Kiddo, what are the first and second best?

Cayden is pretty sure he can come up with some solution where neither he nor the kiddo is murdered but will keep this opinion to himself for party harmony. 

"What's your deal, Shadowheart? I saw that you had healing-- cleric?"

A full illithid is second best, and an elder brain is the greatest form of life in this cosmos.

"I'm a cleric yes, but I'm unfortunately not qualified to deal with our parasite problem. My superiors in Baldur's Gate may be,  but I am not confident we could reach them in time."

Tell me about 'em, kiddo. 

"Who are you a cleric of?"

It's unfortunately very baby and can't give a completely coherent account.

The elder brain is the ultimate Authority.

Evading the question will be obvious and suspicious. If she lies, she will be found out. It is possible but difficult to come up with a cover up more acceptable than the 'crime,' and she is on a time limit, and she was always better at secrets than lies.

But this man-- he's from a different plane, likely with different gods. 

It's a risk,  but she will take it. (If she fails, and loses an ally, and therefore loses her life and her soul-- she will have still served her goddess.)

"I worship Shar, the goddess of the night."

"Uh, cool. That one doesn't exist in my world so I have no idea what she's into."

"The night, mostly. We focus more on learning to heal the mind than the body,  as well."

They're at the top of the hill!

Visible things of interest:

- a dilapidated church with some people who are definitely meant to be there jiggling the lock

- a series of human sized wooden traps, all broken with great violence

- a fortified cave

- a guy in purple clothes skulking about the woods, looking very, very lost

- a glowing rune with a... hand sticking out of it?

- in the distance, a less dilapidated church near a stream

"O Person From This Plane, are any of these important? ...I guess maybe that guy lost in the woods needs to not be in the woods, forests kill people."

To the kiddo: you know, some things are even cooler than being in authority. 

The tadpole finds that idea fundamentally implausible.

Shadowheart squints towards the horizon, and makes a humming noise about the idea that forests kill people. "The furthest Church looks like it serves  Tyr, so they're not our worst bet. The cave looks like it has the highest population, so they'd be a good bet for looking for healers too."

"Forest guy, cave, furthest church? --Uh, do we care about the obvious robbery?"

"Do you particularly care?"

"I mean... if the church is doing good things and helping people, yeah? If they're Abadarans throwing people out of their homes in order to enrich their priests, not so much?"

"I don't think that church has been doing anything since my grandmother was young." It's an ambiguous time period, she's a half elf. "I think we have higher priorities."

"Cool. Forest guy."

Forest guy is about a 10 to 15 minute walk away.

Forest guy is a very pale elf, who is very much not dressed for running around in the woods. He's crouched next to a stand of trees.

"Hurry, I've got one of those brain things cornered. There, in the grass. You can kill it, can't you? Like you killed the others?"

"Yeah. --Uh, probably." Is it in fact an intellect devourer?

There does not appear to be an intellect devourer.

There does, however, appear to be a blade at his throat, and an elf trying to tackle him to the floor.

"Not okay, dude! I was trying to help!"

"Shh, not a word. Let's try to keep that lovely neck of yours in one piece, shall we?" He turns to Shadowheart. "And you-- keep your distance. No need for things to get messy."