Kingmaker: A Brave New World

Game Master GunMetalDrac

Matching Korinne's gaze, Rufus replies in a low tone. "Ik denk dat...
Happs zich in een precaire positie." Shrugging, he continues. "Hij weet dat zijn overlevingskansen bij ons afhangt tenminste schijnbaar verlossing, die naar zijn mening zeer goed zou kunnen betekenen verraden zijn vroegere kameraden te zoeken."
Turning his gaze to the individual in question, Rufus adds, "Op hetzelfde moment, heeft hij op geen enkele manier zeker van dat we zullen zegevieren tegen hen te zijn, zodat hij riskeert de dood in hun handen als we falen.
Ik heb bijna medelijden met hem. Bijna."
Turning once more to Korinne, "Heeft u de tong van de bosbewoners weten?"

As Happs' interrogation comes to a close, a short yawns escapes Castor.

"I had probably best been getting some rest. I ought to be at my best when I take over the morning watch."

However, as he is about to enter his tent, Castor spots something odd in the distance.

"What's this..."

Castor squints, trying to get a better look, and calls whichever companions of his are still awake over to see, pointing the hovering light in the distance.

"Have any of you ever seen or heard of such a thing?"

"Dus jij denkt dat hij dat bewust vaag, dan? Geeft ons net genoeg informatie die hij kan beweren te zijn de samenwerking met ons als we winnen of ons te misleiden als we zouden falen ... dat is eigenlijk heel slim. Ten minste enkele van deze bandieten zijn duidelijk slimmer dan mensen geef ze krediet voor." Korinne then gives Rufus a curious look. "Ja, ik ben bekend met het en ik geloof Arawn is ook. En Castor, natuurlijk. Waarom, heb je iets in gedachten hebben?"

Nodding at Korinne's comprehension, Rufus replies. "Voor zover ik weet, hebben ze niet deze tong spreken." inclining his head towards the others. "Ik, als het gebeurt, niet die van hen spreken." He adds, a rueful expression suffusing his features. "Ik vrees dat je zal moeten doorgeven wat ik u gezegd heb, om hen."
"Ook," Rufus adds, his expression turning serious, "geloof ik niet dat een poging om onze manier van bluffen effectief zal blijken. In plaats daarvan, denk ik dat we moeten proberen om hen te vestigen op ons. Ik heb Happs boog & ben tamelijk bevoegd in zijn gebruik. Ik denk dat we dicht genoeg bij zijn om de wachtposten te zien moeten benaderen, dan ons voor te bereiden. Zodra we zijn, zal ik proberen tot het afsluiten van een van de bewakers met een pijl. Of het succesvol is of niet, het zal ongetwijfeld de aandacht van de anderen. Bij het naderen, zullen we omgaan met hen. Als er maar liefst een dozijn...
Het zal bloedige worden. Het spijt me. Gelieve te delen met de anderen mijn plan."

Korinne pales at Rufus' words but nods. "Oke, ik zal ze vertellen. Hopelijk zullen ze bereid zijn om mee te gaan met het, want we hebben niet de tijd om rond te aarzelen over wat te doen," she says with a glance at Arawn. "Als zij akkoord gaat met uw plan, dan zal ik mijn magie dienovereenkomstig te bereiden. Het meeste van wat ik heb geleerd is gericht op het uitschakelen van vijanden in plaats van ze te doden, maar als puntje bij paaltje komt..." her voice trails off into silence.

Come on Korinne, you knew what this was and what you might have to do when you went seeking a charter...

With a slight shake of her head, Korinne scoots over closer to Arawn and Castor are sitting. "Rufus semble penser que Happs n'est pas tout à fait de nous dire toute la vérité sur ses amis, mais qu'il a dit nous juste assez pour pouvoir dire qu'il a occupé jusqu'à sa fin de l'affaire devrait nous parvenons à vaincre Kressle et le reste. Et si nous ne réussissons pas ... il peut leur dire qu'il nous a trompés avec de fausses informations et sauver sa peau désolé de représailles." She studies Happs for a moment before continuing. "Honnêtement, je pense qu'il pourrait avoir un point - il est certainement possible que tous ces bandits ne sont pas aussi stupide que les gens pensent qu'ils sont. Et, avec cela dit, il estime que de tenter de bluffer notre chemin dans le camp demain ne serait pas sage. Au lieu de cela, il propose que nous obtenons assez près l'un de ces tours de guet, nous préparons et puis il va les attirer à nous en essayant de prendre vers le bas l'un des leurs belvédères avec une flèche bien placée."

"Ça me semble un sage plan. Je doute que j'aurais pu faire un bandit très convaincant, et il vaudra mieux avoir l'avantage de la surprise." Castor nods.

Please forgive me if my english comes out a bit stilted when I do the elven shtick. I tend to write the french and then translate it to english, when I speak like this.

"Zelfs de nummers die we moeten vechten in een keer verminderen kan het verschil tussen succes en dood betekenen." Rufus replies quietly.

