Benedict approaches the man, drawing his sword.
"We know you are lying. The truth. Now. Grum, tell him what will happen if he lies again."
Amkarang approaches with the rest of the group. He draws his meteor hammer and begins swinging it menacingly. "Friend, I don't want to hurt you but you need to tell us the truth"
Edran looks at Grum, looks at Benedict, at Amkarang advancing with his meteor hammer... and bolts.
Amkarang lashes out with his meteor hammer, trying to trip Edran.
The weighted rope flicks out, wrapping around Edran's ankle, and sends him crashing face-first into the turf.
Lissa leaps forward swinging her glaive at the man, only to have him trip and pass harmlessly under the blade. To a casual observer, he dodged. A more careful observer would note the rope around his ankle.
"Lad, you chose the wrong side."
Lissa's glaive slashes down, clipping the side of the man's throat and sending a gush of blood over the grass. Edran puts one hand over his throat to stop the bleeding, while raising the other one has best he can. "I surrender! I surrender!"
This time, you search him quite thoroughly. In addition to a trip of potions (two of one kind, one of another), some caltrops, a couple of tanglefoot bags, some silk rope, three daggers and a masterwork chain shirt, you find a code book, a set of small message tubes such as one might use with pigeons, and most damning of all, stitched inside his jacket - in a an oiled, waterproof sleeve no less! - papers indicating that the bearer is an agent of Imperial Governor Teldas of Molthune, and should be given free passage by Molthuni military forces.
He's a spy.
Benedict takes the manacles that we found and slaps them on Edran.
"Well, this is a problem. What do we do with you?
Let's start with some facts. Are the hobgoblins working for Molthune? Were you part of this invasion?
This doesn't have to end badly for you. You could, over time, persuade us of your repentance. But we can't risk you going back to Molthune."
He uses Alter Self to look like Edran.
"With these papers and this little trick I could get close to Governor Teldas. Poison, maybe? I think we found some. But... we Nirmathi have no intention of harming Molthune if you would just leave us alone."
He shifts back.
"Your career as a spy for Molthune is over. We will use your code book and message tubes to make sure of that. They will never trust you again. I would rather have you repent entirely of your own free will but I am not a fool. I hope you can respect that at least."
Startled by the sudden onset of violence, Jie quickly draws her bow, but stops once Lissa downs Edran. After the searching, she just shakes her head sadly. 'He seemed like such a nice addition to our group.' Confident that Benedict has matters well in hand, she begns to pitch the tent that she discovered amongst the hobgoblin spoils. Just one more shelter for when it rains tonight.
"The Ironfang Legion disappeared three years ago, just after the Massacre," Edran replies sullenly. "We haven't had anything to do with them that I know of. I certainly had no part in this invasion; I can't even figure out where they came from. They would have killed me too, I'm sure of that at least."
"Thank you, Grum. His skills may be helpful if he can convince us he is worth the trouble. But either we give him a chance or we kill him mercifully; we can't let him go since he could tell what he knows of us to the hobgoblins - willingly or not.
Should we put it to a vote? I say give him a chance to prove himself in some way."
Lissa cleans her blade impassively.
"We did, he turned out to be a liar and a spy. Bury him, say I. We don't have the people to keep watch on him and we cannot trust him. I'd let him go, except there's no way he's not headed right for either the Molthunians or the Legion. People are counting on us to keep them safe, not harbor criminals. A hard justice, but still just."
She seems sad, but resolute.
Benedict goes over to Jie, who is presumably still building shelters. "Jie, Edran is a Molthuni spy. We cannot let him go free, and it will take time away from our other tasks to guard him. He has skills and magic so could be of use, if he could give us a reason to trust him. Or, we could kill him now and be done with it; I expect that our refugees would suggest that course of action.
Can you come join us for our deliberations?"
Jie frowns and follow Benedict back to the rest of the group, talking to Benedict as they head over. "This hobgoblin attack has Mothune written all over it. We can't just let him go, he'll tell them our position and strength." regretting her earlier martial fervor while talking to him. "This isn't an easy decision to make. If it was just me that was at risk, I would give him a chance to prove his word to me. But we have two dozen people relying on us and I'm not willing to risk them on his honor. If the proof he is a spy is absolute, then we really need to kill him." Jie says this last part, biting her lip in worry, the decision obviously troubling her.
Benedict nods.
"Amkarang? Any thoughts?"
