The key is the leader, the one by Dannic, Fellorin thinks to himself. I need to take him out and maybe we can get the rest to stand down. He looks behind to see the man there in a stupor. "Thanks, Dannic. Now let's put your guy down! His hand goes down to a sheath on his belt and smoothly makes its way back up and towards the slave master, launching a dagger at full extension.
Garreck finally takes down his adversary, crushing his ribcage with a mighty hammer strike.
Fellorin's dagger expertly weaves through friendly traffic and strikes the slave driver in the shoulder, leaving a bloody gash.
Slaver 4, seeing his leader injured, turns to the north and runs for it.
Slaver 1 continues his push into Tiberius, savagely striking with his knife.
His strike rings true, but against Tiberius's axe, not his body.
Dannic glares at the slave driver, "You just stay put a little while longer."
hp 10/13
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +1
Wielding Handaxe and Throwing Axe
No current effects
1d20+BAB+Str+charge: to hit
1d6+Str: damage.
Tiberius, having cleared his immediate area of enemies, chases after the fleeing slaver, catching him quickly and burying an axe into the small of his back.
"Garreck! Get him tied up quick!" Dannic looks over the ragtag bunch of slaves to see if any are wounded. "Don't worry, we'll get you back to the village and if he," Dannic glares at the slave driver, "tries anything else one of these 2 large gentlemen will make him wish he hadn't." Dannic grins at Garreck and Tiberius adding, "I do believe a visit to the magistrate is in order and I for one would love to know where he was heading."
Tiberius walks around the battlefield, checking to see if the slavers are truly dead. As he goes around, he makes sure to check each slaver's body for anything usable, especially checking for keys and identifying items or marks, although the keys are probably on the slave driver. Tiberius wrenches his other throwing axe free of one of the fallen slavers, wiping the blood off on the man's coat. Such a waste of life... Last he checks the woman the slave driver had killed. "Who was she?" he asks of the group of slaves.
Garreck rummages around the campsite and comes up with a length of rope. Roughly pushing the slave driver down face first onto the ground, then kneeling down the smith's apprentice binds his hands behind his back. A few more twists of the single length rope and the driver's ankles are bound as well.
Without saying a word Garreck stands back up and kicks the driver in his hip. He glares down at the dazed man for a moment and then reaches down to rip the sleeve from the slaver's dirty shirt.
Once he's sure the slaver is bound properly, he joins Tiberius in scouring the campsite for weapons and equipment.
A small former-slave turns to Tiberius and says, in a voice halfway between despair and fury That was my wife! He jerks at his chains trying to reach the slave drive, with bloodlust in his eyes as Garreck ties the thug down.
From the slavers, you are able to recover 4 suits of leather armor, 1 light mace, 5 daggers, 1 crossbow, 3 bolts, the keys to the slaves' manacles, and some knick knacks you could find at any simple campsite.
Squatting down next to the grieved man Garreck extends a calloused and burned hand. "This man needs to be questioned. We need to find out who he works for and where he's from." He then turns towards the others who fought alongside him tonight. Taking a deep breath he speaks calmly, "These slavers aren't from around here." He pauses and then continues. "Not from around here or else it's a new band of scum that must be wiped out. We need to find out."
He reaches down into the dirt, picks up a few small stones, and then stands to his full height. Turning back to the still chained slave, "Then you can have your justice" he says quietly and coldly. The stones clicking in his hand as his fingers nimbly move them about. He spies the keys to the manacles in the looted goods from the camp and turns to the slaves. "We let you out, can you wait? Wait till we talk to him?"
Fine. The slave doesn't sound thrilled, but seeing as his wrists and ankles are still chained, he doesn't have much choice.
"Good." Tiberius walks over with the key and starts unlocking manacles. "I wonder if this was the only group. Being from far away, that means that they're probably part of some organization. He probably knows something about that," he points over to the slave driver. "Either of you mages have a way of making people talk? I'd like a couple answers before we get him to a magistrate."
