Dallur struggles for breath and fitfully looks up as Sacha as she asks about the cave. “Yeah. Yeah, we always leave two. One to watch the loot, one to make sure the first don’t steal nuthin.”

As Sacha throws herself into her passions, Entropy is nodding along with her.

As Randa notches her Arrow, for her part, Ayo shakes her head. There's no honor in it, her expression says. 

Dallur looks up at the card stuck to his head, then looks at Morgan. “Aye, that sounds like a good deal. The best deal I ever heard.”

Irvan seems to have lost interest and makes his way back to the wagon without a word. Entropy throws her arms in the air and follows, stomping off. Maggie lingers, just to back up Ayo, who still stands firm, watchful, like a sentry.

DM: Heroic Inspiration for Sacha. A wonderfully passionate post and fantastic character development. 

One of Morgan's eyebrows goes up.
"Loot, you said?"

Showing his best smile, he turns to the others.
"Well... I'm against murdering murderers, but I've got nothing against robbing robbers."

He faces the prisoner again.
"Hey... Dullar? Dallur? How far's the cave from here? You said there were only two of them — is that right? Don't lie."

Then, facing his companions with a little too much energy, he grins.
"What do you think? We take a short rest. We go there, we talk to them, we see if any of them can be saved or redeemed... and we take our compensation. Sound good?"

(OOC: Does Morgan know whether Suggestion worked?)

Ylis looks at Morgan askance, then shakes her head and stomps her foot.

"Are you crazy?! We just got patched up and got Sacha calmed down. You almost died, and you want to looking for trouble?"

She stomps her foot again, then leaps into the wagon. Shiny things start flying out of the wagon and into the dirt. "You want loot, there's your loot. The wagon is leaving, you can catch up."

Scattered on the ground are: 1 Cloth-of-gold vestments, 1 Small gold bracelet, 1 Gold locket with a painted portrait inside, and 300 loose silver coins.

With that, she settles into the drivers seat and pops the reins.

Quote from TeethAgatha >>

(OOC: Does Morgan know whether Suggestion worked?)

DM: My bad. You would know if you are having to maintain Concentration to infer whether this spell succeeds. You are having to maintain Concentration, so yes, Dallur failed the Save and the spell is working. 

Randa cracked a wide smile at Ayo and lowered her bow with a nod.

Randa looked at Ylis and Morgan, " I mean....those of us with access to abilities to travel faster might be able to scout the cave.....just to confirm?"

" Or we could alternately set watch and and a concealed camp here. Someones bound to come looking when they don't return."

" I've had my fill of death for the day so I''m happy to let younger folks to decide amongst themselves."

Sacha gives her Heroic Inspiration to Ylis. She pushes herself up, and gently hugs her. 

“I do think the road should be made safe. I don’t care about the bandits’ gold, but if Morgan wants to go to the cave with the prisoner, I’m okay with that.” Sacha wipes away a few tears, “I just, I don’t think I should go. I think I should rest for a bit. Morgan’s smart and he’s got the bandit under his spell. I trust him. He’ll do what’s right.”

Sacha isn’t sure if she knows what that means anymore. So someone else gets to decide. 

“I’m sorry. That fight . . . it’s not just that it brought back bad memories. I was trying to replace them. Undo them. As if hurting these bandits could somehow bring back the people I’ve lost.”

”And there’s something deeper, I think. My eyes, my voice. I’ve never done that before. I’m not sure that was just me. I’ve always drawn on the World Tree for my strength. But I thought my anger was entirely mine.”

"Oh all right fine. Hold up Rumble we're gonna delay the trip a little." She sighs a little in exasperation.

"I'll wait here with you and we can wait for Morgan and Randa to return. You know any good stories? If not, I might have one. It goes like this." She shifts in her seat and takes up a comfortable pose gesturing expansively.

--------

Our story begins in the city of Cliffside one day after “The Opening”. Another 100 years have passed since The Great Barrier Against The Foulest of All Things Evil or, commonly called, The Plug has been opened. In this place and time, we find three people, strangers to each other, yet bound by fate...

--------

Candlelight flickered in the wood paneled study of Master Dogbrut of the wizard’s academy. Rhamos, one of his most talented, but aggravating students sat at the only desk trying his hand at a new spell. 

“You need to focus, the shape should look like a hand!” the diminutive Furling rarely raised his voice, but the results of the current lesson were pushing him to the edge of patience.

“Master I’m trying, but come on, when am I ever going to use this thing?”

Master Dogbrut pushed his spectacles further up his furry nose and sighed, “Mage Hand can be very useful. I don’t know what kind image you have in your mind, but that,” he said, pointing “is NOT a hand. It looks more like...ARGH! Ridiculous!” For a creature only three feet tall, his stomping feet sounded loudly in the small room as he left and slammed the door.

