initiative
My actions as above (cast shield of faith and draw my sword, although I'll draw as I dismount).
Dismount (would it be possible to throw a bomb afterwards?)
The gnome jumps off her riding dog and instantly prepares a bomb, throwing it at Vasily:
Vasily is nimble enough to duck away from the flask flying at him, and the bomb thus lands just before another bandit, covering him in flames.
Agerron dismounts as well, drawing his sword in a smooth motion out of its scabbard, then draws power from his divine magic, granting him a magic field that shields him.
The bandits leader doesn't wait for you to get any closer to him, but doesn't seem to want to confront you at all. He runs up to the cart and jumps to get on while it's dragged away from the wild horse, all the while shouting at Taras: "Traitor! Every bandit in the Stolen Lands will hear of this!"
Even though he doesn't get on it, he grabs hold of the sides and is now dragged along.
Hearing the Bandit's call, Xanda kicks her heels into her horses flanks and tries to ride her mount to where the horse is starting to move the cart.
If I can change my action:
Ride
Queslin prepares his bow while guiding his horse with his knees. He fires at the bandit leader being drug along with the cart.
Composite Longbow: fav enemy
to hit damage
Big Ern drinks his mutagen and rushes towards the bandits, bellowing.
Branominrik will call upon Adabars might to cast Bane upon his foes.
Agerron curses. "Damned coward. Don't let him get away!" he yells to those on horseback. He charges toward the bandits (move action), screaming and waving his sword, and if he gets close enough, he'll try an intimidate check to demoralize the two remaining.
intimidate
Queslin guides his horse without even touching the reigns, moving it into position to let him shoot at the bandit hanging from the cart.
Even though Vasily is partially covered, the elf doesn't miss and the arrow now sticks in one of the bandits arms.
Big Ern downs a potion of his own mixture and instantly turns into an even wilder sight, growing even more muscle all over his body. He starts moving towards the bandits, but is not really that fast as to reach them.
Michael looks around, noticing the unattended horses of Agerron and Big Ern starting to grow nervous and about to bolt, and makes his way over to intercept them before they get too far away.
The three other bandits reach for their bows and, just like their leader, move out only to leave you a voley of arrows flying towards the nearest: Queslin.
Shooting on the run doesn't seem like their speciality though, so only one of the three hits .
Taras takes his feet under his arms and runs back towards you, to get away from the open ground.
Majet moves closer and throws a bomb at a Bandit
Damage
(5 splash)
"Yarrrrggghhhh!!!" Agerron yells as he runs towards the bandits.
Big Ern howls and charges the nearest bandit (I think he can just barely make it).
The dwarf Branomonrik steers his horse closer to the bandits as well, getting his divine focus out and spilling dread and fear at his enemies (bane).
Xanda does her best to help bring Vasily down, riding up to the wagon and conjuring acid at the bandit. Even though he hangs off the far side of the cart, he is covered in the element Xanda produced and whinzes in pain.
Majet finishes the preperations of another bomb on the run forth, and flings it towards a fleeing bandit, but misses again.
It falls short and doesn't hurt anyone.
"Yarrrrggghhhh!!!" Agerron yells as he runs towards the bandits.
His try of demoralizing one of his opponents is met with no success though, being too far away from any single one.
Vasily being hit with arrow and acid, tries to climb on top the cart now, while also trying not to get overrun by it as it drags him along.
Now standing on top the racing cart, he takes a moment to assess the situation.
Queslin orders his horse to go after the cart and shoots again at Vasily.
Ride
Composite Longbow
to hit damage
Agerron takes a double move to get closer.
Xanda reaches out to try and get a hold of the reigns of the lead horse.
Failing that, she will try and 'crowd' the wagon's horse with her own to prevent it from gathering speed.
Guiding his horse with his knees again, Queslin pursuits the fleeing bandit and puts another arrow in Vasily's body, hitting him in the upper torso this time.
The bandits leader keeps on his feet, but seems close to death now.
Big Ern takes up speed and throw himself onto the bandit closest to him, his axe severing both feet from under the bandit. The target of the bulky mans attack falls to the ground, screaming only so long as he has blood left, which is rapidly flowing out of the wounds left by the brutal attack.
Michael in the meantime gathers the reigns of the horses left by Agerron and Big Ern, and starts making his way to follow the others.
While one of the lower bandits, startled by Big Ern's attack, lets his weapon fall to the floor just where he stands, and runs away as fast as he can, the other proceeds as before, running while getting another arrow out, then shooting at Queslin's horse.
The arrow hits the horse on the hind quarters.
fairly certain she wont hit anything at this range Majet turns and begins to head back to her mount
Branomonrik reloads and fires his crossbow at the nearest bandit
Ride
Queslin stays on target and shoots at Vasily.
Composite Longbow:PB Shot (hopefully), Precise Shot
to hit damage
Big Ern smugly looks down at the hacked-up bandit and lets the others chase the rest.
Branomonrik reloads and fires his crossbow at the nearest bandit, hitting him in the side.
Xanda reaches out to try and get a hold of the reigns of the lead horse. She is unable to get them though, due to the horse freaking and racing irregular.
Fairly certain she wont hit anything at this range Majet turns and begins to head back to her mount.
Agerron is out of reach of everybody and starts jogging to get closer to the action.
