5th Pharast
Though we first thought we should wait for the bandits to come to Oleg's Trading Post, where we can defend ourselves from behind its walls, when Hagrid commented that the bandits could set the fort aflame that plan changed. Oleg is naturally very concerned that his home and the source of his livelihood might be destroyed.
In light of this thought, we've decided we shall continue exploring the surroundings of the trading post and make our way to the bandits' camp to face them on their own ground. Oleg has offered Reislin 10 gold pieces for each map she makes of the surrounding territory. Jhod the priest has also offered to cast spells for us for a nominal price. Kesten Garess, the leader of the mercenaries, told us about a man called Sneeg who deserted and stole some money. Kesten Garess believes this man has likely joined bandits, and there is a reward for his capture.
Armed with information and possibilities to earn further coin, we have set out to the southwest of the trading post. The land there is mostly grassland with rolling hills. After we traveled for a time Simon spied something colorful ahead, which proved to be a field of wildflowers. Amongst the blossoms we sighted a fey creature that resembled a hummingbird with the wings of a butterfly and tiny blossoms growing from its long tail. Chahana gathered a bouquet of blossoms to take back to Svetlana.
We are growing accustomed to standing watches each night, organizing ourselves such that those of us who are capable of seeing in darkness can each take a different watch. Simon is able to summon animals to him so that they can become our meals. He has no objection to our eating them, only asking that we slay them in the quickest and least painful way possible. Sadly none of us know a great deal about preparing food and we have had some dinners that are burnt or undercooked. But fresh meat is preferable to eating only trail rations.
7th Pharast
After two days traveling through the hills we have decided to enter the forest. Simon has warned us to expect rain tomorrow. We have been talking with one another as we go, learning more about one another's backgrounds and knowledge. Reislin has explained that although she comes from Kyonin as I do, her family are jewelers who travel a great deal and she has visited distant lands such as Osirion, the homeland of my lady Sarenrae. She has decided it is time for her to see other parts of the world on her own rather than in company with her parents, so as to broaden her experience and increase her magical knowledge.
We have run into a bit of unexpected difficulty among the trees. Just after Simon and Chahana noticed a number of animal tracks and one set that seemed to belong to a person, Chahana stepped into a bear trap that had been left without anything to mark it so that a person would know it was there. The trap badly wounded her before we could get her free. The Dawnflower granted me a small taste of her healing power that I might treat Chahana's wound. Out of concern that we would find more such traps, Reislin summoned a horse by magic and had it walk ahead of us. I think she was the only member of our little group who thought this was not a bit cruel, proclaiming that the horse would return to wherever it had come from with no recollection of what had happened to it. She claims that she has read this in a magical tome.
9th Pharast
It has begun to rain quite heavily, hence the water spots in my journal. This has slowed our travel. We have decided to make our way back to Oleg's.
10th Pharast
We have arrived at the trading post. Hagrid and Inky have been working with Oleg to repair the damaged gates, using the timbers from the ballistae as there is no one here who can repair or operate them. When we told Oleg about the bear trap, he told us that he suspects that a local trapper is responsible, as he puts out unmarked traps to deter other trappers. But he hasn't seen the man for several weeks. We had found some of the other traps the trapper left and these we've given to Oleg.
A package has arrived for us containing a reward of 400 gold pieces, which is quite a boon.
12th Pharast
We have departed again, this time on our way toward the Narlmarches to take on the rest of the bandits. As we were riding along the Thorn River earlier we came upon a most unusual sight: there was a fish floating above the water! It was moving as if swimming. This was so curious we had to stop and investigate. Wondering if it might be a fey fish, Reislin attempted to communicate with it, but it didn't respond. Maria realized that it had a magical aura, and Zander observed that there was an outline of a fish in the water beneath it. Chahana was prepared to swim out to it or to let Simon do so, but when she got into the water the current began to carry her away from it. In the end we concluded that for some inexplicable an image of a fish was being projected above the actual fish, slightly displaced from the fish's true location. We did not catch that fish, but Simon summoned several other fish for us to enjoy as our dinner.
The scent of woodsmoke warned us when we approached the bandit camp. There are not many of us who are skilled at moving silently in the forest, so we decided that not all of us should go forward at once. Reislin cast a spell on Chahana and Zander so that they could keep in communication with her as they crept up to spy out the camp. They observed that the bandits were spread out on both sides of the river, and had constructed two simple watchtowers on which archers could perch. Several men had only just returned from a hunting expedition and were weary, and those men who were not on the towers were not particularly attentive.
