Halloran turns back to Yip, We would like to visit your tribe and speak with your leader, hopefully we can be friends or at least trade with each other. Halloran pauses to hold up an elk skin as an example of what they have to trade.
Putting the hide back in the cart, Halloran continues, But as you pointed out, now is not a good time. What I suggest is you return to your leader and let him know of our request. We can meet back here in two days. Halloran gestures at the radish patch. And you can let us know if your chief's answer is yes or no. Fair enough? Halloran offers a hand for Yip to shake.
mites might cause trouble,
and need watching."
Then I bid you a safe journey Yip, and hope to see you in 2 days. Halloran waves goodbye to Yip, then turns to the others and says Thanks for waiting, we can leave when ever your ready. he'll also put the bag of radishes in the cart.
you all arrive back at the fort.
and you see a new face among those there,
a balding man with brown hair and eyes, with a mustache.
Oleg:
"Welcome Back, did you find the camp?"
Svetlana:
she sniffs the air
"Did any of you by chance find some moon radishes?"
"Greetings. We did find the camp and we brought some more prisoners into your fort. I hope the first batch didn't cause any trouble?
As for the moon radishes, in all fairness, we bought them."
"Looks like another three sheep for me to tend to."
Svetlana:
"I'll give you boys 250gp, if you sell them to me."
Royston's eyes widen at a bit at the offer for the turnips, but he stays quiet since he didn't handle the deal for them.
"Good find then, Halloran."
The cleric walks forward to the new face at the fort and offers his hand in friendship.
"Hello there, stranger. My name is Royston Hawkes, a cleric of Desna. How have you found your visit here so far?"
Jhod Kavken:
"Nice to meet you Roy, Names Jhod.
It's nice to know another of the cloth.
So far, I'll admit, Lady Alkaid is a good priestess
in redeeming these folk."
he adds in a whisper
"And shes a looker as well."
"That has got to be one very good stew," observes Eamon, stretching his legs after dismounting. He greets Oleg, Svetlana, Alkaid and Jhod, then goes to tend to his mount. This is a job he never leaves to stable boys, but always sees to himself.
Halloran raises his eyebrows at Svetlana's offer, Fortuitous indeed, Royston he agrees.
Fishing the bag of radishes out of the cart, he hands them to Svetlana, We have a deal lady, I look forward to sampling your cooking.
Turning to survey the fort, Halloran looks at all the new faces and says to himself This place got crowded quick turning to Oleg, Halloran says, Yes, we did find the bandit camp, we offered them the chance to surrender, but they refused.
Pointing to the cart Halloran continues, We took those 3 prisoner, they're pretty beat up and have yet to regain consciousness, but they'll live. Turning to Alkaid he says, If your agreeable lady, we'll leave them in your and Captain Garess's custody.
Turning back to Oleg, Halloran continues with his report One of the bandit's died in the fighting and we buried him at the camp, two others managed to escape. I don't think you'll have anymore trouble from them, but to be safe you might want to let Captain Garess know.
Gesturing at the cart, Halloran says We also recovered this cart and the items that are in it, I don't know if the others want to keep it yet, I imagine Eamon and Silstaren want the arrows and I have a use for the hides. But unless someone else puts a claim on any of it we'll probably be looking to sell you the bandits gear.
Pulling out the sacks of loot, Halloran spreads it out on one of the tables, We also found this, before we start divvying it up, do you wish to put in a claim of stolen property?
Svetlana:
"The radishes are for making a treat for my husband."
she looks at the new prisoners
"Looks like I'll be working for a good while."
Happs:
looks at the new students that Alkaid will teach
"It's Kressle, Asta and Frank."
To Svetlana, Halloran saysMay he enjoy it then, perhaps I can bring you another batch at a later date.
To Happs he says, There were 3 others at the camp, 1 died, 1 escaped during the battle and 1 spent his time sniping at us from the woods before slipping away. Do you know who they were?
Happs:
"I don't know, as I guess half of them were out hunting."
So what do you think they'll do now? Will they gather and attack the fort? Will they move on now that their campsite has been discovered? Or will they just stay where they are and lay low?
