To Bryn, it seems like the aren't trying to deliberately con him in this matter. They seem to believe in what they said, that there is truly some kind of divine power at play here. If nothing else, it could mean that they too have been deceived themselves. Or, perhaps, that they attribute something just slightly extraordinary to divine intervention. But maybe, just maybe, could they also be telling the truth?

((Clever way to hide the somatic component of the spell. No need to roll, Bryn casts the spell undetected.))

Thanks to his high Insight roll, Bryn notices that the axe-bearing bandit just barely responds, visibly, to his spell. As most people are not accustomed to sudden voices in their minds, they're often startled when they first hear him. This person, however, seems hardly surprised. He might just be stoic, but it might also hint that he is already familiar with this spell.

Bryn:

"Yeah? What of it?" The scimitar-wielding bandit answers defiantly. "Nobody would just tag along, just because we asked nicely. Yet, this opportunity is not something we can just let pass because of others' ignorance. We saw an opportunity that night and we tried to take it. Now two of ours are dead." He says that not without resentment. "I'd say they paid for our mistake. With their lives. But they knew the risks, and they were - as are we - willing to take them for this greater cause. We ar-" 

The axe-wielding bandit places a hand on the other's shoulder, as he was starting to heat up. "We were all... hasty," he says, "and as my companion here said, we have turned to aggression and paid for it. Here." He slowly stows his axe into his belt, locking eyes with Arren - and only briefly with Bryn beforehand - to make sure nobody mistakes his movement for something else. After a few moments and exchanged looks, the other two bandits follow suit and stow away their weapons. Those who held shields keep them on though, and although the action is meant placate, it is clear they could draw their weapons at a moment's notice. 

"Let's try a new approach. A clean page, perhaps? I am Nohem, I am here do mediate this... accord, as your friend called it." The Wood Elf, with the axe in his belt, steps closer and extends his hand to Arren for a handshake. Whether or not Arren reciprocates, he continues: "I can't answer most of your questions, for simply I do not have an answer. But, if you come with us willingly, there is no reason to worry for your well-being. At least, we won't mistreat you while you're there. Even our... more vehement companions believe more in the importance of this task than their hatred for you. Besides, they'll be outside, watching for other travellers, as they have done so far." He then quickly adds, perhaps as a correction: "Only until we're done there, and no longer need everybody, at which point we'll let everyone go. If you think about it, by helping us you'll be hastening their release.

"As for evidence, I cannot show you unless you come with us, since it's not something I can carry with me. On the other hand, I can't just take you there. You see, I don't want the whole Meyen military on our doorstep. We'll need to keep the place secret at the moment, which means we'll need to cover your heads if you come with us. This is to ensure our well-being, you see."

'Tace' watches and listens as tensions fray, until the hand axe wielding bandit does as promised and tries to diffuse the situation.

"Sir, I was outnumbered and they could have taken advantage, but chose to be diplomatic instead", he says to the Sergeant. "And for what it's worth, I believe they are sincere in what they believe this holy task to be, and that it is more important than causing us harm", he adds clearly emphasising the word believe, to show he is still skeptical himself.

"If it helps, I am willing to volunteer to go with Nohem and find out more about the situation", he adds.

What is the saying? Curiosity killed the cat. Well I am certainly curious.

(OOC: Short post to give Arren something to think about and help Nohem as promised)

Arren keeps his eyes fixed on the scimitar-wielding bandit as he speaks, unconvinced by the Elf's attempt to justify what was, by all accounts, a kidnapping. He considers responding, but decides against it: he's already made his points clear enough, and pressing further now would only risk escalating the situation. So he holds the bandit's gaze, expression neutral, until the axe-wielding one intervenes and draws his attention instead.

The Sergeant remains still as the man slowly stows his weapon, and though he approves of the gesture inwardly, he lets none of that show. When the bandit extends a hand, Arren's eyes flick briefly from the man's face to his hand and back again. After a moment's hesitation — perhaps a second too long — he accepts it.

"Arren," he says simply. Then he falls silent, listening as the man replies to his earlier demands. The answers aren't as convincing as he'd like ... but they're a start. And Arren knows well that neither side will move forward unless someone takes a step toward trust.

He gives the Corporal a short, acknowledging nod at his remark about the bandits' sincerity, though his brow furrows when he volunteers to go with them. His first instinct is to refuse outright. He dislikes the idea himself, and would be very surprised if the Commandant's opinion on the matter had changed since the last time it came up mere hours ago. Still, that is a discussion that can happen among them once the bandits have gone.

When Nohem mentions covering their heads, the Sergeant isn't surprised. It's a reasonable precaution, one he'd likely take himself in their position. But he has one final condition.

"We will keep our weapons with us," he says evenly. "If your intentions are as you claim, neither side should have reason to use them. And I trust we will remain in control of the carriage and its contents."

He waits for Nohem's reply on this. If the Wood Elf accepts, Arren turns slightly to face the Lieutenant and the Commandant, wordlessly inviting them to speak if they have anything to add. They've known him long enough to read his posture: while he's far from satisfied with the situation, he believes this is as much ground as they're going to gain. 

(OOC: Not adding anything else for now, since I'm assuming we'll have time to discuss the situation among the crew. They're going to leave and return at dawn, right?)

