With the kobolds occupied elsewhere by the charming presence and conversational skills of Flak Macaque, who was supposed to be repairing the ship, Niyati considered the path clear and lowered the loading ramp.

He was pleasantly surprised to see Will arrive.

"Good to see you friend" Niyati says telepathically, stepping forward and placing a hand on Will's shoulder. Will's reflection showing up in that stary sheen, mask-like surface that was Niyati's face.

"I didn't realise we were in such close proximity, I didn't mean to cut short your time off." Niyati's telepathy was gentle and comforting, he spoke softly yet firmly with genuity and compassion, even though he had clever ways to redistribute words of truth.

Taking two steps back away from Will, he moved off the wet marsh and back onto the sturdy metal loading ramp.
"Don't mind Peter, his personality is still... Developing. Before we properly catch up we have the small matter of that." Niyati says with a nod towards something over Will's shoulder. "If you would be so kind?. he calmly asks.

It seems the kobolds noise and their presence had caught some further unwanted attention after all. A heavy splashing and crashing noise quickly descended upon the ship as a powerful large many headed beast burst into the clearance snapping wildly and hungrily.

"Peter, report on the creature and ready the weapons, just as a precautionary."

---

_{(@Leotamer-PTER17) (@Mataus-Will) (@Antarctic Termite-Flak Macaque)(@VerdauxLyra)}

---

"Admittedly, it's a horrid place, but, like I said, academics. Rzailian archeology is the focus of our efforts, which makes a place as deep and complex as Doch Mol worth practically its weight in metaphorical gold. But, again, we'll have difficulties in our studies, and would risk a wasted journey, without protection. And yes, it is mentioned on Karnarouri's Pillar, though you don't exactly strike me as a scholar. How do you know of such things? The events that took place there are famous among our own circles, but I wouldn't expect anyone outside of them to know what happened. It's been centuries since then."

Kobasratha inquired as to why Fionn had such knowledge of Doch Mol. Perhaps he and his friends intended to loot the ruins? Delvers like that were common enough for that to make sense. And it would be convenient for himself if they were, as he could simply escape them while they were busy gathering treasures, since Kobasratha cared little about mortal wealth except when it helped him with his own goals.

Alternatively, though, they might be paladins rather than thieves. That is, they might be going there with the specific intention of preventing Karnarouri's return, rather than for individual gain. That would be more troublesome, as it would run directly opposite to his own goals. If that were the case, he'd have to delay or defeat them somehow, and he certainly couldn't do that on his own. He resolved to call upon the remainder of the Cult the first moment he could find alone.

@CoyoteLovely@Lyla@LPRKN@Lmpkio@t2wave@LokiLeo789@Hekazu@JaceBeleren




"I try to keep abreast of recent news that might lead to work for me." Fionn answered. "Ancient prophecy on an obelisk about a long lost hidden city just screams grand adventure."

None of it was a lie, or even a bending of the truth. Rumors like that tended to end up with him getting called in to deal with some group or another making a power play. So it helped if he heard about it first and got a headstart.

His next words held a note of regret.

"Unfortunately I'm going to have to turn you down. My companions and I are currently on our way to some ruins to the north of here. An old Rzailian outpost from what I hear. The undead inhabiting it are starting to act up and it's our job to clear the place out."

"If you say so Peter, you have to be somewhere." Will said with a grin. "It's my pleasure," he continued, responding to Niyati's kind tone, "I was only having some bread and ale. I didn't have to cut anything short."

Responding to Niyati's gesture, Will turned around to see the many headed beast busy into the clearing. He summoned a shield and a mana spear. "Any ideas on how to kill it?" With that, Will tossed the spear at an inhumam spead. The spear's path was true and went straight towards the torso of the beast.

@CoyoteLovely@LPRKN@Lmpkio@t2wave@LokiLeo789@Hekazu@JaceBeleren@Corporal Lance




Fionn really didn't want to just let a demon go but he already had a job to do. A job that delaying would only get more people killed. For now all he could do was send a message to the local Senior Elder and continue on. Luckily for him an easy out of the conversation came in the form of a certain halfling thief's knock.

