Arik says "Hi, my names arik Stormwind. I'm fast and agile and stealthy and fast. I can zoom through a bunch of people. Oh, and I can help you ok, if you need it."

B'Reh followed the others outside, her black-and-white plumage catching the light as she stepped into the morning air. She glanced at each of them—Vira with her proud stance and weapons, and Arik with his quick, energetic demeanor. It was clear these would be her companions on the road to Alderheart, and though the task had pulled her from the immediate troubles of the village, she knew there was no room for hesitation now.

When Vira and Arik finished their introductions, b'Reh nodded and spoke with a calm, measured tone. "I am b'Reh Nyxbringer, acolyte of the Domain of Order." Her sharp eyes swept over the group as she continued. "My strengths lie in discipline, balance, and protection. I am trained to heal wounds in the heat of battle and ensure order is maintained in the most difficult of circumstances. I also move swiftly when needed, and my time in Meadowfen has sharpened my senses to remain alert for any danger." She paused for a moment, considering whether to mention the rumors of her being Wind-Touched, but quickly decided against it. There was no need to burden them with superstitions. Instead, she finished her introduction with a brief, respectful nod. "I trust that, together, we will complete this mission successfully. Let us make haste to Alderheart and ensure the Council is warned."

"It is a pleasure to meet you all. Your talents are all welcome on this journey to Alderheart. As the Elder had briefly introduced, I am Brynlee Oddclaw, Seedling of the Tenders. The Great Rhythm itself beats within my veins powering my magic." Brynlee takes a moment to feel the energies of the group that has assembled. Balance...Strength...Purpose. Good beats. "I strive for balance and order in the world. The keepers of the Old World have passed the task to us, and I have made it a mission of mine to restore balance. My skills are as varied as powers of this world, but draw from the energy of the Great Rhythm." 

After introductions of the group, Brynlee makes her excuses to return to her small hovel to gather her belongings, but agrees to meet back in the main square before the sun reached its highest in the sky. As much as Meadowfen has become her home, Brynlee was excited by the opportunity to adventure outside of town. She packs up some her meager belongings and briefly removes the twig encircled crystal from her pocket to hold for a moment before returning it to her pocket. She remembers the day the crystal presented it to her, and the strange power that seemed to follow. The other tenders were confused by the presence of the old magic, but Brynlee decided it was a gift to be embraced. Placing her pack on her spiny back, Brynlee leaves a brief note for her fellow Tenders that would be out preparing for the refugees by now, and sets back out into the sun and the town square. Brynlee returns to the well to regroup with the others. 

"I'm all set. We should leave soon. We don't want to be caught on the road after dark."

As Vira listens to each of her new companions introduce themselves, a sense of quiet optimism begins to settle over her. Arik’s speed and agility, B'Reh's calm discipline and healing abilities, and Brynlee’s connection to the Great Rhythm all seem to perfectly complement the mission ahead. Though she barely knows them, Vira feels a kinship with these allies, sensing that their combined strengths will make them an unstoppable force.

She glances at each of them, the fire in her golden eyes reigniting as she grips the spear on her back. "Looks like we’ve got a solid team. Brute force, speed, order, and magic—nothing’s stopping us." She smiles. "The Elder’s a good judge of people. Let’s get this job done and make sure Alderheart knows what’s coming."

Before setting out for Alderheart, Vira makes a quiet visit to what she considers her closest thing to a home—Lyle's small, cluttered workshop. The familiar sight of the tinkerer’s tools scattered about, with bits of metal and scrap strewn across the surfaces, brings a brief moment of comfort. She quickly scribbles a note on his workbench, explaining her absence and assuring him that she’ll be back.

With everything she owns carried on her back, Vira steps outside, gripping Thorn’s spear tightly. She draws it slowly, her gaze softening as she rests her forehead against the worn shaft of the weapon, the one connection she still has to him.

In a hushed voice, she whispers, “Help me protect them, and everyone, Pa.”

