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Marge and Dog will follow suit, running for cover and averting her eyes when she hears the warning.

1 days rations deducted.

Ruwyn Hollowheart does not close her eyes, but fixes her gaze upon the ground as she crouches, head between her knees and arms over her head. She does not waste time to run to the trees, dropping into the nearest thicket or bush.

"It may be great, and I may be wee
But it won't make a stone statue of me!"

As she huddles into the shrubbery, she is obscured from sight, almost invisible in the greenery.

Valorei runs for the nearest piece of bushes or trees to hide, covering his eyes so in the of chance that this creature is the same one.

Once safe under the canopy of the tree copse, Niles can't help but look. The opportunity to see and document the creature is too tempting. After all, he reasons, the creature likely needs to be close, or at least make clear eye contact. If it isn't looking at me, I can get a glimpse of it, at least...

Dorvar will run for cover. After hiding, he will keep his eyes open, but keep his gaze low to avoid locking eyes with the creature above.

May 4, 1 VC - 10:20am

The party scatters, fleeing for whatever cover they can find, the majority fearful of even seeing what passes overhead.

The halfling Ruwyn, gazing at the ground, sees a massive shadow cross the openings between the trees as the pounding of the wings above becomes almost deafening. Gobs of viscous greenish-gold liquid fall from above, searing holes instantly through leaves and branches on their descent to the ground, leaving nothing but acrid-smelling ember-edged craters.

Niles and Dorvar catch more complete views. Through the gaps in the leaves above, they see a massive red-scaled dragon, perhaps sixty feet long from tip to tail, its belly encrusted with hundreds of glittering gems and coins, flying low in the sky as it heaves its leathery wings about to keep aloft. One of its thick forelegs is missing, the gory wound still fresh, and it coughs black smoke from its long and serpentine snout as it passes. The gobs of burning liquid are dripping from either side of that panting maw, the creature heedless of the carnage it causes, as it gives another shrieking bellow and wheels away toward the north, disappearing quickly from view along with the sound of its passage.

Varas quickly changes his underwear and staggers out from under the tree. "Where do you think THAT thing came from?"

"I'm just glad it didn't want a Lug snack," says Lug.

"So, who's got the magic stick?"

Marge stands, dusting off her robe.

"Feckin' hell."

Niles emerges, holding the earthy-stick up to show Lug. He hypothesizes with excitement rather than dread. "Interesting, indeed. Of that size it must be old, and with the waistcoat of gems it has lain long upon a fine hoard. I suspect it was not the one who lives far to the east - though my knowledge is not first hand, it is commonly held that dragons are elemental. A fire-wyrm is unlikely also a stone-wyrm. Of most interest is its freshly severed forelimb. If the easterly dragon came to explore the explosion, it would have little reason to be injured. A beast of such might, if attacked in flight, would more likely be wounded elsewhere. A severed limb is severe and specific - more likely the dragon was still, perhaps bound. So... Perhaps it was a resident or prisoner in the Dwarven halls of the Finger... It might be the cause, or effect, of the explosion."

Dorvar

The dwarf spits on the ground, shaking his head. Dragons? Why did it have to be dragons?

"Hey, should we follow its flight path? I'll bet some nice gems fell off that bastard!" exclaims Varas.

Lug looks at Varas with roughly the same expression he'd have if Varas coughed up four full-sized unicorns that proceeded to play poker.

"No."

West.

As Niles resumes his shift of stream redirection, Lug scratches his forehead and says the words all right-thinking people dread hearing from the big guy: "Hey, I've got an idea."

"It's been a couple of days since the Finger went boom," he says. "We're all healed up now, and by the time we're done with this and go back to Xavro for our reward, we might be able to move through the forest without much danger. What do you say we go check out that orc hold after all? Varas and me saw Gruuk-Darak running off north, not toward the hold. If the orcs fled the hold, they might have left loot. If they didn't, we can kill some orcs. We still got the magic incense and honey, too. Anyway, we could see for ourselves how bad the orc hold is and maybe look around for signs of my friends. "

He looks around at the others. "Whad'ya think?"

"I am still willing," offers Niles.

"Sounds as good as anything to me" replies Varas. "Though let's see what Xavro gives us for this little job first. We might need to take our stuff back to Vaul first."

He continues to look east longingly, following the path that the dragon took.

Marge snorts.

"Sure, Dog and I will follow along and watch y'all get ripped to bits by orcs or dragons or whatever the hell doesn't want you pokin' yer noses in. Sounds like fun. Just have a mind how much grub you got left. Don't want to be eatin' yer own legs off if ya get waylaid."

After Marge speaks there is a high-pitched laugh from the bushes, and Ruwyn crawls into view.

"I'm all for heading to the Finger
But please, excuse my laughter!
If I were to settle on eating my legs
I'd still be hungry after!"

1 day's ration deducted from earlier.