Jinjer cares not a whit about the dead or dying but once the other three are secured, she thanks Stilgar for the healing, and then with her sword still in hand, she kneels in front of the one bandit still awake.
"You're gonna answer all the questions we ask you...and you're gonna give us the answers we want, or my friend, the pretty lady who likes to play with fire, is gonna roast you slowly like a pig on a spit. Now, you ready to talk?"
The fellow doesn't seem inclined to beat around the bush, and tells Jinjer what she wants to know.
Bronda, leader of the group, decided that the roadhouse would be a great place to hole up for the winter. It was well stocked with food and a good deal warmer than the hillside cave they used as a base. Overland traffic all but ceases in winter, so they'd be warm, full, and unmolested for the season. Come spring, they could light out of there with all the food they could carry.
Your unexpected arrival put Bronda off-balance. Her lieutenant, Ian, improvised the plan of playing innkeeper. He was going to feed you and get you to your rooms, then they could ambush you later when you were asleep.
A search of the place reveals the gruesome fate of the former occupants. The east wing of the building is a storehouse. Among the various goods and stored here is a cart. Under a tarp inside you find the bodies of an older man and his wife, along with their adult son and daughter. The bandit swears up and down that they weren't going to kill them, but that the old man and his son tried to get the jump on Bronda while the other two fled.
The west wing holds the stables, which are unoccupied but for two mules and a rather unexpected find: A great goat, nearly the size of a horse. Broad-chested and bad-tempered, it sits in a stall with a saddle and tack nearby, suggesting it was used as a mount.
There are six single rooms upstairs, as well as two rooms for the family that lived here.
To the prisoners "You ruthlessly murder a small family. You deserve death. However I am bored and hate to clean up entrails so if you are very good you might get to live. First you will dig graves for the family you killed. Four seperate graves, eight feet deep. Your will carry your own dead at least an hour away from here into the wilds where you will leave them for the scavengers. Once you have done this you will each sign a full confession and then you will leave. With nothing. No food, no weapons, no armor. You get your life. You may or may not get a head start before we alert the authorities.
Or we can crush your skulls now.
Choose."
Bronda and the other fallen are stabilized with your cleric's aid.
The rank-and-file bandits readily agree to Gaius' demands without question. Ian, now recovered from the color spray, looks aghast at the sorcerer.
"It's not like we wanted to kill 'em. We woulda let them live if they'd behaved. Bronda woulda had our heads if they'd gotten away. You can't just send us out to die like starving animals!"
.
The rank-and-file bandits readily agree to Gaius' demands without question. Ian, now recovered from the color spray, looks aghast at the sorcerer.
"It's not like we wanted to kill 'em. We woulda let them live if they'd behaved. Bronda woulda had our heads if they'd gotten away. You can't just send us out to die like starving animals!"
To the inkeep "I offer you the same deal. Behave and live. This is not a negoation. You can nod your head or..." Gaius holds his hands about a foot apart, lightning begins to arc between them. "..you will make more for your comrades to carry."
As he finishes tending to the last of the bandits, Stilgar wipes the sweat off his forehead, before turning to the others. "I have no doubts that they will cooperate, but what of their leader? I suspect there will be trouble when she awakens."
Jinjer spits and scratches the healing wounds from the bolts and arrows. "She orchestrated this whole deal. Hang her in the woods with the other bodies and let her be an example to the dogs you are going to let run free."
Bronda and the other fallen are stabilized with your cleric's aid.
The rank-and-file bandits readily agree to Gaius' demands without question. Ian, now recovered from the color spray, looks aghast at the sorcerer.
"It's not like we wanted to kill 'em. We woulda let them live if they'd behaved. Bronda woulda had our heads if they'd gotten away. You can't just send us out to die like starving animals!"
"Oh?" Tarrana looks over them venomously. "So you lumbered in here like a bear looking for a warm hole to sleep and piss in adn killed the family that already lived in it. There are a hundred ways to survive in the winter and you chose to victimize honest folk rather than seek out shelter of your own. Animals are trying to survive but we don't hesistate to kill them. Humans are evil and are...punished. So are you an animal or a man?"
Tarrana stares off into nothign for a moment before shaking her head and glaring again.
Magnus stands quietly in the room during these "negotitations", reaching magically out to the throats of the bandits with mage hand and listening from afar as their heart beats rise. The torture almost excites him, but he reminds himself that this is not the way of Baal. He should do this efficiently if it is to happen and leave the judgement to Baal. When a decision is reached, he is the first to grab a dagger and either slit their throats, or cut their bindings. In either case, his comment after their departure is: "It was more mercy than they deserved. "
"Perhaps," Stilgar would say to Magnus, put off by the anger the gnomes harbored, though not visibly so. It was understandable. "But I have seen lesser men salvaged; there is hope for them yet," he would say to them all, before glancing at Bronda, "Unfortunately, I am not so sure about this one. There are those that do not take kindly to mercy - let us see how she responds."
