"We can carry Elk Running if needed. Perhaps if the town are as eager to be rid of us as Tond suggests, then the gift of a sled would be an investment. I can't say I blame them. As for Eva and Greth, I would trust them to find us here."
"Alright well if we are waiting for the others then I am going to get some rest." says Aubin. Finally feeling his injuries, he will find a spot and hunker down if there are no spare room.
With a grunt, Grethwill use one of the dead enemy's coats to bundle up their coins, weapons, items of interest (including any letters or books), tools and other goods. He would use one of their belts to cinch it. He would then use a rope from his own pack to wrap around the chest, hefting the bundle onto one shoulder and the chest over the other. "Whatever you call yourself, bring the prisoner with us. We make for the town before darkfall. The safe return of the young will likely buy you mercy. This one loosing his tongue should buy him some as well. We should not remain her to question him though, as the smell of so much blood will undoubtedly draw Dire Wolves or other such."
If Naraeld determines with Tond that Elk Running needs to be moved immediately, Sabetha of course tries to help with that as she can.
Otherwise, she also settles herself for a short rest and tries to keep watch near the doorway of Tond's home. Occasionally and at unpredictable intervals, she makes a circuit of the structure to make sure that no one is sneaking up to it or watching it from the side or back.
She acknowledges Naraeld's response and does not defend herself in any way except to make one point when he says her "proof is lacking."
"You are right that I am convinced of Torrga and Shander's duplicity, but I never claimed to have proof. I said as much earlier to Torrga. And lacking that proof, I actively sought to avoid further bloodshed with Torrga except in self-defense or defense of our... comrades." She hesitates describing Aubin as a comrade. "Not only because in our weakened state we may have been defeated, especially if Torrga's men arrived, but also because we lack proof."
"Nevertheless, my mind is not a court of law requiring proof beyond a doubt. Circumstantial evidence is multifold that they arranged with the murderous raiders to solidify Shander's grip on the election just as they used the livestock from the Verbeeg cave. With Torrga bearing the Zhentarim sigil in her tent, we have a motive beyond just Shander's personal ambitions. One day, if we gain concrete evidence (which I will strive to gather), I will kill them, along with Jotann and Zara, or die trying. I am done with meek half-measures. In truth, I suspect Aubin already knows of Shander's conspiracy."
There is one unoccupied bed at Tond's house, although there is room for people to spread bedrolls on the floor. It would be cramped for the party, but not impossible. It should be possible to stay the remainder of the night, which is only one or two hours at this point anyway. Those at Tond's house enter a fitful sleep, warm but wary of the each other and the world.
Greth'g'kareeand Mallifyr:
At Mallifyr's threat, the bandit says, "We come from Targos. Zara gathered us a day ago now and we rode the dogs like mad into Dougan's Hole. Zara recruited the locals as fodder this morning and then we walked to Good Mead for the raid. I don't know why Zara and Jotann wanted to raid Good Mead today. I just do as I'm told."
Because of the fire, most of the equipment is ruined. All the bandits had been wearing leathers, which are no longer usable. Many had scimitars and maces. Of those 2 maces and 3 scimitars are salvagable. The blade of Zara's greataxe appears unharmed, although the staff is burnt and broken. Jotann had no weapons at all, but he did have a golden necklace with a pearl locket and his studded leather armor was untouched by the flames (but not the party's arrows).
"The loosing of his tongue should buy this miscreant mercy, should it? I'm to escort him back to Good Mead and face the judgement of the do-gooders there?" Mallifeva continues to point the hand crossbow at the temple of the prisoner's head. "My sister and I were shown no mercy, conned by your dead leaders to serve as—how did you put it?—fodder!" speaks the one voice. "I was shown no mercy buried in the icy soil of this godsforsaken dale that my goliath companion calls home," speaks the other voice. The two voices join: "Mercy is as extinct as a mammoth in these inhospitable reaches. Children, the captive is your plaything. Let his return journey to your home village be an arduous one."
