Caravan Duty – Chapter Four
From Bard To Worse:
31st Day Of The Leaffall (October)
There is a lull in the blood-letting and the Adventurers could do with a drink and a song from a Bard.
Galan Tara shouts out to his new compatriots….
Galan Tara: ‘Crow (his Raven), has seen more foul cretures than just these!’
Sir Ly calls out for the Wizard, who is apparently skulking somewhere in the forest –
Frimly: “Blackberry picking most likely.”
Thinks Frimly.
Laying-on of hands and healing is undertaken on the wounded by those skilled in the healing arts. Brave Sigune, who has been sore wounded, is handed a potion by Sir Ly. A generous boon from Maerovyna, Priestess of St Cuthbert, to aid the fearless in combat.
Galan Tara sets off stealthily into the forest, eying Frimly to follow him – the Thief takes the hint but is rather less stealthy!
Out For Orc Blood:
The Horses are called for, mounted and the pursuit of Orc blood begins in earnest.
The Paladins and the Dwarf take the centre ground and they soon spy Orcish movement in a bramble thicket just ahead – the pincer signal is given and they quicken their pace ready to engage the enemy. They will not have had time to set themselves for the impending leather and steel battering ram that has been unleashed.
Mirafir and Father Tobias, are hurriedly pushed out to the flank, in an effort to keep them away from the worst of the danger.
Sir Ly jumps the thicket and swipes at one of four concealed Orc Archers. Thora and Sigune, likewise, both swing and miss.
Out to the left of the main party, Frimly and Galan, run slap bang into a quartet of Javelin wielding Orcs and Galan pierces one through the heart with a twang and whistle of his Longbow. The Orcs miss in their return of fire.
Frimly misses with all his attacks, but Galan slays another. Then draws his Swords ready for two Scimitar wielding Orc scum buckets. Frimly’s courage momentarily deserts him as he takes cover behind the Ranger.
Thora in her rage misses her opponent but Sigune and Sir Ly spill yet more Orcish entrails across the forest floor. Then quickly hasten to Galan and Frimly’s aid.
The last Orc standing grabs his horn and blows it in a last desperate act of defiance. The party take up battle positions and Frimly even blows the Orc horn again but oddly no more Orcs appear. 10 more pairs of Orc ears are hacked off for the bounty sack. Their campsite must be nearby.
(Finger Necklace – Orc Ring gilt and semi-precious stone 5gp – Frimly finds this in the hair of an Orc!)
They return to the ululating and restless herd. But the cowpokes are having trouble getting them to pass the two dead bodies of the Ceratosaurus. Once the path is cleared the drive continues towards the next campsite.
The Bard And Juggler:
Before they reach the respite of food, warmth and shelter, some of the party spy two figures off in the distance, and who then slip out of view.
NPC – Bard Human 
NPC – Juggler Human Female
Before long a small portly figure nervously emerges from the undergrowth. A Bard (Shakas Fieldland the Melodious) by occupation accompanied by Issa, a Mute Juggler; on their way to Waterdeep when beset by Bandits they were robbed and beaten, Horses stolen and all but their tools of trade taken.
We believe it was the same dead Bandits now slung over their own horses as Shakas identifies one of the dead Bandits. Though oddly, as Sigune smugly notes when thinking back, they didn’t identify their missing Horses.
Sigune begins to call upon St Cthubert in Detecting any Evil intent from our new companions, but Issa hisses and knocks the Holy Symbol bearing hands away. An argument ensues with the Bard and they offer to leave as they will not bow to the will of any God.
Sense prevails and Sigune chills out.
As they gather around the fire and partake in vittals. The Bard and Frimly break out into song. But soon the Bard’s song turns dark and ominous and takes on the guise of a ‘Spell’.
Thankfully most of the party manage to resist the Powerful Bard Magic and only Frimly and Sir Ly succumb. The innocent looking couple of the Bard and Mute Juggler then morph into terrifying Lycanthropes of the weird and Werewolf kind.
Sigune was right after all!! God help us all.
Father Tobias screams out that they can only be hit by ‘Magical’ or ‘Silver Weapons’.
Mirafir, being closest, leaps back but not before being struck by the Male Werewolf, who was the Bard. Farher Tobias thinks quickly and casts ‘Entangle’ on the Female Werewolf called Issa, which is held before it can attack Meldar Farwander’s daughter, Delora Sharpeye.
Thora fires twice with her few ‘Magic Arrows’ and hits.
Sigune is hit by the Male Werewolf, called Shakas Fieldland, but strikes a meaty blow in return.
Mirafir hits the Male Werewolf with a Spell, a ‘Magic Missile’.
Without more ‘Magical Weapons’ there is little the party can do. Frimly, dazed by the ‘Song Spell’ sung by the Bard, staggers over to Thora and hands her his ‘Magic Short Sword’.
Frimly: ‘Go on, get stuck in!’.
Meanwhile, Mirafir deperatly hits with his last spell, another ‘Magic Missile’ and drops the Male Werewolf. As the Evil Magical beast breathes its last so Sigune administers anther crashing blow to the Female Werewolf and she too drops to frosty ground.
Sigune, bellows a prayer to St Cuthbert and her mighty prowess. She is thanked profusely by Meldar and his daughter Delora. Mirafir, unfazed by the Werewolf’s graze, takes the opportunity to search the bodies and finding nothing, pilfers their items in the tent.
Short watches are then taken while the Wizard is granted uninterrupted sleep to recoup his Magical Energy.
Mirafir and Sigune have both been wounded by the Werewolf – Frimly wonders aloud if the rumours of Lycanthropy being passed on through wounds might be true. Thora shushes such negative thoughts.
Thora’s earlier wounds are healed by Father Tobias.
Werewolf instruments etc, what did Mirafir find?
1st Day Of The Rottening (November)
Bard Dead, Liam’s Hold Next:
After a rainy days riding the sentinels of Daggerford make it to Liam’s hold Campsite uneventfully.
Sleep though, is hard to come by as dark thoughts and fitful dreams of unnatural monsters visit our band. Perhaps too, a little naivity has been stripped from the trusting Adventurers.