The Heroes' Journey Begins (in Merivale)

Caldra stands tall, holding her torch aloft, not wavering in the slightest, her eyes locked on the center of the pack but not directly on the eyes of the pack leader so as not to issue a challenge that must be met to preserve face. Thorne stands beside her, one step back, equally steadfast, torch raised. Kessa and Vilde stand ready to act if need be.

The wolves growl and paw at the ground, teeth bared, but don't advance. The standoff lasts for several tense minutes until the pack alpha gives one final snarl and then turns and pads off into the forest. With an angry howl, the rest of the pack turns and follows, leaving you alone in the grove, the only sounds those of your hearts beating and breath heaving a collective sigh of relief.

GM Note: Thorne, take a Hero Coin for Bravery Under Pressure! Caldra already has one, so I can't give her another. Nicely done! I would have hated to see a TPK this early in the game ;)

Thorne waits until the last pair of gold-green eyes fades into the dark before lowering his torch. He slides his dagger back into its sheath, scanning the treeline to be certain the pack is truly gone.

"Alright," he murmurs, "Let’s keep moving. If we’re this deep and still on the trail… Moonblossom can’t be far."

He steps forward, torch lifted, ready to lead again.

Kessa follows quietly

Caldra follows torch and shield in hand

The night has grown crisp and a light mist is beginning to rise from the forest floor, not yet obscuring the trail but you worry that if it gets thicker it might be a problem. In the wake of the timberwolves passing, this part of the wood is eerily silent as if all the wildlife has taken to ground and are waiting to make sure the coast is clear before resuming their usual activities.

You press on, but the mist pooling around your feet and the chill it brings with it are making it harder and harder to see the ground, not only making it difficult to follow the tracks but also making walking perilous. Just as you think you may have to stop for the night, you hear something in the distance - high pitched guttural sounds that almost sound like... laughter and revelry?

You're close enough to hear loud sounds, but between the forest, the rising mist, and the light of your torches, you can't yet see the light from the celebrants' camp.

How would you like to proceed?

Caldra hesitantly moves to douse her torch as she looks to the others. We need to learn what transpires. Only . . stealth is not a skill I am adept with. Perhaps those better suited should lead further ahead while I and others of a kind follow a distance behind ready to react should the need arise.

"Yes, I will," said Thorne, extinguishing his torch as well. "Kessa, can you come with me?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Kessa replies.

Caldra whispers a prayer as they depart

@psybermagi: She sure can!

GM Note: A Hero Coin gives you a second chance on any die roll - whether it be for a check, save, or damage. They can also be given to a team mate to give them a second chance on a roll they just made. In either case, the player who spent the coin gets to describe what their character does to change the original outcome. The result of the last roll stands, regardless of whether its better or worse (you can only tempt fate so much). Once a HC has been spent, it's gone, and you can only have one at a time.

For example: George is swinging through the jungle on vines and fails a roll to avoid faceplanting vigorously into a giant tree. Stella spends the HC she earned earlier and shouts, "Watch out for that tree!" giving George a narrative reason for rerolling.

@psybermagi: Maybe Caldra's prayer helped?

As you're making your way to the source of the commotion, a gentle golden glow appears right where Kessa's foot was about to step, illuminating a fallen branch that surely would have snapped (and possibly twisted her ankle!) had she stepped on it. However, thanks to Caldra's prayer and some divine intervention, Kessa is able to safely step over it at the last second.

As you get closer to the sounds, you begin to pick up the glow of a campfire. Travel is still perilous, and you have to be very careful where you step, but you're able to get close enough without incident to get a view of a rather strange spectacle. A gaggle of goblins (you see four at the moment) stand spread out around the edge of a fair sized clearing, cheering and jeering. They appear to be throwing stones at a fifth Goblin who sits astride a giant rat, taunting them as he jukes and dodges and spins. Even from this distance, the scent of some very strong and foul alcohol reaches your noses.

What would you like to do?

Thorne will discreetly try to find out where Moonblossom is.

Caldra follows, but at a distance just to keep Thorn is sight, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Caldra and Vilde follow Thorne's path, its slow going, but after a few minutes of carefully picking their way forward they regroup with the rest of the team, hunkered behind the trunk of a large tree and some smaller bushes. You scan the scene for signs of the missing faerie but are unable to find her specifically. There is an area on the left side of the clearing that looks like a makeshift camp, or at least a place where the Goblins have piled up there belongings near a campfire. Two goblins stand near the campsite, one on this side of it, one on the other, trying to pelt the ratrider with stones with one hand while swigging from "water" skins with the other. The remaining two Goblins are spread out on the opposite side of the clearing while the ratrider scampers about, taunting them.

GM Note: These are actual Goblins, not Gerblings, standing just a little under five feet tall and all wiry muscle and spite. They carry wicked looking curved short swords in scabbards at their belts and two of them have quivers and shortbows slung over their shoulders. The ratrider is brandishing a slightly larger sword, also curved, but with a serrated edge that looks like the teeth of some fell beast. They haven't noticed you yet....

Roll Intitative!

GM Note: These guys are notably tougher than the ones you faced earlier, so you this is a good opportunity to think about how to best take advantage of some of the different actions available to you.

Caldra prepares for action