The Sundered Way

[BadgeAddict]

Once this bandit has been properly relieved of his heavy things, she'll carry him off into the grass, 50ft maybe. Then come back and do the same to another one. Wash, repeat, until all dead are stripped and hauled off.

[Arch Lich Burns]

Maji sees his prey running away, he springs up after the crossbow, intending to catch up to him and have him for lunch/dinner.

[thinkslogically]

Nemeia eventually gets bored and rejoins the rest of the party, wandering over to stand near Holger.

"Has anyone checked these folk?"

If the answer is no, she's rummage through the dead bandits' stuff, making a pile of "taxes" and any other useful gear at the side of the road. Shell also check for tattoos or other identifying marks that might indicate they're part of a group or gang or something.

She applies her usual level of enthusiasm and thoroughness to the task:

Investigation: 1D20+2 = [5]+2 = 7

[BadgeAddict]

Zephyr nods at Tess "Making a pile and hauling 'em off the road."

[thinkslogically]

Nemeia helps Zephyr.

[BadgeAddict]

"Do you think we should burn 'em, bury 'em, or just let the wild animals get 'em?"

[Arch Lich Burns]

"Do you think we should burn 'em, bury 'em, or just let the wild animals get 'em?"

(By wild animals, does this include maji? I distinctly remember you promising maji there will be fresh meat. )

[BadgeAddict]

(That was my attempt to intimidate the bandits)

[thinkslogically]

"Do you think we should burn 'em, bury 'em, or just let the wild animals get 'em?"

Nemeia shrugs.

"None of them seem like particularly pleasant work. Burning signals to all and sundry that we're out here, burying will take all day even if we had tools, and leaving them to feed the wild beasts will just lure dangerous animals towards the road. I'd say we should probably just take them as far not the grass as we can and leave them."

[spiderwrangler]

The fleeing bandit is no match for a bear, he's running in a panic, and every so often trips or stumbles. Maji can make a bite or claw attack at advantage, and roll for damage on a 12 or better.

Tess and Zephyr get to work on stripping bodies of anything of use, and hauling the dead to the side and debating how best to deal with the bodies. Krodop joins in, while the three centaurs (currently) nock arrows and keep an eye out for trouble. The pile of gear grows to include:

• light crossbow (6)
• quivers of bolts (6)
• bolt that looks more well made than the others (1)
• in the bosses pouch Randy found (70 gp worth of gems, each around 10 gp, 55 gp, 87 sp, 120 cp)
• total in the pouches of the rest (35 gp, 1213 sp, 1180 cp)
• maces (2)
• daggers (12)
• scimitars (3)
• great axe (1)
• variously damaged leather armor (8)
• damaged hide armor (1)
• damaged studded leather armor (1, currently on the boss)
• dog collars (2)
• common clothing, damaged and bloody (10)

Holger pulls out his lyre and begins softly playing a jaunty tune that none of you recognize, playing with his eyes closed and a jovial smile on his lips.

► Show Spoiler

Are you Holger?

► Show Spoiler

The grassy roadway, your companions, the scent of blood and death, they all slip away. Looking around you, at first the landscape seems weird... but then you don't seem to know why you would have that thought... those trees surrounding you were always pale blue and bulbous, with their crimson leaves. Those mushrooms have always been two feet across and orange. The sky... that's the same violet and orange sky that is always there. Looking around, you see everything as it should be, just as it has always been. The trail you are standing on seems to end directly behind you, but stretches forward into the forest. As you stand there, you hear a soft, happy song playing. You take a few steps forward, before glancing behind you. The purple leaves of the undergrowth that mark the end of the trail are right behind you, you must not have moved after all. You take a few steps forward, and then a few steps more, the trees parting and the pathway extending through this comforting, completely normal forest under a violet and orange sky. You eventually arrive a small clearing, a totally plain, normal willow tree trailing its pink leaves into a burbling brook. You spot a figure nestled in the branches of the tree, lyre in hand... no...it's a lute... or a harp... a flute?

((Please respond via spoil within spoiler.))

[thinkslogically]

((Nemeia is interested in the studded armour.))

