Andrezi looks over and glares at Serafina as he jogs past her. ”They weren’t a threat, was that really necessary?” However, he doesn’t continue to berate her, and instead heads closer to the battle, stopping once he sees the two remaining bandits, one of which appearing to be the leader of sorts. He pulls out a few dried rose petals, of all things, extends his arm towards the bandits and begins to sprinkle the petals as his other hand forms the arcane gestures needed to power his spell. As he does both of these, he firmly speaks words of power, casting his spell and causing both bandits to fall flat on their faces mid-stride, now asleep.
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Seeing Arctalan's plight, Erimriel dashes forward with a surprising burst of speed. She plants her left heel as she skids behind the bandit in chain mail. She carries the momentum of her speed into a spin, pivoting on her left to deliver a gruesome kick into the man's turning head. Her right foot catches the man square in the temple as he makes to bring his blade to bear against her.
"I'd tell you to mind your tongue in the future, but I cen't say I expect you to hev one!" Erimriel taunts with satisfaction as the right side of the man's face buckles under the force of her kick.
Finally seeing Andrezi emerge with sleep in his eyes, Rahaal purses her lips in disapproval...but continues to call her allies onward in the name of justice.
Feeling a bit bolder, she pronounces "The lawless will fall before Abadar's just gaze. We will prevail!
"Erimriel, your fists and feet are the Judge of the Gods' vehicle now."
Serafina looks up in dismay as more bandits come out of the building, including the cocky, axe-wielding fellow. She'd like to go help...but prudence demands she makes sure these don't rise to fight again. She steels herself, then plunges her dagger down, aiming for the man's heart. Her aim is true, and her hands get a splatter of blood on them as a few arterial spurts burst from the wound onto her her dagger, hands, and the bandit's clothing and armor. She withdraws her weapon from his chest, a bit unnerved by the man's spasming, but determined to give his fellow the same treatment as she turns her attention to the other unconscious bandit.
"ARC!" Sasha yells as the eidolon reels and staggers a step toward his master. The young summoner hurries forward, drawing a vial full of red-black liquid from his pouch as he goes. He mutters a short incantation, taking a drop of the fluid and smearing it on the eidolon in a simple star pattern. The creature's wound immediately begins to knit back together, the greenish ichor seeping from the wound, slowing to a bare trickle.
Andrezi looks over and glares at Serafina as he jogs past her. ”They weren’t a threat, was that really necessary?” However, he doesn’t continue to berate her, and instead heads closer to the battle, stopping once he sees the two remaining bandits, one of which appearing to be the leader of sorts. He pulls out a few dried rose petals, of all things, extends his arm towards the bandits and begins to sprinkle the petals as his other hand forms the arcane gestures needed to power his spell.
The archer moves away from the building, putting some distance between himself and the fight as he launches an arrow at the woman who so easily felled one of their men. It is a terrible shot, landing well short of her.
The muscle bound man lets out a loud battle cry, and swings his large axe with incredible force. It cleaves clean through the shadowy creature, which lets out a pained cry as it seems to dissipate like a cloud until nothing is left.
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Milo takes his chance and surges forward, trying to knock the blade from his assailant's hand.
The sorceress glares at Andrezi for a moment as he passes by, mentally filing this event away for later discussion. Before she can think about it and change her mind, her dagger plunges down into the other helpless bandit. Her aim is again true, the man's life ending beneath her blade. She wipes the dagger on the bandit's trousers, removing most of the blood, before finally looking to the struggle still going on. To her dismay, the eidolon takes a crushing blow, the creature disappearing. Well, at least it wasn't one of us...
Erimriel grimaces as the strange, black creature evaporates. The half-elf with spindly arms now seems to be in a horrible spot, his minion dispatched and the brute that struck the blow seething scant steps away. Not wishing to see him butchered like his servant, Erimriel vaults forward, tumbling across the ground and springing to her feet in front of Sasha. Her clenched fists go up in front of her, ready to step in and pummel the brute if he approaches.
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>
>>
Rahaal looks on as the sorceress draws her blade against the stunned bandits' throats. She feels a moment of shock at how casually she executes them. ...But then they are unrepentant bandits, and it's our duty to rid these lands of them. It's just that...she looks so at ease doing it.
