The stooped man inside peered more closely at the group of adventurers gathered outside his hut.

"Huh.  Newcomers.  Don't see new people around here often.  But you know Oleg?  Did he send you?  That wife of his is always worried about me.  I've told her a dozen times that I'm safe.  But a man gets threatened by bandits one time....

He sighs, and walks out into the yard, examining you more closely.  "But since you're here....Well, Oleg always wants potions to sell at his trading post, and it's easier to get them from me than from some alchemist in Brevoy.  But these old bones don't travel as well as they used to.  There's a large thicket of fangberries that grow about 55 miles southwest of Oleg's place.  Bring me some of those back, and I can make some potions for Oleg's, and I'll give you all something too.  But be careful down there!  The fangberries are named that because they've got wicked thorns on them.  You'll want some gloves to harvest them.  And people aren't the only things that like to eat them - you'll probably run into some kind of animal trying to eat them.  Mostly, it's deer or squirrels or the like."

"Oh, yes, fangberries..." the elven girl blinks, caught off-guard by the request as if there aren't more pressing matters to be concerned about, and repeats the name inquiringly to Oghul as she returns from her scouting. "I'm sure we can keep an eye out for them, but the bandit problem is pressing. If all is well here, we should make haste."

"You said you were threatened by bandits once? Can you tell us any more? We are here to eradicate them, and any information you can provide will aid us in our efforts."

He scratches his head.  "The bandits?" He shrugs.  "Dunno when exactly it was.  Maybe a few months back?  I think they realized that trying to threaten an absent-minded alchemist who makes healing potions and also gentle yet surprisingly effective laxatives might be an extremely bad idea."

He shrugs again.  "Needless to say, after their 'accidents' were over, they never bothered me again, content to get the potions once I delivered them to Oleg."

He smiles.  "But yes, those bandits are troublesome.  Take care of them.  But if you see any fangberries, I'd appreciate them."

Satisfied that there was no immediate danger, Oghul spurred her boisterous foal and galloped back towards the others. This time she dismounted and perused the house as well as the old man. He did not strike as someone who would be wise to play tough with the brigands, but then it seemed to have worked for him so far.

 “Fangberries, huh... if we were to encounter worse than deer or squirrel, what would that be? Also are there any features nearby the grove? It would help to locate it.”

Fifty five miles was quite a distance, more than one would expect to travel for some fruit. Even valuable fruits. She wondered if there was more that the alchemist was not telling them.

Obviously their main concern was the bandits, but if this fellow was to become an ally, they should listen to his concerns.

---

Know nature: 13
This message was last edited by the player at 01:57, Fri 25 Dec 2020.

Aeron nodded as the hermit spoke of the group taking care of the bandits.  "We will certainly do so."

He was not particularly worried about the fangberries at the moment, but perhaps after the bandits were dealt with they would be a worthwhile bit of side-business.  While the bandits might not threaten the life and livelihood of this man, they were a great threat to anyone else in the region.

"We will certainly acquire you the fangberries if it becomes possible to do, but our main focus must be on eliminating the bandit threat. I am glad to hear that you are safe from them, and amused by your most effective solution to their harassment."

Thurak says. Looking out at the others, he continues, "It seems the 'good herbalist is safe for now. I propose that we head towards the bandit camp now, and strike while they are hopefully still unsuspecting."

Saviǣ nods in agreement with Thurak; if they move quickly to the bandit camp they might still make it before the last group are missed. She had no more to say to the old man, but made kind as they parted ways.

 Oghul tried to get more information from the old alchemist before they left, but otherwise agreed that making haste towards the bandit camp was the way to go.

“If we approach their camp carefully, we may be able to catch a few of them unaware and alone. We’re not exactly a war party, more of a little group of skirmishers.”

One thing she was good at would be traveling fast through the plains, so she was ready for it.

Aeron nodded at the suggestion of not making a full-frontal attack, regretting again that he did not have a unit of cavalry with him.  Nevertheless, this group had been incredibly effective in their previous combat.  "Let's be off, then.  The idea of catching as many as possible unawares sounds wise."

Leaving Bokken's hut, the group travels southwest across the plains.  As the group travels across the plains, Aeron point out a suspicous area riddled with bones, and the party steers clear.  The group enters the woods, and Oghul leads them down an old game trail, shushing the party as they skirt the outline of a clearing filled with moon radishes as some sort of small creatures dart for cover.  Eventually, the party finds an well-worn trail in the increasingly wet ground as they near the Thorn River.  Oghul motions the party to stop and points ahead to a bandit in a platform built into the trees to the south.

OOC:
Crossing through two hexes.
First hex: suspicious clearing with bones
Second hex: moon radishes
Third hex: Thorn River Camp
See Map Thread for current battle map.

This message was last edited by the GM at 14:50, Tue 19 Jan 2021.

 During their travel, Oghul makes notes of the areas of interest, to be added to a map when they get a chance. For the time being, memory will have to do.

