Tender spends a good amount of the early morning doing her usual work out routine, doing her best to keep herself in fighting shape. It was also a good reminder of home, doing the moves drilled into her since she was old enough to walk, and the further she got from the monastery, the more she finds she needs those reminders. She's distracted from her wandering thoughts by Jullar's offer, and she looks over, quite interested. "Oh, I'd like to go, Jullar!" she calls out, finishing up her morning stretches and wandering over. "I'm quite curious about the people, here; I've never been to this area before." 

"I have been here before, and I have some people I would like to visit."

Orimdal nods as the others mention they wish to go ahead into the town. "I'll stay here with the carriage an' bring her inta town. Don't get inta too much trouble without us hey?" he chuckles to himself and wanders off to check over the carriage and get ready for the day.

"I have a policy. Dont make promises you cant keep."

Kallista laughs. "Agreed. We'll try, but no guarantees." She walks over to the group heading into town, snagging some breakfast to bring with her.

Evi who had slept-walked through the morning - bedhead and all - after a fairly restless night stands near the cart as the others prepare to depart. "If you don't mind Orimdal, I'll stay back with you.  I still need to wake up a bit"  she chimes in after stifling a yawn.  Once the others had departed, she took the passenger seat next to Orimdal and stretched fully like a feline before relaxing and gazing out contently at the jungle around them.  Once a little bit of time had passed, she broached the topic that had been on her mind since last night, "So...Orimdal, uh, what do you think about these invisible birds and this Zurstac place?" 

"Invisible birds? I'm no sure. I mean, I did see it too," Orimdal scratches his beard as they continue, "But it's no comfortin' ta know that somethin' that was s'posed ta be sealed away an' lost is back again. What're yer thoughts, Evi?" He flicks the reins a little and carefully drives the carriage as they talk, ensuring it doesn't stray too far off their course.

She pauses for a long moment, fiddling with her ring, before responding.  "For most of my life, I never had to worry about anything more than what was happening in the few blocks of the city I called home.  Then all of a sudden my world falls apart and now I'm seemingly involved again somehow with big events out of my control.  I don't like the feeling...Even more so if it has anything to do with Knurath..." Surprised at herself for admitting as much as she did, she sheepishly looks away from Orimdal back towards the jungle.

"Sometimes things are thrust upon ya an' yer've got no control. Yer've just got ta make do as best ya can," Orimdal doesn't notice Evi look away into the jungle as he stares off into the distance along the road ahead.

"Well don't worry, Tender. Vininathians have everything. They know how to party responsibly, they are respectable, honorable, kind, chivalrous, selfless, and they make some kick-ass drinks too." Jullar says. As you walk to town, nothing really happens. (Feel free to play out any conversations or whatnot you may have)

Ormidal and Evi: As you ride along, some foliage moves along the right side of the road. The horses stir and begin to panic, refusing to move any further. (Roll perception)

Evi nods silently in response but resists opening up more to Ormidal at the moment.

Perception check: 15

After a little while, Evi notices that the horses seem agitated and asks Ormidal "What's wrong with the horses? They seem stressed."

Fletcher, now walking, seems to have fallen silent. 

Evi is able to see a small hunched-over creature among the shadows in the moving bush. It's eyes seem to glow, and when it is seen, it begins to flee, screaming and running, giving away its position.

(Can the rest of us hear the screaming or are we too far away at this point?)

"Wait stop the cart."  Evi tells Ormidal quietly, suddenly alert.  "Something was just watching us over there.  Did you see it?"  She continues as she points in the direction the small creatures just ran off to.

(Everyone who is not at the cart, so everyone except Evi and Ormidal, cannot hear the screaming. So yes, you are too far away.)

Tender glances over at Fletcher as they walk, noticing that he's fallen silent. "Hey, Fletcher," she calls quietly, "are you okay? You seem kinda quiet." She pauses, looking ahead towards their destination. "You said you knew some people here?" 

Orimdal's Perception: 12

At first, Orimdal doesn't see anything but tries to sooth the horses. But then, as whatever creature runs off screaming, he looks over in shock. "I no saw whatever the creature was, Evi. But I now hear it. What was it? Do ya think p'haps one o' those followers o' Knurath like the ones we first killed? I'm no sure 'bout us lookin' inta it ourselves though."

"I only caught a glimpse but wouldn't be able to tell for sure without getting closer to it.  It did seem to be roughly the same size though as the smaller creature we encountered before."  Pausing for a moment "Maybe we should go check and confirm what it was?"Almost visibly wincing as she followed up, hating the words as soon as she said them out loud.

Orimdal thinks for a moment, then nods, "Just a peek, we're no gettin' a fight if we can help it." Orimdal pulls the carriage off to the side of the road so that he and Evi can investigate.