I do see your point Corbyn, let me try to wing him too.
Glancing toward Corbyn and Karo, Tekk grunts in approval as they begin to try and prevent the bandit's escape.
Looking back, Tekk sees Chloe move to sit beside the young bandit too late to intervene. Cursing loudly, he looks at Morin, then back toward the young woman, "Chloe, what are you doing - look, I won't kill him, okay? My word on it. Just come away from him."
Corbyn's arrow lands short of the running spearman, but Karozekas' strikes true, the wagon providing no cover to the running man with the elf so close to it.
The arrow pierces his calf and falls again. He drags himself upright once more and tries to limp down the road, his movement greatly hampered.
You do notice that the wagon holds only a few measly baskets of turnips and potatoes.
The young highwayman stays curled up despite Chloe's approach, but he does quiet his abject whimpering.
Karo tries for the other leg.
Stop you fool, you are making yourself a living archery target!
After firing his arrow, Karo begins making his way up the road trying to catch the bearded fellow.
Corbyn, provide cover for me will you? Are the others OK back there?
Sarusa wings a sling bullet at the limping fellow.
"Why waste a spell? Whatever explanation we get from these yokels isn't worth it," she growls. "Worms need food."
"It doesn't seem... that our captive believes that, Tekkis. Don't worry... I'll be fine."
Chloe reaches out a hand to pat the man's shoulder.
"R-really, it's okay... you heard him, come on...,"
Chloe scoots forward in the muck.
"A-are you in danger...when we leave? ...Do you have a field, still...? I know... this was a choice you made, the banditry, but it's not the... the last one. If you've the land, will you go back...? If you really did lose everything, I would tell you to... try and go to Magnimar and... seek out a new living, hm..? In a different, less dangerous way..."
Where the arrows miss, Sarusa's sling finds its target, braining the man at the base of his skull. He falls and does not rise.
Anyone searching Fidelo's corpse finds that aside from the two daggers he dropped (which are covered in a thin film of green oil) the man was wearing a chain shirt of extremely fine, silvery grey metal links. There is also a pouch around his neck that contains two finely cut orange stones, a slightly smaller, deep red stone, and two metal phials sealed with cork and as thin layer of wax. A third dagger, matching the other two but minus the oil is stuffed into his boot.
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Corbyn feels great doubt in his skills as his second arrow misses. It really shouldn't be that hard to disable a simple target. Unfortunately, a stone whizzing by his head take care of the bearded man before he can get another shot off.
"Seriously, does nobody care who kills who around here!?"
In a huff he walks back toward the remaining captive.
He gets distracted by the Chain Shirt Fidelo is wearing.
"Thats a nice piece of armor! I mean, My Chainmail is nice but this!"
Karo, seeing the man fall and not move, stops and returns to the party. What have you found there Morin?
Morin holds up his hands, full of a dagger, gemstones and the phial.
"Well, if this fella was driven off his land, he sure took the best booty with him when he left. All these weapons are masterwork, including the lad's sword, there's a good 75 GP worth of gems here, we got us a magic potion - and that shirt is mithral for sure. And won't fit me, damme."
Karo begins walking around gathering the fallen men's weapons and tossing them in the back of the wagon. While doing this he searches the fallen men.
All that was in the back of the wagon was some baskets of potatoes and turnips. Feed for Dodi and Plod perhaps?
Sarusa draws magic from the earth and examines the items for auras.
Karozekas makes his way over to where Chloe is talking to the cowering man. Come now man, tell us what we want to know, we really don't want to harm you if it is not needed.
"I'm pretty sure that's a mithral shirt I'm looking at here, Corbyn. I used ta sail with a fair number of officers that wore em - gives good protection, but sinks you a lot less than steel if you end up in the wet. If ye're done trying to not kill that dead fella with yer arrows, you could give me a hand gettin' it off the great lug. You humans are an ungainly large lot, ain't ya?"
Morin pockets the gemstones and begins removing Fidelo's chain shirt, getting even muddier in the process. As he does so, he comments, "Our clever friends here belike used yon buildings as a hidey-hole. How's about we go take a look over there when we've sorted out our sniveling gowk?"
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"I suppose I'm getting a little ahead of myself. We should neutralize the threat before I start worrying about treasure."
Corbyn helps Morin with any task that he needs while the others take care of the remaining survivor.
"If they were using the building as a hideout I think it would be a good idea to check it out. If there are any more bandits I'd hate to let them escape to rob somebody else."
Tekk continues to watch Chloe and the man, but he backs away as she begins trying to calm the youngster. Cursing under his breath in orcish, he glances over at the items Morin has discovered, but seeing everything being handled, he looks back at Chloe and the bandit.
After a few moments, he sheathes his mattock and walks over to Sarusa. Turning so his back is to the man, he very softly says, "Letting him just walk away from this is not an option. Let's at least tie him up so he won't cause any trouble. We've still got some work to do getting the cart moved out of the road, then there's that old house over there - likely where these boys holed up waiting on travelers using the road. Might find something worthwhile in there."
He looks around at the dead bandits. "And I don't like leaving dead bodies lying in the road either."
Karozekas accounts for six long spears, twelve javelins and six clubs from the highwaymen, although almost all the spears and clubs are entwined within the animated vines and vegetation of Sarusa's spell.
He also cannot find any mechanical defects with the cart, but based on its size and weight, he does not believe that a lone mule could ever pull it. It would take at least two, or one larger creature to move the weight, even empty.
Total 5s, 37c
Sarusa detects no magic except for the healing potions.
The youth sinks into a sullen slouch once his uncle's hidden riches are discovered. S'not fair, he grumbles, I should be the one lootin'is bloody corpse, before he lapses into silence.
