"Oh, yes, that was me. But as for your idea-" Stanislaw shakes his head "While the idea is sound, it is a difficult spell to maintain, and requires me to do nothing but focus on it, meaning I cannot put bandits to sleep, enlarge Mordecai et cetera. But it might be interesting to consider as an option that instead of making the bandits fall asleep, we use the spell to make them believe they are outnumbered, as a group of sneaky archers coming out from cover, in addition to our forces, might scare the bandits to surrender... but if not, I have spent a spell for naught."
Tam raises a hand."Were the bandits mounted the last time they were here? Why not well spook the horses? They often buck with me astride them for no reason, why not give them a reason to buck?"
As he listens to the rest of the party talk into the evening Tam stands stretching his back.
"Well if no one wants to play at some dice I will go ask Oleg or Svetlana for some rooms. And then im going to get some sleep. Let me know what the plan is for the morning when I wake. Oh and I expect someone wil give me a blanket before i have to sit in the snow in the wagon you know?" Tam winks at his companions before amblying off whistling a cheery tune his foolsih grin pasted onto his face above his scarf.
In truth Tam hoped he would more sleep than he had been getting. Every night since that one dream Tam was having nightmares waking in sweats at odd intervals never really getting a full nights rest. These nightmares while reminiscent of the darker dream of his brother he knew were just pale after images hi mind was repeating in his head. he imaginied his mind was trying to tell himsomething important but he couldnt place it. Maybe this night though he could sleep without interuption.
Seeing Oleg up on the roof still tam hails up to him. "Ho oleg where might a weary traveller find a place to sleep us being adventures and all been a while since I slept on a descent bed, and knowing your hospitaly is the best I have seen anywhere I was hoping I could charm a place to lay my head for a few winks if i might?" Tam grins looking all the more like the young boy that he really is.
Diplomacy
Oleg sighs deeply when you call up to him, and after a few more taps from his hammer, he descends from the roof, and reappears from round the other side of the little building, mopping at his forehead with a rag. "As good a roof over your head as any," he declares with no small amount of pride, and jerks his thumb over his shoulder. "Bunks in there, beds were clean last I checked," he says, then gives an aggressive salute and heads towards the fare that Svetlana is currently laying out for him.
You enter the little row house and find 8 bunks within, simply but solidly constructed. There is slight water damage on some of the rushes laid out on the floor in the middle of the room, but overall it smells clean, and the beds appear as though they have recently been turned down.
Mordecai scratches at his stubble even more, casting his eyes about the fort still in search of a place to hide his bulk until the trap was sprung. "Perhaps...Oleg could stand out here in person and then go inside to 'retrieve' something. In any case I don't want him or his wife anywhere near the courtyard when we spring the trap. Stanis? I suggest going with the first plan of action, try putting them all too sleep, and if that does not work, Ladislaus, Tam and I will attack them directly, while you and James cover us from range and make sure none of the rogues escapes us."
He glances about again and then eyes the warehouse building between Oleg's house and the stables, and grins. "I will hide in there I think, close enough to close with them easily and out of sight. Any objections?"
You claim a bunk in the house, and slip down some time before full dark. The various aches and anxieties of the road, as well as the upcoming battle keep you from sleep for a good time, or, perhaps that is just in your mind as your body seems to still beneath you. The period between periods of consciousness, waking and sleeping, never truly a comfort is now somewhat terrifying, especially as the little bunk house becomes darker.
Your dreams are fitful. In them you see your brother walking beside you, other times behind, within the party and without. The worst of them are when you are alone in darkness. Wary, you search for the presence in the darkness, but find it empty, but, this is hardly comforting, either.
In another, you find yourself back among the Varisians, chatting with the performers, tossing the dice. It feels almost real, the weight of the dice in your hands is familiar, even if their color seems to blink between your different sets as your mind races. You, along with your new companions notice James slipping away with a young woman, giggling as they go. Only you notice that her jet hair seems almost alive as she pulls him towards a wagon, the shadow creeps down her back and over James's wrist and arm, climbing up to his neck, and sliding down his coat. The quality of their laughter changes as they disappear from your sight, reminding you of the woman's derisive laughter, but this seems far more sinister...
Your sleep from that point on is uninterrupted. If you dream, you do not recall the content of them. You wake feeling anxious, but no more than you might, knowing that you will do battle with people who delight in the pain and misery of others soon. You hope, for your sake, that you will prevail.
