Zubien will listen to the dusk, attuning himself to his surroundings. The sound of the rain, the smell and fell of it. He listens to the distance, the sound of life of birds in case they go silent due to a threat. He centers himself, practicing his breathing exercises to focus his mind on the surroundings, listening to the conversation.

"You have a unique skill friend Grymar, you are one with the insects? Do you work in harmony, you help them, and they help you? A very unique gift indeed."

Lehmani - Jahia stares ahead as you both speak, eyes on the wending trail, "Thank you and don't worry about it, I..." She sighs, "I needed this, really. I am secluded. A self-imposed exile, or whatever. One that I'm honestly terrified to end..." She trails off, silent for a few moments, "But... I know that it's good for me. I haven't had much joy since moving out here... Since Lorna... The young lady I mentioned before, since she... died. I've just been... Existing... With my guilt." Jahia looks over at you as she says, "But you're right. I can't hold myself responsible for something that grew out of my control." She goes quiet for a few moments, "I just have to keep telling myself that."

All - After a few hours more, you reach the edge of the High Forest and see the dim glow of Frickley on the horizon. On your approach, you find the town busier than Grymar's bee bag. A large group of wagons is leaving, full of women, children, and the elderly. Other folks are working by torchlight, in the rain and mud, loading carts high with food. Amid the chaos, you find the innkeeper Pello, looking tired, but still answering questions and directing others with optimistic enthusiasm. He sees you all with Jahia in tow and he beams with excitement, "They did it! They've brought Jahia Giantslayer home!" All around the remaining townsfolk stop what they're doing and come see. Jahia offers a shy smile, nodding to all, but obviously uncomfortable with the attention. Pello turns to you all, "We've been busy as you can see! The evacuees left not too long ago and we're finishing up gathering the food they didn't take with them, to bring over to the ambush site. We were just awaiting your return so we can decide upon the best course of action." Pello motions for you all to follow him, "Come, let's get you all inside and something warm to-" He is interrupted by someone shouting, "Pello! PELLO!" You all turn to see an elderly man stumbling up to Pello, completely out of breath. As he gasps and wheezes, with hands on his knees, you see the caravan of evacuees returning to Frickley with terrified looks on their faces. Pello helps the man stand, "What is it Eddar? Why didn't you leave?" Eddar coughs and spits something in the mud before speaking between breaths, "We cain't! There's somethin' out there!" Soon as we got a hunnid yards from the gate it came on us. Big and growlin' and-" Eddar suffers another coughing fit, this time falling backward onto his butt in the mud. He leans back, one elbow in the mud, the other hand clutching his chest, "Some... Some kinda big dog or somethin'. Bigger 'n a cart it was! It didn' foller us but it won' let us leave!"

Lehmani turns to her companions, "Sounds like a beast that matches the tracks Loic described. Is it worth sinking time into clearing the road for the evacuees, or should we do our best to keep them safe here as we prepare for the ambush?"

She then looks to Zubien, "Earlier you entertained the idea of constructing giant-sized caltrops... I might have a blessing from Gond that could help us in this matter... On the road, I spent some time in reflective prayer to the Great Lord of Smiths... And I think he might be willing to send us some aid through me... I don't have the power to create multiple items... However, if given an hour's time and the proper resources, I might be able to channel his divinity to craft a single item that could be of some use... Perhaps a jaw trap large enough to ensnare a giant?" She looks to the others, "Could that be useful?

Zubien nods, "It would be a better use of a blessing to build a jaw trap big enough for the giant. One caltrop won't do, it would walk around it. We would need a good number, sharpened stakes, things that will funnel the giant to where we want it to be."

Then he pauses, "As for our large creature out there, I saw the tracks as well, could be a dire wolf or something along those lines. Bad enough we are dealing with a giant." Then he pauses again. "Do you think the giant and the large wolf/dog are working together? Perhaps keeping an eye on his prey?"

Zubien nods, " We need to reduce the threat, whether or not this dire wolf or whatever type of creature it is, we need to track it down and prevent it from harming the villagers." He then looks to the party and Jahia and bows. "I must see to my duties."

Zubien finds a quiet, out of the way place, pulls out his incense bowl and lights an incense stick. Sits and crosses his legs and begins to meditate. Clearing his mind, he opens himself to the world around him, centering yet focusing, drawing the energy in. He listens to void and the oneness.

Grymar nods vigorously at the plans, excited about the good thoughts and plans on how to handle the presumed dire wolf and the giant.  When he gets excited he tends to hop on one foot, and then the other, back and forth.  “I have two traps and some caltrops.  The thing I need, the thing that I lost at that river, was some rope.  As soon as we finish planningz and naughty wishes for those baddiez out there, I’m gonna get some more.  But I’ve got another idear.  I found that I.. can spin a bit of magic on a piece of rope.  Maybe something I learned after my experience at the river?  Or maybe something I learned from my spider friens, but I think it could help us.  I can weave a little sumthin into a piece of rope and create a snare !  Can trap yon doggie init or Mr. Giant, I think he’d be hung up in the air and we could wail away on him.  Whaddya think?”  The grizzled, excited smile on Grymar’s face is infectious as he hops back and forth excitedly.