Mallifeva lowers her weapon, turns, and marches to where Eva had fallen. On bended knees, she sifts through the bones, gore, and ashes, taking no more notice of the thug, the children, or Greth'g'karee. She gathers Eva's amber brooch, sapphire ring, and chwinga lantern. She also finds the charm the chwinga had given her. Miraculously, all have survived. Mallifeva then proceeds to stuff her backpack with Eva's remains before wandering off into the woods to collect Gwebona's corpse.
To the children, Grethcomments, "We live in a strange time. The spirits wrest for sway over the mortal realm. Even the dead walk among us, perhaps unaware of their nature. Take care not to anger them..." He looks to the prisoner, "...any further."
(( Assuming Mallifeva comes back, Grethis good to leave for the town quickly. ))
Mallifeva reemerges from the trees, lugging dead weight. She struggles to heave Gwebona's body onto her shoulders, the way Mallifyr had carried her here.
Strength (Athletics) check: 10 + 6 (Knowledge from a Past Life) = 16.
Blackberry has observed the others' words and actions in silence so far, although he reaches out and gives Sabetha's hand a squeeze to reassure her of his confidence in her, and he grimaces a bit at Aubin's seemingly willful abrasiveness. He will try and assist Tond in any way possible, but gratefully falls asleep almost instantly when given the chance.
Sabetha wearily thanks Tond for their hospitality. Unlike her harengon friend, however, she is unable to fall asleep at first. She stands and walks outside, keeping watch, occasionally making a circuit around the house and staring out into the silent town and snowy wilderness. She reaches into her pack, down to the very bottom, and pulls out the scrimshaw doll, drawn to its angry expression like a moth to a flickering flame.
Sephek had been wrong about her, yet she remembers the ice-man's final words just before she had beheaded him. "You seek justice in the wild, little girlie. Justice is a man-thing. It is devoured by the beasts of the wild out here." Yet, she had been removing a threat, not seeking justice. Hadn't she?
"Only a true Harper can transform weakness into strength. That is why we are the hand that stops the tyrant, feeds the oppressed, and asks for nothing in return," she whispers. A tenuous prayer of wavering faith. "Selune's glow help light my path, how can I be strong? How can I stop the petty tyranny and banal savagery of Torrga and Shander, of Jotann and Zara? Or begin to stem the vast and implacable malice of the Lord of the Nine or the Frostmaiden and their thralls without myself becoming a ruthless killer? Only better than those I oppose because my victims are not innocents?"
Her breath mists into the darkness and freezes as frost on her cheeks. Neither Selune nor her father deign to answer. Instead she hears in her heart only the rumbling, girlish voice of Gahg, the second Verbeeg. "Duhk! It’s Gahg! You home? ... Who're you? Where's Duhk?"
But Duhk was dead. And so too was Gahg. Yet when she pictures the female Verbeeg's face now, Sabetha sees her own pale green eyes gazing back.
She finally returns to her bedroll and falls into a fitful sleep. Only one short hour before the wan, meager light of an Icewind Dale dawn wakes her.
You trudge your way back through the woods with prisoners and children in tow. Now that they are headed back home, the children seem full of life and energy, asking Greth'g'kareeall sorts of questions about being a Goliath, hunting, what the biggest thing he's ever killed is, is the air thinner when you are as tall as him, and any other thing that enters their mind. They will also, whenever they think they can get away with it, kick the prisoner in the shins.
After about an hour and a half, you make your way to the edge of town. As you walk through the streets, you see villagers beginning to go about their day. Many are headed in the same direction as you, back to the Mead Hall, in order to help with the repairs. They see you, walking with the prisoner and the children. Word spreads quickly. Before long, before you reach the Hall, parents of both children have appeared. It halts your progress. They insist on thanking Greth'g'karee, offering him small gifts (a small figurine of a bee, a handful of semi-precious gems. With his hands full, Mallifeva has to carry them for him. They gather their children into their arms and rush them home. As they leave, you can hear the children telling them what a great adventure it was. The townsfolk also recognize the prisoner (and Mallifeva) and glare menacingly at them, but no-one makes a move toward them with Greth'g'kareepresent.
