Ajenta Summerwind, Creine Zephyr, Finnan Keen, Leonitas, and Titan have decided to travel south to Wilhelm in search of a warforged sage. Before they leave town though, they are approached by the same merchants who brought them to Heimdal after their loss to Fear. The merchants are also going to Wilhelm and are seeking protection on the long road south. After filling the party’s purses with some gold and renting riding horses, our heroes agree to help out. The trip will last for about four days, so the group packs accordingly. The first day goes smooth, until the moon shows half her face…

A goat, wolf, cougar, and two snakes walk into a bar - Sensing danger the party dismounts and walks ahead of the caravan, when they here creatures in the night creeping towards them. In the low-light conditions, the rogue tosses a sunrod out of his hiding place to illuminate the area. Two big vipers slither and a goatman charges towards Creine Zephyr and Leonitas, while a cougar pounces on the warlord. Ajenta Summerwind sallies forth to aid her comrades, with the wizard conjuring magic at the back of the party. Meanwhile a werewolf charges at Finnan Keen, which surprises the thief even though he was the one who threw out the light from behind the rocks he was hiding behind. After the blow, Finnan stabs the creature back and turns tail luring the wolfman to his allies flank. The avenger in the meantime has his hands full and is fighting the poison in his system as best as he can; while the warlord, fighter, and wizard kill off the other deathrattle. As the battle rages on, our heroes see that the werewolf and goatfolk are regenerating, so they hammer the goatman and eventually kill him as the bladeling finally brings down the other snake. With combined fire on the cougar, it quickly falls. Left alone, the werewolf continues to fight and is eventually overwhelmed. The group finds nothing of worth on the corpses.

Resting as best they may that night, the party arises the next morning refreshed and the caravan continues south. Two days and a night pass with no conflict, until at dusk on the third day of their trip they see an orc war party far down the road.

Orcsies - Knowing that the orcs have spotted them, the group decides to stand their ground. The orcs barrel up the road and charge towards them. Waiting for the right opportunity, the minotaur unleashes hell upon the overzealous orcs in front. The fight lasts for awhile since the foes were quite a match for the party. The fighter and warlord almost fall in battle, with the rest also feeling the wrath of the orcs. Soon though, the group manages to destroy some of the weaker ones allowing for some breathing room. With a deft stroke of his battleaxe loping off an orc’s neck and batting it aside with his shield, he orders his allies around. Titan conjures a sphere of fire that ignites a foe’s backside and the halfling slices and dices. The heavy hitters press their attack on the remaining enemies and their deaths are swiftly delivered. Scouring the battlefield, the party finds 200 gold and a magical greataxe fit for the avenger: Greataxe of Oaths Fulfilled +1.

Finally reaching Wilhelm the following day, the merchants pay out the other half of their promised reward as well as a bonus gift: Luckbender’s Gloves. Asking the locals about the sage, they find out zilch so they decide to visit a nearby bar. With the halfling gaily singing and dancing for the patrons of the “Prickly Boar”, the others question the bartender about the layout of the city and it’s leader. Picking up some change that the miner patrons threw his way, Finn and Creine exit the bar. In a surprising display of rudeness, Ajenta flings a pair of gold coins at the bartender’s face. Titan and Leonitas gasp as the whole bar suddenly feels very tense. Saving the fighter from a bar room brawl, the wizard wisely intervenes and hands over some gold. With that odd scene behind them, the whole group travels to the large tower at the center of town.

The Negotiators - Approaching the tower guards who quickly try to shoo them off, the party tries to persuade them to pass. Creine gets the conversation started smoothly, with Leonitas backing him up easily. Titan blunders a bit, but Ajenta and Finn get the dialogue back in their favor. Following the rogue’s lie, the minotaur presses the issue further that they have info of a threat to their ruler. Unfortunately, the avenger and warforged get their tongues tied and the guards are not as keen in listening. The fighter tried to sweet talk them, but the halfling’s usual charm wore off and the guards told them they could not enter.

So while the guards said they would report to Thuriv Greatbolt about this threat from the Crimson Tide, they denied the party access to the tower. The rogue calmly said alright, asked for a close bar’s location, and told the guards to send any messengers there. While Finn decides to spy on the tower, the rest of the group heads to the tavern. Once at the bar, “The Firebelly”, the group sits down to a warm meal and cool ale. Not too long into the meal, a shady halfling walks up to the table and offers a proposition. The minotaur tries to shove him in a chair, but the dodgy rogue slips his grab and merely reinstates his plan to have the party get in the tower for his own benefits. After some time Finn returns and starts to charm his kin with suave talk and a calm presence. Eventually the other halfling, Merric Bolger, tells the group that they can sneak into the tower at night through the sewers. He knows this because his old partner was lost down there the last time he tried to sneak in. With this info, the party bids Merric goodnight and retires to their room in hopes of word from Thuriv…..