The village leader (An elderly man.) Thanks you all very much for the shelter help and goods. He has nothing to give for his gratitude but gives you his eternal thanks and promises to spread word of your heroics to come.
The night is completely uneventful the night is starry and calm after you fended of the gnolls and you get a good long rest (Heal three hp and can memorize spells normally.) Come the early morning the villagers continue their way to Yngvars hall to bring word of the coming treat and find new shelter.
After having some rations for breakfast Gregers pushes you back to the roads and you continue your way to the valley.
Today the sun shines bright something very uncommon lately in these lands though the light snow still trickles down from the sky it is slightly warmer. After only two hours down the road you can make out not to far ahead of you what appears to be a giant black cloud Gregers calls for a halt as he first notice the strange cloud he squints and attempts to make out what it could be. Perception please and/or actions.
Curvlk volunteers to keep watch after his two hours each night.
Galstak looks puzzlingly at the black cloud.
Perception:
Luminarion looks towards the cloud and tries to figure out what it might signify.
Still trying to work the kinks out of his body from his bed of frozen snow and rocks, Khalil basks in the sunlight despite the fact it gives little actual warmth. He is still feeling a bit amazed that the sun could be shining and yet snow falling and that people weren't fearing a terrible magical catastrophe had occurred. Something that surely would have happened back home.
As the strange black cloud fills the sky ahead of the party, he tries to get a good look at the anomaly wondering if perhaps there really was a magical disaster they should be worried about.
Morphet enjoying the new day hears Gregor call for a halt, and notices the black cloud Odd what could that be, doesn't recall Grandma mentioning black clouds in her stories of this area
"What could that be?"
Perception:
Curvlk moves silently ahead of the group towards the cloud, scouting quickly ahead without revealing himself to what ever may be out in the cold.
Perception:
Stealth:
Spectrum seems right at home in the early morning light surrounded by falling snow. The amulet around his neck broke the morning sun into fragmented colors that danced on his clothing and on the newfallen drifts.
He watched the cloud idly, unsure if it was of any particular note. The two psudodragons flew through the air above the group, darting and banking, chasing each other through a playful morning romp.
Picking up on the group's concern about the cloud, they broke off their game and flew higher, scouting a ways ahead to get a better look.
As Khalil gazes at the odd, swirling black mass he begins to see smaller, familiar shapes that make up the larger whole. With a frown on his face he says to the others with a casual gesture towards the cloud, "That cloud. It seems to be a large flock of black birds flying in our general direction. I have to say I've never seen that many birds flying together like that...except over a battlefield."
Perception:
Kaiden can't see the birds, but still wonders why they might be that many in one place.
edit: knowledge(nature):
"Over a battlefield they would be circling." Spectrum said, thinking out loud. "Can you make out any sort of size comparison? Most black birds are corvids, which do not flock like that. My suspicions lead me to think this is something unnatural."
Aksum also ponders the reasons behind the flock of birds.
Luminarion ponders what Spectrum had to say. He then replies,"I am not that knowledgeable in such matters. While I would like to point out that our campsite here might technically be a battlefield, I doubt it would draw that many birds. Especially given that we cremated the remains of the fallen."
Luminarion thinks some more trying to figure out if there might be some sort of religious significance to all this using his knowledge of religion.
Tok looks up at the sky, and begins to prepare for battle.
"A murder of crows, that's never a good sign. Nasty noisy creatures, then again. They may be drawn by local harvests, or even newborn lambs, or slaughter of animals. Or they may be out to kill us."
"Just what I need," Luminarion thought, "birds that want to have me for breakfast instead of providing their eggs for mine."
Luminarion then went ahead to draw his scimitar and face the direction the massive flock was coming from.
Seeing others Draw weapons Morphet draws his crossbow. "You think these birds are going to attack us?"
Seeing others Draw weapons Morphet draws his crossbow. "You think these birds are going to attack us?"
Luminarion replies, "I don't know for sure, but I wouldn't rule it out."
Slipping his rapier into his hand Khalil scans the nearby area for a place that might offer some cover or protection just in case the birds do decide to attack.
Tok seeks a place where she will be out of combat, but mostly safe. Then pauses. "You know, we could likely all fit in my carriage until these birds have left." she says. "If you lot aren't spoiling for a fight that is."
"The flock is quite a ways off. It is unlikely they are interested in us. We should keep moving.
Kaiden looks around for a place to hide if the birds attack. He then looks down the potential trail since he also wants to continue forward.
Curvlk draws his scimitar and casts guidance before continuing his scouting, taking the possible threat in stride.
As the party frets and determines their course of action Gregers beckons that you push on. Now thee flock is not too far ahead and it is easy to make out that their is at least forty of the birds. They look much like normal ravens, except for their larger size and that their beaks are much
more like those of a raptor. Egil looks up into the sky and as they get closer he carefully examines their form until a dire look spreads on his face and he yells suddenly. "Gorecrows!"
Gorecrows! What by the goddesses bare bones are those?! Judging by the look on Egil's face, Khalil figures they can't be friendly.
Summoning up his good humor in the face of danger, he brandishes his rapier and says with a devilish grin, "I hear they taste a lot like chicken."
Tok looks up at the sky. "Dammit, I'm a healer not a warrior." she says, before taking cover. "I never had to deal with gorecrows back home! This place is insane!"
Luminarion says to Khalil, "They may have the same opinion of us."
