Peregrine silently cursed himself for not acting more quickly as things took a bloody turn. Reaching into one of his pouches he drew out a small bit of sand, blowing it from his hand he intoned a word that settled over the courtyard like a heavy opiate laden mist.
Rorgrym's attack at the bandit proves to be ineffectual as, despite his frightened eyes, there is a burning resolve behind the coward's face. The resolve vanishes promptly; behind him, Jonas cuts down another man, his blade shearing through armour and flesh and veins. Blood starts to pump out as the bandit collapses, and starts to convulse.
When Peregrine's mist graces the courtyard, the bandit on his knees closes his eyes and keels over - soft snores can be heard. The remaining bandit shrugs off the effect, but all the fury in his eyes is gone. He draws his sword... and tosses it away.
"I yield."
Bandit Will save:
Bandit Will save:
Kragath moves forward, collecting the bandits weapons. He silently tosses them aside, obviously brooding over something. Kragath looks to Gathien, obviously upset. "Tie them up," he says, the words seeming to barely contain themselves with anger. He then looks to the two bandits who still furiously cling to life.
"These men did not receive a chance to surrender, Jonas. As such, their wounds need to be tended to. They may also know something these other two do not. Rorgrym! These men need your attention, quickly!"
I can not believe that after all the talk of justice and honor and good will that, on our first engagement, when surrender is offered, that we do not even give them the opportunity to accept. Kragath turns back to Gathien, but says nothing at this time. If Gathien can't contain his rage, then he has no place on this mission.
Kragath attempts to compose himself, and then goes to the door of Oleg's home. He knocks and calls out, "Ser Oleg, Lady Svetlana, the danger has passed for now. While there is little room for doubt, if you are comfortable with it, could you come out and verify that these are some of the men who have been terrorizing your trading post and home?"
And just like that, it was over. Ingle let out a pent up breath, the unused bomb still clutched in his hand. Looking at it momentarily, he put it back in it's place, and sighed again. A pity. Or a mercy... Some day, old boy, you're going to have need to actually use one of these on a fellow being. Best start getting used to the idea.
He surveyed the scene below as he gathered up his gear and moved to the ladder. He was, to some degree, revolted to see the body-less head lying there. Yet the feeling was tempered by a sudden wave of relief that the whole affair was over. Casting a final look out over the wall to assure himself there would be no further surprises, he descended.
Standing there for a long moment, unsure what to do now that the threat had passed, Ingle fought down the rising bile in his throat. Up close the gore seemed infinitely more discomfiting. He watched the exchange between Kragath and Jonas numbly. "They wouldn't have surrendered without further motivation. Surely you could see that?" he says, sounding like he was wanting to convince himself as much as anyone else.
Finally, he went to join the halfling in tying up those that yet lived. He gave Gathien a hard, though not angry, look as he kneeled beside the sleeping villian. Yet he said nothing other than, "Pass me a bit of rope, if you please."
As the last bandit surrenders, Gathien releases the rage, and the voice of the flames in the torches retreats as the rest of the world, its fears and doubts return to him in a wearying rush.
"Tend to the wounded," he says somewhat weakly as he hops down from the wagon, somewhat surprised with the sudden speed of violence. He winces at Kragath's tone to Jonas and the glare at him. Before he can speak, he is astonished to hear Ingle seeming to stand up for him.
The alchemist has the right of it, even if he seems tentative about it. As directed, Gathien begins tying up the survivors and stripping them of their weapons as a precaution, waiting for the fatigue to pass. Do I allow this to fester, or do I speak? It seems clear that despite the words being directed at Ser Jonas, they were for me -- especially since I killed this man.
After tying up the first, he stands and turns to Kragath, Best deal with this now...
"Apologies, Ser Lightbringer, if I misunderstood the plan - but I thought the point of laying in ambush was to press our advantage and to clearly show these men that fighting back was not an option and demonstrate why surrender was the wiser course. Cornered animals are often the most dangerous ....and from their conversation, these men were little more than beasts. I thought it better to take the fight from them before they had a chance to draw blades against us."
Gathien pauses for breath and sighs slightly before continuing, "And while the sight of a prepared warrior lying in wait may have had some effect, it is an unfortunate fact that most men of your size do not view me as a threat... unless I demonstrate otherwise."
Jonas slides off of Maelstrom and looks around with a stern face. At Kragath's anger Jonas' face only becomes harder. Honor does not demand that an enemy be offered quarter before a battle, likewise it is not evil to attack criminals who have threatened harm on others and are robbing them of their livelihood. Especially as we have been given the authority to enforce order here. Many will die in this venture, and fights like that assure that it will not be one of us. Quarter was given to those who surrendered, which is honorable and right. We did well here, even if it is distasteful to you.
Kragath visibly is struggling to keep his temper in check, but the more he talks the more it escapes. "These men were panicked and confused when I gave them the opportunity to surrender. Simply revealing our full number could have potentially ended this. If they had shown aggression then, we still held a tactical advantage in both number and position! This was little more than a slaughter!"
Kragath then turns to Jonas' remarks, "Honor does not demand it, but we agreed to offer it. And these men, bandits they may be, never even had a chance to respond! I do not have qualms with the end result here, but I do not condone the path taken to get there! When I offer a foe the chance to surrender they should have a fair chance to accept! Having the authority to do so does not give us the right to do whatever we wish, however we wish it! If we do not hold ourselves to a higher standard, we are no better than them!". With the last statement, Kragath makes a gesture to the bandits on the ground.
"These men did not receive a chance to surrender, Jonas. As such, their wounds need to be tended to. They may also know something these other two do not. Rorgrym! These men need your attention, quickly!"
Rorgrym is visibly surprised by this command. "Attention? Why? To what end? I see little point in healing someone just to watch them hang; in fact, I find that rather distateful. Oleg's is no jail and I certainly have no intention of escorting bandits back to Restov." Rorgrym points to the sleeping bandit, "And what are we supposed to do with this idiot here?" Rorgrym makes no move, as of yet, to heal anybody.
Kragath attempts to compose himself, and then goes to the door of Oleg's home. He knocks and calls out, "Ser Oleg, Lady Svetlana, the danger has passed for now. While there is little room for doubt, if you are comfortable with it, could you come out and verify that these are some of the men who have been terrorizing your trading post and home?"
