In the Wilds: A Kingmaker Game

Game Master Seth Parsons

Mikhaela stands stolidly, sharpening her sword. She isn't quite convinced that all this bluster and talk of killing is for show, but she is willing to give her companions the benefit of the doubt, for now.

Privately to Orsino:

"You will not hurt these people, they are in our care, we will not become thugs when we are more powerful than the others. Thats what they do."

I'll give you guys a full listing of equipment when I get home later. Oh, abd Tessandriel, in the hands of Haps, you notice he has a masterwork composite longbow (str 14).
@Komana: Walking out of the house with his wife, whose eyes are still moist but with smiles on both of their faces, Oleg hears your suggestion. "Yeah, I'll place an order for you for your mapmaking stuff. Should take just a few days."

@Orsino: Nikon yelps at your threat, and begins to stammer out directions. He's none to bright (none are really, but they aren't too stupid either), you get the gist that their camp is about a day away to the south, near the woods. The lady who led them in the first time is known as Kressle, and she has at least a dozen more bandits under her.

@Ranzo: Oleg pulls you aside to discuss burials for the bandits. There appears to be a good spot of land just a hundred or so meters to the west that can meet the needs of burials. Svetlana however feels that chuckimg the bodies into a stream just about twenty minutes south would be better...

After hearing Nikon speak Orsino gets to the subject that interests him the most. Broken Nose are there any Lotus Flowers or herbs of importance near the bandit camp itself?

Tessandriel will keep the bow for now.

"Stop asking for those stupid flowers! Nobody cares!" Tessandriel yells over to Orsino while she is sorting items.

Sighing in exasperation Orsino spoke. Ignore her, she hasn't been right in the head since the encounter with the stone giant...

bluff check of annoyance1d20 ⇒ 15

From the bandits, the party finds 4o gp, 4 suits of leather armor for medium-sized humanoids, 4 short swords, 80 arrows, 4 longbows, 8 days of trail rations (2/per bandit). On Haps you find 2 alchemist fires, studded leather armor, a dagger, a longsword, masterwork composite longbow (Str 14), 20 arrows, 2 days of trail rations, 50 gp, and an odd silver amulet of a stag skull.

@Orsino: Nikon shrugs as best he can. "Don't know what a lotus is, but Haps found some weird flowers and gave them to Kressle a bit back. Weird looking things to me and some of the boys, but Kressles thought they was beautiful, I guess." The others murmur similar. "Yeah, said he found them in a clearing while staking out a Varisian caravan a few weeks back. Things must be pretty hardy, snow fell the day 'fore he saw it and plucked it."

never heard of a Lotus Flower that was that resistant to snow...interesting.

Tell me of this "Kressles", her personality, habits, cunning and those in your gang who would die for her or flee at the slightest sign of doom...

Looking the equipment of outlaws Komana says "I think I could use one of these longbows in our foray into the bandits´ lair." Later ... "Oleg, in the order for mapmaking could you place too a backpack masterwork for me, please."

Komana took one of the longbows and a quiver with 20 arrows. Will the gold of the bad guys be divided? and the items? Can we sell in the store? Did Oleg manifest interest in buy them?

"Tessandriel, is the bow to your suiting? It would be best with you I think.

Everyone else take what they might be able to use. Except the arrows I think we can use those. Orsino, check to make sure the fires are workable. Trail rations becomes ours and we split half the money and the rest become fam.. Ah party treasure for the future. Oleg can you sell the armor and other things we dont need for a cut of course.

Whatever anyone does not take we sell thru Oleg, alright?

"Selling and converting to cash sounds good" Mikhaela agrees.

Bexer looks at the pile, "Let's see how much money there is before we begin discussion on what to do with it. A fund for the expedition is a novel proposal, though I think half is excessive."

Oleg pipes up. "Yes, me and Svetlana will buy the gear from you all if we have the means to. But what do you plan to do with these bastards?" He gestures to the bandits. String them up or heavy labor? Don't have anyplace here or nearby really that we can lock them up at, so how are we going to deal with them? I have a lot of work around the post I could use them for."

Svetlana nods alongside her beloved husband. "Personally, I think hard labor would be great. We have a little bit of land around the post we could till for farmland. And speaking of farms, I've got to get cooking. This calls for a good meal tonight. Veal and spiced apples, I think..." She hurries off to the house, a lightness in her step and a grin on her face. Oleg watches her as she goes. "Gods I love that woman."

