Thank you all for the game so far, but I feel I must withdraw. I have no desire to roleplay a social worker.
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Spoiler: Yossian shakes his head at Oleg. "A starvin' man steals enough ter eat, an' yer don't blame him. But'n if he bands tergether with others, and goes round taking bread from innocent folk at swordpoint, soas they go hungry, then yer make him pay fer his actions. 'I was hungry' ain't an excuse. 'I'm sorry nows you've caught me' ain't goin' ter cut it either.
Yossian sticks out his hand. "Good luck ter yer, Oleg. I hope it comes well fer yer." Yossian collects his stuff, and heads off north into the night.
Spoiler: Yossian dumps his stuff in a corner of the bunkhouse where they stayed before, sullenly eats a bowl of stew in silence, and spends the evening on the outpost walls, examining the weapons there, viewing the lay of the land, and mentally reviewing the defense of the outpost, in advance of the war that he believes must now come. When finally he can get Oleg alone, he engages him. "What n'yer be wantin', Oleg? Of course, yer be wantin' the bandits ter leave yer alone soas yer can build yer place up, but what then?" He sighs. "Me an' the others had a fallin' out. They's seemin' ter know, or think they know, much'n more than me. I took this job, and I was just thinkin' that it was drivin' out bandits. No-one told me anythin' else. But the others, well, Sia an' Cal, they seem ter think that they are conquerin' the wilderness, leadin' the way fer settlers from the north. Maybe someone told them somethin'. Maybe they're'n just ambitious. Reckon they can set themselves up here as big important folk." He looks Oleg in the eye briefly. "I thought'n we're here ter drive away the bandits. See 'em swing, or clear out if they're lucky. But they're wantin' ter be makin' friends with them. Redeemin' them. Like'n if they says sorry and bats their eyelashes at Sia, she's forgivin' them and sendin' them on their way with a promise ter be good in the future. Cal's just doin' whatever Sia says, and he don't like me much. They seems ter think they can turn the bandits inter good citizens, what will set up a farm or somethin'." He bangs his fist against the wall. "Me, I'm a simple man. I'm thinkin' that if someone was sorry they was a bandit, they'd stop bein' a dammned bandit. If they's still a bandit, that's 'cos they ain't sorry. I ain't sure they's the best people ter leave hangin' around. If they ain't sorry now, they'll just'n be goin' back ter banditry when they sees an easy score." "And then there's this bandit Lord, the Stag Lord. He ain't just goin' ter sit by while Sia tries ter turn his army inter a church choir. He's goin' ter counterattack. In strength. And where'n yer think he's goin' ter hit? And whose'n goin' ter defend yer when he does? Sia, with her books? Pops, if'n yer can point him in the right direction? They ain't thinkin'. They're pushin' the Stag Lord inter a war they ain't ready ter fight." He lowers his eyes. "But then what der I know? They all thinks I'm an monster, who wants ter string up these poor, innocent bandits who must'n be so very sorry for all they've done cos they say so. They thinks I'm a coward cos I wants ter know the lay of the land afore I goes blunderin' in startin' wars against a foe I don't know. They thinks I'm an idiot cos they expects me ter follow a plan that don't make no sense." He looks at Oleg again. "So I is askin' you, Oleg - what is it that you be wantin'? You want ter turn the bandits inter farmers what will bring yer stuff ter trade? You wants ter trust 'em around that Lady o' yours? You think that settler's'll follow, and we should be thinkin' o' them, and what they be needin'? It's you'll have ter be livin' with the consequences. Or dyin' with 'em, if'n I'm right an' Sia's wrong." He sighs once more. "This'n seemed an easy job. Well, not easy, but simple. Just clear out the bandits by rope an' sword, the charter said. Explore a bit. But it seems that I was the only one took the charter at its word. Everyone else is thinkin' somethin' different."
Yossian tramps sadly back to Oleg's, his mind a whirl of rage, frustration and confusion. He keeps his sword and bow ready, looking out for bandits and other dangers.
Yossian will not be found until further notice.
Yossian stares in cold fury at Cal for a long moment. Then he wordlessly shoulders his bow and strides off into the trees.
Actually, on reflection, the way you show that you repent of being a bandit is to stop being a bandit. Otherwise, you're not sorry for being bandit, you're sorry that you got caught. Ergo, all bandits are by definition unrepentant, otherwise they would no longer be bandits. I ask again, would we even be having this discussion if they were goblins.
