Day Five: A friendly encounter

Starting stats: EXP - 5, COM - 5
 
Exploration cards: 4 hearts, 3 hearts, 9 diamonds, 8 diamonds, Q hearts
 
someone who wants something - machine part, person related to calling, massive skeleton - bandit camp, Village - gargoyled into rafters, medium rook
 
The Rookling seemed a little sad, though I'm not sure how it managed this feat, being made of stone. I wonder if it missed the other Rookling, it had only been with us for a few hours before we were carted off by the gargoyle. I patted it on it's head, and it perked up a little bit, flapping that stupid drawbridge at me. I smiled and set off with a determined stride, well as much of a stride as one can maintain in a swamp, it was probably more of a trudge, but it was a purposeful trudge. As we walked I tried to see if I could pick out any landmarks that may match those on my map, but wasn't having much luck. To be honest map reading wasn't really one of my strong suits. I was upon the village almost before I realised, so engrossed was I in the map. I looked up and noticed the low peaked tents, there hide construction making them almost camouflaged, then I noticed the people. There were only a few of them, but they were congregated together and watching my approach, talking animatedly amongst themselves.
 
I approached in a casual non-threatening manner, and when I was in ear-shot, I shouted out a friendly greeting. They stopped talking but didn't make any threatening moves so I continued my way up to them. I exclaimed how it had been several days since I had seen a friendly face, and their village was a welcome respite from the wilderness. People say I have an affable nature, and I could see the villagers relax at my words and genuine smile.
They greeted me and asked what I was doing wandering around the swamps on my own. I pointed at my little companion, indicating I was not on my own, they eyed it warily but it was on it's behaviour and just stood there quietly. I explained briefly about my quest to find the Dragon Rook, and they looked at me in a mixture of wonderment and bemusement. They offered to let me stay the night if I wished and I gladly took them up on this offer. During an evening meal of steamed fish, roasted snake and water tubers, one of the villagers approached me. A young lady who seemed rather upset, she asked if I was one of those hunters she had heard about. I explained that I was more of an adventurer, but had managed to bring down 2 Rooks so far.
 
She looked impressed and then told me of her brother who had been taken by some bandits which had recently set up camp in the region. She asked me if I would be able to find him and bring him back. I told her that I would try, but I had no knowledge of this region. She said that there was a giant skeleton about a half days travel to the south-west, it was rumoured that the bandits had holed up there. No one knew why they had come, the villages in this region weren't exactly overflowing with coin or treasure, nor why they were kidnapping young men. I said I would do my best to bring her brother home. she said that she had overheard me talking with the others when I arrived and that her brother may be able to help me with my quest. I pressed her for more information but she said it would be better if her brother told me himself. I think she just wanted to give me more incentive to find him, and who could blame her really. I probably would have done the same.
 
The next morning we head off to find this giant skeleton the woman spoke of, about midday I noticed what looked like tall white trees in the distance, appearing and disappearing from view as i moved through the trees around me. As I drew closer and the trees thinned out even more, I realised that this must be the skeleton, and the trees were actually the huge bones of it's ribcage. I gaped in amazement, this thing was huge. The sound of voices approaching snapped me out of stupor, people were coming! I looked around hurriedly for somewhere to hide, A partially hollow, fallen tree trunk served as a good hidey hole. A few long moments later, I saw a group of rough looking individuals go by, they were jeering and jesting amongst themselves, I held my breath and kept very still as they went by. The Rookling also hunkered down quietly next to me. I noticed that their weapons seemed crudely made, although still capable of delivering death.
 
I stayed where I was for a few minutes after they had gone by and then crawled out of my hiding place, brushing dirt and leaves from clothes, I was quite soggy now as well. I sighed and moved cautiously in the direction the bandits had come from, before long I could make out a rough camp in the middle of the ribcage, ~A whole camp could fit inside it!~ I snuck closer and did a large circuit around the camp, There were five tents loosely circling a wooden enclosure made from wooden stakes. There people inside, though I couldn't make out how many. I settled down for a little bit to watch, from what I could see there were only two bandits left to guard the camp. Sure that I could mange two bandits after fighting those Rooks, I decided to strike before their companions came back.
 
Stats unchanged. - 2 melee fighters who want to steal my stoof.