Episode 2: The Bronze Age

Proceeding forward, you travel towards the encampment. At times you are forced to maneuver the wagon into natural channels in the rolling canyon walls and lose sight of the camp, but the terrain is becoming more and more level as it descends into the plain. You estimate that soon you will not have any cover, if you should choose to remain unseen.

As you near the camp, you can pick out a few more details. There are horses gathered on one side, while the large tent is opposite. In-between are little lean-tos and smaller tents that circle a central point of blackened earth. More figures can be seen moving about, and while you are still too far away to pick out much detail, you do catch the reflections of metal as they move.

As Maenor closes in on the camp, he sees that Gyges's intuition was correct; several armed and armored individuals mull about. A mix of humans, half-orcs, and dwarves occupy their time, dressed in leathers and chain mail, and armed with a variety of blunt and bladed weapons. None seem to wear any semblance of a uniform, but their demeanor and rough organization might indicate they are conscripts or mercenaries.

Looking at the large tent, Maenor assesses that it is large enough to allow at least a dozen people to comfortably sleep. There are small banners that sway in the desert breeze, each bearing the circular fanged maw that is the crest of Caer Tan.