"This is most generous, Abbess," Matthias says in his humblest tone. "I cannot speak for my companions, but know that I will do what I can to find out what has become of Bren and Rachil."

Matthias is still stunned by the Abbess' blessing, but he begs a moment to consult with his companions. Once he has their ears, he suggests they do their best to try to locate the ranger. "The ranger may be able to help us find the missing sisters," he reasons.

"If you think so Matthias, I will follow. We don't really have the resources to track anyone ourselves."

Leaving the Sisters of Elhonna as they begin to clean and repair their Monastery, you venture back the way you came in search of the ranger or any evidence of the missing sisters.  Night has fallen and working your way down the cliffs wet with the roaring mist from the stream is no easy task.   Once or twice, a slight slip sends your heart racing but eventually you cross the narrow rock bridge and once again enter into the maze of high mountain glens.  It take awhile to find your way back to where you left the ranger and the unicorn but as you approach what you are certain is the open space you found them, you can see a small fire.

Approaching with caution, you find Kellen sitting by a fire, without looking up, he waves you to join him.

"I thought you'd back, did you find what you were looking for?  I think I did."

"We did, indeed we did," Delta replied, looking about for the baby unicorn.

Taking off her pack, she sat down by the fire, and broke out her cooking gear.

"There were some bugbears there, but we cleaned the place out. Apparently one 'Mighty Tegroth' was offended by the good sisters. We are concerned he might try again, and hoped we might persuade him against it, I think. Is that our plan?"

She glanced at the others as she pulled some fresh rabbit out of her bag, a rabbit none of the others saw her collect. It had been skinned though, and was ready for cooking. After releasing her rat-friend from the pouch, she set to the task.

"We are also looking for two missing sisters, Bren, and Rachil. We had hopes you might help us find them."

The rat sniffed at the ranger, curiously.

"May I?" she asked, asking if she might put her now ready to go pot over the fire.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:13, Wed 05 May 2021.

Kellen nods at the fire with Delta's request to cook on it.

"Seems we'll be travelling together for a bit.  I didn't get names, but our information is similar.  The unicorn, which woke up after a few hours, spry and healthy, thank you all for your help in that, told me a lot which you've confirmed.   About a season ago, a band of ruffians, thieves, and whatnot discovered an old abandoned temple about a mile down the river. They've been seen sending groups out, and coming back laden with goods. Probably raiding towns, attacking caravans, that sort of thing.  They have some leader that they all look to, I didn't get the name, but sounds like its Tegroth.  That name is known to me, he's a bugbear lordling, big and nasty and tough, but smart too.   The unicorn said there were humans, and gnolls seen with them as well working with them, and that they abducted two women who were trying to protect the unicorn. I'm guessing it the same ones you are looking for.  Before the little unicorn left, it told me right where to find this temple, and even that it has a back entrance hidden amongst the rocks.  Delightful creatures those unicorns."

"It's a rumor mind you, but Tegroth is said to be very fond of magic swords, and has tried for years to master the art of making them.."

"Any idea how many people are Tegroth's merry band?"

Kellen shrugs, "A few less than there were, given what you've already done.  I might get some idea once we are closer to them by the tracks, but a wild guess is less than twenty..five.."

The math is obvious.

"More than we can handle in a frontal assault, then.  Given you were heading that way before re-encountering us, what plan did you have?"

Stirring, and humming and sprinkling the stew with spices or a handful of chopped vegetables, Delta hummed a little tune whose lyrics would have made her mother blush, and listened to the conversation. She slipped her pet a bit of cheese, and a few raisins.

"It would be useful if we could find a way to make some of them kill each other," Delta mused, considering what she might be able to do, if anything, with her magics.

Matthias had been listening to the conversation and eventually adds, "If it is true what you say, Kellen, 20 or more bugbears in this band, Tanyl is exactly right. It is too many for us to go in without a plan."

The cleric rests his left foot on a nearby rock while rubbing his chin. "Kellen, Tanyl, and Delta, assuming we can find the bugbears' lair, do you think you could scout it out, unseen and unheard of course, while Vala and I remain a short distance behind, so we have a better idea of what we are facing?"

Matthias sighs and at a loss adds, "Or, I don't know, maybe make some sort of trap or distraction, like Delta suggests, to split their numbers?"

"I wonder if any of them are slaves, or conscripts?" Tanyl says hopefully, as he looks to Kellen for an answer (as if he has one).