 "I... ah... I'll see whether that is possible," Nohem seems a little uncertain regarding Arren's request. "I suppose that would only be fair, but... I'll have to discuss the matter with the rest before I can make such promises. I believe it wouldn't be a problem, though."

If this answer satisfies Arren and he signals to his superiors:

The answer is satisfactory enough for Arren to signal to his superiors. He waits while Lieutenant Tireur makes his final demand, and when Nohem agrees, the Half-Elf nods once and takes a single step back , as an indication that they may leave. After a brief pause, he follows Corporal Peite into the hostelry.

"I did nothing," he answers Walnuts. "They were already talking about that 'holy task' when I stepped out." He glances toward Corporal Peite, inviting the corporal to add anything further.

When the Commandant poses her questions, Arren rubs his temples and exhales slowly, as though gathering his thoughts. "None of the options are ideal," he says at last. "Traveling with them is the riskier choice, of course. But… I think we've reached a point where it's more important to consider what we stand to gain, rather than what we might lose if things go wrong.

Going with them is our only chance to learn more about whatever it is they've found — something they clearly deem worth risking their lives for. What if they've uncovered something that could become a real threat if they chose to turn it against others? And we know who they'd turn it against, don't we? If this so-called holy task brings harm, we should know. And if it turns out to be something good, shouldn't we try to learn that as well?"

He pauses again. "Above all, we can't simply abandon the civilians they've taken. If we walk away now, this might be our last chance to reach them. I admit that I don't like this plan, Ma'am… but it might be our best bet."

'Tace' re-enters the hostelry, feeling the safety of the walls after being outside and exposed.

"It seems you did put off the original bandits, sir", he says to the Lieutenant. "And they sent for more experienced reinforcements. I was becoming more and more certain they didn't simply want to kill us, and Nohem opened a line of communication that I thought worth exploring".

When it is his turn to respond to the Commandant,  he considers his words carefully.

"I believe Nohem spoke the truth as he sees it, but whether he is even aware of the absolute truth is up for debate, Ma'am. They likely have the advantage on us in terms of numbers, but I sincerely doubt they have many as experienced as Nohem himself. Or as well equipped. The majority of the bandits have likely been told to harass travellers and wear them down, and capture them if the opportunity arises, but are not capable of dealing with the likes of us without casualties on both sides. Something it seems they want to avoid, as do we", he explains.

"But even Nohem is taking orders from someone, and it is that person we need to speak to, to get proper answers. And I agree with the Sergeant that we should be looking for answers here. Either there is something truly divine happening or a pretty elaborate hoax, and on a personal note I would like to find out which it is. The next question is who they will send to deal with us, and whether they have more answers or are merely coming to escort us to the someone who does".

He moves across to the window and looks out in the direction the bandits retreated, or as close as he can see to that direction.

"I am willing to go with them and learn the truth of what is going on here, if you decide it is too risky for us all to go", he says as he turns back to look at his superiors, making the offer to go as he did before. "They might accept that as a compromise for now".

"Once any of us have seen their camp and what they are up to they will not want them leaving before they are done. They might believe we know too much already. The risk of our returning in greater numbers will be too much for them to accept, even if stopping us comes with bloodshed and loss on their part. I don't know how much ammunition the Lieutenant or Sergeant have, but I only have 9 crossbow bolts left. After that, I will not be able to protect us if they choose to shoot from a distance. And they can always target our horses if they truly want to stop us", he goes on to say, not rambling but thinking aloud before realising he is the least experienced of them out here.

"But of course you three know better than I what they might or might not do, and how we will fare if we try to simply ride away".

Commandant Nattensbarn looks to the Lieutenant for any input. "The Corporal's right," the Lieutenant replies. "While I have enough ammunition for now, it's not unlimited. And even if it were, one well-aimed arrow at Choco or Mocha, and we'll be stuck here in the mountains for much longer. In light of all we heard, I imagine the only reason they haven't done so yet is because they need the horses too, for whatever it is they want us to do. Or to carry in the carriage, if nothing more."

"Very well," the Commandant accepts everyone's thoughts after some thought. "Then I'll negotiate on the terms, but ultimately, we're going to follow them." She doesn't sound pleased with the result, but it seems she doesn't have a good justification to act otherwise.

In the time left before dawn, the Commandant will set up her small wooden table again, but unlike usual, she only takes out one piece of paper with her, along with the quill and inkwell. "I want to organise my thoughts here, so I don't forget anything while discussing the details with... the bandits. I imagine putting the accord into writing isn't really relevant when dealing with bandits, but it can't hurt either. I've heard the conditions you discussed with Nohem earlier, and have added a few of my own. Is there anything else you'd like me to bring up?"

Having slept about as much as always, despite going to sleep early, the Commandant won't go back to sleep at this point, but rather prepare for the day as best she can. Since neither that nor writing the details of the accord will take too long, and since she doesn't wish to wake up the horses yet, she'll spend the rest of the time left until dawn sitting by her table, with the candle (same one extinguished prematurely last night) burning through its last hour in vain, while she does nothing in particular.

Lieutenant Tireur, meanwhile, just in case, sits outside with his back against the wall, next to the hostelry's door, to keep watch. Just in case the bandits change their mind and decide violence is preferable after all.

With the decision made to go and see what the holy task is, 'Tace' thinks on the Commandant's question as to whether he wants anything else stipulated in the negotiations. Drawing a blank, he replies with a simple, "Not that I can think of, Ma'am".