When you reach the Mead Hall, you are welcomed by a gruesome sight. The prisoner that Naraeldknocked unconscious has been killed and the body has been attached to a pole. It is naked and mutilated, clearly meant as a warning to those who would threaten the town.
Entering the hall, Shandergreets Greth'g'karee. He says, "Welcome, mighty warrior! We may have had our differences in the past, but you have returned our town's children and brought us two more criminals to face justice. Please sit and rest and we will quickly deal with these two. You are always welcome here."
Everyone else:
After you have rested at Tond's house for about an hour, Dalia knocks on the door and rushes into the cabin. "The goliath who was with you has returned! He brought the children back and two prisoners. They are at the Mead hall."
Naraeld:
Tond told you that she seems stable enough for now, but she isn't taking any food or water either. The sooner you can get her to Mishann, the better.
An expression of pure ice greets Shanderin reply. "Greetings to you, new chieftain of Good Mead. These are not your prisoners. They are mine. Any who harm them will become my enemy. If you wish for a way to appease your dead, then question this one.." He gestures to the cowardly man, "He has information as to when and how the enemy raiding party was assembled against you. He can identify all of the others - alive and dead - and where they come from. In this way you can seek out retribution upon their loved ones, or whatever it is your kind do in tribal feuds." His eyes meet Shander's, and his voice drops to almost a whisper, but in a far more menacing tone. "The woman, however, is mine. They killed the one from our band who set off with me to save the children your warriors were unable to, and so I claim this one to replace the one we lost. Since we were guests in your village, and your warriors failed to keep us safe as well, this should not trouble you."
Once again loud enough for all to hear, he drops the chest and belongings. "I will search these things. If they hold nothing I seek, then the people of this place may have them. Do not fear, I care nothing for coin or gems. If treasure is within, it will be yours."
He looks to Mallifeva and the coward, "You both belong to my band now. If you run, or betray us in any way, you will be skinned and eaten alive. On this, I swear. Yours is a blood pact for our fallen, and because your lives were already lost in this place. Make oath with me now, or your tortured death will start in this place, in this moment, in front of these angry people who care nothing for you. Join us with unburdened heart, and your spirit will know purpose until the long sleep comes for you. Speak your names, then swear your oaths."
(( Once everything is resolved from above... ))
He rolls out the bundle of weapons and belongings, grabs an axe from the bunch, and begins smashing the lock off the chest. Once done, he unceremoniously opens it to discover its contents. From the bundle and the chest, anything written he takes, as with anything that seems unique or strange. Any mundane things, coins, art, or other valuables he leaves for Good Mead. Once all is settled, he looks to Shanderonce more and asks, "Where are my band now?"
He and his two prisoners head out as soon as he is told where to go.
((Sabetha short rest 1 hit die, heals 10 back to full health - see campaign log from a couple days ago - and gets Ki back.))
As Dalia knocks, Sabetha jumps up bleary-eyed but otherwise recovered physically (if not spiritually) from the previous night's ordeals.
Quickly packing her bedroll and gathering her things, she joins Dalia, ready to return to Mead Hall. Where the townsfolk may hang or burn me with Shander, Torrga and Aubin cheering on, she thinks bitterly. And yet... the saddest thing then would not be my own ignoble death, but Blackberry's tears.
Suddenly she stops. "Wait, the goliath returned with the two children..." She looks at Dalia, then draws her longsword and holds it at her side (not threatening Dalia of course). Her voice becomes very soft and deliberate. "What of our companion Eva Tudor and her black cat Teb?"
I very much hope I do not have to use this again in this town. Very very much. Seeing how well it went last time.
Aubin puts on his black hat and looks at Dalia with a weary look. "Alright let's see what is going on in the Mead Hall" He then pauses when Sabetha draws her blade. "I assume Greth can tell us more in regards to Eva. Lets go"
He then shivers as he opens the door as he takes a moment relishing the warm in Tond's house. Aubin then heads out not bothering to wait.