Arawn starts to laugh as Korinne relays Rufus' message to Castor and himself. He covers his face with his hand as he shakes his head, "Bien sûr, MAINTENANT il devient préoccupé Happs nous trahir . MAINTENANT, il veut changer son plan . Pas quand il a été mentionné que Happs serait presque certainement nous trahir , de retour à l'avant-poste ." The young man releases a long, exasperated sigh, and looks between Rufus and Happs, "Je peux encore le charmer , faire qu'il nous dise la vérité . Et je peux encore faire la même chose demain , afin d'assurer sa coopération sans risque de lui nous trahir ."

Castor is the first to react to Arawn's outburst with a stern eye, the kind of look one would expect from a schoolmarm to a rowdy student.

"La dernière chose dont on à besoin c'est de recommencer à se se crier au visage comme deux merles qui se dispute une baie. Le nouveau risque n'est pas que Happs peut nous trahir. Ça on le savait déja. Le risque est qu'on à moins d'information que l'on croyaît. Je refuse de risquer les vies de ce groupe sur un coup d'orgueil. Un plan ce n'est que ça: un plan. Quand on à plus confiance en un plan, on le change."

"À ma connaissance, nous étions tous d'Accord que le charme devait être conservé comme ressource de dernière-chance. Tenons-nous en à ce mot, voulez-vous bien?"

Arawn returns Castor's look with an amused raise of the eyebrows, "Qui est criant ? Je ne fais que professe mon amusement à la situation ." He shrugs his shoulders and continues, "Le plan initial était de couvrir nos visages et utiliser Happs à s'approcher suffisamment pour tendre une embuscade au reste des bandits . Faire une agression ouverte de la forêt comporte des risques semblables . La seule véritable différence est que nous n'avons pas besoin Happs pour une agression. En fait, il est encore plus d'un passif de cette façon. Rufus ne voulait pas le charmait afin que nous puissions lui donner une chance de prouver sa rédemption . Eh bien, si je charme lui maintenant , nous pouvons apprendre si il nous a été induit en erreur , et sa rédemption peut être prouvée , ou réfutée , ici et maintenant . Pas dans le feu de la bataille quand il pourrait signifier l'un de nous atteindre notre fin ."

At Oleg's:

That's fine. There is this sort of trading pin in the center of the trading post that I just considered you guys to be keeping them in. Tied to the posts obviously.

Oleg seems to consider for a moment and says, "Well, if they are from Restov than we should let them in. Garess is the name of a noble family in Brevoy...I think. Besides, if they are dangerous and there are 5 of them...I'm not sure if we could really hold them off if we wanted to. Best to parlay with them at the minimum." With that said, Oleg follows you to the gates to welcome the new guests.

The "leader" of the bandit quartet says "Of course mam, anything that you want.We're doomed." He says the last part a little sullenly under his breath. Xelani easily hears it though.

The gates are unbarred and the small contingent is let in. Kesten looks around and sees Oleg. He blithely tosses the man a small pounch that jingles as Oleg catches it. "That's for food and stabling, for now. Small shipments should be coming in from Restov to provide us with supplies to guard this place." He indicates to the rest of his men who move into the trading post and start offloading their gear.

Amid this bustle of activity, Kesten dismounts and says to the group, "Well, it's not exactly the greatest posting in the world but it will do." Looking over, he notices the bandits tied in the pin. "Though I guess you've seen you're share of action. So what's the story exactly? Who are you people?" He is clearly talking to Xelani and Alayi.

"My friend here" Xelani says, nodding towards Alayi, "is Alayini Eraya, warrioress and blacksmith, while I'm Xelani Fyodorova, a humble servant of Old Deadeye - both our swords pledged to Restov's cause". After a slight curtsey, she presses on: "As it stands, we're recipient of a charter issued by the Swordlords, entrusting us with scouting and bringing law to the Greenbelt; mostly as a way to put a stop to the rampaging banditry plaguing Restov's southern borders".

After handing Ser Garess the roll of parchment as proof of her words, she respectfully waits for him to read it, then she resumes her recounting of the unfolding events. "As it happened, on reaching this trading post we concurred about there being no worthier start to our endeavor than helping our graceful Master Oleg with his own bandit problem. After subduing a small force of them in the very same spot we're currently standing, four of our companions rode towards their main camp to put an end to their threat once and for all, while the two of us have elected to stay behind to guard both the prisoners and the outpost. Having departed this morning, I reckon they'll be back no sooner than tomorrow evening."

"Hope we didn't spoil your fun" she jokes, a courteous smile highlighting the good-natured spirit of her quip. "We took them prisoners, should you want to speak to them".

"Je ne suis pas en désaccord avec le plan." Arawn clarifies, "C'est ce que j'ai suggéré que nous faisons depuis le début, tout simplement sans le bandit capturé qui chercheront à s'échapper et à aider ses alliés contre nous à la première occasion."

-Posted with Wayfinder

Korinne looks back at Rufus, her expression a mixture of resolve and apology. "Ja, je hebt gelijk. Het spijt me, ik weet dat ik waarschijnlijk niet inspirerend een groot deel van het vertrouwen door te spreken als deze. Toen ik aanvaard het charter in de eerste plaats wist ik dat het omgaan met de bandieten, op een of andere manier, was een van de dingen die van mij verwacht zou worden. Of onze plannen te betrekken het gebruik van geweld, woorden, of iets heel anders, ik zal mijn beste doen om mijn deel van de last te dragen."

