"Tracks are generally not to hard to find, it's figuring out which ones to follow that's the trick.
Let's give this place a quick search for clues, if we find nothing I'll try to find some good tracks to follow."
Dolgrym casts Detect a Magic, hopefully making their search of the scene easier, looking for any distinctive magical auras.
While on the road Norton speak with Sonechka. "Lady Alkaeva, please forgive my bluntness, but I couldn't help noticing that you don't seem completely human."
Sonechka smirks at Norton. It could be mistaken for a smile. "How astute. I have been blessed with an affinity for my homeland's harsh winters. Some say my mother must have been a lost daughter of Baba Yaga. That sleet runs in my veins and my heart is a ball of snow. Others say my mother must have created me out of snow and blood, crafted me and granted me life through dark magics." If any of these rumors bother her, it doesn't show. In fact, she seems amused as she recounts them. "In any case, yes. I am something... more than human."
"This is not a problem, surely? You consort with kobolds and have gnomes, orcs and dwarves as your companions and servants."
"A mighty conflict indeed..." The Green Man comments as he dismounts.
"Finding survivors at this point seems unlikely, but we have to look for tracks and clues here either way."
Sonechka points in the direction they had left the camp two nights ago. "Minsc apotted several sets of tracks heading in different directions. We followed the largest group of tracks, assuming they would take us to the expedition leaders. The manticore found us along that route; whether it was a deliberate trap or bad luck on our part, we will never know."
She shakes her head sadly and looks at Green. "Once that beast's hide is cured, I would enjoy being the first to walk on it." It seems her ritual of eating and burning the creature's heart hadn't been enough to quench her desire for vengeance.
At the mention of Baba Yaga's name, The Green Man's shoulder stiffens and he looks up. for a moment the red rage seems to creep up on him, slowly changing his green eyes to red.
Eventually he manages to supress it and go back to looking for clues.
The winter witch...isn't it funny how you never seem to escape your past fully?
Dolgrym's arcane sight turns up nothing, and your initial search finds little of note.
Without a strong track to follow the options come down to trying to follow the path along the river Sonechka's guard had followed before,
(This time without a manticore driving you off course)
Or doing what Furiel, Norton, and Green know well... explore the entire area.
You see the trail - the "main tracks" along the north side of the river which they had followed earlier.
You feel confident you will be able to continue following these tracks beyond where they had veered off before.
"Over there, those tracks were the ones you followed before no? They go towards the north side...
I got these tracks well spotted now, we can follow them without problem, just let me take the lead.
I'll be too busy keeping track of them, so the rest of you will have to watch out for ambushes and the like."
The Green Man then takes his old mares reigns and begins to follow the tracks slowly.
It is not long before you come to where the manticore had taken the group off course. You are there just a few moments as Green attempts to pick up the trail, when you hear a horrid bestial shrieking in the distance. It is the sound of a large animal in pain... maybe more than one?
The sound seems to be coming from further upriver... just after the Skunk River straightens east and west after an upside down "U" bend.
Know. Nature
Perception
Horses. They are likely 150-200 feet upriver. By the look of the foliage and various rough terrain on either side of the river, you might be able to get within line of sight 60 or so feet from where you are.
"This is not a problem, surely? You consort with kobolds and have gnomes, orcs and dwarves as your companions and servants."
Norton listens fascinated by the story. "That is surely an excellent premise for an awesome story. You should write a ballad about that!" Then replies to the woman concerns. "Not at all a problem. We tend to be a multi-ethnic group indeed."
Then proceeds to voice his real concerns. "After the bandit lord was taken out of the picture, all of his minions easily pledged service to us, but a woman. Not completely human herself, when I confronted her trying to decipher her motives, hoping to win her trust, she simply made clear she hates humans, and she will glad get rid of all of them moved by hatred alone.""Hate is such a negative energy emotion. I still hope we can sway her, and was wondering if, sharing the same legacy, you could have more insight in the matter"
Norton listens fascinated by the story. "That is surely an excellent premise for an awesome story. You should write a ballad about that!" Then replies to the woman concerns. "Not at all a problem. We tend to be a multi-ethnic group indeed."
