Short session. Sadly, both my brother and sister couldn’t make it. That changed my plans. That, and we started awfully late. It is what it is…

Characters:

• Lucky, Half-Elf Cleric of Tymora (Trickery Domain), Street Urchin; the lowly will be exalted
• Phileas, Half-Elf Bard (College of Swords), Archeologist; “it’s not tomb-robbing if you do it respectfully”
• Corpos, High Elf Wizard (School of Necromancy) , Archeologist; antiquary, strange fixation with the undead

Reinforcement

Corpos and Lucky were recuperating from their previous ordeals inside the ruined Camp Righteous at he same time that a supply convoy heading to Camp Vengeance made a quick stop. They were happy to see Phileas disembark to join them. The half-elf was spying on the dwarven Pick & Axe Company and had a few intel bits to share.

Also, Corpos, anticipating the difficulties ahead, managed to hire a fearsome-looking warrior named Goro-T’so (1) with promises of gold and tej.

The Canopy Drummers

As to be expected in Batiri territory, the PCs saw that they were tailed by goblin hunters.

And they had trained velociraptors…

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With Tymora’s opportune help, Lucky managed to spot more batiri ambushers further ahead. Acting on this knowledge the PCs started the hostilities before the trap could be fully sprung on them.  A well-placed Sleep  from the Elf wizard put the small but ferocious velociraptors out of combat early on. The bard charged one of the raptors’ handlers and Goro-T’so went the other way to attack 4 Batiri archers while Lucky fired his crossbow at them too.

The hireling got severely wounded but he also skewered 2 Batiri, with Lucky finishing a third. The fourth managed to flee. Phileas dodged several poisoned arrows and killed 2 more Batiris with the help of Corpos flinging spells from behind.

After the fight, Corpos decided to keep one of the sleeping velociraptor (tied up) with the idea to try to befriend the diminutive dinosaur in time.

The Hanged Man

The PCs walked at a brisk pace, wishing to put distance from themselves and a Batiri tree-village they had spotted after their skirmish. A few hours later they saw an unusual sight: a man (or what looked like a man anyway) was hanged with a rope by the ankles some 10′ in the air. Closing in, with a horrible stench now assailing them, they could see that the man was in fact a ghoul!

The undead creature, a northerner male, immediately started to plead with them to let it go, offering information in exchange of its freedom.

After some back-and-forth (2), the PCs accpeted the deal and the ghoul, going by the name of Scavo, revealed many things:

• an old and creepy creature, sporting a blue triangle on its forehead, was responsible for his present state
• he was a Flaming Fist mercenary prior to his demise
• he had overheard a meeting between Pick & Axe members and Batiri goblins to cement a deal against a rival tribe

The PCs finally cut the rope and let him go, suggesting that he should make himself useful and go eat some goblins nearby…

DM’s notes

1. promises doesn’t make for loyal henchmen when they’re not kept
2. including some unsavory methods of intimidation