((Apologies for the forum silence, but COVID caught me after 4 years of dodging its grasp, so most of the last week has been spent on the couch. Feeling back to functional, so picking things back up.))

"Tthere is a Cat Lord, but he is not worshiped the way that others doo. Mmore of a creator myth, but expects his children to figure it out on their ownn."

((Was there anyone else wanting to trade in gnome ruin items or other unused magic items with Kreldoran for something of more utility?))

Ulmwin:

Small talk passes between members of the group of hunters and the party as the wagons creak along behind the horses, a light breeze drifting through the woods, fallen pine needles crunching under foot, hoof and wheel. The day has warmed significantly, even in the shade of the forest, the late summer sun fighting its way through the foliage of the canopy to send scattered spotlights across the forest floor.

More rapid hoofbeats sound as Evar returns on one of the mounts, reigning up and having a few quick words with the group's leader, both of them looking to the dense wooded slopes on either side of the forest track. She gives him a nod, and he rides back along the column of wagons and those of you on foot, leaning down to impart a gruff, "Rockslide. Look lively."

(( Be careful for a while to avoid the other bugs out there. This year's variant on COVID seems to knock your immune system around a bit.))  

Randy fixes Evar with a meaningful look.  "Is this area prone to rockslides, or is this one suspiciously inconvenient?"

Economic with his words as always, he flashes two fingers to indicate the latter.

((Noted. Beard came off to be able to mask effectively, and so far have avoided passing it to my wife, quite the feat in a 600 sq ft apartment. Was planning on continuing to mask for a while, especially with kids coming back from whenever over spring break.))

Coljin will keep on the lookout for any small forest creatures that might be around and if so, try to go to them and have a quick chat.   See if they know anything scary or new to the area.

Randy gives a sharp nod. "Right. I'll scout the right flank, you can watch the left. Coljin, I'll alert you with the Horn if I find anything, so try to stay close to the others to pass the word."

He flips up his hood, casts Pass without Trace, and then goes stealth mode before heading out. 

Enhanced stealth with adv:  30

((I'll take Perception checks from you both.))

To Whoopsie,

"Interesting! Where is the birthplace of the tabaxi? As ye probably know dwarves were born from the stone itself and brought into being by the blood and breath of the gods in the heart of the earth."

Dornikal stays near the wagons as the other two range out.

"Ye all have competition for this stuff or are ye thinking more opportunistic bandits?"

"Uunder a hedgee.", Whoopsie says cryptically.

"Ccompetition would be in who gets to it first, not who comes back with itt."

Ulmwin:

"A...hedge?"

Dornikal is quiet a long time before he can respond with,

"Who's hedge?"

----

"Ye see any sign of anybody else on year way up"

"Aall of them, if you follow the Cat Lord storiess. Ttabaxi just turned up under hedgess."

"Jjust you alll."

perception:14

Perception:  6

Coljin looks around for some small woodland creatures to have a chat with, but doesn't see much of anything... far up through the canopy he sees the tiny outline of a circling vulture, but it is almost certainly drawn by the bulette and hydra remains, and not some more ominous omen...

Randy, sneaking forward, notices that at a portion of the underbrush is particularly dense that overlooks the winding track as it passes through a rocky descent. He's fairly sure it's similar to a hunter's blind... in which case, there's probably someone or multiple someones within, watching.

Ulmwin waits patiently outside the tower as Vaduta has her conversation with Kreldoran. Eventually the elder wizard appears outside in the silvery bubble that serves as entrance and exit to his tower, escorting the young tiefling. Ulmwin notes that she is restraining a smile, and clutching a couple of sealed envelopes tightly. Kreldoran adopts a more stern look, imparting a few more words to her in a gruff tone, but as she turns to look towards the gnomish bard, the old dwarf gives Ulmwin a wink and a grin before waving, wishing you well, and being swallowed back up by his tower.

(How long would it have been? Doesn't matter too much, just whether Ulmwin will do a particular action now or later) 

Ulmwin is sure to give Kreldoran a hearty goodbye before he gets the actual chance for a full exit, maybe even shaking the wizard out of his poise. A thank you for the help provided so far, a promise to meet again... And with that, he's soon left with Vaduta, barely able to keep his manners by not immediately accosting her with questions. Instead he waits a few seconds.

"And? I feel like it was fruitful?" he asks, a quick glance at the letters. "I feel like it mostly went well?" 

He seems oblivious to the fact she may very well have questions about the little dragon curled around his neck. He's far more curious about those letters, first. 

((More than an hour, less than three.))

Randy eases forward to investigate the blind more closely.  He has the Horn of Silent Warning ready to go.

Randy sees that there is a flap at the back of the blind, overlooking where the rockfall is blocking the pass through the rocky section of trail. Farther back, he can hear that the wagons have stopped well short of here, and can hear the team putting up a chatter, feigning some sort of concern about the wagons or horses.

((Playing around with a VTT.))