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Havrin finds that the horses' hooves don't really have any distinctive markings or damage. But upon leaving the trading post, he only needs a few moments to find exactly what he'd hoped for. The bandits' mounts have left numerous tracks in the soft, muddy earth, giving the ranger confidence that he can track them back to their source with little trouble.
"Wh...what? Military? From Restov?!" A look of near panic falls upon the man's face. "Hide me, yes, please! I'm a wanted man in Restov! They think I was running a protection racket back when I was a member of the city watch. Don't let them catch me here, please!"
Everyone have a nice weekend? I did, thanks! Enjoyed the nice weather yesterday with the family. :) I think the warm weather coupled with the website being down on Saturday have stalled us out a little bit (Max being sick too), but I'm hoping we can wrap the current scenes shortly and regain some momentum as we move into the next phase of the adventure.
"Hmm...who all is at that camp? Would we be alone?" "Well, no, not alone really. Tressle's in charge, so she'll be there of course. The other lads come and go, but besides m'self and the boys with me, there's..." he pauses to take count in his head, "maybe a dozen other fellows, if they're all in camp at once. But that don't happen too oft." With a wolfish grin he adds, "But don't worry about them too much, we can always slip off into my tent for some alone time."
Oleg watches impassively as Jacyn does the dirty work, slitting the throat of each of the four subordinate bandits in succession. He nods in satisfaction as their lifeblood pools out on the hard ground. "No more nor less than they deserved. Good riddance." Turning to Retsiji, Oleg agrees, "That's good thinking," as he puts pen to the document then hands it to Svetlana to do the same. "I'll fetch that shovel."
Adam waits patiently to see if the bandit leader will say anything further of importance.
Bea gives the man a not-very sincere half-smile that ends up looking more like a smirk. "You're heading back to camp then? Perhaps I might join you there - how far is it?" "Oh, just a day's ride southwest of here. It's right near the bank of the Thorn River, of course," answers the bandit leader.
The leader nods, appreciative of Adam's 'friendly' offer. "Ah, that explains all this blood, then, hmm? Thank you, friend, a drink of wine would be even better." When Adam crouches down behind the wall, the bandit leader gives no sign that he notices the hiding halfling. Without saying anything, Bea kneels down beside the bandit and tries her best to tend to his wounds. "Many thanks, lass. You are most kind. Perhaps when I am mended, you could tend to some of my other needs, eh?" the bandit says with a leering smile.
Retsiji nods. "Disappearing without a trace is good, too." He then casts sleep on the captured bandits.
With the casting of Retsiji's spell, the four bandits all slump over, fast asleep.
Oleg nods his head thoughtfully as he listens to the various arguments against hanging the bandits from the palisades. "All right, then. Whatever means of killin' you prefer is fine with me, just so long as you don't make a big mess right here in my market yard." After another moment's consideration he adds, "Maybe just take 'em outside, bleed 'em out, and bury the bodies. Seems simple enough."
"Heh. As much as I dont think they deserve a 'more humane' death, puttin them to sleep and slittin their throats is probably the best idea. They aren't worth the trouble of trying to get them up the pallacade walls to hang 'em." Oleg interjects, "I just liked the idea of hanging 'em out where other bandits could see and be warned off. I do confess it would be easier to put them to the sword though. 'Course, then there are bodies to bury..."
With the help of Bea, Simn and Adam are able to drag the unconscious bandit leader into the stable, where they deposit him on a pile of fresh hay in an empty stall. Simn proceeds to perform a minor bit of divine healing, at which the man's eyelids flutter open. The bandit gives a soft groan and looks around in pained confusion as Adam begins to strum his lute and sing.
As hoped, the bard's magic clouds the bandit's mind. The man leans back in the straw with a wince, but then gives Adam a weak smile. "Agh, what happened to me, mate? Feel half dead. I remember arrows flying...we were ambushed, I think. Are we still at the trading post?"
"Bugger your priest and bugger you!" shouts one of the bandits, a sentiment seemingly echoed by his partners in crime. Oleg turns to his wife and says, "Svetlana, best you go inside until this nasty business is through." As his wife nods and complies with this request, Oleg follows her into the main hall, then returns after a few moments with several lengths of stout, hempen rope. "Right then, it's up to the watchtowers with you, devils."
