Gwin removes one more foe from the battle field; her guiding bolt kills the monster instantly, sending it hurtling toward the ground below. 

The demise of its fellow herd members has happened so quickly, the last manticore (4) is unaware that it now fights alone. Landing near Patrin--the closest foe--it lunges toward the warlock with teeth bared and claws out...

 Patrin may act, ending the round. The last manticore is wounded slightly. After Patrin, all others may act. 

Staggering from the attacks, Patrin channels his primal instincts, and breathes on the manticore...

 'Are you just going to sit there?!' he admonishes the hippogriff...

Brevig’s hippogryph continues to dive toward manticore #4, and as its hooves touch down beside it, throwing up clods of earth, Brevig slams his morning star into the beast.

Brevig Action:

Morning star attack on Manticore #4

#1: 24 / 10

#2: 26 / 9

Luck die if either misses: 27 / 20 

If the second strike doesn’t kill the manticore, add Divine Smite, 2nd Level for 19 additional damage.

Hippogryph Action: Dash

Dive and move toward 12 o’clock to intercept Manticore #4.

The wounded manticore is alert enough to avoid taking the full brunt of Patrin's breath weapon, but in doing so the beast exposes itself to the piercing of Brevig's morningstar and radiant damage. 

Wounded severely, the last manticore opens its jaws and fills the air with a rage-filled growl, uncertain of what course to take.

Donir, Fargoth, and Gwin may act. 

Fargoth sees the last manticore being surrounded, and drives his hippogriff to the ground.  He slides off its back and runs a few feet towards the melee, desiring a stable platform from which to fire...

Attack: 9
Damage: 34

Stealth: 28

Elven Accuracy: 6

Elven Accuracy has the highest roll, a paltry 10 (sorry if I hit anyone!)

Fargoth's arrow zips over the manticore's head and vanishes into the distance, a rare miss for the rogue. 

Donir and Gwin may act. 

Gwin urges her hippogriff into a descent toward manticore 4, and once within range, sends a final bolt of lightning toward the wounded creature.

Gwin delivers the final blow of the battle, killing the lone remaining manticore. Scattered around the low rolling hills are the bodies of seven of the beasts. 

Dinnie immediately takes flight on his hippogriff, heading south. "I'll fetch Donir's steed!"

A few minutes later, the halfling returns to the group, piloting his own hippogriff--and commanding Donir's-- the ground. 

Combat has ended. Fargoth can recover half of the ammunition fired during the battle. 

Donir plummets to the ground, then pulls up at the last moment, electricity from his boots scorching the ground. He pulls off his helmet to reveal a sweat-soaked beard and face.

"I'll be perfectly honest, I barely tested these things before this, I'm glad they work. Thought I was about to go splat for a second after jumping off."

Fargoth allows himself a small smile as Donir talks, and he pats the side of his mount as it rests.  "That was... unexpected, but as you say, could have gone significantly worse.  Is everyone alright?"

Brevig answers, "I -- and we -- have fared far better than they, to be sure. Were they a mere nuisance, or guided by some other force I wonder. Let us seek out their lair, and see if answers can be found."

Brevig mounts up, climbs quickly, and tries to determine the manticores' point of origin. 'A cave? A castle? Were they directed, or simply hungry?,' the watcher tries to determine.

Gwin, on land but still atop her hippogriff, brushes her hair out of her face and then pauses for a moment. Pulling out a wiry strand and holding it up to the party she says, I fear my own hair is what gave us away, very much against my will I'm sure you know. I do not believe those foul flyers were acting on their own accord, and if there is some scrying spell taking place, we need to address it before we go any further. Perhaps we should consider a Nondetection spell? What say you, friends? As always, I take much comfort in your wisdom.

"I could begin work on an item to protect you from scrying, perhaps. But it will take time and resources, a spell would be a better short-term solution."

To the south of the battlefield, the landscape transitions from gentle rolling hills to rockier, steeper terrain. Brevig doesn't see any indications of any structures, castles or otherwise. If there are any caves in the area, a more thorough search would be needed to locate them. 

While the others rest, Brevig will, flying low to the ground on his hippogryph, continue circling in the direction the manticores came from, for 20 minutes, flying 20' above the ground at a dash. He draws upon Amaunator's bright radiance to see under tree cover and rock formations. If nothing comes up, he dismounts and "rests" with the others until the party is ready to move on. (OOC: Likewise, if anybody needs healing, 45HP Lay on Hands is available.)

Within ten minutes, Brevig spies a cave mouth in a rocky hillside. He detects nothing magical, good, or evil as he nears the place. The opening is large enough to accommodate manticores. 

Brevig directs his hippogryph to land at the cave mouth, and with darkvision, looks, and listens and smells inside. 

Perception: 25

From where he stands at the mouth of the cave, Brevig hears nothing, but he can see a variety of bones, large and small. His nose picks up an unpleasant scent. All signs suggest this could be the manticore lair. 

Brevig crinkles his nose with a frown, and returns to the others, relaying news of the find. As the others rest, he'll gather up manticore spikes.

"I do not believe this to be a sign of interference in our quest, merely hungry evil beasts. We've many leagues to go, and I'm for continuing onward."

Confident there is no further threat in the area, the party rests for a short while before resuming their southward flight to Berdusk. The next three days follow a regular pattern of long hours of flight broken up by short periods of time on the ground--time that is much appreciated by all, including the hippogriffs. 

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Nine days after making Dinnie's acquaintance, the buildings of the southern city of Berdusk can be seen on the horizon. To your left (east) you can make out the Reaching Woods and the River Chionthar. To your right stretch the seemingly endless hills of Elturgard. Dinnie glances over his shoulder and calls out, "At last, friends! Berdusk! We've done it!"

Following the halfling's lead, you land along the eastern bank of the Chionthar, just a few miles north of the city. For the time being, the hippogriffs will bear you no farther. The winged beasts require rest and have exhausted their food supply they've been carrying for the past week and a half. "They'll be ready for the journey back to Daggerford," explains Dinnie. "I'll make certain of that. I'll do my part, friends. Tyr's good hand upon you as you do yours. The 'griffs and I will be here in eight days. We'll wait a full week. After that..."

After a quick meal, you gather up your gear and begin the one-hour hike to Berdusk. Your destination in the city is the Harper base of operations: Twilight Hall. Recalling the words of Themius--Officially, no such place exists in Berdusk--you know to inquire within the temple of Deneir. Harper authorities will then apprise you of any new developments with the dragon cult led by Badrizar Nath. 

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It is a tall, willowy wood elf who greets you in one of the temple's inner rooms. His name is Elthernas. He is thorough and matter-of-fact, and after making sure your needs for food, drink, and supplies are met, he provides the following information:

• The dragon cult can be found four days east, where the Chionthar exits the Sunset Mountains. "A stone keep, easily seen, stands there," Elthernas remarks. "The cult does not hide its whereabouts, only its intentions."
• As you follow the River Chionthar eastward, you will come upon the city of Iriaebor in two day's time. "There are no Harper contacts there, but the city is large enough should you have need of food or supplies," he explains. 
• The lands between here and the Sunset Mountains should be relatively free of trouble, for the creatures of the Reaching Woods and Far Hills are too far north.
• "Slightly unusual," Elthernas explains, "is the number of days that have passed since Badrizar Nath has been seen. He's typically out and about, holding meetings in Iriaebor and smaller towns to the east. A fortnight has passed since our spies have seen him. His last known location was the keep. Until new information proves otherwise, we believe he is there."

"What else can I do for you?" Elthernas asks. 

EDIT: Here's a map relevant to this part of the adventure. The red X near the center indicates the location of the dragon cult keep.