Session 38 – The Camp of Ragtag

You awaken on the morning of the 4th of Secondus Mensis after having arrived at the caravanserai of Arbuzum the evening prior. Muuta informs you that the caravan will be waiting here longer than originally planned, as he has to wait another caravan to arrive that has cargo to be transferred to his wagons for the trip north.

Upon finding this out, you realize that the vials of sandwrym blood will likely spoil before you would find a larger town or city to attempt to sell them. Thankfully, there is an alchemist in the caravanserai that is interested in in them. Ptepeni offers you at first what would likely be half as much as you could get elsewhere in coin, but when asked about trade he offers to trade you the lot for his last six potions of healing. His reasoning is that, while the potions would normally sell for more than even top coin for the blood, the profit he will get from what he can make with the blood will far outweigh the disparity. You naturally agree to the deal and he throws in a potion of water breathing he somehow has in his possession but clearly has no use for nor could he possibly ever sell in the middle of the desert.

While strolling the rest of the small market area, sampling the various meats and fruits available from the vendors, there is a commotion at the gate. It seems a caravan was attacked by an orc raiding team extremely close to the caravanserai. Thankfully there were guards from Arbuzum out patrolling that were able to intervene and drive them off but there were still injuries sustained by the guards and the members of the caravan.

The belief is that they must be encamped nearby and there is evidence that their newfound boldness of attacking so close to Arbuzum is due to a couple of gangs joining into one. When Feebs sees the banner that one of the guards managed to capture he immediately recognizes that one of the symbols is that of Ragtag – the War Chief who led the raid on his village and wiped out his entire family.

Not surprisingly, Feebs is ready to head out immediately! Alas, if you go now, only a couple of guards would be available to go with you and not knowing the orcs’ true numbers it is decided that it would be best to wait until tomorrow when you can take greater numbers. Sylbella also has a spell she can use to track them using the captured banner so there is little worry of them escaping entirely.

Then next morning you set out and find their campsite, about a half-day’s ride from Arbuzum. From outside you can see four orcs guarding a large tent while there are two orcs atop a pair of lookout towers and two more patrolling in between smaller tents and a parameter of spike camps.

As Gunkyn takes out an orc on the center most tower, the rest of you and the four guards that accompanied you move into the camp, with Sylbella immediately challenging the four guards at the large tent. Feebs and the four guards begin taking out the orc on the other tower and the two that are on patrol, but soon two more orcs emerge from the smaller tents to join the melee.

As you begin making short work of the other orcs, and Sylbella and her wolf, Bucky take out the ones guarding the large tent, it is learned that inside that tent are the war chief, Ragtag himself, along with an orc conduit.

Ragtag emerges from the tent to access the situation – Feebs immediately recognizes him and vows to bring him to his end.

(to be continued)