We decided to strike them at once, concentrating on the area closest to the direction from which we had approached, where they had gathered some of their ill-gotten equipment. Chahana began the fray by shooting the guard on the near tower. The man immediately toppled. Zander ran forward to the sound of surprised shouting. Reislin murmured an incantation and three men sitting by a campfire slumped over, one of them very nearly falling into the flames.
I drew my bow first and shot a man who was on the ground. Then I threw it down and ran forward with my shield and sword at the ready. All around me I could hear the sounds of my new comrades battling the bandits. A woman bearing an axe in each hand came forward, and she and one of the men flanked me and attacked, slashing me in the side. I saw one of Chahana's arrows strike the woman. Maria ran up behind the woman flanking her as she had flanked me. An arrow struck me in the shoulder, fired by the watcher on the second tower. Chahana shot him and he plunged to the ground. Zander shouted for me to move to his side, but I began to feel quite weak and feared I would be unable to move that far. I backed away from the axe-wielding woman and let Sarenrae's healing light fill me.
With a little of my health recovered I moved in on the woman again and slashed her. She tried to retaliate, but she was too weak and fell to the ground. Chahana then produced her manacles and bound the woman, as we desired to question her. The bandits who had fallen beside the fire were also bound with rope, as Reislin's spell had only caused them to fall into a slumber.
In a chest by the campfire we found an assortment of objects that the bandits had clearly stolen from some persons. Reislin examined everything carefully to see if anything was enchanted, and in that process discovered a nearby fallen tree limb had some sort of magical property. Reislin says that if it is planted in the earth it can grow magical fruit with healing properties.
After evaluating the bandits' loot, we discussed what we should do with them. All of us but Reislin are in agreement that we should offer them the opportunity to change their lives and seek forgiveness. We have decided to question them to decide what manner of men they are. Maria and I will lead this questioning.
Once awakened, one man refuses to tell us anything and his answers have made Maria and I feel that if he is set free he will only go on to harm others further. Three of the others are willing to speak. They have told us what they know of this Stag Lord we have heard of: they say that he is a drunkard, a ruthless man who wears a helm in the form of a stag's head, that his camp holds fewer than twenty men but more than a dozen, and that he desires the acquisition of territory. His base lies in a ruined fort on the edge of the Tuskwater. The men in this camp have come to seek supplies.
All of the men we questioned tell stories of lives gone wrong. Some of them joined the bandits only to avoid being slain or left with nothing in the wilderness. One man knows horses and would like a job caring for them. He we have decided can be returned to the trading post, to ask Oleg to give him work as a stablehand. Another man knows carpentry and built the watchtowers in the camp. We asked them about the woman, who is the leader of their group. She is devoted to the Stag Lord they tell us, and may even be his paramour. They have given us the passphrase to use to gain access to the fort, which they say is always taken from a book in the Stag Lord's possession.
As several of them have been so willing to speak, we have also asked them what they know of the territory around their camp. They have told us of the trapper we know of, of kobolds, and of some very small blue creatures that have lately raided their camp. They also know of Sneeg and tell us he is at the fort with the Stag Lord.
When we had questioned all the men we woke the woman, Kressle, to question her. She defends all of the Stag Lord's actions and her own and is very proud of her work. By her words we know her to be both a sadist and a lifelong criminal who feels no shame for the harm she has done. We have decided to carry out the mandate of the Swordlords and execute her, as well as the one man who refused to tell us anything.
Chahana and Maria together have put the two condemned bandits to the sword. Maria was unhappy that we chose to make the others witness this. She has some pain in her past that makes her feel it is torture to force a man to watch an execution. But we want them to know that we will carry out the law, even if the law of Restov does not truly apply here. We cannot make this land safer if there are no laws.
12th Pharast
We have packed up all of the things from the bandits in Zander's wagon, even some timbers from the watchtowers. We would have liked to take lumber, but the wagon is not sufficiently large enough. The spot where the bandits made their camp is a good one for a logging encampment; it has access to the river and lies at the end of a rugged road. We are making our way back to Oleg's with our prisoners.
14th Pharast
We have arrived at Oleg's Trading Post. He is not best pleased by having all these additional people in his property. I am not sure he will want a stablehand. He states that he came here to be away from people, not to build a town. Svetlana is more welcoming. Unfortunately we could not recover her missing ring; it seems that the 'blue creatures' we were told of may have taken it when they raided the bandit camp.
Next: part 3, Temple of the Elk
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