The two parties begin their quest for the day. Frekor and Randa depart from the group far enough to not suffer game fleeing from the two noisy wagons, but not so far that they cannot see or be seen by the groups while they creep along the fields.

DM: Group Survival Check from Frekor and Randa, or one can roll with Advantage. You choose.

( Ok. I will.)

Survival- 18

Together, Frekor and Randa move along the earth, wearing around the spires of stone and glass as they go. Before long, they find tracks. Both immediately recognize them as a big cat species, but Randa is more familiar with the diverse animals that inhabit the Wastes. These are moorbounders and by the look of it, an adult and a pack of young.

Randa knows that the young go through a violent development to weed out the weak; the young kill and eat each other until only the strong are left. In a little of 5-8, they naturally arrest this process at around 3-4. They remain together for the rest of their youth, until they reach maturity and then break off to find other packs and breed. The paw prints seem to suggest that they are not yet complete with this process, as there seem to be about five remaining. One more yet to be found to fill the bellies of the others.

Alternatively, Randa notices tiny clawmarks around some of the spires. If the moorbounders do not interest, perhaps something else? Frekor picks up the tracks where Randa loses them and he leads her farther from the wagons. Randa is just about to cease the hunt and turn back when Frekor pulls Randa down behind a broken spire.

About 40ft off is a armadillo-like creature. This Randa knows enough to know it is native here, but it seems to be one of the many unidentified species that roam the Barbed Fields. Not many zoologists make their way out to the Barbed Fields because it is so incredibly dangerous. A scholarly scientist only ever encounters a sorrowsworn once. If they survive, the zoologists never seem to find their way back to their habitat again.

This creature is 3ft at the shoulder, heavy-looking and wide, has an armored back that flexes with its movement as the plates slide over each other. Armor also is plated over the back of the legs, but not the front. It is lined with two rows of dangerous-looking spikes angled diagonally down its back. The head is heavily armored as well, to the point that the creature’s eyes are partially covered. This is definitely good for protecting the eyes-a vulnerable spot for things like birds of prey-but prevents it from being able to see well. It has a thickly-muscled tail with a bulbous knob on the end. Its paws are designed to root around termite mounds and break open burrows of small rodents with long curved claws, while the flexible plate, rows of spikes, armor on the backs of the limbs, and the club-like tail suggest that it faces its rear to predators and tries to batter them.

It does not seem to notice Frekor and Randa as it sniffs out some prey.

Randa looks to Frekor, " Moorbounders are.......fairly high on the food chain.....as predators their flesh concentrates all the bad things their prey have eaten.....they would be unpalatable.....also they are.....a little too feline for me to want to hunt.....the great cats are sacred to the Mother.....at least amongst my people."

" But this creature.....looks to be mostly insectivorous.....perhaps tubers and roots?  If we can get it on its back it should be fairly easily subdued.....but we do not want to get close to that thagomizer....."

" Or do you want to call this hunt a wash and head back?"

OOC: There is no shame coming back empty handed. Better than coming back broken.

Quote from Damian_May >>

Randa looks to Frekor, " Moorbounders are.......fairly high on the food chain.....as predators their flesh concentrates all the bad things their prey have eaten.....they would be unpalatable.....also they are.....a little too feline for me to want to hunt.....the great cats are sacred to the Mother.....at least amongst my people."

" But this creature.....looks to be mostly insectivorous.....perhaps tubers and roots?  If we can get it on its back it should be fairly easily subdued.....but we do not want to get close to that thagomizer....."

" Or do you want to call this hunt a wash and head back?"

 -Well... I do have rations and I can make Goodberry- whispered the ranger.

-But at the same time, I don't want to show up empty-handed. Especially when I'm new to the group, It'll look like I can't do anything.- adds Frekor with a shy smile.

DM: While Frekor and Randa are deciding on the hunt of their lifetime, what is the rest of the party doing while the two hunters risk life and limb?

While the party goes about their normal activities, Brother Bombur communes with the Allhammer to bless The Hymnal. Once that is complete, he uses his time in prayer to perform an Augury on their travels to the city. Any guidance the Allhammer can provide might serve to their benefit.

[Casting Augury as a ritual. Also using Blessing of the Forge on my blunderbuss, giving it a +1 attack/damage]

"That orange guy and that yellow guy better not interrupt my story again or I'm gonna be really irritated..."

Ylis settles into her seat and begins again.

------

Wildfire  grumbled under her breath while Paige, her mother’s lady-in-waiting, tightened her corset. “Why do I have to go to this thing?” 

Her mother smiled a little while she looked on, “Because dear, you were invited, and considering who did the inviting, you need to go. It would be politically damaging to ignore the Ironhammers.” Wildfire sighed heavily and continued to put up with the primping, pruning, and painting.

An hour later, when she was deemed ready, two armsmen escorted her to the steps of the Ironhammer Estate where she saw a finely dressed halfling arguing with Lord Ironhammer himself.

-------

Frekor and Randa are sure taking a long time....I hope nothing happened to them. They would come back if they ran into anything dangerous right? thinkthinkthink...she taps herself on the head between her brows.

She claps her hands and calls to the air "Luna!...Luna!" and a tiny bat pops into existence. "Luna, I need you to go look for Randa. okok? They went that way," she points. "Go looklook."

