Auric refuses to go to bed until he's turned every item over for the third or fourth time. He discovered nothing else new on most of the items, but does identify.

- Shield of Expression
- Luckstone

Mr. Dark's watch gets pushed to later.

Overnight Watches

Perception Checks

Roll Call: Everyone

Stacey: 14

Auric:

Examining the items, Auric smiles thankfully at his own attention to detail.  Though the stone of luck seemed a fortunate find, a thread of twisted arcane weave runs through the heart of the token's core, distorting and perverting the ephemeral tides of fortune more negatively than positively.  Thankfully, the shield was just a harmless curiosity.

"Though this stone bears the arcane sigil for fortune, its core is perverse--were thee to bond with it thy fortunes wouldst whither and decay," says Auric after a detailed investigation.  He takes the offending item and puts it on the dirt, then pours arcane fire into it until it is glowing red.  Taking the hilt of his dagger, he shatters the weakened item so that no one might fall prey to its curse.

Perception for the first watch:  11

Hansel splits his time between watching for danger and admiring his reflection in his mirror-like shield...

Perception: 12

Mr.Dark relies mostly on sound as he sits and listens for signs of trouble.  Perception : 18

With a thunderous crack and sizzle, Auric destroys the stone. 

A sharp gust of wind blows, then all settles and falls still for the evening. Auric could watch the fireflies dance all night while Hansel had the comfort to admire himself without interruption and Mr. Dark was serenaded by a symphony of crickets. Nothing was getting by the watchmen this night. And yet not even a mouse disturbed them. It was almost as if nothing dare stir in these parts, as though something had already come through the night prior. You were all safe from the looming shadow which haunts the skies, this day. 

Come morning you’d wake to the sound of the fire crackling, soft bubbling of liquid and the smell of brewed tea in the air. Stacey’s final watch had gone by without anything to report, so she kept themself busy with preparing some concoction (for them), and breakfast for when the boys wake. Fresh berries rest on a leaf atop a crumble stoned wall for any one to help themselves too. 

Auric:

Waking up and stretching luxuriously, Auric tries out some Flumph grammar as a morning greeting...Using Prestidigitation, Auric surrounds himself with a sage green aura and says, "Greetings, fellow sentients.  I am curious, did your sleep cycle include interesting dreams?"

He helps himself to breakfast with a smile and a nod towards Stacey as he awaits replies.

Whoa! Auric, you sound so different! Hansel intones with wide-eyed amazement. It's almost like you can read my mind! He then proceeds to explain his last-night's dream to Auric in detail...

Auric:

"Likest thou my first endeavor into Flumph grammar?  From my perusing of the tome it seemeth hue hast an effect upon such repartee," responds Auric, pleased that his first attempt worked so well and wondering if the purported telepathic powers of the Flumph might be gained by further study of the work given Hansel's response.

Mr.Dark glares at the destroyed rock, and then shakes his fist at the sky briefly, and then laughs ruefully, and shakes his head, "Almost had me that time.  Ha...nice try."  He flips his coin absently and catches it deftly, slipping it into a pocket. 

"Hmmm, mind reading.  Wonderful."  He narrows his eyes at Auric.  Then he shrugs, "Alright, let's get to the orcs so we can get Hansel to his party." 

Stacey had to stop what she was doing to look up. Their mouth hung a bit agape, completely not expecting to hear Auric so fluent in a language she doesn't really understand. She'd give a small clap for his performance. When asked about their dream, she couldn't help but smile while Hansel launches into telling them all about his.

While she eats their breakfast, Stacey flips through the dream book to where the previous owner's dreams ended, and where theirs began. "Would you like to read with me?" She'd offer to share with Auric, and Hansel, or even Mr. Dark if he wanted once he was done shaking his old man fist at the clouds.

Dream

"Standing before bronze double doors, they are green with age and stained blue and purple with a think layer of fungus. Scratched into the fungus in Common script is a message: "Stay out. Really." Fungus-coated stairs lead down into a natural cavern and much of the it is filled with a stagnant pool of brackish water. There's a patch of land that rises from the foul water at the pool's center. On this little island, there's a heap of spilled coins, and other small sparkling objects visible among the carpet of fungus. Ripples stir the calm water, as if something moves beneath its surface.

"Nice relaxing vacation spot we've got here...."  A dwarf steps ahead into view and grabs a rock and throws it into the water on the far side of the pool.

