{{Yes, I am glad to see the story go on. :3 We've got great roleplayers in this group, and a batch of very interesting characters.}}<br/><br/>{{I came across a rule on the internet that I liked, so let's use it: All characters receive the<a class="postlink" href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#powerAttack">Power Attack</a>and<a class="postlink" href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#combatExpertise">Combat Expertise</a>feats for free. If your character has already purchased either of these feats, you may now select something different. Elusive (a homebrew feat with no prerequisites that gives a +6 bonus to escape rolls) might come in handy.}}<br/><br/>{{A large expository post describing the party's arrival at the fort is in the works, I will post it as soon as its finished (likely by tomorrow)}}<br/><br/><br/><br/>"Oh..." says Nocke as the shimmering aura enters his body. "this... feels...odd." He tries to remain calm and not resist the forces that are shrinking away his mass, even as he watches the ground rush up to meet him and soon must look up to see Chrrou's face. His branches and roots fold together as they shrink and form into a pair of wings and thin talons; his gnarled trunk softens and sprouts plumage; his sap transmutes to blood and heartwood to organs and hollow bones; his needles gather and flatten to become flight feathers. In six seconds the bizarre transmutation is complete and the aura fades, leaving only a hole in the soil where once stood a towering pine.<br/><br/>Out of that hole hops a tiny songbird with a brown body and green wings.<span style="font-style: italic">"Twee-eet!-eet!"</span>he chirps as he flutters around clumsily.<span style="font-style: italic">"-eet!-eet! Tweet! Twee-eet-eet-Twee-eet-eet!"</span>After seven decades of being firmly rooted to the ground, Nocke is amazed by the lightness of his new body. Chirping excitedly he flies about, hovering and swooping and circling around Geno's and Chrrou's and Sen's heads. Finally he finds a spot on Chrrou's shoulder and perches there as the party heads uphill.