New Friends

17 Mirtul 1489

Sedrax and Undeenie cautiously approach a band of stragglers. In the brush, they make out the shapes of two humans watching the makeshift encampment. The two, an entertainer named Ulrich Nordstrom and a right brute named Rainer Davi were following the band as well, hired to investigate the raids taking place in the area. Ulrich realizes that, if they combine their forces, there will be enough strength to overcome the band of some 12 humans and kobolds before them and perhaps get a bite to eat.

Ulrich begins to explain his plan to Sai, Undeenie, Sedrax. When they look back for Rainer, they see that he has his warhammer in hand and is just walking into the encampment. Sedrax laughs and starts walking with him, lifting his greatsword high. The others stare at each other briefly, and Undeenie shrugs.

They all stand up. From the rear, Ulrich begins playing bagpipes which causes the band to begin running into the center of the camp. At the sound of the pipes, the kobolds scatter into the brush. The battle is quick and furious. The kobolds attempt to regroup and attack the bard, but he quickly puts one group to sleep with a spell he once picked up from a very talented lady friend, while the fighters finish off the other. The battle ends quickly. One of the humans is left and the band of heroes interrogates him while Sedrax sends the kobolds to go meet Tiamat. The lone survivor divulges that the raiders have a rear guard, and the main camp is not that far away. The party chooses to camp in place for the night.

18 Mirtul 1489

After waking, the band of adventurers leaves the informant tied up in a bush and press on. They easily spot and avoid the ambush site. After another mile or so of walking, they proceed to the camp to look for the missing monk and poke around. The camp itself is located in a hollow surrounded by cliffs and under observation by two short guard towers. They are able to walk into the camp without raising suspicion, passing themselves off as fellow raiders. After talking up their "fellow" raiders, the group discovers that the raiding force is collecting treasure hoard to prepare for the return of Tiamat, that there are prisoners here, that their leaders reside within a large tent in the center of the camp, and that Leosin, the monk, is held in a stockade near the entrance of what everyone is calling the "Nursery"

Sedrax approaches the "Nursery" but is turned away by the guards. Sai and Ulrich come up with a plan to secure Leosin. They decide that Ulrich will light some of the huts near the entrance to the hollow on fire. Sai will create another diversion by freeing the prisoners and the abandon them by scaling one of the cliffs that surround the camp. The others will free Leosin and run out of the camp.

They wait for nightfall and act. Ulrich douses a few huts in oil and then lights them on fire. Sai releases the prisoners and leaves. Everything goes as planned until Leosin is freed and realizes that the prisoners will be slaughtered. He runs to the prisoners and insists that they, too, be helped out. He glares at the suggestion that they leave the prisoners. The party reluctantly begins fighting their way out of the camp. Eventually they escape through the entrance in the confusion, and then evade capture in the grasslands. They quietly rest in the Greenfields before heading out to Greenest the next day.

19 Mirtul 1489

Upon arriving at Greenest, Leosin is reunited with his apprentice. The master of the town, Governor Nighthill, rewards the party with a considerable amount of money. The party stocks up and relaxes. In the evening Leosin informs them that he will be heading to Elturel to disclose what he has discovered about the raiders to his friends. He asks the party to return to the raider's camp to watch for a week. They are to report any movement or any other major events to him in Elturel. The reward wouldn't be much, but Sedrax urges the party to accept, seeing more opportunities to avenge Bahamut. The band of adventurers agrees, and continues to celebrate well into the night.