Chloe gives up after a time, giving a nod of thanks to Karo (or at least close to his position) for his attempted assistance. She does notice that the elf is still battered, though, prompting her to selectively channel energy again.
Sarusa replies quietly. "Agreed, Tekk. We can tie him up and leave him like a prize hog. Let's give these people a decent burial in the mud. Why don't we roll them off to the side for the moment and go look at that house."
She goes to the cart to look for some rope.
Chloe gives up after a time, giving a nod of thanks to Karo (or at least close to his position) for his attempted assistance. She does notice that the elf is still battered, though, prompting her to selectively channel energy again.
2d6
Hearing Sarusa, Karo replies. "Are we stopping in Sandpoint? Perhaps we should bring him along and turn him over to the local authorities.
"Sheriff Hemlock, I believe is his name. An old acquaintance spent some time there. Half-elf fellow, helped them out with some goblins troubles I think he said.
"It is on the way. Yes, I think I have heard of the fellow as well. Quite the name. I wouldn't drink from his glass," chuckles Sarusa.
Karo looks around and surveys the scene. Well this is quite the mess we have made. I offer that we should give these poor scoundrels a proper burial or whatnot. We should get theses weapons and wagon off the road. If we hitch Dodi with the other horse we can get the wagon over to the old building over there. Karo pauses to take a breath. Do tell me if I'm being overzealous here, anyway I say we tie this fellow up and go see what is in the buildings. Anyone else want to weigh in here? Karo begins to say more then stop, suddenly self-aware that these are relatively new compatriots.
"Ah, you're right, Karo, we'd do better to get the decks swabbed a bit than sitting here admiring the shiny stuff. And you're a good soul, Sarusa, to suggest a burial - though I think your sling may have added one to our duties, there..."
Morin picks up one of Fidelo's daggers and admires it and, after wiping the oily film off on the dead man's sleeve, attaches the scabbard to his belt. He walks over to Dodi and reaches up for her reins, leads her over by the wagon, and begins hitching her up to it.
"Friends, I'm thinkin' we might do well to toss the dear departed in the wagon and bury 'em over by them buildings we aim to visit. Wouldn't do to have someone come upon us on the road, and us burying a bunch of bodies. We can bring the nephew along - I'll tie him up proper once I've got Dodi hitched."
"Indeed. Um... is anyone still hurt...?"
Chloe moves about the fallen carefully, checking for vitals, though she does expect to find no one alive. If she does, she'll stabilize them with a spell and hand them over for tying up.
Fidelo and five of his accomplices are very dead. However, the man who Sarusa brained with a sling stone still breathes in ragged gasps.
"Th-this one is still alive...,"
Chloe announces, pulling the man out of the murk somewhat to stabilize him, hopefully giving him a chance to mend his ways in the future.
Tekk nods at Morin's suggestion and begins dragging bodies over to the wagon and tossing them inside. As he's doing this, he goes through their belongings and removes anything of value.
"Morin, let me know if you need any rope."
In passing, he claps Karo on the shoulder, "Good idea about taking the live one to Sandpoint. I'm for it."
Karo nods in acknowledgment and follows Tekkis' lead, helping put the bodies in the wagon. Once that is done, he aids the other, trying to speed the process along.
Between the six of you, Dodi and Plod, the wagon gets turned around and pointed up the road towards the ramshackle house and barn. You get the corpses loaded into the wagon, which proves to be much roomier than Corbyn's cart, as well as the stabilized spearman
Between them, the men carry 5 silver coins and 37 pieces of copper.
A few gentle prods from Morin's shortsword serve to move the reluctant youth along with your group, and you take the short side-road to the homestead.
The buildings themselves are splintery wood frames with mostly faded whitewash over weathered wood and sagging thatch roofs. All the windows on the house are shuttered, and the back half of the barn appears to have collapsed. Despite the sunshine, there is a quietness here that you find unnerving.
Karo sends Corvus to fly around the homestead, to look for any evidence of more people. He walks up to the young man. Tell me, did your people stay here? What is this place?
Chloe slides out of the wagon and simply stands in one spot, listening to the disconcerting silence whilst allowing the blessed sunlight to fall on her person.
Morin casts a watchful eye about, and offers "Seems like it'd be a good idea to take a look about without disturbing all the quiet. If nobody objects, I'll go take a very quiet look - none'll hear me if I don't want 'em to."
Choe turns her head as nothing too obvious jumps at her, literally or figuratively.
"I'll... I'll know if something happens, if you don't go too far, Morin, but if you'll let me just...,"
The oracle walks carefully to where Morin had sounded off and mutters another prayer.
Neither Morin nor Corvus spot anything of the ordinary outside the buildings.
Morin catches a whiff of rotten meat near the house.
We stayed in the barn, he mumbles begrudgingly. Fiddy kept the house for the stock.
Sarusa stands near the entrance of the building Morin will enter, her club at the ready. Gellig is by her side, soundless.
Morin draws his swords and approaches the building, looking for a back door, moving as quietly as possible.
For the stock?
As you creep along the side of the house, you find a split kitchen door, slightly ajar. Although some goodwife may have left the top half open for a breeze in the past, your keen eyes judge that it has been quite some time since anyone baked bread in the oven as you slide into the dark house. Small beams of light from the shutters are the only illumination. Very little is left in the way of furnishings, a splintered cupboard, a cold hearth, a few shards of broken crockery, but under a threadbare rug in the pantry, you find a large trapdoor with a pitted iron ring for a handle. The smell of rotting meat is stronger here, but there is no noise but the soft scuff of your feet on the floorboards.
Sure, long ears, the stock, what we sold ta tha' bastard from the city. We kept the coin and the wares, and sold 'im the rest. Never heard 'im say what 'e wanned with it, and Fiddy would cuff me ear and tell me ta stop wit th'questions while he was at 'is business.