After an abbreviated sojourn in Drellin's Ferry, the party awakens to a hazy, warm , perhaps still a bit weary and sore from their recent travails in the Witchwood. In any event, they are up early and once again setting out toward the sweltering forest in the hopes of gleaning more about the size and composition of the supposed goblin horde.

Following more or less the Dawn Way, the party mostly stays off the road in favor of seldom use tracks within sight of the main throughfare. Knowing these woods better than any other, Jorr keeps a pretty brick pace and it is all the adventurers can do to match the spry old man's gait. Once again, the going proves incredibly stifling and the party is soon drenched in their own sweat and batting away at the constant cloud of insects that seems to never tire of their ceaseless assault.

The group passes through Blackwater Causeway, perhaps thinking of their encounter with Old Sixer, but the hydra does not make a reappearance this time around. Then, they pass the footpath leading to Vraath Keep--no smoke trails in the sky above the forlorn ruin. Continuing northward, the adventurers ford across Cold Creek, reaching this point in the afternoon. Hour after hour passes and the adventurers encounter no resistance.

As nightfall approaches, the forest grows more ominous as the Dawn Way winds deeper into the woods. The party comes to a spot where a wide track leads away from the road, heading west. A massive effigy of some kind stands here, a fifteen-foot-tall humanoid shape made from sagging, moss-covered frame. The thing looks like a crude giant-sized skeleton. Birds nest in the massive barrel that serves the effigy as a head.

Jorr pauses here and comments, "Forest Giant territory that way," pointing to the track that leads west.

It is now on the cusk of total darkness and Jorr indicates Skull Gorge is still several hours north.

"Let us find a place to camp for the night," Eoni proposed, looking to Jorr for ideas.  "Somewhere that we can keep an eye on the trail during the night.

"In the morning we can make our approach on Skull Gorge to see what's happening."

 Marklin muttered something about "Captains", but went along with the rest.

Taerix helps find a camping spot, and also prepares to take a watch when he is needed.

The party makes camp a short distance from the giant effigy, beneath a sprawling oak tree that must easily be several hundred years old. The adventurers set watch and settle in for the night. Save for the occasional unknown screech or howl in the distance, the night passes uneventfully.

Morning comes and once again, early indications are for another warm, humid day. Summer in these parts is dreadfully unbearable, moreso in the woods where even the stiffest of winds has little chance of providing even the slightest of respite from the oppressive swelter. In any event, the adventurers are soon up and moving, heading northward along the Dawn Way toward Skull Gorge Bridge.

The road rises steadily upward as the adventurers walk toward higher ground. This continues for several miles, and finally the forest itself peters out. Ahead is a stretch of barren ground, about sixty feet wide, ending in a gorge. The party scatters to either side of the road, huddling behind dry, sun-baked shrubs that are more pokey and sharp than anything else. Peering from behind the hostile foliage, the adventurers scan the gorge.

Roughly a hundred feet wide at its narrowest point, the gorge drops away precipitously to a fast-rushing stream far below. The ancient Dawn Way crosses the cleft on a bridge of stone. Anchored at both ends to large stone towers with pentagonal roofs, the bridge seems sturdy despite its obvious age. It is, clearly, the only easy way to cross, since the gorge continues as far as the eye can see to the east and west. The four stone towers that anchor the bridge are each forty feet high. A narrow wooden stairway winds around each, leading up to an open-air watchpost at the top.

A small encampment of a half-dozen tents clusters near the northern side of the bridge. Curls of smoke from campfires attest to some sort of activity. A single humanoid figure stands at the watchpost on the top of each of the four watchtowers, longbow in hand. A powerfully built hound with glowing red eyes and short ruddy fur sits watchful near either end of the bridge. Yet the most impressive creature present is certainly the sleek and menacing green dragon that perches on the roof of the northwestern watchtower on the far side of the gorge. The dragon is basking in the sun, but its bright yellow eyes are fixed on the bridge.

"Moradin's beard," Valthur gasps. "A green dragon. I don't like our chances against the likes of that!"

Hoping to keep whatever was in the tents on the north side on that side, he examines the bridge for any easy means of taking it down. Nobody knows better than he that stone leaves very little opportunity for successful destruction, but sometimes even this robust material will confess a crack or a missing section that might provide an opportunity.

"Let's find a better lookout spot and keep an eye on them," Eoni whispered, shifting uncomfortably.  "We don't want to get spotted and won't last against that dragon.

"We can retreat to our last camp before nightfall and then report back to Drellin's Ferry or continue to watch for an army.  Then dash back to town ahead of them with warning.

"What do you think?"

Taerix nodded his assent, his eyes never leaving the dragon.

Sarah had returned to the party just in time to settle down for the night.  She appears the same as when she left, except she is now carrying a second and third case of crossbow bolts.  But she was definitely gone longer than necessary to merely go shopping.

She says nothing as she settles down to sleep, and nothing as the group travels to Skull Gorge.

After spying the dragon she withdraws, and won't look at it or in its general direction again.

 When Marklin saw what was around and on the bridge, He let out a low whistle. " We be buggered, that be the truth o' it. I had thought that map we found to be some flight o' fancy, but nay now."

 Marklin dropped his pack and set up for a prolonged stay,
This message was last edited by the player at 03:01, Tue 12 Dec 2017.

All that Aldara can do is swallow at the sight of the dragon, and also nod her assent.  Naturally, she tries to stay out of its sight.

Marklin turned to Valthur." The keep, it was an advanced base, o’ sorts. Those bung humpers on the bridge, they be there for only one reason, I can think of, they be securing the only means across that obstacle. They be waiting for the main force, be it large raiding party, or worse. Whatever will come across that bridge, it will sweep Drilons Ferry clean like a broom."

Valthur listens to Marklin, but never takes his eyes off the dragon. "Maybe we can take it down. The bridge, I mean."

As usual, Sarah does not share her thoughts.  She still acts like a child, letting the adults talk.  But, she seems unusually uncomfortable through this process, as if she'd rather be anywhere else but here.  Her eyes dart about, as if looking for a place to go, or at least hide.

But she's here.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:05, Thu 14 Dec 2017.

Finding a vantage point further away and less conspicuous to both the road and bridge, they settled in and discussed their plans.

"Even if we could destroy the bridge," Eoni said, picking up where Valthur had left off, "it would only delay those on foot.

"Maybe that dragon could ferry them all across," she added thoughtfully.  "And I don't think anyone with business on the Dawn Road would appreciate the permanent inconvenience."

The towns would never be able to gather the resources to rebuild a bridge on this scale.  It would forever alter the trade routes and possibly be the death of the very town's they strove to protect.

"I think our best option is to watch for the day, retreat back to camp, and then report back what we've found.  We're no good against a dragon."

"Let's not watch too long.... If we get noticed, we can't outrun a dragon. And I definitely think we need to warn the town."

Eoni took a deep breath and thought about the halfling's observation.  They'd stand little chance if they were spotted.  She'd hoped to spot some crucial development from afar while watching but the threat was too great.  Even if they did spot a massing army or war band, the best they could do was beat them back to town with little advance warning.

"Taerix is right," she concluded.  "We can't stay here.  There's too great a chance of being spotted and we're no match for that dragon.

"The best we can do is get back to town and let them know what we've found.  A dragon is as good as an army.  It may be enough to sway other towns to send support.

"If only we could discover their plans," she lamented, looking to the encampment on the far side of the bridge.

 Marklin ignored Eoni, which he did most of the time,and looked to Valthur. " Take it down,how?"

Neither the goblin sentinels, the hellhounds or the green dragon atop Skull Gorge Bridge seem to have been alerted to the party's presence thus far. None of them have stirred very far from their original locations and seem content enough to continue doing whatever it is they were doing when the adventurers first arrived.

For his part, Jorr eyes the enemies with some measure of concern. Already they have ran up against hell hounds, dire wolves, a manticore and a minotaur...and now a dragon! The old man grumbles a bit about ill fortunes but is otherwise committed to the cause of defending his homeland against any predators, no matter what form they might take.

"I come from a long line of stoneworkers," Valthur boasts. "And I know that every bridge has a weak spot. Somewhere on that span is a stone that, if you hit it just right, could drop the whole works into the gorge." He pauses for effect. "But I have no idea where the weak spot is... It's more of theory, you might say."

Eoni let the other two continue to form their plan.  A short respite before they started back toward town would not be too much of a delay.  She expected that they'd eventually reach the same conclusion she had without her pointing out their folly.

"A theory? We are buggered." Marklin shook his head. He looked at the others then. " I am all for getting out o' here. But they ain't going to believe us, cause we have no proof. Unless we bring em th Drake....." the warrior allowed his though to trail off.

"Don' care if they believe us."

Sarah inches further away, as if doing so will pull others in her wake.