James agrees to Tam and Mordecai's plan, then asks if there is any place nearby for him to draw a bath. If so, he will bathe, sleeping afterward.
James
There is no bath as such available for guests, but when you ask, Svetlana is more than happy to heat up some water and provide wash cloths and soap for you to bathe and towels to dry yourself down. Their water supply is somewhat strained. She leads you behind the stables to an area where three large cisterns sit and scoops up a bit of water into a clean pot.
"We've been rationing lately," she says somewhat nervously, sneaking a glance at your holy symbol. "The snow melts dirty even here," she explains, avoiding meeting your eyes when she speaks.
The Temple's Agent pretends to swoon at the sight of the water. "Oh my lady, you are far too kind. I have not been able to wipe the trail dust from me for two days now. Worry not about the rations, I would love a bath, but truly even a light rain would make me feel better at this point." James removes his coat, revealing a slightly revealing sleeveless shirt beneath, and begins removing his gear. Before removing anything untoward he gives Svetlana a sidelong look, as if to ask with his eyes 'Are you planning on watching my whole cleaning ritual?'.
James
Svetlana smiles softly. "I've..." she begins and arrests herself. "I have heard it said that priests of the Sacred Sting are obligated to assist in matters of family?" she appears to taste the word. "As you might have noticed, my husband is older..." she colors and bites her lip then shakes her head. "Pray, forget that I have said anything. If you leave the towels hanging in the bunkroom I will wash them in the morning." she says and hurriedly excuses herself.
James sighs and finishes removing his shirt. Women... they can never simply say what they mean. Removing his pants and beginning to wash himself he thinks on her phrase. Matters of family... an older man... does she wish me to find a way to bring the steel back to his blade? Or perhaps it's simply that her fields are not watered when they are together. She is young enough but perhaps he is past the age of a child. I have seen no evidence of children, though I could see how they might keep them from me. The half-elf smiles as he towels the dirt from his disheveled hair. I suppose there are ways for me to help, though... I'd have to send for the supplies... or hope to find them on our way. And to breach the subject with Oleg, some of the treatments are a bit dangerous and I'd not proceed without him knowing of the risks. James blanches slightly as he begins drying himself at the thought of bringing up such a topic with the big older man. Perhaps she should speak to him instead...
After washing, you feel quite a great deal satisfied with yourself, and retire to the bunkhouse indicated by Svetlana. Tam, Mordecai, Stanis and Ladislaus are already within. As you pass Tam, he moves in his sleep, seemingly engaged in some manner of combat amidst his sleep. You think on it a few moments, wondering if each of your strange companions has some manner of secrets, as Svetlana. You hang the towels that you used as Svetlana instructed, draping them over an unused bunk, and slip down for the night.
You dream of being among the Varisians at the caravan again. The sweet girl who pulled you into her wagon smells sweeter than you remember, her voice as she is whispering in your ear sends chills down your spine. Her kisses are intoxicating. As you undress her, it seems as though she becomes even more enthralling, as though her clothes are a detriment to her natural beauty. Her dusky skin seems to glow, and is almost hot to the touch. She begins singing as your lips graze across her flesh, her hands sliding down your back, leading with her fingernails, which drag and prick at skin, scratching...
Mordecai is among the last to fall asleep, taking the usual hour or so after dinner to practice with his blade, trying to clear his mind for the struggle to come tommorrow. He breathes deeply through each cut, slash and stroke of his sword, narrowing his entire world onto its blade. After he finishes, he washes his face and neck with cool water and goes up to bed, unstrapping his armor then leaning it and his sword close at hand.
He closes his eyes as he kneels before the weapon and armor, hands clasped before his chest in a small prayer to Ragathiel to grant him courage in the battle to come, and one to Gorum as well to allow him the strength necessary to strike down the bandits.
Afterwards, he lays down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling and closes his eyes. In the very back of his mind, he desperately tries to remember the woman from before, her face illusory as smoke. he takes a deep calming breath and wills her to appear again in his mind's eye, his body drifting slowly down into the throes of slumber.
Seemingly despite your efforts, you do not dream of the bathing woman that evening. In fact, your dreams are rather mundane, for you anyway. You are doing your drills on some foreign battlefield, recalling faces of friends and comrades that have moved on or been lost throughout the years. It makes you smile to be among them again, and you exchange a few words in passing, a clap on the shoulder or a bawdy jest. It feels as though you belong again.
