Ellis was so glad and happy to be back in Dom-Gar right now, wondering if the others have returned yet and how they did. He will listen to the conversations going on and help with the wounded before eventually resting.

Rawk- You don't see your father anywhere among the small crowd that quickly becomes flooded by soldiers as they move about.  Your heart sinks for a moment and you take in a deep breath watching the others leave.  Knowing the ins and outs of the village you could guess that he may be out on patrol.  Your mind settles and you are left in the center of the village while the soldiers and villagers perform their duties.  (You can join the others or do your own thing.)

Ellis- You take a moment to find the wounded soldiers and spot them being moved to the visitor center that has been repurposed for triage.  He meets Tempest there who looks a bit tired but in good spirits at the return of his companions. "I'm glad you were able to return safely... well at least relatively safely.  It looks as if you were successful in your mission, just as I knew you would be.  Are the others all safe as well?" Tempest says looking around at all the wounded soldiers.  You spend the next hour replacing bandages, splints and casting healing spells.  

Darion & Erro- Faelar, Arion, Quirin, Elia and Seresh move away towards the the town hall structure while you each take a personal moment to reflect on your journey then decide to follow behind.  They do not dismiss your approach and welcome you into the group as they enter the ivy covered stone structure.  You each sit around a wooden table and listen as everyone begins to talk.  "You made good time.  We expect the second group to return anytime within the week.  The yuan-ti are up to something but we aren't sure what.  Kurrk has been leading our patrols since the groups departed and noticed a shift in the yuan-ti's movements.  The first week or so they spotted at least 2 yuan-ti patrols a day, each with a minimum of 5 yuan-ti, but 5 days ago they noticed a change.  Five days ago they saw no yuan-ti patrols despite extending their search area.  The next day the same thing.  Three days ago they spotted a single patrol, with only two yuan-ti.  They decided not to attack and observed the patrol was covering roughly 3 of the noted patrol paths. The last two days they haven't seen the patrolling yuan-ti.  Seresh and I are hopeful that there may still be some infighting amongst them, but Kurrk is fearful this is a sign of some kind of coordinated plan."  Quirin says. 

Faelar and Arion look to Darion who begins to tell of the yuan-ti's plan for attacking Dom-Eko.  Quirin and Seresh's faces change to dread as the realization hits.  "Dom-Eko is closer than Gnavi.  The second group will most likely return there to coordinate the movement of soldiers if they were successful in their mission." Quirin says.  Faelar frowns "The other party may be walking into an ambush or worse, has convinced the people of Dom-Eko to join our forces and left the village basically defenseless.  Even if they knew of the coming attack I don't know if they would be able to defend the village."  Faelar says morbidly then turns to the others, "Do we have any way of contacting the other group?" Arion thinks for a moment and says, "If they are close enough and the skies are clear we may be able to warn them.  One of our shamans has been communicating with Kainui through the clouds each morning at the same time to let our villagers know we are safe.  They are able to craft a short message that stays for up to an hour, though the wind can disrupt it as well.  We've only been using it for about a minute when we were preparing to leave.  If they think to look up we could at least warn them, but there's no guarantee of that." 

Erro will give a grim look to Darion, and Rawk if she came along to hear this. “Well friend, any magical tricks you have for this one?”

Erro will sheepishly ask how far away Dom-Eko was, and how quickly a lightly packed band of soldiers... or adventurers, could make it there, somewhat fearing that would be the next task before he even had a chance to sleep a night at home. 

Rawk will head towards Darion, Erro & the others.  Depending on when she arrives, her paranoia will cease if she hears her father is on patrol. She listens to the worry in the leaders voices and says,  "My father and I could fly there quicker than anyone else.  If the yuan-ti haven't reached the village we could help defend it long enough while the army here moves in attacks the yuan-ti temple." she pauses thinking of what to say next. "If there is a chance to destroy the temple we should take it.  We took the same chance when we fought the lingering shadow.  We could deal another crushing blow to the yuan-ti, weakening them to a point where we might be able to rid our area of them once and for all.  This could stir another conflict between the ranks, turning them against Fenthasa and we could finally wipe them out."

Darion shakes his head at Erro's question "No, nothing that could allow us to communicate so far. With the right component, I have the ability to spy on a remote location, but even that would be withing a mile - not nearly enough range." he frowns pensively.

