In return for the hospitality offered by the residents of Zalathi Village, we promised to investigate the abduction of Paniya Witika. Her father, Hanu Witika, was convinced she had been taken by a nearby band of gnolls but urged us not to arouse their anger for fear of further conflict, however other residents urged us to act more decisively to return the girl and restore the water supply that the gnolls had dammed.
Investigating the area, we found no signs of a gnoll raid or break-in, only Paniya’s unaccompanied tracks leading from the village to the gnoll den. After acquiring supplies, we set out to follow the tracks. Upon reaching the gnoll den, there was much discussion about a goat-based plan of attack, which ultimately (and immediately) crumbled into a chaotic melee. We survived, somewhat bloodied and depleted, and managed to dismantle the gnoll’s dam and restore water to the village, before siezing the opportunity for a brief rest to replenish ourselves and plan our next move.