'I've got plenty of experience herding animals - I could wrangle those goats no problem.  We would need to work up some kind of a sled to drag the mead back to Good Mead.'  

Kilmus works his shoulders in the now-familiar gesture, that one the signals he's ready to do the hard thing.  

'Phineas, I'll follow your lead, but we need to be careful not to disturb that bear.'

(Apologies - yesterday was an exceptionally busy day for me.)

Mica nods at the suggestion of taking the barrels of mead home, but at the mention of the goats, he felt the telltale signs of a migraine coming along. He retrieves his daggers from the Ogre's body before needing to lean back on the cave wall, breathing heavily. He once again was hearing whispers in his head, but this time, it sounds more fiendish, and although whispers in your head would be more concerning to others, Mica felt excited - the thrill of the combat must have awoken the power he was given, and he wasn't alone anymore! Still, that means his patron must want something, and that usually meant some form of life to kill.

If there are a lot of goats / sheep, Mica will outright kill one to get Dark One's Blessing up and running. Afterwards, headaches subsided, he nods to the rest of his companions. "Could the villagers...come back here?" he mimics in a medley of voices. He wasn't sure how reliably they could carry the mead back, and if the cave was safe, why couldn't they direct some Good Mead folk to retrieve the mead? Still, they probably would get paid more for returning the mead. "We should make sure...cave is clear."

Phineas nods to Kilmus. "Right-o, I've no desire to rile that bear," he says as he moves westward check for undiscovered pathways. "I just wanna make sure there be no more giant-kin napping in the here cave." The halfling moves slow and steady, trying to be quiet as he goes. 

Stealth: 12

Perception: 11

Rak would lower the baskets to see if there is anything of value in them before joining Phineas in his search for more stuff!

Investigation: 15

Fintan sheathed her blade and poked at the grusemon body with a boot before eyeing the mead. ''Perhaps, we could eh, use that barrow in the cave with the lowly fire light? Using the wee bits of ropes from those there baskets we could tie 'em goats up to the barrow. Then ye just load the barrels and we do be done.'' Taking her dagger, she sliced the ropes into long strands after Phineas pulled the lot down. Doing a simple sailors' s knot, she tested the strengthen of it. Throwing the weight over her shoulder, Fintan made her way back to the cave with the fire, crouching near the barrow and investigating it for any weakness in the wood.

The baskets contain sheep shears, milk pails, bristle brushes, and several bags of grain and oats stolen from caravans on the Eastway. One of the three casks is empty - each of the other two holds 20 gallons of honey mead. Each full cask weighs 200 pounds. The verbeeg’s treasure basket holds 72 sp, 344 cp, a translucent pink moss agate gemstone (10 gp), a healer’s kit, a hunting trap, and a small rabbit-skin bag containing ten silvered sling stones.

The rest of the cave is empty and abandoned.

(OOC: So you mean the whole cave complex has been explored now?)

Seeing the treasure, the Gith would immediately begin dividing up the coins. "So i'll take the pink stone if no one wants it.." The gith would reply with a smile. 

 each: 14 silver, 68 copper (2 silver and 4 copper left over... which Rak would pocket if no one was paying attention...)

Mica breathes a sigh of relief, both from the news of the cave being devoid of life and the soul of the sheep he'd killed padding his own (4 Temporary HP). He'll take one of the empty baskets and toss the head of the Varbeeg and Ogre inside of it, along with whatever baubles and treasures he can find, offering the agate stone and sling stones to the other companions. He's not very strong, so someone - or something - else will need to take the baskets of mead. "Kilmus - work up some kind of sled, wrangle those goats?" he mimics in the bouncer's own voice.

Yes. Excellent idea with the sled and goats. 

After dividing up the coins (rak keeping the leftover coins for himself) Rak would help his companions put together a sled and ask bane for guidance when aiding in its construction. He would ask seek to ask bane for Guidance for Kilmus in herding the goats and getting them to help pull the sled. 

Seeing that they've pretty much cleared the giant-kins' cave of dangers, Phineas makes sure the rest of the corralled animals have a way out and then goes to exit the cave. "We be needing to make good time back," he says. "Once night comes, it only gets colder." The halfling will try to retrace the group's path back to Good Mead. As they move through the wilderlands, he'll be keeping an eye out for more dangers. "Don't forget the wee elemental," he calls back over his shoulder.

Perception: 6

Kilmus works to wrangle the goats, fixing rough harnesses around the largest ones and leads around the rest.  Working with practiced hands, he lashes the leads together and attaches them into to the harness complex, all of which he then works back to connect to a makeshift sled made from the staves of the empty barrel.

'Alright, I think that should hold until we get back to town.  The goats in the harness will do the heavy lifting, but the broader cluster will help take some of the stress of the load.  I can get them moving and keep them on the trail, but I'm afraid I won't be much help in keeping an eye out for any danger'

As you guys head back out, you are startled by an unusual sight. By the body of the dead verbeeg is a large female verbeeg with tears of sorrow in her eyes. As you all emerge from the cave, those tears become hot and angry, and her face contorts into vengeance and rage. You have but mere moments to act, realizing that you have just killed her mate.

Phineas guffaws, turning to look at his allies before drawing his twin short swords. “We’re caught with our leg deep in the pig shit, and mama don’t look none too happy.” Looking to Kilmus, he mutters to the others, “Best we not get hit, no?”

Panic and Initiative: 19

The female Verbeeg, stricken with grief at the loss of her mate and realizing it was probably you all, roars and charges at you all.

Oh shit: 12

(Mobile)

If Mica can act before the Varbeeg attacks, he’d like to throw the head of the dead Varbeeg down the path. The lot of you see a side to the cowardly Kenku that you’ve never seen before - covered in the blood of the goat he’d just killed, he lets out an ear-piercing shriek, wreathing himself in a purple light, and mimics the fallen Varbeeg’s last cry in an attempt to dissuade the Varbeeg from attacking.

Intimidation - 18

Birditiative - 6

Kilmus steps to the fore

'Ho there - we mean you no harm - step aside and let us pass!'

Initative 7

Rak would mutter under his breath in gith and as he castssacred flame the moment he sees the angry woman. He would the draw his greatsword and race towards the veerbeg.

initiative 2

dex 12 or take 6

ooc.. well with that low of initiative I might try something different instead of charging.

3

This happens after Kilmus and Mica do their thing.

The verbeeg woman stops. Something inside her tells her that it's possible she might not survive this battle, even if she would be able to kill one of you - but a combined assault would mean her death. Sorrow at the death of her mate overtakes her, and realizing the situation, she backs off slowly.

The Chwinga pops it's head out from behind a tusk, watching the sad Verbeeg with great interest.

Initiative: 23

Insight Smigsight: 16

As she steps besides the group, Fintan looks up, wild red hair lashing against her face, hand still wrapped about her dagger. Her gaze locks with the female verbeeg's, hard, before softening to a kin-like understanding. ''We should leave her be boys. It seems she has lost one of the most precious things in 'an ordinary life, her mate. I too, would be quite enraged.'' Fintan opens her palms in a stay calm manner before sliding her dagger into her boot, all the while keeping eye contact. ''You should depart, sad one.'' She says calmly, hand casually drapped near her pointed gesture of sheathing.