"Nice ter keep him on friendly terms..!" splutters Yossian. "Just who the hell does yer think these people are? I've got Cal yellin' in one ear that they're rapists an' murderers, and you lass offerin' em tea an' cakes. These is bandits. Rapists and murders, as ye say yerself. By rights they should be swingin' from a noose. I don't give a damn whether we's on good terms with 'em or not. If ye likes, ye can try makin' friends with 'em, just afore they slits yer throat." He looks up at Cal. "So anyone with half a brain could figure it, eh? Me, I don't care if they is sendin' settlers, plantin' trees, or if'n the Regent just wants a new huntin' range. I'm gonna stick ter what I was told ter do, what it says here on my charter I'm ter do. You want to go guessin' what's in the mind o' the high ups, feel free." "And damn straight we had a choice. Like I said at the fort, we could've given Oleg some gold ter pay off the bandits, followed 'em, scouted their camp, found out how many they was, whether they had mages or priests, what their habits was. And then we could have made a plan ter suit us, rather than chasin' after 'em and hopin' we can get away afore they organises against us, which is what we is callin' our 'plan' at the moment."
"Didn't look like no interrogation ter me" growls the redhead. "Seems like yer was all but offerin' him food an' lodging and ter keep him warm on cold nights. He's given yer a sob story ter save his own neck, and yer'v fallen fer it." "As fer 'holding something over me' - seems its yerself what has cards close ter yer chest. My charter says I'm ter explore and drive out bandits. That's what I'm doin'. I ain't heard nothin' about no settlers, or anyone comin' after us. If yer knows somethin', how about you goes about tellin' the rest of us, soas we knows too? Got a secret mission, Sia? Got some special orders the rest of us don't?" He balls his fist and strikes the nearby tree. "And I ain't no soldier, but my Mama was, and she taught me that yer don't fight a war battle by battle. Yer has a long-term plan. And we ain't got that at all. Four bandits just turn up at the Tradin' Post, and we deal with them. And then on ter the next camp. And then the next one presumably. What happens if they don't happily just wait around fer us ter get ter them? What happens if the Stag Lord organises against us. What if he takes his whole army against Oleg's? Reckon you can defend it, do yer? For a smart woman, you sure ain't thinkin' much. I wasn't ever goin' ter let anythin' happen ter Oleg an' Svetlana and yer a filthy liar if yer says I did. What I did say was we shouldn't start a war afore we knew the enemy and the lay of the land. Well, we've started that war now. Let's hope we cans finish it." "And as fer the fey - well, we don't all have yer book learnin', Sia. You mays know instantly whether they're good fey, in a good mood, but all I know if from the tales I've heard tell - men blinded, or dream-addled by laughin' fey. Hot coals put in men's eyes an' ears. Poison mushrooms dropped in the stew when no-one was lookin'. Now maybe you knows better. Good fer you. How about sharin' some of what's in that little brain with the rest o' us, instead o' just tellin' us how stupid we all is?" He leans close and sneers. "An' the only time in my whole life that I've shot a man in the back was this mornin', as part o' yer fantastic plan that yer complainin' I didn't follow. Weren't so damned concerned about it then, were yer?"
What Yossian objected was Sia effectively negotiating with a condemned man. Again, as far as Yossian is concerned, these guys are bandits, therefore their lives are forfeit. The "unrepentant" clause in the charter means nothing, as we don't have a priest capable of looking into their hearts. All we can judge is their behaviour. And their behaviour makes them bandits. So, although we would be perfectly within our rights to hang the lot of them, he's a good guy. They get a chance. If they a) surrender
then they get to flee. Fast. Somewhere else. They don't get to negotiate. They have no rights. They are condemned men by their own actions. It is up to us to grant clemency if we choose, and they'd better be damned grateful for it, otherwise they are by definition "unrepentant". They are not prisoners of war, and therefore not subject to any of the various laws and codes that have existed throughout history. They are criminals, who are subject to lawful authority (that being us) and due process (that being "sword and rope" as defined in our charter). So, I don't believe Yossian's view is inconsistent with his stated alignment. He believes we should give the bandits a chance to surrender. He believes that as long as they show suitable humility, cooperation and gratitude (which will do as display of "repentance" in the circumstances) they get to live and flee instead of be hanged. A little verbal prodding on his part ("you'd better run fast or I'll come get yer") will help show if this repentance is genuine or just an act. From what he has seen of Norbert, Yossian has seen a fair amount of self-justification, a lot of excuses and a dose of denial, but precious little "repentance". So he's given him a little verbal prod to see if he can crack the veneer.
