Colwyn opens the door and looks into the darkened room (M3), it seems to have been the fort mess hall. Empty now aside from plain wooden tables and chairs.
This room is empty of any people, but you can hear voices now, loud and careless, coming from the main hall (M1).
Richard's eyes peer into the shadows of the new room before he addresses the group. Alright, I suggest Serafina, Colwyn and myself try to sneak into that room they are in. They certainly aren't paying attention by the sounds of it. If Serafina and Colwyn find spots where they can be ready to spring a counter attack when things go badly. I'll try seemingly to appear in the room."
"I'll try to give the impression I was able to sneak past the men at the gate, might as well leave them be over confident and think it's just me. Aside from that I'm trying think of a better line of inquiry than just asking are they bandits"
He looks at the door towards the east "If there's a door in that room leading to the same area and we can lock it and any external exit down we could keep them bottled up but I don't think we have the gear..." ...door wedges, caltrops and bear traps... He started mentally preparing a list of things to acquire.
"We could hold off moving on them if people would prefer, see if there is a stable with any horses, lead them outside. If we have to retreat it could give us the edge we need." He looked to the others for feedback, they all came from a wide amount of backgrounds, they might think of something he didn't. He severely doubted that these men in the fort were anything other than bandits but he appreciated the others' confidence in questioning that even if they found the notion highly dubious.
"Keemplicated pleens don't work. Three goo thees way , and three goo oot froont . Eef you want too telk before we eppear, thet's fine."
"In my old job, we'd set up a bit better than Niadroub's plan, but we'd usually pick our spots a few days in advance for our hunts." Switch takes another look around. It doesn't really seem there's a better plan, given what's available, though...
"I say we go with the simple plan. Unless we want to wait them out, set an ambush outside, and catch them in the open."
"We need to decide who goes where. Myself and Colwyn going through here, not sure who wants to come with us. But an even split sounds good. Perhaps the group going through the front door should be the one to strike up a conversation then. The second group waits til we know the other group has engaged."
"As someone with experience springing ambushes on the unwary - although I'm only doing so for noble causes now, I swear - this is precisely the plan I would hatch.”
Colwyn draws his sword, squints his eyes against the darkness, and steps cautiously into the room.
"Well, here I go," he whispers.
He moves slowly and deliberately, as much to keep quiet as to avoid banging a shin against something noisy and painful.
"I'll watch over those who go to the front. Perhaps I can find out why these people are here."
Richard scowls but Colwyn has already moved in so he bites his tongue and tries to move quietly forward with a silent prayer to aid their success.
Colwyn presses an ear against the wall near the doorjamb, momentarily wincing as the cold stone stings his earlobe.
He holds up his empty left hand to stay his companions, then raises a single finger to keep them quiet.
He listens for sounds from the main hall, both to glean the miscreants' plans and movements as well as to track when the other team has engaged them at the entrance.
As the three woman move to the main halls doors, they can see the doors have been forced. One man stands in the hall, holding a smoky torch that throws a little light into the gloom.
He is peering through a side door and still doesn't notice you.
Elena mumrumrs a small prayer to herself and then pushes the door open wide.
"Excuse me... care to tell me what is going on here?"
When Elena hesitantly speaks up the man spins to face the main door. "S&&$!! He nearly whimpers. He yells back into the door he was watching "Trouble!"
Two more men scramble out, trying to see what caused their comrade to yell.
"We was here first Girl!" One snarls, trying to look intimidating. "Whatever loot the guard left is ours!"
What are your responses?
Sword resting casually on her shoulder, Xan walked in after the guards spoke up.
"Oh, so you're just common looters, are you?" she asked, "And here I was hoping for something interesting."
"We was here first Girl!" One snarls, trying to look intimidating. "Whatever loot the guard left is ours!"
Elena shrugs. "I doubt they left much. If there was anything of real value here, the place would probably still be garrisoned."
"Oh, so you're just common looters, are you?" she asked, "And here I was hoping for something interesting."
Elena looks at Xantria askance. "Would it matter if they were noble looters?"
"Do you think the others want to fight these ones over the loot that is found in here? Personally I'd rather leave these... vultures... to it. Scavenging may not be dignified, but there's no law against looting an abandoned building."
Richard begins sneaking forward as the bandits are distracted by the other group. He does momentarily stop in cover and his face twists up at Elena's words. Bandits had been highlighted as a problem, was the woman seemed to be conflating highwaymen with bandits. Granted there was a chance she was more familiar with Brevic law as he wasn't a local but the notions seemed strange. Maybe she had a ruse planned of some kind.
Elena looks at Xantria askance. "Would it matter if they were noble looters?"
"That is not what I meant by any stretch of the imagination."
"Do you think the others want to fight these ones over the loot that is found in here? Personally I'd rather leave these... vultures... to it. Scavenging may not be dignified, but there's no law against looting an abandoned building."
