"Get off that horse, guy. You're just going to get yourself hurt." Korren's tone, along with the large axe now in his hands, leaves his meaning perfectly clear.
The bandit grits his teeth and shouts, "Who the f$*& are you people?" with anger and fear.
Ardell quickly run towards the bandit and strikes at him with one of his swords
running die
attack
wild die
damage
"Well, you can call me Ardell” he whisper in his ear as he gently lower him to the ground
Ardell strikes the man and lowers him to the ground. With their foes vanquished, the charter bearers can see that no-one poses any threat any more. Their leader and one of the men is dead. The other 2 are groaning in agony.
Oleg and Svetlana poke their heads out.
"Is it over?" Svetlana asks, "I can't believe it! You've saved us!"
Oleg grunts, "Now, let's string these two up..." as he moves to one of the wounded bandits.
"Not so quick there, Oleg. They might have something they want to tell us"
He walks over to one of the bandits and stand over him
”That was quite a whooping you got there, eh? You should really learn to pick your fights better.”
Taunt
Wild die
”Now, my good man Oleg here is very keen about putting you two on sticks. But i think you might serve some other purpose. If you tell us everything you know about you gang and the women who was with you the last time I might, might, have a chance to talk him out of it.”
Persuasion
Wild die
Ace
"Not so quick there, Oleg. They might have something they want to tell us"
He walks over to one of the bandits and stand over him
”That was quite a whooping you got there, eh? You should really learn to pick your fights better.”
Taunt 1d6
Wild die 1d6”Now, my good man Oleg here is very keen about putting you two on sticks. But i think you might serve some other purpose. If you tell us everything you know about you gang and the women who was with you the last time I might, might, have a chance to talk him out of it.”
Persuasion 1d6
Wild die 1d6
Ace 1d6
"F@&* you. I ain't tellin' you anything." the bandit grunts as he spits in Ardell's direction.
"You're probably going to die anyway, it's just your choice if it's quick with Ardell's sword or Korren's axe, or slow because I call up some weasels to chomp on you."
Pavla emerges from the stables, looking grumpy.
"I would listen to her. Did you see what those birds did to your leader? imagine a weasel doing that to you. Yikes." He says and make a disgusted grimace
Pavla's feeling pretty damned persuasive...
Her expression hardens and her fingers clench.
"Besides, I really, really want to know what I can do with weasels."
"Alright, alright, just keep that crazy witch away from me," the man gasps, clamping a hand to his side in pain.
"What d'you want to know?"
"For the last time, I am NOT A WITCH."
Pavla stamps into the house to calm down. At the door she pauses.
"Hurry up and tell Ardell what he wants to know before my curiosity gets the better of me and you get mustelidae up the trousers. Lots of them."
Korren begins searching the corpses for coin.
"First off, where's your base? Can't just wait for the rest of you to show up to kill 'em."
"Alright, alright, just keep that crazy witch away from me," the man gasps, clamping a hand to his side in pain.
"What d'you want to know?"
"where is your hideout? How many are you? Who is leading you? Whos is that women with axes?"
Sighs
Why does it always come to this? You try to do the right thing, and people die. Well as long as the innocent are saved. he thinks to himself.
The normally soft-spoken Blackbow speaks...
"Too bad so many had to die, though whether it was by our weapons or the gibbet the outcome is probably the same."
"We should teach Oleg how to use that bow, and let him keep the money to hire some decent men-at-arms...Such open defiance often breeds repraisal..."
"What the hell? The gibbet? Look, if we tell you what you want to know, what do we get out of it?" one of the bandits asks.
Oleg growls, "You going to make a deal with these scum? You can't trust them as far as you can throw them."
Svetlana turns to Pavla, "Thank you for this. Our house is your house. You can stay here for free, with free food as well for as long as you are in the area."
"You're very kind Svetlana and frankly, it was a real pleasure putting a stop to them. I want to get your wedding ring back as well, but that might take a little longer."
"What the hell? The gibbet? Look, if we tell you what you want to know, what do we get out of it?" one of the bandits asks.
Korren takes out his battle ax and holds it over the man's neck. "If you're not going to tell us what we want, we might as well kill you now."
