Abishai's Dragons of Icespire Peak

Meira is extremely accepting of Maddie placing the hat on her head. Her compliment only brings a broad smile to her face, as she clearly adores the attention and praise. "Well, I thank you for letting me try the hat. But it's probably something that you should make use of."  She pauses, giving a slight laugh, "Or I suppose we should spend some time when we rest to check out what these items do, but it seems like a magical hat suitable to a fey like yourself!"  

She looks over at Tempest and then Willow. "Do your two lovely friends always follow you about?" 

"Pardon me milady but I must insist on seeing you wearing this exquisite hat, at the very least until you know what magical properties it might posses." The fey girl says with courteous bow to the stylish rogue. "Ah yes, my friends are indeed lovely, and while I admittedly have to use magic to allow them to come along, they have both been with me ever since I journeyd into your fascinating realm, as eager as I am to explore and enjoy all that you have to offer." She explains with a warm smile, briefly taking Meira's hand in hers. "Now, they mentioned something about listening to you play, perhaps I too could have the honour milady?" She asks with another graceful bow and behind her smaller fey friends gives Meira hopeful smiles.

Gareth helps Meira return the stone lids to the sarcophagi, and everyone returns to the surface, toting some newfound magical items. Kithran might be less than pleased, but these items could come in very useful when dealing with the pair of pesky dragons threatening the area. Outside, he witnesses Maddie and Meira taking turns wearing the hat, which seems to suit them both. Meira still holds the finely-crafted lute as well.

"That's right. You haven't heard Meira sing yet," Gareth says now to Maddie. "Well, you're in for a treat. If we were back in Neverwinter, Meira would no doubt be raking in the gold with her performances. By the way, that was a neat trick impersonating our dwarven friend. You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

Gareth places a hand on the pommel of the dragon slayer's sword. "We could go off hunting the dragon, but we don't actually know exactly where it lairs. It must be in the mountains somewhere, but we'll need to track it. Also, there's not just the big white one. We saw a green dragon as well. You up for hunting and killing two dragons?" The half-elf gives the fey girl a crooked smile. 

((Apologies for the absence, but I'm back!))

Zephyros responds to  Meira's suggestion to head back to town, "Aye, let's head out... while we still have some daylight."

The bearded bull of a man nods along in agreement as Gareth talks about Meira's musical prowess. 

"Lord Kithran, you and that horse are likely to scare the townsfolk of Phandalin. Perhaps you should wait somewhere nearby out of town while we determine our next best course of action." 

"Oh, you have seen nothing yet." The fey girl tells Gareth with a wink and a playful tone. "But let's take one dragon at a time shall we?" She continues with a cute giggle. "So, what do you know about that white dragon, has anyone actually seen it?" She asks with a curious smile.

"Perhaps we can work a bit on his style to make him a bit more...um...presentable." She then says to Meira as the undead dwarf issue is brought up by the bearded bear.

Meira smiles and keeps the magic hat on, for now at least, when Maddie insists. "Oh yes, you are certainly invited to hear my music. I'll play something once I get a chance." She glances to Gareth as well when he praises her musical skills. She is clearly loving all of this. "Soon, soon, tonight I'll sing the third and concluding part of the tale I've sung the last two nights."  She then glances from the fey woman then to each of her companions. "Ah, but you've not heard the first two parts!"  

As the subject shifts and Maddie asks of the white dragon, Meira quickly responds. "We have seen the white dragon, and quite up close!" she remarks. "Well, I mean Zephyros, Gareth, and I.  And of course, Lyra."  There's a hint of fond smile as she says the last name, though a bit of a worried look as well. "We stood up to it enough to drive it away. Though I think circumstances were in our favor. It is a formidable beast." 

Meira then laughs at the idea of making Kithran presentable. "I'm not sure that any amount of stylish clothing is going to do much to change how folks might react to him. I mean, you can try if you like, it would certainly be an entertaining endeavor!"  She shakes her head, glancing at the dwarven paladin. "I am still curious why you are here. You seem very keen to be ridding the world of undead. But you seem to have skipped past your own condition. How does that work?" 

The fey friends all smile and look at each other with excitement as Meira mentions sharing her song that is in no less than three parts, all hoping to hear all of them at some point. "We would all be most grateful if you would share the first two parts with us too milady." The fey girl says with a graceful bow. "So you already braved it once, but did you see where it flew off? Surely it must have flown back to it's lair. Willow is an excellent scout and should be able to find it if she knew where to look." Maddie goes on and Willow smiles and nods excitedly.

"Yes, and for being keen on ridding the world of undead you seem even more keen on collecting them." The fey girl says with a giggle, looking at the wisp and the scrawny steed.

"So, tell me about your friend Lyra?" Maddie says with a warm smile as she steps a bit closer to the stylish rogue.

Kithran's disdain is obvious as the group emerges with the other magic items. He watches the two women try on the hat with a frown on his face. He turns to Zephyros. "The living have earned their peace. I will not disturb it." Lord Kithran moves his fiery gaze to Gareth, and then Meria. "No. I will not wear no such thing." The undead dwarf moves towards the wisp as Maddie mentions it. The paladin addresses the blue light in a large tone. "You have earned your freedom, now rest. You deserve it." His maul roars to life, and Kithran swings it at the wisp twice.

1st attack: 24 to hit, 11 bludgeoning, from a magic weapon,  7 fire damage and 16 radiant. [level 2 divine smite.] (Used inspiration for hit.)

2nd attack, 9 to hit, 13 bludgeoning and 6 fire.