Listening to Rawk's suggestion, he rubs his hand across his forehead "There is a temptation to take out the temple, as you say. But that will allow them to move their full force against our other army. I guess another play could be to try and pincer them - march this army against them. But there is so much we don't know. Whatever we choose though, I still feel we must choose quickly; hesitation or worrying about what-if's will serve only to aid Fenthasa. I have little experience in these matters, but my vote is foe the temple too. Our other army should be quite substantial, and even if overmatched should be able to hold off the Yuan-ti if only for a bit. Destroying the temple will reduce a source of power for them, and sow dismay."

He pauses, waiting for the others to comment.

Erro frowns. “The Yuan-ti might expect us at the temple, and our numbers won’t count for as much against their fortifications. What they don’t know is that we know of their plan to take Dom-Eko. If we can manage to attack their force from both sides with our full army that would be it, then we could take the temple at our leisure.”

((In terms of Brad the player, either option sounds super cool and Erro will go where the majority say!))

Ellis had heard Tempest, nodding back as he sighed. "For the most part, yes. We lost a few soldiers while making our way here during a storm on the lake. I was lucky to not have drowned back then." he then said back to him. Once he joined the others again, he would have listened to the options and thought about it. "I think we should help Dom-Eko first. They might be expecting us to go to the temple straight away and if Dom-Eko is left defenseless because of the recruitment, we should help them. If anything, defeating the yuan-ti that go there would weaken and lessen the amount we have to fight at the temple and catch them off guard by having cut down the ones we fought earlier and now having stopped their plan of taking Dom-Eko which they wouldn't have expected us to know about." Ellis had then said back, agreeing with Erro.

"Both are big ifs on both sides.  We don't know when or if the yuan-ti left for Dom-Eko, but we can quickly find out how defended the temple is.  If the yuan-ti are already attacking Dom-Eko or close to it we would be walking into a slaughter.  If they are still near the temple we should be able to head them off with our army and coordinate an ambush. Regardless of what we choose we need more information to make a decision. I think we should prepare the army for another march, whether to the temple or Dom-Eko." she says.

(Depending on how long it would take Rawk and or her father to fly to the temple and report back to Dom-Gar.  @ Xtra- could we fly there and back within a few hours or same day?)

"If my father and I can fly towards the temple and see what their defenses look like we should be able to make a more informed decision." she suggests.

Darion listens to Ellis and Erro "You both make convincing points. But my fear is that there are many more unknowns to helping Dom-Eko, we don't know if the attack as already happened, how successful it was, and if they are not at Dom-Eko then where might they be? Whereas we know where the temple is, and we are fairly sure that it is lightly defended, and that the main army is away from it. Of course, the Yuan-ti we interrogated might have been able to hide the truth from me, but I got no indication of that. If we can get more intelligence we should - but not if it takes the initiative away, and keeps us here too long. Otherwise Dom-Eko may be lost anyway, and the temple refortified!" 

While you converse you see the avian body of Kurrk enter into the building.  His eyes seem to dart from person to person until they settle on Rawk.  The curved golden beak of his face restricts whatever smile may have shown but the swift movement and embrace of his daughter shows as much joy as any father could have.  The room is hushed for nearly 20 seconds while the father and daughter hold one another then Kurrk lifts his head and separates from Rawk.  "We saw the pair of yuan-ti on patrol today.  Our group decided not to follow and to report the sighting back immediately.  The yuan-ti are up to something but I'm not sure what." he says.  It takes a few minutes to catch Kurrk up on the details of Darion's interrogation and options being discussed.  "I feared as much.  I think there's only one course of action that makes sense as of this moment.  Rawk and I can fly to the temple and be back in four hours.  Once we return with a report we will be able to make a better decision.  Dom-Eko is two days march from us if we move quickly but is at least three days march for the yuan-ti.  The temple is slightly less than a day's march away from us to the southeast.  Hopefully we will be able to catch sight of the army from overhead if they are still close to the temple.  While we are away have the army prepare for battle and a few days march."  

