Harsk approaches the Leveton's as Tityanna checks in with Haldaval and Ray, I am hoping that the two of you would join us, provide us with context if he speaks false and in general offer your view of how you'd like the men to be handled based on the answers they give us. Is that somethign you feel up to?
Oleg nods, grinning mirthlessly. "Aye, friend dwarf. I'm curious how these men answer. It remains to be seen if there's a grain of truth to them, it does."
With everyone having agreed, Harsk heads back to the storeroom and drags out the unconscious Happs. Binding him as agreed, Harsk makes a motion to Malaswyn to revive the unconscious bandit leader.
With everyone having agreed, Harsk heads back to the storeroom and drags out the unconscious Happs. Binding him as agreed, Harsk makes a motion to Malaswyn to revive the unconscious bandit leader.
cure light wounds
The blessings of fire.
Malaswyn asks Sarenrae for the blessings of fire to heal Happs. The bandit's wounds begin to re-knit, although he is quite obviously still injured. With fluttering eyelids, Happs stares just beyond Malaswyn's shoulder, unfocused, and coughs weakly. He shakes his head slowly from side to side, croaking a quiet statement.
"Water. I thirst."
Tityanna nods and fetches her waterskin. She knows that it is just as likely that Happs will spit the water in her face, but she is prepared for that response when she raises the opening to his lips and allows a swallow of water to enter his mouth.
Happs greedily begins to gulp down the water that Tityanna offers. After a few moments, the bandit grimaces and retches, but manages to hold it down. Eyes slitted in concentration, he drinks some more water, this time without any retching. He turns away from the waterskin when he's finished, nodding weakly.
"Thanks. No more."
Tityanna puts the stopper on the waterskin, but maintains her hold of the object. The tangible object in her hands is comforting. She has spent several years learning to manipulate reality with her magics, and several months at court learning how persons of a particular quality lie as easily as they breathe and subvert the truth to fit their perception of reality, lending to little comfort speaking with persons on the whole.
"I offered you to surrender peacefully, yet you chose hostility," Tityanna begins. "Your actions... I must inform you that they have created a negative image of you among my companions, and myself. Please, if you could help me to understand your reasoning, a mitigating circumstance?" Tityanna practically pleads. "Why did you attack me?"
Happs closes his eyes as Tityanna questions him, smiling wearily. "I thought you were all talk until I got bit by fire and stuck like a pig on a spit by your soldiers. Serves me right for thinking less of you, just by the looks of you. If there's a next time, I'd best mind my manners."
He opens his eyes, attempting to meet Tityanna's gaze. "Anything I say now means nothing to you, I'd wager, but I'm sorry we got off on such a wrong foot. You've clearly got some fire in you. Like I said, this doesn't mean much since I said it, but you might say I've been educated. I've no wish to die. You've beaten me, and now I'm paying the price."
Happs chuckles harshly, wincing at the effort. "Besides, even if you let me live, I'm a dead man. My . . . ah . . . peers'll see me dead if they think I've betrayed them. So, seeing as I'm not too keen on feeding the crows anytime soon, I'd best do what you want. My men, do they live?"
"All but one," Tityanna answers honestly, and softly while she remains close to Happs. "He... was attempting to flee."
"We are not without mercy," Tityanna says louder, stepping away from Happs. "This proceeding is observed by all, even your victims, but not one of us has a greater say than the others in your future.
"Your peers. What might you tell us of them? If you are inclined to cooperate with us in bringing your leader, particularly the woman Kressle to justice, we might be to assist you in finding a new way of life."
Happs nods at Tityanna's response. "Well, these ones I came in with'll kill you as quick as look at you. Ziven, Eljas, and Jan? They're a cold bunch of killers and liars. You'd best beware anything those ones'll tell you, or they'll try to have you hunting snipe in the Narlmarches while figuring how best to relieve you of your purses and your heads. Which one's dead?"
