Stigr gives a small, malicious grin. "Snowball it is. Tell me, Snowball, have you accepted the word of Erastil into your heart?" As the group prepares to make way back to Heldren, Stigr helps with anything that needs carried, but he makes sure to proselytize the word of Old Deadeye to the fey, aware that he's most likely annoying it. He also speaks loudly enough for the bandits to hear, hoping that their ears will be more open to the word.
"I'll tell you one more time, slowly so that your little Ulfen brain can understand it, My. Name. Is. Vrixx." The small fey says, increasing it's luminosity each time it pauses for effect. "And I care not for this Erastil or his word, and it will matter little when Izoze freezes you all."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Stigr chides ironically. "That's not very community-oriented thinking, now, is it? Your neighbors are meant to be supported, not frozen."
Indras can only smirk and smile at Stigr's obvious attempts to annoy the fey.
"After a day of this 'Snowball', you'd wish you'd died by my hands. Keep it up Prophet."
This is more torture than I could imagine, I like this side of Stigr.
Indras will lead the front again when the group leaves for Heldren, keeping his eyes peeled for danger.
Charlotte looks at the small caged creature, and approaches it, still carrying the frozen head of the fey serpent they had killed earlier. She looks at him with a degree of curiosity and amusement. "With all respect, Vrixx" she begins. "Mr. Izoze takes orders from trolls and works alongside human brigands. He sounds weak, like all Fey."
"Oh, Izoze is no simple fey," It is Roknar who speaks up now in response to Charlotte's comment. "She is a mephit, and if she was weak, I'd have killed her myself by now."
"Eyes open as we head back to Heldren. This one brings a lot of attention" States Grayson,as he looks at Vrixx.
"Bad luck this one is." Drazheek says as he eyes Vrixx. "Leave him here I think. Too much trouble."
"I can't leave my precious Snowball behind. He can be friendly with my new dinosaur familiar."
Gaandik recites the story of Iomedae and how she overcame the challenges to his new caged pet on the way back. He can't have Stigr do all the evangelizing.
As the party is getting ready to return to Heldren, Roknar speaks up. "Several of my men are sick and will likely not make the return trip to Heldren without extensive rest first, I recommend that you leave them behind to rest, they are no threat to anyone at this time."
"Drazheek not believe that. Not having a weapon to hold does not make someone no threat. If we leave them here I think hurting one of their legs would effectively stop them from leaving. They would have shelter to keep them from the weather, and food to sustain them."
Drazheek looks to the others. "Or am I too small to have my idea be considered?"
Stigr sighs. "I agree with Drazheek. It's too dangerous to leave bandits unguarded in their own hold. But I'm not certain what the better plan is. I'm... hesitant, to act as arbitrator here." The Ulfen leans on his axe.
Indras smiles broadly at the kobold close to him.
"My idea exactly Drazheek, good thinking. We can't be for sure, now can we?"
He shakes loose his shoulders and neck, takes up his bow and arrows and nocks one on it, aiming it at Roknar's chest.
"As I see it you have two choices as a hostile prisoner, as you are not in the position to demand anything. Comply with us and walk to Heldren or we'll continue the killing part starting with you."
He steadies his hand and looks past his bow.
"What's it gonna be?"
"Luckily you have a disciple of Iomedae here. Justice is my specialty. I already fought one bandit twice today, Indras and I do not want to fight this group again."
He looks at the leader: "Banditry comes with penalties. You will march as a group back to Hedren, carrying those two chests. If you wish, I can dispense summary justice on the spot for anyone not able to travel."
"This is as much for your good as it is ours, these men are diseased, check them yourselves if you don't believe me, they will not make it back to Heldren alive and they will slow the rest of us down and expose us to their disease, yourselves included." Roknar responds, looking down the shaft of Indras' arrow. "If you would not leave them behind, show them some mercy and kill them now, it would be a better fate then freezing to death." As he speaks, you notice that Roknar's bandits have divided up into two groups already, those with armor and those without, the ones without armor do look more tired and yet, they had not even seen combat when the party attacked the fort. More specifically, those with armor have been avoiding those without this entire time, they have also been avoiding the room to the south of the building, where those without armor had been sleeping prior to the attack.