The brief prayer gives her a renewed sense of purpose as she turns back toward the town square, ready to meet her companions and begin the journey ahead.

B'Reh nodded to her new companions after the introductions. "I need to tend to a few matters before we depart. I will meet you all at the town square shortly." With a brief but respectful bow, she turned and made her way swiftly through the streets of Meadowfen.

Her first stop was to see Constable Juren. She found him sitting in his usual spot, barely lifting his gaze as she approached. "Constable," she began, her voice steady and formal, "the Elder has entrusted me with a mission to Alderheart to deliver a message to the Birdfolk Council. I wanted to inform you before I left." Juren’s eyes flickered briefly with something that might have been amusement—or relief. He leaned back, a faint smirk pulling at his beak. "A message to the capital, eh? Seems you've found yourself a proper task at last." His tone was casual, perhaps too casual, as if the weight of the mission barely concerned him. "Well then, good luck on your journey. And don’t worry, Meadowfen will be just fine while you're gone." B'Reh met his gaze calmly, wondering for a moment whether he was truly pleased by the importance of the task or simply glad she would be gone for a while. She chose not to linger on it. "I’ll return when the task is complete," she said, bowing once more before leaving his office.

Her next stop was the market. Moving with purpose, she quickly purchased the items she would need for the long journey ahead. At one stall, she picked up a large pouch—twice the size of a normal one—along with two waterskins and a vial of antitoxin. Then, she found an explorer's pack equipped with an extra-large backpack, perfect for carrying everything she needed. She made sure to add a signal whistle, a small mirror, and an extra blanket for particular cold nights or for medical assistance. With her supplies gathered, B'Reh paused briefly to check her pack, making sure everything was in order. Satisfied, she hurried back to the town square. "I'm ready," she said simply as she joined the group. "Let us depart before the sun is too high. We have a long road ahead."

Equipped for the long journey to the great tree city of Alderheart, you all regroup in the small town square of Meadowfen, where the Elder is now giving instructions and the many residents of the small town are rushing about, preparing for the influx of refugees from Ashbarrow. Wren, the town's best healer, has set up several cots in one corner of the square, where her son Quincy is organizing various salves and bandages, both of their glossy black feathers sticking out in the crowd. A large cervan woman across the square from the field hospital appears to be organizing boxes and bags of food as they arrive in the arms of farmhands from the outskirts of town. Tessa, Wren's daughter and a new recruit with the Tenders, has taken up Brynlee's post at the well, where a middle-aged jerbeen man appears to be guiding and instructing her as she works to call forth more water from deep under the earth. All around, people are preparing. The residents of Meadowfen are tough, and they will surely survive the coming weeks as they welcome and care for the refugees from the Grove, but the time beyond that is uncertain, and entirely depends on you.

You make your way through the streets towards the opposite side of town from where Vira and Cara entered just this morning, receiving some strange looks from birdfolk and humblefolk as they head in the opposite direction towards the commotion at the center of town, but otherwise unbothered as you walk. The buildings grow more sparse, separated by ashen soil to the north and marshy wetland to the south, and as the sun reaches its zenith, you are well on your way to Winnowing Reach. 

[[ This can also be discussed in the OOC chat, but I'd like to know your marching order as you travel and a perception check from everybody. Also feel free to share anything your characters would be thinking about or discussing during the early part of your hours-long journey to Winnowing Reach! ]]

Passing through town as the other Tenders and healers begin to set up for the refugees, Brynlee looks longingly at them imagining herself among them under normal circumstances. But she knows her task is of greater importance. She looks at Tessa, a grin of pride crossing on Brynlee's face as she imagines the young girl dabbling in magic only a few months prior. Brynlee was thankful that there are others who can help in such ways. She pulls her pack up tighter on her shoulders and walks with the others to the road out of town. 

As the group made its way out of Meadowfen, b'Reh walked in quiet contemplation for the first stretch of the journey. The town was alive with activity behind them—villagers working diligently to prepare for the incoming refugees. She had been ready to stay, to help organize and care for the wounded, but now her duty lay in delivering the message to Alderheart. There was no room for distraction, no space for doubt.

