Cat looks at the girls, relieved they seem to be alright.
Nya, they'll need food and drink when they wake up Nya! Let's give them some blankets for now Nya!
Cat donates her bedroll

Yulya checks the girls for injuries and is satisfied there are no serious ones. She also donates her bedroll land blanket. Leaving the girls Yulya leads the party into the throne room. She cautiously enters and musters the huge dwarven statue.
I wonder who that is and what rituals were performed here. I know nothing about the religion of dwarves.

Dusty draperies of red and gold adorn the walls of this room, which also contains a bed and brazier. A badly disheveled dwarf lies bound and dead on the cold stone floor.
The figure lying on the floor is an unknown dwarf wearing commoner's clothes who may have been employed by Nezzner or kidnapped but at this point the middle-aged man is no more. He looks like he'd died within the last few days. Other than his clothes he's already looted.

Yulya shakes her head in disgust and speaks a prayer for the deceased.
What was done to this poor soul? Nezzer - what as he doing to all those people? What for?

We shouldn't leave him like this Nya!
Cat cuts the rope binding the dwarf and wraps him in a drapery.

Alice looks at the brazier
Should we - cremate him? I have no idea about dwarf funeral rites...

Yulya has to intervene before permanent damage is done
Now wait a minute girls. While this poor man is undoubtedly deceased I may be able to revive him with my focus crystal!

Yulya wonders if this really is a good idea and if she is using this dead dwarf as a guinea pig to test her skills. But reviving him may yield crucial information - on top of being a good deed.On the downside, it could destroy her focus.Yulya decides to wait for the girls to wake up first.
I will need to replenish my focus though. This will take a while. I hope it is not too late then. We will see. Maye the girls know who he was.

Let us rest and eat now Nya! We should stay with the girls Nya!

Yulya nods in agreement.
Yes let us return. This place gives me goosebumps. It is a crime scene. Eating and resting here would be - obscene. And I do not like this confined place. It feels like a tomb.
Yulya is slightly concerned the dwarf might turn into an undead due to the high mana concentration in the area. She instructs Alice to lock the door again leaving the draped corpse behind for now.

So what do you wanna eat Nya? We must hold a feast in Ashley's memory Nya! I'll cook while you rest Nya!

Having returned to the girls Yulya stretches and settles down in the tent.A  pebble with LIGHT cast on it provides a warm illumination.
I trust you will make a magnificent meal worthy of Ashley!

Yulya warily inspects Ashleys backpack feeling like a grave-robber. She quickly takes the crystal and all candies so Alice doesn't overeat on them.
Dream pastries - I didn't know Ashley had those. What were they about?
Yulya decides everyone in her party should have one as dessert but keeps that a secret for now. Next she inspects the rings she took from Nezzer.

A yellowish slimy mat engulfs the girls, removing the grit and dirt that accumulated since however long they were forced to stay in this mine. In return, moisture is replenished via their skin.

Yulya has gotten used to her alien friends eerie but effective cleaning routine and keeps her focus on the rings- pretending she doesnt see anything. She just hopes the girls do not awaken while being scrubbed clean by an ooze.

Alice knocks on the stony hide of the bulette as if probing a watermelon for ripeness
Hey Cat, can you eat bulette?

Cat sniffs the bulette and waves her off
Nya not worth the hassle Nya! We can't prepare it here Nya and taking it back would be a waste of space Nya! We have more than enough food Nya!

Now wait a minute girls. While this poor man is undoubtedly deceased I may be able to revive him with my focus crystal!

Cat looks bewildered
Nyaa you can do that Yulya Nya? He's really dead probably for a few days now Nya! Won't he be an undead Nya like a zombie Nya if you revive him?

I trust you will make a magnificent meal worthy of Ashley!

I will try my best with what we have Nya...
Cat inspects sack Peace at the elevator but returns with a frown and Nyas of disapproval.
Nyaa this won't worke like that Nya! I need...

Alice uses shape-self and phagocytosis.
A yellowish slimy mat engulfs the girls, removing the grit and dirt that accumulated since however long they were forced to stay in this mine. In return, moisture is replenished via their skin.

Cat raises an eyebrow and confronts the slime
Alice Nyaa! Sorry to disturb you Nya but I'm taking one guild ration from your backpack Nya! And you can make all sorts of simple stuff right Nya? I need something like eggs Nya just a bit Nya. Sticky protein as binding agent Nya!

