Three Rivers Hunter "Rescue"

A full prime had passed since the Calm Holiday, and Osric and Cathance were thinking they'd had enough Calm and were up for some Adventure.  Fine Branch had just gotten in the day before from Hindmarsh, sporting a new headband; and apparently the trip back had bored them, so they agreed to go too.

At the foot of the stairs, a distraught male human from the front of the tavern approached Fine Branch.  His brother was missing in the mountains between Lakeview and Marshfork!  He didn't have a lot of money, he said, but could pay 200gp now, and 200gp on return.

By this time Osric and Cathance had joined the conversation.  "That's an awfully wide area," Osric observed.  "Well, he's likely just north of Three Rivers," the human said.

The Freelancers were intrigued.  "What was his business there?" Fine Branch asked curiously.  "Hunting and trapping," was the reply.

"How long overdue?" Cathance wondered.  "He was 11 days overdue," the fellow said, "Before I left Three Rivers to come to Cliffshadow."

FIne Branch's face fell.  "So, we're hunting for a body," they said.  "Cathance, or maybe… Three Rivers; he's back," Cathance offered.  The distraught human considered this dubiously.  "Maybe," he admitted.

"Fuck it, let's do this," Fine Branch declared.  "Sure," Osric agreed.  The human bowed.  "My name is Justin," he said, "My brother's name is Tian."

The Freelancers questioned him more closely to find out what Tian would be trapping (smaller animals), and that he had a mastiff with him.  Justin gave them one of Tian's old shirts.  And, of course, 200 gp.  They assured him they would leave today, and headed up the stairs.  "You can follow, but if you came with us you'd just slow us down," they told Justin.

As they packed, they figured time was of the essence, and figured out how to bring Osric on the flying mounts, by putting gear with Cathance on Jigsaw, then Nighthawk would be able to carry both Osric and Fine Branch.

On the way out, they stopped in Arnari's office.  She looked up from her harp pleasantly, but when Fine Branch told her, quickly, they were heading into the woods north of Three Rivers to find a missing hunter at the behest of one of the seekers in the front of the tavern… her face fell, and she facepalmed.

Putting the harp aside, she pulled out a paper and demanded the details.  As Fine Branch described it to her, she took notes.  Cathance, watching her, asked, "Have you seen this before?"  She wanted to know if this was a rejected mission.

Arnari shook her head.  "I have not," she said out loud.  She read over her notes again.  Such a mission is normally one Freelancers would take.  Fine Branch interrupted her thoughts by handing her 20 gp.  "I feel we can't reject this," they declared.  Osric added, "We can't wait for paperwork, if there's a missing hunting party."

They took their leave, and headed down to the stables, and took off.

The Freelancers flew to Cliffgate on the first day, and stayed at The Sleepy Dog Inn (8sp each room&board, 5sp per mount for stabling).  They rose early the next day and flew directly to Three Rivers.  They had to push their mounts, and arrived in the evening, but they were able to fly there straight.  They got rooms at The Mule's Rest (same price).

The next morning, they set out for the "point of the V" which they deemed the most likely location to look for Tian.  Osric and Fine Branch had prepared various locate spells, and they would use those.  The three of them arrived at the southernmost hill in the late afternoon.

Once there, they discussed the available spells and how to make the best use of them.  Fine Branch could run locate object for the traps, or Osric could find animals and plants for the mastiff.

Cathance proposed, based on ranges, "find animals and plants, fly there, locate object."

Osric looked about and gathered some herbs, and got others out of his backpack.  He twisted them together, and lit one end on fire.  It smelled very pleasant.

Osric solemnly swished the burning herbs around, then declared, "No mastiffs within 5 miles of here."

Fine Branch suggested, "Let's go 7 miles north, and try again."  Cathance looked at them, impressed. "Dayam, Fine Branch, you got smart!"  Fine Branch grinned a cat's grin.

They flew 7 miles north, and Osric repeated his find animals and plants ritual.  This time, he said, "Five miles north… west, there's a hit on a mastiff."  They mounted again, and flew in the indicated direction, but landed about a kilometer shy of it.

For the third time, Osric cast a find animals and plants ritual.  "The mastiff has moved," he declared, "But not far."  The Freelancers peered in the indicated direction, but they could not see well through the trees, which were thick enough to prevent good flying with hippogryphs.  Perhaps a small valley?