Dannic walks back to the slaver, kneeling beside him. Focusing his mind on getting the slaver to see him as a friend he says, "Come on, we just want to talk to you. We're not going to hurt you. We just want to know about you and your friends."
The slaver spits back up in Dannic's face. Kill me now, cause I ain't talkin'.
"I told you, I'm not going to hurt you. You already know I can affect your mind. I can make you talk if I have to. I'm giving you the chance to talk of your own accord and possibly keep your head. I'm also not sure my associates will give you a better offer either. You're slaving days are over. I just want to know who you're working for."
Whatever. You're just a little party magician. And your friends over there - well, I doubt they could do anything worse than what I had to do to get this job.
Tiberius stands, having freed the last slave. "I'm sure the local constabulary will meet your expectations. We'll know what we want before you hang." Disgusted that the scum still stands up for his employer, Tiberius goes up and punches him square in the jaw. He then turns to Dannic, pausing for a moment to think of what to say. "You did just fine, kid."
Probably 1d3 nonlethal?
The slaver takes a hard fall back into the grass, staggers to his feet, and obediently shuffles in front of Tiberius.
Fellorin said and did very little as the slaves were freed and initially cared for. Except watch. This was a situation he was very unfamiliar with, being raised his entire life in the Free Country of Andoran. And there was a rule in the wilderness that something not wholly understood was something to watch. He kept his eyes everywhere. On the slave driver yes, certainly. But the slaves themselves were under his scrutiny too.
People under intense intense stress could do intense things. So he just watched, hoping all would now be well. As they continued back to town, he caught a glimpse of a landmark he remembered. Pointing he said,"There's a tree cluster I remember. That gate can't be too far off now. We'll be back to town in no time at all."
Before leaving the slaver campsite, Garreck had a quick look around to see if he was able to determine which direction the group had arrived from.
Survival (+skill +per 3 in party) >
=======
As the group nears town Garreck approaches the slave driver. "Last chance before we come into town and turn you over. I'm close with the law here, give us something to help yourself out."
Diplomacy >
Garreck pulls his throwing axe from his belt and presses it against the neck of the slaver. "I should just end you right here. Let your blood flow into the dirt. Talk or die right now!"
Intimidate >
As the party leaves camp, Garreck can see that the group of slaves was following the road, and just barely made a detour to camp in the woods.
Upon hearing Garreck's request for information, the slave driver begins another rude retort - Come on, didn't you get it the first time. Like I said... - But is abruptly cut off when Garreck's axe reaches his throat. Alright, alright! Lay off. Look, this is just my job. It's how I put bread on the table. Just like looking to Garreck whatever you do. Something very manly, I'm sure. I'm only here because Darron sent me. He pays me and I do what he says. The slavers face suddenly turns to a portrait of sorrow and regret. You're going to have me killed aren't you? You know, I have a wife and kids at home. The slavers will take them in a heartbeat once I'm dead.
Garreck pauses for a few moments after his exchange with the slaver. His axe quivers at the man's throat and then the arm holding the weapon drops down to his side. "Keep moving," he says coldly to the man. "Just keep moving and I'll see you don't die within my sight." Then when the man is a few paces ahead Garreck kicks him hard in the behind sending him stumbling forward and ultimately landing on his face.
"It's not a job!" he screams down at the man. "Now get up. Move. And don't say another f$&@ing word until you're behind bars."
He turns somberly to the others he'd fought alongside just a short while before. "We need to see that this man's family is safe. Fergeson ..." and his voice trails off for a moment. "This Darron that he speaks of will know he's been taken and that his product has been lost."
"Where is your family? Perhaps they could be spirited away and replaced by some folks who don't care much for slavery. What do you think Garreck? You know of any volunteers?" Dannic turns back towards the slaver and tells him, "You will face the consequences for your crimes, but we will do our best to protect your family. You need to tell us what you know about the operation so we can get moving as quickly as possible."
