Verr quietly watches Nephs morning routine from the shadow of a pillar. 

Fae feels a gentle blush on her cheeks for her error. Albeit small mistake, she'd give Hansel an appreciative smile and nod for the correction. Nothing's worse than misinformation! "Yes! Thank you Hansel." The scholar would correct her notes. "Perhaps one day you may be able too." The words leave her mouth in response to the cleric's enthusiasm about shopping in Waterdeep. "I've never been." She'd then look up from her notes to Nepharios, her purple hues meeting his. "I was quite looking forward to stepping out of my comfort zone and having Hansel's assistance in dressing me for such an evening." She'd express out loud. Even with the costs of spells, the divination wizard would be willing to splurge for an evening of indulgence, even if it's just to distract her mind for a little bit... "Purchasing in bulk with a little bit of charm, perhaps a good deal could be struck." She suggests. "Surely we've collected enough change from our foes and 'spoils of war' worth selling or trading."

As Fae says this, there's the sound of sickening squelches as Nova begins to butcher, skin and harvest the rest of the boar before it spoils, expanding with gas from decomposition. "And meat!" She calls back to Fae as she hauls out innards to go deposit in the bush to start her pile of offerings to the hungry predators and scavengers. "We'll have plenty of fresh meat to add to that list." The druid notes on her way back, getting started on the skinning. "Hide too." Riiiiiiiiiiip. "Depending on preference, meat can of course be dried and the hide tanned." Once she completed the skinning portion of the work, she moves on to butchering. "We've got some big ole ribs!" Nova comes out of the cavity with legit monster sized ribs. Since she couldn't see over them, she'd feel around on the ground with her bare foot. Finding a seed, she mutters something in druidic and a leaf sprouts, growing quite large. Satisfied, she plops the first batch down and wraps it up nicely like a store butcher would. "Next!" Popping up, back she goes to repeat the process a few times more until there was barely anything left of a carcass, and even that would be deposited into the woods as an offering. Nova harvested shoulder cuts, shanks, bacon and tenderloin oh my! She severs the head last. It was big and awkward to carry, but she'd come over and plunk it down in front of Nepharios. "Tada!" She says proudly with a sway of her hips. "Your trophy proof!"

Everyone's able to settle in for a surprisingly peaceful night of sleep. The clouds would clear and the night sky was clear, lit up by an almost full moon and a sea of stars.

XP Received: 800xp EACH player
(Everyone should be about 6,522/14,000 now ;) )

Come morning, Fae would be up early to study and prepare her spells. She'd be picking at some rations while she worked. Meanwhile, Nova would still be 'communing with the earth'. Meaning she was still snoozing away on the ground.

Fae's Portents: 7 | 18

Hansel drifts to sleep thinking about the masquerade ball in Phandalin, and of the group's pending visit to Neverwinter. As he dreams...

Hansel recalls journeying from Waterdeep to Neverwinter to establish a following to his goddess there, but becoming delayed in the rustic backwater of Phandalin...
He pictures the scenery surrounding Phandalin - the mountains and forests - true natural beauty, but dark and cast into shadow...
He sees the faces of the local populace, the miners and merchants, the travelers and adventurers, and their rustic appearance - and he sees them like uncut gems...
He pictures the small and unimposing shrine of Tymora - the only place in Phandalin dedicated to the gods - like a candle in the gloom...
He then imagines a temple - sees it rising from the earth - an edifice that would serve the community: a place of health and healing with baths and salons, communal halls for dances and fashion shows, rooms for the weary and underdressed traveler - consecrated to Sune but with shrines for all the gods of the celestial realms - shining out like a beacon and dispelling the darkness, illuminating the landscape, and reflecting its light in the facets of the sparkling newly-cut gems of the townspeople...

...Hansel wakes. It is morning, and the dream, though brief, has taken the whole night. The blond cleric is refreshed from slumber, but more than that he is filled with elation and renewed purpose: Neverwinter is not his ultimate destination - Phandalin is! - to bring to this wild frontier the light of the gods and the message of Sune - a message understood by him more now since his interactions with Fae and the others than ever before - and to build a temple there. Too caught up in the moment to share it with anyone, Hansel ponders these thoughts quietly to himself as he engages in his usual morning exfoliating/moisturising routine...

"Alright..." The dark tiefling says with an amused smile, his yellow predatory eyes meeting the purple hues. "...I will let blondie dress me up this one time, but only if the little wildling here submits to this exercise too." He says, giving the feral girl tearing up the carcass of the talosian beast a playful slap with his dark tail. He then simply watches in awe as the little wildling swiftly carves up what is left of the boorish boar. "By the fires of Phlegetos, that was even more impressing than when you crushed that talosian cultist last night. Would you help me strap this onto the back of my steed?" He says to Nova as he gets up collect what she had cut up for him.

