A Sojourn in Sairundan [Judge: Manzanita]

Cludge Slatefist, Fighter 2 (HP:22 AC:15)

Cludge shakes his head as he cleans his sword and clips it back into the harness on his back.
Buncha chicken clucks an' everyone's unnerstandin' each other, he grumps to no-one in particular.
So what we gonna do with this lot? he says. I'm glad we ain't killed no-one yet but where I comes from, thievery gets you the block, he adds, drawing a finger across his windpipe. Not that there been any thievin' 'mongst my clan -- 'ceptin' a course my uncle Modr, Azwan blast his eyes, what if I ever gets my hands on is a dead dwarf.
He turns to Conuld. You gonna be aright? That's a nasty poke ya took there.

Conuld parts his torn jerkin. "See? It's shallow enough," he says. "A night's rest should see me on the mend - but if you could spare a simple orison, Kurgahz, I would not object. It's strange to see an arrow head emerge from a wound as it closes up! Lasair is trying to befriend the girls. I asked why they turned to banditry - whether from general poor upbringing or dire need. If the latter, perhaps we should not despoil them of their gear."

"Sorry, no more healin' spells today. Unless ya want me ta break out the wand we all chipped in for. But I didn't wanna go wastin that unless we needed ta." Kurgahz says while keeping his eyes peeled for any other activity while the bandits are being questioned.

"Very well," says Conuld. With little to do, he takes a few steps back, casts Detect Magic, and idly scans the pitiful bandits. His eyebrows shoot up as he sees multiple auras emanating from Lasair.
[sblock=Spells Prepared](0) Detect Magic; Ray of Frost; Ghost Sound; Message; Prestidigitation
(1) Enlarge Person; Mage Armor; Color Spray; Grease
[/sblock]

[sblock=Conuld: ]The bandits have several faint auras on their persons. Closer inspection reveals the sources of these auras to be four vials of potion. Two Conuld recognizes the two lavender, almond-scented potions be of the school of conjuration, one creamy white, metallic scented potion of abjuration, and one deep blue, fish-scented potion of illusion. He spins around, sweeping his magical gaze over the area, and notices a very faint blue aura emanating from the bridge, almost out of his sight. This object, the bag from which one of the bandits pulled the furry ball which subsequently became a bat, emits a faint aura of conjuration.[/sblock]

Conuld leaves the covered area and retrieves a bag, dropped on the bridge by one of the bandits.

The bandits' gear comes down to this:

700gp, entirely in platinum, in 7 bags (the only bandit without a bag was the crying girl)
1 bat-ball begetting bag
2 lavender colored, almond-scented potions
1 creamy white, metallic-scented potion
1 deep blue, fish-scented potion
8 leather armors
8 daggers
2 shortswords
2 shortbows
2 whips

Neither girl speaks Sairundani.

The stoic, sylvan-speaking girl responds to Lasair slowly, struggling to comprehend the desert-woman's accented language. "

Spoiler

The... tattoos are not... warrior symbols

.

Spoiler

Each... member of the tribe is given the blue... marks when they... come of age

.

Spoiler

It is an ancient, meaningless... tradition, much like many of the tribe's traditions

."

She turns to Conuld, as he asks his question about the attacks, parroting Lasair. Picking up a little speed, the girl says, "

Spoiler

We attacked out of... necessity

.

Spoiler

You had horses, we needed to escape with... haste

.

Spoiler

Though now it seems we are bound more firmly than we were before

." She gives a grim chuckle. "

Spoiler

We planned to demand that you give up your steeds

,

Spoiler

but we were prepared to take them by force if you refused

.

Spoiler

We did not expect five soft-skinned northerners, two of you but mousy women, to put up such a fight

." She smirks mirthlessly at her captors. "

Spoiler

I, for one, am not ashamed to be defeated by such worthy adversaries

.

Spoiler

But my spirit-sister

,

Spoiler

she sought freedom and found naught but more bonds

,

Spoiler

and so she cries now not for our defeat... but for our loss of liberty

."

(OOC: Sense Motive--they were definitely attacking for lethal and not to subdue, right?)

"She said they are escaped captives who desperately needed horses. If they had been victorious, they would have let us leave if we gave them their horses. I am pursuing the conversation further."

[SBLOCK=Sylvan]"You are from the south...and of a tribe. So are you Sairundani? I am guessing that a spirit-sister may be less like a first-sister and more like a near-sister? So that means you are comrades in arms, and your cause is freedom. From whom are you running? And what is your name, my friend? I am called Lasair Alant. If you are lost to your tribe, know that you are not alone...I have the utmost compassion for your situation, but please, you need to answer me truthfully so I can appease my two more truculent comrades."[/SBLOCK]

"I know what the lavender ones are, assuming the second is the same as the first. The others escape me for the moment, though I can make a fair guess as to the nature of the fishy one," Conuld says, having examined the potions. "What need did you have of such haste? Are you pursued?" he asks of the girl.

OOC: No sense motive check needed for that one: Conuld and Cludge were both dealt lethal damage.

The girl looks bemusedly at Lasair, cocky in spite of her situation. "

Spoiler

You are in the south, northlander. This is the sixth bridge of the Seven Bridges Road, you are nearly a thousand miles from the trade city of Orussus. But no, we are not Sairundani, though we wish we were so free. The Wind Tribes are even further away from here. We are just River people. Haughty, close-minded River people

." She is quickly warming up to Lasair, and even smiles a bit when Lasair calls her " ".

"

Spoiler

Spirit-sister means we are bound by soul, not by blood. She is fleeing the tribe because the tradition called for her to be given to another man, but she had already given herself, body and soul, to

Jonka." She jerks her had at one of the bound men, the whip-wielder from Cludge's side (B3). "

Spoiler

I am bound to join her wherever she goes, he is bound to

Jonka," she indicates another of the bandits, the shortsword-wielder from Cludge's side (B4). "

Spoiler

And the others are simply sick of the tribe's oppression. We meant to fly south and west, towards the free lands closer to the Wind Tower

."

She turns her head and stares across the bridge. "

Spoiler

We considered it great fortune that the river had sent us weak travelers with strong steeds. We thought she smiled on our departure

." She turns back to Lasair and looks at her strangely. "

Spoiler

I thought we were wrong, but perhaps not

."

After a short pause, she answers Conuld's second question directly. "

Spoiler

The tribe kept a close eye on

Jilna

Spoiler

after she made public her protest. We managed to slip her away, but they will surely have noticed our absence by now, and they will come for us. There is no better way across the river, so they will undoubtedly cross this bridge

." She pauses and regards Lasair, again with that strange look that Lasair can see is... ( ). She speaks again, "Jilsa. Jilsa

Spoiler

is my name

."

Those who don't speak Sylvan can pick up the proper nouns Jilna, Jonka, and Jilsa.

The crying girl has stopped crying and is staring, perplexed, at her once stoic companion. She raises her eyebrows at the name "Jilna", and then looks concerned when she hears "Jonka". But her concern fades as she sees the look in her female companion's eyes. The once crying girl also looks at Lasair, and Lasair can see... ( ).

[sblock=Conuld: ]The lavender ones are CLW potions.[/sblock]

(OOC: Sense Motive was to make sure they weren't stringing her along, the lethal damage was a second add-on question that I figured she just knew More later, gotta catch a plane)

[sblock=Lasair]As far as you can tell, the girl is being completely honest with you.[/sblock]