"What is the point of all this? Are we really going to try and set up a court at a trading post?"
Rorgrym continues to look at Kragath with a puzzled expression. "Ser Lightbringer, we already know the answer to that. The bandits own words confirmed so when when they first arrived. Not that I see what difference it makes; banditry is banditry is it not?"
"They wouldn't have surrendered without further motivation. Surely you could see that?"
Nods at Ingle's comment and glances over in his direction. "Indeed, I was surprised that any of them did so at all. Had they not been so panicked and confused then likely none of them would have."
"Gentlemen," Ingle says loudly, attempting to interrupt the conversation. He casts a meaningful glance at the home in which Oleg and Svetlana currently hide. "I don't think this bickering is doing much for our host's confidence. Perhaps we should discuss this matter when we have more privacy." He looks at the group for a moment before adding, "And calmer heads. There are body parts littering the poor woman's courtyard. They should be attended to before her sensibilities are offended beyond repair."
Still kneeling by the sleeping bandit, he turns his attention back to binding the man.
Kragath continues to try to press his point, to no one in particular. "Had the tables been turned, and they offered us surrender, but one of their number attacked us immediately after the offer was given, would you not feel betrayed? Would you not believe to have been attacked by men whose words of peace meant nothing? Actions like that are what label men as murderers and bandits, not paladins, not noblemen, not clergy-men. All of those whose names rest on this charter agreed to represent the nation of Brevoy in our endeavours, and I, for one, would do so with honor!"
Hearing Ingle's statement, Kragath then turns and opens the gate. He walks out, obviously distressed. He only goes a few steps away, however, before kneeling in the road, his forehead resting upon the pommel of his sword.
Abadar, Master of the First Vault, guide your humble servant this night. I live to represent you as honorably as I can. However, I seek to fulfill your mission for me, as I understand it. I strive to bring civilization to these lands, and improve upon that which has came before us. To do so, we must unbind ourselves of the law before, and seek to do it better. I strive to do so with Honor, not with Entitlement. I will bring justice to those that need it. Help those in my company to understand.
Gathien looks at Kragath, surprised by the increasing anger in his tone, and says, "Truly, Ser Lightbringer? Would you surrender to the likes of me, even if I had my axe in hand? As I said, to most longshanks, I am a joke and not a warrior... unless my actions force them to take me seriously. Ser Jonas and I acted to show these -" he points at the surrendered and sleeping, "-that your demand for surrender was, in fact, backed up by real strength and a real threat, rather than a bunch of fools in arms and armour. As I said, cornered beasts are the most dangerous of all, and by closing the gate, you had done just that. Better to show them we mean business and ensure that any blood spilled here tonight was not ours -- or worse, Oleg or Svetlana's, if they chose to try to take hostages."
Gathien sighs as the paladin walks away, and continues quietly, "The fact that we accepted their surrender, and the fact that we are not slitting their throats - despite their eager anticipation at possible rape - that is the proof that we are better than they."
"Hmm, well, some things still need to be worked out apparently. Still, with the immediate threat dealt with we can turn our thoughts to the practicalities of the situation."
Still having made no move to heal anybody, Rorgrym looks around at the bandits with disgust.
"I will ask Oleg and Svetlana what they want done about the bodies. I have little desire to dig graves for such as these but it is their home."
If they haven't already come out from Kragath's call, Rorgrym will go and knock on the door.
"Could you come out please. We need to discuss the disposal of the bodies as well as disposition of the bandits who survived. We should probably get your wares back into the storehouse as well."
Peregrine stepped out of the stables with a look of displeasure on his face, though it didn't seem to be directed anywhere in particular. He crouched down next to the first wounded man he came to, doing his best to attempt to stem the flow of blood using strips cut from the man's own clothing. As he worked Peregrine forced himself to speak in an even, detached voice.
"Rorgrym, I am no healer and these men must serve as an example one way, or another. It would not do to have them bleed out before they can be questioned, and their sentence carried out in a proper fashion. As we the undersigned of the charter have all heard proof of their crimes no trial will be necessary, they are guilty by their own admission. We need only determine if they qualify for the maximum punishment. So please, help me. If that is too unsavory for you, then put them out of their misery. Technically speaking, having not had the chance to repent, they are unrepentant and sentence could be carried out forthwith. I'm sure you can borrow a sword."
Seeing the dwarf's inaction and the paladin having stormed off, Gathien shakes his head.. Easier to storm off for one's ideals than to do something about it? Though he knows almost nothing of what he's doing, he attempts (poorly) to bind the wounds of one of the brigands Jonas struck down before tying him up.
"Unless anyone can speak with the dead, we should probably stop the bleeding? I don't really know what I'm doing... A little help? Anyone? I promise we can all go back to yelling at each other in a few minutes."
Gathien looks up from his work with shock when Peregrine suggests putting them out of their misery, but tries to return to work.
Finished with his task, Ingel rises on trembling legs. He watches the scene playing out before him with a look of sadness. I understand the dwarfs feelings on this, but...
Shaking his head and feeling a twinge of regret, he pulls a light blue vile from his belt. "Halfling," he calls only so loud as needed to catch the barbarian's attention. Tossing the vial to Gathien, he says, "If you can't stop the bleeding, poor it down his throat. Slowly mind. Don't choke him."
To himself he mumbles, "If he choses death after this I'll kill him myself." With that he pauses long enough to see if the dwarf will go to Peregrine's aid, in whichever capacity, before going to assist the diviner himself. An inauspicious beginning...
Rorgrym closes his eyes and massages the sides of his temples for a few moments.
"This is unbelievable. We haven't even started exploring but we're going to play at magistrate? What's going to happen when we're in the middle of nowhere without even the benefit of this tiny post?"
Rorgrym lets out a loud sigh.
"Fine," Murmuring strange words it appears as if Rorgrym breathes a fine watery mist onto each dying bandit . "There. That will keep them alive at least long enough to decide their fate...which, of course, we already know: death. Condemned both by their words and actions and by the laws that have been laid down. All of these men are going to die." Rorgrym's voice becomes increasingly frustrated and sardonic. "Was it a mercy that I just saved these two so we could wake them up later and kill them? Or is it less repugnant if we make someone else take the responsibility? Should we ask Svetlana to do it? For three months this couple has waited for someone to come down and that someone is us. And we're dithering about it." Rorgrym's voice is now getting a bit loud.