Amongst others, you are drawn into a vision of your former home, only it is changed. You cannot tell exactly which details are out of place, but you know that this is not really your home. Still, you look for your parents and your sister, to apologize, perhaps, or just to see them again. When you open the door to your mother's office you find a much different woman sitting within. Her face is obscured by a ray of sunlight streaming in through a large window, and you just recognize that the house is no longer your parents but another location, and that in this woman's arms is a parcel carefully wrapped that stirs when you enter. The woman looks up and raises a finger to her lips as though to silence you, and you almost make out the look of her face, shrouded in a mane of dark hair -
All
Oleg wakes you roughly an hour before dawn. You blear up at his face through the light shed by his lantern, and his features betray that he has not slept at all.
”My wife has made breakfast,” he says gruffly, and jerks his head towards a basin set up beside the door. ”She asks that you wash up before joining us.”
You each dress, putting on whatever combat gear you have, likely spending whatever amount of time required to don and stow your gear, and then join Svetlana and Oleg at the tables outside the bunkhouse for breakfast. Svetlana has prepared a cauldron of oatmeal, and there is a sugar, a shaker of cinnamon, a small container of honey and a brick of butter sitting on the table. She is currently bent over the cook fire frying bacon. The smell tantalizes you, beckoning you closer. As you arrive, Oleg lifts a pot.
”Coffee,” he explains. ”May be a tad strong for you weaker lads, but there’s sugar. Afraid we don’t get much milk out here, these days,” his tone is almost apologetic.
Svetlana finishes up the bacon and puts it on a large plate and sets it in the middle of the table. There is more than enough meat for each of you to enjoy a few slices with your oatmeal. You eat, and drink the coffee, which tastes to be made by the Master of the establishment itself, containing more than a few grits, but it helps you to wake. Svetlana eats very little, and neither really respond to any attempts to engage them in conversation. The mood is quite tense besides. You are all eager to do your part to help this couple.
After breakfast, those of you who wish to assist Svetlana to clear up after you, so that there is little evidence that you have arrived. You feel relieved that you did not, in fact, arrive with horses, as the sound of Oleg’s old pack horse in it seems to be much louder this morning. As dawn breaks, the tension swells. The bulk of you take up positions at a good thirty minutes til, with Tam abstaining due to the risk of exposure being hidden amongst desiccated snow without any real heat in the day to offset.
True to form, the bandits arrive almost exactly on schedule. Having no indication that anything is wrong, they simply ride into the trade post on their horses. The horses seem to snort as their riders shout derogatory slurs at Oleg, who stands alone in front of them with a number of goods from his personal store to make the ruse believable.
Stanis Perception
James Perception
Stanis and James, as you have not hidden yourselves you have a chance to observe the group. Four riders sit atop sturdy horses, and there are two extra horses for carrying away shifty loots. Among the riders is the cloaked fellow Svetlana described and three other mundane looking bandits, each wearing leather armors and carrying shortbows and short swords. As they are concentrated on abusing Oleg, they do not see you at all.
Initiatives!
The Party
James
Stanis
Mordecai
Tam
Named Guy
Red Shirts
First things first, Surprise Round!
James will rise from his hiding, stepping from behind the barrels and as close to over the gate as he can manage. "Fool bandits. Know this day that your actions against these people are through. Find repentance, or be struck down by the agents of Brevoy herself. The sentence for unrepentant banditry is death by the rope or the blade. Allow my own Savored Sting to send you painfully to your afterlives." Holding his whip in his other hand, James will raise his crossbow and fire it toward any bandit who does not step down.
Surprise Round: Stanis stands with a pinch of sand in his hand, and starts weaving his hands in a circular pattern, making the sand whirl as arcane words spill from his lip.
@James: Not to be a b*&&$, but you can only do one move OR one standard action in a surprise round, so you have to choose between moving or shooting
Green is Oleg, Blue is Named Hooded Figure, Red is Redshirts, Pink is Svetlana (and presumably Ladislaus is there as well.)
Big brown blobs are the Horses.
Will Save Haps
Will Save Redshirt #1
Will Save Haps Horse
Seeing that Stanis' spell goes off well enough, Mordecai barrels through the door to move close enough to the closest bandit, unable to attack but drawing inside of the bandit's bow range before he can raise the weapon.
