Chapter 3: A Search Underway

[Dizlexus]

Gus:

Shouts at the Woman "You have 3 seconds to save your reticent friend."

"Names! Location of last camp! And who do you work for!? Now!"


Luna Cee's idea gives Gus a moment of pause (The Idea is below)

[imswayze]

Luna Cee is pretty uncomfortable with Gus' actions, so he nervously throws out the first idea that would postpone the execution.

Luna Cee: "Comrades...e...I have an idea. This Lonely Tower is most likely some sort of trap, judging the way our bandit peons here are urging us to go so haphazardly trouncing toward."

"What say we take the two humans with us and send them toward the tower. Let them spring whatever trap may lay waiting for us?"

"Can we spook or steer an undriven horse into heading toward the tower as we approach it?"

"If the fate that lay before them is undesirable enough, maybe they will spill their guts, without actually spilling their guts."

[imswayze]

Garbonzo is really surveying the action as it unfolds. He instigated this scenario partially to determine how everyone would react. He is wise to feel everyone out as much as he can, given that he knows no one here.

He had his suspicions that Gus is someone you would rather be walking behind than have it the other way around. He wants to know if his brother Clem has any ability to keep the potential menace in check. He wants to know how far Gus will go, and if he is functioning on some sort of blood lust, or if he is thinking everything through.

He also wants to know if anyone of the group is also willing to torture a man to death to accomplish their goal. He isn't really the sort to do that himself, but the earlier Garbonzo can figure some of these important character traits out, the safer he will be and feel. So, he is willing to let someone else do the deed to get everyone's reactions...just this once.

He wants to know who would step up and try to stop a potentially depraved man if they really believed a couple of lives should be spared, even after be threatened by those to be saved.

"I vote for Odderick! This party needs a strategist and manager."

[imswayze]

Trindon has known scum all his life, and these bandits are scum. He has seen how poorly this type of creature treats the world, and he feels the world loses nothing by letting them expire.

"I vote for Odderick, if he wants the job. We just need someone to keep us moving. I would trust the bookworm."

[Pulpatoon]

I vote for Odderick, if he wants the job. We just need someone to keep us moving. I would trust the bookworm.

Odderick looks simultaneously terrified and ecstatic to considered for a position."I... I... Oh, no. No, you wouldn't want, that is, I wouldn't be any good. I mean, I'm glad I've been some help, in some small way, but that doesn't mean... well, as my dad used to say, 'Even a fool can catch a fish if it swims onto the hook.' Right?"

He clears his throat and ventures, nervously, "But if you want to know what some of my reading might suggest in a situation like this, well, then, uhm... We do have prisoners, and they might have information. But do we need this information? Does it seem likely to help us with the... the matter with which we have been tasked? If not, then we should rely on the Authorities at the Keep to deal with them.

"If Mr. Gus has reason to believe we would benefit from their interrogation, then I'd like to hear it. And..."He lowers his voice, "Do we really have any truth spells?"

[PyroArrow]

Ok, so Gus Niminus wants to search the Bandits for what they have on their persons.

When someone in the party does this just roll a 6-sided die (D6) first. This will be for probable hidden items (not hidden by magic).
A 1-2 d6 will mean you found the probable hidden item(s) during the search.

So it will be Bro. Clem Niminus & Rondoel Anthelwindelmir, that will go south to spot the Lonely Tower first?

The Split party will be Rondoel, Luna Cee, and Bro. Clem & Gus Nimus taking the Bandits to the Keep?

The party continuing to the Caves Valley will be Stormbrow, Odderick, Durgan, Bro. Linos, Boc Maxima, Trindon & Garbonzo, Fr. Tenebaum, Bro. Radac & Bro. Karick?

[Pulpatoon]

So it will be Bro. Clem Niminus & Rondoel Anthelwindelmir, that will go south to spot the Lonely Tower first?

I don't think we've settled that, yet. We're trying to decide that while also navigating the ethics of bandit torture.

[MonkeyWrench]

Stormbrow looks momentarily shocked at the backlash from Gus but his look hardens and he focuses on both Gus and Clement.
"To torture a man for needless information, after they have surrendered... No, I am not the one being stupid here sir... I have been on the battlefields for my lord and I know madness when I see it."

"I urge you to reconsider your actions before you damn yourself beyond repair..." He spares a glance towards Clement and says this as he draws his sword,
"There is no logic here, only a lust for violence, the same I would expect from the creatures we are to kill at the caves, There is no justice in torturing those that do not fight back, only evil."

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

Durgan watches Gus carefully, hand still on his spear.
"Killing a living being that does not have the ability or urge to fight back is disgraceful and only leads to one path... You should mind your actions better..."

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

Boc continues to watch from the edge of the group, his gaze still rests on Gus and Garbonzo as the instigators.

[Dizlexus]

Gus:

Gus dislikes being told what to do as an individual. He likes it from goodie 2 shoes types even less. Cavaliers and Paladins are low forms of life in his opinion.

"This is not torture fools! This is murder. I can not let a threat go unfulfilled. He will not divulge any information and so he dies. I made him a promise."

Gus severs the mans head, turns to Durgan,
"There I surrender! I have no more will to fight! Happy?!"

To Stormbrow he holds up the head and says, "he would have done it to you."
"Now, let me talk to the girl. I bet she will have allot to say if you give me time with her now."

Unless attacked Gus will keep the head in a saddle bag.

Clem:

Rides up next to Durgan in case he has to protect his brother from the Druid (who is acting like a Paladin). Clem really does not want to fight with the man he believes is his cousin, or the Druid, but his brother comes 1st. And, in this scenario, Clem believes Gus' actions just. And, the girl is more likely to talk now.

[Dizlexus]

For a search of the male

[1d6] = 6

Nothing found!

