Nozhe, Happs Byden, Dravox, Bandits, Grx'trn
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Nozhe moves up on the remaining bandit to persuade him further.
Just as you finished tying the man up Cuddles and set him on the ground you watched incredulously as he shifted and moved his arm a certain way then pulled. He yelped in pain for a momoent buy then he shimmied out of your hogtie and rose to his feet shakily. He looked like he was about to sprint for the gates.
The bandit Nozhe slashed at with her battleaxe darted back just in time to step out of the way. He drew a dagger and tried to fight back stepping in closer. He hoped that would also keep the big one with teh crossbow from firing again. He looked surprised when he buried the dagger deep into her shoulder.
Dravox, and Grx'tn, then the start of round 3 and Cole, Nozhe, Cuddles
Huffing at how little affect his arcane force has had to this point, Dravox indignantly approaches the thug who broke out of the hog-tie. An eerie shadowy mist begins to emanate from his left hand. It darkens to the point that his fingertips disappear into the amorphous shadow. He grins at it, and looking up at the foe, reaches out to touch him with that hand.
Grx'tryn rolls his eyes and looks at the ceiling. whats the point of trying to be the good guys when your trying to kill the guy? he grouses at Nozhe.
He flicks his hand, and the bow at the bandits feet snaps up with sudden impact
Turning and stepping up to another enemy he can see, he swings his bade again...
Moving closer, Iolandra lets fly with another stone, targeting Nozhe's opponent.
[oooc] Assuming I'm going at the same time as Dravox, since I'm still not listed in initiative[/ooc]
Cuddles looks around and tries to grab the closest foe.
And all of a sudden it was quiet. The only noises heard in the air were your heavy breathing, The grunting and screaming of the trussed up bandits.
"Huzzah! ha ha! You sure showed them!"
The heavy set man began suddenly cheering then clapping his hands. He looked at the trussed up bandit and spat down at him.
"I ought to string you up from the walls you dirty bas..."
He began until a much more feminine voice rang out from inside the only building that looked like a home inside the fort.
"Oh Oleg, thank the gods you are alright... I ...I..."
You all could see a a hooded feminine figure at the door, a small cane in hand as she eased herself out into the yard.
"You all have met my husband i see, My name is Svetlana...welcome to Olegs Trading post. Please let us offer you dinner at the least for your service to us."
Her voice was very sweet but something seemed off.
Cole looks around at the wooden walls and house of the fort, wondering intensely how easy it would be to burn it all down.
"Shelter from the storm is all we were seeking madam. But a full meal would be welcome. We are here...I guess...by the grace of the Swordlords. Your fortune is by their hands tonight, as we are merely the blunt instruments wielded."
Iolandra's eyes narrow in curiosity as she watches Svetlana come out to greet them with the steady, but noticeable gait of someone blind, yet accustomed to her surroundings. The hood...and something under it she couldn't quite tell, draw her attention but she keeps her observations to herself, accepting the welcome of their hostess. "Can't have bastards like this preying on others just because they think they can get away with it. A pleasure to meet you Svetlana and Oleg."
Well, not all of us are so "blunt" of instrumentss. But yes, instruments none-the-less.
Dravox strides further into the fort now that it is safe, unaware of anything odd about Svetlana.
Do you experience these attacks often?
Grx'tryn looks at the lady and picks up on the oddity moving within the ladys hood.
pleasure, my dear. Names Grx'tryn. Glad we saw these thugs entering the fort here when we did. Otherwise thing couldve been a alot worse for you folks. Now, lets see if we can help these folks out. Cuddles, Cole? Think you two could drag the bodies out of here and burn them? Iolandra, Dravox, can you see if you can find some cleaning supplies to clean up the blood? Best not to let it stain the stone. Are there any survivors for us to question? grx turns his head, looking around.
Cuddles moves over to the bodies and starts flinging them over his shoulder like sacks of grain, getting not a little blood on himself in the process.
