Jararaka nods in agreement to Tylaerys and Finn, "let's see how these cultists are acting. We are supposed to be guarding something that's already been looted anyway, the cult should be glad we still have the wagon."

Having everything she needs on her person, except the horses that they will need to get before they depart, Jararaka is ready to follow to the encampment.

"Let's start with talking to the prisoners at the encampment within the Wood of Sharp Teeth. Then we can make final decisions on what to bring to Baldur's Gate." Tylaerys adds, nodding in agreement with the others.

Quiet and still as a sentinel, honey hues diligently watch the exchange in best efforts to gain as much insight as she could on the weight of the exchanges amongst the factions. Jirel wanted to understand what each were truly sacrificing, and if anyone was actually holding back anything. Her efforts were out of desire to be thorough and understand, than distrust.

Insight: 21

Jirel exhales a deep breath she hadn't realized she had been holding when they were finally nearing the end of the discussion and reaching an agreement amongst the parties. She was ready to depart with the rest of her companions and eager to get back out to the natural environment... with Widowmaker? Perhaps not. They may have to leave their horses for this venture?

Quote from ixi >>

... with Widowmaker? Perhaps not. They may have to leave their horses for this venture?

 ((I would assume the wagon needs to be pulled by one or more horses?  And the newly hired guards could surely ride their own?))

[Can confirm you may keep your horses.  In all the commotion after Greenest, no one communicated to anyone here that these horses were any thing but your own.  And even if you told them, the horses were owned by a stable in Greenest and none of these folk are really in a position to repossess them.]

It is near to mid day when the conference wraps up.  With the matter decided, the two from the Emerald Enclave go to fetch their horses.  If you ride with purpose, you can reach their encampment in the Wood of Sharp Teeth around midnight.

Ontharr Frume arranges for 3,000 sp, in six heavy sacks, to be brought up from the Order of the Gauntlet's treasury.  He also provides you with a sealed letter to deliver to an Order contact in Baldur's Gate.  He states that this operative will assist them with navigating the city and with arranging any further help you may need from the Gauntlet.

Corozon, speaking only to Tylaerys but not making any effort to be discreet about it, providers her with a name of a Harper liaison in Baldur's Gate as well.  This contact will possess the most current intelligence on Cult operations in the city, and on the Harper's efforts to locate their base or leadership.

Tylaerys thanks Corozon, Sir Frume and the other representatives of the factions and is ready to head on, stopping by the Riverbed to pick up her gear and get Shiloh for a swift ride to the encampment of the Emerald Enclave.

As the party gathers their gear and mounts up for the ride to the Wood of Sharp Teeth, a tiny mouse scampers up to the party and delivers a little note.  Citing irreconcilable differences, Cheddar announces via letter that he will no longer be accompanying the party, but will continue his own private investigations into the Cult of the Dragon.  With a tiny head nod, Cicero departs our story.

The two women from the Emerald Enclave soon arrive.  Brittaniya is slight of frame, for a dragonborn, at least, and leads a pale-haired mare without a harness.  She is covered in a heavy brown traveling cloak and carries a gnarled wooden staff, wildflowers growing from the top. 

But it is Hamal who steals the show, riding upon a tall doe elk.  There is a chill on the air this afternoon, and the majestic creature's breath steams in the breeze. Hamal herself looks equally magical, donning elven chain armor bound in vines and ribbons.  A helm adorned with small forked antlers is tucked under her arm, and a pair of scimitars are fastened to her hips.

     There being no Cheddar to protect them, nor that she need to stay on friendly terms with, Misses Binklesworth of the Twilight Binklesworths lunges at Cicero but before she can seize the mouse (Carpe Mouseum?) Finn sees what is occuring and pops her familiar back into her pocket dimension!  She considers trying to send a message, or a note, back with Cicero but quickly realizes the mouse is too shook up and Finn just allows them to leave...

     "They're bringing fancy back, it seems," Finn says as their escorts arrive.  She isn't sure what she was expecting but it was probably something more low key than this.  "Probably a good thing they're not going undercover...  They are quite noticable."

Tylaerys seems dismayed as she hears about Cheddar leaving the team, feeling she was the cause of this. She waits in silence, then perking up as their guides arrives. "Oh, I'm sure they have means to appear more inconspicuous than this at least, if need be." The young blonde half-elf comments to Finn with a warm laugh. She then rides closer on Shiloh. "I believe we are ready to depart. Our cat friend won't be joining us I'm afraid." She explains to the emerald enclave representatives.

While unfortunate to receive the new of Cheddar’s departure, Jirel wished him well, and most importantly, maintains the freedom he desires. 

As the two women from the Emerald Enclave, Jirel feels herself stand taller and corrects her posture. “I’m a fan.” She notes to the girl’s comments. Honey eyes trace the warriors in their attire. In the wild, gear like that is not only beautiful, but can be functional as camouflage as well. And it went without saying that they had just as impressive mounts.