Luminarion tries to figure out if it's going to be worth his while to try to get a longbow shot or two in before the birds close.
Galstak Knowledge Nature:
Galstak will cast Shield of Faith at the last possible moment prior to the birds attack.
"GoreCrows? I wonder if they taste like chicken?"
Morphet Prepares his crossbow, in case the birds attack.
What the heck are they? I don't recall any of those from Grandma's stories
After thinking things over for some more Luminarion positions himself so he's standing next to the wagon with his back to it and his scimitar out. He says: "It might be a good idea to position yourselves with your backs to some cover if these things attack."
Galstak agrees. "Yes, let them bring the fight to us."
He moves over next to Luminarion. "If things get bad, we can duck under the cart."
Tok's eyes dart around as she seeks somewhere to hide.
"Really, today couldn't get any worse, could it?" she asks nobody in particular, her ears drooping.
knowledge (nature):
Looks around for somewhere to hide
perception check:
"Maybe we should have gotten a wagon instead."
I take my winter blanket, and anything else that can be used, and put it over my mule/donkey. Kaiden has no intention of pulling that cart.
Tok scrambles to cover her horses, hoping that the gorecrows won't make a meal of them.
"Maybe they'll eat the dead gnolls instead!" She yells.
With one eye towards the sky and one on the horses, Khalil moves to help Tok cover the horses. "We burned all the gnolls. Unless those things feed on ash and charred bone, they'll come after us."
Thinking out loud he says, "I don't know how much time we've got, but if we could lash some tent poles together we could then use some canvas and the carriage roof to create a simple shelter that might keep the birds from going after the horses. Or at least slow them down a little. If we make it big enough, Kaiden's mule could be covered as well."
After a quick pause he adds, "Some netting might also be useful to bring them down if anyone happens to have some."
.
Luminaron helps Khalil to rig a shelter for the horses and mule as best he can.
Tokara runs to her carriage and begins digging about in it, searching for things.
"Let's see. No, that's the Abacus. Don't think Cheese will do anything. Not the fire wood, damn, that's a lot of firewood, why did I bring so much again? Ginger, nope. Might need that later. The pepper too. Oh, I was looking for that scale, good to know I still have it. Ah, here the oil, and... one of the fishing nets, Got a few here. Large ones. Good for catching fish and gore crows. Some meat, or maybe one of the chickens. No, need them for eggs."
She leans out of the carriage. "Anyone got any meat, I don't want to kill my egg hens for bait!" She yells.
"Anyway, I've got a plan." She says coming out of the carriage.
"I've got a fishing net right here, 25 square feet, and well made. I've got a pint of oil and a torch. What we can do is catch them, pour the oil over the nasty birds then light them on fire and avoid another nasty fight. We just need to get the birds into the net."
She looks a little breathless as she said that all very quickly and in one breath.
"It just might work!"
Luminarion replies: "I'm afraid the only readily available meat is likely to be the horses, the mule, and us."
"So... who wants to run around screaming "Eat me I'm dinner?"" She says, looking at her chickens. "So you're telling me NOBODY packed Jerky? I mean I brought along a Pavilon tent, just in case we freaking needed it... even I forgot the Jerky, only eggs from the chickens. Oh you might want to use the tent to protect the horses, its' in the saddlebags of the saddle horse there."She says, pointing.
Luminarion chuckles and says to Tokara, "Well, you're probably the tastiest looking person here, but I doubt that's a role you'd really want to play."
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The young cleric raises her eyebrow at Luminarion.
"Tasty, maybe not for dinner..." She says leaning in towards him. "But, Maybe later... if we survive this... you can find out how "tasty" I am." She jokes with him.
"If they're crows, of a sort I suppose. Do you think they'll be attracted to glittering objects?"
Morphet goes helps covers the horses.. "Perhaps light the oil on fire when they get close and the smoke may keep them away."
Keeping an eye out on the birds
"They are quite a ways off. We can prepare while we move. Keep the light down so as not to draw attention. Does anyone know anything about these Gorecrows? What attracts them? What it their usual method of attack?"
Spectrum begins trying to usher people back to the road.
"Spectrum if you can cast the spell you used against the gnolls that might work. You would have to hide so they can't find you, or turn invisible if you have that spell available. We can use the mule as bait, but the cart would then have to be hooked up to one of the horses.
Of course this all assumes the spell works the way I think it does."
Tok lays her ears back and grumbles.
"Fine, I'll run around screaming that "I'm dinner"" She says, growling a little. [b]"We might need that mule later, and I am not giving up either of my horses or my chickens. I need the eggs they lay for food."
She, looks at the fishing net she has. "Anyone know exactly what we're going to do with this thing?" She asks. "And get the people into the tent with the livestock, it's big enough after all."
Tok lays her ears back and grumbles.
"Fine, I'll run around screaming that "I'm dinner"" She says, growling a little. [b]"We might need that mule later, and I am not giving up either of my horses or my chickens. I need the eggs they lay for food."
She, looks at the fishing net she has. "Anyone know exactly what we're going to do with this thing?" She asks. "And get the people into the tent with the livestock, it's big enough after all."
Luminarion looks things over and says: "I'm really not a trapcrafter, so I'm not exactly sure how to set something like that up. I can see us getting some of the birds, but likely not all of the birds. As far as bait goes I would rather lose a mule, a horse or a chicken than lose Tokara. Whoever or whatever ends up playing bait would be taking a pretty serious risk."