Bringing her focus back to the remaining bandit, she calls on the righteous mantle of the Judge of Gods, points a finger at him, looks him in the eyes and commands:
The weak-willed bandit hustles straight toward her, heedless of the pugilist or summoner he passes on his way.
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"ARCTALAN!!!" Sasha shouts, his small form seething with rage. "YOU BASTARD! YOU'RE DEAD!" With that, the young man makes a few practiced gestures and mutters a few words, resulting in an eagle appearing behind the big man, its feathers the colors of pearls and gold.
The eagle focuses on the man, trying to shred him with beak and talons. It succeeds with one talon and a beak leaving long rends in the man's flesh.
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Andrezi, finishing his incantation and gesture-making, casts his spell of slumber, aiming at the archer who retreated to the back; The bandit gets drowsy and before he knows it, is fast asleep on the ground, awaiting his fate.
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"ARCTALAN!!!" Sasha shouts, his small form seething with rage. "YOU BASTARD! YOU'RE DEAD!" With that, the young man makes a few practiced gestures and mutters a few words, resulting in an eagle appearing behind the big man, its feathers the colors of pearls and gold.
The eagle focuses on the man, trying to shred him with beak and talons. It succeeds with one talon and a beak leaving long rends in the man's flesh.
The sorceress glares at Andrezi for a moment as he passes by, mentally filing this event away for later discussion. Before she can think about it and change her mind, her dagger plunges down into the other helpless bandit. Her aim is again true, the man's life ending beneath her blade. She wipes the dagger on the bandit's trousers, removing most of the blood, before finally looking to the struggle still going on. To her dismay, the eidolon takes a crushing blow, the creature disappearing. Well, at least it wasn't one of us...
Rahaal looks on as the sorceress draws her blade against the stunned bandits' throats. She feels a moment of shock at how casually she executes them. ...But then they are unrepentant bandits, and it's our duty to rid these lands of them. It's just that...she looks so at ease doing it.
Erimriel grimaces as the strange, black creature evaporates. The half-elf with spindly arms now seems to be in a horrible spot, his minion dispatched and the brute that struck the blow seething scant steps away. Not wishing to see him butchered like his servant, Erimriel vaults forward, tumbling across the ground and springing to her feet in front of Sasha. Her clenched fists go up in front of her, ready to step in and pummel the brute if he approaches.
Bringing her focus back to the remaining bandit, Rahaal calls on the righteous mantle of the Judge of Gods, points a finger at him, looks him in the eyes and commands: "Come!"
The weak-willed bandit hustles straight toward her, heedless of the pugilist or summoner he passes on his way.
Andrezi, finishing his incantation and gesture-making, casts his spell of slumber, aiming at the archer who retreated to the back; The bandit gets drowsy and before he knows it, is fast asleep on the ground, awaiting his fate.
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The sorceress, her bloody work done, walks calmly towards the melee going on with the remaining bandit. Loathe to cast her colorful spell again, lest one of her more eager comrades run directly into the blast, she shouts a short incantation, pointing at the supposed leader. A small glob of acid appears and speeds towards the man, bubbling and sizzling as it strikes his exposed skin. "Surrender, fool!"
As the acid strikes the man in the face, he screams in pain, dropping his axe and clutching at his face with his hands. He continues to scream as he falls to his knees, the acid spreading to his hands. In but a few moments, most of the flesh of his face has melted away, as well as a significant portion of the skin of his hands, as he falls to the ground, succumbing to his multiple wounds.
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Serafina's eyes widen as the damage from her acid ruins the man's face. Her look quickly changes to a confident smirk at her companions, her gaze drifting over to the unconscious bandit, then to Andrezi, a fine black brow arching as she slowly starts to walk towards the thug, blade in hand.
Rahaal clenches her jaw and prays for courage as the hulking bandit follows her command...and looks intent on swinging at her. Seconds later she gasps in horror as she sees the man's face melted away with acid.
Whipping her head to the right she sees that it was the formidable sorceress. She has handled herself competently and confidently in this battle...but that smile on her face after killing three men...