"Maybe that's something we can learn from scouting out the place," Tanyl adds, before turning to Matthias "and yes, I think scouting is something we can easily accomplish."

"Scouting isn't my forte, though I think I could try and gain information from any local rodents, Bugbears hardly seem to the type to be good housekeepers."

Stirring the stew, Delta takes a taste, smacking her lips, and tilting her head in though. After a moment she tosses in a dew more spices and returns to stirring.

"If I could get one or two of them alone, I might be able to persuade one of them that he is being wronged, or cheated, and fire him up enough to go in and start a ruckus."

She thought hack to the last temple they had ventured to, and remember Tanyl's abilities as well.

"I reckon Tanyl might have a chance at doing the same?"

It occurred to her that all of their jobs so far seemed to be related to temples, or some other holy area. How odd.

Kellen yawns, and tosses a few extra logs into the fire,

"Good strategies, keep them up, the stew smells great but I need to sleep to be ready to move on the den.  Best time to scout will be an hour before dawn,  so we need to move out in about four hours, I'll wake any one up that wants to go,  gonna be hard to sleep, tomorrow might be the most fun day of our lives, I am so excited....good dreams...".

Despite his words the ranger seems to drift off to sleep in minutes.

In reply to Kellen (msg # 128):

Delta portions out the stew, and gobbles it down. She leaves the dirty dishes out, and heads to her bedroll.

"I don't think I'm much of a scout, wake me up when you get back."

Vala eagerly accepted Kellen's stew in his stead. As always Delta had excelled herself and the warrioress happily ate her fill.

"I have a magic sword," she says thoughtfully between mouthfuls. "If Tergoth has some way of knowing that maybe we could lure him out with me as bait and ambush the ambushers?"

"I was thinking of a similar bait idea, with me as bait -- claiming to be an elven smith.  I doubt he's had much interaction with elves, other than to kill them, so he might be fooled.  But beyond using that ruse to gain entry, I don't know what to do at that point.  And the plan assumes he doesn't chain me up, or kill me on sight.

So, while it's my thought, I'm not keen on it at the moment."

"I'd rather not offer anyone up for bait, if it can be avoided," Matthias puts in. He further explains he believes the wisest course is to first find the lair and then scout it out a bit before coming up with a risky gambit.

"I am sure the gods will provide a way, when the time is right," the cleric offers. "Let's get some rest for now," he says while trying to force himself to do so. He doesn't feel great about leaving those sisters to the mercy of brutish bugbears, but their ranger seemed intent on going to sleep. He dares not think what horror the sisters must be enduring at this very moment.

Restless, he eventually gets up and offers prayers and sacrifice to Ehlonna for their safety. After burning aromatic incense in his censer, the cleric returns to his bedroll and lays silently for some time, his mind racing.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:42, Tue 11 May 2021.

The party discusses strategies, sets a watch and settles in. Well before dawn, Kellen slips from the camp without so much as a word.

By dawn, with the smell of Delta's usual creative and delicious breakfast just cooking he returns.  He's soaking wet, but unharmed.

"The good news is that there is an easy way in to their lair.  Some tunnels easily accessible just below the falls.  They are moist, and natural caves, but they lead to a real door.  No guards but lots of tracks, they come and go that way themselves on a regular basis, so we could get in, but can't hide their if we need to rest."

"The old entrance is behind the falls itself, a big sturdy and locked door.  Getting there is tough, no one in heavy armor could likely manage it without a danger tumble into the rocks below.  But the cave behind the falls is not used, no recent tracks.  So if we fought our way through far enough, we might be able to open it from within and use that space to rest up.  It's wet and cold and loud as hell, but i'm not sure they would look there for us"

In reply to DM Bard (msg # 133):

Dishing up the food, Delta offers an extra large share to Kellen, as he had started working so much earlier than the rest.

"Sounds like the caves would make a good ambush point, do we want to thin the herd first? Or would that risk warning them of our presence."

She offers a few grapes to her pet.

"That is far better than any of the ideas we've had 'til now.  I'm for it."

"Let's make our way closer to the lair, rest up the rest of the day, and enter the caves just after midnight if we suspect them to be drinkers.   We don't want to wait too long though, they are bound to be expecting to hear from the bugbears you killed at the Monastery sooner or later"

Tanyl nods.  "Good idea."

Washing up her pots and pans, Delta agrees that the idea is sound.

I have opened a new thread, please begin posting in Chapter six.