Korinne then sighs as Arawn and Castor banter back and forth over Rufus' proposed plan. Not quite the response I'd hoped for but still better than what it could have been.

"Je voudrais essayer de garder ensorcellment de l'esprit comme un dernier recours moi-même, si possible. Même si elle peut prouver une fois pour toutes si Happs dit la vérité ou pas, je ne pense pas qu'il serait trop envie d'aider chacun d'entre nous après l'enchantement se dissipe." However, she does reluctantly nod her head in acknowledgement of Arawn's point. "Mais vous avez un point - nous devons faire quelque chose avec Happs si nous voulons essayer de les tirer comme le suggère Rufus. Il ne va pas à attaquer son propre groupe sans y être contraints de le faire d'une certaine façon. Je vais demander et voir s'il a un plan en tête pour savoir quoi faire avec lui."

With that said, she turns her attention to Rufus once more. "Castor lijkt akkoord te zijn, omdat hij van mening is dat het voordeel van de verrassing het beste zou zijn , gezien we minder over het kamp dan we hadden gehoopt weten. Dat, en hij leek niet erg overtuigd van zijn vermogen om een list te houden voor lang." Here, she pauses as a look of reluctance comes over her features. It won't be what he wants to hear, but I'd better be honest - not to mention if I don't say it now then Arawn will surely bring it up later anyway. "Arawn...is het niet oneens met het plan, maar hij voelde de behoefte om erop te wijzen dat het langs een of meer aangesloten bij wat hij eerder suggereerde, verminderd met een gevangene op sleeptouw dat zal op zoek om te ontsnappen en hulp van zijn bondgenoten indien mogelijk. Hij heeft nog steeds dat het gebruik ensorcellment van de geest zal ons vertellen voor bepaalde of Happs geheel waarheidsgetrouw is of niet is geweest, maar ook voorkomen dat hij verraden ons als we ons morgen verhuizen."

Smiling, a trifle reufully, but reasuringly at Korinne, Rufus replies. "Ik kan me niet herinneren ooit te zeggen dat het plan was om te doen alsof we waren bandieten. Ik herinner me te zeggen dat het verlaten Happs er was in feite een doodvonnis. Het is van geen gedachten als alle zijn overeengekomen om het huidige plan. " His expression grows more serious & inquisitive. "Maar gelooft u dat hij kan dwingen Happs meer dan hij heeft laten zien?"

Korinne looks thoughtful. "Nou...dat bepaalde spreuk is geen onderdeel van mijn eigen repetroire maar als ik me goed herinner, dan ja het kon. Het vertroebelt de geest genoeg dat ze meer positief op tegenover de caster veel. Bijvoorbeeld...als hij zou werpen dat op u, uw schatting van hem zou ineens hoger geworden. Je zou meer geneigd zijn in te stemmen met de dingen die hij zegt en doet voelen - immers, hij is je vriend en vertrouwde bondgenoot voor zover u weet." She pauses a moment to let her words sink in before continuing. "Maar het is niet perfect. Je kunt niet echt controle de persoon die je zo'n spreuk op geworpen, maar proberen ze te praten in het doen wat je wilt dat ze doen. Dus Arawn zou waarschijnlijk kunnen Happs te praten in ons te vertellen alles wat hij er over is over het kamp en de rest van de bandieten, maar proberen om hem om daadwerkelijk de wapens tegen hen is een heel ander verhaal. Het is veel moeilijker om de betrokken persoon te praten in iets dat ze niet zouden doen onder normale omstandigheden doen. En zodra de betovering verdwijnt..." Her expression turns grim. "Hoe gunstig zou jij je voelen in de richting van iemand die iets dergelijks om je deed? Het is zeker een haalbare strategie en het kan zeker levens redden, afhankelijk van de situatie, maar het is niet iets om licht te nemen. Het leidt terug naar wat ik eerder zei in Oleg 's...op welk punt is een situatie rechtvaardigt de manipulatie van de geest van een ander of geheel weg te nemen van hun recht om op te treden als zij dat nodig vinden - zelfs als het hen zou kosten hun leven?" Sighing, she adds, "Ik weet dat het krijgen van filosofische over dit recht is nu niet nodig, maar ik wilde uitleggen waarom ik persoonlijk huiverig om te lopen onderaan die weg. En ik heb het gevoel dat het is iets dat we allemaal moeten beslissen voor onszelf en als groep, in de tijd."

"Er is een verschil tussen vriendschap en vertrouwen." Rufus replies as his expression becomes both melancholy & rueful. "Naar uw andere verklaring...
Ik ben het volledig eens. Ik heb niet gevraagd of hij dit ding moet doen, alleen als hij in staat om dit te doen was. Met hem te delen uw zorgen, ik vermoed dat het nog te vroeg voor mij om veel gewicht te houden.

Korinne nods. "Ja. Ik zal zien wat hij te zeggen heeft. Maar ik ben benieuwd wat je in gedachten te doen met Happs terwijl we druk bezig het omgaan met zijn bondgenoten had; gewoon bind hem op en laat hem op een veilige afstand?"

