So that "tomorrow" thing didn't quite work out...but here it comes anyways. Better late than never.
Episode 1, "But, come on, just think, A GIANT BALL OF COPPER!"
The prospective gang of bandits has decided that their first order of business is the need of a base of operations. The city of Jiyan has some seedier parts, particularly along the western bank of the river, but they still don't feel particularly comfortable with the idea of hauling contraband and stolen goods into the city on a (hopefully) regular basis. While trying to covertly dig up information about any abandoned buildings or even caves in the nearby jungle, they happen upon the information that a rather small green dragon has set up a lair along keril stream, about a mile and a half northwest of town. The ranger that they learn this from is unwilling to show them it's location personally, he barely got out alive the first time, but they do learn the general location and decide to check it out and try to evict the current resident.
They travel up the highway for a stretch then set off into the trackless jungle, wary towards the possibility of an agressive and sharptoothed denizen thereof. They are a bit surprised when, amid a sudden cacophony of screeches and howls, ten small monkeys leap down from overhead trees and attack them! The battle lasts four rounds, and a few notable events occur. Duzair misses his first two mighty swings of his flail, but the monkeys attacking him fail to successfully gnaw his legs off at the shins, as seems to be their objective judging by what two others are doing to Theravin (three hits, one critical, resulting in a 30% HP loss in two rounds against a pair of monkeys). Duzair lands a solid hit, only after Tesa hops over to "show him how it's done" by skewering her third monkey on her rapier right in front of him; she narrowly avoids the splatter of monkey guts as he finally hits with his flail, rolling max damage. She sticks her tongue out at him before going to rescue the drow from the other monkeys. Bixby discovered that melee isn't his strong point as his first hit (for max damage no less) failed to even stun a monkey, but then Butch, his riding dog, authoritatively bit it's head off and that was apparently sufficiently satisfoctory.
Once everything settles down Tesa loudly proclaims herself to be the "great monkey slayer" and Duzair heals Theravin's torn up shins with a wand, suggesting that he not get beaten up by monkeys again. Just as the group is calming down and reorienting themselves, they hear a voice from the foliage beckoning them. The voice reveals itself to be a black wyrmling dragon, barely larger than one of the monkeys they just fought, who identifies herself as Pegabi and has followed them long enough to figure out their intentions towards the green. Tesa immediately bursts out with "Awww, lookit the cute little dragon!" "Peg" chooses to ignore the catfolk as she offers her assistance in getting rid of him as long as they promise to stay well out of her swamp, which is a short distance upstream from the green's lair; she seems to have been having some territorial disputes with the green.
A plan is formed as Peg leads the group to the lair of the green. A slight mound shelters a small cave entrance about fourty feet before the ground goes into a nearly sheer drop down to the stream some twenty feet down. Tesa and Likai sneak ahead to either side of the entrance as Tank, carrying Bixbi, climbs a tree and swings over on a vine, landing on top of the cave. Peg decides that everything is set up enough and approaches in the open, shouting a stream of insults, challenges, and untranslatable curses in draconic. Bixbi, the only party member who understands the language, visibly flinches at the vulgarity of the words emerging from the tiny dragon, but they get the desired effect. The green, notably larger than Peg, emerges and moves straight towards her, intending to make her eat those words, but he doesn't notice the ambushers nearby! He is taken in the shoulder by a crossbow bolt and receives a kama strike to the opposite flank. Bixbi hits with a ray of enfeeblement, but it has little effect, and Tank leaps down swinging his axe but only lands a glancing blow. The small dragon is hurt but not down yet, as he whirls around and breathes a cloud of corrosive gas all over Likai, Tank, and Bixbi! Likai and Bixbi dodge partially out of the way but Tank is caught off guard; luckily he's the toughest member of the group and can shake it off for now. The battle is abruptly cut short as Tesa (with a critical hit) puts her second crossbow bolt through the dragon's skull and he collapses (Tesa proceeds to remind everybody that it was she who struck the killing blow). Upon confirming that he's dead, Pegabi simply says "Now stay out of my swamp!" and flys upstream.
The party explores the cave and it seems that this little dragon has been busy. The entrance opens into a chamber roughly twenty foot across, though Duzair has to crouch down to fit his tall frame under the low ceiling. Nothing of note is found here but there is a doorway in the back that goes to a small, semi-spiral ramp that leads to a similar chamber below, this one with two side doorways and a ramp leading down at an angle in the center of the room. Closer inspection reveals that this tunnel ends in water a short distance in, a fact that causes Tesa to become slightly uncomfortable. One side chamber contains a collection of gear, presumable from those who hadn't fared well against the cave's original inhabitant. Most of note is a potion determined to be charged with a spider climb spell, a finely made hand crossbow which Theravin claims, and a suit of masterwork plate mail which none of the party is trained to wear. The other side is much more directly satisfying, with small piles of gold and silver coins on either side of a massive mound of copper coins (over fifty thousand of them!). The massive pile represents a significant sum of cash, but nobody is sure how to transport it. Tank suggests finding a way to melt it all into a giant ball and rolling it into town. The others point out both the lack of equipment to do so as well as their opinions that the idea in itself is ridiculous. Tank eventually relents, albeit with a bit of disgruntlement.
The group begins to make plans for improving this cave for their use. While Duzair complains of the low ceilings, Tank goes swimming out the tunnel and determines that it is, as he suspected, a passage to the stream outside. Measurements are taken, plans are made, and it is decided to rest before going to Jiyan to purchase materials for the planned improvements.
Early the next morning the do-it-yourselfers strike out and pass through the jungle without incident after doing their best to disguise the cave entrance, though several monkeys seemed to be heckling them at times but never stuck around long. Tank finds a smith known to be able to craft weapons and armor from dragons' bodies, and manages to sell the carcass of the green for a nice profit; Bixbi claims one fang and the funds to have a dragonfang dagger made from it as his share, though the others wonder why the little pipsquak needs a combat knife. The plate mail from the cave is sold at the same place, as well as several mundane items found in the hoard, increasing the group's funds. A mule and a small cart are purchased and quickly loaded with lumber and tools. Tank makes a quick stop to purchase coal and several ingot molds (only because no smithy in town sells giant ball shaped molds) as the others purchase a boat. Their most expensive purchase of the day by far, the shallow hulled craft is in many ways a miniature longboat and should be just enough to carry them and their load while stilll being able to navigate up the relatively shallow Keril Stream, saving them the trouble of hauling all this stuff through trackless jungle. Everyone and everything (including the cart and mule) is loaded onto the boat, though it takes all of Tesa's will not to give in to her fear of water and freak out.
Upon return to the lair the boat is tied up outside and the group gets to work for the next few days. The water tunnel is expanded to surface level and a small, crude dock is constructed. Doors are built and Duzair spends a full day raising ceilings and lowering floors with a shovel, then spends two days digging out a small room (with a high ceiling) on the upper level with an exit thorough the steep bank; it's not the grand cliff city he grew up in but it'll do for now. While Tesa constructs a protective pen for Gretchen, as she has named the mule, the others construct fireplaces and a chimney, Bixbi sets up a small kitchen, Theravin begins hunting for fresh meat, and Tank begins melting the massive heap of copper coins into more transportable bars. The group decides not to bother hauling the copper to Jiyan yet and to keep it stashed as their own little emergency fund, but divy up the remaining gold and silver. Finally vines are gathered and woven into nets that, while they won't hold much, should serve to make the entrance, dock, and boat less noticeable, at least from a distance.
With their base now established, the group makes plans to engage in active highway robbery, literally.