Crushed by the weight of uncertainty, Sandu unleashes a purple bolt from his hands once more.  Unfortunately rather than finding it's target the bolt flies a couple of feet over the scarecrow's head and off into the night sky.

The scarecrow turns it's attention to the dwarf who had just dealt it a massive blow to it's arm.  It wildly flails at Baern, attempting two claw attacks.

Scarecrow Claw Attack Rolls:

The attacks are made as much out of desperation than spite at this point.  Both, however, land dealing 7 slashing damage to Baern.  Blood streams from the cuts opened up on Baerns arms and shoulders.  The pain is blinding.

Combat Round #3

Initiative Order:

• Dormark
• Alder
• Baern
• Valerie
• Ioben
• Sandu
• Scarecrow (remaining)

Dormark - how this scarecrow is still standing is beyond comprehension; Ioben's arrow is still embedded within its head.  You have just seen it lash out at your companion, Baern, mauled by the fiend.  It is time this threat is dispatched - it is your turn.

The mace comes up in Dormark's hand swinging at the still moving scarecrow that somehow still has the will to attack the party.

Attack: 22 Damage: 5

As Dormark thumps his mace down on the flailing scarecrow it smashes through the creatures wooden ribcage, caving it in.  The scarecrow's movements look laboured now, as through whatever magics are holding it together are starting to fizzle out.

Alder - it's time to put this thing out of its misery - it is your turn.

With a growl, Alder yanks the scarecrow upwards, his fist still firmly clenched on its crumbling framework, and hammers at it with the torch in his other hand. 

Attack with lit torch, advantage for flanking: 23

Damage: 5 +1 Fire

Alder's attack ferociously hammers down on the still Grappled scarecrow.  The blow breaks open the construct's sackcloth head, spewing straw and sawdust everywhere.  The scarecrow falls to it's wooden knees before collapsing at Alder's feet.

The foes have been vanquished and the party is victorious.  Thankfully all the party have survived, though a couple are carrying injuries of varying magnitude.

A post-battle lull sweeps over the area - a stark contrast to the loud, chaotic fight moment before.

As the second scarecrow falls, Ioben rushes over to the others. "Are we sure those things are dead? Is everyone ok?" Without hesitating, he reaches down and attempts to retrieve the arrow from the head of the scarecrow. "You never know when we will be able to stock up again," he mutters as he does so.

As the party look out over the landscape they know that they have made it out of the woods in one piece.  The road continues on, though the scenery on either side is quite different - rolling fields replace trees.  Around a mile down the road a sprawling village lies - the first real sign of civilisation.

Dawn is approaching - the light is a welcome change from the darkness of the woods.

((Reminder of the landscape below:))

Ioben -  you successfully recover an arrow from the remnants of the scarecrow.

Valerie looks up to the sky. She sighs in relief to see there is some light coming up. She puts her hand on her chest and closes her eyes. For a moment, there is a blue light energy pulses out from her hand, then the wound on her closed up.

She takes a deep breath and looks down to the remaining of the scarecrows. "More reason to speed up our travel. I don’t think they are the only thing out here."

She walks up in front of the group and continues to be in the front. 

Cast Lay on Hand to heal 5 hp. (0/5 charges)

"Agreed. More speed would be a good idea." Ioben slipped the arrow into his quiver. Continuing to talk to Valerie, he says, "You know, as we were walking, I was trying to remember what happened before we got here. I remember dancing and drinking, but that is not to unusual for the taverns I have been in, but a name keeps rising to the surface. Madame Eva. I can't place it. Does it mean anything to you?"

Alder brushes the remnants of the scarecrow from his hand, brushing sawdust from his clothes as well. He glares down at the remnants of the monsters a last time before moving to see if he can recover the javelin he threw. Ioben was right, there was no reason to waste anything they could salvage. He glances to Dormark momentarily before kneeling down to sift through the broken mess that was the scarecrows, searching for anything useful or that might give them information. 

"Perhaps you could stop lugging about that corpse now. Dead people attract unwanted attention."

Investigation: 6

Alder Investigation Check:

Baern winces as he touches the slashes on his arm and shoulder.  He doesn't complain, but as the group sets out again he puts himself in the middle and sways a bit as his mind is focused only on the pain of his wounds and on simply taking his next step forward.   (2 of 9HP, but not much can be done about it until the party can rest)

Quote from Sixfoot10 >>

"I remember dancing and drinking, but that is not to unusual for the taverns I have been in, but a name keeps rising to the surface. Madame Eva. I can't place it. Does it mean anything to you?"

 As soon as Ioben mentions the name, it suddenly pops up in her head again. The name came up when she first awake here, and she did not pay much attention to it. Now that Ioben mentions the name, it becomes noteworthy since they both, or maybe others, know the name. 

She turns to Ioben. "Strange... The name came into my head when I woke up here." She tightens her eyebrows thinking for a moment. "I wonder who this person is? A friend or a foe?"

She sighs and shakes her head. Mysteries keep showing up and they nowhere near finding any answers. She looks at Ioben. "Regardless, she might be another person we should meet."

Sandu stepped out from behind the tree. The first field test of his newfound magical powers had proved fruitful, though he was still mystified at just what it was he had cast. Questions for later. He thought as he crept towards the charred remains of the scarecrows. He nudged it with his toe. They seemed sufficiently dead but then again, they should not have been alive to begin with.

A sigh of relief escaped Sandu's lips. It was shortlived however when he heard the others speak of a Madame Eva. They seemed to be set on seeking out this person based on a hazy memory from a night of drinking in a tavern which, honestly, might even be a worse plan than looking for someone whose name they actually have on paper. Sandu was about to raise a concern but ultimately refrained. He knew whatever he would say would not be able to dissuade five other people. Plus he had been told so many times "I told you so", he wondered what it would be like to be on the other end of it.

'Are we good to go?' Sandu asked the others. 'Nothing here looks pleasing but gloomy village beats fog-filled forest of death.'

Baern finishes trying to patch his arm up with whatever clean cloth he might have in his pack and then gets to his feet, eager to get to town.  As they begin to walk he says quietly and timidly to Ioben "I think I may have encountered Madam Eva, too."  He seems a bit uncertain about much of it, but confident that there is a link there.

The party continues on the road, after half an hour they reach the outskirts of the village.  Tall shapes loom out of the dense fog that surrounds everything. The muddy ground underfoot gives way to slick, wet cobblestones. The tall shapes become recognisable as village dwellings. The windows of each house stare out from pools of blackness. 

Dawn is starting to break but the village appears lifeless, the streets are empty.  No sound cuts the silence except for mournful sobbing that echoes through the streets from a distance.

Baern whispers Dormark "perhaps someone will have some armor for sale."  "I'll take just about anything right now, in this place."

The dwarf looks around for any signs advertising shops on any of the buildings.

Baern sets off down the cobble stone street in search of a shop, a stall, a wandering merchant - anywhere he may have the chance to purchase armour.

Making his way from the east entrance of the village he passes row upon row of houses.  The sobbing sound gets louder the further into the village he walks.

Baern - please make a Perception check.

((When looking for shop signs how far into the village do you travel?  Also do you go alone or with your companions?))