1.4 To Ragime

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Party members
Tyrion Kanderyall; male High Elf Ranger/Thief
Derek Custer; male Human Fighter
Erith; female ½ Elf Cleric/Mage
Vincent de Argenson; male Wood Elf Druid and the Druid’s dog Blue
Mickel Ironthwaite: male Dwarf Fighter
12/15/2012
After a couple last minute purchases we all meet with Max (trader extraordinaire) early and head off to
Ragime.  Max’s plan is to head out before the rest of the caravans, hopefully getting to Ragime first and getting
the best prices.  The first several days are uneventful, except for the weather which has been raining fairly
consistantly.
During the third day of travel, Tyrion comes across a young boy sitting along the side of the road.  It appears
the boy, Merle, has decided to leave his family home and seek adventure.  Max agrees to provide Merle a ride
to Ragime.  It also seems that Merle is relatively handy with a sling.
Later that same day the wagon hits a large hole in the trail and breaks an axle.  Merle mentions that there is a
woodworker and blacksmith at the town near his home.  Tyrion, Mickel, and Merle head back to the town to
enlist some help.  Meanwhile we all unload the wagon.
Several hours later Tyrion et. al. show up with some assistance and Tyrion was kind enough to bring along
lunch/dinner.  The woodworker and blacksmith quickly get to work.  While repairs are underway the caravans
that we were hoping to beat to Ragime pass us, pointing and laughing.  Working through the night with some
assistance from light spells cast by the party, we are ready to get underway at first light.
Max has heard of a shortcut to Ragime, but has not taken it and is not sure if there are any dangers along the
road to Ragime via this shortcut.  After a short discussion it is decided to take the shortcut, we’ll just be a bit
more vigilant.
With Tyrion scouting ahead the couple bugbear lookouts are easily spotted.  We devise a plan to sneak up on
the bugbears, silence and sleep them, and sneak the wagon by.  The plan is successful, although as we sneak
by we notice there is a palisade around the area, looks like there may be more than a couple bugbears within. 
We’ll mark this on our map, may be worth further investigation.
Several hours later we notice some large creature swoop out of the sky and attack Tyrion up ahead.  Just as
we’re about to gallop ahead to provide assistance several of these creatures attack the wagon.  They look like
half eagle and half horse, rather larger creatures with a vicious bite and sharp claws.  Tyrion quickly dispatches
the couple that attacks him, but his horse does get injured.  Erith sleeps one, causing it to fall from the sky. 
Vincent attempts to entangle several.  The rest of the party gets in close with these creatures.  After several
minutes of close combat a couple of the creatures fly off.  Tyrion and Vincent attempt to head in the direction
that the creatures flew.  The rest of the group will continue along with the wagon.
After a short hike Tyrion and Vincent come upon their lair.  It’s a cave about 30 feet up the side of a cliff.  We
can see a couple of the creatures moving around.  We quickly finish off the injured monsters and gather up the
loot, which includes what appears to be an egg.
The night before arriving in Ragime, we are set upon by group of ghasts.  We kill off these undead with minor
injuries, pack up our equipment and head off to Ragime.
We are met outside Ragime by a military patrol.  They have many questions for us, mostly handled by Max. 
The patrol lets us know that there is a curfew – nobody outside after midnight.  After entering Ragime, we
notice that there does seems to be a military feel to the town.
We help Max unload the wagon and find accommodation for the night.  Tyrion discretely asks around about a
tower north of town (found on our treasure map).  After several unsuccessful attempt Tyrion is approached by
an elf, Al-Theras, looking for some help getting to this tower.  It seems the tower and the area around it has
gotten a bad reputation and nobody is interested in investigating why.
Tyrion also approaches one of the local apothecary about selling or trading the (as we find out) hippogriph egg. 
They are unable to come to an agreement.  We eventually find a buyer and sell it for a tidy sum of gold.
Early the next morning we head out north from Ragime toward the Tower; the five of us plus Al-Theras.  Along
the road we are again approached by military patrols at regular intervals.  We also notice that there are night
time patrols.
A couple days later we enter a forest that seems dark and forbidding.  As the party is moving through the
forest, Vincent is distracted by a pixie trying to get his attention.  The pixie has some information about the
area.  Up ahead, he tells us, the forest is flooded by a group of large beavers that have built a dam.  Also, it
seems that the local druid has gone missing.  Vincent asks the pixie if he could lead us to the base of the
beaver dam.
Once we are in the general area the pixie will not go any further.  As we are moving through the forest towards
the dam, the majority of the party is overtaken by some sort of hallucinogenic pollen.  Tyrion and Al-Theras are
able to fight off the effects.  We are attacked by a couple zombie-like humanoids.  Tyrion and Al-Theras are
able to fight these off, while the remainder of the party moves trance-like towards a bulbous vegetation
growth.  Tyrion and Al-Theras are attacked by vegetation creepers.  Eventually Tyrion and Al-Theras are able to
hack the creepers apart and cut the bulbous outgrowth to pieces.  The party slowly recovers from the hypnotic
effects of what we come to know as a yellow musk creeper.  One of the zombie-like humanoids that attacked
us is still alive, but covered in the creepers and has one stuck in her ear (yuck).  We clean her up, but she still
seems to be in a deep sleep.
We continue towards the dam, bringing our sleeping victim along with us.
When we get close to the dam, Tyrion spots one of the giant beavers and shoots several arrows at it.  It
immediately submerges and seems to be heading back towards its lodge.  Just a couple minutes later we
notice the beavers moving towards us from both sides of the dam.  The fight is on, we all shoot any missile
weapons we have and get in close combat with these large furry monstrosities.  We dispatch the eight large
beavers with several minor wounds, skin the beasties, tear down the dam, and investigate the lodge.
The pixie shows up after the combat, congratulating us on our glorious victory.  The pixie is also surprise to see
the lost druid with us.
We leave the unconscious druid with the pixie and continue towards the tower.