She turns to Castor and Arawn once more. "Rufus ne semble pas être particulièrement préoccupé par Happs interférer avec nous demain; Je lui ai demandé ce qu'il a à l'esprit, car il ne semble pas que l'un de nous en dehors de Arawn sont en faveur de celui charmant. Je suppose que nous ne pouvions tout simplement bâillonner, attachez-le et laissez-le quelque part dans l'intervalle."

"Eigenlijk ging ik naar hem kijken naar de paarden." Rufus replies, shrugging.

Korinne actually laughs out loud at Rufus' words. "Natuurlijk! Dat zou praktisch de makkelijkste om te doen zou het niet zijn?" She shakes her head, still chuckling. "Ik heb altijd gezegd dat ik soms dingen ingewikkelder dan ze moeten zijn. Ik zal de anderen te vertellen."

Smiling, she calls back over her shoulder to the others. "Rufus pensait que nous venions de quitter Happs pour voir les chevaux! Cela semble assez simple et je suppose que si il voulait essayer de nous trahir ou même échapper, il serait en train de faire tout en sachant que notre prochaine réunion ne serait pas s'avérer aussi favorablement pour lui comme le premier."

Arawn shakes his head, his face growing darker and more serious as he does, "Cela montre un manque inquiétant de prévoyance. Tout simplement parce que Happs n'est plus activement nous attaque ne veut pas dire qu'il s'est allié avec nous . Nous ne pouvons pas lui apporter près du camp et attendre de lui de ne pas avertir ses amis , ni à se joindre à eux une fois le combat commence ." He pauses a moment, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He reminds himself of his mentor's teachings, and when he continues, his confident smile and more jovial demeanor have returned, "Si nous laissons lui ligoté et bâillonné , il devra être entravé , ainsi . Je ne pense pas qu'il sera trop heureux à ce sujet , mais il faut l'empêcher de s'enfuir dans le chaos ."

Alayi bows to the five as Xel introduces her. "Please, call me Alayi. And these men are under my protection as my first batch of students. I will be teaching them an honest trade so that they can make their way in what is to be our new settlement. Which brings me to my question: are you or any of your men familiar with the maintaining or crafting of siege weapons? We have some that I am eager to set to work repairing, with these lads help in hefting the materials, if you can just help me with the planning portion."

Alayi smiles warmly, but the entire time has the palm of her hand on the butt of her longsword.

"Cela pourrait fonctionner aussi bien. Pour ce que ça vaut, Rufus n'a pas écarté la possibilité de l'attacher, il a juste dit que le laissant avec les chevaux, c'est ce qu'il pensait." With a sigh she adds, "Et pour être honnête, je ne crois pas que Rufus serait essayer de vous parler de la charmante Happs ou essayer de vous arrêter si c'est ce que vous voulez faire." She gazes off into the distance for a moment as if in thought. "Je l'ai dit à lui et je le répète à vous deux. Je vais vous avouer d'avoir mes propres préoccupations personnelles sur de trop compter sur la manipulation de l'esprit, mais c'est certainement une tactique viable et qui peut faire gagner du temps et peut-être vit dans les bonnes circonstances. Malgré tout ce que mes propres sentiments sont, la charte était clair que mettre un terme au banditisme serait une des choses qu'on attend de moi. Et selon le plan que nous décidons, je ferai de mon mieux pour porter mon poids."

Arawn shakes his head, "Nous venons juste de ces chevaux . De Happs et ses amis . Il ne serait pas dans le tort de les ramener chez nous." He smiles at both Korinne and Castor, nodding to them both, "De l'avis de Rufus n'a pas de sens pour moi. Il ya trois membres de notre groupe actuellement présent , et je suis en infériorité numérique de deux à une sur ce vote . Je ne vais pas agir contre la majorité ."

Castor listens in on the conversation carefully but refrains from speaking up, not feeling that he can add much.

At Oleg's:

Kesten nods slightly, taking the charter and reading it over. He hands it back after a short review and says, "I had heard the Swordlords sent some people out this way. Wasn't really expecting to see you here. More expecting you to be out and about doing what you're charter says..." He shrugs, "Though, no harm in what you were doing. Surprised you let 'em live. They would have gotten nothing from me nor anyone in Brevoy other than the noose. I suppose if you captured them and Oleg is fine with it, I suppose I can leave them in your care. However, if they make any trouble for me or my men, it's off to noose for them."

Hearing this, Oleg says, "Well, I had figured the bandit's would be put into you're care, Ser Garess..."

Kesten laughs, interrupting, "No need for the Ser there, Oleg. I'm no knight. Just call me Kesten."

Oleg sputters a second before continuing, "Kesten then. I guess they could be beneficial around the post but I had assumed you would be overseeing their...care."

Kesten shrugs a bit, "I can oversee them I suppose. Though my men would be stretched pretty thin...We're tasked with guarding this place and keeping the immediate area and roads open to support traveling to the area. I'd prefer to just ship them up to Restov and be done with them..." Oleg nods slightly in agreement.

