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"I should probably tell you what I can do then so you can best decide how I can help you," Hailey suggests. "I can hex up to five times, each for light pain on the living, like I wanted to before. But I'm practiced enough that I can cause my power to bypass any ally of mine who would be caught in the blast.
"I can also reassign two of my spells to cause harm if I can get one of these creeps close enough to touch them, but it'll cost me the use of one my two prepared spells. The spells I'd be losing make people think twice about bothering whomever I cast it on temporarily, or call forth a small beast. Or I can simply fire bolts at up to 80 feet.
"Oh yes. I can also use a minor form of telekinesis on my staff to make it go flying and hit someone, but only a few times. And lastly, I can learn someone's weaknesses with a touch. How can I best help?"
"Thanks for the heads up, tiny one. We will keep this in mind. Hopefully we can get you in close enough to be able to maximize your potential. However, the closer you get, the more dangerous it can be. I would not be able to live with myself if I ever let a little girl get harmed."
To Swift, Hailey is like a little girl. He is not trying to insult her, it is just how he feels.
Taking 10 on Stealth +4 circumstance bonus gives me a 16.
"I'll wait inside as well, with the prisoners. We don't want them attacking us from behind without warning, in case they find a way to free themselves. Or warning their companions."
Calistria turns to the bandits.
"I'm very sorry about this. I'll be sure to tell the Baron how you cooperated. Perhaps he'll give you a more lenient sentence."
And with that, Calistra shoves cloth into each man's mouth to gag him before she hides.
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"I want you to know, sir, that I re . . . really want to thank you for your concern and your chivalry."
But just you wait until I'm able to fire a magic missile as far as I want to, then guard myself from attacks with a magic shield. Of course, in this land.
"I want to succeed in my reproofs of the abusers of the craft, but I don't want to succeed so well that the town all swarms against me, screaming 'get that girl, she's wicked! Get her.'"
You all settle into your positions. Sundown passes without any sign of the other bandits, last light too passes without a sign. Then the temperature drops and it begins to drizzle, the really cold annoying kind of drizzle. Those inside the old mill are protected from the worst of it, but those hidden outside are exposed to the natural wonders of cold rain.
That rascal better not have been lying, Voryn thought too himself while tugging his cloak tight. It's cold and raining. Darkness has fallen. And I'm sitting in a bush.
When Garekk comes in from the rain, Rois nods to him and says, " We either need to take these men to the Barron or leave them here while we go and search the woods for their comrades. We are running out of food and don't have enough supplies to keep this up much longer."
Then he speaks to the bandits, " some of us may not get fed."
Vorelloex is in hunting mode. His wisdom of instinct takes hold of his lips.
"On hunts you may go without food for days. You must be ready to go without and suffer if you want to bring down a mammoth. These men are but flies. We can handle them without sweat... However, we should knock out the ones we have. Squirming and scheming could kill us."
He bares his teeth at the highwaymen.
Garekk goes to the bandit leader and pulls the gag out of his mouth.
"This is your one chance to tell the truth before I beat it out of you.. are there any others and if so where are they?"
[Dice=Intimidate] 1d20+7
The leader was about to feed you another line about spelling it out of him when one of the other guys finally talks. "Originally there were six of us, the others split off when we crossed the border into Caliphas."
That rascal better not have been lying, Voryn thought too himself while tugging his cloak tight. It's cold and raining. Darkness has fallen. And I'm sitting in a bush.
Voryn gets up from his hiding spot and enters the mill, sword drawn and soaked in rain, convinced by the two hours of nobody turning up that the leader of the bandits has been lying.
"I swear I'm gonna cut off your hand myself, you lying, stealing, mischevious little rat bastard!"
"Now now Voryn, let us not be too hasty."
Swift is clearly displeased. After waiting in the bushes, in the cold and in the rain, he left his post when he noticed Voryn doing the same.
"That being said, the baron said nothing about the condition we had to bring them back in."
Vorelloex, more frustrated than anything, and consumed by his pyrrhic quest to revivify his brother and villify their surname for his sake, becomes disgusted at the group's current position.
He chucks Scream into the nearest unoccupied tree, and the hatchet's blade sticks deep into the creaking wood.
