[IC] A Stolen Land

[DM Dougfan]

"That's convenient." She looks to the others, swiftly appointing herself in charge of the situation. "I suppose we're staying the night, then, no?" Looking back at the outpost's caretakers. "I assume you have spare beds. We shall pay you." she declares, acting as if this were an ordinary stop at an inn, not a potentially life-saving endeavor.

"We would be very appreciative if you would stay.  As you can see, we have little to protect ourselves with against armed intruders.  Don't worry about paying us.  Of course we shall offer you lodging."  Oleg almost looks offended by this last part but keeps silent.

- Yes, we stay here to punish those bandits!

He takes his charter and shows it first to Oleg and after to his wife. Eran looks expectantly to Svetlana as he asks them:

- If you know anything more about the bandits, then don't hesitate and tell it! Every little bit of information might come in handy.

"We will tell you all we know of course."

"The bandits may have an outpost or camp somewhere nearby.  Perhaps a day's travel from here.  Perhaps more.  We're honestly not completely sure because we've rarely ventured outside our home in these past few months."

[url=[1d20+1] = 2+1 = 3]Sense Motive[/url]

After remaining quiet and listening and soaking up the surroundings of Oleg's outpost, Vidar at last speaks to Oleg and Svetlana.  "How many?... Where do they come from?"

Once he gets this information Vidar approaches his brother Valdi and speaks in his native tongue.  "What do you think Valdi? Should we lay a trap for these bandits?"  He holds up his bear trap.  "Or do you think we should try and convince these bandits to give up their criminal ways and join us instead?"

Svetlana's eyes widen and she gulps as she looks at the size of the trap.  "From the South.  Always they come from the south.  They expect us to have our gates open and our 'taxes' out in the open and ready for them to collect.  The first time they came, there were about a dozen thugs--that is the best way to describe them--led by a cloaked man with a bow and an evil woman with twin hatchets.  The woman did most of the threatening..."

Oleg looks at his right hand and wrist and flexes his fingers a few times at that.

"She seems to be the sharpest one of them.  I would guess they call her their leader.  The cloaked man...didn't speak much.  He seemed fairly gruff the whole time.  Always frowning..."

"The second time they came, it was only the hooded man leading 10 of the thugs.  The third time he only led 8 of them.  I think...I hope they may have let their guards down about us.  After all...what can the two of us do?"

Valdi strokes his beard and grins at his brother.

He replies in Skaldic. "I will not countenance banditry. They will give up their criminal ways, and reformed shall feed the garden, once they are slain."

[Sense Motive [1d20+4] = 6+4 = 10]

Switching to Common, he finally speaks.
"My brother and I shall bend our wills to ridding you of these bandits as well. We know they are coming, and they may not even have seen us arrive.  We should try to use that to our advantage."

"My brother and sir Eran are correct we need to know everything about them that you know. Jaw many of them are there? How are they equipped? Do they all come into the fort? Do some hang back? Do they have reinforcements waiting even further back? How can we single out their leader?  I know I am barraging you with questions, but any of that information will aid us."

Turning to Andra he says.
"You have an agile mind lass.  Do you have an idea how best we can use our resources to ambush the bandits?"

"Since you came from the North, I would be very doubtful of them knowing you are here.  Their camp is to the South, most likely, and I do not believe they have been scouting us very consistently.  I'm afraid we do not know exactly how many of them there are, only how many we saw."