Stonebound

Dvori grits his teeth but nods, accepting his own need for treatment. He mumbles a thanks to the miner, but mostly just focuses on keeping his balance and not making more a nuisance of himself than necessary.

As you take your rest in the village square the villagers continue to return to their homes. Many of them wander over to offer their thanks, bringing you all gifts of food and drink and it is not long until you are ushered into one of the larger homes where the community sets about cooking a feast for your enjoyment. Several of the local Dwarves produce instruments and begin to play, while young white haired gnome is ushered to the centre of the room where she begins to sing in a high soothing voice. 

"You are welcome to spend the evening." the offer is made by an elderly Dwarf with a broad welcoming smile, and so it seems a choice is set before you.

Will this rest be long or short, and what will be your next move?

(Dvori's in favor for a long rest - for salt water treatment and as much sleep as he can manage.)

(Alanis could use her spell slots back. I know our resident rogues, babarians and fighters don’t have that problem, but even they might like to recover hit dice. Anything we know to do about Hitticus‘ state? Just feels like a loose end...)

(I'm in favour of a long rest, Randrak is out of hit dice. Though his second wind can keep him going.)

Randrak quickly dugs into the food and drink. In particular he searches for any meats available, and any strong drink. Though, at the same time, he cannot keep his eyes off the white haired gnome.

Mercwri is going to seek out the miners engineer, or those who work with the ‘powder’, to see if he can learn more about it; and perhaps even get some more.

Dvori you are well taken care of. Pitchers of salt water are served to you throughout the evening and after a few visits to the privy to empty your stomach you begin to see light at the end of the tunnel. You go to sleep exhausted but well on the road to recovery.

Randrak you spend a pleasant evening listening to the music and enjoying the food and drink. Things take a darker turn as you drift off though. You hear the screams of Hitticus, and find yourself running through dark damp corridors searching for him. There are doors on every side and all of them lead to yet more corridors without end. You run but feel like you are going nowhere and all the time the screams of your companion fill your dreams. At one point you wake and for the briefest of moments you could swear that Hitticus is standing over you, his face just bare inches from your own. You can feel his breath on your cheek. You cry out and he is gone.

Mercwri, before you take your rest you find the old miner Grockle and ask him about the boom sticks. (You only have one left by the way, I checked). He advises you to visit his cousin Dramil at the Forge Tower when you are back in Duragath. 

"He will have what ya need to make more." he promises. "Though he might want coin for the materials."

The night passes without event and the next day finds you all up and in good health.

Dvori would like to treat the party to breakfast, if they are up for it, and properly introduce himself to each and all. 

"Good morning! I would like to thank you for your heroism yesterday - I would have had no chance against those beasts if you had not intervened. As such, you have saved my life, and I am at your service until I repay the debt." He says before the meal, bowing deeply to all before ordering forward several enormous loaves of good, soft bread dripping with honey-butter, a large platter of bacon, cheese, and several sausage-filled pastries, along with several dozen fried eggs. (GP price for meal or rough equivalent?)

Now standing and far more hale and hearty, Dvori introduces himself as "Dvori Draka, from over on the western end of Guldroth." If willing, he would learn the names of each of his saviors and, when the meal is finished, offer to accompany them to make good on his debt, wherever it is they are going. After all, a debt is a most serious thing among dwarves.

Mercwri stands up and makes a formal bow toward Dvori, "I be Mercwri Cyflym, from nowhere in particular of late; what, footloose and fancy free would be the correct phrase to sum up me condition.  And, thanks be welcome sirra, t'were my pleasure." He grins broadly.  "I jes loves blowin' things up, any time, anywhere; no good, nasty things o' course."

Uldran makes the rounds checking those who were wounded in the battle. Getting to you Randrak he begins to look concerned.

"My friend you look like you have not slept." He spies the statue than that belonged to Hitticus sitting on the ground nearby. "Has he not emerged from his hiding place yet?"

Randrak's bearded face shows signs of confusion, "Hiding place? What do you mean, 'hiding place'? As for sleep, I had the strangest dream about Hitticus. Then when I woke up, I'm sure I saw him standing over me before he vanished again."

He looks down at the statue beside him on the ground.

"I probably should never picked up the cursed thing."

Freak goes to tap the statue gently. "Friend Hitticus? Are you there?"

Ulrdran frowns down at the feminine statue. "You did right to bring it Randrak, our companion is hidden inside that thing." he gives you a troubled look but says nothing more.

Looking around the room then he asks the rest of the party,

"Are we ready to visit this monastery?"

"Let's go," Mercwri says.  "Things ain't gettin' fixed with us standin' around jawin'."

Alanis gives the statue a worried look, trying to remember if Hitticus has spoken of this when they had their discussion in the inn. 
She ponders if there is any conceivable way to reach him

 But in the mean time, it seems to offer a protection of sorts, at least physically if not mentally by the looks of it.

„Yes, we promised after all. And who knows; there might even be a connection to what happened here.“

She has considered to try channeling her magic into a different item, but Mercwri seems very happy about her crossbow for the moment, so she doesn’t have the heart to ask for it back and lets him hold onto it, still infused.

.

Randrak raises an eyebrow at Uldran's claim that Hitticus is hidden inside the statue. He then looks at the statue on the floor. He is completely baffled about the idea of someone being hidden inside a seemingly solid object that is less than half the size of a dwarf.

He then shakes his head, "Bah! More magic!

Dvori tries to piece together the conversation. 

"Hitticus?"

"A companion of ours." Uldran explains, "You were in a state yourself so you may not have seen. He was afflicted in the recent battle, the mouther broke his will somehow and he fled. His magic allows him to hide within that."

He points toward the stature that is still with Randrak. "We can only hope that he will emerge in time."

"You mean, the same one that..." He pantomimes a thick puddinglike mass with a gaping maw with his hands. 

"That one?"

Uldran nods at your words Dvori, "That's the one. It did a number on our friend in there and he was not the most stable of individuals to start with." he turns to you Randrak and asks,

"Are you ok to look after that for now?" pointing toward the statue.

Reggarn you are leading the way to the monastery as everyone gets ready to leave you are able to ponder the route you will take them on. You know of two routes from the village. The first takes you back to the road and then northwest for a time until you branch off again to the north. This is the longer and probably safer route and will require a rest part way. The other cuts straight through the nearby hill country known as the crags and will get you to the monastery by night fall if you escape incident. 

Which way will you lead the party?