"Ok, I think we should try and get some rest, with one or two of us keeping watch. We might be able to learn something of our foe."

"I'll keep watch. My night-vision will make me able to spot things from far away" Threl volunteers, searching around for a window or some other place to keep watch from with a view of the street.

Once he finds a spot, resting by the window, he looks around and says "Shall we rest?" his gaze already peering out the window, his senses attentive and alert.

“Are you trying to get us all killed?” The woman hisses. She grabs Threl by the back of the shirt and yanks him away before quickly shutting the window. “You think keeping watch will help you? Do my words mean nothing? If you see it, you die, understand? Better not to see it coming at all than earn its attention.”

As if on cue, the house shakes and dust falls from the roof as a sound like thunder rings from outside. Then another. And another. The woman’s face goes blank, and she stares forward without a hint of emotion or another word. Something is outside. Something large.

Threl stumbles away from the window, his skin prickling at the proximity of another humanoid. He shivers, the memories flooding back to him. Pocking and prodding, strange experiments. Trying to figure out what he was. Who he was. He begins to dry retch, but as the thunderous noise rings out, he swallows, and shuts up real fast.

His face shaking with fear, he looks at the others, bewildered. As if to ask "what is that thing?"

That thing sounds really big. This is not good

The woman’s description brought the larger gnolls on the cave back to his mind. If that was the case, Veldruk thought for a moment, they would have an easy fight. The idea disappeared as she described the behavior of the creature. A different enemy, maybe a more powerful one. Threl seemed to share the notion, going on by how pale he became. The eyes of the warlock darted towards the house. It seemed recent, like all the others in the village. Between that and the marking on the map he deduced the x indicated the new settlement still to be charted.

“Abyss, not Hell. Good guess, though.” He said in a lower voice. “Did you see it attack? How it fights?”

Going by what she told there were victims and that was a frontier village. People there wouldn’t just hide and cower. They would try fighting first, until it was clear they had no hope of victory. Veldruk knew from experience - he had raided more than a few places like that in the Underdark. Someone should have concrete information on some of the creature’s ability.

“Does anyone knows were it stays during the day?” The eye of his mind could already picture a sneak attack while the cackling one slept. Before there could be any answer the stomping began and like the others he fell into silence.

The woman does not respond, only grabs Veldruk around the throat and mouth, staring at him with emotionless eyes and a flat mouth.

Her grapple check is a 19, if Veldruk chooses to resist.

Additionally, Veldruk, please roll me stealth. You are attempting to beat a passive Perception of 16. If you fail, you will all most likely die.

Timeline update! Veldruk asked the questions, and then the rumbling happened, so you all don't have to die because of OOC mishaps anymore!!!

A few tense moments passed, before the sound of heavy footfalls plods off into the distance. The woman meets all of your eyes and shakes her head no. She points to her ears, then points outside, and makes a motion like zipping her mouth.

Slowly, one by one, she gestures to each of you to sit down as slowly and quietly as possible, so as to not collapse with fatigue and make unnecessary noise. While you are doing so, a distant crash and a few screams sound, before being quickly cut off. The woman flinches, but soon returns to her task of putting you all in a place where you could possibly get rest.

Unless anyone has any actions they'd like to perform during the night, keeping in mind that the person providing you shelter will discourage anything that creates sound or movement, such as spellcasting or opening a window, the night will pass. Slowly. 

Anyone wishing to get sleep may do so, but must roll a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw to manage to fall asleep in such a tense situation, and a DC 7 Constitution saving throw to avoid making unconscious noise in their sleep. Anyone who does not sleep must make a DC 10 Constitution save to avoid a level of exhaustion. Those with a trance feature still must make the Wisdom save but do not need to make the save against making noise in their sleep.

Chakka and Nodjeim will get a long rest without needing to sleep because they're built different, and Ruthmum will attempt to sleep, failing the Wisdom save (staying up) and making the Constitution save against exhaustion, but not getting a long rest and not regaining spells.

(If you'd like, you can fall asleep without making the save, but must pitch to me why your character's sleep cycle is not affected by the giant death monster plodding about outside.)

Olan throws a nat 20 and enjoys a blissful trance session 😴

OOC: 15 for Veldruk.

