Wilds - Ambush?

After returning to Hill Hole, the party decides to spend a couple days trying to ambush hunting parties leaving the site. It takes a while to settle on a plan, but when they do, here's what happens.


Start Date: November 22, afternoon
Start Status: A trap?
Start Location: The Wilds, near Hill Hole

Short version: the group spend the night in the woods. Nothing happens.

The party trudges northeast through the woods for about a half mile, then the scouts spread out and start looking for a place to set an ambush and maybe a deer or other game to help act as bait.

It takes about an hour for Mordikarr to find a small clearing with some thick brush along one side and a few scattered rocks along the other. Not a perfect spot, but it will work. The scouts seen no signs of wildlife, maybe because it's raining, or maybe because the area is hunted out. The party sets up a fire pit near the lone tree in the clearing and places Raúguey's dummies, now filled with leaves, near it. As dusk approaches, Raúguey takes his place near the fire, Rawon heads south southwest, Mageta trailing along, to keep watch and possibly act as bait. The others set up around the clearing and begin to wait.

And wait.

And wait.

The only thing that happens is that the rain gets heavier. Raúguey has to work to keep the fire going. As the night gets colder everyone hiding in the underbrush does too. Luckily the thick clouds keep the temperature above average, but by the time the eastern horizon shows a hint of light, everyone is shivering and exhausted. Rawon rejoins the main group and everyone gathers at the newly stoked fire pit. When Ava returns she tells Mordikarr that she did not see any creatures moving around the Hole (but she did catch a fat mouse).

The cold light of morning (and the light rain that becomes heavier as the party discusses next steps), provokes a change of plan. Rather than hoping they get lucky and have a group of spider men stumble upon them, the group will return to watching Hill Hole and set up an ambush along the return path of any hunters that they see leaving the site.

The party spends the day relocating to a position closer to Hill Hole, within easy reach of the forward observation post that the scouts have been using. The general plan is to set up a watch at nightfall and wait for action. Ingvild and Rawon agree to man the forward outpost. Once at their new location, the party settles in to wait out the rain. It's a cold miserable day. As afternoon approaches, Rawon and Dagmarten head west to scout and hunt. There's little chance for game given the soggy conditions, but the pair does gain a better understanding of the western area, which quickly turns to swamp.

As night falls the rain tapers off, and the forward scouts take their position outside the gate. The rest of the group keeps low and quiet, ready to aid the forward party if they're discovered. The black clouds overhead obscure the moon, so it's difficult to see, and infravision does not reach far enough from the scouts protective cover, but sometime before midnight Ingvild spots movement at the gate. Moments later a trio of large bug men exit the tunnel and mill about the entry for a bit. One of the creatures gets close enough for the scouts to get a good look. The creature walks on six clawed legs and has two pairs of arms, ten limbs total. It's brownish-black segmented body is covered with short stiff fur, and its bug-like face has large mandibles and huge black compound eyes. Apparently it's not paying attention, or the scouts are hidden better than they thought. The creature does not see them. After a few minutes the three creatures group up and climb straight up and over Hill Hole, vanishing from sight.

"Ugly brutes," mutters Rawon. "Let's tell the others what we've seen. If they're headed northeast, that's toward our camp. That makes me nervous." The pair returns to the party, and fills them in on the action.

End Date: November 23, late at night
End Status: Ugly brutes
End Location: Near Hill Hole

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