Blood on the Leaves (days 1-2, Neth [November] 4708 AR)

Thuldrin Kreed, the most hated man in Falcon's Hollow, approached the heroes and offered them 4,000 gp to travel to Darkmoon Wood's lightless reaches, bring back any survivors, and deal with whatever menace laid siege to the cutyard.

Thuldrin assured the heroes they wouldn't be alone out there. He's sent his best men to aid them in their mission and ensure that justice is meted out in the name of his slain workers. Thuldrin dispatched Boss Payden "Pay Day" Teedum and a squad of his regulators along with the heroes to lend their swords to the task.

When Wrack demanded more money, Thuldrin told him he drove a hard bargain before grudgingly acquiescing, upping the reward to a cool 5,000 gp.

Pay Day is friendly at first, but soon chafes at working with the heroes. Teedum's used to people taking his orders and can't treat anyone like an equal. Kreed is a god to him and everyone else is a dung beetle, there to be herded toward useful work or crushed under his boot. Payden's an ugly thug, with a bull neck, a huge round face, and a mashed-in nose. He's thick-shouldered and stocky, yet he moves like a trained killer. He's overly fond of chewing blood bark, and spits its crimson leavings all over the place (probably hitting a hero's boots on more than one occasion). He's a Consortium Man, concerned for the safety of the lumberjacks left behind by their yard master, Mutters Condlan, whom Teedum calls a "jelly-spined coward" and whose name he always accompanies with a thick hawk of blood bark juice.

There was no path to the cutyard yet, as it was only prospected by the Lumber Consortium only a few weeks ago. Kreed Supplied the heroes with a rough approximation of the yard's location, but a 3-mile hike into the unforgiving Darkmoon Wood awaited them, extended when the group got lost in the woods. The sun did not often pierce the shroud of autumn leaves above, and darkness reigned even during midday. As the heroes set out, Boss Teedum was happy to let them lead the way. He had no wish to risk his or his regulators' lives on any foolishness. When Aranthor contended with him, he spat, "You's the ones hungry for a re-ward! You go ahead and earn it, then! We's right behind you, never fear!"

During the night, a pack of worgs attempted to circle the heroes and tear them to pieces. Pay Day did not fight at all when the heroes were doing his work for him. His goons fired their crossbows at enemies engaged with heroes until all the worgs were dead.