Having made their decision, it takes very little time for the group to get prepared for their trip. Taking enough food and supplies for a roughly three day round trio, they set out from Oleg’s with five of the captured horses and two of their wagon mounts. The wounded horse had to remain behind as it was in no fit state to carry a rider.
The pace was steady, if not as fast as some would like given the draft horses were slower mounts than the other mounts. Things were further slowed by the fact that Bergan had to ride without a saddle and was leading the way to show where the group would have to stay.
Just as the light was truly beginning to fail, he led them to a small thicket of trees near the forest but not truly part of it. ”This is where Osgred and I were camping when Happs found us. It’s a good spot, and from here we should be able to get to the main camp in a few hours tomorrow”
The small copse of trees provided shelter from the chill night, keeping the small breeze outside to a minimum. In the distance, wolves could be heard hunting by the full moon, which was in its second night of the cycle. The beasts never came close though and the night passes without incident.
Perception check DC20
The next morning as the party prepares to depart, there is a sudden shout of frustration from Lev as he finds all the arrows in his quiver have been tied together. Arianna is next to call out in surprise as she discovers the buckles on her backpack have all been stolen and she will now need to tie her pack down.
Lev
"Seems like we didn't sleep alone, and someone played with our stuff"
Elsbeth checks her bags and clothes in a haste.
"Mawj,Lev, do you see any tracks round here please ?"
Pleased that things were going so well, Lev rose early and turned to gather his gear. When he saw what had been done he stood. For the first time, his bland expression had been replaced with genuine emotion: rage.
Snapping the string that tied his arrows together, he drew his bow and nocked an arrow into it.
"It's the bloody fey!" He growled, voice tight with anger. He carefully scanned the camp, seeking any sign of the creatures.
Perception
"During the night I heard small noises every now and again, almost like children laughing and occasionally the small pitter-patter of a child’s feet. It appears we have a trickster following our camp. She ponders for a moment, "Do we have anything small or shiny we could offer as a gift? Something for them to play with would distract them from teasing us any further."
Quite enjoying the night out in the wilds with her new friends, Alandra slept soundly, not hearing anything during the night.
"We can give them the silver stag."
"I'll give them a gift. I'll let them delight in the pretty red of their blood spilling from their veins." Lev growled.
"No, the silver stag is too important." She turns in mild surprise to Lev's pronouncement, "That's quite a statement from someone who lectures others on proper conduct towards enemies. Death for tying a ribbon 'round your arrows? The feykin are numerous in these woods. I don't think we should declare war over a small prank."
Lev frowns in Mawj's direction. "I wouldn't torment them. Their deaths will be quick. To Fey, every prank is a small one, whether it's stealing your buckles or poisoning your food. Laugh at the small joke and you'll weep at the second when they decide to make things more interesting."
Mawj only
Lev only
Over near where Arianna was targeted you see similar identifying marks, but this time the tracks are a little different. It would appear as if two creatures were engaging in this behaviour
"Looks like Lev is taking the matter on a personal level, i don't like making new enemies if the matter can be talked out of troubles"
Lev
"They haven't done anything bad yet, just harmless pranks."
Anya sighed, remembering the the rumors and tales all too well. "Lev has history with the kindly ones, and well... to say he isn't fond of their sport is putting things beyond mildly." All things considered, the pranks they had suffered had been minor. Beyond minor, good natured ribbing at this point. While yes, that could change at a moment's notice, she well knew and feared the wrath of the fair folk.
"Lev, you know as well as I that grieving them over their sport is inviting more of the same. Shouldn't we act as gran told us, and make them an offer? Its better than suffering their malice for years to come" Truth be told, she wasn't sure what terrified her more - the very real prospect of misfortune, or her brother tracking down the fey, and putting the group deeper into the "practical" camp when it came to dealing with enemies. If even Mawj was calling it rough, they had to tread carefully.
|
** spoiler omitted **
Mawj
Lev listened to the comments without response and then examined the camp more carefully.
"There were two of them," he said softly. "One was definitely feykind, a Grigg. Like an insect with a bad sense of humor. Mawj? There's another I can't quite recognize. The tracks aren't on the ground, but on the trees, rocks, things like that. See?" He pointed out the tracks he had found and especially the marks he did not recognize.
Turning back to the group, he said, "Fey aren't just harmless pranksters. They may seem that way at times but they're far more dangerous than most people are aware. And I won't be their plaything."
He turned in place, looking beyond where he'd led Mawj and looked for a moment as though he were about to call out. Then Lev shook his head and, with a visible effort, forced the tension away.