"Surrender is not repentance. Repentance is genuine remorse for your actions and an attempt to make amends. That is clearly not the case here nor can I credibly believe that it's ever going to be. These aren't wide-eyed young city lads who've fallen in with a bad lot and gotten in over there heads." Rorgrym's voice is now a notch below shouting "These are men who have made a deliberate choice to live a life centered around looting, killing and raping. If we don't carry out their sentence, who will? What about when we're 50 miles from here?" Rorgrym points south to the Stolen Lands. "Every bandit out there is under a death sentence and they know it. Any criminal can "repent" when they first see the gallows but that isn't repentance either."
Rorgrym's covers his eyes with his hand for a moment and when he resumes talking his voice is weary and resigned. "For all we know, there could be far worse things out there than bandits. If we were in the city would any of us blink an eye if the guard gutted every man in gang of people like this?" Rorgrym gestures to the bandits. "If our stomaches are so weak that we can't deliver just sentence, death in this case as stated by law, to scum like this then I fear our expedition will be a short one."
Rorgrym walks over the the stables, folds his amrs and leans against the wall, his back to the courtyard.
Kragath stands from his prayer and returns to the fort just as Rorgrym finishes his tyrade, and watches as he storms over to the stables. Is this how I appeared just moments ago? Kragath sighs and approaches the group.
"My apologies to all of you. I let my temper get the better of me, and it clouded my mind, and sharpened my tongue. I do not change my stance on the matter, however. Gathien, what if the man whose head you removed would have been the first to surrender? If we offer surrender to a foe, and do not give them a chance to accept, we are not acting with honor. And if we do not continue this mission with honor, we are not acting in the best interest for the region." Kragath's voice is even and steady, no longer carrying the sting they held before. However, a certain uncertainty can be detected in his voice.
Kragath then turns and walks over to Rorgrym, and speaks so only he can hear. "Rorgrym, I owe you an apology as you were not witness to a conversation we held on the road. While we are given the authority by the Council of Restov to uphold Brevish law in the Greenbelt, we feel that Brevish law is not necessarily the best set of laws that can be created. Nor the punishments. As such, and acting as representatives of Brevoy, we are willing to consider alternative punishments. As you said, criminals will gladly repent when faced with execution in an attempt to prolong their life, but just by doing so does not grant them mercy. Repentance is must be proven before mercy may be earned. The men you spared, they will likely still lose their lives, yes. But they may also hold more information on the rest of the bandits than the men who surrendered, and as such, we must seek to learn this information at the very least, so as to prevent Oleg and Svetlana being victimized by an attack of revenge."
Kragath then turns and looks to both Jonas and Peregrine. "Ser Medvyed, Ser Fetch, if I might have a word with you in private?" Kragath then gestures towards the guest quarters, and looks with his eyes towards the conscious bandit.
"First, and perhaps most usefully, these may have information we require -- information about the rest of their band and their abilities... and so you saved them so we could speak to them. However, beyond that, while these do seem clearly guilty, as I said before you joined us, not everyone who lifts a sword or bow is unrepentant and evil -- some of these men did so because their only other alternative is to be put to the sword or have what's theirs taken. What you call cowardice, Cleric, I would call strength... and besides which building a reputation for treating these--" he kicks a now-stable bandit "--scum fairly means that others are more likely to surrender. And to your question, how the city guard would handle themselves is no issue to me -- I, for one, see us as being in a position to be able to do better."
Kragath turns to look at Gathien, a small flicker of what appears to be hope in his eyes, "Glad to see you are starting to come around, Gathien."
I feel little remorse for men who spoke as these did. There are few crimes I feel more repugnant than rape, and these men were speaking whistfully about it. Jonas sighs deeply. In any case I will gladly speak privately with you Karagath.
Once alone, Kragath looks to his companions. "It seems the time has come for us to act on our talk on the road. Personally, I agree with Jonas, the three men who took up arms against us and so gleefully spoke of rape should be slain, as they obviously have no qualms about performing these actions. As for the man who surrendered, what are your thoughts? I feel that he should be given the chance to prove his repentance, but am at a loss as how to go about it? Place him in servitude to Oleg, forcing him to work off his crimes? Remove a hand as opposed to his head? There are many options available to us."
Kragath pauses for a brief moment, then adds, "All this after their interrogations, of course."
I do not change my stance on the matter, however. Gathien, what if the man whose head you removed would have been the first to surrender? If we offer surrender to a foe, and do not give them a chance to accept, we are not acting with honor. And if we do not continue this mission with honor, we are not acting in the best interest for the region."
Gathien looks up at Kragath, his eyes and tone even, "As I said, Kragath, I believe that it was my actions that drove the others to surrender.... however, to your comment, I would point out that I made sure to strike down the would-be rapist.. Perhaps you are right and I should have tried to subdue him, though, sadly, an axe is a poor subdual weapon."
Jonas looks thoughtfully at the ground. I have been thinking about this lesser repentance, and I think that removal of the first two fingers of the dominant hand would be a reasonable punishment. It makes wielding a blade or bow difficult, but also alows the person the ability to do physical, legitimate work. Anyone so marked would be automatically sentenced to death if caught again in an unlawful situation. He frowns and kicks the dirt, Though I do not relish the duty, I will also carry out the sentences, as it is the responsibility of leaders to do such unpleasant tasks when they are required. I do not believe one should sentence a man to death if one is not able to carry it out oneself.
With all the commotion, Oleg peers out of the door with a hammer in his hands. When called for, he does open the door - and his expression is a mixture of shock and relief as he spots the decapitated head next to the wagon. "By th' seven bloody 'ells... yeh did it? No, Svetlana, dun' come out 'ere, it ain't a pretty sigh'-"
"Oh, shut it, yeh bloody oaf, ah am jus' as strong as yeh." Svetlana bellows, and she steps out behind Oleg; her expression does change into one of shock, yet she frowns and doesn't look sad in the slightest. "Tha' one. Yeah. Ain't so full o'it now e's got no 'ead."
