Thursday 12 July 1280, Afternoon (Good Cop? Bad Cop?)

As the others question the hobgoblin Duran, bow at the ready, steps into the woods and slowly circles the group keeping an eye out for anything and hoping to find a sign of Ollie.

Gaven addresses Swede's accusation of Alanna: "I have little reason to trust you hobgoblin. Explain your sullying of Alanna's name. What is her and Mackey's relationship? Why are the freelancers untrustworthy? And why would she deal with the likes of you?"

The hobgoblin replies: "Alanna? Share secrets with me? Hmph! Not in a thousand years, she wouldn't. But I know certain people of low repute, who occasionally have information."

"It cost me a couple of ales, and I don't know how my source learned this, but from what I hear, Alanna and Mackey were an item. More than just business partners, though they were in business, too. He kept his bandit activity limited enough that she could turn a blind eye, while simultaneously taking a percentage of what he and his men stole."

"But Mackey's rivalry with Messer, up north, got the better of him. Messer started expanding, making a name for himself and his Grey Fox band. I've heard that Messer's even taken up headquarters in Blackwell – and that takes some sizeable stones."

"So Mackey wants his name on the fear-trembling lips of every traveller as well, and starts robbing folks left and right. As an officer of the guard, corrupt though she may be, Alanna can't let him do that – not uncontrolled. That level of activity just can't be kept quiet. So she breaks off the deal and the relationship. Mackey changes hideouts, and the lieutenant starts trying to hunt him down."

"My guess is those reinforcements she's sending you are ruffians who plan to simply kill Mackey on sight so he can't talk. They may even be under orders to kill anyone who already has him prisoner. And Alanna will imagine her little secret to be safe forever."

"I can tell you this, too. Knowing what I do, I had no intention of bringing Mackey back to her alive, myself. If I did that, there's no way she'd believe that he didn't tell me about their deal, and I'd spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder."

"If you want my advice, don't turn your back on those freelancers for a second, and don't take Mackey prisoner. Just kill him – it may save all our lives."

"Alright Swede, says Varros. "It appears that we need to work together for now." Varros makes introductions and then assists Duran. He asks Gaven to watch the cave mouth.

"I am concerned about Ollie's absence." Oloc rubs his chin. "He wasn't wounded was he? Did anyone see what direction he went in?"

No one knows for sure, though Jack says he thinks Ollie headed north. With no better info, Oloc helps look for the missing lad, but not stray too far afield himself. Stan offers to help as well.

So Gaven, Gweneth and Jack, keeping a close eye on Swede, move up the trail toward the cave mouth to take up a surveillance position, while the searchers begin to beat the brush for signs of Ollie, linking up with Duran on the way.

Karnak is the first to spot something, some yards north of the path to the bandit cave. Alighting on a branch, the raven gives out a quiet squawk. The rest of the search group soon comes upon him, and see that caught on that branch is a torn piece of shirt sleeve – the same shade of blue Ollie was wearing. A thorough search of the vicinity reveals broken twigs, smashed brush and trampled undergrowth all around, as if a brief struggle took place. You see no blood at all, but it appears that something heavy was dragged east, gradually angling in toward the trail in the direction of the bandits' cave.

The search party follows the path of the dragging, and the path finally converges with the bandit trail itself, almost on top of the overwatch position now occupied by Gaven and the group with him.

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OOC: Actions?  Time is now about 3:00 p.m.

Wednesday-Thursday 11-12 July 1280 (Intelligence)

Feeling rather pleased with himself at the success of his spell, Oloc decides to try and get a bit more information out of the prisoner: "What do you know of the Grey Foxes? How many are they and who is their leader? Do they make their base in the ruins of Blackwell Keep? What do you or any of the other Red Serpents know of the ruins, its layout and denizens?" Gaven and Varros, and Duran also ask questions.

When you ask his name, the bandit tells you he is called Zander.

When you pose your questions about the Grey Foxes and Blackwell, you find out the following:

• Zander thinks the Grey Foxes are a bunch of "stinking, mangy dogs."
• Whatever their numbers, Mackey always says there aren't enough Grey Foxes to challenge the Red Serpent.
• The Grey Fox leader is "a worthless no-good" named Messer.
• He doesn't know anything about Grey Fox territory.
• Mackey always tells them there's nothing worth stealing in Grey Fox territory, and that's why the Red Serpent doesn't bother moving north.

When you inquire about the layout of the Red Serpents' cave you get enough of a description that you are able to draw this:

Zander also tells you:

• Most of the tunnels are about 20 feet wide give or take.
• The caverns within are easily 60-70 feet across in most places.
• He doesn't know anything about any secret doors or hiding places.
• The main entrance is the only way in he knows of.

On the subject of werewolves, he says:

• The bandits are not werewolves.
• He hasn't seen any werewolves.
• He has heard wolves howling in the distance at night.

At the end of the interrogation, Gaven pushs wolfsbane into the bandit's face to make sure he isn't a werewolf. The bandit exhibits no reaction to the plant whatsoever.

Gaven then asks if anyone has a plan, suggesting perhaps the party use oil to try to smoke the bandits out.

Duran and Varros agree with Gaven about smoking the bandits out, or burning them out. Varros suggests stealthily taking out the guards on watch, possibly charming one or perhaps even "borrowing" this one from Allana and then burning out the rest and hopefully cutting them down with arrows. Maybe this bandit could be our next Dirtbag. The fighter teases the cleric by adding: "Try not to smash his skull in until we're done with him, Gaven."

Alanna interjects stating: "You're welcome to take him with you, but his leg is pretty badly broken. We set it as best we could, but he'll probably slow you down to a crawl."

Varros states that he will keep a watchful eye out for Karnak as well. He thinks that Karnak might be useful in finding the bandit guards in the trees. When Varros thinks back to the battle and the blood on Karnak he starts to wonder if he could possibly catch a guard unaware and cause him to fall from height.

Allanna believes that's a wise use for Karnak, adding that the raven is likely to return around sunrise with whatever messages Belloc might have for her. "If you'd like," she says, "I can teach you the command to have him attack. Just point to your target, and make this sound."

The lieutenant demonstrates the call, which seems to be in the raven's own "language," along with calls for "come," "return home," and "scout," mostly to be sure Varros gets the differences in inflection right as she has him repeat them. "All the ravens understand many of these in the common tongue," she says, "but using his language will help bond a raven to you."

Duran and Gaven propose that the party sleep and head out in the morning.

Before turning in, Varros begins to spend a bit of time trying to get to know the new hirelings in order to learn their strengths and weaknesses, with the intent of continuing to do so during travel and down time. The hirelings are pleased to get a bit of attention from their employers.

Varros in his brief conversation with them before going to bed, finds out that Jack is an ex-member of Stag Hollow guard, with a little fighting experience (though he never actually killed anyone). Gweneth, the daughter of a woodcutter in North Stagwood, pitched in as part of a makeshift militia in Woodfield to help fend off a small goblin raid (where she did score a kill). And Bill, a dwarf who lacks skill with stone, came to Fairbrook looking for the best-paying work he could find as a manual laborer.

*****

The night passes uneventfully, in Alanna's well-guarded camp. At sunrise you share in her troops' morning meal, and as predicted Karnak arrives before you are ready to leave. As you are 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?"

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OOC:  Actions?

Basically, let me know if any of the info you've gained in this post changes your plan to head out now (and of course feel free to discuss as needed), or if you're ready to go ahead and make the short march to the bandit lair.