He also has nothing in particular he wants to do with the time remaining until dawn, and so follows the Lieutenant's lead and sits outside keeping watch, but from a different vantage point.

He can't help but wonder at Nohem's background, and who he might be taking orders from. He doesn't seem like a run of the mill bandit. He is far too familiar with magic, and knowledgable about Levicka.

Once the decision is made, the first thing Arren does is collect the caltrops and store them back in the carriage. Then he spends a few minutes checking his belongings, deciding to keep a few essentials on him rather than leaving them inside. Just in case the bandits decide not to honor the agreement that they retain control of the carriage and its contents. Losing some of the practical items they have would be inconvenient, but others would simply be irreplaceable. As such, he gathers a small bundle with a few things he isn't willing to leave behind: his personal papers, Emma's recipe book and the medical kit.

When he finishes there, he passes Lieutenant Tireur, offering him a faint, sympathetic look. "Not what you imagined would happen on your way back to retirement, right?" he says quietly, glancing toward the dark horizon where the bandits had vanished. "Let's hope this detour is as short as possible," he adds, then after a pause: "If you don't mind, sir, I was thinking of resting a little before they return." The Half-Elf knows he needs more sleep, but at the same time, he can't help being curious as well. Will the strange presence from his dream reach him again before dawn, or has that chance already passed?

If Walnuts has the watch handled, Arren thanks him quietly and steps back inside. The Commandant sits at her table again, pen in hand. For a moment, he considers approaching her, then quickly discards the idea ... only to discard that decision as well. The brief tug-of-war lasts only a moment: one step toward her table, then another toward his bedroll. Finally, he approaches her. "Ma'am, I wanted to apologize for waking you earlier," he begins carefully. "I should have let you rest longer. The situation wasn't urgent enough to require your presence, and we could have informed you afterward." He pauses, searching for the right words. "I hope I'm not overstepping, but I'm genuinely concerned for your rest. Especially now, as we're about to walk into the unknown. If the situation calls for a fight or a hasty escape, we'll all need to be at our best. I just ... thought it worth mentioning, for your consideration."

Since he feels he's already said more than he should, and doesn't really expect an answer, Arren gives her a nod and a quiet "Ma'am", before turning away.

Once on his bedroll, he'll spend a few minutes simply sitting, breathing in and out, trying to let go the thoughts of what has transpired with the bandits, and to ignore the doubts of what it is to come in the short time that remains before dawn comes. When he feels a little more settled, he lays back, eyes closed, and muses to himself, "So what was it? A grass-covered hill? A warm summer evening, a clear sky ... but a chilly wind blows occasionaly? Why would anyone want a chilly wind blowing in that situation? A soft breeze, perhaps. But chilly?"  Despite that, Arren closes his eyes, and tries to picture it. What comes to his mind is a night scene. The dark sky stretches above him, revealing hundreds of stars, and constellations he wouldn't even know how to name. In the dream, he lies back, resting on his elbows, watching them in quiet wonder. The occasional breeze brushes his hair, and he can feel the soft grass beneath his fingers. When he inhales, he can detect a faint, sweet scent. There must be flowers nearby...

"Who knows, maybe I'll turn around and become a believer," Walnuts answers. "I'm not sure if I'm going to miss it or not, but there sure will be fewer magic over there, and fewer zealots as a result. Not that we don't have 'em over there too, but... there's far less to justify being one, there. Though who knows? Maybe things have changed in the few decades I've spent here."

By the time Arren comes to talk with the Commandant, she's already done writing the short list of things she plans on discussing with Nohem. As such, she had placed her quill down on the table by the inkwell, and currently just rests her head on one hand while rereading what she wrote over and over. More out of boredom, it seems, than actually reviewing her notes. Or perhaps she's just trying to keep herself awake. Whatever it is, she seems to be dozing off, but she raises her head, fully awake again, when Arren speaks. "What? Ah, yes," she seems slightly confused for just a second. Perhaps she was closer to sleep than Arren thought. "No, don't let it worry you. I had slept just as much as any other night, I think. And if you hadn't woken me up, I'd only have slept about one hour more, until the first light. That's not nearly enough to cover all the hours I'm missing." The last sentence is said at a much lower voice compared to all those preceding it, and Arren isn't entirely sure whether it was directed to him at all. "I'm used to it, so really, don't let it bother you." 

Bryn and the Walnuts watch for the time that remains, and it seems like the bandits do intend on honouring their word, at least for the moment, as there are no signs of them even as, eventually, the light from the sun that had yet to rise starts painting the clear sky in gentle oranges in the east, and lighter shades of greyish-blue farther west. Most of the clouds that covered the sky the other day are gone by now, and the few clouds that now hang don't seem like they'd rain anything at all.

Shortly after the first lights start to show, the Commandant moves her small wooden desk outside, about forty feet from Lory's Hostelry. "We'll negotiate with the bandits here," she tells the Lieutenant, and Bryn can hear her too. "But I don't have another stool with me. Can you find something that could serve as one? And wake up Sergeant al-Nasrid on the way. I imagine he'd like to be awake when the bandits get here."

