Durgan has Nimble Feet from his domain ability, 30' move from his domain ability, and Invisibility Purge active, whereas Salzarus just took a move+standard so can't have gone far.
Durgan doubles moves to where he last saw Salzarus.
"Going somewhere?"
Scarlet watches him fall. It's never feels good.
wait. Where's the wizard?
"Wait, the wizard! Where is- where are you goin?" Scarlet watches Durgan run off. "Wait, where's Posh?"
She runs to the gate mechanism and tries to lower the gate. This will take a bit of time...
Illthir readies her sling just in case the nasty mage pops up again. Couldn't hurt to be ready. "He jumped and drank a potion of invisibility or something." she called back at Scarlet.
Durgan doubles moves to where he last saw Salzarus.
Zokon walks to sneeg and ties him up while he is sleeping and then searches him for weapons and gear.
Durgan doubles moves to where he last saw Salzarus.
Ah, I thought we had opened the front gate. That would be his preference. If the front gate is closed, he will race up to the tower and if the 25' radius doesn't reveal Salzarus then he will jump out and down.
Don't want to let this guy get away.
"Zokon! We may need your ranger skills!"
Fine... Durgan will not jump off the tower.
Still want to track him and deny him his 8 hours rest and 1 hour spell prep.
Scarlet keeps opening the door. "Oi. We need the Stag Lord's helm. Show this to the outlying camps and they will scatter."
As Zokon ties up the sleeping Sneeg, Victoria approaches him. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help against the mage, but... well, I've been..." She lets her sentence trail off as she points to the state of her tattered clothing and the manacle marks around her wrists. "I would like to thank your group for helping me to escape."
Serena cleans her weapon on the Stag Lord's shirt. She then puts her scimitar away and begins the task of searching the remains, being careful to set aside anything of potential value. Once she has everything of potential value neatly laid out, she casts detect magic.
Serena cleans her weapon on the Stag Lord's shirt.
In addition, once per day the helm may be called upon to enhance any ranged attack made by the wearer to make an insightful shot. Activating this ability is a free action, and once activated, your next ranged attack against a target within 30 feet is made as if that target were flat-footed against you—this allows a rogue to gain the benefit of sneak attack with this shot. If you don’t make a ranged attack within 1 round of activating this power, the insight fades and is wasted for that day.
A worshiper of Erastil who wears this helm may utilize the insightful shot ability up to 3 times per day.
His bow was destroyed, but he has a masterwork longsword.
================
Masterwork composite shortbow [STR +2]
Well-used daggers (3)
Worn masterwork studded leather armor
Abstract ("drift wood") Silver Stag Lord amulet (which some of you have see a few of) - 25 gp
42 gp, 3 pp.
================
6 Longswords
6 Composite longbows [STR +1]
6 suits of leather armor
90 gp in a mix of local coins
"He's dead then. We'll have to tell the rest of the men when they start to arrive in the morning with their food tithe." Akiros says looking on at the body. "We'll have to deal with the old man in the cellar too."
"Oh my gods! You killed him. Don't kill me, please!" begs the young man.
Zokon looks at Victoria, seeing her dishevelled state "Umm.. well it was our pleasure, but we are still in trouble potentially, can I get you something to help build up your strength and preparedness, food, drink, clothes. I have some or maybe one of the ladies in our group might have some gear better suited for you."
After helping Victoria as he can he looks at the young man "You, who are you, you remind me of someone? oh and put down any weapons you have."
"Old man in the cellar?" Scarlet lowers the gate long enough for Posh to get in, then closes it shut. "Who's that?"
"Oh my gods! You killed him. Don't kill me, please!" begs the young man.
"Didn't I tell ya? We came for the Stag Lord." Scarlet takes a look around. "Where did that blackheart go... Dammit. I'm sorry, Oleg." She turns to her non-ranger friend. "Zokon, is he the Benzen's boy? He matches the description."
"Boy, the Benzen family wants you to return. Alive. We ain't gonna hurt ya unless you attack us. Got it?" She looks down at Sneeg. "This old man has his own wanted poster, he's coming with us, too."
Scarlet sits down and catches her breath. The battle was hard and long. Friends almost died. She made a new ally with Akiros. The outside bandits would have to scatter, quickly. One crazy wizard escaped, and there is a crazy old man to deal with.
Oh, and this lady is clutching a fox for some reason.
"Oi. I have this dress I bought from long ago. I carry it around just in case. I found the perfect chance for it." She pulls out a poorly tailored dress from her pack. "Sorry if it doesn't fit."
"Ah, my name's Scarlet." Scarlet reaches a bloody hand forward before withdrawing it. "We'll shake hands later."
Illthir grips the battlements until her knuckles turn while and looks and looks and looks, hoping for the chance to put a lead bullet into the skull of that darned wizard. But it didn't seem like things would work out that way this time. They had cut the head of the bandits - it just didn't feel like the brain was there though.
