Ouch...:-( I feel for ya, sorry...:-P
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Still here, and plan to be for the foreseeable future. Again, this isn't my only PbP, so I check my campaigns page several times a day, most days.
Ditto...how's things with you, GMT?
I'll be honest with ya - I'm perfectly happy taking this slow. I like the group, characters, and everything else, and (since I'm on here anyway for other PbP's I'm in) I'm constantly checking for new posts. The beauty of PbP is just that - we get to go at whatever pace we need to, as RL demands come and go. This, of course, assumes that the rest of you are okay with this pace as well - if not, feel free to let the rest of us know, and we can discuss how to handle it (whether that means more RP posts that don't require a lot of GM interaction, or...whatever other options there are...:-P).
"As much as it pains me to suggest it, I think we should confirm that there are no issues with the fork with the...interesting smells...before we venture further into the den. I suggest that Aerynne, Cadeyrn, and I search the fork, and the rest of you stay here. That way, the mites won't be able to get past us, leave the burrow and get to the horses." That said, Gerran draws his greatsword and looks to the others for approval before heading off.
Gerran, crouched uncomfortably, nods and motions for Wallop to proceed.
"I guess we're going in, then..." Gerran stoops and enters the tunnels as well.
Gerran looks concerned for a moment, weighing the risks of letting Scraps be alone with Wallop in the den, and eventually nods his agreement to the idea.
A concerned look crosses Gerran's face. "If the tunnel opens up, then please return and we can all join you. If not, then please do not hesitate to run if you need to. We will be here."
Gerran nods at Aerynne. "I agree. Wallop, would you lead us down?"
Gerran nods. "It would seem you are correct. Hopefully, we'll be able to do what we need to, then return soon to Oleg's. Speaking of which...how should we proceed?" He scratches his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know that there are any alternatives to going into their burrow, if we're going to retrieve the ring. However, I'm not looking forward to being the first to squeeze through that hole...no offense, but I'd feel more comfortable if Wallop were guarding the other end of that tunnel."
You have no idea how thrilled I am to hear that. Hope you get better/stay employed...:-)
I'm hoping that Tassadan is just taking his time...? I enjoy the group as well.
Gerran thinks to what he knows of mites, and looks to Aerynne for confirmation as well, to help determine the validity of Aaron's statement.
At the risk of being redundant, ditto what Aerynne and Wallop said. We already agreed at the start that everyone was okay with natural healing, so don't feel pressured. P.S. - Glad to see you're back. (You, too, Marius!)
Gerran sighs. "I'm not eager to delay our current endeavor, but if you all feel that we would be best served by returning, then let's do so quickly. Perhaps we can drop by that field for Svetlana's ingredients, so we have something, at least, to show for it."
Well, I'm done with everything else, so I'll just roll and you can veto.
HP generation question - roll here, or half+1, or something else?
Gerran looks around for a suitable campsite.
"Let's go ahead and pitch camp for the night. Considering that the bandits we were concerned with are now in our custody, I think we might be able to risk a fire. What do you think?"
We need the rest of the group to cross the bridge, I assume?
Gerran follows Wallop after the halfling reaches the other side, then orders his horse across...and then his dog.
"I can get the animals to cross, it just might take a little time."
Do we cross the bridge, or stay on this side?
Gerran shakes his head. "Scraps, I think I understand, but I'd rather not send you and Wallop into danger like that."
Gerran looks thoughtfully at Scraps while she speaks her piece, but when she's done, he tries to correct her - firmly, of course, but more gently than he felt Morgrym would. "We aren't in a position to create our own laws, Scraps. We have been tasked, per our charters, to deal with unrepentant banditry. The punishment for this is death - that law exists already." He ponders a moment, then continues. "It seems to me, though, that you're more concerned with what makes someone unrepentant. That, however, is not something I feel we should put down in writing. Let me explain my thinking..." "We could spend any amount of time trying to define what makes someone unrepentant, and we probably still wouldn't be done. However hard we tried, no definition could handle all of the situations that could come up. There are as many different ways to be repentant, or not, as there are people who commit a crime." "On top of that, we would be forever tied to that definition. It would take away our chance to judge each case based on its own merits. If we went against what we wrote, we could not expect others to respect what was written. If we changed what was written whenever it went against our wishes, we would not be respected ourselves." "So, for those reasons, I don't believe we should do what you propose. Every situation will be different, and we have to be free to use our judgement for each case as it comes."
