Kuhl is just wiping his face with the back of his hand when the locals prove tough. He smiles as Kadan tries to nuance something that only a blade ends.
So. Baklands welcome.
Kuhl responds in kind, feinting to attack one of the villagers menacing the thief - the mouthy one.
Ignoring his own wounds, Kendram shouts "These fools who would bar our path stand against us, but Libra is with us. Lend us your strength Lady Justice!"
As he casts his spell, each member of the group can feel their doubts subside and their will strengthened.
Kendram will then draw his flail from his belt, grinning savagely at those arrayed against him.
Kuhl's swings go wide as the bandits easily sidestep the blows of the enormous sword.
Feeling as if they have the upper hand, the bandits continue their assault. "We didn't want te kill ye, but if you want it, have it your way!" They seem to have more trouble this time, however.
Kendram will ignore the bandits attacking him and walk right up to one of the ones attacking Kadan and hit it with his flail.
Kadan appreciates the aid, continuing to slash at the talking one.
And misses wildly.
Slightly surprised to being still in one piece, in fact, still unharmed, Kuhl continues his assault on the talkative bandit. His surprise continues as he swings wildly.
Brother Kendram takes out one of the bandits, who crumples beneath the blow of his flail. Kadan misses wildly, while Kuhl's slash fails to connect by only a hair.
One of the bandits targeting Kadan moves over to focus on Kendram instead, believing him to be the greater threat. The combat continues with slashes, feints, and heavy grunting as all strive to stay out of the reach of certain death.
As the bandit drives his blade under Kadan's guard and between his ribs, Kadan gasps his last:
"Libra, save me!"
And his eyes close.
Things become cloudy as Kadan calls out to Libra, then all goes black.
When you open your eyes again, you are standing in the "inn" in with the aged woman tending her stew.
"More luncheon for you gentlemen?"
Kadan opens his eyes and gasps.
He looks from Kuhl to Kendram and declares:
"It worked!"
And much more quietly, so only they can hear:
"So, the question is, do we try and avoid that bloodthirsty lot, or do we go for the drop on them? I'm tempted towards the latter to be honest."
He says this, rubbing between two ribs.
Glancing around the room, Kendram will look back at Kadan and ask "Who are you talking about?"
Kuhl sniffs the stew suspiciously and stares at Kadan.
"What worked?" the burly swordsman asks, quickly gripping the hilt of his greatsword...
Kadan calms himself and replies in a very low voice.
"What I remember is us finishing our meals and walking out of this place. The villagers hid, and once we passed a large boulder at the edge of town, six local toughs threatened us. I tried to talk the leader down but he just used the time to get close and ready to stab me. He's dangerous, ended up running me through. I closed my eyes and cried out to Libra for salvation - and opened them here!"
"Then it appears your prayers were answered. Libra protects!" says Kendram as he invokes his deity's name with a reverent tone.
Kuhl' eyebrows raise in considered estimation of the thief.
"Huh. Hafta try that sometime." he mutters.
With soup still on his chin, the warrior stretches his arms out in front, then behind again, touching the walls of the rude hut.
"So, you want to try again, or mebbe ambush them?" Kuhl looks from Kadan to Kendram questioningly.
"Let's ambush them. I'm pretty good at sneaking and I could go around and stab them from the side while you two charge the leader straight away. Don't give him a chance to strike back!"
"Unfortunately, while your plan does make a certain amount of sense, I can not participate in an ambush. It would not be just, and we must give them a chance to surrender. However, I have no problem with you being in place should such a thing go sideways."
Given the foreknowledge that battle is approaching, Kendram will cast Bless on the group to fortify them for the coming battle.
"But I *did* give them a chance to surrender, to just let us pass. They chose to drive a sword into me. They are not honourable and will just do the same thing again - if we let them."
"Killing men in cold blood goes against the justice for which my lady stands. Allow me to talk to them, and should they choose the path of the blade, then so be it."
"Fine. But warn them not to approach further *first*, so you will know straight away they are not to be trusted."
Kuhl shakes his head.
"You'll not budge him Kadan, and I must agree - we'll be no better than they if we resort to subterfuge. I know it's your specialty, but we must retain our honour if we are to regain the Crown..."
Kuhl then finishes his soup and wipes his chin with the back of his hand.
"If ye don't object, I'll hang to the side and wait for them to try something. I won't move until they do but I won't let them walk uo to ye and stab without opposing them. Let's go soon."
Kadan intends to sneak up, with the aid of already knowing where the thugs will be. To be ready to sneak attack whichever of them he can reach, when the thugs start moving on his companions.
As they near the location of the fight, Kendram will draw his weapon and shout out "Come out bandits. I know you are there, and I wish to speak with you, to show you the error of your ways, as is only right."
Kadan hides nearby, trying to get into a position to charge if -when- things go wrong.