The priestess of Abadar turns to her companions and says, "Were any of you injured? Anyone need immediate assistance? If not, let's see what's happening inside. Hopefully their prisoner is still alive.
"Erimriel, I will go in at your side, if you would lead the way with me."
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Serafina shakes her head in a negative response to Rahaal's inquiry. "That went surprisingly well!" She continues on to the fallen bandit, then thinks a moment, turning to Sasha. "Sorry about your...friend? What has happened to him?"
As the summoner chooses to respond or not she continues on her way, her step confident and steady. When she gets to the man, she has a sudden epiphany. I don't have any rope! She'd been meaning to tease Andrezi, then cut a length of rope and tie the man up. She makes a show of checking for the man's pulse, nodding. "He lives. He should be out while we check out the inside."
She, of course, has no idea how long the bandit will be out...but wants a living prisoner to answer questions. The priestess was already giving her a look Serafina knew all too well, and Andrezi had already commented on her previous work. No need to get them any more wound up. Of course, if there was someone inside, that made the man much more expendable. She hurries over to the door, a few paces back of the others as they make ready to open it.
What would have been a life-ending heel kick to the back of the bandit's head is halted after the globule of acid begins to envelop his face--a far more gruesome and painful end than the one she had intended for the brute. Erimriel shrugs as he wilts, wails, and eventually dies beneath her.
"Sure thing, mum," Erimriel replies to Rahaal. She takes a position next to the Abadaran in the doorway to the stone building. Staring at the door and readying a kick to fling the doors open, she calls out, "Stend your ground if any more of you brigand bestards are inside! Restov and Gorum send their regards!" She kicks the doors open and prepares to beat senseless any assailants that come from within.
Miloslav looks up, in the middle of strapping on his armor. "Wait! I'm not a bandit!" he cries, holding up his hands. "I was their prisoner, and am here by rightful charter of the swordlords of Restov!"
"Hmmmm, Erimriel, let's hear this man out.
"Who are you then? Do you have any papers to verify your claim? What happened in here?" Rahaal motions toward the dead body, her swirling amber, gold, and emerald eyes looking hard at the man.
Serafina eyes the man with deep suspicion. She wouldn't put it past the man to see things turn sour outside and kill his fellow so that he could act the part. She crosses her arms, waiting. The proof was in the pudding, as the locals said. He'd either produce his charter and prove his claim...or he'd hang like the bandit he was. He seemed sincere, so she is quite glad she didn't slip her dagger between the unconscious bandit's ribs. She peers behind the group to check on him, making sure he doesn't sneak away while they are otherwise occupied.
"مرحبا جميل, I am Miloslav Neve, formerly of Port Ice," the tall man says with a bow. "I believe my charter is in this chest somewhere," he says, pointing to the chest. He doesn't move otherwise, not wanting to threaten the newcomers. "These bandits captured me, and were keeping me in that cage. I convinced them I might be worth a ransom, and they were discussing whether or not to kill me. When you attacked, that man thought he would get revenge on me for taking his eye. It was his mistake to come into the cage. I took his sword and killed him. Now, it is now. Who are you?"
The priestess blinks twice when addressed in Kelish. Someone else from civilized lands, it seems...
She answers in Taldane. Holding up the golden key about her neck she declares "I am Rahaal bat Sawai, priestess of the Master of the First Vault, sent by my order to bring civilization, justice, and safe commerce to this land. I and my companions here have recently been appointed to civilize these lands in the name of the Swordlords of Restov--just as you claim to be the case for yourself.
"The bandits spoke of a captive so that part of your story at least seems to check out. Let me see to your papers then, to be certain."
Nodding to Erimriel to stay alert, Rahaal walks over to the chest and takes a look, rifling through the various contents. When she finds papers much like her own that name one Miloslav Neve, she reads them aloud.
"At ease, companions. I believe this man speaks truly." With that she walks over to clasp the man's hand in greeting and says, "I am happy we were able to come to your aid. We have people setting up a fort for us not far from here. If you care to, spend the night with us and share our bread. Perhaps you'll have stories for us of your time so far in these untamed lands."
