When the second man fell she turned and moved with blurring speed past the last remaining archer. As the man flinched from her startling dash to his side. She growled as she brought her weapon to bear once more, she didn't care how many died tonight, the wizard and Cleric were hers...
Seraph repeats what she said before to the men who surrendered, ordering them to head west and surrender to any soldiers they met. As she moved to support Xi'Tir she watched the mad Ranger bring her two opponents crashing to the ground in a spray of blood before dashing off towards the source of dark magic. The look of her companion was frightening indeed, despite her injuries she too was fighting doggedly on. Seeing Mulray's Shaken state she yells to him as she tears past, her feet mere inches off the ground. "What happened to Chi!?"
She leaves him little time to respond as she moves up alongside the last archer and slashes savagely at him...
Tarina directs Azurefang to find another bandit, and follows after the wolf, noticing lots of bandits either already have been taken out or are surrendering.
Xi doesn't even stagger as fresh blood pours down her arms legs and sides. The negative energy does some major damage but she appears unstopped by it. She returns the Clerics smile with one of her own. "Dat your best shot? Ya'll gonna die for what ya did to Chi, dats dey truth of it." The blade was still in her hand and that mean't she had a decent shot at ending this...
Mulray leaves his hammer, and scrambles around to come up behind the remaining enemies. He pulls his hoof pick from his vest as he runs.
Xi smiles viciously uncaring as to what else this fell cleric may have planned. More intent on running them through...
Xi pushes forward...
My bad on the dash xi is at 20hp meant to be hp- 20/55 but forgot the space :(
Her injuries were extreme now and yet she kept smiling. She was still undaunted by her injuries especially now that Seraph had arrived. She had avebged Chi as best she could and now she had barely enough strength for one more swing. She hoped it connected with the damnable cleric...
Despite her warning Xi'Tir punched through the enemy wards and Seraph cursed as blood burst from the rangers skin as the enemies negative energy attacks struck Xi. The fool girl was never very strong willed, especially now with her out for blood. As the fell wizards magic passed over her she glared at him and leapt skyward, just high enough to mount swift and kick him forward. She had to help Xi'Tir...
She galloped over with swift her greatblade dragging on the ground as she made her wave swiftly to flank the enemy casters and provide Xi with much needed support. Once she tore past the fumbling archer she brought swift up close to the bald cleric and raised her blade in a two handed grip...
"IN THE NAME OF THE SILVER DRAGONFLIGHT YOU SHALL FALL! THIS I SWEAR ON MY BLADE!" With no other words she brought the heavy blade crashing down on the cleric as Xi moved to strike as well...
She was snapped out of her fading vision by the shear power of Seraph's voice, a rare sight to see the red head showing her fiery nature. She saw that even in the moonlight it appeared as though Seraphs hair were wreathed in flames as she struck at the bald cleric. Smiling Xi waited to see the cleric try to dodge the strike before lashing out taking advantage of the clerics ill-moment and capitalizing on the possibility of maximum injury...
Mulray tries to shake off the unique flavor of agony from the ward.
He curses himself for not spotting it, and rushes to the bandit archer. He swings wildly with his hoof pick.
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The Sorcerer, at seeing the bald cleric being torn apart at the combined attacks of Seraph and Xi'Tir seems to snap out of a trance and raises his hands in surrender....
"Parley... Wait... I want to talk... "
The rest of the bandits surrender and are quickly captured by the Silver Dragonflight and the ravens.
Xi'Tir raises her greatsword, she wasn't willing to talk. This one harmed Chi, they deserved to die...
She hadn't seen a corpse, why was Xi so damn stubborn and lusting for blood. They'd surrendered, Seraph couldn't allow wholesale slaughter and as Xi's blade came up Seraph kicked forward and put a boot into Xi's head driving the mad ranger to the ground.
The glare she gave the fumbling sorcerer wasn't a kind one, her voice was firm and hard. "At this moment until a time we specify you are under arrest your hands will remain bound. If you do not comply you will be put down, here and now. You will speak only when we have returned to our camp and even then. One misstep and by the gods I will hand you over to her." She looks to Mulray. "Mulray, please bind him. Bags his hands and tie them tight, also gag him. She regarded the strangely off kilter Sorcerer, it wasn't a kind look. She was in pain and she had to deal with Xi later. She was not pleased. "Understand this Sorcerer I don't care if you fell prey to this one or not. If you killed her companion..." She nods to the fallen Xi. "... your a dead man. She doesn't care for laws or excuses. Now kneel and Not another word."
She has her troops strip the bandits of their armor and weapons before putting them on grave duty. Then a handful of her men strip the dead of their gear and gather the bodies for burial. Those bandits who were left alive are tasked with burying their dead companions. Only those who were injured too severely were exempt from the duty. During that time the Sorcerer, the injured remain bound and kneeling near burial sight. A grim reminder of what awaited them if they didn't seek redemption, because she had no tolerance for murderers or brigands and they're would be none for those twice-damned souls.
