The night passes quietly.
The temperature drops down to around freezing overnight, and the clouds thicken. November 13th arrives with a gray dawn and a cold, rising wind out of the south. Soon after you set out this morning, it begins to sleet and hail on you. The wind chill makes the temperature feel like 1F.
Beginning with this morning, Ayazin keeps one eye out for a hawk or similar bird of prey that he can make Animal Friends with.
Along similar lines, you note that the umpleby is no longer with you...and that Raz's air force has departed as well.
Back on the road, you make increasingly poor time as the day progresses and the mud melts, turing the way into a sticky quagmire. However, by late morning you see a collection of scruffy fields and pastures ahead...indicative that you are approaching a village or town.
Soon after you see this, you hear something overhead...and suddenly three manticores swoop down at you out of the gloom, bent on showering you with spikes!
"What is this country just made up of these things..."
Kelar launches a magic missile at one of them and draws his scimitars.
Illyana fires her bow at the manticores. If they actually land, then she'll use her two handed sword. "Magic anyone?"
Raz nods in concentration and fires off a series of magic missles at the creatures (all three spells).
Tassier will fire two magic missle spells into one of the manticores.
He will then draw his sword and move forward to attack.
Beth starts to fire off a lightning bolt.
Humphrey also fires his bow at the Manticores.
Sharone raises her shield to give her protection from the barrage of spikes, and prepares a ' spiritual hammer ' which she will cast when the manticores are in range.
Ayazin casts Barkskin on himself and then readies a javelin to hurl at the manticores.
Britan raises his shield to protect himself and readies his lance.
"Come on you flying pest come down and taste steel and wood."
As the magic user's missiles go off, the air is suddenly filled with spikes, as the manticores strafe you. You also note that they have crosses branded on the undersides of their bat-like wings...and swastikas branded on their flanks.
Tassier takes two hits for a grand total of five hit points. He gets his spells off...the second one a segment late...and singes a manticore.
Banquo is skewered for 1 hit point.
Raz is also hit for a grand total of 9 hit points...but his spells fly true and he shoots down one monster and hurts another.
Ayazin is hit for two hit points and his spell is spoiled.
Beth is struck for 5 hit points by a spike and her lightning bolt is ruined.
Kelar's two missiles slam into the manticore that Tassier hit.
Illyana's two arrows easily strike a monster, tearing a wing, as does Humphrey into the other manticore.
Ayazin's javelin misses badly.
McTavish unloads his heavy crossbow and tears open a gash across one of the manticore's hindquarters.
The two remaining manticores are circling around some distance to the east-northeast of you...lining up for another strafing run...
Banquo growls, "You little bastard! I just had that tunic cleaned."
With that he pulls out a throwing dagger and prepares to try for a belly shot as the manticores strafe you again.
"Well Gee these guys are a little smarter than the last ones."
Kelar prepares to cast his other magic missle spell.
Tassier turns invisible.
Beth casts "shield" on herself as soon as possible, and then immediately fires off a magic missile spell.
Raz waves his hands again and mutters the appropriate incantation to launch a lightning spell at the creatures...forking it so as to hit both of them.
Britan moves closer to Raz in case the manticores try to attack him while he is weaving his magic. Britan raises his shield and take any attack directed toward Raz so as not to interupt his spells.
"Well Raz I can't get to them but let them taste your magic."
Still concentrating, Raz gives Britan a brief nod in thanks as he finishes his spell.
Farad prepares to cast a lightning bolt also, forked to strike both of them.
Humphrey fires his bow twice.
Illyana looks around the road, then dives for cover behind McTavish's wagon.
"I'm not even back a day and I've got to start rolling around in the mud again.. sigh."
"Damned crossbow," mutters the dwarf, as he reloads, "Don't know why I keep the stupid thing."
This time you are ready for the manticores as they complete their turn and begin the next strafing run. You open fire long before they are close enough to loose their next volleys of spikes with deadly consequences. Beth's magic missile leaves one of them trailing blood...then Raz and Farad release their lightning bolts together in a dazzling display of coordinated electricity that leaves your ears ringing from the crackling thunder. The monsters are blown to pieces...showering the road before you with gore.
Kelar saves his magic missile, and the rest of you hold off on your arrows and daggers.
With that little conflict out of the way, you continue down the increasingly muddy road, and an hour later come to the thorp of Baronia.
A sorry little farming settlement, it has seen better days, as have most of the places that you have visited in this forsaken land. Unwalled, Baronia is a collection of wood and mud-walled huts for the most part, with a few more substantial buildings interspersed here and there. The largest of these appears to be a monastery.
At your approach, out of a tiny little shack that serves as a guard house come a pair of half orcs in patched leathers. They signal you to stop, so you do.
"Good morning an' welcome to Baronia, the Duck Fat Capitol of Nolthen," says one of them, as the other nods and holds a clipboard. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"
Britan looks down on the little ugly pig face orcs, then mumbles, "Duck fat, what a title."
"We're very proud of it," replies the half orc. "It's our claim to fame."
Raz looks the half-orcs over...fantasizing about how they would look barbecued..and then says, "We're just passing through the area. May buy some supplies and stay the night."
"Of course," replies the half-orc while his companion takes notes. "You can stay for as long as you like. Where are you bound?"
"Nowhere in particular. Just kind of traveling the country side." replies Kelar.
Britan looks down at the little abomanations to nature and adds, "Just traveling taking in the sights and having a little fun along the way is all."
"Aye, it's a wonderful time o' year fer a hollyday," the half orc says, glancing around at the sullen grey landscape covered in slushy snow, and at the hail and sleet pelting down on all of you. "Alright, have a nice day!"
He and his companion retreat back into the shack, and you continue into town.
As previously described, there is not much to Baronia...not even an inn. There are, however, quite a few ducks running around. The few people you pass all appear to have orcish blood in them. The monastery is devoted to Asmodeus.
In the centre of town is an almost deserted market square, with the obligatory signpost in the centre of it...
NE: To Frawnaford, Castle Braboth.
SW: To Dispairia, Shruddup.
Tassier says, "Let's keep moving, there is no need to stay here, is there?"
You move on.
Reaching the northeast side of Baronia, you again encounter a pair of half-orc guards and repeat the same series of questions again, before they give you leave to leave.
The afternoon passes uneventfully, and the precipitation finally peters out soon after lunch.
The night is quiet.