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.