As your fellow survivors get to work looking for resources, you head off to the northeast to explore the forest. Kining wasn't kidding when she said the terrain was difficult. Rolling hills, gullies, sudden drops, house-sized boulders, and thick stands of undergrowth make for a confusing and treacherous landscape that generally prevents travel in straight lines for more than a hundred feet at a time. Though beautiful, the constant switchbacks make travel hard.
After a few hours, you come across the remains of an abandoned farm. A tumbledown chimney is the only sign of the structure that once stood here, but adjacent to it is an overgrown stand of apple trees. The boughs hang heavy with the fruit.
Eustoma and Rogar spot the danger hidden here--a huge wasp's nest hangs in the branches of one of the trees. They are likely to swarm if anybody draws near. Pele likewise notices the wasps and sends Wulfram feelings of apprehension through their empathic link.
Rogar spots the bees nest without much difficulty, and goes to nudge Eustoma, only to find that she's already spotted it. He tells her in a low voice, [smaller]"Alrigh', here's wha' we can do. Do ye 'ave any fire? If'n we can burn it, tha's best, but we need ta be careful not ta start a forest fire."
"We have a wand of Produce Flame," Wulfram replied. "Eustoma could aim at the nest from a distance. I can create water if I need to douse the flames so the tree doesn't catch fire. We also have two smokesticks to use if we want. If the wasps do swarm, I can blast them with fire like I did with the Hobs yesterday. Everyone should have at least one alchemist fire handy. Try to draw them away from the trees before you use one."
Wulfram called on the flame spirits to help Eustoma's shot strike true. He tried to remember what he knew about wasps.
Wasps are very aggressive, and once their anger is roused, they often continue to seek out new foes to swarm and sting. Their venomous stings paralyze their prey so that they can devour it at their leisure.
Aramant was in agreement with the plan. He didn't understand well enough Rogar's earth powers to know if he'd be able to harm the swarm, so he didn't say anything. His spells weren't designed for it either. However, he could enhance her attack.
Let me know right before you decide to attack, and I can boost your courage for a stronger and more precise hit. - said the bard, readying to Inspire Courage for her hit.
Eustoma uses the wand, creating a flame in the palm of her hand. She nods to Aramant, who begins his performance. The halfling then hurls the fire at the nest, striking it. It ignites, flames crackling and smoke rising from it.
A low, angry buzz erupts from the nest as an enormous swarm of wasps boils forth. There must be nearly a thousand of the stinging pests, and they begin to surge towards you!
Rogar takes a deep breath, readying himself to strike as the wasps buzzed out. Wulfram's divine guidance flowed through him as he reached out, feeling the tremble of the earth beneath his feet. As Eustoma throws a fireball, Rogar clenches his fists, and a faint tremor rippled out from him. As the wasps buzz out, Rogar reaches out, feeling Torag's strength within him as his pure force of will demanding that the earth obey him. He stomps the ground, and a massive boulder streaks skyward into the middle of the buzzing insects.
As the blast of earth rockets skyward, Rogar tucks into a roll in a surprising display of agility, moving away from it nimbly.
Rogar's blast strikes the swarm of wasps, the boulder splintering into hundreds of tiny shards. Insects fall from the sky by the dozens as the dwarf rolls and starts running away.
Unfortunately, the wasps are faster. The swarm descends upon Rogar, crawling, buzzing, and stinging him with fury!
Rogar grunts in pain as the wasps sting him,
but grits his teeth and keeps running.
"Pull back Rogar, I'm going to blast 'em!" Wulfram warned. He waited for the dwarf to get out of the cloud of angry insects, then moved up and engulfed the wasps with a sheet of flame.
"Nay, ah can take it! Jus' get these blasted bees off o' me!" he calls out, attempting to shoo the swarming insects away from him.
Rogar keeps running, temporarily making his way out of the swarm, tucking into a tumble. Behind him, a jagged pillar of stone makes its way skyward, piercing the swarm.
As Rogar runs out of the swarm, Wulfram steps up and unleashes a blast of flames. The fire incinerates many of the wasps, dropping them out of the sky.
Rogar then conjures another pillar of stone that explodes as it strikes the wasps, shredding the remaining insects to pieces! The few survivors scatter and disperse, no longer a threat.
You are able to gather the apples safely--they are small and tart, but still edible. Investigating the stone chimney also uncovers a loose stone concealing some wealth.
Wulfram breathed a sigh of relief as the swarm dissipated. "Good work Rogar! Whatever you're doing was very effective against those vermin." He performed a quick ritual to ease the pain of Rogar's numerous wasp stings.
After a breather, he checked out the condition of the farmhouse, to determine it's suitability as shelter for the refugees. He knocked on the door, then stepped inside, calling out, "Hello! Anyone here?"
As Wulfram heals his numerous stings, Rogar nods in appreciation, gasping for air after running for his life. "Thank ye, lad. Torag protected me, tha's fer sure. Bu' once we gather up everything 'ere, we need ta keep moving. I'll be fine, but we still need ta find shelter."
"Yes, let's move on," Wulfram replied. He set off again with the others, exploring to the north-east.
You explore a bit further, but aren't able to find much else of interest before you have to return to the camp. Your followers have moved a few miles further into the forest, and when you return, you see Jinny has helped the others build some shelters from the cold.
The other villagers start to return as well with some game and fresh fruit, along with a pair of goats they managed to corral. Kining comes back from her scouting expedition.
"There's a big oak tree north of here. Think it's a wolf's den. Heard some pups yipping over there, so their mama can't be too far off," the dwarf reports.
Rogar hives Kining a hard glare when she isn't looking, but nods, "Mebbe we could raise some o' the pups for ourselves? In any case, we shoul' take out tha den, in case tha mama wants ta attack our goats." He strokes his beard, "How far away is this oak tree? Coul' we make it there tonight?"