Yossian isn't aware that we're seeking to form any sort of community. We're here to explore the region and drive out the bandits, according to our charter.
There's also the issue of IC vs OOC knowledge. The three bandits we didn't hang back at the Trading Post were never given names and never spoke in character. It was obvious to us as players that they were Generic Bandits #1-3, and didn't really matter. This guy has a name and a voice. So we as players tend to treat him differently. I've no idea whether the GM intends this, or whether it's all being made up as it goes along. But to Yossian there is no difference. He's treating him the same. (And if you go back and re-read the posts at the Trading Post, threatening the bandits with an arrow in the back if they didn't run fast enough was exactly what he did.)
So, we are perfectly entitled to ambush and kill without warning. Even kill them when they are down and unconscious. If they put up any resistance to us (and they don't know who we are, because we didn't issue a warning - we're just some random guys who turned up and started shooting) then we can slaughter them like cattle. But as soon as they've surrendered/been captured/were lucky enough to fail a saving throw and avoid Gorax, then we must treat them with kid gloves, because they are repentant (because they say so) and we are the good guys. If you want to give them a chance to repent, then we should announce ourselves and give them the opportunity to surrender. If you want to ambush and kill them, then don't make yourself feel better by pretending to care afterwards. Yossian's position is that we did the right thing at the Trading Post - capture them, interrogate them, hang any that give us trouble pour encourager les autres and then exile the rest with the threat that if we catch them again they won't get a second chance.
As for following the plan, "shoot a few arrows and then we charge" is not a plan. The plan, as far as Yossian understood it, was that we shoot the sentries, unprovoked, with no warning, and then charge in and then... well, it never seemed to get that far. Something to do with Sia getting off a Sleep spell. Although he had no love for bandits, shooting people without giving them a chance to surrender first sits ill with him. So, what is our overall strategy? a) Slaughter the bandits with no warning. If we happen to take a few prisoners, so be it. b) Storm in, kill their leaders, see what the others do. c) Give them a chance to surrender. Take as many prisoners as possible to interrogate them. If one happens to say "well, actually, I didn't rape and murder and steal, I just hung out with the guys who did" we give them a free pass. What, exactly, are we planning to do with the bandits (and there are plenty more, from the sound of it) who don't conveniently die, thus saving us the moral dilemma? If we judge it on a case by case basis, then fine, but Yossian thinks that maybe more than one person should be the judge.
What exactly are we doing here? Are we here to clear out the bandits? We have a charter that says we should do so by "sword and rope". If someone has been a bandit (and we have no evidence that Norbert is anything other than that) then they should feel damned lucky that we let them live. We certainly shouldn't be instantly inviting them to set up a homestead just because they say it wasn't their fault, and because Sia thinks they have an honest face. Is anthropocentrism a problem here? Is it because they are human bandits? Is it that we (as players) are squeamish about killing people? If they were goblins, would we be saying "yeah, sure settle in these lands"? As for what Yossian said to Norbert (he said nothing to Sia, by the way, so quite how she felt him to be condescending to her I'm not sure) it is nothing different to what he did to the bandits back at the Trading Post - intimidating them, and letting them know their place. No-one said anything then. "threatening to shoot an innocent man in the back" - so he's innocent then? because he says so? and Sia (and only Sia has been conducting the interrogation) believes him? What makes him different from the one we summarily hanged back at the Post? Or the three we exiled? Or the one we butchered and the two we already shot in the back here? Why the sudden bleeding heart when the plan (which you are complaining Yossian was reluctant to follow) was to shoot first and ask questions later? Frankly, Yossian thinks the man should be pathetically grateful that he's not swinging from a tree at the moment. And if Sia is such a bleeding heart, why was Yossian the only one shouting for the bandits to surrender when the others were merrily cutting people to pieces (Estruven) and killing those who were no threat (Gorax)? I've no problem with either of those, btw, but why isn't Sia remonstrating with them?
Yossian blinks rapidly, a look of total confusion on his face as Sia attempts to brain him. "Cayden's Tankard, what's come over yer, lass?"
fft!
Yossian emerges from the bushes after his failed pursuit of the fleeing bandit. Plucking twigs from his hair he retrieves his bow, and joins the group. He stares glumly at the bandit as the latter tries to sweet-talk Sia. "See, Norbert, yer ain't getting how things are. Right now yer damned lucky not ter to be in pieces like yer boss here, or swingin' from a noose like the four what tried ter raid the Tradin' Post. So when we says "go", you doesn't argue, you asks "how fast?". And then you goes twice as fast as that, fer fear o' catchin' an arrow in yer back. And yer thanks whatever gods'll listen ter yer that we was in a good mood. Understand?"
