Mercus isn't very happy about the plan and he nervously looks to the tower more than once.
It takes only about thrity minutes until a score of men with torches advance from the tower. They are led by a towering figure with broad shoulders. As they draw nearer you can identify him as the half-orc leader of the band. A wicked grin splits his face as he comes close enough to realize that Winter's companion is only just a boy.
Welcome welcome to the Mierani Forest. You must be weary and tired from your journey, eh? Why don't you visit our nice inn - At The Gallows? booming laughter erupts from his gang of thugs.
Male Human Falcata Weapon Master 4 ~ Urban Barbarian/Invulnerable Rager 2
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Kabal was still trying shake bree's idea of 'pretending' to be lover's with Cat out of his mind...damn girl is more likely to wrap that whip around my thick neck... when the group of thugs showed up. He huddled in the dark with sword and shield in hand waited as patiently as he could. If things turned sour...and they already look like they will... Winter and Mercus could easily be over run. He clenched his teeth and bunched muscles knowing he would have to pounce hard and fast.
Using the noise of the laughter and talking to disguise any sounds she might make, Bree as quietly and using as little motion as possible prepares a bolt in her crossbow and aims it at the ringleaders chest. She holds it there for now, waiting for a sign from Winter... or for the Half-Orc to get a little too close for her comfort.
Welcome welcome to the Mierani Forest. You must be weary and tired from your journey, eh? Why don't you visit our nice inn - At The Gallows?
"Thank you gentlemen for your warm welcome and most generous offer of hospitality, it is most decent of you to trouble yourself to come out this evening and check up on the wellbeing of travellers passing by, and even more of a boon to offer them the further hospitality of dharing your roof. We have already set up camp here and are fairly used to the rigours of the road, so to take up your offer would only be a selfish act of enjoying creature comforts and putting you out, even though you have the niceness to offer. On the other hand, I would happily have you join me at the fire here, and share what rations we have, perhaps you have news of the forests and the surrounds... I don't have rations for all of you I am sorry, I hadn't expected to entertain guests, however perhaps I could be joined by the lord of the manor?"
Winter looks the big old half orc in the eye...
"Perhaps you could tell me some tales, and perhaps I could tell you some eh?" Winter holds aloft his copy of The Parables of Erastil conspiratorially, "Do you know much about Erastil? He often roams the roads as a weary old man, as a traveller, and he occasionally shares stories with those he meets by the campfire... those who are kind he blesses, those with callous hearts he leaves to their own way"
"So... will you share my campfire and partake of the sustenance of both body and soul I offer?"
At the mentioning of Erastil the group of ruffians falls silent at once.
The half-orc's expression becomes one of gravest seriousness Are you a priest of Ol' Deadeye? he asks and more than one of his men slowly grips the hilt of his sword.
Sebastian lays a hand on Kabal's shoulder and tries to stretch up and whisper in his ear. Sultry images of Cat fade from his mind, instead a distant heroic score seems to play and moving images of heroes storming ramparts play across the back of his mind.
Cast Heroism +2 morale bonus for 50 min to ATT, Saves, and Skills. Wont overlap with Sebastian's Inspire ability except for the AC bonus
The half-orc's expression becomes one of gravest seriousness Are you a priest of Ol' Deadeye? he asks and more than one of his men slowly grips the hilt of his sword.
"Yes, yes I am. You know of Him then? His wisdom gives me courage and comfort, the blood of angels flowing in my veins gives me strength, and the heavens from which I descended gift me with their cold fury"
Winter still stands relaxed enough, but slowly moves towards his fire as though to catch a bit more warmth.
"So will you be joining me for a chat and some hospitality? It says right here in the good book 'Few things exalt your faith more than feeding the hungry with your own honest sweat' so perhaps sharing a meal blesses us both?"
A wave of relief rungs through the bandits and the half-orc smiles genuinely
Then father, please part your wisdom with us, but not at this fire but in my throne room. You have to know that my men and I are also sworn to the ways of Old Deadeye.
