Quote from DarthDrizzt >>

"A child is stronger then that." Daerthe says as she  gives him an unimpressed look, shaking her head as she begins to mutter in the drow dialect of elvish. She will make her way to the trading post and take the crowbar before going back to the door. With a growl she will attempt to pry the door open.

Crowbar: 11

"And how many times have you failed to open this door, now?" Ryndar rolls his eyes and returns to help Bramble finish the bridge.

It takes a few tries, but eventually Essie is able to break the lock and force the door open. Within is a simple living space that appears to be functional for two people: two chairs at the table, dishes for two, and two sleeping areas. A set of shelves hold linens, pails, and simple salves and herbs suggesting that the owner might offer doctoring or healing services of some kind. A wooden chest in the back sleeping area is unlocked and holds a healer's kit, potion of healing, and golden holy symbol in which three triangles form a larger triangle shape pointing down.

(Make a religion check to see if you know anything about this symbol.)

"There we go," Essie murmurs, passing the crowbar back over to Daerthe. Then she steps in without thinking much, poking around and seeing what's around. She kneels beside the wooden chest, pulling out each item. The holy symbol is heavy in her hand, and she turns it over and over in her hands, trying to remember whatever she's learned about this symbol in particular.

Religion: 4

Daerthe mostly ignores the holy symbol until she notices her Essie is paying it special attention. With a small amount of interest she leans forward to look it over.

Religion: 6

(Wow I am rolling terribly lately...)

(Assuming Helena is still doing her ritual.)

Essie is unfamiliar with the symbol, but it makes her feel vaguely uncomfortable. Daerthe recognizes it as related in some way to someone of importance in the Nine Hells, but with little interest in devils and their hierarchy, she couldn't say who exactly. It's a rather odd symbol to find in the home of someone who seems to offer healing to the local community. But there were those odd runes on the door...

It is midmorning when everyone regroups at the bridge. The sun shines brightly with just a few clouds moving briskly in the cool wind. It’s almost too cheerful in this damaged and abandoned village, certainly too cheerful for Daerthe who sticks to the shadows as much as possible. Before you is a bridge with a sturdy foundation of many, many strands of web and a surface of cobbled-together items: ladders Ryndar brought from the stables and broken planks from the nearest cottage.

(As everyone meets up, does anyone wish to share what you have done, found, or learned?)

Enjoying the sunlight, Essie tilts her head back, eyes closed as they wait for the bridge to be finished. She's kept the other holy symbol, putting in it one of her pouches far away from her actual symbol hanging around her neck. She's going to keep it on her until she can get some better answers about it.

Once the bridge done, she moves toward Bramble and holds out the herbalism kit to him. "I found this underneath a floorboard, but I dunno how to use it," she tells him, disregarding the fact that he might still be a giant spider or not. "Perhaps you do?"

"I've sent my familiar, his name is Sabastian, out to watch the road." Helena says, the white form of her snowy owl zipping off into the air and heading towards the road that leads away from the village. "If anyone comes we should have some warning."

Bramble would have his hour long wild shape end before the hour long casting of find familiar.

When he returns to human form he will look around.

"Where has Kella gone off to? Did the last goblin ever show up? So, that flying cat isn't someone's familiar? Yes Essie, I do have some proficiency with that herbalism kit. Thank you." As he accepts the kit extended towards him.

"She went off on her own after threatening us not to impede her. As for the wretched goblin there has been no sign. The cowardly thing has more then likely escaped or found a place to hide." Daerthe says before she turns to look at the winged cat. She will step a bit closer and attempt to guess at what it might be.

Nature: 21

Daerthe has had no personal experience with winged cats herself. However, at some point in her travels through the surface world, she heard stories of tressym: intelligent and mischievous beasts who sometimes form friendships with people. According to the tales, they can detect poison, nearby undead, and anyone who is invisible, but she isn’t sure whether to believe it all. The tressym on the nearby rooftop watches Helena’s familiar fly off toward the road, but remains on its perch until something in the nearby field catches its eye. It dives down, pounces on something, and returns to the roof with a mouse in its mouth.

(Anyone want to do anything more with the cat or are you ready to cross the bridge?)

Although Bramble has been a loner for years, he has formed temporary symbiotic relationships with wild creatures before. The longest was with a skunk that he had found injured and nursed back to health. The two of them journeyed together for 14 months before the breeding season took hold of his partner and his new family became his new priority.  The last partner was a badger and that one ended badly over a left over morsel of food.

Bramble will try to “judge the room” to see if anyone has their heart set on making this marvelous winged cat their pet. He will quietly wait to not interfere with anyone else’s attempt to form a bond with the tressym.

Deciding that perhaps the cat could be useful if the stories she had heard were true, Daerthe will take some of the food out of the rations she had procured. Not quite sure how to approach the creature she will step forward and attempt to lure of down with some dried meat.

Animal Handling: 10

At first, the tressym is concentrating on its own catch. Once it finishes off the mouse, it sees Daerthe holding out the dried meat. It sniffs the air a little in her direction, but stays up on the rooftop watching her.

Essie watches the winged cat with a look of amazement. "I've never seen one of those before," she says. Her nose wrinkles up, this time in excitement. "It's kinda cute." But she stays back and lets Daerthe do whatever she wants. Well, first, she steps forward and taps Daerthe lightly on the shoulder, casting Guidance. "Just in case it helps out!" she chirps.

(If allowed here is the guidance roll. Also yeah that is what my cat would do... Well that or want a treat after you put it back since it wasn't interested at first...)

Guidance: 4

Ryndar sits on the grass watching the interaction with subtle amusement as he takes a breather after the bridge construction.

Bramble, watching the “cat” eat, is reminded how famished he is. That work as a spider took more out of him than he expected. His stomach audibly growls. He will also make his way to a grassy area near Ryndar and set aside his staff, doff his shield and remove his backpack before sitting down and begin to rummage for a daily ration.

The cat flies over to a fence post a little closer to Daerthe, sniffs the air, and then begins to groom itself.

(What would you all like to do?)