Targos

Erevain can offer no help as Alalla pulls, and the elf falls to the floor with a clatter, and then an awful scraping sound as Alalla continues to pull. He just barely crosses the portal when Alalla collapses. The last thing she sees before passing out is Erevain's face hardening into stone (Erevain is now petrified).The door is still open.

Zenithral narrows his eyes. He trusts Ras will be able to restore Erevain to health, but wants to disable the owner of the demiplane from further communications. "We need to get rid of that case." He ties a rope around his wait, leaving a good 10 feet for allies to pull on if he falls asleep. On the other end 40 feet of the rope, he ties a barbed arrow and fires it into the case and tries to pull the case out through the door.

Zenithral listens for any reaction. If there was a drow woman in there, surely she'd react to an arrow being fired and dragging a case away? Unless she was an illusion? Or a spellcaster? Regardless, he didn't want to take any further risks.

In his effort to listen for a reaction, he forgets about the sleep magic and collapses.

Rolling his eyes at team member after team member falling down and succumbing to the magical sleep trap. He gets up, walks over and mumbles something unintelligible under his breath as he attempts to pull the rope out of the portal.

As the party prepares to leave the warehouse they find Isherwood approaching with Kalden bound before him. The lieutenant holds an arrow to his bowstring, always keeping a careful eye on the renegade guard. "Caught this one trying to skip town. What should I do with him?"

"Ah, Isherwood. I've always liked you." Alalla's words come through her exhaustion and shock blander than she intended. "Throw him in the jail to await a trial. Unfortunately we won't be able to stay for it, but there are plenty of other witnesses to testify. His partner, though, is dead." Al gestures to the pile of ash.

Isherwood shrugs. "As you say, Alalla." He takes Kalden, the renegade glaring daggers at everyone.

Alalla turns her back on the man and looks at her statue of a husband and the now empty space into which Zenithral disappeared. Part of her wants to scream and tear down the crates, but it is easily swayed. She curses quietly instead and rubs her forehead.

Stone husband, half a soul, a friend lost somewhere, murders throughout Targos, and Kalden trying to start a coup. "When will you learn?" She mutters. "Abyssal Hells, what will I tell Halla and the twins?"

In the early morning, Isherwood once again shows his face as he locates the companions one by one in their various rooms about town. "Apologies for the early wake-up call, but there's someone wants to talk to you all. Insisted it was a urgent. Gnome, not from here. He's in the common room."

A small gnome rests with gray-skinned arms on a table in the inn's common room. As each of the companions enters, he gives them a nod, but refuses to give more than small cursory greetings until everyone has gathered.

Vincent has never met this svirfneblin before, but the others are all familiar with Maverick - some of them more familiar than they would like. The necromancer, though amiable enough, has often preferred to take matters into his own hands without seeing it necessary to provide explanations - and on occasion has even manipulating his so-called allies into compromising situations, though never to any lasting degree of damage.

When all have arrived, Maverick leans forward. "Hello again, friends. I'm afraid I have some bad news."

"Maverick. I'm glad to see you well." Alalla's tone is cool, but polite. A symptom of all the emotions she is drowning, more than past experiences with the gnome. "Well, we haven't had much of the other kind in... well..." She lets the thought trail away. "Did Jhonen find you? He left us some time ago. We've been worried."

Maverick's head begins bobbing up and down in a nod before Alalla can finish asking about Jhonen. "Yes, that is part of why I've come. He and I had been traveling together for some time, you see, going about the business of my patron, and also trying to restore Jhonen's soul."

The svirfneblin taps his fingers on the table. "I will tell you the whole tale, or at least as much as would interest you, but first there is one in need of help that I cannot grant. I am hoping that there is something one of you can do for him." Maverick hops down from his chair and scurries to a part of the common room that has been cleared of tables and chairs, then retrieves a folded piece of black cloth from his pocket. It seems to be damp, and Maverick grumbles to himself as he wrings some water out of it. Then he unfolds it onto the floor, revealing its circular shape.

A moment later a ten foot hole simply exists in the floor, its walls and floor made of some solid black material. The strange space is filled with water, and at the bottom is a block of ice encasing a dwarf.

"He seems to be alive, but his stasis is fragile. I could melt the ice, of course, but I fear the shock that it might have on his system." Maverick glances around at the party. "With all the adventuring you've no doubt been up to, there must be at least one competent healer among you."

"That would be Ras." Alalla gestures to the gnome. "The rest of us that can heal can only do a little." She brushes away the frustration that rises up when she remembers Zenithral and Erevain's states. "Actually beyond Ras there's only me, and I can only manage bruises."

Ras nods in acknowledgment and then steps forward to assess the situation. A quick glance tells him all he needs to know, and he begins digging through his bags until he finds a pouch filled with diamond dust. Pouring a liberal amount into his hand, he begins to chant under his breath and sprinkles the diamond dust around the frozen form. With a flash, the diamond dust disappears and the form is no longer frozen, its skin glowing healthily as though it had just been sleeping.

Ras casts Greater Restoration (worth 100 GP)

Maverick watches Ras carefully during the spell, as if appraising the surface gnome's magical prowess. "Competent? This druid is better than competent. You are lucky to have him with you."

The deep gnome turns back to the thawed dwarf, who is just regaining his senses. "It would seem he still has these magical shackles, however. I have never seen their like, but they look strong." Maverick moves forward and casts a divination spell to discern their properties. He shakes his head. "I'm not sure how to remove them, short of a miracle."

Once he is sure the dwarf seems fine, Ras examines the shackles. "These are well beyond anything I could fix," he mutters. "But I would be willing to lend my support to anyone who wanted to try and get them off."

Walking over to Al and Ug, Ras carefully touches them each and murmurs a spell under his breath.

Ras casts Guidance on Al and Ug

"Ug, you hold the thing still. Let me see if I can..." Alalla grabs the manacles in a calloused grip and pulls with all her strength. For a moment, nothing happens. Then the metal creaks. Then everything happens.