The one who yielded is tied up, sitting next to the wagon with an indifferent look on his face; when he sees Oleg and Svetlana, all he does is shrug. The one who fell asleep eventually wakes up; he mumbles confusedly as he shifts and turns, tugging on the ropes ... until his face gives all the appearance that he remembers what happened, and he stays still. "I'm sorry," he whimpers, "I never wanted to kill or rape, I just... I was scared, I didn't know any better, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
"Shut up, yeh piece o'sh-"
Svetlana whacks Oleg over the back of his head. She sighs and looks at the others; the leader's convulsion has stopped after Rorgrym's touch, and the man who was cut is no longer bleeding. "Yeh... jus' a couple o'em."
"Ah got sum' rope inside," Oleg says, looking at Ingle, Rorgrym and Peregrine. "Ah reckon yeh'll enforce Brevan law, then? Truth b'told, ah reckon 'anging their bodies outside o'th fort will prove ter be a good warnin'. Where's th' other three?"
Jonas looks thoughtfully at the ground. I have been thinking about this lesser repentance, and I think that removal of the first two fingers of the dominant hand would be a reasonable punishment. It makes wielding a blade or bow difficult, but also alows the person the ability to do physical, legitimate work. Anyone so marked would be automatically sentenced to death if caught again in an unlawful situation. He frowns and kicks the dirt, Though I do not relish the duty, I will also carry out the sentences, as it is the responsibility of leaders to do such unpleasant tasks when they are required. I do not believe one should sentence a man to death if one is not able to carry it out oneself.
Kragath nods in agreement. "Yes, the punishment you suggest would be quite an ordeal, yet leave him able to function in a less dangerous capacity."
When Jonas mentions the business of carrying out sentences, Kragath frowns as well. "I would not expect you to bear the burden of such a task alone, Jonas. I will aid you in seeing to the execution of their sentences. I would suggest, however, that we not reveal their fates until they have given us what information they know and will part with in regards to the rest of their band, however. But, when the time comes, would you like to announce their judgement, or would you like me to?"
Rorgrym looks with disgust at the woken bandit now pleading. "Really," Rorgrym says with obvious scorn. "And how many years now have you been doing this "without knowing any better"? And when you laughed about the rape, that was just to conceal that you "didn't want to do it"? And despite the fact that you have a horse and the South Rostland Road is right there," Rorgrym points outside, "you were no doubt so "scared" that it never even occured to you to just leave? Am I understanding you correctly? Bah! Silence pig unless you want my boot to replace the teeth in your mouth!"
"First, and perhaps most usefully, these may have information we require -- information about the rest of their band and their abilities... and so you saved them so we could speak to them. However, beyond that, while these do seem clearly guilty, as I said before you joined us, not everyone who lifts a sword or bow is unrepentant and evil -- some of these men did so because their only other alternative is to be put to the sword or have what's theirs taken. What you call cowardice, Cleric, I would call strength... and besides which building a reputation for treating these--" he kicks a now-stable bandit "--scum fairly means that others are more likely to surrender. And to your question, how the city guard would handle themselves is no issue to me -- I, for one, see us as being in a position to be able to do better."
Rorgrym sighs and turns to the halfling. "Gathien, while philosophically I'm inclined to agree with you, there are certain facts and practicalities that can't be ignored. We lack the ameneties of justice that civilised lands can provide. We have no watch to summon. No prisons to hold people. No temples to offer atonement. No authority figures to watch over those who, dubiously in my opinion, claim repentance. We likely have weeks of travel ahead of us during which we won't even have the small benefit of Oleg's which we could easily be many days away from. Almost the entire Greenbelt is hostile territory that we are, essentially, invading."
"What information do expect scum like this to have? There are no doubt many groups of bandits. They'll all say they "didn't mean to do it" when caught. Even if they have information it isn't like we can actually trust anything they tell us. In any case, we already had a bandit captured without the other two."
"Do you seriously believe that these bandits aren't evil? When a group of five this close to civilization can overtake a palisaded trading post and talk casually of rape? The further south we go the worse we can expect. I too would like to think we could do better than city guard folk. But healing dying people just so we can kill them later meets no definition of "better" that I accept."
Ingle shakes his head as the arguments continue on, saying nothing. Retrieving his blanket he begins folding it properly to fit back into his pack as Oleg and Svetlana emerge from their home. He watches Svetlana in particular, wincing ever so slightly at her shocked look. Should have covered the damnable head, you fool. Worrying about your blanket like some sort of school marm. Setting his blanket aside he grabs a nearby canvas sack and lays it gingerly over the severed head, careful not to actually touch the bloody thing.
The one who fell asleep eventually wakes up; he mumbles confusedly as he shifts and turns, tugging on the ropes ... until his face gives all the appearance that he remembers what happened, and he stays still.[/i] "I'm sorry," he whimpers, "I never wanted to kill or rape, I just... I was scared, I didn't know any better, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
The half-elf regards the pleading man, not without sympathy. "You'll have your say, sir," he says softly, giving the man as stern a look as he could manage.
"Ah got sum' rope inside,"
Ingle holds up a staying hand. "That may well be the fate that awaits them, good Oleg. But there's no need to be hasty. They are quite secure for the moment." He was starting to feel a very little bit like his old self. Casting a look at the dwarf and halfling, and then toward the guest house where the other three had gone, he said, "Once my companions REGAIN THEIR HEADS," - this last bit he spoke over-loudly - "a decision regarding these men's proper dispensation will be arrived at, I'm sure." Ingle wondered if they'd ever come to agreement, and sighed again, sitting down wearily on the bench to await the return of Kragath, Jonas and Peregrine.
Jonas nods to Kargath and says I will make the pronouncement. He then walks over to the bandit who surrendered. I have companions who are not as patient as myself, so I warn you that our time to talk is limited. You surrendered and if you cooperate, I can argue for a lesser sentence on your behalf. The greater sentence is death. I need all the information you know pertaining to the location of the rest of your companions and their identities and abilities. I already have some information, and if I find out that you are lying to me, the greater sentence shall be yours. I want to spare you that fate, but you must cooperate to give me the opportunity to do so. Now, what have you to tell me?
Peregrine followed Kragath and Jonas, listening intently as they spoke. He was silent for a short while before speaking.
"This is my recommendation. First separate them, or have them gagged, or both. It is that well that they should not communicate further to align their stories. Then question each of them individually, where the information matches you will likely have the truth of things. I would inquire not only about their band in general but as what they know about each other. Honest cooperation should be weighed in their favor, and I would consider lying a sign of irrepentance."
