[Adventure] Kingmaker (DM:renau1g; judge: garyh)

[Maidhc O Casain]

"Sorry, friend. Though we seem to see eye to eye about what should be done, I've said I'll not harm another man's prisoner unless he escapes or is let go and I meant it. I didn't capture this man, and my word binds me. Not only that, I'd likely find myself bound to protect him unless he was tryin' to get away, I'm sorry to say."

 

[Leif]

Faustus, Tiefling Avenger of Lauto

Faustus does a double take. Then he does a triple take. He is one confused Tiefling!

"Whaaaa? Hunh? With one breath you avow that you'll hunt him down and kill him and then with the very next breath, you swear that you'll lay down your own life to protect his? Bloody hell, man, ye need to be bored fer the holler-head!" Scowling and cursing softly, Faustus stalks off by himself somewhere to contemplate what future he could possibly have with this group.

 

[Scotley]

Mari follows the frustrated Teifling and places a warm dark hand on his shoulder. "He is a man of great honor and strong conviction. Let him be if it makes him happy. We need his size and strength in the coming battles. What do you or I care for the life of one young farmer turned bandit? Kill him, hold him, turn him over to the sword lords, let him go it is all the same to me.

Focus on the mission. We need more information. Where do we go next? We need to rest I think and set off for the next nest of bandits in the morning. They can't know about what we've done here and at the trading post yet. We must stay a step ahead."

 

[Shayuri]

"We're all tangled in matters of ethics, like a whistlefish in a tuna net," Ezmerelda lamented, even throwing an arm melodramatically over her eyes as she picked a spot to sit down on.

"Lets break out the knife of facts to cut ourselves free. Because like a knife, facts are cold, and hard, and they cut to the bone when applied with force."

"Fact one; we, the majority at least, want to do what is right. We want to be the heroes of our little edda. Men and women of noble purpose, and the fortitude to follow the path of light even when darkness beckons."

"Assumption one; killing bandits who prey on the meek and innocent is good! Killing poor peasants in a doomed popular uprising againt a tyrannical overlord is bad! That's what villains do!" She waggles her fingers menacingly. "Oooo."

She let the sarcastic drip in her words peter out, and something like sympathy came into her tone. "Fact two; assumption one is naive and foolhardy. Poor peasants in an uprising aren't lovely folks who only rob from the rich and give to the poor. They're desperate sods who are hungry, and don't have shelter, and they'll take what they can from who they can, and justify it later however they can, because they must. In short, they're bandits. The fact that the king's a donkey's arse doesn't change a thing. Not everything that hates evil is good."

"AND...corollary to fact two!"

"Bandits who prey on the meek and innocent bleed and pray like any other man or woman! They fall in love. They have children. They have hopes and dreams, and when you kill them, others mourn them and some will swear revenge."

Ez spreads her hands. "And so the conclusion of my little speech, and hang onto the knife, since you may want it for your wrists in a moment. The real fact is just this. There's no good, nor evil, to be found here. Let the boy live, and he grows up to rob and steal. Kill him, and you'll never know if he might have turned out all right. Either way, some are hurt and some saved; either way there's loss and gain. Pick a side and stick to it...and be prepared for the consequences. That's all anyone can do."

"So stop with the agonizing and the fretting already. S'giving me a headache."

 

[HandofMystra]