Seeing that his comrades have events well in hand, Yossian drops his bow, and moves to cut off whoever is fleeing to the west, drawing his longsword as he goes. "You there. Yer'll be halting right there, or yer'll be feelin' my sword in yer back!"
Yossian roars out "Yer leader's dead. Be throwin' down yer weapons right now and we be takin' yer surrender!"
Yossian, unable to make out what is happening in the confusion,nocks another arrow, and takes a target of opportunity. If no better target presents itself, he will attempt to finish off the wounded man in the guardtower.
Yossian jumps as he hears Gorax's charge, expecting as he was a verbal challenge to the bandits to surrender. He hears the twang of a bowstring that he hopes is Cal, and decides he has to act. Hoping that the big man's sudden appearance has distracted the guards, he shifts into the open so that he can get a shot at whoever is in the guardtower.
Yossian beckons Cal closer and whispers in his ear. "I'll keep watch here - you go back an' guide the others in. I'll be seein' if'n I can gets a good vantage spot. When the attack is ready, I'll be coverin' with my bow. Make'n sure Sia or Essy is havin' a good plan!"
Yossian takes the time to slip off his heavy, clanking scalemail, rolling it up tightly and securing it with straps on his horse. He then strings his new bow, and joins Calath in scouting ahead.
Still somewhat dazed from Gorax's assault, Yossian spreads a blanket on the ground and begins to prepare a breakfast. He cuts thick slices of bread and smears it liberally with the last of honey. He sets the biggest slice aside for Gorax, and then, taking a glance at the fey, cuts another into small pieces for their benefit. "Why don't we all sits down an' eats?" he calls out. "Gorax gets powerful hungry if he don't have his breakfast. But don't mind him - he's a good feller. Yer just startled him." He points to the breakfast. "It ain't much, but that's because of the, er..., bad bigenses. Bandits we calls 'em." Settling himself cross-legged with a piece of bread, he continues. "They threatens people, and hurts them, and steals from them. Not just pretty things neither. They takes the food and goods that people needs to live. That ain't right, is it? It's a shame. If it wurn't for them, more merchants would come ter the tradin' post out yonder. And they'd bring all sorts of nice things ter trade - honey, mead, candies..." He raises an eyebrow at the fey, and offers another chunk of bread.
Yossian is stunned by Gorax's outburst, standing mouth open as the big man lunges for him. He struggles briefly, not quite believing what is happening, before grappling with the man, trying to hug him close and prevent his outburst doing any more damage. "By the gods calm down Po...er Gorax" he hisses into the man's ear. "Ye'll get yer breakfast. I'll prepare it fer yer meself if yer wants. Yer can even have me share." Trying to pacify the man he continues. "Yer a big, strong, brave feller, an' yer the match o' any man, I dare say. But these aren't men - they're fey-folk. They may'n be tiny, but they've magic that I bet even Sia doesn't understand. They can confuse a man's mind, an' veil his eyes, so's it don't matter how strong he is, he's fightin' with shadows. An' we're in their territory, so's we should be careful, an' show some respect. C'mon, I knows yer a gentleman. Yer shouldn't be behavin' like this in front o' the lasses."
Yossian pulls his main bowstring from his pocket. "Luckily, Miss, it was only the spares they tangled - long as I got this one I can still shoot." He listens to Gorax grumble. "Steady on, Pops. Remember that this is their woods, and we is the ones blunderin' in. Mama said..." He pauses briefly, then resumes. "My Mama, who was a soldier in this parts, long ago, afore she bore me, said that they used ter leave dried fruit and sweet nuts at various places on their patrols, so's the fey-folk would leave 'em be. Most of 'em aren't evil, but they can be cruel, or cause harm without realizin', like a babe playin' with a kitten. Yer can't always tell when yer in their territory - yer just has to know which places ter avoid. Maybe it would be worth talkin' ter that old hermit after all - if he's lived in the woods fer long, he'll know the places where the fey-folk dwell."
Yossian lays a hand on Gorax's shoulder. "Steady, Pops, I'll tell yer all once we're safely away from here. Just sling yer armour on yer horse, and be careful to leave nothin' metal behind. That'll just annoy 'em more." He takes a slice of bread from his pack and smears it liberally with honey from the pot before laying it carefully on a stone near the center of the clearing.
