Avra grips the rapier in her meaty hand, feeling its cold, unfamiliar hilt. Not her weapon of choice--it feels light, flimsy even. But its blade is sharp and her mind is clear. She thinks of her father, their simple life, their tiny farm. As she rushes toward him, stepping over the gnome's sleeping body as she goes, she stares into this human's eyes--blue, cold. They stare back as she presses the blade forward. It finds purchase, sliding smoothly into his gut, his cold blue eyes bulging as he staggers backward, stretched now from Fin's strong grip. 

(OOC Avra stabbed the human, who took 11 points of piercing damage. Adding to the precariousness of the situation, she is now within stepping distance of the sleeping gnome. Would anyone like to do anything before Yesrora goes? Map is here)

(OOC: nothing to add for Effulgyn.)

((Nothing from Fin. Debating whether to Shove, Help Avra so she can Shove, or use Lay on Hands to heal her on my turn lol))

You might have noticed from the last map update but Yesrora, no longer having a good shot at the Human, decides to leap onto the bench of Asterix' wagon and begin to coax the beast into a position that would ready them into departure. It becomes clear almost immediately that Asterix is distraught, and will need a little motivation to become cooperative. 

"You there, beassst of burden, be calm now" she hisses but unsurprisingly, Asterix takes no heed and does not seem to calm. 

(OOC Yes has rolled an animal handling check but has not done very well and so her turn is spent thusly.)

It would be the gnome's turn but she is sleeping like a pretty ugly baby, as is the Ferret, so it is now the Human's turn.

He is hurting, and outnumbered, and now held at the wrist by Fin who isn't much larger than him but is quite a lot healthier. He knows its time to wave the veritable white flag. So he forward in a kind of pleading motion, and imploringly says:

"Please, I give up."

Which he punctuates by letting his rapier go slack in the hand. 

Fin levels his blade at the man's neck. Despite the awkward balance, the shield dangling by a strap on his forearm did a good job setting the pair off-balance towards each other. "Effulgyn, go about and take the weapons from his friends. Don't want any of them up. Yasora! Find some rope quickly. Avra, stay by the gnome there and make sure he knows getting up would be very bad." The armored young man kept his gaze leveled on the stranger. "Now, then. Who are you and why did you suddenly come out and try to rob us?"

((Don't forget Bless is still active for a little longer!))

Effulgyn says a magic word. The bear trap disappears, and glowing manacles now appear in his hands, which he gives to Fin as he addresses the human. “Aye, ya villain. What do ye think yer about??”

The young wizard then does as Fin suggested and disarms the unscrupulous snoozers.

As Yesrora searches her pack for rope and Avra stands watch over the sleeping gnome,  Effulgyn rids her of her weapon--a well used, obviously custom made mace-- and turns his attention to the bear trap which he turns deftly into manacles.

Just then it occurs to him that the half orc, Domash was it? was invisible when overcome with sleep--a spell which lasts a minute. Surely it must be coming up on about that which means both the Ferret and the Half Orc will be awake again before long. 

Effulgyn what do you do?

Effulgyn clips the manacles on the gnome. He keeps an eye on the spot he last saw the half-orc while waiting for the human to respond to Fin’s question. 

The human's face contorts into a sheen of sheer misery, sweat forming on his brow in the growing morning light. 

"I was kidnapped by bandits, taken from Waewood [OOC the northeastern most coast of Stoacia] and brought here for ransom which my family DID NOT PAY. So I was left for dead in this Kordforsaken country with its embargoes and its Guard and its stupid, stupid black market for the most ridiculous things, like pearls, who even cares??" he spits, truly working himself up now. "But not to worry my friends! I am nothing if not resourceful. I used my charm and my wit didn't I? Managed to make ends meet. Flirting with rich farming women, awful women, smelling like dung with their excessive carriages, and never ending needs, gah" 

Truly wretched now he looks you in the eye Fin. You can see his eyes are blue, but dark, stormy. "Well I can say this: if gold is what you need to get back home, you will do anything for it won't you? Anything at all. Convincing the buffoon that I'd take him with me was easy. So stupid these farm people are, so delightfully malleable. Convinced him that if he kept me safe I'd have my family hire him as our head musician. Can you even imagine?! What a laugh riot!" 