At their approach Jirel dips her head in acknowledgement not only to the riders, but to their mounts. “Thank you for joining us.” Armed with her axes atop Widowmaker, the goliath was ready to ride.

"Well, stay safe. Probably easier to do that if the cat's by himself." Jararaka waves noncommittally to Cicero as it scampers off.

On the way back to the Riverside, she buys some fresh fruits as a treat for their horses, somewhat of a compensation for forgetting all about them while exploring the city. She tosses an apple up, catches it, and repeats, reflecting a little incredulously on the fact that she's well-off enough that she's not only treating herself, but also her horse. And her companions' horses.

Expecting bland leather armours and dark cloaks, she blinks impressedly at their escorts, "now I feel like I dressed down." Though her nonchalant voice indicates that she doesn't feel bad about it. Dragging Pumpkinspice away from a pile of hay, Jararaka climbs atop the horse and drapes her cloak over herself, "ready. Or, what do people usually say, happy collaboration?"

The party departs the curious city of Elturel, paying the ferryman (1sp, 5 cp) to cross back to the south side of the Chiontar and following Brittaniya and Hamal as they ride.  After an hour, the shadows normalize as you are far enough away from the Companion that it no longer competes with the sun in the sky.

The Emerald Enclave reps set a quick pace but also stop frequently to water and rest the animals.  Hamal makes courteous small talk as you ride, while Brittaniya, the green dragonborn druid, is more reserved.  The sun sets before you reach the edge of the Wood of Sharp Teeth but still you ride on.  At a roaring roadside campfire near the treeline, a gaggle of farmers hoot and holler as the pack of woman riders pass, their calls turning to groans of disappointment when you don't stop.

They lead on down dark woodland paths, lit only by the moon and the stars above.  At times they halt and Brittaniya consults with owls and foxes, confirming that the paths ahead are free of wolves or gnolls - gnolls being a frequent hazard in this forest.

Near midnight, Hamal cheerfully calls out that you are nearing your destination.  You have passed into oak and spruce uplands, with tree-crowned hills and spires of rock, perhaps the remnants of antediluvian mountains.

The cheer dies when an awful screech pierces the night.  Hamal and Brittaniya hesitate and share a concerned glance, then press on down the trail.  Soon, an orange glow appears through the trees ahead, and a shadow passes above the treetops.  The Enclaves encampment is under attack.

As you reach a clearing at the edge of the camp, the carnage comes into focus.  The camp is set against a small cliffside, surrounded by a wooden palisade wall.  Wyverns circle in the sky above, ridden by kobolds.  Most of the wyverns carry large bundles in their feet and some of them are starting to depart to the north.  Inside the camp wall, a wyvern is down on the ground and screeching, obviously wounded and perhaps unable to regain flight.  Another wyvern circles low above the camp, the kobold sorcerer on its back hurling firebolts down and setting tents and barrels ablaze.  Above the camp on the clifftop, an archer's perch is already on fire.  As you arrive, there is no noticeable defense being mounted by the camp.

Your animals all pull up at the sight of the draconic monsters, refusing to advance. 

Hamal puts on her horned helm, a wordless cry of fury erupting from her.  She dismounts and charges toward a gap in the camp's wall.

"Wait!" cries Brittaniya, also dismounting and sending her mare back into the relative safety of the forest.  "Hamal!  They are deadly venomous!  I can protect you!"  But the elven knight will not heed the warning and charges onward.

From somewhere above, a voice hollers in Draconic:

 With that, the remaining wyverns climb higher into the sky and turn north, all but the flying wyvern whose kobold is burning the camp, and the wounded wyvern on the ground.

As Hamal reaches the camp walls, Brittaniya turns to the four of you.  "Please, help her!  She has friends in there and will get herself killed trying to save them.  I can protect one of you...".

[It is possible to retreat from this battle if you choose.  Otherwise, pick one of you to receive protection from poison from Brittaniya and I will roll up initiative...]

Tylaerys swiftly and gracefully dismounts fro Shiloh, desperation and dismay in her silvery eyes as she looks at the burning camp beyond. "Protect our brave Jirel!" She says with a firm voice, motioning to the blonde giantess who would likely face the wyvern head-on if given half a chance. She then hurries to follow Hamal on foot, eyes peeled for kobold ambushes, ready to fire her loaded crossbow.

     "Tend to the horses, yes?" Finn asks, likely needlessly, as she dismounts.  With a motion she pulls Misses Binklesworth of the Twilight Binklesworths our of their pocket dimension and onto Chomper's sadlle.  

     "Yes... I am talking to both of you!"  With a quick rub of Misses Binklesworth's head for luck, Finn also takes off on foot towards the camp, ready to take a potshot with an Eldritch Blast if any wyverns or other foes come within 120 feet or so...

[Looks like we choose combat.  We never had any doubt.]

The dragonborn druid shakes her flowery staff and quickly casts a spell.  For a brief moment, a gentle green flow illuminates Jirel.  [For 1 hour, Jirel has advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and has resistance to poison damage.]