Xi never saw it coming, between blood loss and anger she was focused on one thing. Rage. Swift's single stride closed the gap and Seraph's blow came as a relief as the last thing Xi remember was a sharp pain, followed by darkness.
A relief from suffering.
It wasn't until later Chi was found and the injured animal was led to her companion, where she sat watching everything quietly as the bandits were digging graves for the dead.
When she awoke later in camp with Chi at her side it came as both a shock and relief. Despite her body screaming in pain she was to tired to resist the ministrations of her people. Who mended her injuries with herbs and natural healing. They were scarred but they survived, she never questioned what happened. She left it to Seraph and the others in their judgement of the bandits, those who proved unrepentant, those who wished to atone, none of that mattered to her.
"Is anyone in need of healing?" Tarina asks, finding that she can speak Taldane once more. "You both appear a little expended." She adds looking at Seraph and Azurefang. "And Xi'Tir, it's a wonder you are still standing!"
"Oh I'll be just fine, thank you. Just gonna rest my eyes for a bit."
Mulray sits propped up against his carriage, and tilts his hat over his eyes.
War.
War Never Changes.
The barons companions fought a short bloody conflict in the lands known as the Stag Kingdom, a place where lawlessness and banditry had been embraced by its brutal inhabitants. A place where these brigands never expected law to take hold, at least not until they arrived. Sinking their claws into the stolen land, the Silver Dragonflight meticulously targeted and succeeded in bringing down the larger bands that roamed the Stag Lands. Caught unawares by the sudden blitzkrieg the scattered brigands were brought low one after another.
The Levington's were surprised when envoys from an unknown kingdom arrived on their doorstep, dragging a local with them and treating her as one would the local brigandry. After a long and arduous diplomatic debate Maria was released with the promise of a fragile peace pact formed between the embattled farmers and the kingdom of Slobada. Maria's influence and aid gained her a small land of her own, between the Levington's lands and the lands of Slobada. From their she acted in the greater interests of Everyone, or at least claimed too...
However before the return of the Levington Diplomats the first steps of Trivium's inception was being performed. Of those bandits that surrendered, many turned to redemption and those few that refused to embrace more civilised roles in society were met with harsh justice. Their corpses were hung from trees on the southern banks of the Shrike River, a clear indication to any the penalty of brigandry in Slobada's lands. Among those who joined society was the once enchanted farmer mage that had been saved in the initial strikes into the bandit lands, he would later prove his allegiance and how grateful he was to be free once more.
By the time the Baron's companions has joined once more, the first series of many shipments of supplies arrived and the first house was quickly erected on the northern banks of the Shrike river. The act of ordering so many supplies brought with it a mixed amount of interest from the surrounding area's and the eyes of many groups fell upon the newborn kingdom. This attention brought with it both good and ill for the kingdom...
The first major event was an assassination attempt on the kingdom's Steward Tarina, the assassin's had her with a knife edges of ending her life when they discovered the ingenuity of her defenders the Silver Dragonflight. An alarm spell had allowed the soldiers to rally together and rush to Tarina's aid before something terrible befell her, it was in her bedroom when she was rushed to a safe area unharmed while her celestial wolf and several of her personal bodyguard put their lives on the line to defend her.
Despite their heroic efforts the leader of this group of assassin's escaped capture, leaving behind a dozen men who not only refused to answer questions but were also unable to speak as their tongues had been cut out. The sentencing was quick and without mercy, these men hung along side the bandits that threatened to harm the kingdom in its infancy...
The next month brought with it the hopes of a wealthy immigrant who wanted to garner favor with the would be barons and paid to have a Noble Villa built in their honor. The kingdom continued to expand siftly north by northwest as the Lords of Slobada sought to connect their land with the Levingtons and hopefully strengthen their bonds of friendship. The continued to build roads and establish farms along the way as yet another house rose in Trivium...
Building built at their expense and used for party use.
The third month brought with it an Economic boom as a magic shop opened it's doors in the small village of nearly 750 people Trivium had become. As yet another twelve mile stretch of land fell under the kingdoms control the kingdom celebrated a full treasury and the rise of more roadways and farms. Despite it's ominous start the kingdom was steaming ahead with little to slow it down...
The fourth month brought yet another bloody clash south of the Shrike River. A group of refugees, seeking shelter within Trivium's honorable halls, were captured by a large group of brutal slavers who rounded up almost all of the stragglers and sought to take them to Stag Lords domain where they would be sold as slaves. The slavers dream was just that, a dream, a single refugee arrived on the outskirts of Trivium and was found by none other then Xi'Tir the Spymaster of Slobada. Despite her distrust of this outsider their story broke through the hardened shell she kept her heart encased in and in fury she rained death down on the slavers. Halcrog, Daliedhur and Xi'Tir led a combined force of Ravens and Dragonflight soldiers into the slaver camp, taking them by surprise and crushing them within an hour of engaging them. The refugees identified those who had tormented them and each identified slaver was executed on the spot...
