"You piece's of dung! Let my friends go!" Funderburk, staying where he was, reaches out to the beast in front of him and the one behind him, and let the flames roar from his fingertips on outwards (Burning Hands Lv.3). Funderburk, yelling at them to get back as the flames go, only hopes he can get the beast away from everyone.

DEX Save: 15   Damage: 18

^ Says manipulated since I took back my lightning attack and replaced it with flaming hands.

Determined to win something out of this battle, the creature that initially came down on Sthara turns around sharply and snatches the sorceress off the ground! The creature scratches and pecks at its prey to keep it from moving, both to great effect. The creatures sluggish movement combined with the weight of the sorceress hinders it enough that the thing is still in the tearing spirits. Two of the creatures fall victim to the spectral cats. They dig and tear tiny lines that are too much for the pair. They come crashing down to the ground in a heap, even as the spirits finish taking their lives.

Seeing the pteraman trying to fly away with Sthara runs towards the creature, barely evading another attack from his opponent. With two quick stabs to its back Allister kills the Pterafolk. Quickening his pace and returning to his other foe in the blink of an eye he simultaneously sticks his rapier and cutlass into its face, ending its life

Seeing so many creatures fall at once, Boosey takes the initiative and switches to the closest target near Vargach. The bolt tears into the creature's gut causing it to cry out in pain again. The ptera creature is gravely wounded and looks as if it is about to flee.

Nenne rushes over to flip a wing from the fallen creature off of Sthara. She gives her a potion (9 hp back) as she helps the sorceress out from under the beast. That matter solved, the cleric moves back into her centered location, making sure to keep Sthara inside the line of protective spirits. Channeling the powers given to her by Kelemvor, her spiritual weapon appears on the far side of the creatures attacking the ranger. The skeletal hand rakes out, but misses as the creature moves to attack Vargach again.

Eku follows suit and targets the same creature that Boosey shot at, taking the creature to the ground. It falls on the arrow stuck in its chest, which causes it to break through the skin on its back. It lays very still at the ranger's feet. Several of the creatures perched about looking for openings take flight and full speed away, using the trees for cover. As they go they shout for their fellows to fall back.

Funderburk, watching as the beasts fall, his companions falling but rising, Points his finger at the wounded beast, firing off three magical blue missile, then one more at the unharmed beast in north of the whole party.

Damage for wounded: 11   Damage for the beast north of the party: 3

After the shots fire from the Vedalken's fingers, he moves in between Boosey and Eku, "Any help needed friends?"

The previously wounded creature falls to the ground as the missile pound into it. The second makes a run for it, flying away quickly, duking behind trees as much as it can to get away safely.

Eku rushes to make sure that no one is mortally wounded. She says to Sthara, "That was a rough patch for you there. I am glad to see you made it through." She pulls an arrow from one of the bodies and makes a face in disgust as the arrow is no longer of use.

As Vargach keeps slashing at his foes, still enraged but as he rampages on his heat cools. Over the course of about a minute, he manages to hit his foes 3 times and misses another 3 times. As his slashes meet his foe, his ranger senses begin to notice something off on the edge of the jungle, some 100 feet back. 
He is unsure if his eyes can be trusted at this time, but it seems there are lizardfolk hiding in the branches. 

As a unit, they advance on the party wary with weapons at the ready, but overly threatening. There are three, four, no seven of the warriors. Eku backs into a position between Sthara and the incoming lizard folk. She calls to Vargach, "Ranger! Do you know these warriors? Now is not the time for more trouble."

Nenne sighs in relief at the beasts' retreat and grasps her holy symbol in gratitude to her patron for his watchful care. She walks over to each of her companions to ensure they are well and to thank them for their contributions in the battle. As she moves toward Vargach, she notices the sudden attentiveness he is giving to the treeline and halts mid-step. Seeing a team of reptilians emerge from the trees, she tries to read Vargach's body language to determine whether they are friend or foe. 

