Rixton:

I begin packing my tent and other supplies into Irena's saddlebags. "Should we head west for a few miles and then turn north? Tomorrow we can turn east and see if we can cross their trail somewhere."

Carrow 

The ranger finishes his breakfast and stands stretching "Ha, i always knew you were a funny one" slapping Vigan on the back he turns to Andor and begins flexing his bow string "This got enough reach for you" after a good stretch he walks to his equipment chuckling to himself obviously amused and pulls out his longsword moving it in a fluid motion. "I just want to be more effective, up close, I've been bested before, something i do not wish to repeat in the field"

Changing the subject he begins to help Rixton pack his belongings "I agree lets head west today" Casting an eye over the others he realises Ladrian is still in his tent. Lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper "Do we wake him" he suggests, a wicked mischievous smile, quite ugly on a Half-Orc, cracks his mouth wide.

Departing Morgur's Mound, the five adventurers turn north. The landscape has changed very little, but the weather is a bit more accommodating to comfortable travel. A few hours of sunshine and warmer temperatures seem to make the trek less burdensome and cause time to pass more quickly.

An hour or so after midday, the group passes through a narrow gap between two high, rocky hills. Before them are strewn the bodies of many dead. It quickly becomes obvious that a great battle took place here recently. A survey of the corpses on the battlefield reveals the following:

• Fourteen slain goblins
• Five slain hobgoblins
• Two slain ogres
• Four slain dwarves
• Two slain humans
• One slain half-elf

The area is littered with arrows, crossbow bolts, and the weapons and shields of the dead. Oddly, each of the dead goblins wears a spiked helmet. Each of the slain ogres, strangely enough, has some sort of mechanical contraption strapped to its back via a leather harness. Several creatures must have survived the skirmish, for a large group of footprints lead eastward, away from the battlefield. 

Rixton:

I walk through the massacre collecting some of the better items for potential sale later. As I walk through the bodies, I examine them for signs of who the dwarves, humans, and half-elf might be (Investigation: 15). When I come across the slain ogres, I examine the mechanical contraption in great detail, very interested in what they were up to (Investigation: 23). Eventually, I move on to the footprints to try and determine who fled and possibly why (Investigation: 26)

Not only do the dwarves, humans, and half-elf have hobgoblin arrows protruding from their bodies, but each of them wears a ring bearing the signet of the Lord's Alliance. The evidence seems to suggest, therefore, that they stood together in battle, opposing the ogres, hobgoblins, and goblins. 

A closer examination of the ogres reveals that they were carrying a portable catapult-like device on their backs. The sling of the catapult is large enough to hold an object that is approximately 3' in diameter. Rixton is able to deduce the reason behind the spiked helmets on the goblins--the goblins seem to be the "projectiles" to be launched in these catapults. 

The footprints indicate that not only ogres, hobgoblins, and goblins survived the battle, but something much larger. One set of humanoid bootprints, approximately 3' from heel to toe can be seen in the snow. 

Ladrian

Trailing Rixton, he moves in the massacre of the battle field "What happened here?!" he asks with a dark mood. He then picks up a few of the items "I guess they won't be needing this anymore"

Andor

Holding one of the signet rings in his hand, kneeling in front of the bodies Andor examines the insignia "The Lord's Alliance, well I guess we know who sent them to their doom but clearly some of the enemy got away, did they take any prisoners I wonder, I would not rate my tracking skills but this is surely some kind of giant, look at the size of it's footprint!" he says pointing at one of the huge tracks "As he moves in the general direction of the giant tracks he continues. "Could Mithro have been with them I wonder, and hope not." 

"Don't worry it's all safe now" he says quietly and the Tressym that he befriended in the Mage's tower scampers up onto his shoulder before flying in a lazy arc around the battleground, coming to return to him shortly after.  "So, what is it to be, shall we bravely investigate or go back to tramping over these hills.  Unusually for me I feel like being a hero today, must have been the refreshing sleep, so I vote we follow and see if we can pay back the monsters that killed these brave souls.  We are just as likely to encounter Mithro and his scouts as we go I imagine..."

I feel like we should bury these folk or burn them but I'm concerned that the pall of smoke would give away that we had found them and might attract more trouble that it was worth.  Maybe a stone cairn if we can find enough materials?

