Sirinus delays until door is open.
Hadin opens door and steps out into view
Sirinus 5ft. Steps out the door for vantage and casts Sleep.
Emerald opens the stable and announces her presence.
Actaeon shoots the leader.
all fail
After the crude remark of the leader Actaeon stands from his hiding place and makes a loud owl call. Responding to the signal the group jumps into action. The groups mage steps into the scene after the paladin opens the door and lets loose an enchantment among the bandits. The two who were loading the first horse fall into a deep slumber and so does the horse. The leader goes wide eyed and looked ready to order an attack when suddenly he is pierced deeply mid-back by the arrow of Actaeon. "What the f+%!!? You will pay for this!"The bandit points his insult toward Oleg but turns to face Actaeon.
- Ludvine(Surprise Round)
- Sirinus(finish casting only move action left)
- Ludvine
- Hadin
- Bandit 3
- Emerald
- Bandit 2(asleep, helpless)
- Bandit 1(asleep, helpless)
- Actaeon
- Leader HP:?-5
Sirinus looks towards Oleg to see how he is taking all of this.
He must be frightened. After all he only just met us, and if we kick the hornets nest and fail things only get worse for him and his beautiful wife. In fact, their lives would likely be over... They place much trust in us.
The pale mage strides over towards Oleg, though he's not certain how comforting it will really be.
Actaeon sneers at the bandit leader as he threatens Oleg. Studying his movements, he draws back another arrow and shoots.
Ludivine waits just inside the house until the signal comes. After it does, she steps out and castes a blessing on the efforts of her allies. She then rushes out past Oleg to cover his escape. As she stops in the courtyard, she levels her spear and shouts something incoherent but fierce sounding. It's the clearest she can make herself because, despite her earlier confidence, now that a real fight has started she is completely terrified.
Ludvine steps into the scene and casts a blessing upon the group speaking strange words and making gestures.
The only still awake bandit takes a blow from Hadin's flail. He reacts and attacks back with his sword.
[i]The bandits blow bounces harmlessly off of Hadin's shield.[/dice]
It seems that Emerald is boxed in and cannot get to the remaining bandit.
Can her horse jump over the cart to the south?
If not, she will just move out of the stables and do nothing.
Consider the cart difficult or squeezeable terrain and the other horses as neutral and will allow you to move through their squares.
Ferric moves over the cart (double move to get into position) and brings Emerald into position.
She stabs at the leader with her lance.
The leader shouts in pain as blood gushes over your lance tip. He slumps back and falls to the ground. The awake Bandit's eyes go wide with fright.
Seeing the leader fall Actaeon changes sights to another foe. Taking advantage of his open defense of the bandit seeing his leader fall Actaeon sinks his arrow deep in his targets neck. The bandit clutches in vain before collapsing and bleeding out.
Edit:Actually since the leader didn't act yet he is flat-footed so that 12 did confirm a crit. So you can assume you properly ran him through yeesh.
Actaeon nods to Emerald as he moves toward the sleeping bandits. "Is there rope in the stables? We should tie them up before they wake. They might have information we could use. We can always use the rope later to hang them for their crimes."
Actaeon keeps an arrow notched just in case either wakes up.
I think Hadin had rope.
The pale mage turns to the paladin. Could you please lend it to us?
He then turns to Oleg. Do you recognize these remaining bandits? Have they wronged you and Svetlana beyond the routine taking of their "tax"?
Ludivine slowly lowers her spear.
"Is that it?"
Emerald dismounts and cleans off her lance.
She nods to Actaeon.
"At the very least, they would know where their camp is."
I do have some rope, so we can at least tie the two remaining outlaws. What happen next to them is our responsability. I'd like to show mercy, and show them the path to redemption, if they show honest repentance, for their crimes. But I don't want to be blinded by my own goodwill. They must show their willingness to give back to the community, by honest, hard work, what they stole earlier, even if they are pawns and not leaders. And our first goal must be the safety of our hosts.
Actaeon takes the rope from Hadin and starts binding them. "Be ready, if they wake."
While binding them, Actaeon looks to Oleg on an answer to Sirinus's question regarding the sleeping bandits.
Oleg:"Can't say I know them personally, they look about as familiar as any of the othera that have come along. The hooded one there that you took out and the Woman are the ones that made an impression."
Actaeon looks over at Oleg and nods. "Well, either way, let's make sure we give them the justice they deserve."
After ensuring that the bindings are secure, Actaeon turns to the team, "Should I wake them up?"
Perhaps we should take them out to the woods first and put bags over their heads before we wake them. I think brazen bandits need to be deprived of all notions of control of the situation before they'll answer questions honestly.