"Good work today everyone. Northeast seemed to have rough terrain. Should we continue that way or try a different direction tomorrow? I'm concerned some of our people won't do well through that terrain."
Eustoma pets Sia. "We have a wolf of our own Rogar. Do we have time to raise pups on the move? I say we keep watch tonight, and hope she doesn't arrive at camp."
"Wha? She doesn't wan' any more o' her own kind wi' us? I would 'ave thought Sia would be the mos' excited fer pups" The dwarf grins.
Wulfram inquired as to whether the villagers had come across any wild berries. "Keep an eye out for berries," he advised. "I can enhance them to make them especially nutritious, which will help our food supplies."
Kining shakes her head. "It's several miles through rough terrain. You could make it tonight if you don't mind twisting your ankle or stumbling into a gully in the dark. Not to mention the sun would be up by the time you got back." She scowls. "You'd be daft not to wait till morning."
Jet hands Wulfram a dozen fresh berries she happened upon. "It's not much, but it's a start," she says.
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"They will help," Wulfram said. He performed a ritual, boosting the nutritional properties of the berries.
As Jet leads some of the other villagers in cooking dinner, you work together to build more temporary shelters. After two hours' work, there's enough protection to keep everybody warm tonight.
Everybody seems to be in relatively good spirits, considering the situation. Jet tells a rousing campfire story about the Rabbit Prince, a character out of Varisian myth. Rhyna rubs some healing salve on Aubrin's chest wound. Only Kining sits apart from the main group, looking generally curmudgeonly.
The night is quiet, and while the shelters protect you from the elements, it's another chilly morning.
As you are discussing your plans for the day, a man suddenly bursts out of the woods at a run. He's looking over his shoulder, so he doesn't see you until he literally runs into Rogar. While the solid dwarf doesn't go anywhere, the man falls onto his back. His eyes widen when he sees you and he screams in fear!
Rogar wastes no time. As the man plows into him, the dwarf calls up a barrier of earth where the stranger ran out of the woods, hopefully causing a blockade for whater was chasing him, "Wha's wrong, friend? We won' hurt ye." he asks.
The man seems hysterical with fear, barely registering Rogar's words.
"You're safe now; we'll protect you," Wulfram said in a calm voice. "Tell me what's happened."
Neither Rogar nor Wulfram seem to be able to calm the man down. He scrambles back to his feet as he prepares to flee.
"Sir please don't run. We need to know what's following you. We wish to help."
Seeing the others try-and fail- to calm the panicked man, Rogar sighs and clenches his fist. As he does so, a wall of earth appears in front of the man as he scrambles to his feet. He then repeats the process three more times, so the stranger is enclosed by four earth walls.
The man starts running--right into the stone wall that Rogar rises in front of him. Caught off-guard, he stumbles and tries to get around it, only for another wall to rise up, then another, and another!
"No!" he cries. "Let me out! The bugbear's coming for me! He'll tear me apart!"
Wulfram moved to intercept the man. "When did you see the bugbear?", he asked.
"Two nights ago when the hobgoblins invaded Phaendar! He's big and ferocious with scars on his head--I saw him tear a man limb from limb! I thought I'd gotten out of town without anybody seeing me, but I swore I just heard the bugbear growling right behind me!"
If you look back the way the man came, you don't see any signs of pursuit.
"Yer fine now. Ye are with friends. We'll protect ye. What's yer name, friend?" Rogar asks, keeping a watchful eye towards the bushes.
The man seems to calm down a bit, though he still casts worried looks past the trees. "My name is Edran. I'm a traveler from Taldor. I was in the Taproot Inn when the invaders attacked--I think I saw some of you there."
He looks around at the gathered survivors. "Is this everybody who made it out?"
"Everyone who was wi' us. There migt' be more tha' jus' didn' come wi' us, bu' these are all we know of. I'm Rogar, this is Wulfram, Eustoma, and Aramant. Welcome ta the crew. Do ye have any special talents?"
Edran nods. "I have some bardic training and make my living as a street performer. I'll do all I can to be a valuable member of the group."
Working on the identification of the items, Aramant gets late to see the other bard arrival, but the tiefling is still glad they managed to save someone else - and, potentially, received reinforcements.
Aramant doesn't remember the man from before, but absolutely believes his story.
"Pleased to meet you, Edran. I'm Wulfram, and this is Pele," the big man said, introducing the glowing red fox that was eyeing the newcomer curiously. "There's a pair of half-elves, a brother and sister, that went off on their own. They seem pretty capable, so I'm hoping they got out alright."
"It's nice to meet you, Wulfram" Edran says. "And you too, Pele." He holds out his hand for the little fox to shake, or at least put her paw in if she's willing.
"I hope they made it out, too. After seeing what those monsters are capable of..." He shudders.
"I don't know these woods well at all. Is there anything you can tell me about them?"
Hello I'm Eustoma, and this is Sia." She pets the wolf.
"This forest is very old, and part of Nirmathis of course. Humans and others have lived here for many years. The elves have been here even longer. It will help us survive if you know where to look. It also has a history of fey in it, and a story or two of it being haunted. I've lived here for a few years trapping at the edge of the forest."
When she has a moment she'll ask one of the craftsmen to make her about 50 arrows for her bow.
Pele could feel that Wulfram regarded the newly-arrived man as friendly. She sniffed his hand, then put her paw on his palm.
Edran smiles at Eustoma, though he seems a bit wary around her wolf companion. Understandably so.
When the halfling asks about crafting arrows, Wendy volunteers to help her. She's a hefty woman with dark chestnut hair, and she happens to be a skilled fletcher.