[Completed] Corvin/Mordred/Kasper Adventure 1: Battleaxe Gang

[archolewa]

Corvin

On hearing of the death of the mother, Corvin's hands tighten into fists, but he takes a deep breath and relaxes. He looks at the thug with disdain.

"Wendy was worth more than two of you, more than ten of you cowards. You said only two children? Then I can only hope Benjy was away. Was there a reason they chose this particular family? You said Vane was the leader. I assume he'll be easy to spot?"

"Aye, that I won't dispute," says the man bitterly. He shrugs as best he can in his bindings. "But I ain't saying anything else until I get what I want."

[ybn1197]

Kasper

Kasper takes a step closer towards the bandit. "I will give you the writ. We will not chase you this evening, and we will not send others to do so. And in return, you will answer all our questions. But do not doubt you will eventually atone for your guilt. One such as yourself will not give up the life of ease by taking that which is not yours. And if we can catch you, others can and will. So I do not fear that you will not pay for your sins." He drops his bag and pulls out a sheaf of paper and a quill with ink and writes the writ the bandit has requested. He shows the paper to the bandit. "Now you will answer our questions."

[archolewa]

The bandit lets out a sigh of relief. "Thanks preacher. Alright, look. Tower's got three floors. Bottom floor's got the kitchen and pantry. That's where whoever's 'on duty' hangs out. Mostly though, we just drink and talk, and play cards or dice. Nobody bothers paying too close attention to the door. We trust whatever magic's around the tower. They might get more nervous when we don't show up, but probably not until morning. Hrek sort of looks the other way if we take our time getting back. He knows the tower creeps us out. Stairs up to the second floor are in the kitchen. Second floor has the beds for all of us but Vane and Velda. Usually got three, maybe four of us not on duty any one time. Might be sleeping, or just upstairs rolling dice and the like. Third floor's got Velda and Vane's room. It's guarded by a pair of dogs. Nasty mutts, only like Hrek, Velda and Vane. Velda and Vane are often in their room, fighting, sleeping or, well you know. Doing what couples do. Mostly fighting these days. Vane hates the tower much as the rest of us, but Velda insists it's the safest place for us. Not sure she's wrong, honestly."

The bandit takes a deep breath. "Now, the basement. Stairs to the basement are through the kitchen. Door's always locked. None of us got a key, not even Velda. The girl comes out at night every few days or so to run errands, usually back a little before dawn it's around midnight at this point. She left tonight. I don't know much about what's down there. But, well, I took a peek in one night when the girl took some captives down there, not long after we got here. Some foolish woman and her family who killed old Eugene with a spear not long after we moved into the tower. Used to live in this house, actually. Hard to see down there, dark and shadowy. But the family, they got to the bottom of the stairs, and then just vanished. Like they fell. Heard a brief bit of screaming, maybe some snarling, and then nothing. Another thing, that place..."

The bandit shivers. "There was a chill down there. A soul chill. Made me think of cold, misty mornings on the Wall. Deadly silent shapes emerging from the mist, snarling and slashing with bloodied claws, eyes dead, their chests perfectly still, no breath. No life. But rending and snarling all the same."

[Edeldhur]

Mordred

He glanced over at Corvin and Kasper, briefly wondering if the four of them could handle the tower with so many enemies inside, then turned to the thug again, a plan already forming - "So this young girl would still be out now, and probably returning later then" - Mordred's eyes narrowed - "Does she always travel by herself? And do you not know her name?"

[archolewa]

Mordred

He glanced over at Corvin and Kasper, briefly wondering if the four of them could handle the tower with so many enemies inside, then turned to the thug again, a plan already forming - "So this young girl would still be out now, and probably returning later then" - Mordred's eyes narrowed - "Does she always travel by herself? And do you not know her name?"

The man shrugs. "Far as I've seen, though she gets enough food to feed two, three, maybe four people if you stretched it. I don't know her name, of course not! I did my best to make sure she never noticed me."

[shaidar]

Corvin

When the fate of Cathy is told Corvin seems to deflate a little, but when he speaks his friends can still hear steel in his voice.

"From what you've said Vane is a fighter. What about Velda, does she have any particular skills?"

[archolewa]

Corvin

When the fate of Cathy is told Corvin seems to deflate a little, but when he speaks his friends can still hear steel in his voice.

"From what you've said Vane is a fighter. What about Velda, does she have any particular skills?"

The man barks a laugh. "Vane, a fighter? Please. Soon as that woman came out, sword flashing, a battlecry on her lips, he vanished like smoke. Let two of his people go down, while he got around behind her and stuck her in the back. Hrek's a fighter. Vane wouldn't go toe-to-toe with a kitten. Velda's no better. I will give Vane credit, he's usually real good at finding easy, juicy targets. SIx months ago, he'd have never considered attacking the farmstead. Not enough booty, too many she-devils with a sword."

[shaidar]

Corvin

"Vane will not live to see another dawn, not while I am breathing."

He looks at the thug "I keep my word, I won't go looking for you. But just hope we never bump into each other again"

[ybn1197]

Kasper

Kasper does not say anything, he stands where he is silently listening. The man was a cretin and he will receive his just due when the time was right. Kasper just waits for one of the others to untie him and then, and only then, will Kasper hand him the writ.

