Many small animals have made their homes among the decay of the graveyard. From a hole nearby scurry two rats, sleek and well-fed. Each is the size of a small dog: 18 inches long with another one-foot-length of tail. They cautiously approach Skeeve, their whiskers twitching.

Shadowdale turns to look at Ziklag.
A good answer and a useful one.  So you will be happy to help when it comes to gaining information as we go.
He then added to his suggestion.
We could call the ones that sent us The Heroes of old.  Ourselves scholars or seekers of Stories and Song.
A minor ruler of a small state sent us out to collect said stories and songs for his entertainment.  But wishes to keep his identity secret for his own reasons.
What do you think?
He asks Ziklag but his question was also to the rest as well.  The comment about him being humorless seems to gone way over Shadowdale's head.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:23, Sun 15 Jan 2023.

Elera watches as the two rats scurry out of the hole. She guessed that this was Skeeve's boon in action and nothing worth being concerned about or commenting on.

At Shadowdale's comment about what to call the other deities, she adds, "I'm partial to ancestors and the living. I don't particularly like viewing the mortals as mere commoners and ourselves as above their concerns. I also think that we should know more about the world before we try to pass ourselves off as agents of any existing polity. Referring to our backers as heaven-sent heroes seems like a bad idea." She pauses and blinks as she realizes what she has said and continues, "Or we could just call them our backers. That is what they are."

Skeeve hunkers down, his own whiskers twitching, then chitters at the two rats

He has one ear on the conversation, observing only, ”Backers. Let us be soft and subtle”

Shadowdale.
Ah.  I see you misunderstand me.  The Heroes of old are what we call the gods of old between ourselves.  That is separate from the minor noble and being collectors of stories and song.  It is just an idea.  Once we get to town it may not fit.  As skeeve said backers may be just find.  The more we say but less we give away the better.

Shadowdale turns to Skeeve.
Are your friends coming with us as well?

Skeeve bobbed his head, “Yes. Yes, Words like a busy warren, many spoken but like the wind in their meaning.”

He bared long teeth in what was probably a smile, “First I speak to them of this place. Perhaps they will come, but those from the town warrens may be better”

The rats circle Skeeve and chitter.

[Language unknown: "Roee ateterill k liard niri haac tedticset pl lo, prriio romresart.  U whionsand sele urnc.  Theur ar o ll?"]
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:53, Sun 15 Jan 2023.

Skeeve squeaked and turned in response, [Language unknown: “Se reathoint ver plat hat ess elmiwhpr sain nt ver, pomi? Day tin wit whiintsan m onseraich ndnd, ouroutons ai vor ainsonyin rowhnd?”]

After he had spoken, he paused, and took a small silver earring from a pouch, offering it to one of them, [Language unknown: “any weof Strwilhasmennti”]

The two dash away, returning a minute later. One has the earring in his teeth.

[Language unknown: "Ilpeprevwh sa ieek pestse promi fo.  Nti ivte st, thuwilure witatiect plloha werallmen thidayout k satho. Hapahe ithtiotra iecape waivtr stabutsan ie oulearove.  Sias ovetr ter, te n li ieaiio."]

Taking back the earring, Skeeve offered a querulous squeak, [Language unknown: “Are ill ad ticdinvorson al m iveastrom tio ur icareawhe ul? Und ndven has acniar ardionman?”]

Conversations and gathering of objects can take a little t8me. So Ludo being the magical short attention span poster guy will have a look see for any herbs, plants, or components.

16:52, Today: Ludovic rolled 23 using 1d20+6 ((17)). Survival

There's not very much growing here that hasn't been grazed on by the local fauna. You find some wild onion and leechwort you can use.

"Some bits and bobs, Leechwort is useful. If anyone finds a beehive honey is great for medicine. I am going to presume that a lot of people are in the dark so eh, going to find what I can."

"You good Skeeve? We don't know what is being said."

Ziklag stretched and spent some time acclimating himself to having a physical body while Skeeve spoke and Ludovic scavenged.  Better to get this done while out in the wilderness than when among other humanoid folk.  He had seen corporeal beings for millennia, so he knew generally what the range of motion for a person was, but he tested it out for himself to be sure.

The rats reply. [Language unknown: "I redat hoca ri nous. Wepr nc hicom somblestr e foil eve hehero.  Neek-hireplwh oerlesingallore lessonhat le."]

Some drops begin to fall. It won't be a hard rain, but it will continue throughout the afternoon. At least it is not too cold.

As the rain drops start to fall, Elera perks up and raises her face to the sky to feel them. She hadn’t experienced much weather in the divine realm, and the slight chill felt comfortable to her. Eventually, she lowers her face and lets herself fall into a kata to pass the time while she waits for Skeeve to finish conversing. It primarily involves quick jabbing strikes with her hands while she makes slow steps around an imagined foe. It looks distinctly incomplete, as if she was supposed to be much more fluid and mobile.

Finally noticing that the others were mulling about waiting for him, Skeeve chuckled and beckoned the two rats into his pack, "They will accompany us"

He frowned slightly, "Their view of the world is different from yours, errr mine, but they have told me that those walking westward smell of blood and those walking east of food"

His whiskers twitched once, "Perhaps west is home, and east a butchery or hunting grounds..."

Thaddeus followed the others but was too busy getting comfortable in his new form. He flexed and tensed his muscles in an attempt to feel how strong this new form was. His attention turned towards Skeeve and his new little friends. "You sure you can trust 'em?"

"They would not deceive me", mused the ratling, heading tilted as he thought, "But their perspective is not the same as a man"

Do they have names?
Shadowdale asks.

Skeeve smiled at the question, "They have ... scents ... that talk of their physicality and brood and warren". Gesturing to one of them, disappearing into his pack, he offered, "But I will speak to them as we travel; it might be easier for all concerned..."

"East, or west?", he asked, now everyone had a little more information, "Food, or blood?"

Ziklag spoke up, "West.  Let's get oriented somewhere that might be a little bit safer before we plunge head-long into whatever the bloodland is.  Everyone seemed pretty unanimous on that even before you made some friends.  It's heartening that our first encounter here was to make allies even if they are... smaller."  He concluded with a grin.

"If they are heading east, and smell like food, then they come from the west so we jeep going west."

"Just let them know to alert you to any major changes? Corn and meat are both food. A hunting camp may be fun."

Elera stops her kata before she nods her agreement and says, “Going west still seems like the most sound option for the reasons that the others have stated.” Then, she moves to begin going westward. She walks slowly for a few steps before she turns and waits to see if the others will follow her.

This may be a good time work out a ruff order to travel and what each of us can if anything in a fight.
I know we are in a better situation that most but take it from me there our some bad thing that can happen to you even if you do not die from an attack.