Against the Cult: The Next Day (1.2)

On the Road

Ogbar races after the beast and slashes it once more with his axe as it bunches its haunches under it and leaps up and through the trees. Showered with broken branches, the barbarian howls with rage as his target leaves his reach. He tries to follow, but the smashed trees make passage difficult, and each moment takes the monster further and further away...

Sara binds wounds for Klak, but it is primarily his will to live that keeps him from death's door.

Klak has two successes and one failure for death saves.

At the Farm

Aanbo, Morgran, Abella, Abel, and especially Elista watch out of the window in trepidation as Quest does not respond to their entreaties to seek shelter. They expect that any moment, a horrible monster will tear out of the trees and devour the Mystic...so they all recoil when the foliage parts and a stranger they've never seen before (Jonbon the bard) staggers out and begins to climb over the fence on his way to the house.

At the Jarl Farm

Elista sighs, and Abel comments: "Well, if that Great Master didn't get eaten yet, he's probably not going to be, Merikka be praised. Sounds like the monsters are moving away, too." He pats his daughter Abella gently. "Why don't you see if there's anything these Gargantuan Heroes need in the way of refreshment while I see about this new one in the barn?" He turns to and [color="blue"]Morgran as she runs out of the room. "Revered Dignities, if there is anything we can do to help you heal our son, please let us know....er...let my wife Elista know. I must check on the man your friend is taking into our barn..." With that, Abel bows and also leaves. Elista looks at the dwarves and smiles hopefully.

Meanwhile, Quest has thrown Jonbon's arm over his shoulder and helped him stagger to the barn; he's twisted his ankle running through the forest. Once he catches his breath, the minstrel rubs the heel of his hand on his forehead and says: "I'm Jonbon, the Busker, at your service. I was entertaining some warriors on Cecily's Road when we were attacked by an owlbear. One of the men saved my life, but then he and a dwarf were killed right after he pushed me to run this way. I ran as fast as I could, but some of them may still be alive back there!"

Abel emerges from the house with a spear in his hand, and jogs hurriedly across the open space toward the barn. Just then, Thacogygax emerges from the woods to see the large, open area being used as a farm.

On the Road

There's no sign of the oxen now; they ran off in different directions. Conscious party members other than Sara can attempt medicine if they wish, or do something else. Klak should roll another death save.

Xana has stabilized Klak; while he remains unconscious (at 0 HP), he is no longer bleeding toward death. "Good work, 'Xenia'" Durren remarks, as he struggles to his feet again. With his one good arm, he ruefully gestures at the blood soaking his tabard. "Indeed, 'things doth happen in battle.' " Sara and Ogbar neither see nor hear any further signs of movement from the trees.

Durren is struggling to wipe his sword clean with one good hand. He nods towards the game trail to the north, where Aanbo, Morgran, and Quest left half an hour before. "The singer hath gone that way. The dragonman also."

As Sara leaves along the game trail, Xana steps around the carcasses of the mules and up into the broken remains of the boxy wagon; though the back doors are still shut and locked, the front of the wagon has been crushed down and split open by the weight of the leaping owlbear.

Durren, waiting by the side of the minstrel's broken wagon and watching the woods, calls over his shoulder to Xana: "Dost thee see aught that can be salvaged for Jonbon?"

Ogbar remains in the road, his blood lust slowly fading, near the prone body of Klak.

In the stone farmhouse, Morgran is visibly torn between his desire to rush outside to confront danger and his compulsion to help children in need. After a few moments, he nods in response to Aanbo and addresses the young mother Elista: "By Kord's sword, the monk has the way of it. We should take your son back to Hochoch for prayer at the temple. We can use our wagon; our party will be enough to protect him from any brigands on the journey."

Outside, Abel Jarl looks in alarm at the gigantic form of Thacogygax, the farmer's spear dangling forgotten in his hand. Quest seems to take the presence of the dragonman in stride, so Abel closes his mouth and approaches. "Opulent Tremendousness, is this one a friend of yours?" Jonbon remains in the barn.

Moments later, Sara emerges from the woods into the land that the Jarls have cleared for their farm; she sees the Mystic and the Storm Sorcerer talking to a man with a spear (Abel) near a set of farm buildings.