Chapter 3: A Search Underway

[Pulpatoon]

Clem asks for a conference: Gentleman! He hollers, I suggest we release the Halflings. These humans appear to be the leadership. If we arrest the Halflings we risk overwhelming Lord Guido's jails. We also invite greater risk to both ourselves and our bandit captives if we over burden ourselves with prisoners.

Linos calls over, "On what do you base this conclusion, other than height? A halfling is not too small to contain cunning." He shakes his morningstar meaningfully at the halfling he is looming over. "How do we know that this vicious rodent is not the leader?"

[Dizlexus]

Clem:

Clem says to Linos:
"Brother, you think well! Assumptions could make an ass of me. Round em-up. Better safe than sorry! Thank you, brother."

"Gentlemen! Let loose the rope and make a train of these little scoundrels! We walk them back, single file!"

After Gus approaches, Clem gets the woman on the 2nd. empty horse and remounts.

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Gus:
(again mounted)
Eases up to his brother and says in a hushed tone, but with a snarled face: "I want to kill every damn one of these poltroons!"

Clem:

"Hell no! Mind yourself!"

[Pulpatoon]

If Tenebaum has finished tying up HB4, Linos will begin circulating among the bandits, tying them up and adding them to the hobbit chain.

Linos says, "I suggest splitting our numbers. The peril of the Kmartie's increases with every moment of delay, and we can certainly spare a few hands."

Odderick looks nervous and says, "I don't know. Large numbers served us pretty well in this instance. And we know there are Gnolls about."

[MonkeyWrench]

Stormbrow looks among the group and then eyes the sun, "Well my friends, it seems we are at an impass... We can bring these people back to the keep for their deserved fates or we can press on and save the lives of the Kmarties, but it seems we cannot do both while staying together. I propose this, we split up and those that are here more for money can take back these bandits since a reward will probably be given and the rest can press on towards the caves. We shall slow down our advance enough to give time for the first group to come back to us, for I fear that we shall need every hand with us in getting rid of the evil that permeates those caves." He gives the group an appraising look, "so then, who will be escorting the prisoners towards the keep and then meeting back up with the rest of us?"

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Boc remains quiet, he has no need to see them to the keep, he would rather kill them and be on his way. He already feels this has dragged on enough as his quarry lengthens the gap between them.

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Durgan remounts his horse, "My first thought is cleansing this land of the evil that dwells here, I believe that the caves is where I will do the most good."

[imswayze]

Luna Cee remains on foot guarding the surrendered halflings.

Garbonzo assists MB9 and the woman onto the vacant horses. He then grabs MB9's Long Bow and Quiver of arrows. He slings them both over his shoulder and proclaims: "If no one minds, I think the group would best be served if I held onto this bow. I've been hunting for years, and I don't believe anyone here has the experience I do with a bow, except maybe Gus, and he has his bow."

Trindon has relaxed a bit, but remains mounted and watching the captured halflings. He no longer feels the need to worry about Boc Maxima. He snickers to Garbonzo: "Ya, we'll see if you have any business with that bow! You been talkin a big bow game since I've known ya! Haven't seen anything to back it up though!"

[imswayze]

Garbonzo to Rondoel: "Rondoel, haven't you met Lord Guido and Castellan Devereau? Maybe you should lead the prisoners back to the keep, ever so hastily."

"Take Luna Cee and a Cleric. The rest of us should be able to forge ahead a ways, and you can ride like the wind to catch us from behind. We will pace ourselves."

Luna Cee to All: "I agree to accompany Rondoel if that is the group's decision. I prefer my enemies tied up, and strapped to a horse."

[PyroArrow]

Rondoel to Garbonzo:

"Perhaps, i could take the prisoners back to the Keep yes, if anyone else here knows how to track?"

"I would hate to lose anymore time & would hope that half of this party could handle any Hobgoblins they may encounter."

Rondoel shouting to all the Bandits:

"Do any of you know anything about the Caves of Chaos?!"

Halfling Bandit #3:
"That us followers of the Blessed, Nergal & Erishkigal, will soon be victorious in claiming this realm!"

Halfling Bandit #5:

"Have you not looked to the south from here, gaze upon the Lonely Tower, my friend."

The rest of the Halflings:
"Snort, Giggle, Giggle, Hee, Hee!"

[MonkeyWrench]

Stormbrow mounts his horse and waits for the group to make their decisions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Durgan is as quiet as ever.

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Boc Maxima speaks up towards Rondoel, "I can track. I've been doing so for the past few days, goblins that were headed towards the caves of chaos, if you're worried about getting lost on the way then don't bother, I'll get us there."

[PyroArrow]

Rondoel to Boc Maxima:

"Oh, good, though if it is I that return to the Keep with this motley crew, then i prithe, that you would switch gears for the time being & track for Hobgoblins, as
we are on a search & rescue for a couple of kindly merchants who travels between my folks realm & Lord Guido's Keep."

Rondoel to Adventure party:
"Let's get this group gathered up & someone come with me a bit south to have a look at the Lonely Tower."

