... A Hunting We Shall Go...
Lucian (NPC) human initiate and junior Knight of Pelor;
Dracon, human initiate of Obad Hai, beastmaster of the Wegwier;
Ivan, Suloise follower of Norebo, psionicist, and appraiser of quality
goods (Duchy of Urnst);
Kalik, halfling initiate-in-training of Avoreen (Duchy of Urnst);
Milik, halfling sorcerer (he wasn't always a halfling, though...)(Duchy
of Urnst/Nyrond);
Kaganost, wemic apprentice shaman, originally from Hepmonaland;
Torias, avariel apprentice shaman (Hawk Totem); and finally
Murray, nalshavel orc, wizard.
[3rd of Growfest, 576]
We rejoin our intrepid band somewhere in the Cairn Hills, as they track a group of bandits towards their lair, to liberate the son and daughter-in-law of a wealthy Greyhawk merchant prince. After their encounter with the hillside tomb (marked for later exploration) and it's guardian, they set off on the trail of the bandits into the hills.
After about a half day's journey into the wilderness, the trail of the bandits split into four smaller trails, each leading basically east, but widening north-south. The party chose to follow the more easterly of the east-south routes, and by nightfall came upon the spot where the bandits had met up with some other group (presumably allies) who had been awaiting their return. The spoor at the campsite indicated ogres, so it came as little surprise when a group of three ogres burst upon their campsite in the pre dawn hours. Alerted by the noise the ogres had made approaching the camp, the party was ready for them and made short work of them through archery and spellcraft before they even entered the camp proper; a search of the bodies recovered a few coins and the knowledge that at least some of the trade goods the bandits were stealing were being put to use to make decent clothing for their bestial allies.
Fairly certain that the group they were trailing were aware of their presence, the group decided to angle their way south, hoping to either pick up the trail of the southernmost group of bandits or to parallel their current quarry until they thought it safe to resume directly tracking them.
By mid afternoon they had acquired the southern bandit's trail, and aerial surveillance by Torias revealed that the group they were now following would soon rendezvous with a small wooden fort set in a clearing, possibly a way station or supply point for their operations. The balance of the day was spent deciding upon the course of action they would take, which amounted to Ivan riding out and distracting the guards along the wall while Milik used both spells and stealth to slip over the walls and take the measure of the place.
While Ivan traded insults with the guards, Milik slipped within and cut the tethers for the assembled horses, then set the straw of their barn aflame with his magic. In the ensuing confusion (in which he was nearly trampled by the frightened horses), he slipped within the common room frequented by the bandits and slew the six who had already subcumbed to their ale by applying his dagger to their throats. He managed to slip away again unnoticed in the riot outside, back to the treeline where his companions awaited...
The following dawn, Torias spotted seven riders leave the fort, one heading east while the remaining six began scrutinizing the woods near where the party had been encamped. Kalik worked with the others in planning an ambush for their searchers, which was successful in short order. A search of the bodies revealed no further clues as to the nature or lair of the bandits, though coin and weapons were taken by the party for their own use.
[7th of Growfest, 576]
...and so ends another evening...