The warrior gives a loud battle-cry and raises his sword high above his head, ready to strike down the bandit in front of him.
Tam hearing his brother's roar of battle tenses and trys to remain calm his dagger gripped in his hand. This was his first trial by fire, sure then had a been a few nasty back alley fights but this...this was battle as Mordecai always talked about. Damn but its cold in here he thinks ruefully.
Stealth
Legend is as follows
White = Mordecai
Black = Tam
Gold (in stables) = Stanis
Yellow (above Gate) = James
Green is still Oleg
Pink still Svetlana
As of the beginning of Combat...
Mordecai, the man on the horse, and his horse fall asleep in front of your very eyes.
Stanis, post an action please.
As the spell bites, Stanis allows himself a grin of victory, and proceeds to weave another enchantment as fast as his fingers allow, a simple cantrip designed to cloud the mind of a person Then he readies his crossbow, remaining in his hiding-hole.
Redshirt #1 Will Save
Redshirts that can act...
Since James so clearly identified himself as a threat by firing down at them with a crossbow, Redshirt nearest him draws his bow and fires at him, but misses terribly.
Redshirt #3 Longbow attack for damage.
The remaining Redshirt that can act draws his bow and considers his options for a moment, then follows suit with his buddy and fires at James, too, but also misses horribly.
Redshirt #2 Longbow attack for damage.
Mordecai
Named guy, his horse, and Redshirt on the horse are unable to act. Named guy is currently sleeping. Your action.
Mordecai, seeing that the man in front of him has fallen asleep, movees around his horse to the next bandit still awake and firing his bow. With a roar he raises his sword and swings it high and low, aiming for a cut across the man's chest, putting his body behind the strike.
Attack: (Power attack):
Damage: (Power Attack):
Mordecai does massive damage to Redshirt, his powerful swing nearly negates the bandit's leather armor, and through his sword he can feel the man's ribs break. Redshirt sucks in a breath that seems horribly long and rattles in his throat besides, but he still stands.
Tam, your action, please.
Tam hearing the sounds of combat and as no one has discovered him yet decides now is the time to act. He springs up out of the snow and takes aim at the closest bandit he can see clearly and not already engaged launches his dagger at him. His dagger flies off in some random direction, probably due to his cold numbed fingers. And he curses bitterly as he presses the trigger oh his wrist and another dagger springs into his hand.
Point Blank Shot with dagger, -2 range increment=+2
Upon seeing that you lot are wreaking terror upon the bandits, and finding the two closest to him affected by... something, Oleg flees the scene, retreating behind his house.
Dazed Redshirt's horse, seeing Mordecai rush by with a really big sword gets spooked, rears up and kicks off its dazed master, and bolts for the exit, but is forestalled by the cart Tam is standing up in. Its fury alerts the other untended horses, who bolt as well, managing to make it outside the fortress, since they were closest to the exit.
Dazed Redshirt takes damage from falling off his horse and is now considered prone.
He falls in square.
Stanis, your action please.
Stanis changes the pace and dashes from cover, to kneel next to Tam, so the cart will cover him against enemy fire, knowing that the prone bandit needs time to get up, and the warrior would surely not ignore such an opening, and starts casting his second spell, prepared especially for this encounter.
James
The Redshirt within your reach is #3, he has yet to be either you, or any of your allies. Redshirt #1 lies prone on the ground, having been thrown by his horse, which was spooked by combat. The horses that were formerly beneath you have all dashed out of the fort. Redshirt #2 is currently engaged in melee with Mordecai and finally the hooded figure and his horse are very, very still. Oleg has retreated from combat, and neither Svetlana or Ladislaus have appeared.
What shall your whip wielding hero favoring the Sacred Sting do?
James stands defiantly as the arrows whip past him, one nearly clipping his ear and pushing his hat the slightest bit. "See how the Gods favor our cause. See how the elements stop you from taking me. Stand at the gates of hell and watch your friends fall to the men who will send you there. In the name of the Savored Sting, Calistrea the Lady in Yellow, I pronounce your judgement. You are to die here, in vengeance of the hurt you have caused these people."James readies his whip and waits, his eyes scanning the groups as the cold wind whips his coat around him. Not a bad effect, glad the wind is on my side too.
