February 2, 118 SE
Having finished at Frosthaven, the party spend the rest of this day traveling back to Duskveil. Again pushing their mounts, they travel throughout the evening and the night, arriving during the early morning of the 3rd.
February 3, 118 SE
After a short rest, the party awake the next morning and prepare to set out. The mayor of Duskveil provides them with a sealed and signed missive to be delivered to the King of Vornheim. Before leaving, they stock up on provisions for themselves and their mounts; notably, Kaplan buys a cloak that largely conceals his face when worn.
February 8, 118 SE
About halfway through their journey to Vornheim, the party come across a wagon stopped at the side of the road. Normally, this would not be a cause for any special scrutiny, as they've passed several traders and other travelers so far during their journey, but as they approach they begin to see that the wagon is open and its horses are missing.
They carefully approach the wagon, and a closer investigation confirms that foul play is involved - three corpses lie on the group near the wagon, and the contents have been looted. The corpses appear to be of two guardsman and one merchant, who have been killed by sword blows. The party consider whether this is the work of the undead, or simple bandits. A Detect Magic spell reveals nothing, but a more mundane search reveals a trail leading away from the wagon, off the road into the wilderness.
The party follow the trail, which leads into the foothills of the mountains. After about half an hour of traveling, they spot a lookout keeping watch from a nearby hilltop. He spots them at the same time as they spot him, and he dashes away. Hoping to prevent him from alerting anyone else, the party charge after him.
Cresting the hill where the lookout was standing, they see a small encampment not too far in the distance where several men are gathered as the lookout runs toward them. Ellyanna immediately charges; Calanon follows and tries to hold her back. As Ellyanna and Calanon approach, the men draw crossbows and attack!
The rest of the party charge into the fray and battle is joined against the eight bandits present in the camp. The bandits are able to inflict a fair amount of damage to the party as they approach, but once the party close in to melee range they are able to defeat all eight bandits. In the end, the party suffers no major injuries, seven of the bandits are dead, and the last one, given the opportunity, decides to surrender.
Interrogating the prisoner, they discover that his name is Jalin. He was a farmer from a nearby settlement who was conscripted into Vornheim's army the previous summer. Returning from his service, he found his home had been destroyed by monsters and his livelihood as a farmer was therefore gone. He had joined with a nearby gang of bandits out of desperation.
Ellyanna is moved by his story and wants to free him and offer him a spot in their group, but everyone else disagrees and insist that he remain bound. While interrogating him, he lets slip that there are several other bandits around who could return at any moment. The party decide to try to leave before this happens.
The camp contains a large number of provisions, as well as a few hundred gold pieces worth of plunder and trinkets, and the two horses stolen from the raided wagon. The party take Jalin, some provisions, and some of the loot, and head back to the wagon. With everything they've collected, they now need the wagon, so they load Jalin and the loot into it and continue their journey, traveling a bit slower now due to the wagon.
February 15, 118 SE
Finally, after nearly two weeks of travel, the party arrive at the outskirts of Vornheim. Kaplan, who spent several years living there, explains the general layout of the city before they head in.
The core of the city is the Old City, which houses the King's palace, the High Temple of Vorn, and all of the various nobility and other well-to-do individuals. It it walled off and surrounded by the New City, which is a much larger and more varied part of the city. Various districts range from wealthy to poor, and most of the city's population lives here. It is also surrounded by a wall. Outside of this wall is the Outer City, a ramshackle collection of overflow from the New City. The Outer City has no walls and is technically not part of Vornheim, so it is not patrolled or policed. Consequently, it is a dangerous and crime-filled area. The only sections of the Outer City that are actually patrolled are the paths that lead to the various gates.
The party make their way through the Outer City with their wagon, until they arrive at the city gates. There, they see a lineup of travelers waiting to get into the city, with a contingent of guards inspecting them one by one. Kaplan explains that it is illegal for commoners to bear weapons within the city, but he also remarks that the security seems tighter than when he was last here. There is even a wizard checking each traveler for the presence of magic.
When the party's inspection comes, it seems normal at first, but as soon as one of the guards sees Kaplan, he seems extremely suspicious and sends one of the other guards back into the guardhouse. Shortly after, that guard emerges with an entire armed squad, who announce that the party is under arrest for the murder of the Arch-prelate of Vorn!
The party protest their innocence, especially once they learn that murder took place about two weeks ago, when they were back in Duskveil. However, the guards respond that Kaplan was clearly seen by multiple witnesses at the scene of the crime and his description has been circulated throughout the city. Even Calanon's status as a paladin of Vorn does not seem to sway them, and they are stripped of their gear and escorted into the city by the guards.
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