Wardens of the Sorrowood C1E05

Game Scheduled: September 21, 2023
GM: Thom
== Chapter Synopsis: == 
The Aureate Horizons Trading Co., colloquially known as Horizons, urgently seeks mercenaries in A'lune to join as Wardens of Sorrowood for a long term commission. In addition to an incentivized mercenary pay rate of 5 gold per week (as opposed to 2 gold per week that is standard), Horizons says that mercenaries can keep whatever is recovered from bandits along the route.
Caravan losses have surged on the route from Mowen to Kregia, particularly through the treacherous Sorrowwoods. The Rekal Guard, formerly securing the route, have disbanded the escort factions following overwhelming losses. Horizons believes the solution lies in both increased security and proactive threat neutralization. Setting up an outpost halfway is necessary.
== Mercenaries: ==
*Bim Bim - Elven Barbarian
*John Weck - Human Rogue
*Shepard Swiftfoot - Halfling Druid
*Snarela Kegfury - Dwarven Artificer
== Adventure Debriefing: ==
Returning to the Sorrowoods Fortress, Ogri has set up his shop. The mercenaries receive correspondence from Horizons that caravan attacks have already decreased from 4/5 to 3/5 of convoys; and an inspector is coming to see how they are performing and discern whether the Fortress is worth investing in. The letters include information on the various bandit groups operating within the Sorrowoods and a request to either recruit or disband them. 
A letter from Valen Blackthorn, in anticipation of Horizons investing further in the Fortress, details services he'd be willing to provide should the mercenaries choose one of his and not contracting with the Vanguard instead.
* Blacksmith - advanced armaments
* Cleric - medical support
* Trader - consumable items like alchemist fire
* Trainer - combat training, combo attacks
* Spy - intelligence on groups within Sorrowood
* Vanguard Quartermaster
Whilst discussing, a knock on the door from Hal and Ael signals the arrival of Tarster Ravenbough, a well-dressed halfling from Horizons. Congratulating the mercenaries on a job well done so far, he lays out a map of the Sorrowoods with the information they have so far on the various bandit groups.
* Arboral Avengers, small group of disgruntled woodsmen/foresters 
* Howling Pack, lycanthropes who strike with numbers and leave no survivors
* Moonlit Raiders, operate under cover of night
* Thornbriars, bandits the mercenaries first met and dispatched several when they were unwilling to negotiate
* Verdant Reavers, have a pact with a forest spirit to entrap travelers who must give up their goods to be allowed exit from a mazelike forest barricade
* Wildwood Marauders, known for brutal tactics and often leave destruction
Taster and his guards relax for the remainder of the evening, planning to leave in the morning. 
Sitting down again to discuss options, the mercenaries are interrupted by Leaf Erickson tapping on the window. Leaf warns them, "bad news from the forest, wolves approaching, walk on two legs, with a large man-like owl." The party set various traps in preparation of the lycanthropes arrival. A wereowl, Grimtalon, led a pack of wereboars, wererats, and werewolves. Taunting the wereowl away from the pack, Shepard knocked it out of the sky and John restrained it. Snarela knocked several weres out with fire and force blasts from her artificer companions. Bim Bim used his bear trap to capture and knock out others. Hal, Ael and two of Tartars guards also contributed. One guard, Bueno, performed so well that Taser appointed him to work at the Fortress from now on. One were had been allowed to escape, and Shepard tracked him to their camp, an old ruins where 20-30 more weres lived.
At the Fortress, Snarela and the mercenaries interrogated Grimtalon. His intentions had been to eliminate everyone because the weres did not want "civilization" intruding into the forest.
== Conclusion ==
With one third of the Howling Pack in custody, the mercenaries will have to decide what to do next, and whether the disparate groups within the Sorrowoods can be negotiated with or eliminated. Horizons contracts to pay for Vanguard Support.
== Rewards ==
* 60 gold, each
* 5 Games Played, each
* 12 weeks downtime, each
* 5 silk ropes from Ettercaps gifted to Bim Bim 
Wardens of the Sorrowood - 05