Raider's Camp

so, one firm vote for reasonable. two votes for anything but risky.

Elceran stealth check:

The tracks lead straight into the gully, high wall of jagged rocks and boulders squeeze in on either side. The gully appears to have been formed by years of flood waters, and runs fairly straight and gently downwards.

Avoiding it completely, our heroes at least think finding the other end and picking up the trail again should be pretty straight forward. They cut themselves a wide berth, crouching low and moving through the tall grass slowly, while always keeping their eyes on the tallest rocks, and their ears open. Trusty Zsa padding along behind them by a few hundred feet, just in case.

Linston keeps the group on track, and guides them a few miles ahead. Once the boulders that form the gully disappear from view, he leads the group back to the tracks left by the raiders.

The group pauses here, keeping quiet and out of sight, when Zsa rejoins them with nothing to report, the journey towards the raiders camp continues.

You make good time across the grasslands. No more guards or stragglers are seen. After a few hours, a dozen miles further along, plumes of smoke come into view. A sloping ridge ahead of you provides a good vantage point.

The smoke plumes, of course, are emanating from the encampment.

The cultists have built their base in the hollow of a rocky plateau that's roughly shaped like a horseshoe. The lower portion of the plateau rises gently from the surrounding land, but it quickly steepens and ascends to a height of 150 feet above the landscape. Boulders form jumbled heaps at the bases of the cliffs. The level shelves and top of the plateau are covered in long grass, brush and scrubby trees grow in patches.

Two rough timber guard towers have been built, one at the mouth of the hollow, and one on a higher plateau. Circles of various sizes of canvas tents are everywhere in the hollow. Many with cooking fires amongst them.

"How many of them do you think there are?" Clarice asks to no one in particular.

Trying to count, Clarice scans the camp. There are humans and kobolds milling around, from robe wearing cultists to very average looking people, but they mix in a way making them impossible to count. There are about 40 tents from small 10' wide ones to large 25' ones.

Pointing in the general direction of the camp she looks up to the others.

"See that! Some of those creeps aren't in their capes. We may be able to walk right in... If we're careful."

She extends a closed first in front of her and quickly opens it, extending her fingers wide. Zsa pops into existence at her master's feet.

"Stick close, Zsa. We may need your help."

Not sure if that would work Grim says with some doubt Looks like there are only humans and kobold. Our group might stick out too much

"Can anyone make out the leader or any prisoners?"

Elceran scans the scene, checking out each of the people he can see...

it appears that there are prisoners chopping fire wood, near the base of the west guard tower. 8 of them, that you can see. Guarded by four of those half-dragon looking humanoids.

you can't see any leaders, but the largest tent is the easternmost one. It is set apart from all the others, and has four guards, each with a guard drake.

"There's some prisoners at the west tower, and a large tent guarded by drakes. That may be our big guy"

Yeah, we could work our way around to that side and see if we can free some prisoners for help.

"Even if they can’t help, freeing prisoners is never a bad thing. We should be able to get over there without too much trouble."

Let's head to the west tower then Grim says Maybe each of us could take on one of the guards each? I might be able to take on two at once

We'll have to take care of whoever is in that tower first thing when we're in position."

moving toward the west end of the camp is easy. The camp seems relaxed and preoccupied with the wagons of loot that have just arrived.

The bustle keeping everybody busy.....