(continued from Session 047)
Whipp ties up the prisoners, intending the ropes to be loose enough that they can eventually free themselves after we leave. Orla casts prestidigitation to persuade the prisoners that we can watch them and will know if they alert the authorities.
The group sets off at a normal pace roughly toward the mountains, which are about 5 days away if they continue walking only at night. The group takes a cart and two oxen from the barn to help convey any injured members.
After an hour, the group comes upon about a dozen Order Corps troops blocking the road. Gulden and Kestyn go up to talk to them, claiming we are transporting prisoners. The real Order Corps claims that they were sent to find these prisoners, and they show their orders. Kestyn claims they were sent to take the list of prisoners on the list he took from the barracks. The real Order Corps doesn't believe them and starts a fight. The group takes care of the real Order Corps without too much trouble, but the commotion begins to wake up nearby citizens.
Four hours later, a lone rider begins to overtake the party from behind. The rider screams that he found the fake Order Corps group. Whipp casts Lightning Lure and pulls him off his horse. Kestyn calms the horse, and Whipp kills the fleeing enemy with Scorching Ray. Searching the body and the horse reveals several more copies of orders to head west and seek out the fake Order Corps group.
After about three more hours, the group comes to a crossroads shortly ahead of an approaching rider. Enna hits him with Frostbite several times as he tries to flee, while Kestyn pursues on his own ill-begotten horse. Gulden shoots him with his hand crossbow, and Morro kills him (and his horse) with his bow. The group quarters the horse and puts it in the cart.
The group finds a large cornfield to hide in off the road, while setting up watches. Whipp notices a teenage girl comes out of the farmhouse to gather eggs, and later she and several other family members go out to a different field and out of Whipp's line of sight.
Kestyn, Gulden, and Morro sneak into the barn to look for food, but only find some for the oxen and horse. They sneak into the house and find food stores that they take with them.
The family returns and then comes out looking for missing food. Several eventually leave going down the road, while the others go back to work in the fields.
Kestyn and Gulden track down the two who went down the road using their horse and take their report of stolen food, promising to look for it.
Whipp notices three Order Corps members go up to the farmhouse door and get invited in. Whipp lies in wait in the corn.
The Order Corps and the farmer head into the corn where Whipp is. Whipp attacks, knocking the farmer out and quickly paralyzing one of the soldiers with carrion crawler mucus. Whipp then kills the paralyzed one and wounds another.
Orla injures one with a magic missile, and Kestyn kills one of the injured ones before Gulden and Whipp help kill the last one. Whipp ties up the farmer.
Gulden heals the farmer (Whipp goes to the barn) and he and Kestyn convince the farmer to keep his family inside and that they killed the ruffian who attacked him and that the other Order Corps members were sadly killed.
Morro cooks a bunch of the horse meat while the group starts a long rest. A rider passes at twilight but doesn't stop.
The group awakens in the morning on Lunday, continuing to keep watch. Kestyn and Gulden escort the girl as she collects the eggs and tell her the bonfire was from the ruffians. Kestyn gives them 2 gold as recompense for the stolen food, though they do give some back, claiming to have recovered it.
Everyone eats horse meat and some of the food stolen from the farmhouse and the group completes a long rest (finally).
Respectfully submitted,
Kestyn
Party Experience Before Session: 368,537XP
Experience Earned:
Party Experience After Session: 373,597XP
Needed For Level 10: 7 * 64,000XP = 448,000XP