"Remains to be seen. I will have that duel!" -to Dario.
A soft "oooooooh" comes from Dario as Oleg delivers that swift kick to the man's stomach, a soft tsk leaving his lips as he takes the rope in hand. Shoving the bandit to the ground, he works about tying him up like one would do to a boar after a long hunt. He remembered his family's tendency to wrap the bindings too tightly and keeps it in his mind as he secures the man.
Sophia returns the hug as well, smiling at Zelos. "You were quite the conqueror indeed and I'm glad that you're feeling so well." She gives a hard pat on the back that she fully expects the large man not notice at all.
When Dario finishes securing their prisoner, Sophia examines him from across the room, tapping her finger on her lip as she thinks. She seems to come to some decision and turns to the bandit leader, looking him carefully up and down.
"I think we'd better start with the basics. First off, it's in your best interest to be up front and honest with us. Anything that you tell use truthfully now will be a mark in your favor in the future, and given the position you're starting at, you can use as many of those as possible."
The man lets out a grunt as the foot connects, and squirms uncomforably in the ropes
Sophia notices nothing unusual for a man who's been kicked in the stomach and tied up and so continues with some basic questions.
"Let's start with your name, how many others there are back at your camp and how soon you're likely to be missed when you and your friends don't come back. We can get into detail when we've established the basics."
Dario seems to look off into space as a lovely leaf begins to fall downwards from the sky. He becomes entirely oblivious of the conversation happening around them as he imagines himself riding down this massive leave through the whims of the winds, desperately trying to keep itself balanced and not stumble off into the world below. What fun it'd be!
The man responds Gruffly "My name is Happs Bydon.They probably will stop sending out patrols and hole up in the camp after about 3 days, though i suspect Kressle will miss me as soon as she's horny" and he chuckles
Back before the interrogation starts: Zelos embraces his party and lets out a shout to the god of Battle!
Huzzah!
Huzzah!
As the interrogation starts Zelos pats Marcus on the back"Now show him the stuff you're made of!" Zelos' Hand glows slightly as he pulls it away.
"May Gorum lead us to the next battle!"
During the interrogation Zelos does his best to look menacing.
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”a Gorumite eh, I never really saw the appeal, I usually go to the local shrine of the mighty and beautiful Cayden Cailean,
When it comes to the interrogation he smiles ”that’s a good start my boy, I take it this Krestle is your boss then? We need to know where we can find her if he seems resistant adds ”if you are cooperative I could try to keep her alive
The man laughs at the talk of religion, and then when Marcus talks about Kressle he chuckles "IYes she is my boss, you can find her at the bandit camp about a day to the south, in fact I could lead you there. And as to keeping her alive I don't give a rat's ass whether she survives or not, our relationship was purely carnal, we could care less about each other."
As Marcus continues to tease useful information out of Happs, Sophia slips out of the room, pulling Oleg with her. Once outside she tracks down Svetlana as well. When she has them both in a safe place well away from the interrogation taking place she asks some similar questions, but in a much friendlier way.
"So I just want to reassure you that we're going to take care of this bandit issue for you. Marcus is very convincing and he'll learn everything that Happs character knows before he's done. I wanted to give the two of you a chance to share what you know as well though. Both to corroborate anything he says, and because I need to make sure we don't miss anything we might not think to ask about.
"If there's anything you can tell us about the bandits, how many more you've seen, whether it's just one group or many and so forth, that'd be very good to know. We'll also need to know about any other threats in the area we should be aware of when we head out to deal with this band of villains. I'm so sorry you've had to endure this thus far, but it shan't be for much longer, you have my word."
Svetlana smiles apologetically "I'm afraid we don't know much about the bandits. When they first came there were 13 people, including that man, ånd a woman with axes."
Happs shifts in his bonds "Kressle is in charge of our outpost, though she reports to the stag lord."
"All I know is that we all have to wear his pin, and that Kressle serves him."
Zelos is listening intently, pondering strategy.
Dario had almost been listening to the conversation here and there. It seemed that there was at least some information being passed around but possible not enough. No, they needed more than that. The man had few redeeming features and for that, Dario cared not for him. Before the current boss of his gang came into power, they had a sense of honor and conduct. They were a family. These were nothing more than mercenaries, wicked and heartless
"You know who hired us, right?" Dario murmured, snapping out of his reverie and focusing upon the man with a sudden and intense focus. "It was not Oleg and his wife. No, not at all. It was the crown that hired us." Producing the charter and making sure that man could clearly see its legitimacy. "We are to explore these lands and eliminate any threats to the crown's goal. Any threats." Leaning in closer, Dario's voice became a soft but dangerous whisper.
"We have full authority to execute any and all bandits in our way. No trial, no waiting, no chance for escape. I just push my blade into your heart and be done with it. So the only thing keeping you from judgement is how useful you are, right now. So tell us anything you're holding back."
A spot appears on the bandit's pants "Trust me, sir, you'd have to be a fool to withhold information from a group of people who bested you in combat and have you tied up, and I'm not a fool. I'm not withholding any information, I want to live. I gotta go back to my wife and family, I left them like nothing after I was convicted and I gotta do something."
"Good enough!" Zelos pipes up finally.
"Our foes camp is a days journey south. Their captain is this Kressle woman who reports to a stag lord. That's enough to get us going!"
"Tell me Happs, does Kressles gang include any magic users? Enemy casters always complicate a battle."
"I don't believe so, I never saw any of the men use magic so if they did it would have been a secret."
"Then what are we waiting for? Battle awaits!"