"Sorry to cut this short but I have to get going. I hope your expedition goes well."

So saying, he left.




Gathering up all the necessary supplies and collecting all the new party members had taken longer than Fionn had wanted. That combined with the half day journy needed to reach the ruins had meant that the group had arrived just as the sun was falling. And you never faced the undead at night if you could help it.

So they had camped a couple hundred yards into the forest and set a heavy watch. Luckily none of the local zombies had wandered into the area.

It was about an hour past sunrise now. The morning dew was still on the ground, although no birds sang in the trees. The entire area was unnaturally quite.

Fionn looked over his crew. Much larger now than when he had originally set out on this mission. A pleasant and extremely helpful surprise. They all stood with him at the edge of the cleared forest, roughly a bowshot distant from the surprisingly intact ruins.

The dwarven engineering of the place showed. Clean lines and sharp corners abounded, the geometric aesthetic favored by dwarves the world over still clearly visible after all this time.

The place had an eerie quality to it though. It had been one of the far outposts of the Rzalian Empire five hundred years before. A small military stronghold for what was thought to be a low risk border. The massive holes in the walls and destroyed buildings told what a false assumption that had been.

Anything wooden or decomposable had long since done so, leaving gaping holes where rooves once stood. Glowing red lines pulsed through grooves in the architecture. Seemingly absorbing the surrounding light and casting the place in a perpetual twilight.

Every now and then bands of undead couple be seen through the holes in the outer wall. Their eyes glowing in the darkness and what little light there was glinted off of old armor and weapons.

"It's worse than I thought." Fionn said to the Kindred next to him. The core of people he knew he could count on. "What do you all think?"

The sudden influx of new arrival to Grug's wagon threw him off. First in came this figure with something he couldn't quite place his finger on about them, yet it seemed Fionn had picked up the same uneasy feeling. The new arrival did mention heading the same way as them and that they were even hiring help, but Fionn seemed to have made his mind up about it without asking the old orc. Perhaps it was for the best too. If that man of virtue from his visions had second thoughts, there had to be a good reason to it. The situation itself was defused by even more people entering, which prompted a quip from the Oracle: "If half of my days were this lively, I'd have a house of my own and two farms to boot."

Nonetheless, the situation was as quick to de-escalate as it had appeared and the group could get back to preparing for their journey off to the ruins where Grug was sure they would find some antediluvian evil they would need to stop. And now that he stood there amongst other undoubtedly more capable warriors and spellcasters he couldn't help but feel a little outclassed. But in this case that was merely a good thing, their power could deal with the horde of the dead that stood before them.

Fionn's address was mostly towards those that he knew beforehand, which meant Grug stayed a bit further away. He had run his divinations already and shared them with the man. There was nothing for him to add here and he could only hope that he would take them more seriously than the older of the two ladies that accompanied him earlier. The old orc stood there at the back, leaning against his staff. He would join them on the journey deeper, even if it would cost him. The undead could not be left roaming free.

@Silvan Haven@CoyoteLovely@LPRKN@Lmpkio@t2wave@LokiLeo789@Corporal Lance

@Silvan Haven @Hekazu @LPRKN @Lmpkio @t2wave @LokiLeo789 @Corporal Lance

Nakreyya rode atop Anzu as they approached the ruins. Her eyepatch whirred lightly as she scanned her eyes around the area to assess any potential threats. Once the group was stopped, she swung one leg over the saddle, and dropped herself down from the Nightmare's back, walking forward a few steps before kneeling to touch the ground. Her fingers brought up some of the dirt, and she rubbed it gently, testing to see the composition of it. Bone. Ash. Dust.