"That bit depends on whether they've been hurting anyone in the area. So how about it boys; hit anyone on the road, murder people, have some 'fun' with a less-than-willing maiden in the barn? Anything we might disapprove of?"
The three men look at each other when Xantria speaks, something seems to have disturbed them. They advance threateningly. Weapons out. "Wrong thing to ask girlie. This ain't Brevoy."
Richard as they move into a rough formation Purple moves close enough for you to attack with surprise if you want to?
Richard stepped forward and slashed with his blade hoping to catch the man unawares but misjudged the distance just a little so the blade barely pierced his foes skin... no going back now.
Holding the blade in his hand nonchallantly barely piercing the man's skin he looked at the other men apparently from nowhere. "No not gentlemen at all. Not highwaymen or dashing scoundrels, just a bunch of bandits. Weapons on the ground if you've got a brain between ye." He looks at Elena on the word bandits making it clear how far he is going to take this.
By now the bandits are so jumpy that Richards appearance is the final straw, the man he wounded turns and slashes at him, while the other two rush the door.
Hitting Richard.
Hitting Xantria.
Missing Elena
Richard -5 hp.
Xantria -6 Hp.
The party can now take their actions.
Niadroub Kliip can't find a position where he can get a spell off or fire his crossbow without hitting someone else in his party. So, crossbow at the ready, he moves as closes as he dares, for now.
"Bloody trolls," Colwyn curses as he bolts from the doorway, sword in hand.
He rushes to Richard's aid. While he reckons that the Chellish lad is always up for a duel, Colwyn prefers having the odds stacked in his side's favor.
Hoping that prison has not dulled his sword arm, he aims a thrust for the bandit's stomach.
The short blade plunges into the man's torso, grating against his sternum and piercing behind his ribcage.
Elena staggers back, shocked.
"Wait-"
There was no need for this! We were only talking!
Once out of reach of the bandit, Elena pulls back on her bow and looses at the nearest bandit. But the arrow flies over his head and clatters on the floor in the great hall.
The bandit's slash at her had caught Xan by surprise, it had started off looking like a feint she'd seen in her training and had treated it as such, only to come away with a gash on her left forearm. She quickly recovered her stance and struck back.
Switch looses too. It's not her first shot in the heat of battle, and it flies true, punching into one of the bandits' chests.
Colwyn steps up and finishes off the man Richard wounded. Serafina casually puts an arrow into another's heart, killing him instantly.
The last man, wounded by Xantria bolts for the outdoors after seeing the two men behind him, pushing between Serafina & Xantria.
He avoids any chance of an AOO and heads for the exit.
The party may have their actions now.
Xantria turned as the man left, surprised at how nimble he was with that injury. With a mental command, her cyberart flared to life, emitting a white glow from what tattoos were visible on her face, arms and chest as she ran after him.
"Stay where you are or you'll just die tired!" she commanded, trying to look and sound as menacing as possible.
Niadroub Kliip hustles back up the stairs and to the catwalk . If he gets a shot at the bandit as he tries to flee through the courtyard to the gate, he'll take it.
Richard moves to chase after the red enemy. The man had gotten too far to make an effective attack against but he tried to keep pace an limit his options. He was ready to strike and do non lethal damage if the man let his guard down.
Colwyn watches everyone else chase after the remaining bandit - also impressed that Niadroub outpaced him when it came to cutting off the enemy’s retreat.
Feeling that his comrades have the situation in hand, he decides to see about the spoils.
He bends down over the bandit he practically skewered, intending to rummage through any pockets or belt pouches he finds.
However, blood from the wound he inflicted gets on his hands. Wiping it off on his trousers, Colwyn imagines the disapproving looks from his comrades.
”Bloody hells,” he mutters.
Pushing himself up, he scrambles for anything - tablecloths, napkins, or even the bandit’s own cloak - to staunch the bleeding.
”Don’t count yourself lucky, friend. I’m the absolute worst person for this job,” he says to the unconscious bandit, trying to dress the wound.
Elena nocks another arrow, and takes aim.
If he gets away, he might go get some more friends, and come after us. This has gone badly already!
"Stop!" she shouts. "Or you'll give me no choice!"
Switch watches as the bandit pushes by, putting arrow to string and drawing it back, not far enough to loose, but enough that a shot would be easy. She speaks much more quietly than Elena does, not caring whether the bandit listens. "You really should."
Both Elena & Serafina's arrows miss the bandit as he scuttles through the door to where you entered. He makes a step or two in and then staggers back, dead from Niadroub's bolt, which hit him dead on in the gateway.
Combat is over, Colwyn has roughly stabilized the wounded bandit inside. He is the only survivor of the bandits.
Loot:
Leather armor - 5.
Longbows - 5 + 20 arrows each.
Shortswords - 5.
Trail rations - 10 days total.
50gp total.
Any questioning of the survivor reveals they were a small band of bandits who waited long enough to be sure that Fort Serenko was actually abandoned, then broke in to steal anything they could.