Her lifeless sister still hoisted on her shoulders, Mallifyr—for it is her voice speaking—bridles at the goliath's demand, "No! I will not submit!" (Oddly, she is neither sweating nor panting, despite the strenuous journey.) Amused by Greth'g'karee's ruse—or is it?—Eva sees no harm in sealing the deal; she is, after all, already a member of Greth's "band". She cuts Mallifyr off, "I've said it before. I'll say it again. I'll say it until the cows come home, as the peasants on the Sword Coast say. Shut. Up. Mallifyr. You are not at the helm anymore." Whereupon, written for all to see on Mallifeva's countenance, an internal struggle is fought, won, and lost within a matter of seconds. In a flat, monotone voice, they declare: "We swear to you, Greth'g'kareeof the Denna Clan, hunter of the werebear Oyaminartok, not to betray you or your band in any way."
Blackberry wakes from his nap much refreshed physically, although the droning sound that haunts his dreams prevented much emotional recovery. He quickly grabs his pack and pouch and follows the others out the door.
He smiles at seeing Dalia, and then becomes alarmed with Sabetha draws her sword. "Whoa, Whoa! Dalia's a friend! I'm sure Eva is fine, wherever she is! Let's not get hasty and do something we will regret...."
Eva must be fine, he tells himself.She and the goliath have simply become separated in their pursuit of the bandits. The gods cannot be so cruel as to deprive me of my new family, after having been alone so long. Elk Running is near death I fear. Eva simply has to be OK.
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"We can carry Elk Running if needed. Perhaps if the town are as eager to be rid of us as Tond suggests, then the gift of a sled would be an investment. I can't say I blame them. As for Eva and Greth, I would trust them to find us here."
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
"Alright well if we are waiting for the others then I am going to get some rest." says Aubin. Finally feeling his injuries, he will find a spot and hunker down if there are no spare room.
With a grunt, Greth will use one of the dead enemy's coats to bundle up their coins, weapons, items of interest (including any letters or books), tools and other goods. He would use one of their belts to cinch it. He would then use a rope from his own pack to wrap around the chest, hefting the bundle onto one shoulder and the chest over the other. "Whatever you call yourself, bring the prisoner with us. We make for the town before darkfall. The safe return of the young will likely buy you mercy. This one loosing his tongue should buy him some as well. We should not remain her to question him though, as the smell of so much blood will undoubtedly draw Dire Wolves or other such."
If Naraeld determines with Tond that Elk Running needs to be moved immediately, Sabetha of course tries to help with that as she can.
Otherwise, she also settles herself for a short rest and tries to keep watch near the doorway of Tond's home. Occasionally and at unpredictable intervals, she makes a circuit of the structure to make sure that no one is sneaking up to it or watching it from the side or back.
She acknowledges Naraeld's response and does not defend herself in any way except to make one point when he says her "proof is lacking."
"You are right that I am convinced of Torrga and Shander's duplicity, but I never claimed to have proof. I said as much earlier to Torrga. And lacking that proof, I actively sought to avoid further bloodshed with Torrga except in self-defense or defense of our... comrades." She hesitates describing Aubin as a comrade. "Not only because in our weakened state we may have been defeated, especially if Torrga's men arrived, but also because we lack proof."
"Nevertheless, my mind is not a court of law requiring proof beyond a doubt. Circumstantial evidence is multifold that they arranged with the murderous raiders to solidify Shander's grip on the election just as they used the livestock from the Verbeeg cave. With Torrga bearing the Zhentarim sigil in her tent, we have a motive beyond just Shander's personal ambitions. One day, if we gain concrete evidence (which I will strive to gather), I will kill them, along with Jotann and Zara, or die trying. I am done with meek half-measures. In truth, I suspect Aubin already knows of Shander's conspiracy."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
There is one unoccupied bed at Tond's house, although there is room for people to spread bedrolls on the floor. It would be cramped for the party, but not impossible. It should be possible to stay the remainder of the night, which is only one or two hours at this point anyway. Those at Tond's house enter a fitful sleep, warm but wary of the each other and the world.
