Dragon of Icespire Peak ***CLOSED***

Connak looks at the gear at his feet, "I said, gather what is valuable enough that you would want to carry it.  I have no need for tree climbing equipment.  Climbing a tree is a dead end... unless you're a monkey and can jump from tree to tree."

"Those horrible, acid-spewing creatures can't climb trees...if only I had thought of that before taking refuge in the cabin!" quips the old man at Connak's remark about his climbing gear.

Connak points out, "No, they can't climb, but they can spew their acid up a tree easily enough.  And how are you going to dodge that acid while up a tree?  Jump off?"

The old man folds his arms across his chest, conceding to Connak's logic, but clearly not happy about it. "Fine then," he says begrudgingly as he starts off towards the ramp leading up to the plateau. "We'll need firewood...might as well just burn the debris from the hole in the cabin..."

A couple of hours pass as the party establishes a camp atop the rocky plateau. The sun quickly falls below the treeline and darkness begins to consume the surrounding forest. A roaring campfire casts long shadows on the few tents that were salvaged from the lower camp. "I can cook something for dinner...that is, if anyone has anything for me to cook," the old man says after a long silence.

Connak begrudgingly produces two days of rations, "Warming these up will make them a bit more palatable.  But when we travel, I will have to forage or you're going to eat all my provisions."

Minsys scratches his head?  "Why you trying to cook that dried stuff?"  He points over to the first little tent set up by the river.  "Remember?  Fresh snake.  Nough for everyone."

Connak puts his rations away.  "I heard snake tastes like chicken..."

"If it is any help I should be able to ensure any food or water we drink safe for consumption." Tink would offer as she considers the situation, "As for snake, although I have never tried eating its flesh for sustenance, I suppose it would be better than the dried rations I have in my pack. Though very functional I do have to say that whomever came up with the recipe should have considered gnomish palates. A little bit of seasoning could have gone a long way."

The old man and Minsys go and retrieve the snake meat from the bank of the river and butcher it into several large filets.

"My name is Tibor Wester," he says to the half-orc barbarian as they do their work. "My brother runs the village of Phandalin, but we are not from there. He was tasked to set up the local government while I was assigned to run this logging operation in order to cut the timber needed to help continue the rebuilding effort there. He's had a tough go of it, with gangs, goblins and now a dragon, but out here it has been pretty peaceful...until today. What do you make of that gruesome totem I found in the wreckage? You look like you got some experience with those things...what you think we should do with it?" says Tibor as he points out Mainsys' bear totem.

"I'd like to put it in the fire, but 'fraid I might burst into flames immediately after, heh..." he says in a kidding-but-not-kidding sort of tone.

Vaxis chin tendrils quiver a bit. He turns to his friends and new ally.

"Destroy them immediately. It seems they are having misfortunate magic, likely a product of the more savage tribes that may reside around here. I shall perform a ritual while it is being burned. It shall protect you from having conflagrated body, as well as having no more trouble from the wildlife."

He pulls off his pack, grabbing a censer, some candles, incense, and his holy scriptures, and sets up where the fire is being placed.

The man watches Vaxis' perform his ritual blessing and then reluctantly dumps the grisly totem into the campfire. The flames shift from the normal orange to dark green, then flourescent pink and finally a soft purple as the magic is released while the object turns to ash.

No harm comes to the man and indeed everyone in camp feels as though a weight has been lifted from their psyche, almost like a tenseness surrounding them had dissipated and they were truly alone now in the forest.

The party whiles away the remaining hours busying themselves with their individual tasks: memorizing spells, reciting prayers, tinkering with gadgetry, inspecting weapons and appraising trophies. The watch is set as the others drift off to sleep or meditate.

 (OOC: END OF ADVENTURING DAY - please update your character sheets with a long rest and make any changes to spell selection, as needed.)

The following morning is still and foggy (normal vision is lightly obscured) in the hours before the sun breaches the horizon. The night passed uneventfully and all party members feel rested and refreshed after the trials of the day prior.

DATE: 13 Mirtul, 1482 DR
TIME: 6am
TEMP: 53˚F
PRECIP: fog
WIND: light
LIGHT: dawn
LOCATION: Neverwinter Wood (Forest)

Vaxis stretches and re-dons his armor. Sitting by the mostly dead embers of the fire, he polishes his shield and various accessible parts of his armor, while waiting for his companions to wake. He recites scripture while he does so. Once his friends are awake, it will be time to follow them, to ensure they succeed in their tasks.

Tabesha'l, who's risen up early after taking a summary and discrete bath into the river on the previous evening to wash off the stench from her battle mishaps, has finally changed into some clean clothes and is softly humming to herself as she lays her freshly scrubbed robes on some bushes a little ways from the fire.

" I do wonder if we should mayhaps try and contact yon strange tribesfolk ? After all, nothing tells us that they are truly evil. They may simply wish to protect their way of life," she muses, speaking to no-one in particular - unless perhaps her demonic familiar - as she blows on a steaming cup of herbal tea and absent-mindedly twirls her finger into the rim of a clean, sober blouse of navy blue thread.

" I gather that such a feat of diplomacy could earn us the thanks of both the local natives and the new settlers. Or perhaps not ? Hum..."

She seems to listen to something, tilting her head to the side as a strange smile plays on her lips: a new, mischievous and slightly cruel expression fleets over her face for a few seconds, before she recovers her composure. " I think not... No, I shan't even consider it... Do please cease thy weak attempts, creature... thou art truly mistaken on my behalf !" the elf mage whispers under her breath, obviously chiding Arvi once again. 

** New Portents for the day are 16 and 1 **

Connak rises from his meditations and takes stock of his supplies.  "How are we for provisions?  Should I forage while we travel, or take the lead and scout the way?"

Vaxis sighs, concerned for her safety with the fiend around.

"Some kin have to touch the fire first in order to be healed" He thinks to himself.

He looks up from polishing his shield, bearing Bahamut's visage. "I would recommend we stay out of their territory. If they are good and are protecting their territory, all our presence would do is provoke them. It is having worse outcome if they are evil...much like your 'friend' there. No, let us get to our destination and avoid not needed conflict."

He glances at Connak and smiles. "We should be okay to get back to where we're we are going and can stock up then. But I do prefer you lead the way, in case our new tribal friends decide we've overstepped our bounds."

He gets up, donning the rest of his equipment. "Friend Minsys? Ally Tink? Are we ready to break camp and leave?"

The old man hurries to help with breaking camp. "So, where then are we off to? I dare say, if you provide me with safe passage to Phandalin, I will ensure your party is well compensated for your troubles..." he says, hoping to prompt someone in the party to accede to his request.

The only real path in or out of the camp is a narrow wagon trail leading south into the dense Neverwinter Wood, however there is a small amount of room for a person to walk along the banks of the river leading both east and west. 

Connak looks to the south, deep into the Neverwinter Woods, "If I haven't been turned around somewhere, heading straight for Phandalin will require us to cross the woods.  We've already determined the woods are inhabited and trespassing can lead to confrontations.  So my suggestion is to follow the river all the way to Neverwinter, then take The High Road south to the Triboar Trail.  I think it will be safer and faster in the end."

Minsys snorts in annoyance.  He gets up and walks to the edge of river and stares into the forest.  After a moment he yells out in orcish, "Hey, I know out there.  Can we cross your woods?  I pay you bug plates, snake meat or hides."

Connak briefly holds a finger out, too late to interrupt Minsys.  After Minsys's proposal, Connak shrugs and says to the group, "Well, there's always diplomacy..."