Ulryk was thankful for Damen interceding. He knew that he was tired and that frayed his nerves and made him a potential victim of his temper. While he was not quick to anger, he knew that he possessed a black and dangerous temper.
He looked at Leorn for a long while, trying to study the other man with his bloodshot eyes, but could not fathom the other man's mind. Clearly Leorn had come from a background of oppressive law, but he found some of Leorn's moral stances completely alien to his own upbringing. What was the point of their mission if they were just going to let every bandit go? If they weren't going to try and bring civilization to this lawless region, why were they even here? The Archeologist clearly had his own designs.
"I am no murderer of children. This man has already become a bandit. He is guilty of that crime, but he surrendered honorably and has provided us with useful intel to bring down the leader of the organization. Under such cirmstances I agree with the consensus that this young man should be given a second chance."
Ulryk then looked the young bandit with the broken nose in the eyes. "You are being given a second chance. Don't waste it. If you like a life of adventure, join the military. The great and lesser houses of Brevoy have a constant want for additional manpower. What is your name?"
Ulryk clearly needed sleep, but after speaking with the young man and getting ready for sleep, he added. "Are we mostly in agreement that the other bandit is unrepentant and will hang for his crimes before he depart? Let him have his sleep, that much mercy we can grant."
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A look of relief passes the the boys face as Ulryk passes his lenient sentence.
"Thank you my lord. I will look into the military if nothing else presents itself. My name is Toby...Toby Tinner. Thank you again..all of you."
Weariness seems to take hold of the boy and he makes his way to what you assume was his bedroll. Soon he is sound asleep.
Svetlana smiled and relaxed a bit as Ulryk voiced his agreement regarding the plan with Toby. The tension with Leorn remained, but that was a problem for another day. For now, clearing the camp and making it back to Oleg's with a bit of exploration en route was the focus.
In the morning, the priestess was up early and conducted her prayers to Calistria along the banks of the stream. Once done, she did her part to load up the cart and generally ensure the camp was stripped of valuables before the group headed out. Not a physical creature by nature, she kept to the smaller items, but even then organization wasn't her forte. Svetlana kept out of whatever trial and execution the bandit received, but kept an eye on Toby to make sure he stayed out of trouble.
After resting in the early morning hours, Brigid appoints herself the task of building the pyre with which to burn the bandits' bodies. She piles the remainder of the firewood along with whatever brush she can scavenge in the nearby area. Vhatever oil ve can spare vould help, she offers. Once the pyre is complete, she stacks the bodies within, once they have been stripped of valuables. She doesn't light it until the party is quite ready to go.
After her grisly work is done, she moves up the stream a bit, strips, and bathes herself in the cold running waters. When she returns, it's clear the bracing waters have invigorated her, with her eyes wide and cheeks flushed. She pulls herself up and sits high in Zelter's saddle. She strings her bow and sits it across her saddle and turns to the group, ready to go.
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Another cold night passes, but with the extra blankets, and a secure camp, the cold blowing wind does not cause you any hardship. The morning dawns gray and dreary, yet again.
You gather your supplies up and pack the wagon. Toby helps where he can, and then jumps into the back of the wagon when all is done, legs hanging over the edge, swinging back and forth.
While the weather threatens rain, it also quickly warms up, and the signs of spring are all around you. The party travels and searches the area, and while the signs of game are abundant, the creatures are shy and skittish. Soon the sun begins to set through the still skeletal trees, and the temperature once more heads towards freezing. Damen scouts out a good place to camp, and the group are soon relaxing around a warm fire, your bellies full and your wounds, while maybe not completely healed, are not feeling nearly as bad as yesterday. In a few more days only the scars and memories will remain.
I'm fine time to explore.
During the exploration day, Svetlana appeared relaxed and her usual gregarious self. Bouncing from party member to party member, she regularly checked in with everyone, engaged but not overbearing. She seemed to take it on herself to watch over Toby as well, varying from flirtatiousness to scrutinizing older sister as if on whim. With Damen and Brigid, she listened as they described their methods for assessing the wilderness around them. The priestess seemed to catch on quick for someone untrained , but in truth she did little meaningful to add to the practical tasks of the wilderness survey. She worked hard to keep everyone laughing though, and guided the conversation away from Leorn's prior verbal barbs as much as possible. There would be a time to address that situation, but it wasn't now.
Ulryk spent most of his time assisting with the scouting and exploring of the territory. While not as skilled as Damen, it was clear that he was putting forth a genuine effort to assist in hunting, tracking, and general activties. When not otherwise occupied he trained with his weapons, switching between the two pole-arms he brought with him and the intimidating flailed with the iron head shaped like a closed fist or he further instructed his horse Rynel in combat techniques. Feeling more refreshed, he agrees to take one of the watches, urging Brigid and Damen to take the other two and granting Svetlana and Leorn the chance to get the relaxed and restful sleep Kent always insists on.
