Episode 1: A Helping Hand

The interior of the farmhouse is a mess, with obvious signs of a struggle. The chairs are overtuned, baskets and other furnishings scattered across the wooden floor. A table lies smashed in half and splintered. There are two beds, one larger than the other, that appear untouched. There are a number of closed containers on the shelves that also appear to have survived the struggle.

The hearth is cold with spent wood. A spoiled and rotted stew is crusted within an iron pot.

Scrubbing out the iron pot and sweeping the fireplace took little effort and time. However, starting the fire proved a bit more complicated as the wood seemingly refused to take the sparks from Parallel's tinder. The halfling tried cupping the grasses to create a flame, but the forces of nature conspired against him for the better part of an hour.

Finally, Parallel managed to coax the flames forth and bring the hearth back to life. By this time, the sun has set and darkness fills the depths until it surrounds the farmhouse like a cloak. The light of the fire warms the interior of the building despite the ruin, and soon the iron pot bubbles with the simple meal.

Jandral finds that aside from the ambient glow of the fire within, there is little to illuminate their surroundings. The stars and moon are hidden by the canopy, and even his darkvision seems to strain when picking out details of the outdoors. The forest is quiet, and Jandral can only hear his companions inside the house.

Jandral's first watch is uneventful. The forest is very quiet, so much that the faint crack of the fire and shifting of his companions inside the farmhouse seem so loud. The air is rather chilly, forcing Jandral to bundle up.

He does not see anything beyond the dark, and nothing moves about the trees within range of his darkvision.

Golwen does not see anything in the darkness of night. It is still a bit cold, and the thought of the fire inside proves a bit distracting. However, Golwen and Rhevia do not ignore their duties and maintain their vigilance.

A tad exhausted from a restless slumber, Rhodrick can't help but yawn as he stands watch. Lacking the benefit of darkvision, he has to rely on the ambient light from the fire inside the house to get his bearings of the forest. Still, despite the difficulty, he sees nothing out of place.

Inside the farmhouse, Parallel and Tordek continue their slumber with the others.

Rhodrick remembers that Haesh volunteered to stand guard for third watch, and wakes the man to assume fourth watch. Though it's later than Haesh expected, he dutifully steps outside and keep an eye on the surroundings.

Perhaps having rested a tad longer, Haesh feels refreshed and alert. As he scans the perimeter from the porch, he notes how the ambient light makes it seem like the tree trunks are tall elongated people. It's rather creepy, and the more he looks at them, the more it seems like this forest is watching him just as much.

And then, in the far periphery of his vision, at the farthest edge of the light approximately 30 feet out, one of the trees moves to step behind another.