At Fionn's inquiry, Nakreyya stood and turned toward him, "I wish to have a better look around. With your permission, I would like to scout the perimeter of this area. I have seen omens such as these before though it has been a long time - and others will be better to perform the cleansings required." Her lilted and accented voice was low, her one eye meeting Fionn's as she anticipated an answer.

She feared no undead. Where she came from, the shambling masses of decaying flesh were frightening, but not insurmountable - and she was sure she was faster than they.

She took a moment to make sure that Anzu's reigns were tied back to the saddle, loosely. She wanted to afford him complete movement, but ensure he could not accidentally trip himself if he needed to run. She didn't fear his departure, or harm coming to him. He was a Nightmare, after all, he had chosen to stay with her this long - and he was more than adequately able to defend himself.

---

The final pieces of bone clattered to the ground and what was left of the group that once set out on this journey straightened their backs and scanned the environment. The threats were gone, as far as they could tell. Grug had managed to avoid invoking the powers of the Eldritch abomination lurking in his withered hand so nobody had had to deal with that in addition to the shambling opposition. Secretly, he was glad.

The old oracle moved forward into the room, having followed the fight from the doorway in the relative safety of the party members who had a touch for ranged combat, but he soon noted that something was off in this room. He made his unsteady way to the centre of it and looked around. There were no further doors here, simply urns, relics and that sort of things. This was the end. He shook his head slightly, then more visibly and finally almost violently. "No. No, no, no. Nonononono..." he mumbled to himself, the fingers of his dysfunctional hand twitching as he tried to raise the hand to his forehead.

With the attention of those who cared, he turned towards the apparent leader of the remnants and implored they listen to him. "This is not the place. Similar, but not the place I saw in my visions... we are not done, the great evil we must vanquish is not here. This is not it!" he panicked as the truth became visible before his eyes and he fell to one knee. "I can see us, and I can see a greater combat... we are less numerous than when we marched here... or more... but mostly less... we need to go further. This is hardly the end of the road. This is simply... the beginning", he finished with the visions vanishing and the veil being drawn before his sight once more.

Grug sat down on the floor on both of his knees and let go of his walking stick, the cane falling down next to him as he leaned against the floor with his healthy hand. He was exhausted. He had managed to hide it all the way here, but now that he realised it had all been futile... his body was just not having it. He took deep breaths and tried to gather himself as those around him would have time to consider the new piece of information he had provided.

@CoyoteLovely@Silvan Haven

Nakreyya's boots clicked lightly against the floor, an intentional bit of sound to let her companions know where she was located. The undead had not been as tough as those from where she was born. They were naught but the play things of foul magic, pulled from their restless sleep by the shadows that lingered. She had been informed, by those who were more knowledgeable in such things, that the magic had been dealt with appropriately. Her eyepatch still informed her of pockets of energy, but they were swiftly wafting away, like so much smoke in a light breeze.

Her injuries were minor, and of no consequence to her. Her beauty had been taken some many years ago, new scars would be nothing to her. She circled the area, her ears and eye alert to potential threats as the others gathered their plunder, and their gear to travel. She needed little of what was here. She had claimed some coin, and a sword of this world, but nothing more.

The orc began to speak. Nakreyya's gaze turned back toward him, one thin eyebrow arching as he fell to his knees. She had never known an orc to be a soothsayer. She found the concept interesting. He was an intellectual, and not prone to the rage and anger she was so acclimated to on her home world. She had spoken to him several times during the journey, and she found him to be a person she appreciated. Panic laced his voice, loud enough for her sensitive ears to hear. She turned away from her vigil, and walked toward him. She paused near the orc to hear what he had to say.

He collapsed forward, and Nakreyya knelt next to him, raising a hand to run her long, slender fingers under his cane, lifting it to be offered to him when he was ready. She placed her other hand on his shoulder, "Still now, friend. Rest until you are prepared to walk. I can summon Anzu if you fear you will not make it back to your cart."

She glanced to Fionn, "I am suitably interested in the vision our friend has seen, however - it is my considered opinion that this is a foul place to speak of such matters. Should we abscond to more favorable ground to discuss our next steps?"