Auric:

Waking up in the morning, Auric feels refreshed.  He uses his fire magic to aid in breakfast, then studies his Orb to prepare his spells for the day.  Excitedly, he realizes that some of the spells he has been working on are finally ready, and he prepares to be able to cast them later in the day if necessary.

Auric nearly forgets to wind his watch, but he does remember about halfway through roasting up some crispy bacon.  When others seem ready to pack up, he asks, “Forsooth, shouldst we sojourn forth into the subterranean depths below?” as he wills his orb to glow with a soft yellow light.

Auric:

With no objections, Auric lifts his orb and wills it alight.  He walks towards the tunnels under the hill and looks inside.

Perception:  18

With a bob of enthusiastic pride, Nova would jump to assist Neph with strapping the boars head to his steed. She’d bounce along every step of the way while each of the others go through their own morning routines.

Hansel was more than thorough with his, Fae surprisingly quick with hers, and Auric refreshed and ready to get to work. Which he does. However, he only manages to take a casual morning stroll through the caves. He comes to confirm everything that was sifted through yesterday after battle.

Tunnels under the hill

"You're an energetic one." The dark tiefling says to the feral girl with a grin. "I would offer you a ride back to Phandalin but perhaps you prefer roaming free by my side?" 
Either way, Nepharios is ready to leave for Phandalin. Should the magic items found in the tunnels under the hill last night be identified for what they are he would not mind others taking them as long as he gets a fair share of any gold. 

Auric:

Taking a half an hour to ritually identify each of the items, Auric describes them and offers them to those who can best use them.  He is also ready to continue on (Are we headed to Phandelin, or is there another place we were going first?)

"I'll probably do a little bit of both." Nova bobs with a nod to Neph. And she would. The druid would take 'advantage' of long road trips to 'flex' and stretch her wildshape shifting. She'd go from sniffing and racing through the woods in a favoured wolf form. Then when she'd need a little rest she'd change into a beloved fox form to hitch a ride for a rest before trotting along some more. Other times if any one wanted a break from walking, she could even shift into a horse of course! And then when she was feeling like testing her sneaky abilities, she'd shift into a giant spider, and specifically to hang around if at any time the group pauses to take a break.

(Should no player be interested, as player would take priority, Nova would show interest in the blue gem, Fae the potion and would encourage Hansel to take the necklace if he'd like)

(Phandalin would take approximately 14hrs travel time by foot. Phandalin was the point of interest. Can have some downtime there if team would like. There's also the Ball for players wanting to indulge. And after the stop at Phandalin, there's the Dragons Burrow 8hrs from Phandalin where there's said to be dragon slaying weapons.)

(As before, Nepharios wants to collect his reward back in Phandalin and then spend it at the closest tavern, possibly with the others as company. As his earned gold runs out he will seek another job but he wouldn't mind sticking around with the others for now. He will of course also make good on his promise to let Hansel dress him up for that ball. Finally if he catches wind of any dragon slaying weapons he would eagerly join any venture to acquire those. :-)

Auric:

"Wondrous teamwork brings victory," says Auric, distributing the magic items now that he has identified them and people have claimed them.  "Travel arduous lies before us, companions mine.  Let us away," he adds, packing up and preparing for the long walk back to Phandalin.

After a long silence, Fae would join Auric to lead the way back to Phandalin. She’d take his arm as if he were escorting her. “It’s a long walk. We may as well discuss spells along the way. Surely we may be able to exchange a few from our studies.” The fellow wizard would suggest with a smile as she’d move to walk in step with him.

There was some crispness to the morning air, as if autumn was nipping at the heels of summer. Winter would soon be upon them before they knew it. The wind didn’t blow, but it whispered, enough to rustle up the leaves in the trees.It wasn’t dreary, but it wasn’t bright and vibrant either. Even as the sun would come up, clouds filtered it, only allowing it to peer through the smallest breaks in them from time to time.

The group spent a few hours back tracking their steps through the forest back to the Manse. It’d be a brief short stay, just long enough for the group to introduce Verr and Neph to the Woodland Manse and those who stayed behind to work on its repair. The revitalization of the property, once complete, will act as a sort of sanctuary and headquarters. In rapid fire Nova would update Stacey on everything that happened since they left, then Fae would provide the itinerary going forward. 

Once the exchange of information was complete over a simple quick brunch, the group would say their farewells for now to the caretakers of the Manse. If the group wanted to make good time and get home by dusk, they needed to head out and get back on the trail. Naturally, Nova would scoop up a pumpkin from the patch to carry with her on the way out. She’d chat up Neph’s steed, offering it some pumpkin.

On they went, back through Conyberry and back on the Triboar trail. After having to march through the woods and the only recently rediscovered trail from the Manse, the trail felt incredibly wide and roomy. With the space also came the nagging sense of being exposed, vulnerable in a way. Each time the clouds hid the sun, casting a shadow overhead, there was this desire to look up. It felt ominous.