Meria looks at Maddie a moment almost as if surprised by the question. And maybe at how much closer she is suddenly. "Lyra? Oh... well..." She blushes slightly, seeming perhaps finally flustered by the attention. "She was really nice, kind. Funny too, she liked to play tricks on folks. It was great! Cute, beautiful brown eyes, lovely freckled face. She sighs, clearly a little lost in her thoughts for a moment. Seeming to realize, she suddenly adds. "She was a Cleric too. Serving Tymora. Very dedicated."

When Kithran speaks upabout not wearing 'no such thing' she abruptly shifts her attention. "Wait, the hat?" She touches the hat, still upon her head. "No, no, the hat is for us!" She motions to indicate herself and Maddie. "You would need WAY more to make you presentable."

The group emerges from the dragon barrow and takes stock of their situation. The sun directly overhead warms your skin as it peeks through scattered cloud cover. A cold wild blows in from the south.

Lord Kithran easily dispatches his Will-o-wisp minion, sending it to an eternal rest. 

You all start your 40-mile journey back to Phandalin... an hour passes and Tempest returns to the Fey Wild while the group travels.

... 1

After several hours of travel along the western edge of Neverwinter Woods, the sun begins to set. Just before the group has to decide to stop or press on to Phandalin...

Passive perception: 15

Zephyros drops the issue with the Undead Paladin for now as the group proceeds south towards Phandalin. 

"Hmm... there's crows flocking to the east. Could be someone in trouble. We should divert to take a look." The red cloaked warrior proceeds to head east to scout the area as the sun sets. As he begins moving in that direction, the armored man whispers to his red tailed hawk to scout ahead.

Perception: 17

Felagi's Perception: 24/17

Meira notes something to the east, at the edge of the forest, and points that way. "Crows," she says. "Wonder what might be happening over there." (Nature: 22, to help try to understand what the crows might mean) 

As Meira speaks about the absent tymoran cleric, the fey girl folds her slender hands and tilts her head with a dreamy look as if listening to the most wonderful words. "So what happened to her, your friend with the lovely freckled face, it is a shame she is not with you." The fey girl says with a warm and empathic smile.

As the hour passes, Maddie would say goodbye to Tempest and promise to call on her soon again. 

"Perhaps a murder...of crows." The fey girl says in a playfully spooky voice and asks Willow to fly closer, and then both the fey disappear from view,  Willow swiftly flying towards the crows to see what she expects to be a battle site, while Maddie follows along.

Willow
Stealth: 12
Perception: 15

Maddie:
Stealth: 25
Perception: 7

(Before departure, use Magical Cunning, now, invisibility for Maddie and Willow.)

Lord Kithran only acknowledges the presence of the crows when Zephyros mentions them. "Interesting... I know that birds of prey flock like that when they expect to be fed. Could be a battle, or something else." He emits a low growl, pondering on what else it could be. The undead paladin begins walking in that direction at a fast pace, his boots clumping heavily through the forest.

Perception: 4

Zephyros,

You move towards the circling crows. Halfway there, your familiar, Felagi, reports back to you...

Meira,

You immediately understand these birds are drawn to a dead animal or recent battle. Crow are scavengers by nature and are looking for an easy meal.

Maddie,

You and your familiar move towards the scene. Willow arriving a bit ahead of you as she flies faster than you walk...

 [[OOC: @Maddie, Are you using magical cunning to regain a spell slot and then casting invisibility on yourself? While your sprite makes herself invisible? Just want to make sure I understand. ]]

Kithran,

You arrive at the scene with Zephyros, Maddie, and everyone else who immediately follows the circling crows. You see a grizzly scene, with four dead men wearing matching armor. Their bodies peppered with arrows and bolts. A dead horse in similar condition as the men. One of the men is still breathing, but just barely. The crows circling overhead have already begun to land on the other bodies and start pecking away. The birds scatter at your arrival and take flight once more. You immediately recognize these men as the guards encountered along the High Road while traveling to the Dragon Barrow.

Earlier, though she'd tried to shift the conversation, Meira replies to Maddie's question about Lyra. "Well, she is currently staying in Gnomengarde." Her expression because a bit more unreadable, perhaps sad, perhaps relieved, it's a little hard to tell. "She's safe there, which is good." 

As the group approaches the area with the crows, Meira follows along. "I can go in and check out the area if you'd like," she suggests. "But what have you all found out?" She turns herself invisible.

"Hurry, there was an ambush ahead, but there's one survivor, barely alive." You hear the fey girl say as she quickly moves closer. Meanwhile Willow desperately does what she can to keep the man alive.

Medicine: 12

Gareth begins to feel uneasy as he notices the murder of crows circling overhead in the distance. His feelings are confirmed by the grisly sight of the massacred guardsmen. The ranger is surprised that one of the men managed to survive, at least for the moment. He kneels down next to the fallen man, examining his wounds as Maddie's fey companion Willow attempts to stabilize him. Realizing that there's not much he can do for the poor fellow, the ranger instead turns his attention to the arrows peppering the dead bodies to see if he recognizes the make. The men had said they were hunting dangerous outlaws, but anything could have ambushed them...orcs, goblins, or anything else capable of wielding a bow. 

"Speaking of Lyra, this is one of those times I wish she was still here," Gareth says, eyeing the wounded man. 

Investigation of Arrows - Nat 20 (22)

Lord Kithran observes the scene, and he walks over to each dead body closing their eyes (if they aren't already closed). "I do not think that goblins possess enough strength to use crossbows." The death knight rumbles, picking up a bolt and twirling it in his fingers. He discards the bolt and strides over to the survivor. Kithran places his armored hand on the man's chest, filling him with life. The undead dwarf asks in a low tone. "Who did this?"

[[OOC. Using lay on hands to give him 5 hit points.]]