---

 As they get closer to the Thorn river, Oghul suggests they dismount. As they come near to the camp, she points to the platform, and up, and then hushes:
 "One lookout... can you take him out in silence? Approach stealthily, I can do a diversion."

 The druidess looks innocuous enough, and her boisterous foal is nothing of a war mount. She could approach casually, pretending to take her horse to the water, buying just a few seconds of distraction to get the sentinel neutralised.

---

ooc: if you're ok with the plan, Oghul leaves her backpack behind and casually comes out of the cover, leading her horse to the water / you do the rest :D

"I'm not good at stealth, particularly not in my armor. I suggest we split into two groups. Those who are less stealthy stay back as a reserve force. Anyone who is stealthy try to sneak up and take them out. I will grant you a quick blessing before you go."

No problem with that strategy, but Thurak is very much NOT stealth.
Thurak will cast guidance on everyone before they go. You will get a +1 circumstance bonus on a single roll made within the next minute. Either the stealth check, or your first attack roll most likely, your choice.

"I think we have discussed this before.  Most of us have no ability to sneak at all."  Whispered Aeron, wearing fairly sturdy armor as well as a shield.  "Perhaps we instead all use our ranged weapons and all attack at once?  Or let her lure him out and we just charge him wholesale once he's on the ground?"



With Thurak's blessing, Aeron would be up to a -2 stealth.

"I'm a fair shot, but my coin wouldn't be on me felling a man quietly with one arrow." Saviǣ comments as she pulls a longbow taken from the last group of bandits from her shoulder and readies an arrow. She looks about to try and determine where the main camp might be located and suggests, "Could we try to go around?"

“There would be an other sentinel. The longer the wait, the riskier it gets,” said Oghul as she slid her pack off her shoulder on the ground.
“I’ll go ahead. The moment you have a clear shot, take it. The three of you at once. Make sure a missed arrow wouldn’t end up in the camp though.”

 With this, the middle aged druidess grabbed her horse’s lead and casually walked towards the river, limping slightly as she did. She was bot being stealthy in the slightest, but tried to not make a show of being too conspicuous either. Temudjin whinnied softly, as if on command, as they reached the water.

 The half elf expected some reaction from the brigand, if only one of those whistles she was all too accustomed to. But mostly she expected an arrow to hit him and drop him dead before he could set off an alarm.

---

Action: really it’s just walking, but let me know if I need to roll anything.

Unsure of what they need a distraction for if they're just going to shoot at the man, Saviǣ simply shrugs and draws back the knocked arrow, takes aim, and waits for the cue to fire.

10:05, Today: Saviae Aessildais rolled 24,1 using d20+4,1d8.  Attack/Damage.
10:05, Today: Saviae Aessildais rolled 20,9 using d20+4,2d8.  Crit Confirm/Damage.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:06, Tue 26 Jan 2021.

Similarly unsure, Aeron drew out the bandit squad leader's bow and nocked an arrow.  He readied an arrow to fire.  Then, when it looked like all was ready and the bandit came down to or was otherwise distracted by Oghule, he let the arrow fly.


10:00, Today: Aeron rolled 19,6 using 1d20+2,1d8+2.  Arrow!

Thurak stays back, hoping that the archers take out the bandit, but ready to burst into action to support the others if needed.

The bandit on the platform sees Oghul approach and starts to react, raising his hands to his mouth and turning to the east, but before he can do anything else, Saviae's arrow takes him through the throat, and he falls lifelessly onto his platform.

 Oghul heard the arrows shoot and stick in the sentinel’s neck. She was glad her little diversion had been superfluous, as it seems like it could very well have back fired.

In haste the half-elf rushed to the platform, to make sure that the body would not make a sound if it fell to the ground.

"Well shot!" Thurak says quietly. "Now let's move quickly and take the rest of them."

Thurak advances with Oghul, trying his best not to make too much noise blundering through the woods. Hopefully the bandits would be relying on the sentinel.

Aeron put his bow away and hopped into Mick's saddle.  "He was going to call a warning to the east.  Let's get there quickly and deal with the next one or ones before they notice that he's been corpsified."

He put away the bow and readied his lance.

Oghul catches up with the others and picks up her satchel. She is still leading her young foal by the bridle. As she reaches Saviæ, she unceremoniously grabs her forearm:
 "A fine shot, and I've seen many..." she says in a hush.
 "You would make a decent horseback archer."

 In her culture, this was perhaps one of the finest position one could hold, though this may be lost in translation.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:59, Wed 27 Jan 2021.

"Oh!" Saviǣ exclaims both in surprise and dismay, moving her hand to cover her mouth as she sees their arrows take the man's life. His isn't the first life she's taken, but something about being the ambusher rather than the ambushee made her feel a bit more guilt. She shied away from the others' praise--she had less control over the shot than they give her credit for--and laughs off Oghul's comment with joke, "I think the horse would disagree." In fact, the whole ride down Saviǣ had held on to her horse's reigns like her life depended on it while her mount seemed wholly unconcerned with its burden.

As the team begins to move in the elf knocks another arrow and joins with them, moving tactically to take cover among the trees and keeping an eye open for the bandits.