Shaddeck indicates that it may be a bit cooler in the mountains, particularly at night, but that during the summer it should not require any special clothing.
Extra food supplies are arranged and the group sets out still several hours before noon. The trail is not too difficult to follow and after about an hour there are virtually no signs of civilization. The foothills of the mountains are rocky and covered in pine and scrub brush. As you slowly rise in elevation, you occasionally get wonderful panoramic views of the plains to the east and the Floating Forest to the south.
The suns sets over the mountains and it grows dark quickly among the pines. The group settles into a small, flat patch of clear ground between some trees. During the daytime, there had been little evidence of the dangerous creatures that Shaddeck alluded to. With night falling, however, sounds start to carry through the area - the shriek of a small bird or animal cut short, the howling of wolves, and the moaning of the wind through stony gulches.
Watches are posted and everyone does their best to get a bit of sleep. It is during Danwyn's watch that a couple birds are startled out of a nearby pine - flapping noisily through the branches. In the dim moonlight, Danwyn strains to see anything among the shadows. For just a brief moment, he spots a darker patch of shadow slip from tree to tree among the brush. Moments later, he sees a glimpse of movement again, a bit further along. Either something is circling the camp, or there are multiple creatures out there.
(ooc - Danwyn can guess that the creature(s) is at least 100' away. Size is difficult to discern, but it's bigger than a dog and smaller than an elephant. Help any?
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