Back to Daggerford

[badams30]

After spending what felt like weeks in Waterdeep, you are all anxious to get back to what you do best - adventuring. You rise early, preparing to join the caravan heading to Daggerford, and back to your familiar surroundings. As you gather outside the inn in the pre-dawn darkness, it's Nahin, Marcus, Rory, Jayce and Grinkle. You pause, almost going back in to retrieve Han, Dak and Tidake, but you continue on toward the muster point for the caravan.

As you reach the nearby market square, you see about 20 wagons with 2 horses a piece, and about 20 horses with mercenary types on them, impatiently waiting to get on the road. As you approach, a corpulent bald man in a huge red robe approaches you, breathing heavily and smiling, "Good morning, friends! I've been expecting you! Please, come with me!" He leads you to a fairly plain but comfortable wagon with solid sides (think stagecoach sort of wagon) and says "Please, make yourselves comfortable. I am Grossbart, your humble caravan leader. Snow is imminent, and we plan on pushing on to Daggerford in 6 days, at most. I have some capable guards, so you can enjoy your ride and we'll have you in Daggerford in no time. Okay?" He points out where the water, rations and blankets are in the carriage, and says "Well, if you don't mind, I'll be getting back to the front. We'll be pushing off soon. Holler if you need anything, eh?"

You settle in for the trip, uneasy about being in such comfort, but also happy at not having to worry about some impending doom for once. As you chat amongst yourselves for a few minutes, you are jolted by the forward movement of the caravan. You are off.

(To expedite things, I am going to roll for encounters and summarize. If you wish to interrupt travel for any reason, just go ahead.)

By the end of day one, a light snow is falling, and you hear mumbling about being just in time for departing. You stop for camp and by morning, about a foot of snow is on the ground, but thankfully the flakes stop by early AM. You continue on, with cold temperatures besetting you, but three more days pass without incident, and other than the cold, it doesn't snow.

About 1PM on the 4th day, as you are in the open plains about a day and a half out of Daggerford, you hear a shout from ahead (you are about 5th out of the 20 wagons). As the caravan stops, you peer out the windows, and about 1/4 mile ahead, you see about 5 wagons burning, with no activity apparent. You see no one about. 10 mercenary riders slowly trot ahead as you see Grosbart dismount and nervously watch them.

Actions? You see nothing around. You are in the plains, scrub brush abounds, about 4 ft tall, with low rolling hills around you. The burning wagons appear to be just off the road in a campsite that is flanked by a copse of tall oaks, about 20 acres of trees, an odd sight in the basically open areas of this part of the coast.

[tumblingdice]

"Well, my friends," Rory says, arching his eyebrow at the burning wagons, "this looks like something that might bear investigating. Try not to steal anything in my absence," he adds with a wink.

With that, Rory taps Grossbart on the arm, then points to the scrub brush to signal his intentions. He'll try to make his way through the grass and get as close to the destruction as possible without being seen or heard.

OC: Move silently

[greyarea]

Marcus suggests to Grinkle that he might help investigate. He loads his crossbow and holds it at the ready.

[badams30]

Rory is moving stealthily through the light underbrush toward the copse of trees, and Marcus and Grinkle are starting to walk up, a few meters behind the caravan guards on horseback. The remaining guards begin to take up positions around the caravan just in case of trouble.

Does anyone else approach? I've noted Marcus has crossbow out, and Grinkle is carrying his sword.

[Spanningtree]

Nahin - Elf

Nahin will bring his bow to the ready and watch Rory closely.

[kjc]

Jayce - Fighter
Jayce unwraps the "pretty" new bow he received from the patrons of Waterdeep and advances, arrow drawn.

[badams30]

The riders reach the area first, and half dismount to look around while the other half stay mounted, weapons drawn and watching the area.

Rory has slowed somewhat as he navigates the thicker scrub brush, he doesn't see anything yet, but he doesn't need to be a ranger to see that there is evidence of a fair number of persons or creatures who've passed through this brush recently.

Marcus, Grinkle, Nahin and Jayce arrive to the scene, and it is as it appears - 5 wagons, burning. They appear to have been burning for about an hour or so, and at one time were covered wagons. There are 16 bodies on the ground stacked in a pile, all human males, simple teamsters from the look of them. Their injuries are terrible - all have at least 2-3 arrows in each of them, plus some have deep cleaving wounds. These folks all met terrible, painful deaths. Grinkle quietly says "Sir" toward Marcus, and he points toward 5 of the bodies, they seem to be missing ears, and an additional body has an ear hanging off haphazardly.

You also note that there are about 5-6 smashed casks on the ground, by the smell of it they had rum or some spirit in them, and 2 intact casks sit stacked near the edge of the wood. several bashed crates are on the ground, they have an assortment of foodstuffs in them, flour, sugar, hardtack type biscuits, and dried meat. 6 crates are stacked near the casks at the woodline, and you can see indentations where other ones once sat, but are now gone. All weapons, armor and personal affects are missing as well. It appears that this was a very one-sided ambush, and a thorough sacking.

As Rory sneaks through the woods, he catches sight of a small humanoid form about 30 feet ahead, crouched in a thick holly bush. You can't make out any features or face, as it is clad in a brown cloak that covers it's entire body and head. You'd have missed it altogether except for the fact it is shaking rather vigorously. It doesn't see you, and appears to be observing the clearing.

Actions, everyone?

[greyarea]

Marcus, paladin

Marcus doesn't see the small humanoid, so acts as such. He looks for other signs of what might have happened, tracks which might indicate where the ambush occurred from. In the snow, it shouldn't be too hard to see where they got to. He suggests that they perform proper service for the corpses and keep an eye out for more ambushers as they do so.

He will also talk with Grossbart so see what he recommends. He suggests that the Dutybound could investigate while the caravan moves on, as they have adequate guards.

[Spanningtree]

Nahin - Elf

Nahin will try to take a closer look at the tracks to see if he can determine the nature of the beast.

[tumblingdice]

Rory advances to check out the small, shaking humanoid.