Chilling Adventures in the North

Ricky will start leading the way back

     "Shouldn't we fully explore these caves before sending defenseless citizens of..." Bàn starts but then shrugs and drops it.  He's not from Good Meade or running for any office.  "Let's go/. We have bigger concerns anyway..."

((Were their areas we didn't check out? Probably should take a look - or maybe let Owl take a look?))

((It sounded a lot larger than what I think we looked?  I could be wrong though...  I did have Owl flying though a bit, but it is just... well, a few spirit but with the intelligence of an Owl,))

(Yes, several areas are currently unexplored. I think Owl is exploring. I don't know which direction Owl has gone in.)

  ((If we are exploring the rest, Owl will fly the most north options first, trying to keep a wall on their right?  Relaying what they see for as long as within 100 feet...  But if we're leaving Bàn will just poof Owl out of existence from where they are and back to with the group... Would want them exploring ahead of us on the way back.))

 Keeping the cave wall to the right, Owl flies north from the cave. Owl discovers that the passage north splits into two about thirty feet away. However, Owl decides to follow the tunnel that keeps the wall to its right. Then it is only another thirty feet until Owl finds that this tunnel leads back outside the cave system.

Owl reports that by this cave entrance, half-submerged in the icy mire are the bones, skull, and tusks of a long-dead mammoth.

     Relaying information Owl tells him to the others, Bàn moves in the direction of the bird and indicates the others should as well.  "They're a better scout if we stay relatively close," he says as explanation.  

     "And best not to split up too much.  There's still at least a pissed off bear around...  Unless it's bled out," he reminds.

     As it is outside again, Bàn has Owl gain a bit of altitude so it can get a look at as much of the surrounding area as possible to see if there are other creatures or people in the immediate area.

Owl Perception: 13

...

Qinfaren follows Bàn and Owl outside, keeping the dire wolf nearby for now.

Owl flies up into the air and notices movement in the snow. Something or someone is approaching the caves.

     "Something approaches," Bàn says in a bit of a hushed whisper.  "Give me a moment..."  Bàn then puts one hand against the wall and effectively zones out - He finds a place of utter calmness and stops seeing or hearing anything out of his own physicality and instead gasps as the input is suddenly replaced by that of Owl.

Owl Perception: 23

     Bàn would narrate what he sees through Owl's eyes as he sees it, basically giving a running narrative of what he sees, how many, what they look like and all...

Through the eyes of Owl, Bàn sees a figure moving through the snow and darkness. The figure appears to be roughly the same size as the verbeeg, if a little smaller. The figure walks carrying a long stick, but it might actually be a tree branch. The figure is also carrying something under its other arm.

"Another verbeeg?" Qinfaren asks when Bàn relays what Owl is seeing. He looks over at Ricky and Bjorn. "If this is a friend of the one in there, I don't think they'll be happy about what's happened. Should we hide to the side of the entrance the figure is approaching so we can see what's going on?"

Qinfaren looks around for a snow bank, boulders, trees, etc that he and the dire wolf can hide behind.

     Bàn, unable to hear this or anything else for the time being, has Owl keep an eye on the figure until it is clear they are entering, or not...  At that point Bàn will break the connection and look for a place to hide in order to ambush this latest cave dweller.  Or if it is passing by, will look to the others and see how they wish to handle it.

Ricky will head out to meet the stranger. "Whatever or whoever, no sense putting it off. Let's meet 'em. Or I will at least. You all hide, just in case."

Outside the caves, Ricky sees a verbeeg striding through the snow, approaching the mouth of the cave. Her misshapen face bears a too-wide smile. She clutches a spear in one hand while using her other arm to cradle a wicker basket filled with bits of shiny metal. “Duhg?” she shouts in Common. “You home?”

As the verbeeg gets closer, she spots Ricky by the cave entrance, "Oh, hello. Who are you?"

Back inside the caves, Bjorn turns to Qinfaren and Bàn, "Just what sort of trouble do you reckon he has gotten us into now?"

((How much taller was the verbeeg, Duhg, than Qinfaren? More than a foot taller - thinking about disguise self but only if Duhg was 8'10" or less))

Qinfaren nods to Bjorn, but at the same time can't stop smiling when he sees the size difference between the scrappy halfling and the new verbeeg.

Ricky sighs and considers for a moment. 

"Dugh is dead. Ya know... For thievin' and murderin'."

     “Well not the route I’d have gone…” Bàn says as he pulls his senses out of Owl and back into himself.  He quickly looks around yo the others and says “C’mon, he just told the new one the other one is dead!”  Bàn then rushes out to back up Ricky.

(Duhg was 8 feet tall.)

The verbeeg drops the basket and walking stick as she brings her hands to her mouth, "Dead. What do you mean dead?" Her voice is slightly muffled behind her hands. However, the worry is clear in her voice.

Bjorn and Blue follow Bàn out of the cave to join Ricky. This leaves Qinfaren alone in the caves.