Pavel grumbles about destroying  one of Nature's  creatures  and draws another arrow.
"Be not in pain."
01:10, Today: Pavel Marsk rolled 19 using 1d20+4.  Bow attack on manticore.

01:10, Today: Pavel Marsk rolled 5 using 1d8+2.  Bow damage on Manticore
This message was last edited by the player at 05:12, Mon 09 Aug 2021.

BonThot sent another string of missiles at the manticore, and even with partial cover from the wall and the beast being wrung out by vines, the hit without the slightest error. (manticore takes 18 damage)

Sakamoto run-climbs his way up the windmill with ease, slipping through a window and falling down to the floor inside. He finds a woman standing back a bit from the door, with a drawn dagger in one hand and a flask of greenish liquid in the other.

The Manticore screams with fury, breaking loose from the entangling plants, leaps into the sky and attempts to fly off to the south.
01:23, Today: Psynister, for the NPC Manticore, rolled 14 using 1d20+3.  Str Check.

Ariadne dashes after the creature, hoping to employ her more powerful spells on the beast.

Pavel regretfully fires an arrow, sinking it into a haunch. (Manticore takes 5 damage)

Akyra missed an attack with this magical axe, and ran forward hoping for a swing with the real one as well, but was too slow.

The manticore is fleeing. You can pursue if you wish, but he won't be coming back. He's flying low, and is out of line of sight for BonThot and Pavel on the opposite side of the hill.

Akyra snorts as the beast flies away, axe in hand and the spectral floating, the dragonborn looked irritated. "I didn't think they'd give up that easy." The cleric shrugged, the axe winking out as she made her way up the steps to the mill. "Sakamoto....You in there?

Ariadne slowed her run, stopping the spell she was about to try.  She watched the fleeing manticore,  not taking her eyes off it until it was gone.

BonThot jogs his way back to the party. Once there he concentrates for a moment, looking into his mind's eye: Arcana Check, please: Natural 1

"Phooy" he said as his concentration waivered. "I guess I ran out of stamina. A shame, I would have liked to know more about that beast."

"Ariadne, do you know anything about this beast?"

Ariadne caught her breath and looked at the Sorcerer,  shaking her head.
"Not much more than I've said, I'm afraid.   A predator, if a magical one, and obviously one that doesn't like a tough fight.   It's probably an ambush predator,  though,  so we should keep our eyes open for a while.  Hopefully it'll be licking its wounds for a bit"

She walked to the building,  keeping a look out for trouble

BonThot follows behind the Druid, his thoughts his own as he makes his way to the Windmill.

Pavel keeps his bow out, passively listening for the beast.
"Maybe it has a lair nearby, possibly in a rocky region. If we need to venture  against it then we may need rest." Pavel was happy  he didn't  bring James into this. Giant owl was a manticore delicacy apparently.

Sakamoto approaches delicately and slowly, palms out and hands open to show he means no harm. He lowers the hood of his cloak, all carefully and slowly. "We mean you no harm, you have my word." He listens for a moment as the sounds of battle seem to end rather abruptly - aside from the screams of the seemingly fleeing creature. "It sounds as if the battle is over, outside."

Almost in confirmation, Akyra's voice calls in through the door. "Sakamoto....You in there?"

"Yes, and I am not alone. Please allow me to ensure my lady companion is comfortable with additional company?" He knows that he is terrible at being persuasive - owed to his strange appearance and his unusual accent. He flinches as the words come out of his mouth and her reaction to him.

At this point, all he can do is hope she understands the intent behind the words, and not the terrible presentation of them ...

Today: Sakamoto rolled 3 using 1d20-1, rerolling all ones ((Persuasion)). <sigh>

Ariadne heard the Halfling, and made her way around the north side of the house, hoping to join him.  She put her weapons away, hoping to look more diplomatic.

BonThot was still some ways away from the windmill, but he kept his eyes peeled on Ariadne as a guiding point of reference. He kept his staff in hand just in case.

Pavel lowers his bow to his side to appear less threatening and looks at Bonthot
"I wonder where our friend is? He did disappear up by the hill. Maybe he found us a place to rest?"

Sakamoto was not known for being a smooth talker, and he surprised the woman enough that she fumbled the flask in her hands. Lucky for him, the alchemist was fairly skilled at reading people and situations. Lucky for her, years of dealing with dangerous substances had honed her reflexes considerably, and she caught the flask. She loosed a relieved sigh, then nodded and opened the door to the others.

The bit of ruins outside the door to the windmill, that seemed to be a fence perhaps, actually look like they used to be part of a home. Though now only the fireplace is remotely in-tact, and there is little more than an outline of the walls. From there, you can see the that atop the hill just east of you displays a number of stone cairns.

She gave time for those who wished to come inside to do so. Inside, you see the windmill's grindstone crushes herbs, their scent filling the air. "I was not expecting anyone to be stopping by today; but you are certainly a welcome surprise. Thank you, all. Most sincerely. My name is Adabra Gwynn, pleased to meet you all. What brings you all out here to the hills?"