"Seems a shame to kill someone as useful as him. If he is indeed a spy then we want to make sure that the hobgoblins or the Molthuni can't get him back. If need be I can watch over him to make sure he doesn't escape. I'm sure we could make a hostage out of him."
"Edran. Can you give us a very compelling reason why we should let you live? You must see that we cannot let you go.
If you would rather die than aid the enemies of Molthune, we can accommodate that request. It will be swift, and we will give you the proper rites for your god."
Edran looks around at the group, then spits. "I hope the Ironfangs grind you rebel villains into your beloved mud." He lifts his chin defiantly, and awaits the end.
...but it serves well enough. Edran collapses to the ground, his throat slashed open wide, and within moments, his chest has stopped moving.
Benedict watches Grum fulfill the man's wishes.
Edran served his country. That he was a spy is no dishonor; it is just as well to win a battle with wits. He was brave, to come in here alone. And he was good; he almost had me fooled.
Out of professional respect, Benedict digs a grave for Edran. Stripped of all his gear, of course. He asks Rhyna to give a proper blessing.
"I know he was an enemy, but a brave one. And the last thing we need is an angry ghost."
Rhyna, once she learns of the man's allegiance, is a bit skeptical, and it can't be denied that her prayers are a bit curt, but she does indeed implore the earth to accept his bones and the trees to renew his life through their shoots and leaves, in the way of the Green Faith.
With the matter of Edran dealt with and the greater part of the day already gone, there is little to do but work some more on Jie's preparations for the coming rainstorm. Indeed, by about four o'clock, you can see the rain clouds massing on the horizon, and the scent of rain is heavy in the spring air.
Jie watches the execution, accepting her part of responsibility in Edran's death. She adds her own little prayer to Rhyna's funerary ritual. She then proceeds to continue to work on the storm preparations.
Benedict gets to work building shelters.
Edran's spirit curses him.
"Phersi! Where are you going?"
Benedict abandons his attempt at shelter building and follows after Phersi.
He is slowed by his armor but may be able to catch up if she stops for some reason.
"Damnit, someone catch her."
Lissa follows Benedict, keeping to a steady pace.
You quickly move into the forest, following Phersi's trail. You are just a few moments behind her, and it only takes a couple minutes before you catch up to her in the forest. However, the scene is not what you would have hoped to encounter.
Phersi lies on her back, blood covering her chest and throat. She is still breathing, but it is clear that she is badly hurt. Standing on her chest is a massive crow, the size of a family dog, over two feet high at the shoulder and likely a wingspan exceeding six feet. It has bright green eyes, and cocks first one and then the other as you approach. "At last, you come," it says in oddly-accented but entirely intelligible Taldane. "The heroes of that village where so many of my idiot cousins feast. They told me of you. I come to offer a trade. I know you are no magicians yourselves, and I see the glint of much magic on you nonetheless. Give me the magical spoils you have taken from the village, for which you magic-blind fools have no need anyway, and I will allow you and this poor woman to live. Deny me, and I will take what I need from your corpses after I feast on them!"
|
"Well seems pretty clear cut. We give you what you want and you kill more people later, and more people in camp die due to lack of resources. We cut you down and you only kill one person now. A person whose name I don't even know. Seems pretty clear to me. Anyone here know how to cook crow?" As he says this Grum makes a few practice swings with his sword to loosen his muscles.
The crow fluffs its feathers, clearly unsettled by Grum's words. "So-" it squawks, and then repeats itself, trying to seem more calm, "So be it then!"
Grum's logic is impeccable.
Benedict will draw his bow and shoot the thing.
If he is in Grum, Lissa, or Amkarang's way he will 5' step to clear a charge lane.
Jie looks up to late to notice Phersi run off but she definitely notices every one else leaving. Not having time to saddle Feng, she rushes after the others only to come upon the fight with the crow, hearing the tail end of the conversation.
Benedict's arrow knocks a few feathers off but doesn't quite manage to make contact with the crow. Grum's falchion, however, has no such difficulties, cutting a deep slash into the bird's chest.
Amkarang runs forward, lashing at the crow with his meteor hammer.
Lissa runs past the crow, readying her glaive to cut off any escape as she swings back at the bird. The swing's a bit soon, though, and misses just over the crow's head.
,
Unexpectedly surrounded, the crow focuses its mind on something. "You got lucky," it snarls, "but luck can change quickly."
Suddenly, there is not just one crow standing over Phersi, but , all seeming to blend and blur together. The blurring crows flutter closer to Lissa and glare at all of you.