Gerran looks at Scraps and sighs. "It's a question of their character, little one. If we let them go and tell them to mend their ways, they have a choice. They can choose to do better, repent, and help this land, or they can choose to return to their old ways, and undo everything that we're trying to do here." "Unfortunately, we don't know for sure what they will do. We have to try to determine which option they are going to choose, based on their past actions. If they were bandits by choice, who loved that way of life, then it's very likely that they will return to that life, given the chance. If they were forced into it, or despised what they were doing and who they were with, then it's likely that, given a chance, they will do something else." "If we choose wrongly and let an unrepentant bandit go free, we risk the lives of Oleg, Svetlana, and any others trying to make an honest living here. They might even gain enough support that they could come after us, and kill us, some day." "Let me put it another way: if we wanted to be sure that the bandits were stopped for good and all, we could kill them all...but some of them are, perhaps, able to be saved that fate. Perhaps you could focus not on the ones we kill, but on the ones we can save?" Gerran pauses, then realizes that he just answered Scraps as he would have Aerynne, or Morgrym. Well, maybe not Morgrym - I would never presume to speak down to him as I just did. Still, I guess she grows on you, after a while...such an innocent outlook on life.
Gerran shakes his head. "Personally, I would prefer to take on the Mites now and attempt to retrieve Svetlana's ring, then on the way to Oleg's, swing back by that field that we saw - the one that might have been the ingredient that Svetlana was looking for."
His curiosity piqued by the bandits' response, Gerran nods at Morgrym's suggestion and pursues his line of questioning. "Raid defense, you say? Fortifications and the like? Hmmm...we might have a job to fill in that capacity, soon. Would you be willing to accompany us to finish off these mites, and in exchange, we do what we can to provide you with honest work?"
Gerran nods to the group assembled around Wallop. "I am inclined to believe their tale as well. However, we cannot be too careful here. We cannot invite so many 'reformed' bandits to stay with Oleg and Svetlana that they are easily overpowered the moment we leave on some errand." He turns to the bandits and asks, "Tell me, if we were to let you live, and go where you would, where would that be? How would you make your living?"
Gerran does what he can to tie up Kressle, and searches her for the missing ring, or anything else of import.
Once that's done, he asks the rest of the group. "What do we do about the ones that got away? On foot, with their leader gone, they might not be any more trouble. However, I'm not sure I want to take that chance."
Gerran dismounts and moves to Kressle's side and stabilizes her, if possible.
That done, he binds her hands and feet, throws her over her horse's back, gathers all of the horses' reins and leads them back to the campsite.
Gerran stops short of the pen and lets another arrow fly, in the hopes that it will find its mark.
...but no pressure. :-P
Gerran stays mounted, but nocks an arrow, and lets it fly at Kressle before Wallop gets too close.
When his horse arrives, Gerran leaps instantly into the saddle, and rides quickly across the camp in the direction Kressle and Wallop ran.
Seeing that Wallop is intent on finishing off the bandits here and now, Gerran picks up his bow once more and fires at the fleeing bandits .
That done, Gerran whistles for his horse.
Gerran shakes his head and calls out to Aerynne. "Morgrym's right - we don't know what is to the south. Better to track Kressle after we deal with these others." With that, he goes to each fallen bandit to see if there is a chance for recovery.
Gerran sticks close by Morgrym, thankful for his presence, and swings at the northernmost bandit.
Gerran looses an arrow at the bandits once more, shooting at any that look to be lesser-armored.
Then, realizing that this is not going as well as he'd hoped, he moves closer to his companions, dropping his bow and drawing his greatsword, to provide them some defense when the bandits retaliate.
Gerran, seeing Cadeyrn running for the bandit camp, looses an arrow at the nearest human bandit not engaged in melee.
Gerran nocks an arrow and continues to hide, waiting for the bandits to intercept the group so he can swing around behind them.
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