"We will follow your lead, archer," she says to the ranger under her breath. 

As the lizardfolk move closer one of them seems to take the lead and says several things in draconic to Vargach. There is a pause and then he adds a few more things in draconic while pointing at Boosey and Funderburk. The creature clearly looks aggravated, but not hostile.

"Lady mage," Nenne says under her breath. "Madam guide. Did either of you understand that?"

She glances toward Boosey and Funderburk. "It appears our new friends are unhappy with you both. If you'll pardon my bluntness - what did you do to deserve such ill will?"

Holding his side due to his wounds, Funderburk now leaning on his staff musters, "I know not what they have against me nor what they said about me. I know not if my kind did something against them or..." He let the words hang in the air.

"Vargach mentioned he was a part of a tribe before. Maybe... these are his people"

Vargach’s eyes flashed with recognition as the other lizardfolk approach. He quickly engages in an animated conversation with them, which has a lot of hissed Draconic in it, as well as a multitude of hand, head and tail motions. It appears that for a moment that the leader of the group and Vargach are posturing, with flaring fins and making guttural noises. 
After a while, it appears Vargach is deflating a little and he makes a submissive head movement. Then he turns to the group.

”Tribe need Vargach. New task. No need for outsiders. Must go now.”

There is clearly something in his eyes that betrays a little bit of sadness he appears to be feeling. It is obvious that this departure may not be fully on his terms, but that he understands his tribes needs and puts them first, even over his own desires.

”Maybe meet up later when taken care of. Dragon and strange dwarves and curse still danger to tribe. More pressing work now. Vargach gots to go.”

With that, he walks pst each one of the party’s members, offering his clawed hand for a warrior’s hand shake. He stops for a moment exchanging especially meaningful glances with Nenne, Eku and Funderburk before motioning to leave his new friends to their fate in the jungle, while he would go to meet his with his tribe.

As the wanderer and his allies disappear into the jungle, Eku visibly relaxes. She makes a comment about how this jungle never ceases to amaze her before answering the question asked of her and Sthara, "Yes, I could understand them. They were speaking in draconic. The speaker was a shaman I believe. Not of Vargach's tribe directly, but a long time ally it sounded like. Their shamans have been communicating looking for our reptilian friend. He seemed upset that Vargach had chosen such...?feeble? companions to travel with. The word does not translate directly. It is meant to imply someone who is frail and unable to take care of themselves properly."

Eku says she needs a minute to figure out where you are on the map. After a few minutes she says that she is ready to head out whenever everyone is ready, but her words fall away as she looks around. She suggests camping here or maybe not far from here since there are only a couple hours left in the day for travel anyhow. That will give wounds time to heal and clearer heads with the morning light.

Day 41

The party breaks camp after breakfast and sets out again, presumably southeast towards Mezro. The six companions do not get very far, maybe three or four miles, before stumbling across what none of them would have ever expected to see in the jungles of Chult; even Eku stands mouth agape. Before you lying glittering in the sun is a circular area filled with ice and snow. The snow and ice are not melting as of yet, possibly indicating that this, whatever this was, had occurred recently. The most curious part about the scene is the snow. While rain falls lightly around the party, there are only a few flurries falling inside the winterscape area.

Boosey gives a "humph" as Eku translates the shamans words.  "It would be an idea to camp here, I think.  It might be wise to use the shelter again, just in case some of those vultures decide to return."  He conjures up the hut for the party to rest in.

As the hut fades away in the morning, Boosey busies himself playing on the flute while the others breakfast, pondering the encounter with the Ptera folk the previous day.  He walks in silence most of the morning lost in thought, and is equally as amazed as Eku at the winter scene before the party.  "This place just gets stranger and stranger.  There is strange magic at work here, there must be," he insists.  "Where does our path lie, Eku?  Do we walk through it, or go round.  I suspect we may be lacking in winter gear if we decide to go through, although the way things have been going if we do I suspect we'll end up in the Feywild or some other plane of existence."