[Pulpatoon]

Linos watches Gus and sneers. "Did I not say that we would do well to leave this one to wallow in his cups back at the inn? You've killed a bandit, sir, and I will not weep for him, but your lack of discipline is a danger to us all."

Linos looks to Stormbrow. "How much longer must we allow ourselves to be diverted from our mission? Send this blood-drunk elf back with the bandits, escorted by some of our... lesser numbers. And allow the rest of us make haste."

[MonkeyWrench]

Stormbrow points his sword at Gus,
"What madness controls you to do such evil actions?! He had surrendered and was on his way to have justice delivered to him!"

"Are you really so evil that you must take lives when it is not needed?!"

He looks at the different part members, "Can you truly stand aside and allow such an action to take place? Have you all no morals?"

"I have no qualms over killing an enemy but doing so to a prisoner is just malicious!"

Stormbrow then locks his gaze upon Gus, "Will no one assist me?"

In response to Gus's comment Stormbrow replies in a low voice,
"And that is what makes me better than him, I will not stoop to such vile acts. I urge you to stop this madness..."

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

Durgan sighs very heavily at the needless slaughter and sees Clement's approach, he squares his horse off against him and narrows his gaze.
If he is to be considered a target for not wanting to kill meaninglessly then he will fight whoever stands in his way, he does not come to Stormbrow's aid since his thought was never saving the bandit,
only in making his point that murder is pointless unless ones life is endanger, he says to no one in particular as he focuses on Clement, "So much for the forces of good..."

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

Boc, seeing this whole situation escalate to the point of boiling over takes a few steps back and readies his bow, he does not choose a target yet but is ready for whatever may happen.

[Dizlexus]

Gus:

To Stormbrow,

"The most evil act performed here today was yours, Sir. You drew a weapon on a party member. And is this bandit's value to you and the party so great as to threaten violence against one of your own? Is the life of a cruel criminal equal to mine in your eyes?"

"You, Sir, are the sinner."

"If you should draw a weapon on me again you had best kill me".

"If you do not kill me you will be unlikely to wake from the next night's rest."

To Durgan:

"And Durgan, stop acting like I shot Bambi or cut down a sacred grove."
"The fate of a criminal is not the business of a Druid. This is not the life form your gods empower you to protect."

To Linos:
"Bite me!"

Gus remounts unless attacked by party members.

[MonkeyWrench]

Stormbrow considers Linos' words, "That does seem to be a good decision rather than turn this group on itself... Alright then, Gus and Clement. You and a couple others should escort the prisoners with Rondoel back to the keep, let their lives be your responsibility..."

[MonkeyWrench]

Stormbrow simply sighs and resheaths his sword, "you arguments are pointless and everyone trust in you is visibly shaken. You have your request, I hope you will take it without causing additional harm to your credibility..."

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

Durgan gives Gus a cold stare, "Do not think you know my or my kinds priorities, one such as you... will just look like a fool barking at the moon." Durgan gives Clement a neutral look before simply shaking his head in disappointment.

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

Boc is still very cautious as to what is happening...

[Dizlexus]

Clem:

To Stormbrow:
"Aye! I'll not let Gus harm the girl either. But I will let him scare her a bit -- in hopes that she talks."

"Please select those who will ride back and give me an idea as to where I can look for the party when we return."


To Gus:
"You are coming back to the keep with me, make ready!"

Gus and Clem ready the bandits. Clem leads the girl bandit's horse.

Gus puts 2 Halflings on a spare horse and leads the other 6 in a Halfling train. Gus drives the Halflings forward from the front, Clem and the Girl in the rear.

Stormbrow considers Linos' words, "That does seem to be a good decision rather than turn this group on itself... Alright then, Gus and Clement. You and a couple others should escort the prisoners with Rondoel back to the keep, let their lives be your responsibility..."

[Dizlexus]

"Do not think you know my or my kinds priorities, one such as you... will just look like a fool barking at the moon."

Clem To Durgan: "Oh, he knows Druids, as do I. We grew-up in the deepest woods in a wilderness most primeval."

"We lived amongst many Druids. But, we never encountered a Druid who behaved like a Paladin. You are the 1st Druid I ever met who gave a crap about a human criminal's life. It is odd, frankly."

[MonkeyWrench]

"Thank you for seeing some reason Cousin Clement... I believe you, Gus, Rondoel, and a couple of the order who are willing is fine."
"We shall secure the mouth of the cave and await your there before pressing into the depths. The rest of us, let us make our way to the caves!"

He turns to Boc Maxima,
"Please lead the way Master ranger, and I do apologize for the scene this must have made..."

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

Durgan regards Clement's comment,
"I do not behave as a paladin, I have seen the evils of Men and walked the lands, I am not closed off as other members of the druidic order are. What you see is not some form of righteousness...
it is simple respect for the life that nature breathes into all of us. Like I said, you do not know Druids and never will, do not claim to."

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

Boc puts his bow back up, "Hm.. Lets go then." He then leads the group towards the caves, checking the road for tracks and the surrounding brush for movement as they go.

[PyroArrow]

I will need a 'To Hit' [1d20] roll from Gus to see just how well he managed to sever the Male Bandit's head!

[Pulpatoon]

Odderick sidles up to Stormbrow, and says quietly,
"Sir, I have read about this. Dissension in the ranks. This is a martial mission, and must operate according to martial principles."

"That, uhm, that means there needs to be a leader, and there needs to be followers. We can't all be making our own moral, or, uh, amoral decisions."

"We need to be following orders. Your orders. You were the one recruited for this task, yours is the authority. But the party isn't looking to you for leadership."

"You need to change that. Sir. If you don't mind me saying. And, uhm, all due respect."