Sirinus suggests in a flat, matter-of-fact tone. He looks to the others to see what they think.
Actaeon smiles at Sirinus's recommendation. He moves to the stables to look for empty feed bags or strips of cloth to inhibit their vision.
Emerald shrugs.
"Torag isn't much for taking prisoners. Handle it however you want."
Ludivine is both relieved and disappointed the fight was so short and uneventful. She'd thought there would be some excitement to it, but also it would be dangerous. Instead all she did was run a short distance, and she didn't even need to that it turns out.
She rests the butt of her spear on the ground and watches the proceedings without comment.
Oleg:"I don't much care what you do with em as long as they don't come back here. Put them to the sword, hang em, whatever. Take what you're gonna take from the dead uns. The rest I'll clean and put into stock. Take your pick of the horses, the rest I will sell. With time I can make the stable bigger, but for now it can't support much more than 6 or 7 and that is with sharing stalls"
Each bandit is carrying; Gear leather armor, longbow with 20 arrows, short sword, 2 days of trail rations, 10 gp.
The leader has; alchemist’s fire (2) leather armor, dagger, composite longbow (+2 Str) with 20 arrows, 2 days of trail rations, silver Stag Lord amulet, 35 gp.
The pale mage approaches the leader's body and starts rifling through his pockets. When he steps back away and his hand emerges from the pockets it holds a silver amulet.
The "Stag Lord"... This may be useful at some point in infiltrating the bandits.
Grasping it tightly he turns to Oleg.
Next problem. After some time more bandits may head this way to check on their missing brothers. In that case are you comfortable with a simple lie such as these bandits moved on you haven't seen them since?
Turning back to the bodies, he remembers Actually the sleep spell will not last much longer. In fact they may come to any moment. Let's just get the sacks over their heads now, Actaeon. Thank you.
”Wake up, you filth!” Actaeon growls. ”Your leader is dead, and I want to see you hung for your crimes. My brothers-in-arms think you might have useful information and should be spared. Answer my questions . . truthfully, and maybe you’ll live long enough to repent.”
Actaeon pauses and circles the bandits, allowing them to hear his footsteps. ” Where is your camp? How many of your ilk will we find there? Who is leading your rabble? “
Actaeon looks to his charter companions to see if they have questions of their own.
So.. that's it? We are supposed to be the judges and executionners of these rogues?
Hadin seems baffled with the quick turn of events
"Yes, Hadin. That is precisely what the Charter demands of us.
We are to strive against banditry, and the penalty for unrepentant banditry is death.
In Brevoy, whichever lord claimed jurisdiction would pass summary judgment. There is not a well-established legal code with procedures and rights of the accused."
"Here in the Stolen Lands, it falls to whoever catches the bandits."
The bandits wake easily from the spell. They both struggle against their bonds initially as they gain a sense for for the situation.
One of the bandits speaks up "You don't sound so scary to me boy! Anyone can win a fight from an ambush. You lot are lucky Kressle wasn't there. She would've choped you up an taken that fat oaf's pretty wife for the trouble of dealin' with you."
The other bandit lets out a small laugh. It seems Actaeon's weak threat has made him bold even while bound. "Listen to you lot, you sound just as bad as all the idiot politicians in Brevoy. Can't make up your minds and punish people with death for just trying not to die under their forced poverty." he spits in the direction of Emerald as she was the last to speak.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Ludivine figures she'll give scaring them a try. She can at least spice up her attempt with a little magic. Few people aren't scared of what they don't understand.
She throws her arms wide and looks toward the sky as she chants out words, her voice gone eerie. "Vėjo ir dvasių iliuzija!
A sound comes up all around like a gale carrying the cries of angry, stricken souls.
She looks at the men, her eyes wide with the understanding of what is coming for them.
"By your words you choose death! Many are the spirits of those dead by bandits' hands in these wilds! They gather to rend apart your souls as we deliver them from your bodies! Oh! What endless suffering awaits you in death! Their hunger is terrible!"
"Hey now, no need to be sicking witches on us! Bad enough you are planning on killing us now you want to mess witb our souls!" Both of your captives seem visibly shaken by Ludivine's threat.
Sirinus seizes on the effect quickly.
The more you tell us, the less your soul will suffer in death. Tell us the location of your base, and how many you number there.
One of the bandits stammers for a moment before speaking. "We are hold up at a base that crosses the Thorn river in the forest south west. With Happs and us there were a dozen of us. Sounds like you killed Happs and Gav tho. So if you include us 10."
Sirinus grasps the silver medallion, opens his hand, and looks down at it.
Tell me about this "Stag Lord." What is so special or inspiring about him? Or does he just pay well?
