The Story So Far
The group arrived in BarrelHaven, settling into town for a couple of weeks to get the lay of the land and allow Welsh, the party’s druid, to receive his Barrier Tattoo from the Celestial Concord outpost in the Shadow District. Their time in town established them as upstanding citizens—by BarrelHaven standards, at least (meaning they hadn’t been overtly violent or destructive).
During their stay, they caught the attention of Mother, the iron-willed proprietress of the BarrelHaven Inn, who made it her business to learn their names and histories—as much as they were willing to share.
The Call to Action
Soon after Welsh’s tattoos were completed, the group was gathered in the Inn when a distressed merchant, Godefridus of G&G Fine Goods, ran in, urgently seeking Mother’s advice. She pointed him to the group’s table, where Godefridus introduced himself and explained his predicament:
- One of his caravan shipments was long overdue.
- He was concerned for both the caravaner and his team and a special-order item meant for his notorious client, Don Osiris.
- The item in question? A “left-handed whizbang”—something valuable to specialized collectors, but of little interest to the general public.
- Godefridus offered a generous reward for information on the caravaner’s fate, his safe return, and the recovery of the Whizbang.
The group agreed and, after gathering additional details from Godefroi (the other “G” of G&G Fine Goods), they began making inquiries in Caravan Row.
The Investigation
Their inquiries revealed that Jostri Fenrick, the missing caravaner, was an independent operator, known for being earnest and well-meaning but prone to cutting corners. His latest boast had been that he had discovered a new shortcut that could cut 1–2 days off the trip between BarrelHaven and the capital, Hollesary Stoke—a change he believed would make his fortune.
While speaking with merchants and travelers, the group was approached by Rhea Six-Toes and her large companion. She offered inside information on Fenrick’s fate, claiming that he had run afoul of a group of Redbrand Ruffians, recently moved into the area and led by a man named Scarlet Garvin.
Rhea provided detailed directions to the bandit hideout, asking only that the group retrieve a small black silk pouch that Garvin would either have on him or in his quarters.
With this information, the group set out the next morning.
The Journey Begins
Before leaving town, the party was hailed by none other than Don Osiris himself, who expressed personal gratitude for their efforts in retrieving his Whizbang. To aid their journey, he gifted them an enchanted tent—which appeared to be a simple 6-person canvas tent on the outside, but was a 5,000-square-foot mansion on the inside.
His only warning? “There is a back door. If anyone knocks, don’t open it.”
With this unsettling gift, the party set out into the wilderness, now traveling in even greater comfort than what had already been provided by their cleric, Lucius.
Using bee-eater birds dispatched by Welsh as scouts, the group progressed easily through the scrubland and savanna until they reached a position near the bandit hideout. Welsh scouted ahead, first using his birds, then himself in the form of a wild dog. His reconnaissance revealed:
- Guard positions and patrol routes around the hideout.
- Several large wasp nests, which immediately caught Welsh’s attention.
The First Ambush – The DropOwlBear
The group laid a clever ambush for one of the bandit patrols, introducing for the first time the now-infamous “DropOwlBear” tactic—Welsh, in his owlbear form, leaping from a tree and crushing a bandit in an impressive display of force.
Tezir, the group’s Blood Hunter, and Lucious quickly finished off the squashed bandit’s companion, forcing the surrender of a second bandit.
Their captive was interrogated and securely restrained, while the group moved closer to prepare an ambush for the next patrol or any rescue party looking for their missing men.
Gathering Intelligence
Further scouting allowed the group to eavesdrop on a conversation between a ranking bandit and two footsoldiers. The discussion revealed that the Redbrands were expecting someone, and that they were overdue.
Attempting to stealthily follow the patrol, the group was unfortunately spotted. Oddly, rather than attacking, the bandit called out: “They was thems?”
With too little information to attempt deception, the party attacked ferociously. The second use of The DropOwlBear was less successful, as Welsh attempted it from ground level rather than an elevated position, but he still managed to knock one bandit prone.
Tezir and Lucious subdued the second bandit with a darkness spell, effectively blinding and immobilizing him, allowing Tezir to track him down by scent.
Their captive revealed a new layer to the mystery—while he didn’t know who “Them” were, he did know they had hired Scarlet Garvin to retrieve something from a dwarven ruin several days away. The item had already been secured, but no one had come to claim it.
The Assault on the Hideout
Leaving their second subdued bandit secured near the first, the group prepared an ambush-style assault on the main hideout. Welsh set in motion a multi-layered strategy, combining nature’s wrath with tactical precision:
- The Wasp Swarm – Welsh recruited wasps from the large nests, sending them to swarm the bandit hideout, hopefully driving the Redbrands out in panic.
- Spike Growth Trap – Welsh also laid Spike Growth at the entrance, ensuring that any bandit fleeing the wasps would rush straight into painful terrain.
- Hornbill Scouts – Welsh enlisted a flock of Hornbills to watch over the captured bandits and alert the group if any unknown figures (especially “Them”) arrived during the attack.