Blaze waggles her head uncertainly. "Maybe? I figure Akiros might have ideas we'll have to account for."
Not long after Knaxshi makes off with Auchs' toys, the hulking man's roar of fury echoes throughout the keep! Auchs stomps down from the roof where he makes his home, rage burning in his eyes. "MY TOYS! WHO TOOK THEM?!?" he bellows.
The other bandits scatter to give him a wide berth, and that's when the toys fall out from Ayles Megesen's pack! Ayles looks at them with wide eyes. "What? No, I didn't...! Auchs, please..." he begs, but Auchs is on him in a heartbeat, raising his club high before bringing it down on Ayles's skull with a sickening crack! The other bandit crumples to the floor, but Auchs does not relent, screaming as he bashes him over and over again until there is little remaining of poor Ayles but a bloody heap of pulverized flesh and bone.
Auchs stoops to retrieve his toys and glares at everybody around him. "MINE!!!" he shouts before stalking away.
Dovan clucks his tongue. "Oof. What was that dumb bastard thinking?" He shrugs. "Alright, well, don't just stand around gawking! Toss him in with the owlbear! I guess Beaky's got fresh meat on the menu tonight." The other bandits shudder but do as Dovan commands.
***
That night, as most of the bandits are asleep save those on watch, you slip into Akiros's chambers. The former paladin is still awake, and you can hear the loud snores of the Stag Lord coming from the adjoining chamber. "Keep your voices down unless you want to incur his wrath," Akiros cautions, waiting to hear what you've come to say.
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"Yeah, doesn't seem like the moment for foreplay. Our buddy Russ said you might be unhappy in your current position, so I'm just gonna lay this out nice and simple. We're not really with the Stag Lord. We're trying to calm things down around here, maybe make it a place where people can make a life without an arrow in their gut or a hand in their pocket from a bunch of bandits who don't even bother pretending it's for protection. We know there's a bunch of real sickos in the crew here, but you don't seem like one of 'em. Will you help us? If there was a way to talk most of these guys down, then believe me, Blue here'd be trying it, but if we're gonna get the Stag Lord's boot off of everyone's neck, then it's gonna come down to blades, bullets, and blazes. Will you help us?"
Vesi doesn't think they can add anything that wouldn't clash with Blaze's direct approach, so the undine just does their best to look earnestly and entreatingly at Akiros.
Akiros listens to the entreaty. After a few moments, he nods resolutely. [b]"Yes, I will help. I have chafed under the Stag Lord's thumb for far too long. You can count on me to fight by your side."[b] He offers his hand to shake.
Blaze gives a quick sigh of relief and shakes Akiros's hand firmly. "Great! The 'join me in overthrowing this bandit chief' conversation really only ends well with a yes - no matter who gets set on fire and has to run screaming around the room until someone moves away from the window and you can escape... Anyways you know the crew better than we do. Cragger, Topper, and Beaky are with us. Anyone else worth trying to bring on board? Each extra approach is a risk, but an extra sword on our side instead of against us is never bad. "
"Weeelll... Beaky not yet. I haven't managed to attempt that particular situation yet," adds Vesi fretfully. "Now that we have more allies, I feel more confident to try without arousing suspicion."
"Look, don't step on my oracular pronouncements, Blue." Blaze reaches up to pinch Vesi's cheek, "Besides, who could say no to that face?"
As Blaze and Vesi relax, Knaxshi relaxes his grip on his gun. To use the old Ysoki phrase, it would have been a fustercluck if they'd have had to start things now.
"I doubt any of the others will be on-board. Especially not Dovan or Auchs. We'll have to deal with them alongside the Stag Lord. So, what's the plan?" Akiros inquires.
"Blue needs to confirm with Beaky, but then I'd like to do this tonight. Take out Antlers first and don't stand in the way of anyone trying to run."
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"I can go do that right now. Offer to feed Beaky, and use the opportunity to speak to them," suggests Vesi. "Give me a small item from each of you, so that Beaky may know your scent and not attack you."
The druid casts the spell ahead of time before volunteering on Beaky feeding duty, which they assume the bandits are all too glad to relinquish - a caged owlbear is still dangerous. Then, trusting their friends to run interference on the bandits so they wouldn't be overheard making strange noises at the creature, Vesi settles on their haunches on he other side of the bars, speaking to Beaky in low tones through a scarf held over their mouth and nose.
"What a terrible thing, for these humans to have captured you and keep you here. You must miss the forest, running free under its trees, drinking from its clear springs, sleeping on the soft moss."Vesi rushes to add, before the owlbear makes any roar of indignation or fury. "You will be free soon. My friends and I will set you free, I promise. And I understand that you might be very angry, but if I may ask you that you do not hurt my friends and I, because we are only trying to help you and we do not want you to be caged. A-and... you can hurt the ones who are trying to hurt you of course, or to get you back in the cage. Here, I leave here the smells of your friends, so you know them and not hurt them."
