Evelyn gratefully takes the time to rest and tend to her wounds. The sound of Threla's humming is strangely soothing. She lets her eyes drift close and falls asleep for close to an hour. When she wakes, she finds herself concerned about Threla. Was she getting taller? Why was there suddenly more hair on her face? The wizard goes over to join the healer.

"How are you doing?"

"I honestly don't know. I mean, that horrid feeling I get when the cackle happens is gone, but I feel scared. What's happening to me? How did it happen? To make matters worse, we're about to ambush a group of creatures that supposedly gave me this and are maybe bolstered by some sort of Giantkin, assuming that 'Auntie' is here. So overall not very well, but it's my specialty of seeming normal and calm. It's the only way I survived down there" Threla continues to pat out a beat on the ground, and hums between sentences.

(Sneak attack dice are doubled with critical, I rolled an 8 in your sheet.)

The arrow sails through the air, landing directly in the gnoll's eye, causing it to collapse to the ground. This happens in plain sight of some of the wandering undead, but they seem to just kind of ignore it, seemingly too stupid to act on information without commands or fleshy targets to devour. 

I'm now going to roll Perception for the two gnolls at the front, as well as the one by the cages. They will have disadvantage due to the light, and Olan will not be revealed to them regardless, due to their line of sight being obstructed, and the one by the cages will have extra disadvantage due to all of the hyenas making noise. With a 1, a 3, and a 1, no one notices. However, if the body is not removed soon, it is very likely that someone is going to spot it, though it is rapidly becoming nighttime and the light may fade before then.

(Unfortunately, Threla, squishy characters are just more likely to get stuck with lycanthropy than big buff guys, since lycanthropes, and especially gnoll lycanthropes, will instinctively go after weaker looking targets.)

It is currently Marpenoth 8. The full moon is at the midpoint of every month. (Canonically in Faerun it's at the 30th, but I made a mistake with labeling the dates and narrating the moon earlier, and I'm sticking with it, so in this variation of the setting the new moon is on the 30th and the full moon is on the 15th.) Threla can't remember anything more on lycanthropy.

Olan's little predicament:

     Nodjeim relays everything he knows about lycanthropy (In spoiler if you didn't already read) and suggests that maybe instead of waiting for the change to overtake them Threla instead bring force the change when in combat situations.  "Surely it is better to be that other mindset and have some control than to be in a battle as yourself and get distracted by the change forcing itself upon you?"

      "It would be better if you could practice it in safer conditions, surely, but we are in the situation we are in," Nodjeim says with some sympathy.  

     Nodjeim is attempting to get a rest in but also trying to stay alert enough in case they are stumbled upon...

Evelyn pats Threla's hand. There is genuine sorrow in her eyes after hearing what Nodjeim has explained about lycanthropy.

"If I could learn a spell to remove curses, that could be an option," she says, although she is worried she might be getting Threla's hopes up prematurely. "I'm not sure where I could learn such a spell though. Maybe this Auntie creature possesses such knowledge."

Olan wonders what to do with the body of the gnoll. He could leave it, in the hope that nothing notices it in the fading light, but that's not guaranteed.

He decides to try and drag it away to somewhere less conspicuous, hoping that the low light will give some cover and that the various creatures don't have good dark-vision. If he is spotted he will drop the body and head back the way he came to draw them after him. "when did I start becoming altruistic?" he wonders to himself.

"So, you think I should try to transform? What if I lose control?" Threla looks concerned for the safety of her companions.

Olan clambers down the side of the cliff, taking his time (so he doesn't have to make a check to climb) and creeping over to the body. He avoids the gaze of the wandering undead, grabs the body, and drags it back to the rest of the party.

(I rolled a natural 1 for an intelligence check from the watch... they're too damn stupid to actually think about how one of their number just kinda disappeared.)

You may all take a short rest! However, around thirty minutes in, something strange happens. A brown-scaled lizard crawls through the sand up to your party, perches up on a rock, and speaks quietly and clearly in an unfamiliar, but unmistakably humanoid voice.