After they finish talking, he purchases two more 50 feet lengths of rope.

Lehmani nods as she listens to Grymar's idea... "That sounds like a very effective plan, Grymar. The more obstacles we put in the giant's path, the better. Hard to know what will work and what won't, but if we can create enough uncertainty to pull his attention towards watching his step, that may give us just the advantage we need."

She turns to the others. "If you're headed to face this dread hound, you can count on me to be by your side. For now, I will get to work on that trap..." Looking to Jahia, she adds, "Friend Jahia, if you could lend any aid or wisdom in the design of this trap, I would be greatly obliged."

With or without Jahia's aid, Lehmani will step away to ask the village leaders for help gathering the raw materials she'll need to forge a giant-sized jaw trap.

Zubien, having spent a good hour in deep meditation, gathers his incense bowl, blowing out the ashes of the incense sticks, and puts them away. He walks through the town, observing the people and the efforts going on. When he can, he stops and tries to give words of encouragement (Religion: 8).   

After those discussions, Grymar decides to head toward the gate to see this “big dog”, worried that it might represent a large wolf or dire wolf, indeed likely trained by the giant, following its orders.  He heads to where he can spy the animal and try to identify it.  

Survival : 5   (🤦‍♂️)

Lehmani - Pello nods as he listens to your need for raw materials and you see a large smile cross his face, "I know just the thing! And you already have it! Don Jeere's plow! I can't think of a better use for it!" He also introduces you to the local blacksmith who's willing to offer you additional scrap at no charge. At the end of the hour, you have a giant-sized bear trap.

Zubien - The townsfolk go about their business with determined faces, but you also see fear and exhaustion on them as well. They seem to appreciate the words of encouragement you offer, giving thanks and smiles in return.

Grymar - The locals give you the two lengths of rope freely. There are no lights beyond the walls of Frickley and the stormy skies offer no illumination either. Even with your darkvision, it's hard to tell if you're seeing large rocks, piles of hay, or dire wolves. 

Grymar heads back to the group, frustrated that he couldn’t see the beast in the dark.  He walks up to Jahia and the party, laying out on a table his two hunting traps (one of them a bear trap, from the man in the woods) and his caltrops, his rope, and he describes what he can do with a magical snare.  “So, what is our plan now see?.  Lure the big baddie to a spot with tastie num nums, surrounded by trapszs?  Be there any high ground near this field, we can fill him full of arrows till he looks like brother porcupine while he can’t reach us.  Are there any of these good townsfolk who know how to use a bow, can shoot for squat that could help us?”

Zubien listens to what Grymar states about the large wolf-like creatures and agrees. "If the beast is watching, it may not come out where we can get at it easily. We may have to ambush it, lure it out into a trap. There should be some hunters here in the town that are good with bows, or even cross bows."

Grymar - Jahia and Pello look over your supplies as you speak. Pello rubbing his chin and sipping from a large mug while Jahia sits with her arms resting on the table. When you finish, Pello clears his throat and says, "My apologies, I'm a little tired from all the excitement so I'm not following as well as I should be. Just to be clear, are you talking about the beast that Eddar saw patrolling outside the village or the giant? Either way Tastra's hunters should be able to help out in that task." Jahia says, "If the beast stopped the evacuees from leaving, maybe it'll find us if we try to leave?"

Pello and Jahia offer their understanding of the plan so far, feel free to correct them or amend the plan:

1. Whatever is stopping the evacuees from leaving will be dealt with.
2. The evacuees will leave.
3. Remaining defenders will finish up their work tonight then rest.
4. Windmill Field will be trapped in the morning. (I'll provide a map and a description of available traps/quantity)
5. Food will be piled up at Windmill Field and poisoned with the mushrooms Zubien found.
6. Archers will take up position and all will await the arrival of Yegor Bonecruncher.
7. Jahia will try and keep the giant's attention during the fight.

Lehmani nods to Jahia in response to her last question. "Agreed." 

She also confirms that the plan sounds correct to her. Finally, (if possible) she heads off to procure a few projectiles she can use for ranged attacks if needed, (settling on a few javelins).

Lehmani - You're able to procure 5 javelins from the same blacksmith, free of charge.

Zubien will go and follow up with the herbalist on his giant knock out potion. 

Grymar nods in agreement.  “Sounds about righ.  Let us know if you need help with that big doggy or whateverthehell that it is, I couldna see it out there.  And then we will lay our trap for ole goonface in yon field.  Let’s get to it!”  