"What the hell? The gibbet? Look, if we tell you what you want to know, what do we get out of it?" one of the bandits asks.
Ardell starts laughing at the absurd notion of bargaining about this "I don't think you really understand it, do you? We don't need you to get this information. Sure it will be easier for us if you just gave it over, and we would absolutely look kind on such an act, but if you don't" he shrugs "it will be nothing more than a minor annoyance."
"So, gentlemens. You might think that you are somehow helping your gang by keeping silent, but the truth is we are going to find it and put all of you to the sword sooner or later, with or without your help. So why should you cooperate if we can get this information somewhere else you ask? I'll tell you why; Because you don't want to watch your friend here being decapitated by my friend while a swarm of weasels slowly chew on your own guts, only to be put on a stick for a slow, oh so slow, death" he says in a unnerving cheery tone.
"But if you really want to play heroes" he shrugs again "by all means do it. I don't care"
"They are all yours" he says to Korren with a tip of his hat. He turn his back on the bandit and starts walking away.
Persuasion
Wild die
Ace
Kari seems more than a little unnerved by the interogation options and so wanders off to other parts of the outpost so that she doesn't have to witness it.
Matrak does his best to disguise his relief at not having to get involved in the fight. He climbs back down from the walkway and contemplates taunting the captured thugs. But with a quick glance over his shoulder, he thinks better of tempting fate...
Instead, as some of the others threaten the prisoners with gruesome tortures, he spies their horses. Of course they won't be a patch on a proper steppe pony, but it would be good to be able to ride and feel the wind through his hair again. He sidles closer, and begins eyeing up the beasts to see if they are any better than the mangy nag that he found himself sharing the stable with.
"Y'know Ardell, you'd make an excellent despot...torture...come now, respect is a much more powerful ally, when your people would throw their own lives away to save yours, if you rule by torture, your people would more likely kill you than save you..." Blackbow jibes. "A swift death is a preferable end. Swift yet fair."
Svetlana steps out. "Please," she says, " Not here, in our home. If they are going to be... Then please, find a tree outside here or something."
"Aye, string 'em up." her husband growls.
The bandits react poorly to Korren's threats. "You know this life, kid." one says, "Can see it in yer eyes. Just make it quick."
Peering over Svetlana's shoulder, Pavla re-emerges a bit calmer.
"You can't have been born bandits. What were you before? Something must have happened."
The bandits ignore Pavla. Oleg replies to her,"Is this what they're sending out here? Lady, there're scum; born o' scum, they'll litter scum. Family trade for some of 'em."
"Anyhow, I got a reward for you. AIn't much I s'pose to folks like you but there you go."
Ardell gather the others so the bandits can't hear what he is saying
"Look, I know what I am doing, and I have no intention of carrying these threats out any more than you do. We just need to get these two guys talking, and this is the language they talk"
Suddenly he raises his voice so the bandits can hear him again "What do you mean let them go if they talk?! They should pay for their crimes!”
He wink at the others and lower his voice again ”Let's get them talking, and then we can decide what we are going to do. They might serve as bait for the rest of the gang”
Pavla looks dubious.
"What are we really going to do with them? I can't kill people in cold blood. Tie them up for now at least and keep them under guard."
Pavla looks dubious.
"What are we really going to do with them? I can't kill people in cold blood. Tie them up for now at least and keep them under guard."
"Who'd guard them? Oleg? Either we kill them now, or we let them go now."
Ardell gather the others so the bandits can't hear what he is saying
"Look, I know what I am doing, and I have no intention of carrying these threats out any more than you do. We just need to get these two guys talking, and this is the language they talk"Suddenly he raises his voice so the bandits can hear him again "What do you mean let them go if they talk?! They should pay for their crimes!”
He wink at the others and lower his voice again ”Let's get them talking, and then we can decide what we are going to do. They might serve as bait for the rest of the gang”
"No, I plan on letting them have a trial. But of course, in these lands, might makes right, and if we're the fist of justice with our writ, so be it."
The bandits look sullen and occasionally grimace in pain.