HI. I BE CUDDLES! he shouts when it's kindof his turn with a big wave.
Nozhe absentmindedly looks the bodies over as the others converse with the two humans.
Nodding, Cole hears the ogre's words and agrees, putting his antique sword away.
"Yes. Of course. Cuddles, let's take care of this outside the fort's walls like Mr. Grx'Tryn suggests."
He then grabs a bleeding corpse by a boot and starts dragging it outside.
"Help me search them before we burn the bodies. They may have valuables or other useful items on them too..."
cuddles does indeed help with the search... by stripping them down to their skivvies before tossing them in their hole. I see jail do dis. Means dey can't sneaky-sneak in stuff. So maybe if we do it they can't sneaky-hide stuff past us!
"Those bandits, do you have to deal with groups like that very often out here?" Iolandra asks as the clearing of the bodies begins. Looking around briefly she could see that the rain was taking care of the blood in the courtyard.
Dravox winces at the manual task asked of him. He asks Svetlana where there is a water source and simply uses his waterskin to continuously rinse the stone before the blood stains it. He avoids hard scrubbing.
"More and more often it seems."
Oleg groused reaching out his arm to his wife. She gently gripped it. Another oddity... she was wearing long cloth gloves that covered her hands and forearms to the elbows, that were hidden by lengthy sleeves. It was certainly a bit warm for that sort of garment.
Dravox she motioned towards the back corner of the fort.
"We have a small well over there, but really don't worry about the blood. The rain will wash most of it away. Please, take a rest in the group house, I will start to make something nice for dinner as an additional thank you in helping us."
She reached up and lightly caressed her husbands cheek and murmured something low to him before returning to their home. He merely nodded as she touched his face.
"Its not much, but I have some coin from a previous delivery left over and I want you to have it. As for the trouble, well, when the bandits first started showing up the came with a dozen, a month later, it was eight, The last couple times its been four or five, and they have gotten lazier, I think they thought we were cowed enough. Their leader is a dark skinned woman, scary sort. Looks like she would sooner chop off your head than talk to you, but the last few times, Happs led them in. When they don't report in, there is liable to be trouble."
Cole easily lifts a stripped body over his shoulder in a 'fireman's' carry.
"Trouble...we can handle that it seems. We can discuss it better out of the weather.
Once a shallow pit is filled with the dead, Cole smiles as he releases the dead to their final rest by whispering a small prayer to Pharasma. He then blasts the pile with his 'deep' fire...over and over again until the bodies final catch in a funeral pyre that drives even the cool of the rain away.
Taking in the stench of dead humanoids, Cole stares at the human bonfire smiling for the first time in a long while, then pats Cuddles on the back.
"Come my friend. The others will get the first dibs on food and drink if we are not back soon."
A dark look covers Cole's face suddenly.
"Cuddles? Do you drink? Alcohol I mean? What usually happens when you do...?"
Cuddles rummages around in his pack for a moment and pulls out a... you want to say mug? But it's more like a small barrel with a makeshift handle bolted to it. Cuddles smiles. When I get drinks, I'm not thirsty! he declares. Which is probably right. With is mass he'd have to drink a LOT to get even mildly tipsy.
"Thank you for the warm welcome, we definitely appreciate a warm place to rest and good food. As Cole says, should they return and bring trouble with them, they'll find far more than they're expecting." Iolandra says with a fierce smile, as she follows their hosts.
After they enter the guest house for the night, and after the door is fully closed, Dravox asks the others
Did anyone hear what that woman whispered to her husband? They are obviously very hospitable to us, but they don't seem that affected by the brutality of constant bandit attacks.
Eyes gazing off in memory of reducing the bodies to wondrous ash and scattered bones, Cole responds off-handedly.
"Does it matter? Everyone has secrets obviously. What's wrong with them having some of their own? They have been kind in everything to us otherwise."
Cole you can easily see how the bandits did their best to damage the forts gate doors. You are pretty sure with a couple of hours time and the appropriate wood planks you could get it functional... but a few metal hinges of a larger nature will be required to 100% fix it. You are sure they could be ordered from a caravan or something relatively cheaply.