When the Lieutenant wakes Arren up, Arren isn't entirely sure how much he had slept. He feels like he was sleeping, but he hadn't fallen entirely unconscious either. Like the feeling one might experience when they choose to stay in bed for a little longer after already waking up, perhaps trying to imagine a continuation of an abruptly ended dream, which is clearly their own creation and feels... different. Whether or not the sleep and the dream were genuine, Arren didn't meet the presence again. Nevertheless, he feels like he rested a little bit more and (OOC: because I lost count and am too lazy to backtrack and check) he feels like, despite everything, he managed to get enough sleep. He's still more tired than he would be after a proper night's sleep, but he could manage (OOC: No need to roll a save to avoid exhaustion). The Lieutenant will then pick up a small wooden nightstand, which is used along with the rest of the room's furniture to block the door that leads outside, and take it out with him. Outside, he'll place it as a replacement for a stool by the Commandant's wooden table, on the side across from her.

When Nohem arrives, at dawn as agreed, he arrives with a small force of seven other bandits, some armed with just a scimitar, while others are as well-armed as Nohem was when the last person in the crew saw him. Now, however, he is completely unarmed, at least as much as one can tell. When the bandits get close, the same bandit who was wielding a straight sword, who accompanied Nohem last time, signals to the rest of the bandits to stop about three metres away from the table, and all but Nohem stop. Nohem alone walks over to the table to sit on the improvised stool across from the Commandant.

Nohem and the Commandant talk for a while. For the most part, they follow the terms already outlined in the talk between Nohem and Bryn. The Commandant has a few extra demands, including that she'd be allowed to resume her work undisturbed. Nohem, after looking at her for but a brief moment, agrees. "That's okay, you don't look like you'd be of much use to us anyway. It's physical labour we need your underlings to do, you see, and forgive me, m'lady, but you don't seem the type." Looking at the Lieutenant briefly, he adds, "The Drow might not be of great use either, with his arm in that shape. But, though I hope it doesn't come to that, if work takes too long and your crew runs out of rations - that is, once you need to rely on us in that matter - I will want you to help with preparing the food. There are enough experienced hands there to manage the matter, but they can always use some help."

Eventually, the two finish discussing the terms of the accord. Though Nohem still refuses to give all the details, it is clear he wants Arren and Bryn to conduct some physically demanding work, though he'll only share the full details once they reach the place. He promises there won't be a problem with keeping your weapons on you, though he also mentions that it's possible you'd find it uncomfortable and tiring, though that's up to you. As for the carriage, he insists on looking through it, at least briefly, but after he does, he agrees to leave it in your care. As far as supplies go, however, he says that if the crew chooses not to share theirs with everyone else, they'd also have to rely on their supply alone, except for water, which he says will not be a problem.

((You will have heard everything said and know what the terms of the accord are. I tried summing up anything I thought would be relevant, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask.))

Once everyone is ready, Nohem asks the Commandant's crew to leave anything they'd want in the carriage - which one of his men will drive - while they sit on it, their faces covered so they can't see the path taken. The bandits behind him take out bags to cover the crew's faces.

((I'll stop here to allow you to comment on any of the above before we resume.))

'Tace' is happy to let the Commandant and Lieutenant take the lead in the run up to, and throughout, the negotiations. He stays close enough to hear what is going on, but knows it is not his place to interject.

It is a strange sort of stand off, with them and the Commandant in the middle of two groups of wary guards.

It is a nervous time for him in particular, with the worry that magic will be mentioned and Nohem will out him. The same is true as they go through the cart, although there is nothing of his in there that would be a particular red flag to the bandits.

It is almost a relief when it is all over and the time comes to get on the carriage and have his face covered.

He does spend a bit of time contemplating what they will find out when they get there, and what his role is expected to be. The Sergeant is far more suitable for physical labour than I am, which really isn't my strong suit.

(OOC: Has the Commandant agreed to us actually helping, or just to travelling to wherever we need to go to be told more about this holy task?)

Arren wakes for the third time that day, grateful for this last bit of rest. He's still tired, of course, but the short sleep has helped him recover some energy. Perhaps it's because his mind was calmer, knowing there wouldn't be another attack — or perhaps it's due to the scene he pictured before drifting off. Maybe both. The strange presence didn't return, but he doesn't dwell on it. He does, however, wonder if that hazy state between wakefulness and sleep might be the closest thing to an Elven trance he's achieved so far.

He stands still, arms folded, as the negotiations unfold, listening but not speaking. It doesn't surprise him that the Commandant insists on continuing her work — she was never going to use that time to make up for the many hours of sleep she's been missing, was she? Nor does Nohem's blunt response catch him off guard; Arren merely arches an eyebrow at the bandit's frankness.

He gives some thought to the "physical labour" Nohem mentioned. It probably won't be much of a problem for him, but he doubts it's anything too strenuous — after all, the bandits couldn't have put many of the other captives through truly grueling work. His first guess is that they've uncovered something that needs to be unearthed. But perhaps it's something else entirely. They'll find out soon enough.

When the bandits move to blindfold them, Arren meets the eyes of the man who approaches — not resisting, but not wavering either. Once they are seated and the carriage begins to move, Arren listens for anything of note: hushed exchanges between the bandits, the creak of wheels, the change in sound as the road shifts beneath them. He doesn't expect to learn much, but he still pays attention: whether the carriage rolls over grass or stone, or if at some point, it enters into a cave. 