"No, I plan on letting them have a trial. But of course, in these lands, might makes right, and if we're the fist of justice with our writ, so be it."
"Why?" he ask, sounding as sincere as possible "They are obviously not going to tell us anything, and we can't just leave them here unguarded, and we certainly have no need for them alive."
With that he walks towards the back talking bandit, drawing his sword as he goes.
"I've had enough of this. Korren, a hand?"
He roughly grab the bandit by the hair and pull him into the nearest shack.
-----
Inside he throw the bandit to the floor, tieing and gagging him.
Standing over him he says "Okay, we really didn't want to do this but you give us no other choice.."
He pull up his sleeves and crack his fists.. and suddenly start screaming like a person in pain, trashing around and beating on things inside the shack.
-----
After a couple of minutes he quiet down and walk outside. Here he dust himself off and clap his hand.
"Allright.. NEXT!" he yell while walking over to the other bandit.
He grab the bandit by the foot and start pulling him toward the shack.
"No, can't go in there... Too messy now. Aha! this should do!" he says and pull the bandit towards another shack
"Great mother! Saints and spirits! Fine fine, I'll talk!" the bandit yelps. "The camp's two days ride south west of here!"
While Ardell gets to work in his own unique style, Pavla curiously examines the finds on Happs's body. Thoughtfully, she picks up the silver stag symbol.
"What about this? Just pretty or something more?" she asks generally.
"Great mother! Saints and spirits! Fine fine, I'll talk!" the bandit yelps. "The camp's two days ride south west of here!"
"Aah, see now we are talking. I knew you'd come around. Why did you have to make such a fuss about it? It's a shame you partner was less reluctant to talk. So, how many are you in this camp?"
"Look, you'll let me go, right, if I tell you? I swear on my mother's life, I'll... I'll be a trapper, yeah! Just don't kill me!"
"Look, you'll let me go, right, if I tell you? I swear on my mother's life, I'll... I'll be a trapper, yeah! Just don't kill me!"
"That certainly depends on what you tell us.."
"Nah, we won't kill you - though I don't think you deserve a faith better. But you might serve another purpose for us. If you show us to your camp we will let you go after we have dealt with the rest of your gang. And NO funny tricks, you understand? Unless you want to end your life with my sword way up where the sun never shine"
"Now, as long as you follow these simple guidelines you will find we are all really nice people." he turns towards the others but smack a hand against his forehead and turn back "Ah, where are my manners? Haven't even introduced myself. My name is Ardell" he says and dip into a low bow, sweeping his hat on the ground.
Turning to Oleg he clap his hands together "Oleg, my man. I think we could all use a good meal after this ordeal. Do you have anything to offer?"
-----
If nothing else happens Ardell will grab a plate with food and visit the other bandit in the shack after dinner.
"Oh my, are you still here? Why are you lying out here all by your self when you can be inside with rest of us eating this absoutely deliscious food." he says, spitting food all over him "Really, you should taste it"
"So, did you remember anything you wanted to tell us?"
"What time were you supposed to return? If we approach as the bandits returning, we might get the drop on them..."
The bandit looks hungrily, and replies to Blackbow (all the while looking at Ardell's food), "Two days from now"
"So, are we going to go fight the bandits now, or just wait for them and help fix this place up a bit?"
"If we wait, they'll know something is up, they'll be ready, of they'll come and burn down this wooden fort, probably in the middle of the night...if we take the fight to them, hide ourselves as the bandits, we can spring a trap upon them."
"If we wait, they'll know something is up, they'll be ready, of they'll come and burn down this wooden fort, probably in the middle of the night...if we take the fight to them, hide ourselves as the bandits, we can spring a trap upon them."
"I like the way you are thinking. And if they fight just half as good as the other chumps it should be a piece of cake"
"And if they're not? Oleg and Svetlana say there are a lot of them and the woman they talked about sounds organised. These were just unlucky. We had time to plan. Their camp is going to be a different story."
Pavla rejoins the discussion, poking curiously at Happs's possessions.
"Sealed flasks and a silver stag. I don't think Happs looked like a jewellery man. So this might be a symbol of some kind. Is it?"
She spins and asks the nearest bandit.