A few minutes later, the door opened again, “Master, I’ll try again, I promise…?” Standing in the doorway was a hooded figure of medium height holding out a black envelope with Rhamos’ name written in gold script. Taking the letter wordlessly, he turned it over and broke the wax seal.

---------

Ylis makes sure to keep an eye out even when she is telling her story.

“It’s a three hour walk to the cave, but… agh, I can-I can’t walk I don’t think. My leg is busted and is throbbing like lightning is going through it right now.” Dallur says from his dirt prison.

Rumble seems to thoroughly enjoy the story. He nods along with Ylis’ story beats and chuckles at the curiously implied image.

Galsariad and Dermot backtrack back to the group. Galsariad seems fine more or less; he does look a bit pale for a drow, exhausted, as if he overextended in his use of magic and it took something out of him. Dermot is quiet. Normally during downtime he would be painting for someone or cooking. His near death experience has shaken him and Sacha’s fury certainly was no help. He avoids eye contact with her, but does talk with those who approach him.

Maggie looks for and finds the strange device the leader used, but it is melted beyond repair. She clicks her tongue and tosses the slag aside.

“I got something for your leg, Dallur.” Ayo says. She closes her eyes and focuses really hard. Sweat starts to bead on her forehead and when she opens her eyes, eight standard berries are in her hand, but also two strawberries. “Ah!” She holds up the two to Ylis for approval. “I’ll get more next time.”

Then she returns her attention to Dallur. “Magic berries. A full day’s meal and it can stitch up the nastiest of injuries, but it won’t heal you all the way—it just gets you to a good enough spot so you aren’t useless.”

Dallur hangs his foul mouth open. Ayo shudders and tries to throw a berry in from a foot away.

She misses.

It bounces off his forehead and is crusted in loose dirt as it rolls away. She tries again and is successful on the second try. Dallur moans in appreciation as he chews the tasty berry and smiles as the agony of a shattered femur subsides.

Morgan stands still for a long moment.
Then, with an unreadable expression, he kneels and starts picking up the scattered silver coins, one by one, patiently.

He drops everything back onto the wagon, except for a small handful of coins.
Turning to Ylis, he opens his palm.

"These aren't seeds. Not even manure," he says softly. "You can't just scatter this on the ground and expect something good to grow."

His smile curves upward, faint but genuine.
"This kind of shit only grows good things from good hands. The people who attacked us? I wouldn’t call them good candidates. Maybe…" — he glances toward the half-buried man — "maybe we can do better."

He moves to Dallur, crouching beside him.
"I want to know how many people are in that cave. Their names. Any traps protecting your ‘loot’? Tell us everything that might help us stay safe." His tone sharpens, but not cruelly. "We won't hurt your companions, unless they ask for it."

Finally, he plucks his tarot card from Dallur’s forehead, wipes it clean, and tucks it neatly back into his deck.
Stretching his shoulders, he begins helping to pull the man free from the dirt.

Without turning, he adds, voice low but steady:
“I’d prefer not to split the party… but as you wish. Who’s coming with me?”

Randa looked at Ylis with a smirk, " Well, I guess I've been volunteered."

Dallur looks at Morgan with a confused expression. "Uh... still two. Two we leave behind are named Bert and Ernie. We ain't got no traps. Bert and Ernie don't need 'em. They... they ain't regular people like me. They... they're like you."

"Like us? You mean... charming?" he says with a wink at Dallur.

He dusts off his top hat.
"Still two? Good good. Bert and Ernie, huh? I already like their names. I’m sure we’ll become great friends."

He adjusts the hut with an exaggerated flourish, then glances back toward Ylis and Sacha.
"You're sure you don't want to meet our new friends?"
His tone is casual, disinterested (but there’s a flicker of hope behind the smirk, a silent wish they'll come along anyway).

"No... Not charming. They can do things regular people can't. And... they're messed up I think." Dallur says, fear of their very names making his voice quake. He even scans around to make sure the named creatures could not hear his comment.

Ylis tosses a pouch with 5 good berries in it to Randa, “Dont get killed ”

Randa listens to Dallur and looks around at the landscape, the clashes of gods had a heavy impact on this land and its creatures......possibly on its people as well.

She gave Ylis a kiss on the forehead and said, " Keep going. We'll catch up.", then she started jogging off in the indicated direction.

Longstrider.

The Fellowship is broken and the party goes their separate ways for now. 

DM: Do you take Dallur with you?

(  Randa isn't going to want him along. Morgan may.)

Yeah well digging him out will take time.

“Be careful,” Sacha says, standing up to offer a hug to Morgan and Randa, “May the gods protect you.”

Quote from Damian_May >>

Randa listens to Dallur and looks around at the landscape, the clashes of gods had a heavy impact on this land and its creatures......possibly on its people as well.

She gave Ylis a kiss on the forehead and said, " Keep going. We'll catch up.", then she started jogging off in the indicated direction.

Longstrider.

 "Well you heard the lady Rumble, let's go."

She pauses near Ayo's crew and motions that they should continue the journey together.