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• Aros – Lightfoot Halfling, Rogue
• Galiena Erenaeth – Half Elf, Celestial Warlock / Druid
  • Dearbhán – NPC, Fairy Dragon (Galiena’s pet)
  • Kavium – NPC, Tiefling Paladin (Oath of Conquest)
  • Darko Wintersage – NPC, Undead Wizard (Flame Skull)
• Baldur – Human, Pack Chain Warlock (Spear) / Paladin
  • Hellina Kaitlyn Deramu – Human NPC, Wererat

• The party decides to take a long rest inside the wereboar’s cave
• The cave is filthy, the beds are made of hay, packed with mud, with flies, gnats and other insects that buzz around the party throughout the night; but do manage to take a long rest
• As the party awakens, they see a human standing at the mouth of the cave staring at the party
• Galiena rubs her eyes and asks where he had come from
• The human explains, “Brandon Crowfeather sent me up here to check on you all.”
• Baldur asks how the human had found them and didn’t draw the attention of the perytons
• The human explains that he can change similar to Brandon
• Baldur explains that it’s good that people can change
• And the human clears his meaning, that he is a wereraven; he goes on to explain that the perytons are not birds that will just pick you up and try to eat you; they are smart enough to slam you against the mountain or drop you on the mountain and let the damage of the fall help take the fight out of you; he does add that one positive is, due to their massive wing span fighting more than one peryton at a time on the path isn’t likely to happen. He also warns that they may not immediately devour their hearts; they will deliver them to the matriarch peryton; an especially large peryton that goes by Bloodwing
• Baldur ponders stabbing it in the talon if they try to pick him up, and the wereraven named Santor Redcliff, explains that the perytons have very strong talons; and will attack with both, and potentially their beak as well
• Galiena asks if there’s anything that the perytons are afraid of; and Larn explains that the only true predator above the perytons was the Rocs, who have all since, for some reason, departed the island, making the perytons the apex predators on the island
• The party discusses some ideas (tying one another back to back, or all together, but quickly realize some of the flaws in those ideas)
• Galiena finally comes up with the idea of doing Plant Growth and then weaving together the plants to create camouflage that they could hide beneath as one bush that would slowly move up the mountain pass
• When Galiena looks around inside the cave, she realizes most of the stone floor doesn’t allow for any true plant growth; even magically to surface and grow in the wereboar’s den
• The party decides to tie a rope around Aros, so that he can stealth up the path and get a better view of what the nesting situation with the Perytons looks like
• Baldur ties the knot confidently and assures Aros that it should be fine

• Aros checks – because he noticed that when Baldur slapped the knot assuredly, it felt as it it had loosened

• Aros stares at Baldur then looks at Galiena, “Can you please tie the knot?”

• Galiena ties a much more secure rope around Aros’ waist with the help of Kavium, who gets close and whispers to her, “I am expert at tying knots,” and winks at Galiena, who in turn rolls her eyes and lets out a soft sigh (DM Note – We laughed because she rolled two natural 20’s! And we laughed about how Kavium, who is a Paladin of the Goddess of Pleasure, helped make it so successful!)
• The plan changes for Aros to stealth out onto the pass to look for some plants to grab, and get them so they have roots so Galiena can do the Plant Growth and the rope is in case a peryton spots Aros they can try to pull him back.
• Aros quietly stealths outside the cave; however, a large gust of wind is felt above him and he knows it’s a peryton; and glancing into the cool, dark, sunless sky, he’s able to see the large bird diving directly for him, it’s Perception having exceeded his Stealth
• Talons wrap around Aros, and squeeze so tightly that he takes a small amount of damage, and immediately Galiena, Kavium and Baldur begin pulling Aros back in, but the peryton’s strength is incredible
• It beats its wings furiously and immediately Galiena, Kavium and Baldur feel their feet giving way with no real way to plant their feet down, they boots slide across the cavern floor
• Aros manages to wiggle an arm free and stab the peryton for some damage; the bird furious continues pulling (DM Note – I love letting dice and fate help tell a story… I had Galiena, who was at the front pulling on the rope roll a D4… 1 it pulls the rope upward, so it hits the mouth of the cave, and they’d lose their footing… 2 it pulls to the left, so the rope hits the left side of the cave… 3 it pulls to the right, so the rope hits the right side of the cave… 4, it pulls directly outward, potentially yanking them out of the cave and over the cliff side…)

