The Wildemount Irregulars (2020)

Okay, says the girl to Balassar.  If you do come up with a name, let me know though.  You probably should.  I reckon you'll be famous soon.

Silent is happy to take the first watch. Perception 17   

When Chipper asks her question, Silent will stay true to his name for a few long moments before throwing her a sidelong glance and saying, Probably Xhorhas, near a city called Rosohna. You mighta heard it called Ghor Dranas. Nice enough place. That's where I got the old girl, you know, he adds while gesturing to the greatsword strapped to his back. 

The halfling looks at you in shock... and then bursts out laughing.  Hahaha!  Ghor Dranas.  That's a good one!  Meet any nice crick ladies?

I still need watch order and a Perception roll from Alton and Balassar.

Silent chuckles too. Now there's a few tales I'll be savin' for another day. 

Alton will take up the second watch, perception: 16. 

I will roll for Balassar, who takes the third watch:  22

3 3

16

First watch begins.  A few of the drivers are late to get their bedrolls, but they finally extinguish the fire and disappear.  The horses and oxen are grazing nearby.  It's peaceful, a little cloudy.  Silent, your watch seems as uneventful as the night before.  You gaze up; the clouds have parted for a moment and the light of Catha, Exandria's larger moon, illuminates your surroundings.  

And then it's gone, a huge shape passing just overhead, the whooshing sound of wind comes incredibly suddenly.  You see feathers - a wing?  It's impossible for that to be a bird, the wingspan must be dozens of feet across.  Perhaps a hundred feet across:

This massive creature grabs one of the oxen in its beak.  No, it's grabbed two at the same time, one in its beak, another in a massive talon.  And it's about to fly away. 

Only Silent is awake.  What will you do?

Silent fixes his gaze upon the immense creature and holds his breath, trying his absolute best not to move a muscle. Not... another... godsforsaken... bird... 

Silent will be grasping the hilt of his greatsword but will make no motion, not even rousing anyone else in the camp, unless the creature appears to turn hostile.

The bird passes on, and gives a single massive flap with its wings.

Alton and Balassar, you awaken, along with the rest of the camp, in the middle of what feels like a hurricane; an incredible force of wind has almost ripped your tent from the ground, and you hear panicked shouts and calls from outside.

Silent, you see the great bird moving away - there's no sign at the moment that it plans to return.

Silent stares blankly at Alton and Balassar and gives them the thumbs up as the tents are uprooted. Morning, gents. 

Alton walks out looking around and rubs the back of his head, his hair spiked up and frazzled in all different directions, "You couldn't have given me five more minutes. I was having such a nice dream." He looks around to see if there is anything going on, "What was the crazy wind gust just now?"

Perception: 18 

Silent gestures vaguely in the direction of the giant bird flying away in the distance. What is it about this place and great winged beasties tryin' to eat everything in sight? Well, least this one decided to leave well enough alone, eh?

Alton, you see a silhouette of a large creature in the sky, moving away from you.  Sadly, your halfling lack of darkvision makes it harder to see any more than that.

(The time is around midnight, near the end of first watch.)

The wagon drivers are gathering around the spot where their oxen used to be.  There's a general air of confusion and fear.  Captain Fray looks over at Silent with a questioning look.

Silent acknowledges her glance with a nod. Giant bird showed up, had a quick meal and took off. Sorry for not stepping up, Captain, but if it's oxen or us, I'm gonna choose us. Didn't give much for our chances of winnin' that scrap without losing at least a few folk, if not more.  

Better to have all of us in one piece than have two oxen and no caravan for them to pull, eh? 

Alton walks up next to Silent, "There sure are a lot of large flying birds in the area. I hope anyone living out here is okay. I don't remember ever hearing of much going on out here. Do you think something has got them riled up?" He claps his hand a little excitedly, "Oh, maybe there is a dragon in the mountains causing a ruckus! Think of how exciting a story about fighting a dragon would be!" 

Silent laughs. Just remembered something - there was an old fellow who travelled through my hometown once, was tellin' anyone who'd listen about two crazy mercenaries who teleported into a dragon's stomach and blew him up from the inside! Crazy how these stories get around. Reckon we'd get a good one too, a giant dragonborn duking it out with a big ol' dragon... that's got a song or two in it for sure. 

Better indeed, the Captain replies, shaking her head.  What a trip.  Who knew birds were like this?  What have we done to offend them? 

Silent, your words carry through the small encampment and once again, there's a sense that difficult though things may be, you've escaped relatively lightly.

After settling down, the camp returns to sleep; the bird, whatever it was, does not return, and you all wake in the morning having completed a long rest.

One of the drivers comes over to your group in the morning.  So, the thing is, we've got a cart, but its animals got... eaten... and you've got some horses, and we'd like to borrow them I guess is what I'm saying.  We can pull the cart in a pinch, but that's gonna slow us all down.  Your horses... not trained for this kind of work, I'm guessing?  But still...  he looks at you all hopefully, as he's not certain who owns which horse.  (You have two, as one was killed already).

Balassar just pats his horse on the side “Think you can do it Nyx? Seems like they need a strong horse and that fits your description.” He asks waiting to see the horses response.

The horse seems to respond to the attention, but it's not clear of their view of Balassar's plan.

In the morning, the horses - attached to the recently de-oxed wagon - settle into their new job of pulling goods instead of carrying heroes.  They don't appear to mind much.

Okay, next person to read this, give me a Perception check for you to keep watch during the day, and also two d20s and, if either of them is 18 or above, also give me a d12.