(Fair XD)

(The long rest lets Cico get rid of one level of exhaustion, correct? Still leaves him with two I think).

Cico takes a deep breath as he rises and then bows to Hlam.

"Thank you," he says finally. Then he adds "Master Treewhirl and Grandmaster Shadowmight had suspected there was trouble coming. What you have seen, will this spill outside of the city into the countryside?"

He rests a hand on each of Aimee and Lyss' shoulders. Despite the rest, Cico is still not himself.

Aimee pats his hand and mind whispers to Lyss,

<You think Cico has got a crazy last name like those other Masters? Master Alleypee?>

"I saw some of that when you punched me. There was a fancy house, and me cutting someone's neck or something, by a mirror, and someone was missing, but the mirror had a shadow or something in it, do you think it was my shadow? Did it get lost in a mirror? Is it bad I don't have a shadow? Do shadows get lonely?"

On the mountain

The monk shakes his head uncertainly at Cico's question. "It is unclear, I am but a vessel for this wisdom - understanding the ramifications is beyond my grasp." 

Looking to Lyss, the old monk sigh's solemnly. "There can be no light without darkness. To not be whole is to be unholy. It seems my wisdom flows through me into the absence your shadow left. Seek it out child, and reunite yourself."

Hlam invites you all to meditate with him, and when you open your eyes you find yourself back in Trollskull Manor, just as your companions arrive bickering. Those who partook in the meditation feel a strength within.

This charm allows you to give yourself the benefit of a potion of vitality as an action. Once you do so, the charm vanishes from you.

Meanwhile....

An exhausted Arquette staggers into Hlam's cave. "Mr Cico? You really can climb fast."

" Another challenger enters......"

Cico closes his eyes and takes a deep breath then coughs slightly.

”This place still smells of fire,” Cico says then looks over at the two small ones who faced the mountain with him. “You both choose to live here?“

Not knowing what is to come later that day, Cico allows the gift Hlam has given to calm and restore him.

He then looks to door as he hears the others returning as well. His thumb and forefinger rub each other as he anticipates the door being opened.

Aimee stands up and stretches.

"Don't got anywhere else to live Mr. Cico! Besides this place is great, no where else I'd like to live! Lif? We're home! What you been up to?"

She then looks around and shakes her head,

"Granjul? Granjul get out here! Lif?"

Throughout Kerri's rant in Mirt's house Edvord shuffled his feet back and forth without comment. At one point he looks down near the ground where Verklarung would be, a mournful expression quickly crosses then disappears from Edvord's face.

After leaving Mirt's Edvord has awkwardly walked behind his brother during Aldrik's confrontation with Kerri, refusing to make eye contact with Kerri. The man waits until there is an opening. "We really should meet back up with Cico before he does something rash... he is a rather straightforward individual and I fear the object may prey on his trustfulness... Speaking of the object,  we should decide what to do with the object next as a group."

Cico sits down on the floor looking at the door, while he waits for the others to return.

In the meantime, he recites what he can remember from what Hlam said.

"A villa stained red with salt and iron, a thief but a shadow of their former self, a betrayal unseen.“ He looks over at Lyss when he says shadow.

He takes a breath and continues "The four descend upon their prize. Evil’s twin hides it’s face for now, while another grows more paranoid and less patient daily. Nobody is who they seem and no matter deeds good or evil blood will spill on Founders Day."

He shakes his head.

"The masters at home would speak in riddles too. I asked them why they did that. Why they didn't speak more directly as it would result in far fewer misunderstandings," Cico says. "I've yet to get a good answer."

He counts on his fingers as he speaks.

"Maybe it's just a manor with rusty doors by the sea. And whatever everyone is looking for, there must be four groups looking?" Cico says. "It would have been more helpful to be given names. And no matter what is done someone will die on Founder's Day?"

He closes his eyes and thinks for a few more seconds.

Then his eyes blink open, he gets to his feet, walks up to the door, and walks outside without saying anything to Lyss and Aimee.

(Cico will quickly send a message to the Harvest Road Abbey and the Order of the Darkened Sun to let them know what he's found and to also again ask what good comes of riddles. He'll also quickly return, hopefully getting back as the others enter the Troll Skull)

"I am maybe unholy, because I'm wholly holey, and my shadow might be sad and lonely without me, so the monk man thinks I should get it back, so I can be brighter because of darkness, but I'm full of wisdom now or something? And maybe am going to slice someone's neck at a villa? I don't know exactly, but I think I need to go on a shadow quest! Do we have to go back to the alley to see if I left it there?"