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

Randy ignores the playing. "Ulmwin, have you had a chance to see if any of this is magical or not?" He'll loosen the noose around the leader's throat some so he can get oxygen a bit better. He'll leave it just tight enough to be uncomfortable.

[Arch Lich Burns]

Claw: 2D20.HIGH(1)+5 = [19, 3]+5 = 24
2D6+4 = [5, 3]+4 = 12

[spiderwrangler]

Maji disembowels the fleeing man.

The leader is unresponsive...

[Theis2]

Perfect! Holger didn't seem odd enough yet!

► Show Spoiler

Are you Spider?

► Show Spoiler

Holger briefly wonders if he was under the influence of an illusion or some mind altering effect, nothing abnormal about this what so ever. He walks closer to the tree before speaking.

"Hello there, that's a nice tune you are playing. Mind if I join in for a bit?"

He imagines he does his best trying to get a proper look at the figure and what it is playing before he proceeds to hopefully impressing the being with his musical abilities. At some point during the music he'll ask and important question.

"So who are you?"

Holger perception: 1D20+1 = [9]+1 = 10
Holger performance: 1D20+6 = [14]+6 = 20

[Arch Lich Burns]

Halph of his kill, Maji carries the body by the neck twoards the group. When he sees Alistral he briefly drops the body to rip off an arm and offers it to her before continuing carring the body back.

[thinkslogically]

((Does nemeia subconsciously notice anything about the song or Holger that's weird? Only asking since she knows him pretty well at this point and has been getting magical headaches randomly anyway.))

[spiderwrangler]

Alistral politely declines.

((Tess can make an Insight check if you'd like to scope him out.))

► Show Spoiler

Are you Holger?

► Show Spoiler

As you ask to join in, the music pauses. A hand extends, snaps its fingers, and the most finely made lyre you've ever seen appears in your hands. Playing it is effortless, your fingers fly across the strings pulling out tunes you didn't even know you knew.

It isn't until you stop that you realize that the figure in the tree has stopped playing, and probably stopped playing a while ago... just listening to you. As your notes fall silent throughout the forest they begin clapping with glee.

You ask their identity, and a soft, cheerful, feminine voice speaks up with a laugh, "Ah, we'll get to that, my dear man. For now let's just say that I'm an admirer of yours! Do you realize just how special you are? Come, join me up here, and let us talk."


((If Tess or anyone speaks to Holger's corporeal form, I'll give you lines to say... ))

[Arch Lich Burns]

Maji shrugs and brings the body back to let the other go through his stuff. He pays no mind to holger playing, starting to chomp away at the bandits that are already disrobed. *nom nom nom*

[thinkslogically]

Nemeia keeps half an eye on Holger while she's working.

Insight: 1D20+2 = [16]+2 = 18

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

Randy decides he'd better do a little first aid on his prisoner if he wants to have one to interrogate.

medicine: 1D20+3 = [20]+3 = 23 (( Now he's Albert Schweitzer. Well, I can always try to figure out how to water board him in D&D terms later. ))

[NotStickFigures]

Coljin would like to resupply his crossbow bolts if no one else minds him taking them.
He has no need for any of the rest of the items.

"Who else is in most need of some healing?"

[thinkslogically]

Nemeia spends a little time playing around with the crossbows while Holger sings his strange song. She listens to that while doing a spot of target practice against one of the corpses (she'll ask Z to leave the last one on the road for now) while she decides if she likes the crossbow or not.

Ultimately, she decides that she quite likes the ease of shooting a crossbow over the bow and decides to take the prettiest one with her along with a couple of quivers of bolts (if there are enough for everyone who wants one).

[NotStickFigures]

Oh, yeah, Krodop should take a crossbow or some sort of ranged weapon, too!

[spiderwrangler]

Tess: As far as odd men go, you've met and seen a lot of them, but Holger might be the oddest. While he could just be moved to play a tune, you suspect it is something more than that, though he's often been surrounded by a light show of purple energy when he 'goes off', which he isn't at the moment. Your head doesn't seem to be twinging either.

The crossbow shoots just fine, and when you mention others making use of them, Krodop accepts your offer.

Randerwaith: You apparently invent CPR, and revive the bandit leader, who gasps for breath at the moment.