Big Ern squints up at the sun and yawns again. "Time's a-wastin."
"You are going to kill me anyway. Just do it already." Otmar speaks, standing in a half-digged grave.
Agerron draws his greatsword, and begins sharpening it with his whetstone. "So be it. A shame, though; the grave is only half-dug. The rest of us have no intention of finishing it, so I suppose your corpse will end up as food for vermin and scavengers, like your friend-on-a-pike. Would you like to finish digging, or no? I give you the option."
Whichever the bandit's decision, unless someone stops him, Agerron will force Otmar to his knees and make him extend his neck over the half- or fully-dug grave, and execute him swiftly.
"It is unfortunate that you don't believe me. I told you the truth. Finish digging. Perhaps you will have changed your mind by the time you are done."
He looks to Agerron, "Let him finish his work. If he refuses then..."
"Michael, Branomonrik, I'm going to see if I can follow their trail. I'll be back by nightfall."
Survival to track the bandits.
"It is unfortunate that you don't believe me. I told you the truth. Finish digging. Perhaps you will have changed your mind by the time you are done."
He looks to Agerron, "Let him finish his work. If he refuses then..."
"Michael, Branomonrik, I'm going to see if I can follow their trail. I'll be back by nightfall."
Survival to track the bandits.
"Hold up, Leafy Joe -- there's no way you're going without me and Stubby!" Big Ern waddles along after him.
Survival aid another:
Queslin ignores Big Ern as much as he can. He saddles Lomion and hurries off. He will not wait for Ern or Majet. They must keep up as best they can.
With a bit of disgust Branomonrik says "Enough games! They will not talk, The rope is ready I'll Dig the damned gaves. Queslin will track the trail best he can. Now can we get on with it?"
Otmar looks up at Agerron, and decides it would be better for him to dig away, speaking no further.
It is easy enough for Queslin to follow the tracks the bandits left in the snow, even riding at the horses normal speed.
The next hours the elf is on horseback, riding in a general southwestern direction towards the Narlmarch forrest. After close to an hour he passes the spot where the bandits made their nightcamp.
It's getting harder to follow the trail afterwards, with the sun melting the snow and the trail being some hours older, but still the elf has no problems following them.
Having followed the trail for two and a half hours Queslin arrives at the edge of the forrest, where it get's increasingly difficult to follow the tracks.
The day is getting late. Queslin turns back to Oleg's. He does note what direction they came from though.
Even if he's quiet and doesn't talk to me, just riding alongside Ern is a chore. It's getting late in the day. Time to turn back. Oh, I'll clean up the campsite as well.
Oleg waits, standing silent at the gate, watching the bandit dig the grave. He watches ever move of the bandit, ready to get at him should he make a wrong move. He seems more confident with some backup and against single opponents.
Svetlana all the while looks over the gathered equipment of the bandits.
"What do you want to do with all that stuff?" she asks the nearest explorer.
Agerron looks at the gathered equipment, and asks Svetlana, "Do you think you could sell it? Perhaps you could give us a credit at your post for future items based upon the value of the items, and sell them off yourself?"
Svetlana answers: "I'm sure we will be able to sell those things, if you don't need them. We could either pay you out, or grant you credit if we don't have enough hard cash here.
If you'd like to buy something we don't have in now (or later on), we can request it in Restov if it is available there. Would take a week or two to get it, but it saves you the time to go there on your own."
Outside the post Otmar waited for the moment Agerron was distracted to throw his shovel at Oleg and flee. He's out of sight behind a corner of the fort in no time. Oleg, surprised and struck by the shovel follows him as best he can, shouting after the escapee.
Majet would probably stay at the Market square (her idea with thinking of going with Queslin would be to get away from Ern for a few hours)
Unable to get a shoot off he yells "The prisoner is escaping!" He runs inside yelling "Get the horses track him before he warns the others . I told you to hang em! " He mumbles " No they had to play games, they had to TAlk...bleeding hearts"
Michael who is busy caring for the horses, hustles out and picks up a bow and quiver, he jogs over to the ladder/stairs to the walkway and tries to get a bead on the fleeing prisoner with his new bow.
Agerron draws his own longbow and races after the escaping Otmar ...
Devlin hears the cries of escape and turns to Delfey and casts expeditious retreat on him, "Catch him and kill him."
Otmar didn't stand a chance to escape the explorers. One of Michaels arrows (a lucky shot) hits the bandit in the shoulder, causing him to tumble. Another arrow (from Agerron) pins him down, due to it sticking in one of Otmars feet.
At that point Delfey cought up with the fleeing bandit, tearing the man up into pieces, with swift moves.
Another head with a terrified face is later put up on Oleg's palisade, on the other side of the gate.
Branomonrik in the meantime prepared the ropes to hang the remaining two bandits, without having questioned them first. Their own pack horses lift them up until they don't twitch anymore.
Perception:
Perception
You can act in the Surprise round before the Kobolds.
I'll have Lómion (my horse's name, check the profile) run back towards the trading post.
Ride
The moment Queslin turns his horse stones are flying from the forest towards the two explorers and their horses. The elf and Lómion get away the moment before they would hit, but Big Ern's not that lucky. One of the Kobolds hits the big human on the head with one stone .
