1. Winter Festival of Newville

What's "Orcus' Claws"? And how do you know they came from Mount Strumpet, if - quote - " The News of Newville never saw them coming down the hill"?
Gimdrus asks scratching his beard. I would set up an ambush in the forest if we new which way they will come and of they will.

Unfortunately Gimdrus, we don't know enough about the enemy to make an ambush. We'll have to go to them.
Nog, I also prefer to leave this evening. With snow on the ground any light will be enough for traveling.

"Yeah. We can always light torches if we can't see. Let's go tonight. " Anne says a moment later.

Baffling. Gimdrus still scratching his beard. Then counting his fingers he talks more to himself than anyone

1. Demon in company of goblins plunder halfling town and promise to return here next tonight
2. My friends want to leave town tonight and go to the Mount Strumpet, leaving town exposed to the attack
3. The reason to do so is - Lucinda insists we will find them in Mount Strumpet. But she admit none seen where they come from or followed them
4. Halflings, even Albo call those goblins "Crueltide elves" although they are damn goblins dressed like dolls

He rise his head and try to understand if anyone in the room is under some type of charm spell or something, because things just sound too weird for a conservative dwarf.

Well theres no reason to believe they will attack again Nog states As it seems that they already took what they needed from the village. They also dont know of our arrival so there is no reason they would come back here to get our stuff either. If we are to have any chance of catching up to them it would be now, otherwise there might not be a trail to follow. If light is an issue, i can always cast a light spell and would probably be better than a torch as we can hide it as needed

"I don't see how much it matters if they know we're here or not, Once a location has been defeated there is no reason for the conquerors to just leave the place alone, they know it's defenceless and will continue to pillage whatever they need in situations like this there are two most effective ways to defeat the enemy, first is to come back with a stronger force than you Initially had difficult because usual thay kill your troops the other which I don't think we'll be able to do is make them reliant on a recourse they steal and then stop producing and attack without that resource they will be almost defenceless I don't think we have the ability to attempt the second option and as is usually simply not the case we have the ability to attempt the first to not help them.

"So are we going to go attack them or what?" Anne asked with impatience. "If we go fight them and defeat them, then these people will be able to rebuild and fortify their town to prevent something like this from ever happening again and they can have their festival again."

Defending the town will be a perpetual engagement. We would be here all winter.
Instead we should go eliminate the threat.
My compromise is stay and defend the village just this one night.

"I guess let's defend the village tonight then go after the monsters on mount Strumpet tomorrow morning." Anne replied a moment later.

I will call them goblins. Do not see any reason to change the name. And now if you don't mind - I saw some trees nearby. You, Lucinda do not deserve to eat cold food today.

Unless any of his friends stop him, Gimdrus is going to cut some trees to make some campfire if Lucinda' s house chimney is broken. He has an arsenal of bigger and smaller axes with him.

I will go with you, my friends. I have not ventured much outside of town but you will need all the help you can get.

Anne nodded. "If there is any firewood there, I'll cast druidcraft and start a fire there. Happy to help." She said a moment later with a smile.

Help is more than welcome Gimdrus would certainly use helping hands to bring cut trees to Father Newvus' Shrine. And could share an ax with anyone strong enough for cutting.

Once enough trees cut and delivered he will ask Albo Could we stay the night at your place, should we seek any other shelter?

Lucinda brings you to the shrine. The homes of Newville are all in a state of collapse and disrepair. It is almost as if they’d simply been put together by hand and never reinforced with any structural support. Almost every home in Newville has collapsed on itself and is now little more than a pile of its component parts.

This open-aired stone shrine undoubtedly once served as a place of worship for the News, but the altar and grand statue of a portly and jolly bearded human man in a stocking cap has been stained red with frozen blood. A massive base carved to look like a winter sleigh has been broken and sits in ruin before the once jovial statue. Several News, mostly children, are milling about. Some are quietly weeping.

Small Sam is happy to see the group again. Come with me and pray Father Newvus, he will send his agents of Winter Cheer to protect and defend us, an all will turn out just fine !

Anne uses druidcraft to start a fire at the altar after the wood is placed down and sends a silent prayer that everyone will stay safe from harm and that they all stay safe during the night.