TTB: C1E18 - A Fork in the Road Report
General Summary
Having met up at the Spouting Fish, our heroes discussed what to do next. Ceasar Andit opened by informing the group that he was going to have to head west in the coming days to deal with an urgent family matter. He offerred to complete the investigation into the slavers that night and the next day before doing so, but cautioned that he could not stay longer. The rest of the group discussed in more detail where it was Ceasar needed to be going (Elturel) and how best to get there. At the end of that discussion, Urirel Naïlo chimed in to let them know that she also had a matter of a more personal nature to take care of. Enwyn Goodwe's information about an orcish incursion in northern Cormanthor was weighing heavily on her and she would be leaving to join the rest of the elves in investigating and combatting whatever this threat was. She agreed to stay with the group until they headed west. With that discussion concluded, the group turned their attention to the matter of infiltrating the slavers. Ceasar decided to act as bait and came up with a sob story about his recently departed wife who was murdered by a horse. The others decided to take up various positions of support - Chance would disguise himself and join Ceasar inside the Dragon's Tail Pub, Katrina Runesong and Uri would take up positions outside the pub to watch for Ceasar to exit, and DIGE would pre-position himself along a determined route that Ceasar planned to lead his "captor" along when leaving. After a couple of hours of working to lure Mesym Bourne into targetting him, Ceasar was successful. At a secluded table Mesym explained that he tries to help those who are truly downtrodden in Scardale Town and that he could help Ceasar find honest pay, as well as put him up for a time in a room he keeps at the Singing Siren. When Ceasar agreed to this, they shook hands and Ceasar deftly noticed and avoided a ring that Mesym wore that seemed to be intended to poison or drug Ceasar in some way. Leaving the Dragon's Tail, Ceasar feigned growing inebriation as Mesym led him to the Singing Siren. The rest of the group stealthily followed. At the Singing Siren, Mesym sequestered Ceasar in a room and locked him inside. A couple of hours later he returned with two ruffians and an abvious attempt to take Ceasar somewhere while he was unconcious. The rest of the group had already touched base with Ceasar and arranged an ambush so they made short work of Mesym's thugs and then forced him to surrunder to them. In the ensuing interrogation they learned that Mesym would take his victims to a camp inside a cave in the escarpment north-east of Scardale Town. This camp houses about 12 bandits and is further detailed in Mesym's Camp. They also learned of a larger Slaver Camp that houses about 40 individuals, including 2-5 Red Wizards of Thay at any given time. Ultimately, the slaves from Scardale, along with ones from across the Dragon's Reach in Raven's Bluff are taken to that larger distribution hub before being transported north by river to the Moonsea and beyond.
Missions/Quests Completed
The PCs successfully lured Mesym Bourne into an ambush at the Singing Siren and captured him. In the ensuing interrogation they learned many details about the slaving operation being run by the Red Wizards of Thay in the Dalelands.
