Sequence of Events
The session began with your journey north from the defeated bandit camp. Your trip came to an abrupt halt when Nym got his foot caught in a bear trap. After freeing him, you proceeded more cautiously, and Zogg soon discovered an entire field of cleverly laid crossbow traps. In the middle of the traps, you found the body of Breeg, the trapper you had heard about. An examination of the bolts revealed they were not the same kind as the bandits’, and they were also shorter than normal. Someone else had set the traps to kill Breeg, or perhaps anyone on the path. On the body, Zogg found a Cold Iron hatchet, which he gave to Aurelio, commenting that it might be good against fey.
After a fruitless search to the south for the creator of the traps, you decided to make camp and set a trap of your own: a decoy campfire to lure the perpetrators. The plan worked, but not as expected. Instead of bandits, you were attacked by two ferocious, dog-like beasts – Brush Thylacines. The fight was brutal. One of the beasts managed to frighten and fell Aurelio with a critical bite that also poisoned him.
After surviving the attack, you decided your next steps should lead you to the alchemist Bokken to gather information and possibly acquire more equipment. You returned to Oleg's Trading Post, where you were rewarded with the bandits’ four remaining horses as thanks for your help. After a night’s rest, you rode east to Bokken‘s hut. The hulking man offered to sell you potions, but Gassi was more interested in recipes. Bokken agreed to a trade: fetch Fangberries for him from a swamp far to the southwest, and he would be able to give you a recipe and a discount. He also gave you valuable information: an old fort was located to the north, and caves were near the swamp – but he warned you about the pony-sized spiders that inhabited the same area. He also mentioned his violent brother, Kurmil, in passing.
You decided to take the direct route toward the caves and the swamp. The journey was short. As you passed a field covered in bone fragments, you were attacked by an enormous Trappedoor Spider. It surprised you, poisoning and felling Aurelio yet again. In a spectacular maneuver, Gassi teleported one of his healing potions directly into Zogg‘s hand, who then forced it down the unconscious Aurelio‘s throat. Despite the deadly poison and the beast’s aggressive attacks, you finally managed to defeat the spider. To end the day, Nym and Zogg burned down the entire spider’s nest.
Great Mysteries & Clues
- The Crossbow Traps: Who set the traps that killed
Breeg? - The
Stag Lord& His Fort: The real leader is still out there.Bokkenmentioned an old fort to the north. Could it be theStag Lord‘s headquarters? Bokken‘s Deal: To get new recipes, you must travel to a swamp far to the southwest and fetchFangberries.- Spiders and Caves: The path to the berries leads past caves, and
Bokkenwarned of large spiders in the area. You have already encountered one. Are there more? Are there bandits in the caves? Kurmil:Bokken‘s violent brother. Will you run into him in the wilderness?
Cliffhanger
With the smoke from the burned-down spider’s nest rising to the sky, the battle is over for now. Aurelio is back on his feet, albeit shaken from being taken down twice in one day. You have survived the encounter with the local wildlife, but the mission from Bokken leads you deeper into the same dangerous territory. What will you do now, standing at the entrance to the spider’s lair?