Redshirt #1 recovers from his Daze and finds himself on the ground, and hurting. He looks up and calls out to someone, "Haps, you whoresson, what are you doing just sittin' there! Help us!" he cries, and starts to get up, provoking an attack of opportunity from Mordecai.
Redshirt #2, whose ribs have been crushed, immediately kneels on the ground. "Mercy, sir, please! I ain't wanted to do none o' it at all! Were Kressle that sent us! That vile witch! She's 'ta blame!"
Redshirt #3 glares at James, who is attempting to look cool, and figures this is his shot to do some damage, nocks another arrow and attempts to shoot you, but again the shot goes wide.
Redshirt #3 Longbow attack for damage.
Mordecai
Feel free to take your AoO, if you wish. You are, at this time, still normal sized.
Mordecai whirls, striking down at the rising man with his blade, flipping the blade in hand to thrust straight down at the man as he attempts to get to his feet.
AoO Attack:
AoO Damage:
Missing teh man as he rises to his feet, he ignores the man on the ground now pleading for his life, pausing only to growl "Drop your weapons and get down flat if you want to live."
He then moves past the surrendering man, trusting Tam to deal with him, and he attacks the remaining archer.
Attack:
Damage:
The remaining archer barely has the reaction time to scream as Mordecai's mighty swing catches him in the shoulder, crushing it and tearing open his leather armor and the flesh down his chest and he slumps on the ground, bleeding out.
Redshirts One and Two, witnesses to Mordecai's one hit kill of their commerade immediately give up their arms. "By the gods! Spare us!" Redshirt One, only passingly hurt screams. Redshirt Two, nursing his severe wounds, simply throws his bow away, and gives a pained cough as he pulls his sword, and a second later tosses it down as well.
And since the Hooded figure and his horse are still asleep, and will be for quite some time yet, I will call
End of Combat
The situation as of now:
You have two bandits who are still alive, a third who is prone on the ground bleeding out. The "leader" a male, is asleep, as is his horse. There are five more spooked horses running in the fields. If you wish to get them, I will assume that someone can, given enough time.
Remember that Ladislaus is a resource for healing, as he has used no spells.
Mordecai twirls his bastard sword, cleaning it with his cloak then sheathes it again across his back and walks over to the bandit with the crushed ribs. He inspects the wound briefly, then scowls at the man and oders him and his living compatriot over to the wall of the fort.
He kneels briefly besides the man he slew and closes his eyes, murmuring, "Gorum receive you on the Planes of Eternal War. I am sorry...may you live a more honorable life in the realm of the Gods and the dead."
He then nods to James and his brother Tam. "Let's go wake the sleeping beauty eh? Stanis! Keep your crossbow trained on him, same for you James. Ladislaus? Please see to the two men over there, make sure they don't bleed out before they are allowed repentance. Tam, keep your blade at his throat."
"Bit too quick, mate. He yet lives... for now." James says, having hopped down from the wall and checked the pulse of the dying man. "Ladislau, you should check this one first, he'll die quickly if he isn't tended to." James moves to the bandits weapons and takes them inside, searching the bandits for anymore weapons. He then takes the weapons from the cloaked man. "Oleg! You have any rope? Might be useful to not have this scum moving." The half-elf will tie any of the bandits Oleg has the rope for, then head to Mordecai's side. "So what's the plan? Get the information, then to the rope or the chopping block with them?"
Mordecai nods respectfully at James, appreciating his tact nad initiative of tying up the bandit on horseback. "Indeed James, but I beg a small request of you. Before we sentence any of these men to death, I will offer them the chance to truly repent their evil deeds before all of us. If they do not, then you and I will see to their punishment. If they do so and we believe they are lying, we will tie them up and lock them within the storage building for a time. If any are truly repentant, we shall spare their lives. Agreed?"
Pessimistically, Mordecai realizes that many men would say whatever it took to save their own skins, but he preferred death by combat, not execution. It had no honor or glory to it at all, but Ragathiel commanded true vengeance upon wrongdoers, and the ultimate punishment in all lands was death. He would do his duty, but he had to offer the men a choice at true redemption first.
After more than a few moments of looking upon the Redshirts with a face purple with mottled rage, Oleg nods his head and acquiesces to your request, returning some time later with 70 feet of hempen rope from inside his home. Ladislaus simply tends to the fallen man in that time, content not to heal any of them until they are bound, even if you have disarmed them.
