During the long rest

The party, which has been been heavily wounded, drained, and reduced by one, slinks back to the treasure room to seal themselves behind the heavy iron doors. You set a watch just outside the door and begin to clean off the grime, wounds, and emotions of the last few hours. No one seems to have expected such a dramatic event taking place in these ruins. More than a few of you are questioning why you are here and if you should continue.

Sometimes, you are not meant to be victorious.

Later, Wellby is on watch. His small form easily hidden from prying eyes and wandering creatures. His enhanced eyes peer through the darkness with ease. From somewhere beyond comes a rhythmic tapping of metal on stone followed by a slight dragging sound. After a moment Wellby's eyes go wide in fear and recognition.

The calm, cultured voice of an elderly male nobleman quietly breaks the otherwise still and silent surroundings. "Good evening, Master Halfling. You seem to have lost something important."

"Where are you, Old One?" Wellby asks with a slight quiver. As if on queue an elderly man in very fine clothes, jacket, and top hat appears leaning on a wood and metal cane of equisitite design and craftsmanship. His six fingered, gloved hands lean on the cane.

"What, you haven't missed me?" The old man asks. "Again, I said I think you lost something."

"What do you mean? We haven't found it yet." Wellby answers back confused.

The old man taps his cane on the floor and a light breeze picks up. A small cloud of black ash and dust wanders purposefully to his side and begin to form a shape. In seconds a semi-translucent form of Soda Popinski stands before the stunned halfling.

"I thought you might want him back. You'll need him to take her on. I do want you to succeed after all." The old man says with a smile. "I can, of course return him to you, for a price..." He pauses expecting Wellby to ask the obvious question, when he does not the old man finishes his thought. "Who, though, shall pay the price? You already owe me a debt. I would like to collect on that first before I saddle you with more. You do only have one soul after all."

"You have been quiet as of late. Though I haven't had a reason to talk to you yet and I had other concerns. "

Wellby then looks back at the group, obvious panic in his eyes for those that can see him. He wasn't expecting The Gentleman to make a public appearance. Wellby's black scar is starting to ache heavily, as Wellby's mind tries to keep the Gentleman's appearance in his eye in the form that would prevent his loss of sanity.

"Their souls have been promised to others... Old one. They are not yours."

Depending on which party members are awake during this watch, the look of Wellby's face looks like someone whos about to go to a firing squad willingly and not going to be given a blindfold.

"You already know there are more prices than the stereotypical of 'a soul', specially since you easily have the power to resurrect others. What is the price for me to reclaim my friend?"

ooc: Just making sure. He has manifested into reality so everyone can see, hear and talk to him?

OOC: yes, anyone outside the treasure room where you are on watch can see him.

Ooc: Very good then. Not sure who is assigned on watch with me at the time then. I think the orders been messed up with soda death. So its up there. I'll wait till someone else replies to see who volunteered to be with me.

Nym rounds the corner, having been on patrol through the hallways of of the dungeon. She instantly goes stiff as she sees the Old One, and a slight snarl marks her lips.

As Wellby see nym round the corner, she hears Welby's voice in her head.
"Don't do anything rash Nym. No one here has the power to stop him. Hes here to make a deal to resurrect Soda Pop."

The gentleman smiles devilishly and point the end of his cane at Bahamut's warlock. "Stay yourself young lady, lest you want to meet your new patron ahead of schedule."

He turns back to Wellby. "She was another disappointment, Wellby. You promised me she would accept our offer. Instead you allowed that dragon to think himself godly and become her new patron." He turns to Nym. "Such a shame, really. You have no idea the power you have given up." He waves his cane and a puff of silver glowing motes of light pour out and take the shape of an ancient dragon, but about three feet long. It flies a ring around Nym, leaving a trail of glowing dust motes in the air. Another tap of his cane on the floor and the dragon explodes in a shower of harmless sparks.

"Young lady, I was just telling your halfling friend that I can return this brutish fellow to you, for a price." The image of Popinski turns and walks a few steps towards Nym. His eyes are blank, lacking life or emotion, his face still. Nym sees through the barbarian boxer into Wellby's horror filled eyes. She has never seen him this affraid, nor has she realized that his black scar stretches so far across his face. It almost seems to be growing while she watches. "Would you be willing to make a bargain?"

"Yes, well the platinum dragon won out only because he had a better reputation, Berric's friend being a silver dragon making the offer, and her fear of the old one that is her clan's patron didn't help either, Old one. But almost never cuts it in this game."
When he mentions 'clan's patron' it almost sounds like a sneer.

Nym hears Wellby voice again in her head, "Be very careful Nym, remember what I told you, he knows the art of the deal. He wont deal with me until everyone else refuses, and he knows I will bargain for soda pop. But we both know Berric will do something stupid and make the deal."

"Fear is a tool used against those who have not seen what we have. I will no longer be a peasant ruled by fear. I am a servant to my king, and the chosen of the Dragon that serves his lord. I am wary, intimidated, and quite disturbed by you, Old one. My pulse quickens and my eyes grow wide at your visage. But I have promised myself to never be afraid again. I have the might of a dragon."

Nym glares at the illusion approaching her, even as her hand shakes.

"That does not seem like Soda to me. It seems like a mindless thrall you can drop into our midst and command as you like. How can I believe that you'll return our companion untouched and as he was?"

Nym steps through the Popinski construct and stares up at the Gentleman.

"If there is one thing I've learned from being a slave trapped in my own mind, driven to madness by your kind, it is to never make a deal where I do not know all the terms."

