NEW RECRUITS Session 5: Missing Child
All the excitement has died down, the townsfolk are returning to their homes and the party is helping tend to the last of the injured, when they hear a cry for help. Micah, the town blacksmith, can’t find his daughter, Arya, last seen a few hours ago before all the commotion first started. The party helps with the search, speaking to a few people before coming upon Bertie, a halfling baker that lives at Alderleaf Farm, and is insistent that they try his fresh baked goods while he is answering their questions. Him and Kray, our resident halfling rogue, hit it off immediately and much food changes hands In fact, his seems to be the only name that Kray can remember correctly. Eventually, clues are pieced together and they find that the girl has wandered into the nearby woods to forage.
The group splits up temporarily to investigate various options, while Mialee takes some time to conjure a familiar. Soon the party is joined by a weasel called Ron. Ron gets to tracking and soon they find an overturned wicker basket belonging to Arya, and pick up a scent and tracks of a larger man that seems to have taken her. They track the trail into the woods to a long abandoned sacrificial site, now occupied with a large tent alongside the ruins. The group tries to sneak closer, except Cerric who tries to impress Kray by attempting a double flip over the stream, landing on his back with a huge splash, alerting all in the area to their presence.
However, nothing happens, so they decide to approach the tent. Narrowly missing a pit trap, Rurik takes the lead and bursts into the tent, only to get attacked by a figure cloaked in black and wielding a scimitar. After a quick scuffle, where most of the group found it impossible to get past Rurik into the tent (and Clara fell into the hole), Mailee sent Ron Weasel under the back of the tent to see what was within, and Kray followed. They found the missing girl tied up, and Ron started to free her, while Kray took the opportunity of sneakily stabbing the cloaked figure in the back. Eventually Cerric managed to make a gap to start firing arrows into the tent, while Mialee and Clara scout out the surrounding area to make sure that there are no other dangers lurking.
The group eventually subdues and captures the mysterious figure, who admits that he was planning to sacrifice the girl to summon a demon. They decide to drag him back to town and hand him over to the authorities, and Arya is reunited with her parents. Once again our brave party of warriors are local heroes, but life isn’t quiet for long. Now some of the town guard seem to have gone missing on a routine mission, and someone needs to go and find them...