Eoni allowed herself to be pulled along in the girl's wake.  There was nothing they could do here without being eaten by the dragon.

Taerix says to Jorr, also quietly, "If we get the word back to Drellin's Ferry, and we can get enough arrows into it, even that dragon should fall. It's just too open here." The halfling readies to leave when the others do, again taking the lead to scout out the path ahead.

Valthur sighs as the others pack up. He knows they are no match for a dragon, but worries that the same may be true for the entirety Drellin's Ferry. "Let's hope they have a few score of well trained archers back in town. Maybe then we'll still have a chance."

With heavy hearts, the party withdraws as covertly as they can manage, hopeful to not draw the attention of the green dragon presently sunbathing atop the bridge. Fortunately, they are successful and they are soon marching southward, their destination: Drellin's Ferry.

Soon, the party is within the thick of the ancient wood again, darkness looming deeper as the sun draws ever nearer the western horizon. The adventurers stop to make camp, unwilling to press forward in darkness. Unwilling are they too, to light any fire, and it is a cold camp again. Not that it ever grows cold at any point during the evening. Warm and humid it remains, difficult conditions to get a good night's rest to be certain.

At some point during the late evening, early morning hours, while Sarah is on watch, she hears heavy footfalls and the occasional snapping of trees and rustling of brush somewhere in the darkness, to the east, away from the Dawn Way. Something large is moving through the forest, headed straight toward the adventurers.

Sarah sees nothing but darkness, but she can certainly hear something approaching...

Sarah pulls out her magical club.  She frantically looks about in the light it produces as she races to Eoni -- whom she shakes in a rough, none-too-gentle fashion in order to waken her.

[Private to DM Pawn:
The moment Eoni stirs (if she does, and if nothing interrupts), run to Valthur and do the same.]

"Is it my watch?" Eoni said groggily as she's shaken about by the young girl with the bright light.

"I'm up, I'm up."

Valthur snores contentedly, unaware of the danger looming in the shadows.

Sarah manages to rouse Eoni and Valthur from their bedrolls before the dead of night is rent with the shrieking growls of unknown predators barreling toward the party's campsite. Trees and bushes are pushed aside as though they are little more than blades of grass, all of this barely even visible in the dark gloom beneath the forest's canopy.

A fraction of a moment later two large bear-like beasts come barreling into the camp. Feathers come the thick, shaggy coat of each, and the limpid pupils of each of the beast's great round eyes burn furiously from their beaked owlish heads.

The two monsters pause momentairly, rear back on their hindlegs, roar mightily, and dart into the camp, one bound for Eoni, the other Valthur...

Owlbears, 2
AC: 5
HP: 30/30, 27/27


PC         AC   HP    9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1  0 -1 -2 -3
Aldara     8    9/9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Eoni       8  19/19   9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20
Marklin    2  18/18   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Sarah      4  16/16   9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20
Taerix     1  19/19   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Valthur    5  23/23   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

NPCs
Jorr       8  10/10  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20

[Private to GM:

  HD       9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1   0   -1  -2  -3
Up to 1    10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20  20
1+ to 2    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20
2+ to 3    8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20
3+ to 4    7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19
4+ to 5    6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18
5+ to 6    5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17
6+ to 7    4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16
7+ to 9    3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15
9+ to 11   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14

]

PCs are UP!

Barely having time to roll to her knees, the Sister shouted and cast her arm at the beast bearing down on her, "May Avandra's grace bring light to this darkness!"

[Private to DM Pawn: OOC: Cast light on it's eyes.  Save vs Spells or blinded for 12 turns.  She is currently not wearing her padded armor, AC 9.]

Valthur wakes with Sarah's help, but isn't particularly happy about. "Wha? Missy, what're you doing waking me up in the middle of the ni-" His protest is interrupted by the unnatural shrieks from the nearby wood.

The noise sends a chill down Valthur's spine, but does a great deal to clear his thinking. Instinctively, he grabs his battle axe. With his darkvision, the dwarf can tell whatever is coming his way is not human. The hairs standing at attention on the back of his neck suggest it isn't anything friendly, either.

"Marklin!" He calls. "Rise and shine. We're gonna' need you."

As the hideous beast charges, Valthur realizes he didn't have time to put on his helmet. He hopes this doesn't bring any bad luck, and what worries he had are quickly dismissed as his first swing at the beast lands squarely in the owlbear's torso, causing it to expel a ghastly shriek.

23:46, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 22 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 20.  Battle axe vs. owlbear.
Exceptional hot - 10 damage!!!

One owlbear is blinded by Eoni's light spell, but it presses its attack against the cleric nonetheless, relying on its nose and ears to ferret out its quarry. Fortunately for Eoni, the effect of blindness has the monster confused for a moment, its massive claws swiping to either side of the much smaller cleric.

Valthur drives his weapon into the owlbear with great force. The owlbear shrieks in response, rears back and swipes its claws at the dwarf, striking once.

The rest of the party awakes to chaos, as two rampaging owl bears tear through the camp, eager to sate their bloodthirst.



OOC: Valthur took 7 points of damage.

Owlbears, 2
AC: 5
HP: 20/30, 27/27 (blinded)


PC         AC   HP    9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1  0 -1 -2 -3
Aldara     8    9/9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Eoni       8  19/19   9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20
Marklin    2  18/18   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Sarah      4  16/16   9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20
Taerix     1  19/19   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Valthur    5  16/23   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

NPCs
Jorr       8  10/10  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20

[Private to GM:

  HD       9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1   0   -1  -2  -3
Up to 1    10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20  20
1+ to 2    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20
2+ to 3    8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20
3+ to 4    7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19
4+ to 5    6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18
5+ to 6    5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17
6+ to 7    4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16
7+ to 9    3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15
9+ to 11   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14

]

PCs are UP!

Aldara happily dreams.  Well, until the owlbears emit their terrible cries and rouse the mage from her slumber.  Much like a duck in a similar situation, she snaps to.

Still groggy, the mage manages to force out an illusion, calling for a not-quite-there bear to rush at the nearest owlbear, hopefully distracting them.

Phantasmal force at the nearest owlbear.

Taerix wakes up, terrified from his dream that he was under attack. No, wait.... He races for the nearest owlbear after making sure he's got a steady grip on his sword. Unfortunately, he still has double vision from his drowsiness, and misses the owkbear by a country mile.


07:59, Today: Kane Taerix rolled 3 using 1d20+1 with rolls of 2.

Seeing the rabid creature's clawed foot upon her staff, the Sister abandoned the idea of pulling it free and backed away from the blinded beast.  If she could lure it away from camp and the others while keeping a tree between them, they could deal with one at a time.

[Private to DM Pawn:
OOC: Half movement Fighting Retreat, 20' away from camp to hopefully find a tree big enough for cover.]

Seeing that the one attacking Eoni is blinded, Sarah spends the round getting behind it, preparing to attack it from behind.

Marklin came awake with a groggy worded.. " Wha.. the bloody hells?" He was greeted by two horrors that towered over the memebers of the ground. He grabbed for the sword that laid next to him and made a wild swing that missed the creature,as Marklin was still on his knees.

12:33, Yesterday: Marklin rolled 9 using 1d20+1 with rolls of 8.  Attack on an Ow lBear.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:24, Sun 24 Dec 2017.

Valthur's confidence fades slightly when he learns a direct hit with all his strength doesn't drop the beast in front of him. It fades even more as the monstrosity slashes him open.

He replies with a swift swing of his axe, but this time he finds no satisfaction.

23:42, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 6 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 4.  Battle axe vs. owlbear.

Jorr rolls out of his bedroll into a nearby bush, short bow and arrow at thew ready. The wily old man looses an arrow at the nearest owlbear but misses the mark.

Meanwhile...

The blinded owlbear is dazed by its lack of sight and swats ineffectively at Eoni as she retreats from the monster. Aldara's illusory bear charges the other owlbear and the monster takes note of the new enemy. The owlbear redirects its attacks away from Valthur and swats its powerful claws at Aldara's bear, striking it once and causing the magical figments holding the creature together to begin to unravel.



Owlbears, 2
AC: 5
HP: 20/30, 27/27 (blinded)


PC         AC   HP    9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1  0 -1 -2 -3
Aldara     8    9/9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Eoni       8  19/19   9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20
Marklin    2  18/18   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Sarah      4  16/16   9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20
Taerix     1  19/19   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Valthur    5  16/23   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

NPCs
Jorr       8  10/10  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20

[Private to GM:

  HD       9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1   0   -1  -2  -3
Up to 1    10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20  20
1+ to 2    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20
2+ to 3    8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20
3+ to 4    7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19
4+ to 5    6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18
5+ to 6    5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17
6+ to 7    4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16
7+ to 9    3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15
9+ to 11   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14

]

PCs are UP!