"We have other things to do today. But be wary and be warned: I have no tolerance with those bastards. I can't promise to restrain my hand."
When Lev shows the others the tracks they peer closely, trying to determine what they might belong to.
Anyone with ranks in Knowledge (nature) can make a DC20 check. (Remember, no ranks means you can't attempt this one)
If successful
Knowledge (nature) .
Mawj shakes her head, "Nothing that I can pick out. For the meantime, they are just playing small jokes on us. I say we continue to the bandit camp and get away from these feykin's stomping grounds."
Elsbeth put away her weapon clearly pleased for the outcome, then she asks
"I'm glad we are calling it this time, but you are the expert Lev. Do you think they'll just watch us walk away if we don't react?"
"There's no point wasting time in pursuit of them now. We have bandits to deal with." He looked to Elsbeth. "Oh, they'll likely follow and keep an eye on us for a while. I don't think we've seen the last of them or their tricks. We've caught their interest already, else they'd not have taken your buckles. Just be wary and prepared to deal with the unexpected."
That said, Lev turned to ready for the remaining journey, checking the rest of his equipment to see if anything else was missing or tampered with.
With the decision made to leave teh campsite and not interract with their visitors, the small party quickly gathered their things and mounted for the journey. Bergan led the way, a little more subdued today than he was yesterday, staring in silent reflection as often as not.
Before long, they had found the river winding its way out of the ominous forest before it turned its path southwards. Ahead, dark forests of Oak and Beech trees clumped with thick undergrowth fills the landscape. The morning sounds of birds and other flying creatres fills the air, and along the water course, many swooping birds can be seen picking off the insects starting to breed in the warming waters.
Berfan unnerringly leads the group of explorers along a trail that has been recently cleared through the stinign nettles and thorn bushes thant grow heaily along the edge of the river at this point. They cross one small stream before stopping at the next one.
"This is where we tun off the main path and head into their camp" he states simply.
There is another pathway here, more of an old game trail than anything else, and the horses will have to be led through rather thn ridden as the surrounding foliage is too thick and would pull or scratch a rider from their mount.
As they progress deeper into the trees, following the course of the stream, small signs of recent habitation become visible. Pieces of cloth left in tatters on the clinging brambles, score marks in trees where someone obviously bored has carved a sign or some crude slang, and boot prints left in the damp soil. After nearly twenty minutes of travel the smell of smoke permeates the surrounding earthy smells of the forest, and right on the edge of hearing for most, the sounds of voices engaged in light conversation can be heard coming through the trees.
It would appear you had found the bandit camp.
"We will leave Bergan here, bound and gagged. Lev and I should scout ahead to mark enemy positions. The rest of the party should stay 40-50 feet behind us in the brush. Lev, ready to go?"
Mawj will try to approach from the southwest and hide behind the wagon to note where the bandits are located.
Stealth check
Perception check
Anya (before leaving Oleg's)
"Begging your pardon M'lady, but might I have a word with you on the quiet?" When the two of them had found a quiet place, the man had looked nervous, wringing his hands and looking at the ground while he spoke. "When those bandits first came they took something from Svetlana that is precious to her. It was her wedding ring, passed on from my own mother and her grandmother before her. Svetlana and my mother were close, specially since her own mother passed when she was only young. Now that me own mother has passed to the hallowed relams, the ring is all she has." He looked into the young noblewomans eyes then, hope held plainly in them. "When you take these others down, if you could recover Svetlana's ring it would mean the world to the girl. She's had it tough these past few months, and I think the return of the ring would see her back to her old self. I can pay for the favour miss, it just may take a month or two of selling stock to get you all of the reward. Can you help me?"
He looks at the others still getting ready before turning back to her. "I'm asking you M'lady as you seem to be the most calm of the group, possibly even leading this party. I think if you found the item and spoke for it on my behalf, the others would listen to you."
Lev helped with getting Bergan secure, squatting to check his bindings. Before putting the gag in place, he spoke.
"I'm not good with people. Doubtless you know that. I want you to know, however, that your actions today will have an impact on your future. I know you've had a rough time and if our places were reversed I might have made the same choices. All I can tell you is that I will remember what you've done and if you continue to be straight with us, your position will improve."
Looking the lad in the eye, he continued softly. "You have no way of knowing this but we are in a position to create something in these wilds. A place for people like me, even her." He gestured to Mawj. "Perhaps a place for you too. A free place for us all. I know this is difficult for you but your suffering is not for nothing."
Lev gave Bergan a chance to speak and then settled the gag in place.