Greth'g'karee and Mallifyr:
At Mallifyr's threat, the bandit says, "We come from Targos. Zara gathered us a day ago now and we rode the dogs like mad into Dougan's Hole. Zara recruited the locals as fodder this morning and then we walked to Good Mead for the raid. I don't know why Zara and Jotann wanted to raid Good Mead today. I just do as I'm told."
Because of the fire, most of the equipment is ruined. All the bandits had been wearing leathers, which are no longer usable. Many had scimitars and maces. Of those 2 maces and 3 scimitars are salvagable. The blade of Zara's greataxe appears unharmed, although the staff is burnt and broken. Jotann had no weapons at all, but he did have a golden necklace with a pearl locket and his studded leather armor was untouched by the flames (but not the party's arrows).
Tamryn - lvl 4 Wood Elf Rogue - Circle of Light Campaign || Drusilla - lvl 1 Half-Elf Ranger - Sleeping Gods || Grrzark - lvl 1 Goblin Barbarian - Danger at Darkshelf Quarry || DM - LTG - Curse of Strahd
(( Greth would collect even damaged weapons if metal. ))
"The loosing of his tongue should buy this miscreant mercy, should it? I'm to escort him back to Good Mead and face the judgement of the do-gooders there?" Mallifeva continues to point the hand crossbow at the temple of the prisoner's head. "My sister and I were shown no mercy, conned by your dead leaders to serve as—how did you put it?—fodder!" speaks the one voice. "I was shown no mercy buried in the icy soil of this godsforsaken dale that my goliath companion calls home," speaks the other voice. The two voices join: "Mercy is as extinct as a mammoth in these inhospitable reaches. Children, the captive is your plaything. Let his return journey to your home village be an arduous one."
Mallifeva lowers her weapon, turns, and marches to where Eva had fallen. On bended knees, she sifts through the bones, gore, and ashes, taking no more notice of the thug, the children, or Greth'g'karee. She gathers Eva's amber brooch, sapphire ring, and chwinga lantern. She also finds the charm the chwinga had given her. Miraculously, all have survived. Mallifeva then proceeds to stuff her backpack with Eva's remains before wandering off into the woods to collect Gwebona's corpse.
@DM and @Mallifeva
To the children, Greth comments, "We live in a strange time. The spirits wrest for sway over the mortal realm. Even the dead walk among us, perhaps unaware of their nature. Take care not to anger them..." He looks to the prisoner, "...any further."
(( Assuming Mallifeva comes back, Greth is good to leave for the town quickly. ))
Mallifeva reemerges from the trees, lugging dead weight. She struggles to heave Gwebona's body onto her shoulders, the way Mallifyr had carried her here.
Strength (Athletics) check: 10 + 6 (Knowledge from a Past Life) = 16.
She is successful, but it will be slow going.
Blackberry has observed the others' words and actions in silence so far, although he reaches out and gives Sabetha's hand a squeeze to reassure her of his confidence in her, and he grimaces a bit at Aubin's seemingly willful abrasiveness. He will try and assist Tond in any way possible, but gratefully falls asleep almost instantly when given the chance.
Sabetha wearily thanks Tond for their hospitality. Unlike her harengon friend, however, she is unable to fall asleep at first. She stands and walks outside, keeping watch, occasionally making a circuit around the house and staring out into the silent town and snowy wilderness. She reaches into her pack, down to the very bottom, and pulls out the scrimshaw doll, drawn to its angry expression like a moth to a flickering flame.
Sephek had been wrong about her, yet she remembers the ice-man's final words just before she had beheaded him. "You seek justice in the wild, little girlie. Justice is a man-thing. It is devoured by the beasts of the wild out here." Yet, she had been removing a threat, not seeking justice. Hadn't she?
"Only a true Harper can transform weakness into strength. That is why we are the hand that stops the tyrant, feeds the oppressed, and asks for nothing in return," she whispers. A tenuous prayer of wavering faith. "Selune's glow help light my path, how can I be strong? How can I stop the petty tyranny and banal savagery of Torrga and Shander, of Jotann and Zara? Or begin to stem the vast and implacable malice of the Lord of the Nine or the Frostmaiden and their thralls without myself becoming a ruthless killer? Only better than those I oppose because my victims are not innocents?"