They all peered around for danger.  Nothing else of interest presented itself.  A small creek was nearby, but the group heard and smelled it more than saw it.

"Should we locate bear traps now?" Cathance asked, in a hushed tone.  "No," Fine Branch answered shortly.

They mounted the hippogryphs and rode forward on the ground.  Fine Branch pulled out Tian's old shirt, but cast locate object on a dog collar.  Cathance followed behind, on Jigsaw.

They rode through a thicket to see a small clearing to their northwest, with a campsite and half a dozen fellows in leather, performing various tasks.  One was giving the mastiff treats.  They appeared to be armed with maces and light crossbows.

Cathance shouted out, primarily at the human with the dog, "Hallo!  We are looking for Tian.  Are you Tian?!"  Osric hopped off Nighthawk, but said nothing.

Fine Branch triggered their doppelgänger, and noticed the back of the camp.  "Wow, they have kegs!!" they said.  "There are 2 more [of them]."

All eyes were on Cathance and the doppelgänger.  Two of the fellows stepped back, suspiciously.  The person with the dog replied, "Yah, I'm Tian, what's it to you?"  He also stepped back, behind the mastiff.

Cathance replied pleasantly, letting the Haven accent shine through, "Your bro Justin sent us to find you!  He was real concerned, and was hoping we could bring you back to Three Rivers."

Osric followed Cathance's lead, but his tone was less friendly and more gruff.  "There was a concern – it's been over a prime since you were expected to return – if you needed assistance.  It seems that you're fine, though."

Fine Branch's doppelgänger walked forward as far as it could go, and introduced themselves, trying to be as friendly as possible.  The encampment was super unhappy at this.  The mastiff walked up to the doppelgänger and sniffed, but otherwise did not react.

At that, Tian relaxed, and even grinned a little.  Two of the others moved quietly, to get behind Fine Branch.

"Get'em, boys," Tian said.

Tian and the 5 fellows who had not moved behind Fine Branch pulled out their light crossbows, and fired at the Freelancers.  One[3] hit Osric with a glancing blow.  Another[4] sank a bolt into Fine Branch.  The rest missed.  One[5] moved forward to get a better shot at Cathance, to no avail.

The two bandits[l][w] who had moved behind Fine Branch attacked them and Osric with maces.  Fine Branch got smacked with the mace[l] immediately after getting that crossbow bolt.

Cathance flew up on Jigsaw.  Without thinking twice about it, she pulled the tides of chaos out of the air around her, and sent a 4" chromatic orb at one of the hunters[1] who'd shot Osric.  As it approached him it turned greener and greener, until it splashed against him, a ball of vicious acid.  A wave of confusion threatened her balance, but she shook it off.

• Jigsaw followed up, swooping down and striking[1] with his beak.  As Jigsaw flew back up, the hunter hit him in the haunch with his mace.
• Osric used summon beast to call up a Bear spirit.  It granted a protective boost to Fine Branch, Nighthawk, and Osric.  Bear then bit the bandit[w] who'd attacked Osric.
• Fine Branch cast word of radiance, which did not affect the bandit[l] who'd attacked them, but did hurt the bandit[w] the Bear had attacked.
• Nighthawk followed up, attacking the bandit[w] with beak and claw, and he succumbed.  Fine Branch then also flew up on Nighthawk.  The remaining bandit hit Nighthawk in the knee, injuring him.
• The bandit then turned quickly and attacked Osric twice with his mace.  However he was still overbalanced from attacking Nighthawk, and both swings caused him to lose his balance.
• The mastiff bounded over to bite Osric, but also failed.
• The hunters fired their light crossbows again.  The hunter[1] Cathance had injured merely scratched her, what with Jigsaw swooping around.  Another hunter[6] scratched Osric as well.  Fine Branch took a crit from a hunter [4], ouch; but the rest missed.  One of the hunters[2] moved towards Osric.

Jigsaw swooped down on the same hunter[1] again, killing him with his beak.  As he flew back up, Cathance shot ray of frost at another hunter[5], slowing him.