Andrezi calls his familiar over to him and walks quickly to the sleeping bandit as the others speak with someone inside the building. As both he and his companion get there, he pulls a length of rope from his over-packed goat and begins to tie up the man. "Can someone help me with this guy? He'll probably be able to break free if I tie him up alone, as my rope.. tying.. skills aren't.. uh.. particularly good."
Though he ties up the man somewhat, Andrezi scratches his beard absently as he waits for someone to help him do a better job with the rope.
Miloslav nods, "Thank you, and well met." The young man finishes putting on his gear and then picks up his large, sturdy-looking falchion. Hearing the call for help from outside he heads out to take a look. "Want me to cut his head off?" he asks Andrezi. He stares at the bandit with hard eyes. "I've got a score to settle with these f@!@ers."
"Well met, Miloslav. We were hoping to extract some information from that fellow before we give him his just rewards, actually. After that..." Serafina shrugs at this point, a look of nonchalance on her face. She walks over to join Andrezi, shaking her head. She doubts her knots would be any better. She looks to Erimriel.
"You look like you could tie a good, tight knot. Would you care to do the honors?" She smiles at the woman, keeping the bandit in her field of vision in case he should regain consciousness.
Rahaal continues where Serafina trails off "...After that, our charter is clear: these are unrepentant bandits and the price they pay for that is to hang, or die by the sword. And if you wish to be the one to administer justice to your former captors, I certainly have no objection.
"First though, while Erimriel ties him up, do any of you have experience questioning captives like this?"
The sorceress smiles cruelly at Rahaal's question, nodding as she brings her dagger back to bear.
"I might know a few tricks to loosen his tongue..." She reaches forward and slaps the man across the face until he wakes up. Wanting him to be disoriented, she frowns down at the man, brandishing her weapon close to his face.
"Hello there, sir. We have a few questions for you! Compliance will ease your suffering, but failure to answer will generate slow and complete agony." She lays the flat of the dagger against his cheek, sliding it across slowly.
"Tell me...what does that silver stag represent? Is that a holy symbol of some sort?"
The dagger slides down to his jaw, and she applies pressure, forcing the bandit to lean his head back, exposing his neck.
"Are there more of you around here? How many? Any spellcasters?"
The dagger point rests on his Adam's Apple, and she applies a gentle pressure to it, a bright red bead of blood popping out.
"Any hidden stashes? Anyone working with you who is not part of the official group? What do you know of the area? Tell me true, or you die slowly."
Rahaal is briefly relieved to hear Serafina offer her expertise...and then swallows hard as the sorceress begins her work. Is that really necessary? How this ought to be done?
She finds herself wanting to back away--to look anywhere else--and has difficulty concealing her discomfort. Do I interrupt this? She wouldn't really go through with those threats, would she? Execution is just, but torture...
The man, totally disoriented, gets a frightened look on his face as the knife moves across his throat. "The amulet...it's a symbol of the Stag Lord. He's organizing all the bandits in the area under his thumb. I've never met him, and I don't know where he stays, Trevor was the only one that ever went to meet him, and he was always gone several days when he did. I don't think there are anymore of us around here though, and we ain't got no stash besides what's in the chest. This is Tiger Lord country, and anything we'd have hid, they'd have sniffed out."
His eyes finally wander over to Miloslav, and realization sets in on his face. He looks Serafina straight in the eye and grits his teeth and says, "Do it witch. Make it quick. I know there ain't no way out of this for me."
"I'm taking it Trevor is the one without a face? Tiger Lord, eh? Is that another bandit leader?" She ponders this a moment, non-dagger hand going to her chin thoughtfully.
She smirks at the bandit, pressing in just a little harder on her weapon, before withdrawing it. Her dark eyes go to Miloslav, shadow of a smile on her face, her dark amusement clear. "He's all yours."
As he does what he will, Serafina will walk to the chest, casting a spell to detect magical dweomers. She delves down into it, trying to determine if any magic resides on or in the chest.
Before he enters the building behind the others, Sasha stops and spits on the corpse of the man who slew Arctalan. "Good riddance you f$@%." he says.
