After riding a polite distance away from Bokken's shack, the heroes spend a quiet night checking their gear, studying their notes, and readying themselves for the battles to come.

13th Pharast. A new day dawns over the Stolen Lands: a day dedicated to the war that brings peace. You know your enemy: the mitflit gremlins of the Old Sycamore. You know, roughly, where they should be: a burrow complex beneath a huge lightning-struck tree, in the hills near the confluence of the Shrike and Thorn Rivers. At the last report, they held at least two items you want to retrieve: Old Sharptooth himself, and Svetlana Leveton's wedding ring.

Let me know if you want to take any detours on your way to the Old Sycamore. The only other possible landmark you know about in the area is a potential gold deposit east of the defeated bandit camp, but it's not going anywhere and it isn't that useful for you right now anyway.

No detours, but we might as well fully search the hexes on our way there, since neither has been visited yet.  I forgot to ask how much we have in the way of Basic Ingredients, but I will want to save them up so that I can cook a Hearty Meal for everyone the night before we expect to take on the Gremlins.  If we ever needed Saving Throw bonuses, that'll be the time.

Wilkezag waves a cheery goodbye to Bokken, but, respecting his almost pathological need for solitude, does not call out and does not expect any sort of response.

Sophia nodded in appreciation of Bokken's offer, and gave him a kiss on the cheek on leaving, assuming he was receptive to it.

I agree, search hexes

GM edit: He definitely is not.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:30, Mon 27 Mar 2023.

As you travel southwest, you note the wind has picked up a little today. Might be a sign of more rain later tonight or tomorrow, but hopefully nothing like the torrential storms a few weeks ago.

You come across a pair of elk, grazing peacefully about 200 feet away. They seem alert but not especially concerned; the male picks his head up and looks around, but doesn't seem to have marked four riding people as a threat just yet.

Booker readies his blade. Near useless for hunting, but the magic he could project through the weapon might be able to bring down the deer. Still he looks to the others to see what they plan to do. He was fine with eating rations, but would help out any would be hunter.

Will initially thinks of the meals he could prepare with the fresh meat.  However, looking at the majestic animals, he can't see killing one of them just to make a couple of evenings more comfortable.  "We don't need to hurt them, we have plenty." he says.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:26, Mon 27 Mar 2023.

"Agreed. Not sure we could even get close enough. I'm no ace with a bow. Let's keep riding."

He smiles behind his mask, the group of them were already showing good land stewardship. Two elk alone was an interesting sign. He reached up a slipped the mask off. He was currently among friends and did not expect any hostilities for his heritage out here. "It is nice to feel the wind on my face." He says softly. Pulses of light cascade through his veins in satisfaction as he arches his neck to get the sun beating down on him before the sky clouds over.

It's just a random encounter, folks. I finally rolled a number higher than 12! I thought to do some research about elk this afternoon, and apparently a bull and cow on their own like this wouldn't be normal for mid-March, so sure, let's say it's an omen. I don't know what it portends.

As you carefully ride around the elk, keeping your distance, the bull suddenly realizes what's approaching. He gives a loud bugling call and springs away toward the southeast. The cow follows him but much less elegantly; as expected for Pharast, she's heavily pregnant, and hunting her would have been an offense against Erastil. Apparently the surprise of seeing you triggers his right antler to shed, and he leaves it behind for you.

Exploring the area, you come upon a profusion of skeletons: more elk, deer, boars, even what you think must be a bear. And inevitably, at least one humanoid that you can see through the tall grasses. The bodies have been gnawed to clean bones, so the stench isn't too bad, but your horses shy away from something. You're a little surprised: thylacines would normally have scattered the bones, but... oh, never mind, that one was a thylacine. Apparently nothing is safe.

All of the tokens with beige outlines are skeletons. Not the unnatural, combative kind: just ordinary piles of bones. As far as you can see, they continue for quite some way generally to the southwest.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:55, Tue 28 Mar 2023.

When the elk drops an antler, Wilkezag shouts out in delight, "A gift!  Perhaps from the elk himself, but more likely from Erastil or Gozreh.  It would not do to ignore it."  He rides over to where the antler fell, considers trying to lean over to grab it, but dismounts instead.  After attaching it securely to the back of his saddle, he trots to catch up with the others.

As soon as he smells the horrible scent of rotting skeletons, he starts to move more cautiously, carefully scanning for whoever killed all these beasts.  "If it is the gremlins who left these here, I'm sure they wouldn't balk at adding human and horse bones to their pile."  Unfortunately, the odor is so bad that it makes him start to retch, his eyes watering badly, and he can not see a thing.  [Private to GM: Do you remember how bad that elephant skull smelled when we were on safari?]

19:19, Today: Wilkezag rolled 8 using 1d20+7 with rolls of 1.  Perception
This message was last edited by the player at 00:22, Tue 28 Mar 2023.

Booker did not like a field of perfect bones. His sword remains out, and his proceeds to raise his mystic shields, preparing for danger. "I doubt this is an illusion..." He pointed out to the others. "...we need to be ready."

OOC-Casting shield, spending one focus point to amp it, and using Arcane Cascade. If people get off their horses so will Booker.

15:43, Yesterday: Booker Magestos rolled 13 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 8.  Perception.

This message was last edited by the player at 00:02, Fri 31 Mar 2023.

Sophia shrugged and frowned, then moved on foot, weapon in hand, towards the nearest carcass, the boar to examine it.

"Ready for what?" she asked, almost hoping her question would summon the danger.

"What happened here? "

---

Examine closest skeleton
23:24, Today: Sophia Akhova rolled 15 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 10.  examine boar carcass first.