Valefor sighs outwardly "Yes...indeed you are....now if your exclaimations are finished I say we clear out this play build by building trying not to draw unwanted attention..." as he looks specifically at Salty Joe. "With any luck the dragon will be the last thing we find and hopefully a solution other than trying to kill it will present itself." then turning to Reidoth do you have a location on the dragon so we can avoid its area? 

(Penumbra will scout ahead as before, circling each build then flying just high enough to get a look at the roof or over the wall if the roof is gone, then reporting back to the group before moving on to the next one.)

(Guys, my dad and step mom have no internet... only phone! I should have access Thursday night or Friday morning. Sorry!)

Salty shoots a flirty wink Valefor's way ,"Dont you worry sweetie, anything nasty shows up and I will keep you save until I have a chance to run away."

(So, the way I understand the group's intentions, you have declined Reidoth's request for assistance to drive off the dragon, are going to try and stay in a safe place for a long rest, and then clear out Thundertree building by building. You have several hours of daylight remaining, as it was about mid-morning when you arrived and lunch-ish now. [Although if you ate the goodberry, you aren't hungry at all!] Is Penumbra planning on flying around the whole town to check out the structural integrity and potential contents of every building, then reporting back to the group? Or will she do it building by building before the group enters?  Which building will you start exploring the next morning, and will you follow a set pattern? This lets me hove the story along a bit better. =)

Reidoth offers a corner of the building for you to rest tonight, but seems disappointed that you won't help the lands by driving off the dragon. Penumbra even catches a mumbled, "...thought ye sed ye wuz adventurers...milk-pups sez me..."

Rand leans back after eating the proffered berries and enters into a rather pensive state. "Dragons are no laughing matter, and if I might swallow my pride for a moment, I am not sure that we are ready to face such a beast. Reidoth, can you tell us more about this dragon? Perhaps there is a way we can dissuade it rather than attempting to slay it. I also would seek your advice... if you were us, where would you start?"

(I didn't think we were saying no to helping get rid of the dragon. Penumbra didn't want to mess with it if they didn't have to, but since Reidoth has offerd to reveal the location of Cragmaw Castle if we do, it would appear that we have to do something about the dragon despite Penumbra's sense of self preservation. She definitely dosen't want to fight the dragon if it can be avoided.)

(As for scouting Penumbra will go building by building, staying with the group. She will only fly to get a quick look at the roof checking for holes she might look through. She will stay low and near the buildings, not wanting to draw attention while in the air. She will go in whatever order the group wants to. Feel free to roll necessary checks for Penumbra to move things along as we scout this place out, my work schedule is crazy right now.)

(Salty Joe is of same mind as Penumbra. He is waiting for information before his next move.)

(OK...well, you have info on the five southern-most buildings, and you've explored this one. I guess you're going to explore the other ones, going from west to east, and then move on? Or are you going to a new set of buildings? I don't want to direct the party's actions here...so someone has to take charge and tell me where you're going and what you're doing so I can describe the environment and any reactions to your actions. You have the map with building numbers...tell me building by building which one you visit and what you're doing with it...)

(I propose clearing the buildings in a counter-clockwise fashion, starting with number 5 and working our way around. So, 5, 6, 8, 9, 13, 12, 11, 10, 7, 3, 1, 2.)

(Great idea, lets go.)

(Sounds like a good plan to me.)

(We have a majority!)

After the midday meal, Reidoth offers you the building to use as a base of operations, since he is moving on tomorrow anyways. The party decides to start exploring the abandoned town of Thundertree, using the rest of the afternoon to your advantage. You start with the abandoned farmhouse immediately east. The building is 30' x 20', with a 10'x10' section in the middle of north wall with a broken door opening to the west.

Penumbra's aerial investigation reveals that this shell of a building is now half swallowed by a dense thicket of gorse and briars, with trees growing up through its ruined foundations. Although she can not see any now, this is the area where she saw some twig blights before, and where Salty Joe cast his thunderclap spell. The trees are 30-40' tall, and the thick brush would be difficult to move through (Difficult Terrain).

(Do you enter the building and look around, or move on to the next one? Marching order, please!)

Salty is in the rear if he can be with his handcrossbow drawn. 

(Proposed marching order:

                       Rand (lead)

            Salty Joe      Valefor

                     Bankur (rear)

           Penumbra (flying around/doing her thing)

Salty - if you would rather bring up the rear I will switch with you. My reasoning for being back there is I've got the better AC, but if your skills are better used back there it is fine.)

As the party makes its way up to the initial building and sees the difficult terrain, Bankur asks in a low tone "Friends, does anyone have magics that may help us see what is in this building without us risking ourselves going through this brush?"

"I do not. Unless we have time for me to detect magic"

If you decide to enter the remains of this building:

Penumbra perches on top of the wall of the structure, above the entrance, and readies her bow. "I don't think any of the spells I know will be of much use here, but I've got you covered from up here."

Rand thinks for a moment. I don't know that the blessings that I have will be of use here, either. Maybe this will help. Rand makes a holy gesture with hands and utters a blessing that focuses his, Penumbra's, and Valefor's focus for battle (Bless) I suppose that we have agreed to clear out Thundertree. May as well start here. With that, Rand strides into the building, using his sword, Talon, as a machete to clear the brush as he goes. 

Most of the ceiling has collapsed, and with the overgrowth it makes what used to be the inside of the building difficult terrain. Moments after you enter, the plants seem to come alive and attack! There are two of the small plant creatures by everyone except Penumbra, since she took the alternate route and is perching on a not-so-crumbly wall like one of the flying monkeys from the faerie tales...

Init: Salty Joe / Bankur / Twig Blights / Valefor / Rand / Penumbra