"Summers, what do you see?" Corindus shouts, tightening the grip on his weapons.
Players go First since the Init roll or Darion beats it's best Init by a long shot.
You can all see the creature now that it has been pointed out, and it's 50ft up above you.
Darion takes cover and waits until the creature gets closer. Readying a spell for when it does
yes, you can roll know arcana
Darion tries to get a good look at the beast to see if he can tell what it might be
He doesn’t get the best look at the creature But all the same Darion doesn’t think that he has ever seen an image of this creature in any of the tomes he’s studied
Corindus flings his cutlass down, the sharp, thick blade sinking into the soft soil and its hilt swaying in the air.
With his dominant hand free, he retrieves a javelin from the quiver slung along his pack.
Firmly planting his back foot, he reels back and hurls the javelin at the beast lurking in the tree.
Kinshara moves her longsword to her buckler hand, draws a javelin and throws it at the creature.
Mr Summers Keeps an eye on it to head butt it if it comes down.
The Tatzlwyrm moves out of sight.
Vona:
Vona seeing this
"Ah where did it go?"
”Be leary like it is going to sneak up on one of us!”
Darion yells as he scans the tree and surrounding ground
You don't find it.
Kinshara switches her longsword back to her empty hand and moves to where she can best protect Vona & Eve, readying an attack in case the Tatzlwyrm appears within her reach.
The Tatzlwyrm seems to be keeping out of sight.
"I don't like this. The beast can all too easily hide on high, wait for us to approach for the moss, then pounce. Not to mention that if I want that javelin back, I'm going to have to climb up to where it stuck in the trunk."
Corindus pulls his cutlass out of the ground.
"Darion, Mr. Summers, and I could approach the tree. While two of us stand guard against the beast, the third could collect the moss."
”Well everyone we don’t need to kill that creature but we don’t want it killing us let’s spread out around the tree to keep an eye out. Then one or two of us can search for the moss. Does anyone remember exactly what we were told about where to find it.” Darion barks out while he keeps his eyes focused on the great tree
"It would be dangerous to leave anyone alone with that creature prowling about. Let's all approach the tree together so we can watch each other's backs."
Kinshara will move toward the tree and keep a readied action to attack any hostiles that come near, waving for Vona and Eve to join her.
Vona:
Vona replies
"I think it could be avoiding us, since there are too many of us and we did injure it."
"Let's hope that is true. We are the invaders in this forest."
Darion will search for the moss trusting his companions to protect him while he is unaware of what the creature is doing
You have no problem finding the moss on the north side of the tree.
"Good," Corindus whispers, tightening his knuckles around the hilt and haft of his weapons.
"Collect as much as you think Laurel will need, then we'll back away carefully."
Darion cognizant if the natural environment takes as large of a portion of the moss as he dares without permanently damaging this fragile ecosystem. This fills a few large sacks. He tries to stay on task but is a little worried about the tazlwyrm.
When he’s gathered enough he quickly but cautiously moves away from the tree
You all hear some rustling from above, but see nothing....
"Good work, Darion. Let's be gone from this place."
As you all start to leave the base of the tree
Corindus has a skeleton drop on him as the tazlwyrm kicked the skeleton out of it's nest.
The skeleton has leather armour and a battle ax
Corindus futilely tries to maintain his composure as he flings the body off of him and brains the skull with his hatchet out of instinct.
He casts his eyes upward, looking for danger. When none comes, he sheepishly glances at his compatriots, looking for signs of snickering.
Still embarrassed, he examines the quality of the armor and axe.
"All right, we'll call it a fair trade for my javelin," he speaks to the unseen wyrm.
It's about noon and you start walking to the next spot on your list, the old Dwarven Monastery, and when you arrive there the twilight hours of night fall come to bare.
Sitting squat at the foot of an imposing mountain, a ruined monastery comes into view between ancient gnarled trees.
Made of simple stone blocks, worn smooth with the passage of time, the stout building is falling apart.
Sections of the slanted shale roof have collapsed and portions of the outer wall have crumbled.
Weeds and wild thorn plants run rampant across the field leading up to the place, leaving only the slightest indication of a path that ends at the ruined front doors.
Beyond, an overgrown yard sits in shadow.
Perception checks please....
Corindus has never strayed so close to the dwarven ruins he'd seen boldly marked on Ludwig's charts, so he pays particular attention to the
crumbling walls, moldering shale, and the encroaching trees surrounding the monastery.
Corindus
you spot wolf tracks and a pair of wolves coming out of the ruins...
Kinshara casts a Light spell to get a better look at the ruins.
"I've always heard of the fame of dwarven builders. For the ruins to be in this condition, they must be very old."
"Seems these ruins are not entirely vacant," Corindus says, squatting down to examine the ground beneath the scraggly grass.
"Not only are there wolf tracks leading to the ruins, if you'll look yonder at the ruins, it seems two of the beasts are out of the prowl as we speak."
He points towards the ruins, trying to highlight the wolves skulking about the site.
Kinshara shakes her head, "I still can't see them. Are they coming toward us?"
After Corindus alerts the party to the danger Darion readies to cast a spell if the wolves get close
"They're Wolves living in there, I thought they'd blow the place down."
The wolves start looking in your direction.
"They've turned their attention this way," Corindus says grimly, drawing one of his remaining javelins. "I fear they have our scent."
"Perhaps if we threw out some food they might be diverted?"
"Hmm, some jerky might do the trick. Hope it's not too dry for their liking. Just keep an eye on me, though. I don't exactly have an exceptional history when it comes to dealing with beasts."
Corindus sheathes his javelin and retrieves the dried meat from two of his ration bundles.
He slowly crosses the distance between the party and the wolves prowling the monastery, doing his best to appear non-threatening.
When he is close enough that the wolves definitely take notice, Corindus assumes a spear-straight posture to make himself look larger and dominant, yet he holds the dried beef out as an offering.
Wolves take the jerky and then move off to eat it.
Kinshara lets out a held breath. "Good work, Corindus...it's good to leave the forest alone if we can. Be careful in these ruins, everyone. The portents we've received have warned about some great evil here that we should be cautious not to awaken."
Tall grasses and chunks of stone debris have all but overtaken this small yard. Off to one side,
a wooden stable has collapsed into a mound of rotting timbers and moldy straw.
The outer wall on the east side has also collapsed, leaving a ragged hole.
Three doors exit into this yard a pair of double doors to the east, a single door to the north,
and a lone door leading into the squat tower in the southeast corner.
”Likely the double doors would get us to the lower areas if in fact that is likely where the mushrooms are. My vote is for them”
"The warnings I received mentioned that the slumbering evil would be beneath the monastery. If possible, we should avoid going below ground."