Darvan nods. "Yeah, yeah. You can use all of your magic stuff ahead of time. Smart thinking."
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Day 1
As the sun sinks lower into western sky, you notice a murder of crows beginning to perch on the palisade.
Oleg an Svetlana have packed their horses, collecting their most valuable possessions for safe keeping. Jory's black steed is also ready for the trip but has less packages.
As they finish, Svetlana starts using the left over roast goat to make a fine stew, the smells fill the post. You figure you have about 2 hours of daylight left.
"Please forgive me, but I wish to make certain I have the strategy correct."
Kyra stretched before continuing.
"Tonight, we will do what we can to fortify the place. Kern and I will hide near the entrance to let them get in, close the doors behind them and offer them a chance to surrender, then engage them in combat while you two spring the trap on them once they get near the money and bag full of rocks?"
She ponders.
"Can we go over the plan again? I think I confused myself."
No, it will be you with the bag where the wagon is now. Brok will be backing you up and hiding in the bunk house for when they refuse to surrender. Kern and Darvin will be on the Gate wall and will be the ones closing the door. After they climb back up they will be able to assist with arrow and sword respectively. I will have the bar and seal the gate trapping them in with us a guarding the door.
Fren spends the rest of the day making a weapon cord out of twine for his warhammer. And as many saps as he can.
"The only change of note in my mind is that I plan on walking the gate closed and stepping inside before it closes. I'd lose too much time trying to climb back up the rope."
I am fine with that I simply thought that you would want some protection from the mounted men who will be trying to kill you.
Fren smiles wryly
That is why I left myself out as bait. If you feel you can do this who am I to tell you different. Thank you though dealing with them waiting for Brok and Kyra to help was worrying me.
"I could hide in a nearby pile of hay, back up Fren."
Kyra tilted her head a moment, thinking.
Can the gates be pulled closed? That would have the two closing it backing up you, Fren, while you put the bar in place."
Ok instead of coming down on the out side they could come down between the gate and pull it closed but Kern you look a little unarmored so try to hang back.
"So as I understand it...Darvin and I will hide behind the walls at ground level, poised to close the gates as soon the bandits enter," Kern looks over to Fren, "I will be less 'unarmored' by then, so I am not worried on that score."
"Fren will be in the stables, ready to rush out and place the bar. Brok will be in the bunkhouse, ready to attack."
"The only part of this I have any concern about it having Kyra behind the table. I think having anyone visible damages the appearance that the post was abandoned in desperation with the hope the bandits would take the goods and leave. Any visible person would set me looking for more...but that it up to you. My counsel would be to have Kyra in the bunkhouse as well. Further, I'd suggest either Brok or Kyra start hidden on the wall, so they can give us advance warning of the arrival of the bandit; whoever does so can then move to his or her ambush position"
"Once Darvin and I are hidden, I'll ask that someone look over our choices to make sure we are hidden as best is possible, as our detection could also ruin the plan."
Darvan nods. "Sounds good. Let's get to work, gotta move quite a bit of hay."
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Day 1
The party works feverishly to finish preparing for the upcoming battle. Fren successfully crafts a weapon cord and several saps.
Darvan and Brok set up a few piles of hay in strategic locations.
While Kyra helps Oleg and Svetlana put out a pile of goods on the wagon, as bait for the bandits.
When Fren finishes with the saps, he employees Kyra to help him build a block and tackle with rope, to be able to pull the doors shut with a move action.
Once the preparations are complete, Svetlana and Oleg serve you a fine meal of roast goat stew and Svetlana's fine ale. Ser Jory spends the evening along in his quarters.
Day 2
The morning comes sooner than you would have liked, and a bitter wind haunts the grey spring morning. But the sun, seems to be burning away the clouds little by little, with solitary rays of light breaking through to warm those lucky enough to stand in them.
The morning meal is a meager offering of salt pork, hard tack and goat's milk, but it fills those who partake. After the meal is finished, Oleg and Svetlana thank you and wish you luck.
Ser Jory, however, is in a dark mood.
"Don't fail and if you fail and survive, don't return." Is all he says, before mounting his great black horse and riding offer.
Oleg shakes your hands and his head.
"Well, I thank ya. I wish Svetlana would let me grab my axe and giv'em hell with y'all, but a wife worries, ya know. All I ask is ya don't get yer selves killed and try not to set the damn place on fire."
There are tears in Svetlana's eyes as she approaches. Whether they are for you or for her home, you can't be certain, but each of you feel as if both would be an acceptable answer.
"I can't thank you enough. I'm sorry you've been drug into this. Please, be safe."
And with that Oleg, Ser Jory and Svetlana ride off toward the sunrise.
A few hours pass and you make your final preparations. The sun has begun to break through the clouds, but they grey in the sky has been replaced by a large black swarm of scavenger birds, which appears to be moving toward Oleg's from the southwest.