A book appears in the crook of Nym's arm, and a quill soaked with steaming blood appears in her right hand.

"Now, what, exactly, do you have in mind, creature from beyond? I believe you said you need not for another soul."

Nym turns to Wellby.

"Beric willl not know of this."

An evil giggle bursts from the Gentleman's lips. "My, my you have grown." He waves his cane and Popinski dissipates into nothingness. "You want a deal, lass, we'll make one. Tell me what you are willing to offer for the large man's return."

He sets his cane out in front of him giving it a spin. It spins like a top and waves of light shower out of the head. You see an image of Soda, from the Behold Zombie's point of view. His massive gauntlets glowing with light as he opens the door, are quickly bathed in rays of light. His form falters, falls, and turns to ash. Watching this replay is almost as painful as hearing it the first time. The soundless disintegration of his form will haunt your nights to come.

"Seems the poor fellow didn't get a chance to make a deal with the devil, so to speak. Shall you speak on his behalf then? Do you feel you have been given permission to speak for another's very soul?" While he speaks the blood soaked quill begin writing in the book. To Nym the words appear as gibberish and the diagrams are unlike anything she has seen before.

Nym grits her teeth and locks her knees as her skin begins to pale (the quill draws from her own blood). She sinks to her knees as the word keep appearing, and casts Comprehend Languages as a ritual spell.

OOC: SHe haas to touch the page to do this. Nym has
Find Familiar
augury
detect poison
detect magic
comprehend languages

As ritual spells

At nyms saying she wants to know the terms of the deal. Wellby knows he can not directly interfere at this point. He hopes, she can see through it and minimize the potential damage it will cause.

At the replay from the Beholder Zombies point of view, he shivers slightly, not from the gruesome ending, but from the dark thoughts in his head of how it could've been easily prevented and how he can blame others for it.

Hearing the sounds of  a quill writing, Wellby looks at Nym and sees her Tome of Shadows writing on its own and as her own skin pales.  He looks at her questioningly look at the writing and as she begins to chant her spell, Wellby finally speaks "Do you want me to read it or do you think you can handle it Nym?"

"Then I will have to read it then. I'm not sure how long this offer will stand, so probably cant wait for you to read it."
Wellby starts to walk past the Gentleman. If his patron isnt going to stop him from doing something this risky, he will reach Nym and look at the entry, knowing that the platinum dragon may lash out at him for doing so.

ooc: Wellby's special eyes also have Eyes of the Rune Keeper Invocation which allows me the ability to read and comprehend all writing without having to touch it. Unless of course its in a cypher or code which obviously would require checks to crack or I just read the words.

Soda wakes up in a dark place, and instinctively punches the air. He hits nothing but an empty void. Where did the zombie eyed creatures go? No matter, they're gone. But where was he?

Soda looks down at his legs, which are floating in space. Good. Legs are good. He could try and walk. But try as he might, he couldn't move an inch.

Soda then looks down at his hands. Hands are equally good. Good for punching. Maybe he could punch his way to the next... uh, something? Possibly. But try as he might, he couldn't seem to budge an inch.

Soda then decided to look around. Maybe he could find someone to help him. It was very cold, maybe candle man could provide some warmth? All around him, beings of pure chaos thrashed and reached for him. Now soda was glad he didn't move.

Soda wonders about Shiny man. He was right behind him when he started to walk into the room. I wonder if he is here? Not by the looks of it.

Soda wonders this as the void begins to close in on him.

In the midst of reading the deal, Nym looks up in confusion.
"Wait. Why don't you make a deal directly with Soda? If I cannot speak for the dead, it only stands to reason to let the dead speak for themselves."

Ooc:  Going on the assumption that it was a "Nym's eyes only" thing and was stopped before passing The Gentleman. Also getting this "Krieg" feeling from sodas post, you know "cold, dark place", outside of the "Gman closet".

IC:  "Well that sounds interesting. Could be a number of reasons for that."

The pen stops and so does Nym''s blood loss. The words made no sense until right at the last second before she passed out. It was a summoning spell She couldn't understand the how, but it clearly summoned someone's soul.

Nym's eye's snap open and she stands tall and straight despite the loss of blood. Her mouth starts moving, but it is not her voice the flows out. "What is this strange sensation? Who is fancy dressed man little one?"

The voice is Soda's.

OOC: Charlie, you are going to use Nym as a conduit to make the negotiation with the Gentleman.

Wellby looks slightly surprised but amused at the same time; "Now that is an interesting trick. Soda do you recognize me?"

Soda Picks up and hugs Wellby. "Shadow man! Good thing you are here! I was in place with many shadows, I think you would like!" He struggles as he holds you for a bit, then drops you to the ground out of exhaustion. He looks down at his hands. "What happened to gloves?"

Soda Picks up and hugs Wellby. "Shadow man! Good thing you are here! I was in place with many shadows, I think you would like!" He struggles as he holds you for a bit, then drops you to the ground out of exhaustion. He looks down at his hands. "What happened to gloves?"

OCC: Nym has a strength of 8
Also, you have gray, female hands, and your first concern is your gloves?

Occ: Yes. Ic, yes.

Soda looks up at the old one, confused. Although he is slow to realize what is happening, and you can basically hear the gears in his head turning to grasp what the old one is, he eventually realizes whats going on. He now is somewhat scared, but not terribly. Mostly because he still hasn't realized how truly grim this situation is, but because, compared to what he saw in the old one's realm, this situation is still less frightening.

"Ehh, Cane Man? Did you bring me back here?" He gestures to his ladylike figure. "And, if so, why?"