As the energy arcs across Gaius' fingertips, Ian relents. "Okay, okay! I'll do whatever ya say! Like I said, it was all Bronda's idea. She's the one in charge. You wanna string her up, go right ahead. Ain't no skin off my back."
"First, you start digging graves, you craven!" Jinjer growls, kicking the man. "And while you're digging, think about what a view from a tree branch might look like. C'mon, Magnus, Stilgar - help me get Bronda and her friends in a tree."
To Jinjer "let her answer at least my murderous friend. Besides In the present climate it is not wise to yearn too loudly for dwarven blood."
Ah in that case I will edit my post.
Magnus throws himself in with Jinjer in this case. "Let their last moments be a reminder of the pain they have caused others. "
Tarrana notes the sudden turn around of Bronda's allies. "Treacherous too? My the list of sins grows. For your sake I hope while you lie naked, cold, and starving in the wilderness, the demonic spirits trapped on this world don't come to you in your dreams and snatch out your soul for use as a playtoy. At least her torment will ahve an ending. Think on that too."
Your group eventually decides to sleep on it. You keep your prisoners gathered in the common room under guard, setting up watch shifts. The night passes without incident, and when morning comes, Bronda and the other downed bandits are conscious. When offered the choice, the other bandits choose to work with Ian to see to the remains and leave here with their lives.
Bronda, on the other hand, simply scrunches her face into a scowl, bending the angular tattoos of exile on her face into strange shapes. She spits on the floor. "Best get your rope ready and find a sturdy tree then."
Bronda, on the other hand, simply scrunches her face into a scowl, bending the angular tattoos of exile on her face into strange shapes. She spits on the floor. "Best get your rope ready and find a sturdy tree then."
To Bronda: "It is brave to choose death rather than submit to a tyrant, but this is not the case. We are both outsiders here, I by my race you by profession and exile. Your plan was a good one it was not your fault we arrived out of season. In your long life you can do much to bother the brethren of Baal. You are stronger and smarter than the rest of this rabble put together. This is a temporary setback. You still have your band and people have survived winters before. It would be a pity for you to die over a road-house robbery gone wrong. But if this is your choice then I think I can save you the pain of an inexpert hanging." Gaius draws a dagger and stands over Bronda. The dagger glows with St.Elmo's fire. He lowers the point until it lies just not touching the important plumbing in her neck."This will be painful, but it will be quick. Choose to live, or choose to die. Lean forward or lean back. My hand will not move. There are a few minutes remaining, is there a message you would like us to carry for you?
Bronda stares for a long moment at the blade in Gaius' hand. Then a smile settles on her face as she leans back away from the blade as far as she can move. Then she thrusts herself forward, impaling herself on the dagger. She shudders for a moment or two, then is still. Warmth spreads over the sorcerer's hand. The other bandits seem shocked, but Ian actually gives a sigh of what sounds like relief.
Stilgar moves forward to stop Bronda, but his effort proves futile as she fells herself on Gaius' blade. Standing aghast for a moment, the cleric just nods sternly, before looking to the others. "So she chose death after all. No manner of beast can die for the sake of pride... that much is settled," he says solemnly. "You will all build a pyre for her as well," he says to Ian and the other bandits, "All of Baal's creations shall return to his flame - that is his dogma. Today you are spared, but never forget what you are all destined to become ash."
Gaius stands. The knife slipping out of the wound. The smell of blood and burnt flesh fills the room.
to Ian and the others. "...pointless.
Gaius walks in to the kitchen and begins to wash.
Tarrana who had been communing with thigns unseen suddenly looked up. "No, no, there were certainly points involved. She threw herself ont it with quite a bit of vigor in fact."
Stepping over to her body she got a strange look on her face. "Another lsot soul trapped in a prison of Baal's own making."
The group finds enough stocked firewood and oil in the storage area to allow the bandits to do their work. All the fallen are fed to the flames. That done, they are sent packing. Looking like a pack of whipped curs, they beat feet down the road whence the party came.