Happs:
"Because I don't know who they were, I can't really say what they do. But odds are they'll lay low for a week."
"That has got to be one very good stew," observes Eamon, stretching his legs after dismounting. He greets Oleg, Svetlana, Alkaid and Jhod, then goes to tend to his mount. This is a job he never leaves to stable boys, but always sees to himself.
Like Eamon, Silstaren tends to his horse, Duneah, after greeting the fort's inhabitants. He takes the opportunity to quiz the paladin about what happened at the bandit camp. "When I left the group to flank the bandits, Magister Halloran was going to lull the bandits to sleep with magic before we entered the camp. Yet the next thing I knew you were striding into camp demanding their surrender. It was brave, but why? Did Halloran's spell fail?
Eamon shrugs. "I was demanding the surrender of those still awake. Unfortunately, that turned out to be all of them. Perhaps Halloran thought I was changing the plan, though that was not my intention."
Eamon comes around the horses to look at Silstaren thoughtfully. "I have been called here to these lands, though I was not certain why. Yet I cannot believe it is to kill men and women who for the most part have been driven to banditry through desperation. No doubt there are some in their midst who are truly evil, but I would rather offer some hope of the future to these folk than to confirm in them the belief that life is merely matter of the strong ruling the weak."
Eamon's voice becomes more certain even as his gaze wanders off into the distance. "We are chartered by the Sword Lords to chart this land and to clear it of bandits, and so I will strive to do. But do you not feel we could do more, Silstaren? This is an untamed land full of promise. Ridding it of bandits is not enough. Peace and order should be our beginning, not our end. We could build something here, something lasting, to the great benefit of its residents as well as the Sword Lords."
Halloran says to Happs, I was wondering where you got this liquor he gestures at the 8 bottles of green herbal liquor, did you steal it from Oleg? or did you make it yourself?
Happs:
"No, that liquor I think was stolen from some old merchant near one of the roads."
Holding up one of the bottles to peer at Halloran comments, Unusual stuff and I'm guessing potent to.
Lowering it, he looks back at Happs, Why didn't you drink it?" he asks. Were you saving it for a special occasion? or looking to sell it some place?
Eamon shrugs. "I was demanding the surrender of those still awake. Unfortunately, that turned out to be all of them. Perhaps Halloran thought I was changing the plan, though that was not my intention."
Eamon comes around the horses to look at Silstaren thoughtfully. "I have been called here to these lands, though I was not certain why. Yet I cannot believe it is to kill men and women who for the most part have been driven to banditry through desperation. No doubt there are some in their midst who are truly evil, but I would rather offer some hope of the future to these folk than to confirm in them the belief that life is merely matter of the strong ruling the weak."
Eamon's voice becomes more certain even as his gaze wanders off into the distance. "We are chartered by the Sword Lords to chart this land and to clear it of bandits, and so I will strive to do. But do you not feel we could do more, Silstaren? This is an untamed land full of promise. Ridding it of bandits is not enough. Peace and order should be our beginning, not our end. We could build something here, something lasting, to the great benefit of its residents as well as the Sword Lords."
"Ridding the land of bandits is a good start. My own score with these outlaws runs deep and mayhap too personally, for clear vision. But I pledge myself to help you loose their hold on these lands. Beyond that who knows? "
A wan smile plays over his lips beofre he continues, "These Sword Lords, are they so great and good that they should benefit from these lands? I worked seven seasons for the Surtovas. In they end they seemed bandits who didn't need swords to steal."
Happs:
"Me drink Nah, the boss likes his booze though."
"Ridding the land of bandits is a good start. My own score with these outlaws runs deep and mayhap too personally, for clear vision. But I pledge myself to help you loose their hold on these lands. Beyond that who knows? "
A wan smile plays over his lips beofre he continues, "These Sword Lords, are they so great and good that they should benefit from these lands? I worked seven seasons for the Surtovas. In they end they seemed bandits who didn't need swords to steal."
Eamon smiles and returns to brushing his mount's coat. "Almost as much harm results from lawlessness as from actively intended evil. The Sword Lords have the virtue of operating...mostly...under the rule of law. And it was they that sent us to quell these bandits, so that is no idle claim. As for the benefit, I am no lawyer, but it seems to me that the benefit they will enjoy is precisely the one for which they have commissioned us: an orderly, law-abiding market for Restov's goods where once they had a porous southern border rife with dangerous monsters and cutthroats."