Her breath mists into the darkness and freezes as frost on her cheeks. Neither Selune nor her father deign to answer. Instead she hears in her heart only the rumbling, girlish voice of Gahg, the second Verbeeg. "Duhk! It’s Gahg! You home? ... Who're you? Where's Duhk?"
But Duhk was dead. And so too was Gahg. Yet when she pictures the female Verbeeg's face now, Sabetha sees her own pale green eyes gazing back.
She finally returns to her bedroll and falls into a fitful sleep. Only one short hour before the wan, meager light of an Icewind Dale dawn wakes her.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Greth'g'karee and Mallifeva:
(Have you decided where you are going? I assume the Mead Hall because I don't think either of you know where Tond's is, but I want to make sure)
Tamryn - lvl 4 Wood Elf Rogue - Circle of Light Campaign || Drusilla - lvl 1 Half-Elf Ranger - Sleeping Gods || Grrzark - lvl 1 Goblin Barbarian - Danger at Darkshelf Quarry || DM - LTG - Curse of Strahd
Greth'g'karee and Mallifeva:
You trudge your way back through the woods with prisoners and children in tow. Now that they are headed back home, the children seem full of life and energy, asking Greth'g'karee all sorts of questions about being a Goliath, hunting, what the biggest thing he's ever killed is, is the air thinner when you are as tall as him, and any other thing that enters their mind. They will also, whenever they think they can get away with it, kick the prisoner in the shins.
After about an hour and a half, you make your way to the edge of town. As you walk through the streets, you see villagers beginning to go about their day. Many are headed in the same direction as you, back to the Mead Hall, in order to help with the repairs. They see you, walking with the prisoner and the children. Word spreads quickly. Before long, before you reach the Hall, parents of both children have appeared. It halts your progress. They insist on thanking Greth'g'karee, offering him small gifts (a small figurine of a bee, a handful of semi-precious gems. With his hands full, Mallifeva has to carry them for him. They gather their children into their arms and rush them home. As they leave, you can hear the children telling them what a great adventure it was. The townsfolk also recognize the prisoner (and Mallifeva) and glare menacingly at them, but no-one makes a move toward them with Greth'g'karee present.
When you reach the Mead Hall, you are welcomed by a gruesome sight. The prisoner that Naraeld knocked unconscious has been killed and the body has been attached to a pole. It is naked and mutilated, clearly meant as a warning to those who would threaten the town.
Entering the hall, Shander greets Greth'g'karee. He says, "Welcome, mighty warrior! We may have had our differences in the past, but you have returned our town's children and brought us two more criminals to face justice. Please sit and rest and we will quickly deal with these two. You are always welcome here."
Everyone else:
After you have rested at Tond's house for about an hour, Dalia knocks on the door and rushes into the cabin. "The goliath who was with you has returned! He brought the children back and two prisoners. They are at the Mead hall."
Naraeld:
Tond told you that she seems stable enough for now, but she isn't taking any food or water either. The sooner you can get her to Mishann, the better.
Tamryn - lvl 4 Wood Elf Rogue - Circle of Light Campaign || Drusilla - lvl 1 Half-Elf Ranger - Sleeping Gods || Grrzark - lvl 1 Goblin Barbarian - Danger at Darkshelf Quarry || DM - LTG - Curse of Strahd
Blackberry short rest, one hit die for 9 hp healing (game log).
Aubin short rest 2 hit die
9
@DM & Mallifeva
An expression of pure ice greets Shander in reply. "Greetings to you, new chieftain of Good Mead. These are not your prisoners. They are mine. Any who harm them will become my enemy. If you wish for a way to appease your dead, then question this one.." He gestures to the cowardly man, "He has information as to when and how the enemy raiding party was assembled against you. He can identify all of the others - alive and dead - and where they come from. In this way you can seek out retribution upon their loved ones, or whatever it is your kind do in tribal feuds." His eyes meet Shander's, and his voice drops to almost a whisper, but in a far more menacing tone. "The woman, however, is mine. They killed the one from our band who set off with me to save the children your warriors were unable to, and so I claim this one to replace the one we lost. Since we were guests in your village, and your warriors failed to keep us safe as well, this should not trouble you."
