Recap by Noah

Night before the Banquet

[5th day of the 10th moon of the year, Year unknown]

Haunted by a night of strange dreams and visions, Ard, the hunter, awakes in the middle of the night and steps out of his home for a breath of fresh air. Gim, the ancient elvish farmer, is waiting there and invites Ard into the woods. Deep in the woods, beyond many twisted and half-hidden paths a clearing is reached. in the centre of the clearing is a gnarled tree stump adorned with offerings left by passers-by. It is explained to Ard by Gim that he is part of a secret line of protectors of the forest, and his efforts are required to bring balance to the natural order and drive an ancient evil from the woods. Ard is invited to leave an offering of his own at the stump, and Ard chooses to leave his hunters' bow. Gim is pleased with the choice and brings Ard deeper into the woods to be initiated into the rites of an ancient druidic order...

The adventure-seeking village urchin Lansy walks the woods one afternoon when he spies a stranger dressed in animal hides and carrying a long sword (Toom). He climbs a tree to spy on the stranger from a distance, but is detected by the stranger's companion, a taciturn but poor-tempered and impossibly-stealthy halfling (Mouse). Lansy is threatened by the alien duo, taken prisoner, and told to escort them to the village where they are to meet a certain man. Aware of a disturbance in his woods, Ard watches the scene from a distance.

Suddenly, the three are ambushed by a mob of goblins who wear a strange armour with a hole in the centre of the breastplate. Lansy and his captors are joined by Ard and together they successfully dispatch the mob, engaging the foot-soldiers in close quarters and knocking the archers from their perches in the trees above. A few injured goblins escape into the woods. the halfling is injured in the skirmish, and Ard and Lansy take the opportunity to bind the strangers and bring them to the village for questioning...
As dusk falls, it is revealed that the strangers seek the man who calls himself king. Ard and Lansy suspect that the two are assassins, and the king is informed. He sends two of his bodyguards to interrogate the strange duo, who find a letter of marque on the stealthy halfling...