Yossian stands quietly, and moves to the center of the group. "Right, I suggestin' we move, and we does it quickly. Just sling everythin' on the horses and lead them on until we reaches that downed tree we passed last night - remeber it? Don't be takin' time ter pack up neatly, and don't be lookin' back once we go. I'll be leavin' a piece o' bread an' honey by the campfire - that should be distractin' them long enough for us ter get away. Don't argue, Miss, please, just do it."
Yossian pauses. "If Her Imperial Highness keeps up that attitude, then I will be chuckin' stones at her head." He sits down and quietly unpicks a spare bowstring.
Yossian quickly mentally reviews his, albeit limited, experience with women and their not-always-understandable ways, before deciding to risk it. "Stone Miss? I ain't thrown no stone at you, at yer head or nowhere else. Why would I do that? Was that why you were, erm, looking at me like that at lunch, Miss? Cos yer thought I threw a stone at yer?"
Yossian stares at his bowstrings, now tied into pretty knots. He sighs, resigned to an evening of unravelling them. He tries to catch Sia's eye with an accusatory stare, but when she doesn't respond, he chooses a moment when he can catch speak with her in reasonable privacy. "A joke's a joke, Miss, an' goodness knows I'm all fer 'em myself. But using yer magic ter tie up my bowstrings like that - we're out in the wilds, Miss. It's dangerous out here. There aint no room for student pranks. This ain't puttin' a silly hat on the statue o' the regent, or stealin' wagon direction signs. A prank like that could get us killed out here, Miss. Just sayin' - yer should think afore yer does that again. I don't know what yer thinks I've done ter yer, but it's obviously something, seein' the look yer gave me at lunchtime. Best have it out now between us afore it festers."
Yossian, already on foot, grabs the reigns of Gorax's horse before it can bolt, spook the others or trample the fallen Gorax. He whispers soothing words into its ear, trying to calm it.
Yossian, happily chewing the last of his bread, pauses, mouth agape at the look Sia gives him. Dumbfounded, he wipes his chin, checks that he hasn't spilled honey down his front, double checks his flies are tied up, then shrugs, and continues packing up.
Yossian leads the group out, looking less than comfortable on his horse, although the beast seems to respond well to his instructions. Often, he lets one of the others lead the animal and disappears ahead on food, his head bowed to the ground as he checks for tracks or signs of danger, although he keeps an eye out for opportunities to find game or other food too.
Perception:
Yossian grins at Calath. "Happy ter take point. I'll be makin' sure ter leave some extra prints fer yers to follow, so's yer won't be gettin' lost".
Out at the midden, Yossian checks on the prisoners. He makes a great show of trying out his new bow where the prisoners can see. "Fine work, this. Could drive an arrow right through a man's spine. Dead afore he hit the ground, he'd be. Make sure'n you're not around at sundown tomorrer, so as ter give me an excuse ter try it out." He hands then down another pitcher of water and some hard bread from the breakfast table, before carefully unpegging the grille over the midden, and letting the men out. "Oh, an' just in case yer were thinkin' o' headin' back ter that camp yer told us about, just be thinkin' - what will they does ter yer when they realises that yer ratted them out? No, I don't think ye'll be gettin' any welcome there. Now, get running an' keep running. Remember, I sees any o' yer after sundown tomorrer and having yer necks stretched'll seem like the easy option. GO!"
Yossian thumbs the string of his new bow as he listens to the discussion. "We're relyin' very much on Sia gettin' her magic ter work. Didn't yer say yesterday, Miss, that it aint always reliable? If it don't work, yer goin ter find yerselves in the middle o' a group o' angry armed bandits. Sort of like pokin' the wasps nest. I'm thinkin' maybe we should travel today and scout out the place. Then we can make ourselves a more solid plan - maybe attack at dawn when most o' them are asleep. Otherwise we'd best hope they're all bark an' no bite, like our guests in the midden. Speakin' o' which, I think it's time ter set the hares a-runnin. Want ter come help me see 'em off?"
