Aila frowned as she continued her movement, trying to peer into the dark from the light.

---

Well, she thinks she's pretty hidden (39 v 25)

Killed it on the perception roll: 1 vs 13

"Don't worry," said Aila.  "I only mean to go as far as I must to tell for sure what we're looking at.  But perhaps--if you start off that way," and she gestured an angle that took a slight turn away from the place the birds had flown from.  "And then I shall return when I've had a better sighting.  And if you hear a whip-poor-will, please get that bow ready."  She smiled and gave her elven acquaintance a slight bow.

Unsure if the bow was a formal thing or not, Petar merely nodded at first before awkwardly bowing as well, trying to mimic the exact depth.  "Be careful," he muttered to Aila's retreating form as he moved to the front of the pack and tried to 'walk casual', steering them off at the prescribed angle while hoping that whip-poor-wills were not native to this particular patch.

Aila

Aila's sneaking was adequate, specially when it came to hiding in shadows, although she was not yet at a "professional" level. Nonetheless, the grass proved to be a formidable tool to sneak about, to remain unseen. However, remaining unheard was another thing altogether. The rest of the party was visible from her vantage point, dutifully providing a distraction.

She got as close as she dared, and finally saw her quarry: bugs. Huge beetles! Bigger than the largest dogs she's ever seen. Four of them. They were poking and prodding something in the dirt among the underbrush. She couldn't tell what it was, but it appeared they were feeding on something. The bugs had odd protuberances on their foreheads, like small orange lights or glowing segments in their shells. One of them opened its back carapace and flapped its translucent wings with a loud drone, shifting position with ease.


Everyone Else

It had only been a very short while as a day goes, but Aila was still out there. It was hard to tell where she actually stood. This only confirmed in your minds that anyone hiding in the grass would be hard to see. What else might be out there, watching you now, that you could not see?

Circling back away, wanting to make an arc rather than taking a straight path to the others, Aila started to make her way back to the group, trying to pay attention to both the location of the bugs--to make sure they didn't take notice of her despite their feast; the ground itself so she didn't get tangled up, and trying to also pick out the rest of the group to rejoin them.  Once rejoined with the group, she intended to describe the things as best she could, despite the fact that she'd never seen anything exactly like that before.

What else might be out there, watching you now, that you could not see?

Indeed.  The grass was tall enough to hide a whole goblin village.  Petar feels more and more tense as the minutes go by, keeping one eye on the woods where the birds had flown from and one ear listening for Aila's call.

Assuming she makes it back to report, otherwise ignore the following:

The elf had listened carefully Aila's descriptions.  He knew a lot of woodlore, mostly plants though.  Perhaps his mother's journals had mentioned these strange insects?

Nature Lore (forest) appropriate for some knowledge on the critters?

Phelan shifts her weight uncomfortably from foot to foot waiting for Aila to return.

Aila: You make it back after about an hour's trek, give or take.

Petar: Nature Lore will certainly speak to that knowledge. Go ahead and roll your skill. Indeed, you may be able to recognize these creatures by Aila's description alone.

Everyone Else/Together: It is now almost midday. Where do you wish to head? The field is wide open.

Listening closely, the elf is fairly certain they were fire beetles, unintelligent woodland creatures that would certainly be as aggressive towards goblins as anything else.  "Let's leave them be, they have tough shells and powerful mandibles."

It is now almost midday. Where do you wish to head? The field is wide open.

Petar suggests they take a quick meal and then keep on going, heading to the nearest forested hills area, where he thinks the goblins are hiding in caves or similar shelters.

12 vs INT 17 succeeds, I think there's a -2 bonus for matching the terrain to Forest as well.  Do Fire beetle glands have treasure value in Karanos?

18:45, Today: Petar the Elf rolled 12 using 1d20.  Nature Lore (Forest), ID the critters.

"Fire beetles," said Aila, aloud, putting the name to the image in her memory.  "What do they eat?  I couldn't really see what they were eating, perhaps an old or sick bird from the flock that flew away?"