The bandit 'spokesman' slumps over upon being struck by the flat of Jacyn's, silencing him for the moment. The others merely glare at him, seemingly unfazed by his threats...but they do keep their mouths shut. At this point, Oleg steps forward to put to voice the obvious question hanging unspoken in the air. "So then, is it to be the noose for these lads? I'll go and get the rope right now, just say the word." Svetlana shudders a bit, but the steel in her eyes shows that she supports her husband's decision.
Pleas for mercy and empty promises of reform have been replaced now by open defiance. "Well have at it then, witch, if you've got the guts. I'll go to the gallows thinking of the sport my mates will have on you after Tressle's chopped your hands off. They'll come looking for us, and you'll be sorry then." He emphasizes the last by spitting on the ground himself.
Bea scowls. "I'll not allow us to turn a trial into a gladiatorial arena for sport. If they must be put to death, it will be swiftly and mercifully. By providing information about the whereabouts of their camp, they at least deserve that." A thought crosses her mind, and she turns back to the bandits. "What can you tell us about your camp? How many others are there? Are there other camps in the area?" The bandits only glare sullenly at Bea, as it seems increasingly clear that they may not be able to talk their way out of the noose after all. Finally, one of them mutters, "Give your word that you'll turn us loose, or you'll get nothing more out of me." The others nod in accord.
Retsiji looks over the other three. "That what you're thinking to do, too?" The others all nod their heads with various mumbled utterances of assent. "Sure, yeah, law and order for us from now on, believe you me..."
Oleg shakes his head. "No chance. These scum are liars, thieves, and probably killers to boot. I don't trust 'em, and never will. The only way they'll pass the night under my roof is swaying in the breeze under a hangman's knot. And I say you'd all be fools to let them go."
"So you admit that the bandit camp is south-west of here, and yet that is precisely the direction you indicated you would travel if we let you go. How are we to know that you wouldn't simply be re-joining your group?" The bandit seems noticeably uncomfortable with this line of questioning. "Well, uh, I guess we might pop in and say hello to our mates for old times' sake, you know. But then it'd be straight on to Pitax for a fresh start, I swear!"
"Mistress Leveton, Master Leveton, your offer of hospitality is reward enough for me," Havrin says softly as he hands his share of the gold coin back to Svetlana and Oleg. "We may be imposing on you quite a bit as we explore the Greenbelt over the next several months." As first Bea, and then Havrin, hands back some of the offered gold, Oleg can only nod in gratitude, while Svetlana appears on the verge of tearing up. "You've no idea how much this means to us," Oleg says softly. "I don't know where your travels will take you from here, but if there's anything we can do to help, just name it."
"This Kressle--what do you think she'll do when you don't come back?" The bandit answers with a scoff, "Pfft, who knows, mate? She's as likely to cut something off the likes of me as tell me what she's up to. I just follow orders."
The bandits' spokesman hesitates for a moment, glancing over at the still-unconscious form of their leader. "He'll kill me for telling..." But upon looking over at Oleg, he continues, muttering, "...but I suppose he'll kill me if I don't. All right, then. We've got a camp some 20 or so miles south of here, on the north bank of the Thorn River. Our leader is Kressle, and she's a tough witch if ever I saw one. I wouldn't mess with her. Happs there, he's second in charge."
The bandit who started the whole thing moments before appears to have appointed himself the de facto spokesman for the others. "Well, ma'am, I suppose we might just head south and west, try to make our way down into the River Kingdoms. I don't think we'd be warmly welcomed in Restov...too many burned bridges and all...you understand. Maybe settle down in Pitax, or the like? My dear old Mum always did say I had a certain talent with a blade. Perhaps I could open a butcher shop." The scowl on Oleg's face shows clearly what he thinks about letting these men go, but he holds his tongue for the moment.
"Why are we making such a big fuss over this? Try them all, right here, right now. If any want to honestly repent. Let them do so." The bandits have apparently heard enough talk about trials and executions to set their tongues loose. One of the lot responds after Jacyn's comment, "I repent, I do, I swear it! Just let me go, and I'll never steal again nor do harm to another living soul, just don't kill me! Please!" A clamor of similar promises immediately rises from the mouths of the other three conscious bandits, creating a din that fills the market yard with oaths of repentance and pleas for mercy.
"We could just drop them into the holes in the ground over there. How deep are those, anyway, Oleg?" "Eh, not really deep enough to keep a man from climbing back out." Oleg replies. "Not that it wouldn't be fun to see this bunch wallow in the filth for a while."