So the skald heads back down to the gathering around the fallen stag-lord feeling strangely content and disappointed at the same time. There she finds some comfortable spot in the rubble to sit down and catch her breath a bit. Then gets some soap from her pack and water from her canteen to wash the worst of her hands and offers the same to Scarlet. "So, huh, this kinda worked better then I expected."
"I'm Illthir - nice to meet you Victoria. Well uh it could probably have been nice if it was somewhere nicer. But there's a cute fox here at least. Friend of yours?" the half elf smiles. She carefully reaches out to try and pet it. Definitely was worth that scroll - assuming it wouldn't bite her right away of course!
"So how will this thing with the Stag Lord work? Should we mount his head on a pike or something or will that hideous helm of his be enough?" Illthir wasn't quite sure how the charter was worded. While carrying a decapitated head all the way back to Oleg's would be icky - throwing it into the lap of those pompous muppets would be oh so satisfying. "Mm and 'old man in the cellar'?"
She'll take a look at the broken bow as well. Maybe there were a sliver of magic left that could be useful for magical item crafting in the future?
Scarlet looks at the bracers, but she can't get a handle on its worth. "Huh. Looks like junk if you ask me."
"Maybe the helmet will be enough, Illthir. Hey Zokon, what does this charter say? I wasn't involved until after you left Restov."
Durgan looks over the wall and seethes.
"I'll kill you," he says quietly into the darkness.
Then he moves down and rejoins the group, introducing himself to Victoria.
"Greetings. I am Durgan Far-Walker, priest of Abadar. Striving to bring civilization to these lands. Putting an end to the bandit menace has been a goal of mine for some time now. I do not think we are entirely done, but we have struck them a significant blow. Abadar's blessings of defense and protection were with me today, as well as some other preparations I had made.
Do you know why they were holding you?"
He sees the various wounded around. Durgan waits for any dying bandits to be bound or to bleed out (he really doesn't care which - honorable opponents who surrendered may be entitled to quarter, but those who refused to do so are not necessarily so). Then he calls upon the power of Abadar to heal the wounds that his comrades have received.
"Sorry about the bow. There are spells to repair broken magical items, so if it was magic it need not be lost for good."
Durgan does not actually have Spellcraft so can't identify the items.
"What really concerns me is the Stag Lord's ability to acquire such huge stockpiles of explosive powder. The explosion that destroyed Oleg's, and what there was here. Did that dark elf make the powder? If so, tracking down the suppliers of the components could be a way to track down the wizard. Or perhaps he had quarters here that might give some clue to another base he has, or has some possessions of his that we could use for Scrying."
"But first, yes, this 'old man in the cellar.'"
Arris, being smarter than the average bear (cartoon reference), understands that the half-elf lady saved his life. As she presents her hand, he sniffs it and licks it, allowing her to pet his head. He looks bad, but perks up SIGNIFICANTLY after the dwarf's healing aura.
With his wounds closed up, he finally begins to feel a bit more like his old self. He wraps himself around Victoria's shoulders, almost like a stole, making contented little chirps.
Victoria gratefully accepts the dress from Scarlett. It may be a little large, but it's in much better shape than the tatters she's wearing. "Again, thank you. And yes, he's been with me for quite some time," she says rubbing the little fox's head. "This is Arris. And after we've had a while to rest, I think I can be of a little more value. If nothing else, I can help you figure out some of those items you've been studying," she says, indicating the haul. "Hopefully, I'll be able to find a few of my belongings as well, assuming they didn't sell them off. Or that they didn't survive the explosion."
"Like that bracer, there. Nice craftmanship, nice material... it's probably worth 20 platinum to an honest merchant."
"As to what he wanted with me, I'm afraid I don't know. I mostly try to mind my own business. I shudder to think of what that sorcerer wanted with me." Could he have been working for those men who came after my family?
With a bit of more proper clothing, and her wounds healed, Victoria looks at least a bit more presentable. "I didn't hear them say anything about an old man. I hope he's alive."
"Thankyou Durgan, let's go downstairs now and see what the old man is up to, actually." he turns to Akiros "Is the old man in the cellar, hostile, a captive .. why is he down there and is he dangerous?"
Zokon is putting away the bow and drawing his rapier at this moment
"Cute." Illthir notes as Arris allows himself to be petted. She felt like she had had a significant shortage of cuteness in her life lately but this really helped. The pale skald smiled at their new trio of friends. Acquaintances. Now a turncoat and someone locked in a dungeon wasn't exactly what her mother would call great people to be around, but maybe being in a bandit fort was a mitigating circumstance? "I'm sure we'll see eye to eye."
"So. The amulet and the ring appears to be protective wards at least. And the helm, well, it's certainly something. Let's figure out the rest later, tie up the loose ends and bandits then see if everything in here stinks of stale ale or not." She stood up and readied her weapons. "Old cellar man it is for now then."
"But let's just open the gate a little for Posh first!"
Meanwhile, an ever increasing horde of groaning zombies chase the little bard around the hilltop.