Tiberius shrugs at Garreck. "Oppression is one of the things in this world worth fighting against. The way I see it, whatever fate befalls this man's family is a result of his cowardice... but odds are they don't deserve it. He does. I'm not really good at plans though, so I'll focus on getting these people back to safety first."
It takes a few moments for the ideas to connect in Garreck's head but he chuckles and replies to Dannic. "So you saying we spend the night in this fine gentleman's hovel and wait for slaver retaliation?"
Then he turns to Tiberius, "This man's family aren't the only people who haven't had a choice in becoming a slaver. He on the other hand deserves what the law will go do him." He gives the bound man a shove forward. "But before we can do anything for his family, we need to get this man to the Sheriff."
He then returns to silence as he follows closely behind the slaver leader.
"That's exactly what I'm saying, my friend. I'm just not sure if we should keep the family there or try to move them out. It's risky either way."
"Either way, let's get him to the sheriff and we can figure out what to do from there."
Arriving back into town Garreck marches the slaver directly to the sheriff's office. Walking passed Ablamar's shop the smith catches Garreck's eye but neither say a word. The smith, sweat dripping from his brow, gives an almost imperceptible nod.
Outside of the jail Garreck pushes the slaver down onto his knees. "Sandson," he yells out. "We've got a present for you!" Less than a minute later the door to the sheriff's office opens and a lean man walks out.
Sheriff Sandson, a man in his early thirties, looks around. Slowly taking in the scene he smiles. "My, my. Look what the Garreck dragged in."
"This is serious Varn," Garreck says softly as he pushes the slaver forward with a boot to the back. "Says he works for Fergeson. Must be running his own troop now. And this one ..." He gives the slaver a kick in the ribs to punctuate that he's talking to the sheriff about him. "And this one slit his wife's throat right in front of us." He jerks his head backwards to indicate the freed slave standing in the group behind.
Garreck then kneels down next to the slaver. "You need to know," he says coldly to the man, "you're done. Just tell us where we can find your family and we'll keep them safe."
The slaver, in an admission that he needs help, says My family lives in Falcon's Hollow. The crime ring there forced most of us out of the logging business and into slavery. Not violently, mind you, but economically. There was no work to do but slavery, and my options boiled down to either joining up, or selling one of my kids to feed the other. I guess, after a while I just got acclimated to my new life a little too well.
A growl rises in Tiberius's throat. "I know too well of this crime ring in Falcon's Hollow. It seems we have a common enemy." He turns to the others to explain. "Falcon's Hollow is organized differently than this town. To combat a recent rise in crime, a peoples' militia was organized to aid the office of the sheriff. I was part of the militia, but the whole thing was brought down mere weeks ago by a traitor from within. I ran here to gather aid. I have a couple leads, and the sheriff may well still be part of the investigation, if it still proceeds. He is a good man whom I trust. The leader of the militia, though... the town might not still be as I left it. We face danger, if you still plan to come along.
Tiberius goes silent, thinking about the man on the ground. How many others had turned to crime as a last resort? Could working harder have prevented this? Had our circumstances been different, I could have been this man, Tiberius realizes with a start. "I ask that this man's trial be delayed for a time so that the leaders may be brought to justice. It is they who must answer for these crimes."
"We're forgetting something. These people need to be seen to and found a place for the night. If nothing else, they need food. It looks like the ones in charge didn't care too much about feeding them more than was needed to keep them alive." Fell had taken notice that most of everyone's attention seemed to be on the wrong done and not the need to take care of the rescued. If nothing else, he'd voice that concern. "Is there a barn or a warehouse they could stay in? After we've seen to that we can talk more of what needs to be done.'
Tiberius blinks, suddenly realizing how long he's been on the road without decent rest himself. "Agreed, Fellorin." He relies on the other townsfolk to take care of the matter, though, since he's not familiar with this town's resources.
