You get to know your companions.

You ride in relative silence for the first few hours, and you take the time to survey the countryside. It's been a while since you got out of Deepwater, and you see that a few of the old thorpes that you saw in passing before have grown into full fledged villages in the span of a few years. It is amazing what prosperity the treaty with the Druids of Obad-Hai has brought the local region, their support in agricultural means has brought an abundance, and their preservation methods have allowed for storage and export. Without the need to worry about food for mere survival, the people can afford to buy and trade with caravans such as the one you are on.

You shake your head and realize that your mind has wandered, as has your skirt, which due to the jostling of the carriage has opened up on the slit, exposing an almost dangerous amount of thigh. You attempt to surreptitiously adjust yourself and your clothing, but in doing so, you catch the eye of Illag, who winks in a very non-surreptitious manner, causing you to blush. Your flush shows easily on your fair skin, and Illag can barely stifle his smirking grin. How impertinent!

After you collect yourself, you begin to converse with your carriage-mates. You learn that Harod and Elizabeth had been traveling together for a while, watching each other's backs. They seemed to be quite fond of each other, though Elizabeth's body language betrayed no jealousy, even when Talira started to subtly flirt with Harod. They seem to have a fairly relaxed relationship with each other, as they frequently tease each other, leading to the whole carriage getting a chuckle from their antics.

Elizabeth claims to be an expert archer, and states that she do more than just hold her own with the longsword at her waist and shield fastened to her back. Seeing her calloused fingers on her right hand leads you to believe her. Harod is a highly skilled melee fighter, whose main weapon is the spiked chain, which he says that he can use to threaten a large area around himself. He was obviously unable to perform a demonstration in the cramped spaces of the top of a carriage, but you saw earlier he moved with a grace and ease that belied his talents, and you were inclined to believe that he was as good as he said.

Illag seems to be an interesting specimen. He was previously a shaman of middling rank within one of the local orc tribes around Deepwater, but he had a heated dispute with one of the senior shaman, and decided that voluntarily leaving his clan of his own volition was the best way to avoid future enmity from his clan. He was still on good terms with the majority of his clan, and they write to him ever so often. Illag doesn't seem to be bothered by his self-imposed exile, he is affable and boisterous, and quickly endeared himself to you and your companions.

When asked about his abilities, his smile waned a bit. He turned to face all of you and put his hands on his knees. He explained that warlocks such as himself usually gain power from making pacts with certain entities. Most warlocks choose to make pacts with powerful fiends, as they are the most willing to trade a temporary measure of their power to mortals in order to spread their influence. The Archfey also grant certain warlocks power, as do the Great Old Ones. He explained that his power was granted by one of these Great Old Ones. He said that he was unsure that his patron was even still aware of Gristhaia, as he had not had contact with his patron in decades. He explained that his pact was relatively loose, and did not impose any restrictive or malignant rituals. Just that he devote himself to the cause of spreading his Old One's name, though the method by which he do so was not specified.

Illag said that his powers are a bit hard to define. He has the ability to project a blast of eldritch magic, as well as use a type of ancient magic known as invocations. Now invocations are a bit of a strange occurrence, as their existence predates that of traditional spells and magic. They form a bit of a bridge between the ancient magic that the elder beings are known to use, and the well-defined schools of magic that are in existence today. They don't conform to easy definitions, and interact strangely with "modern" magic, often producing strange effects when they collide. He is capable of disappearing into the shadows, shatter crystalline objects such as metals or stones with a single utterance. He has the capability to fly and detach his own eye to use as a scout for reconnaissance. He is also capable of using an invocation that cancels out other magic spells and effects. He is a very dangerous opponent to be on the wrong side of, but luckily he is quickly becoming one of your friends, and has, along with the others, begun to defer to you as the de facto leader of this group.

Evening begins to fall, and you have traveled about 20 miles from Deepwater. The terrain has been relatively easy, and the horses are well trained. You head towards the the captain of the security team to get your team's pay, and the schedule for tonight's watch. You learn from the captain, that your team is going to hold the first watch over the camp, which you are pleased to hear, as the uninterrupted sleep inherent to the first and last watch is always welcome. You get your team's pay and head back towards your caravan to distribute it evenly.

You arrive to where your group stopped for the day, and find that camp has already been set and a delicious scent has begun to rise over the camp. Harod and Elizabeth are setting up their shared tent, and Illag has erected his strange looking tent, which has a pointed top, which he has left open for tonight. You begin to erect your own Elven Tree Tent that you had developed, between three large and sturdy trees. It simultaneously keeps you off the ground and allows for the tent to breathe. The feeling in the caravan camp is a bit too blasé for your liking, and you make a note to set extra alarm spells at some of the perimeters of tonight's camp.

You split your group and you each head to your respective patrolling areas. You have decided on a relay system for alarming the camp, should anything happen. You, the fastest runner in the group, are to head straight to one of the alarm bells in the camp. This will alert the other security guards that something is wrong, and to switch into high alert. Nearly all of the non-arcane casters sleep in a chainmail shirt and have a helm nearby just in case, to compromise between protection and comfort. You arrive at your post, and begin to start your 2-hour watch shift.