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Kurt cuts a gash across the brute's belly, spilling more blood across the ground.
Cyrene moves up to get a better view of her enemies, she concentrates upon the two swordsmen and in the moment she amplifies the power of her magic.
The two swordsmen stumble and fall, snoring heavily in the blood soaked ground.
Go ahead, Jasper.
Keve gasps in horror as Agrimar is struck down, never before witnessing something so gruesome and instantly regretting his decision to take on the slavers. He looks wide eyed at the rest of the group for direction. For one of the few times in his life he did not have a plan of action. A single tear trails down his cheek in sadness. Though he barely know Agrimar, he was gutted inside at the loss.
Gruesome as the beheading of Agrimar was, the bard's anger at those who bewitched his foster brother and brought them to this in the first place was stronger. The aura of his voice still lingering in the air , Jasper weaved through the gaps near the structure to the West and loosed an arrow at the remaining strongman.
The arrow found purchase, a satisfactory wet landing audible to its wielder. "Take that, you bastards!" sounded Jasper in vindication.
The last of the guards drop from the arrow. All of the guards are merely unconscious. The mage and the brute could perish from their injuries or they could survive the night and be healed by their comrades. Cyrene informs you that the two swordsmen could be up at anytime and that you need to hurry and get Brennel out of there.
Kurt flinches reflexively as an arrow wizzes past his ear to thud into his opponent. Stepping back as he drops the magus surveys the field, looking for opponents.
Seeing them all down and hearing from Cyrene say the sleeping warriors could wake any moment he moves to them while saying.
"Swiftly, get the boy out and let us fly from this place." He stands over the sleeping guards, prepared to finish them off should they show signs of waking.
Prudence dictates that we finish these two, as they have seen us but we do not have time to mess around here.
Looking at Agrimar's corpse he mutters to Keve in a low voice. "Though we knew him for so short a time, it feels wrong to leave him here."
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As you climb into the coveres wagon, you see not one but three prisoners. In addition to Brennel, it appears the slavers have also taken Jasper's adoptive mother and inn keeper. Next to them is a familiar looking dwarf, Cyrene recognizes him as one of the slaves you freed last night.
"Everything is telling me to kill them right now. Leave no survivors. Tomorrow they are just going to tear through the town once again. Now I'm not one for cold blooded murder, but I'm not seeing a lot of options here. Free them, and I will handle the dirty work." Keve begins walking back over to the downed brute first. You can see the hate in Keve's eyes as he walks toward the man. Pulling out his pistol he sticks it to his head.
"As much as it pains me to say this we may be better off leaving Agrimar here, so they think this is the work of escaped slaves. We can't risk being identified and having our lives destroyed."
If no one objects I would like to Coup De Grace all of them. I will roll if it's necessary.
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"Everything is telling me to kill them right now. Leave no survivors. Tomorrow they are just going to tear through the town once again. Now I'm not one for cold blooded murder, but I'm not seeing a lot of options here. Free them, and I will handle the dirty work." Keve begins walking back over to the downed brute first. If no one objects I would like to Coup De Grace all of them. I will roll if it's necessary. You can see the hate in Keve's eyes as he walks toward the man. Pulling out his pistol he sticks it to his head. "As much as it pains me to say this we may be better off leaving Agrimar here, so they think this is the work of escaped slaves. We can't risk being identified and having our lives destroyed."
Kurt nods and readies his blade to finish the sleeping guardsmen.
"I agree, those of you who have loved ones here will be better served if none of these slavers are awake in the morning"
Looking about, he continues "but we misy be away from here quick. Someone undoubtedly heard your shot"
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As you enter the covered wagon, you see not one bound captive, but three. Aside from Brennel, the slavers had also taken in Jasper's adoptive mother and keeper of the inn, Syreen. The third captive is a ragged dwarf.
As you untie them and lead them out of the cart, Brennel seems surprised and confused. Syreene watches you with shrill suspicion. The dwarf is unreadable. But he looks familiar. Cyrene recognizes him as one of the slaves you had freed the night before.
When Kurt and Keve have finished with the guards, the magus quickly helps usher the prisoners from the cart; tactfully trying to shield them from the carnage as much as possible.
Leaning to Keve, "We should head back to your shop and plan our next move."
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"Agreed. Lead them there and I'll finish a few things up here." As Kurt and the others head toward the shop Keve sets the wagons on fire using logs from their campfire. He pilfers what he can from the fallen enemies and hurries along to catch up with the group. Once they arrive he leads them to the basement where he begins unlocking the manacles still fastened to their wrists.
"I have a feeling the worst is yet to come. There is no reason for them to suspect you all would come here. So for now you should hide and let's hope they think you've gone into the woods. Maybe they will start to think this town is more trouble than it's worth and move on. By now they've probably made it to the scene and are investigating what happened. All we can do is wait." And with that Keve goes back upstairs, locks the door and bars it shut. Then peeks out the window and tries to see what is going on.