Sonechka quirks an eyebrow at Norton. "In my land, stories are sung of great heroes. I have yet to earn my right to a story. As for my mother, her story is hers and I have no right to it. Are you a storyteller, Norton?"
Then proceeds to voice his real concerns. "After the bandit lord was taken out of the picture, all of his minions easily pledged service to us, but a woman. Not completely human herself, when I confronted her trying to decipher her motives, hoping to win her trust, she simply made clear she hates humans, and she will glad get rid of all of them moved by hatred alone."
"Hate is such a negative energy emotion. I still hope we can sway her, and was wondering if, sharing the same legacy, you could have more insight in the matter"
Sonechka looks interested. "Do not underestimate the motivating power of hate. In the right hands, hate can destroy a nation. I do not doubt that the hate stoked in this woman's breast is a powerful thing. I am not certain I would rely on the two of us having any sort of kinship, but I would be willing to speak with her. Did she tell you any of her story?"
-----
On hearing the sound, Sonechka frowns. "That is the sound of horses screaming. I know it well. They are, perhaps, 200 feet upriver. We should be able to see them from there." She points at a spot 60 feet from where the party is.
She put out her hand and after a moment Glaza comes to perch on it. Sonechka strokes the bird's head and whispers to it for a moment before letting it go. The bird flies up into the sky and over the foliage to get a look for its mistress. A sharp eyed observer might notice blood on Sonechka's hand where Glaza's talons had pierced her skin. She absently takes a rag out of her belt pouch and wipes away the blood.
"Strange...hearing horses now...let's go have a look, we may have another battle on our hands soon."
As you move forward, Glaza returns from scouting.
"Wagon stuck crossing the river... scaly ones there throwing spears at them." The bird jerks its head to suggest the scaly ones are attacking from a northern direction.
You can't yet see the struggle, but you now hear yelling.
"Go get her!.." "No no too late ... leave the wagon!"
"I'm hit!"
The river narrows and the bank on the north side rises. There is a large boulder butted against the river which might provide cover closer to the action.
South of the river there is a large deciduous tree with full branches - the lowest of which are low enough to the ground to provide concealment.
"Sorry to do this again, but I can't stand by and let people suffer if I can stop it..."
The Green Man gives Norton and Furiel a sad smile before turning back and charging impetuously towards combat.
Sonechka actually smiles at the Green Man's back as he charges away. She looks over at Dolgrym. "He reminds me so much of Minsc," she says, fondly. The Iobarian woman's smile turns predatory as she looks at Furiel and Norton. "If these are some of the lizardmen who ambushed us, I am greatly looking forward to making boots out of their hides."
She rides forward much less impetuously, merely intending to find a vantage point from which she can see rather than charge into combat.
Sonechka quirks an eyebrow at Norton. "In my land, stories are sung of great heroes. I have yet to earn my right to a story. As for my mother, her story is hers and I have no right to it. Are you a storyteller, Norton?"
"Storyteller? I don't know if I would claim that adjective for myself, but I do like stories and goos prose. And these lands you talk about sound very interesting and mysterious, I look forward learning more about them."
Dolgrym dips into his wand of Mage Armor, using a charge, and he closes to the attack.
As Norton rides up the incline, he sees a barricade in his path. Beyond that - what at first glance looked like a lizardfolk standing on the treetops, he sees is a sentry on a squat tower - the top of which is flush with the forest's canopy.
Norton also now sees the number of lizardfolk warriors on the cliff over the river - many of which are throwing spears.
You see the gnomes' wagon stuck in the river. Both horses have been cut loose. Several of the gnomes duck and counter futilely - using the wagon to protect them from the attacks of a few lizardfolk warriors.
You advance... the combatants have yet to react to your arrival.
The sentry atop the squat tower turns - he hears the sound of hoofbeats coming his way.
Time to do what I do best, draw a little attention away from the Gnomes...
