((Forgot to halve damage taken since Raq is raging… fixed.))

    As Brock4 decided to engage, Raqisat is only too happy to trade blows.  First he strikes out with the whip and then follows up with the scimitar…

Whip Attack: 10 to hit for 8 damage…

Off Hand BA Scimitar Attack: 22 to hit for 10 damage 

Plus 2 Sneak Attack damage if anyone is witching 5 feet of the Vrock besides me…

     (And I’ll call that done… forgot to attack recklessly and too lazy to fix.  On plus side, it won’t have adv when it attacks me back.)

Vrock 4 goes down to the combined attacks of Grugga and Aubrey, disappearing in a flash of black smoke.

High above, a badly wounded Vrock 5 observes the field below, seemingly conflicted.  

Just then, a booming, wordless roar echoes from out of the forest and the Vrocks snap their heads to the northeast.  Vrock 5 then begins flying away in that direction, seemingly abandoning the fight.

• Cosette
• Vrock 2 - still engaged with Raqisat for now
• Leelan 
• Grugga
• Aubrey
• Raqisat
• Vrock 5 (flock2) - flying away

"Run away little girl... run away..." Striding forward, Cosette taunts Vrock 5 as it flys away.
(Ode to my old raiding days in WoW)

Vs Vrock 5
Vicious Mockery Wisdom saving throw DC15 or take 5 psychic damage and have disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.

Silver blade at the ready, Cos aims to take position at Raqisat's side. She was prepared to swipe at his target should be within her reach, and decide to flee as well. While she holds a brave face against the foe before her, Cosette's brows furrow in concern for Grugga and the booming roar at their back. She exchanges a look with Raq. Her priority was to get Grugga some care. They needed to get somewhere safe to regroup regardless of whether that roar is friend, but more likely foe.

Vrock Save:  11

Vrock 5 grabs its head in its talons as it flies away and begins to spiral toward the ground.  Before it crashes, it vanishes in a puff of black soot.

Along, Vrock two snarls and snaps its beak at Raqisat and Cosette, then disengages, flying 40' straight up.  

[It appears to be fleeing.  We are out of initiative, unless people want to take a round of ranged attacks at Vrock 2 before it flies away.]

Seeing Vrock 5 run away, Leelan quickly nocks two arrows and releases them.

Attack 1 13 Damage: 6

Attack 2: 25 Damage: 5

Slayer’s Prey: 5 (on first attack that hits)

Seeing another demonic bird crash and vanish in a puff of black soot, the young noble turns his attention to the only remaining enemy, placing his Hex on the creature before using the powers of his talisman to unleash another two golden beams of eldritch crackling force towards it.

Eldritch Blast: 20 Force: 10 Necrotic: 1
Eldritch Blast: 21 Force: 12 Necrotic: 1

[Assume that Leelan switches targets to Vrock 2 once 5 is destroyed]

Leelan and Aubrey target Vrock 2 as it attempts to flee the field.  Between's Leelan's arrows and Aubrey's blasts of golden force, the Vrock is struck down, returning to the Abyss in a flash of dark fire.

And just like that, the overgrown park falls silent.  It appears you have destroyed the flock of demon birds that had infested this corner of the ruins of Amnifortis.

Once the Vrock vanishes in it's pouf of smoke, Cosette sheaths her sword and board. Long purposeful steps bring her straight to Grugga. She takes his arm and puts it around her to help support him. "Y'okay?" She checks him over before offering her skills. He was obviously in pretty rough shape. "I still got reserves teh mend yer wounds if need be." Cos glances back over her shoulder to check in the direction of the roar and crashing of the trees to gain a sense of the threat. How immediate? Was it imminent? What was it? She wondered.

     Raqisat moves with Cosette but keeps his eyes in the direction from which they heard the roar.  Was the roar familiar at all?  Had he heard it's like before?  Could he tell anything of it's distance?  He was a man used to living rough, more often surrounded by nature than walls and communities of people, but this was a strange land and it's denizens often quite unlike anything he's experienced before.  (Perception to see if he can tell anything from the roar?  16)

     With at least a short pause in hostilities, Raqisat also takes a moment to catch a second wind (regain 6 hp) as he stands guard.

     "Anyone recognize that roar?" he asks absently, not overly loudly not necessarily trying to draw the attention of the creature.