Yet, as her mind wandered, it settled on the thought of returning to Alderheart—the great tree city that was her ancestral home. She hadn’t expected to return so soon. There was a weight to that, one she wasn’t fully prepared for. Alderheart held memories and expectations that she wasn’t quite ready to confront. Still, the path ahead was clear. The Elder had entrusted her with this mission, and she would see it done, even if it meant facing her past earlier than planned.

She shook the thought away, focusing on the balance she sought to maintain. Order must be upheld, and delivering the message to the Birdfolk Council was the first step in protecting both Meadowfen and her home.

As Vira marches with the group through the bustling streets of Meadowfen, her mind drifts back to the horrors of Ashbarrow. The unnatural flames, the devastation they left behind—there was something off about it all. The flames moved too fast, too deliberately, as if they were guided by something or someone. And then there were the bandits. They appeared almost as quickly as the fire, in greater numbers and more organized than usual. It was as if they were...working with the flames somehow, not just taking advantage of the chaos.

The thought gnaws at her. Could they have been in league with whatever caused the fires? The possibility fills her with a mix of anger and unease. She grips Thorn's spear tighter as they walk, the familiar weight of it providing some small comfort.

"Flames and bandits working together," she mutters under her breath, not realizing she is saying it out loud. "If that’s true, we’re going to need more than brute force to stop them."

Your group travels for a couple of hours without any major events. The sun begins to move slowly toward the west, and the farmland gives way to open fields and the occasional copse of trees. Not much is said as everyone's mind drifts, placing one foot in front of the other as the countryside moves past. 

Vira is the first to notice a small commotion up ahead on the road. Three hooded figures are gesturing violently at a crumpled body on the ground, while a fourth is leaning against a nearby tree. A small hand-cart stacked high with bags and boxes of various sizes stands nearby. One of the hooded figures goes to the cart and unceremoniously sifts through the packages, leaving fallen bundles strewn on the road.

As you get closer to the three strangers gesturing at the body, you can see the pointed faces of mapach under the hoods, two male and one female. Each is wearing worn leather armor and a short sword on their belt. The fourth figure, an intimidating vulpin female, is lightly armored and wears an ornate sword on her hip. She seems to be hanging back and observing, allowing the mapachs to do all the work.

The group finally notices your approach, and the two figures not rifling through the cart turn to face you. You hear a whimpered “Help me” from the creature laying on the road, but you can’t make out their features. The mapach female, still standing near the fallen body, puts her hands on her hips and says to your group, “All right folks, nothing to see here. Move along if you know what’s good for ya.”

“Hey! That’s not right. Leave that person alone.” Arik chatters at the would be bandits (he guesses). 

Vira steps forward, her golden eyes fierce and unwavering. She grips her greataxe tightly, her voice firm and commanding. "Step away from the cart, leave them alone, and walk away while you still can."

Her presence is imposing, her posture tense and ready. "I won’t warn you again."

The female mapach scoffs slightly at your words. "Right, of course, we'll just be on our way then. Come on lads." She feigns turning to leave, before quickly turning back at you all. "That is, for the right price we'll be on our way. Maybe I should call the boss over to negotiate? FRAY!!" she yells over her shoulder. The vulpin slowly stands up from the tree she was leaning against even further along the road and begins to slowly walk towards the cart.

[[ The vulpin is about 30 feet beyond the cart, which is about 30 feet away from you. ]]

"What did that poor creature ever do to you?" Brynlee says from the rear of the group, getting a little closer now that the others had stopped. "These are hard times in the plains. Can't you let the poor thing go?" 

She plants her toes in the soil underfoot and reaches for the twig encrusted crystal that still lies hidden in her pocket. The warmth of the crystal is a comfort. 

Vira's eyes narrow as the mapach calls out to her companion. She tightens her grip on her greataxe, her patience rapidly thinning. Her muscles coil, ready to spring into action.