Veldruk recalls his time below, and understands that in the deep, each night could have very well been his last. Tonight is no different.

Olan, meanwhile, recalls something cool from his awesome and mysterious past.

(Still waiting for rolls from Evelyn and Threl, will automatically move along tmrw morning)

Threl tries to settle down and meditate, trying to ignore this horrible creature.

WIS save: 18

WIS: 21

CON: 23

Somehow Evelyn is able to calm herself enough to fall asleep. She practices the meditation techniques she learned in the academy and does her best to not think about what sort of horrible monster is lurking just outside waiting to devour them all.

Somehow, everyone manages to get a full night's sleep, and a long rest to go along with it. When morning comes, old Ruthmum nudges you awake. 

"Th' beast's gone. Bloody horrid thing it was, I dinnae know how ye even slept a wink. Or, tranced a wink, I suppose. What now?"

Olan approaches the homeowner, "We thank you for your shelter ma'am; we will take our leave and leave you in peace. Before we go, can you tell us what you know of this creature?"

Evelyn shudders at the mention of the beast. "I have no idea how I slept," she says quietly. Even though Ruthmum says the beast is gone, she is still afraid to make too much noise. "I was just so tired. This has all been a lot more fighting than I'm used to back in the academy."

The wizard joins Olan and the woman, also curious to learn more about the beast. "Yes, can you describe what you know of the creature? Maybe I've read about it in my studies," Evelyn offers.

History - 23

 “We’ve been traveling for a while and the roads around had more than a few gnolls. You can say we got used to sleep around danger.” Something Veldruk believed to hold more truth in regard to his companions than to himself. A low soldier was expendable to the army of T'lindhet and every one of his nights could be the last. “I would be more than happy if you could answer my questions from last night.”

Between them and what his companions posed they could gather enough to fight the creature. Depending on the situation, if there was real chance of victory, they could offer mercenary service. Auntie was bound to come after them sooner or later so dispatching her assets was not only natural but strategic. Nothing wrong with getting some coin meanwhile. It was something the World Above had in common with the Underdark – money was never too much.

How much could they offer? The warlock pondered. Certainly nothing close to the spoils of the cave. Maybe it would be better to ask for nothing more than supplies. If nothing else the sympathy of the folk there would provide them with a reliable source of information, should they ever need to gather any around the area.

“Forgive me the lack of manners. I’m Veldruk d'Uktan.”     

The woman looks up with a fiery expression. "I don't know how many more times I'm have to say it. I don't know shit. I'm not stupid enough to go outside when it's around. I've seen it once, from behind, in the distance, and I already told you what I saw. It's big, it's hungry, and it kills anyone who's out at night. Probably kills the people that try and leave too, or at least something does. I don't see what else could have scattered my nephew across a hundred feet."

The woman looks up at Veldruk. "Carlotta Duncan."

Evelyn is at a loss. She knows of giants, but nothing of a giant's stature and vague appearance with this sort of demeanor. Hill giants are generally regarded as the most bestial of their kind, save for perhaps trolls, but both still travel on two legs. Naturally, she's heard all sorts of wild tales about giant demons and devils and horrid things that squirm and squeal behind the skin of reality, but she has no factual knowledge of any real thing that might match the description.

“I am sorry for your loss.” He started trying his best to mask his indifference with a compassion that in reality did not exist. “We were attacked gnolls during our travels and saw friends fall in battle.” More like acquaintances, but the warlock knew that saying as much wouldn’t have the impact he desired. “There was reason to believe someone was organizing the creatures, someone that needed to be stopped, and recently we found proof of the fact. A witch called Auntie is organizing a cult to Yeenoghu and using its followers to attack this region. We know of at least two villages destroyed by her horde. This creature may be allied to her, which give us every reason to see it defeated so forgive our repeated questions.” Or don’t, said the voice of his mind. He didn’t really care. “Information is essential before battle. If you could guide us to someone that know more, saw more, of the thing we wouldn’t simply be grateful. We may be able to find a way of bringing it down.”

Veldruk hoped Carlotta knew someone capable of informing them. If not, they could at least ask her to present them to the village chief. Her help the night before showed she was a good woman.