Played, Friday 28th Oct.

After their encounter with the Brigands the party quickened the pace North thru the Osel March for the day or so. The journey then settled into a quiet and slow trip again for the next couple of days til one night while camped along the path in the woods loud roars and screeching sounds were heard.

The party's camp fire although dug in still managed to give off much light to the trees around the campsite but being overcast the nite was very dark. Erich the Mage (Denis) decided to go and investigate the strange noises deep into the night, he came upon a fight between some massive hairy being (Sasquatch) and a stick insect looking creature (Ankheg). The fight took a turn and the battered Sasquatch turned and fled into the path of the Mage...

Luckily the mage was using a cloak of shadows and blended into the night; the waring beasts flew over his position and vanished into the dark. Denis, thinking he was lucky quickly fled back to the campsite. He could spot the site clearly in the dark due to the flickering of the flames glowing in the trees above. (A point I kept making abundantly clear to all). Suddenly the fighting stopped after a couple more minutes and there was silence.

Suddenly there was a roar in the dark! The party spun around to see a battered and badly bleeding Sasquatch coming into the light. It made straight for the horses but Xavier being in the wagon at the time hurled a barrel of fish at the beast. It devoured the fish greedily but when finished roared again for more; Erich then worried fired a Power bolt at it only to anger it more! It charged at him only to be targeted successfully by Aedon the Cleric with a Hold Monster Word of Power. The beast remained standing there roaring with anger but unable to advance.

The party decided the safest thing to do was to pack up and get out of there quickly, this they did moving 5 miles North along the trail until dawn arrived. They camped again for a few hours then set off again, not 2 hours later the Ranger walking ahead of the wagon spotted many horse hoof prints in the sodden earth over the trail less than 6 hours old. The party became alert and watched for Pagaelin horsemen. They weren’t disappointed long as only 2 hours later 6-7 of them were spotted behind the wagon to the South shadowing the wagon from afar.

Not long after more were seen, effectively doubling their numbers, The Ranger spotted them splitting up, half of them flanked the party from afar moving ahead in a wide arc. By this time the party knew they meant to attack when ready, the guys got ready for this which was not long in coming. Around early afternoon 6 riders appeared ahead of the party and closed in, looking behind them the party saw the rest also closing the distance.

The riders began to charge and the fight began, The Ranger skulking in the underbrush shot arrows at the lead group downing one of them before the rear group closed in. Not seen he waited for them to pass then aimed again...Erich fired a Power Bolt of pure energy that arced out in white light slamming into another Barbarian to the front, hit hard he fell slamming to the ground but the rest came on...

To be continued...