The druid has heard from all the party. He turns to address them all "From my interview of Hiccup, I am beginning to believe there are two types of "bandits" out here, Kressle and this Stag Lord are thugs or thug leaders. I am both bound and inclined to fight side by side with Ruarc and the rest of you to send their souls to whatever reward or punishment they have earned. I think that there are also desperate people that have been encouraged to believe that the distant Sword Lords have been stealing from them and killing their own. Hiccup and maybe our informant at Oleg's, both of whom have helped us," hefting his Aversion Staff. "Ruarc I can understand your hatred of those who butchered your family. Young Hiccup here has siad the same thing, that his father disappeared and his mother died of a broken heart and he wants revenge against those responsible. You two are different in many ways, but in that way you seem the same to me.
If I am right there, is cloth being pulled over the eyes of many of the commoners here. If we could pull the cloth off their eyes, they would not need to be merely intimidated by us they could be our allies in fact. If something is turning commoners into bandits, I think we would be doing our lord's will if we unmasked and rooted it out. Faustus, I am sure this would involve killing; I also think that we could earn the trust rather than the fear of the locals will be more fun in the long run.
Ez, I don't think that the few nobles are that are here are behind this. I want to investigate further.
I propose that we escort Hiccup back to his village, he does not seem to me to be an unrepentant bandit. I want to interview the magistrate and the "nobles" if there are any. I think that we should keep our eyes out for finding the Stag Lord, to that end, or Ruarc do you think that can find this Stag Lord or a trail to him? I want to send a message to Oleg that the prisoner is to serve Oleg for one year and that we will check up him periodically. At the end of that time, Oleg decides if he is to lose a hand or an eye. There are many repairs to be made in the fort so he should be busy. If the prisoner knows of the Stag Lord (which I doubt) our companion can bring that message to us, when we reunite."

 

[Shayuri]

Ezmerelda laughs and claps her hand. "That's the spirit! Great plan! We'll have Hiccup take us back to his village. Er...Hiccup, my boy?"

She gets up and goes to where he's bound, then leans over him.

"We just murdered a bunch of your friends, and are now expressing doubts in your presence about whether or not you're telling the truth about being oppressed. Would you please lead us to the REST of your friends, and your family? Just so we can see for ourselves, you see."

Ez then looks up at the druid, "For some bizarre reason, he looks a bit...reluctant...to lead us there. Strange, that."

 

[renau1g]

"Wait, you'd do that for us? You'd come out and help?" the youth says excitedly "Ok, good. It's not too far north of Eagle's Watch, maybe a few days north of there, over in House Lodovka territory." Hiccup says.


[sblock=ooc]
Just a note, his villiage is not in the "Stolen Lands", based on what he told you it is about 400 miles or so to the north of where you are.

So, I'd like to move things along a bit. If you want to pursue this, we'll roll with it, if not, let's move this back to Oleg's? Cool?

Remember the commission you've been hired for also requires you to explore the area, not just pass through it, so a ton of area is still needed to be uncovered (including the areas you've passed on your way here)
[/sblock]

 

[Shayuri]

A look of startled surprise flashes over Ezmerelda's face, wiping away the insufferable smugness. She knits her brows together, clearly at a loss.

"...or...maybe he's all for it."

 

[Leif]

Faustus, Tiefling Avenger of Lauto

To Mari, Faustus says, "It's not so much that I 'care' for the life of one such person, it's just that I haven't reached my quota of VENGEANCE for the day! Yes, I know the rotter means well, I guess, but damn and blast he is a killjoy! And we'd better keep a closer eye on Ezmerelda -- somebody has been spiking her waterskin, or I am a Gnome!"

 

[HandofMystra]

"Wait, you'd do that for us? You'd come out and help?" the youth says excitedly "Ok, good. It's not too far north of Eagle's Watch, maybe a few days north of there, over in House Lodovka territory." Hiccup says.

"Whoa, big guy. I cannot be going so far afield. If you want to fight House Lodovka, you should do it in their territory. What made you come from so far away? Were you recruited up there to "take for the people" down here? I don't see that this will help your family down here. If you go home and promise to stay out of the Stolen Land. We will be rid of you." Turning to the group, "let us go back to Oleg's but slowly, exploring some of the land on the way back. Maybe we can find the Stag Lord and at least we will have done some exploring.
I was correct that it did not make sense for there to be popular revolt against the lords out here."

[sblock=ooc]The sandbox is never big enough. It looked like a fun plothook to me.[/sblock]