Gold and gems make a man weak; hard work in a field shows strength of body and character, therefore you, the followers of the Stag God, must never hunt for riches, but thrive in the simplicity of what nature offers.
"A good answer, and here then, may we discuss His wisdom. Let me speak plainly so as not to either offend not mislead. I was told this place was filled with bandits and cut-throats. I was warned that these roads were unsafe for travellers. I believe it was your band I was being warned about, yet how can that be true when you are followers of His wisdom? I am curious, brothers, why you could have such a reputation and have it undeservedly so?"
Only last year we began to change our ways...before that, we were the bandits you heard of...but now his face lightens up and he points at the tower we have begun to lay out fields and started cultivating them!
"Admirable, it is good that you are able to be so honest. It is a long road, the road to Salvation, but many are choosing to see the light and let themselves be drawn into its comfort. To sleep well at night knowing they have a bond of family, whether blood family or spiritual, and to share the wealth and abundance of the land. I am Winter, I do His work, and even as we speak there are others joining the faithful from Riddleport, former Pirates seeking a new way. Please, I have kept you from your hearthfires too long, return to your house and I shall join you in the morning where we can walk your fields and talk about how your reputation may be mended like a good fence. I will spend the evening out here, communing with Him and the land in prayer"
Sebastian looks on incredulously as the tense meeting seems to break up with very subservient gestures from the Orcs. "Did a......did Winter just convert all the Bandits? Where are they going? I swear, he could convince a rust monster to lay off the iron."
Male Human Falcata Weapon Master 4 ~ Urban Barbarian/Invulnerable Rager 2
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Kabal almost charged the whole group with those blasted trumpets blaring in his thick skull...I feel like an army of one... He had no doubts that he could lay waste to whole damn lot of them single handedly and for a second he wished a more worthy opponent would show itself...like a bloody dragon...Id yank its head down by its damn horn and punch the bastard right in the eye just for looking at me...
He inhaled and slowly let the deep breath out to calm himself. He didnt even try to hide his disappointment when the bandits turned tail and walked away.
Hah! Good one Sebastian. Our priest has quite a way with words...what the hell did you to me anyways? I'm ready to take on whatever rears its ugly face right now...it's exhilirating.
"If they truly wished to do harm then they would have tried their luck. Strange that they'd just convert though, it usually takes some effort - I'd know. Perhaps in the morning we can make some sense of it, find out what happened to cause them all to gain faith... perhaps there is something I hadn't thought of which could aid me in spreading peace in Riddleport."
Winter looks about... "Here, let me assist the rest of you setting up your bedding."
"I don't know what they said to you, but I do know that when they first showed up they were not looking at you as men of any decent god would. I still don't trust them. I think that we should wait for them to all be asleep and end them quickly. They looked at Mercus like he was a mouse caught in a cat's paw. I don't like it."
"Perhaps you are right. I would suggest a different course of action. Lets leave the camp as it is, with just some bushes under the bedding, set to resemble two sleeping men... as the embers die down it will simply look as though we comfortably went to sleep for the night. We can camp just inside the treeline proper just 30 yards or so along...and have a concealed hiding point from which we can watch the real camp, and the fake one. Their intentions will be very plain soon enough if you are right, but if our false camp remains unmolested then we might be over reacting. Does that sit will with the rest of you? I'm an earnest and ever optimistic man I know, but I'm not silly... even in the mountains we had human vipers"
Floating down from his perch, "I can string my hammock from a tree here or deeper in the line to watch. If they hunt on the winds of Erastil, we may have found unlikely allies, but if they aim to sink their talons in as we sleep with our heads 'neath our wings they'll be in for a surprise." More to himself than the others, "Blackfeather keep my eyes sharp this evening." Sable strokes Korax under his beak and sets about to setting up the camps.