@Silvan Haven @Hekazu

The sound of harsh mechanical laughter interrupted any further conversation. The grinding of rusty gears being horribly warped into a voice. And the origin if this terrible noise lay in center of the room, among the ruins of the final guardian of this unholy place.

As it had turned out the zombies had become more active due to the awakening of an ancient dwarven metal golem. Gears and cogs twisted in the same ways as the undead that used to inhabit the ruins. The group had thoroughly disassembled it just a couple minutes ago but the eyes still gleamed in the laughing head.

"Yesssssss, the beginning of the end is upon you. Cry out in despair for the Master is returning! Your pathetic corpses will join the faceless thousands of his armies! You weaklings can do not but tremble and await your dooooom!"

The unsettling boasts were somewhat diminished by the way the clockwork golem's words got quieter as the last of the magic left it. The red eyes losing their glow as the last words slithered their way into the air. A moment later a flash of light leapt from Fionn's hand, turning the disgusting piece of machinery into so much slag. The mage's face was obscured behind the odd helmet he had donned but his body language seemed unnerved nonetheless.

"Yes, this is no place for civilized speech. Leaving seems like a wonderful idea."

The mechanical whirring and laughter boomed forth, right next to the Oracle that had fallen down after expending the last of his strength. Despite his will to flee from right next to the creature, he would only fall flat onto his stomach as he tried to summon forth the energy to leap away. Yet the greatest harm from the golem was indeed the scare it provided, for the infernal racket died down mere seconds afterwards. Grug stayed down against the floor, breathing ragged and even pained breaths of the dusty air into and out of his lungs. He needed the break, just as this woman that had provided intellectual companionship during their descent suggested. Grug was once more made painfully aware just how frail his body was.

The woman's hand on his shoulder had him grip his functioning wrist into a fist, as well as cause a powerful enough reaction to even show in his shrivelled up hand as slight shaking of his fingers. "I...", he began before sighing and loosening up his fist and splaying his fingers against the floor. "I may need that", he conceded and stopped tensing up his muscles. Accepting help was no new thing for him.

After some time he was helped to his feet and the woman handed him back his cane, against which he leaned before taking a few cautious steps along the path they had used to descend all the way to the bottom. "Discussion... outside... I see how it is. Let us go as hastily as we can muster", he suggested, being quite ironically the slowest of the group. "But I can tell we are not doomed. There is... huff many a future where... puff we will emerge victorious..." Past that point, he ceased talking until they would be on the surface again.

@CoyoteLovely@Silvan Haven

Nakreyya reached her hand up and tapped a few places on her eyepatch. She spoke in a low voice, and a moment later Anzu's fiery footfalls would carry through the halls, as he travelled swiftly through the realms beneath the physical, coming to his mistress.

She walked Anzu over to Grug and spoke to her steed, "Kneel down my friend, you must aid our Soothsayer to safety."

Anzu shot her a bit of a glower - clearly not pleased at the idea of being a pack mule. She stroked her fingers through his fire hair, and he relented.

"Be cautious, Grug, his fire will not burn you, but he is a Nightmare, his presence can be disconcerting if you are not used to riding such a steed. He is quite intelligent however, speak your requests, and I do not recommend spurring him," Nakreyya said before turning her eyes to Fionn.

"Fionn, I wish to check this golem... I will catch up swiftly, Anzu is capable of telling you that I am in danger. If he is calm, I am well," Nakreyya said to him. "I shan't dally long. But I am concerned for the fact it moved after we disassembled it."

@Silvan Haven @Hekazu

@CoyoteLovely@Hekazu



"Of course, Nak."

If he had to guess, and when it came to mixing magic and mechanics Fionn's guesses were very good, the talking head had happened because that was where the driving intelligence of the golem had been stored. The blasted thing just couldn't resit a few last parting shots as its magical energy bled out the massive rents in its metallic shell. Of course he had no way of knowing if he was right. He had just slagged the thing after all.

