It takes a few moments for the party to decide on what they are going to do, but everyone comes to the conclusion of getting the kitty back to Cratchen as quickly as possible is the right action. There is some hesitation, before Mesem finally steps in and dispatches the necromancer. He uses a tried and true method that works on zombies and vampires alike, beheading.
The group searches around the bedroom, careful to not disturb the sands or candles of the summoning circle on the floor. Upon the table is a silver dagger and a couple acid damaged pages that look to be of the same language as the loose pages that were found in the spell book. Bits and pieces are missing, so it looks like Grimspiller was trying to cobble together the missing pieces of the ritual and wing it. If he failed, it was only going to be someone else's dead cat, so he had nothing to lose, you surmise.
When the serious looting begins, the necromancer's cloak glows under magical detection. It is another cloak of resistance (+1), but with darker embroidered motifs for its trimmings. You do not find a second spell book, so the one hidden in the green slime must have been his only book. It seems he spent most of his worldly fortune in amassing spells of pain and torture. On Grimspiller's body, you also find a delicate silver key.
Fiorella's cage is made of fine silver with the bars very close together and a high quality lock for its door. A heavy cold iron chain connects the top of the cage to the wall, so it cannot be carried off. But, one heavy stroke of Mesem's nadachi, just like Grimspiller's neck, severs the chain cleanly and allows transport of the kitty. Fiorella seems content in her cage, as you are not as gruesome looking as her former keeper.
The girls take care of dragging the bodies downstairs while Dolgrin hangs on to the door casing so as to have some stability that everything is not disappearing around him as he gets used to his affliction. When it gets too quiet, he grumbles and calls out to make sure that he has not been left behind.
Piling the bodies together down stairs and lighting the whole pile on fire, the age and sturdiness of this fort shows itself. The stone does not care that you set a fire. The destructive little goblins have not been able to harm this place significantly, and your bonfire shall not either. Gathering together the weapons and armor into bags, you have a heavy haul back to where the horses are, but the party is many and you manage.
Splashing water on your prisoner goblin, you wake him. Menik tells him he is going to live, but he has to go to the city and obey what the white cloaks tell him. Considering that he gets to live, he agrees to the terms. You gag him to keep him quiet while sneaking out, and still bound, march him and carry your loot out the front door quietly. Using Reianne's sunrod, you are able to make it to where you stashed the horses just outside the ridge rise.
After feeding and watering the horses, then bedding down for the night, Dolgrin declines to take a watch. Ru replaces him on first watch with Galandra. But, the night's activities were too tiring on both of them. A little while after they both doze off on watch, the goblin chews through his gag and bonds holding his hands with his sharp, pointy teeth. Knowing he would not win a big fight, the goblin flees, but not until after leaving a message. Reianne is shocked when she awakes to find the buttons of her blouse have been expertly bitten off. It is only open a bit, with her whip coiled in a figure eight, laying on her chest, inside her blouse. Half of the length of the whip is trailed out in a straight line along the ground, pointing due south.
Assuming Reianne doesn't take the invitation, The rest of the trip back to town is uneventful. Returning straight to the Dunn Wright Inn, you find Cratchen, sulking in a bottle of whiskey.
Meow. His head picks up,
"You did it! Was everything taken care of?" as he winks.
"Well, his head and body were on two different sides of the burn pile as we lit it ablaze. Does that qualify?" says Mesem. Unlocking the cage with the delicate silver key, Fiorella strides out of the cage proudly like nothing ever happened. Grog was already on his way over to the table. He sits down a bowl of milk for Fiorella.
"Kidz did gud."
Cratchen is overjoyed and gladly pays you the money he promised.
"Um guys, I can smell the ale, but cannot see it." You fetch Dolgrin two ales before taking him to a temple of Cortessa to have his sight restored. Then, stopping by the Mystic Pearl, you sell off the mundane weapons and equipment you managed to scavenge from the keep. Menik keeps you waiting for a while as he sits in a corner for a little bit, copying the rest of the spells he wanted before the spell book is also converted into gold coins. The last stop is The Grand Stable. Jaycus meets you at the west end as you enter.
"Good, good. Glad to see you all made it back. I trust the problem was solved. Cratchen had already paid in advance, and you have returned within your week, so you are all set. Good day."
~finis~