Yossian isn't there to hear the conversation, having taken a jug of water and some scraps of food out to the prisoners in the midden. "Well, it seems the god's smilin' on yer, little that yer deserves it. I was all for hangin' yer, but because yer co-operated, the others have decided ter be merciful." He passes the food and water down carefully through the grille. "Ye'll be released at dawn. I advise yer to head north, and I advise yer to do it quickly. Firstly, because it's dangerous country but mostly because ye'll only have two hour afore I'll be coming after yer, with me bow and me blade. And if I catches yer, then I promise yer won't die quick. So in the mornin', yer runs. Yer runs straight and yer runs fast, and yer never shows yer face in this land again, or ye'll regret it ter yer last breath. Am I clear?" Regardless of their response, he checks the pegs securing the grille carefully, to ensure that there is no chance of the prisoners escaping, before going to make sure that the horses are fed and watered.
It shouldn't be _all_ grimdark :-)
Yossian hurries to find Sia, pushing her out of the door half-dressed if necessary. "See that, around his neck, Miss? A stag head. An' the other men speak of a 'Stag Lord' with mystic powers. I've heard the stories - wizards bein' attuned to an amulet, bein' able ter know where it was, and who held it, and even see through its eyes. Can yer be seein' if it is magic, Miss? And what'n you thinks we should do with it? I don't wants to touch it without yer sayso."
Yossian drags the two seated bandits to their feet, and yells at them to shut up. He turns them so that they can see the still-jerking body of their leader hanging from the noose. "Yer'll all get the chance to spill yer guts. One at a time. If yers co-operates, tells us the truth and shows some respect, then we might, just might, give yer a day and a night ter hightail it out of this land afore we starts ter hunt yer like the vermin ye are." "If we catches any one of yet lying ter us, or holdin' back information, or yer stories don't add up, then yer all swing. Understand?" Without waiting for their response, he turns to Gorax. "Pops, I'm going ter shut these two in the midden pit, with the rest of the shit. Why don't you take that one inside the guest house and see how co-operative he wants ter be?" With that he drags the two bandits to the midden pits, unpegs the grille over the top, and throws the two, none too gently, into the refuse. Then he carefully replaces the grille, making sure that it is firmly staked down.
Atapax says in his latest post: "Leaving aside the fact that they never actually did anything but threaten and steal from him (hardly hanging offenses)" What exactly is "banditry" if it is not "threatening and stealing"?
Yossian smiles grimly to himself and goes to get the two other bandits who are still bound and sitting.
Yossian wonders over to Estruven and speaks in a low voice. "Miss, yer making promises yer purse can't cover. You drag these men back north, and they'll just hang 'em there, and tell ye not ter waste their time again. They gave us these charters 'cos they wanted the bandit problem dealt with, and they didn't want ter be bothered with it themselves." He pauses "Now maybe'n we can let the odd one go, an' tell him to get his hide ter where we never sees it again. But takin' the others north isn't on. Best ter do it here, quick, than give em hope and draggin' them all the way ter Rostov, where yer has ter bribe the hangman ter give yer the long drop, so as ter save yer the last dance." He gestures to the prisoners. "Just ter remind yer, these aren't soldiers captured in battle. These is vermin that half an hour ago was threatenin' ter slit Oleg's throat an' rape his wife. And didn't think twice when they thought they had a chance of doin' the same ter Sia. Think careful like afore ye goes wastin' yer time."
Yossian flashes a grin at Estruven, then remarks aloud "Hanging is a mercy, surely? You've heard the way Svetlana's been talking - sharpening that rusty knife o' hers all morning, and promising us prarie oysters fer lunch. Now I don't know exactly what them are, but I'm reckonin' if we let her loose in this bunch, they'll be begging fer the noose afore too long..."
Yossian places the noose around the bandit's neck, tightens it a little, and then leaps off the crate. "Give the lady an answer, and make it a good 'un. It may be your last."
After finishing tying the nooses, Yossian scurries back down the ladder and fetches a wooden crate from Oleg's goods, positioning it under the first noose. He leaps nimbly on top, takes hold of one noose, and nods down at Gorax. "Heave him up here, Pops."
Yossian finishes furnishing four nooses, then walks round so that he can show them to the captives. "Yer might want to think about being a bit more helpful. Because *this*" and he fishes his slightly tattered copy of his charter out of his pocked "gives the lawful representives of the Throne, namely *us*, the right an' duty to enact the lawful punishment for bandity, namely *this*" and he brandishes the four nooses. "Right now, the only thing that might convince us not to stretch yer necks is how helpful yer might be rounding up the rest of Kressle's sorry bunch. Right, I'm off to tie these to the rail of that watchtower over there. Yer've got til I gets back to be a little more helpful. Don't think about it fer too long." He saunters off to climb the ladder up to one of the watchtowers, before securing the four nooses firmly to a stout beam.
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