Session 2: The Bandit's Camp Report
General Summary
The bandit attack was over, and the heroes took some time to rest.
Governor Nighthill approached the party that was in still the castle with a request:
Locate the bandit's camp
Find out how many there are
Find out who is leading them
Find out the reason behind the raid
Find out where's their next target
If possible, recover any valuables that were stolen from Greenest
The party accepted, and was granted a bundle of supplies which included rations and 6 potions of healing.
In town, they are able to barter for extra supplies with a merchant and before they set out, they are approached by an injured monk named Nesim Waladra.
Nesim overheard the party discuss seeking out the bandit's camp and pleads for them to keep an eye out for his master, Leosim Erlanthar. Leosim has valuable information about these raiders but was seemingly captured during the raid.
Stragglers
Following the tracks from last night's raiders Southwards took a while, and eventually the Heroes notice a plume of smoke in the distance. Approaching cautiously as the day grew darker, they spot a group of raiders and their kobold lackeys. However, they also noticed that the kobolds and raiders did not seem to get along, as the raiders kept bullying the small lizards, teasing them with food they couldn't reach, and laughing at how useless they are.
A plan was formed, and
Renwick of Three Rivers managed to sneak up close enough to snatch the mercenaries' weapons that lay against a nearby rock. Meanwhile,
Brother Zedrick Brightforge used his Divine-granted gifts to further cause a rift between the two groups, riling up Kobold and Mercenary alike against each other.
But when tensions escalate, Renwick is discovered! The paladin acts quickly, discarding the weapons and charging the nearest mercenary, cleaving him in half! Zedrick approached the group and demanded their surrender in an unsettling booming voice. The three bandits, shocked at what had happened, quickly surrendered, leading the kobolds to scatter in all directions never be seen again.
Nimira Reef assisted in the interrogation, charming the bandit before her into spilling all information he held.
They learned:
The black dragon lady is in charge of everything
The blue dragon man and the lady in purple seemed to manage things as well
The camp is but a few miles away, south
It is standard practice to leave a rearguard on the way
The rearguard's possible location
Prisoners have been taken
Satisfied with the information, Brother Zedrick suggests the party start heading back while he dispenses justice in the name of Tyr as His Justiciar.
The Rearguard
It was but a matter of time the party identifies the perfect ambush place for the rearguard. As they approach, keeping an eye out, they notice movement atop the rocky bluffs that surround the path southwards. These people were not dressed like the raiders in town, but in similar (but not identical) black leather tunics with flared, black mantles. One of them even wears a mask with some ornaments. Nimira recognizes these motifs from a book she read before and warns the party that these are likely to be part of the
Cult of the Dragon..
Undeterred, the Heroes decide to cull this evil and they ambush the ambushers, taking advantage that half the enemies were across the small cliff. They surprise the ambushers, whose attention was solely down on the path, and manage to kill a few in the confusion before they are able to retaliate. There is a vicious exchange of blows, blood and fire flying in all directions. Renwick and Zedrick eventually jump down on two cultists that tried to climb down the cliff to reach them, while Nimira sets her targets ablaze with expertise.
Myrna Stoutheart receives a particular harmful crossbow bolt to her shoulder, which sends her into a rage, and she jumps across the cliff, using the shoulders of the cultist below to close the distance and attack the masked ruffian. It is a deadly fight, and the nearby acolyte seems to be magically enhancing the masked leader. Nimira manages to defeat this occult spellcaster, giving the upper hand to Myrna and Zedrick, the latter bringing down his warhammer upon the enemy, killing him.
Amidst the bodies of the fallen, they find a sword, and a scroll.
Victorious, but tired and hurt, the party seeks shelter on a nearby rocky bluff, though they can see plumes of smoke from beyond a plateau. Finding a dank cave, the party settles down for the night, taking turns to keep watch with Nimira being the first on the lookout.
Rewards Granted
A quality longsword with a dragon engraved upon the base of the blade
A magical scroll