• Osric whacked the prone bandit[l] with his quarterstaff, and ran to take cover behind a bush from all those crossbow bolts.  The mastiff bit him as he ran.  Bear also swiped at the prone bandit[l].
• Fine Branch flew to the slowed hunter[5].  Nighthawk attacked with his beak, but missed; then tried to make up for it by swiping with his claws, but lost his balance, rolling on top of Fine Branch, crushing them.  Bloodied but undeterred, they moved the doppelgänger up to the hunter[5] and crit with guiding bolt, and followed up with spiritual weapon in the shape of a frying pan, which whapped him upside the head.
• The two hunters[Tian][5] nearest Fine Branch struck them with their maces.  The blows did not look intended to kill, but they all landed, knocking Fine Branch out.  The other hunters[3][4][6] shot at Cathance, and missed.
• The bandit[l] attacked Bear with his mace.
• The mastiff tried to bite Bear, but failed.

Cathance looked down in dismay at Fine Branch, who was unconscious but still in Nighthawk's saddle.  She guided Jigsaw to swoop down and attack the hunter[5], and Jigsaw killed him!  Good riddance.  She quickly uncorked her greater healing potion, and poured it down Fine Branch's throat.  It worked!  Fine Branch was up!  She flew back up.

• Osric cast produce flame and hurled it at the bandit[l] attacking Bear, then ducked behind the bush again.  Bear missed its swipe.
• Nighthawk, unhappy at what had happened, turned and attacked Tian, biting and slashing.  Fine Branch, blinking, took stock and cast cure wounds on themself, then had the spiritual weapon whap Tian upside the head.  They flew up, and Tian hit Nighthawk in the haunch with his mace.
• The bandit[l] hit Bear with his mace, and the mastiff bit Bear.
• The rest of the hunters shot their light crossbows at Cathance, Fine Branch, and Bear, missing.

Cathance, circling, looked at where they all were, and cast ray of frost at a hunter[3], slowing him on a path to Osric.  Then she swooped down and Jigsaw attacked a hunter[6] closer to Osric.  Jigsaw missed with his beak, but struck with his claws.  The hunter swung at Jigsaw as he flew away, but missed.

• Osric again cast produce flame and hurled it at the bandit[l] attacking Bear, then ducked behind the bush again.  Bear mauled him, bringing the bandit down.
• Fine Branch was focussed on Tian.  A bell rang out, as they cast toll the dead on him; and then the spiritual weapon crit, giving Tian a goose egg and knocking him out.  Nighthawk swooped down, and picked Tian up in his claws.
• The three remaining hunters[3][4][6] moved towards Bear, then fired their light crossbows.  One[3] hit Bear, staggering it.  The other two shot at Fine Branch and Cathance, missing.
• The mastiff lunged at Bear, but overbalanced and fell on its nose.

Cathance missed with ray of frost, but Jigsaw swooped down and attacked the same hunter[6] with beak and claw.  Jigsaw flew away, and the hunter's mace missed again.

• Osric walked over the the mastiff, and knocked it out with his quarterstaff.  He turned to Bear, pet it and thanked it.  Bear puffed out, and Osric cast entangle under the two closest hunters[3][4].  One[4] was restrained by the vines, the other just slowed down.  Osric moved westward again.
• Fine Branch's spiritual weapon swing at the slowed hunter[3], but entirely whiffed, so they cast toll the dead, causing necrotic damage to spread across their body.  Unsatisfied, they had Nighthawk set Tian back down, and attack with beak and claw.  The hunter died, sliced to ribbons.  Nighthawk flew back up 10', glaring at the remaining two hunters.
• The entangled hunter[4] failed to break out, and the other remaining hunter[6], who was really injured by Jigsaw slicing him to ribbons, looked at the other hunter, looked at Tian, and then tossed his weapon.

"I surrender!  Bad idea Tian!" he cried, then he realized Tian was out like a light.  "FUCK you for being unconscious!"

The entangled hunter swore at his compatriot, but also surrendered.

Fine Branch stayed aloft.  "What was the plan, then?" they called down.

The injured hunter said, resentfully, "This was Tian and Justin's idea.  We heard they paid good money for gladiators…" He scowled.  "Justin wasn't s'pose to send us the hippogryphs!"

Osric came out, but didn't drop the entangle.  His voice was just as brusque as it had been at the start, as he continued on the same topic.  "You didn't look like you needed assistance, when we got here, but you do now."  He tilted his head slightly.  "How much Three Rivers was paying for bandits?"

Osric moved to pick up their weapons.  Jigsaw landed, but Cathance did not dismount.  She smiled at them.  "What's your names?"

"Thel," the injured hunter said.  "Shan," said the entangled one.