Standing straight again, he turned to Mawj. "Let's see what we can see. Are you and I moving in together, or shall we risk going individually?"
Elsbeth, Before leaving Oleg's
The young Brevian girl looked up over her cup, a moment of indecision printed clearly on her features before she sighed deeply and asked the question that had been bothering her. "Before the bandits came, there was a young couple who had moved down this way. Chresten was a hunter, and had brought his family down from the northern forests to get out from under the ever tightening yolk of the Nobility up that way. His wifes name was Lotta and they had a young child with them, a beautiful little boy named Tristan. Just before the winter, Chresten had come to buy some medicines for the little boy, he had developed a cough and he was worried since the colder months were coming in. We haven't heard from them since the winter due to the troubles we've had here and the weather itself."
She paused and sips at her tea some more before continuing. "When you've dealt with these bandits miss, do you think you and your friends could drop in on Chresten and his family? They have a little cottage in the forest to the south, just beyond the borders of the woods edge. The path is clearly marked once you pass the big Ash tree. You'll know it when you come to it ma'am. I'm worried for them, especially if the bandits have found them too. If they need help, then I'd like to know. Those of us living on the frontier here tend to stick together."
She is quiet then, waiting to see how Elsbeth will respond.
"I was expecting the two of us to scout ahead, and the rest of the party to follow shortly behind and out of sight."
"I was expecting the two of us to scout ahead, and the rest of the party to follow shortly behind and out of sight."
"Yes, I understood that. My question is, would you prefer that you and I scout together, or approach the camp from different directions and so evaluate matters from different positions?"
Alandra has been quiet for most of the morning, becoming more tense with worry as they approach the bandit camp.
"Perhaps a place for you too. A free place for us all. I know this is difficult for you but your suffering is not for nothing."
When Lev says this she perks up for a moment and looks at him intently. When Lev steps away Alandra approaches Bergan.
"I know what its like to be mixed up with bad people." she says to him quietly. "It doesn't mean your'e bad."
"To Pharasma we are all the same. We are born and we die."
Arianna aproaches Lev an Mawj before they leave camp and says "Would you care for another set of eyes on the camp? I may not ne a skilled forester, as you are, but I'm pretty good at moving about without being seen or heard."
"I would prefer us scout together. That way if we are discovered, we can assist each other in escaping." She turns to Arianna, "If you feel capable, you are welcome to join us. Three archers taking cover behind the wagon, with two spellcasters in support, should be quite the assault team."
"That works for me. Let's be off, then."
While the group were approaching Elsbeth felt her heart beating loud and louder with every foot they were traveling. She doesn't want to face such men, not after seeing what they were going to do to Svetlana. Sure, she knows humans , but she is used to pompous idiots that smile in your face while planning your death by someone's else hands. She was caught totally unprepared that day.....
Then she realizes the others are getting ready to ambush the bandits, not the best time for her to fall prey to her doubts.After shaking slightly her head she says:
" I suck at stealth or tumbling, i'll surely have us discovered before time. But i have an effective attack range of about 100 foot,so maybe it is best i follow you from afar,waiting for you to have engaged them. Before you go,if you prefer i can give someone a magic field of protection,but for each one i cast i'll diminish my attack capabilities;you tell me"
While the group were approaching Elsbeth felt her heart beating loud and louder with every foot they were traveling. She doesn't want to face such men, not after seeing what they were going to do to Svetlana. Sure, she knows humans , but she is used to pompous idiots that smile in your face while planning your death by someone's else hands. She was caught totally unprepared that day.....
Then she realizes the others are getting ready to ambush the bandits, not the best time for her to fall prey to her doubts.After shaking slightly her head she says:
" I suck at stealth or tumbling, i'll surely have us discovered before time. But i have an effective attack range of about 100 foot,so maybe it is best i follow you from afar,waiting for you to have engaged them. Before you go,if you prefer i can give someone a magic field of protection,but for each one i cast i'll diminish my attack capabilities;you tell me"
" I suck at stealth or tumbling, i'll surely have us discovered before time. But i have an effective attack range of about 100 foot,so maybe it is best i follow you from afar,waiting for you to have engaged them. Before you go,if you prefer i can give someone a magic field of protection,but for each one i cast i'll diminish my attack capabilities;you tell me"
"Understood, Elsbeth. That's why the three of us are going forward while the rest of you stay back. We'll attempt to keep out of sight and get an idea of how many are actually there, whether any are on watch, whatever information we can gather. If we can successfully do so without getting caught, we'll return and tell the rest of you what we know and plan accordingly."