Taerix swings in again, doing his best to steer clear of the owlbear's claws and beak. This time, his sword cuts into the beast.


07:41, Today: Kane Taerix rolled 6 using 1d8+1 with rolls of 5.  Owlbear damage.

07:40, Today: Kane Taerix rolled 20 using 1d20+1 with rolls of 19.  Attacking owlbear.

"Avandra bless and protect us from this danger," Eoni intoned as she strove to keep a tree between herself and the blinded beast.  "Guide our hands and strengthen our resolve in our time of need."

OOC: Bless cast on everyone for +1 to hit and damage.  Roll 1d20+1.

Sarah's days of experimenting caused her to conclude that the club was an inferior weapon, particularly in comparison to her long sword.  Therefore, with the light problem solved and with time to do so, she swaps her club for her sword as she sneaks behind the blinded owlbear.



10:03, Today: Sarah rolled 18,6 using d20+5,d8+1 with rolls of 13,5.

12 damage due to backstab.

Valthur can sense the tide turning against the horrible mongrel in front of him. With Taerix and Sarah both connecting, he suspects one more good hit may be enough to topple their foe. Thanks to the guidance of Avandra, he buries his axe deep in the owlbear's torso.

22:54, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 14 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 11.  Battle axe vs. owlbear.
22:54, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 11 using 1d8+3 with rolls of 8.  Damage.

Confident in her allies' abilities, Aldara does not attempt to work any more magic, groggy as she is, instead opting to throw...well, there were more daggers on her person.  Her last good dagger of normal make is thrown at the healthier-looking owlbear.

02:57, Today: Aldara rolled 7,5 using 1d20+2,1d4+1 ((5,4)).

Attacking the healthy owlbear, and dibs on the name "The Healthy Owlbear" for Aldara's new inn and tavern!<

 Marklin thrust his sword into the chest of the healthy Owl Bear, with an oath upon his lips.

14:59, Today: Marklin rolled 7 using 1d8+2 with rolls of 5.  Sword damage.

06:51, Today: Marklin rolled 12 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 10.  Sword against Owl Bear.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:01, Tue 26 Dec 2017.

Now kneeling behind some shrubs, Jorr fires another arrow into the darkness hoping to score a hit against the rampaging owlbears. Hope proves to not be an effective strategy and his shot flies wide of its target.

A furious battle ensues within the camspite, loose feathers and fur flying this way and that. The adventurers manage to fell one of the owlbears, but the blinded beast rages on, raking its powerful claws into Valthur yet again.

It either does not know the fate of its companion or doesn't care. In any event, the blinded owlbear growls mightily and sniffs the air in a bid to locate its prey.


OOC: Valthur takes 3 points of damage.

Owlbears, 2
AC: 5
HP: 0/30, 15/27 (blinded)


PC         AC   HP    9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1  0 -1 -2 -3
Aldara     8    9/9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Eoni       8  19/19   9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20
Marklin    2  18/18   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Sarah      4  16/16   9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20
Taerix     1  19/19   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Valthur    5  13/23   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

NPCs
Jorr       8  10/10  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20

[Private to GM:

  HD       9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1   0   -1  -2  -3
Up to 1    10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20  20
1+ to 2    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20
2+ to 3    8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20
3+ to 4    7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19
4+ to 5    6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18
5+ to 6    5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17
6+ to 7    4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16
7+ to 9    3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15
9+ to 11   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14

]

PCs are UP!

"Aaargh," Valtur cries as he is raked by the second owlbear from behind. The dwarf spins with his ax extended, fully expecting it to drive into the source of his recent wound. Instead, he finds his target has already moved out of the way.

 "Stand still!"

16:30, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 6 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 3.  Battle axe vs. 2nd owlbear.

With nothing else to throw right away, Aldara throws her favourite, silvered dagger at the owlbear.  She could always pick it up later, but what was important right now was that Valthur not be exsanguinated.

22:44, Today: Aldara rolled 11,2 using 1d20+2,1d4+1 ((9,1)).

Throwing the silver dagger at the owlbear.

Eoni remained behind her tree and kept an eye out for anything else drawn to them from the darkness.  It would do no good to be surprised by a goblin patrol lured away from the nearby trail by the tumult of their tussle.  The light flashing about from the creature's eyes was like a lighthouse in the forest as it spun and slashed in its fury.

Sarah tries again to take advantage of the creature's blindness, but it's flailing about makes it difficult for her to approach.

08:18, Today: Sarah rolled 8,9 using d20+5,d8+1 with rolls of 3,8.
Wasn't sure if I could still backstab given that it's blind, but the point is moot.

Taerix slid over to the other owlbear, but when he tried to attack, the owlbear was able to keep the halfling away.


11:44, Today: Kane Taerix rolled 5 using 1d20 with rolls of 5.  Attack owlbear.

 Marklin's sword bounced off the tough hide of the creature.

8:39, Yesterday: Marklin rolled 3 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 1.  attack on upright Owl Bear.

Jorr has the same difficulty as his teammates, for he too fails to connect with his bow and the arrow flies well wide of its target.

The blinded owlbear rakes Valthur across the chest again, the beast clearly honed in on the dwarven quarry.


OOC: Valthur takes 7 points of damage.

Owlbears, 2
AC: 5
HP: 0/30, 0/27


PC         AC   HP    9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1  0 -1 -2 -3
Aldara     8    9/9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Eoni       8  19/19   9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20
Marklin    2  18/18   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Sarah      4  16/16   9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20
Taerix     1  19/19   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Valthur    5  13/23   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

NPCs
Jorr       8  10/10  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20

[Private to GM:

  HD       9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1   0   -1  -2  -3
Up to 1    10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20  20
1+ to 2    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20
2+ to 3    8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20
3+ to 4    7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19
4+ to 5    6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18
5+ to 6    5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17
6+ to 7    4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16
7+ to 9    3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15
9+ to 11   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14

]

PCs are UP!

This message was last edited by the GM at 23:16, Fri 29 Dec 2017.

 Marklin moved into a position on the flank or even better behind the creature. He shouted an oath to his god, and swung the sword at the back of the things legs with all his might.

16:44, Today: Marklin rolled 22 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 20.  Sword attack. Critical

Max damage: 10 points to the Owl Bear
This message was last edited by the player at 21:47, Wed 27 Dec 2017.

Valthur groans in agony as the flailing owlbear somehow finds him again. Clearly the scent of blood is strong and the dwarf considers retreating to re-establish himself. But as Marklin hits and the owlbear straightens in his own version of agony, Valthur sees his chance to finish the combat. With teeth clenched, he readies his ax, charges the vile creature, and swings.
20:41, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 4 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 1.  Battle axe vs. 2nd owlbear.

His confidence disappears with a blast of pain from his open wound, intensified by his own back-swing. The pain paralyzes him mid-attack. Instead of landing the telling blow, the dwarf falls to a knee with a pitiful exhalation. With his advantage lost, he looks up at his foe and hopes this time it misses.

Sarah continues to take advantage of the creature's blindness by staying behind him.  Finding an appropriate moment, she slips her longsword between what must be the beast's ribs.

20:57, Today: Sarah rolled 17,4 using d20+5,d8+1 with rolls of 12,3.  Attack (13 to hit).

Still not sure if backstabbing is still possible; I would guess it is because it is blind.  The attack hits regardless, but if I get the double damage from backstabbing I do 8 points.

Hearing Marklin's oath and the last hideous creature groaning with it's pitiful exhalation, Eoni was buoyed by their success and remained vigilante on sentry.  It wouldn't do to achieve victory only to be ambushed by opportunity.

Sarah and Marklin work together to take down the blinded owlbear. The creature expires in a bloody, feathery heap, illuminated by a magical glow concentrated on its eyes, courtesy of Avandra's blessings.

The forest is quiet again, the adventurers, victorious.

Sarah pulls her sword from the creature, then wipes the ichor off on its fur/feathers.  She then steps back and quietly contemplates the odd corpses littering the camp.

Valthur winces as the owlbear leans forward to attack him, but to his surprise, it surges ahead with neither beak nor claw. Instead, the entire beast falls on top of him. "Argh," the dwarf cries, wiggling uncomfortably underneath the fallen behemoth. "Get this thing off me!"

OOC: Thanks for the timely strikes, Marklin and Sarah!

Aldara attempts to use her arms, as strong as brittle noodles, to aid whatever strapping adventurers hope to push the dead owlbear off of Valthur.  Then, she fishes her daggers out from wherever she threw them.

As she searches she can be heard saying, "I need to buy more of you..."

Having not seen any further assailants in the darkness, Eoni returned and attempted to help pull the creature from the dwarf without getting blood on her dress.

"Is anyone hurt?" she asked as she pulled feathers free of the mass.  She took another hand full and kept pulling.

