Team Alfa Second Session
Notes
The team takes a short rest to heal up and then resolves to hunt down the escapees. Quynh claims to have a reputation to uphold.
Cinder leads the tracking party off and follows the trail until the light starts to fade. It seems the goblins are following a normal game trail. The party makes camp and figures out a watch order. Before tucking in, Quynh sets a hunting trap on the path towards the camp.
In the late hours of the night, Thola and Cinder are keeping watch when they hear some rustling a movement near camp. It is a bear. The bear is moving about with some sort of purpose, but doesn't come nearer the campsite or engage the party so we return to sleep. In the morning we find that the bear has systematically destroyed all the tracks in a few miles.
The morning comes with that realization and some reflection on strategy occurs. The party decides to head back towards the trade route area, back towards where we fought the goblins. On the way, Cinder tries to communicate with a raven but it doesn't seem to understand.
The party heads back to town and scatters to check for any new information. It take a little group effort, but Quynh's contact suggests talking with local hermits and it turns out Wolf knows of a rural tinkerer and merchant by the name of "P-D" Pete, who is known to the local "hermit community." He lives in an old building a day and a half to the south.
Back to the Forest
The party gets a head start on the trip and camps in the wilderness. The next day they start into the deeper wilderness and make pretty slow going through the wild growth. Once again night falls and the party makes camp. On the next day the march was interrupted by orcs throwing javelins. Apparently raiders from a local Ulan tribe, they were attracted by the ruckus of the party's travel through the brush and established themselves in an opportunistic ambush. The first one delt a near fatal blow to Tim, Cinder's riding dog. The orcs having covered themselves in mud were quite well disguised.
The battle is bloody and hard fought. Quynh climbs onto a rock and goes to work with her crossbow. Cinder moves in to attack with his longsword. Gorra moves to to intercept a flanking orc. Wolf moves up next to Cinder and attacks with a threat to the orcs. Cinder finishes off the orc next to him, but goes down to javelin. The orc Gorra went to intercept lands a single hit that knocks her out. Thola tosses out spell damage. Wolf lays a healing hand on Cinder and moves up to a new line of battle. Quynh jumps down from her perch to defend Gorra and stabs the orc with her dagger. Cinder gets back up and rushes Another orc swings in behind Wolf and sets up flanking. Thola, Cinder, and Wolf manage to finish off one of the Orcs and Wolf swings around on the other one to set up flanking for Cinder.
The bodies are looted for silver and weaponry and then piled to burn.
Thola offers up a double or nothing roll for her share of the loot, and Wolf take her up on it. Thola loses her 6sp.
A cabin in the woods
The party moves on and finds a very old cabin in a maintained section of forest. Outside of the cabin is a small campsite with a single bedroll recently used. No sign of the occupant, although the camp seemed to have been occupied by a light framed, barefooted human.
Approaching the cabin, the door has been knocked out and there are signs of a fight. A few dead orcs are found inside. (A dead and burnt orc lays inside. One with a completely missing arm as well). The first orc has been killed by some sort of scorching blast to the chest. Thola cannot tell if the scorching is arcane or mundane, but she also finds the scorched remains of plant fibers in the area. Wolf recognizes them as a local species of heavy reed common in the Ulan marshlands.
The armless orc appears to have had his arm ripped off completely, while the area of the tear also held signs of caustic burning, which Thola recognizes as characteristic of acid burns. The blood spray from the torn arm covers the walls and floor, but the chest itself is totally free of any bloodstains.
Thola investigates a chest in the study but decides not to open it after consulting the dice. Cinder found a trail outside, indicating someone was dragged away by a half dozen humanoids. Gorra gives Quynh guidance and Quynh investigates the findings outside.
Thola investigates the area for magical effects and she, Quynh, and Gorra investigate the study. Wolf inspects the dead orcs to try to see if they are from the same group that ambushed them earlier, but is unsuccessful. Cinder continues to inspect the area around the cabin.
The party resolves to have Wolf try to pry the chest open with a javelin. When he does it comes to life and snaps the javelin in half. Quynh tells everyone not to get too close to it and gets a solid hit on it with her crossbow. Both Wolf and Thola get in attacks and retreat out of the room. Gorra moves up and gets ready to blast it when it comes around the corner, which it promptly does. The mimic somehow manages to dodge her attack and then attacks Wolf. It misses a pair of attacks at Wolf. Quynh's next shot takes advantage of Thola's previous guiding bolt and the mimic goes down! (everyone gains enough xp to level to 2)
After taking a short rest the party heads out into the evening to try to follow the tracks and get the lead. However after an hour or so the party is dragging and visibility is poor. The decision is made to stop and rest. Everyone levels to 2!
Experience & Loot
Experience
- 100 xp for defeating a band of Ulan orcs.
- 80 xp for defeating Pete's mimic.
Loot
- Handed over the goblin ears for 5sp per, -10 ears, +5gp
- +5 javelins and a greataxe
- -1 javelin