[So it's just Iffy and Eron, correct?]

Finding a nearby tree; Amalrik pulls out his wine skin and takes a seat. "Sounds good to me-let me know when we have trouble."

You wait while the convict and the pixie are off on their mission.

It's a nice day. Not too cloudy. You still that haze on the horizon. Your noses must be getting used to the smoke.

"With all respects - I hope we don't find any of that here."

The Wizard feels sweat in his palms and wipes them nervously to his robe. Excitement and feel of possible danger nearby are new to him. With shaking hands he starts to fill another pipeful.

Creston sits down and has some lunch with the others, but keeps looking at those vines. Eventually, he gets up and starts checking them for fungus.

No fungus that you can find here, but the grapes are starting to rot. None of these vines look cared for and they should have been picked a month ago.

[Note: DM is not a wine expert. Just roll lwith it. :D ]

Regdoc found a place to sit, and painstakingly - and painfully - eased himself down. He summoned his beast of burden, the overly large guard dog which bore a make-shift pack on his broad shoulders. The oldster rummaged around a bit and then handed the mutt some bit of preserved morsel.

"When's it gonna rain?"

None of these vines look cared for and they should have been picked a month ago.

Brodd had attended every lecture by the brewmaster faithfully and was a proud of his ability to produce decent yeast cake.  But wine .. wine was a mystery to the simple least acolyte.  It was an important beverage, to be sure, a staple of civilised folk everywhere but paled compared to the power of ales and beers.  In his humble opinion, of course.

Most alarming was the news that the grape harvest was spoiling and the vineyards were abandoned.  It meant nothing good was to be found at this winery.  Hopefully the vintner had just run off and there was nothing more sinister involved.

Taking a other sip from his wine flask Amalrik stands up; "Rotted vines you say.  Nothing good can come of that.  Any winery with a name has an owner, and no owner in his right mind would let his crops rot-thus is not right.  We need to be cautious."

In reply to Amalrik (msg # 13):

Thud sit's quietly in his hiding spot amongst the vines, wondering how that beast of a dog hadn't picked up his scent yet. Grateful that morsels of food had been offered to the dog, knowing that would be a welcome distraction to the beast.

Moving his head slightly to view these people from behind a leaf, as they discuss the condition of the vines. One of them advising caution, "ah!....a least some wisdom amongst them...........but are they a danger ?" Thud thought to himself. "An odd looking lot, an elf, some humans....hmm!....and a flippin dog".

Thinking once again.
"That dog going to find me sooner or later, I better make my presence known on MY TERMS."

"ERR !...sorry to interupt your picknic good people, but you wouldnt of happened to have seen a huge poisonous snake around here by chance ? .i saw him last where you lot are sitting...if not I will just have to keep searching."

At the disembodied voice Brodd springs to attention with alarm; it takes the young priest a few seconds to realise the speaker is actually a halfling.

"Ahem ... well met," Brodd says cautiously.  Never trust a halfing, how did the saying go?  Never trust a halfling with your wallet or your wine.  Never mind that, Brodd decides, this fellow must be brave to announce himself like that to a large party of armed strangers.  And their dog.

Brodd's sun disc holy symbol is prominently displayed and he wears the robes of a cleric, so he hopes he makes a respectable appearance.  "Sir, no, we are just arrived here and have seen no snake or signs.  Thank you for your warning."

"You are local?  Can you tell us what befalls here at the winery?  We are from the southern barony, not quite close enough to know all that has occurred in these parts but we fear the worst.."

In reply to Brother Brodd (msg # 15):

"Alas, much to my embarrasment, I am a little ...err..lost. ...and No I'm not local, it has been my misfortune to be around here when a raid took place. I must admit, i was more interested in preserving my own life than this Winery. I was quite well hidden from the raiders, so well in fact, I didnt really get to see WHO or WHAT the raiders were ?"

Thud pauses to catch his breath.

"Your caution and fear of the worst, I think will keep you in good stead......You appear to be a man of faith, may I enquire as to your deity ?

Thud finds a small flat rock, sit down upon it, pulls out a biscuit from his pack, and his water skin. Eats most of the biscuit, and takes a swig of water from his skin. Then tosses the remains of the biscuit to the beast of a dog near the other man of faith

"What brings you all here to this winery of all places ?....not exactly my first choice for a picnic spot".

"Isn't that the whole point of wine? Rot them down and drink what's left? Never could understand that much..." Regdoc began to explain to the barbarian.

Chomper's ears twitched a little, but the dog made no effort to attack the halfling which had just spawned from the undergrowth.

At the mention of a snake however, Regdoc shot to his feet, a fairly impressive display - especially after the show he'd put on just creaking into the spot to begin with. He shuffled several steps away from any sort of undergrowth, nearly tripping over his packdog in the process. Chomper snagged the faded burgundy surcoat's tails to keep the oldster from falling over.

"Bah! I must have sat on a thorn or some such... dastardly uncomfortable spot that."

He stayed very near to Chomper.

Chomper dipped his head at the newly revealed halfling, but it came across as looking almost like a shrug. Chomper scarfed the tidbits of the halfling's lunch and licked his  saggy lips appreciatively.