But he had come to respect Nak far too much over the past couple days to say no. Maybe she could discover something helpful. Maybe he was wrong. Or maybe she just wanted to get a look at some of the more advanced machinery that existed on this world. Whatever the case was he would leave her to it.

Taking the lead of their two man procession the white armored mage led the way out of the ruins. They no longer pulsed with unnatural red light. With the destruction of the overseeing golem and the general mayhem that had been wrecked on the outpost's innermost rooms the intricate spells no longer worked. Nonetheless it was still a foreboding place. Night had fallen hours ago and the broken buildings loomed around them like the corpses of giant beasts.

Fionn was deep in thought as he led the way, his armor lit up to let the pair (trio?) see where they were going. The golem's words had been the final piece of a puzzle. A very unsettling puzzle. The increased undead activity. The demon he had met in the Oracle's shop. A certain recent archeological discovery. If he was right things could get very bad for a lot of people.

The horse creature sporting a flaming mane appeared and after a surprisingly large amount of coaxing from its master allowed Grug to rise on horseback. The elven woman instructed him to be careful: While the flame would not burn him, the appearance and innate being of the creature could affect him. He was also told he should not go and try to spur the creature, to which he chortled slightly. "Trust me, I would not dream of it", he gave her his response. He preferred the slow and steady option anyway.

He and Fionn found themselves outside, waiting for Nakreyya with her steed for company. The night had settled in, but the red energy that had greeted them upon arrival was there no more. Usually the Oracle would have been snoozing away at this hour, but the night air revitalised his body as its nocturnal instincts began taking over his forcibly instituted daywalker habits. He headed for his wagon and sat down, staring at the stars above for the time being. Once the elf would join them again, they could discuss what they had learnt. After all, the trio seemed to be the only ones who cared about the odd message. The others had seemingly abandoned the cause soon after.

The woman returned eventually, the Oracle nodding in her direction as her shape appeared at the entrance. "She has returned to us", the Oracle remarked to the armoured mage while he absent mindedly played with the fingers of his left hand. Once the elf had returned back to them, he would ask a few questions from the two and anyone else who might still stick nearby. "First I will need to ask you the most important question. If there was a powerful being capable of scouring this land... would you fight it or hide from it?" was his opener. Those around him could undoubtedly piece together what the answers to this question would mean.

Who would hide or flee, Grug would send on their way. While more warriors on the side of life would be good, a panicked and possibly easily swayed warrior would not do. Those who gave him the correct answer he would implore to stay and listen. "What I have seen has been... rough for the mind of an old orc such as myself. There are many futures before us, yet many of those see this land shrouded in darkness. Undead roam the plains and villages are but shadows of their former selves. Still there are futures where everything is the same as now. I am certain that this is linked to visions I have had of a ruin deeper in the ground... and a faceless being standing above us. I have seen myself there as well. In every future, I stand before this creature. Allies by my side differ... but what I know for certain is that it is not I who will win or lose this fight. I can hardly stand. Thus, I ask of you again... will you fight?"

@CoyoteLovely@Silvan Haven

Nakreyya took a moment to look over the head. Her eyepatch told her that no other power existed within it. A last warning, a last attempt at fear. However, she had not had a chance to examine the mechanika of this world, understanding it could only be a boon in the future.

She took a moment to pull the head apart, being somewhat less gentle with it in the interest of time. She reached in and removed a few of the parts that she assumed governed memory and protocol, as well as what she believed was the battery of the machine. Fionn could help her work through her assumptions later. The actual gears and pistons - while interesting - were too large to carry.

With a bit of regret, she decided not to delve further into the head, but to count her plunder as enough, and experiment later with what she had collected. She turned toward the entrance and started off at a sprint after the men.

*******

They'd had a sizable head start on her, and the fighting had worn her down a bit, so she'd had to go slower than she intended to catch up. Were she a younger woman, she might have made it to them before they hit the door. As it was, she found them outside. Grug motioned to her as she approached.