"Are there any other bandit groups in the area ye had dealings with?" Richard tries to wring a little more information out of the man.
He turns to Elena "What exactly in your mind is the point at which I should have waited to engage? After they attacked. You might not be happy with it but I'm not going to stand idly by while they try to run you through."
Richard gives one off the longbows an appreciative look, it certainly had more range than a dagger and although bulkier suited better to out in this countryside.
He makes a step or two in and then staggers back, dead from Niadroub's bolt, which hit him dead on in the gateway.
Up on the catwalk, Niadroub Kliip nods in satisfaction. He'll climb down, collect his crossbow's bolts from the two bandits he's killed, and then join the others.
Switch starts with the live man, carefully pulling off his armor and checking for any pouches or pockets on him. She's not looking for coins, or gems, or anything like that. Instead, she's looking for something that justifies banditry for the man. Once she's done with him, he does the same for the dead ones, recovering her arrow in the process, before returning to the living man. "Why do you do what you do? Give me a reason."
Colwyn eyes the spoils of war.
"Those swords look ill-cared for, and no way that armor's any better then mine," he thinks with a proud smile.
"Never used one of them longer bows. Don't want to make a fool of myself. Some extra arrows never hurt.
"Hmm, they brought a fair amount of food. I wonder if we have any of those pasties left from the inn? Those were good."
Elena looks at the others. She turns back to the captive. "Who's the boss of your group? Do you have a leader? And what other mischief have you been up to?"
Colwyn shakes his head at the interrogation.
"Friends, if you're looking for some grand explanation for banditry from this man, then take it from me, he ain't got one," he says softly, morosely
"I been there. It's just desperation blended with good old-fashioned laziness - don't give me that look son, we both know it's true," he says, turning his attention to the bandit's critical eye.
"His lads have already paid the ultimate penalty. I think we should spare this one, turn him over to the law, then be on our way."
They were a ragged group of incompetent bandits trying to steal better equipment for themselves from an abandoned fort.
He's ignoring the barrage of questions anyway, what are you going to do? Hang him twice.
"Swoord or rep," Niadroub Kliip says quietly, but letting his voice carry while holding his charter out so all can see what he's referencing.
"Ef we turn 'im over, e's dead, enyway. Let's noot be cowerds and do semwen else's joob fer us.
"...
"...bet mebbe... e can tred his life fer sem'thin' useful. Sem'thin that will sev our lives or let us sev others'. Mebbe e can tell oos how many bindits are aroond; who leads 'em; where the' meet.
"Might be worth sperring his life, mebbe."
"Sword or rope," Niadroub Kliip says quietly, but letting his voice carry while holding his charter out so all can see what he's referencing.
"If we turn him over, he's dead, anyway. Let's not be cowards and do someone else's job for us.
"...
"...but maybe... he can trade his life for something useful. Something that will save our lives or let us save others'. Mabye he can tell us how many bandits are around; who leads them; where they meet."
"Might be worth sparing his life, maybe."
"He's not exactly the image of self repentant so there's no way out of it there." Richard rubs his jaw with his hand before continuing. "However you at least admitted it so that's got to be something, shame you didn't put your weapon down when I asked but still or have anything worthwhile, in light however of him admitting to the activities I suggest letting the man choose between the rope or blade. I'd go with blade, a much quicker way to die. Rest assured whichever is chosen will not be drawn out unnecessarily, such things are cruel and lack a point given the current circumstances, I find them hard to stomach or accept in any circumstance times." He does look at Elena waiting for an objection, he is finding it hard to understand her reasoning, much like the bandit she had ignored his earlier question but given talks of ropes and blades he expected her to weigh in.
He picked up one of the longbows and began to examine it carefully. "I can put this to good use atleast." He winced as he held the bow out, the adrenaline from combat fading and the injury the bandits had given hurting a bit but that was often the price of justice.
Half-formed schemes bounce around Colwyn's skull.
"I could volunteer to execute the lad myself. Convince the others to go secure the animals, and when they're gone, tell him to lay low then make a break for it. No, no, deception's no good."
He looks across the faces of his traveling companions, not lingering too long upon any one, lest his growing anxiety betray itself.
"Mayhaps the straightforward approach? Just suggest we take him along as a servant, paying off his debt to society. But these folks are pretty hard-nosed. They're keen to see their justice done."
Colwyn looks down with a silent sigh. Once upon a time, it could have been him kneeling before this lot, waiting for death. It was only a strange turn of fate that he had been imprisoned rather than executed outright.
"Life is full of misery," he assures himself to justify walking away.
"I'll let you folks settle his end," he says, looking away towards the door. "I'd...I'd just rather not be witness to it. I'm gonna go secure my pack and check on the animals."
"I doon't ker ef we leet 'im go, or not. Bout ef e's goonna die, doon't mek 'im wet fer it."