So, how do you all want to deal with Nikon, Jarek and Tibor?

Oh, and you all gain 156 xp. I'll be keeping a running count right alongside you all, and thought you guys might like to know what you got for besting Haps and his men.

Tis seems that the only effective solution available to us is to kill them, before any of you protest consider this. We have no prison to house them, no stocks or pillories to lock them up in and we have a bandit infestation to cleanup. Unless one of you can make a pillory or prison right quick the only option left is to execute them for the crime of banditry which they are no doubt guilty of.

"Execution may turn out to be the best result. I'd like, however, to give each a chance to plead his case. It may be that we find one or two of them to be sufficiently sincere to show mercy."

"Oleg, it sounds like you have mentioned a preference for hard labor. Do you have manacles or leg irons that could be used to assure safety?"

"I'm not in favor of immediate execution, lets tie them up and inform them they have a choice, be good and do what Oleg says or they get executed.

And if they do not do what Oleg says we cut off their dominate hand and brand B for Bandit on thier forehead and kick them towards the city. Anyone else have any ideas on this?"

Thinks for a moment.

Course it depends on Orsino's report on the three.

With Oleg and Svetlana: "We should at least do the civilized things. and we don't want to poison the waters downstream"

"I agree with Ranzo, we should give a chance to them, and let him know that we´re going to put a end in all bandits in this region, including their leader, this Kressle.

So, at the moment we have to think in another question. How long it takes to their outlaws colleagues realize that they failed on collect *taxes*? We need to think about a plan to invade their camp and to finish that."

Turning to Oleg
"How long they usually spend at outpost?"

"If Oleg thinks he can make use of them, then hard labour is the best solution. They can work to repay him for what they have stolen and that may very well lead them towards a new start."

@Komana: Oleg steps over towards you to speak. "The first time round they stayed for nearly an hour. Scared Svetlana nearly to death, though I wasn't scared in the least, of course *cough cough*. Every other time only took them a bit, 15 minutes at most. He turns towards Ranzo and Mikhaela. "Yeah, best not kill the fishes. I say we keep them locked up until I can get some shackles in from the city. I think I could fashion a chain-gang device ready in probably a week. Little longer for some stocks, but I'm sure my new associates over there might me willing to help, hmm?" He shoots a poisoned glare at the captives.

"That is an excellent idea, Oleg." Mikhaela agrees.

"What say you Osino, were they forthcoming enough to be sentenced to hard labor, or are they done with their spring days?"

To the bandits:

"Gentlemen. For far is it to your base camp and where is it and how many people are there? This is also a measurable response where each of you will respond separately and in private so we can tell if your telling the truth, if I am not sure they you all of you are telling the truth it will go badly for all of you"

"Oleg Sir, do you have a map of sorts to assist us in this? I know being here has gained you some information about are, right??"

"We need to leave as soon as possible to keep the surprise on our side.
Mithlynnta, can you guide us following the track left by the bandits and their horses?
Moreover, what´hell is this silver stag skull amulet? Any symbol among the outlaws? Can anyone check if have some kind of magic?"

At Komana's words, Mikhaela begins detecting magic.

"Only those with the proper spell can detect magic" Mikhaela adds straight faced.

"Oleg, where do you want these Hapless men?"

"I am able to track quite well. I shouldn't have any issues following them back to their origin."

"I'm sure you can we can use them and what they say, then compare it to to what you find with your skill and see if they tried to use a ruse."

GM Orsino is waiting for an answer from Oleg about a way to successfully contain the bandits before he decides whether or not if they need to be executed after a thorough interrogation...

@Orsino: Oleg has said they can be tied up until they can get some shackles in from Rostov. He nominates area A-4 (Storage Pen). It's empty right now...

@Mikhaela: Though try as you might, the only magic resonating around you is from healing potions.

@Everyone: Say we wrap up this day and move on to the next?

I suppose after the responses given by bandits we can follow their tracks to attack the camp, on the same day, what do you think? Have they talked all they know? What about the interrogation of Ranzo?

