The Recon/Strike Team has been released and travels a little over 2 days distance (they left at night, of course) when Asharra assures them they are only a couple of hours from the stronghold and that the smaller scout team must approach the camp with great stealth. Alex is doing a wonderful job stealthing along and getting great information (he actually makes it to the stronghold) when Dee decides he wants to make the group a target, shattering any chance of surprise. The group takes off to hide while the raiders stream out of the stronghold to find out who is attacking them.
Dragon Hole
Somehow, the group comes across a very large hole and runs into an old man in the hole. The old man assures them that he’s found a dragon hole and sure enough, Alex heads down there. Dee wakes the dragon up while leaving Alex in the hole and the group somehow manages to survive while the dragon flies away.
Somewhere along this time, the smaller Recon Team finds out that Lieutenant Long Mark and the main group is about to get trashed by this much larger group of 40 raiders. They manage to head them off and give warning. While preparing for the skirmish, Noah comes and sides with the players.
With some good planning by Alex, some phenomenal fighting by Dee, awesome shooting by Long Mark, and some pretty fearful mystical abilities, the larger group of raiders are routed and they begin to run down the rest of the group with the player's team heading after the leaders. Noah also proves himself useful to the group during the battle.
Prince
The main leader manages to lose them, but Alex manages to relocate him. When a desert trap door is opened, he pulls off a gutsy surprise by vaulting out of his hidey-hole with a truly aerobatic maneuver that lands him behind the group with a crossbow pointed at Dee. Warning the group that his crossbow bolt is rather deadly to the Griffin-gifted, they accept his terms of escape and he surrenders his hidey-hole to them (it has a couple of neat items, though the hole is trapped, which Alex manages to get around). Prince, the Merhorse, lives to fight another day.
While heading back to camp, Lieutenant Long Mark informs the entire team should report directly to Tsorvano the guard captain and Halmaro the Red.
Tsorvano (Halmaro's #1) puts a gag order on the details of this mission and all people involved are paid handsomely. The players receive $1,000 each and a "Red" gold coin. This is usable at any Merchant's Guildhouse for a favor. He also informs the players that the details of this mission shouldn’t be discussed with others. The “official story” is the group went out and due to a powerful, fear inspiring display of swordsmanship by Dee (along with some solid planning and strategy), the bandits were routed soundly. Part 2 to this story is that there were signs of other bandits out there working together with this group (we really don’t have evidence of this, but it will keep everyone sharp and alert). In essence, it’s being made clear that we should keep the “mystical” aspects of the fight on the down-low.
Blink meets with the group and tells them that they should avoid aligning themselves too closely with any one force here on Lantara. Something big is brewing, and it’s hard to know who’s doing what. Halmaro is a good guy and outwardly his only goal is taking care of the Merchant's Guild. However, he has several marriages which are political in nature, and his own house, as well as the Merchant’s Guild which he leads and he's not above a little political intrigue and strong arm tactics. He is wise enough that peace is (usually) more profitable than war, but the bottom line is, well, the bottom line.
Halmaro's Offer
Halmaro will invite each character in separately and invite them to work for him directly, on contract, for a period of 2 years (but that's negotiable). The work assignment would essentially be Special Assistant to Halmaro, and what that entails would vary greatly. A number of perks come with it as well: access to free medical assistance, armorers, libraries… many of the resources a man of great wealth could offer. Special requests are available.
Regardless of the character’s reply to the individual offers, Halmaro informs them that he has another mission specifically for them. The pay is negotiable but VERY high.
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