"It would be well enough to take the time to eat," she added.  "And then continue as you suggest."  Her eyes darted from one companion to the next before she added, "Agreed?"

As the bulky woman listened to the conversation she shook her head, "fire beetles..." "Te be certun, me cun tuk firs wutch." Marille looked into the others eyes. She would allow any other to take watch as well.

"Agreed. It is as a good a time as any. Maybe the beetles have the right idea," she amused herself. "Can't do much with an empty stomach."

Camille dropped her pack, and pulled out a small leather skin unwrapping trail food: dried meats, fruits, nuts, raisins, road loaves. She bit heartily into the meats, and stuffed a bunch of everything down. She finished it all with a long drink of water, of which she used a bit to pour over her head to cool down a bit.

"Petar, you've traveled much? I know there are elves some days away from here, to the west. But they don't like visitors. Can you tell me why? It looks like they look down on us."

"Fire beetles," said Aila, aloud, putting the name to the image in her memory.  "What do they eat?

"What do beetles eat?" Petar repeats with a smile.  He can't help but wonder at some folks' education.  Now, there was a lot he didn't know, too, of course.  "Roots, leaves, fallen fruit ... but fire beetles are giant beetles, they have magical origins and I think they eat just about anything, plant or animal."

Keenly aware not to lecture, Petar changes the subject on the grasses here and how easy it was for Aila to hide away.  "Three steps and it's like you were invisible," he beams.

"Petar, you've traveled much? I know there are elves some days away from here, to the west. But they don't like visitors. Can you tell me why? It looks like they look down on us."

"It's true, some elf lands can be difficult to enter; you meet an Eluvari and you find a people who are ancient, advanced, and, well, arrogant," Petar says between bites, chewing on some trail mix.  "I haven't traveled far from home, though, so I can't say why your particular fellows act isolated.  Maybe there was a conflict here in the past - that's almost always the case, if you unravel the history, far enough, I mean."

Perhaps predictably, Petar seems happy to go on and on about this subject, threatening to give a whole history of elvendom before quickly side-tracking back to personal affairs and explaining how his family were part of a small Estandoli clan of hunters and trappers who ventured closer to human lands in the recent past.  After closer and closer business dealings and trading ties, a few actually settled in a town.  "My mother, er, birth, uhm, elven mother, she left after that .. not much after I was born.  It's my father's second wife - a human no less - that taught me herbalism and, of course, all my stories ..."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:27, Thu 14 May 2020.

"She must have been a wonderful mother, to raise a stout elf like you even though she was human. Is she still among the living? I know elves live very long lives. My mother died in a farm accident. She fell from a barn roof and didn't land gracefully. I remember her still." There is a pause to her story, as it appears she's reviewing her memories. "Iregardless, I know we all have homes and families. It is good to hear. Thank you." She finishes the conversation with a tentative smile and a nod, and begins packing up her supplies again.

After resting for a short while, the party chooses a direction and continues their search by approaching the nearby woods. It takes less than an hour to reach the edge of the trees. The shade is welcome in an otherwise hot day, and the cool air beneath the canopies feels refreshing.

The undergrowth here is quite different from the open grasses in the fields. Here, shrubs and wild ferns predominate, along with bushes and briars. Beautiful chestnut trees cover the area, leaving plenty of space for the sun's rays to nourish the wild growth on the ground. You begin to notice a rich element of insects and arachnids everywhere. A few moths and many types of catterpillars also share the living space here. Several varieties of wild flowers, with light yellow, light red, and light blue petals thrive here, trying to outdo each other for the scarce rays of light.

You continue your path between the trees. There is plenty of space, so the occasional roots and overgrowth does not impede your progress. Visibility is hampered by the shrubs and bushes, but so far nothing sounds out of the ordinary.

That is until amidst all the normal bird calls and buzzing insects you hear a set of hoarse shrieks and the flapping of wings of what appear to be several large birds with unusually long beaks. They drop from the trees several dozen yards away from you and soar straight into your formation.