Sheriff Sandson pipes up You can always stay in our mess hall. It may not be the best accommodations, but it's safe. The slaves can stay there, too, and we'll see if we can get some townsfolk to pitch in tomorrow to feed them and get them started on their lives. Thank you for your help. We'll do what we can to allow you to continue.
"Thank you sheriff. We'll get these folks taken care of, then we set out for Falcon's Hollow in the morning? Sheriff, I know this is asking a lot and I don't know if you even have it to give, but do you have horses we can use for the trip to Falcon's Hollow? The faster we get there the better it is for everyone."
My friend, I'm sorry. This is a two-horse town and one of them is mine. We can't afford to lose them. I know we are expecting a trading party to pass through here tomorrow. Perhaps you could see what they have to offer.
"I figured as much, we'll set out first thing in the morning. We don't have the coin to purchase horses." Looking over at the others he says, "I'm going home to tell Ma what's going on and get one more night in my own bed. I'll meet you back here at dawn."
After a good night's rest Dannic leaves what little coin he has with his mother and returns to the mess hall just before daybreak prepared to set out.
Tiberius snaps off what he hopes is the proper salute for the occasion, thinking back to lessons from his father years ago. "Thank you sir. A warm place to sleep is appreciated."
Tiberius helps carry the gear that the others don't want over to the blacksmith's with Garreck. "See if you can get some coin from your master for these, and we can buy a few provisions for our trip in the morning. If any remains, we can give most of it to the freed men.
After a rare night sleeping indoors, Garreck gathers what little gear he owns and prepares himself for the trip to Falcon's Hollow.
Before rejoining Dannic and the others, he takes a few moments to stop by the smith's shop to thank him for welcoming him as an apprentice. He offers the leather armor recovered from the slavers for either a few coins or if the smith could see fit, a larger hammer with which to combat the slavers.
The smith, disappointed to see Garreck leave, but glad to see him pursuing a noble cause, gives Garreck a warhammer and 15 gold pieces for the armor.
The party proceeds toward Falcon's Hollow early in the morning.
Once on the road Garreck shows the others the gold the blacksmith had given him for the slavers armor. "Unless anyone has any complaints, I can hold this till we need it" and with that he pours the coins into a pocket in his backpack.
"Based on the tracks at the slaver camp the other night it looked like they'd been sticking to the road. I'm for making it to the Hollow as quickly as we can."
"Agreed, speed is of the essence. They already have at least a day on us." Dannic shrugs when the money is brought up, then smirks and says "That's fine by me, makes you the better target on the road."
Tiberius shrugs. "I already took the gold I needed. It seems to all be gone already. Perhaps it would be best if you held on to the money in the future for me.
This time, his confidence bolstered by the presence of allies and possession of a plan, Tiberius suggests that the group take the main road. The road may also bring other travelers along their path who may have good information on what's been going on lately.
The party sets off on it's journey to Falcon's Hollow.
The first 2 days pass without incident, but on the third day, you awaken to find that some of your food has spoiled overnight. You still have plenty of food, but there is chance of illness.
Fortitude DC 10 >
On the third day of the trip to Falcon's Hollow Garreck wrinkles his nose over breakfast as it cooks. Ugh, I've smelled that before. Time to hope the metal belly does its job. Despite what he knows is the potential for sickness and cramps, Garreck digs into breakfast.
"You never know where that next meal might be coming from," he says to his traveling companions. Then he continues in a softer voice, "or when someone might be keeping it from you."
"Bah. Food for the road should have harder bread. This stuff is already moldy! That's the problem." Tiberius says as he eats. He cracks his knuckles and finishes it off. "Well, what doesn't kill you..."
That night Tiberius makes sure to set a couple snares a ways from camp to possibly net some extra food overnight.
"Ugh, next time we buy rations, let's look in the pack first." He stops eating the food and goes to forage for a meal, taking the crossbow with him in case he happens across some animals.
Fort:
"Uh guys, I don't feel so good..." Dannic moans before scurrying off into the bushes...