Then the druid needs to hurriedly move away before breaking into a sneezing fit.
Beaky fixes Vesi with a yellow-eyed glare. "I hate this place! Release me and I will have my revenge on those who wronged me. I will spare you if you stay out of my way. But if you get too close I will rip you apart as well!" the owlbear hoots.
"That's... *a-choo* - that's good enough, thank you. What is your name? I'm Vesi." The undine wipes their running nose and their streaming eyes with the backs of their hands.
”I’ve no name for myself,” the beast replies.
You pass the time until night falls. Cragger and Topper have arranged it so that they are two of the three bandits on watchtower duty. The third is Jex the Snitch, posted at the tower closest to the Stag Lord's quarters, as usual for the Stag Lord's favorite minion. Most of the other bandits are either asleep or off-guard. The time has come to put the plan into motion...
How far away is Jex from my tower?
I forget, was it me and Blaze up top?
"Okay gents, Blue, time to make a move. Cast what you've got to in advance. We hit his antlery badness fast and hard and try to get everyone else running. If the owlbear charges (can't believe that's part of the plan), try to smell more like a friend."
"Beaky knows who not to attack, I gave him all your smells, but in the heat of the moment he might forget, so try to stay away."
Vesi prepares to cast a protective spell on whoever might need it most - likely Russ'Ruk.
With catlike tread, you sneak alongside Akiros into the Stag Lord's chamber. Thick layers of animal hides insulate the room’s walls. In one corner rests a ragged bed draped with threadbare silks and thick furs. A stout chest serves as furniture, cluttered with empty liquor bottles. A few more bottles lie scattered about the floor, leaving the room reeking of stale alcohol.
The Stag Lord is asleep in the bed, though he still wears his intimidating helmet. He snores loudly, drool dripping from his mouth.
Knaxshi fires, reloads and fires again. If he wasn't awake before, the booms will definitely wake him. Hopefully the shock discombobulates him for a while.
"Mmmyoink!" Blaze rushes in, grabs the longsword and darts back out of reach!
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Seeing Blaze, Vesi does the same, grabbing the longbow instead after casting a little encouraging magic on Russ'Ruk.
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Russ get's right up to the Stag Lord and brings his sword down hoping to end this fight swiftly, as well as positioning himself in a way that he could react to the man getting out of his bed. Though he hated such cowardly tactics, today they needed to end things swiftly and before anyone had a chance to sound an alarm. Though he thinks Knaxshi's weapon already sounded every alarm in the camp by himself. Aiming true with the intent to put him down swiftly Russ lunges with his weapon in both hands, now was the time for full offense.
Knaxshi strikes the Stag Lord in the shoulder with a bullet, waking the big man up with a yell of pain! As Blaze and Vesi snatch his weapons, Russ moves in and slices the Stag Lord with his blade! Akiros moves up alongside the kobold, flying into a rage! "Consider this my resignation!" Akiros bellows as he stabs wildly with his own longsword, impaling the sleeping furs but not the Stag Lord!
Roaring with pain and fury, the Stag Lord quickly gets to his feet. "I'll kill you, bastards!" he shouts, his imposing presence striking fear in Russ'ruk's heart! He then swings a heavy fist at the kobold, taking advantage of the fighter's hesitation to hit him in a vulnerable spot!
"You will not kill anyone ever again!" Vesi shouts from the doorway, still holding the Stag Lord's bow as the druid first heals Russ'Ruk, then blesses Knaxshi.
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As the Stag lord rises Russ lashes out but despite being caught unaware the large man only receives a shallow gash as his punishment.
Russ's head rocks downward from the strike causing the kobold to spit blood on the floor, he shakes his head from the vision blurring strike and sets his feet lunging for the man again.
"Your reign of terror ends and today brings with it a lasting peace for the Wilds."
After two unsuccessful swipes he resorts to switching up his grip on his weapon.
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Taking Vesi's blessing he reloads and shoots. He can barley tell if that one hit or just grazed him. But he slams in another round and puts it straight through the Stag Lord's liver.
"Oh come off it you wine-sodden murderer! The only reason you're even gonna be recognizable in a minute is so your scummiest followers get that you're dead!"
Knaxshi grievously injures the Stag Lord! Russ'ruk misses, but Blaze zaps him with electricity and Akiros lands a powerful blow. The Stag Lord turns on his traitorous lieutenant, bashing Akiros again and again with his heavy fists!
Blaze fills her palm with fire and flicks it at the Stag Lord, using her still sizzling palm to seal Akiros's wounds.
