Caravan Ambush (Session 4) - Sehnir 3, 888 F.S.

Secret Hideaway: East of Gaddor’s House
We question Cabra concerning Degarn. Cabra’s lord is Degarn, who is another half-orc. Degarn is not with House Vollis. He lives up north. Their next task is to raid the next caravan coming into Laendersberg. This is all to further Degarn’s “cause”, which is to rid Hronn of all humans.

The Village of Laendersberg
We take Cabra to Laendersberg to see if we can lay a trap for the caravan that Cabra was going to waylay. We meet with Laender. Laender, possessing an extreme hatred of all orcs and half-orcs, has Cabra hung.

The Village of Stahl
Laender sends us to Stahl (where the caravan is coming from) to talk with Theoneus (a half-elf, who is the leader of Stahl). Laender’s wife (Aislyn) comes along with us to vouch for our story. Laender hopes that this will cause Theoneus to send more troops to help squelch the raids.

We meet with Theoneus. He can send more troops. He’s pretty sure there’s a spy involved, hence the note concerning the timetable of the caravans. Djamal is a half-orc that runs the Sleeping Griffon (a local inn), and Theoneus, although thinking well of Djamal, says that he’s gone at odd times of the day.

Flick and Estenel agree to case Djamal while Theoneus sends an armed escort with the caravan. Estenel doesn’t find out anything juicy from Djamal; Flick finds nothing after casing the Sleeping Griffon.

We go visit Crolin, a merchant in the village that is sending his goods on the caravan. Crolin says that the Coelnut caravan. McCain is the courier who delivered Crolin’s ship schedule to Laendersberg concerning this caravan.

The Sleeping Griffon: Village of Stahl
We head to the Sleeping Griffon to try and find McCain. After Estenel spills beer on a patron, Djamal points out who McCain is. Estenel strikes up a conversation with McCain. He tells that Brenwyn is the name of the receiving merchant in Laendersberg, and that his communique between Stahl and Laendersberg is sealed upon receipt and upon delivery. So, if McCain is telling the truth, then the spy is somewhere within Crolin’s ranks or within Brenwyn’s.

As we are eating breakfast in the morning, we fill in Aislyn as to what we found out the night before. A runner bursts into the inn and informs Aislyn that her husband (Laender) was assassinated in the evening. We notice that Djamal’s wife is serving us. We find out that Djamal left town late in the evening. We ride quickly to Laendersberg with Aislyn to try and find out the details of her husband’s murder.

On the Road to Laendersberg
As we get about 3/4 of the way to Laendersberg, an ogre jumps out of the bushes and charges the party on an intercept course. A moment later, a second ogre steps out of the bushes and chucks a spear at Yukon. Then, four orcs join the fray with the two ogres.

Aislyn takes a couple spears, but fights through it. She ends up being pierced twice more by spears, and falls to the ground unconscious. Melee ensues. Estenel gets legged and then pummeled into dreamland.

One of the ogres drags Estenel back a bit, holds Estenel above his head, and one of the orcs says, “Yield now, or the elf dies.” Yukon yields, but Flick is still invisible and hides behind a blade of grass. One of the ogres sits down and passes out due to wounds during the fight. One of the orcs checks on Aislyn, says, “bah.” and kicks her nonchalantly.

Flick finds a place to hide. The orcs and ogre gather their wounded, Yukon, and Estenel. They put them on the horses and head off. Flick checks on Aislyn. She’s very dead. Flick follows the group back to their camp. The ogre and orcs blindfold and gag Yukon and Estenel, and tie them up to trees. They then begin to bandage the other ogre.