They Meet In A Tavern

It is the year 1731, and Leaffall is just has just begun. The Highharvesttide festival has wound down and the cities are crowded with peoples from all over the countryside, who had come to sell their wares and take part in the festivities. The population dwindles everyday as people reluctantly make their way home, outside of the protective walls of Daggerford.

It is an uneasy time. Attacks upon settlements up and down the Sword Coast have become disturbingly frequent. It has been more than 200 years since the height of peace reigned upon the Faerun.  The Order Of The Obsidian Dagger, the militant group keeping light and order throughout the land has long since become a thing talked in reverence, only by those who's race is long lived and their memories long.

The Happy Cow Tavern

Several adventurers find themselves in the commoner's tavern, The Happy Cow. The bartender, Junia Bulsara, a stout hafling is talking to a man, whose drinking has obviously started early in the day. He is tall and scrawny, but wears bulky clothes perhaps to try and give himself a look of more sturdiness than he actually has. The clothes themselves used to be of a fine cloth and cut but have long since worn out to be threadbare in places.

"What do ya mean you haven't got a team ready?! We leave in the morrow! I am willing to pay coin those skilled with a sword. There's no way any of us are heading down the Trailway all the way to Triel with no swords", the hafling complains.

"Okay, okay. No need to get your knickers in a bunch.", at which the man turns to the patrons of the tavern and begins to seek those who have the time, the skill and the need of gold

The drunk goes round to any tables who have individuals who seem capable with protection duty. He introduces himself as Jay Harris, a member of the adventurers guild, The Order Of The Obsidian Dagger. The group hears others in the tavern scoff at the name of the adventurer's guild. Apparently it is a loose group of adventurers who do odd duties such as protecting caravans and disposing of packs of wild dogs that can harass the farmers. It is by no means a glamorous group.

Jay Harris approaches the table with a half-orc/half-elf, Messick Elfbood. He tells them of the opportunity of adventure and making easy gold, protecting a caravan of farmers. He sees Messick, and others, eyeing his sword. It is the only thing of worth he carries. Trying to impress the tavern patrons he stands and unsheathes his sword with a flourish, or tries to. The weight of the sword pulls him off balance as his strength is not able to hold the sword at such an angle. He stumbles a bit before recovering.

Before he can give a rousing speech, Messick, moves in a flash to grab Jay Harris' throat as well as his sword hand. "Drop it!", the half-orc commands. The crushing strength of the half-orc's grip forces Jay to drop the sword. "Never unsheathe your sword unless you mean to use it. Now pick up your sword and put it away.". Jay, embarrassed, stoops to pick up his sword and quickly sheathes it.

Jay quickly leaves the table and approaches others in the tavern.

Adventurers Assemble

There is Gunter Davis a bard/warlock who takes it upon himself to entertain the tavern with his music, and appreciates the bit of coin he gets in return.
A tiny fairy, Princess Elora Moonily, accompanied by her tree-like companion, flits around the room often resting in the rafters of the tavern watching and listening to everything. That is until she hears the festival outside and flies off to join the revelry, tossing flower seeds as she goes and flowers springing up behind her.
A sullen dwarf, Mystora Frostbeard, drinks from a flagon and decides a bit of coin wouldn't be all that bad. Just a bit of walking for a fortnight protecting squishy farmers.
Eda, a fiery human wizard, stands ready to lob fireballs at anyone who looks at her the wrong way. But she decides that protecting the caravan is a good thing to do, as long as Jay Harris promises to watch her back as she watches his.

There is also a noble elf, Sylvannas Windrunner, a squire, Caleb Hawkspring, sitting beside. He is quietly approached by a stout dwarf. The dwarf is dressed in nice red robes with gold trim. On his back he carries a battleaxe and a long spear with a chain attached. He whispers to Sylvannas that no one should accompany Jay Harris. He is untrustworthy and that most people in caravans don't make it to where they're going. The dwarf then walks off back to his table alone.

The Caravan

The next morning the caravan assembles outside the walls of Daggerford. Near the farmer's gate in the west wall of the city several wagons sit on the roadside, while a dozen people move about readying for the trip.

As the caravan prepares, Sylvannas heads off to see if a horse can be procured. Finding the stables is quick and Abdula, the stable master, offers up various horses. Gunter and Eda both think this is a good idea and purchase horses as well. Messick, has a better idea. He approaches a lone farmer woman. She is heading home, her cart empty as she leads her horse holding the rope in her hand. Messick tells her his sad story of how he is to travel to protect a caravan of farmers just like her and all he needs is a horse. She relents but makes sure Messick knows of the importance of her horse, Clyde, to the family farm.

The Bandit Ambush
4,100 XP

The road to Triel is empty. Travelers are rare in these days. Bandits and beast abound. But the group has a nice day. That is until bandits and beasts. Standing in the middle of the road is a stout dwarf, dressed in red robes with gold trim. On his back he bears a battleaxe and a spear with an attached chain. He shouts that he is Embard Rockseeker and he has warned some of them that it is unwise to accompany this caravan.

It is then that several bugbears charge out from the woods on either side of the road. Arrow shoot out from within the woods as well, pinning some of the group behind the wagons. Sylvanna's squire is shot through with arrows and collapses dead in the middle of the road. Embard Rockseeker, the bandit dwarf, throws his speer which skewers Mystora and a charge of magical energy rushes through the attached chain for brutal effect.

Soon, though bugbears and bandit dwarf are dead. Bugbears carry little gold but Mystora retrieves Rockseeker's spear.

A Noble Is Discovered

As the group moves about the caravan making sure everyone is ok, a commotion can be heard near a wooden covered wagon. A young disheveled woman is pushing Jay Harris away. It would seem Jay Harris' protection is not needed or wanted near this wagon. The young woman, Bryda, tells the group that Jay Harris has been sniffing around this wagon too much and is not welcome. Bryda tells everyone that no one is to approach this wagon. The driver of the wagon, a dark-skinned Tumarian, sits quietly in watch of the altercation. Bryda is well capable of handling this.

Princess Elora and Sylvannas decide that they can use their political connections to demand an audience with whoever is within the wagon. Somehow the bard Gunter talks his way into the wagon as well. Inside the wagon they find a young woman, of maybe 14 years, Lady Mara Hornraven. They find she is on her way to Triel to be wed to the son of Elvar The Grainlord. This marriage would create a strong political bond between the two cities and families. But Lady Mara does not hide the fact that she is upset and will do anything to avoid this tragedy. She has watched the adventurers in the battle with the bandits and feels that the life of the adventurer is for her.

Sylvannas tells Lady Mara that it would be an honor to teach her defense with her dagger.

Kobolds In The Night
3,850 XP

The rest of the day passes as the caravan moves further towards Triel. As evening approaches, a storm begins to grow in the distance. When the caravan makes camp, Sylvannas tries to convince the farmers to being making a fence or barricade but they leave the defense to the ones hired for protection.

As everyone beds down for the night, Messick and Sylvannas are the only ones awake. A cold fog begins to roll in with the storm soon to roll in. The fog eventually thickens a begins to obscure everything. It is then that the two begin to hear screams, dulled inside the fog. As the rest of the group awakens from the screaming and alerted by Sylvannas' war horn, they each can see small creatures moving within the fog.

Kobolds burst towards them, still within the cover of the fog. The battle is joined by a kobold at the edge of the forest who uses odd guttural sounds and shakes a staff with odd tokens attached to it. Casting spells like heat metal on Messick and lobbing fireball spells into the others.

But soon the fog clears as the kobold mage is killed and soon the other kobolds are dispatched. But it would seem that at least some of the caravan's people are gone...

....taken by kobolds