"They’ve made their choice," Vira growls quietly to her group, her voice low but seething with barely controlled anger. "Bandits don't change. I say we take them out here and now." She shifts her stance, prepared for whatever might come next as the vulpin approaches.

B'Reh followed Vira's lead, her sharp eyes narrowing as she took in the scene. The crumpled figure on the ground let out a soft cry for help, and without hesitation, she skipped a few steps forward, coming within fifteen feet of the injured person. Sensing the danger of the situation and suspecting they had been the victim of an armed robbery, b'Reh uttered a quiet prayer, channeling divine energy into Spare the Dying. A soft glow enveloped the fallen creature, stabilising them in case they were on the brink of death.

As the vulpin began to approach at the mapach’s call, B'Reh quickly moved back, aligning herself with Vira. Her heart raced, but her mind was clear—this would likely turn into a fight. She glanced around warily, scanning for any hidden threats among the trees or roadside, her thoughts focused on the name the bandit had shouted. 'Who is this "Fray"?' she wondered, preparing for an inevitable confrontation. B'Reh’s muscles tensed, her feet planted firmly on the ground as she waited for the bandits’ next move, ready to react the moment things escalated. In her mind she prepares to cast another spell, Bless, should either side move to attack.

[[Consider Bless cast if there is the time for this second action during the 'negation' phase as she already cast Spare the Dying. Targets would be everyone but herself.]]

The two mapach bandits not preoccupied with the cart move their hands to the hilts of their swords as b'Reh moves forward, but relax slightly when she moves back just as quickly.

The vulpin moves toward the cart at a leisurely pace, picking at something under her claws as she walks. "What do we have here Sasha? Have you made more friends?" She comes to a stop, and gives your group a casual once-over. "Hm. How quaint. I suppose you'd like us to leave?"

Without waiting for an answer, she moves over to the cart where the third mapach has set aside several items that you can't quite make out at your current distance. "Oooh, these are nice. I'll tell you what." She turns back to face you all. "We'll leave you to your heroics for, say, 45 allers. Ten for me and each of my companions, plus another five for the...inconvenience...of your interruption. You can work it out with Sasha, she's good with numbers." She turns to walk back to the shade of her tree, clearly uninterested in anything your group has to offer besides money.

[[ I think it's in the Alderheart Guide doc, but they have different names for money in the Wood. Gp, sp, and cp, are known as gold, silver, and copper acorns respectively (as every coin has an image of an acorn on one side). Colloquially, they are allers, grifs, and darns (which have their own origins explained in the book), so Fray is asking for 45 gp to leave.

Vira, Arik, and Brynlee are Blessed for the next minute. Don't forget to use the [spells] tag for 2024 descriptions! ;) ]]

With a roar of fury, Vira’s rage takes hold, her feathers bristling as she draws her greataxe and charges at the two nearest mapach bandits. Her golden eyes lock onto them, her focus narrowed to a single point.

The ground seems to tremble beneath her as she rushes forward, her mind consumed by the need to end this confrontation. No words, no negotiation—just the overwhelming urge to protect and strike down these bandits who dared to harm the weak for money of all things.

 Combat: Round 1

[[ Initiative: Players - 13, Fray - 10, Mapachs - 8

Concentration: b'Reh (bless) ]]

B'Reh mentally sifted through her belongings, counting the few grifs and darns she had left—hardly enough to meet the bandit's demands. The thought of bartering for the life of an innocent with what little she had was infuriating. Her eyes darted to the vulpin, now turning her back to them, completely dismissive, and then to the mapach bandits, their hands hovering over their weapons. Before she could offer a response, Vira's roar pierced the air. The warrior charged forward, axe drawn, her fury unmistakable. B'Reh tightened her grip on her spear, feeling the tension build within her, but held herself back. She knew her strengths lay in precision, not blind fury.

With steady steps, she moved a few paces closer, just within range. Her eyes locked on one of the mapach bandits, and in a swift, practiced motion, she launched her spear toward him, aiming to cripple rather than kill. The time for negotiation had passed.