Ben:

”Yes, let’s go up to the camp and rest,” agrees Ben, asking, “Horatio, can you help me get Longscarf up there securely?”

Once he has rejoined with the others, he asks, “So, Agdon, how many of these items are rightfully yours and how many have you stolen from other beings here in the Feywild?

"Ah!" scoffs Longscarf. "Bavlorna and I see eye-to-eye, see? I scratch her back and she scratches mine. We have a good partnership, she and I. She will treat you well if you treat me well, see? I don't know nothing about no enchantment of any queen. You mean Zybilna? She's gone now. She was evil."

Hearing Longscarf's comments, one of the harengon brigands catches Horatio's eye. She adds her own quiet commentary.

"I think Agdon is terrified of Slack-jawed Lorna," she explains, her disdain for both clear. "Agdon made a pact with Lorna by which he is obligated to give her one item he steals from each victim. She lives in Downfall, and moves about on a crawling lily pad. If you want, we can show you the way to Downfall. You can take our skiffs."

The party begins to move up the stump. Titaani scoops up a couple of objects - a wooden apple painted blue, and a tuning fork.

"Oh, they're all mine," explains the harengon leader to Ben. "Would you like some? You may have your pick!"

Ben:

Insight:  6

Leaning in towards Longscarf’s voice, Ben says, “I suggest being truthful is now your best route, brigand.  I know for a fact those truffles belong to Jingle Jangle!”

Intimidation:  8

Nodding to Horatio, Ben continues to try and keep Agdon’s attention, giving Horatio the privacy to converse quietly with one of the others.

Horatio:

Inclined to listen to the Harengen, Horatio kneels down beside her, checking his boot straps and fixing his pant cuff. Quietly he responds, "That could be helpful, if you weren't trying to lead us to a trap. Like many of my companions I want to believe that you're just people trying to get by, but it's very hard. After all we've witnessed, why would you offer to help now? Why do you sound scornful of Longscarf and Bavlorna?"

"Truth!" laughs Longscarf at Ben. "Truth is fundamental! I would never tell a lie. Those truffles are indeed my own! But you may have them, as a gesture of friendship." He rolls about invisibly and tests his bonds.

Out of earshot of Longscarf, the brigand responds quietly to Horatio. "Listen," she says. "Bavlorna is dangerous, and Longscarf is going to get me killed sooner or later. Zybilna was the one who caught and arrested Longscarf. As punishment for his offenses, she demanded that he give up his scarf. When he refused, Zybilna cursed him so that he would never be able to remove it. She then pinned the scarf to a young sapling with a magic nail made of gold and iron, and she bade the tree grow until its branches raked the clouds. Agdon was thus carried into the sky, where he was stranded for a long time. But when Bavlorna and her sisters arrived and deposed Zybilna, Agdon's tree prison was chopped down. But his scarf remained pinned to the felled trunk, and him with it, until Bavlorna struck a deal with him—she agreed to remove the nail and free the scarf in exchange for the best prize from each of his raids thereafter. So we bring them to her in Downfall. Longscarf is terrified of her. But we can take you there, or at least give you directions - maybe you can face Lorna."

Titaani happily puts her new wooden apple and tuning fork in her bag. 

"My moms will love these," she hums happily, glancing down to the others. "You know, I also think it's not a bad idea to find somewhere peaceful to rest for a bit. Not this place. This place is.." 

She pulls a face as if she had just eaten something sour. "It's icky. I mean, it just..it totally sucks."

The other party members get the feeling that she is trying to forget what happened here. 

Matilda finished stuffing everything into her pockets, bags and pouches ignoring talk about finding the original owners......except for the truffles of course.

Cadwallader:

"Icky or not, you had better rest for a bit at least. You were just knocked completely unconscious; you need to recover your strength before we go traipsing off into the swamp. You look like one bump on the head could drop you; the only thing keeping you upright is adrenaline. Besides," he leans in closer to speak quietly, so that only Titaani can hear, "Ben and Horatio don't look any better than you do, but if you insist on moving they'll be too embarrassed to admit they need a rest." He hopes framing the suggestion as being for the men's sake will convince the gnome to take a short break.

((OOC: If we do take a Short Rest here, Cad will use his hit dice and use Arcane Recovery to regain one spell slot.  Hit Dice: 6))

((Edit: Rolling a 6 on the first die +2 CON brings me up to 1 short of full, so I'm saving that second hit die.))

Titaani peers over at Ben and Horatio, narrowing her eyes as she takes in their injuries. 

"Fine," she eventually concedes, Cad's tactic working like a charm. "That's only fair. After all, Ben healed me when I really, really needed it. I kind of owe him one."

Collapsing against Tiny, Titaani settles in for a short rest. She turns to Cadwallader as she does: "So how'd you get so good at magic anyway?"

(Everyone may benefit from a short rest. What's your next move?)

Ben:

Realizing he has lost the argument to employ the harengon to return the stolen items to their rightful owners, Ben settles in to rest.  Seeing the bonds move, he goes to try and make the leader a bit more comfortable — but still very secure in his bonds — coincidentally moving him a fair distance from Horatio’s whispered conversation.

“I could indeed use a rest,” says Ben in response to the suggestion, “But we need to make sure Longscarf doesn’t escape while we do.”

 Resting physically but watching/listening for any treachery from Agdon, Ben tries to bind his wounds and recover a bit.