When you have done so, he channels once to heal damage, and Redshirt #3, the most hurt of the trio, gasps and writhes in his bonds, his eyes fluttering open and shut a few dozen times, as though the light is too much for them.
"Let us all settle down. We should interrogate the prisoners first, as is due process. After all, we are all civilized men here, and due process should be given. Repentance under duress is questionable, not to mention that Oleg and Svetlana's voices should also be counted and weighed heavily, as they are the ones who have suffered injury in this case." Stanis looks around the dinky outpost and to the Leveton couple with a grim frown "That being said, we also need to consider the practical side here. Oleg and Svetlana are hardly capable combatants, which means WE will have to stay and guard them." letting the implication sink in, he looks to the bandits "We lose the element of surprise in striking at their partners in crime, and have to take up a defensive stance. This is not to our advantage. Not to mention we will not be able to focus on mapping the region, which we were signed on for." he elaborates, then shakes his head "Yet, it is not acceptable for anyone who claims to be civilized to murder out of convenience. So I say we focus on what can be done immediately, like stripping their gear, gathering up their horses, and starting interrogating the bandits."
"There is a time and place for due process Stannislaw. Repentance under duress is no repentance at all. Should they have surrendered after they knew they were facing Agents of the Crown I would find their sudden reversal questionable. As it is now, I see no reason to leave any of them alive." James seems annoyed at his companions thickheadedness. "We can learn from them the location of thier encampment and end the fellows there as well. They may have more, but taking out the closest encampment should keep Oleg and Svetlana safe for long enough for reinforcements to arrive, and keeps the rest of the bandits from our hair while we set about exploring. 'To take your revenge quickly take it by each step alone.'" He quotes... slightly incorrectly. "The sooner we descend on these bandits with fire and steel, the sooner we can move on to the next part. Now, who's good at interrogations? I admit it is one of the areas I did not excel as a trainee."
Mordecai frowns at James, his expression darkening. There is much more to James than meets the eye, no matter his virtues. Then again, the man was human, in part, and thus the complexity was implied about his character. Although, the quoting of the dubious Book of Joy was beginning to get on Mordecai's nerves. Calistra might be a mainstream goddess but that didn't mean that her influence had to extend beyond her domains. In James' defense however, it was fully within his rights to say what he wished about his Goddess, and Mordecai would not be the one to tell him off.
'Religion causes more headaches than a powerful war-mongering evil mastermind ever could...Kills more people too.' he thinks sourly then walks over to the 4 tied up bandits and casually draws out his sword and plants it point first into the ground in front of them. He kneels in front of the man he had almost killed face and narrows his eyes.
"What is your name, bandit? And the names of your companions? I, and my companions, would know who sent you here, where your she-devil commander and your base of operations is, and who you all answer to, if not just her. This is your one chance to attain redemption before your final judgement. What say you?"
Diplomacy:
The bandit Ladislaus saved from drowning in their own blood are more than happy to oblige Mordecai with information, especially as he was the last thing that they saw before they fell.
"I'll tell ya anything ya want, sir, I swear!" the first one says, "Just don't swing that sword again, sir. Name's Matis. Dem's Boris," he jerks his head in the direction of Redshirt #3, "Devlin," the bandit who was thrown from his horse, "And that piece of scum is called Haps, though ain't none a crueler ass I'd never done seen. A right bastard that one, oh... You'll not get a word outta him. Dumb, too."
The second bandit, Boris who took the defiant shot at James after being asked to surrender glares at Mordecai and is completely silent. Devlin hawks up some phlegm and spits at Haps, who is simply staring at his bound hands. There is a smile on Hap's face, but it is not wholesome. He looks up when Matis calls him dumb, though, and sucks on his teeth.
Stanis scowls at James "We are still Brevoyans, on a legitimate brevic undertaking, and the legal document requires us to stamp out unrepentant banditry with the sword or rope. The scripture of gods does not have representation in that document, and is thus irrelevant. That being said, I would never rob a man in chains of the chance to speak for his defense in to appease any god. Even at the command of the arch-banker of Abadar. That is the domain of false tyrants and barbarians." he sternly warns, in a tone ripe with disgust.
