(Where)
The party exits Dawnport from the northwest gate and traveled southwest to a crossroad clearing. So roughly west-northwest of Dawnport.
(Who did the party meet)
- The party (Kejora, Obiana, Jarrod, Arthur, Morban Groll and River).
- The coachman (Bram).
- The rescuees (3 people + unquantified dead bodies).
- A bunch of body-napping undeads (Wights, Skeletons, Ghouls and an Ogre).
(What happened)
Subjects 1 met up with the coachman outside of northwest Dawnport gate, and traveled roughly in the southwest direction.
Subjects 1 came across an empty caravan. There were signs of violence, but no struggle (there were only a small amount blood compared to the tallied number of people on the caravan; and horse tracks appear to be evenly-spaced instead of panicked or spooked, trace of necromancy magic in the air). This indicates the attack is premeditated, carried out by trained personnel, and possibly a necromancer with spells that can subdue subjects 3.
Upon further investigation, subjects 1 also found an uprooted tree that appears to be thrown from above a small hill. River's familiar Tressym found tracks of an Ogre on the hill.
Subjects 1 followed the tracks on the winding road, and finally found the cart carrying subjects 3 somewhere north of subjects 1. Subjects 1 found that Subjects 3 are heavily guarded by the subjects 4.
After a grueling battle where even Morban the Barbarian dared not to be reckless despite his rage, Subjects 1 eventually managed to defeat Subjects 4. Obiana in particular, boasts of her protective gears. She landed several critical hits, and even had time to "fish and reel" Kejora from a particularly deadly situation to relative safety. All this while, River transformed and duelled one of the enemy Wights, toe-to-toe.
Kejora's Ballad #7 - The Ballad of the Northwest Road
From Dawnport's northwestern gate they rode,
With Bram upon the winding road.
Southwest they went through field and glen,
Six stalwart hearts, six valiant friends.
On their path lay a caravan, silent and bare,
With little blood yet death in air.
No panicked horse nor desperate flight,
All but tricks pulled from a necromancer's blight.
An uprooted tree blocks the way,
Hurled from a hill in savage display.
A Tressym spied with watchful eye,
An Ogre's trail beneath the sky.
The valiant friends followed tracks through bend and vale,
Until they found the grim blood trail.
Lo, the see two horses with stolen prey,
Guarding the lost they'd dragged away.
Wights and ghouls and skeletons pale,
An Ogre fierce from dreadful tale.
The battle raged both hard and long,
Against a legion grim and strong.
Yet Obiana stood like iron-clad stone,
Her shining armor all her own.
Her blows struck true, and with hook in hand,
Reeled Kejora back from death's dark strand.
While River changed in beastly guise,
And met a Wight with fearless eyes.
Toe-to-toe the two contended,
Until the undead threat was ended.
Though Morban's rage burned hot and bright,
Even he trod careful in that fight.
And when the final foe was slain,
The captives saw the sun again.
So sing, O friends, of Dawngate Road,
And of the friends who bore the load.
For where the restless dead would reign,
Their courage broke the darkness' chain.