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.