also that hallway passage Herse and Flux got blown down. And if we really wanted to get creative, there's the giant crevasse the wyvern flew out of." She'd share some points. "Of course, there may even be other exits we've yet to discover ahead of us such as should we proceed forward to pursue the cult leader in her chambers, one may be able to assume there's a quick escape route nearby similar to when we took out the Crushing Wave's prophet." The monk thinks out loud.

"Naturally, the questions still remain. To Kerric's points, are we going to equip the freed prisoners to accompany us like those at the Crushing Wave or will we ask them to remain behind and come back for them? Then to Sabynn's question are we now focusing on the leader of the cult, in extension finding the missing wife, or are we looking for an exit to free them while also looking for the rest of the delegates?" She summarizes out loud to try to get a general consensus with the group. Then she adds. "Are we resting before setting out in what ever direction is decided, and how long do we need if so?"

"Rest.wouldna be a bad thing.  Specially Fer those fellows.   And mebe our plan would be a bit o both."

Sheepishly, Flux handed off the salve and dust almost as soon as Ebele's asked, ultimately leaving it up to her on who kept them. As he's fishing back out the Scroll of Stinking Cloud in anticipation of the party's wizard's request, the plane-touched dwarf pauses to ponder over Ebele's words.

"W-wait. Is dat what he be meaning before about..." Flux trails off there to again look over the current batch of rescued prisoners, then winces and bows his head. "Then might be explaining some things." He muttered under his breath, then quickly says aloud in addressing the group, "I not be having much to offer by way of weaponry, and I think the same could be said of the rest of ya. But if'n ya do have something to spare, then certainly we aught be equipping them the best we can. As for a brief respite, at the very least, I not be minding it so. In fact, we could maybe be killing two birds with one stone in stepping up in their barracks." Flux suggests.

"Sure, it may be only a matter of time 'fore they return, but seeing as there's at least two potential ways out of it, if'n we should be needing to retreat. And if we should be running afoul of any returning guards, well, I'm sure they won't be minding if we confiscate their gear after we have a nice, heavy-handed talk with them, eh?" He chuckles. "All in favor need but say 'Aye', and we should be seeing to it. Then once any of recent hurts 'n all that have been seen to over the next, oh... hour or so, perhaps we be doubling back a little and 'thoroughly' checking out those other rooms we past, if'n ya know what I mean."

The white-haired half-elven courtier stands by the blindfolded monk as she summarizes the options at hand, then looking between the rest of her rescuers, hoping they would reach a decision before the cultists found them like this.

Kerric:

”Agreed, let us set up a brief respite.  We can scrounge weapons from previously defeated cultists as needed, tend to our wounds, and perhaps do a bit of careful scouting if desired,” says Kerric, preparing to lead the prisoners into the barracks as suggested.

Kerric:

With no objections, Kerric leads the rescued prisoners to the barracks and helps them settle in for a rest.

Flux grumbles something about not needing to be told twice as stepped back into the barracks with the intent of moving what he could to bar the eastern door. That way should any returning patrols or the like came from said direction, the group would at least have a few moments to prepare if nothing else. Or so the water genasi dared to hope while still muttering and puttering during the task. 

Sabynn nods in agreement with Kerric and tries to make herself comfortable in the cleaner parts of the defiled barracks, recuperating after the earlier electrocution but also ready to tend to the poor victims of the cruel torture.

(Assuming we have a short rest Sabynn recovers a bit : 13)

Herse  aids Flux in barring the eastern door

Xalkas assists Kerric as best he can finding people a place to rest. 

(Have we been able to rest undisturbed?)

Kerric takes lead in guiding the rescued prisoners to an area to gear up. Between the salvaged equipment from the Kenku nearby, the makeshift barracks within the cultist rest area, then remembering the stash they’ve gathered and stored within the bag of holding, he’s able to equip the prisoners reasonably as he sees fit. During the search of equipment, and prior to equipping their gear, Sabynn and Ebele tend to the prisoners wounds. 

With everyone now equipped and their injuries treated, the group settles in for a well-deserved short rest. The room is filled with a sense of cautious relief as the prisoners take this opportunity to regain their strength, undisturbed and grateful for the reprieve. The respite allows them to prepare mentally and physically for whatever challenges lie ahead.

Everyone’s able to take a short rest undisturbed. 

As much as Flux seemed relieved in seeing the dwarven delegates alive and well(more or less) at first, over the next hour of rest and recouperation, the planar touched dwarf found almost ever excuse in the book to avoid interacting with them. At times acting, in fact, like some new recruit or worker anticipating a dressing down for some past mistake. But after a half hour into the reprieve time Flux just finds some corner to curl up in and take quick a power nap.

"Aaaahhh~ Now dat was a good nap I be needing. Hehe. But enough of dat! Da plan be to seek out the rest of prisoners yea 'n we taking dis lot wit us yea? Or do I be misremembering things as me head is often like to do?" He asks of the group at large. "If'n it be so, I say we be doing a little backtracking and clearing those other rooms we be passing by before." 

Struggling slightly to understand the blue dwarf, the white-haired half-elven courtier nods and smiles warmly, making sure those rescued are all fit to move on, then staying close to the blindfolded monk when she can. A part of her just wanted to leave this horrid place and return to Silverymoon and stay within it's courts for the remainder of her life, but at the same time she felt saving these people and possibly toppling this evil cult had given her life an new purpose. "That sounds like a good plan Flux." She says with a soft pleasant voice.