"Xsio Vraktor!! I didn't come with you all to sit around defacating OR mutilate pathetic men. If there is no fight to be waged here then what are we doing!? Let us redeem our pay! Rois??"
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Garekk nods his head at the bandits admission. "It is as I suspected. And be assured, that I will let the baron know how helpful you have been compared to the filth that has been leading you. Garekk turns to his companions. Let's get everyone in, start a fire and set a watch. We can get what sleep may be had and then turn these men into the baron tomorrow.
"Well, only one thing to do."
Calistria draws her dagger, marches over to the leader of the bandits...
... And carves three symbols into the old mill's wood: Desna's butterfly, the digit of the Order of Sacred Couriers and her own.
"Now travelers will know the goddess watches them if they take refuge in here. Hailey and I should take first and last watch, respectively." Calistria informs the others. "We need uninterrupted sleeps to refresh ourselves for communing with our gods so we can gain ne favor and spells.
The night passes without incident, though the wind sounds really creepy blowing through the trees. And you can hear the howl of wolves in the distance. You get a late start but otherwise everything is good. The drizzle stopped at some point during the night.
Swift wakes up, stretches his aching limbs and steps outside of the mill.
"Definitely not the most comfortable sleep I've had, but it will do. We shouldn't waste more time here than we need to"
Rois wakes and checks on the prisoners. He takes the most cooperative one (the one that was punched for saying something) and unties him from the rope chain. He then binds the prisoner's hands and leads him away from the others and out of earshot.
"Now. I have sums questions. Answer them truthfully and I will put in a good word for you with the Barron. You were saying something yesterday about being told that the peasants were going to be preoccupied. What were you told? And from whom?"
Calistria wakes as cheerful as ever. She gives devotions, which involves dancing around outside and singing praises to her goddess, and then she returns to the others for their light meal.
"Good morning! So, we'll gather the goods our friends here have stolen and take both that and them to the Baron?"
Rois wakes and checks on the prisoners. He takes the most cooperative one (the one that was punched for saying something) and unties him from the rope chain. He then binds the prisoner's hands and leads him away from the others and out of earshot.
"Now. I have sums questions. Answer them truthfully and I will put in a good word for you with the Barron. You were saying something yesterday about being told that the peasants were going to be preoccupied. What were you told? And from whom?"
1d20+3
"I don't know what you are talking about, I.. I.. I tend to ramble when I am stressed. "
"Then ramble away and you may loose just a finger instead of a hand for your crimes."
Voryn smiles at Calistria when she returns from her dance.
"Good morning, Lady Calistria. Actually we might want to check out the cemetery real quick, as we promised Bayan we would, now that we are here. It's just behind the mill, so it shouldn't take much time."
Calistria gently touches Voryn for a moment. Just her hand on his arm but she's guessing he has very little, positive human contact.
"That is an excellent idea. Though how do we do that and guard our prisoners? Who Sir Rois is currently interrogating. Oh my. I wish he had told us, first. I could have helped."
"If we tie them together with the rope, we can bring them along with us. It is not too far. As long as someone watches them, we should be ok."
Swift eyes the remaining prisoners.
"I am sure it would be in their best interest not to anger us."
Vorel sees the situation for what it is and gulps his ambitions.
"If one must guard them, then I will do it. If they move, I will knock them out. If they run, I will spill their blood."
The priestess' touch embarrasses and comforts Voryn at the same time. He isn't used to being touched like that, least of all by a beautiful woman such as Calistria.
"If we bring the prisoners and the stolen goods with us, we can hop straight on the road after we've checked the cemetery and go back to Silvam."
"I suppose we could use them as bait as well, if things get messy with the dead..."
"I suppose we could use them as bait as well, if things get messy with the dead..."
Calistria frowns mightily.
"We are not using them as bait." The cleric of Desna says this, clearly and loudly.
"How far is the cemetery? If it isn't far, perhaps one or two of us can go and scout. The rest stay here. If there's need, someone will run back?"
It is about 4-500 meters east of the old mill.
"I volunteer myself as a scout. I am not wearing armor, so I am swift and agile. I can run back here if we need any help. Wo else would like to join me?"
"I would be fastest, I think. And Voryn knows the area best. Perhaps the three of us?"
Calistria glances around, searching for consent.