Kingmaker

[Spiderheart]

"Hanging is a pretty standard punishment for banditry, but I wouldn't do it so near your home. Don't want to attract disease... or revenge." He kicks the remains of the bandit Ifrit tore to bits. "I say we hang this one from a couple of trees an hour or so south of here, make it look like they got attacked by monsters. Which I guess they did," he muses. "The point being, it won't come back on you. As for the others..." He gives the one waking bandit a glance, clearly directing the comment at him. "I'm against killing prisoners, but if they're uncooperative, I have no issue taking their hands as punishment. Harder to engage in highway robbery when you can't use a bow or shield."

The gnoll's question about leadership elicits a raised eyebrow. "We don't have a 'chief,' at least not yet. I've been taking the lead so far, but we're all equals here as far as I'm concerned." He examines one of the bows, checks its draw strength – no, it's not much use to him. "If you're worried about splitting their possessions, gather it all up and we'll share it." It occurs to him that establishing a system for distribution of spoils is a very leader-ish thing to do. Well, he wouldn't be averse to holding authority, but he'd rather let people give it to him than simply claim it.

"Svetlana, Oleg – can you get us some rope, and bandages if you have them? We can't interrogate corpses." Gerak is a poor medic, but he seems to be the only one alert to the fading vitality of the unconscious bandits. The leader is the least injured of them; he flips over the one Mokele savaged and begins checking his wounds.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Svetlana nods and leans into Oleg’s ear. She whispers something. Oleg nods twice. Then Svetlana turns back to you all.

“I’ll be right back with ropes and bandages,” she says. “I know how to stitch a wound. I’ll help you.” She disappears into the main hall.

Oleg scratches his head. “Thank you all,” he says in a low voice. “You have protected my wife, my home, my business. Thank you. You all are welcome to stay in the guesthouse as long as you want. Svetlana said she’ll cook meals for you, too. All free of charge. You are friends here. Also, as payment for your services, here’s 50 gold.” He bends down and puts a sack of gold among the rest of the loot. “And help yourselves to the three healing potions in my stock. Speaking of which, when you guys are done, if there’s any weapons or gear left over, I’d like to put it into the stock.”

Svetlana comes back with a roll of bandages and 100 feet of rope. She sets about working to stabilize the dying bandits. Anyone with heal can take 10 and gain +2 from her help.

Does anyone tie up the bandit that surrendered?

 

[Sherwood]

Niko busies himself with binding the one fellow that surrendered, then says, "Ok, you. Sit and think about your life choices while we tend to your fallen." He then does his best to staunch the bleeding wounds of the two that are down, knowing that Ifrit would be keeping a close watch on the fellow that is tied up.

 

[Wondertainment]

Miren rushes over and starts pressing on the wounds to stop the bleeding on the other bandit.

"Hurry with those bandages, Oleg!"

 

[Spiderheart]

With the first of their prisoners bound and the others receiving attention, Gerak allows himself to focus on other concerns. They brought horses – those will be useful, but only if they don't escape. The half-orc moves to close the gate, locking the horses in. Subduing them can wait until they've exhausted themselves.

With that out of the way, he hoists the sole unharmed bandit to his feet and begins leading him towards the stables. "I'll be locking him in an empty stall," he calls over his shoulder. "Interrogation can wait, but we don't want to risk the prisoners contaminating each other with information." Any resistance from the bandit is met with a harsher grasp and a soft growl.

Once the bandit is locked away – ideally tied to some sturdy object within the stable, like a trough or hitching-post – Gerak comes back out and begins dividing up the bandits' coin into four equal piles, adding a fifth halfway through as he remembers that the gnoll needs some. The weapons can be distributed on a usage basis, but a few items get special treatment – the alchemist's fire is set somewhere safe after Gerak ensures the flasks aren't cracked; the amulet is placed between their coin piles for future reassignment, and the rations... well, those are interesting. Each had about two days' worth, which suggests that they only had a day or two before they expected to resupply – but they'd been travelling on horseback, so two days was a fair distance. Still, with horses, they'd presumably been traveling by road. More information can be divined from their captives... but this is a useful start.

 

[Psychie]

As the others are working to secure the prisoners and stabilize the two wounded, Athaclenna tries to soothe the horses and get them under control.

Spoiler: Spells

Cantrips
Mage Hand
Message
Ray of Frost

Level 1 Save DC 16
Mage Armor
Magic Missile
Shield
Sleep x2

Force Missile 1d4+1 x8 / 7

 

[WlfSamurai]

The bandits are stabilized, thanks to your efforts, Miren. Most have internal internal bleeding. The leader has severe lacerations.

Describe what you do.


Athaclenna, roll handle animal, DC 10. Tell me how you’re doing it. That skill requires training, however. I’m not at a spot where I can check if you’re trained.

Wondertainment , Psychie

 

[Psychie]

I don't have the skill, so I am just trying to talk to the horses in a soft, calm voice and ease their stress.

I guess it doesn't work to well. lol

 

[WlfSamurai]

Untrained, you add your Charisma mod to it.

 

[Psychie]

No mod. Just a strait roll.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Athaclenna, you are eventually able to calm the horses. But with your inexperience, you are injured. One horse crushes you against the palisade wall (4 damage). Oleg and Svetlana eventually come help, and within an hour all the horses are calmed and stabled.

Later, as the day comes to a close, Svetlana cooks what passes for a feast out here in the wilderness in celebration. You all find yourselves around the table in the dining room again. Victorious.

