Ironfang Invasion

"Thank you," Aubrin says, providing the group with directions to the redoubt.

The trip from the camp to the smaller thicket is uneventful, with only the calls of wildlife around the group, but even those fade as they head into the thicker heart of the trees housing the redoubt, giving way to an oppressive gloom as interwoven branches obscure the sun near entirely, choking out near any plantlife that would otherwise have grown. This gully harbors an eerie silence broken only by the whine of numberless insects abound.

Ahead, the redoubt pokes out suspended in a small trio of trees, raised above muddy ground in the middle of an island in the gully's river, accessible by a bridge on the south side, near directly in front of the redoubt's entry.

As they approach the bridge, Kroza calls out "Hello? We're looking for the Chernasado Rangers."

There's no response to Kroza's call, not from the rangers at least. All that does seem to happen is some insects close to the group being disturbed, but quickly settling again.

"Is, like, anybody even home?" Jicsa says, pulling out a catalyst vial as she takes a step towards the bridge. "We should, like, totally check it out."

"Maybe they're hiding ... or maybe they moved their camp," suggests Kroza.

Approaching the bridge, Jicsa notes the path is covered in a dense netting of spiderwebs. Stopping the group, she quickly throws together a firebomb and tosses it into the middle of the webs, where it bursts with a fiery blast.

The fire rapidly consumes the webbing, burning it away and opening the path. Embers from the webbing drift up and away into the trees, finding nothing further they can ignite, but briefly illuminating sacks of webbing strung up in the trees.

After further investigation by means of Lilith's Dancing Lights reveals items glinting and shining in the webbed sacks, Kroza opts to climb the trees to access the sacks. But, where there is web, there is at least one spider, and with the amount of webbing about, clearly more than the one staring Kroza in the face, it's fangs stuck in the tree bark inches away after a missed lunge.

More chittering surrounds the party as three other spiders reveal themselves from the trees and move in to defend their nests

Even though the spiders' venom saps their strength, the party still fights well and eventually claims victory.

Once that is done, Kroza sighs. "No sign of the Rangers ... not that I could find, anyway."

Lilith deftly sweeps one of the crushed spiders away with her glaive, sending it a good distance away and shivering lightly. "I don't mind spiders much but like, do they have to be so big? Perhaps we should check the shack across the bridge? Or like, try our hands at the shinies again?"

"Tooootally, I'm, like, still totally curious what's in those sacks," Jicsa agrees. "Besides, like, there totally shouldn't be any more spiders to stop us now."

Kroza nods. "Well, let's get to it, then."

Now that the danger has passed, they cut down the web sacks and gently cut them open. They loot the contents, then (cautiously) approach the redoubt, entering if it seems safe.

An empty silence greets them as they enter the redoubt proper - a cursory search makes it clear it's been abandoned for weeks, at least.

A half burned letter, the only item of interest located in the search, turns up the reason why; the rangers that had previously been stationed here have since been recalled to a Fort Trevalay, though what's left of it leaves no indication of where that may be.

Taking the letter, the Shadows head back to camp and ask around to see if anyone knows where Fort Trevalay is.

Not even Aubrin knows for sure; suggesting that it's a dead end, at least for the time being. You'll have to continue unaided for the time being.

That evening, Kroza asks Alice and Lilith "You two aren't from around here, right? Did you come to Phaendar for the festival?"

Lilith's ears perk while she's grooming her tails and she looks up. "I actually lived in Phaendar for quite a while. Teeeechnically... my parents like, saved me from a buncha slavers when I was real little. We traveled allll over the place and settled in the town... They left like, a couple years ago, but I stuck behind! Of course, the only ones who know my foxy face were very far and few between..." she rambles on a bit longer, trying to maintain a happy visage. "Oh oh, did you notice I like, grew a new tail?"

"I was a guard for a caravan, so yes, I came for the festival. I hope the others made it out okay..." Alice says, looking grave.

Kroza looks like she was thinking about saying something else, but instead she just nods.

Taking the time to ensure they're properly prepared for the ordeals ahead, the Shadows set out the following day for the troglodyte caves, through shaded forest paths.

It would seem, however, that their meddling in the Legion's activities has been noticed, and retaliation greets the Shadows in the form of an ambush, a heavily armored hobgoblin astride a dire wolf crashing from the trees towards the group, two soldiers not far behind.

The leader atop his mount cries, "Death! Death to those who defy the Ironfangs!", punctuated by the war cries of his underlings and the powerful blow he strikes on Kroza.

The Shadows stand their ground and fight fiercely, killing most of the hobgoblin underlings. Enemy reinforcements then appear atop the ridge to the west of the group and fire arrows down upon them. Even despite this, the remaining hobgoblins are whittled down and then defeated - first the leader, then his riding wolf, and then the archers.