Big Ern let's out a wild whoop and begins frothing at the mouth. "You little sonsab#$+!es sure chose the wrong day to pick a fight!" he cackles as he charges towards the nearest one.
Have Lomion stop and get my bow ready.
Agerron provides diligent guard as the remaining two bandits are hung, not willing to let a repeat escape attempt happen. He asks the others remaining at the post, "So what do we think the plan should be? We should obviously await our scouts and their report before finalizing anything, but we could plan out several options, I think. At least two options for a direct attack on their encampment (by stealth and direct assault), and also a plan for letting them come to us. I think it may be best to await a second attack, which is bound to come. It would allow us to prepare the defenses and divide their forces further.
"How long have the elf and ... whatever he is been gone, anyway?"
Branomonrik nods "Aye take out the bandits be a good thing, if we knew how many, where they where and what defenses they had. He shugs and places the dead bandits into the graves he finished digging. "Adabar , even though these men where not but a parasite on civilization they where not of truly evil intent. If you see fit speak no ill of them in the here after." He says as he starts to fill the graves in.
Big Ern's attack doesn't connect with the small reptile, which ducks away under the swing, letting go of it's sling.
While Queslin stops his horse and get's his bow out, the Kobolds start to chatter among themself:
The one Kobold attacked from the human grabs his spear, taking a cowardly step back all the while. His companions move a bit away from the fight as well, firing at the human with their slings.
One of them hits Big Ern pretty good, up close by the eye, but the other's bullet goes wild in the bushes.
I'll draw back and let fly at the farthest kobold that I can make out without cover.
Longbow Damage
Queslin's arrow flies true, hitting the Kobold squarely in the chest, pinning him to a tree. This one is dealt with, which leaves two more.
Big Ern keeps raging (and bleeding) and wildly swings his axe again at any kobolds in sight.
The mighty swing of the human strikes the second Kobold to the ground. Only one more is left and being outnumbered now, the small creature tries to flee the scene, without looking for his brethren.
In mere seconds he is pretty much out of sight, behind bushes and trees.
Big Ern grabs a vial of hooch and tosses it at the fleeing kobold.
bomb touch attack:
concealment:
"Kaboom!" he comments redundantly.
Queslin will let it go. He didn't come out here this time to kill kobolds.
The thrown bomb of Big Ern misses the kobold by an inch, but covers the reptile in flames and splinters nonetheless. While it doesn't outright kill the target, it slows the small creature down on it's escape.
Back at the Trading Post, Oleg goes over the explorers thanking them once again for their help dealing with the bandits.
Svetlana chimes in to add: "You are very welcome to stay in the guesthouse as long as you want to. Here are some things you probably can make good use of as well. Take them, they are worth much less than what we would have lost, would they have gotten their ways with us."
She hands over three flasks, easily identified as one potion of cure light wounds, one potion of shield of faith +2 and a vial of antitoxin.
Oleg after that grabs a small pouch, rattling with the sound of coins. Without a word he places the pouch near the gathered goods of the bandits, and a quick look reveals a collection of coins, worth 100gp in total.
I'll make sure Big Ern is not coming me before putting away my bow.
"Good bow."
Once I'm sure he's in control of himself, I'll continue back to the trading post.
At Svetlana's offer "I think I can speak for the others when I say thank you for the kind offer. If there is anything else you be needing don't fret asking. Adabar shins on those who spread civilization after all. Trading is good honest work." He says with an approving nod.
"Abadar... To be honest Abadar can" Oleg starts until Svetlana puts a hand on his shoulder, quieting him, then turning to the dwarf to say: "We are worshipping Erastil. Oleg and I settled out here ... to get away from civilization, not to spread it."
She speaks softly, as to not anger the dwarf, while Oleg turns away and goes to do things in the main house.
Branomonrik Storks his beard "Nothing wrong with worshiping Erastill if that is the god that calls to ya, worships a god is a personal thing and far be it for me to be telling ya the god you follow is wrong for ya." waving his and around to the outpost he goes on 'As for getting away from civilization, that is something the common folk can never do, lest ya be like bandits, orcs or goblins" He says with real dislike in his voice. "I think, And I know ya not mind you, it's culture you wanted to get away from not civilization. But even if you did you are spreading it by being here. Community's are part of civilization and trade is often thought to be the lifeblood of civilization." Shrugging the dwarf goes on "I am not sure what cause ya have to dislike mighty Adabar, but thats is between you and the gods, I am his servant, I hear his call every day and strive to live my life by his teachings. I'll not be trying to convert ye Oleg , but nor will I shy from my worship or my devotion."
Oleg won't hear any of it. He seems like he doesn't want to discuss his religion with Branomonrik, no matter what.
Svetlana on the other hand nods thankfully in the dwarfs direction, smiling but looking a bit concerned back at her husband.
Some time later, the young woman seeks out Majet, motioning her away from the others.
See, he's ... older than me, and we tried for some time now to have children, but ... as of now,..." Svetlana speaks. Clearly it's not easy for her to find the right words.
"There is this one recipe I got from my great-grandmother... It's said to help... to better the chances of..." now she really blushes and waits for a nod to go on."