“I’m feeling surprisingly well,” Malcom adds. “Whatever you did back there, Gale, really invigorated me. Not sure what would have happened without it.” He says with a small chuckle. 

“Sorry, I don’t have any spells that would be able to help look for the tiefling, but I can try something...”

Not entirely sure what the plan is, but Malcom will take the time (10 minutes) to ritually cast detect magic, then examining the bodies of the thugs and Goliath for anything that might give the telltale glow of magic. If we don’t have that kind of time, Malcom could also just use a spell slot. Doesn’t matter to me.

OOC: Shackling everyone, right? How you planning on getting this load of bandits into your cart. Athletics (I'll give one person advantage if you use the help action to help another PC).

Malcom make a perception check.

Nothing on these folks is magical and gives off no magical glow indicating an enchantment or magical residue.

Perception: 13

(Malcom will offer help, but wouldn’t be able to do much of the heavy lifting)

(OOC: I'll assume Sef suggests this to Gale and Malcom.  We need to get the sleeping bandits shackled first before the spell wears off.  If it's going to take a bit for Malcom to cast the spell, perhaps Gale and Sef can work together to haul each into the cart and secure them there. Sef would then check each for weapons, tools, jewelry, coins, trinkets, etc.  Really anything but the clothes they wear, just to be safe.) 

(Perception - 1 roll for each bandit then goliath - to check out each person: 8, 14, 24, 23.)

(I assume Sef will Help Gale with lifting. But if we come up with a different plan I can roll.) 

(Again, posting from mobile, sorry)

”I can cast some simpler healing spells when we get back to the inn, but I’d rather make sure we’re out of the woods before I expend all of my energy.”

While Malcom is focusing on his spell, Gale will cast see invisibility and have a look around the area to see if she notices the tiefling or anyone else lurking nearby.

Perception: 11

Then, with Sef’s help, she will shackle the bandits and attempt to hoist them into the wagon.

Athletics (with advantage): 4 or 18

Malcom nor Gale spot the teifling. They seem to have abandoned their companions completely.

Collectively Sef finds 11 of gold on the bandits and goliath but their weapons as well as armor seem well worn. It's as uf anything of value is turned for a profit. There are regular goods the bandits hauled off the merchant's wagon however still beside the road.

Gale and Sef get the three bandits in the cart but the goliath is massive and your cart will not hold them, the three bandits, and the three members of the party. The goliath remains on the ground unconscious while the three bandits begin waking up.

"Maybe we could get him on the cart and we walk alongside?"  Sef suggests. He keeps an eye on the others as they start to stir.  "Might also be nice to grab some of the stuff from that other cart. Maybe we'd catch up with them back in town?"

(OOC: Not sure if my suggestion would work.  Would the goods from the other cart fit on ours?)

OOC: You'd need to go look at them but as it is the goliath and the bandits AND the party won't fit.

"Would one of you two keep an eye on the prisoners?" Sef asks Gale and Malcolm.  He then proceeds to walk along the road to where the bandits had abandoned items from the other people's cart.  He checks out what was left behind.

(Perception, if needed: 13)

Malcom is happy to walk alongside the cart as well. One thing he would be interested in doing before they left as well (hopefully while detect magic was still up), was to go over and check the wooded area from where the bandits came. Where the raven was flying back and forth to, to look for some sort of camp they might’ve had there. 

Edit (for cross post): he would stay at the cart with Gale while Sef investigated, then go do that if possible 

Gale would also hang back at the cart, watching the bandits for when they wake up fully. She would try to rearrange the cart so that all four prisoners could fit, even if that didn't leave room for the party or the merchants' goods. Once Sef and Malcom were both back from their scouting trips she tells them, "Either the tiefling is gone or incredibly good at hiding. The spell will last an hour, so I can keep watch on the way back in case he is here and decides to follow us."

OOC: Again three bandits are in the wagon. The goliath can not fit. Also as I mentioned before y'all were only able tp shift the three bandits. The goliath is still unconscious on the ground.

Sef moves to the goods. It's sacks of grain, about five walnut one's broken open, a cask, and a cage with live chickens.

Malcom detects nothing magical.

As the three bandits stir waking up in shackles isn't a welcomed state.

"Release us," one growls. 

He's a young half-elf with soot black hair and fine features.

"What gives you the right to chain us," another bandit adds with a feminine voice. 

As her hood falls back you can see she's human with fiery red hair cropped short into a pixie cut. She could easily be mistaken for a boy.

The third bandit begins to get up from the cart.

"Do you even know who we are caster," the older man asks his hood falling back revealing a full elf with dark skin and graying dreadlocks adorned with bits of bone and precious metals. "Fools! They lot of you," he adds shaking his head.

Heading back towards the cart,  Sef addresses Gale. "It would be nice to know what happened to that Tiefling. But maybe best to head back to town. Just don't know what to do with this big guy."  He waves his hand to indicate the goliath. "Think we can get him to walk?  If we can get him conscious."

(OOC: Having looked at the discarded cargo,  would it fit in the cart with the bandits? Or at least the intact ones?)

(How long is the drive back to the town? Malcom could charm the Goliath again or use suggestion to make him walk with the group. Problem is charm person would only work for an hour, and they would know they were charmed afterwards.)

It does seem as though they already know Malcom is a caster...

”You have wronged many people, and will pay for your crimes.” Malcom curtly tells the bandits. After that, he will look away and ignore any other attempts at conversation by the bandits. He  

OOC: Discarded cargo, yes. It's about two hours from town.

"By what authority do you have to shackle us," the elven man demands shaking his shackled hands at the party. 

OOC: The goliath will need healing if you're going to move him.

Back near the cart again, Sef addresses the elven man. "The Empire has given us authority to detain bandits."  He motions to the medallion near the neck of his cloak. "We will be taking you back to Whitehaven."  

He then looks at Gale. "We should pull the cart over and load up those discarded items from the other traders.  See if we can get them back to them."  He then looks at the goliath. "Any thoughts on what to do with this guy though? Get him on his feet somehow?" 

"The Empire? The Empire," the elf chuckles darkly. "You casters aren't with the Empire! Look at you! If any of you've ever set foot in Ellyria you wouldn't be here on the road after bandits," he adds. "We're working with the resistance....to free caster's from the Readers and Reapings! Here you are helping the people who subjugate us from on high," he adds spitting on the wagon. "You're making a mistake if you think they won't turn on you once they find out," he adds with real concern on his face.

Gale chuckles dryly, stepping up to the cart to face the elf. "We aren't stupid. We don't support what the Empire does, nor do we work with them when we don't have to. But, we also can't condone you harassing and stealing from innocent people, no matter what your end goal is. If we want to fight against them, we can't stoop to their level. I know this is far from comparable to all the things they've done, but I fear it'll be all too easy to slip down that path and become just as corrupt as they are." 

She sighs, shaking her head. "Look. I'll let you make your case. Give me a good reason you should be allowed to run free and keep harming civilians."

“And if you truly are an ally of casters, then you’ll do your part and say nothing about our... talents. The empire has no reason to suspect us, and I would expect you to keep it that way, right? You are so noble after all...” Malcom adds to Gale’s statement. 

Sef turns his attention back towards the elf, watching for his response to Gale's question but saying nothing himself.  (He would use Insight to determine if he thinks the elven man is being honest about working with the resistance:18 - using Ear for Deceit: Whenever you make an Insight check to determine whether a creature is lying, treat a roll of 7 or lower on the d20 as an 8.)