Vasily brings a short sword out and jumps from the cart onto the horses back:
Sitting where he is now, he starts cutting at the connection to the cart while spurring the horse on.
Queslin stays on target and shoots at Vasily, though he misses this time, and his wounded horse, guided only by Queslin's knees, doesn't match the speed of the running horse.
Big Ern smugly looks down at the hacked-up bandit and lets the others chase the rest.
Michael smiles and guides the horses of Agerron and Big Ern to the two companions on foot.
The fleeing bandit keeps on fleeing, while the other one does as before: keep his distance by moving away from Queslin, then shooting at the elf's horse:
He misses again though.
More riding and shooting.
Ride
Composite Longbow: fav enemy
to hit damage
OK, Agerron turns back to get back on his horse and give chase.
Branomonrik will try and move his treacherous beast forward wile reloading his crossbow.
Ride
Branomonrik is successful in both bringing his horse to move towards the fleeing bandits, and while doing so, also reloading his crossbow. Even with both hands occupied, the horse doesn't use the opportunity to get him to the ground.
Xanda lets her horse feel her heels, racing up to the cart, trying to get it to slow down.
Majet has returned to her riding dog and mounts, and is off to follow the others.
Agerron has the same idea, running back to his horse as well, and starting to mount.
Vasily still cuts at the straps holding the horse in front of the cart, while spurring the horse and holding on to it with the other hand.
He just so holds onto the violently moving beast.
Queslin gets a new arrow out and nocks it while guiding his horse some more with his knees, waiting for just the right moment to let it fly, hitting the fleeing bandit in the back. Vasily slumps and falls from the back of the still racing horse.
Big Ern still looks smug, standing near the corpse of the bandit he slew.
Michael brings the horse to Big Ern, then rides back to Taras, giving him a hand.
With their leader fallen, now both Bandits flee as fast as they can.
Queslin, Xanda, Agerron and Michael follow the fleeing bandits on their horses and within an hour those are taken care of as well, justice served by sword or bow.
Branomonrik manages to get his horse to follow the cart and slow it, trying to help Devlin with the might given to him from Abadar, but he is unable to bring the man back to the living.
Coming back together the group finds themself tired and the night is slowly creeping over the horizon. The sky is overcast, and once they get to a small group of trees the first drops of rain fall.
Big Ern looks uncharacteristically thoughtful as he pokes Devlin's corpse with his toe. "Too bad about Li'l Ugly. I wonder why he was riding around with bandits anyways..."
Taras looks up at the words of Big Ern, then speaks up, sheepishly: "I think he had a plan... a dumb one, if you ask me... to bring them to Olegs and turn them into people working for him instead of the Stag Lord.
Those ones were out to burn down Olegs fort, when we met them out here. The leader recognized me when we got close so we started spinning a lie that we would be working for the Stag Lord too.
I think the leader saw through it at some point, and when you showed up... well, you witnessed the outcome."
"We need to take care of this Stag Lord. It is time to confront him." Queslin looks to the others to see if they agree. "But first let us take care of our dead."
Xanda sighs as she wipes the sweat of her exertions from her brow and helps clean up the sight of combat.
"We have wagon now. More to add to our stuff." She says conversationally.
"Indeed, it is. Do you have a shovel in the Cart? I know Devlin wasn't a follower of Adabar, but I am all we have. May Phrasma Hold and judge the boy fairly. ' He says kneeling before the fallen man. "Taras, help me prepare the body. Those to, wicked men need placed in the ground same as any other Or sometimes they don't stay down." He says.
Xanda recognizes the cart as the one she had when she was picked up in the wilderness. There is indeed a shovel on the cart, making it easier for you to dig into the cold earth.
Taras also locates the map Devlin and he made while they wandered through the area. He hands it to Michael, who hands it off to Queslin.
Not much of interest is noted, but that was to be expected, with the lands as they are. The map itself is poorly made, but the information on it seems to be accurate.
He doesn't seem to have much that we need, but a few things that could prove useful. I think we should bury him in his clothes, of course, and with his spell component pouch.
Big Ern (being a practical sort of fellow) will take his money, but otherwise leave him with his possessions.
Xanda utters a string of words loudly in Elvish.
"Sure maybe leave him with his weapons and armour as well?"
"There is no dire need , take his coin and his tingertwigs, he no longer needs them. The rest shall be Gozreh's as is what remains of the mortal flesh." Bran says wrapping the body.
"So it shall be." Queslin agrees. While, Bran prepares Devlin for burial, Queslin adds the information on Devlin's maps to his own.
Agerron remains stoic and hard to read. "It is a shame he is dead. But he was also foolish, going off alone and more concerned with spreading peace than being on his guard in a wild place. A pity."
Taras says nothing more to the subject.
Michael speaks some words for the dead, and also prays for the souls of the fallen bandits.
With Devlin burried and the bandits taken care of, you ride out a bit then set up night camp under a group of trees. It starts raining and keeps doing so for the rest of the night.
Other than that, the night goes by uneventful.
You wake to the sound of falling raindrops, wet and coldness biting into your hides.
Can we get an update on the map?
Queslin has no other plans.
Big Ern is looking forward to partyin' hearty back at Oleg's, and he wants to get there ASAP.
Xanda uses what spare time Queslin has while at camp to practice her use of the 'common' tongue.