The Day After Party

Metaphysical / Paranormal event

The Fractured Pack has two massive decisions to make:  how to respect their friend and what to do next.

In the aftermath of the nightmarish battle, Buck tended to the party's wounds. The fragments of the Density Warp Halfplate were removed from the Nightmare Priest's corpse as his tentacle-etched rod disintegrated to dust. With dawn breaking through the jungle, their next day was starting even if they weren't ready for it.
  Tentatively, the remainders of the Fractured Pack hiked back to the hated shrine. Light sources being produced, they descended down both sets of steps into the dark. A tarp was draped over the desecrated statue that had previously hindered their progress before beginning their search for Broxon. Hali sent her unseen servant ahead of the party to trigger any traps. Luck would have it that there were no immediate dangers left to threaten the party and Hali's path led straight to the remains of her companions.
  Turning around a corner, she entered into a pillared room containing a fountain vat in the center of it. Within the structure was thin, slippery, corrupted water. Hali identified a light acidity in the air and could see floating in the waters chunks of her previous companion, separated out and slowly sinking beneath the surface to be dissolved. Hali delicately informed her companions and took initiative to deal with the situation without them needing to enter.
  Anna chose to stay in the hall. Buck entered in to aid Hali. The genasi took out her book to summon her floating disk before the two used magic to collect the remains of the corpse, the second half of the Density Warp Half-plate, and Broxon's Consolation. From this somber task, the companions still needed to find the orichalcum. Anna removed herself back towards the sunlight as Hali and Buck split up to search the area. Hali continued her counterclockwise course to find more flooded chambers, first ankle deep before rising slowly over thighs to waist. Furthest back in the most cavernous sections of the shrine she found a massive hole down to darkness beneath, thinking it ominous. At this point she heard a call from Buck
  Buck had gone the opposite direction and found himself at a failure of a T-intersection. To the right the hall continued into a coral garden that seems to be where the pterois had been working for the assault the day before. To the left, a room that seemed to mirror where Broxon had been found was unattainable due to a rubble collapse in the doorway, if not deeper into the room. Rather than turning towards the coral caves, Buck's eyes caught something straight ahead. The wall was uneven in it's brickwork. A bit of investigating located the latch to open the false wall to reveal a small chamber beyond, containing only a aqua hued metal chest. Not seeing any traps, the shifter swiftly shimmed the lock. Inside, small pyramids of orichalcum shafts were arranged.
  Calling Hali over, she had the lot taken from the tomb. Hali then went back to her own investigations but was cut off. Ripples in the water signified something had changed. Casting a protective spell over herself, she waded back towards the pit to hear in her head the voice of something asking if she was a servant. Hali claimed her sides as she say the tentacled, fish-like Aboleth emerged from the pit. The creature attempted to then grab her mind permanently though her protective ward held. For a split moment the woman thought that she would fight this thing. It was only then that the tentacles began to slam into her with such speed and force that she took it as the cue to retreat. They had Broxon, they had the orichalcum, it was time to stop testing limits.
  Returning to the open air of day, the companions left. Heading Southeast, the plan was to get near Jijiado for safety without entering out of respect. To get as far from the shrine as possible to not suffere the hold it had on the surrounding area. When they eventually made their camp, they had to face reality.
  After seeing what had happened, after having time to think on it, Buck no longer wanted to bring Broxon back. Not if he was at rest. Not if he wouldn't be him. Not if the Yellow King would have to use that aberrant mineral to rebuild his body.
  With that decided, Hali performed another ritual to the Yellow King. She place every single piece of orichalcum they had gained from the Shrine of the Slumbering nightmare into the tomb. All of it fell through the crack of the binding out of existance. With this she called out her request with that voice just barely rimming with sarcasm of its praise. She stated that the companion of Broxon no longer wished to have the warrior returned. Instead, they asked for assurance that the dwarven soul be brought out of the control of the Slumbering Nightmare and sent to it's proper resting place.
  In response to these requests, the whisping voice snapped back in Hali's head for only her to hear this time. It spoke of having no control of the souls that did not belong to it. That would be what it would be. The contempt that Hali's voice carried on reverential words was now shared by the Yellow King's tone: “I do not take revoking permission kindly. I accept your offering in apology. You will not buy your way out of your previous promise. I am waiting for her.” With the current status quo stated, the voice was gone.
  Left with no assurances, the party began to make a grave. While they would prefer bringing Broxon someplace that could be considered home, they did not have that luxury. A simple grave was dug. His remains and armor were situated appropriately as Anna added one final engraving to Broxon's Consolation before placing it down as well. Buck carved a simple marker from wood. After the body was covered in the soil, the shifter let out a simple prayer to whoever listened: “Bring him to the place called Ysgard”. With that, rays of sunlight broke through the canopy upon this resting site.
  Looking up from the jungle darkness to the sky, the trio saw the clouds parting as well. Within the opening, they saw the a dwarf striding away from them. Ahead, there was a a young man awaiting him, smirking. The two embraced each other in a greeting delayed. Then Broxon turned back towards the earth. A smile was on his face, a salute to chest followed by a raised tankard. For the first time from Broxon, the trio felt peace and gratitude emanate down and through them. The two men then turned away to continue on into the afterlife as the clouds closed once more.