Turn 4 -- After the Battle

Druckner registers with disbelief the white and black feathers sticking out of his chest. "Does anybody know a little first aid?" he asks. Hearing Druckner's request for aid, Beleg comes to his side to see the shaft protruding from the brave dwarf's chest. Kneeling beside his injured companion, Beleg prepares to administer the needed aid.

"Gnore, Randor, please come here and assist me." The two come to his side. After instructing them to support Druckner, Beleg grasps an end of the shaft in each hand, looks up at Druckner and says, "I am going to break this shaft and pull it from your body as swiftly as possible. When I have done so I will ask for Heironeous' grace to give you what healing I may." To Gnore and Randor, "Support him well and try to keep him from moving too much, as too much movement may damage a vital organ." After saying this and receiving a nod from Druckner, he breaks the shaft and pulls it on through out of his chest. Druckner gives a small cry of pain as the arrow is pulled from his chest but is then soothed as Beleg lays hands on the dwarf and heals his wound. "Thank you for your gracious help, friend Beleg, I feel much better."

Looking at the prisoners, Talimar says, "Before we move on we should question these creatures and find out who pays their wages and how they knew to be waiting for us at this spot. Kre, I am sure you will be able to get some answers from them, Gnore, why don't you give a hand as well?"

"We should also check the bodies for anything of use or clues as to our assailants identities. Zir'zool and Kersath, you two should also check around for tracks and our assailants camp if any and if they have reinforcements."

Kersath walks over to take a look at the prisoner that attacked him while attempting to bandage his wound. "I will go and patrol the area to insure that there are no more scum such as these," but first he turns to the prisoner, draws his long sword and rests it very gently on the archer's throat, "You'd better tell us what you were looking for my dear man, you see, my friend the dwarf here isn't known very well for his patience. He is better known for his bloodlust and besides, my sword has been known to slip sometimes. I'd suggest you give me a reason to remove it." The man is visibly shaken at the threat from Kersath and is about to speak when the leader yells at him to keep his mouth shut. Kersath laughs a wicked laugh and motions for Zir'zool to follow him into the woods. The two of them disappear quietly into the woods.

Looking at Talimar, Gnore, still filled with the fury of battle shouts at the top of his lungs, "Aye, I will help Kre loosen these cowardly, filthy sons of a goat's tongues!! They have no courage to face us in true combat!! Hear that goblin orphans? I'm going to pry information from your worthless assassin bodies and don't think I'll be too gentle!" exclaims Gnore as he approaches the first of the captives.

Sheathing his weapon and grabbing two fists full of the prisoners tunic, Gnore continues with his verbal onslaught while vigorously shaking the poor soul. "So talk you slime of an orcish wolf! We want answers!! Who put you dogs up to this and why?! Talk, there are others I can question you know?! And speak the truth, you poor excuse for a goblin mother, we won't tolerate any garbage that reeks of lies from you!! Give it up man and save yourself pain and agony. Or don't, I don't mind, you piece of rotted maggot-infested soon to be corpse! Well, what say you?!"

Feeling rejuvenated now, Druckner walks over to the nearest brigand, grabs him by the collar and brings him to within inches of his face. "Your mother would tell you how ashamed she is of you if you could understand grunting and squealing. You heard Gnore, speak up! Who sent you?! Are you after the chest?!" Druckner thinks a few seconds while the brigand turns a whiter shade of pale and gets a deeper understanding of Druckner's clam name, Brombreath. Druckner then turns an even deep crimson, "Are you after our money?!" He then drops the brigand and stands over him, his axe in hand while waiting for a convincing answer...

The poor man is obviously quite shaken by the dwarves' tirade and almost trips over his tongue to tell all he knows, "Please, please don' kill me!! It be all his doin'," he says as he nods in the direction of the leader, "Carlanis, he put us up to this, sayin' that ye be carryin' bad magic and dead stuff in the chest. We was only doin' wot we thought best for the common people of Milbourne. I swears it on my dead mother's soul!" The man finishes almost in an hysterical fit of crying and begging for his life.

