The individual perks up at the sound of your voice. She’s a halfling woman wearing a blue overall dress with a white shirt underneath. Her hair is tied in the back with a bandana. She waives her hand and smiles at you as you approach.

"Well howdy there! I didn’t expect to have any visitors today. Not a lotta people coming through here on a daily basis."

She listen attentively as you explain the purpose of your presence.

"Toothy dragon chicken? Haven’t heard that one before. Usually when there’s a monster I can either hide in the mill or run to town if I have enough of a head start. You friends of ol’ Bart? How nice of you to visit him. He hasn’t come through here in a while now…I hope he’s fine."

When Thurodim approaches to scan the horizon, he doesn’t notice any movement for now, his senses now alert to possible incoming dangers.

"Oh! Where are my manners? I’m Lydia Twigfoot. Can I interest you in some tea before you continue your trek?"

Thurodim gives the small suspicious witch with her suspicious broom and her suspicious house a suspicious look. He had been offered tea by women before but it had always meant something quite different. He was certainly not going inside the tower on one wheel, what if it actually took off, but he realizes the others might be more inclined to accept the offer, so he simply grunts something unintelligable and looks to his smaller companions, briefly worried as he can't find the little girl, before he remember she is still riding on his shoulders.

Ember gets a bit lost in the sensation of being supported. Having lived on her own with only Aggie for so long, it's a comfort she'd nearly forgotten--and Grandpa certainly hadn't been able to carry her for even some time before that. She feels safe in a way that she hasn't in a very long time, but the fear of getting used to that feeling, only to finds herself alone again, is far more scary than even the traitorous water flowing nearby. 

There's something strangely familiar about it all--a memory long dormant lured to the surface of a murky pond. Another Big Man. A toddler's tiny fists full of red hair--his? Laughter--hers? Theirs?

She shakes her head to banish the thoughts.

"Hi, I'm Ember! Do you have snacks too?" she asks of the halfling woman. Surely it's been hoouuurrs since she last ate. "How come you're by yourself out here?"

Ozyre keeps waving. It goes on for a fair bit longer than it feels like it should. "Nice to meet you Lydia! I'm Ozyre, this is [Decently Accurate Sound of Cork Popping], the lower half of that thing is Thurodim, and the upper half has already introduced herself. Tea would be great! I dunno if we should spend too long, though, 'cause we kinda got a timetable. Oh, and we aren't really friends of Bart. We're all new in town. And adventurers! I'm sure he's a cool person though, must have a lot of a certain kinda passion to do what he's doing in a place like where he's doing it."

[Sound of Cork Popping] waves to Lydia.  He has been holding a breadstick from the Hammer and Anvil and pecking at it all throughout their walk.

Lydia greets you a large smile. She looks at each one of you individually as you introduce yourself.

"Yes. Bart’s a bold lad.", she says in response to Ozyre’s comment. "He’s got the kind of spirit we need in this part of the world."

At Ember’s question, she looks up to attempt to meet her gaze up from Thurodim’s shoulders. "Well, aren’t you just the darndest cutest thing! I like the outdoor more than the hustle and bustle of the town. Plus, for someone my size it’s easy to hide in this tall building when a monster comes by. But I could ask you the same question. What’s a child doing out in the wilderness like that?"

She seems to find your group genuinely curious and interesting. 

The massive blonde bearded warrioor struggles to contain a chuckle. The little hafling witch with the broom doesn't realize the girl riding on his shoulders is actually a halfling too. Who knew magic could be such fun. "She's a brave adventurer on a quest to save Bart the farmer." Thurodim explains, playing along with the jest. "But what kind of monsters have you been hiding from in your strange tower?" He asks, eager to know what he could expect to battle ahead.

Lydia thinks for a moment.

"Well. I saw some lizardmen a while back. Oh and when I’m sitting at the top of the mill, I can sometimes see things move up north in the Grey Wood. I swear I saw a tree walking around the forest that one time." 

She then realizes that she’s been rambling on.

"Oh right, the tea! You wait right here, I’ll be right back.", she says as she turns around and walks into the tower of the water mill.