I haven't forgotten you're question Alayi. I just imagine this line will require a few rebuttles from you guys ;)

On it. Also, since you stated you prefer to roll your dice "behind the curtains", so to say, if it's okay with you I will refrain from rolling any more Diplomacy / Sense Motive / etc. checks (unless asked, of course), leaving those for you to roll as (or if) you see fit ;)

Xelani nods in acknowledgment at Ser Garess' words; when she eventually speaks, her tone is gentle and her words carefully picked. "I don't blame your sense of surprise, Ser Gar... Kesten. I know full well what Restov's law says about banditry and how it should be punished. Indeed, even capturing them alive has been more of a happenstance and less of a previously agreed upon decision."

She sighs briefly before resuming her account. "After we subdued them through magical means, we interrogated them. We wanted to know more about their numbers, their leaders - one self-proclaimed Stag Lord, apparently, with a gal named Kressle acting as his lieutenant in the northern Greenbelt - and most importantly, the location of their camp. The choice was between complying to our requests and the noose. Unsurprisingly, they chose the former. Perhaps to their surprise, they happened to be made prisoners by group of men and women of their word".

She looks at Alayi, as if to get some strength from her presence, then she averts her eyes and bites her lips. "That... might not be all. I'm certainly no scholar, but I've once read a passage that left its mark on me. It was written by an ancient historian who described Taldan's Armies of Exploration as "making deserts and calling them peace". That's an example I would rather not follow. I don't want to see the Stolen Lands pacified by building gallows and gibbets - we already have Galt for that. I understand there will be times when we're left with little choice in the matter - if we ever get that far. But for now, I like to think it's only unrepentant bandits our charter is actually asking for us to execute".

And if repentance under the threat of the noose can hardly be considered such, may Erastil give me the strength to persevere on that path.

"That said - I understand you've signed up for something more than just acting as glorified jailers. And we surely can't ask our good Master Oleg to take care of those same thugs who have been terrorizing him and his mistress for the last few moths. Alayi's words are true, though - we might need a hand in fixing and repairing those structures and catapults. And truly, by the dejected looks on their faces, I think they're too broken and scared to try something funny in the near future - we made sure they understand their precarious position fully well. On the other hand, should we succeed in at least... alleviating bandit activity in the northern Greenbelt, your patrolling efforts might benefit too; perhaps even allowing to spare some of your numbers as a semi-permanent detachment here at the trading post", the last sentence more of an humble plea than a statement.

By the way, if none of them is skilled in Stone-masonry or Engineering, we might entertain the notion of securing the services of a trained hireling. At 3sp/day, it should be doable without putting too much of a dent in our finances, and he might also act as an IC teacher for Alayi. Next time Oleg gets a dispatch of goods from Restov, we might send word back that we need such a craftsman.

"Ensuite, il semble que nous avons un plan. Nous allons mettre en place notre petite embuscade et les attirer à nous - nous l'espérons notre petit truc nous sommes arrivés à Oleg de fonctionne à nouveau. Comme pour Happs ... Je suppose que nous allons voir ce qui se passe."

Korinne turns to Rufus and nods. "Ik denk dat we uiteindelijk in de overeenkomst; we zullen je plan eens te proberen. Arawn zal niet worden gebruik te maken van zijn...charme, omdat de meerderheid was tegen het idee. Hij lijkt nog steeds onzeker over het verlaten Happs met de paarden, maar ik denk dat we zullen zien wat er morgen gebeurt."

"I don't know about the rest of you," she says, switching back to Common, "but I need some sleep if you want me to be worth anything tomorrow. Maybe we can speak more in the morning, if there's anything else we're unclear about?"

Nodding in agreement, Rufus adds. "All of you should get some sleep. I will take the watch tonight. With the sleep I managed in the saddle, I will be little affected tomorrow."

Please forgive my blatant recycling. Seems best to bring this up again this way.

"I had probably best been getting some rest myself. I'll take over the morning watch so Sir Rufus can still sleep a little before we head out."

However, as he is about to enter his tent, Castor spots something odd in the distance.

"What's this..."

Castor squints, trying to get a better look, and calls his companions over to see, pointing at the hovering light in the distance.

"Have any of you ever seen or heard of such a thing?"

No worries. It actually helps to be reminded at times.

At Castor's direction, Rufus peers into the distant darkness. Catching a glimpse, he quickly douses their own campfire as a precaution.

Korinne squints in the direction of the strange floating light. "It doesn't look like it's moving but it's hard to tell from here...maybe something that someone rigged up?" she whispers, feeling uneasy.

Alayi nods as she listens to the exchange of words.

A pity she is devouted to Erastil... she could have as easily been a paladin to Shelyn.

"We understand your concerns, and honestly for what I have in mind I would at most need two of your men to help me keep a watchful eye on our working parties if we go out to the woods to gather lumber. One at most when in the compound. I think that as the work goes we will find their demenour improving... honest work has that effect, especially when you can see the affects it has on things larger than yourself. The defenses of this place certainly qualify as that."

Alayi smiles gracefully and gives Xel an encouraging nod.

"On smaller matters, your men have come rather nicely armed but improvements to your arsenal can always be made. In return for keeping my new found apprentices alive, consider all repairs to your armaments to be free of charge. We also will be working on stocking the armory with a decent variety of weapons once we can get some iron shipments headed this way... so do you have any requests for particular weapons you would like in it?"