---

OOC: Nature roll to identify these, if you desire. ;)

Someone roll me a Surprise roll. You are entering combat.

I will work on a map for this situation, but we should be able to "theatre of the mind" it just as easily.


Petar, sorry I haven't answered your question yet. Yes, the glands of fire beetles can be sold to the right buyer. They occasionally go for 3 to 5 gp each, depending on the season and the buyer. After harvesting, a well-prepared gland may last for two months. If not, it will decompose like any other organ and be useless after two days. They are frequently used to give color to special mixtures, and sometimes as alternate spell components where fire or light is the desired result. Preparation usually involves cleaning them from any excess meat, drying, and curing them. The glands are not edible as the "glowing" nature of the gland is acidic and bitter to the taste.

"She must have been a wonderful mother, to raise a stout elf like you even though she was human. Is she still among the living?

"Oh yes, she's still quite a young lady.  She encouraged me to leave home and travel a bit, just this winter's end.  A few steps here and a few there, and soon I ended up in Emberdell!"

***

you hear a set of hoarse shrieks and the flapping of wings of what appear to be several large birds with unusually long beaks. They drop from the trees several dozen yards away from you and soar straight into your formation.

"Beware!" Petar calls from his observation post at the rear.  "Stirges!"

Surprise roll: 1 (doh), although I think PCs with Alertness can act?
Lore Skill roll: 9 vs 17.  Guessing stirges ;)
Alert Skill roll: 12 vs 17, success?
Init: 2+1 for high DEX = 3?

13:28, Today: Petar the Elf rolled 1 using 1d6.  Party Surprise roll.
13:29, Today: Petar the Elf rolled 9 using 1d20.  Nature Lore (Forest), ID flyers.
16:11, Today: Petar the Elf rolled 2 using 1d6.  R1 Party Init.
16:11, Today: Petar the Elf rolled 12 using 1d20.  Petar alertness roll vs 17.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:12, Fri 15 May 2020.

Yes indeed, the ever present flying D&D terrors that are stirges! Hold on to your blood! =)

OOC: Please check on the Combat Summary thread and confirm that I have both the stats summary and the marching order correct.

"Beware!" Petar calls from his observation post at the rear.  "Stirges!"

The "birds" have very clear intentions: they flap their awkward feathered wings straight at you, using their "beaks" to attempt to impale you.

Two head straight for Marille, and three for Phelan. Two more soar over the first line and land one each on Petar and Camille.

13:51, Today: Game Master rolled 8,1,12,1 using 1d20,1d3,1d20,1d3.  Stirges on Marille.
13:52, Today: Game Master rolled 12,1,7,1,13,2 using 1d20,1d3,1d20,1d3,1d20,1d3.  Stirges on Phelan.
13:53, Today: Game Master rolled 10,3 using 1d20,1d3.  Stirge on Petar.
13:53, Today: Game Master rolled 1,3 using 1d20,1d3.  Stirge on Camille.

The stirges come in hard and fast. Marille, despite her surprise, manages to avoid getting stung, defying all luck. Phelan fares just as well, her heavier armor proving good protection.

On the second line, stings bounce off Petar's heavy metal, and the stirge aiming for Camille just plain misses by coming in too high and clumsily bouncing off her shoulder plates.

Where everyone else was taken by surprise, Petar's keen senses have him reacting the moment the birds begin to shriek.

OOC: Petar get to act this round, avoiding surprise.

After the first thrust, the stirges are on you. They crawl and scratch, seeking a place to drive their long beaks through your skin.

OOC: Order is Stirges then Party

In a flash the elf had slung one hand through a shield loop and drawn his slim sword in a smooth, well-practiced motion.  Petar wasn't a swordmaster by any means but he definitely had practiced this move a lot.  His swipe at the nearest stirge, though, was too slow by half and the creature dodged easily before it settled on his shoulder, trying to stick its thin proboscis right through the pauldron.