Oleg gives a toast thanking you again and you find Svetlana smiling and laughing more often.

After dessert, Oleg breaks the almost zen-like silence.

“So, you’ve done us a great service,” he states yet again. “But what now? Will you hunt down the rest of the bandits?”

Kameron Esters- , Sherwood , Psychie , Spiderheart , Wondertainment , Orikanyo

 

[Spiderheart]

Gerak muses over Oleg's question, his cup caught halfway between table and mouth. Eventually, he comes to a conclusion, taking a swig of his ale before replying. "First things first, we need to talk to the prisoners. I don't know if the sleepers have awoken yet, but once they do, we should make sure they can't communicate with each other; if they think to arrange a collective lie, we won't be able to identify it. I've got some secondhand experience with interrogating criminals, so I'd be happy to take the lead on that."

"As for what we do next... well, that depends on what they tell us. I'm reasonably confident the bandits' base is within two days' ride of here by road – failing that, a spot where they keep supplies. They all had roughly the same amount of food on them," he explains. "Either way, we're going to need to go to the southern end of the Greenbelt as part of our commission, so further confrontations are a given."

"That being said... we won this fight because we had the element of surprise and roughly even numbers. Attacking a gang of any substantial size in their stronghold would be a suicide mission, as things stand." He shakes his head, dismissing the idea. "I'd rather wear them down over time – scout the area, learn their haunts, take out a band here and there. We need to survey the whole region anyway."

The half-orc leans back in his chair and pulls out the pendant they took off the leader. "This looks like a badge of authority to me, but we don't know anything about who it represents. Hopefully we'll be able to get something out of the prisoners."

 

[Sherwood]

Niko nods. "I feel that we must. If we were to leave you to your own devices now, the remaining bandits would retaliate against you, especially that nasty woman you told us about. Once we have had a chance to question the prisoners, we will have to track down their hideout and get a handle on their numbers. And you are right, Gerak, that whittling them down bit by bit will give us a much better chance for success."

 

[Psychie]

Athaclenna carefully nurses her sprained shoulder as she eats, and the wizard asks, "What of the prisoners we have in our custody? Are we going to let them go, or try to extract some measure of justice ourselves? It is not like there is a magistrate around here to turn them over to."

Spoiler: Spells

Cantrips
Mage Hand
Message
Ray of Frost

Level 1 Save DC 16
Mage Armor
Magic Missile
Shield
Sleep x2

Force Missile 1d4+1 x8 / 7

 

[Sherwood]

Niko looks over at the wizard, saying, "I am not for the idea of giving them a summary execution. They may be bandits, but do we have the right to kill them ourselves in cold blood? It is one thing to face them in a fight, but now? I don't know."

 

[Spiderheart]

Gerak grimaces. "It's one thing to kill someone in the heat of battle, another to kill a prisoner who can't fight back. We can't just let them go, and legally speaking, banditry gets a death sentence, but... I'd like a chance to scare 'em straight first, and any where that doesn't look like it'll stick, we cut off their right hands." The solution is a brutal one, but it's better than death, and assures that they won't be drawing bow or sword any time soon. "Still, they've been harassing you two for months. As far as I'm concerned, you get final say on how we deal with them."

 

[Psychie]

The elf looks pleased that the opinions expressed by the others are not one of slaughtering the captives.

 

[Kameron Esters-]

"I personally don't see why not." Scikelov looks to the others "What say you,merry-band? Do we go forthand scoure the land for the bandit scum? Or do we hold ourselves up here in this cozy post! Because I would not mind the latter. It is very homely in here! You ma'am have certainly out-down yourself!" Scikelov compliments Svetlana

 

[WlfSamurai]

“I know what I said before,” Oleg says. “But, when it comes down to it, I don’t think I have it in me to hate enough for their deaths. I’m not one to kill someone for words. They took what’s ours by rights, but... Disregard for life is why I left Restov in the first place. There’s no need for waste of life.”

Hearing her husband’s words and the peace in his voice, Svetlana snuggles up to Oleg’s shoulder.

 

[Kameron Esters-]

"A share the sentiment. Life is prescious but it's a shame that it gets cut short over another man's pettiness. Some things are worth dying for and others, aren't. Besides, there's so much more you can do alive than you can't do being dead! Like, play a tune for instance." Scikelov begins gently strumming his harp "Or have some more of that delicious homemade of yours! If there's more to go around that is."

 

[Spiderheart]

The bard's incessant nattering provokes a sharp nasal inhalation from Gerak – but he represses the urge to say anything. Yelling at children is wrong, he reminds himself, even when they're wearing an adult body. "They live, then. I'm glad we're all agreed on that. But we do have an obligation to prevent them from robbing anyone else. Anyone here opposed to hand removal for any of them who are... unconvincingly remorseful?"

 

[Sherwood]

Niko shakes his head. "No, if they are going to reoffend, I have no objections to teaching them a permanent lesson that they will have for the rest of their lives. They are undoubtedly guilty, and if they will not reevaluate their lives, they should be punished."

 

[Psychie]

Athaclenna says, "Leave them alive, but take their hands? Mmmm. I can deal with that."

 

[WlfSamurai]

Oleg stays quiet.

Svetlana ignores by answering the bard. “Plenty! Have more!” She pushes the food in your direction.

 

[Kameron Esters-]

"Haha~! Excellent! You could feed a whole village with just one bowl, you know? That being said, It's a good thing I have the hunger of two villages." Scikelov chuckles before getting a spoon and digging into the soup