Our heroes figure out what to do with the captured bandits
Score: 460 | 6/25/19 |
7th-9th Veltom, 1517
The heroes from Kaer Ungada gather around the fire with their new friends and companions. Fighting alongside one another can bring people closer, revealing their true character. The caravan crew open up to the party, and the party, in turn, share some of themselves.
Fhin Thunderspike, impressed by both Valteri Tomser's skill and valor, shares his strong drink with him. Eventually all partake, and Sean Shamshara is a little worse for wear in doing so. Boris Hillmens, recovering from the heavy wound he received, did his own part to impress the guards. Thommel Thunderspike declares he wants Boris as a commander in his future company, Stormbringers. Boris begs off while Fhin harasses his son, "Why would you ever want to stop working for me?!"
Talk moves then to the heroes when Fhin points out that Boris is probably an adept and already in a group of adepts with Vyktor Wyvernjack, Valteri, and Sean. Admitting the truth of that, Thommel mentions what little he has heard about legends surrounding magic of Named groups and how adepts can make themselves stronger with that. Fhin asks them, "What is your group's Name?"
Valteri, "The Rolling Stones!"
Thommel offers, "Well, they can all join the Stormbringers!" He does point out that he would even take a weak windling. "He fights better than you, Thommel!" yells Fhin.
Sean, noticing Jorik is stuck guarding the prisoners, stumbles over and shares some of Fhin's drink. Returning, The others ask the Rolling Stones what Disciplines they all are. When hearing that Valteri is a weaponsmith, Thommel apologizes. "We can always use someone of your talents!"
Soon Jorik announces that one of the bandits has begun to come around. Thommel stays back to keep watch while the rest approach to interrogate. As they approach, they notice the bandits do not look well fed. Valteri says, "Remember, we promised to wait to feed him to Boris until after we've questioned him."
The bandit's eyes go wide, and he begins to weep in terror, "I don't wanna be eaten! I'll tell you whatever you want!" They find out from him his name is Yfram and that the bandit group is run by "the meanest dwarf", a woman Named Eran the Bald. While he does not know his numbers, though his best friend Roth knows up to the number five, he tells the group that there are about the same number in camp as there were attacking. The camp itself is about half a day away. Peppered throughout this interrogation, the heroes casually mention feeding him to Boris while Yfram frighteningly stammers how much he did not want to be eaten. All the while, Fhin stares on stone-faced. Jorik, behind Yfram, bites his knuckle as tears stream down his face.
Certain now that they have time on their side, the Rolling Stones tell Delmuth Lorafir what they learned. He tells them that Eran the Bald has been a problem on this road now that Throal has backed off on its patrols. However, safe for now, the caravan sets up watch and goes to bed.
At second watch, Valteri notices some noise by where the prisoners are. He and Fhin investigate, hearing Yfram telling someone, "No, no, they're gonna eat me if I escape!" Valteri yells, waking everyone and startling whomever is trying to free the bandits. A dark shape runs off into the woods.
Yfram, "That was Roth. He was just trying to free me, but I told him, 'No'. I did the right thing, yeah?" Another bandit was awake, the one that Boris went toe-to-toe against. He casts scorn on Yfram, glaring at his captors all the while insulting and threatening them, "When I get free!" Valteri wants to cut either his foot or hand off to make an example and to make it more difficult to flee. Talked out of it by the others, he settles on slapping him, which was just enough to knock the bandit back unconscious. "That shut 'im up!"
In the morning, every wakes to Delmuth making breakfast. With the bandits tied to the back of the spare horses, the caravan makes it way towards Axalalail. Taking advantage of the free time while riding the carts, the Rolling Stones decide to meditate and raise talents. Thommel, not understanding, began to pester them until Fhin called him off.
Halfway into the afternoon, a group of three t'skrang on horseback and three windlings flitting about them is spotted. With a crest of a tree rising from water, Delmuth recognizes this as a patrol from Axalalail. He dismounts and approaches, gesturing towards the bandits. He then waves the Stones over to hand over the left ears of the dead bandits. The lead t'skrang gives Delmuth two sheets of reed paper, receipts for what is owed for capturing highwaymen and for the three horses carrying the bandits. With that, the patrol takes the prisoners in hand and rides back the way they came.
An hour or two ride from Axalalail when night falls, the caravan makes camp. Delmuth intends to spend the following day there and attempt to sell some cloth. The group uses the same watches as the night before. Again, someone comes into camp during the second watch, though this time they are not sneaking but approaching with hands held high.
Roth comes into the firelight. "H-hello." Roth tells how he has been following the caravan on foot, catching up some when they stopped for lunch, and he saw from a ridge them handing over the other bandits to a patrol. He asked how Yfram was when they turned him over. He then tells how it's all his fault Yfram was caught up in this. He had promised Yfram's ma that he would watch out for him, but when the riverboat they were on was attacked by K'tenshin, they had to flee inland. Starving, they fell in with Eran the Bald. He should have gotten Yfram away from that, but he didn't know what to do. Valteri scolds him, but Roth, unfazed, says he will turn himself in. As he walks away, Fhin, overcome with some small measure of compassion, gives him some rations.
At the end of their watch, Valteri tells Boris and Vyktor what happened in case someone decides to attack.
In the morning, they ready quickly and eat breakfast while riding.
The trees thin out as they approach the west bank of the Coil River. The road runs directly into a busy dock. Several small buildings surround them, and people are loading and unloading small, flat boats. Three other boats travel across the river without anyone rowing, though they see a T'skrang on each holding a long pole. A rope rises at an angle from each boat, connecting to one of three ropes high up that traverse the river. These look to be tied off to large trees on either bank.
Their gaze follows those ropes to the trees on the opposite shore. Buildings, rope bridges, and all the signs of a bustling town sit there amidst the branches and limbs, like a Windling village made large. Some residents even eschew the walkways to swing from place to place on ropes suspended from higher in the branches.
This is Axalalail, the Swinging City
Delmuth explains that the Rolling Stones can stay here if they want, but he needs to know by the time they all reach the far bank as he needs the day to arrange more guards. If they are going to stay, he will pay what is owed them. If they will continue with the caravan, he will throw in the cost of an inn for the night to be paid in Urupa. As Delmuth arranges transport across the Coil, the Rolling Stones discuss what to do. Ultimately, the decision is to stay with the caravan since they already know they have a job with them. While things seem safe aboveground, they still have three weeks until needing to return to the kaer. Going to Urupa will not cause a problem. Sean points out that there is plenty of time, and on the return trip they can always take a more direct route overland and on horseback.
They then cross the river on a ferry with one of Delmuth's wagons.
Legend Point Awards:
- Naming the Group: 200
- Successful Interrogation: 400
- Arrival in Axalalail: 100
- Total: 700