7 to hit strikes AC 12 for 8 damage, assumed miss

17:09, Today: Petar the Elf rolled 5,6 using d20,d8.  Petar sword attack vs Stirge.

This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 00:16, Sat 16 May 2020.

The staff which Aila had been using as a walking stick while they traveled along quickly slid into her two handed grip as she prepared to beat off the "birds" (stirges).  There was a light smile playing across her lips as she prepared for the thump of stirge against staff.

---

Forgot to put the modifiers in when rolling:

19:42, Today: Aila rolled 3 using 1d6.  damage? - (3+1 = 4 if successful)

19:42, Today: Aila rolled 13 using 1d20.  to hit  (+1 = 14/AC5)

Round 1: Stirges

The group gathers their bearings and draws weapons, ready to fight. The stirges, though, have had the advantage of surprise and are now clambering over you, poking and prodding in painful ways. Their shrieks are unsettling, but not as much as their small little clawed gripping appendages stinging through the links of your mail.

Marille's luck continues unabated. Despite only wearing leathers, and having her arms and lower section exposed, the stirges fail to find a good grip, far less a good spot to puncture her. (Miss! Miss!)

The critters clamber all over Phelan, flapping their wings to avoid being shaken loose. One of them actually finds a weak spot, and pushes it's beak into the dwarf's upper shoulder. (Miss! Miss! Hit! 2 Dmg.)

The stirge on Petar, despite its best attempts, cannot find a spot to push through under all the plate and mail. (Miss!)

Camille turns to watch the creature pick itself up from the ground again. It seems a bit perturbed from the hit it took. It tries to speed at her one more time, only to slam straight into her shield, bounce off stunned, and land on the ground again. (Miss! Another Crit Failure!)

OOC: That stirge on Camille is just not having a good day. That's the second 1 it rolled in as many rounds.

Round 1: Party
It's your turn. Aila already posted.

Aila rushes ahead to cross the distance, and the staff does indeed land with a satisfying *thump* on the closest stirge. You hear a fleshy *crack* from its frame, and then it moves no more. Camille looks up from behind her shield and smiles approvingly.

The cleric quickly turns her attention after thanking the mystic for the help. Moving ahead past Angus and his mule, she heads for Phelan, who's swarmed with the bloodsuckers.

"Hold still!"

Mace in hand, she swings upwards, hoping not only to hit the creatures but also to dislodge them. But the blow is too cautious. Trying not to harm Phelan, Camille swings too far away and misses altogether. (Miss!)

Eyes wide from the unsuspected stirge attack. Marille gathered her bearings quickly and swung out with her Long sword at her attacker.
"Gunna cleave you in two me wull!"

OOC:
01:52, Today: Marille Ughari rolled 6 using 1d8+2.  dmg?

01:51, Today: Marille Ughari rolled 10 using 1d20+2.  sword attack

Angus slashes a stirge, cutting him deep!

08:28, Today: Black Angus rolled 3 using 1d4+1.  damage.

08:27, Today: Black Angus rolled 18 using 1d20+1.  to hit.

The critters clamber all over Phelan, flapping their wings to avoid being shaken loose. One of them actually finds a weak spot, and pushes it's beak into the dwarf's upper shoulder. (Miss! Miss! Hit! 2 Dmg.)

Alarmed at seeing one 'mosquito bird' attach itself to Phelan, Petar ignores the one wriggling on himself as best he can and moves over.  He aims a tricky stab, not a full lunge that would also harm the dwarf but a more surgical poke right in the beast's head that would surely kill it.

12 to hit strikes AC 7 for 8 damage

08:43, Today: Petar the Elf rolled 10,6 using d20,d8.  R1  Petar Sword vs Phelan attached Stirge.

Phelan pulls her battle axe and swings at the creature nearest to her.

05:52, Today: Phelan rolled 21 using 1d20+2

occ I assume that would be a critical hit?.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:01, Sun 17 May 2020.