Inside, he listens to the conversation, then says, "No more use for him, execute him and let's go."
Heedless of the bandit's final moments behind her, she calls out. "I recall reading about it in some text...the Tiger Lords are local barbarians that we need to be watchful for. Any claim on these lands will likely have to deal with them at some point."
Taking the key from the loot pile, she inserts it into the chest lock, twisting it until she hears the locking mechanism release. She opens the chest and peers inside, eyes eager.
"You have failed this world. Your life of evil will now be punished. By the rightful power of the Dragonscale throne, I hereby execute you," Miloslav intones formally. He steps up behind the man, and strikes his head from his shoulders with a single slash. "Should we keep the heads to put on the walls of your fort? Might discourage further banditry if people see there is some order coming to the region."
"Tiger Lord barbarians, is it? Thet sounds exciting! I hope they put up a better fight then these sad excuses for men." Erimriel nudges the now headless form of their bandit-turned-prisoner-turned-decapitated. At the mention of adorning the walls of their hopeful stronghold, the aasimar seems momentarily aghast at Miloslav's suggestion. Within the waves of her dark hair, distant stars streak lines until they are out of sight, the strands now dominated by an enormous blue sun. "Gods, no! The smell would be terrible, and these shitters are so ugly besides. Perheps if we find a dregon end kill it we'll hev something worth displaying, eh?"
Gazing towards the horizon with an excited look, it seems Erimriel has lost her attention to deluded fantasy. That they just had to massacre a small camp of people seems entirely lost on her. But the possibilities of the future—however unrealistic these imagined possibilities might be—seems to draw from an endless well of joy within her being. She manages to snap back out of her reverie as the spoils of war are being collected. Looking over the hoard of goods being amassed, Erimriel stops briefly to clap Miloslav on the shoulder.
"Nice swing, by the way. I'm Erimriel!" She half-chuckles, then extends a hand in greeting.
"I second that. Advertising that we are hunting bandits at this time will only increase their guile. Let them guess and wonder where their wayward comrades might be. Distraught adversaries make bad decisions."
Noticing a piece of parchment, Serafina unrolls it, showing the map the bandits had. She inspects it, seeing if there is anything worthwhile on the thing...perhaps landmarks, nearby sources of fresh water, dangerous spots.
"It'd be a damned lot of work to drag corpses around anyway, and who would want to soil their garments with bandit blood, for something the other bandits would never likely see. Even if they did, I doubt they'd know who did it anyhow, we're no exactly famous yet." Sasha says.
After inspecting their pile of loot, Sasha grabs the big spear on a lark. Maybe it would make some bandit think he was any good with the thing.
Looking at the map, Serafina nods at random intervals, her eyes squinting as she tries to process the information. Gods be damned, why hadn't she asked the bandit about the map before they dispensed justice? She had acted impulsively, and as usual, now she was in a bind because of it. She settles down, trying to make the map make sense.
"It seems there the river flows south for a ways before turning west, then eventually south. Grasslands to the west, then plains, then hills. There are some marks on the hills that lead me to believe these Tiger Lord barbarians are settled there. A smaller stream starts out of these hills and runs almost due south to meet up with the great river. Some areas on the other side of the larger river are marked with exclamation points...points of interest, perhaps?"
She shrugs, handing the map to whoever else might want it to study. "Tiger Lords and Stag Lords. It seems the animal kingdom rules this area. So where to on the morrow, my fellows? We might as well stop here for the night. We actually have a decent place to shelter."
Looking up at the sun, the sorceress rolls her eyes. "Or I suppose we can move on, if you guys think it wise. We came out of that relatively unscathed and could cover a few more miles before dark, I'd imagine. Which way?"
As the sun begins to set on the first day of exploration, you find yourselves nearing the northern edge of the swamp along the western bank of the river. From here, the river crossing camp is about an hour's journey.
The camp being only an hour away, and there supposedly being safety in numbers, Serafina turns to her companions. "Let us return to the camp and see what kind of preparations our good dwarven friend has made. Perhaps we can even filch a bit of supper!" She chuckles good-naturedly, and if no one objects, she starts to lead the horse Rahaal sits towards the river camp where the fort is being established.