He's okay!
Jasper had ignored Kurt and Keve's words, instead dashed towards where he hoped to find Brennel. Once he saw him - and Syrenna, a surprise - his joy was the last clear emotion he had.
Vaguely, the bard recalled the confusion on Brennel's face. The discussion over the next steps to take piled-up on his sensory input. Coming back to the fore now was him killing their captor. Over and over and over again.
Thuck!
He was an entertainer, not a fighter. He'd never killed anyone before, and though his mind didn't regret doing it, his heart was conflicted. The image of the arrow going into the man's head, straight and true, the act almost made more insidious in its uncharacteristic precision for him, presented itself for attention. Almost a warning - a reminder - that Jasper had done evil.
But I had to! I...
As his thoughts wrangled with his heart's digestion of the situation, his legs absently moved him along with the group to the shop. For once, the bard was quiet a while. Then he wept.
Brennel approaches the group after everyone is safe inside. "Thanks for what you all did back there. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come along. Probably have gotten myself killed trying to escape."
Kurt simply nods to Brennel at his words, before turning to the new dwarf. "I am Kurt, you should be safe here for now." after the greeting he heads upstairs without another word, relieving Keve at the window.
"You are better with words, I can keep watch here while you greet our new... guests"
With that he takes watch at the window, dowsing all light in the shop; trusting his darkvision to allow him to keep an eye for vengeful retaliation.
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"Alright, just yell if you see anything." Keve replies to Kurt as he gathers some rations and water and heads downstairs.
"Here. I'm sure you all could use some food and something to drink. I'm sorry for everything you all have gone through. Especially your family, Jasper. I know they didn't ask for any of this. Let's hope it will all be over soon." Keve can't look Brennel or his mother in the eye as he pours them water and passes out rations. Guilt was eating him up inside at what he felt was his fault in getting them kidnapped.
"What's your name dwarf? And how did you manage to get caught after we freed you?" He passes him his water and rations as well.
Ulfred thanks Keve for the food and water and eats heartily. "Ulfred Onolson at your service. After you freed me, I headed back into town for the night. However, that half-orc and his guards found me when I was only half awake. They chained me back up and tossed me in the wagon."
Among the greetings, Syreena says her farewell. "I thank you for you're assisstance tonight, but I have to be going. Come Brennel, Jasper. We need to get back to the inn. Who knows who's been put in charge since they took me away." She then walks away so quickly the much larger Brennel has to rush to keep up.
Before going, he apologizes for her. She's very passionate about her tavern, y'know. I'm sure she never wanted to seem so rude."
Among the greetings, Syreena says her farewell. "I thank you for you're assisstance tonight, but I have to be going. Come Brennel, Jasper. We need to get back to the inn. Who knows who's been put in charge since they took me away." She then walks away so quickly the much larger Brennel has to rush to keep up. Before going, he apologizes for her. She's very passionate about her tavern, y'know. I'm sure she never wanted to seem so rude."
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"You two be careful. They aren't going to be happy to see you two free and their men dead. You're most likely going to be questioned. You need to tell them it was the freedom fighters with this crest." He hands them a stitched insignia that they used before. "Tell them they asked you to escape with them and head South to the sea. Hopefully they give chase."
Hearing the conversation from below Kurt moves from his watch at the window to adf his perspective.
Fools! They can't possibly think going back to the inn is a good idea. The half orc will just snatch them up again, this time his suspicions proven.
The tiefling's voice drifts from the top of the stairs, emotionless as always yet showing his annoyance all the same.
"Going back is the height of foolishness. Tabo took you because he suspected Jasper, tonight's work will prove it in his mind and he will just take you again, this time justified in his mind and, possibly by law. Jasper please talk some sense into your family. " directing his voice to Keve and Cyrene.
"If these two leave here we must flee this town, tonight. They will undoubtedly be recaptured and questioned. You know as well as I that Brennel has already proven susceptible to magical compulsion and you cannot trust him to relay any fabrication you provide. They will lead back to us, here, sure as the sunrise.
I will not force compliance, but I will prepare to leave this town immediately if Jasper cannot talk sense."
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Only a fraction of his usually confident self, it took the prodding by Kurt combined with the exodus of Brennel and Syreena to spur him to action.
Scrambling to his feet, Jasper dashed out in front of his surrogate family. "Wait!" He composed as much stoicism as he could muster in an effort to appeal to reason. "The slavers know who you are now. They know where you live and work. And they certainly know even if you weren't helping the attack, you benefited from it. They may come for you again, and they won't be as kind."