Male Human Falcata Weapon Master 4 ~ Urban Barbarian/Invulnerable Rager 2
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Bah! Let them come back. I'm done with the hiding in the bushes from the merry men of the forest. If they meant any harm they would've taken down the two without thinking twice.
Kabal was thankful that he had first watch. He couldnt sleep right now even if he wanted to. He had half a mind to go on and march all the way to wherever those dark hearted drow were waiting... and slice the whole damn evil bunch of them into little bloody chunks and then stomp on those chunks til they were a soupy mush...pretty sure Sebastian would paint me as some sort of noble hero in one of his stories after that...
"Any reason why we don't just take them up on the invitation? Either they try and kill us, and we disappoint them... or they're bonafide and you get to spend a night talking of the Stag Lord. Either way we'd hopefully get to sleep at least under cover... looks like it might rain tonight..."
Sebastian gives a little chuckle. "Kabal, I just gave you a dose of confidence with a pinch of magical protections. Maybe I went a little heavy with it. It will wear off...unfortunately. Probably about an hour."
Hah, at last Kabal has found his real self, quite a shame that it will only last so shortly - if we don't trust the orcish farmer and his merry band of rural workers, we should attack them now, as long as Kabal is pumped with magic adrenaline.
Male Human Falcata Weapon Master 4 ~ Urban Barbarian/Invulnerable Rager 2
Yah, well that kind of edge is helpful to say the least. Now if Eristil's flock of ruffians had any brains they wouldve left scouts and would know by now of our subterfuge. I'll be ready if they change their minds about us no matter when it is.
"The ruffians are firmly of the opinion they just spoke to a Paladin and Priest of Erastil, and his young and earnest squire. They will mistakenly think that they have the upper hand and expect no guile from me, and won't expect me to trick them with a test of faith, they wont have left sentries because who wouldn't trust a Paladin to be a Paladin?. We only have it on one mans word that these are bandits and ne'er-do-wells, and for all we know he might have been spreading foul rumours. They claim to have changed their ways and become agents of good. Now whilst their leader was able to tell me of the works of Erastil, I must ask myself the question, was he once a man who was evil and found his way or was he a decent man who lost it?"
"Allow me my small test of faith, for if those men are truly fallen then it wont take much time before they return to ambush, in which case we will be upon them moments after, and sleeping in their now conquered fort moments after - or they are decent folk and we awake in the morning with a clear conscience knowing we haven't killed innocent men unfairly judged"
"Whatever you say, Winter, but those were not innocent men. They looked at the two of you the exact same way I've seen a hundred other cutthroats look at a man they thought was easy prey. I don't know what they're playing at here, and maybe they're not as bad as they use to be, but they are definitely not good people."
"I agree there is more than meets the eye, I am just not yet sure which way this wind is blowing... we will know soon enough, be ready to counter ambush these fellows. If they are out doing evil then I wish to catch them red-handed in the act before meting out justice. I suppose we shouldn't get too comfortable then."
Intent - As above, the fire will be dimmed down to just some warm coals, with the beds made up to LOOK as though people are under their covers and with no sentry posted. We will be parked further along in the treeline in a concealed position from which the fake camp can be observed. If these guys are bad, it wont take long for them to come and start stabbing at the sleeping shapes... at which point they get a BIG SURPRISE
Your clever plan seems to work out. After you have waited an hour in great anticipation, half a score of bandits return. One seems to carry a basket with him, but you can't make out any details. They surround your small fake-camp but prefer to stay about 50m away from it.
"Sable, perhaps your wise bird could fly up ahead and look at what is going on, perhaps something nasty was in the basket? Or perhaps they are the good guys waiting for the bad guys to come.. perhaps they are actually a camp divided...?"
"Well if something don't happen soon I've a mind to get bored enough to push proceedings. If they are a bad lot, I'd hardly think they'd let an unaccompanied lass go past unhindered."
We thought Father Winter was only travelling with his squire...we're here to make sure that he can rest without being attacked by wild animals or worse. We're only here for his protection.
Sable Eboncrow