DM
His comments and slight flattery didn't fall on deaf ears either. There was nothing to be said. "I will see to it that any rings we recover are held back, and I'll see if your Heirloom can be found." She tried to come across hopeful, but... the next bit was going to be a little less encouraging. "I can't promise we'll find anything - but I'll do my utmost. You have my word on it."
Anya nodded at Lev's plan. It seemed sound enough, even though she was a little sceptical about the risk of losing the element of surprise if the scouting party was discovered. "I think the plan is good. Be careful not to get caught, though - we'll be well away, and you might need to fend for yourselves."
Towards Alandra, who seemed to also be somewhat sympathetic to their prisoner, she added "We should consider a way to deal with Bergan. Leving him bound here is risky, in my mind. Not only because a bear might think of him as a snack, but also because, I'm a little afraid he might take this as confirmation of us being no better than the bandits."
Arianna upon hearing Anya's words, draws a dagger and tosses it at the bound man's feet.
"use that to free yourself once we're gone. Then run, run like all the devils in Hell are on your trail. For if I ever see you again I will kill you. Go and sin no more"
As the group begins to scout the bandit camp Arianna will string her bow and nock an arrow as she moves about the camp.
Stealth check for Reconning the camp:
"Now is your chance to change your life, make the best of it."
"use that to free yourself once we're gone. Then run, run like all the devils in Hell are on your trail. For if I ever see you again I will kill you. Go and sin no more"
"Wait. Who are you to make such a decision without the rest of the group's involvement? To send him out into the wilderness with nothing but a knife to survive with? You might as well hand him back to the bandits. I will not allow this, not without an opportunity to discuss it further. I'll be damned if, after this lad has done what we've asked of him, I'll see him left out to either be slaughter or fall into bad company again."
Lev turns back and goes to pick up the knife. "We either work as a group or not at all."
Lev, Mawj and Arianna make their way stalthily towards the sounds of the camp, crossing the small stream some 40 meters (120feet) from the camp before coming up on its western side. Arianna is impressive in teh woods, especially since she was raised in a city. Her natural instincts for shadow and stepping quietly make her almost impossible to detect in the shadowy light and thick foliage. Mawj and Lev are silent too, but nothing like this shadow from the streets.
Eventually the trio make it to their destination, a small wagon near the creek bed that provides cover and allows them to view the campsight through the trees. Mawj and Arianna run to the back of the wagon, crouching into its shadow the get a look at things. Lev is about to cross with them when he spots a man crouching on a platform high in the trees. He seems to be engged in stringing his bow at the moment and hasn't seen the three of them yet, but Lev stops moving and sinks into the nearby leaves just in case.
Arianna spots the second man, he is in the platform nearest the trio, his back to them as he stares into the woods nearby. They all breathe a sigh of relief as they realise ho lucky they have been not be spotted from here.
Mawj's elven eyes pick out the details of camp clearly, spotting 4 men either standing or sitting around the camp fire engaged in idle chatter. Three of them appear to playing cards while the fourth is standing and watching something cook on the fire. There is no sign of the woman Kressle.
Lev made careful note of each man's position, counting them silently and then turned and made his way back, keeping low and moving as quietly as possible to avoid notice.
Once back where he left the others, he described what he'd seen.
"Two options seem obvious. We either try to use what we know to sneak in, or we can go in as though we're the other bandits returning. Any other options? What do the rest of you think?"
Anya nodded as her brother made his concerns known. Arianna was stepping somewhat out of line, and her damnation of the man who, for all apeareances, was serious about repenting was troubling. "Alright, here's what we'll do. First of all, its horrible to discuss a man's fate within earshot, and not give him a voice."
She gently pulled down the gag, and made a "hush" sign with her finger pressed against her lips. "In a decent voice, of course." She briefly crossed her arms before her chest, went through her options. "How about this? We leave you here, unbound but by your word. You even get to keep the dagger. But if we don't find you here when we return, or at worst at Oleg's peacefully, you better not meet us ever again. If you are still here... congratulations, you made a big step forward."
Her eyes locked with Arianna for a moment, almost challengijng her. "What do all of you think?"
" I don't see how we can cheat them into believing we are their companions, we are almost all women...also i'm worried for the absence of that girl-leader Bergen spoke of. What if she is scouting 'round here and suddenly comes back?"
"I didn't wanted him to come with us in first place,and i surely don't like the idea of setting him free, even giving him a knife"
Elsbeth can't restrain herself from staring into the man's eyes with a glacial, full of hate, glare.
"If all of you really want to let him go, we could as well do it when we are sure he cannot backstab us "