Session 302

# February 9th, 2023 - Broke Wagon Bandits

## Broke Wagon Bandits

The session began on the seventh day after the group set out from Black Landing. They continued their journey along the Coast Way until the late afternoon when they reached the army encampment around the small township of Grainvic. It was little more than a village, and surrounded by dozens of army tents. The small town itself was overrun with hundreds of soldiers and mercenaries, crowding the only tavern that doubled as an inn where the party stayed. Lord Joffrey met with the commander of the forces and turned over four of their five carts of supplies, and the group rested for the night.

The party set off to the northeast following a small road in the morning, with their now single wagon full of supplies for the rebels. Lord Joffrey rode in the wagon, driving the single horse, while the others walked alongside. Based on the communications Joffrey had received, the rebel camp should be about a day and halves worth of travel, and the group discussed attempting to arrive in the night or just before dawn - giving them a chance to scout before meeting the rebels. This meant they had some time to waste, or take the trip more slowly. Not too long after breaking for their midday meal, as the wagon rounded another bend in a relatively wooded area the group encountered a broken down cart with two men laboring over it.

The wagon looked loaded with farming supplies, and its single axle was snapped in the middle. The men were struggling trying to lift and lash the wood back together, and when they heard the party approaching called out for help. The group was wary knowing how lawless the area had become recently, but Daelain offered to use her magic to mend the axle. Fax and Carlton approached as well to help lift the wagon while Orsais found a nearby rock to sit upon and play his lute for entertainment. Just as Daelain finished mending the axle, one of the two men stabbed her with a concealed dagger while shouting.

Crossbow bolts flew from the bushes and a number of sword wielding bandits rushed the group. They jumped out from trees and popped out of bushes on both sides of the road ambushing the group of travelers. Already leery and waiting, Watch once again sprinted towards the nearest tree and deftly climbed it, where he began firing his warlock magic. Raven shapeshifted into a Deinonychus and pounced on one of the bandits, ripping out his throat in one clean move. That surprised the bandits who clearly expected a normal group of travelers, and when everyone in the party started flinging magic they almost panicked. However, the bandits were committed, and their two leaders (obvious by who was giving orders) put up a tremendous fight.

Orsais fled from the melee after he was almost killed, and one of the leaders continued to pursue Joakim, gutting the warlock to the ground after he misty-stepped into the nearby bushes. Once Orsais healed the warlock, the leader again turned his attention and cut the clothy down a second time. Fax fired his chromatic orb and slashed at another bandit using his shadow blade, but even his shield spell was not enough to stop him also being incapacitated. Finally, Watch did some good damage from his high ground position, but was also shot down by crossbow bolts, falling from the tree and hitting the ground hard.

The situation started to look dire, with three of their members bleeding out on the ground on the edge of death. With well timed healing from Carlton and Orsais, they were able to kill all the regular bandits, and focus on the two leaders. The party survived, barely, but were unable to take any of the bandits alive. Lord Joffrey poked his head up from behind the wagon after the fighting stopped and congratulated them on protecting him. The party took some time to loot the bodies while Raven looked around for a footpath back to the bandits hideout - as they had no valuables on them other than their armor and weapons. Unfortunately, the druid was not able to pick up an obvious path.

The party decided to stop and start their long ‘nights rest’ immediately, instead of lingering. They would then set off in the middle of the night to hopefully arrive at the rebel camp before dawn, giving them the opportunity to scout the camp before they approached.

That is where the session ended, as the party broke for camp during the afternoon of the eighth day after leaving Black Landing.

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