She approached, and listened to what he had to say, and his questions.

"This is not my first time in battle with someone who employs mechanika creatures, though these are very different from the Griever of my past," Nakreyya's good eye focused on something neither man could see. A past, a history, and all that existed within it. "Though my reasons were greater then, in my optimism, I thought that I could make a difference. Still, I had thought the great fights behind me. I have little to lose, and nothing to hide from. I will fight."

@Silvan Haven @Hekazu

@CoyoteLovely@Hekazu



"I was quite literally born and bred for this. Fighting evil is my life's calling and I could never face my Kin if I ran from this. Fortunately I believe I've pieced together enough to shed some light on your visions. How much do you know about semi-ancient history?"

He settled onto a nearby rock as he spoke, glancing between the rest of the group before continuing.

"For those of you less knowledgeable, a short history lesson. Roughly five hundred years ago the ground we stand upon was the far borders of the Rzail Empire. The ruins we just cleared used to be one of their border outposts. Part fort, part village. They were an impressive civilization from a certain point of view. A major powerhouse with some of the most advanced technology possible on this planet. They controlled an entire subcontinent and were poised to take a lot more. Unfortunately the Rzail Empire was just about as evil a place as one could ask for. Dark magic abounded. Warlocks and necromancers could buy sentient subjects for their experiments with no more than a few coppers."

"Eventually the surrounding kingdoms could take no more and banded together. Led by a Paladin of my Order they waged war upon Rzail. It was a fierce war, hundreds of thousands of noble warriors died facing the endless hoards of undead summoned against them. The Rzail necromancers raised millions of the unholy beasts. And at the head marched their undead god-king Karnorouri. A Lich of immense power. Even defeat and destruction on the field of battle could not end his terror since nobody could find his phylactery. Slay him and he would simply reform in his seat of power, ready to raise a new army."

"Even so the forces of good were victorious. They pushed the undead hordes back and destroyed the mighty cities of that blighted land. In the final battle the Paladin leading them sacrificed herself to seal Karnorouri away. He was not destroyed for even at the end no one could find his soul jar. But with him in a such a powerful seal he was as good as dead. What was left of his forces were annihilated in short order."

Fionn paused for a moment and took off his helmet. It was probably prudent to leave it on this close to the ruins but he needed to feel a real wind on his face.

" I think the past five hundred years have weakened the seal. It's not broken or my Order would have noticed. However the signs seem to point to it having waned enough for the Lich to start contacting any followers of his that might remain. Likely to ready the way for his return."

And in the end, only the three of them remained. Whether the rest were scared or thought the Orc to be a gibbering and senile fool, the end result was the same. The elf was brief with her words, declaring she had little to lose. The Oracle found himself in the same boat, he was undeniably in the evening of his lifespan, especially with how weak his body was. The common orc died sooner than the common human not only because they fought, but it was the way they were built. Their strength shone brighter, but would also be snuffed out sooner. Grug simply nodded at her, accepting her words.

But if Nakreyya's speech had been short, then there was Fionn who would use all the time she had spared. That was not to say that the young man would have spoken matters of no importance, for his truncated history lesson was most definitely useful to the outlander and the orc, neither of which had had a reason to look into the history of a peninsula far away, or at least he presumed it to be so. All of the words he shared only fed into the visions he had seen: Everything seemed to check out for the Oracle. And as things were, these were their only leads. They would need to head for the ruins of Rzail Empire and put an end to this creature trying to break through its weakening seal. Karnorouri was to be banished from this realm. The faceless being now had a name.

Grug set his staff onto his lap and shook his head before speaking up: "Fionn... if we are to fight a lich that once ruled an empire... we will need more than simply us three. I have not seen a future where a group this small would have defeated the opposition. But of course since the futures I see are all of them, I may have simply missed it. There are so many different roads forward, each with their own destination. But for now, we have no option but to head on. Shall we remain for the night, or get on the road?"