Since the bandits can be contained they can be allowed to live, executing them for me is more a matter of practicality. There is no point in allowing them to live if they will only escape to either pillage and raid again or to kill Oleg... I may also be able to provide us with a method of catching the bandit camp either unawares or with devastating effect. Would you like to hear my plans?

"Please share." Mikhaela smiles encouragingly.

"Not really." Tessandriel says under her breath.

I can with the proper Lotus Flowers or substitutes create two varieties of potion, the first will greatly increase your size and make your blows strike with deadly effect and the other will allow you along with these bandits clothing to assume their appearance and while under it's brief effects catch the enemy unawares... Enlarge Person and Disguise self potions respectively

"If you have that available, I think the appearance changing spell will be of more help. We get in among them after midnight shift change and take them then. Assuming the information is good."

I will need to find the herbs and Lotus Flowers to make them however these are not terribly uncommon potions and we could conceivably find what we need along the trail although I can't guarantee which potions ingredients will be available... So I hope some of you have keen eye sight for the sacred Lotus Flower and other lesser herbs...

And with that, the three living bandits are pushed into storage pen by Oleg, a smirk on his face the entire time. He sets quill to paper to set up an order for supplies from Restov.

List: Mapping kit, trail rations, arrows, mending kits and some sundries. He then makes a letter to the Lord Mayor to thank him for sending the group.

"Well we can look on the road, but we need to get going before to longer, WE will take the clothing and cloaks of the men and head south."

GM: we will need a approximate location and camp setup so we can plan our attack. :)

"Ok, let's get ready to leave, Orsino, I supose that you´ll can collect your *flowers* and prepare the potions on ours way."
GM: The outlaws horses had some sort of saddle?

Let's move on. :)

Orsino will once he gets on the road be studying the surrounding trail for the materials he will need...

perception check 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

Bexer will call up his armor, mount fidget, and make himself ready to leave.

Mikhaela selects the horse that looks the gentlest. She calls her 'Shakes' and mounts up.

Ongoing Perception check 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Once I get home, I'll upload a "rough" map and an approximate location on it as to where the bandits are

The red dot about two hexes south is the purported locale of the bandit camp

Making sure the three Oleg recruits are secure and Oleg is ready to handle them Ranzo will pick a horse and call him/her 'Gomed'

"Heres what I think, we head south to the woods, stay on the east side of the woods until it starts to head south, head directly west into the forest, stop and nap till end of first watch, About 10 pm then head west to the river and head south to the camp. Turning to the three bandits. Will that get us to the camp gentlemen? I'll wear Haps cloak and head in with all you following saying that Nikon's horse thru a shoe and he turned his foot getting off the horse. Once we get in, I and Komana are front lines, Bexter you summon your friends, Tessandriel is artillery support with Haps bow, Orsino and Mikhaela are back up, spells, healing, fighting what ever. We arrive in camp just after third watch 3-4am So we get a jump on them. Anybody have any other ideas?"

"If we are attempting to portray ourselves as the bandits, then we should come in by the same route they normally use, which our captives can give us."

"Five bandits left; five should be seen returning, which means one following behind or attempting to remain unseen. Personally, I have no objection to a night attack, as I can see fine in the dark when armored."

Note: Bexer doesn't 'summon friends', he's a synthesist. He calls forth armor that toughens him, and he has some minor magic, most notably he's used Enlarge Person once. I'm not sure where you picked up any other impression.

"Well, Bexer could stay in frontline with us Ranzo. About the route, I suppose that regardless what we'll take, Tess can guide us stealthily, and if we´ll use Orsino´s extracts I´m sure that we´ll keep the surprise on our side."

"I'm just concerned about Mikhaela, she needs to keep a secure foothold", and looking at her, "Use your horse to get a cover during the conflict and may Erastil will stay with us in this hunt!"

I'll be joining you on the frontline Ranzo, I would prefer to capture the bandit leader alive... Depending on what a thorough interrogation reveals she may prove to be more useful alive then dead... If not we can always string her up or impale her depending on whether or not there are more bandits in the area then we know of...

The bandits state that traveling by horse it would take you all until about midnight to get back. There are a few trails in the woods, but they prefer heading straight south to the river and then following it up towards the camp because there are things in the woods that scare them, mostly vicious animals and strange creatures, probably fey or weak demons from the north.

"The river route would likely mean we would be spotted. On the other hand, we can not get lost going that way."