Preparations to head back south

We started with Ansem and Erebos returning into Oxenburt from retrieving 5 cards from the Deck of Many things at the shrine of Deneir a few days away. They both caroused around Oxenburt for a day discovering that the coliseum had been closed due to hundreds of its workers going missing. However, the fight master told Erebos of an underground fighting ring. After 5 days of rest and attention from the priests at the citadel, Drogon managed to recover from his wounds and prepared with Ansem and Erebos to head south. The party accompanied by Gerald and Gynk first went to the Golden Clover Inn where they had met Skryborn before leaving the city. They told him of their plans to head to Riverford and offered for him to accompany them, he declined and told them to meet him at the Lady’s Rest inn in Riverford. As they journeyed south, they came across a group of deserters from the Emperor’s legion. They had become highway men and started preying on bands of travellers. The party dispatched them quickly however when scouting and searching through their camp which was nestled away in the woods which lined the western edge of the road, they discovered 5 tents. They had only fought 4 men, meaning one was missing. They continued onwards to Riverford with one of the highway men as a prisoner, the rest had been beheaded and placed on stakes. They arrived at Riverford as saw defences being constructed around the northern wall. Trenches dug and lined with wooden stakes and a palisade wall adding an extra layer of defence, they must be preparing for the Prince to head south. Erebos has 8 days of sight left. With his wound and the curse placed on him by Balthazar the party must discover where he is resting. But he will be guarded closely by agents of Orcus.