He pauses, considering. His speech picks up speed, and confidence grows in his voice as he continues. "So you've been sent by Restov, right? I'd just like to say that all those bad things the Watch tried to pin on me wasn't true. I was just doing my job, you ken, and they got the wrong idea about someone that tried to bribe me to look the other way--the man was cheating his customers, selling them bad liquor. How was I supposed to know my own men were crooked? Well, they burned down his shop, not me. That's why I had to get out while I could, before they locked me up for something I didn't do. I mean, why would I leave my poor wife and two kids in the lurch if I had a choice? It pains me that I had to leave them, but that's the way it happens, sometimes. You believe me, right? I fell in with Kressle for lack of anywhere else to go, I swear it."
Tityanna licks her lips and spares a glance for her companions. "While I applaud your efforts to be transparent, I sense that you are leaving much out of your history. In particular, you make no mention of your choice to follow Kressle," she says.
Tityanna inhales and centers herself before speaking again. "There exists in each of us the desire to take the path of least resistance and simply give in to fear. The disassociation between the perspective others have of us, and our vision of ourselves is our responsibility to correct if we believe that we are being judged falsely."
Happs stares at Tityanna, confusion casting blankness on his eyes. "I'm not sure what you're trying to say, but I'm just telling you how it's been with me. I was a soldier . . . a Watch guard! I loved my station, and took it seriously. Now, I admit I could've made better choices who my mates were, but I'm innocent! I know I should've given Kressle a wide berth, but what was I to do out here, on my own, with no protection?"
He sighs. "I'll admit to choosing the coward's path, having fallen in with Kressle. But I can help you punish her, and won't that put me in a better light?"
Happs smiles hopefully.
Harsk stands by, watching the interaction in silence until the man mentions punishing Kressle.
Torag says that punishment is dealt by the faithful in honor of justice. You would punish this Kressle to save you skin but do you truly regret what you have done or merely weep at being caught?
Happs regards the dwarf with a shocked expression. "Far be it for me to judge anyone! I'll admit that I don't like being found by those who would punish me, but I'm still a man of honor! I regret that I wasn't found sooner, by those as wise as you! Nay, if I'd been sooner stopped, I could've been telling you this at your side, rather than telling you while binded." Happs sighs loudly, shaking his head at his own recaltricance.
Sense Motive:
"The lies come too quickly to his lips. I'm not sure we can trust anything he says even though he is willing to betray these bandits without a thought. I suppose if his information matches those of his companions, they might have some truth to them."
Haldaval shows little regard that the bandit hears his conversation, sure the end of a rope is his fate.
Happs, once seemingly very diplomatic, narrows his eyes at Haldaval.
"And what've you to say of it, bastard-elf? You've nothing but evil to say of my kind, born of human blood and not of flower-eaters'." Hatred shines in his smile at the half-elf.
Tityanna frowns at Happs's words towards Sir Haldaval. "And now it would seem that Uncle Happs demonstrates his true inclination," she sighs and takes several steps back. "Would that my idealism was not mistaken for lunacy. Or my kindness for inconstancy." Tityanna shakes her head.
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Harsk appraises Happs coolly. Kneeling on his haunches before the man, a few feet away so as not to be too close, Harsk stares through the bandit leader.
Oh aye you will tell us everything we want to know and then some. See, Torag and the other gods sent some o us with a far eye and a mean spirit to do the Swordlords' work. The knight here means to fit ya fer rope. The cleric here mentioned something about a fire cleansing people. Harsk shudders for effect. Me? I'd have truth an no more of this bleeding foolishness. I seen your honor as you try ta pull the woman into yer arms. I seen it in these fine folk cowering after you steal their goods and sweat. So. The only way you get to not fall into to further trouble? Stop speaking of things you know nothing of or what these others'd do and tell us about Kressle and what she has waiting for us. Any more talk ahv bastards and evils likely to see you in poor spot.
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Haldaval bursts out laughing at the worthless bandit. "You seek to bait me, scum? You think, perhaps to incite me to kill you quickly, before you tell us what we want to know?" He chuckles once again. "We already decided to let you live long enough to talk, I will not betray that decision so easily."
He walks to Tityanna and speaks in a low voice, "You are too harsh with yourself, Tityanna. And you should care not one bit what this filth thinks of you. As for what the rest of us think, perhaps you are too quick to judge your friends as well."
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Happs blanches as the dwarf speaks. His confident demeanor disintegrates into obvious cowardice. "Wait, wait, dwarf-friend! Listen, Kressle's not knowing what's gone on here! She'll not be waiting for attack if it's less than three days' time!"
