The bugbear turns slightly as something catches his eye about 20ft away to the southeast of the gate. He caught a brief glimpse of a dark shape about 5 feet tall before it ducked out of sight around the outside curve of the palisade.

Before the bugbear can react the mysterious figure reappears, stepping back out into sight. It looks like a large black bird, complete with a sharp beak almost a foot long. However, it is dressed in some sort of hooded robe with a half-cloak draped from its shoulders.

The bird stopped and looked at the bugbear, first with one eye, then the other, snapped its beak a few times nervously, then ventured a harsh "Hello." It took first one jerky step forward, paused, then another step.

Just then a male orc came into sight as he walked out through the gate beside the bugbear. He wears only a kilt with a chain shirt woven into its fabric and a heavy pack that appears cobbled together from multiple bags. He has a greatsword in a scabbard slung across his back but carries a greatspear that is a solid piece of black iron masterfully worked and capped with a huge and vicious blade.

Then just a few steps behind the orc comes a minotaur! A young one by the look of it, not yet fully grown. It is wearing studded leather armour and carries a backpack, a pitchfork and a greataxe.
This message was last updated by the GM at 12:00, Sun 08 June 2014.

She jumped backward with a squawk and considered running as several others came out the gates. She fluffed her feathers up to look bigger, stretching her neck up and raising her "shoulders" as well. At least these fellows looked slower than she was... or so she prayed!

The nap is forgotten by a much more pressing impulse. Minmorc shoots forward with a staggering burst of speed, looping in a fifty foot arc around the new arrival to stand with a five foot gap between him and it, his spear pointed at its back. "Bully, Grakk, whatcha fink, is it food? Looks like food to me."

 She jumped again at the things speed giving a startled squawk! She hopped to the side so she could watch both front and back, holding her hands up.
 "Not food! Not food! No eat me! I not taste good!"
 She looked at them all, back and forth, one black beady eye at one, then turned her head to look at the other with her other eye. She flexed her claws and snapped her beak sharply and prepared to defend herself if need be.

Minmorc glares at the bird thing trying to make up his mind. "Taste is important... If yer a bird, but yer not food, what are yer?"

Just then an orcish voice shouts from inside the settlement.

"Yes, that's it! Go long! Go long!"

Seconds later a spikey ball comes flying out through the gates between the bugbear and the minotaur.

OOC: It passes close to the minotaur and bugbear but is at least 25ft away from the orc and the bird.

At the exact same time a female reptilian voice shouts "Wilson!!!!.." and the small form of a poison dusk lizardfolk hurtles through the air to catch the spikey ball just as it passes the bugbear and minotaur. One of the spikes jabs the little lizard girl's hand and she curses against all orcs in general but manages to hold onto the spikey ball. She lands on her feet and comes to a stop about ten feet past the gate.

She looks around in some surprise that the orc isn't quite where she expected him to be. Instead the orc is 25 feet away to the southeast facing off against a 5-foot tall, black female bird that she hasn't seen before.

 She jumped again as the small female reptile came running out yelling something strange, but began to laugh softly as the female seemed confused by what she saw. She too was confused, but if there were females here, maybe all was not lost.
 "Kah kah kah kah! Hi Hi Hi. Raven I am, not Wilson."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:30, Sun 08 June 2014.

Bulldust lowers his longspear and steps closer to stare down at the talking bird girl.  "I'm not Wilson eiver.  I'm Bully.  My sister is Moffa, she's in ve O-baddy hut, and she's even shorter van you.  If we can't eat you ven what have you got for us to eat?"

Minmorc will also raise his spear, the laughter putting him at ease and separating this new creature from his comfortable food pyramid of forest critters, horse, man flesh and leafy greens. With a twirl he sinks his spear, Vera, head first into the ground and uses his fingers to start counting party members. "So, err, clever Riza, Bully, Grakk, Nursey and me is outside. I can hear Moffa and Wolfey Goblin coming. Oy, Gobby wid der book, time to put out der cat, time ter gets a password and go! Alright birdy raven fing, we finks der fight against der horsey men and der watchers is stupid so we's going dat way. Worts year story?"