The carriage is driven for what feels like several hours, and, as familiar with it as he is, Arren can tell by the sounds and shakings alone that the carriage is going rather fast. Not enough to raise any alarm, but it sure does feel like the bandits want to cover the distance quickly. The carriage rolls on the slightly muddy ground most of the time, with the normal patches of grass or harder rock occasionally. Though they may pass in both sunny and shaded areas, it doesn't seem like the carriage entered any sort of cave at any point. Although he never feels a particularly steep climb, Arren is pretty sure they're climbing up the mountains, bit by bit, to somewhere more elevated than the mountain path. Since these paths aren't meant for carriages - or at least, they aren't travelled by them as often - the bandits are eventually forced to slow down to a more manoeuvrable speed.

The first sign of reaching anywhere is in the form of voices. People calling to each other, perhaps not from a great distance, and ordering each other around. At least, that's what it sounds like, though it's hard to tell exactly. Shortly after, the carriage slows down significantly as it approaches these voices, and they can now be heard clearly. "Someone left the broth on the fire!" and "Get it off! Get it off! Ah, you let it all burn, Aleshi curse you!" soon followed by a saddened "Those were the last of our sweet potatoes... I really liked those."

Soon, the carriage is stopped, probably just a few metres from the voices now arguing over what to do with the burnt food, some claiming it is edible if one just adds some water, while others say they'd rather skip lunch. "You can take off the covers now," one of the bandits informs the crew. Once they do, they find themselves in a small campsite made up of several tents and a few carriages, not too different from the Commandant's, on a grass-covered, wide plateau that is slightly inclined. Although still far from the mountain's top, there's no doubt the carriage climbed several hundred metres just now, as the air is notably colder, even if only slightly (2-3°C colder than what you'd expect would be at this time back on the mountain path). From the sun's position in the sky and from the hunger gnawing at them, Bryn and Arren can assume they've been on the carriage for about four hours. 

The camp is mostly empty, but there are a few guards posted around, and a handful of people in a makeshift kitchen that is still arguing about the spoiled broth. There are also a few wooden posts put into the soft grassy ground, which look like they'd be normally used for hitching horses, but there are no horses around, other than Choco and Mocha. 

"As you can see, most of us aren't here during the day," Nohem suddenly appears by the carriage, though both Arren and Bryn are fairly certain that he wasn't riding on it with them, as there was no room for more people on it. "But this is as close as we can get with a carriage like yours. The site where you'll be working isn't far, but I'm afraid your carriage won't pass through. So, if you will," he gestures for Arren and Bryn to follow him, "there's no reason to waste time here. Your superiors will find a comfortable spot here while we walk." 

'Tace' remains calm and still whilst on the journey. Of all of us I am likely far more experienced at being a prisoner, even if we aren't badged as such right now.

He also takes in the sounds and movement of the cart, trying to get a sense of bearing as they travel.

The heated discussion about the burnt food causes a small smile to cross his face, although no one would see due to his mask and the bag covering his face.

When they are finally instructed to take the bags off, he does so quickly, eagerly looking around before hoping down from the carriage.

As Nohem approaches, he takes a good look at him, surprised by his appearance and wondering if there is more to the man or his equipment seeing as though no horses or other methods of travel can be seen.

"Before we set forth, I have two questions. Well, one more of a couple of observations. We have been travelling for hours, and if you expect physical labour today that would go better having eaten. Also, we are still waiting to be told about this holy task. You mentioned that you or someone here would reveal all. If that is happening further down he path, I expect my superiors would want to join us to hear that pitch", he says, and looks across to the Commandant and the Lieutenant for confirmation.

Investigaton: 3+5=8 (Looking at Nohem)

"Not to mention none of us had a normal night's rest, as you surely remember," Arren adds to Tace's remarks about the labour they're expected to perform. He bites his tongue, tempted to point out that after the night they were put through, the four-hour ride, and now being expected to work without so much as a meal, the only thing missing from this arrangement are the whips.

As he waits for Nohem to answer the Tace's questions — which are completely aligned with his own thoughts — Arren looks around and takes in the scene. He studies the people working in the makeshift kitchen, trying to discern whether they're part of the bandit group or among those the bandits have "convinced" to join their cause. Do they look well treated? Resigned? Afraid? Or perhaps willing? His gaze also passes over the tents, searching for any sign that families — perhaps even children — might be living here. They hadn't found clear clues indicating the owners of the Ledge Lodge were a family with children, but nothing ruled it out.

Even if they will surely find out once they reach the work site, the Sergeant asks a few questions of his own. They were promised answers, after all. "How many people are currently working at the site? Are they all people you've gathered along the road, or do members of your own crew work there as well?" He pauses to let the Nohem answer, and then adds, "What kind of specific work are they doing? Excavating? Clearing the way for something? Moving something large, perhaps? How long do the shifts last?"

Arren is curious about how Nohem managed to travel to the camp. Since he wasn't on the carriage, and none of the seven people who came to meet them that morning had any horses — at least none they saw — how did he get here? The Half-Elf wonders if there is another, more secretive way to reach this place. A cave system? His mind wanders to the caves they saw under Tus after the earthquake. And to the tremor they felt when they arrived at the Ledge Lodge, but he says nothing for the moment.