"Raiders eh? They're probably in a stupor by now, having drunken the rot - ermm - wine. Shouldn't be difficult to sort this out..."

"Where's this picnic lad? Speak up, they might be in danger..."

It was becoming clear that Regdoc was either having one of his... moments or had been partially asleep for bits of the conversation.

In reply to Regdoc (msg # 17):

Thud looking at Regdoc, "No immediate danger as far as I'm aware". Thud tries to give his  best reassuring look in Regdoc's direction, which would not be convincing at the best of times.

Thud sat on the stone waiting to hear as to the groups travels and intentions.

“We are in search of Lady Starshell, the daughter of the Baron of Masondain. The baron wishes to learn about her fate and – should she still be alive – have her returned safely to Masondain.” Sasar says and smiles at the halfling through his bushy beard. There is no need to mention anything about the Minotaur yet to this lost fellow, as it might just scare and make him flee right now.

“You don’t happen to have heard anything regarding Lady Starshell, have you, sir?”

Putting his wineskin away and then slowly pulling his great sword out off of his back, Amalrik looks around him carefully; "Giant snake did you say?  Now that is something I'd like to see"

Putting his wineskin away and then slowly pulling his great sword out off of his back

"Perhaps killing everything we meet makes the world a poorer place?" Brodd suggests gently.  Of course if the snake was a monster, or otherwise un-naturally aggressive, it would have to be put down for the safety of everyone.

The priest hopes, for the reptiles' sake, it didn't make an appearance and was off somewhere, happily doing snake things in private.

We are in search of Lady Starshell, the daughter of the Baron of Masondain

"Indeed," Brodd avers.  "The Baron would be most generous, I am sure, for information that lead to her safe return."  He pauses to see if the halfling was interested in such things.

Chomper suddenly bolts up from where he was lying down, his ears perked towards the winery.

In reply to DM (msg # 22):

A Lady Starshell........Lady Starshell,....Hmmm!, No I cant say i have heard anything about a Lady Starshell. Thud sits there with a frown of genuine concentration on his face, and his hand rubbing his chin in thought as he replies to Sasar.

Thud keeps quiet about the snake, knowing how his stretching of the truth can often  backfire,.... like most times.

Thud's ears pick up at the phrase, "The Baron would be most generous". Thud is immediately alert and looking very interested in what Brother Brodd had to say.

"Why ...why yes, if I can be of any help, count me in". The thought of profit and reward rattle through his brain, with visions of piles of gold pieces sitting in front of him.

"Well it just so happens I am between engagements, and this sounds like a such a noble cause, why not.". To Thud anything with a reward was a noble cause.

As Sasar had expected, the halfling knows nothing about Lady Starshell. It was worth asking, though.

“Excellent! We are a mixed group; I’m sure you’ll blend in perfectly. I’m Sasar, by the way, a scribe and a magic user. What is your name, if I may ask?” Sasar leans forward, his nervousness momentarily blown away.

"Regdoc the Seeker," the oldster introduced himself. "Shhh!" Chomper perked up and the old man did too.

"Something's got his dander up, and I don't think it's parasites this time..." he said quietly.

"Where are our scouts?"

"Why ...why yes, if I can be of any help, count me in". The thought of profit and reward rattle through his brain, with visions of piles of gold pieces sitting in front of him.

While Brodd was no mind reader by any stretch, he did sense the halfling was finding some motivation in helping their cause.  Such was the way of the world, incentives begat action.  Very few did charity work, most called them fools!

"Well it just so happens I am between engagements, and this sounds like a such a noble cause, why not.". To Thud anything with a reward was a noble cause.

"Well, then, good sir, I-"

Chomper suddenly bolts up from where he was lying down, his ears perked towards the winery.

The interruption was immediate and Brodd spins to see what had disturbed the hound.  Their newest companion might be dreaming of gold but the cleric was imagining minotaurs riding giant snakes charging their position.

"Where are our scouts?"

Brodd nodded at the question, maybe it was the pixie and pickpocket returning to report .. Or ...

He scans the outlay intently, trying to see what was coming.

Actions: Looking around, not moving ahead

E E E E Y O O O W W W W! ! ! !

Well, that sounded very painful. Not quite human either. And coming down the trail from the winery!

Creston turns toward the winery and readies an arrow, just in case.

"You know, you guys are completely missing the point," says Creston, without taking his eyes off of whatever is coming." The state of those vines means that watever these raiders are doing, they've been doing it for weeks longer than we thought."

In reply to Creston Fairwood (msg # 28):

Replying to Sasar, "My name is Thud, I think i was named after my uncle Thudrick".
Thud notices the dogs ears pick up toward the Winery.

"I dont like the sound of that" Thud exclaimed at the sound of the peculiar noise.

Noting the concern of the others,"Excuse me, a little investigation is called for"....."by the way, if i gives you a thumbs up, all is well, otherwise caution or danger is a thumbs down".

Darting a little way up the side of the winery trail, using cover to hide from what ever is coming from the winery, Thud peeks around his cover to try and see what it is that is coming from the winery. Ready to signal back to his new found colleagues, good or bad.



Actions = sneak + hide + watch + listen