(While your party waits for their beverages, please make a Perception check)

Perception: 17 (18 - 1)

Ozyre seems more attuned to his surroundings than normal. Towns, he'd seen before, but a whole new wilderness? On a whole new continent? The small figure's eyes can't help but widen as he takes it all in.

The massive blonde bearded warrior is still wary of any dragon chicken or other strange monsters lurking about, keeping his eyes peeled for threats while the group of mainly small but quite brave adventureres await refreshments from the halfling witch outside her peculiar tower.

Perception: 18

Ember looks down at [Sound of Cork Popping] to see his reaction to any of the creatures Lydia listed before she stands up on Big Man's shoulders. Precariously balanced, it turns out standing on shoulders is a might bit different than doing the same on tree branches. Aganazzar pops up through the jungle of red hair and his ears flick back and forth to listen while the wizard keeps an eye out---much the same method they used to keep each other safe while living alone in the forest too.

(Ember Perception: 17
Aggie Perception (adv on smelling/hearing from Keen Senses): 15)

Visibly excited by the woman's information, [Sound of Cork Popping] sets his chest down flat and opens it, digging through his belongings.  After a moment he steps back, rubbing the underside of his beak in apparent concern.  He closes his chest again and kneels beside it, his beak hanging open but no words emerging.

When Lydia tells of walking trees, he turns to look at the nearest towering hardwood.  He slowly cranes his neck back until he is peering up at the tallest branches, his beak pointed at the sky.

Perception:  16

You wait a few minutes outside as Lydia prepares tea. The calming sound of the river flowing sets your mind at ease. It might explain how you are all able to notice a disturbance.

Ember, you notice that Aggie shifts in your hair nest quite suddenly, prompting you to look in the same direction as it. The other tree, being on high alert from being in a hostile environment, you also hear a sound coming from the woods that run along the side of the road. Branches cracking and bushes shuffling get your attention. 

Out from the woods, four quadrupedal creatures step out. Their frame is reminiscent of a wolf. Unlike a wolf though, they lack a snout, having two nose slits instead. Their head lacks any fur and reminds you a bit of a bat’s head. Two beady red eyes glare at all of you in hunger. They snarl with beastial fury, ready to pounce.

(No surprise round. Roll for initiative. I’ll post a map once I have everyone’s initiative)

Initiative: 21 (nat 20 + 1)

Initiative:  5  (2 + 3)

Ember knew she should've told everyone to use the mud to mask their scents from the nasties too. She wobbles as Big Man reaches for his smasher and slips, tumbling off his shoulder's. "Ouch." 

Ember Initiative: 4 (Nat 1+3)

Big man indeed readies for his smasher.
Thurodim initiative: 3

Monster's Initiative:

The battle begins. Your first hostile encounter on Tyrannis. Hope it won't be your last.

Initiative:

Ozyre
Thurodim
Monsters
Sound of Cork Popping
Ember (make a DEX save on your turn. On a success, you are fine. On a failure, you will start your turn Prone)

(I'll post this map on discord and next ones until I can figure out how to insert an image in this forum thread. because what i did obviously didn't work)

The instant he recognizes the strange wolf-adjacent creatures as a threat, Ozyre doesn't waste a moment. He runs towards one of them, and as he does so, the few of the visible runes etched onto his skin start to glow a very dark maroon. He belts "gnomancy!" for no apparent reason. Then, a reason becomes apparent. Each stride takes the gnome further than the last, and each footfall is heavier than any before. He's growing.

By the time he's halfway to the creature, he's about the size of Thurodim, and once he reaches his target, he seems to be over twice as tall as the massive blond bearded warrior. As he ran, he took his giant maul off of his back, which is now at a simply staggering size. Using the force from his sprint, he delivers a strike with the hammer onto the bottom of the creature's head, aiming to concuss it, or at least flip it over.

"Bad dog! Lie down!"

MOVEMENT: 25 feet, to the bottom left corner of the topmost creature
BONUS ACTION: Giant's Might, growing to the bottom left
ACTION: Nonlethally Attack the topmost creature: 14 (9 + 5) to hit, 15 (8 + 3 + 4) bludgeoning damage. On a hit that doesn't take it to 0, I'll also use Trip Attack to add 1 bludgeoning damage and force a DC 13 Strength save against Prone