Kuhl goes to wipe his face, but finds it clean already. He leans on the pommel of his down-pointing greatsword, smiling in the direction of the boulder.
The bandits come out from behind the boulder a bit confused, but still with swords drawn.
The lead bandit, the one Kadan spoke to earlier, scratches his head. "How did you know we were here? Did someone from the village give us away? Who was it, I'll slit their throat? That old hag with the stew?"
The two groups stand approximately 25 meters from each other, with Kadan hidden behind a scraggly tree 5 meters farther behind.
Kadan waits. Quietly for now.
Kendram ponders for a moment, chuckles, and then says "Libra did, in her own way."
Shaking his head to clear the levity from it, Kendram's face grows serious and says "I ask that you throw down your weapons and turn away from the path you find yourselves on. This will lead to your ruin, and you will cry out to the gods, only to have the response be their silence."
Kendram waits for a moment to see if any of them take him up on his offer. To the remainder he says "Well, I can see that you have truly clove to your path. Since that is your choice, and since there is little law to be had here, I shall now expunge you from this earth. Give now of your blood to the land, so that some good may come from your having trod upon it."
As he finishes Kendram strides forward, and brains one with his flail
Kadan says nothing as he swiftly moves forward from hiding, going for the back of one of the still armed brigands.
Slightly surprised at Brother Kendram's unorthodox approach to spreading Libra's word and justice, the grizzled warrior joins the fray, swinging at the same man recently brained.
[+1 Str, +1 for bless]
[+1 Str]
The bandits snicker at Brother Kendram's entreaties. "You'll have to offer more than stern words, priest. These lands are a lot harder than you."
Their confidence melts away, however, as Kendram brains their leader in the head with his flail, while Kuhl strikes down another where he is standing, and Kadan detaches from the shadows and sends another to the hereafter. The rest decide that this is beyond them and begin scattering to the winds in all directions (save toward you).
Kuhl watches them flee with little interest, then snorts and setst o the important task of (assuredly, with Kadan) looting their bodies. He talks matter-of-factly while stripping boots, rolling limbs and rifling through meagre possessions.
"I hate bullies. And I hate....*atchoo*....dumb bullies. *atchoo-atchoo* Now I may not be smart, but I'm no bullly. So I like me well enough. *atchoo*. Damn Baklands flu. *atchoo*. Mhm. These folk don't hold much store in washing do they? *atchoo*. Least I can't smell them as much..*atchoo*"
The warrior pauses in his work, one boot* upended in his hand. He continues as he patiently watches dust and dirt flow out.
" Now, see, if this is going to be the Baklands welcome, maybe we should hire us a guide, or at least an expendable scout..."
*or sandal, if boot unavailable
As the others flee, Kendram shouts at their back "Good! you have chosen to rethink your life!"
Noticing what Kuhl is doing, Kendram says "Looking for a new pair of shoes Kuhl?"
You let the others go, knowing that they will tell others not to interfere with any Analanders in the future. Turning back to the path, you begin walking once more. After about half an hour the way becomes an uphill incline. Five minutes later you reach a fork in the road, offering you two ways onwards.
Leaving Cantopani behind marks the true start of the wilderness. Beyond the tiny outpost, there are scattered homesteads and Kharé, a thriving city-port, but all are touched by cruelty, isolation, and fear. The Baklands, and the long shadow cast by Mampang Fortress, darken everything.
Turn to 183.
You ponder the two trails. As you consider the path onwards, you hear weak cries from a large tree ahead of you. Cautiously, you step up to see an old man sitting on the lowest bench, apparently afraid to jump down to the ground, which considering his age is not surprising.
Kuhl sniffs the boot, and drops it in disgust.
"I guess not."
Kuhl considers the old man in the tree and wonders how the elder came to be in such a predicament. Taking up his usual casual stance, leaning on his downpointing sword, he grins.
"Do you require assistance Uncle?"
Kadan stomps over to the dead leader and kicks the corpse in the ribs. The perceptive might realise this is where Kadan had been rubbing his own ribs back in the inn while speaking of the future.
"How do you like that!? Eh!?"
He swiftly backs away and begins to calm down, regaining some of his cheer.
"Ah, well, he's dead and I'm not, which is a huge improvement over the first time we did this! Let's press on, my friends!"
****************
Kadan is bemused by the sight in front of him, but he casts his gaze around in all directions, in case this is a strange ambush.
Stepping back a little, you can see that the old man is as thin as sticks and dressed in dirt rags. He seems to be alone, and the only person (besides you) occupying this particular stretch of the road.
The old man shushes Kuhl, staring all around as if trying to spot something. He whispers: "I'm hiding from the damned elvins. I were travellin' from Dhumpus to th' Outpost Settlement in Analand, but I were waylaid by elvins. Robbed me blind, they did – all but took my eyes! – and left me up th' tree. I keep getting older, you see. We all do, but some worse than others. Climbed up, but now I'm too old to get down!"