Valthur replies eagerly to Eoni's question, but his voice is so muffled by the dead owlbear in his face that his words are entirely incomprehensible. He does manage to wiggle his arms frantically.

Finding that pulling the creature was no good, Eoni began pushing and levered the creature off of the flattened dwarf.

"Lie still a moment," she said to her feathered friend.  She pressed her hands to his chest and intoned, "Let Avandra's grace fill your bones with strength and mend your soul of sorrow."

OOC: Eoni Daflin rolled 4 using 1d6+1.  Cure light wounds, Valthur.
Eoni Daflin rolled 3 using 1d6+1.  Cure light wounds, Valthur #2.

Valthur does his best to calm his flailing arms as Eoni endows him with Avandra's blessing. After a deep breath, he rises to knee and dusts himself off.

"Many thanks, Sister." He takes stock of the fallen beast next to him. "Hideous mongrels, these are. Made of black magic. Where do you suppose they came from?"

"Could they have been hunting us?" she asked, picking up one of it's claws for examination.  "Sent after us?"

"Blood thirsty predators is all," Jorr offers after extracting himself from a stubborn sticker-vine. "Night time is no friend out here."

The grizzled woodsman goes on to say owlbears are not that uncommon in the Witchwood and he suspects all the goblin activity in the area has agitated the wood's occupants.

"No tellin' what else might be stalkin' angry out there now," he says while peering into the inky darkness just beyond the campsite.

" We can't stay here. Those bloody things will start ta stink and draw maybe worse to em. I say we decamp and find another place for the night."

"Well, it's not like I'm exactly sleepy anymore." Valthur scans the darkness for signs of anything else creeping in the surrounding woods.

"Let's push on for a while," Eoni agreed.  "Jorr, how much further to town?"

Taerix cleans off his blade, just in case it got dirty, and waits for the party's verdict. The halfling agrees that staying here isn't the most prudent course of action.

Following their violent awakening to two rampaging owlbears, and taking stock of their injuries, the adventuring company quickly gathers their things and strikes out into early dawn. Daybreak is still a few hours off yet, so Jorr elects to travel along the edge of the Dawn Way, figuring there is less chance for the party to become lost or stuck with pokey things along the way.

The adventurers walk through sunrise and a few hours later are marching out of the Witchwood, toward Drellin's Ferry up ahead. Presumably, the group immediately seeks out Speaker Wiston or Captain Soranna to relay their findings.

Speaker Wiston arranges a meeting at his home. There, the Speaker has assembled the town's influential leaders, the town council: himself, Captain Soranna, Delora Zann (owner of the local stable), Kellin Shadowbanks (owner of the Skull Bridge Inn), and Iormel (a wealthy landowner and longest standing member of the Town Council). The Town Council eagerly awaits the adventurers' report.

"Well, you all know why we're here" Wiston says without preamble. "To hear these brave men and women tell it, in a matter of days we're going to have an army of goblins, hobgoblins and monsters on our doorsteps. What do we do? Fight? Try to talk to them? Abandon the town and flee? Or do nothing and trust in the good gods they don't come this way?"

The room erupts into chaos as each council member nervously talks over the next, each advocating their own position. This continues for some time, when finally, Speaker Wiston raises an exasperated hand and shouts over the din, "Please! Please! Let them tell you what they saw out there..."

The room quiets down and five sets of eager eyes come to rest on the assembled adventurers...

Eoni took a deep breath and recounted their observation of the bridge at Skull Gorge.

"They held the watchtowers and each end of the bridge," she explained, looking between council members.  Convincing people what to do wasn't her forte, but all she had to do here was tell them what they'd seen.

"We could see a half dozen tents and campfires on the far side, but the most formidable of them was a dragon resting on one of the towers.

"They seemed to be waiting or there just to hold the bridge."

Taerix looked at the assembled leaders and nodded, adding, "It is as the good cleric says. They were in no hurry to move."

Sarah watches her elders speak.

The assembled council listens to the adventurers' recounting of events and then each weighs in with their own viewpoint.

Delora Zann, a seasoned ex-adventurers herself, has no illusions about how fighting or talking are likely to work out. "Can't reason with murdering goblinfolk," she asserts rather pointedly to any who might adopt this position. "It's not in their make-up." She advocates flight, the sooner the better. "I've seen towns put to the sword before. Death or slavery awaits us if we remain here. We must gather the things we can and flee east, the sooner the better!"

Iormel, a sarcastic and snappish older businessman, favors fighting because he can't bear the thought of abandoning his property, or worse, paying a hefty ransom to "filthy goblinkind". He continues, clearly agitated, "We can't let them take everything we've worked so hard for, just because we lack the nerve to stand up to this hobgoblin rabble!" He appeals to the adventurers to stay and help defend the town and offers to put up a considerable portion of his deep coffers as an enticement.

Kellin Shadowbanks, the oportunistic and even-tempered halfling innkeep, advocates sending emissaries to the hobgblins ad trying to buy them off with whatever it takes. "They want treasure, don't they? Well, let's give it to them this time, but see to our defenses all the same. If they come back next year and ask for more, we'll be ready to fight by then." He looks around the room as though his position is the only sensible one voiced thus far.

Soranna, the town's Captain, is grim throughout the proceedings. It's her job to execute whatever decisions the council makes, so she is careful to not advance any particular course of action. When specifically asked on the matter, by Speaker Wiston, she replies that it might be suicide to fight given the sighting of a dragon and other monsters in their midst. "It's not for me to say. I'll try to do whatever you ask of me, but I don't think we stand much of a chance against an army large enough to count dragons, hellhounds, and manticores in their number."

Speaker Wiston grows equally flustered and indecisive as the proceedings continue. The speaker does not know what to do, and his body language suggests as much. He leans toward trying to talk to the hobgoblins, but even he doesn't expect that to work. "I guess I don't see that it could hurt to at least ask them what they want...maybe we should tell folks to get their children and elderly in wagons heading east, while we still can. What do you think?"

Speaker Wiston would like to hear the adventurers' viewpoints as well and makes a point of quieting the other council members to allow each to say their piece.

"I believe that the map notes we brought back from Vraath Keep specifically called out to save a particular race for eating," Eoni said, glancing in the halfling innkeeper's direction.  "I don't think they're interested in negotiating.  Especially if they have an eye on taking over the entire Vale.

"If it were just the hobgoblin raiders, we would have a chance.  Add a dragon and the other creature's as their allies, we stand little chance with the forces we have.  They are very well organized and must have a special leader that brought them all together.  One that knows how to plan and keep that rabble together.

"At the very least," she continued, agreeing with Speaker Wiston, "evacuating anyone unable or unwilling to fight would be prudent.  If the road east is clear, they should go as a group as soon as they can.

"As to the rest, if you have scouts to send out, they could warn us of an approaching army and gauge it's strength.  Our only hope of success is if they do not bring their entire army to bear on Drellin's Ferry.  Perhaps spreading their forces across the Vale in a single attack.

"Has there been any word from Terrelton or further east of reinforcements?"

"What do they want? WHAT DO THEY WANT?? They want yer heads on pikes, be what they want." Marklin snorted at the council members, as he paced the floor.

“If ye had a wall, if ye had more men, a lot more men, ye might stand a chance. But then again, they have a bloody Dragon. The gods only know what else they have. I be no Captain, but I served under a good one. Learned a thing or two, I did. They hold that bridge to.." He had to think for a moment..." to secure a line 0' march. Something be coming up the Dawn Way, that needs that bridge, to get at you lot."

Valthur listens intently to all sides before offering his voice. "Eoni's right. There'll be no negotiating with these goblin-folk. And we don't stand much of a chance against a dragon and Moradin knows what else, either."

He wonders to himself if fleeing to Terrelton will simply delay the inevitable.

"I still think if we get enough arrows into that dragon, it'll drop. And when it does, the smaller humanoids will be more likely to run than fight. I'd get the militia on bow practice straightaway. Send everyone else away, but we should make a stand somewhere. Anyone have a better place?"

Sarah seems to be playing some indiscernible game that involves intricate movements of her fingers.  At times, she moves two of them along the table top in a simulated walking motion.  But other than this, it is really difficult to discern what purpose her dexterous maneuverings may serve.

Whatever she is doing, she seems very intent.

For his part, Jorr is in favor of taking the battle to the goblins...not running away from them. "I know those woods like no other! We could give 'em hell and make them think twice about peepin' their ugly faces out of the holes they crawled out from!" he blusters.

He says this is his plan regardless of what the Town Council or adventurers elect to do. "Truth it, we never saw no goblin army. We saw a handful of patrols. Which we beat. A manticore. Which we beat. Hellhounds. Yeah, we beat them too. Hell! We even slayed Ol' Sixer!"

Jorr says he is too old to run and has nothing worth living for anyway and would just as soon go down fighting, rather than running.

