"Hey, Charles, I’ve been noticing you don’t look quite as cheerful as you usually do. You’re our guide, and we want to make sure you’re alright. If you’re feeling off, maybe one of us could check in on you, just to make sure everything’s good. I know we’ve got a long trip ahead, and we don’t want to run into any problems down the road."

Razzec turns to the party.

"Anyone here capable of casting Purify Food and Drink? Just in case. We did hear someone was trying to force him out of business, after all."

"I can't cast it now, but next time we rest, I can certainly prepare it!"

Alexia is talking in a hushed voice, seemingly to herself.

*this is just backstory related stuff for me, if it doesn't matter then ignore it, but here's a stealth to contest just in case: 11*

*oh wait because I edited it it changed, it was a 25 at first*

After several days of travel you notice the sunsets are becoming absolutely beautiful. A direct contrast to Charles' mood. 

There has been a river running near the road in the past, but the road twists away from it. Now you have been using conjured water or water from the barrels in the wagon. In the near distance you hear the chuckle of a stream nearby with a bridge. You think cool stream water might be refreshing and maybe a way to wash some of the road dust off.

"From this point, don't drink the water in the stream." Charles frowns, "And the local game isn't exactly safe to eat either. Uh, sometimes you can tell if it's safe or not." And like foretelling the future, a deer prances across the road, fairly normal, except for the extra pair of legs.

Alexia looks completely unsurprised. "Huh. Insect deer. Wonder how those taste."

Ember turns to and remarks on the odd deer to Chip.   

( Anyone looking at the seat of the wagon Ember has been 'driving' will see a small doll made of twigs and twine on the seat next to Ember. )
(Yes, he has been speaking and telling stories to 'twig Chip' all this time...   Ember is... unusual, to say the least.)

"Now that is something you don't see every day, Chip.   I wonder how well it might pull a wagon with those extra legs?"

+  +  +  +  +

@Wysperra  Modified timeline (barely)... when 'we' hit the edge of this 'odd zone', could Ember flit over to a roadside tree and mark a warning in Druid on the trunk?

"You know Druidic, the secret language of Druids.  You can use Druidic to leave hidden messages. You and others who know Druidic automatically spot such a message. " (free rules, pg 80)

OOC: Sure, you can do that no problem.

"Well, I can’t say I’ve ever seen a deer with extra legs before. Guess that’s something you don’t get used to." Razzec says with a slight chuckle, but his expression grows a bit more serious.

"Charles, this place... It seems strange. You said we should be careful with the local game and the stream water. Anything else we should know about the area? We’ve been traveling a while, and I don’t want to run into any surprises."

Charles sighs, "Well you kids might not remember what happened back before. Maybe a hundred or so years ago, the lands were ravaged by hordes of undead..." The old man begins a story you may have heard bits about while growing up. For kids, Khaza Ghul the lich lord will come and eat if you don't go to bed! Eat your veggies or Khaza Ghul will steal you away!

Parents forget that the fight was real. Or maybe they try to forget. Times were bleak, everyone was suffering. Undead rampaged everywhere. Finally the peoples of all the races got their act together. Ignoring politics, favors, and past grudges, the rulers realized that if they did not work together, they would all be wiped out one by one. An army was forged that took battle to the lich lord right up to the gates of his fortress. 

They couldn't get in. The defenses were too strong and army was growing weaker by the day. A council of casters was gathered and they performed what they hoped would be a ritual to end Khaza Ghul for good. Wizards, Warlocks, Holy Men, Nature Witches, they all poured power into the spell, some even giving up their life force to make it happen. When they were done, the fields grew silent. Days passed and nothing happened. More men and women died assaulting the walls.

Voices of doubt erupted among the troops and those supporting the army. That is until a star appeared in the sky. Shining brightly, it lit the clouds with purple light. That's it?! some cried, We're dying before these walls and we sacrificed our mages and we get a star in the sky?! Useless! We should go home before the lich comes out and ....

As your wagons approach a hill topped with trees, you notice a few figures standing up in the shade. Almost as if they were waiting for something or you.

Charles sighs, "Well shit."

"I've never heard this story" Grey says, still laying in the hay, his body has formed a convenient elf shape depression over the days of lounging. "It sounds a bit... made up, if you ask me. Why are your trying to scare children? Put the kids to work! A proper day of work and they will eat veggies, meats, cheeses, a bit of mead..." his voice fades off, as he pulls out a summoned block of food, "cheese sounds good" he says, taking a bite, smiling, and closes his eyes.

Alexia takes Star back to walk next to the wagons. "Hey, should we be worried about those things?" She takes a small device out of the vessel by her side and sets the vessel on her lap.

"This doesn't sound like a fairy tale..." Razzec says, raising an eyebrow at the mention of Khaza Ghul and the star. He listens intently, but then shifts his gaze toward the horizon, as if something in the distance caught his attention.

"Grey might be right about the kids needing work, but this doesn’t feel like just a story to me."

He squints, scanning the area for any signs of danger. After a moment, he takes a deep breath and turns to Charles.

"Charles, I don’t mean to jump ahead, but we need to know what we’re up against. Those things in the distance... are they part of the old undead problem? What’s the plan here? Should we be on alert?"

"Mister Charles, are those friends up ahead or one of the reasons you asked us along as company?"  Ember spoke up but did not yell.

"Should we stop short or speed up and barrel through?"

The wagons keep plucking along with the steady beat of yackle feet and Charles looks at you and says, "That over there is Toda Johay, a bully and scumbag. I was hoping he wouldn't be on the road today. I don't want any trouble with him, and I'm sorry you good folks are here for it."

"Keep going. Speed up to as fast as the yackles can go. I'll handle them." Alexia takes a firm hold on the vessel in front of her, and the blue piece of crystal at its front glows brighter as she points it at the figures.

*readied action to cast hypnotic pattern*

"Naw, if he thinks we're trying to avoid him, he'll shoot us." Charles grumps, "I don't want to die today."

"So, he is a pest more than a danger?    I can call on some of my woodland friends to visit them.  Or call down fire and ruin their day..."