"Given that we do not have a means for proper imprisonment I feel that Ser Medvyed's recommendation is as good a solution as could be asked for, with the caveat that if a prisoner should prove especially helpful and mitigating circumstances come to light and are confirmed during questioning that the possibility of pardon or the commuting of the sentence to service be considered. I suggest this only in the most extreme cases, but we do want to encourage cooperation."
"Lastly, given that we have not discussed how we will continue the funding of the venture. I recommend in cases, such as this, where there is a clear victim to be recompensed that a portion of the convicted's valuables be given over to them, and the remainder go toward the continuance of our operation. In this case that probably mostly comes down to the horseflesh they rode in on."
When Rorgrym reprimands the bandit and before Jonas can ask him any questions, a long, callous chuckle bellows from the man who had last yielded. "Bwahaha! Oh, I love this! A song to my ears, this is, listening to all of you noble morons condemn the coward, as if he ever said a word before you performed that amiable ambush. I'm sure Hepps would have been proud - there's irony, oh yes, six men with noble intent ambushing brigands, then proclaiming them all rapists and murderers and killers with no other justification than listening to the banter of three men they murdered in cold blood."
"Glare at me all you want - might be I've revelled in rape and theft, might be I haven't - you can ask the missus and the mister if they've seen me or the crying fool before, and I can tell you right away they haven't - and if they say so, they're liars as much as we are. With all your musings of judgements and trials, you still stay dumb, like city-folks and priests and nobles are like to be, and you still stay arrogant."
The bandit seems honest in his pleas and his apologies - and furthermore, the rant of the other bandit is convincing.
Kragath nods at Peregrine's suggestion, "Yes, I agree that some of the bandits possessions that would encourage acts of violence, like their arms and armor, should be confiscated and a new use found for them. As well as their horses. If Oleg is comfortable with this arrangement, I would suggest giving him this gear to use to rebuild his supply, in exchange for allowing us room and board when we return to his trading post after our exploration forrays into the Greenbelt. But we will have to deal with that later."
Kragath follows Jonas outside and pulls the prisoner who had been sleeping aside, around the side of the guest house, for questioning. When the bandit begins his speech, Kragath glares at him when he speaks about the groups less than noble actions, and then turns to look again at Gathien, but his face is expressionless in doing so.
"You have been found guilty of banditry in the Greenbelt, by witness of all of us present and the owners of this trading post. As you know, the penalty for banditry under Brevan law is death by sword or by rope." Kragath pauses, so as to gauge the bandits demeanor, and continues before the bandit can speak. "However, if you cooperate with us, a lighter sentence might be considered. We need to know about the rest of your band. Number, location, security, and the like. Also, whatever you know about this Stag Lord. Let me warn you, however, I am a servant of the Gold-Fisted, and if you are found to be untruthful, a lessened sentence will not be considered."
"Gathien, while philosophically I'm inclined to agree with you, there are certain facts and practicalities that can't be ignored. We lack the ameneties of justice that civilised lands can provide. We have no watch to summon. No prisons to hold people. No temples to offer atonement. No authority figures to watch over those who, dubiously in my opinion, claim repentance. We likely have weeks of travel ahead of us during which we won't even have the small benefit of Oleg's which we could easily be many days away from. Almost the entire Greenbelt is hostile territory that we are, essentially, invading."
"What information do expect scum like this to have? There are no doubt many groups of bandits. They'll all say they "didn't mean to do it" when caught. Even if they have information it isn't like we can actually trust anything they tell us. In any case, we already had a bandit captured without the other two."
"Do you seriously believe that these bandits aren't evil? When a group of five this close to civilization can overtake a palisaded trading post and talk casually of rape? The further south we go the worse we can expect. I too would like to think we could do better than city guard folk. But healing dying people just so we can kill them later meets no definition of "better" that I accept."
Gathien shakes his head at the tirade, I never truly understood the saying 'stubborn as a dwarf' ere now. He sighs, and then says quietly, "First, I expect that this scum can tell us where the rest of their band are, or have you forgotten that Oleg described more than three times this number making the first visit? And, perhaps, being able to get information from more than one source, in isolation, will help us assess the truth of those statements -- unless you think that these who were clearly lazy in their approach have already worked out a shared cover story. So, again, say not that you saved them to be killed, but rather, to be questioned, if that sets your mind at ease."
Gathien takes a breath and looks at the bandits before looking back up at the cleric, "And, second, bandits cleanly considering rape I would safely call evil - however, I also imagine that a number of the men in these 'many' bands, as you call them, joined them only for their own survival and would relent if given an actual opportunity. You would probably be surprised the number of people for whom 'Join us or Die' is an effective recruitment tactic. I, for one, would far rather have a reputation for dealing fairly with those who surrender when we encounter those 'many' bands, to make them more likely to surrender to us, rather than digging in and fighting to the death, since they already think their lives forfeit.... And, make no mistake, dealing fairly will include executing those who are unrepentant, and no, begging for one's life is not repentance. Much of this was discussed before we left Restov, before you joined us."
Gathien then steps away, and begins to fret as Kragath returns, I truly hope that our discussions in Restov are heeded... wincing as Kragath informs them of their death sentence, but then smiling in relief as he continues. When he finishes, before the bandits can start speaking and begging, Gathien stands to his full height and says loudly, "Before any of you speak up, we will separate you... Just to be sure the stories we are told match up."
The alleged coward lets out a whimper when threatened by the prospect of execution; the other one looks indifferent, his eyes a grin on their own. As you drag the coward to the side of the house, you see that his unflattering face is wet with tears - he looks to be no older than eighteen or nineteen.
"The...the camp is somewhere south of here," he whimpers. "A day's travel, I don't know how far, I know a river runs through it, it's Kressle who's in charge, a bear of a woman, she's vindictive and cruel, and fights with two axes, she chops off limbs for sport... and I don't know how many live at the camp, most we've been is sixteen, but so many different faces and not always the same ones every day..."
The calm bandit looks to be older, maybe in his late twenties upon close examination. There's a perpetual smirk on his lips, and his dark eyes are quite calm. "I'll talk," he says, licking his lips. "Camp's south-south-west of here. Some odd thirty miles, though I never measured. It's nestled on top of the Thorn River. Ain't the main camp, though, no clue where that one is. Somewhere further south, I reckon, though could be west, could be east. Hepps," he nudges his head in direction of the man who was stabbed by Jonas's lance, "Was the second in command. I reckon when he doesn't return, Kressle will laugh, like a right cow, and plot revenge. Most I've counted in the camp's sixteen, though that was only a quiet evening before one fool tried to run away. His head proved to be a warning until the flesh rot and the crows ate his eyes - Kressle was proud of that one."
