Chapter 1 / Episode 5: "The Crossroads"

Craddock the Mad (Ranger lvl 1)
Kure Acolyte (Cleric 1)
Lornan Calihye Level 1 1/2 Elf AC 9
Slash the Bard 1
Jed Bonebridge (Cavalier)

Chapter 1 / Episode 5: "The Crossroads"

Fireseek 7, 576 CY

Morning in the Kron Hills

The day dawned clear and bitterly cold, with the caravan resuming its trek through the increasingly rugged terrain of the Kron Hills. Craddock the Mad rode ahead, his sharp ranger instincts ever attuned to the subtle signs of movement in the wilderness. He came upon a small, hastily concealed campsite—a fire pit, some discarded items, and a faint sense of unease hanging in the air.

“Someone was here,” Craddock muttered as he crouched to examine the ground. His brow furrowed. “Fresh, but no tracks. It’s as if they vanished.”

The discovery left the group wary, and as they pressed onward, they reached a crossroads where the trail forked into two directions—one leading northwest, the other southwest. The adventurers debated briefly before choosing the southwest path, hoping it would lead them closer to their ultimate destination.

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The Ambush

The narrow trail through the hills suddenly erupted with chaos as a group of bandits sprang from the underbrush. They came with weapons drawn and an air of desperation, their leader flanked by a peculiar figure—a small, reptilian creature perched on his shoulder, its sharp eyes gleaming with malice.

“Stand and deliver!” the bandit leader barked, his voice rough and commanding.

Jed Bonebridge, the cavalier, wasted no time charging forward, his lance glinting in the pale light. Slash the Bard strummed a sharp chord on his lute, magic weaving through his music as Kure raised his holy symbol to invoke the light of his deity.

The skirmish was brief but vicious. The bandits fought with surprising ferocity, their strange "pet" leaping from its master’s shoulder to harry the adventurers with claws and teeth. But as the tide turned against them, the attackers fled into the hills, leaving behind only their wounded pride and unanswered questions.

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Pushing Through the Night

With nerves frayed and adrenaline fading, the group pressed onward into the night, determined to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the ambushers. The trail twisted and turned through the hills, the cold biting at their faces as darkness deepened.

By the time they stopped to make camp, exhaustion was evident in every member of the caravan. A fire was lit, and they huddled close, the flickering flames offering a small comfort against the encroaching shadows.

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The Camp Rats

The peace of the night was shattered by the sound of rustling and scurrying. The group awoke to find their supplies under siege by a swarm of camp rats. The small vermin had gnawed through sacks and barrels, carrying off what little they could. By the time the party managed to drive them away, the damage was done—most of the caravan’s stores were gone.

The mood was grim as they salvaged what they could, the cold, empty hills now feeling far less hospitable. The road ahead seemed even longer, and the lessons of the day weighed heavily on their shoulders. They were not alone in the Kron Hills, and the dangers they faced were growing bolder.