Maxy nods. "Yes we would be happy to take a look."
Old Bet nods, "Follow me then."
She motions to a few of the minotaur guards, saying a few words in the rumbling giant tongue that Ghorza understands as, "You two, follow me. If the lurkers come back, we'll need extra protection."
The stone circle isn't far, just 15 or so minutes out of town.
Though simply constructed, it's breathtaking in it's own right. A processional walkway of great menhirs driven into the ground leads to a stone circle atop a hill. Each menhir is intricately carved with stylized depictions of minotaurs fighting great beasts and calling upon the spirits of the wild. If the party took the time to linger here, they could likely clean much of the history of this clan, maybe of all the minotaurs on the Isle of Kortos.
The circle itself stands atop a low hill. Large chiselled stone blocks are placed upright, with others stacked atop them in a ring. Though the minotaurs great size and strength certainly helped with this, it would have taken great ingenuity to move stones this large, too.
There is a sense of sadness that hangs in the air here, almost a sense of wrongness.
Old Bet motions, "I fear that stepping foot there myself would tempt the lurkers in the fog to return. If you have questions, come back here. I will contemplate our stones, see if the ancestors left anything about these troubled times."
"Right." Ghorza said. "We go in together." Looking around at her companions, she added "If anyone can make a light source, do so. Don't wander off by yourselves, when visibility goes down we can get picked off. We watch each other's backs."
Zaborjca prepares a few extracts with herbs from his pack - a Detect Secret Doors extract, and an Enlarge Person. He puts them in loops on his belt, and drinks a dirty looking liquid from another bottle.
Maxy also prepares for trouble, casting some spells on herself and her allies to prepare for a fight.
As she heads in, she keeps a sharp eye and ear out for movement.
Despite their preparations for battle, nothing comes lurking towards the stone circle as the party searches the stone circle. Maxy does find something odd, however. She finds a large, clawed footprint just outside of the circle and a scrap of silvery-white scales that seem to have rubbed off on a tree.
"Clawed footprints." Ghorza announced. "Everyone, stay together." She ordered. "We will follow them...and keep an eye out for the scales. These will lead us to our quarry. Does anyone have any experience in such tracking? If not, I will attempt it."
Maxy nods. "Yes I will try to track it. Anyone know what this might be?"
Tocash doesn’t find any lingering magic, but does surmise that whatever creature left these was not a mundane beast.
Maxy is able to find some more patches of scales and oddly, a small patch of a steaming, viscous liquid on the ground. The remnants seem to lead deeper into the forest.
Take 10 for 18 Arcana
Zaborcja thinks this is the remnant of some sort of draconic breath weapon, but the exact type eludes him.
"Dragon breath," Zaborjca grumbles. "Dunno what type. Eyes are bad."
Zaborjca considers for a moment.
"Makes me a piss-poor tracker as well. Anyone ken those tracks well enough to follow 'em?"
The remnants seem to lead further up into the hills. The pine forests give way to the few mountains that loom overhead, their peaks wreathed by clouds.
Maxy looks warily uphill and nods. "Well I guess we need to pursue this, even if it gives me the creeps." She chomps her sharp teeth together twice in anxiety.
"Could be worse." Ghorza said, doing her best to put on a brave face. "Stick together, watch each other's backs...we'll be fine." She added, as she marched on.
Zaborjca will affix his light to his armor if it's less than bright lighting, and take up a point position, hoping to draw any possible attack towards himself and away from his teammates. He hefts his worn sword and shield as he walks.
The party ventures into the woods. It's slow going, the woods are thick with fallen trees and treacherous ravines. As they move along, the sun starts to dip low. The day has worn on towards twilight. As it grows dark, the party sees a fogbank rolling in down the mountain.
This is unusual ehavior for fog on the Isle of Kortos. The fog usually comes off the sea, and a fogbank moving down the mountains is almost unheard of. By the time it reaches the party, or they reach it, it'll be night-time and visibility in the fog would be practically nonexistent.
Maxy looks around. "This fog is odd. Here on Kortos, fog comes off the sea, not down the mountain. And we're going to lose all visibility here by the time it reaches us and night falls..."
The fog’s too far off to be able to detect any magical auras from it.
Maxy nods to the fog. "I say we risk it. I don't like waiting and I want to know what's going on."
Zaborjca nods his assent. He has light to see by.
The party presses on into the fog. As they travel deeper into the forest, the fog comes rolling down out of the mountains, flowing almost like a liquid as it bears down on the party. Faint shapes can be seen moving in the mist, fast and sinuous, much like the minotaurs described.
There are two creatures in the mist, approaching quickly. If you make the check, you can take a round to prepare for their arrival.
Zaborjca peers into the fog hopelessly, not able to make out a thing.
Maxy sees approaching figures in the mist and hisses quickly "Two incoming!" and casts Face of the Devourer. Her friendly enough face transforms into a horrifying, fanged visage.
As the party stares out into the mist, the same sinuous shapes that the minotaurs described come streaking in from out of the fog. They are serpentine silvery creatures, seeming almost draconic but with two legs instead of four. They shift and fade as they fly through the mist, almost as if blending in with it. They land briefly on two of the cliffs above the party, but Zaborcja is just barely quicker than them.
Zaborjca takes a defensive step forward (five foot step) and readies an action to attack the first monster that enters his reach.
One drake opens it’s fanged maw and spits out a burst of solid mist, hurtling towards the party and striking them with surprising force!
The other swoops down, landing with thunderous force and trying to take a bite at Ghorza. Nearly chomping down on her neck, she manages to avoid the worst of it, only taking 11 damage!
Maxy grimaces as she fails and falls down then stands up (provoking of course) and tries to retaliate against the strange drake.
The creature swooped down, breathing choking fumes directly onto the dwarf. Coughing and near blind she was helpless as its jaws closed around her. The creature shook its head and released her, sending her falling to the ground. She staggered to her feet and lashed out wildly at the creature.
Maxy gets a solid bite on the drake! Ghorza is not so lucky, and can't connect with it. Zaborcja, fortunately, is able to avoid a bite from the drake as he moves away.
The drake on the ground turns it's murderous intentions towards the impertinent little ground-walker who bit it, returning the favor with a vicious bite for 11 damage! Maxy is able to dodge a slap from it's tail, though.
The other one swoops down, trying to bite Zaborcja but the warrior jumps out of the way.
Ghorza attempted to form a weapon in her hands but the power escaped her. When it connected with the wyrm the stone blade crumbled, leaving not even a scratch.
Wounded by the bite but healed somewhat by Tocash, Maxy bares her teeth in a flurry of bites to try to retaliate.
Zaborjca moves toward the nearest dragon carefully.