Sometime after midnight you are all awakened by Illyana and kelar, who had been taking their turn on watch. The rain has stopped, and the stars shine down brilliantly on you through the treetops. The night air is quite chilly.
You immediately know why you have been awakened...as you hear a loud scuttling and crashing through the underbrush...very close to your camp, now...and getting closer.
The horses on their tethers whinney nervously.
Suddenly three enormous beetles come charging into view. They are each about 4' long.
"Aw, hell!" exclaims McTavish, jumping out of his bedroll and taking up his longsword and shield. He wears nothing else but for a bright red coloured set of Dr. Dentons.
"Letskill!" he yells, and the blade of his longsword bursts into flames, as he moves to attack.
Launching to his feet in a hurry, Raz conjures a bolt of lightning and directs it towards the nearest attacking beetle.
Humphrey takes out his swords and moves to attack.
"Damn it all" say Britan, leaping to his feet and grabing his longsword and sheild.
"Its BUG TRASHING TIME" As Britan Moves into position to attack the first bug that comes into range.
"Sounds Good" Pillar yells as he attacks one with his flail, a shield in his other hand and a black underrobe.
Raz's lightning bolt goes off...blowing a beetle to pieces.
McTavish lands a perfect hit on the next beetle, killing it with a single blow.
Humphrey dodges in and misses badly with his first attack. The beetle misses him with its attack, though, and the fighter connects with his second attack, crunching it shell. Britan attacks from the other side but misses.
Pillar is unable to maneuver into attack position...there are too many people in the way.
The beetle turns on Humphrey but he dodges out of its way as he strikes it again with his sword and kills it.
The rest of the night is quiet.
The day is sunny and warmer...though still cooler than it would be at this time of year in Sandas. As you are now several hundred miles north of there, though, this is to be expected.
You continue on your trek.
After a quiet morning, you come to an intersection of trails at noontime. You are now directly south of Su El, and a path winds up the hillside while this trail continues east.
The signpost crew has been by here as well...
North: To Su El.
Southeast: To Traton.
Southwest: To Adford.
"Traton is a ruined town on the Mississippi River," McTavish says, before turning his wagon up the hill.
It is a long, slow climb up the winding trail with the wagon. The path zig-zags its way through the forest. It is evening twilight when you finally reach the ridgetop that leads to the summit of the hill. Before you is the peak of Su El, and atop it is the ruin that you saw earlier.
"Do you want to camp here for the night?" the dwarf asks, "Or do you want to move into the ruin?"
"Let's camp out here. No point in running any unnecessary risks by going in at night our first time." says Illyana.
"We may as well camp here tonight and get a fresh start in the morning. Everyone make sure you have plenty of water. If we find a trap that blocks off our exit, I don't want nourishment to be a worry."
You set up camp on the lee side of the ridge. Searching about, you find a small brook that flows down the north side.