Epyha, a half-elf witch, leaves Restov and heads south after receiving a charter of exploration from the Swordlords of Brevoy. Aeldur, an elven ranger, leaves the Gronzi forest and also happens to Restov upon which he recieves a charter from the Swordlords. Grull of Skree, a half-orc barbarian, and Avertyn, a gnome rouge, depart from Restov after leaving the Gronzi forest. Rezin Medyved, a human inquisitor, departs from Stoneclimb to Restov, and then from Restov toward Oleg’s trading post. Sir Basque, a human cavalier, departs Greyhaven on horseback, arrives in Restov, receives a charter, and immediately sets out in the same direction as the Swordlord’s indicated the other agents were traveling.
All six adventurers pass by a small hamlet, and a run down border fort. Epyha stops at a thicket of trees to rest, when Grull and Avertyn arrive and decide to stop for lunch. Rezin, Aeldur, and later Basque, pass by and stop when they find out each has the same charter. Ephya then steps forward from the trees to reveal herself. All six agree to a common cause for exploring the Greenbelt, deciding to form a party.
The party departs and arrives at Oleg’s Trading Post by sundown; a structure which looks under construction with incomplete catapult defenses. They are greeted in the courtyard by a man who introduces himself as Oleg Leveton, asking if they are the soldiers he petitioned Restov for. The party informs him they are not, but inquires about bandit activity in the area. Oleg relates they have harassed him and extorted money from him, on the first day of each month, tomorrow being the day the bandits come. The party promises Oleg they’ll solve his bandit problem for him. Overjoyed, Oleg invites everyone into his store for supper, introducing his wife Svetlana. Basque introduces himself and then excuses himself to go stable his horse, Acheron. Svetlana approaches Basque in private and asks if he might be able to find her wedding ring, telling him the bandits took it. Basque agrees to look out for the ring, and return it if he is able.
The party eats well and sleeps for the night, rising early the next morning to prepare to ambush the bandits. They instruct Oleg to stand in the open to lure the bandits inside. A little while later, the bandits arrive at Oleg’s, a few going inside to collect the extortion money. The party catches the bandits off guard and surprises them while Oleg runs inside to hide. Basque rides out of the fort to meet the bandits who didn’t come inside. When one tries to escape, Basque chases him down with Ephya’s hawk.
One bandit died, but 4 remain alive, which the party stabilizes to interrogate. They find a necklace of a Stag on who they assume to be the leader. In addition, the party acquires 5 horses to use for their exploration. Oleg is grateful for the assistance and as a token of appreciation agrees to give the party free room and board when they need for their exploration.
Basque and Rezin wake up the bandit leader to interrogate him, Basque threatening to torture him if he doesn’t talk. He apparently works for someone called “The Stag Lord,” the leader of the local bandits, a woman who is apparently camped out on the Thorn river in the Narlmarches, near a bridge. When the interrogation finishes Rezin kills two of the bandit lackeys after determining they can get no more information from them. Basque objects, saying they need to be executed in a proper fashion. Basque then carries out a formal execution by hanging, asking the last two bandits their names and last words. Oleg then hangs the last 3 off his wall with rope as a “warning.”
The party then rests for the night and rides Southwest quickly to get to the bandits. They find the edge of the forest and set camp just inside the trees to avoid detection. They wake up the next morning to heavy fog and ride south along the lip of the forest until reaching the Thorn river. Ephya has her hawk scout North and South, finding a bridge to the South but the camp to the North in the forest. The party crosses the river to the South bank and sets up camp just within the tree line. They leave the horses, except for Acheron and scout North for the bandits. In later afternoon they finally come upon the bandit camp, presumably waiting for the bandits sent to Oleg’s.