Aimee isn't really paying attention to the discussion as she looks into the middle distance for a beat.

She smiles wider,

"Okay, Granjul is back!"

She cocks her head,

"You're going to cut someone's throat? Who? I'm up to go back and reclaim your shadow! I just need to figure out my other secret mission first! This is a part of it, maybe I should report in? Also I have a trial coming up, you think I should get a lawyer or something?"

She smiles at Lyss,

"This is more stuff than would happen a year in the cloister!"

"It has been a busy time!"

Kerri enters Trollskull, dropping her bag on the ground and groaning when she remembers that things need to be repaired all over again. "What did you three do today?"

"Hi Kerri! We climbed a mountain and fought an old man, but he was really fast and he put me to sleep time, but told me that missing a shadow is bad, and I should try to find it, cause it's maybe lonely. Last I saw it was back in that alley."

Aimee waves at Kerri and adds for Lyss,

"I think your shadow is lost without you!"

She thinks a little bit,

"I think I need to talk to a lady about that old guy? In fact I am pretty sure I promised I would do that!"

Then remembering Kerri says,

"What did you get up to? Any old men and hitting people?"

Cico listens to Aimee and Lyss recount their adventure and just nods. They have summarized the gist of what happened. But Cico fills the rest in on what they heard from Hlam and tells them the cryptic message: "A villa stained red with salt and iron, a thief but a shadow of their former self, a betrayal unseen. The four descend upon their prize. Evil’s twin hides it’s face for now, while another grows more paranoid and less patient daily. Nobody is who they seem and no matter deeds good or evil blood will spill on Founders Day."

He takes a breath and counts slowly to 4 before exhaling then tries to keep eye contact with the others as he speaks.

"The Blackstaff may know who some of these are, but I suspect there is not one shadowy figure at work here but four and they are all competing and the people of this city are caught in the middle. That halfling coming here may have worked for one of the four and the whoever killed him for another."

He rubs his thumb and forefinger together for a moment before continuing, all of this talking starting to exhaust him.

"I would suggest visiting the Blackstaff, then going to the Temple of Gond to track down the creation who was here or tracking down the Zhentarim who was here as well."

Cico then moves to the corner and settles himself into a lotus position, and focuses on his breathing.

"Great job Cico! Lets go to the Blackstaff, she said she wanted me to anyhow! Probably best not to make any plans after given our luck!"

She begins making to leave,

"Who's coming?"

"Hold up, Aimee." Aldrik says. "We've got a lot more to talk about. Hells, we haven't even been inside the building for two minutes, and Mouse needs to finish his oats before we go back out. You wouldn't want the poor horse to starve, would you?"

He addresses the rest of the group once Aimee is hopefully reigned in.

"We spoke to Mirt. Kerri delivered her message, and we have some information. The guy who got blown up along with the front door to the inn? Zhent agent named Dalakhar. He'd apparently been spying on Ranaer Neverember. Mirt wants us to go to Lady Haventree's manor in the Sea Ward and speak with her, she may have more information on both the Zhent, the fireball, the nimblewright assassin...

Speaking of assassins, there's been a string of murders in the Dock Ward with another strange contraption. Might be another Gondish invention being used for woe...

There is apparently another Zhent agent working with some nobles in the Sea Ward, fellow named Urstil Floxin. They're apparently seeking something called the Stone of Golorr. Could be the prize you mentioned, Cico? Certainly sounds like the sort of artifact people'd spill blood over, though I'll be damned if I know who or what a Golorr is. Those fellows could have been involved with the hit on Dalakhar as well, or been his allies."

Finally, Aldrik eyes Kerri. "And do you want to tell them the big relevation that we all had at Mirts, or should I? If we're going to be getting into the mix together, no more secrets."

"I'm sorry Aldrik if I stuck a nerve but the whole point of the Harpers is that it's a secret organization," Kerri says in way of reply.

Aldrik shakes his head at the half-answer. "To anyone outside our circle of trust, I agree completely. But I'm not about to get mixed up with assassins and artifacts if we can't be forthright with each other. I think that's a fair price to pay for someone to fight at your side, don't you?"