You identify that of the four old catapults on the wall, 2 are salvagable with the parts and peices of the other four, but again a couple of metal rivets and peices would be needed to make them 100% operational... finally you can see several old and rotting peices of the outer wall that could be replaced... oh and you think the well would really need to be explanded perhaps inlaid with clay bricks or stones to be more efficient.
You figure replacing the parts of the wall that are older and rotting would keep things less flamable, also the thatch roofing on the stables and guest house are terribly succeptible for fires, but thats weeks of work of making (or purchasing) clay shingles.
They can have their ssecrets, but I highly doubt that one wasn't about us or the bandits. I'm curious...
He follows Cole to help with the repairs as best he can.
But yes, you're right, they do seem hospitable.
Cole will let Oleg and everyone else know his observations on the fort and what they can get started on quickly. Cole will suggest that if we can't order, forge, or find hinges and catapult pieces quickly, let's figure out the best way to get them ASAP.
After they enter the guest house for the night, and after the door is fully closed, Dravox asks the others
Did anyone hear what that woman whispered to her husband? They are obviously very hospitable to us, but they don't seem that affected by the brutality of constant bandit attacks.
"Given that she whispered it to her husband, likely none of our business." Iolandra comments. "Like Cole said, people have their secrets, you of all people should appreciate that." she says giving the shadowy spellcaster a level glance.
Over the course of the next few days as those more mechanically inclined look into repairing the fort, Iolandra makes sure to take time to meet with their gracious hosts, learning more about their previous encounters with the bandits, and letting them know of the Charter.
As the others get to work on what repairs can be done to the old fort, you Iolandra do your best to get to know your hostess better. Unfortunately getting a chance to speak with her for any length of time proves difficult. She almost has seems to have 'something' going on that demands her attention.
That being said you spot enough about her that a hunch is starting to form in your mind.
[ooc] Before i forget the loot!
Treasure - 75 gp, 37 sp, 5 sets of leather armor. 2 daggers, 4 short swords, Composite longbow (+2 Str) 10 days of suspect trail rations, 1 silver stag lord amulet worth about 20 gp, 67 arrows 2 vials of alchemists fire
[ooc]
During the next few days Cuddles busies himself working around the little fort in whatever capacity he can. He clearly enjoys hard labor and tends to busy himself cleaning the outdoors courtyard or stable if no one needs him to lift something heavy.
Iolandra spends the rest of her time getting acquainted with the area, foraging in the forest just beyond the walls of the fort to supplement their supplies.
The fort's repairs are coming along nicely. The gate isnt fully repaired but it is sound enough to withhold some battering from outside forces. You repair two of the catapults to some working order...They may not have the range of a fully repaired siege weapon, and you get the start of a deep well.
On the third day while out gathering a basketfull of iceberries you notice Iolandra, what appears to be a dozen or so bandits making their way torwards the fort. If you hurry you should be able to get there about ten minutes before they arrive.
Cole immediately fills any empty buckets with water and places them at strategic locations for quick grabbing.
He then works his way over to the catapult closest to the enemy group's direction and makes sure its loaded and ready to go. First shot will be a solid rock for long range. The catapult's second shot will be pebbles in a canvas bag(grapeshot) and soaked in a bit of oil, ready for Cole to light it with a touch.
Racing back to the fort as quickly as she can run, Iolandra rushes through the open gates, shouting a warning. "Bandits on the way here! About a dozen....no more than...ten minutes behind me." she explains, glad that a lifetime of hiking and walking had left her in relatively good shape.
Dravox seems almost amused by the timing.
It appearss they have come for the Grand Re-opening of our sub-par catapults. Cole, shall we?
Cole nods, immediately acting on 'the plan.'
"Gladly Dravox. Remember to make sure your rope tension is tight, but not so tight that its fraying the strands. The last thing we need here is a miss-fire..."