Left with the roadhouse to themselves and the carnage cleaned up, the group now has the run of the place. As your first order of business, you collect the ruffians' weapons and goods, coming up with the following:
- 1 Medium chain shirt
- 7 Medium suits of studded leather
- 1 heavy crossbow
- 1 masterwork battleaxe
- 1 light hammer
- 7 shortbows
- 100 arrows
- 10 daggers
- a sack containing 57gp, 121sp, and 250cp
- a gold armband
- 2 potions
"Think we can sell any of this armor? Jinjer asks as she refills her quiver with the arrows. She had chuckled when Bronda took, what was in her mind, the coward's way out. "Typical behavior for a craven," she murmured when Bronda fell on Gaius' dagger. Then after watching the rest of the bandits walk off into the woods, she had thought about going "hunting" but figured that would be too obvious.
She then searches the larder and plans on stocking up on anything she can find and carry for the road.
"So...where to now?"
"There may be shops willing to take it off our hands in Three Oaks," Stilgar says, as he organizes their loot, sifting through its contents. Noting the presence of the potions, he decides to cast a series of detect magic spells to discern their properties, as well as to see if any of the other objects held magical auras.
Spellcraft:
Stilgar determines that only the two potions are magical. He is able to determine that one is a potion of bull's strength. The identity of the other eludes him.
Jinjer's rooting through the kitchen, pantry, and root cellar show that the place is well stocked for the winter. You could easily gather enough non-perishable food to equate to 2 weeks worth of rations for each member of your group. With the cart in the storage area you could easily haul out quite a bit of the perishables if you so desired.
"I woud see what we can use from it first."
After the bandits have left Gaius finds the group. His voice is listless and flat.
"Someone should take the goat and hide back to let the Jarl know what happened here. These folks might have had family and the bandits will return as soon as we leave." "Whoever takes the ride should be ready for trouble.
Brodgar keeps his own council through the proceedings, deferring to the cleric's judgment and the decisions of his companions. He finds it difficult to mourn Bronda's passing, though he wonders how she arrived at her decision.
"It would be wiser, I think, to let the constabulary in Three Oaks know what happened here. They are greater in number, and do not have a recent attack to recover from." His tone and demeanor add a distinct implication that they likely care more as well.
As Stilgar examines the loot, he picks up the battleaxe, testing its weight and taking a couple of swings at the air. He then secures it on his belt.
Seeing Stilgar's frustration with a potion, Magnus tries himself to identify it.
Seeing no items he desires in the loot, he leaves the group to divide it as they see fit, intending to sell whatever is not claimed.
"I agree, no point in turning around when Three Oaks is the better choice. I would like to see us gone from this place as quickly as possible, myself. The bandits may return here, or they may not. In either case, someone must be told of what happened here. Surely these people had friends in the area. Let us pack up what we need and move on. "
"I too am ready to leave. Take what you will and let us go."
Gaius will make sure the house is secure as possible before they leave. He will also release the mules and the great goat. Who knows when the gendarmes will arrive to feed them.
Magnus is also unable to determine the nature of the elusive potion.
Gaius notes that there is a watering trough and enough fodder that releasing the animals into the main yard should be enough. The goat proves ill-tempered; he gets a hole in his sleeve for his troubles when it bites at his arm, and it actually chases him from the stables once released from its stall (merely a mock charge, but enough to keep Gaius moving.)
A military saddle, apparently meant for the giant goat.
Jinjer's rooting through the kitchen, pantry, and root cellar show that the place is well stocked for the winter. You could easily gather enough non-perishable food to equate to 2 weeks worth of rations for each member of your group. With the cart in the storage area you could easily haul out quite a bit of the perishables if you so desired.
Jinjer loads the cart with enough rations for herself and her companions and wheels it back into the main room. "Take what you want and let's be gone from this place - the sooner the better."
Tarrana takes the heavy crossbow for herself offering her sling to any who need it or the crossbow if someone else insists. Then she takes the chain shirt under the same conditions.
Gathering up what you can, the group heads out, continuing north and east along the road. The sky is overcast as you set out, and soon after you begin travel the first snowfall of the season starts. Thick, heavy flakes drift down, painting the landscape white with about an inch of snow during your first hour of travel before ceasing.
About midday the group notes three figures on the road ahead, probably about two hundred yards away at this point. They appear to be human and on foot.
Jinjer stops and gets an arrow ready (probably already had one nocked) and says to her companions, "Let's find a place where we won't get ambushed...in case these three are scouts for a larger force. Let them come to us."
Jinjer stops and gets an arrow ready (probably already had one nocked) and says to her companions, "Let's find a place where we won't get ambushed...in case these three are scouts for a larger force. Let them come to us."
To Jinjer "Have you not had enough blood?" "Put that away before you covert a friend to an enemy"
To the strangers, voice raised. "Hail friends. It is a lonely road we walk today."