Faelar, Quirin and Arion nod in agreement with Kurrk's suggestion.  Elia stands quietly for a moment tears welling up in her eyes.  "So there's a chance we would abandon our people to die?  And you are all willing to make that choice?  Would you be so willing if it were Rawk's group that had gone to Dom-Eko?  We should at least try to warn them." she says thinking of Jaron & Kanush.  Faelar goes to speak but Kurrk cuts him off. "I agree, we should try to have the shaman send a message in the sky.  However, each of us know death is a possibility.  These excursions to the other villages were dangerous enough without the threat of an attack.  Jaron and Kanush knew they were part of something bigger than themselves.  There is never a clear winner in war, only a clear loser.  Both sides lose priceless lives.  It is our duty to ensure that if lives must be lost, that they are not lost in vain.  We cannot afford to make decisions based on emotion.  It has taken me a long time to see that but were it not for putting emotion aside the Lingering Shadow would still be taining the ground of Dom-Sorn.  We must do what is best for the survival of all our people."  Elia's tears break the surface and begin to drip down her cheeks.  "But it hurts... I know that reason must take precedence over emotion but its so hard." she says, her voice cracking slightly.  Arion places an arm around Elia's shoulder and looks to Kurrk then Rawk and the others. "Decide now if you are to fly to the temple.  If so return as quickly as you can and we will pray that we are able to save the people of Dom-Eko.  If we use the shamans the yuan-ti will also be able to see the message in the sky.  While that could ward them off their attack it could cause them to expedite their way."

(Ya'lls choice: Should you use the shamans? If so when, now or later?   Scout with Rawk, March to Dom-Eko immediately, March to the temple)

"Can we at least agree to see what's happening at the temple since we can be back relatively quickly.  Four hours should be plenty of time to get a bit of rest and plan for whatever conflict we decide on having with the yuan-ti." Rawk squawks out.  "The longer we talk the father the yuan-ti move."

“Yes, Rawk, go! May the wind be with you.”

Rawk will leave immediately with her father. “We’ll be back as fast as we can.” 

Ellis listened, feeling really bad for Elia and agreeing with her about at least warning them. Then he had heard Rawk, sighing as he nodded back and hoped that they could still make it to save Dom-Eko in time too.

((Juicy, good stuff by the way!))

Darion wishes Rawk and her father good luck, then goes to Elia, clearly moved by her distress "Jaron and Kanush have almost certainly been able to amass a strong fighting force - potentially one with the Yuan-ti will not be expecting. The Yuan-ti numbers are low, and even if they are able to launch an attack, doesn't mean it will go well for them. Jaron and Kanush are skilled warriors, and know how to defend themselves - war is terrible, but there is still a lot of hope. If luck is on our side, this could end in a crushing defeat for the Yuan-ti!"

Rawk make survival and perception checks with advantage.

Survival:    11

Perception:    15

(YESSSSS!)

The two aarakocra disappear in a flash of feathers and take to the skies leaving the rest of you to wait.  Elia sniffs and starts to compose herself again. She nods slightly at Darion's words and sighs.  "We do what we must to survive.  Standing here does us no good any longer.  I will work with Tempest and the other shamans to prepare some food.  I suggest we give the army a good meal to boost morale..."  she says, her words feeling hollow and walks out of the building.  Arion's arm slides off Elia's shoulder and she adds, "I think a hearty meal is a good idea." loudly enough that Elia could hear.  "I hope she'll be alright.  Until Rawk and Kurrk return we need to help the soldiers unload and get ready to march again." 

Faelar nods and says, "We have made good progress with the aid of the Dom-Gar villagers.  It will be close, but given the circumstances we will make it happen." Faelar begins to walk out and Quirin says, "I will assist you.  We can pull all the villagers from their duties to expedite the process." Faelar and Quirin exit leaving behind only Arion and Seresh. 

Darion, Ellis and Erro- You have 4 hours to plan, help, rest, etc.  What will you do?

((Did you say we hit level 7? Am I making that up? I think I forgot to apply it if so. That would have come in handy against snake man back there, lol))

Erro will certainly rest so that he can spend some hit dice. With any spare time he’d help out where he could. Darion and Ellis were familiar with the temple, but he had never been there (something for which he was very thankful). If he has any spare bit of time he may go catch a brief refreshing drink with his drinking buddy and ask him what he thought about all of this, and if there is anything they should watch out for between here and the temple.