"If the Sword Lords have more direct designs on the Stolen Lands, they have not shared them with me."
"I thank you for your pledge, and honor you for it. Few men ever have the opportunity to fight for a cause they believe in. I wish you joy of it."
Halloran frowns at Happs, The boss? Who is the boss? This "Stag Lord" you spoke of earlier?
Happs:
"Yep, that's the boss."
...
"I thank you for your pledge, and honor you for it. Few men ever have the opportunity to fight for a cause they believe in. I wish you joy of it."
Silstaren's smile widens. "I doubt very much I'll have any joy of it all. This is a land of melancholy and sorrow." He lifts Duneah's leg and uses his dagger to hook out a stone lodged between hoof and shoe.
"Five gold crowns says you enjoy yourself before it's over," says Eamon with a grin. Evidently, the paladin sees nothing wrong with a little gambling.
she spots the two crates of booze
"Wow, that a good load of booze."
"I lack five crowns. If you will accept my promise to pay at a future date should I lose, then I will accept your wager."
****
Later when Halloran tries to share the cash from the radishes. "My friend, you took the risk alone. Keep what you have reaped, this harvest is not mine to share. In the future, I will eagerly partner any such venture you propose."
What can you tell me about the Stag Lord? Halloran will start out asking Happs, but if he can't get more than one sentence out of him, he'll ask the other bandits who are conscious, and even Alkaid to see if she's heard anything from her dealings with the bandits.
Happs:
"I don't know much about him, since I have never met the boss.
I do know he likes his booze."
"I lack five crowns. If you will accept my promise to pay at a future date should I lose, then I will accept your wager."
The paladin smiles as he finishes currying his mount and leads it back to its stall in the stables. "Of course! I don't have five crowns either, but by the time this is over, we'll either be dead or quite flush, I expect."
_____________________________________________________________________
Later, when Eamon catches up to Halloran's conversation with Happs, he listens and asks "Where does this 'Stag Lord', hold court? And do you know if he mocks the holy name of Erastil with that title?"
Happs:
"I don't know the location since I have not been there,
but Kressle has been there."
"I lack five crowns. If you will accept my promise to pay at a future date should I lose, then I will accept your wager."The paladin smiles as he finishes currying his mount and leads it back to its stall in the stables. "Of course! I don't have five crowns either, but by the time this is over, we'll either be dead or quite flush, I expect."
...
"Then let's join the others. I think I have enough on account with Oleg to stand you a drink."
Kesten Garess:
"I see you captured some more bandits,
I hope Miss Alkaid can pull off another mass
redemption for the new bunch."
Duke:
"Holy s*** man,
you guys are incredible.
Capturing 3 more bandits."
Ash:
"I thought female bandits were rare,
but they brought in two more."
"Perhaps now that we captured those, they will become less common", Rory grins. "I can't tell if that bothers you or makes you happier, though."
Seeing as how he has learned as much as he can from Happs and Kressle is still unconscious. Halloran will turn back to Oleg, who should have had plenty of time to examine the items for sale.
Which are 2 suits of leather armor, 2 suits of studded leather armor, 4 longbows, 3 short swords, 2 handaxes and a cart.
So Oleg, what price do you offer us for these? Halloran asks, gesturing at the items in question.
Oleg:
"I'll take the armour for 35gp,
The weapons I'll give 180gp,
The cart I'll give 5 gp for."
Svetlana:
"So Halloran,
your going to keep the booze and the pelts?"
To Oleg: That sounds like a fair price to me. Does anyone disagree? he says the last looking at the rest of the party, to see if someone has fault with it.
To Svetlana: For now at least, may we store items here at the trading post?
Svetlana:
"I can see if I can find a good spot for them."
To Oleg: That sounds like a fair price to me. Does anyone disagree? he says the last looking at the rest of the party, to see if someone has fault with it.
Silstaren replies, "I won't argue with your business decisions, Halloran. If you think it's an equitable amount close the deal."