So, again, say not that you saved them to be killed, but rather, to be questioned, if that sets your mind at ease...
Rorgrym frowns. "It does not set my mind at ease. Cooperation is not repentance either. It's what desperate criminals do only because they see no other alternative."
I also imagine that a number of the men in these 'many' bands, as you call them, joined them only for their own survival and would relent if given an actual opportunity. You would probably be surprised the number of people for whom 'Join us or Die' is an effective recruitment tactic.
Rorgrym shakes his head "I don't imagine that at all. Relent? You can't seriously believe that? You set these sob-story relenting bandits on a different road and they're going to find themselves right back here. Bandits who have scruples either lose them or are killed by those who have none. You seem to be arguing that desperation, or stupidity, justifies banditry; I cannot accept that."
Upon hearing the bandits statements, Rorgrym goes silent as he ponders what he's heard absentmindedly running his fingers through his beard. "Damn and blast it! If this is true things are more complicated and dangerous than I first thought."
"Assuming for a moment that what we've heard is accurate...well, it's troubling. Not this Kressle woman but rather this system the bandits seem to have in place. Green or untrustworthy bandits are placed with her. Other bandits, presumably more trustworthy, seem to be rotated in and out of her camp. That implies not only a rather large number of potential bandits, even if this other "main camp" is the only one, but an almost military style of thinking...certainly a level of organization beyond what I would normally expect from riff-raff like this."
Rorgrym looks around at the others trying to assess their thoughts. He sighs wearily, "It also means that Oleg's is still not safe and is not likely to be so in the forseeable future. We can't stay here indefinitely trying to fight off who knows how many bandits and, at this point, I think it's safe to say that the Council is not going to send further aid."
"The only advantage we have that I see is that when Hepps fails to return, this Kressle woman won't know why. For all she knows, Hepp and his boys took the last of the goods and Svetlana for themselves and ran." Glancing darkly over at where the surviving bandits are, "Unless, of course, one of that lot goes and tells her all about us. Eventually though, she'll send men up to find out what's happened. For their own safety, I feel that Oleg and Svetlana should be gone before that occurs."
"We ain't leavin'," Oleg says, with an irritated frown. "Don't matter how many o'em there are, we ain't leavin'. This here's our 'ome now."
"Damn right." Svetlana walks up next to her husband, her arms crossed and her eyes grim with determination. The indifferent bandit is smirking, and Svetlana throws him a hard stare. "What!?
"Heh, it's not like you were more than free goods. My guess is, Kressle will lament the demise of Hepps for maybe a second or two, and then stop caring. Like she always does. Or look for easier prey. Or tighten the defences. Or maybe she'' command them all to mount a siege to kill husband and wife. Oh yes, that would be a sight, no doubt. Avenge the scum! Death to the married couple! And look, here come the ravens."
Confusedly, Oleg casts glances around, only to see the great black bird land on top of the wagon. Its eyes glance hungrily at the dead body that, so far, has done nothing but bleed out from where its head once were. A scroll case hangs from its left leg. "Blimey, from Restov!"
He approaches the raven and grabs the case, before the bird flaps down to its feast. He opens the case as Svetlana approaches with the lantern, and he mutters under his breath. "Huh, don't yeh know! Says here the guards w'asked for are comin' t'morrow!"
Rorgrym frowns. "It does not set my mind at ease. Cooperation is not repentance either. It's what desperate criminals do only because they see no other alternative."
Gathien sighs, "I was suggesting that your spell might have had utility other than prolonging someone's death. There was little statement about repentance or cooperation implied there."
Rorgrym shakes his head "I don't imagine that at all. Relent? You can't seriously believe that? You set these sob-story relenting bandits on a different road and they're going to find themselves right back here. Bandits who have scruples either lose them or are killed by those who have none. You seem to be arguing that desperation, or stupidity, justifies banditry; I cannot accept that."
Gathien looks at the dwarf as though he were mad, "No, I am arguing that many people do desperate things in order to avoid 'being killed by those who have none'. From your blanket assurances, you seem quite convinced that you would never do such a thing - even if it were the only way you could survive. I am arguing that not everyone is as strong, wise and moral as dwarven clerics are, and willing to face death with such stoicism -- and that some of those who are not may actually still be, in their hearts, good men -- good men who hate what they are doing. I am arguing that the charter itself says 'unrepentant' for a reason."
Gathien takes a deep breath and continues, "And if you cannot see the moral argument, then consider, again, the tactical one. If it becomes known there is a force killing every bandit without question, how do you think the bandits will react to anyone they see with a weapon? They will fight to the death, for they know if we win, we will kill them."
As Kragath reports the findings of the bandits, Gathien nods. "I agree with the dwarf, it sounds like they are well organized. I would suggest, however, that we ask when and where they are expected.. and if they had any other 'visits' to make. This can help us plan what to do next. If we have some time before Kressle realizes they are missing, we can take advantage, striking others they might have been expected to meet up with, or even striking directly at this Kressle before she realizes anything is amiss. If not, then I imagine we can expect a visit and we may wish to do what we can to prepare a most dire welcome."
Jonas looks from the dwarf to the halfling as they continue their discussion. Finally he butts in, Listen, we are not all going to agree on this, so we need to decide right now who WILL decide these matters. Now the charter names Kargath and I the leaders based on our titles, but I feel it is better that we decide that amongst ourselves now. We know each other and know our views better now than a few days ago, so let's make this decision. That leader can then decide these men's fates.
Jonas looks vaguely to the south and sighs, We have one advantage now that we will not have in a few days, surprise. We should go to this Kressle's camp and attack them unaware. Hopefully, we will find more information there on the "main camp".
As Oleg removes the message from the crow's leg Jonas walks to join them. Did you say guards are coming? This makes an attack an even better option, since there will be guards here to watch over this post.
Kragath looks surprised at Jonas' sudden outburst about the leadership of the group. Did I do something to step on his toes? Has he been uncomfortable sharing the duties of leading this mission all along? Or is this a plan of his noble house all along, to try to gain influence for them in Brevoy by gaining a name here in the Greenbelt? As he thinks this last thought, Kragath's look turns slightly grim.