@CoyoteLovely@Silvan Haven

Nakreyya fell silent to let her companions speak on the issues she knew little about. She was not sure where this new camp was located, nor the difficulties of travel to get there. She tended to Anzu instead, listening to them speak of liches and destinies, and futures...

Nakreyya's expression was reserved and quiet. Her mind tumbling over the idea that she may have been Destined to be here. That this may be where she belonged. She had not felt a true sense of landing since her flight had begun from her homeland. She had believed strongly that her life was over and she was doing nothing but surviving until her time of death. But the idea that this Soothsayer had seen her future with them filled her with a sense of relief, and also dread.

The Griever had ruined all that Nakreyya held dear, and he had been the last of her major enemies. He had committed atrocities to get to her, removed her from friends and family... people she could no longer count on, or return to. He had been the driving force in separating her from the life she had once lead. And a part of her missed the adventure of fighting him. Missed it, and hated it... Hated it because of who she had once been. What she had once had. Rich, and powerful - beautiful, and loved.

She had none of those things now. Fionn and Grug were companions - but more new to her world. They were not Ekhart... no one would be again. She could fight. Perhaps, hopefully, she could find a place to belong again, with the added benefit of not losing those dear to her - as she was short on such people. Anzu would survive either way, he was not of this plane. He was not of the living, in so many words - and for that she was grateful. And Fionn and Grug made their own decisions as to how they were to proceed. She was not 'dragging' them into a fight that was not theirs.

She glanced back to the other two, the human and the orc, and awaited the decision. If camp were to be set, she would assist, if they were to travel, she would ride.

@Silvan Haven @Hekazu

@CoyoteLovely@Hekazu



"Let's set up camp for the night. If the seal had weakened enough for overnight marches we would be seeing many more undead." A small rock clacked somewhere in the nearby ruins and Fionn glanced uneasily in the direction of the noise. "Maybe we should make camp in the wood line. I still don't trust this place."

Perhaps in contrast to his words the other Kindred of the group had moved out into the surrounding darkness. A set of wordless orders had set them into motion as they exited the ruins. The surrounding villages and minor lords needed to be warned of the danger that was rising in their midsts. It was a much more immediate task where any delay could result in deaths.

Grug nodded once more, his eyes giving off a more lively expression than in the light of day. For once he did not have to squint and the stereotypically red irises of his could be seen shining in the moon's glow. The elf had not been interested in providing them with her opinion, so he took it as an 'anything goes', much like his. "Then it is settled. Let us move this thing out of the way... could either of you take care of the horse after that? Wouldn't be right to keep the animal chained to the front after all..." he requested, knowing he would not be up to the task.

It wasn't that difficult to move the wagon away, the horse could easily manage. What was more difficult to find was a clearing in the side of the path that could accommodate for it, but with his night-sight it was rather a non-issue. He smiled when he noted that there was still something he could count on left in his physical form as he steered the horse to pull the wagon to the spot. Getting out might require more effort, but that could always be solved. Now the sooner they got to rest, the more sleep they could get.

If there were watches to be assigned, Grug offered to take the first. He was still well awake and his nocturnal disposition would only aid in seeing. If not, he would just do what he had planned for the post-watch period nonetheless: Head into his wagon for a rest. Technically speaking, his home could house all three, but it would get slightly crowded so he neglected to offer. That was, unless he would see either as woefully unprepared and in need of the resting place, but there was no way either of the ruin delvers would have committed such a mistake.

Come morning, the Oracle would rise sluggishly and greet the sun with nothing but contempt. Having had a taste of the night, it felt like an undue punishment to return to the light of day. He had no idea about the rhythm of the other two, but they would have roused him from his slumber if he had overslept, right? Maybe they even had? He didn't remember either rapping on his door though. He approached their fire, eyes characteristically squinted. "Today is the day we begin the real journey, is it not?" he stated.

@CoyoteLovely@Silvan Haven