2. Unexpected alliances

The Guardians discussed their options. They used the magical ring that General Reeman had given them in order to get in touch with Morgus and explained the situation to him; Morgus recommended that their small group took care of the bandit camp before it became any more dangerous than it already was, and so the decision was made.
After digging graves for the fallen bandits, the group rested for the night. The next morning, they traveled to the north-east, crossed the river in that direction, then searched for a spot to cross it again at the south-east in order to reach the bandit camp. They found a small, old bridge that could be crossed by foot; they left the cart nearby, hiding it from the main road behind a few trees, and prepared to make it across.
As Isabelle started walking down the bridge, carefully avoiding the rotten and broken planks, a voice yelled at her to stop. A kobold was screaming at her from the other side, brandishing his makeshift weapon, threatening to attack her if she took another step. Thanks to Delvin and Isabelle’s careful choice of words, the Guardians managed to learn from him - whose name was Vros - that his small tribe had been attacked multiple times by the same bandits that the party was looking for, and he feared they were with them.
The Guardians managed to convince him that they meant no harm, and Vros finally let them through. As they walked past him and the other kobold warriors, however, Nero noticed their heavy injuries and offered to treat them. After healing them with his magic, the kobolds’ attitude radically shifted, and they happily invited the four of them to their camp, where they offered them food and more information.
The kobolds were determined to get rid of the bandits once and for all. The Guardians tried to convince them to stay back and let them handle it, but Vros’ tribe was determined to settle the score that very same day. In the end, the two groups agreed to join their forces and deal with the camp together, and they set off.
The bandits had set their encampment on top of a sharp hill. Delvin used his magic to turn Strider invisible, and he climbed up in order to scout ahead. He spotted Morrigan, about a dozen men, a humanoid with turtle-like features, and a hobgoblin, and he reported this information back to the others. The Guardians instructed the kobolds to stay back while they snuck into the camp under the guise of the Shadowport recruits, using the cloaks they had taken from the fallen bandits.
Nero, Isabelle and Delvin’ disguises worked: the guards let them through, Morrigan welcomed them, and they were instructed to wait for the upcoming meeting. Meanwhile, Strider remained hidden nearby, still spying on the camp from the outside.
During the meeting, the bandits discussed the situation with the kobolds, and decided to deal with them immediately, while the lizard-like creatures were still weak from the most recent conflict. As the bandits headed down the hill, the kobolds ambushed them, and the Guardians turned against Morrigan and her lackeys.
Strider attacked the bandits that had been left behind to guard the camp, kicking one of them down the hill and swiftly killing the other, before focusing on the rest of them. Isabelle shot a few of them down before anyone realized that the new recruits were not on their side. Delvin focused on Morrigan, hoping to end the conflict quickly by taking care of the bandits’ leader. Nero tried to keep everyone alive, but soon found himself under attack; as he begged the bandits to stop hitting him, he successfully paralyzed Morrigan and the hobgoblin with his last spell. As they were the last two left alive, the battle was now over.