"Now. You." He indicates the most wounded bandit, Adam, Simn, Oleg, and Svetlana. "Come with me, if you would. I think the main hall will do for a courtroom. The rest of you should probably make sure the others don't go anywhere. Oleg, do you expect any traders today?" Oleg shrugs. "I'm not expecting anyone in particular, no. But then, most of my customers don't really send advance notice they're coming."
At Bea's request, Oleg hurries off to fetch Svetlana for the discussion of the fate of the bandits. As the couple returns from the house, they set some items on the table in the yard. Closer examination reveals three potions (two cure light wounds, one shield of faith +2) as well a pouch containing 75 gold crowns. Svetlana smiles as she says, "Oleg and I talked it over, and we want to offer you this as our way of saying thank you for standing up to these bandits for us. We also want to tell you that you can stay here in our guesthouse any time you like at no charge. I'll even cook for you." Oleg's manages to force a smile as his wife offers up these gifts of gratitude. He stumbles on his words a bit, but seems sincere enough. "Indeed, I...well...just thank you, I suppose."
After Bea has finished disarming the bandits, there is a rather large pile of loot lying in the market yard. All told, the party recovers 4 suits of leather armor, 1 suit of studded leather armor, 4 longbows, 1 masterwork composite longbow (+2 STR), 4 short swords, 1 dagger, 1 longsword, 100 arrows, 2 vials of alchemist's fire, 10 days' worth of trail rations, and 90 gold pieces. Bea also finds a small silver amulet around the neck of the leader, shaped like a stag's skull.
Looking down on the pair, he says, "Good morning, gentlemen. Youd leader is down, and you are defeated. If you value your lives, you'll cooperate with my friends here, who are going to tie you up." Seeing their leader laying in a pool of his own blood is all it takes for the awakened bandits to realize they are in a dire situation. They glower sullenly, but offer up no resistance to being bound.
Looking to Oleg, Jacyn calls out, "You'll have your say, but I think we'd like to question them first. See if they know anything useful." Oleg nods. "Fair enough, I suppose. After that, we can set 'em to swaying in the breeze so that any others of their ilk will see and think twice before messing with us again." Oleg considers for a moment. "What about their weapons and such? You all should claim anything you've a good use for, to be sure. But, if there's anything you don't want, I'd like to add it to my stock."
Simn's efforts prove to good effect, as the bandit leader's breathing becomes more regular and his bleeding stops. He is still unconscious, but it appears that he no longer is in immediate danger of dying. Oleg approaches from the trading pen, and as if to echo Simn's thoughts, he growls, "Save your efforts, gnome. All five of these scum are going to be hanging by the neck from the post's palisade by noon, if I have my say."
Bea can tell that the bandit leader has lost a great deal of blood from his assorted wounds. His breathing is very ragged and shallow, and he is likely not long for the world without some fast assistance.
A barrage of missile fire descends on the bandit leader, with Havrin's arrow and Retsiji's crossbow bolt finding their mark. Now resembling a pin cushion, the leader crumples to the ground with a wet sounding gurgle. Seeing their leader fallen and mortally wounded (or worse), the remaining pair of bandits throw down their weapons and make an attempt to flee, but pull up short when they see the trading post gates closed, barring their escape. The wounded one staggers a bit, then slumps to the ground with a sob while his unhurt fellow merely raises his hands in surrender. "All right, all right. Don't hurt me, I give up!"
Havrin's arrow strikes the unsuspecting bandit leader square in the chest, eliciting a cry of pain and a filthy curse. Bea has no trouble pushing the gate closed, but her efforts to intimidate the bandits draw only a derisive snort from the nearest. "Shut your mouth, whore! You'll get yours!" With Adam's rapier thrust, his target manages to dart back far enough to avoid much serious harm, but the man looks absolutely shocked to find an aristocratic halfling thrusting at his groin with a rapier blade. He winces at the minor flesh wound to his manhood. Moments later the same bandit cries out in even more shock and pain as Simn's crossbow bolt slams into his rib cage, leaving him seriously wounded.
The bandits are clearly surprised, finding this sudden assault completely unexpected. Injured and confused, they struggle to regroup.
Round 1 Order
Thanks Count! Resolution of the surprise round coming tonight! Thanks for being patient this week, it was a tough one at work, so I just didn't get to post as often as I wanted to.
Surprise Round
As soon as Oleg has moved over to the trading pen, Retsiji takes his cue to work his magic. As the diviner finishes the utterance of his spell, two of the bandits suddenly slump to the ground, causing a start of consternation from their fellows. "What the hell?" shouts the leader looking wildly around for the cause of his men collapsing.
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