Wardens of Heroes Gate

North Along The Trade Way

] An hour ago, you arrived via portal in the foothills of The Starspire Mountains close to The Trade Way. One of your teachers in the Song Moon Temple has asked you to journey to the Treyvigg Monastery to replenish his supply of Summertide Wine. While you are there, a monk named Elder Arrodonn will spend time with you – teaching you martial defensive tactics, which the monastery is renowned for. You are riding in a flat bed wagon being pulled by two horses, one black, one khaki in color. The day is early still and this section of The Trade Way has seen little traffic. Summer is in full affect all around you and the blue sky cheers you as the sun warms your skin. About a league to your left you can see the coastline of Firedrake Bay and even large portions of the forested Dragon’s Neck Peninsula.

] The roadway has curved up and down and turned left and right for the past 10 miles. You are just reaching the crest of an upward slope and you can see the Trade Way starts a long and straight downward stretch. About a half mile ahead of you, you see a small caravan of 3 wagons being pulled by a team of what appear to be oxen. The lead wagon is a wide and tall box carriage. Off the left of the Trade Way, the hillside down to Firedrake Bay steepens – nearly to becoming cliffs. To the right of the roadway for as far as you can see, there is the thick forest of The Wealdath.

] Before you start on the download slope, you notice the caravan ahead has pulled to a stop about 2000 feet ahead of you. There are 4 bandits standing in the roadway in front of the lead wagon. Yisi – you can see that they are all half-orcs with crossbows in their hands.

Yisi] “Bandits!”

Valea] “Already? This one thought the trouble still a day or two away.”

Yisi] “I see 4 of them, but there may be more in the forest. The wagons surely have some guard right? Should we try to help or wait back?”

Valea] “If we don’t help, we will be the next in line to be victims. Better… Valea thinks… to join against bandits yes?”

Yisi] “Agreed” We urge the horses on towards the hold-up.

] As you close to the downhill distance to about half, the action starts up in front of the lead wagon. A large Bugbear has jumped down from the front of the wagon and two other fighters have joined him from the trailing wagons. One falls with two bolts in his chest before he can even engage, the other has drawn a longsword.

Yisi] I pull our horses in behind the last wagon and draw my weapons. “Watch for fire from the right – there should be more than four of them.”

Valea] I also ready weapons and run to join the combat along the left side of the stopped wagons.

[Initiatives]

] The female guard with the longsword attacks the first Bandit (01) which fired on the other guard [()] but she swings in anger and fails to get through the half-orcs defense. As you approach, you pass by the guard that was felled. He appears to be alive but has two bolts protruding from his chest.

Valea] I join the other guard in attacking the same bandit.

1d20 Attack 15 +7 = 22 [Hit] | Dmg 3 +5 = 8

1d20 unarmed Attack 8 +6 = 14 [Miss]

] You rush in and make solid contact with your Basto Stick, but the attempt to follow-up with a spin kick falls short. The other bandits both focus their crossbow fire on you and the guard. [()] You hear the mechanism of the crossbow and easily dodge the attack, but the guard took a hit, the bolt glancing off of her.

Yisi] I go after the second Bandit (2) on the left side and attack with my Trisula

1d20 Attack 11 +7 = 18 [Hit] |Dmg  4 +7 = 11

1d20 unarmed Attack 16 + 6 = 22 [Hit] | Dmg 3 +6 = 9

] You surprise the Bandit (2) with your speed of movement which puts the half-orc just slightly off balance – which is plenty enough for you to target vulnerable targets with your needle daggers. The tendon connecting his torso to his hips and legs is damaged, causing the huge enemy to double forward. You spring up with a knee to the falling forehead, snapping his neck backwards. The Bandit falls into his death.

] The 9 foot tall Bugbear from the lead wagon goes after one of the right-side bandits (3) [()] successfully drawing blood with an intimidating roar. Both Bandits (3&4) focus on the Bugbear [()] and successfully strike but the giant beast seems unhurt.

] The Guard again attacks the same Bandit (1) [()] dropping him to a knee.

Valea] I use a spinning heel kick to the Bandit (1)

2d20  unarmed Attack 12 +6 = 18 [Hit] | Dmg 4 +4 = 8

] Your heel makes a solid connection to the half-orc’s skull, shaking his brains beyond recovery.

Valea] I run to the other side and attack one of the Bandits engaged with the Bugbear, facing away from me.

2d20a Attack 15 +7 = 22 [Hit] | Dmg 4 +5 = 9

] You leap into the air and bring your Basto Sticks into the backside of the half-orcs neck, snapping it into several pieces. His head flops as his body drops.

] Bandit (4) sees he is now alone and turns to run into the forest, giving the Bugbear an attack of opportunity. [()] The remaining Bandit is hurt but manages to escape into the forest. From the dark foliage, you hear him shout out “Cyrics Cudgel shall be avenged!”

] The Bugbear shakes his warhammer into the sky and roars some frightening response into the wood, then turns back to the wagon.