The guards around the tent, as well as the cooks, are all dressed in simple clothes which do not hint at any affiliation. The guards also wear some protective gear, but from a collection of hides to well-made leather armours, it seems like they just use whatever they could get their hands on. The guards watch you with some interest, but do not abandon their posts. The cooks may have raised their heads for a moment when they first noticed the carriage, but at the moment, they're still busy arguing over the spoiled broth. Two of the cooks are Elven women, and two are Humans - a man and a woman - in their late fifties or early sixties. All in all, there's no clear indicator, other than maybe the guards' weapons, of who might be a bandit and who is not.

As for families, some of the tents definitely look large enough to accommodate a family, though that is not a strong indicator by itself. Arren doesn't see any children around or strong indicators to suggest there are. He does, at some point, notice a person exiting one of the more distant tents, lean over a nearby barrel and then walk back inside the tent. Arren can't see more than that since they're distant, but it at least suggests there are other people around.

Bryn believes it is more likely that there is a shorter path one can climb rather than the winding paths that a carriage must take to scale a mountain, but he also doesn't see any of the other bandits, except those who rode the carriage. In any case, if it were any magical means of travel - which seems rather unlikely given how advanced this form of magic is - there wouldn't be any clear indicators. A focus, at best, but Bryn doesn't notice any on Nohem.

"Well, of course. As I said before, it'll be easier to show you. It's not a long walk, just a few minutes. Once there, I'll answer any question I can answer, but most of them will answer themselves. If you want to tag along," he turns to the Commandant briefly, "you're welcome. As for food, do as you like. We've left your provisions to you to manage, so that's up to you. I imagined you'd want to see everything first, but feel free to eat first if you prefer. Or, if you have the standard rations with you, you could also take them with you. Up to you."

((You can do anything you still want in the camp before you go. Nohem won't press you, but he'd also rather you don't walk around the camp aimlessly, and promise there'll be time for that later, too.))

When they're ready to go, Nohem will guide Arren and Bryn, as well as the Commandant and the Lieutenant who chose to walk with them. After about two minutes of walking out of the camp, they reach the bottom of a rocky cliff, where there is what could be described best as a very wide crack - wide enough for a person to walk without squeezing. "This, you see, is why we can't go on with a carriage like yours." 

Nohem enters the crack at the lead, and the rest of you behind him. It is a shaded space between the cool rocks, but enough light enters from the top, several metres above, that all can walk without difficulty - including the Commandant. If anything, the one who'd struggle the most would be Arren if he walks with too many weapons on him, as those will occasionally make passing through the narrowest parts harder. "We knew about this crack for a long time, you see, nothing new about that," Nohem explains as he walks. "But as far as we were concerned, it just ended eventually in this small well up ahead. Actually, 'well' is a bit of an overstatement, but a water-collecting hole dug into the rock by people long ago, but we call it 'the well'. A convenient place to draw water from. It was only after the recent earthquake - well, not the one you surely felt a few nights ago, but the one that came before it, the stronger one. The following day, we came to draw water from the well, when we discovered a nearby wall - what we always assumed was solid rock - collapsed."

Even before they can see anything, everyone starts hearing shouts, and shortly after, metal hitting against stone, as well as other sounds produced by men working. Soon, Nohem exits the crack into a wider area. "Mind your step, it is a bit slippery," he warns as each of the Commandant's crew exits the crack into a wide hole dug into the rock. From the top, it probably looks like three concentric circles. The innermost, about a metre in diameter, is where the water is gathered. The second, like a ring around the water, is about a metre thick and is elevated above the water. That is where Nohem and the crew stand at the moment. Lastly, the third circle is what makes the walls of the space where the crew stands, and goes above until above them, Bryn and Arren see the open sky.

In one of the walls, almost across from the crack, is a hole in the rock that looks like a collapsed brick wall. People carry rubble, from dust and small rocks to whole bricks, out of the hole, and use them to fill wooden barrels, tied with ropes from above, which are pulled up to the top, where others empty them before lowering the empty barrels to be refilled. "Impressive use of others' property," the Commandant comments on the operation, "and I assume you didn't just find a hole in the ground and started digging?" 

"That's right," Nohem answers, "the room on the other side of this hole, what we could see of it at first, is full of murals. Not much we could make sense of, but undoubtedly, these are ruins of ancient times. A temple, a tomb perhaps. As we all know, these sorts of places hold great riches, if not magical artefacts. Maybe even writings, ancient knowledge lost to time. Who knows? And this place would have remained undiscovered for ages. Now it seems obvious, with the wall broken - and expanded, I must add - but before it happened, none would think something lies on the other side of the stone wall. And yet, Gaitha chose to reveal this place to us. To shake the earth and break the seal that kept this place hidden for ages. If that's not a divine task, if we are not meant to discover what lies inside, what else would you call it?"

If any of you seems sceptical, Nohem will continue: "Well, you don't seem convinced. But whatever you call it, there is no denying the opportunity that lies here. And, as you said, we did not own the equipment needed to conduct this excavation. Nor is our manpower sufficient to make any significant progress on its own. With the help of everyone else here, though, we've made quite a lot of progress. Come, I'll show you."

Nohem walks around the well and carefully through the hole. Anyone who follows him will see, inside, a small square room, perhaps three metres on each edge. It is already fully excavated, and although the murals are slightly damaged, it seems they've been mostly conserved. They seem to depict men, some domesticated animals, fields, and other natural elements like rivers and rain. "We're not sure what this room was used for. Maybe just a corridor, or perhaps it was once connected to the well, and sealed later for some reason. We didn't find anything other than rubble in here, but this room was mostly clear, save for the wall that collapsed. The other rooms are... well, in many of the others the ceilings have collapsed - partially or entirely - so there's a lot of excavation work needed."