"If it is a vote you wish to put the leadership of this group to, Jonas, so be it, but I will not vote in it. I trust every man here in their abilities, as did the Council of Restov. They also entrusted us to lead this mission, and I trust in their decision there as well. If the group would rather their be one leader, then I will stand by there decision. However, I feel voting for myself is self serving, and voting for you would simply be stating that I do not believe I am up to the task, which is also not the case."
Kragath then changes the topic as if it had never been brought up. "As to the bandits and what to do about the main group, Jonas is right. We need to press our advantage while we can. We expended minimal effort in vanquishing these foes, and to lose the element of surprise would be disastrous. The trading post will be reinforced tomorrow, according to the raven, so we should have a secure position to fall back to. How long do you gentlemen think it would take to search out this bandit camp in the dark? We at least know it is likely south west of our current position..."
Kragath then turns to Oleg, "Ser, do you happen to know of this river they spoke of? Or even better, a map of the area?"
At Jonas' interruption, Gathien nods to himself. Of course, here it comes. Nobles lead, the rest of us just follow and swing our axes. I am neither a common thug, nor a soldier.
Gathien turns to Jonas, and says with a careful tone,"To be honest, I had hoped that we would have all come to some manner of common understanding about such matters, or at least a majority opinion, rather than leaving it all up to a single individual..."
He pauses a moment, as if unsure to continue, but then does with a somewhat softer tone, "...especially based on the station of their birth. While I do understand there are times that clear leadership is required, I would think that some very basic things are important enough to try to find consensus amongst all of us who are named on the Charter..." ...and as someone who signed the Charter, I will not simply blindly cut down foes as directed - the responsibility for my actions will remain my own...
He then looks up, "In any event, I do not think the events of one bloodless battle put me in a position to judge either the leadership or wisdom of the candidates...whomever they may be." Of course, once again, I am sure that I will be ignored.
Gathien clears this throat and says, "I would also prefer to press our advantage, but at the risk of repeating myself, surely we should ask them when they were expected back and whether or not they had any other stops to make on their little expedition before committing to any particular plan?"
Kragath listens to all of Gathien's points. When he finishes speaking, Kragath nods and turns his attentions back to Jonas. "Gathien is right on this. We need to be planning our move on the bandit camp that is nearest here and executing that plan rather than worrying about a pecking order at the moment. That can be settled after the immediate threat has been dealt with."
He then turns to Oleg. "If we were to bind these bandits, do you have someplace that you would feel safe to hold them until we return? If not, we will need to deal with sentencing these criminals before we leave."
Jonas frowns at the response to his suggestion. I assure you all that I was not calling in to doubt that general leadership of this group is well within the capabilities of Kragath and myself. I meant in the matter of acting as magistrate in cases such as these. It is fairly clear that some of us have similar thoughts on these matters, Here he nods at Kragath, but a consensus is unlikey to be reached. We will all want widely or slightly different things, so perhaps a person designated by the majority should be appointed to make such decisions until such a time that a more comprehensive system can be put in place.
Go ahead and ask the less difficult prisoner when they will be expected back, Gathien. I would assume that it will be in a day or so. If we take these men's horses and trade off mounts, then we can travel much faster than they could loaded down with their stolen goods. With some luck, we can get there with enough time to locate the camp before this lot is considered late.
"If we were to bind these bandits, do you have someplace that you would feel safe to hold them until we return? If not, we will need to deal with sentencing these criminals before we leave."
"If you leave them trussed up here the Breven soldiers will quite likely execute them on their arrival," Ingle pointed out from his place at the table, where he had been sitting, rubbing his forehead. "That's assuming Oleg doesn't just slit their throats before hand. Of course, in either event we are relieved of the responsibility. But I'm going to hazard a guess that none of you will see it that way."
"Ne'er been beyon' the road, only know th' river from 'earsay. Ain't got no map either, bloody land's uncharted, di'n't yeh know?" Oleg says with a shrug. When Ingle suggests Oleg may slit their throats he throws his arms wide, and Svetlana looks visibly offended. "Pardon? Th' bandits are ter be judged b'yeh. Ah ain't dirtyin' my 'ands t'be dis'onourable scum like them two," he points to the two bodies of the unconscious and wounded men. "Ah was 'oping yeh'd get on with it. Ain't going ter bed until yeh know what ter do with thems - and as ah said, ah'd like ter hang a few bodies outside. Warn other bandits, scare 'em away."
"There's room in th' stall. Suppose sum' 'orse dung should be fittin' company," Svetlana says. She glances at the coward. "An' if that one's goin' ter be able-'anded, might be 'e could 'elp expand th' fort instead o'sentenced by rope? Labour for 'is freedom? Or slave fer life. Bother ter waste life if it can be used."
you seem quite convinced that you would never do such a thing - even if it were the only way you could survive.
"Of course I would not, even to survive. I'm a bit taken aback that you think anyone here would do otherwise. Are you telling me that if someone held a knife to your throat and told you to commit rape that you would do it to survive? Even if I did survive I would still be dead as I would never be the same man again. Either way, everyone has a choice and a consequence. You say, "No, I won't rape" and you suffer the consequnce, presumably death in this hypothetical situation. Or, you commit rape, possibly betraying every ideal that you've ever believed in, and you survive but do so knowing you'll never be the same again and, having done it once, a part of you that prevents you from doing such things dies a littler bit. Which makes it easier to do the next time. Eventually, you no longer even need the knife at your throat. Being scared is an excuse, not a reason; certainly not a justification.
and that some of those who are not may actually still be, in their hearts, good men -- good men who hate what they are doing.
Rorgrym sighs, growing weary of arguing with someone who, in his mind, is not listening to him. "Men who sacrifice their hearts to survive can make no claim to being good men."
I am arguing that the charter itself says 'unrepentant' for a reason."
"Doing bad things and saying you're sorry afterwards because you "had" to do it is not repentance; it's a pathetic rationalization to try and justify bad deeds in hindsight." Rorgrym turns away from Gathien. "This is pointless. The halfling would forgive Asmodeus himself as long as he said "Sorry, I had to."
