Elliot wakes up the next morning, bright and early like always, and with his stuff still together. He dons his chainmail, gathers his forces, and heads out of the city. His party walks across the wasteland with the spores whipping in the wind around them. The five commoners and Jeremiah the Antibaptist should help give him the edge over the bandits.

They travel out of town and start heading to the Elk Hills. The bandit’s hideout is five hours away right past the border of where the Bakers scouting parties explore. Elliot figures they must know the guard routes because of their possible guard contact. (18 Perception vs 15 and 11 Stealth)

Elliot notices that there are six wolves stalking the underbrush, staying low, but their target wasn’t them. One wolf looks up and spots Elliot. It has a pair of tiny humanoid legs sticking out of its mouth. Green legs. In a bush not far from the wolves are two cowering green figures with insect-like wings.

Whether they are mutants or creatures from other planes Elliot felt something stir inside him. He had to protect them. Elliot charges the wolf looking at him and it charges back at him.

The two pixies see Elliot running to their aid. They both cast spells (Detect Thoughts and Detect Evil & Good).

I’m not going to let you hurt anyone anymore. (Lawful Good)

Elliot charges past them and crashes his hammer down on the wolf. (21 to hit vs AC 13) The wolf is bashed down to the ground, but not knocked down for good. (7 damage)

The party rushes forward. The Antibaptist takes a swing at the wolf in front of Elliot. (14 to hit vs 13 AC) And chops off the creature's head with his longsword. (9 damage)

Jayce, Bradford, and the axeman attack the other wolves. (Critical 20, 15, 13 to hit vs AC 13) Jayce and Bradford kill the first beast easily. (12 damage) While the axeman wounds the third wolf. (5 damage)

The four wolves, including the wounded one attack the axe man. (8, 24, 20, and 14 vs AC 12) They tear him down to the ground. (16 damage) One rips off his arm, another rips out his throat.

Alice and Mo fire their crossbows at the wounded wolf. (Critical 20 and 10 to hit vs AC 13) Alice shoots the wolf through the eye killing it. (10 Damage)

The remaining three wolves turn tail and run. The green humanoids with insect wings wave at Elliot to follow and fly further from the party. Elliot follows. Finding the two creatures in a clearing with a woman. A woman with rags on, and bark growing along her arms and legs. She has a bite taken out of her leg where a wolf got her.

“She’s a mutant. They all are. We should put them down.” Jeremiah whispers into Elliot’s ear.

“They are of no threat to us. We will help her and then be on our way.” Elliot responds. (12 Diplomacy vs DC 10)

The young smith bends down next to the woman and inspects her wound.

“You are not afraid of me?” She asks in a calm, almost motherly tone.

“I was raised better.” Elliot replies as he searches his pack for bandages. “And someone taught you English.”

“My father. He was human.” She responds.

“And your mother?” Elliot asks, intrigued, as he pulls out a few bandages.

“She was a Dryad. These are the last of the pixies she’s raised.” She holds out a hand and the two green humanoids land on her.

“You need to clean the wound first.” Jeremiah says to Elliot with some frustration.

“Well, do you have something to do that?” Elliot looks back at Jeremiah asking genuinely.

He rolls his eyes before taking a flask out. He kneels down next to Elliot and aids him with the bandages. (Critical Success 20) With his aid, Elliot is able to afford fatal mistakes. They clean the wound and wrap the bandage tight.

“Thank you.” she says. “My name is Talia.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Talia.” Elliot smiles as he stands up.

“Your father was human? I guess you are just a victim of mutation then.” Jeremiah ponders on the words.

“I am a victim of the societies that reject me.” She says as she stands and tests her injured leg.

“You can’t walk on that.” Jeremiah says sternly.

“Your feet are bare.” Elliot looks at her cut up feet in shock.

“I grew out of my shoes long ago.” She says as she she quickly notices Elliot's expression.

“Well, you are in luck.” Elliot takes the boots out of his pack that he got yesterday.

“Oh, no, I couldn’t ask more of you.” Talia shakes her head.

“This isn’t a debate. You are putting the shoes on and joining our militia.” Elliot says.

“Militia?” She looks at Elliot questioningly.

“You can not be serious.” Jeremiah grabs Elliot's shoulder.

“I paid you to fight for me. Not to question my decisions.” Elliot removes Jeremiah’s hand. “She needs help, and I’m not going to leave her so those wolves can return to finish the job.”

“Hey, I can make the decision for myself.” Talia argues as she crosses her arms.

“I’m sorry. I will respect your wishes if you choose not to join me.” Elliot bows to her. (17 Diplomacy vs DC 15)

“I’ll go with you.” She sighs. “I need the help.”

“Alright. Alice, Mo! You two are in charge of helping Talia.” Elliot turns and waves the over. “You help her walk if she needs it, and you protect her. She is in our care.”

“Yes, sir.” Mo says respectfully.

Alice looks slightly less than pleased.

“I’m trusting you two.” Elliot says as he finds the trail again.

The group of seven humans, one dryad, and two pixies move through the hills up towards a redoubt. Wooden spikes surround a small fortification hidden in the hills and brush. There are two bandits watching the main entrance which is just an open gateway. There are four bandits under one tent, two bandits near a well, and there is movement inside the only building in the camp.