The druidess looked at her friends as she appraoched the building by the Windmill.
"As the beast flew away,  i could have sworn that i saw wounds on its flanks.  Older wounds that we didn't cause.  I wonder if that dragon we saw a few hours ago had a run in with the manticore. "
When she got to the front door,  she nodded to the woman as she spoke with the halfling.
"Good day, ma'am. My name is Ariadne Greenthorne.  We're actually here from town, to pick up healing supplies.  Are you the alchemist that makes healing potions?"

When BonThot finally got to the windmill, he entered and looked around as the others introduced themselves.

Perception check @ -1

Rolled a 7.

Not really seeing anything beyond the party and the Alcamist, BonThot meanders about.

Strange that a magical predator would give up so, easily on a meal. Pavel thought ....especially  one that was hiding.

"Yes, the manticore knows of my skill in alchemy. It came demanding that I give it healing potions to heal those wounds. I came inside after catching sight of that dragon myself, and the manticore arrived maybe an hour later. Manticores are intelligent, smart enough to speak the common tongue, but they're all selfish predators with a strong bend toward evil."

"Ah, yes, I have the shipment for Phandalin ready to go. If you can give me the name of the one who sent you, so that I can be sure, I'll bring it over. Healing potions are one of my specialties, but I do make a number of alchemical mixtures here if you're asking due to personal interest."


You can buy any alchemical substances from the PHB here, as well as the items listed below:

Dust of Disappearance 300gp
Elixir of Health 120gp
Potion of Animal Friendship 200gp
Potion of Climbing 180gp
Potion of Fire Breath 150gp
Potion of Gaseous Form 300gp
Potion of Greater Healing 150gp
Potion of Growth 270gp
Potion of Healing 50gp
Potion of Heroism 180gp
Potion of Mind Reading 180gp
Potion of Poison 100gp
Potion of Resistance 300gp
Potion of Water Breathing 180gp

The dragonborn enters, grim looking, the scar over her eye, shield and axe in hand, and looks around. She smiles at the alchemist. "Nice place." She mutters.

She puts her axe on her hip and sets down her shield, sitting down, snorting at the explanation of the manticore. "May be smart, but was also cowardly, running. though who can blame it with a force like us."

She sits there and when asked, she looked at her. "We were sent By Gundren, the dwarf on behalf of the town."

When she listens to the stock, she raises her eye ridges, clearly impressed by the stock. "You are indeed as talented as Gundren gave you credit for. Some of those things would be handy had we the gold."

BonThot looks at the different wares the alchemist shows, and decides that a potion of healing would be a good thing to have. Once it's purchased, he frowns and says," Well, I'm about out of money. 3 coppers, 3 silver and 5 electrum. I hope we find the creature's lair...or another creature at the least. Or, even better, a chest of jewels and gems sitting at the side of the road..."

He laughs sheepishly.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:00, Thu 12 Aug 2021.

The druidess nodded and smiled at the alchemist.
"We personally work for Gundren, a dwarven merchant, but we're technically here on behalf of Nyevnen, at the Shrine of Luck in town.    And I believe i can afford a healing potion as well.  Thank you very much. "

Pavel sheathed his bow.
"So how is the market for potions these days? let's all about location, location and location with a business and being closer to your clientele than a two hour journey could save you gold. After all a gold piece saved is a gold piece earned."

BonThot laughs. "Master Pavel, truer words were never spoken!"

Adabra shook her head at Akyra's answer, as though she knew she had no one with an order by that name. She was happy to sell a healing potion to each of BonThot and Ariadne, though. When the druid mentioned Nyevnen's name she smiled and nodded, "That one I certainly have. Just a moment."

She went to the far corner and opened a cabinet, pulled out a small sack that clearly had some form of padding stuffed inside to bulk it up and add protection to the vials. She wrote a quick note in ink and waved a hand over the parchment with a small flourish of fingers, folded it and slipped it inside the bag, then handed the bundle to Ariadne, "This is what was ordered, and has already been paid for. I included a note for Nyevnen to provide a form of reward on my behalf, the cost of which I'll take out of her next shipment. I reinvest nearly all of my coin right after I earn it, for more ingredients and equipment."

Just as she finished that last sentence, the sound of vibrating glass ring-jingled out from a rack of freshly cleaned and drying vials sitting on a table on the eastern wall.

Pavel felt a subtle vibration in the ground as well. Not a thump, but a vibration.

Nyevnen continued to speak, though she was clearly distracted by the noise, "There are... no other suppliers here. My location keeps my costs low... Excess inventory gets shipped to a...storefront..."

Glancing outside, you see mounds starting open up in the ground.

Roll initiative, and tell me if you want to start inside the windmill or outside

[OOC: Place Sakamoto outside, please. Init and Stealth rolls in the die roller. -Ken]

"Um, I'm for staying inside for the moment until we have a better sense of what's going on. Rushing outside would be my last choice!"

BonThot rolled 19 Initiative using 1d20+1
This message was last edited by the player at 11:02, Fri 13 Aug 2021.