Zubien - You find Jahner in his simple shop, seated on a stool in front of a bubbling cauldron. His arms are crossed, and he is tapping his chin with his index finger as he contemplates something. He looks up at you when you enter, "Ah! You've returned, excellent. What did you find?" He looks over the mushrooms, carefully turning them over with a pair of forceps, "Greensleep mushrooms. They can be dried and ground into powder that can cause lethargy or even unconsciousness if the correct amount is consumed." Jahner straightens and stretches, stifling a yawn before continuing, "Excuse me. It's been a trying day. Now, back to business. I've never needed to poison a giant before, I typically prescribe greensleep powder for those suffering the occasional touch of insomnia and the dosages are quite small." Jahner gestures over the mushrooms you've brought, "You reaped quite a harvest, but even still I am not sure if this will be enough to induce sleep in the giant. I've been doing some calculations," He then gestures toward a nearby journal with a page almost filled black with scribbling, "But there are too many unknowns. One thing I do know is that giants, hill giants specifically, are renowned for their hardy constitutions and ability to eat pretty much anything." Jahner crosses his arms and taps his chin again, "I guess we'll just have to use it all and see what happens. Give me a hand, will you?"

Please make a Medicine check to see how well you can assist Jahner in crafting the poison.

Lore - You find a man loading not quite ripe squashes into a cart and when you ask him about dire wolves, he points you in the direction of Tastra and her hunters. When you find Tastra and she sees you, you get the feeling of being appraised. Her gaze darts from your simple, unarmored attire, to your unarmed and uncalloused hands, and to your face where sits your large spectacles. She raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms, her judgements regarding your abilities already clearly made, "What is it? We're busy."

You can't seem to recall anything specific to dire wolves, but of normal wolves you recall a journal published by a man who spent a number of years studying wolves in the wild. The journal was recovered after the author himself fell victim to a pack of wolves, but it did contain a wealth of information about the beasts. The details you recall are that wolves will clamp their jaws on their prey and drag them to the ground, knocking them prone while other pack mates attacked as well. And, regarding their packs, wolves prefer to attack in groups, gaining advantage over their prey when another pack mate is nearby. You also recall that they can move very fast, covering distances of roughly 50ft very quickly. Lastly, wolves have keen senses, particularly smell and hearing.

Grymar - Jahia turns to you and says, "We have to get the non-combatants away from here, and I don't think Eddar is up to the task of driving the beast away..." She stands and grips the hilt of her longsword in its sheath, "But I am. If my hunch about the beast is true, it will try and stop us if we try to leave. I'm going to follow the same route that the evacuees took and when the beast shows itself, I'm going to ask it very nicely," She pats the hilt of her longsword, "To go away." Jahia nods to Pello then turns and heads for the door of the inn.

Lehmani follows Jahia, ready and willing to join the fight.

Quote from Dylanthalas >>

Zubien - You find Jahner in his simple shop, seated on a stool in front of a bubbling cauldron. His arms are cross and he is tapping his chin with his index finger as he contemplates something. He looks up at you when you enter, "Ah! You've returned, excellent. What did you find?" He looks over the mushrooms, carefully turning them over with a pair of forceps, "Greensleep mushrooms. They can be dried and ground into powder that can cause lethargy or even unconsciousness if the correct amount is consumed." Jahner straightens and stretches, stifling a yawn before continuing, "Excuse me. It's been a trying day. Now, back to business. I've never needed to poison a giant before, I typically prescribe greensleep powder for those suffering the occasional touch of insomnia and the dosages are quite small." Jahner gestures over the mushrooms you've brought, "You reaped quite a harvest, but even still I am not sure if this will be enough to induce sleep in the giant. I've been doing some calculations," He then gestures toward a nearby journal with a page almost filled black with scribbling, "But there are too many unknowns. One thing I do know is that giants, hill giants specifically, are renowned for their hardy constitutions and ability to eat pretty much anything." Janher crosses his arms and taps his chin again, "I guess we'll just have to use it all and see what happens. Give me a hand will you?"

Please make a Medicine check to see how well you can assist Jahner in crafting the poison.

Lore - You find a man loading not quite ripe squashes into a cart and when you ask him about dire wolves, he points you in the direction of Tastra and her hunters. When you find Tastra and she sees you, you get the feeling of being appraised. Her gaze darts from your simple, unarmored attire, to your unarmed and uncalloused hands, and to your face where sits your large spectacles. She raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms, her judgements regarding your abilities already clearly made, "What is it? We're busy."

You can't seem to recall anything specific to dire wolves, but of normal wolves you recall a journal published by a man who spent a number of years studying wolves in the wild. The journal was recovered after the author himself fell victim to a pack of wolves, but it did contain a wealth of information about the beasts. The details you recall are that wolves will clamp their jaws on their prey and drag them to the ground, knocking them prone while other pack mates attacked as well. And, regarding their packs, wolves prefer to attack in groups, gaining advantage over their prey when another pack mate is nearby. You also recall that they can move very fast, covering distances of roughly 50ft very quickly. Lastly, wolves have keen senses, particularly smell and hearing.

Grymar - Jahia turns to you and says, "We have to get the non-combatants away from here, and I don't think Eddar is up to the task of driving the beast away..." She stands and grips the hilt of her longsword in its sheath, "But I am. If my hunch about the beast is true, it will try and stop us if we try to leave. I'm going to follow the same route that the evacuees took and when the beast shows itself, I'm going to ask it very nicely," She pats the hilt of her longsword, "To go away." Jahia nods to Pello then turns and heads for the door of the inn.

 Zubien lends a hand (Medicine: 7