Calling Rahvin/Maeglin...
Has anyone heard from Maeglin? He hasn't checked in on EN World in just over 2 months. He had reported to us that he was extra busy and I had hoped he would re-appear after the holidays. However, he has not responded to email from us. We have been using him as an NPC for quite some time now in hopes that he would come back. However, we really don't want to continue playing him indefinitely.
I'm asking for party opinion as to how you would like us to handle this matter.
Option 1: One more blow from the giant and the matter would be decided. Rahvin would be well and truly dead even on a minimal damage roll. We could let him take one for the team and die a hero's death.
Option 2: We could continue to let him lurk on the fringes of the party taking a minimal role until you return to the surface and then have him re-assigned to other duties. His background would certainly allow for that. He would have the option to return at a later date that way.
Option 3: He gets some sort of magical communication recalling him to the surface for alternate duty--perhaps the military has called him back to active duty or something. Anyway, he just departs and we assume makes it safely back to the surface all by himself.
Option 4: We all willingly suspend our disbelieve and *poof* he is no longer a part of the party.
Option 5: Once this fight is over or now if everyone decides to retreat, the party immediately returns to the surface to heal up, hire a giant killer or two and returns to finish the rescue another day. Or even decides to report Krado is lost forever and move on to something else. Needless to say that wouldn't be the first choice of the DM's, but we don't decide what the characters will do. Once the current encounter is over, assuming you survive, the party is in fact going to reach the conclusion of this particular plot thread in short order. It would be quite difficult to go back to the surface and return again facing new threats along the way.
Option 6: Anything my esteemed partner in crime co-DM suggests.
Options 7+: Anything else you all dream up.
Anyway, we are open to your votes/suggestions. Please keep in mind that the choices you make now could set a precedent for your own characters if you someday have to take a hiatus from the game. It should be noted that at the very start of the dungeon portion of this adventure J. Alexander withdrew his character with the understanding that he would be welcome to come back in the future.
Finally, our original group has shrunk by two. The primary divine caster and the Rogue/spy roll are now largely vacant. We have invited someone to join as a cleric at the conclusion of this adventure, but he may or may not be joining us. What preferences do you have with reguard to adding new players/characters to the group once the current adventure is complete?