Dario would watch the man pee himself and scoff slightly; brave enough to murder two innocent people but a coward on his own. Looking back towards Marcus and Sophia, he gave them a nod. "So...the man has given us the information we wanted. What do you both think? Should he be kept prisoner here until a later time or should we hang him? I would not suggest letting him go, not until his lover is taken care of, at least." There was also there actual duty to do here; to explore the Greenbelt and return back with a varied map of exploration to return back to the crown. A long and winding, albeit rewarding, task.
Sophia, having slipped back into the room after talking with Svetlana an Oleg is there for the end of the session. She purses her lips as she thinks out loud, making sure Happs can hear. "I think that for now prisoner is probably the way to go. We can ask Oleg to tend to a hanging or some such should we fail to return from our next journey; if he's not provided us the information we need to succeed then he should probably die. On the other hand, if we get back I'd like to see about tracking down this wife and family he's mentioned and ask more about the, conviction was it? He seems quite the cad, but if there are those that are depending on his help I'd hate to disappoint them. Of course, if it turns out he was lying about them, there's less reason to keep him around I suppose."
"Bah! Just let him go. He would be a fool to act against us. We've bested him once, worst case we get to best him again. If you insist on slaying the man then throw him his weapon and I'll duel him right now. We've talked long enough."
Oleg saus "I can handle him as a prisoner here, though you could use him as a flesh shield."
Dario watches Oleg for a moment and gives a nod, his eyes turning towards their prisoner again. Towering over him, the swashbuckler's presence seems to make up for his lack of stature as he leans down to him. "It seems the man you wanted to kill is willing to show you mercy. Be polite, be patient, and stay here. If you so much as harm a hair on them, I will make sure that your family hears the awful way you died. Understood?" After those darker words are whispered, Dario sits up and grins at the others.
"Well, with this nasty business out of the way, let us begin our venture. We start nice and slow, explore downwards until we can find the camp and eliminate them?"
There is an honest look of surprise upon Dario's face as he looks back at the bandit upon the ground. Stepping closer towards Marcus, he murmurs low enough to not be heard by their prisoner there. "Oh goodness no, I don't mean any of it. He's defenseless at the moment, you know, they just respect that whole 'I'm angry and violent and grr.' I'll...I'll keep it toned down, good man." He pats Marcus on the shoulder, turning and heading towards the front to drag the dead bodies in and lead the horses in as well.
As Dario and Marcus talk a bit, Sophia turns to Zelos. "I think that we might be able to help Master Bydon here in the long run if he can play nice. Let's just let Oleg keep track of him for a bit and get to the important bit you've brought up. Getting to the enemy's camp and facing what we can only hope will be a foe worth our efforts! How do you think we might best approach a camp in which we expect around 10 opponents, probably armed with bows and swords, but likely not with any magical arts? We've got but four of us here, though you seem to count for at least three men in a direct fight from what I've seen."
As Sophia directs the conversation she heads out of the room and tries to help round up any horses the bandits might have left outside. "Ah, here's another asset for our trip! Horses! Hopefully we'll have enough for everyone to be able to ride. Er, does everyone here have experience riding?"
Zelos starts packing up his gear for the journey.
Happs speaks up as Sophia is talking "Generally Kressle is always there, but there is almost always a few people gone as some people are out patrolling the area. I'm sorry I didn't say that earlier, it was not at the top of my mind."
"Now that's the sort of cooperation we want. Keep that up and there might be a future for you yet! We'll be back after we've had a chance to deal with Kressle and her crew. If you can think of anything else about the Stag Lord while we're gone that would be most helpful as well."
Sophia moves her gear from her donkey (which she leaves at the trade post,) to one of the horses. As she prepares to head south she checks in with Oleg and Svetlana one last time. "Is there anything else you can think that we'd need to know before we head out? I'm hoping that we'll be able to end this nest of bandits for good with this trip, so any other information you can think of, even incidental things, would be good to know!"
Grabbing his gear, Dario makes sure to secure it comfortably onto his newly acquired horse. He never had much like with the animals but maybe now he'd gain a bit of some skill at riding them through the countryside. It'd be better than walking, that was for sure.
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Marcus examines the beasts, picking one which looks the strongest and healthiest, doing things like his father taught him, like checking it’s mouth and fur and hooves for any signs of mistreatment.
After selecting a horse he climbs into he saddle, his sword held aloft dramatically ”onward my companions, we ride, to victory!
Oleg looks at Svetlana with a questioning look, and svetlana shrugs. Oleg exhales and says "Not that I can think o, that would be nice if you could take out the bandits."
and we're off to take out some bandits!
Happs can give you 2 things of alchemist fire, leather armor, a dagger, A +2 strength composite longbow, 2 days of trail rations, 35 gold, and an amulet that looks like This. on the each of the other 3 bandits you find leather armor, a short sword, a longbow, 2 days of trail rations, and 10 gold.
Anyone have a specific loot tracking preference?
So we leave?
Once the group is mounted, Sophia looks over her companions and nods, as if satisfied with what she sees. "I suppose we'd be best served by following Happ's trail back to his camp. I can see it now, but tracking isn't a specialty of mine. Anyone else care to take the lead?"
Earlier when I said south I was partially incorrect, it is more of a south-west. Whoever is leading the group can move the star 1 hex, and then roll a survival check as you case the area seeing of the bandit camp is there
Dario says as you all mount your horses "On second thought I must stay here, someone needs to make sure Happs doesn't turncoat, or if someone comes for the fort they should have another defender. You all fought well, and Zelos we will have that duel someday, don't get me wrong."
Marcus it doesn't look like you moved the star, are you trying to move across the hex or explore it, right now it's the same hex with the trading post in it.