Sarah does not look up, nor does she stop . . . . whatever it is she's doing with her hands and fingers. "Dragon," she says, as if that one word is all that needs to be said.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:27, Fri 05 Jan 2018.

"If there be no larger force, then why be they holding the bridge?" Asked Marklin

Aldara, being notoriously bad at planning, and in a rare moment of self-awareness, also keeps quiet.  By body language, she seems to agree with Delora and Kane the most...and with Sarah.

Captain Soranna shakes her head in the negative. "No word has come..." She leaves the next portion unstated for a time, but eventually concedes she believes goblin brigands along the road could have picked off any small groups of riders.

"Otherwise they would have returned by now."

Captain Soranna suggests the ford at Drellin's Ferry is as likely as a place for the goblins to cross as any others. "Once they cross the ford, the whole of Elsir Vale is at their disposal, with nothing but a road between here and the cities to the east."

She goes on to state Brindol is the only walled city this side of Dennovar. All the other towns and villages have no fortifications of note. An unchecked goblin horde would leave the towns of Drellin's Ferry, Terrelton, Nimon's Gap and Talar at their mercy.

Nobody has an answer to this question, but Captain Soranna suggests Marklin's line of thinking on the matter is not unreasonable. Despite the adventurers lack of evidence of any sizeable goblinoid army, their limited experiences in the Witchwood do suggest an organized force and not mindless bands of marauding rabble.

"We need two things," Eoni stated, holding up a finger and looking from one Council member to the next.  "How many are coming and when?

"And whether the rest of the Vale knows and has reinforcements to help," she concluded, raising a second finger.  She was nonplussed that Captain Soranna was deferring to the Council.  Eoni felt the woman was more qualified to make the decisions than they.  Perhaps with the exception of Lady Zann.  The Sister lowered her hand and continued.

"We can return to the Witchwood and see what we can find out," she said, volunteering the rest of them to go with Jorr, "but you need to know what the other towns are doing.

"If you can hold them here at the crossing, it safeguards everyone."

Valthur gives a satisfied nod at the suggestion they return to the Witchwood. While he hadn't exactly thrived on their last encounter there, the idea of doing something easily beats waiting for a growing horde of goblin-folk to build and eventually wash over the town.

And though he really hates to agree with Eoni, he finds more and more that her decisions are sound.

"Finally, some sense!" Iormel exclaims while pounding the flat of his hand against the chair's armrest. The wealthy businessman is obviously more amenable to any solution which doesn't require willingly sacrificing his possessions to rampaging goblins.

Iormel turns to Captain Soranna, "Conscript every able-bodied man, woman and child to the cause! We can defeat those bastards here at the ford!" he says, his eyes gleaming greedily. Kellin fidgets with a platinum coin, bouncing it between knuckles as he contemplates the future, but clearly he seems willing to support this course of action. Delora sighs and shrugs her shoulders noncomittally, saying if it's all the same, she still recommends fleeing, but will support the will of the Council.

Captain Soranna refrains from committing to anything before hearing what the Speaker has to say, but offers the same sentiments just posited by Delora.

The Speaker lowers his head and rubs his balding temples. Several moments later he emerges from his own thoughts, raises his head and addresses the group:

"If these adventurers will go forward and harass the goblins as they advance, we will bolster our defenses here in town and prepare to defend the ford. Meanwhile, Delora, I ask you to take a few fast riders to ride eastward and send word."

Satisfied that nearly all concerns were addressed and some sort of consensus reached, Speaker Wiston motions for an attendant to pour goblets of wine for all.

"Let us drink to our bold endeavor. For Drellin's Ferry!" he says while raising his glass to his lips.

To this, a refrain of "Hear, here" breaks out, though not as heartily as one might hope.

"Give us a chance to get cleaned up and a few hours sleep," Eoni said after the toast.  "Then we'll head back out."  She directed the statement at Captain Soranna but nodded to the Speaker and Council to acknowledge their decision.

They needed to catch their breath and restock before plunging back into the Witchwood.  They'd been lucky to avoid any raider patrols and she'd found it suspicious.  She'd have to speak with Jorr to see if they could try and find one this time without being spotted first.

 Marklin shook his head
" Good plan, unless they flank you. Plenty o' wood to make rafts to cross. And how long will your farmers and shop keepers hold up against long bows and Dragon breath? They will soil themselves and break and run. Your plan be folly."

Too tired to takes sides in the latest feud, Valthur quietly welcomes a chance to sleep. Even after the healing provided by Eoni, he can feel the savage tears from the owlbears in the wood. A good night's rest will do him some good.

Sarah does not look at any of the excited town leaders as she continues the gyrations with her hands.  As final pronouncements are made, however, she stops and puts her hands in her lap and just looks at each person as they make their grandiose plans.

When her companions appear to be leaving the conference, she slides off the chair and joins them in exiting the room.  But once outside, she slips away.

[Private to DM Pawn: Sarah thinks anyone not favoring immediate departure is stupid.  She thinks Iormel is stupid, but understands why he would be acting stupid.  She also thinks Kellin is stupid, and seriously considers going to his place to try to steal things, as a "just desserts" kind of thing.  Out of respect for Marco, she does not.

But it does cause her to wonder if the chaos will provide cover for thieving from other places.  And under the circumstances, she thinks it unlikely that her failure to report any gains to the Thieves' Guild would be noticed -- and, she has a strong historical tendency to keep such matters a secret.  So, she's going to slip away and look for opportunities to steal, preferring in order (1) money, (2) trinkets, and (3) things that just look like they could be useful regardless of value.]
This message was last edited by the player at 16:03, Mon 08 Jan 2018.

Taerix agreed that a bath and a few hours to sleep would be most welcome. Regardless, he will make himself ready to move out when the others do.

When they had left the  powers that be and got outside, Marklin planted himself right in Eoni's path. "You might not think me smart, but the way o' war I knows, I served in th army o Brindol. I heard Milord from time to time, when they spoke o’ things dealing with war. I know when we are buggered. They hold a bridge. Why would those buggers be wanting a bridge unless they plan on using it. No word has come from the east, someone or things are stopping  travel on th Dawn Way ta th east. That ruin we over  ran, and th map we found, that map was not for the likes o’ us to see. So I believe it."

 Marklin waved an arm to take in the whole area.” Militia..Bah! Farmers and Shopkeepers, even if they meet an equal number of Hob Gobs..with those bloody bows  the Hobs got, not to even speak o’ the Dragon… slaughter.”

" You want to be our Captain, fine, then be the Captain. I am all for going out again to see what the enemy has, that be sound tactics. Even harnessing them, be fine. But making a stand at a ford when we have no flank guards....... Come back with me into the room and convince those dunderheads to run east. Calls it a tactical withdraw if it makes em feel better."

"They weren't going to run without a reason," Eoni explained patiently.  "I agree that if it's as bad as we think it is, they won't be able to stand against it.  But they're not going to run unless we can tell them exactly what they're up against.

"These are their homes, their lives," she said, waving her arm at the town around them.  "They're not going to give up and run if there's a chance they can hold on to it.

"We need to find out what they're up against and get back here in time to get them out."

"IF, we get back in time. They nay want to believe anything but that they can fight at the ford and win. Not going to happen. But I will go along with this for my home and family in the east."

 Marklin went about getting a good meal into his gullet,and a few ales. A wash and good nights sleep would do wonders for his sagging moral.

Aldara spends what time she is not sleeping or otherwise resting, replinishing her stock of daggers and food for the road.  She also attempts to locate the freshest source of water for her two waterskins.

Buying five daggers, two half iron rations.

Having decided on a course of action, the party sees to a few personal errands before retreating to the local inn to catch a few hours of rest before heading back out into the Witchwood. Meanwhile, the town is hustling and bustling with nervous energy as its citizens prepare to defend it from a possible assault. Some citizens do not heed the Speaker's call to stay and fight and instead gather what possessions they can and begin fleeing eastward along the Dawn Way. Those who remain behind do their best to rally the flagging spirits of those who wish to follow their neighbors, but its obvious the town militia's morale is quite low.

Perhaps it won't come to blows and the fears of attack are overstated? Speaker Wiston and Captain Soranna can only hope so, or perhaps they have pinned their hopes on the adventurers, bolstered by the knowledgeable and feisty hermit, harrassing the hobgoblins enough to dissuade a concentrated attack.

In any event, a few short hours later, the adventurers reassemble in the common room, outfitted in gear. Speaker Wiston and Captain Soranna see them off, each wishing them well. The Speaker says, "Go safely. Until we meet again, may Avandra's grace guide your way!"

***

It is late afternoon when the party sets out from Drellin's Ferry. As usual, it is a warm, muggy day with all but the faintest traces of wispy clouds high in the sky. Up ahead, a dark line of green trees awaits: the Witchwood. As is hiw wont, Jorr leads the way and soon has the party marching along a game trail that runs parallel to Dawn Way.