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28-29 Pharast
For the next 2 days you keep to the same routine. The weather keeps to cold nights and warm days, but still cloudy and threatening rain. In the 3 days you have taken to get a good feel for this section of forest you have not come across anything out of the ordinary. You finally follow the Thorn River back out and find yourselves once again in the rugged hills of the Kamelands.
30 Pharast
You wake to a heavy downpour at about an hour before dawn. The cracks of thunder and flashes of lighning have spooked the horses.
Already partially awake in preparation to physically get up and conduct her morning prayers, Svetlana eyed the horses as the early storm broke. Sure enough, the heavy lightning wrecked havoc on their morale and the priestess bolted out of bed to try to soothe those she could.
Handle Animal Check
Brigid races from camp to the frightened horses, and quickly soothes Zelter. She pats him on the cheek and grabs his mane reassuringly. If she can calm any others, she will. If not, she'll throw his saddle on and get ready to ride after the other spooked horses.
While soothing Kent's and Svetlana's horses, she takes a look at the approaching storm, the wind whipping the stray hairs from her braid wildly. Gritting her teeth in the face of the tempest, she tries to identity the best place to shelter.
Ulryk's experience and firm manner with his sorrel stallion kept the animal under control despite the crack and boom of thunder. He actually consider the weather a good thing, as it helped to reinforce the combat readiness he was trying to instill into the steed on a daily basis. Though he realized he might never become a Knight as he had once dreamed, he still saw the advantages of riding a well trained mount into battle.
A frown crossed his unshaven face as he watched both Kent and Svetlana's animals startle and bolt. He quickly got into the saddle of Rynel and made to recover their spooked horses. Though found that Brigid had things well in hand. His eyes then shot to Leorn and Damen's animals, even as he gave a momentary glance to Toby Tinner.
-----After the release of the boy Leorn will respond------
I seem genuinely surprised the party decided to let off the hook I speak up. "Amazing. Where I come from they would execute children for merely being related to criminals but you have spared the boy. Is this because of my attitude or is your idea of law in fact different from my own?"
----Then next day I will agree to follow the party further---
I will try and engage in small talk with the party to try and get an idea of their purpose and a bit more understanding of their "Law" they insist on bringing to this land.
----The Storm Day----
I can use handle animal untrained but I can score no higher than a 10:
Unable to sooth the horses, I simply sit and make idle chat. I decide that if I am going to continue with the company, I should tell them a bit about myself. I decide to gamble by telling them the most sensitive information first. "I used to be a bandit once. Back in the lands I came from."
Damen slept through the day, but it was not overly restful and when he rose he felt nearly as worn as when he went to sleep. Nevertheless he helped sack the camp, and as the weather warmed its rejuvenating effect showed in his mood.
He talked amiably with Svetlana as she came near, a blend of flirtatious banter and the ranger sharing his knowledge of the wilds with her and Ulryk. He answered questions and made observations as appropriate, but did not hold forth at any great length for fear of boring his companions.
When Leorn asked after the law, Damen answered him: "As far as I am concerned, the law exists to protect people. Nothing more and nothing less. Laws that hurt people, or only protect a few at the expense of the many, are very rarely worth following."
He glanced around the wilds in which they found themselves. "Animals need no laws, but people are different. When people abjectly refuse to follow the law, when bandits refuse to repent and turn from their ways," here a glance at young Toby, "then they are nothing more than dangerous animals who must be put down for the safety of those around them. I've done it a few times, both for men and for beasts. And I tell you, men are the worse. But some wise or lucky few can be trained, and brought into the fold. And then the law has served its purpose too."
He grinned in self-deprecation at his second monologue about the law in as many days. "These are thoughts I've had before, but always alone in the forests. It is, ah, strange to say them out loud."
The next day, when the storm broke and the horses spooked, Damen leapt into action like the others, soothing his own horse and then moving to Leorn's and any others to reassure the frightened animals.
Init:
Initiative
"we could sack a horse and run. No we would lose the wagon"
If they decide to fight I start casting enlarge person on Ulrky as is becoming usual.
Earlier...
Ulryk agreed with Damen, nodding his head once or twice to indicate as much when Leorn inquired into the law and what they hoped to establish.
"Our charter encourages us to dispense law and bring civilization to this frontier. However, it is vague on the specifics. I too am in agreement with Damen that the law serves to protect. The law against banditry for example seeks to shield the common folk from being terrorized and preyed about by armed ruffians. Without it's stiff penalty, banditry would likely run-amok."
He rubbed his eyes and then looked over to Toby. Then back at Leorn. "Each man has his own morality, most often defined by his upbring and the gods he follows. What I deem right and just, another may view differently." He let his words trail off for a moment and he looked over to Svetlana and Kent. He knew that his own morals were different from his, yet they worked together well.
