“No problem, Zin.” Velan said to the bard, conscious of how he forgot to leave Ninlil listening Magwynn’s lesson. “We all forget things here and there.”

The food arrived fast and he was grateful for that. Cold and hunger made for a bitter combination. Meat, potato, carrot and onion where a more than welcome remedy for that. One that made the wizard all the more eager to finish his note.

“This is the Frozen Far.” Velan said to the warrior, taking a piece of paper from his pack and starting to write on it.  “Hunting or adventuring makes little difference. If you are outside of a settlement, you are better assuming to be into some creature’s hunting ground and yesterday gave us a fair idea of what kind of creature we can expect around here.” He had learned as much guarding merchants through the road. Maybe it was different in the reast of Faerûn. “Besides I see absolutely no reason why we wouldn’t be able to hunt skittish animals. We will have aerial vision, archers and spellcasters. It’s far from being out of question that we can see and attack prey before being noticed ourselves.”

Then he passes the paper to the firbolg. On it detailed three bullet points:

Cannibal - Real threat. Started taking game and attacking locals around 9 months ago.  

Gnolls - Have always been a local problem. Started to become more aggressive this season. Matter of time until they attack.

Purple Smoke - Effect of an illusion spell of mine. Know this for battle.

“Please, everyone, make sure to read it in silence.”

Magwynn changes her wording as she reads the paper, to be more oblique. "Considering our encounter on our way into town, I am fine with not splitting up on our first day, and seeing what larger animals we can catch using traps. A smaller party of just the stealthy among us can go out later as well." She passes the paper along.

Spix reads and nods, passes the paper along. 

Davis takes the note, glances over it, shrugs and hands it onward.

After much deliberation, forming a plan, visiting the majority of the town and gathering what supplies you could a decision has been reached for the party to go out as one big group for the next day. So for the rest of the evening you pack up all supplies necessary, warm up by the fire and finally decide to go to sleep.

Wed. morning as you wake up hoping and praying for much better conditions you make your way to a window and see Snow Drifts located both near and far. You figure either the sleet from Tues. froze over and a wind from the North came blowing in piling up the snow. Or a late night snow plus the wind just created massive piles of snow. Either way it wasn't sleet and at least you can see.

As you come to figure that this is a norm the smell of fresh bread lofts into your nose.

Zin is getting rather used to existing in Moore's hold, he comes down following his nose, sniffing the air for the freshly baked bread.  He stops by the windows, and says "Bollocks!  The weather Is crap again!  Snow drifts this time as high as your buttocks!"  He turns and has a seat, looking for a nice breakfast.  He is not remotely dressed yet for adventuring.

Spix is ready- she has all of her gear on and with her.  She eats extra breakfast, and gives everyone a big smile.  “I’m excited.  I think this will be a fun adventure!”   Her snowy owl ‘spirit’ is on her shoulder and surveying the room.   

Magwynn is bundling on her outer layers as she enters the main dining room. "It will actually be quite useful for tracking and trapping. I was going to go out briefly and set out the hunting trap that I'd picked up yesterday while getting my armor reinforced. I don't mind someone coming with me, if we're still concerned with safety in numbers, but it will be a quick jaunt, so no need for anyone to interrupt their meal."

Sohk's mouth is full, but his plate is clean as he smiles and tells Magwynn, "I'll join you!" It's a bit hard to understand, but you see him get up and follow you so you get the meaning.

After eating a delightful breakfast, Zin sees how fast the others are getting ready to depart and runs upstairs at breakneck speed.  He throws on his armor and his cold weather gear, packs his backpack and gear, heads back down.  "I'm ready!"  

Spix says “ill come with to set the trap.  What do we have for bait?”   She straps her snowshoes on and follows. 

"Leftovers," Magwynn explains, showing a handful of the dried fruit and nuts that had been set out with the breakfast porridge. "We don't want to attract carnivores, and if we put the trap deep enough in the snow, smaller animals won't set it off. I'm not sure if I could find a good place to set it for deer, but to catch a hare shouldn't be a problem."

She looks surprised at how many folks seem interested in coming along. "Well, it'll be good teaching for the future, at least. We shouldn't be long, for anyone who'd rather stay here. I'd say if we're not back in half an hour, come looking?" She'll head outside, aiming for the closest area outside of town with tree or scrub cover.

Zin says “I don’t know much about such things but I’m interested to learn Magwynn.  I can stand watch while you set everything up.”  Zin is ready to go.

"That sounds good, Zin, I appreciate that."

Once she finds an appropriate location -- near plenty of cover that hares might use, with a few traces of potential older tracks from earlier in the day, Magwynn shows the others how setting and covering the trap works. "We'll come back this evening, or earlier if one of the familiars notices something, but the evening should be fine."

Back inside again, Magwynn sets her pack down. "Right, what's our next step?"

As soon as everyone finished reading the note, Velan took back the piece of paper and pouring ink on it covered the words about his spell before throwing it on the hearth. Hopefully no one would forget the information and end up hindered by the illusion. With that in mind. With those hopes in mind he took his meal.

The rest of the afternoon was spent into deciding the last details of the hunt and by the time they finished the hexblood was more than happy to return to his room. There he called upon Ninlil, asking the familiar to watch the surroundings. He showed her his purchases of the day, specially the materials for Find Familiar. Not that there was any certainty that the owl would take the components as a good new, after all the wizard needed to worry a great deal less to worry about if she was brought down a couple of times.

He drifted into sleep enjoying the warmth of the bed and woke feeling restored. His winged guardian confirmed that nothing happened during his sleep and he studied his writings before leaving for breakfast. In their already usual table, Maegwyn brought up to setting of traps. He wished to go and watch how the firbolg did everything, but others were faster to offer accompanying her so he decided to stay.

“I know I probably don’t need to say that to you.” He said looking to Spix, almost apologetic. “But keep Spirit’s eye around you. I think it’ll be easier to avoid surprises doing that.”

And then part of the group went out. Less than an hour later they returned, the ranger asking about their next step.

“Do you think we should try hunting another way too?” He asked her, their field specialist.

"It sounded yesterday like some folks were interested in shooting," Magwynn confirms. "How many folks have bows now?"

"I have one!" Zin says enthusiastically, "Because of my good friend Davis.  You should have seen the proprietor of the store, what a sight she is!"  Zin's eyes seem to go distant for a minute and a slight smile crosses his face.  

"I have my javelins, hand axes, and trident." Davis says, patting the throwing weapons. "I'll have to get a might bit closer with those, but I can't hit the broad side of a barn with a bow, so no use carrying one about and pretending otherwise."

Spix holds up her longbow. “I’m a pretty good shot with it too.  Get me 100 paces from a deer and it will be ours!”  She says with a smile.  

Sohk pulls out his darts, "Ehhh, I'm not sure I can get anything too large, but I'd certainly try!"