(It's a living flying snake, not a tattoo. Frix immediately recognizes it as the symbol of the Zhentarim.)

The woman runs a hand through her hair. "I donr remember much. I was writing at my desk when I heard screams of 'giant' outside the inn. I ran to the door to investigate, but a boulder came through the roof and I was hit by a beam of splintered wood." She indicates the bruise on her head. "When I awoke, the town was swarming with goblins. I've been waiting it out in here for the past hour. I heard your voices in the room below, but I was cautious because I thought you might be allied with the goblins. I don't know what happened to everyone else."

Seeing Frixori lower her guard, Iz peers in. Seeing a human woman, she walks over and calmly extends her tiny gloved hand up at towards the woman in greeting. 

Good to see someone made it, Isabella Sagefoot. And you are?

Iz thinks that the flying snake is an ornament rather than living.

"Mae of the Order of the Yellow Rose." The woman says, shaking Iz's proffered hand. The snake slithers up Mae's arm and hisses, dispelling any doubts Iz might have had as to it's authenticity.

 Druug yawns hugely.  "Well, I need some sleep before my watch.  We should probably all get some rest in case the giants decide to come back, yeah?" he says.  "There's not much room around here, so I hope you don't mind," he says, as he finds a clear spot on the floor to lay down.  He curls his clothes around him, rests his head on his arm, and is snoring loudly within moments. 

"Oh, gods, what now?" Thalia throws her hands up, abandons her letter and hurries down the hall at Druug's shout. "What is going... oh! Oh, a survivor! Well that's good news, at least!" Thalia watches the woman with interest, trying to focus on her face but her eyes occasionally flitting to the snake coiled around her wrist. "I think we've dealt with all the goblins in the immediate vicinity, so with luck the inn—what's left of it, I suppose—should be safe for the time being. Assuming the giant doesn't decide to come back as well, that is..." She glances nervously at the damage to the room. "I don't suppose you have any idea what might've precipitated this attack, do you? It's not... it's not likely that the giant will return, is it?"

Iz does a doubletake when the winged serpent seems to come to life but seems more curious than startled. 

Well... Nana Sagefoot would not like you at all either little friend.

Then she turns to Mae, 

Hmm... I'm not familiar with any Order of the Yellow Rose, some kind of monastic tradition is it? You don't seem overly concerned with self defense or preservation, have you been up here writing all this time? Just how long ago was this giant attack anyway?

Iz is still wrapped in a pair of blankets, so she looks like a 2'8" fuzzy standing worm with a halfling face, just one clump of her long dark brown bangs cascading down. She chews her lower lip while she thinks and this is probably the first time she doesn't appear to be squinting at anything. 

Rat is asleep next to some fireplace in some other room.

Mae shakes her head. "I don't believe the giants will return. If they had wanted anything in Nightstone, it's already gone." 

She draws herself up to her full height, a good three feet taller than Iz. "Perhaps you hadn't noticed the goblin with a crossbow bolt in it's chest in the dining room. That was my doing."

      Frixori slides over next to Mae and leans up against the desk. She cautiously reaches out at the snake and tries to pet it. "I have seen these before. I had always wanted one..," she says with both admiration and jealousy. "Anyways... Are you saying the giants took something from here already, or that what they were looking for was already gone?"

Iz tries to raise her hands, but the bundle of blankets gets in the way so she gives up.

Ah, I meant no offense, just the out loud thinking of a slightly addled smallfolk. 

She doesn't budge from where she's standing and it's clear she's not intimidated if that was Mae's aim. 

Seems to me we could all use some rest and perhaps we should investigate the rest of the town and the keep in the morning. I sure hope it warms a little by day break, Arvoreen take this cold. If there's nothing else uh... flying... snake-lady... I bid you good evening.

She hops out and continues about her business.

"I was simply remarking that if the giant had wished to take something from Nightstone, they would not have left it behind. There is no reason they would return." Mae replies.

Thalia sighs with relief. "Well, that's reassurance enough for me, I suppose! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have rather a lot of writing to get to, so I think I'll be off to another room. I'll be keeping watch for a bit after that, so if there's anything you need or anything else comes to you in the next few hours, do come and find me, all right?" The dragonborn smiles at Mae and then ducks out of the room again to find a proper place to get comfortable and get to work.

Perception, if you'd like me to make that now for first watch—Thalia has her dagger lit again with light if need be: 20

Thalia's watch passes without event. 

(Are you taking a short rest or a long rest?)

((I assumed long rest with us taking turns at watch.  But I'm fine with either.))

Druug will take his turn at watch after Thalia. 

Perception:  15

(I was thinking we were doing a long rest as well.)

Perception for 3rd watch 15

The night passes without event, possibly because the two dead goblins downstairs deter any would-be-looters. In the last hours before dawn the goblins evacuate the town, dragging sacks filled with their spoils. 

The sun dawns over a dead, ruined town.

As the sun starts to rise Iz yawns and stretches her little arms. She unrolls herself from the bundle of blankets and hisses at the cold, grabbing some of her dry clothing and throwing it on over her armor. She ties her long brown hair back and stuffs it into the hood of her tunic, then sets to work stoking the dying fire and making a porridge for the group to share. She sets some hardtack rations to soften by the fire and hums a happy little halfling tune while she works. She'll offer food to whomever is awake first, then sit down to eat herself. 

(DM: Was there anything useful in the letters from the church?)

    Frixori, having been on the last watch, gives a nod to the halfling as she rises. She begins  stuff everything back in her pack and prepares for what the day may bring. "So, shall we continue searching the town for answers?"

Iz, between mouthfuls of porridge, says,

If you ask me *munch* the most conspicuous building we should be taking a look at *munch munch* is probably that big keep thing. *munch munch*

She wipes her mouth on a cloth napkin she scavenged from the kitchen.

Hopefully the goblins didn't take too much of our evidence.

(The letters do not provide any insight on the current situation. They consist of a correspondence between the Nightstone priest and several pilgrims of Mielikki abroad.)