Session 28, Slave Caravan
Coins End
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Session 28 – 2024-07-13
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Summary
Detail
The group rested the evening near the tower ruins at the beginning of the river Agis. The next morning they rose, ate, and packed up. Pyreece found some fresh berries before they left and cast the Goodberry spell on them. They can heal 1 point of damage, perfect for getting those people that were down, back to 1 hit point before using a potion or cure light wounds spell on them. She gave two to Elenor and kept three. They decided to head Northwest. Banderas reminded them of the Elves in this region, “They just don't like anybody.”, he said.
They eventually exited the forest of Mir and turned Northeast to follow along it's border. Using the woods for cover when needed. For a good part of the day, they traveled without running into anyone. They finally came to a road, worn into the ground by the traffic it had seen over time. They examined the tracks trying to determine what had traveled up and or down it most recently. It appeared to be carts carrying very heavy loads. Some were pulled by Oxen. There were tracks of all kinds but nothing to give them any more clue of potential military movements.
They began hearing movement coming from the East along the road. The voices they heard sounded guttural and deep. They rushed to find concealment and waited to see what came down the road. They didn't have to wait long as the saw Hobgoblins, Orcs, and these massive Orcs called Orogs. In the back of the wagon was a human male that appeared to be unconscious and following the wagon was a barely clothed woman and two children. They were flanked by more Hobgoblins and Orcs. They were being whipped at but they stopped short of actually hitting them.
As Kipp and the others began to fume at the sight and were about to attack, they heard more noise behind them and waited to see what else was coming. Not far behind them was a second horse drawn wagon with more Hobgoblins, Orcs and still more Orogs. They also had 3 slaves that were being treated in much the same manor as the others. It looked like this was everything that was moving on the road right then. Brandy moved to below a rise as the road that travelled West, then North and then West again above the slope, would eventually pass her going down the slope. Others feeling as Brandy did, that they couldn't let this continue, began to move as well.
Audra and Pyreece moved just North of Brandy but stayed below the crest of the slope so as not to give away Brandy's position or their groups existence. Elenor moved up below the slope South of Brandy. Big Tuna moved up just below Brandy. After the first wagon completed the turn West again and before they reach the slope going down hill, Brandy pulled out an Arrow of Biting, targeted the horse pulling the first wagon, and fired, killing the horse instantly. The forward Hobgoblins didn't notice the arrow wiz past them but turned as others to see the horse fall. The Orog however did see the direction the shot came from. He pointed in Brandy's general direction and began barking orders.
That is when Elenor popped up from behind her cover, pulled out her new wand and cast an Ice Storm over the front of the wagon. The icy hale slamming the driver of the wagon, the two forward Hobgoblins and the Orog. The Orog was badly damaged but survived the spell, none of the others did. With that, the battle was officially on, Pyreece met the charge of a Hobgoblin and an Orc. Audra met the charge of the second Orog. Big Tuna joined her while Brandy pulled out another Arrow of Biting and fired at another Orog that was charging Elenor. Another Orc joined him. Kipp moved between the monsters and Elenor providing cover for her safe retreat.
The battle raged for quite a long time with a couple of their group being hit and suffering not only regular damage but damage from a poison coating their weapons. It had the nasty effect of draining their energy(constitution) and leaving them a little tired and fuzzy. Audra and Kipp were both hit with this and though weakened, pushed through it and continued to press on. Selson got several licks in. Oglesby charged into a couple of Orcs and engaged them directly with his courage and a short sword.
Banderas' group moved behind the second wagon and took on the Orcs and Hobgoblins back there, trying to reach the slaves to protect them. Hrog was swarmed by several orcs but his archers stayed calm while he and they slowly cut them down. Banderas was engaged directly but fought to end the life of the Orc that had charged him. The battle went on for quite a while but slowly Brandy, from behind everyone was able to target those getting an upper hand and took them out, freeing up her friends to fight on. Kipp took out the Orog and the Orc that they were fighting.
At about that time, the Hobgoblins guarding the slaves turned on them and stabbed at them several times leaving them for dead as they ran off, Northeast. Kipp charged them and cut them down. Audra and Big Tuna finished off the other Orog and an Orc. Pyreece finished off her Hobgoblin and Orc. Banderas and his crew finished off the others behind the slaves. As suddenly as the fight begun, it ended. Elenor and Pyreece rushed to the slaves who had been stabbed. One was too far gone. Pyreece gave the other a Goodberry which helped a little. The woman and two children were no where to be seen.
Kipp checked the man in the back of the wagon and found that he appeared to be dazed, under the affects of the poison that they'd been experiencing. He and Audra took off following the trail of the woman and the children. They found them nearby cowering in the brush, begging not to be hurt. Kipp's soothing demeanor and Audra's obvious lack of anything threatening to them, calmed them quickly and brought them back to the wagons. They searched the second wagon and found lots of general supplies along with trade tools and supplies. They found equipment for leather working, smithing, weapons making, ropes, nets, food, and all various sorts of things.
The man finally woke from his daze as Kipp and Audra began to feel the effects of the poison wearing off. They talked a bit about what was going on and found that the witch had taken Saradush as the man and one of the slaves was from there. They told the group that their were more slaves in the castle in the forest. They briefly discussed how to deal with those they'd freed. Banderas wanted to continue with them to free the slaves in the castle. He had most of his crew stay behind to protect the people they'd just saved while he, Hrog, Scoots, and Sneaks traveled with Kipp and the others to free the slaves in the castle and hopefully end Daresh. They began heading East.
That is where they stopped.
Start the recording.
Exp: 546 + 55 = 601
