Caelynn glances to either side at the assembled crowd, then turns back to the queen and gives a short nod. "We will try. That is all I can promise."

For the first time, she gives a smile and leans back into her chair. "Good." As you begin to fade into consciousness, you hear her say, " The world can never thank you and your companions enough."

Caelynn, you awaken to the sounds of eating. The rest of the group is awake and eating breakfast. Topsy is leaning over a small fire and appears to be frying mushrooms in a pan. The fire provides gentle warmth and light, both which you have not experienced in a while. 

Eldeth notices you are awake and gives a small chuckle before she says, "She's awake!"

“Ah, her grace awakens,” Aimon says with a smile. “We’ll save you an extra watch tonight.”

He nods over at Oak.

”The big fella said you looked like you were having a bad dream. Now I’m no expert but I’ve watched my dad when he’s been in his trance. I’ve never seen so much as an eyelid flutter.”

He leans in a little closer.

”It wasn’t a dream was it?”

Then as if realizing he was on the verge of becoming serious, Aimon hops up and approaches the castle entrance, examining it for anything unusual. Given the level of security at the bottom of the stairs it’s probably safe to assume there may be traps.

(Perception: 10 )

"I'm sorry. I'd be glad to take two shifts tonight," Caelynn says, moving over towards the fire with the others. "And no, it wasn't a dream," she admits. She takes a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing.

"I was summoned to the Fey courts to speak on behalf of our group. I got some answers, and made a promise or two."

Oak sits munching on his breakfast, with a distinctly bovine, side-to-side, rolling, chewing motion. “I almost woke you at one point, M’Lady... “, he says to Caelynn between chews, ”but then I thought better of it. I figured we all need our rest, whenever we can get it”.

Oak looks better now, than the party has seen so far. Rest definitely suits him. He looks refreshed and alert. Ready for the day.

”Summoned to the Fey Court in your sleep?! How does that work? ...You’re sure it wasn’t a dream?... ... ...Hmm, answers and promises? Both honourable, and both not easily given lightly”, he says, interested but not prying...

"I don't understand either, but I'm certain that's what it was. I don't dream, not like that."

"I suppose I owe you all an explanation. Gods, there's really no easy way to put this, is there." Caelynn pauses, taking a deep breath. "The Demon Lords have escaped from the Abyss - that's why everything's been acting so weird lately - and apparently it's up to us to send them back. I'm honestly terrified, but you don't exactly say no when the Fey Queen asks you to do something." She takes another shuddering breath. "I don't know what to do." 

Mentally cursing herself for showing weakness, she stares intently down at her food.

Aimon pauses in his examination of the castle entryway when he hears Caelynn's words.

"Well, that's not exactly how I thought our day would start," he says. "I was hoping for a little sojourn into this castle and see what shiny odds and ends might be lying around and see if that voice in my head comes back or not."

He moves to the top of the stairs and looks back down at the crater left by the exploding sentry.

"We barely managed to defeat a statue. How on earth does your Fey Queen think we can take down a demon lord?"

Oak stops mid chew, “ ’Demon Lords’?... ‘Up to us’?... Blimey!!... That’s a lot to put on a person! Did they say how to go about it? or where to start?!“.

He swallows hard, “Where are these Demon Lords now anyway?”, he says looking around, as if they might just be round the corner! “We’ll have to raise an army!!”.

“They didn’t mention how to get out of here, did they? Ha!”, he chuckles, gesturing around this massive underground cavern.

Then he realises Caelynn is looking forlorn and attempts to be reassuring “Dont worry M’Lady, we’ll find a way! Some how. If the Fey Queen sees something in you... then...” he trails off a little...

"That's a lot of responsibility to drop on us," Eldeth says between bites.

 After eating for a while, Jimjar asks, "Are we still planning to explore that deathtrap over there?" He gestures to the castle with his fork.

Aimon looks over at Jimjar and nods. He doesn't know what to make of what Caelynn has said. He knows he can't possibly take on a demon lord so he might as well focus on what's in front of his face now.

"I haven't heard her voice again since the dance with the sentries began," he says. "The voice may have just been a trap or there could still be somebody in grave danger but now they can't talk."

Aimon moves back to the entrance to the castle and takes another look around the gate, looking for anything else that might be triggered by their entry - traps and the like.

(Perception: 20 )

"She said it would take time before we're strong enough to defeat the actual Lords," Caelynn says, still unsure how they will ever become powerful enough for such an endeavor. "But, for now, they have underlings who we can hope to thwart. I believe we've met one of them already. Over time, a stream can erode a mountain," she quotes, not fully believing herself.

Trill is perched, looking back and forth between her companions. All this talk of demons and fey is a bit beyond her experiences.

Oak finishes his breakfast and starts packing up his things.

”I agree with Aimon: without further guidance on how to thwart these Demon Lords, I say we carry on as we were for now. I’m keen to try and help this frightened prisoner. We could at least take a quick look, if we’re careful?”, He moves up alongside Aimon to see what they can see from the main gate...

Aimon, you make your way along the wide courtyard towards the the structure in the middle of these enclosed walls. Your footsteps pad softly across the moist stone beneath your feet. You reach the castle proper and behold the once grand doorway. Hinges with fragments of wood ring a large doorway. Two piles of ash litter the ground to either side of the open doorway. Above the arched doorway, a faint fresco too badly eroded away by time decorates the stone. From the flickering faint firelight, you barely notice a faint glimmer running across the ground. You crouch down to get a better glimpse, and you see a tripwire so fine that it appears to be made of hair stretching across the doorway.

Aimon quickly reaches up and grabs Oak's arm and stops him from moving any closer. Then he kneels down and tilts his head to follow the tripwire to its source, careful to wave off the others.

"Might want to stand back a little in case this goes horribly wrong and you get a wee bit of half-breed all over you," he says with a smile.

He pulls out his set of tools and lays them out on the ground in front of him. Then he looks from the tripwire to his tools and selects what he thinks will work best and sets to work disarming the trap.

(Thieves' Tools: 14 )

Oak stops immediately at Aimon’s signal. He eventually sees what the half elf is pointing to, then he nods and backs off. He ushers the others back somewhat too, and waits...

There’s a tense moment while Aimon does his thing...

You follow the string back to a very small hole in the wide of the arch. Gently, you work your tools into the hole and feel around. After a few moments, you feel a small click, and a thud emanates from the ceiling. You believe the trap is disarmed.

Aimon lets out the breath he didn’t no he was holding and looks back at the others.

”I think that did it,” he says. “But watch your step.”

With a rapier in one hand and his hand crossbow in the other he moves through the doorway, keeping an eye out for any more traps.

(Active Perception: 22 Passive Perception: 17)

Oak nods to Aimon, mightily impressed, then gestures ‘shh’, as he draws his greataxe and creeps after him.

He looks back over his shoulder too, to beckon the others forward, trying to sneak and also keep an eye out for danger...

Stealth: 17

Perception: 13 

Trill has her hand crossbow at the ready.