"By such standards it is hard to judge men or societies. But law, honor and tradition we can know. It is defined and exacting. There are precedents and values in tradition. Law is the wisdom of the old, carrying forth to the young. Law is the sword point at which savagery ends and civilization begins. It can be hard, cold, and merciless, but without it we'd be no better than the Orcs which devestated the world when the light did not shine. Men are not Ogres or Trolls, who do as they please so long as they have the strength to do so. A city would not stand that functioned as such." He said with the faint hint of a smile. He hoped he was able to properly explain his view.
"Leorn I know you have been critical of the trials we have enacted and I am the first to admit that they could be seen as a cruel formality, but they serve a purpose. We must be conscious to uphold these laws, for if we do we remove ourselves from the stigma of being mere rogues enforcing our right through might and become instead agents of law, civilization and one would hope justice. We must remember that no man is above the law and no man is below it; nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it. Obedience to the law is demanded as a right; not asked as a favor. This is necessary, lest anarchy reign and each man does as he pleases, whether for ill or not."
Rain and Pain...
As I said earlyer just in case I cast enlarge person on Ulrky (comes into play next turn). I passed my concentration check.
Her eyes widen in shock as the monstrous form approaches. With a fluid motion, she draws and releases two quick arrows at the creature.
Seeing the troll I attempt to cast a spell on the troll. I wait until after the troll moves to cast.
Concentration:
I cast grease where the troll stands in hopes on knocking it prone. It needs to make a DC 13 Reflex save or fall prone.
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Through the heavy rain, flash of lightning and crashes of thunder, the creature comes at you.
Kent moves over to Ulryk, his hand glowing a subdued umber and the familiar tingle of his growth spell courses through the fighters system. Brigid snaps off 2 shots with her bow. The first strikes true and damages the beast, but the second simply bounces off a particularly tough part of the monster's hide.
Troll reflex save:
Leron quickly mumbles the words to a spell, and the ground under the Troll becomes even more slick with a layer of grease. Already unbalanced by the arrow in its arm, the creature slips and slides on the slick grass, finally ending up prone.
Regaining its footing, the monster eyes the party with a little more respect. It stands in the pouring rain waiting to see what they try to throw at it next.
Troll shouldn't be standing, I delayed so my turn would come after he completed his so he wouldn't have actions left. He should be prone until his next turn and only if he decides to stand. thus his AC would be a -4 against Melee attacks and standing would provoke.
I nod. "He's down, go get him Ulryk!"
Wiping the rain from his face, Ulryk quickly drew forth his Ranseur. The creature was big and ugly, but that's about all he could tell as the downpour continued. He braced himself as the monster charged forward, grunting and snarling. One of Brigid's arrows had caught the monster in the arm, but barely seemed to slow it. The magically slickened ground however did. With a flash of illumination provided by the lightning, Ulryk swept forward to deal with the foe.
Moving up to the edge of the grease and keeping some distance from the monster, Ulryk thrust his razor-sharp pole-arm downward, piercing and splitting the troll's flesh with a spray of blood and hopefully pinning it to the ground.
Svetlana had actually been enjoying the rain. Calistria's blessing ensured that the chill in the air didn't touch her, and the priestess found the rapid, unpredictable patter of raindrops on her exposed skin titillating. Lost in the feeling, she was among the last to focus on the monstrous beast the party now faced.
Sweeping her dripping wet blonde locks out of her face, Svetlana took in the scene. The creature was huge and something out of legend. She had no idea what it was, but its intentions were clear. Gripping her holy symbol, the priestess lays a blessing on the entire group as a rush of adrenaline grips the mind of each of her allies. The intensity pushes away of bit of the distraction the rain causes and allows for a greater dedication to the task at hand.
I will move up and hold my action if the Troll manages to get up I will cast color spray on it DC 16.
Damen wiped his hand across his face, the chill that crossed him having nothing to do with the cold of the rain. He knew that sound - knew it and had avoided it, from time to time, in the wilds of Brevoy. He wouldn't regret being able to flee now, but they were encumbered with the wagon, and were shy a horse for Toby. The others had already leapt into action, but trolls required special handling.
"Troll!"[b] he cried. [b]"It's a troll! Use fire or acid! Burn it or it will heal!"
He stepped to the side, trying to clear the wagon, and fired twice from his bow at the supine form.
Brigid begins moving, covering about half the distance between her and the troll, swinging around to make sure she has a clear shot. In a flash, another arrow is out, nocked, and drawn back to her cheek where she holds it, and her breath, waiting for the creature to attempt to stand and present itself as a much better target.
I am after the troll. Rule of delaying action is to move my place in initiative. I delayed till after the troll.
Depending on what the troll does will determine my next action.