On the trail:

The lights continue to move about for a few moments before moving away, deeper into the forests. After a few more moments, they disappear slowly from sight. They seem to be going to the south and probably came from the east.

For future record, the bandit camp appears to be more north bound, so the lights probably didn't come from it.

Back at Oleg's:

Kesten seems lost in thought for a moment, before shrugging and saying "I'm not letting them near any weapons...but if they can be used around the fort for something, I don't see the harm...for now. I can have a watch posted to keep track of them while others are out and about. For now, me and my men will finish setting up...probably take up the area south of the stable."

Oleg seems a little disgruntled but also accepting of the man's decision. "I got the guards I've been wanting for a few months now...guess I can't really argue when they make a decision I don't like." He goes back into the trading post, probably to sleep the rest of the night away.

From Alayi's question, Kesten scratches his chin and says, "Maybe..." he raises his voice and calls out to one of the men in his group, [b]"OY! Rob, get over here."

A younger man pokes his head up and moves over. He's a little shorter the Kesten's 6' and wears simple armor. Rob says, [b]"Yes, sir?"

Kesten replies, "You used to man the battlements on Restov, right?"

The younger man nods in affirmation.

"You remember much about the siege craft they keep up there?"

Rob thinks for a moment and says "Yeah...a little. Don't know how to build 'em or nothing but I can man them..."

Kesten shrugs and turns back to Alayi, "That's about as good as I think we can do...Rob can help you out when he has the time."

Rob, seeing who he has the chance to spend time with, nods an emphatic affirmative.

Rob has 1 point in Knowledge:Engineering, and isn't exactly the brightest person(average human). Alayi can get her 1 Knowledge:Engineering from him if she wants but she will need a better teacher if you want a reason for having higher.

Kesten fishes a piece of parchment out of his horses pack and hands it to Xelani. "Since you guys are exploring the area, this is probably for all of you." Having delivered the item, he goes to stable his horse and discuss matters with his men.

The item is a rolled up piece of parchment, probably meant to be placed on some sort of bounty board. It reads:

By Order of the Swordlords of Brevoy, a reward is offered to those who attempt to handle the banditry problems on their own within the Stolen Lands. A bounty of 600 gold coins is offered to any who can provide 8 bandits, dead or alive to the representative of Brevoy in this area.

As the lights eventually move further south and fade from view, Korinne slowly exhales. "Those lights...did they seem like those of a will-o-wisp? If that's what it was, it's a good thing that none of us went to investigate," she whispers. She looks around, unsure if any of the others have any idea of what she's talking about. "I remember reading about them once. A will-o-wisp is a creature that looks like a floating, glowing light...a lot like a lantern seen from a distance, in fact. They feed on fear and try to lure the unsuspecting to their deaths by guiding them into dangerous situations like quicksand pits or other hostile creatures. And they're strong, strong enough to shrug off almost any arcane effect as well as shield themselves from view nearly at will. Thankfully, they almost never attack directly unless forced...but I'm not sure if it will attempt to move back this way at some point or not."

"As I've said before," Rufus replies, "this isn't Brevoy. Things are...
different here."
"and not all superstitions are 'mere commoner's tales'.". He adds, eyeing Arawn briefly.

Alayi thinks a moment, then nods. "They will not be handling any weapon that is near its finished form, at least for a long while, but I do reserve the right to show them how to take the metal to its final forms. If they are to ever be competent at helping out around here they will need the knowledge, and we are hoping that they will one day be productive members of our society. Otherwise we might as well resign ourselves to having to guard them for the rest of their lives. Still, we crawl before we walk, and we walk before we run or ride."

She inclines her head, then turns to the man introduced as Rob.

"Well, I will take what help I can get right now. If you know how to man a catapult then you will at least know enough to know what is needed to make it fire and load. Tomorrow you and I can go and take a look at them. I have already determined that two of the four are in good enough shape that we could get them funtional by stealing parts from the other two, but Xel and I are in agreement that we want to avoid that if possible. But we can get into the details after you have been fed and had a chance to rest."

"We had best be careful to avoid that creature, though... If people are to settle this region, they will eventually encounter it themselves. It would be foolish to attempt to deal with the wisp with what little force we currently have, but we should make note of its general location and make sure it is eventually dealt with."

"Aye."

"Right. At least we know it's out there, so we can warn others. I wonder what other surprises this land that apparently isn't Brevoy has in store for us?" Korinne chuckles.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Xelani has nothing to add to Alayi's words, so she listens silently only to nod from time to time in heartfelt approval.

After uttering some courteous words of thanks on being handed the parchment, once ser Garess and his men have left to tend to their horses she turns to Alayi with a grateful expression on her face.

"That was some quick thinking, Alayi - saying you need apprentices for your craft. I feel it's all thanks to you if we were able to defuse a potentially unpleasant situation. Who knew that entering that tavern in Restov a couple of years ago, the only one open in a cold winter night yet filled with people and song because of a certain dancer performing, would have proved one of the most fortuitous events of my life?"

