An adventuring job

Last week, this fellow, Mishaan, who I've crafted items for several times in the past, came into the shop. He told me that he wanted me to craft him a Bag of Shielding of a particular size, that could help give him some protection against the contents of the bag. I told him I had just the thing in mind, and we settled on a price. This time, though, he said he was in a hurry to organize a mission, and instead of waiting for the item, he asked me if I would go to Greenwood Villa and deliver it to 'im. I told him that usually I charge a travel fee, but being as I appreciate repeat customers who pay promptly and in full, I'd waive the charges and do it for the cost of travel expenses. He agreed, and we made plans to meet in a tavern a week hence. He told me that actually, he was recruiting for the mission as well, and he invited me to join along as long as I was there delivering the bag. He said that I could expect a hefty sum if I joined along, and for me it was a safe investment to at least listen to his spiel, given that I know he pays as promised.

Then, Mishaan asked me if I knew any other adventurers that I could recommend recruiting. I told 'im about that time I went to the cemetery to go after Volkir, and about how of that lot we took along with us, only a few of 'em really would have the mettle for a serious mission. I told 'im that Treble has worked in this area a long time, so I was pretty sure I could find 'im and ask 'im if he was looking for a job from someone who pays reliably, and if so, I'd see if he wanted to come along with me. I told Mishaan that I don't know Colvin, Agathor, and Balthazar as well, but that he could get in touch with them by sending a message over to the Temple of the Silver Flame if he wanted to see if any of them were available. I told him that of the three, especially Colvin really hung in there with us when it got nasty in those crypts. He's a brave fellow even if I did have to save his life when he got himself in a pickle. I said that Agathor led the mission, but he and Balthazar went to stave the Children of Winter off of our flank, so they weren't there in the thick of the action, although I thought they would be useful if they were available. I told him that the other fellows, Horadric and Rhogar, were adventuring types who aren't from this area, so I don't know how he'd get in touch with them, but if he managed to find them, they would be worthy allies.

During the intervening week, I crafted Mishaan's bag, putting as much care into it as I do to all of the items that I craft. I met up with Treble and we headed out to Greenwood Villa to meet with Mishaan at the tavern for drinks and information. Colvin was there too, and sitting with them was Aurora, a strong-looking (if hairy) woman with a bunch of weapons at her disposal. Mishaan offered us hefty doses of excitement, fame, and most of all treasure if we joined him in his mission to retrieve an artifact from an old hideout. He promised us each 100 gold for our time and trouble even if the artifact was not there, which seemed fair enough, so we all agreed to join. He told us that the old hideout we would be looking for was that of the Stormcrow Company, a trio of disreputable adventurers who had disappeared fifteen years ago, and showed us a map he had drawn of the area where he thought we might be able to find it.

The next morning, we headed out toward the area that Mishaan had indicated on his map. It took us pretty much the whole day to get down there, and I suggested we make camp a little away from the woods and enter the woods in daylight. The others agreed, even Colvin, who was reluctant and had to be convinced not to make camp right in the middle of the woods with wolves all around. The next morning, Aurora and Treble climbed up a tree to look for the rock outcropping we were using as a landmark to decide from whither to enter the woods. They pointed the way and we all headed that direction and went into the woods. It was dark and the brush and undergrowth were overgrown in the woods, so it was slow going. We all tried to use our skills to the best of our abilities to help, but some of us were more successful than others. I especially gave a long look to Colvin, who told us all that he was skilled in Nature, and then instead of tracking his way through the woods he started incanting prayers and calling forth lightning from the sky and bring blasted trees down all around us. Poor Treble out in front there almost had a close call when a limb came crashing down right in front of him. Hopefully this was an anomaly, and Colvin will prove himself to be more useful in the future, or Mishaan might not give as much weight to my recommendations in the future.

As it neared dark, we found the outcropping. As dusk surrounded us, so did a pack of wolves, as we approached the clearing. Our team was somewhat divided on whether we should make a run for it or stand and fight, so our tactics were not ideal, as Mishaan and Treble tried to make a run for it while Colvin and I decided to choose a patch of ground and defend it. The fighter lady stayed with the two of us, and I planted my deep red battle standard in the ground to mark the ground as ours. Colvin and Aurora quickly found themselves surrounded by wolves, and so I conjured an arcane eye to help them see the weaknesses of their foes. At one point there, Aurora was knocked prone and rather than help her up, Colvin stepped aside and roasted the whole area with fire and hail. I had given her an elixir of protection, so she didn't seem too much worse off for the wear. While I have to admit that his fiery hailstorm was effective in dispatching several of the wolves, I can't help but think that the bloke must have been having an off-day, first bring trees down around our rogue and then bringing fiery hail down around our fighter. Off-days happen to the best of us, so let's hope that the lad learns from this to temper somewhat his youthful impulsiveness.

Anyway, the battle was over in short order, so we decided to sleep in the hideout ruins for the night. Aurora volunteered to sleep on the trap door, and Treble volunteered to keep watch, which worked for me. Tomorrow, we plan to go into the burrows underground and look for Mishaan's artifact.