Bat PER check 9

DM: Augury is one of my favorite spells as a player. It actually has the potential to unearth lots of DM plans. You don't have it prepared at this time, Chris, but I will assume you will swap one of your other spells out to make it work. You get to swap all your spells after each Long Rest so it might be worth looking over and making adjustments for the rest of the day.

The planned course of action for the next 30 minutes is to travel to Bazzoxan. The party will not arrive for about day still by this point in time, but what is before you there, as a direct consequence of the next 30 minutes of action, results in the following:

Brother Bombur casts about his tokens (bullets?) to receive a message from the Allhammer. The scattered materials say nothing to the eyes of anyone else. To onlookers, this is meaningless nonsense, but Brother Bombur can see the hidden message within the scattered tokens. They did not fall randomly. No, they were divinely guided to land exactly in this way. They speak to Bombur. They speak of weal and woe together. 

Quote from FrekorSummers >>

Quote from Damian_May >>

Randa looks to Frekor, " Moorbounders are.......fairly high on the food chain.....as predators their flesh concentrates all the bad things their prey have eaten.....they would be unpalatable.....also they are.....a little too feline for me to want to hunt.....the great cats are sacred to the Mother.....at least amongst my people."

" But this creature.....looks to be mostly insectivorous.....perhaps tubers and roots?  If we can get it on its back it should be fairly easily subdued.....but we do not want to get close to that thagomizer....."

" Or do you want to call this hunt a wash and head back?"

 -Well... I do have rations and I can make Goodberry- whispered the ranger.

-But at the same time, I don't want to show up empty-handed. Especially when I'm new to the group, It'll look like I can't do anything.- adds Frekor with a shy smile.

Jacaranda smiled at Frekor, " No.   We head back.  No unnecessary risks."

" Not again....."

[I misremembered Ritual. Thought I didn't have to prepare but realize it just doesn't take a slot. I'll rearrange my spells (I did know that I can change them)]

Quote from Damian_May >>

Jacaranda smiled at Frekor, " No.   We head back.  No unnecessary risks."

" Not again....."

 Frekor nods accepting Jacaranda's idea. Before returning to the camp the ranger chuckles slightly as he realised something.

-It just dawn on me. I didn't present myself to almost any of you... My name is Frekor, it's a pleasure to meet you.- says with a smile and extending his hand, as he find the situation funny and he wanted to lighten up the warrior's mood.

Morgan settles into the back of the cart, listening to Ylis in silence. He missed the beginning of whatever story she's telling, so he has no idea what's going on — who's who, or why anything is happening — but he likes stories, so it doesn't really matter to him.

The hunt is abandoned and the two hunters return to the wagons empty-handed. Hardtack is hardly the most pleasant of things to eat, but it at least meets the body’s caloric needs. When mixed with jerky and dried fruits and vegetables, it is almost tolerable.

As the parties travel along the road in the Barbed Fields, they can spot in the distance what appears to be two figures moving up ahead. These two figures, vague humanoid shapes in the distance, seem to move back and forth from a standing to crouching position for varying periods of time. It seems to be about 100ft off the road.

As the parties get closer and the two figures come into focus, it seems to be two skeletons, one about a head taller than the other. The skeletons are working. They have basic gardening tools in their hands and they are busying themselves to work a small area of about 10x15. In this area are two tombstones, in front of which are two holes. Presumably the holes that they pulled themselves out of.

The two are weeding the area. They labor to dig out weeds and debris that had gathered around the tombstones, and remove rocks and other debris that had accumulated around the area. They do not seem to notice or mind the parties traveling along the road and each one is focused on one side, the taller one on the right, the shorter one on the left.

Jacaranda raises an eyebrow but sees no reason to interrupt the labours of the dead.

Morgan is immediately hooked. Two skeletons... gardening... in the Barbed Fields? Despite the breakfast falling short of expectations, this is a great way to start the day!
(If they don't seem hostile, Insight: 16)

"Hey fellas! Good day. Keeping busy? How's afterlife treating you?"
(He's always wanted to ask that.)

He squints around the area, trying to spot any signs or symbols on the skeletons or the tombstones.
(Perception: 20)

(OOC: If anyone wants to elbow Morgan in the ribs to stop him from doing something stupid, feel free.)

[I could turn undead]

Morgan shouts at the skeletons about 100ft away off the road and they stop and look in his direction. They share a look and return to their work. 

It is a little hard to judge the hostility of creatures so far away and lacking in facial features to gauge intent. However, getting their attention did not result in an attack and their body language does not seem aggressive, so there's that. 

The tombstones do have writing on them, but given the distance, Morgan would have to move closer to make it out. 

Ylis keeps an eye on the skeletons and the surroundings but they don't seem to be causing any trouble or presenting any danger. 

No sense stopping for yet another obvious trap. 

 --------

"Which reminds me...

There was once a Drassig army marching across the land, you know as they were want to do.

As they passed through a very narrow defile, a voice mocked them from above.

"I'm Staghelm of the Meadow" the voice called. "And I challenge you!
Send up your best man."

The Colonel of the Regiment looked up to the hilltop and beheld the
BIGGEST elf fighter he had ever seen. His leather armored form must have stood
7 foot and the greatsword in his hand would dwarf most men.

Again the challenge echoed across the hills. "I'm Staghelm of the Meadow
and I challenge you! If anyone amongst you would dare to call himself
``Champion'', then send him up!"