"And sorry for having introduced you with your given name. I know you dislike that - I was concerned with some stupid... bureaucratic... thing about it being the one actually written on your charter. Wanting to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings in an already tenuous situation. Will you forgive me, Alayi bint Hashara?" she pleads with a timid smile.

Alayi give Xel a sisterly hug. "Of course, dear, there is nothing to forgive on that score. I have no distaste for my 'legal given' name as such, I just prefer to honor my mother."

Alayi's smile turns a bit more concerned. "I hope that I can teach them what I can, and that they will take to it. Not all are called to the forge, and if they do not have the eye, heart, and hands for it then... well..."

She shakes her head. "Come, let us go finish our meal."

Xelani reciprocates the hug, Alayi's warmth a welcome sensation in the cold winter night. "The forge is a harsh and capricious mistress, I've heard you say. Let's hope they can at least make good laborers, if they lack the makings of the blacksmith. Speaking of which... this Rob guy might prove an unexpected blessing in our current predicament. He might not look like the most knowledgeable siege engineer around, but I'm sure all you need is a couple of tips before your innate understanding of that sort of... things... kicks in."

"Come, let us go finish our meal."

"After you - just give me a moment". I take our four "guests" were within earshot of our discussion: if not, Xelani's going to share the news with them. Either way, before entering the main building she'll briefly stop by. On the way back to their dinner, Xelani addresses their prisoners before entering the building. "I take it by now you've been able to get a hunch about what transpired in our dealings with the guards. If not, let me summarize it for you: for the time being, you'll be able to keep your heads on your shoulders. I thought that might be relevant to your interests. The quid pro quo... the flip of the coin being you've just somewhat volunteered to become Alayi's apprentices. You'll learn how to mold iron, carve wood, that sort of things. Generally speaking, you'll be expected to lend a hand in whatever task might be required of you; fixing the post's defenses probably being a priority. A word for the wise: Alayi's a kind woman, but she can have quite a temper when someone tries to cross her path. I suggest you comply with whatever instructions she gives you. Any questions?"

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After dinner, Xelani makes her way to whatever accommodation their hosts have elected to provide them. Sleep doesn't come easily, however, as her mind strays towards the fate of their companions still in wilds, their thoughts most likely focused on their impending battle. She wakes up very early, and just like the morning before she proceeds to take up watch duty on the palisades. As she sees the first glimpses of dawn gleaming in the East, she instead turns her gaze southwards, towards the vast flatland that is the Greenbelt, and kneels to whisper a silent prayer to Erastil, so that he might watch upon the endeavor and the lives of her companions.

On the Trail:

Wolves can be heard howling every so often and sometimes soft, strange sounds can be heard emanating from the forest. However, nothing seems to disturb the small camp the group has made.

In the morning, you break camp and Happs leads you toward the entrance of the forest. A bit of the ways in, he points to the ground and says, "There is a small path, you can somewhat see it there. We tried to hide it as best as we can but it should lead to the camp. It's maybe a 10 to 15 walk from here."

With him pointing it out, each of you easily notice the path in the brush. It seems to follow a small creek nearby and goes toward the north. It's a bit of a rough path but you should be able to follow it pretty easily.

You can leave Happs here with the horses if you so desire. From here, please tell me what you guys intend to do when approaching the camp. I saw the "plan" but telling me exactly what you want to do will help.

At Oleg's:

The night continues without any more problems or events. The men Kesten brought settle in and soon enough post is asleep(except for the rotating guards on the prisoners).

Morning comes. Svetlana prepares a large breakfast for Xelani, Alayi and the guards. General morale is up as you can hear the guards talking about their time at their homes in Restov. After breakfast, Kesten gives orders to each of the guards. Two saddle up and head out, probably to guard the road. Two others are assigned to look after the prisoners. Kesten stands watch on the palisades throughout the day.

About midday through, a small group of 4 people approach the trading post. Three of them are in the same simple hunting garb. Each of them appear to have a large rucksack filled with what appear to be furs and other trade goods. Oleg immediately identifies them as hunters in the area.

The fourth man is dressed similarly but at the same time seems different. He wears a hunter's garb but doesn't seem to be part of the group of hunters. Both of you can gather that he probably meet the hunters on the way toward the post. Xelani feels a strange aura coming from the man. Not one of menace or anything...maybe a kindred spirit?

Feel free to RP whatever throughout the day. These are simple straight forward events that happen, assuming you guys don't just say "F*** this post, time to do some adventuring of our own" :D

OVERLAND MAP

I'm guessing the ten to fifteen, means minutes?

Nodding acknowledgment of Happs directions, Rufus points to the horses. "Keep them safe while we are about this," indicating Capella in particular, "Castor is quite fond of her."
Rufus inclines his head toward the path as he strings the bow that was once the bandit's. Knocking an arrow, he proceeds cautiously until all of you are out of sight of Happs. "If anyone has changes to recommend, now is the time to do so."

untrained Stealth: 1d20 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 - 1 = 6
untrained Perception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0...
I really hope somebody else takes over walking 'point'.
Otherwise, I have a feeling we are going to be replaying the circumstances of my Tabletop experience with this encounter...
Right now, Rufus' plan is to get to where we can spot the watch posts, if not the entire camp, then get everyone else under cover before he shoots at one of the bandits on watch from about the limit of 'close range', which for a Composite Longbow is 110 feet or however far away he can still clearly see the bandit from, whichever is closer.
Once the bandits start making their way for him, he will keep shooting at them until they get close enough for melee, then he will draw his sword. If it turns out there are a dozen of them or so, he figures they will still be focusing on him & not paying attention to either Arawn or Korinne. If they happen to be in a clump, that is a nice bonus...