Out of this room, there are two exits other than the collapsed wall, one on either end. "We started digging in this direction first, arbitrarily," Nohem points in one direction, "but have reached a dead end. Now, we're digging in the other direction, but work is slow. Especially because we are trying our best to preserve the murals on the walls. We have only recently moved to this side, so there's not much to see here yet." And indeed, only part of the next room can be reached, as the other side is buried by rubble. Two wooden beams - likely torn off some of the stolen furniture or a cart - support the ground above the workers' heads, since the original ceiling has collapsed. 

Despite all that, there aren't too many at work at the moment. Several at the top are raising the excavated rubble, and only nine others are inside, either digging or taking out the rubble to be raised away. One Elf seems to supervise the work, but he does not look like he's forcing anyone to work, nor does he hold and whip. In fact, he holds no weapons at all, but he does not actively dig either, and mostly shouts up to those at the top, to raise the full barrels or inspects one thing or another. "Excuse me for a moment," Nohem asks before walking over to the Elf and conferring with him for a moment. "This is Predak. He's the most knowledgeable of us as far as excavating goes. Used to work in a mine when he was younger! Anyway, he's currently in charge here. Any questions you have, talk to him. Even if he's not as talkative as I am, he'll answer you if he can." Nohem jabs Predak with his elbow. "I have other matters I should attend to. Dealing with you lot has already taken quite a lot of my time. Good luck."

'Tace' doesn’t cause any undue delays in leaving the camp, happy to grab the usual rations and take them with him. Although he would eventually like to explore the camp and learn more, the real information he wants waits for him somewhere down the path indicated by Nohem. And once he deduces that Nohem simply took a more direct route not possible with the carriage, he is no longer distracted by the mystery of how he got to camp so fast.

He is not surprised the Commandant and Lieutenant join them either, he suggested they would after all.

When they come to the large crack in the cliff face, he is happy to move forward in silence, not worried at all about passing through. After all he’s not that big, and he has a bit of a history of wriggling through alleyways. It is impressive though, a crack like this in the solid cliff face.

He listens as Nohem goes over the history surrounding the crack in the cliff face, and then of what happened after the earthquake. Finding ancient structures was certainly of interest. He is right, this is unlikely to be the work of some charlatan.

Once through to the other side, he watches the work for a moment, and nods as the Commandant comments on the use of other people’s property.

When Nohem mentions about the divine task, and ultimately that he believes Gaitha chose to reveal this place, he certainly is skeptical and he does speak up. “Do you also believe that in order for Gaitha to reveal this place, other people had to lose their homes? A consequence of this divine earthquake of yours”.

As Nohem’s continues, he becomes thoughtful for a few moments. “Yes, I will accept that it is an interesting find”, he finally concedes quite sincerely. His own intellectual curiosity is certainly peeked by the thought of ancient knowledge and potential riches and magical artefacts.

He follows Nohem into the structure, looking at the murals and spending a moment trying to make some sense of them whilst the bandit continues speaking. It is almost reluctantly that he then heads back outside to be introduced to Predak, whom he nods to by way of greeting.

There is still one major piece of the puzzle that he does not understand though.

“Nohem, before you go. Predak is in charge of the excavation, but who are you doing the excavation for? Who will be the beneficiary of this ancient knowledge and these great riches? Someone is organising all this, and no offence but I don’t believe it is you or Predak here”.

Arren considers Nohem's earlier remark about their weapons becoming a burden once the physical work begins. He knows the Elf isn't wrong but, despite that, he doesn't leave behind his gear just yet. There will be time for that later, when they finally place tools in their hands. As for food, he eats quickly from one of their rations — as he's had to do many times before in his job — and is ready to depart in short order.

He does struggle a bit to fit through the narrower parts of the crack, but aside from that, he walks mostly in silence, watching the surroundings and listening to Nohem's explanations. The ruin itself is impressive — he can admit that much — even if he refuses to call it a holy task on the basis of a single earthquake and a fortunate collapse. "An impressive find," he acknowledges, pointedly avoiding any word that might suggest it was the work of divine will. "I can see why you'd want seize the opportunity to investigate." He nearly adds a comment about the questionable means used to get this far, but the Corporal has already voiced that plainly enough.

Part of his mind immediately wanders to the implications this will have for relations between Ditten and Meyen. He can imagine disputes arising over who rightfully owns the site seems. He watches with interest as the Corporal asks who specifically they are excavating for.

Inside the first room, curiosity gets the better of the Sergeant and he takes a moment to study the murals. Do multiple races appear, or does one dominate? Any sign of a specific deity? Any hint of script? But no matter how intriguing the murals are, his attention keeps drifting back to the scavenged beams holding up the chamber. They make him question the safety of the place. How has this place held together through the recent tremors? 

When they are introduced to Predak, Arren gives the Elf a short nod. "How are the shifts being handled?" he asks first. Then he gestures toward the wooden beams. "And these? How well are they holding? There was a tremor last night. Have there been any collapses or injuries since the work began?"

He gives Predak a moment to answer before continuing. "What exactly is intended for the two of us? Are we meant to join that group of nine? Or to begin a new dig somewhere else?"