Taking a deep breath, slowly inflating his chest, the Green Man gives voice to a thunderous roar and charges forward.
"I AM THE GREEN MAN! COME, LET MY HAMMER KISS YOUR FACE!"
Following Green, Sonechka rides toward the barricade. She eyes the knot of lizardmen on the riverbank, patiently biding her time until she is in range of her spells.
Norton urges Murak over the barricade which the horse clears...
Kane follows behind and clears the obstacle easily - without having to even line up perpendicular to the barricade. The sentry on the squat tower yells in alarm, but is drowned out by Green's battlecry.
Though the apparent commander seems to be ordering some of his troops your direction, by their reaction to your presence - it appears coincidental. The lizardfolk warriors are slow to react. They stand stunned for a moment before those around the leader begin moving to intercept.
"To the other side! Do not let them escape!"
The leader begins to gesture and chant - swirls of faint light emanate from him and envelope his nearby warriors before fading.
bless!
A javelin from the tower lizardfolk lands near Norton.
The Green Man ignores the sentry, continuing past the barricades, as he spots the enemy, a big grin appears on his face.
"There you are! The fun begins now! Come, fall to The Green Man!"
Furiel casts and mage armor appears (surprise round).
He gestures and opens a portal to the elemental plane.
The gnomes in the wagon dash toward the back to swat at the lizardfolk warriors trying to climb over and around their vehicle. As the lizardfolk warrior grip their weapons with growing ire, the gnomes scramble away toward the front of the wagon.
As a result, the catywompus wagon rocks and the lead splashes in and out of the river. The gnomes trying to corral the nearby horse holler "Stop rocking it!" "Get out we need to get the wheel back on track!"
The wagon hangs off the edge of a makeshift bridge - which actually looks like part of a barricade or a section of short-walled palisade. There are two of these improvised bridges which have been laid linking the two banks via a tiny island.
After having jumped over the barricade Norton braces the lance and shield and spurs Murak to charge the closest enemy.
Norton's lance crushes the lizardfolk warrior's breastbone before penetrating its hide. As the nearby warrior prepares to intercept Green, Kane plows into him - nearly driving him off his feet and into his kabobbed kin.
Dolgrym runs forward 60', trying to get close enough to the lizards to start firing his magical assault at the monsters.
"Right then, time to shed the blood!"
The Green Man rushes forward, trailing his earthbreaker behind, as he moves, time seems to slow down for him, as the world seems to fade to red.
Furiel gestures and an air elemental sweeps off to attack the sentry in the tower. Using his whirlwind, the elemental tries to hurl the sentry from the top of his post.
Furiel gestures and another creature of earth begins to form.
Sonechka stuck by the Green Man, as if used to trying to keep up with an overeager barbarian.
The whirlwind which appeared near the barricades, lingers casually over the top of the tower surrounding the sentry. It nearly lifts him from his feet, and tosses his supply of javelins in all directions.
The apparent shamanic leader shouts commands in his coarse and guttural native tongue.
"Spears engage, fools!"
"Surround the mounted one! Do not let him gain speed!"
Those with spiked clubs, hatchets, or their last spear... move to encircle Norton.
The shaman quickly mutters and gestures and whips a palm thrust toward Green... a whistling ball of wet wind slams into Green's chest - which does little to quell his coming rage.
Seeing enemies before him still standing, and not having any hesitation in his soul, The Green Man brings the eartbreaker down on the pitiful lizard with the strange words.
And follows up with a bite just for good measure.
Now close enough to start effecting the battle, Dolgrym moves forward 20' and fires one of his special Magic Missiles at the closest lizardman.
Damage from spell
Trip check from Toppling Spell Feat
Sonechka slows to a stop, regards the creatures for a moment, then uncaps one of the scroll cases hanging from her bandolier. She takes out a scroll and starts reading off a spell in a commanding tone.
Seeing that Green was charging towards what seemed to be the reptile in charge, and the others were around him, he keeps moving west with his momentum and spears the first lizard with the spiked club.