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Russ snarls as the Stag Lord lashes out at their new found ally Akiros, one hand grabs for the man's trouser belt and ran his sword across his back.
"No more!"
You combine an attack with quick grappling moves to throw an enemy off balance as long as it stays in your reach. Make a Strike while keeping one hand free. If this Strike hits, the target is flat-footed until the start of your next turn or until it's no longer within the reach of your hand, whichever comes first
Russ gets close and lets out a frosty breath up at the Stag lord's face, so that it wouldn't catch any of his allies as well.
Trying to make the Stag Lord fall down, Vesi throws their bola at his ankles. When that fails, the undine unleashes the power of water instead, spraying the bandit leader with a powerful jet.
Knaxshi simply works his gun, loading, firing, loading.
Knaxshi shoots the Stag Lord again, while Blaze burns him with flame. Russ'ruk slices him with his sword before blasting him with his frosty breath! The mighty bandit lord groans and sags to his knees, then collapses to the floor, succumbing to his grievous wounds!
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Blaze cups her hands around her mouth and plays to her strengths - being very hard to ignore.
"The Stag Lord is dead, and you are all out of a job.
"You run now, and we won't chase you as long as you get off our fief. You wanna play nice, lay down your arms or make your way to Oleg's, politely. Otherwise you've got to the count of six."
Vesi grins at Blaze and gives her a thumbs up, then goes to check on Akiros's wounds.
"He really got you there, let me bandage that before you bleed out!"
Then the undine rushes outside to see what happened to Beaky, and to try and minimize the casualties there.
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Russ collapses into the man with his final stab, breathing heavy even from the short confrontation.
"Is everyone alright?" He looks back to the others wild eyed with a slight panic from the battle. After assuring no one here was going to bleed out he cleaned his blade and put it away. Wringing his hands that shake slightly.
"I didn't want to ambush anyone like that again." He whispers mostly to himself. The kobold steps away for a bit to soothe his nerves but turns to look back before he exits the room. "We should remove the body right? I suppose the ghost will still want him to make the bridgeway safe."
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Knaxshi cocks his head, "Let's hope we never have to ambush somebody like that." People who read between the lines will note that the practical rat isn't ruling it out. "I suspect that the head will be sufficient proof, but I'm not an expert on ghosts."
Blaze wrinkles her nose. "The head'll get all stinky. Maybe just the helmet? That smells bad enough as it is, but maybe if I threw in a particularly winning sm- Oh hells they're gone!" Blaze races after Vesi.
Back in the main room, Beaky has rampaged among the bandits who had been sleeping. The scene is a charnel house, with several of the men eviscerated or torn limb from limb by the angry owlbear!
Hearing Blaze's booming proclamation, the surviving bandits either throw down their weapons to surrender or turn to flee!
Knaxshi reloads his weapon. He's assuming that Vesi can calm it, but preparing just in case she can't.
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"The revenant requested his bod- and she's gone.."
Russ sighs, "I'm sure it won't be a problem if we can get a cart from the keep. We should call the rest of our allies in however, no use letting them stay out in the wilderness."
Russ will help bring the body to a less morbid location, before going to the outer keep, once things settle down slightly he will journey out to inform the rest of the group of their success and that they can join them at the fort.
Blaze mutters to herself in a voice that can be heard well outside the fort.
"Val and a couple volunteers to hold this place while we schlep back to Oleg's and party? No sense letting someone else set up shop and take up the mantle, right?"
Vesi goes to try and calm Beaky, fervently hoping the owlbear didn't kill any of the 'friendly' bandits - or the mark they were supposed to return alive!
"Owlbear friend! Please calm yourself, the bad people are dead or have run away. You are free to return to the forest now!"
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At Vesi's urging, the owlbear calms down. It lets out a few more growls and hoots as it eyes the surviving bandits. "Grr! Tell them they are lucky to leave this place with their lives! You humans had better leave me alone from now on, or I will come back to finish what I started!" Then Beaky trundles off into the surrounding woods.
You take the surviving bandits, including Auchs, Dovan, and Falgrim Sneed, into custody and secure the fort. Victory is yours!
As they search, Knax will play around with the (recently cleaned) Stag Helm. He'll take it off with a puzzled look and put it back on again. "Surprisingly comfortable for being made for a round head. Doesn't pinch the ears at all."
"Oh hey is that an original Ayavah? Dibs!" Blaze immediately sits down, unbelts and starts working at the rivets.
"The antlers suit you Knaxy, very fetching."
Once the dead bandits are buried, the live ones loaded into the wagon together with all the goods, and the horses fed, watered and harnessed, Vesi gives the ruined fort one last look.
"I wonder what this place was, before. And if it can be rebuilt."
With that, the undine gets ready to return to Oleg and Svetlana with the good news.