However, the long road back was quiet. Almost eerily uneventful. The group didn’t come across any fellow travellers or merchants. They didn’t run into any bandits or looters, just a lot of simple wildlife that Nova would chatter to, and maybe the occasional dung pile to dodge. Other than that, they’d push through a long day of travel and eventually come up on the crest of a hill that’d reveal Phandalin up ahead.

The time eventually came where the group would arrive. The town was quiet as the sun was coming to set. There was some life about the place as some shops were closing for the night and locals were heading home from a days work. Those with an eye for fashion and clothing would come to notice while passing by a building that there seemed to be a new shop that moved in to one of the empty buildings. Of course it wasn’t open right now, but it’s hours were posted and it would be open tomorrow.

What was open, was of course the Inn. Those who desired could choose to get a meal and a drink there, or, Fae would pause at a home. It was small and quaint, and with everyone it may be a little crowded, but she’d offer for anyone who wanted to, to stay there. She had been watching it while the owner was away for a while.

Once they got to the towns edge Verr would quietly move his scarf so that it.was.covering his lower face. And he wouldn't so.much as shrink as he would slouch altering the self confident gait he was using along the road

Auric:

Auric is happy to discuss spells as they walk, and he makes plans for necessary scribing components to buy once they return to town based on what spells he and Fae may be able to trade. Given the formal and archaic manner of his speech, Fae is concerned his spell notation may be nearly indecipherable without an occasional shot of brandy.

He is also grateful to get back to town and rest in the inn.  He reminds the others, "Betwixt our formerly separate groups we accomplished much--more pertinently much requested  by note with promised renumeration.  Shouldst we pursue recompense tonight or await the morn?"

Hansel passes the travel time mostly in peaceful solitude, humming a tune as he walks, and enjoying the beauty of nature. His mind is pleasantly occupied with the group's accomplishments, as well as his own recent revelations from his goddess, and seems oblivious to the gloom pervading his environment.

The return to Phandalin is particularly exciting for Hansel as he takes in the surroundings and contemplates afresh his dreams of a temple. The new clothing shop is a welcome addition, and he makes a small detour to peer into the dark windows; this will definitely be his first stop tomorrow. Hansel also sighs a little sadly at Verr's seeming need to obscure his appearance - why anyone with elven features, no matter how subtle - would want to hide them.

Thanking Fae for her kind offer, Hansel prefers to return to the inn. He's had only a travel-style minimum of equipment with him, but the inn holds his more extensive collection of fresh clothing, cosmetics and perfumes; and it has been some time since he has been able to perform the devotions required of his religion: a long, warm, scented bath lit with candles, combined with a vigil of prayer before the mirror.

Perception: 13

Riding his black mare, the dark tiefling is surprised over how much he enjoys the company on the way back to Phandalin, introducing himself to Stacey and any others at the Woodland Manse, complementing her on the beauty and serenity of the place as he takes a quick tour, then eagerly partaking in the brunch, getting his fill before mounting up again. His dark steed Nightmare would be grateful to the offerings of pumpkin from the sweet feral girl, following her around whenever she could.

Nepharios would politely decline the offer of a bed at Fae's house but he would make sure to come visit. He would spend most of his time at the local inn though, returning to his habits of spending his reward on drinks and other pleasure, preferably in the company of the others, the feral girl in particular. Being a simple man he does not quite follow the golden dragonborn's auld posh tongue but with the help of an interpretor he would shrug, estimating he already had the necessary coins to last him through the night, hopefully.

Auric would find that Fae's spell notation was quite detailed and formal, including diagrams and visual representation for aid as necessary. Her writing was elegant and lettering consistent. "Tomorrow morning should be plenty appropriate to turn in tasks you wish for compensation."

Saying good night to those who retire to the Inn, Nova joins Fae in the comfort of a home. Fae puts a pork roast with vegetables gathered by Nova over the fire. Then with the berries provided by the druid, the wizard prepares some wild berry scones for the morning and a mixed wild berry pie for their desert tonight. Nova would then prep the hide for tanning while Fae would draw them a bath. They'd enjoy themselves and a relaxing night by the fire.

The moon and stars would shine bright in the sky. Outside of a slight chill wind, the night was calm and quiet. Soon it gave way to the morning. There was a light fog present for those who were up early enough, however it'd soon burn away by the rise of the morning sun. The smell of fresh baked goods would fill the air along with the promising smell of bacon wafting through and taking over the town square.

Auric:

Waking up and stretching languorously after a good night's sleep in a proper bed, Auric heads down to the main lobby of the inn and eats a hearty breakfast.  He sorts through the cards representing the tasks they were given and tries to recall what their payments should be as he waits for the other to join him.