Insufficient Postage!

Last time the party locked up all the bandit loot and headed back to the barn to pick up Annocs and Gregor. Unfortunately, there was no sign of them when everyone arrived.

A unit of Grim's men rode up to challenge the party and deliver a message, Annocs's severed head in a bag and a note stuffed in his mouth. In return for the recovered signet ring, Grim would let you live. The party refused the offer and proceeded to burn, crush, slaughter, and behead the messengers.

After beating information out of the survivors the party learned the following:
- either a suspicious looking raven or Alessandra the sorceress, who conspicuously disappeared before the fight, is an informant of Grim's.
- Grim is holding Gregor in the fortified city of Portyngton with the rest of his remaining forces, at least 18 men and 18 Duergar as well as the Duergar cleric Derros and the gnomish bard Tuddlebock.
- mysterious red robed riders were sent Northward to proclaim Grim's dominance of this territory and deliver additional messages to the cities north.
- an army of hobgoblins and other monstrous humanoids is amassed at Higate and appear to be under the command of the Dragon's Fist cult leaders.
- Grim and the cult of the Dragon's Fist seem bent on the destruction of Luptonia.

The party rode back to Halfwayton with their prisoners to collect the ransoms on the bandits, do some shopping, and catch up on the gossip before taking on Grim and rescuing Gregor. While in town a company of Baron Renford's soldiers rode into town, led by a Captain Grey who sought out the party. He discussed plans for the assault on Portyngton, in which the party will play a key part.