The canopy above nearly blots out all light, though the sun is still several hours from setting. Still, Jorr ably leads the party and keeps the Dawn Way in sight throughout, the party perhaps expecting to see a column of hobgoblins marching along at any moment. But they see nothing of the sort. Another afternoon of sweating and warding off incessant clouds of biting insects. How Jorr managed to live such a place, no, chose to live in such a place, is a mystery. What causes a man to adopt such an inhospitable land as his own?

Whatever the cause, Jorr is tight-lipped about it, his energy focused on stearing the party clear of razorvine, twistroot, ickbush and other hindrances. At some point, Jorr holds up a halting hand and whispers, "Anyone hear that?" The weathered man has a quizzical look on his face as he turns his ear skyward.

OOC: Everyone make a hear noise check (d6)

[Private to Sarah: Sarah managed to pilfer 50 gp of miscellaneous valuables, should she wish to have done so, in the chaos immediately following the Town Council's meeting. You may add these to your character sheet, if you wish.]

Taerix listens, but only hears the sounds of insects around the party.

18:22, Today: Kane Taerix rolled 4 using 1d6 with rolls of 4.  What was that?

Marklin hears a high-pitched hum and trill coming from somewhere within the dark canopy above. Turning his attention skyward, the fighter sees shadowy flits of movement between the outstretched boughs, and a fraction of a moment later, he spots several points of movement in all directions.

Though he has but a moment to see them before they swoop down, Marklin sees rust-red giant mosquito-like creatres, about the size of a housecat, each with a set of four leathery, bat-like wings and a large pale pink proboscis, and a short feathery tail trailing behind--stirges!

Down below, the flock of stirges spies a veritable cornucopia of delicious, live-giving liquid and is drawn to the call to sate their thirst...

OOC: Marklin has enough time to call out a warning before the stirges are on the party. For purposes of this encounter, they are all around you now and rapidly descending through the forest canopy. Range is probably 60 feet or so at the moment.

Stirges
AC 7
HP: 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4


PC         AC   HP    9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1  0 -1 -2 -3
Aldara     8    9/9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Eoni       8  19/19   9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20
Marklin    2  18/18   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Sarah      4  16/16   9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20
Taerix     1  19/19   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Valthur    5  23/23   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

NPCs
Jorr       8  10/10  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20

[Private to GM:

  HD       9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1   0   -1  -2  -3
Up to 1    10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20  20
1+ to 2    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20
2+ to 3    8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20
3+ to 4    7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19
4+ to 5    6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18
5+ to 6    5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17
6+ to 7    4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16
7+ to 9    3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15
9+ to 11   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14

]

PCs are UP!!!

Looking up at Marklin's cry, Eoni readied herself to swing her staff at whatever danger beset them.  She hadn't expected anything from above and been concentrating on the trail.

OOC: Eoni Daflin rolled 2 using 1d20.  Staff whack! Stirge swing 1.

 Marklin was trudging along the game trail, thinking of tall pitchers of cool ale, being poured by buxom serving wenches. His day dream was suddenly interrupted by an odd Humming sound. He looked around for the source, and then lifted his eyes up! " Ware above us! " Shouted the Warrior,as he  raised his bow and placed the arrow to the string,then and let fly at one of the "birds?"

23:11, Today: Marklin rolled 3 using 1d8 with rolls of 3.  Arrow damage on Stirge.

23:09, Today: Marklin rolled 11 using 1d20 with rolls of 11.  Arrow at Stirge.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:12, Mon 15 Jan 2018.

Taerix quickly drops a sling bullet into the pouch of his sling and lets fly. He almost laughs out loud at the poof of feathers that erupts when the stone flies true and hits his target. Almost, because the nasty thing is still coming his way....


23:30, Today: Kane Taerix rolled 3 using 1d4 with rolls of 3.  sling damage.

23:26, Today: Kane Taerix rolled 14 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 10.  Sling at stirge.

Valthur fires at one of the approaching stirges, but his quarrel disappears into the canopy behind the swarm.

00:14, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 8 using 1d20 with rolls of 8.  Crossbow vs. stirge.

"By every god in a million--!" Aldara catches herself, and then launches her sleeping spell at the vexing vermin.

Sleep on the stirges!

00:54, Today: Aldara rolled 13 using 2d8 ((8,5)).

Stirges affected, pending Saving Throws.

Marklin's keen eyes and Aldara's quick thinking save the day. The wizard manages to effectively neutralize all the stirges before they have a chance to swoop down onto the party. The stirges fall from the sky like lawn darts...leathery winged, blood-sucking and feathery lawn darts...skidding unceremoniously into the loamy soil, fast asleep and out for the count!

It takes little effort for the party to dispatch the stirges in this state and they spend the next minute or so going to each and doing so.

OOC: Combat over

 Marklin flipped one of the things over with his boot. " Nasty looking little beggars."

Sarah watches with bemusement as the feathered darts plummet to the earth.  She had done nothing to prepare for battle.  In fact, she has been laboring greatly on the journey.

She's also clanking a bit.  Quite unusual, as she's usually rather quiet and unnoticeable.

Eoni scrubbed the side of her face with the sleeve of her dress where a careening blood bat had struck her in it's somnolent descent.  She was very glad it hadn't been awake.  It had been an odd experience as the rain of small creatures thudded down around them in the dim light.

"Quick thinking Aldara," the Sister commended with a nod in the woman's direction.  "They didn't look pleasant."

Sweating profusely, Valthur dispatches several of the ugly blood suckers with his dagger. When the dirty deed is complete, he looks to the others. "You saved us from an ugly encounter, Aldara. Many thanks for that."

"Indeed. Very nicely done," Taerix says to the magic-user, clapping silently in her direction.

Jorr mutters under his breath while assisting with the task of dispatching the sleeping stirges. With that complete, he comments, "Bastards is usually only active at night. Must be all the goblinfolk running through the area stirrin' 'em up to no good."

Speaking of night, Jorr suggests finding a spot to make camp for the night soon, and then contiuing again early in the morning. Presumably the party takes the knowledgeabe woodsman up on his suggestion and settles in for the evening.

Night passes uneventfully and dawn breaks in warm and muggy. The smell of burning wood hangs heavily in the air, though no fires are seen anywhere nearby and it is hard to see very far under the stifling canopy of the dark Witchwood.

Jorr offers his assessment, "Forest's on fire by the smell of it."


He then suggests another day patrolling along the Dawn Way, perhaps setting up an ambush somewhere along the way. "But, up to you folks. You tell me where you want to get, and I'll see to it to get you on your way."
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:26, Tue 16 Jan 2018.

"I think an ambush would be a good idea," Eoni replied to Jorr's suggestion.  "But if there's someplace near where we could see where the smoke is coming from, that might change our plan.

"Perhaps a hill or tall tree?"

The party is in the midst of an expansive forest and it takes little effort to find a suitably tall tree to gain a better view of the surrounding countryside. A short time later, one of the more nimble party member's is able to climb into the crown of a large tree.

Above the canopy, numerous dark plumes of smoke are spotted rising in the distant west through northwest, seemingly from the foothills of the Wyrmsmoke Mountains. The Witchwood is not on fire, but the hills immediately west of the forest apparently is.

" Trying to smoke us out? Seems a mighty effort for our lot."

"Talk about cutting off the nose to spite the face... If they burn everything down, they won't have anything to hide behind!"

If no one else offers, Aldara, being five feet and seven inches tall, will clamber up a tree and see what can be seen.  Of course, if someone else volunteers, she will hope for the best for them.  Silent encouragement, and all that.

Sarah shifts from one foot to the other, almost as if she's embarrassed.  Finally, she produces and drops a large, obviously full sack on the ground.  It makes a lot of noise as she deposits it.  Thus unburdened, she clambers up a tree to look around.

"Jorr," Eoni asked tentatively.  Though she couldn't see them through the dense forest, she looked in the ominous direction of the Wyrmsmoke Mountains.  "Are there any trails that lead in that direction?

"We need to see what's happening over there."

Jorr says he can lead the party to the Wyrmsmoke Mountains by way of either the Old Forest Road, just north of Vraath Keep, or further north along the trail that heads west from the crude giant effigy the adventurers had previously seen prior to traveling to Skull Gorge.

The Old Forest Road is the nearest option, should the party wish to exercise it. In any event, Jorr is prepared to lead the adventurers along either route.

 Marklin took a long looks at the smoke in the far distance. " Well, let's be about it then."

Nodding, Jorr leads the party along the footpath for a time, eventually linking up with the Dawn Way for a short period of time. He says the Old Forest Road is about a half mile or so distant and advises everyone to stay to the left side of the road.

