After attempting to ascertain that the bandits are not illusions or some other nasty trap...
(Assuming they're not) Chloe steps out into the open.
"Excuse me, I couldn't but help hear that you were arguing. Is there, perhaps, any way I could help settle the dispute?"
The three stop and turn to look at Chloe, grins spreading across their faces.
"Well well boys, look what we got here. And what might a fine little piece of ass like you be doing around these parts, eh?" he says with a leer.
He completely ignores what you actually said. You get the impression that none of these guys is too bright.
Jack takes out his composite longbow and prepares to shoot the bandit closest to Chloe if they try anything funny.
Chloe attempts to determine their current mood...
"Oh, please. Don't bother objectifying me. Also," Chloe says, grinning, "I just thought I should tell you."
"You see, my husband is a werewolf. Particularly nasty variety of the curse - got put on him by a witch back south. He's not forced to transform, but he has to keep both forms fed, and, well, he's hunting in the area. He can prevent himself from attacking me anytime, but you would do your best to appear non-threatening, and maybe get down on your face - unless, of course, you happen to be carrying a few weapons of purest inherited silver."
A werewolf curse? Yes, that's completely believable, Chloe. Perhaps I can help to make it more convincing...
Jack casts Create Sound, creating the sound of a howling wolf from a point 25 feet behind him.
The lead bandit looks at Chloe suspiciously.
"I ain't ever heard o' no werewolf curse like that, what are you tryina..." just then, he hears the sound of a howling wolf close by, and blanches.
"Run for it lads, it's the werewolf! 'E can only eat one o' us at a time, scatter!"
They scatter, and run off in three different directions, one up the road and one to either side of it.
Jack scans the area for anything the bandits may have left behind.
Besides some brightly colored snow, there appears to be nothing.
"Well, let's move on, shall we? Wouldn't want Chloe's werewolf husband to come after us as well."
After climbing at least a hundred feet into the hills, the snowy trail finally levels off. In a clearing among the trees, a large wooden lodge overlooks a ravine spanned by a long rope bridge. Smoke rises from the lodge’s two snow-covered chimneys, and large woodpile is stacked against the outer wall. A small outbuilding stands east of the lodge, and a stone well nearly blanketed by snow is barely recognizable to the north. Several tracks lead southwest toward a detached stable.
Jack does the thing where he detects psionics and stuff.
You're too far away to detect anything on the building. Nothing shows up on your radar, though.
You do know one little tidbit about this place though, it's called the High Sentinel Lodge, and is the home of a Ranger Corps known as...the High Sentinels.
Pretty common knowledge around these parts.
Chloe walks up to the door and knocks.
Chloe walks forward without thinking and triggers a trap.
A crossbow bolt flies at her, hitting her right in the arm...or so it appears. Chloe's baggy clothing catches the arrow and stops it before it does any damage to her person.
Chloe shrugs and knocks.
Chloe moves closer to the door. As she gets closer she can catch a good glimpse of the layout of the place, with the main building directly ahead, what appears to be an outhouse to the east, a stable on the south side, and a bridge leading away on the other side.
Chloe approaches the door, and knocks.
There is a short pause and then the shuffling of feet as someone approaches the door.
You notice one of the curtains flick open as if someone briefly peeked out the window at the same time.
"Uhhh...who is it?" a gruff voice asks, sounding slightly puzzled.
"Hi! My name's Chloe. I'm traveling with some friends of mine, and some of us are injured. Can we come in?"
"Uhhh..." the one at the door says again.
You hear frantic whispering coming from someone else.
Soon afterwards you hear more scrambling inside the room and what sounds like stuff being piled over the door.
"Please? I really don't mean any harm."
The incredulousness is palpable.
"Bull SHIT!" comes from the other side of the door, and the window cracks slightly.
What appear to be silver flakes begin spraying everywhere.
"Hah! Take that!"
"Ah! Hey!"
"Look, I really mean it! Please, I'm cold - can I just come in? I'll leave my weapons out here, if you want."
"And my hubbie's fine now - he found some dear."
"Fool me once, shame on me! Fool me twice, ehh, I'll kill ya I guess!"
This time, what comes flying out the window is less benign.
A flask of Alchemist's Fire comes tumbling out the window, missing Chloe but landing beside both her and Sun Xiao.
"My shoes!"
Chloe pauses, then calmly says "Burn down the lodge."
Jack creates a low growling sound behind Chloe.
"Try to harm her again, and I'll smash this door to splinters!"
One of them whimpers in fear.
The others have a little sidebar.
"Well he did say her, right?"
One of the windows slides open and you can see one of the people on the inside.
He takes aim at Jack with a bow and lets loose the arrow, striking Jack with it.
"Scrawniest werewolf I ever seen..." he mutters as he knocks another arrow.
Chloes fires an arrow into the bandit with the bow.
Jack casts Inertial Armor and draws his longbow.
F&!+in'...aaagh.
Azor hides in the corner like a scaredy wussy man who doesn't want to fight because yeah.
From inside the building you hear a number of loud reports, and then two thuds, then battle cries from inside the lodge.
One of the windows is left open in the confusion.
Jack
Bandit
Bandit
Bandit
Chloe
Roscoe
Bandit
Bandit
Bandit
While silently cursing Azor's cowardice, Jack fires an arrow into the open window.
Chloe stays back, readying to shoot any bandit who dares to show his face.