• Seeing that Galiena is about to go over the edge, Kavium releases the rope and shouts, “I am sorry Aros!” as he dives and manages to grab Galiena’s arms as she slides over the edge; leaving himself prone on the ground
• With no one else hanging onto the rope, Baldur is also not able to maintain it and is yanked over the edge, but he maintains his grip on the rope shouting to Aros, “I didn’t give up on you, Aros, like Kavium did!” (Though as he looks down and sees Galiena over the ledge and Kavium clinging to her, as Baldur is lifted, he questions on whether or not he should have let go as well)
• The peryton proceeds to pull Baldur and Aros upward
• As this is happening and Kavium pulls Galiena back onto the ledge she pulls out Darko

• Darko sees Santor Redcliff and says, “Ah! Finally! Someone for me to possess!” Santor Redcliff is rather taken aback by what he sees and steps away
• Galiena shouts, “No! I need you to catch someone if they fall!”
• Darko looks upset, yet again, and shouts back through the hollow skull, “Excuse me! Remember, I need to possess someone to have arms! I am a floating head! How am I supposed to catch anyone without arms?”
• She mutters, “Can’t you cast a floating disc thing?”
• Darko shouts, “That’s why I want to possess someone! So I can cast floaty discs – but until then I just do the fire beams from the eyes that you’ve seen me do!”
• Galiena pulls herself up and growls, “Fine!” Then shouts, “Sorry, Aros!” And in that moment her hands glow as she casts Call Lightning
• Despite carrying Aros and Baldur, the peryton manages to avoid the lightning – however, Aros being gripped fails, getting struck (but only taking half damage since the peryton had avoided it)
• Aros uses his free hand and strikes against peryton (Natural 20!)

• Kavium grabs his javelin and shouts, “If I hit you Aros, I am sorry,” and sends it flying and manages to strike the peryton
• The peryton decides to release its hold on Aros, sending Aros plummeting 30 feet while Baldur plumets 25 feet, and both take damage – but manage to adjust their body around to loop around an outcropping rock
• But they had tumbled and slammed into one another, as well as a number of jagged rocks, both of them very bloody as they roped danged by hanging onto an outcropping of a large rock just below the ledge

• As they dangle there, Baldur looks over at Aros and shouts, “I told you to hold on.”
• Baldur looks up and sees the peryton circling above, staying up and far away – rolls Natural 20 on Perception!

• Baldur turns to Galiena and Kavium, “Next time we abandon a plan – like let Aros be bird meat, can you let me know beforehand so I don’t get yanked off a cliff?”
• After being dropped Baldur doesn’t want to experience that again, and climbs up the ledge, while Aros is still dangling over the other side. He shouts down to Aros who looks pretty bad off (DM Note – He had 1 hit point left!) to hurry up and decide if he’s going to drink a potion or scramble up the cliff before the bird circles back around and does another dive at them – and he keeps an eye on the peryton – another Natural 20! on Perception (clearly he never wants to get dropped again!)

