Thursday, 12 July 1280, Morning (The Trail of the Red Serpent)

(Wednesday Night)

During interrogation Gaven asks one final question of the bandit: "What can you tell us of the pool?"

Zander answers: "It's our water supply." His dry throat seems to suddenly get tight as he thinks about it. "It's very cool and fresh."

Seeing that her interrogation tactics are no longer needed, Alanna brings a water skin to the prisoner and holds it for him, allowing him to drink for the first time since his capture.

Following the interrogation, Gaven says: "I'm not sure if smoking them out is an option, the cavern is large and we aren't sure if there is another exit. We may want to handle this like we did the goblins (charm and lure). I will meditate on this tonight and allow the Light to guide me. Good night, fellows."

*****

(Thursday Morning)

The night passes uneventfully in Alanna's well-guarded camp. At sunrise you share in her troops' morning meal, though Oloc prepares his charm spell before joining the rest of you for breakfast.

As predicted Karnak arrives before you are ready to leave. As you are all getting your gear together, Alanna approaches you. "I hope you've slept and eaten well. No messages from Belloc other than the go-ahead for me and my men to take out the fences while you go after Mackey. My men and I will soon be departing and splitting up to strike all the fences simultaneously tonight. And you now know the way to the bandits' lair, of course. Do you intend to still take the prisoner with you? Or shall I take him back to town?

Gaven speaks up: "I do not think the bandit is worth healing or bringing along. He is too famished to be much use and will just slow us down. Should we send Karnak to inform Filbert that we have intel on the Grey Foxes and that he should wait for us? Do we want to proceed with smoking out the bandits? If so, we likely need more oil."

Duran says: "I agree with Gaven. I don't think this bandit is worth healing. While I do like the idea of smoking the bandits out I fear this may not work and only alert them to our presence. I think we can try to charm them like Gaven suggested but it might also come down to brute strength and the accuracy of our bows."

Chiming in, Varros says:  "Sending Karnak is fine but we will definitely need him to scout out the bandits in the trees. I suggest finishing up the day and sending him after the raid on the bandits. That way we can also send word of our success or failure. I also agree with Gaven that the best approach may be the same one that we used on the goblins. Perhaps luring them into oil and then setting it ablaze may work better than trying to smoke them out. Having to go in after them will somewhat negate the advantage our bows give us."

*****

With a plan decided upon, the party soon set out. The day is warm, sunny, and cheerful as you head east from Alanna's camp toward the forest. You recognize certain landmarks the bandit had mentioned – a rock formation here, a dead tree there.

You encounter no one and nothing of significance on your way – just the odd redwing and the occasional rabbit. As you approach the forest, however, a shadow spills out into the idyllic setting through which you have marched. True to its name, the leaves themselves are so dark in color that they look black from virtually any distance. Only when you are right under them can you see that they are, in fact, just a very dark green.

A very short distance into the forest, you find a tree with the "R.S." runes caved into its trunk, just as the bandit said you would. Nearby, you find a carefully camouflaged trail. The camouflage is so skillful that you doubt you could ever have found it without Zander's instructions.

From this point on, you know you are in bandit territory, and Varros has Karnak scout ahead. The trail – which barely merits the name – winds its way through dense undergrowth, and the going is slow and hot. The July warmth you enjoyed so much on the march is transformed into a furnace beneath the stifling trees of Blackleaf.

About an hour down the trail, Karnak suddenly stops on a branch and quietly caws, twitching his head as if to indicate that he's spotted something up ahead. The location corresponds roughly with that of the bandit hideout provided by Zander. Quickly and quietly slipping into cover, you all peer ahead into the trees.

You hear nothing, and at first you see nothing either, other than a rough, rocky, tree-covered slope. As your eyes focus more intensely, you notice a patch of blackness in the slope ahead, half-obscured by foliage, that might well be a cave entrance.

Scanning the dark trees all around, you spy, a moment later, a booted foot hanging down from a branch about fifteen feet up. Moving your eyes upward, you can just manage to make out a bowman attached to the dangling foot, seated on the branch. He does not seem to have noticed you.

*************************

OOC: Actions?

All olive areas on the map above are covered in dense underbrush (slowing movement to half speed), except along the narrow trail. The yellow dot is the archer attached to the dangling boot. The party is the blue square. You are about 100' (+/-) from the archer. I made the scale marker a 70' increment, to match the range bands of your bows.

BTW: You can see the bandit with difficulty. If you choose to shoot at him, he will benefit from cover, but of course so will you if he returns your shooting (i.e., at the moment you and he have identical spotting/cover problems/benefits).