Re: The Road to Phandalin
As the creatures get closer, it can be seen that they are rather small birds, but look more like bats. They just don't fly like bats.
At this point, it seems likely that the shrieking is a way for them to navigate at night.
They are definitely attacking.
Tomas got off the wagon and scouted the area, then offered to stand first watch. The shrieking has him a bit disoriented. The birds sweep in. A pair of them attack Tomas with sharp pointy beaks. Both strike him, doing 1 point of damage each, but they've latched onto him.
00:06, Fri 05 Sept 2014: StarMaster rolled 21,20 using 1d20+1,1d20+1 ((20,19)).
Serena got off wagon, also scouted the area, and offered to stand first watch. As the birds swoop in, she casts Vicious Mockery spell on the first one. It drops to the ground. The second one still continues to attack but just misses her.
00:06, Fri 05 Sept 2014: StarMaster rolled 17,15 using 1d20+1,1d20+1 ((16,14)).
Esseron had settled down for dinner and sleep, until the shrieking interrupted those plans. Anticipating an attack, he unslings his short bow. As a pair of birds appear to target him, he lets loose with an arrow. He just manages to hit the first one, dropping it to the ground. The second one doesn't even come close.
00:55, Fri 05 Sept 2014: StarMaster, on behalf of Esseron, rolled 13 using 1d20+3 ((10)).
00:07, Fri 05 Sept 2014: StarMaster rolled 6,3 using 1d20+1,1d20+1 ((5,2)).
Carric got off the wagon, and was conversing with Ero. When the shrieks indicated a possible attack, he prepared a spell. As a pair of birds swoop in to attack him, he lets loose with his Ray of Frost. He hits the first one, dropping it to the ground. The second one, however, manages to impale Carris with its beak for 1 point of damage, but it clings to him.
01:09, Fri 05 Sept 2014: StarMaster, on behalf of Carric Nailo, rolled 21 using 1d20+6 ((15)).
00:08, Fri 05 Sept 2014: StarMaster rolled 7,17 using 1d20+1,1d20+1 ((6,16)).
Ero got off wagon, and began conversing with Ero. When he hears the shrieks, he mistakes it for the sound of a nightjar. He realizes his error when they close enough to see, though they do sound a bit like them. A pair of them swoop down to attack him. Both of them manage to hit him for 1 point of damage each, and they latch onto him.
00:08, Fri 05 Sept 2014: StarMaster rolled 18,18 using 1d20+1,1d20+1 ((17,17)).
Eldrond got off the wagon, scouted the area for a bit, and then offered to stand first watch. When he hears the shrieks, he tries to identify the sound. Although they do sound like nightjars, he thinks they are a bird called a shrieker, for obvious reasons. Shriekers are also blood-suckers! A pair swoops in and attacks him, but both miss.
00:09, Fri 05 Sept 2014: StarMaster rolled 12,7 using 1d20+1,1d20+1 ((11,6)).
Marianna got off wagon while camp was being made, and when the shrieks sounded and started getting closer, she readied her sling. As a pair of shrieking birds swooped down at her, she let loose with her sling, but her aim went really wide. Fortunately, the birds also miss her.
01:21, Fri 05 Sept 2014: StarMaster, on behalf of Marianna Fireheart, rolled 5 using 1d20+4 ((1)).
00:10, Fri 05 Sept 2014: StarMaster rolled 3,7 using 1d20+1,1d20+1 ((2,6)).
Artem got off the wagon and rested under it, picking his spot early. He is attacked by a pair of birds, but they are reluctant to go under the wagon and so they miss him.
00:10, Fri 05 Sept 2014: StarMaster rolled 10,12 using 1d20+1,1d20+1 ((9,11)).
Cunaar got off the wagon and picked his spot under the wagon, too. Again, when a pair of shriekers swooped down on him, they weren't quite ready to delve under the wagon, so both missed him.
00:11, Fri 05 Sept 2014: StarMaster rolled 8,6 using 1d20+1,1d20+1 ((7,5)).
Elaith got off the wagon, looked around, saw all the other scouts, so offered to help with the camp. Unintentionally, he was behind the rock when the shriekers attacked, and the pair that attacked him weren't very adept at negotiating over or around the rock, so both miss him.
00:11, Fri 05 Sept 2014: StarMaster rolled 3,9 using 1d20+1,1d20+1 ((2,8)).
Halister got off the wagon, saw the others scouting the area and also helped with camp. A pair of shriekers attacked him, but only one nailed him with its beak for 1 point of damage and latched on.
00:12, Fri 05 Sept 2014: StarMaster rolled 19,13 using 1d20+1,1d20+1 ((18,12)).
Morgrimm also got off the wagon, decided he'd probably take the third watch, so was settling in to get some rest before then. That's when the shrieking started, quickly followed by an attack by two birds. The first one jabbed him with its beak for 1 point of damage, and latched on. The second one missed by a mile!
00:12, Fri 05 Sept 2014: StarMaster rolled 19,2 using 1d20+1,1d20+1 ((18,1)).
Maldor at first just thought they'd disrupted some flock of sleeping birds, but when he realized that the birds were heading for the camp, he got a bad feeling, and headed back that way. It's going to take him two rounds to get back. None of the birds attack him till then.
Mithra hesitated a moment in case there was something else in the area that might have disturbed the birds, or might even be controlling them. When she spots nothing else amiss, she heads back after Maldor.