Once again loud enough for all to hear, he drops the chest and belongings. "I will search these things. If they hold nothing I seek, then the people of this place may have them. Do not fear, I care nothing for coin or gems. If treasure is within, it will be yours."
He looks to Mallifeva and the coward, "You both belong to my band now. If you run, or betray us in any way, you will be skinned and eaten alive. On this, I swear. Yours is a blood pact for our fallen, and because your lives were already lost in this place. Make oath with me now, or your tortured death will start in this place, in this moment, in front of these angry people who care nothing for you. Join us with unburdened heart, and your spirit will know purpose until the long sleep comes for you. Speak your names, then swear your oaths."
(( Once everything is resolved from above... ))
He rolls out the bundle of weapons and belongings, grabs an axe from the bunch, and begins smashing the lock off the chest. Once done, he unceremoniously opens it to discover its contents. From the bundle and the chest, anything written he takes, as with anything that seems unique or strange. Any mundane things, coins, art, or other valuables he leaves for Good Mead. Once all is settled, he looks to Shander once more and asks, "Where are my band now?"
He and his two prisoners head out as soon as he is told where to go.
((Sabetha short rest 1 hit die, heals 10 back to full health - see campaign log from a couple days ago - and gets Ki back.))
As Dalia knocks, Sabetha jumps up bleary-eyed but otherwise recovered physically (if not spiritually) from the previous night's ordeals.
Quickly packing her bedroll and gathering her things, she joins Dalia, ready to return to Mead Hall. Where the townsfolk may hang or burn me with Shander, Torrga and Aubin cheering on, she thinks bitterly. And yet... the saddest thing then would not be my own ignoble death, but Blackberry's tears.
Suddenly she stops. "Wait, the goliath returned with the two children..." She looks at Dalia, then draws her longsword and holds it at her side (not threatening Dalia of course). Her voice becomes very soft and deliberate. "What of our companion Eva Tudor and her black cat Teb?"
I very much hope I do not have to use this again in this town. Very very much. Seeing how well it went last time.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Aubin puts on his black hat and looks at Dalia with a weary look. "Alright let's see what is going on in the Mead Hall" He then pauses when Sabetha draws her blade. "I assume Greth can tell us more in regards to Eva. Lets go"
He then shivers as he opens the door as he takes a moment relishing the warm in Tond's house. Aubin then heads out not bothering to wait.
Her lifeless sister still hoisted on her shoulders, Mallifyr—for it is her voice speaking—bridles at the goliath's demand, "No! I will not submit!" (Oddly, she is neither sweating nor panting, despite the strenuous journey.) Amused by Greth'g'karee's ruse—or is it?—Eva sees no harm in sealing the deal; she is, after all, already a member of Greth's "band". She cuts Mallifyr off, "I've said it before. I'll say it again. I'll say it until the cows come home, as the peasants on the Sword Coast say. Shut. Up. Mallifyr. You are not at the helm anymore." Whereupon, written for all to see on Mallifeva's countenance, an internal struggle is fought, won, and lost within a matter of seconds. In a flat, monotone voice, they declare: "We swear to you, Greth'g'karee of the Denna Clan, hunter of the werebear Oyaminartok, not to betray you or your band in any way."
Blackberry wakes from his nap much refreshed physically, although the droning sound that haunts his dreams prevented much emotional recovery. He quickly grabs his pack and pouch and follows the others out the door.
He smiles at seeing Dalia, and then becomes alarmed with Sabetha draws her sword. "Whoa, Whoa! Dalia's a friend! I'm sure Eva is fine, wherever she is! Let's not get hasty and do something we will regret...."
Eva must be fine, he tells himself. She and the goliath have simply become separated in their pursuit of the bandits. The gods cannot be so cruel as to deprive me of my new family, after having been alone so long. Elk Running is near death I fear. Eva simply has to be OK.