I can't speak for Alayi, obviously, but I'd see little point in going on a solo adventure as of now - especially since, according to what Happs said, the others should be due to return no later than this evening, while on the other hand it's already too late to join them in their attack on the bandit camp. Also, thanks for the map - while waiting for the Paizo staff to switch ownership of the campaign, you might consider pasting the link into one of your alias' profile fields so that it appears under your name each time you post ;)

As Ser Garess makes his way up on the palisades, he finds Xelani already here, nervously eyeing the horizon. "Yesterday I didn't have the chance to properly thank you for your helpfulness in dealing with our little prisoner problem. Allow me to do that now. Also, I probably didn't explicitly mention it, but there was a fifth bandit leading the group - one Happs Bydon. He's the one who actually provided us with the most information, meaning he's also the one currently accompanying the rest of our group in their sortie - you can call it a probation of sorts."

"That said, I can't say I'm not curious about your story, Kesten. Though you insist on not being called by your honorific, it still marks you as at least minor nobility - probably making you the very first of your ilk to ever visit this remote trading post, if I may be so bold as to point that out".

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As she perceives the strange yet familiar aura emanating from one of the four approaching figure, Xelani tries to see if she can make out anything more about his figure from her observation point on top of the trading post's main gate.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7 What's with those Perception rolls today?

Not being able to discern much, she resolves to go and greet the stranger herself.

@Alayi: other than that, feel free to assume Xelani's tagging along, helping you in your efforts both with the prisoners and in repairing the post's defenses.

"As I've said before," Rufus replies, "this isn't Brevoy. Things are...

different here."
"and not all superstitions are 'mere commoner's tales'.". He adds, eyeing Arawn briefly.

Arawn returns the look with one that questions more than simply the other man's words or meaning. "Rushlights, as my tutor called them..." he says after a lingering moment, "...only ever attack to defend themselves. Prefer to keep targets alive to feed on their fear. No sense in killing a perfectly good meal."

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The next morning, Arawn wakes with the dawn and spends the time to magically clean and straighten himself, the harp-like sound playing a gentle, lilting melody from his hand as he does so. Once he is satisfied with his presentability, he packs up his bedroll and blanket and stows it all on his new horse.

When the group reaches the point whence they must continue on foot, Arawn pats his steed and looks to Happs, "Alright, Happs. We are going to need to bind you until we return. Nothing personal, of course. Now, please turn around, place your arms behind our back..."

Probably best if someone ELSE binds Happs...

As they approach, Arawn does his best to keep his head down. Moving about stealthily in a castle with a courtier, dodging a disappointed father is one thing. Moving about in the underbrush is quite another...

Stealth: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22
Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 7

"At this point, I don't have any better ideas," Korinne whispers. As they head down the path, she does her best to move in a quiet manner. Okay Korinne, just think of it like hide-and-seek; you were pretty good at it when you were a kid...one foot in front of the other, controlled breathing...

Stealth: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16

For what it's worth, Rufus' plan sounds good to me but the dice-roller obviously has other ideas on the "be stealthy" part of it! Unfortunately, Korinne probably won't take point unless asked/told to since she would expect that Rufus or possibly Castor would be better suited for the job ;)

I agree, for now journeying out would probably be best reserved for when we have a full party again.

Alayi wakes an hour after dawn and finds a secluded spot to practice dancing and her combat style, the patterns long since memorized. She then joins the others for breakfast. "My thanks for the meal. Please ensure that my indentured apprentices get something hearty, like boiled oats or mashed corn. They will have a long day and will need their strength."

Bowing to her hosts, and noding to the guards, she moves to the stables.

"Well, gentlemen, as Lady Fyodorova informed you last night, you have been spared the noose for the time being on the condition that you are now my apprentices. I will be blunt with you. The forge is a very cruel mistress, crueler than any task master. The minute you do not respect the flames is the minute you will be burned, and you are not likely to find much in the way of burn care here. For now, though, you will not be handling the iron yet. I will be working with you in pairs in 6 hour shifts. So. Eat your breakfast, follow my instructions, and you may yet earn your freedom." She points to two of them. "You two will be first up. You will be assisting me in removing pieces that need to be replaced from the forward two catapults."

Alayi's gaze hardens. "Make no mistake. Your fetters will be off, but for now you are still bound. The guards will not hesitate to execute you should you try anything... foolish... and I will not intervene."

She lets that sink in, then goes to find Rob.

Back with the Horses.

As Arawn pulls out the rope, Rufus turns to Happs. "How long have you lived here in the River Kingdoms, Happs?"
"Long enough to know the Freedoms? To know what can happen to you if you fail to respect them?"

Rufus is referring to these.