His eyes moist, the bard waited for a reaction from the two before continuing, moving to the emotional play. "I can't lose you two! You'll die if you head back there. Please - come with me and those who rescued you and leave the town. We can travel. You can open up a new inn, mom. Brennel, you will have good hunting on the road!"
Please, gods, let them see sense!
"That sounds like a fine idea, Jasper," Brennel says with a smile. "I was getting tired of always working in the mines, anyway. What d'you say, mom?"
Syreena stops walking. She stays very quiet for a long time, but suddenly, she turns around, yelling through the open. "How could you get involved with something like this, Jasper? How could you even think it? You had to have known what kind of consequences this would bring down upon the town. Do you really think the slavers will leave if you do? They'll fall upon this town like vultures to a dying body. They'll tear families apart, put children in chains. They don't have a sense of decency. They'll do whatever they can to replenish the profit you cost them by freeing their prior merchandise. All you did was doom this town to captivity while the men and women you let go get devoured by the beasts in the wild, or worse, end up back in the chains of someone else. When the men come tomorrow, I'm going to tell them exactly who freed me. I'll leave your name out of it. Maybe I can get the wolves to follow someone else's scent and leave us the hell alone."
Brennel buts in. "That's not fair. They're trying to do something right. Did you expect them to just let everyone rot in chains? Don't forget about the slaves you rescued."
"I didn't free slaves. I took in two sweet boys who were all alone with no one looking for them. We need the money traveling merchants send our way to survive. We can't afford to isolate anyone, regardless of the wares they sell. You can't save the world, Jasper. Life isn't a story of heroes." Syreena sighs and her shoulders slump as her age begins to show. "Come on back to the inn. I know I can't make you, but I don't want to lose you. Either of you."
Kurt watches the old woman's tirade with his customary stoicism, though he has to fight seething anger inside.
Such disrespect for those who risked AND gave their lives for this ungrateful shew
Controlling an outburst he allows, "Such is your choice madam. Just know that your actions will condem this man's" he indicates Keve with a hand wave "kin to death. And you disrepect the memory of a brave warrior who gave his life for your freedom. I hope such knowledge will not weigh heavy on your soul." dismissing the woman with a turn of his head, he continues "Alas, foresight might have told us to leave the woman in the wagon, but the die is cast and we must prepare to flee or fight. I am prepared to do either."
Foolish people and their failing logic. If she thinks she will be safe by telling of us, she is a fool. Her fate is sealed, but that is her choice and path.
Finished with the conversation, Kurt returns to his watch at the window.
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"But some things are just not right." Cyrene responds, speaking up for the first time from her corner. Her gaze is fixed on her near namesake. "We all do what we must, to live and to protect our tribe, but sometimes, when the rains fail and the grass dies we must all move - we leave our homes, we leave what we know and we trust that what we are doing is right, because we know it is for the good of the tribe." She pauses for a moment, seeming to gather her words before launching back in.
"Your son is a good man. I know this, I have seen him and what he can do. He did the right thing for many people, without thinking of himself first. He looks up to you and honours you for the time that you did the same - but now I see that he was wrong, that he honors you for something he believes is there - not something that is. The woman he has spoken of would not flinch in fear from these... these ensnachtigen. Life is not a story of heroes but if no-one ever tried to be then my world and yours would be a much worse place than it is!"
Finished with her diatribe, Cyrene slumps back again the wall again, although her piercing eyes remain focused on the old woman.
A mixture of emotions swirling within Jasper - shock, anger, sadness - he defaulted to what was solid. Brennel will come! The warmth of allure came with a gravity that kept him from being swept away by the storm in his mind; his heart was a grounding rod.
He brushed his hair aside. "Then Brennel and I will leave. We cannot return if you will spread the word as you say." He half-turned then paused. "Please come with us."
Only a momentary delay was there before he walked to Brennel and whispered in his ear. "Grab your things and come to The Little Shop of Gears. There's no time to waste."
You reach the shop and can't have been there more than 5 minutes before you hear a knock at the door.
Kurt starts at the knock, surprised someone got past his window vigil. Taking a moment to clear his mind, he again tries to think really clearly, hoping to notify the psychic elf thing downstairs, in the event they did not hear the knock.
There is someone knocking on the door
He then peeks out the window, hoping to get a glimpse of the knocking party.
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The man at the door is Brennel. He doesn't have any bags with him, but he is watching around the shop nervously.
It is the brother, Brennel. We are still safe. Cyrene's voice returns to Kurt, unphased by inconviniences such as floors and walls.
So... Her voice whispers to Kurt, Keve and Jasper. What are we to do my friends?
Carefully looking to make sure Brennel is alone, Kurt opens the door to let him in.
"Your brother is downstairs" he whispers in his soft voice. Sensing the young mans agitation, Kurt again goes to the stairs to listen in on any news.