Regardless of the Elf's replies, Arren speaks again. "This doesn't look like the work of days. Not even weeks." He glances briefly at the Commandant, the Lieutenant and the Corporal after saying this.

All the while, Arren watches Nohem and Predak closely, trying to gauge whether their answers seem truthful. (Insight: 18)

Nohem thinks for a moment before answering Bryn's question. "Maybe, I don't know. If you believe that the goddess did it, then surely she had her reasons. If not..." he pauses for a moment again, thinking what that could possibly mean. "Well, let's hope that's not the case, right? Because we don't really know, but now that the cat's out of the bag, if we don't dig it out, someone else will."

"That depends on what we'll find," Nohem responds briefly to Bryn's second question but does not expand. "You don't need to know more than that."

Arren knows that any such place found within Katton territory will generally be claimed by the law. While officially that would be "for the benefit of all Kattons", there's almost no doubt who'll benefit the most, and yet, that would generally depend on the nature of the findings. For example, ancient texts are usually of little interest to the average person, and magical artefacts often don't have much use beyond sitting in some museum to be studied by researchers.

The murals are simplistic in nature; therefore, it's hard to be sure, but due to the proportions, Arren would guess these are dwarves depicted in most murals. In this room at least, there is no clear sign of script, and there's no one clear depiction of a deity of any sort, but the theme of nature and agriculture reminds Arren of Gaitha. Especially following her mention earlier.

"As much as you can. No need to overwork yourself, but the faster we finish, the sooner you're freed. Take a break if you need to, but don't be lazy. I don't intend to deal with discipline here. We're making sure everyone gets three meals a day, but Nohem said that's not for you." Predak answers in a somewhat quiet, monotone voice. He is practical and answers straight, clearly not as talkative as Nohem, but efficient in a way. "They've held so far. I've put them as a precaution, but I don't think the ceiling will collapse again. This collapse is not due to recent events. We've had no problems so far." It does seem like the workers, whether or not they are part of the bandit group, do occasionally stop for breaks without any protests from anyone around, and are hard at work but also keeping a good spirit, chatting with each other as they work.

"You'll help them. We have no other route to go at the moment. We don't have any more tools, so either switch one of the diggers or help by clearing the loose rubble. Up to you." Predak continues to answer Arren's questions while occasionally raising his voice for those on top to raise another full barrel. "As you can see, work is going at a good rate. I'd rather have more workers, but you are what we have. We do not plan to fully excavate the site, but only clear a path to see what's there. I doubt all rooms will have collapsed fully, so most of the time you can walk around the collapsed walls. As you can see over there." He points to the path that was already explored. Even without walking all the way in, one can see some of the rubble remains, such that either one can walk around it if the wall collapsed, or one can pass over it - perhaps not as easily as a fully excavated room, but there's enough room to pass while carrying tools or excavated rubble. "I hope to pass this room today, but we can't tell exactly how much is left, nor in what state the rooms beyond us will be. Back at the mine where I worked, there was one who could use magic to move around dirt. It would surely have been useful here, but we have to make do with what we have."

The Commandant acknowledges Arren's doubts and answers what she thinks he was really trying to ask. "We were prepared to stay here for at least two days. Let's start with that. If you're not done by then, we'll review where we stand and how much progress has been made, and how much more will be expected." She has no reservations about saying that blatantly in front of Predak. "I think I've seen enough for now. We're going back to camp. I trust you two to use your judgment. Don't overwork yourselves, and return at sundown at the latest."

If/Once Bryn and Arren choose to help, please roll a Constitution check, a Strength check and either Perception or Investigation. You can choose to roll the Strength check with an advantage while rolling the Perception/Investigation at a disadvantage (working hard without paying attention to your surroundings), the opposite (avoiding work/not working honestly but remaining more attentive of everything else) or roll both normally (finding a balance).

"Tace' is not surprised at all by Nohem's reticence to answer his question. Depends on who the highest bidder is perhaps? Very altruistic and holy.

He says no more, listening Predak answers the Sergeant's questions. One who could use magic to move around dirt. Perhaps that is something I can do. But not in front of the Sergeant, or have the Lieutenant and Commandant hear of.

When the Commandant mentions that they will stay for two days before reviewing, he nods. It is up to her and our captors now to manage the ongoing accord, it seems.

Before he gets stuck in, he decides to wander down the original path that was excavated, to see the dead end for himself. What else has been uncovered? How many rooms there are? Is there anything more script-like than the murals which seem more like pictures than text?

When he is done, he heads over to the Sergeant, unless the Sergeant had accompanied him anyway. "What do you think, sir? Best to stick close for the first shift. Maybe find somewhere close by to leave our larger weapons. Where at least one of us has eyes on at all times?".

He had left his crossbow and bolts on the carriage, but still had his other weapons, none of which were large. But the shortsword would likely get in the way. And so assuming the Sergeant agrees, he removes his shortsword, but keeps his daggers for now. Including the one concealed in his boot.

When he starts work, he takes a balanced approach, not wanting to call too much attention to himself straight away, and a little concerned by the physical aspect of the task. I did manual labour at times in Tus, but this seems far more intense.

Constitution: 14+2=16 (accidentally rolled a con save not check, but it is the same outcome as he does not have proficiency in con saves)
Strength: 20+1=21 (wow, nat 20 to start with! it will be downhill from there for sure)
Investigation: 7+5=12