Elliot informs the two with crossbows to stay up top with the fey members of the party. Elliot, Jeremiah, Jayce, Bradford, and the axeman sneak around to the entrance. (Critical 20) Elliot throws a rock out into some brush and the two guards walk forward to investigate the noise.

Elliot walks behind one and Jeremiah walks behind the other and they both strike. (14 and 17 to hit vs 12 AC). Elliot quickly knocks out the bandit he hits (12 damage) while Jeremiah doesn’t quite kill his target. (9 damage) He slashes down his back and the man lets out a horrid scream.

Jeremiah quickly plunges the sword through his back. (16 to hit vs 12 AC) This time killing him. (12 damage)

Elliot and Jeremiah quickly stack up on one side of the entrance to the camp. Elliot in front, crouched, with his shield held forward. Jayce stands on the opposite side, crouched with his shield, while Bradford stands behind him.

Four bandits rush out of the gates. Elliot and Jayce both quickly shield bash them. (13 and 11 Athletics vs DC 11) The bandits are shoved towards the center of the entrance in one big clump. Jeremiah steps forward and swings his longsword at them. (22 to hit vs AC 12) And slashes through one. (16 damage - activate cleaving) His sword carries through to the next bandit. (15 to hit vs AC 12) It cleaves straight through the second bandit (15 damage) and his swing loses enough momentum to barely ding the third bandit.

Bradford steps in and swings his shortsword at the one Jeremiah barely hit. (17 to hit vs AC 12) And slashes him across his chest. (3 damage)

Two crossbow bolts are shot from the nearby hills. (21 and 8 to hit vs AC 12) Alice hits dead on. (7 damage) She snipes the bandit fighting Bradford.

“It's an ambush!” The last bandit yells out.

The remaining bandit strikes out at Bradford who had stepped out from behind Jayce. (19 to hit vs AC 12) They run him through with the blade. (4 damage) He collapses backward, still holding onto it. The bandit is now weaponless.

Elliot strikes them down. (12 to hit vs AC 12) The bandit hits the ground, unconscious.

Two more bandits run through the camp towards the party. Jeremiah and Jayce charge them both swinging their weapons at either one. (15 and 7 to hit vs AC 12) Jayce’s swing goes over the bandit as they duck but Jeremiah’s swing connects. (14 damage) Slashing straight through the midsection of the bandit spilling his innards across the battlefield.

Two crossbow bolts fly from the hills. (7 and 5 vs AC 12) But both shots go wide at such an extreme distance.

Elliot drops down beside Bradford’s side and grasps his hand as he starts to make choking noises.

“It’s okay, I’m here.” Elliot says. “I’m not leaving you.”

“Neither am I.” Talia calls out as she hits the ground, sliding to Bradford’s side. “This is going to hurt.”

She takes out a small glass vial from a small coin purse at her side hidden by her rags. It has what looks like a dark jam in it. She uncaps the vial and pours it around Bradford’s wound. She removes the sword and presses down on the wound. The jam seems to harden around it, closing the wound. (20 Medicine vs DC 10)

“Thank you.” Elliot says to Talia. “I’m leaving this to you.”

He stands and charges into the bandit camp. Jayce and Jeremiah stand over the corpses of the two bandits. Jeremiah is bleeding from a deep wound to his chest.

Two more bandits walk out of the only building in the camp. One is wearing scraps of iron armor, sheet metal tied to various sections of his body. The other is holding a dagger to a red-haired man’s throat. His other hand is pointing a hand crossbow at Jeremiah.

“So an Antibaptist came to clear out our camp, huh. You aren’t going to risk the life of this man though, are you?” The bandit with the crossbow says.

Two crossbow bolts are shot at the bandit with the hand crossbow. (9 and 14 to hit vs AC 12) And the bolt sails straight through the man’s head. (11 damage)

The merchant's brother, the red-haired man, runs away from the armored individual. He quickly drops his longsword and raises his hands. Jeremiah approaches him.

“I surrender!” The man says.

“Take off your helm, say it to my face, so that I might believe you.” Jeremiah says with disdain for the man.

The bandit rips off his helmet and in an instant, Jeremiah lops his head off with one deft strike. Jeremiah begins to unstrap the man’s armor and tie it together for easy transport.

"Thank you, sir, for rescuing me from those fiends. Did my brother in Bakers put you onto their track?" The merchant's brother says to Jeremiah.

“I’m just the hired help. That young man put this party together.” Jeremiah points to Elliot.

“Alex hired me to save you,” Elliot responds. “We are heading back to town, if you wish to come with us we can safeguard you, but if not then we have no guarantee you will make it back.”

“Thank you for saving me. They had food stores in the building and quite a few coins.” The brother responds. “I will travel with you.”

Elliot and the others search the building finding twenty bronze coins and sixty-five copper rings. They find three bags of grain, a bag of dried meat, and some moldy cheese. They take it all. Many people in the wasteland are accustomed to food that is beyond its expiration date.

There are six suits of leather armor, one suit of iron armor, and one longsword which Elliot takes for himself. There are seven short swords and three crossbows.

The group prepares to head back. Jeremiah bandages his wounds, not wanting the dryad to touch him. Alice cries into Bradford’s chest feeling awful for dragging him along. Feeling even worse knowing that he was at death’s door. They climb back over the first hill and look back over the valley that Bakers rest directly in the middle of. They all lived through this fight.