Shortly afterwards four goblins and another orc come out through the gates, as well. The orc, obviously an archer, pulls the gates closed behind him.

The four goblins are all obviously from different tribes. There is a red-skinned male goblin riding on a large dog, a green-skinned male goblin clutching a flail and a book, a white-haired, dark-skinned male goblin with a cat riding on his shoulder, and a very small female green goblin clutching a crossbow. All of them are loaded up with backpacks, sacks or other bundles for travelling.

It takes a few moments before they notice the 5-foot tall, black female bird talking to the other orc and the bugbear 25 feet away to the southeast from the gate.

 She was trying to decide what they might like to eat that she had, which wasn't much to begin with. Seeds and nuts didn't seem right, but maybe worms might appeal to them.
 "Gots seeds n nuts, but maybe me can find you some nice juicy worms if that sound okiedoke? Oh, lookie see others with dog, and a ... CAT!!! RAAAAWWK!"
 She turned and took a kindasorta running leap toward the nearest tree and scampered right up (if able) all that is left to be seen are quaking leaves. Muttering and snapping of beak can still be heard though.

[Private to Wyrm of Wyrd:
07:39, Today: Secret Roll: Raven rolled 25 using 1d20+6. reflex.]
This message was last edited by the player at 12:40, Sun 08 June 2014.

A wooden thud sounds from the other side of the gates. The locking bar has been dropped into place by someone inside. A brief scrabbling noise indicates someone is climbing up inside the palisade then a kobold’s head pokes above the top of the palisade.

"That'sss good, very good. Good work fixxxing the wallsss! Now yousss goesss away but yousss can comesss back another daysss maybe? Xander Xalusss letsss yousss ssstay here again sssomeday, yesss? Now I givesss yousss the command word for the wand, yesss? Command word isss Gettup! Now yousss goesss, comesss back another daysss. Goodbye."

OOC: Main game map updated.

Seeing that Nurzhan has stepped up and gotten blooded Minmorc will grab up Vera, pull out the new Healy wand and will jab the other Orc in the bleeding bit and will say "gettup!" Then will take a good look at Nurzhans hands to see if anything happens.

"Ow!"

Nurzhan holds up his injured hand and watches as the hole caused by Wilson's spike slowly closes up and heals over. In about a quarter of a minute his hand is completely healed.

"Dat is a bird-man," Dregz says knowledgeably, emboldened as Raven flees up the nearest tree.  "See - it flies !"

"P'rap's it can tell us if der forest is safe ?" the little goblin postulates.

"Maybes it can." Jurz nods wisely to the green goblin's observation as he watches the trees leaves shake like there is a storm blowing.  "But I tink it don't like Arlein, de cat." he adds shaking his head slowly "Even dough Arlein de cat is a lot littler den de bird man." he adds sagely.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:04, Sun 08 June 2014.

Bulldust was about to reply to Raven, "Yuk to seeds and nuts, but worms ..." when the bird went up a tree.

When it becomes apparent that the wand distribution process is complete, and there was no wand for him, Bulldust peers through the gaps in the fence to watch the kobold departing.  He scratches the post with one long claw then shrugs and turns back to the group.  "Let's get going now.  Want a ride Moffa?"  He heads into the forest in the direction Minmorc had pointed earlier.

Minmorc looks where he was pointing and jogs over to Bully, will tap him on the shoulder and will admit "errr... Not actually sure where we's going next. I fink wolfey gobbly has der plan..."

Jurz nods sagely and steps away slightly from Rog.  Then he makes a point of looking up at the sky and all around before he points the way the group should take. 

"But whats abouts your friend?  Is da birdy-man coming wid us?" he asks Minmorc.

"Weez decided it's not food, dunno if it's a friend, fink its a birdy-chick..." He'll peer into the tree Raven disappeared into. "Oy, are you a friend? You staying in der tree or comin wid us?"