• Aros decides, despite feeling as if death was coming for him, climbs up the ledge and quaffs the potion as he lays on the floor, bleeding out
• Galiena rushes to his side and casts Cure Wounds and Aros comments that he’d developed an understanding of his mortality
• Baldur fires off an arrow at the peryton and hits; Aros fires off one as well, but misses
• Galiena then calls down another Lightning on the peryton which it’s not able to avoid
• The peryton flies off behind the side of the mountain, out of their visibility
• “Good news, maybe it tells the other perytons we’re bad news and don’t attack us,” Kavium mutters. Everyone looks at Kavium and shake their heads. “Fine, so we still need a plant so Galiena can do her thing. Speaking of doing your thing…”
• Galiena growls, “Not now Kavium.”
• “Now seems like the perfect time,” Kavium counters. “Did you see what it did to those two? I’d rather experience Prenah’s pleasures before I end up tossed against a mountain side and plunge to my death.”
• The peryton returns – swooping down on the Minor Illusion of a heart on the floor; and dives down – but pulls away when it’s 100 feet – but this allows Galiena to bring her lightning spell down – and that’s enough to bring an end to the peryton’s life; the bolt striking right between the wings, forcing the peryton’s body to seize, and plummet to its death far below, as it’d done undoubtedly to countless others, who ventured up the mountain to put an end to the peryton threat – and failed
• Kavium watches as the bird crashes into the tree tops far below. “Guess I won’t be needing my javelin anytime soon,” he laughed
• Santor Redcliff says, “I am impressed. Over all, you handled yourselves well. There may yet be hope.”
• “Where we you when we needed help,” Kavium muttered.
• “I only have daggers on me, which would not have done anything to the peryton,” Santor Redcliff shrugged
• “You turn into birds, you could have grabbed the little one,” Kavium countered
• “As a wereraven, I can barely carry anything even halfling size,” Santor Redcliff admitted
• “Don’t try to explain,” Darko seemingly sighed, his hollow voice magically coming from inside his hollow skull. “These people thing even if you don’t have arms you’re expected to carry people.”
• Santor Redcliff looks at Darko, “And just what are you?”
• Galiena quickly grabs Darko and shoves him into her bag, realizing Santor Redcliff was wondering what necromancy was at work. “He’s not what you think. He’s not alive or dead. He’s a magical trinket.”
• “I … see,” Santor Redcliff nodded, but clearly was not believing Galiena. “I will return to Brandon, now that I see you’re alive and managed to successfully kill one peryton. Perhaps there is hope that you will be able to kill Bloodwing as well.” He takes his wereraven form and departs
• Galiena looks at the others, “Think he believes me about Darko?”
• Everyone shook their head
• “I didn’t think so,” she sighed
• Galiena tells Dearbhán to come out of invisibility, which her fairy dragon does, cooing next to her neck. She asks Dearbhán to go out, invisible, and scout to see if he sees any other living perytons/deerbirds
• Having seen what he’d just seen Dearbhán turns invisible and “flies out” – but actually doesn’t – he merely waits a moment and comes back, communicating with Galiena as far as she could tell, that the coast looked clear
• Baldur explains to tie a rope around him and he will go out and look for a plant; he has Kavium help him tie a secure knot around himself
• Galiena tells (not asks) Darko to go out and be Baldur’s eyes, from behind; Darko’s voice goes to an odd, hollow whisper as he asks, “Do you mean possess him?”
• Galiena shakes her head, “No. Just go out there and help keep an eye on those perytons.”
• Darko shakes his head, “Are you kidding? As lit up as I am, I am like a beacon! If that thing crushes me when he tries to kill Baldur, then I will slip into the afterlife and won’t be able to possess anyone!”
• Galiena says, “With your fiery skull, you may scare those birds! I would love to see you in action!” (Kavium coughs behind her)
• Darko finally says, “Fine. At least you realize the lot of you are useless without me. I will go keep your weird friend company.”
• Kavium grabs the rope, Galiena grabs it behind him, and Aros loads his arrow
• Baldur walks out in a casual pace, and spots some plants; and quickly races down the cliff and grabs the plant as quickly as he can – and manages to grab it with the roots (Natural 20 on Nature Check)

• A peryton manages to make a quick dive from the dark clouds above, and lands a natural 20 on Baldur

• The party quickly pulls Baldur into the cave, prying him free of the peryton’s talons
• Inside Baldur throws the plant on the ground, “Got the stupid plant.”
• Galiena casts Plant Growth and creates several large plants
• Baldur then weaves them together (Natural 20)

• The entire process of weaving all these plants into an actual tapestry to use as cover, takes about 4 hours to complete; during this time, they also managed to get a short rest as well
• The party uses this to slowly scale up the thin path; pausing each time they spot a peryton, in hopes it believes it’s nothing more than a bush
• This plan works as the peryton makes four fly bys (DM Note – It was 100 feet away, and I was having Baldur roll a d20 to see how many feet they go – and he kept rolling very low – and then on the fifth roll he rolled high – and it just so happened everyone failed their stealth check as well – and it was flavored that they got tired of moving slow and began rushing too quickly making too much noise; and the peryton noticing that the bush had moved up the path significantly, as it tore the top of the tapestry away)
• The party manages to take down the peryton – and they make it to the top of the peryton nesting area…

TO BE CONTINUED.