Spending 2 HD:  14

Matilda sits watch while the others rest, she's still in pain but to her suprise actually feels pretty good, " I guess those beatings did a little good in getting me ready for that pummeling.....though I never learnt anything from them except that Dad is an arsehole."

Cadwallader:

Cad studies his spellbook while they rest, hoping to make progress on a couple that have eluded him thus far. The mental exercise is good for his body as well, as he feels most of the tension leave until he feels nearly whole again -- though the brand still burns, causing him to occasionally glare at the spot where the harengon leader should be.

Collapsing against Tiny, Titaani settles in for a short rest. She turns to Cadwallader as she does: "So how'd you get so good at magic anyway?"

"Hmm?" Titaani's question breaks through Cad's concentration, but it takes a second for his brain to catch her question. Then he's taken aback. "You mean me? I'm only an amateur. I had intended to study magic when I was your age, but when my spellbook came up missing -- or rather, was taken from me at the Carnival -- I took it as a sign that it wasn't meant to be. Settled down and took over my father's business, who had taken over from his father. Vuitton's Leather Goods, maybe you've heard of it? Now that I was very good at. Quite famous, actually.

"Anyway, I was thinking of retiring and handing over the business to my apprentice, Prada -- she's an extraordinarily talented artisan. One day her name might eclipse even the Vuittons'. But I had a hard time letting go, with nothing else to do. Well, I've always been a reader, and my successful trade had allowed me to acquire a few books on arcane theory and practice. So I thought, why not take up wizardry? I know I'm old to be starting up a new vocation, but what else am I going to do with my 'golden years'? I thought the worst that could happen would be I'd blow myself up."

He looks at her and the giant bunny. "Your magic is different. For one thing, no spellbook. So where did you come by your skill? And the big rabbit too, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I don't think you're too old to take up wizardry!" Titaani smiles, giving him a playful punch on the arm, somewhat gentler then she usually would because of his injuries. "As a gnome, I believe that it's never too late to live your life to the fullest. Some of us are just lucky enough to start early!"

She then takes a moment to consider his question to her, scratching Tiny behind his ears. 

"You're right, my magic is different," she muses, whimsically playing with the crystal around her neck. "In fact, it's not even really mine. Funny story, that. You see, I've always being super adventurous, and one day...one day when I was exploring the woods around my village I found a portal to the Feywild. I loved it there so much that I ended up getting lost, and well..."

She grins, her big eyes lighting up as she continues her tale. "I actually stumbled upon the residence of Queen Titania! Isn't that amazing? And she was super nice about it as well. I think she liked the way we had similar names. I mean, Titaani? And Titania? Talk about an awesome coincidence. So awesome, in fact, that she told me she'd give me some of her magic provided I would help her out sometimes when I'm older. I was pretty small at the time, but I think I remember asking for a pet bunny - and that's how I got Tiny. Pretty neat gifts, don't you think?"

Over an hour has passed since you paused to catch your breath and recover a bit. Your five captives, too, have recovered somewhat. Their binds remain secure, and they are being watched closely by the party. Some have tested the strength of the cloth, but none have made any obvious attempts at escape.

The water is beginning to slowly rise again.

Ben:

After consulting with his friends in a quiet huddle to determine what each of them learned, Ben gives his opinion and asks a few questions.

”It is time for us to move along, I would say,” starts Ben.  “As they attacked us unprovoked while we came to talk and stole items from us during combat, I assume their ‘treasure’ is stolen as well.”

Turning to Horatio, he adds, “I think we are agreed that their weapons must be confiscated, good Horatio, but I would not leave them bound here to starve.  However, freeing them outright may be a poor idea if Agdon runs off to Bavlorna and warns her of our coming.  If we are prepared to leave, I suggest we take advantage of your volunteer and make our way directly there.”

Matilda looks a little worried at Bens words considering they just got beaten half to death by a bunch of bunnys she's feeling less confident about confronting an actual witch.....

Cadwallder:

Cad agrees with Titaani that it is indeed an amazing coincidence. Privately he wonders whether it was a coincidence at all. The few stories of Titania that he is familiar with describe her as extraordinarily powerful, stunningly beautiful, and quite vain. He wonders whether hearing of a gnomish girl named after her -- or nearly so -- would be enough to attract her attention and curiosity. The stories are also clear that making deals with the fey always costs more than the bargainer thinks. But he hopes that these are just stories meant to warn people off from the Feywild. And there are those stories of extremely cunning mortals outfoxing the fey, although the gnome doesn't strike him as a devious and cunning trickster. But then she wouldn't would she, if she really was a trickster?

He's been watching the rising water, idly wondering what makes the level fluctuate. "If we're going to make any progress, we'll need to take the boats. As for Agdon, why not tie him to his throne with his infamous Longscarf? If his followers are truly as devoted as he believes I'm sure they'll take good care of him."

Horatio:

Thinking on Ben's, then Cad's remarks, Horatio adds, "Let's ask them?" He looks at Agdon's three goons, "If we let you go, where would you go? Do you have someplace safe to get to? Would you hurt others anymore? If not, how would you get by? Be honest now, we're willing to give you a chance."

Ben:

Interested to hear what they say, Ben nods along with Horatio and listens intently, adding, “Yes, please be honest—I tore of being lied to,” with a meaningful look Longscarf’s direction.

Help on Horatio’s social interaction…