] Tronk “Nim alive? Norli ok?”

] A three foot tall halfling sticks his head out of the wagon box and looks around.

] Nim “Are we good? Bad guys dead Tronk?”

] Tronk “Bad guys dead.”

] Nim “Oh good. Well done Tronk.”

] The halfling man is nearly naked, wearing just a white silken loin cloth. His hair is long and bleached to bright blonde color. His skin looks sun-baked brown.

] Nim “What have we here? An elf and a cat… Since Tronk is not pulling you apart, I assume you are not with the Bandits.”

] Guard Vedette “They came in from roadway behind us and lept to our aid in perfect time. Guard Varannt has been hurt, I must see to him.”

Yisi] “Well met. My name is Yisi and this is Valea. It is true, we were on the road behind you and saw what was happening.”

] Nim “We extend our thanks. Tronk would have probably crushed them all on his own, but your help made quick work of the fools.” He turns back inside the boxed wagon. “Norli. We have an injured guard, please see what you can do?”

] Another halfing exits from the wagon, a female dressed in blue satin robes. She puts a hand down on the wagon and somersaults off and lands deftly on her little feet. Without saying a word, she goes to the injured guard and covers his wounds with some woven cloth. Then she walks over to Valea and looks you up and down. She touches the Basto Stick in the holster on your outer thigh and then turns and leaps back into the carriage. She returns with two long strips of woven cloth, brown with green knot designs. She holds them out to you. You notice that each of the strips of cloth have an emblem stamped into them that looks like a small bird carrying a weavers knot.

] Nim “Norli would like to express her gratitude with a gift. Don’t be too grateful now Norli… those fetch a nice sum back in Calimport remember?”

] The female halfling hands you one of the strips of cloth and motions for you to raise your hands. She then wraps the long strip around your waist, being careful of your tail. Then she takes the other long strip and wraps it around your back to the front, crossing over your breasts. She a moment and straightens the cloth out. It seems to cling to itself so that it need not be tied down.

] The woven material is enchanted. The top strip grants you immunity to Force damage while you are wearing it (no attunement) and the bottom strip grants you a limited version of Freedom of Movement – while wearing this cloth, you have advantage and a bonus +4 on any saving throws to avoid or escape any sort of grappling, speed reduction, restraint or paralysis. Difficult terrain will not decrease your speed.

Valea] “Valea is very grateful for your gift. These are both beautiful and valuable beyond warrant, this moggie-girl is very pleased to be so graced. Thank you Norli.”

] The halfling then walks over to Yisi and same as before, looks you up and down and touches the weapons at your side. She takes longer than she did with Valea but then brightens and leaps into the wagon, returning with a black sash. She motions to drap it over your head across your chest.

] Nim “Now that one is really far too much Norli. I could have sold that for a thousand gold pieces. And probably a lot more in Baldurs Gate ”

Yisi] “Oh wow… well I agree with Nim, this is far too costly. I can more than be repaid with just a smile from you Norli.” I start to take the sash off.

] Norli smiles at you but stops your hand. She turns and shakes a fist at her brother Nim and then turns back to you, straightening the sash and admiring how it lays across you. This is a magical sash that grants you the Haste spell on yourself once per day while wearing it. (No attunement)

] Nim “Ok fine Norli. You are right… It is yours to do with as you please.” He looks to up you and explains. “Norli is a weaver with a special talent for creating enchanted cloth. I do hope you two feel sufficiently thanked. Norli does not usually interact with others but she seems to have taken some special liking to you. There are very few like her in this world – truly she is the most precious thing you helped to save today. Please forgive my grump?”

Valea] “Valea offers her friendship to the beautiful Norli… and to the grump Nim.”

Yisi] “Any friend of Valea’s is my friend as well. I do suggest we get moving however… the escaping Bandit said something that puzzles me and I think we should remain on high alert. Only four bandits attempted to stop you – I find it odd they would be so foolish to attempt a highjacking with such small numbers. There also seemed to be no leader with them, which tells me they were being brash in what they thought was an opportune moment. Surely this “Cyrics Cudgel” will have higher numbers…  and I expect they will be seeking to avenge the three we dropped today.”

] Tronk “Me throw bodies down hill?” he says looking back at Nim.

] Nim “Good thinking Tronk. First let’s gather their weapons and anything we can take to market.”

Yisi] I help loot the bodies, putting the spoils in their wagon, then start dragging the bodies off the cliff.

Valea] I go check on the injured guard.

] Guard Vedette and Guard Varannt are already back on the rear wagon. Varannt appears to be healed but a bit a sluggish.

Yisi] “We plan on making it to Mosstone by nightfall and then the rest of the way thru the Wealdath tomorrow. Can we join your caravan for as far as we share the path?”

] The halfling agrees, quoting some foreign proverb about safety in numbers. They are going all the way to Baldurs Gate. The caravan moves forward toward Mosstone.