Rixton:

My leather armor is not ill-fitting, but it is still frustratingly restrictive. I remove it, putting it into one of my saddle bags, then stretch my arms and legs. I nod, satisfied. The freedom will do as good as the armor will.

"If you desire burying them now, I agree that cairns are the way to go. They will be faster than burial and less obvious than burning the bodies. It looks like there are no lives on the line immediately here but this is the very thing we are worried about and I would rather not lose the trail."

Vigan

The goliath stands stoically in the midst of the bodies with his back to everyone else, the knuckles of the hand holding his glaive turning visible white.  In a flat tone he addresses the group.  "We will build a cairn for these people... and then we will go hunting.  Someone attach the rest of the equipment to the horses... I'm going to fetch some rocks."

Vigan throws his glaive to the ground and marches off to search for the appropriate materials to build a cairn.

Rixton:

I nod, seeing Vigan's rage manifest at the loss of life here. "Very well. I will help."

And with Vigan and the others, begin stacking the rocks that Vigan brings back by the armfuls on the carefully laid out bodies. It is painful, monotonous work, but becomes meditative over time. Night falls as we approach completion and I offer to prepare the meal for the evening while the last cairn is completed.

I sleep soundly that night.

Andor 

Getting stuck into the work Andor is quiet but as the others work there is a chance they will see him occasionally seem to move a little too fast, as though he has been sped up, causing him to sometimes catch himself out or mistime things, as the work progresses he seems to be able to control the change and it doesn't manifest again, although he seems tired, but that could easily be down to his lack of strength in general. 

For the next two days, the five adventurers track the hobgoblins, goblins, and ogres through the Crags to the northeast. The number of footprints and the snow-covered terrain makes following the trail a relatively easy task. On the morning of their eighth day in the Crags, the group eats a quick, cold breakfast before breaking camp. Considering their location and the direction of the tracks, they have a strong suspicion that Xantharl's Keep may be the destination of the goblinoid horde and its allies.

A few hours after breaking camp, the five adventurers reach an abandoned campsite that is approximately a mile southwest of Xantharl's Keep. The coals in the fire pits are still warm, and the tracks are fresh. All footprints lead north toward the western side of the Keep...all footprints except the giant bootprints. Those lead directly east, toward the Long Road. 

Rixton:

"Possibly attacking the keep on two fronts? We can come up behind the giant or we can flank the horde. I lean toward making the giant the priority but I, Carrow, or Ladrian could track the giant from a distance while the rest take care of the horde."

Andor

"We don't know the giant is heading to the keep but we can be pretty sure the others are, I say we follow them and try and stop their attack if that is what they plan.  Even a giant can only do so much on it's own and if it tries to sneak up on them I'm sure they will see it coming and defend themselves. My vote is to follow the group and try and intercept them, ideally as they attack and we trap them between the defenders and ourselves."

Rixton:

I find myself staring at the giant's footprints, following them towards the road. "We cannot just bounce from town to keep, rescuing each place at the last minute. We need to figure out the giants' motive. We save more towns, more people, by knowing what the giants seek." I turn to Andor. "The keep does need help and I trust you to help them. But I am following the giant."

I hold up my hands. "I know, I know. I have no interest in nearly dying...again. I'll keep my distance. And I will rejoin you at the keep by tomorrow at the latest, even if I must break off from the giant to do so." I sigh. "I wish we had picked up those sending stones. No matter. Good luck, gentlemen. I hope I have answers when I see you again."

I spur Irena forward towards the long road.

Ladrian

He simply facepalms.

"So how do we split Rixton's loot after he dies?"

Rixton follows the giant prints across the Long Road just south of Xantharl's Keep. Hopping off his horse and taking cover within a cluster of trees he sees four bugbears and a frost giant gathered together near an abandoned, decrepit building.

Rixton:

I watch the group closely to discern their intention.

Insight: 6

The bugbears and the frost giant have weapons in hand but are silent, as if waiting for something, or someone. Rixton's concentration is suddenly shattered as he hears the deep, resonant sound of war horn coming from the Keep. The sound of distant voices, both angry and panicked, also reach his ears. 

(Rixton's storyline is now approximately twenty minutes ahead of the others)

Meanwhile, after Rixton heads east in pursuit of the giant, the other four adventurers...

(I'll wait before doing whatever I decide to do.)