Listen, we are not all going to agree on this, so we need to decide right now who WILL decide these matters. Now the charter names Kargath and I the leaders based on our titles, but I feel it is better that we decide that amongst ourselves now. We know each other and know our views better now than a few days ago, so let's make this decision. That leader can then decide these men's fates.
Rorgrym clears his throat. "I believe I have a better idea. Since the guard will arrive in the morning, we hold off on the disposition of the prisoners until then. As the victims of this crime, I believe that Oleg and Svetlana have the right to expect Brevish law to be carried out..." Rorgrym then looks at Kragath ...do you disagree Ser Lightbringer?"
"If the couple decide the bandits are to die, then I doubt the guard will have any qualms about doing so. If the couple allow them to live, then the guard can make the arrangements for proper detainment. Is this agreeable to everyone?"
Listening to the others talk about following back to the bandits camp Rorgrym says, "It appears I will be the voice of dissension to this plan. For one, I think we are overstating our advantage here. All we knows is there is a camp south-by-soutwest-ish, about 30 miles-ish and perhaps a days-ish travel. After a days travel, even if we are slightly off the mark, we will wind up miles from our intended destination, in a land that the bandits know infinitely better than us, in an area where we can expect to be outnumbered by three to one, if not more. It seems we would be more likely to get ambushed than they."
"My alternate suggestion is this: leave the other bandits alone for now; they aren't going anywhere. When Kressle sends men to investigate, they'll see a manned palisade and, most likely, assume that Hepp and his gang were killed and we will still be unknown to them; especially if we hang up a few of the dead corpses as Oleg suggests. In the meantime, we focus on the main part of the charter, exploring the land. In this case, I would recommend the areas around Oleg's, the South Rostland Road, and the road to the north. Those areas have the most direct access to civilization and if there are any surprises there, I think they should be dealt with first. Perhaps Oleg has some rumors about these areas. The bandits can be dealt with in due time, as I said before, they aren't going anywhere, but I'm sure there are other dangers and surprises other than just them. I feel that it is a little rash to base our next course of action on the word of a couple of goons. Your thoughts?"
"...and as ah said, ah'd like ter hang a few bodies outside. Warn other bandits, scare 'em away."
"Lovely," Ingle sighs and takes a deep breath.
He smiles wearily at Svetlana when she makes her suggestion. "A reasonable idea. I expect it will be ignored."
"Letter said them's arriving tomorrow durin' the day, not th' morning." Oleg raises the letter. The messenger raven has nipped away at some of the headless body's flesh and instinctively lands on Oleg's arm. "Says them's seven in total. Mentions a couple o'names too. Garess, Medvyed, Lebeda, Fetch... "
He glances at Ingle, and Svetlana frowns. "Might not have ter execute all o'em, but them's been 'ere more than once." The two of them look at the wounded men. "We ain't keepin' them 'ere alive. This ain't a prison."
"Letter said them's arriving tomorrow durin' the day, not th' morning."
Rorgrym waves away Oleg's distinction with just a hint of annoyance. "The afternoon then, whenever."
Turning back to the group, "We likely have many weeks, and more likely, months of work ahead of us. There's no need to rush and solve everything right away. If we attack the other camp, and I still don't think we have a good enough advantage for that, it will just give this "main camp" notice that someone is hunting them. That makes everything else we do more difficult as they'll certainly know that their camp wasn't attacked by Brevish guards. And considering the organisation that these bandits possess, I fear there may be more than just these two other camps."
"Of course I would not, even to survive. I'm a bit taken aback that you think anyone here would do otherwise. Are you telling me that if someone held a knife to your throat and told you to commit rape that you would do it to survive? Even if I did survive I would still be dead as I would never be the same man again. Either way, everyone has a choice and a consequence. You say, "No, I won't rape" and you suffer the consequnce, presumably death in this hypothetical situation. Or, you commit rape, possibly betraying every ideal that you've ever believed in, and you survive but do so knowing you'll never be the same again and, having done it once, a part of you that prevents you from doing such things dies a littler bit. Which makes it easier to do the next time. Eventually, you no longer even need the knife at your throat. Being scared is an excuse, not a reason; certainly not a justification.
Gathien's frustration is plain on his face, "The leap to rape does much to change the argument. If these men are rapists -- other than their leader and the headless one, then show me that evidence and I'll behead them myself, here, now, without regret or a second thought. However, there is a world of difference between that and riding to an outpost and scaring a couple into giving up their furs. If you do not or cannot see that, then I know not what else I could say."
Gathien looks up hopefully at Svetlana's suggestion, and Oleg's comments. He then nods in agreement to Jonas' suggestion to go speak to the prisoners, but stops before stepping away.
Gathien says, "While the dwarf cannot see the difference, I think it obvious that the youth, at least, is not a hardened criminal and could be redeemed.. while those two appear to be more guilty and have been identified as repeat offenders. As I said earlier, I would rather this group represent fairness and offer hope to those in need - including those trapped by their circumstances. I would like to add support to Svetlana's suggestion -- and suggest, as I did last night, that we mark these two and make it clear that there is only one second chance. In any case, my continued presence here is not helping the situation, so I shall go ask the youth what else he knows."
Gathien wanders to the side of the house toward the youngest bandit and says, "You've been very helpful so far, but any additional details you can remember would be most helpful. Can you tell us when you're expected back? Who you were supposed to meet? If you had any other 'stops' to make in this trip? Could you maybe sketch a map?"
Jonas' frown only deepens, I will not put off on other men to make judgement when it is our responsibility! He sighs deeply again. Also, incarceration is not an option in this setting, as I have said before. Indentured servitude may serve for the young man, NOT slavery. He would have a term and be free afterward. He would have to be marked though, to discourage running.
Kragath listens to the various arguments, and looks confused when Rorgrym assumes they are enforcing Brevan law. "As I told you previously, Rorgrym, we had fairly well decided that we will be open to alternatives to those who are truly repentant of their deeds. For myself," Kragath points to the young boy who is in tears, "I feel he is truly repentant. I would be willing to let him serve under Oleg and Svetlana here at the trading post for a period no less than five years, in order to earn his freedom, with an appropriate mark placed upon him to make him easily recognizable. As to the others, by Oleg and Svetlana's testimony, they are frequent...visitors...here, and have terrorized them several times. Even though the other man surrendered, he still sought to take up arms against us, and also did not show any remorse for his actions. In my opinion, he should receive the same punishment as the others."