Indras walks over to the room and inspects the bandits with no armour from a distance. Coming quickly to the conclusion that they are indeed sick.
Yikes, and I thought the man was lying or exaggerating. We have to get ourselves and those healthy men moving quickly out of here.
He returns with a grim face to the others.
"Roknar isn't lying, the sick ones have the disease known as the Chillbane Shakes, they are fatigued and sick, they'd do well to not travel. As much as it's not my problem, I can't let someone die a slow horrible death due to a sickness. Nor would I want myself to be infected by them. Let's leave them here and get moving now we're still healthy."
"That's a good a plan as any. Let's go before we catch anything." Drazheek says.
Charlotte bites her lip at Indras's explanation of their ailments. "Is there no chance of recovery?" She asks him, hoping that he knows what she's actually asking.
"Regardless of chances of recovery, I don't believe you have long enough to wait for them to recover," The noblewoman speaks up now, "The quicker you get us to Heldren, the quicker you can continue deeper into the forest."
Stigr frowns at Indras's proclamation. Should've trained in healing.
He looks to the sick bandits. "Very well. We should get moving back to Heldren. But if I may have a moment..."
He steps up toward the diseased men. "You were born into a society, a community. This is the gift of Erastil, his blessing of sanctuary and life among your brethren. You turned on this gift, revoked his blessing and went rogue, taking advantage of your kin and community. Old Deadeye is displeased with what you have done, but he is not merciless. Accept his gifts, and vow that you might rejoin society and civilization should you survive your illness. Deadeye watches us all." He bows his head and murmurs in Skald before rejoining the group.
"Let's be off."
"Really?" Drazheek murmurs under his breath. "We don't need a proclamation every time we meet someone." Drazheek continues under his breath.
Gaandik is saddened by the plight of the bandits.
He looks at the leader, Roknar, and shakes his head:
"Evil deeds have bad consequences. The power of disease is not beyond divine magic."
Gaandik quickly enters the sickroom to do what must be done and then rejoins the others for the trek back to town.
He speaks to Roknar earnestly: "I think your group has suffered enough retribution for its acts. I do not think I need to pass further judgment. I would recommend you ask for redemption, and do it seriously. The sword of judgment can cut swiftly and deeply."
Indras moves outside, muttering about the same things under his breath as Drazheek. Once outside he tightens his cloak against the cold weather.
"I'm not much for that self-righteous healing and conversion. We live in the wilds to escape that nonsense don't we Argen?" The silver coloured ermine had moved up and about on his shoulder and squeaked as if he was agreeing with Indras.
"Self-righteous holy men talking about redemption at the same time they are prosecuting people based on their looks, the hypocrysy around that still baffles me."
He looks around quite pensive waiting for the others to come to their senses and move about instead of converting evil-doers.
"Had enough of this I have." Drazheek goes outside.
Seeing Indras, he goes over to him. "Hi!"
Indras looks on at the source of the sound and sees Drazheek walking over.
"Hi Drazheek. Had enough of the clerical ways as well for the day?"
Indras looks on at the source of the sound and sees Drazheek walking over.
"Hi Drazheek. Had enough of the clerical ways as well for the day?"
"And perhaps even longer too. This really is a waste of time. We should be going."
"I agree. If I wanted to sit and wait back idly to die I would have stayed at my own home."
Argen climbs onto Indras's back and eventually his legs, before he jumps into the snow and goes hunting himself, trying to locate mice or other rodents close by.
Gaandik offers Lady Argentea his arm.
"Sorry milady. We should be returning you to town posthaste."
