Session IV Part II

So the intrepid heroes approached the small Ashbound camp. It was basically just 3 earthen huts, a midden heap and a firepit. Many of the marauders were simply milling around in front of the fire, silhouetting themselves nicely for arrow fire.

The party, plus the Constable and his 2 men, decided to come around the back, unleash a volley of arrows, along with an entangle spell from Cyria, then move in and slaughter them as necessary. There were no signs of the Shifters known to be with the crew, including a vile Ashbound druid named Kir; tracking had revealed two sets of Shifter tracks, however.

The arrow volley went off; unfortunately the druid neglected to fire off her entangle, and thus ended the surprise round.

There was some eerie howling coming from off in the trees, but still no sign of the Shifters as Sol and the Constable skulked in. The entangle went off, another volley of arrows, and the slaughter was on. The average Ashbound warrior was toting a club, a wooden shield and some crude hide armor; these arms were no match for the metal and discipline and skill of Sol and the Constable.

Unfortunately nobody accounted for the Shifters, and the first time one was seen was when, charging from the shadows, he clubbed one of the deputy constables into a fine pulp with his massive greatclub.

The only person capable of a response at the time was Cyria; she did what any good druid would and cast Summon Nature's Ally. The resulting wolf attacked.

Meanwhile Sol and the Constable and Kal were making short work of the Ashbound; highlights included Sol cracking a sternum with an axe blow, and Kaloei spearing one clean through the throat on a charge with her rapier.

Meanwhile, still no sign of the Druid. The barbarian Shifter, however, broke the spine of that poor summoned wolf. Cyria summoned another, which was quickly dispatched in the same manner. But they both did some damage.

Then Kir emerged.

Pop quiz: when you're in combat and you know a Druid is around, but you don't see him for 4 rounds, what is the Druid doing?

Answer: He's casting Bull's Str, Bear's Endurance, Barkskin, and Shillelagh.

So once Kir emerged, he was buffed to the max and charging while waving his now glowing club- with which, in two quick blows, he felled Sol to death's door.

Thankfully Sol was able to get a blow or two in himself, first. As was Kaloei. Finally, the Constable went for a two-handed thrust with his bastard sword, and spitted the bastard.

In the meantime, the barbarian Shifter had charged Cyria and whacked her around a bit. Sol wasn't in danger of bleeding to death, though definitely out of the fight, and Kaloei boldly charged the barbarian, sticking him with the rapier. Cyria brought her spear into play, and the Barbarian was felled.

Victory!

They began searching the bodies...and finding hide armor, clubs, and crude wooden shields.

The Constable fetched the horses and pointed out that anything of value the Ashbound had found on victims would be tossed into the midden. Then he mounted up, pointed the direction Passage was, and the direction Sharn was, and rode off back towards Passage.

Sol, not too proud to get dirty, climbed into the midden and started searching. The search turned up the first serious treasure the party has found:

600 gp in assorted coinage
a finely-crafted MW warhammer
a matching set of MW breastplate and large steel shield- clearly goes with the warhammer as the equippage of a knight, including coat of arms
a MW adamantine dagger
a bronzewood harp inlaid with ivory and zircons
a fire-opal pendant
a jeweled platinum ring

So, side quest over. The party has horses, though of course they barely know how to ride. The debate as the session ended was, do we try to sneak back to Passage to get on the lightning rail, or do we ride to Sharn?

I love leaving them in conflict.