The bandit's eyes water as he loses his nerve. "I meant nothing, myself, but I can't see why you'd back the likes of him!" Happs glares at Haldaval, his grin predatory.
Haldaval stares at the bandit curiously.
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Happs spits the words out. "That man is the death to my kind. I'll not apologize for hating those flower-eating mother-killers! As foul as your attack on me was, as foul my hatred for you will ever be."
He eyes Haldaval with a grimace. "Send him away, and I'll deal with the lot of you."
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Tityanna raises an eyebrow and looks to Haldaval, her mouth opening as though she intends to answer him when Uncle Happs interrupts them with his ignorance and vitriol.
Tityanna states, raising her voice. "Having no position to speak of from which to barter, you will speak to each of us. Haldaval's judgment upon you is colored only by your behavior towards our persons, specifically mine, and your lies," she adds after a moment.
"If, however, you have exhausted the depths of your knowledge of your organization, say... where perhaps we might meet this Kressle? Perhaps you would find more eager employment explaining whence you came upon the scale in your possession?"
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"You pretend some grievance with my attack on you? You dared to lay a hand on this woman, who has more honor and integrity in one finger than you could possibly manage in your entire life, and who furthermore is a companion of mine. No, your life was forfeit from that moment if not before, and your cowardice is laid bare by attempting to vilify the defense of my companions."
Happs's ignorant expression widens; he seems even more confused. "Scale? What are you, daft?"
"Nay, Unlce, I am an educated woman," Tityanna replies. "Found amongst your things was a scale, a piece of the skin of a reptilian creature. Have you fought anything recently that resembled a lizard or possibly a snake?"
Satisfied with the interrogation, I leave the company and go to observe the other bandits. Ensuring they make no trouble and listening to their chatter.
Happs suddenly looks worried. "I'm not in the way of knowing what you speak of. A scale? I've no thought to what you mean."
"This subject has no bearing on your judgment," Tityanna assures Happs. "If you are still cooperating, we would like to know where we might find Kressle before the third day. And for myself, the name and address of your wife so that she might receive support from an honorable source."
"Nay, I can't let you know where she is! I know you not, you ken! Leave my woman and kids out of this!"
Happs closes his eyes, then opens them. "Please, leave them alone."
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"How like a man to evade all responsibility for the children he sires except whence it suits him," Tityanna hisses. She shrugs away from Ray's touch and steps away from him. "No child deserves to wait upon such a creature as this."
Tityanna shakes her head, turns and addresses the group.
"Happs has freely admitted to previous crimes committed in Restov, and Master Leveton and his Good Wife can attest to his criminal behavior since. When offered terms of surrender he chose instead to assault my person, and since being revived has offered none but lies and obfuscating ignorance, as well as insults to our Sir Haldaval. There is naught but hatred in his heart, and a coward, if freed he is likely to revert to his previous behaviors and become a blight upon these lands. It is my judgment that he should be executed."
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"I could not agree more, but bringing news of him to his family could open old wounds." Ray replies, his tone held carefully neutral.
Hatred and cowardice... Ray thinks as his hand goes to grip his arm with the hidden tattoo. He sighs mentally.
"Unless it is decided that he be taken back to Restov and tried for his crimes there, I say we execute him as well. It's the kindest thing we can do, and not one he deserves, but I'll not send him to the other bandits to be tortured."
Harsk will look to Haldaval. Sure as not the sight of the man at rope would either spur the confessions of the others or reveal their frailties of character true enough. I'd have your words with the cleric and Leveton's before I come to my own mind...
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Haldaval looks back at Harsk. "The sword or the rope, it matters not. This one seems devious enough to keep up talk distracting us from what we want to know. The other one already told us their number and location, we don't need him if he is going to waste our time with lies." He turns back to Tityanna. "If he has a wife and children matters not. More than likely, it's a lie to try and gain our sympathy. But even if it is true, the innocent are better off without this evil hearted man in their lives."
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It is too cruel, allowing children to wait upon word of such filth, Tityanna muses, but says nothing. She recalls how many years she had waited to see her father, imagining that he was some manner of hero whose service to the family was greater than becoming acquainted with his own flesh and blood. The shock that he had simply continued his life without her, without ever once thinking upon her mother again until it was convenient for him to acknowledge Tityanna has yet to leave her.