As the party runs to catch up to Hamal, you get a better view of the interior of the camp.  It is a ghastly scene.  There are several humanoid bodies littering the encampment and many of the tents are ablaze.  Columns of flame and thick smoke curls in the air, but through the haze you see a bloodied and rampaging wyvern on the ground.  Its hide is riddled with arrows, and it is clearly unable to fly.  It thrashes about, knocking over barrels and whipping its long, barbed tail.  Around the wyvern's neck, still caught in its riding harness, the corpse of the kobold pilot swings back and forth like a grisly pendant.

Hamal has already climbed through the gap in the walls, and she draws her scimitars and charges the beast.  Both blades show beautiful elven craftsmanship, but one of them seems to sparkle and glow in the firelight.  She slashes the monster, one, two, three, so fast you can hardly follow the strikes.  Her first two cuts connect, and with the first she calls on Silvanus for power, and her blade crackles and smites the wyvern with a thunderous roar.  Her last strike is defensive, as the wyvern stabs the barbed stinger on the end of its tail towards her.  Hamal deflects it with her scimitar just in time.  But the wyvern uses the opportunity to savagely bite her on the arm.

In the background, the other wyvern flies back toward the action, 30' above the ground on the other side of the camp.

ROUND ONE

1. Jararaka
2. Wounded Wyvern
3. Jirel
4. Hamal/Brittaniya
5. Tylaerys
6. Wyvern/Luft Commander Deedlik
7. Finn

Jararaka's lips curl in alert as she sees the smoke now rising from the encampment. She dismounts from Pumpkinspice and surges forward along the treelines with the others.

She stops short of the fences, surveying the burning camp with bared teeth and furrowed brows. The chocking smoke and smell of blood stings at her nostrils. "What a bloody mess, the little thing thinks they can stomp us. Not happening!" Unsheathing her blade, she uses the hilt and knocks thrice on the shining shield face. Thunderous energy pulsates out from her, and her wrists light up with crackling electric energy. From there, two streaks of lightning splits off from her and lands around Jirel and Finn, forming similar bands around their wrists.

Immediately after tapping into the divine source, she ducks under the cover of smoke. She turns to her companions and points frantically to the flying wyvern and the turn around the fence, then at herself, before slinking along the fence and hoping the flying enemies don't spot her in the chaos.

action: casting bless on Jirel, Finn and Jararaka, remember to add the d4 on attacks and saves!

movement: going left, along and around the fence as far as possible, to go behind the flying wyvern and the kobold. Stealthily if possible?

[Time will tell if Jararaka is noticed or not.]

The wyvern on the ground gives a hissing screech.  It is near death but cornered, surrounded by burning debris and has no choice but to make a final stand.  As Hamal crosses her blades in front of it, it leads out with a bite attack which the elf-knight parries easily.  But the bite is a feint, providing the opening the wyvern needs.  Like a scaled javelin, its tail crashes down from above and the stinger plunges into Hamal's abdomen.  She is lifted briefly off the ground.  You can see red lines appear on her neck and forearms as the poison burns through her blood.  She drops her sword and pushes the stinger out of herself, falling back to the ground where she lays still, unconscious.

Hair on end, Jirel's senses were heightened. She could smell the vile, viscous fluids, burning flesh and smoldering fires in the air. While she dismounts Widowmaker calmly, internally the goliath's instincts were ignited by the events continuing to unfold before her. Honey eyes reflect the flames and smoke licking along the ghastly scene and Hamal's efforts. A low growl from the woman now becomes audible.

Jirel cracks her neck and knuckles, then rolls her shoulders back. She's been waiting for what feels like too long, to engage in battle again. The bladewarrior feels herself further bolstered by not only the familiar spark of magic that was Jararaka's, but the new resilience given to her by Brittaniya. The goliath steps forward with a snarl, muscles flexed. Inhaling a deep breath she leans back to bellow a striking warrior cry to call upon the wyvern's attention and psych herself up. As she comes back upright, using her momentum Jirel launches a javelin, then kicks up into a charge towards the wyvern.

BA: Rage
Action Attack: 18 Damage: 8 + Bless: 1
Movement: Shortest path to reach the wyvern

Jirel climbs through the broken palisade wall and over some spilled barrels.  She lobs a javelin and it sticks into the thick hide of the wyvern, which fixes its gaze upon her.  Its snake-like eyes are filled with murder, though it can barely hold itself up.

Brittaniya yells out, "No!  Hamal!"  She advances toward the walls and then lifts her staff.  Channeling her connection to nature, she conjures a totem spirit.  The ghost-like apparition of a grizzly bear appears just inside the camp wall.  

Bear Spirit. 30 ft radius. The bear spirit grants you and your allies its might and endurance. Each creature of your choice in the aura when the spirit appears gains 10 temporary hit points. In addition, you and your allies gain advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws while in the aura.

[All party members were within the aura when it appears, so all get the 10 temp hp.]