The Trading Post

A group of warriors and adventurers gather at a trading post, charged by the Swordlords of Restov to enter the Stolen Lands, specifically an area known as the Greenbelt, in order to explore it and clear it of banditry. Five of the party members, including an apprentice wizard named Yulia, had traveled together for some days, but once at the Trading Post they finally had time to introduce themselves to each other properly. Shortly before arriving at the trading post, appropriately named Oleg's Trading Post, they met a bloody young man on the road, identifying himself as "Sir Garett." He claimed to have been attacked by bandits in the woods, and Artesia seemed suspicious, but his charter and the mark of Iomedae that he wore on his person earned him the trust of the party, and he was allowed to join the expedition.

They arrived at the Trading Post, once an old fort, and were greeted by a woman named Svetlana, the owner's wife, who had prepared a nice meal and wine for them. The owner, Oleg, meanwhile, ignored them. Svetlana asked if they were there to help them with banditry, as they had written to Brevoy's military for assistance. The party told them that they were not military, but they would of course help the couple deal with their bandit problem. Oleg gave a rundown of the situation: Extortion on the 1st of every month. The party, as such, made plans to ambush them once they arrived the following morning. They spent the rest of the evening preparing, then went to sleep.

The next morning, Yulia cast Silent Image to make the courtyard appear empty and the party took their hiding spots. The bandits arrived about an hour after sunrise, and rode in through the open gates. They came in and demanded tribute, at which point Svetlana and Oleg ran away and Artesia loosed the first arrow, striking the lead bandit with a solid hit. Meanwhile, Vizma and the rest prepared their buffs and moved into position, taking the bandits completely off guard. As Garett moved up, he saw that one of the bandits was wearing a silver pin signifying allegiance to the Stag Lord, and he proceeded to utterly lose it, going into a bloodrage. The combat was surprisingly grueling, with Vizma going down and Artesia and Nisha taking quite some damage, but they prevailed over the bandits in the end.

A few bandits were left unconscious, not dead, and were unceremoniously executed by Oleg (with some help from Artesia). The party looted what they could, and Oleg promised them free room and board as thanks for saving the Trading Post. The party spent the rest of the day resting and recovering after the hard-fought battle. As they explored the trading post, they discovered several wanted posters advertising targets to hunt down in the Stolen Lands: Bandits, Kobolds, Tuskgutter the boar and a Tatzlwyrm.

The party then began planning their first expedition out to the wilderness, and Svetlana asked them to find Moonradishes so she could make Oleg's favorite meal. Oleg, a little later, asked the group to find Svetlana's wedding ring that the bandits had stolen.