With the group close together, Gaandik channels to heal Charlotte, the lady, and the bandits for
"Redemption?" Roknar looks at the cleric carefully, "And if I seriously ask for redemption what then, will I not still face judgement from the townsfolk of Heldren?" Roknar speaks cautiously, keeping his eyes on the man, "I have already surrendered to you, is that not redemption enough?"
Gaandik explains:
"Your band has already paid for its banditry. There is no further debt of justice that needs to be paid in my judgment."
He points to Stigr:
"This prophet is from around here and in the business of granting redemption. Between the two of us, I am sure our word will carry weight in town. Stigr will decide if you are truly deserving of redemption. But I would advise you to be sincere. The disease visited on you should show you the fruits of evil."
Roknar shifts his attention over to Stigr now and asks, "Is this true, if I ask for redemption, will you grant it?"
"I will do all I can to ensure your safety and place in the community, should you accept the offer." Stigr shifts his weight on his axe. "I cannot promise full redemption in the eyes of the townsfolk, but I will speak on your behalf."
"And exactly what place could I, a necromancer, have in a community." Roknar questions, a little cautiously.
"Necromancy... powers over life and death, yes? Seems to me that a beneficial application would be clear if you put in some effort. And you could easily place unsavory pursuits to the side while serving in the town. You're surely not the only man who has a fascination with something that isn't very acceptable in society."
Argen uses stealth and searches for small rodents beneath the snow or in the near vicinity of the bandit hideout.
Argen blends in so well with the snow that anybody else than his 'master' would lose him out of sight. Quite quickly he seemed to pick up a scent or trail of a prey and scurries off.
The celestial cleric looks at the bandit who has proposed to be a necromancer, and it is if his gaze has pierced the man's very soul.
He decides to see what the Prophet has to say on this manner.
"Well, Prophet and Seer of all Divine....What do say about this surprising turn of events? Is redemption in the cards for this one?"
Stigr shrugs. "I've never claimed to have the Sight, or know what the Divines think. But redemption is available for most, as long as they are willing to seek it... and pay the price for a return to the light from darkness."
Having already forgotten all about the sickened bandits, Charlotte is focused on Roknar, and is very curious to hear him use the word Necromancy, especially so that she suspects he intends something more than that. Her knowledge of such things is limited, though, as she's never found much use for religion, and she cannot come up with another word that he might have meant.
More genuinely interested in it than actually grilling him, she poses questions to Roknar rapidly. "Necromancy? So you can raise the dead? I've never seen something rise from the grave before, is it frightening? I imagine if you were talented you'd have control over them?"
She senses, too, his reluctance to give up his ways, and comes to his defense, speaking more aloud than to Prophet and Gaandik, though she casts glances at them. "Certainly what one does is more important than what one is. I have known magic users - such as yourselves - that have saved many lives. And I would suspect that one could do many useful and honourable things with such strong magic as power over life and death."
Gaandik looks at Roknar with some confusion. "Can you explain in more detail what you do? Did it have any connection with the disease we saw back at the lodge?"
Gaandik looks to the inquisitor: "Those of us with the power of the Gods have the ability to see and know all that is divine. I heard you spoke the words of the Hunter back in the tavern. Mayhaps you can only do it a time of his chosing?"
Gaandik looks at Stigr with hope. It as if communing with the Gods is something he would like to see happen more often.
"The disease is not my work, why would I harm my own men?" Roknar asks nervously. "The skeletons were my work, and if you ran into any zombies earlier, those were mine as well." He specifies.
"Well, I am no expert. But they were evil and dangerous!"
"Who knows what skeletons and and zombies carry? They are dead after all."
Stigr frowns. "Skeletons and zombies... I can't say they'd be very well-liked in town, and torturing the bodies of the fallen is an evil path. But light and dark are two sides of the shadow; there is good in your art, I'm sure." He claps Roknar on the shoulder. "Commit yourself to joining your brothers in community, and the road to redemption will be found."
"Then I will, please help me on the road to redemption." Roknar responds with a smile.