Cat happily places Ashley's mess kit next to the slime and resumes cooking. She prepares the following ingredients for 5 persons:
4 snake meat
1 lembas bread
1 flour
2 salt
2 cooking oil
1 guild ration
1 pickles

She sets up her pots and pans and makes a fire with kindling and firewood. The snake meat is cut into thin slices and turned in flour. Cat crushes the lembas bread to powder and mixes it with salt. After a while Cat goes to retrieve her mess kit with artificial egg replacement
1 mystery egg (Alice)

She dips the cutlets into the protein before rolling them in the lembas breading.
Nice Nya! I should have thought of that before Nya!

The breaded cutlets are fried in the pan while the guild ration is warmed and portioned as a side dish. Cat cuts the pickles into thin slices as garnishment.
Nyaa not perfect but it'S something Nya! Food is ready everyone Nya!

Cat looks bewildered
Nyaa you can do that Yulya Nya? He's really dead probably for a few days now Nya! Won't he be an undead Nya like a zombie Nya if you revive him?

Not in this sense Cat! But his wounds will have to be treated or he will look like one! I want to hear out the girls first. I do not wish to revive people whose deeds I know nothing about...

Yulya takes out her focus and she notes it looks different now, it has a strange violet hue reminiscent of Ashley's eyes, it has also somehow accumulated new growth, like it has grown on its own in the presence of the energy left in this crystal cavern, and it's fully charged. She can tell it has Ashley's flavor of mana in it.
Yulya realizes in astonishment that somehow, by some way, Ashley's essence has blessed this focus.
Ashley's Resilient Gift Notes: This focus has grown to 12MP and will refill itself at a rate of 1MP per hour, it cannot accept any other Mana, it has attuned to Yulya, 100% chance of wild magic effects. It has gained the attribute "resilient" and has far greater resistance to self-destruction.

Yulya looks at the focus with amazement.
This is unheard of. How is this possible? Ashley you dummy! I'd rather have you here than an improved focus! Just how well have you planned your departure?
With this the revival of this man should work smoothly.

Yulya decides to eat and take a short rest before beginning the ritual.

Alice Nyaa! Sorry to disturb you Nya but I'm taking one guild ration from your backpack Nya! And you can make all sorts of simple stuff right Nya? I need something like eggs Nya just a bit Nya. Sticky protein as binding agent Nya!

Yulya focuses closer on Nezzers rings blotting out anything that is going on over there.

The breaded cutlets are fried in the pan while the guild ration is warmed and portioned as a side dish. Cat cuts the pickles into thin slices as garnishment.
Nyaa not perfect but it'S something Nya! Food is ready everyone Nya!

Yulya looks up from the rings none the wiser.
Good work Cat! Let us eat!

Alice takes her share of the breaded snake and takes out the dwarven mug
Yulya-sama we need something to drink even if it's only water! I think your method is better than mine. And - an authority to hold a speech! For Ashley!

Yulya sighs and closes her eyes. She uses CREATE WATER to fill one of the barrels. Then she gestures to Alice to give her the mug.
Alice get into human shape and put on some clothes!

She dips it into the barrel to fill the mug with water and raises it into the air.
Forgive me Ashley... we have nothing but water for this toast to you.

Yulya turns to Alice and Cat
My friends! Barely a month has passed since we entered Neverwinter and became adventurers! It feels like an eternity for me! In this short time we have experienced quite many adventures and come so far - leveled up and reached level 5! And yet - our journey with Ashley has ended here and now. Even a pessimist like me would not have imagined we would lose a team-mate and friend so prematurely. I was confident in my abilities. And the will of the gods to keep this party together. But we lost Ashley not by tragedy but by her own volition. Honestly I do not know how to feel about this. But I hope she has made the right decision that makes her happy.

Yulya folds her hands in prayer. She imagines Ashley relaxing at the beach and agrees she probably has hit the jackpot. What fool would choose to return to this world of chaos and despair instead of staying in paradise?



Let us now feast in remembrance of Ashley!
Yulya takes a sip from the cup and then passes it to Cat.Then she sits down to eat the meal Cat prepared

Cat wakes up and looks around
Nyaaah are they still sleeping? Are you sure they're alright Yulya Nya?


Cat helps carrying the dead dwarf to wherever Yulya thinks is appropriate for the revival. While she is busy, Cat hones her weapons and inspects her gear, periodically keepin ga watch on Yulya and the girls and  listening for unusual sounds.