It was the day the refugees would remember as the day Justice Prevailed...
The rest of the month held a better note, another swath of land joined the kingdom, more roads were created, more farms and the Levington lands came close by the day. Work crews of reformed bandits and dragonflight soldiers helped raise barns, build roads and patrolled the kingdom's borders. All and all, the kingdom was stronger then ever before as an Inn was built within Trivium...
The fifth month brought the discovery of a ruin that lay below the city itself, a series of partially flooded catacombs were found during the erection of another series of homes were being built in Trivium. The town's population had swelled over a thousand now and the kingdoms efforts were started to attract the ire of the Stag King and his bandit lords...
The sixth month brought a heavy clash between the Dragonflight patrols and large groups of bandits. The bandits, who were believed to be under the command of leaders affiliated with the Stag King, attempted to rob several shipments of supplies for Trivium. They were instead thwarted by the border patrols and were run down, again many of them swung from the trees south of the Shrike river, a grim reminder of the ongoing struggle between the fledgling kingdom and the lawless south...
As General Seraph, hardened by the many executions as of late, planned for a counterattack with the war council. Walls began to rise around the city of Trivium, marking the sixth consecutive month of progressive and the milestone of a kingdom that refused to fall. As the wall was completely they rose the standard of the kingdom higher then ever before, ensuring that for miles around it could be seen flying proudly and proving that it would take more then bandits and assassins to bring Trivium low...
However after six months, the true Baron's of Slobada had stilled not returned. Leaving several to wonder whether they would return at all. Only Tarina's encouragement kept the spark of hope alive as she continued to express her connection with her mother remained strong and so long as that remained she knew they would return. In the mean time Seraph planned on conquering the Southern lands and solidfying Slobada's hold and making the Stag Kingdom a figment of the past. It wasn't until the end of the month when the trade roads of Trivium reached the Levington lands. The coming together of allies was marked by yet another farm rising in the north...
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The sorcerer surrenders, and tell you his name... Zmeu Dunarea. He is a wizard that has studied plants all his life, and his spells are focused on that area. Some couple years ago a priestess of the hate god Gyronna, the angry hag, charmed and turned him into a puppet. Glad to be freed from her influence, he vows to repay you with loyalty and service.
You explore the rest of the river, up to the 24.15 and 24.15 hexes, and find a very nice spot for a city at 24.14, surrounded by river on three sides. Of the bridge that supposedly was near there you find only old ruins and rocks that lets you imagine where it was.
The bandits, after seeing you destroy the biggest band around, leave you alone and turns towards easier pickings. At least for now.
What do you want to do now?
Seraph looks to Zmeu Dunarea, reminding him what she had said previously. However she nods when he explains his situation and when he asks for his services to be utilized she replies with. "I accept your services and seek no repayment. You've suffered long enough and so long as you aid Slobada in her endeavors you will be rewarded as best we can. We plan to forge a new nation here, one that will repulse such vile manipulations such as Gyronna cultists and a man of your talents will be of great value. However..." She stretches this point. "... we will not force you to work with us. If you wish to move on and regain the lost years of your life somewhere else it is your choice. I seek no repayment and your not an indentured servant. You are ."
She holds out her hand in friendly welcome, despite the injuries and the terrible fight they had just finished she was elated to make at least one new ally before the forging of a new nation.
"We may need you to help in an alliance with the Northern Farms, The Levington's as they are called. Farmers that banded together and may be in need of someone such as yourself to perhaps... Suggest better crops or look over their existing ones and aid them in strengthening their way of life. It is my hope to unite the North. Are you upto it Zmeu?"
She nods. "Excellent, if at anytime you decide to move on please let us know. In the mean time I look forward to your efforts..." She looks to the motley group of bandits that had surrendered. "Same goes for you lot..." She was stern, like talking to a bunch of unruly children but the hard edge in her voice left no room for rebuke.
"If you work hard your transgression will remain absolved. However you will earn our trust and one slip up and you will remain restricted. Break any laws and I hang you myself. That is a promise." They all undergo the same process as the first bandit. They are kept grouped together at night and escorted while doing their tasks during the day. It was going to be taxing for the Silver Dragonflight but with the extra labor they had a chance to do some real good.
She would speak with each of the bandits daily, checking in on them and ensuring they are well treated. Any who treat them poorly are dealt with as harshly as the bandits, she doesn't stand for manipulations though and deals with con men much more sternly then any other.
:D
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Sorry for the delay: We move to the next chapter of the campaign... Corsario's Kingmaker: Birth Of A Kingdom