[Edeldhur]

Mordred

Mordred untied the man, a stern expression on his face - "You got lucky we needed information tonight..." - he growled, and cut him loose - "Now get out of here"

But just as the thug was about to leave he stopped him - "Wait!" - he seemed to be considering their options for a second - "It seems you have made a lot of crappy choices in your life, maybe because you are a coward, or maybe because you thought you didn't have an alternative" - he spoke with measured words - "But you can prove you are something more. There is a chance here. Join us, and turn the table on those bastards"

[archolewa]

But just as the thug was about to leave he stopped him - "Wait!" - he seemed to be considering their options for a second - "It seems you have made a lot of crappy choices in your life, maybe because you are a coward, or maybe because you thought you didn't have an alternative" - he spoke with measured words - "But you can prove you are something more. There is a chance here. Join us, and turn the table on those bastards"

Buahaha! I love it. Did not expect it, and I love it. This is going to be a Charisma check and I'm going to give you a +2 bonus on the check because you made my day. 1d20+9+2 = 23 > 20!

The thug pauses a moment. He runs a shaking hand through his blood-matted hair. He gnaws on his lip, and looks between the three. His lips press together for a moment. "Y-you know, my grandpappy died during the Retreat. Fell in the Battle on the Road. Papa always insisted he saved his life. I dunno if it's true or not, but probably he saved somebody right? Even orcs can't kill two people at once. Spent my childhood playing soldier, dreaming of being a hero, of fighting the Kinslayer like my grandpappy. I was at the Battle of the Misty Morning. Couldn't handle it, those half-decayed, bloated corpses charging out of the mist, moving faster than they ever did in life."

The man trails off a moment. "Kinslayer take it, fine. I'm sick of looking the other way, while the Enemy murders the folk my grandpappy died to defend. Folk ten times better than any of us. I can't bring your friend back, but maybe I can help you save whatever's left of her family. Or at least take a sword so that you don't."

Note that the man did take 1 damage from Sebastian's kosh in the fight. I'm going to assume that Kasper will take a moment to tend to his wound (if I'm wrong, I can edit the post to roll it back), for a first aid check: 1d20+16+1 = 30 > 20, healing for 1d4, but the guy only took 1 damage, so he's back up to full health. All 3 HP of it.

Kasper takes a moment to treat and bandage the man's headwound. He recognizes it as being from a kosh, as non-lethal as a weapon can be. The wound is minor, barely more than a bump and scrape, and easily tended.

[shaidar]

Corvin

Corvin looks surprised when Mordred makes his offer, and even more surprised when the man accepts!

He looks a little skeptical "I suppose everyone deserves a second chance, but I'll be keeping an eye on you, so don't try anything."

[archolewa]

Corvin

Corvin looks surprised when Mordred makes his offer, and even more surprised when the main accepts!

He looks a little skeptical "I suppose everyone deserves a second chance, but I'll be keeping an eye on you, so don't try anything."

The man gives Corvin a nervous smile. "So, umm, what's our next move?"

I'm going to assume that you guys will go back shortly and get Sebastian, and give the thug back his leather armor and short sword, so no need to be explicit about that.

[ybn1197]

Kasper

The man gives Corvin a nervous smile. "So, umm, what's our next move?"

I'm going to assume that you guys will go back shortly and get Sebastian, and give the thug back his leather armor and short sword, so no need to be explicit about that.

"Do you have a name? Would be unseemly to call hey thug, bandit, or even you."

[archolewa]

"Do you have a name? Would be unseemly to call hey thug, bandit, or even you."

"Geraint."

[shaidar]

Corvin

"So, a plan. We need to move before dawn to keep our surprise. There's eight in the tower and the dogs. Let's assume Vane and Velda will be on the top level and the rest will be equally split between the kitchen and hopefully asleep on the second floor. With the girl out, do we try and take the tower before she returns then catch her by surprise? Could we pretend to be the returning trio to catch the guards by surprise. Geraint will make that easier."

[Edeldhur]

Mordred

Mordred nodded at Geraint - "Welcome to the team, Geraint. Don't make us regret this decision"

He turned to Corvin and the others, pondering the situation - "I think our best move would be to ambush the girl first. She's an unknown factor, and we don't want to face her when we're already worn down from a fight in the tower. If we can catch her while we're at full strength, we'll have a better chance of dealing with whatever she might throw at us. Plus, taking her out of the equation before we hit the tower means one less threat to worry about"

He paused, glancing around the group - "What do you think?"

[shaidar]

Corvin

"She is potentially the biggest danger, the most powerful, so it does make sense to jump her while we are strongest. I wonder if there is a way we could block the tower door to stop reinforcements."

[Edeldhur]

Mordred

"Maybe we just need to jump her when she is away from the tower" - Mordred pondered - "But that would mean we would need to know her path, which we don't"

He turned to Geraint - "Do those inside the tower usually react or respond to scuffles and noises coming from the outside?"

[archolewa]

Mordred

"Maybe we just need to jump her when she is away from the tower" - Mordred pondered - "But that would mean we would need to know her path, which we don't"

He turned to Geraint - "Do those inside the tower usually react or respond to scuffles and noises coming from the outside?"

Geraint shrugs. "Haven't really had any I don't think. But the door is closed, as are all the windows. And like I said before, those of us awake are usually eating, drinking, or playing craps or cards. I doubt they'd hear anything as quiet as a scuffle."

If you guys fought someone in the open space around the tower, I'd probably give the people inside a 1-in-6 chance of hearing anything particularly loud, like a spell or death cry. Any further away, and you'd be fine.