Emerald is content to let others handle the interrogation.
Eight more, then. That is a manageable number, if they don't know we are coming.
Hadin is intrigued.
Stags are holy animals for Erastil's servants.
Could this "Stag Lord" be a worshiper that fell from grace?
He discreeetly checks the remaining bandits for evil auras, and listen to their words, gauging their sincerity
"It's in the name Stag Lord. He rules this land. He showed up a few years ago and made a show of force and united everyone here under one banner. He made us more powerful together and we have full bellies and fat pockets because of him. Better than any nobels in Brevoy or Kings in Pitax have done.
While the bandit talks Hadin uses his gift given to him by Erastil to make judgment on the bandits. He doesn't detect any evil in the divine sense, however with his more mundane senses he knows that to live such a life based on theft when they have access to other means requires some ammount of evil.
Sirinus rolls his eyes at the bandit.
Yes, of course. "It's in the name." Was his show of force physical, divine, arcane?"
"I have never met him myself but all the lieutenants I have met fear him."
I assume there are many other bases or collectives of bandits such as your own. Do you know how many of those there might be, and does he rule them all absolutely or is there any contention to his rule?
"We really only know about the Thorn River camp we stay at."
Actaeon stands there in stunned silence, mouth agape, with his sister talking about the rendering of souls and their terrible hunger. ’What is happening to my sister?’
Actaeon slowly closes his mouth as he pays attention to the questioning and the bandits’ answers. ’Stag Lorg. He must be the new power giving the bandits strength to raid southern Rostland again. He must be stopped!’
Finally Actaeon speaks his mind, ”I say we hang these two for their banditry and be done with them. They see no wrong-doing in their actions, and as Emerald has pointed out, this is what our Charter demands of us.” He looks over at Hadin, ”They will not repent, and we cannot allow them to walk away to commit more atrocities.” Actaeon then looks over at Sirinus to see if he supports or disagrees with this decision.
"What, NO! don't kill us! We told you what you wanted to know. We never killed anyone, unlike you!"
Both of the bandits start to struggle against their bonds.
Emerald nods to Actaeon as he speaks.
To the bandits' outburst, she replies, "You committed banditry and are unrepentant.
You chose your path. Spare me your whining. There was a living to be made in these lands through honest labor, as many have done such as Oleg and Svetlana and many farmers and trappers; your 'forced poverty' was only forced by your laziness. You built nothing."
As a follower of Torag, she says this last sentence with particular scorn.
Emerald will approach with her warhammer drawn - although the bandits are hooded and can't see that.
"Cease your struggles. If you keep trying to escape, I will have to break your legs. If you instead accept your fate, your deaths will be quick - a long drop and a short stop - and you can go to your gods with some measure of honor. Show some dignity in your final moments."
With productive information winding down, and Actaeon looking to him for an answer, Sirinus turns to catch his eyes and nods in affirmation before turning to walk away.
It is as Emerald says. You made your choices. Now comes their end.
The pale mage agrees with Actaeon and Emerald, but he doesn't love to get his hands too dirty at times like this.
Should I put them to sleep again to make it easier?
It would be a mercy for them.Thank you for the suggestion, Sirinus
Hadin nods
Sirinus asks the others to stand back at a safe distance so that he can put the two bandits to sleep.
Both bandits while struggling and pleading fall asleep from Sirinus' magic
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
With the help and blessing of Oleg the group strings up the two bandits to be hung as well as their already dead counterparts to serve as further example to any other would be assailants to the trading post.
Oleg:"Me and Svetlana did some talkin' while you were questioning the other two. First we wanna reward ya fer protecting us and dealin' with those thugs." Oleg sets upon the table a small sack of coins containing 50gp as well as the three potions from his stock, two potions of cure light wounds, and one potion of shield of faith +2 "Consider the gold both payment and bounty, without ya this last claim may have been the straw that broke the camels back. The potions we figure you'll be needin' while your out tramping through the wilds doin' whatever it is you been charged to do."
Svetlana Speaks up Lastly we want to offer for you to stay in the guest house as long as you like. Even with the guards from Restov on their way it will be a boon on us to have strong folk like you around. It will bring in more business on top of whatever you find out there you may need to sell or trade with. We will even throw in meals. Speaking of you all must be hungry after that battle let me get breakfast ready. Be sure to wash up after that grim work you had to do."
Oleg:"After breakfast we can talk more also don't forget to claim what you want from their gear before I talk the rest into stock."
Sirinus goes back to the bodies and relieves them of the alchemist fires.
I suspect it's the first of much grim work. With such opposing forces at play, you don't get results from easy work.