Cathance thought about Kelleth, and Dryali's recent tales, and smiled wider.  "So it turns out," she said pleasantly, "Hindmarsh pays really well.  How would you like to try it?"

Thel told her, "Take Tian!  He's a much better fighter."  Cathance raised her eyebrows.  "Really?  He's out, and here you are."

Thel shrugged.  "He got hit more."  Cathance gave him a condescending look.  "That's what 'better fighter' means."  Fine Branch crossed their arms, unconvinced of either their worthiness as fighters or the wisdom of going to Hindmarsh.

Cathance dismounted, admonishing Jigsaw to guard.  "Osric has the right of it, turn them in then."  She got out her healer's kit and stabilized Tian.  The others were beyond help.

Fine Branch asked, "Where were you supposed to meet Justin?"

Shan and Thel explained, Justin had a house in Three Rivers.  They [the hunters] made their living hunting and trapping; they would return to his house.

Osric was unfamiliar with Three Rivers, and asked who would they turn this into.  Cathance explained Three Rivers was big enough to have a Mayor and its own Guard.

Fine Branch landed as Cathance and Osric started looking through the camp.  They looked in the chest.  These guys had manacles!  The Freelancers made use of them.

There was also a big bag of coins:  70 gp, 1000 sp, 2000 cp.  4 gems, as well:  1 Chrysoprase, 1 Citrine, 2 Zircon.  Lastly, there was a potion of climbing, 3 potions of healing, and a bag of holding.

While Cathance and Osric were inspecting the contents of the chest and the kegs, Fine Branch healed the mastiff, and started trying to befriend him.  Shan told them the mastiff's name was "Killer."  Fine Branch shook their head.

The keg had inferior beer.  The Freelancers took stock, and since the Daystar was westering, decided to camp for the night and head back to Three Rivers the next day.  It would be a long slog, on foot.

The Mayor of Three Rivers, Ethan, was happy to see the Freelancers for approximately two sentences of the conversation.  Three Rivers had a small jail, and a small constabulary, and a bigger guard, he explained, while bringing in several of the latter to take custody of Tian, Thel, and Shan, and also to hear the Freelancers' tale.

The Mayor was unhappy these three tried to capture people.  "What if they were townspeople?" he asked them.  The Freelancers kept their faces neutral.  Almost as an afterthought, he absolved the Freelancers of murder for the other dead hunters.  Then, he sent guards to Justin's house.

Fine Branch had the notion that since the Freelancers had fulfilled Justin's contract – locate Tian and bring him home to Cliffshadow – Justin owed them all 200gp.  Perhaps Fine Branch was the only person surprised that Justin did not have that money, when the guards returned with Justin and his parents, since the house was not Justin's, after all.

"I just want to know," Fine Branch asked both Justin and Tian, in front of their parents, "Where you heard this was a thing to do."  They stammered in response, they'd seen it in Hindmarsh.  Glancing at their parents, they swore they had not done it before.

Their parents were extremely unhappy.  "Your older brother is so much better," mom said.  "Not a loser," dad said, and their parents left.

As the Freelancers took their leave, Osric comforted Fine Branch; they'd taken well more than 200gp from the camp in gold & gems.  While travelling, they decided each got a potion of healing; Cathance would take the potion of climbing, and Osric would keep the bag of holding.

Three days later, they were in Arnari's office again.  "How'd it go?" she asked neutrally.

Osric told her brightly, "It went fine!  We found him, we got paid."  Arnari gaving him a look.  "What are you leaving out?" she asked warningly.

Cathance piped up, "We got a dog!" and Arnari's eyes went wide.  Osric sighed.  "Okay, it was a bad idea.  They were actually bandits trying to capture for Hindmarsh."

Arnari pursed her lips.  "You almost died."  It was not a question.  Fine Branch objected.  "Not die; I was courageously beating that guy's fist with my face!"  Arnari laughed.

Osric stayed serious.  "But, if someone had actually been missing a prime, it would be bad not to go so quickly!"

Arnari shook her head.  "Hope you learned a lesson," she admonished him, but then Fine Branch brought her and Tomtom downstairs to the hippogryph stables to meet the mastiff, which had been renamed Praedatum.  Tomtom liked the dog, and Arnari decided she didn't hate him, and then the two of them returned upstairs, leaving Fine Branch, Osric, and Cathance in the stables.

They didn't notice, half an hour later, when Tomtom descended to the gryphon stables in full armour, and flew westward on his manticore.