[Pulpatoon]

Halfling Bandit #3:
"That us followers of the Blessed, Nergal & Erishkigal, will soon be victorious in claiming this realm!"

Halfling Bandit #5:

"Have you not looked to the south from here, gaze upon the Lonely Tower, my friend."

Linos rounds on the captured halflings. "Hear how their tongues loosen at last, to trumpet their corruption! Tell us, you pestilent little sausages, why do you speak of the Lonely Tower? What foulness goads your laughter?"

[PyroArrow]

Halfling Bandit #5 to Odderick:

"One such as you simply just needs to look upon the thorny briars patched field the Lonely Tower watches over to see your fate!"

[Pulpatoon]

Odderick looks spooked to suddenly be addressed by the cackling halfling.

Linos leans to the halfling and says, "And what would the boy see? Who watches from the Lonely Tower?"

[PyroArrow]

Halfling Bandit #5 to Odderick & Bro. Linos:

"I need not say more, let what you see do the talking now."

[Dizlexus]

Gus:

Gus is intent on pumping the bandit for information while creeping the poor guy out. He offers to be part of the return team.

Clem:

Clem thinks it best to stay near the increasingly unpredictable Gus. He will also ride with Rondoel. The Niminis Bro will be game to get a look at the tower too.


Can I get a list of anything valuable or interesting that would come from a frisk of these 2 bandit leaders? Gus has no problem leaving them penniless -- and naked to the cold if he likes their cloths. I hope they have written instructions from a boss, or something.

[imswayze]

"What foulness goads your laughter?"---I think I'm gonna start saying that. That is good.


Garbonzo: "Sirs, it seems to me this party is struggling to maintain its composure and direction."

"Gus, I suggested that Rondoel, Luna Cee, and a Cleric be sufficient to deliver a pair of bungling, enfeebled morons that can't ambush."
"The keep is just beyond eye-shot. It should not require half of our numbers to do this."

"On second thought, how this pitiful band of knee-highs managed to terrorize the traffic for so long is a wonder...is it not? What do they know that we don't?"
"Do they have some sort of powerful weapon? Do they have a source of magic? How many more of you are there?"

"Gus, if you feel the need to wipe those smiles and suck that laughter right out of these halflings...no wait...half-"wits," just say so. What could it hurt?" Garbonzo says, smiling, and looking right at HB5. "Perhaps it would serve us to extract some of their enlightenment right out of 'em, like syrup out of a tree, onto my morning muffin."

"We could all just mount up and mozy toward the Lonely Tower...leave everyone here with 'ol Gus. After seeing how worthless the lot of you are, I could care less what happens to ya...threaten my life!?"

"Either way, it shouldn't take that many of us to trot up the road and back, should it?"

[Dizlexus]

Gus:

"I'll get what I want now! Then arrange it however you wish."

Gus dismounts and pulls the prisoner off of the horse, violently, to the ground. He turns the bandit on his belly. Gus sits on his back and pulls the bandit's head back by the hair. Gus places the blade of his short sword on the man's neck.

"Make his girlfriend watch this!"

"Ok, buddy, we have truth spells as I warned you. So, tell me your name, where you have been camped and who you work for!"
"You have 10 seconds or lose your head while your girl watches -- she's next! Speak!"

[Dizlexus]

Clem:

Sneaks a word with Odderick while Gus is being murderous.

"Odderick, you study tactics and your personality might be perfect for playing party whip. We need someone to cut through the din of confusion and make decisions for the group. I nominate you."

Clem shouts out to the party!

"Fellas, I nominate Oddrick as party whip! When the group struggles to agree I suggest we give Oddrick the authority to decide for us. He is a kind fellow who makes a regular study of tactics."

"Who will agree to naming Odderick the party whip?"

Clem starts the vote: Aye!


Gus sitting on the bandit's back grunts "Aye!", as he readies his blade on the poor sap's neck.

[PyroArrow]

All the sound that the Male Bandit makes are just grunts from Gus' manhandling of him.

The Girl Bandit screams in distress at witnessing what Gus is doing to the Male Bandit.

[MonkeyWrench]

Stormbrow rushes towards Gus, "What are you doing?! Are we no better then common bandits now? Stop this madness before things get more out of hand!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Durgan watches Gus and the other carefully, his hand resting on his spear for easy access. For one to spill blood anothers blood so easily... he would certainly not rest easy with that type of person...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Boc stands back, watching as the chaos starts to appear again, he eye's Gus and Garbonzo cautiously since they seem to be the instigators of this...

[Dizlexus]

Gus:

to Stormbrow, "Shut your trap super hero. This is MY prisoner. What fate would he have chosen for you?!"

"Being a moralist is fine. Being so moralistic as to be stupid is not fine. Back-off!"

"I see you getting tense Durgan. Mind yourself too. You were a twist of fate from having this man on your back with a blade to your throat."

Clem:

To Stormbrow, "I'm uneasy about this too. But, his logic is solid. These people would have had no problem killing and robbing us."
"I'm afraid I have to support Gus right now. His behavior is the moral equivalent to what the bandits manifest. They reap what they sew. Is that not just?"