Aside from the ripples, the water remains...undisturbed. Nothing emerges from it.

"Why does this feel too easy?" Another says in disbelief.

"Welp. **** it!" From behind the group, you kick into a run, kicking off at the edge of the pool to jump across the water to the center island.

It was then a massive blue ooze erupts from the water and attacks.

"There it is."

Still soaring through the jump like a surprised flailing starfish, you shout. "Hug attack!"

With a loud sucking *THWOOP* sound, you enter the gelatinous cube, hugging it. Like a million tiny needles, you can already feel your skin burning from contact"

The moment Mr. Dark finishes mentioning the word party...

Rustle, rustle.

There's movement in some bushes nearby.

Hansel looks at the others. They look back at him, and at each other. There is a long, silent pause... The cleric shrugs and goes to look at what might be in the bushes...

Auric:

Pulling his nose reluctantly out of the dream book, Auric looks after Hansel as he departs, noticing belatedly that the bushes are rustling *before* the cleric gets to them.

Casting Mage Armor on himself, Auric watches carefully to see what threat might emerge from the bushes.

First Hansel could swear he sees a hat of some sort meander by when suddenly a woman would pop up from the bushes. “Hi!” Big heterochromian eyes beam back at the cleric. “Hey I know you!” She blinks with a big smile. “You ran off with the pretty stag!” She gasps, popping up to peep over Hansel’s shoulder to see the shiny Dragonborn. “I know you too!” Thinking back it was brief, but indeed you did experience an encounter with this young woman back then. “Are you guys going somewhere?” Wasn’t her name Nova?

Auric:

Still glowing slightly green from his spell, Auric remains in a curious state of mind, though he reverts to his normal speech pattern instead of resorting to Flumph grammar where those outside the party might learn it.

"Indeed, our erstwhile companions hath met thee once upon a time...Thou art called Nova, correct?" asks Auric.

Hansel's face lights up in recognition of the shapechanging Nova (though not with admiration, due to the unfortunate blemish of the mismatched eyes). Oh, hello there! Why as a matter of fact, we are off to visit some orcs that... The cleric goes blank for a moment, then adds: To be honest, I can't recall exactly what manner of naughtiness they are accused of. Would you like to come along?

Nova blinks to Auric’s big words, but he regains her attention when she hears her name. “Yes! I’m Nova!” She beams. 

Then at Hansel’s ask the young woman’s head tilts. “Naughty orcs? We just spanked some naughty orcs over at the shrine.” She gestures over her shoulder in the direction to Savras Shrine. “Are you going that way?” She asks and then she starts to tap her nose. “What way were we are going?” Nova spins around a couple times in an effort to orient herself and buy time to remember what she was doing. “Right! We are on our way to Phandalin before heading out tomorrow to a dragon’s burrow!” She bounces. “I just wanted to make sure yous guys don’t blast us thinking we be some crazy squatters or something!”

Stepping forward from the trail, a hooded figure looks into the shadows. They raise their elbow and a raven flutters down from above onto their elbow. “Hello, Mr. Dark.”

Mr.Dark looks over at Nova. He glances at the raven, then back at Nova, then back at the raven. He subconsciously places a protective hand over his small pocket holding his lucky coin. "Oh...hi there Nova. Nice to see you. I hope the pups are doing good. We'll try not to blast you......or your crow." 

"Not just me and Rasmus, sir Dark!" Nova pshaws at Mr. Dark. "My friends here too!" She beams. "There are...." Putting up her hands, the woman concentrates really hard to count. "7 of us?" She counts again. That was about right when she included herself, the monkey, the crow, the two women and the two men. Nova holds up 7 fingers to show him.

(For Reference) 

Woodland Manse Quest.
“The orcs have fallen under the sway of evil spellcasters in Neverwinter Wood, and have been sighted in growing numbers near Falcon’s Hunting Lodge. The spellcasters dwell in a ruined manse. Falcon needs someone to make a preemptive strike against it. Destroy the evil in the manse, then expect him to reward you.”

Auric:

”Having thine company wouldst please me greatly,” replies Auric, “For we are endeavoring to defeat the dastardly arcanists who prod the orcs into their malfeasance near the Hunting Lodge, unless thy intrepid company hast already accomplished this task.”

Hansel looks around to see where these six other people are. He then remembers the wretch that attacked them, and wonders if that is one of the six. Er... perhaps we met one of your 'friends' already. Then looking at Dark he asks: Where is that chap anyway?