Darvan stays quiet most of the morning, eating silently and nodding at their words. He keeps going over their setup, making sure everything is in place and continually checking the horizon.
Kyra kept quiet, throughout the morning. She was unaware of any further preparations she could make, but she silently felt she was ready.
She nodded to what Ser Jory said, silently thinking, The more you talk, the more I think I should try to sense if you're evil.
She decided not to share her dark thought, instead smiling to what Oleg says. "You will be with your wife, keeping her safe, while we sit inside these cozy fortifications and enjoy the luxury of being in town. Plus, you are making certain that no one bothers Ser Jory. If anything, I think you have the more dangerous task."
To Svetlana, she grinned. "Do not be sorry. I am a paladin, and this is a chance to help people. I live for this."
The final preparations were ready, with her moving towards the wagon and laying a hand on it. Soon, battle will come... Gods, please grant me strength to bring justice and please grant my enemies wisdom to accept mercy when it is offered.
Then, it was time to move into position.
Kern nods to Oleg and Svetlana, pointedly ignoring Ser Jory. He'll settle into a hay mound by the rope from the block and tackle, relying on Darvin's vision.
Fren stands waiting in the barn for the enemies to come and prepares to cast longstrider on himself.
If you fail and survive don't return. Jackass.
He repeats Ser Jory's words mockingly.
Hiding behind the barn door when stealthing no idea what modifiers to add due to total cover.
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"Idiot. If we fail, how the heck would you know since we can't return anyway."
Brok grumbles to himself as he moves into position himself having taken care to darken his armor to avoid any glint. Climbing up the walls, he notes the position he'll need and the handholds for an easy and quick movement down after closing the doors.
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Day 2
As the day carries on, the cloud of scavengers continues to move ever closer to Oleg's.
From his vantage point Brok sees six riders. He whistles a signal to the group that riders approach.
Their approach is fast, but just as they approach the range of towers, they peel off. As they slowly circle the tower, a single rider would break off and close to within 30 feet, before riding back to their companions.
They completely circle the trading post before approaching the gate.
Happs waves for the rest of the riders to follow him in.
As they enter, Happs sees Kyra and laughs from horseback.
"Hot damn boys, it seems like Oleg and Svetlana 'ave gotten a bit generous with their gifts, they left us this fine piece of tail ta make up for bein' late on their payment. But I gotta wonder, where's Jimmy? And do they think some slut's gonna keep us from burnin' this place ta tha ground if Jimmy's dead?"
The other five laughed nervously at Happs crack.
"Now, tell me pretty. What should I grunt when we're rolling there in that hay."
As he says that, he slides out of his saddle. The other five join him.
"Marko, take the horses to the stable. We're going to be here a while."
One of the men takes the reins of the horse and starts to walk them over to the stable.
Your surprise round is successful, everyone gets a move or standard action before the thugs can act.
Once they demount, Darvan explodes out of the hay pile with a powerful whip of his body, sending a chakram towards Happs. He grins as his first throw in a long time sails smoothly
Kyra sighed at the man's words.
At least I won't feel guilty about beating sense into him.
"I offer you a chance to surrender. I would suggest..."
And then came the attacks on the thieves.
Well, crap. I'll save the offer of mercy until after the battle.
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The Chakram flies straight and true, hitting Happs, just under the neck. Turning a beheading blow into a nearly lethal one. Happs hands go to his throat as the blood starts gushing out in spurts. The color starts to drain to his face as he falls to his knees, then on to his face in a heap.
The other five thugs look stunned by the attack. Starting to look for the gate and their escape.
Fren waits till he hears the sound of the horses and heads out holding the heavy bar like a Caber heading strait for the door. Seeing the shocked expressions on the guards faces he pauses for a moment to say
We good morning I hope you all have a pleasant stay at the trading post. I will give you a lovely funeral.
then continues forward to in front of the still open gate resting the log on the ground huffing a bit from the strain.
Kyra smiled as she saw their shocked faces. Well, maybe offering a surrender will do the job even better now.
She raised her sword and shield, preparing to charge, and grinned.
"I would suggest you surrender. I will not offer again, and you've seen what we do to those who threaten us or those we protect."
I will need to thank Darvan once this is over. This is working out very well for us.
Darvan stays half crouched, and with a metallic slink drops another chakram into his hand. "One chance boys, or the rest come flying."
Otherwise silent, Kern simply yanks on the rope to close the gate.
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Sigh....They didn't learn from amongst the best I see.
Brok smirks from where he is at the gate, making sure to eye every bandit and catching their gaze. He smiles however as he proceeds to speak with his voice low with deadly promise.
"Lose your weapons or lose your life, I don't care. Lie down and Live.....or Fight and lie down forever. Choose and I hope you choose wisely."
