"I am fine to continue, Kip.  Vanyel might to need rest, since he was injured.  Ash, Mercury, are you ready to go on?  I think we should go on right away, if we can, because that's what Krythlynn said to do.  I mean, I don't want to disappoint her, and you don't want to disappoint Hope, do you, Kip?  Mercury? Vanyel? Ash?  We don't want to disappoint anyone, right?"   Penris babbles on without taking a breath. 

"It's an adventure, isn't it?  And who doesn't want to go on an adventure?  I mean, this is the most amazing time of my life already!  I met Krythlynn and the other gods, and you guys," she continues on.  Suddenly she stops and looks at everyone.  "Well? What are we doing? Waiting or going?"

"Sounds like we are going since Vanyel says he is feeling better" Kip will say excitedly. "I am ready for an adventure if you are!" kip will say slapping Penris on the shoulder playfully before bouncing down the path heading north.

Penris watches Kip bounce ahead with pure delight.  She leans over and whispers to Vanyel, "Isn't he adorable?  I've always loved squirrelings, despite what others say.  They're so cuuuuttteee!!" she says gleefully.  "Hang on, Kip, we're coming!!" she yells at the squirreling up ahead. 

Suddenly each of your stones vibrate strongly and a booming ominous voice escapes them.  "Apologise for interrupting your divine quest; but since yours is just starting, and additional divine assistance is needed pressingly for another campaign.  Torm and Pluto, their champions included, will no longer be assisting you."

A moment later Mercury and Ash are again surrounded by the holy light, before the light suddenly flies into the air; and your friends are gone.  You can now hear your gods clearly through the stones.  Hope's voice comes out first; "Wow, didn't know that was happening; they just up and vanished.  Man, I've known Torm and Pluto for so long; it's weird that their gone."

The Mighty speaks up; "They are off fighting evil; like us.  No need to mourn their leaving."  Krythlynn notes nervously; "Wait?  Can you three hear... hear us?"  You can hear Hope jump in excitement; "The Elders Gods must have upgraded the stones for us!  That normally doesn't happen until later.  Yeah us!!"

Vanyel smiles a little bit. "It is easier to protect a few in a small area than a larger group scattered around. This may be good for all of us." He then hefts his bad and weapons and prepares to head out. "We leaving or not?"

Penris stops short at the words coming out of her stone.  She stares at it first in astonishment, then in wonder.  "Krythlynn!  Can you hear me too?  Oh, it's so wonderful to hear your voice again!  We're setting off on our way north now, just like you said to do."  The words all came out in a rush, then she stopped suddenly, a frown on her face.  "Are we still supposed to do that?  Or has something changed since Mercury and Ash are gone now?  Oh dear, I do hope they'll be all right."  She looks over at Vanyel and Kip, chewing on her bottom lip worriedly.

Kip pats Penris on the back seeing her concern "I am sure they are fine... and besides! We can communicate so much better with our gods now!" The squirrling will say looking from Penris up to the sky. "Hope! You sound great! We are heading north to do your will! I am hugging my stone and pretending it is you... is that OK!" Kip will say squeezing his stone before sliding it into his interior pocket. "Let's go guys!" The squirrling will say bouncing towards their goal, his fluffy tail swaying around behind him.

Krythlynn begins to reply, but it suddenly sounds muffled.  Moments later The Mighty can be heard yelling at Hope to stop hugging the communication orb.

The path north has a slight detour, as you have to follow close to the path, due to the thickness of the surrounding trees.  As you do so, Kip sees a familiar creature stationed at the end of it; Bubug.

"Oh crap guys... It's Bubug... he is supposedly working for our gods but he is a jerk..." Kip will say backing up a bit and sliding behind his bugbear companion before attempting to leap up on to Vanyel's shoulder... grabbing hold of some of the thick hair on the back of his head with one hand and pointing towards the wyrwood with the other. "I would hope he doesn't attack me again... like he did last time.... " The squirrling would say narrowing his eyes as his tail twitched frantically behind him. Kip would slide his pointing hand down to his waist and place it on his new sling.

Vanyel looked at the creature in front of him with curiosity before speaking to his companion. "I will put him to rights if he does my small companion. Do not worry." He then began to stride towards this Bubug.

(What does Bubug look like?)

(I imagined him as a wooden half elephant half tricycle.... pretty sure he had a trunk and wheels :D)

(so sort of like bingbong from inside out but wooden and a built in tricycle? lol)

(Totally stealing that for later; but not quite.)

Imagine a pure wood creature, where the body/head is the shape of the top half of a circle, with solid but thin wheels; one on each side.  You didn't notice before, but there is a small triangular tail; which acts as a balancing aid, and is both red (instead of brown like the rest of the body) and adorable.  The skin is smooth, almost polished, wood all around; the face unique.  Instead of a mouth or nose, there is a long tube; which he used to shoot arrows at Kip earlier this day.  The eyes are large and slightly sunken on his face; but more importantly, they are alive.

Every other part of this creature looks like it could have been crafted on a workbench; but the eyes move as eyes move, look as eyes should look.  The only thing off is the wooden colors and wood lines.

This is a feature you all are aware of, the humanoid characteristics that the wyrwood have.  Vanyel; as a Bugbear you have no love for these creatures, they are a bane to your people, they pushed you out of your lands YOUR WOODS and forced you to deal with Squirrelings, Halflings, Kender, and worst the Gnomes that try to act as your landlord telling you where you can and can't live, giving you only their worst territories, telling you what caves you can and can't enter!!!  Or at least that was what you were taught growing up.

Penris, you are and should be wary of them.  It is long known that wyrwood's attack anything not a squirreling on site.  They claimed these woods and everything not an animal, or animal-like are invaders to kill.

Kip, you literally live in and among wyrwoods, though not many, there are a number of them that call your district of Haven their home.

(yeah, and I was nice to him and trying to talk with him and he rammed me in the head with his tube and chased me away... I tried talking to him nicely and he headbutt me for no reason... /cross arms and pout)

(Totally out of game, so Kip doesn't know this, but that headbutt was his warning for you not to come any further down the path; and of course you immediately did, so then he attacked you.  Lol, he's a guard, and not a polite one at that.  Also, I thought removing his ability to speak would make the encounter more interesting.  And it did indeed, lol.)

(lol, Kip is going to be best friends to all the other wyrwood and be a super dick to Bubug forever now)

(Lol, good)

Penris watches Bubug in fascination.  "Oh my gosh, Kip, he's adorable!!!" she gushes.  "Surely something that cute wouldn't attack you.  He must have been having a bad day.  Besides, I've never heard of a wyrwood attacking a squirreling.  Me and Vanyel, sure, but not you," she says.  "Speaking of -" as she talks, she scrambles up onto Vanyel's shoulders as well.  "Maybe you should lead the way, Kip, so we can get through, since you're the squirreling.  I don't want Vanyel to squish something so cute!" 

Kip will glare at the wyrwood on top of his bugbear perch. "HEY! MOVE OUT OF THE WAY! WE DON'T NEED ANYMORE OF YOU... HELP..." the squirrling will yell from Vanyel's shoulder before turning and whispering to the bugbear, but loud enough Penris can hear it. "I would just start walking, I am sure he will move and if it doesnt just squish him, I think he is broken anyway... actually.. just ignore him... yeah.. lets do that.. also he is gross looking...." Kip will say quickly before yelling again "We are stomping down this empty path that has no wyrwood meanies on it, sure would stink if some creature got squished," The squirriling would say with a wink to his companions... his fluffy tail twitching furiously.

Vanyel strides towards the construct with suspicion, Axe in hand just in case. His intention being to walk past and keep going on their way.