Realizing the Stag lord has fallen and no other enemies remain in the inmediate vincinity, Alia looks around, seeing 2 faces she does not recognize. A man and a woman. The woman, it seems, was held prisoner. Enough time to talk, later...the man, though, seemed armed and to have been one of the Bandits - staying sufficiently away to not make it an inmediate treat, she points her Estoc at Akiros: "Who are you? Did you simply switch sides to avoid his fate? Or hope to take his place? Know that the likes of him won't be tolerated in Telvurin any longer!"
When Illthir points out the gate, Alia is conflicted, but then remembers that she would not even have her blade right now if not for the gnomish Bard: "Don't go anywhere, I'll be right back!", she apologetically shouts to the man she verbally challenged before, then rushes towards the gate mechanism to let Posh in.
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"Old man in the cellar?" Scarlet lowers the gate long enough for Posh to get in, then closes it shut. "Who's that?"
"I think he's his father." Akiros says sheathing his longsword and nodding to the fallen bandit chief.
"Didn't I tell ya? We came for the Stag Lord." Scarlet takes a look around. "Where did that blackheart go... Dammit. I'm sorry, Oleg." She turns to her non-ranger friend. "Zokon, is he the Benzen's boy? He matches the description."
"Just don't kill me. Someone killed Valkeri and some of the others a couple of weeks back. He was my only friend here. He was just a kid." *sniff*
"Boy, the Benzen family wants you to return. Alive. We ain't gonna hurt ya unless you attack us. Got it?"
"But my family has no money."
"-Yes na- i tar-'s rúatan!" exclaims Erevenywg pointing at the Stag Lord.
Scarlet looks at the bracers, but she can't get a handle on its worth. "Huh. Looks like junk if you ask me."
"Maybe the helmet will be enough, Illthir. Hey Zokon, what does this charter say? I wasn't involved until after you left Restov."
The ghost of a memory floods Scarlet's mind. You will find him! You will bring him! Or you will join me in the river!
"Don't worry about Akiros, Alia. He's a warrior, figuring out his path. Kinda like me, I guess." Mega Scarlet readjusts her grip on the gate winch as the magic wears off and she reverts to plain old Scarlet.
"Let's get Posh in here, quickly."
"What really concerns me is the Stag Lord's ability to acquire such huge stockpiles of explosive powder. The explosion that destroyed Oleg's, and what there was here. Did that dark elf make the powder? If so, tracking down the suppliers of the components could be a way to track down the wizard. Or perhaps he had quarters here that might give some clue to another base he has, or has some possessions of his that we could use for Scrying."
"Hopefully, I'll be able to find a few of my belongings as well, assuming they didn't sell them off. Or that they didn't survive the explosion."
"Thankyou Durgan, let's go downstairs now and see what the old man is up to, actually." he turns to Akiros "Is the old man in the cellar, hostile, a captive .. why is he down there and is he dangerous?"
"All the above if I am any judge. He's the band's healer--though most suffer their wounds rather than visit him. He's crazy."
Realizing the Stag lord has fallen and no other enemies remain in the inmediate vincinity, Alia looks around, seeing 2 faces she does not recognize. A man and a woman. The woman, it seems, was held prisoner. Enough time to talk, later...the man, though, seemed armed and to have been one of the Bandits - staying sufficiently away to not make it an inmediate treat, she points her Estoc at Akiros: "Who are you? Did you simply switch sides to avoid his fate? Or hope to take his place? Know that the likes of him won't be tolerated in Telvurin any longer!"
"'Telvurin'? Where the Hells is that?" says the man in as dead a voice as one could imagine.
The gate is raised and Posh is finally allowed in. Then the gate is quickly lowered afterward, on Akiros's advice.
"The Hilldead only rise if you don't follow the marked path up the hill. They'll settle back down again given some time."
"Right. We'll have to clear this place of undead." Scarlet snaps to attention. "And I need to bring the Stag Lord's body to that thing we saw on the bridge." She rubs her head. "Too many nightmares with that thing scaring me."
"His father? Wow. Walk about family issues." Illthir exclaims. "And what-did-you-say Erevenywg?"
"Yeah. Let's Posh, father and then undead. In that order. And maybe even today."
"Telvurin is the name of these lands in the elven tongue. How we called them, long before your kind took them during our temporary absence. 'The stolen lands', you call them, not aware of the irony. If Scarlet vouches for you, that is good enough for me.", Alia sheathes her Estoc and offers her hand in greeting.
When Erevenywg comments on the Stag Lord, Alia raises an eyebrow.
"Boy, the Benzen family wants you to return. Alive. We ain't gonna hurt ya unless you attack us. Got it?""But my family has no money."
Scarlet sighs. "I don't care if your family can't pay. They asked me to bring you back alive. Besides... you've seen what the bandits have done. Tore the head off a bride and that wizard used it as a... toy. Blew up Oleg, some nobles are feasting on his outpost now. They were going to twist your heart some day. Make you do something you'd regret."
Erevenywg blurts something out. Alia asks the question Scarlet was going to ask- or at least close enough.
"Well let's go and contain him then, and decide what to do with him after." Zokon heads towards the stairs down
"Oh!? Um, so anta moina ana ni." Erevenywg says and then smiles sweetly.