"Shut up Davin!" yells the leader Carlanis, "shut up or I'll kill ye meself!"

Kre backhands the leader, "Shut up you fool, don't speak til we ask you to." Carlanis eyes Kre warily and lowers his head as a trail of blood begins to fall from the corner of his mouth.

The interrogation continues in this fashion with none of the prisoners giving any more information or deviating from the original story, that they were hired by Carlanis to attack you and keep from bringing the 'dead magic' into the town. Carlanis will only add that he had heard about a shipment of the stuff coming through town but does not give any further information.

Seeing that the interrogation is all but over Gnore pulls away from the prisoners and sits down as he feels the battle-surge slowly ebb from him. "Aye, Brother Randor, I could use a bit of healing and accept my thanks as well as any recompense I can give. I also thank you Ortho for the offer of medicine but I believe Brother Randor is capable enough" says Gnore as he sits next to a sturdy tree.

Randor removes the glove from his right hand and places it firmly over Gnore's wound. "Tyr, mighty Lawgiver, your humble servant beseeches your aid to help this valiant comrade-in-arms who fought bravely by your servant's side. Let him feel your righteous power and let him know that those who serve you are rewarded justly!" At the completion of the prayer, Randor's hand begins to take on a faint glow and a tingling sensation courses through Gnore's leg as the wound appears to heal up and seal instantly before everyone's eyes. Although he still has some measure of stiffness, the wound is totally gone. "Thank you again, Brother Randor," says Gnore as he stands up to test the leg.

"The healing came from Tyr," replies Randor, "I shall convey your thanks to Him."

Randor then walks boldly up to the captives and explains to them that they can expect to be tried for their crimes once you reach Milbourne. "If there is no suitable judge there, then I will assume the role of judge as a Hand of Tyr and pass judgment on you as I see fit."

After completing his search of the dead bodies, Rasmussen joins the group and drops to the ground the total bounty, 25gp and 85sp, "I was able to find about 23 good arrows left and 3 longswords that are in fair shape, kinda plain though. But that looks about like all these scum had."

"Thank you friend Rasmussen, we shall distribute this later," says Talimar.

Dain then returns from picking firewood, obviously in a much better mood than earlier when the decision was made to camp here for the night instead of heading into Milbourne. He drops the load of firewood, breathes a deep sigh and begins to light his pipe and have a smoke. Shortly after the fire is built he begins brewing his famous herbal tea and offer the group a sample.

About the same time, Kersath and Zir'zool return from searching the surrounding area. Kersath carries a couple rabbits in each hand, "It appears that Mielikki has smiled on our group today, even in the dead of winter provided us with a hot meal for the evening." He hands the rabbits to Dain to prepare and sets about to stoke up the fire. "Apparently these cowards had no other accomplices hiding in the area. The only tracks we found were theirs around this area. They came up the road from Milbourne and set up their ambush here," says Zir'zool as she returns with Kersath.

The rest of the party now begins to get settled for the evening. You hear Kre further question the prisoners about some man that you believe you hear him say to be his father. The only other thing you can hear from the prisoners is the name BlackArrows and nothing more. Kre doesn't appear to be very surprised by any of this information. You all share a great deal of comradeship around the fire while enjoying the wonderful meal prepare by Dain. He expresses a big smile and shrugs off the many compliments as he settles down to enjoy his pipe and study his spellbook. Beleg removes a whet stone, a vial of oil and a chamois from his saddle bag. He then moves to the edge of the road, finds a place to sit, removes his helm and begins the task of caring for his sword. As he works he sings a stirring ballad, "The Tale of Constantine Ironarm and the Quest for the Golden Torque," of which you all thoroughly enjoy. This song brings several inquiries from the group as to its origin as well as Beleg's background.

Forward to the next turn