"Hail an' well met. I come t'ye as a friend, if ye'll have me. A druid I am, and one who's felt the teeth o' them mangy curs over yonder. I've been watchin' ye on this day, an' I think I can aid ye in yer endeavors, for I seek vengeance as ye do. I'll send by an airborne scout five minutes from now, ye need only t' signal an affirmative t' th' sky, and I'll take that as invitation t' join ye. I'd rather not waste more energy on messengers than I already have, so if I could, talkin' t'ye face t' face would be best."

(Random encounter tables, baby.)

Threla is curious, but a bit apprehensive, about the talking animal. She stays silent, trying to determine if what the reptile said was true. Never thought I would try to read a lizard.

Insight: 13

Friend, that's a lizard. It has zero facial expression, and when it opens its mouth, some random person's voice comes out. Who knows if lizards can even lie? It closes its mouth and skitters away in a panic.

He nodded in agreement when Threla suggested a short rest, his head turning from her to the direction from where they came. Truth be told, Veldruk would like be fine with a full retreat to make camp. He was neither hurt nor tired, but the fits of laughter weighted on his mind. Evelyn had mentioned that the big gnoll was a lycanthrope and now two people were laughing like hyenas. The warlock wanted to ask the wizard how likely it was that the curse was passed, if the cackling could be contained.

Nodjeim was the first to approach, Olan took care of the body and as conversation took place the dark elf kept his watch.

“Better safe than sorry – best keep the transformation as a last resort, at least until you get to practice it in, to borrow our monk’s words, safer conditions.” He turned to Evelyn. “Auntie is big bad, remember? I don’t think she would give any knowledge she has about anything willingly.” Then came the lizard. Veldruk didn’t trust a single word coming from its mouth. It all sounded way too good to be true. At the same time, if this self-proclaimed druid was an enemy they would be surrounded by gnolls. “I say we take the offer. If things get too suspicious we can always retreat.”

(A minor correction: Evelyn was never bitten, nor did she ever make any saves. She is exhibiting these symptoms regardless, though not as bad as Threla.)

     "IF you lose control better you do it surrounded by friends than enemies," Nodjeim replies.  "We could try to subdue you with minimal injuries instead of being in the midst of a life or death situation..."

     When the lizard appears Nodjeim wonders just how chewy it would be, or perhaps it would be better cooked?  But then it starts speaking and he reassesses the situation.

     "Maybe our druid lizard can remove curses?"

Quote from TheHumbug >>

(A minor correction: Evelyn was never bitten, nor did she ever make any saves. She is exhibiting these symptoms regardless, though not as bad as Threla.)

 

 
OOC: Thanks for the correction. Post edited.

Quote from Kaemgen >>

     "IF you lose control better you do it surrounded by friends than enemies," Nodjeim replies.  "We could try to subdue you with minimal injuries instead of being in the midst of a life or death situation..."

 "You're right. Besides, even if I managed to transform into some savage beast, I doubt my own combat prowess could keep me alive if I were to get up close and personal with the gnolls. 

We should accept the druids help. It's a camp full of gnolls, and as far as I can tell, the lizard wasn't lying"

(Is anyone going to signal above?)

"Are we going to try the lizard druid's help?"

Nobody appears to object, so Olan waves at the sky.

Olan's passive perception is enough to look up and see a flash of wings lit by the fading sun, which quickly disappear and fly over a hill.

A few minutes later, a voice speaks out quietly from the edge of your resting spot. "Ruthmum Tarkis. Pleased t' be makin' yer acquaintance."

They are hooded, but they throw off the hood to reveal a man of considerable years, wearing plain green robes and wielding a large staff.

     "They're gnolls and they seem quite intent on killing everything so I don't suppose I need ask what you have against them..." Nodjeim notes.  "If we are to fight together, though, you should know two of ours seems to be infected.  That is... Problematic, of course.  We were just discussing how best to deal with that.  Meanwhile, what skills do you bring to a fight?"