As the last demon is sent back into the abyss, the young noble quickly joins the others in the team in the center of the now quiet plaza while mentally commanding his strange familliar to try to scan the gardens to the northeast for any apparent source of the booming roar. "Are you okay Grugga?" He asks, although he could see for himself that this was not the case. The orc artificer was a touch one though, he knew that well from their many battles together now. "Well done everyone, we should rest here before moving on." He says, looking around at the others. "I fear that the roar we heard might have been the demon bird's master Deinochlorodon that has awakened. We should probably not delve deeper into the gardens today, taking out the flock of bird demons was a good move though, removing a clear mobile threat to our expedition and our base of operations." He says, seeming quite pleased although the cost had nearly been too high.

Furvus perception if needed: 21

Assuming the team decides to stop and short rest, Aubrey would then send out Furvus to try to find any roost of the dmonic birds.

     "Would such creatures flee from their master?" Raqisat inquires.  "My guess is they would cowtow to it instead, flock to it and defend it... or seek it's mercy.  At the very least I would think it best we meld into the treeline a bit, try to be less obvious than sitting out in the middle of a clearing.  Either that or return fully to the ship..."  Raqisat is currently of the mindset to press on further, the day is still young...  But they do have wounded and so he is trying to think tactically while keeping their leaders stated goals in mind.

Cosette:

 Furvus heads up above the tree tops.  The roar seemed to come from the direction of the old castle.  From the skies, there is no sign of any approaching danger.  All is quiet... the ruined city is its normal, desolate self.

"Well, that would rather depend on what kind of master you have." Aubrey says with a grin. "Anyway, it seems like the roar was coming from the castle Mastieri so the powerful being residing there and this Deinochlorodon is likely one and the same. But yes, perhaps move under the trees before we settle in for a short rest, I will have Furvus keeping an eye out for any approaching threats. Returning to the Empress is not really an immediate option as it is not around right now but I think we will be safe enough here for now and after we are rested we could start exploring the old mansions perhaps."

Leelan takes a moment to sit down and catch his breath. He’s surprised that they’re still standing at all. Grugga had taken quite the beating, but he still drew breath. 

The roar coming from the castle had him both worried and intrigued. He was curious to see what kind of creature had taken residence in these ruins, but also afraid that they might not be ready to face such a threat.

The artificer clearly appreciates his companions' concern over his state - even he has to admit he's in rough shape - the last time he felt like this was after being half-drowned and smashed against a wall by a water elemental. Nevertheless, the Orc puts on a brave face and insists that he can walk for now. "I'll be much better after a quick sit down so I can tend these wounds... They're pretty deep, but I think they look worse than they are." He says, inspecting the wounds from the beaks and claws that made it past his armor. "Sharp... I may as well have not been wearing anything."

((Grugga can wait on healing. I think a short rest will fix him up)).

The artificer shares the opinion of Aubrey. "It sounds like their master woke up in the castle. They mentioned something about killing us before we woke the master up. Strange, that." He muses while working on cleaning up his wounds. "It's doubtful anything could hear us for that far away... perhaps this Deinochlorodon is poisoning the land in such a way that it's becoming part of it?" He guesses, not understanding how such a thing would be possible, but understanding that these creatures are capable of things he once thought impossible.

"I'm sure we'll find the answer one day... but for now, our trips into the city should be much safer without those flying demons to pester us." 

     "Quickest way to learn about a thing is to meet it and kill it.  Preferably before it does the same to you," Raqisat points out as if it was wisdom.  "But a rest shouldn't be turned down when available..."

[It sounds like the party is leaning towards a short rest?  If so, where will they take it?  Right here in the plaza?  Somewhere else in the park?]

(I think the idea of just within the treeline a little bit works?  Not right out in the open but not so deep into the trees as to get lost?)

The party moves into cover under the trees.  It gives them a vantage point looking into the plaza while providing them with cover from above.  Then they settle in to take an hour, binding wounds and contemplating their next move.

[The party can take a Short Rest.  You can roll hit dice either here or on your character sheets (but post it here if you do so I can keep track as well).  Also, if anyone isn't resting, or doing something else while the rest of the party rests, please indicate so here in the main thread.]

(Raq took short rest, rolled two Hit Die (1 rogue, one fighter) and restored 14 HP. I believe 2 fighter Hit Dice left available...)

     Besides assisting Cosette, and anyone else who may need it, with bandaging and such, Raqisat does nothing but keep an eye out for the return of Vrocks or whatever made that roar...