As the party is marching northward, they see dust rising from the road ahead and quickly shuffle off to the side of the road, where they seek cover behind trees and bushes. Emerging from the dust cloud, they spot a black-haired woman astride a powerful charger, riding at a full gallop in their direction.

The rider is coming from the north and even at this distance, the party sees she wears a soldier's tunic of blue and white over a short of mail, with the stylized image of a golden lion over her heart. Marklin recognizes this as the livery of The Golden Lions, a knighthood of Brindol.

She is about 50 yards distant now and either hasn't noticed the party or doesn't care to be sneaky about her approach. She rides down the center of the road at a full clip.

OOC: Actions?

"That's no rabble from the sticks riding this way," Valthur whispers to Marklin. "What's her hurry?"

The dwarf readies his crossbow in the event something's chasing the rider, although he finds it hard to believe any creature could keep up with the speeding charger.

Sarah hides behind the others, and looks prepared to sprint away.

 Marklin saw the lone rider, and his eyes went wide, when he saw the symbol she wore" By the gods.  What be a Knight of Brindol doing in these parts? Don't loose upon her,she be a Knight of me home."

 Marklin had to force himself not to step out to the edge of the road,and shout and wave to get her attention. " If she be running from something, we feather it or them, then we can get her attention." The Warrior nocked an arrow to the Long bow.

Eoni had wanted to flag down the rider to exchange information but conceded to Marklin's plan by crouching low and peering anxiously at the dust trail in the rider's wake.  The Sister fingered the wooden symbol about her neck and readied a prayer for Avandra's favor.

It was heartening to believe Brindol might be aware of the mischief afoot here in the Witchwood.  Though if the rider were not pursued, they might not get the chance to attract her attention over the thundering hooves of her mount.

Sarah has a quizzical look on her face as she releases her large sack and readies her crossbow.

Taerix makes sure his weapons are close at hand, and waits for the others' decision whether to flag this knight down or not.

"Just get down," Eoni whispered, seeing a few of the others not taking cover.  "We'll let her pass and see if she's pursued.  Just be ready to strike.

"I'll ask for Avandra's blessing if she is.  Then open fire."

"And I'll see about making things easier for us, as well." Aldara, too, is low.

"Just see that she doesn't ride too far once she's past us," Valthur worries aloud while taking cover. "She may have the information we need and I don't like our chances chasing her on foot."

Taerix moves into cover.

Marklin ducked behind a tree.

The mounted knight urges her horse forward at great speed, her eyes locked on the road that lay ahead, as she bounds quickly toward the crouching adventurers at the side of the road. There is no let up in the horse's gait and soon both fly past the party in a cloud of dust. The mounted rider continues on her way and takes no obvious notice of the hiding party at the side of the road. In a flash of the eye, the Golden Lion of Brindol is well down the road, the adventurers watching the dust cloud behind the horse.

Seeing that the knight is continuing down the road, and that nothing is following her, Sarah aims her crossbow over the rider's head as if to fire it . . . but she lowers the weapon without discharging it.

 Marklin saw the Knight pass them,and all but slip from sight, in  the blink of an eye. What did he know about horses, he was Infantry. The Warrior ran out into the road and waved his arms." UP BRINDOL! UP BRINDOL!!" giving the battle cry of his home city, trying to get the Knight to stop.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 19:56, Sat 20 Jan 2018.

At Marklin's call, the knight jerks her head sideways to look over her shoulder, and pulls back on the reins to draw her horse to a slower gait. Some distance down the road, she wheels her horse around to take in her surroundings before committing to any course of action. She keeps at stand-off distance while assessing the risk, then, she calls out. "LO! BRINDOL. RISE!" in the correct response to the rally cry.

Her horse paws at the ground impatiently, but the knight calms the impressive charger with a few soothing words and trotsurges her steed forward a few paces.

"Lo there!" she calls again, now at closer distance to Marklin. The knight wears banded mail beneath her battle tabard and wears a sword and mace at her side, while a small lance is also within easy reach.

Presumbaly, the adventurers make no outward shows of enmity and the woman draws near enough to converse with the party. Doing so she introduces herself as Teyani Sura, a Lion of Brindol. Marklin, and perhaps others, will recognize her station as that of an elite soldier in Brindol's Lion Guard.

"I ride in the service of the Lord of Brindol. I was part of a patrol sweeping up the Old Rhest Trail. Five days ago, we ran into a roadblock--hobgoblins and ogres, waylaying any travelers heading into or out of the vale from the north. They were too strong for us, and we had to retreat. My captain sent several of us off to warn folks across the vale to avoid the old Rhest Trail. I travel now to Drellin's Ferry and will sweep eastward up the Dawn Way, to Brindol."

Her tale complete, Teyani seeks any news the adventurers might share of their recent sightings in the region.

"We've seen the same here," Eoni explained.  "They seem well organized with patrols of various creatures that would not normally band together.

"We came up from Drellin's Ferry yesterday afternoon and seen no sign of a patrol, but be wary.

"We cleared a number of them from Vrath keep and ambushed a hobgoblin patrol.  They've secured the bridge at Skull gorge with a green dragon hobgoblins, and some massive, unnatural hounds.

"We found imprints from their plans in Vraath keep.  It hinted at a massive surge to take every town in the Vale, including Brindol.  It also mentioned someone called Turgarum.  A bugbear wizard flew off with the actual map before we could capture it.

"Drellin's Ferry is making ready for an attack, but we have yet to see a force larger than a patrol.  We thought they had secured Skull Gorge for their army but did not see any sign of one.

"Our plan was to ambush another patrol to see what we could find out.  That's why we didn't flag you down as you passed.  We were going to attack any pursuers.

"However, this smoke from the west has drawn our attention."  She waved in the direction they had seen the smoke.  "It seems to be spread across a great swath along the foothills of the Wyrmsmoke."

She looked to the others to see if they had anything to add or questions of the knight.

"She heard me, by the gods she heard me!" Marklin seemed almost giddy, whgen he said those words, a broad lop sided grin was plastered over his mouth. " A Gods honest Knight o' th Golden Lions. Best we av, they be."

 But as soon as the Knight came close, a sudden frown replaced the joy, and he turned his back and  found sudden interest in checking his bow, and seemed more then willing to let the others talk to the Knight.

Taerix waits in cover, watching for any monsters that might interrupt this pleasant conversation.

Valthur crawls out of his cover and approaches the rider. "Where did you cross the river? Did you see the dragon that we did?"
Maybe is was just an illusion, he hopes to himself.

Teyani says she saw no dragon on her way back from Rhest. She traveled by way of the Rhest Trail to the Old Forest Road, turning at the Old Forest Road when she encountered a large hobgoblin warband at that crossing. The hobgoblin warband prevented her from continuing southeast toward Brnindol.

The Rhest Trail runs from the ruins of the old capital of Rhestilor to Brindol. The Old Forest Trail cuts across Witchwood, eventually linking up with the Dawn Way. Teyani had hoped to use the Old Forest Road to reach Drellin's Ferry, where she would spread news of the hobgoblins up north, get a fresh horse, then continue eastward along the Dawn Way warning villages as she went.

"There is a ford across the Old Forest Road. There, I crossed The Rhestwash." The Rhestwash is a smaller tributary that feeds into the Elsir River.

"Ride on and tell Drellin's Ferry what you've seen," Eoni encouraged the knight.  "And tell Brindol what we've told you.  This isn't any ordinary rabble.  They're well organized and have a plan to overrun all of Elsir Vale."

Teyani waves off any effort to get her to investigate smoke rising from the Wyrmsmoke Mountains and seems more intent on quickly riding to Drellin's Ferry. From there, she explains, she intends to get a fresh horse and ride hard toward Brindol. She thanks the adventurers for their report

"Farewell to you. Go with the benevolent hand of Bahamut as your guide," she offers in farewell. Moments later, Teyani Sura, the Lion of Brindol, urges her charger forward and races off in a cloud of dust.

"Let's keep going," Eoni urged, starting to walk north on the Dawn Way.  "We should really have a name for ourselves.  I think it would help when we spoke to people if they'd heard of us.  They'd be more likely to heed what we're saying.

"But not anything too aggressive like the Hobgoblin Slayer's", she mused.  "Something more general that would inspire confidence but not define a role.  So we shouldn't be the Cavern Searchers or something like that.  We'd only be seen as useful in caverns."

Following their roadside encounter with the Lion of Brindol, the adventurers continue scouting the road for the remainder of the day, stopping occasionally to get a better view of the smoke rising from the western horizon. Eventually, nightfall approaches and the party sets up an ambush along the side of the road and settles in for the evening.

It is an uneventful and warm night.

Morning comes hot and hazy yet again and the adventurers continue with their plans of trying to ambush a goblin patrol to learn more about their adversaries. Hour after sweltering hour passes as the party lurks in what Jorr suggests is a prime ambush spot along the east side of the Dawn Way.