He luxuriates in a full, heavy but mirthless laugh. Like barking, or like a witch's cackle. 

But then, from just behind--say, B20, a soft but gruff voice in the bushes.

"What is funny about Domash playing flute at Waewood castle?" it asks, and looking quite sad, steps 7-foot Domash, the half orc who had earlier disappeared, and who is now very much awake. 

The account of this man's sad fate does little to endear him with Fin. If anything, a mixture of pity and loathing wells up. His blade begins to slack until Dromash can be heard from the bush, though, when he reasserts his interrogating pressure, "Sad as it may, your past isn't an excuse for banditry. Dromash, is it? It seems you were lied to. I'm sorry. What about the other one there? Was he another scam?" Fin nods to the gnome snoozing nearby.

“Good question, Fin,” says Effulgyn. “But let’s let this one speak for themself.” He shakes the gnome to awaken them.

"Got offer me," the gnome says, annoyed. She's been awake for a while but feigning sleep--trying to figure out a way out of this mess, as usual. 

"Oh I hired her," the human says with a bit of a sneer. "Takes money to make money, and she is the one of the best!"

Effulgyn continues to hold his left arm tightly against his body, it being soaked in blood from the stab wound the man inflicted. The young wizard looks at the half-orc. “Wha farm ya comin from then? What do yer people grow? This loser here,” hooking a thumb toward the human, “doesn’t know the value of a well-played flute, does he? Or of farm folk. No point in using twenty words to say somethin if two will do, right? That’s efficiency, not stupidity. He thinks his twenty words are worth more. But they’re just hot air!” The halfling glares at the human and helps Yesrora bind him, accenting the last two words as he tugs a knot tight.

Domash squirms a little at this. If half orcs could blush, Effy, you are certain he is doing just that. 

"Small farm, just for tribe. South coast, very south. Far from here. Domash no want to sell potatoes or make jam. Domash want to go to The Academy to play flute magic." he rummages on his belt a bit and after a little while untangles a very delicate looking flute made of some sort of raw wood and presents it to you, almost shy. Putting it at his lips, he looks at you questioningly, Effulgyn, as though asking permission to play. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!,” says Effulgyn. “Hang on. I already heard ye play, and cast a spell that started this whole thing off and ended up with this one stickin his blade into me. I saw from the start though, you haven’t got a bad heart, it’s this one takin advantage of you. You’ve gotta stand up fer yourself if you’re to learn better magic. But there’s no reason ya can’t learn.”

“Fin,” the halfling whispers, aside, troubled. “What are we gonna do with this here gnome and human? She’s a thief and he a big-mouthed liar with a thirsty blade. If it weren't for them I'd be happy enough to bring the other one with us.”

Fin smiles, mimicking the leader of these highwaymen, "Since those two are held nicely, I think it's only fitting we keep them bound and take them where they belong. I'm sure the next town would appreciate a pair caught committing clear banditry." Fin gives a quick glance to Domash, but quickly returns to keep an eye on his captive. "Domash, if what you say is true, we might be able to help you. Can't say much more, but I'm actually telling the truth."

At this moment Avra loses any semblance of energy she once summoned to fight the human and staggers over to the nearest tree, blood still pouring from the wound in her chest. 

"Healing?" she coughs to no one in particular. 

Fin snaps out of his air of bravado almost in a panic, "Right, uh, come over here! I can help with that!" Once Avra is within reach, Fin puts a hand over her wound. Over a few deep breaths, a warm light floods the deep puncture and slowly brings flesh back together.

((10ho restored by Lay on Hands))

Avra has never seen nor experienced anything quite like this. She can literally feel the gentle pull of the skin weaving back together, and while it is still a little sore, she feels vitality restored to near-perfect.

Looking at you now in awe, she nods her head once sharply in thanks.

***

OOC So Fin, would the idea be to bring the human and the gnome with you and sort of hand them over to the authorities? 

((Yes, provided there's a permanent solution to binding them to keep them from causing trouble. Not sure if the summoned manacles have a duration or not.))