He turns to the bandits, producing a book and a quill "As the our orders stands, we are required to punish you for banditry by hanging or decapitation. However, true repentance allows us to show lenience, and offer a chance to mitigate the punishment into the realm of imprisonment and indentured service rather than death." he gives a short pause to let the weight of the statement sink in "This repentance is not easily achieved however, and requires you not only to swear an oath to never resort to banditry again, but also fully disclose your activity and whatever information you have on your criminal associates, surrender ill gotten gains, and finally, sign a document that states you understand these terms, and also understand that you will not be offered this clemency again, should you repeat bandit activities."
He turns to his fellow charter-bearers "Assuming we are in majority agreement for this?" he inquires.
Stanis Sense Motive
"Aye, m'lord, by my oath, I'll swear it," Matis responds enthusiastically. "Anything you ask, even where we laid our heads, and where Happs lay down with that {expletive} Kressle!" he says.
The bandit identified as Devlin picks himself up on his knees. "Ain't learned, sir, or got much skills, but I'll swear. Don't much like my chances out here among this lot without our arms, though, with naught else but my hands to live by, if ya don't mind me sayin'. No skilled man to trap or earn from a trade. How you supposin' we're to live?"
Boris spits. "You {expletive} bastards! Soon as {expletive-noun} ain't gon' our way, ya turn yer tails and run to these whelps like the whorsesons ya are!" he exclaims, and tries to attack Devlin, who is closest, but Ladislaus gives a tug on his bonds and restrains him. Boris snarls at him. "I'll take yer rope, ya bastards! Yeah! I'd laid that lass out and given her what she deserves! Me! Ain't right, fine piece like that shoved away in here with some old sack can't please 'er."
Happs turns his head and glares daggers at Matis when he mentions Kressle, and gives a chuckle at Boris's declaration of his intent to assault Svetlana, but says nothing in his defense.
Tam's face contorts in anger an image of his sister splayed out under another man plays through his mind all too swiftly. He hadn't allowed this to bother him earlier, what with all the excitement with having to flee the city. It had kept his mind off of it, but now, this man's words opened an anger inside of himself that he couldn't control he could only now imagine his sister with this man atop her raping her and without Mordecai to help her this time.
Gripping his dagger in his hand so hard the blood drains from it he swiftly strides over to the bandit, Boris, grabbing his hair in one hand, he thrusts his dagger up under the man's chin up till the hilt of the foot long blade. He blinks as a speck of blood catches him in the face and rage still in his eyes he gets up and walks away uncaring of the mess now on the ground.
The Bandits React
Devlin, the man who wondered what manner of occupation would keep him from banditry, also the man closest to Boris, gets a spray of blood on his hands, which he stares at intently. He frowns, but says nothing of his former comrade's death at this time.
Matis, whose ribs were literally crushed by Mordecai's swing, screams and reels away from the scene, and vomits. "By the gods, please," he begs. "Please don't kill me, sirs! I've a boy or three somewheres! By willin' women, I swear it!"
Happs, previously silent, begins laughing. It is a cruel sound, and he has eyes for Tam alone. "Good, good! Always hated that {explative-noun}. Talked too damn much."
Stanislaw reels on his heels and almost falls on his rear, recoiling from the bloodspray. "GODS! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" he calls after Tam, his voice shrill with terror at the sudden burst of brutality, before covering his mouth as he fights to keep his breakfast down.
He looks to Matis as he panics and steps in front of him "Don't worry, you are no longer an outlaw, and anyone attacking you will be charged to the full extent of the law." he looks to Tam, his eyes dark with outrage "I would send my bird to Restov to report you for murder had the outlaw not rebuked the offer. We are representatives of Brevoy, a civilized country governed by laws! Not a damn barbaric river-state where Gorum and Norgorber's ways rule! I will not tolerate cold-blooded murder idly again!" he scolds, with a voice rippling with angry rejection of the action, and promise of repercussions if ignored.
James's booted foot slams painfully into Happ's side. "Your approval fills us all with shame. Be silent or I will gag you." He listens calmly to Stanis's outburst. It's as if he didn't hear the man. That's unrepentant banditry if ever I've seen it. And a rapist too, what the boy did was shocking, but not wrong.
"Find your calm Stanis." Comes the voice from under his hat. "Tam... clean his blood from you. That was a bad showing. Correct response, but in the wrong way, particularly for our current company." James struggles to find the right words to both console the other man and keep him from turning on him. "In the future, wait for us to string him up for his crimes, and do it with ceremony, not as a savage."