Sometime toward middle afternoon, the monotony is broken by a distant rumbling sound.

The party hears them before they see them--a dull, constant rumble of thousands of booted feet and the creaking of heavy wagons somewhere ahead, beyond the bend of the trade road, swallowed in the greenery of the Witchwood. War drums boom in the distance, and then the first legions appear up ahead, around the bend, marching along the Dawn Way. Goblin worg riders ahead of the main body, hulking giants stride alongside the hobgoblin ranks like living siege towers, and winged monsters, manticores, wyverns, even a red dragon--circle over the advancing army like harbingers of doom. Ahead of this throng, a processional honor guard holds a war standard aloft. This, bearing the sign of an upraised crimson hand over a circle of yellow, each of the hand's five fingers ending in a curved talon.

Ever forward this phalanx marches, drawing steadily nearer the adventurers' ambush location, but this army is focused not a sole ambush, but on wholesale conquest. Their first stop--Drellin's Ferry!

 Marklin was waiting in ambush with the others, doing little more then sweating,and swatting bugs. The monotony was suddenly broken by the sounds of an army on the march. The Warrior knew those sounds all to well, for he had marched with the army of Brindol, not so long ago. When the lead elements came into view, the Warrior felt his stomach flip, " Gods above en Demons below.... That be a proper army.. Now we know what that bridge be afore"

Eoni turned urgently to Jorr and gripped his shoulder.

"You have to get back to Drellin's Ferry and tell them what's coming," she said quickly.  "They won't stand with what they have.  They have to fall back.  I know you want to fight, but there are lives to save.

"Go now and don't look back.  We'll do as best we can and head for Brindol."

She turned the woodsman away and then faced the others, hoping he wouldn't argue.

"We have to go!"

"No arguments from me!" Taerix is ready to move out as fast as his little legs will carry him.

Sarah melts into the brush and stays until the others begin to leave.

Jorr sets his chin resolute and offers in an even tone, "I aint goin' to Brindol. You folks are free to go as you please. But my home is right here. In these woods. If stayin' means I die, well, so be it. Leastwise I'll be dyin' in a place of my own choosin'"

The grizzled woodsman looks off into the distance with a thousand yard stare. "You are good folk. I'll see you to the Rhest Trail. You can find your way from there. And don't go an try to talk me into comin'. No way. No how. My mind is set on that point!"

Jorr says he can get you to as far as the village of Witchcross. From there, it's a hard day's walk southeast to Brindol.

"Someone has to warn Drellin's Ferry of what's coming," Eoni replied earnestly to the woodsman.
"You're faster than we are and they need as much of a lead as we can give them to evacuate the town.
"But let's argue while we get out of here."  The Sister urged the others to move out and began to make her way through the woods.

"We're headed to Brindol because they have the only army with enough strength to challenge this invasion.  They have to be told as well."

 Marklin could give not a copper's worth of damn about Drellin's Ferry, but Brindol was another matter. " Aye, we need ta beat feet outta here."

Jorr looks at Eoni with a confused look on his face. "How in the world do you reckon I am goin' to outrun that knight on her damn horse?!" he says in bewilderment. "She already said that's where she was goin' to go. Why in the world would I chase her down to tell them folk the same thing?!"

Jorr stares up at the damnable sun, shielding his eyes. "The heat must be gettin' to everyone's head," he reckons.

In any event, Jorr suggests it is is foolish for him to follow the knight to Drellin's Ferry and flat-out refuses to do so. "If she can't make it before that army does, there's no hope for it."

That issue settled, at least for Jorr, he echoes Marklin's sentiments and plies the adventurers for where they want to go...and how to go about doing it.

"I'll go myself, then," Eoni said resolutely.  She kept marching and slid off her pack.  She handed extra supplies to the others.  "You'll be needing these more than I.  Go to Brindol and tell them what's coming.

"I'm going to Drellin's Ferry and have them evacuate.  Teyani never saw this army.  They won't leave if all she tells them is that she's seen a hobgoblin warband.

"After that, If I can, I'll follow the Dawn Way to Brindol."

" Piss on that. We either go together or not at all. Splitting up at this point is folly. What if you run into an enemy patrol?"

Sarah remains out of view.

"We didn't run into any patrols on the way here," Eoni replied to Marklin as she swung her lighter pack back on.  "Avandra will watch over me.

"And with that armor, you and Valthur will just be slowing me down.  You have a better chance of warning Brindol as soon as possible if you go straight there.

"And be careful.  With what Teyani said, you may run into trouble."

"We didn't run into any patrols before, cause the army was not here. Now it be here, and they will have recon patrols to the front and flanks, if they be worthy of their salt. We stay together Eoni, that be t he end o' it."

Valthur watches the argument unfold between Eoni and Marklin, but takes no sides. He agrees that splitting up is risky, but on the other hand concedes that both Drellin's Ferry and Brindol both need warning.

"Try to keep up," she replied to the armsman as she settled her pack and increased her speed.

 Marklin would attempt to grab Eoni's arm before she took more then a few steps. "NAY! You have been acting as the Captain O' this group since it formed. You almost had me convinced you might be one after all. But now you want to run off and abandon your command. Again, I say Nay. The Knight will warn Drellin's Ferry. Your place is here, as both Captain and Healer. If you leave us in the face o' the enemy, I will never heed you again,and do my best to convince the others to do the same. "

Eoni spun back on the man but couldn't break his grip.

"She'll tell them what?" the Sister asked coldly.  "Teyani hasn't seen what we've seen.  She'll tell them nothing more than what we already have.  That she saw no more than a hobgoblin warband.  No dragon, no giants, no unstoppable army coming right at them.

"This!" she gestured back through the woods toward the approaching army.  "This will make them leave!  But someone has to tell them before it's already upon them.

"They need time to retreat.  To get far enough ahead that riders and fliers can't pick them off as they fall back.

"Someone has to give them that time!"

"Fine...fine...FINE!" Jorr interjects. "I'll do it. Anyway, you're more like than not to get yerself kilt trampin' through the woods," he comments to Eoni. "No offense priestess, but you don't have the woodsense in you."

"Well, you folks best be on your way..." Jorr tells the adventurers to follow the Old Forest Road northeast until it links with the Rhest Trail, and indicates they will know this road as it runs northwest through southeast and will be outside The Witchwood. "That'll get you all the way to Brindol."

"Thank you, Jorr," Eoni said to the woodsman before turning back to face Marklin.  She looked pointedly at his hand where he still held her by the arm.

"Is that acceptable to you?"

 The hand that held Eoni's arm opened, as Marklin said but one word to the Priestess. "Aye"

Jorr takes his leave of the adventurers, raising his hand in farewell when he draws some distance away, before finally disappearing off the side of the trail into the woods.

Based on the woodman's estimate, it would take two days of hard travel to reach the Rhest Trail, assuming they stuck to the Old Forest Road...which Jorr strongly recommended as it would be quite difficult to become lost if they strayed any distance from the well marked trail. So, the adventurers begin their trek through the Witchwood, bound east toward more civilized lands and the city of Brindol.

At some point during their first day of travel, the party spots a wyvern gliding across the sky, streaking from north to south. Presumably, the adventurers take cover beneath trees and watch from behind cover. The wyvern is some distance away and doesn't take notice of the party, eventually disappearing out of sight.

Eventually, the sun begins to set and the party finds a suitable spot to make camp for the night. Having established watch rotations already, the party settles into their camp routine. The night passes uneventfully.

The party sets out early the next morning, road weary and dirty from travel. This time of year is merciless in these parts and this is perhaps one of the warmest, muggiest summers in recent memory. In short, it is all the party can do to keep from becoming overheated. Fortunately, numerous creaks and streams run through the woods, so there is little risk of dehydration, but it is miserable nonetheless.

The second day of travel is relatively uneventful, save for a dark column of smoke rising up from the distant southwest. Previously, the smoke had been spotted in the west-northwest. To the southwest lies Drellin's Ferry...

There is nothing the adventurers can do about it now, so they trudge forward along the Old Forest Road, make camp in the evening, and wake the next day to begin travel anew.

Early on the third day, the adventurers break out of the forest into scrubby rolling hills. Soon, they come to an intersection with another trail, this one still having cobblestones here or there, though the road is in poor shape. This must be the Rhest Trail.

Leaving the Old Forest Road behind, the party sets out on the Rhest Trail and arrives, tired and weary, at the large village of Witchcross as the sun is setting. Similar to other villages in the vale, Witchcross is little more than a cluster of buildings around a central market with little defensive fortifications to speak of.

It is early evening when the adventurers arrive at Witchcross and the few people they see out and about do not appear to be in any heightened state of alert. Perhaps they are unaware of the impending peril that is to come their way.