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Brennel practically tramples you as soob as he hears the door crack open. "We have to go, now," he says. "Those wagons you made fires out of are drawing quite the crowd. I don't think the slavers will wait until morning to chase us down."
We need to leave! Cyrene's voice speaks in everyone's heads - this is no time to waste time. "How do we get out of here without being seen?"
"I can't just leave. Listen to yourselves. You would let spineless, cowardly, evil men run you off? Do you know what I would lose if I ran away? What my family will lose? Everyone we have any kind of relationship with is in danger now. We would abandon them to save our own skin?" Keve is obviously on the verge of a meltdown at that point, until it suddenly fades and his calm demeanor takes hold. "We are stuck between two impossible choices. I'll agree to leave for the night, but we must find a way to keep eyes and ears within the town. We spend the night in the woods, and find a way to do some recon first thing in the morning."
Jasper agreed with Keve's premise of the situation yet disagreed with the conclusion.
"We'll all fall pret to them then. There's no sense in tossing us all to the wolves. Leaving this area alone also doesn't run the risk of drawing extra attention if we're recognized."
Brennel had sense and was coming with them. In Jasper's eyes, those who chose not to didn't need their return.
Kurt listens to Keve's empassioned speech, as well as Jaspers more reasoned one before he hisses his opiniin from the top of the stairs.
"Keve, you have no more to lose than any of us, one's life is the ultimate price any of us can pay. Agrimar's recent sacrifice should remind you of that. Shops can be rebuilt, families can be resettled, as long as you live, there is choice.
Logically, we have 2 choices. Flee or fight. Those are the ultimate two choices in all of life, we have the advantage of thinking minds. If we flee, we may be pursued, certainly will be wanted and those you leave here may suffer.
If we fight, and win, we may still be wanted if the tale gets out, and there may yet be concequences for your loved ones in this town when the next group seeks retribution.
There is no good, clear, solution but I am not one for skulking about. A fight or chase is more my style. I am for either." turning to Cyrene and the new dwarf, "what say you? I hold you two to no obligation from my actions, fight or flee."
now I have officially said more this night than the past several years, my throat is getting sore
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"If we turn and flee, then there is no doubt that this village will suffer their wrath before they come after us. To my mind, fighting them is the only way that we can protect people from them. There will most likely be ill consequence seven if we do fight, but this seems the best course if action."
"Ulfred is right. We must stand and fight." Cyrene says, aloud. "We should probably try and strike tonight - or force a public confrontation tomorrow and hope that the tribe are on our side... Keve, do you think that is likely?"
Kurt nods at Cyrene and Ulfred. "If you all wish to stand and fight, I will stand with you. "
Turning to Brennel, "do you know if they are yet aware it was us that freed you? If not, perhaps they will search in small parties and we can ambush them piecemeal. Or, perhaps set an ambush out front of this shop. Anything we can do to stack the odds in our favor."
Thinking on his prepared spells, "my magic is only suited for single targets, though I should be able to withstand a melee well enough but" to Cyrene, "Do you posses more sleep magic?"
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Jasper greatly disagreed with the course of action selected by the group, but he had the sense to know splintering off alone would do little good.
"If we're doing this ambush, I'll need a large barrel - empty or full of water." He would not rely on his skill with a rapier as it was rather limited by both his practice and strength when the weighty force of fluid would do instead.
"I do." Cyrene responds to Kurt. "but it would be much easier to strike while they already sleep." The matter of fact tone which she uses makes it sound more like she's discussing how to pick fruit, rather than murdering sentient creatures in their sleep.
Kurt nods, not at all bothered by the idea of a sneak assassination. "True, but good Brennel here seems to be indicating they have already been roused by tonights activity. We are likely to have company sooner over later, methinks."
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Thinking on their situation, he contunues.
"It seems we have two options I can think of. Either we fortify this place and lay an ambush, assuming the slavers will find out it was us. Or we go hunting, possibly assassinate them in the inn, or ambush search parties we find. There are advantages and disadvantages of either plan." looking around at the group.
"Preferences? Other options?"
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As you talk amongst yourselves in Keve's basement, you hear a series of crashes coming from the rooms above.
"I want to take the fight to them. They don't deserve to get away from this unscathed." Jasper considered things a moment. "It would be easier to do on the road."
Hearing the crashes, he pressed his ear to the wall and attempted to listen for voices or motion.
He doesn't hear any voices, but the odor of smoke wafts down the basement stairs.
Kurt perks up at the crashing from above, "Our decision may have been made for us" smelling the smoke, "smoke! They may be burning us out."
He heads to take a look at the top of the stairs, looking to Jasper, "we may need your water tricks this night, bard."
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"They will do us little good without fire to extinguish! I'll begin conjuring the water - just find the source."
This was Jasper's wheelhouse, for he performed the cantrip dozens of times per evening.