And how might my life had changed hadn't I ever met him? she asks herself, and as if answering Haldaval, simply shakes her head.
Well the clerics see'in to the others but his note about fire convinces me that he'd see no issue with ending this ones life. What say you Master and Mistress Leveton? Do you have some reason to spare this creature?
Oleg shakes his head, staring hatefully at Happs. "This one deserves a crude grave, since you're asking. Family or no, he's proven his worth in my eyes."
Svetlana steps closer to her husband, touching his shoulder lightly. "I'm sorry to hear of his family, if he's telling the truth. But if he's not man enough to provide for his children, it's just another crime to throw on the heap, if you ken. I'm in the way of believing Restov might have use for him, if he's wanted there."
"I believe if we contrived to send him away as a prisoner, they would simply execute him there. We may as well save the effort as our charter indicates. I will do it, if we do not want to bother with the rope."
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"I would prefer to witness a cleaner death," Tityanna adds, for herself. "Allowing Happs to hang, for the sake of intimidating the others is not a line of reasoning I am comfortable entertaining. They have been defeated, and beaten. Demoralizing them further would serve only to break their wills and lead to the same sad conclusion as Happs, I am afraid."
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The sword is clean. I can strike a blow with the hammer that would end his life without much mark upon the body. Perhaps the man has a preferred method to die? If you will forgive my presumption...
Harsk breaks from the group a pace or two and stands before Happs. Leveling his hammer at the man Harsk speaks loudly as though to a large audience,
Happs of the Stolen Lands. It is the determination of those assembled here that you are accused and found guilty of unrepentant banditry, implied and acted violence, attempted assault and rape and un-reedeemable action. In the eyes of The Great Protector,in the heart of the Great Dreamer, by the light of The Dawnflower, by the judgment of Erastil and the sight of Ragatheil your evil is noted and declared unfit for this world. By the power vested in us by the Swordlords of Restov and by the authority granted by Lord Noleski Surtova, current Regent of the Dragonscale Throne your sentence is declared to be death.
Harsk lowers his hammer and his voice.
You will meet your end by your own choosing or ours. You may meet the Lady of Graves with a stoic face or blubbering like a child. Choose, and quickly, or we will choose for you.
Happs stares at the dwarf in wonderment. "Aye, make it quick, dwarf-friend. Just so I can't feel it, aye? I'm ready for my end, be it so."
He bows his head.
Harsk grunts at the man. You're brave, that I'll give you.
Harsk walks to the back of the bandit. On your knees
Standing behind Happs, Harks raises his hammer high and brings the head down on the base of Happs skull.
By the hammer's blow, Torag's will is done.
Tityanna remains silent and still when Master Ironback delivers final judgment to Happs. She has never before witnessed an execution, but having been an interested party at the trial, she owed the man as much. And if this is just the first of many...
When the deed has been done, Tityanna kneels and offers a prayer to the good Lord Erastil in the language of the wilds, Erastil's domain.
"Good Lord, hold and keep this man's family. Bless his children, and let them never want for lack of his presence at their table. Uphold his wife, so that she may never want for virtue, and be as a beacon of love for all to emulate."
Harsk picks up the body and moves it to a spot out of the way where it is still viewable from the yard but not intrusive.
I suppose we should pick the next one and repeat our efforts. Perhaps we'll find a more repentant soul...
Harsk moves off to the storage pen and will pick the next unconscious bandit. To the one who is still awake Harsk notes in a soft tone, Think well of how you'd like your moment to go. You'll hear the rest before your time to talk.
Haldaval walks over to Svetlana and while addressing her, gives a nod to Oleg. "Lady, there is no need for you to witness this unfortunate task. I fear we shall repeat the same thing three more times. If there is any need of your opinion or another witness, I can come to get you if you like."
After hearing and accepting Svetlana's response, he heads back to Tityanna's side and speaks to her in a low voice, although not in secret.
"The same is true for you, good Tityanna. I would spare you this grim task if I did not think you would demand to stay." He gives her a slight bow of respect before turning back to the second bandit being brought out.