Quick Recap

The party accepted Ilar Venca’s contract to escort a locked iron chest to Friula, joined a small group of practical travelers, and took rural roads at Sister Calis Veil’s suggestion. After several quiet days, the group was ambushed near an old farmhouse by bandits and multiple basilisks.

Summary

Journey Setup

The party accepted a contract from Ilar Venca to escort a locked iron chest to Friula. They received pre-clearance paperwork for customs and loaded the chest onto one of their axe beaks.

They joined a traveling group that included:

• Hettan Vale, a flax broker with a cart and mule
• Mira Tollen and her son Jeb, traveling with household goods
• Pavo Renn, a cooper’s assistant
• Sister Calis Veil, a devotee of Mavros returning from pilgrimage

Sister Calis Veil suggested taking rural roads south instead of the main road to avoid bandits and pilgrims. The party agreed.

The Road South

The group traveled through pastoral countryside with apple orchards and rolling hills. Four days passed uneventfully as they camped in fields and barns. Splinter practiced climbing and whip techniques in trees, while Rock trained with a quarterstaff when there were no trees nearby. Sister Calis Veil quietly watched, read, and took notes.

Traffic thinned significantly as the group moved farther from Feymott.

The Ambush

On the fifth day, the group traveled through a mountain valley near an old dilapidated farmhouse. The marching order placed Halvor near the front by the cart, Rock in the middle, Splinter by the axe beaks, Vyth at the rear, and Frankie near the front of the cart. Gore was away attending to nature when the attack began.

Multiple basilisks emerged from concealment. Halvor immediately cast Entangle on the first basilisk, and the party warned each other not to look at the creatures. Vyth looked directly at a basilisk and froze in place. Bandits hidden in the hedgerows revealed themselves, while two thugs emerged and cut the leads on the axe beaks.

Fighting to Protect the Caravan

Frankie cast Blink to avoid the basilisk gaze, phasing between the Material and Ethereal Planes, and used Mind Spike to damage and track one basilisk. Halvor grabbed the mule’s halter to pull the cart away from danger. Pavo Renn covered the mule’s eyes with cloth, and Vyth covered one axe beak’s eyes to protect it.

Splinter fought thugs near the axe beaks. Rock fired his crossbow at the entangled basilisk, then jumped a wall to attack a hidden bandit throwing rocks. Pavo Renn was bitten by a basilisk and dropped, but Halvor revived him with Healing Word and carried him to safety on the mule. Mira lifted Jeb onto the cart while Hettan Vale took control of the mule and tried to move the cart away.

Cliffhanger

The session ended mid-combat during Halvor’s turn. The party was still facing basilisks and crossbow-wielding bandits while trying to protect the travelers and animals. Vyth had recovered from the petrification effect, Frankie was blinking in and out of the Ethereal Plane, and one thug had retreated.

Technical Note

Gore’s player was absent, so Gore was established as being away from the road when the combat began.