LoZ: Seed's of Calamity.

"I think traveling while sneaking will slow us down, but if you all think that is the safest way to go than I will attempt to travel stealthily as well."

Stealth: 17

After taking a moment to catch your breaths and bandage the wounds you sustained in the fight, Rae once more takes the lead. Thankfully most of the Snow is melting fairly quickly, leaving you an open path to follow. With the sun past its high point, you resume your journey towards the Orchard. Albeit at a slower pace, Paca, Theo and Praxius are hunched over. Trying to conceal themselves among the remaining snowbanks and visible tall grass. 

The sounds of your battle has driven off the wildlife in the area, so the next few hours are relatively uneventful. The warmth of the sun falls onto your backs as you trek for the remainder of the day under Rae's guidance. At the fourth hour mark of your journey, you all step over a small hill and see your goal. The Vibrant Red leaves and white barked trees of the Northern Orchard, no more than an hour from you at this point. Judging by the sun, you should reach it just before night fall. However Rae holds up her hand, looking over the immediate area. The Zora points out large three toed footprints that seem to overlap, indicating something large Patrolling the area. 

Little mounds of snow are still visible within the dips of the rolling hills, the grass has gotten far shorter and drier the further you have traveled. Yet now that you are looking for them, you can make out dozens of tracks across the landscape leading up to the Orchard. The same three toed marks that seem to be wandering the area. However you do not see anything moving. 

Praxius kneels down to get a closer look at the tracks, trying to work out how many three toed creatures there might be patrolling the area.

As he is doing so, his hand reaches back to the hilt of his sword.

"Trouble is close, we are in danger", he says ominously.

Survival: 10+4=14

"The bad news is these tracks were likely made by a Hinox. The good news is there only appears to be one of them", Praxius says getting to his feet.

As he does so, something strange and new happens. A glow briefly surrounds him before disappearing, leaving only a glint behind his eyes.

Action: Bolstering Magic - For 10 minutes, the creature can roll a d3 whenever making an attack roll or an ability check and add the number rolled to the d20 roll.

Quiggley thinks about what he knows about a Hinox.

Nature 17+2= 19, or 9+2= 11 in order.

"A single hinox out here, all alone. Must be lonely. Maybe they need a friend! We have room for another now that cloud is gone." Paca trails off wondering more and more about what a Hinox actually is...

Theo snorts at Paca’s statement. “You can tell it that when it tries to kill you,” Theo replies. “I’ve only heard rumors of them, but everything I’ve heard is that they’re huge and dangerous. I wouldn’t touch it with a 39-and-a-half foot pole.”

Discussing amongst yourselves the threat of being within a Hinox's territory, you all hear a loud THUD from the Northeast. Immediately turning to see what is causing the disturbance. While it is some distance off, you can see a large cloud of dust forming within an area and what looks like a Tree being swung like a club. 

Rae ushers you all to move forth with a bit more haste in an effort to cross through the Hinox's territory without being spotted. 

Who ever is leading the party through the Hinox's territory, give me a Perception check.

Quiggley assists from 60 feet in the air by pointing in the direction of the thud and saying "Oh!"

Theo moves to the front of the group, pulling his new Eyes of the Eagle and fitting them over his face like a mask. Suddenly, his vision becomes sharp and focused, able to tell apart individual blades of grass and which way they blow in the wind. He looks around, perceiving everything that he can.

Perception: 11+7=18

Theo relays what he sees to the group. “I see the Hinox with…is it holding a tree trunk like a club? Man, that hand is even bigger than Dagoro’s! Anyways, it’s striking at what seems to be a cloud of dust. Not sure what it’s striking at, though. Someone, or something, might be in trouble,” he says.

Theo, after looking towards the cloud of dust in the far distance. Leads the party through the Hinox's territory, taking care to avoid where the Hinox's tracks overlap. Leading you more off the beaten trail and into the grass where your tracks would be difficult to spot. 

There is a looming threat of danger hanging over you, so with each step you find yourselves moving faster and faster. Soon you are in a full on sprint to exit the territory of the Hinox before the creature discovers you, Theo does well to lead you in the shortest distance between where you entered and where you believe the creatures territory ends. You sprint for nearly a full hour through the waist high grass, weaving through the rolling hills and small outcroppings of rock. There is no standing trees in this area, yet you do find holes in the ground where trees did once stood. Some with long dead stumps, having been broken by brute force while others were ripped from the earth to be used as a weapon. With each step, you cant help but look over your shoulder at the distant cloud of dust and the hulking beast that lurks within it. 

Then you break through the grass and find yourselves at a riverbank. The earth here is fairly undisturbed and noticably without the tracks of the monster that lurks in the area, the grass appears more vibrant and healthy. You look across to your destination, the colourful splendor of the Orchard. 

Littered with a vast array of colours, Red and Green leaves atop white and brown barked trees. Some of them even have glistening fruits hanging from their branches, undisturbed by the wildlife in the area and ripe for the picking. Already the aroma of the fruit teases your nose with their fragrant smell. The foliage isnt too thick to block your view further into the Orchard, from here you can see a simple signpost. Weathered and in desperate need of repair. 

Then you look to the last obstacle between you and the Orchard, a flowing river that while calm. Look's deceptively deep and far too wide to jump across, measuring no less than 16 feet from bank to bank. Catching your breaths after racing through the Hinox's territory, you look down the river and spot a series of stepping stones that work their way across the deep blue water. 

Theo will attempt to cross the stepping stones.

Acrobatics: 15+5=20

Paca will also try to cross nimbly, making sure to touch each stone on the way.

Acrobatics: 16

Theo, 

You move to where the stepping stones are and touch the first with the toe of your boot, It feels solid enough. You Press your weight against it and look back to the rest of the party, giving them a nod before hopping to the next. The stones are wide enough for you to safely plant both of your feet, so you hop over to the third stone. Then to the forth and the fifth, you are making quick work of the path. 

Then on the Sixth, you land and you are immediately surrounded by leaves. A flurry of leaves erupt from the water and completely envelop you, you bat at them and try to clear you field of vision. You hear a strange rattle. 

From the water, there is a puff of green energy. What appears to be a floating.....stick hangs in the air. The stick just looks like a stick, save for what appears to be a mask of some sorts on one end with holes poked into it. It almost resembles a face of sorts. 

"OUTSIDER" The Stick bellows forth in a rather squeaky and soft pitch. "BEWARE FOR YOU ENTER MY DOMAIN!" The Stick, waves another stick at you. A far smaller stick.

Theo almost slips off the rock trying to contain his laughter. “Oh, yeees,” he says, drawing out the yes. “I’m sooo afraid of your stick. Thanks for the warning.” He continues along the stones.

"Oh my goodness!" Rae squeals in delight as the small stick reveals itself.  While still at the river's shore, Rae calls out in almost a sing song manner, "Pardon small one, the name's Rae.  My group and I hope to cross this river and make way to the orchards.  Surely someone as mighty and kind as you wouldn't mind our passage?"

"Excuse me, ummm, I don't want to sound rude here but.... Putt, is that you?" Paca scratches his head trying to see if his eyes are deceiving him.

Quiggley flies along with the group. Mildly entertained by the stick. Quiggley has a rope out in case someone should slip into the river.

Praxius grumbles as they make the journey away from the Hinox, wanting to go and see what it was doing and if anyone was in trouble.

When they get to the river, he takes a look at the 16' of width and shrugs. He moves back and is about to run and jump it when the stick creature appears. He skids to a halt, and watches the interactions of the others.