From his mentor, Brok laughs, a chilling laugh from his throat as he eyes all the bandits. His flailpole in his hands now jangling menancingly.
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The five remaining thugs stare at you wide eyed. They realize they're pinned in and completely surrounded, but the numbers are even. For a moment, it appears like they will stand and fight, that is, until Brok roars at them.
The one holding the reins of the horse immediately drops them and falls to his knees.
"I wasn't gonna rape 'er honest. Happs keeps the women all to 'emsef any how. Please don't kill me." He chokes the words out over his fear.
The other five, seeing their own break ranks follow suit and quickly drop to their knees surrendering.
Happs wound stops bleeding, and his breathing is labored, but he is alive.
"Haha, yeah!" Darvan flips his way out of the hay, whipping his chakram into the air a few feet and catching it on the way back down. He reattaches it to his armor, taking out his longsword and jogging over to the surrendering men. "Check the pulse on Happs, I've seen men live through that kind of wound." Trusting somebody else is better with wounds than he is, he starts working on typing up the men. "Alright lads, we're fair and just. You can throw your weapons next to that barn there." He points to the store house to their east. "Then line up on the wall of the stables, face the wall with your hands flat against the wood." Darvan waits for them to comply, then takes out a length of rope and begins cutting sections off of it to tie them up.
Kyra nodded to the group of thugs as they surrended and relaxed, walking over towards where Happs laid, to stand near his corpse, nodding to Darvan. Though, she doesn't check it just yet, given their prisoners.
Took out their leader in one hit, caused them to surrender. I must thank Darvan once they're secure.
If she senses they are lying, she sighs but says nothing. If she thinks they are telling the truth, she merely nods to what they say.
"None of you will be harmed, now that you've surrendered. But I think you understand why we need to be cautious. After all, wouldn't you be so if you were in our situation?"
Despite having relaxed, she keeps an eye on them, just in case they try something. But, she makes no move to attack.
The punishment for unrepentant banditry remains, as always, execution by sword or rope.
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Brok puts on a smirk and gives himself a moment to steel his face as he growls to the remaining bandits, pacing slowly allowing the bandits to follow his every move as he swings his flailpole every now and then using its harsh jangle to startle the bandits.
"I want Answers and you're gonna give it to me.
Your names
What you did before?
Why are you here?
What made you do this?
Who do you work for?
And most importantly, Do you wish to live as free men...........or die like bandits?"
"Before we go about handing out amnesties, I'd like to hear from Oleg and Svetlana when they return. Not only have they seen how these men act when not under duress, they are also the primary wronged party."
"By surrendering, they certainly earned a chance to plead their case, but I doubt all of them can be sufficiently convincing that they should be spared."
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Day 2
The ruddy haired man who had been holding the reins to the horses when Davran's chakram nearly decapitated Happs. He was the first to surrender and now, the first to speak.
"Beggin' yer pardon ser, but Ah don't want to die and certainly nawt in the way yer friend 'as in mind. So Ah'll answer yer questions best I can. Mah name is Ren. Ah wuz a farm hand 'fore the Stag Lord killed mah boss and offered me a spot in his band. S'pose ah'm 'ere cuz I though banditry wuz a viable alternative to gettin' gutted."
A black-haired youth, probably no more than 17 years old standing next to him responded next.
"My name's Jeb. I didn't do nothing before signing on with the Stag Lord. Was starving actually. I'm here cuz Kessel sent us and no one tells Kessel know, save maybe, maybe the Stag Lord. And ser, I most definitely want to live."
A middle-aged man with a bit of a pot belly responds.
"Sod off. You're dead men. We're cannon fodder, when Kessel comes looking for her man-toy in a few days," He nods toward Happs. "She'll cut yer balls off an' feed 'em to ya. And you, you goodly wench. She'll cut off yer t%!@ and make ya wear'em as a hat. Hahahaha"
The portly fellows defiance, emboldens the other two prisoners who spit at Brok rather than answer him.
Kyra nodded to Kern. "I do not mean to hand out amnesties. Just offer them a chance to repent and work to make amends for what they have done."
She smiled. "Besides, what better way to show this bandit lord we are better than him and have nothing to fear than by reforming at least some of his men? It is a little spiteful, but I think the gods can forgive that."
I will have to pray for forgiveness later for that bit of spite.
Then, Kyra looked to the portly man and sighed.
"Are you aware of the punishment for unrepentant banditry?" She shook her head. "Of course not. You're cannon fodder. I will give you one last chance to change your minds. It's too late for the fool on the floor, just like it will be too late for Kessel when she comes."
She then looked to Ren and Jeb. "I think we can find something for you to do to work off the debt of being bandits. And that something would involve a lot less danger, a roof over your head, and meals. If you are willing to fully repent."
Darvan watches the talking, gently swinging his longsword. "Well let's split up the group then. Pot belly, you're with me, everybody else, you're with the much nicer paladin."