... That's Gotta Hurt! ...
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.
[7th of Growfest, 576]
The evening began with the cleanup from the ambush the party had enacted upon the bandits sent out to scout their position. Lucian, upon being appraised of the one rider's heading east sent Murray "on an errand" (the player didn't show, and nobody had a copy of his character sheet) and sent Torias to locate the rider and his probable destination.
Torias quickly located the bandit, and a venomed hand crossbow bolt
sent the bandit's mount crashing to the ground, throwing the rider and
breaking his neck. Torias then landed, and after several attempts managed
to heal the dying bandit enough to question him. The bandit named his group's
leader as Leroy, and their overall master as 'the Dark One', said to dwell
in a cavern complex at the end of the road. Torias soon had learned all
he desired from his stricken prisoner, and hastened
him on his way to Nerull's embrace.
The party soon came upon Torias and his roadkill, and more reconnisance revealed a wooden watchtower rising above the hills and trees several miles further down the road. The group decided to leave the road and skirt the edge of the watchtower's field of view. While marching across the forest floor near it's base, the group was struck by a flurry of arrows, and they took cover among the nearby trees.
Milik's sorcery soon revealed two of their tormentors by using a blast of wind to blow away their cover, but the deadly rain of arrows kept most of the group pinned. About the time the group noticed that they could no longer see Lucien, one of the archers got a lucky shot against Torias (who had been flying, to have a better view) and basically put the arrow through one of his eyesockets (critial hit, max damage rolled, and Torias was already wounded), dropping him out of the battle.
About the same time Lucien reappeared behind the archers weilding a flaming sword, the archers began firing on the party's horses, and those who had not already bolted from the clearing ripped free of their owners and took off into the trees. One of the archers was soon slain by Lucien, another sorely wounded by return archery and spells, while their leader turned to face Lucien in swordplay.
The rest of the group, following Lucien's lead, began advancing on the archers, though Ivan took off after his horse and donkey (receiving a solid kick from the donkey for his trouble). The tide turned, and the group soon had three prisoners (whom Lucien accepted both surrender and parole from) and they set about looting the fallen for what supplies and wealth they possessed.
Among the soldier's horses, they found a bound and gagged half-elf of oeridian/high olven blood, who gave his name as Flavius. (enter: Flavius Philipus, half-olven warrior, formerly of Rel Mord, new character taking the place of Torias). Flavius was the only survivor of a group out Cairn-tipping, who had run afoul of this band of mercenaries earlier that same day, several miles to the south.
After Flavius dealt out to the surviving prisoners treatment equal to
what he had received at their hands, the group set to questioning them,
learning that they belonged to a company of mercenaries serving under a
Captain Elias, who in turn was working for 'the mage' whose base of operations
was a nearby cave (presumably the same one that the bandit they'd slain
earlier spoke of). The mercenaries professed to have never heard of 'the
Dark One', but freely admitted that they disliked
remaining in or very near the cavern complex, because it made all of
them distinctly uneasy. (The mercenaries, BTW, all shared the same device
on their shields, that of a Black Rook on a brown field).
The next dawn the mercenaries were released with horses, as they had accepted a commission from Kalik to deliver a message to Greyhawk city. (the terms of their parole would not allow them to rejoin their Captain's forces until after the group had completed their forays).
[1st of Planting, 576]
...and so ends another evening, and begins a three week hiatus until
after the new year...