Session 5, After the bandits Report

General Summary

The group faced out into a low valley, bordered by 70-120ft high hills, with mixed woods growing on the north and south slopes of those hills.  They decided to search through the woods adjacent to the river, some members cresting the hill and some staying on the slope.  Reapichirp II, having secretly swapped places with his tree-brother, skimmed the treetops scouting.  Far ahead of where the group landed he found an old, decrepit cabin.  Shortly he heard someone call out for someone, clearly reacting to the noises of the less stealthy members of the group moving through the undergrowth.   A human in leathers, carrying a sword, a shield, and a few javelins, emerged from the cabin and made his way north, calling out to someone.  Reap let him get some ways away and then attacked him.  His attack failed, and for his trouble he got a javelin embedded in his shoulder, nearly dropping him and forcing him to fly slowly and carefully.  He proceeded to keep the treetops between him and his assailant.  The noise of the group brought out another human from the cabin, this one fully prepared with a shield and a battle axe.  He called something over his shoulder, then charged out boldly at the group.  Seconds later another like him emerged, followed by a huge half-orc wielding a massive two-handed axe the likes of which the group had not seen before.  They threw themselves into the frey, with a last human emerging, wielding two daggers and circling wide of the party.   A furious melee ensued, with Tristan narrowly averting a bad hit, ducking and shielding himself in a slightly shameful display to deflect the worst of the blow.  But, in short order the bandits were all down, two felled by the deft daggers of Jarvis.  Two of the enemy escaped, one running in fear, and with the half-orc recovering from a nasty blow and fleeing without any pants (due to Flinair tying his pants around his ankles).  The group recovered from the fight, with Reapichirp tenderly removing the barbed javeline from his tiny body.  The unskilled healthy members of the group managed to follow the tracks of the fleeing half-orc west, out of the woods and across the shallow valley towards a rocky rise.  When within a couple hundred feet of the rise they spotted a cave and made for it, but came under sporadic crossbow fire from somewhere above the cave in the trees.  They decided to run for the cave, with Sven falling just short, a last crossbow bolt skipping off the rocks near him.   They stumbled up into the cave together, only to face the half orc holding two axes (and wearing a new pair of pants) and another assailant holding a leveled crossbow at them.  That was where the session ended.

Rewards Granted

None

Missions/Quests Completed

The group could see behind the enemies in the cave some stacked boxes and bags, with tarps over them.  They believe they have found the stolen trade goods.