Garu will take middle; since her celestial steed’s form will not need sleep in the same way, it can help keep lookout on the rear flank.

Harmony will also take the middle too.

That leaves Abraxas in the back, watching out for danger. He will read up on remaining attentive for long periods of time. Maybe he has a tiny hourglass and each time it fills he turns and checks the path behind them: Perception 17.

OOC: Before I move us on, Harmony and Garu in the middle rank have not said whether they are foraging or doing some other light traveling activity. I would like to confirm whether they are doing so, so that I can resolve it and advance us.

Garu will do some light foraging while they travel, keeping her ears back to listen for anything out of place.

Harmony would have tried to help forage while singing happy songs as well.

Aisha Survival: 16

Foraging Checks:

OOC: Before I forget to add it to inventory, who took the letter of introduction from Benedict?

Aisha leads the party south the following morning, through the farmlands that surround Lyrikav and into thick forest. There are abundant water sources within, and Garu and Harmony have a fair amount of success hunting and finding edible vegetation, but not quite enough to sate the appetites of the horses, forcing the party to expend a portion of their rations. Abraxas struggles to keep his focus, but fortunately no interruptions require his attention as the forest gives way to a rolling plain that wends its way through a mountain range on either side.

One day's walk past the end of this plain path, where it opens up to wider grasslands, you emerge in sight of a small farmhouse. Sheep and cattle graze in the fields nearby, and a few men can be seen hard at work throughout the area. Based on Benedict's directions, the statues should be a two to three day walk further south.

OOC: Removed half of the horse feed and 8 days of rations from each character's inventory to cover what Garu and Harmony were not able to forage.

Abraxas hopes to talk to one of the workers, perhaps the one closest to the path. "Greetings," he says. "We're traveling through. What do we need to know about the area? We heard tale of statues to the south. Have you heard of them?"

The nearest worker, an older human man, short with balding brown hair and a slight hunch, pauses to wipe the sweat from his brow, leaning on his plow.

"Yep, them's the Warlord Statues. Lots of folk used to come through lookin' to see 'em, but not so much since them bugbears came through. At least, I'm figurin' that's the reason. You see them mountains there to the left up ahead? When you get there, you'll see the statues. You got a couple o' days left, I'd say. Stay a little further east and you'll come to the Poldahen farm, but word is they're the latest to be attacked. I'm fearin' there won't be much left to welcome you," he answers.

Harmony hears the farmer, very surprised. "We must get to that farm. Then we could see what happened and try to get some information since it was the last one to be attacked." she then mentions to the group.

(Harmony would have taken the letter.)

Aisha was taking in the view when the conversation broke her focus. Mm... Well do you have feed for horses we can borrow? We underestimated the journey. We will, of course, be willing to pay you for it. Thank you for the inforrrmation you have already provided. And we are going towards there rrregarrdless of the reception we expect. Though if they have been attacked, we ant.. anti... they will be the last. We will deal wit hit as we go if we run into them. Though you seem awfully calm for someone who just told us someplace was attacked...Aisha says, scrutinizing the man to see if there may be more to it...

Insight: 24

"Thank you for the suggestions," Abraxas says. "Any food you can spare, as my friend says, would be appreciated. We are happy to pay for it." He will toss a gold piece to the man. "The surrounding country may be safer as a result of us being here, as well." He thinks for a moment. "How many bugbears came through? Ten? Fifty?"

The farmhand sighs to Aisha, "What's a man to do? I've worked here going on twenty years, seen worse than bugbears come this way before. You thinkin' I should pick up my life, journey a couple tendays to a city because the Poldahen's got attacked?"

He turns to Abraxas, catching the gold piece and saying, "I'll need to check with the boss, but I'm sure we have enough to spare. As for the bugbears, oh I'd say about a dozen, the one's I seen."

For Aisha:

Aisha simply shakes her head 'no' Not at all. In fact it is admirable that you will stand your ground. Aisha was just making sure you didn't know more than you let on. As it is often that those who are calm in such situations when they don't look like fighters are usually 'in on it' and so forrth. But Aisha can tell you are nyot. And we appreciate that you will see if you have feed to spare for our animals. Still Aisha feels you should keep an eye to the sky.

"A dozen bugbears," Abraxas says. "I wonder how different they are here." He'll try to recall anything he has heard about bugbears: Nature 18 before continuing down the trail.

"We have ways o' fendin' ourselves. I'd wager we can handle a raidin' party or two, but a whole tribe's worth'd take us down no trouble. All the time I been here we ain't ever seen that kind of trouble but once," the man replies.

The worker escorts you to one of the barns, helping to hook the bags of feed onto the horses' saddlebags. "Twenty days' worth in there, five for each. Just don't go ridin' them while they're hoistin' that much feed, you're like to break 'em that way," he says.

For Abraxas:

"Alright. Thank you so much for helping us out like this!" Harmony then says to the worker, nodding as she smiles.

"When you mentioned a dozen," Abraxas says, "were you thinking of the tribe or a raiding party? Have you seen any casters among them? Magic users?" he says.

Abraxas will pat the side of the horse he has been riding. He is considering naming it, but is sure what to call it. While he listens and thinks, he'll share what he knows about bugbears with the others. 

"Now I don't know if they was raidin', but a dozen to me don't seem like enough for a whole tribe. Mind you I don't know much about bugbears," the farmhand answers.

OOC: Added 5 days of feed to each character's inventory. Removed 1 gp from Abraxas's inventory.

"Are we ready to see these statues for ourselves," Abraxas says. He is ready to mount up and move forward when the others are.