Chapter 4.2: The Dim Journey to Orlane

Round three, completed

Berthold rises and tries to attack Bem, but the desperate bandit hears his movement and dodges out of the way of his dancing sword.

This is enough of a distraction for Kazzak, who slides his sword in between Bem's ribs.
Bem takes 9 slashing damage and dies.
"Good to know. We'll take care of him too."
Fern starts screaming.

Antonius whirls and shoves Huff backwards into the kitchen counter with his shield, and the bandit knocks jugs and mugs off to shatter on the floor. "Your friend goes before you," Antonius growls, and brings his hammer down on her head with a crunch.
Huff takes 11 bludgeoning damage and dies.
"Listen closely…" he says, as the lifeless body drops, "The Ruby Bell still tolls."

---

20 - Bandits Abe (Dead) and Bem (Dead)
19 - Grallaria (circling above the wagon, 1/1)
17 - Sora (west of the wagon, 8/12)
17 - Amnestria (in the second floor north room, 9/9)
17 - Bandits Chel (Dead) and Dhit (Dead)
14 - Dell (exiting the barn, 9/9)
11 - Bandit Ene (west of the wagon, full cover from ranged, asleep) and Bandit Fern (west of the wagon, 3/4 cover from ranged, -9)
10 - Bandit Gull (Dead) and Bandit Huff (Dead)
6 - Berthold (1/11) west of the wagon, Prone
6 - Kazzak (12/12) west of the wagon
3 - Antonius (7/10) in the main room of the house
0 - Reynald (4/4) in the southern room on the 2nd floor, Guilbert (4/4) in the eastern room on the second floor, Olyena (1/4) in the southern room on the 2nd floor

Round Four
(this is preceded by round three)

Fern continues to scream. Kazzak snarls "Quiet, you fool. Surrender now or you’re next." Terrified, she claps a hand over her mouth, but her screams are only muffled.

Grallaria communicates with Amnestria ::One still fighting, all others ready to devour.:: The little owl has a hard time understanding whether her mistress' foes are prey or territorial rivals - the main contexts she knows for attacking with beak and claw - so she tends to refer to them as either or both, though her mistress and her clutchmates have so far shown little interest in eating their kills. ::Their nest will soon be ours!:: The bird continues to circle, ready to stoop if Fern tries to make a break for it.

"Your choice," Sora says to Fern. "Surrender or join your friends in eternal sleep." She examines her fist, leaning against the wagon. "I really don't want to kill you, but if you don't surrender, I will." Fern is hyperventilating now, the whites of her eyes visible all the way around her irises.

Hearing no further hints of battle inside, Amnestria walks out of the room, wand extended warily, and onto the landing at the top of the stairs. The wizard knocks on the southern bedroom door. "It's me," she says to Reynald and Olyena inside, "Is everything all right in there?"
"We're fine..." Olyena replies.


Dell sheathes his sword and trots out into the yard, taking up his bow and nocking an arrow as he gets a clear line of sight on Fern. "Bow on you," the rogue announces to the woman, "Don't try to run. Give yourself up."

Behind her, Berthold swings his sword in the air, making it whistle. "You don’t need to join your friends in death, think with your head, not your gut."

Fern, faced with overwhelming odds and threats from all sides, drops her sword and kneels protectively over Ene. "Don't harm her! Leave her alone!"

Inside the farmhouse, Antonius calls up the stairs, "Amnestria, are you harmed? Do you require aid?"
"We're fine up here," the wizard reassures him.

Outside, Kazzak grumbles to his nearby companions, "We should find out who this leader named Black is." They both know he is referring to Black's true identity, as everyone in the party has already been informed about the mysterious bandit leader. Sora replies, "I'm good at roughing people up, but not so good at chatting with them."

Taking that as his cue, Berthold sheathes his sword and slings his shield over his shoulder as he kicks the crossbows and Fern's sword under the wagon. Then he crouches down and starts to unbuckle Ene's belt. Fern tenses at this, clearly fearing some molestation, but the knight simply removes the scabbard and sword, tossing them into the wagon. "Your friend is well, but I need you to stand and follow me. No harm will come to you, as long as you hold the peace." Then he stands, taking Fern gently but firmly by the elbow to help her rise. She trembles under his palm, almost certainly from an adrenal mixture of fear and rage. He steers her around the wagon to observe her companions' bodies, sprawled and awkward in death. He nods at Abe's grisly corpse. "Was he your leader?"
Fern grits her teeth, and gives a single shake of her head, no. "My love."
Berthold tightens his grip on her elbow, aware of all the other scattered weapons at their feet.

Kazzak walks past the carnage and returns to the front door of the farmhouse to stand guard, half expecting more bandits to emerge from the woods.

Antonius shakes some brain off of his hammer and then moves to the stairs to examine the scorched and blistered remains. He notes with considerable interest that Gull's corpse was flash burnt; the fire did not last long enough to ignite any lasting fire on his clothes or equipment. He nods, filing that piece of information away, satisfied at this tribute to Wee Jas. Then he returns to the main room and watches the others out the front window.

---

20 - Bandits Abe (Dead) and Bem (Dead)
19 - Grallaria (circling above the wagon, 1/1)
17 - Sora (west of the wagon, 8/12)
17 - Amnestria (in the second floor north room, 9/9)
17 - Bandits Chel (Dead) and Dhit (Dead)
14 - Dell (in the yard, 9/9)
11 - Bandit Ene (west of the wagon, full cover from ranged, asleep) and Bandit Fern (east of the wagon, Grappled, -9)
10 - Bandit Gull (Dead) and Bandit Huff (Dead)
6 - Berthold (1/11) east of the wagon, Grappling Fern
6 - Kazzak (12/12) at the front door of the farmhouse
3 - Antonius (7/10) in the main room of the house, looking out a western window
0 - Reynald (4/4) in the southern room on the 2nd floor, Guilbert (4/4) in the eastern room on the second floor, Olyena (1/4) in the southern room on the 2nd floor

Round four, completed...Inside the farmhouse, Antonius calls up the stairs, "Amnestria, are you harmed? Do you require aid?"
"We're fine up here," the wizard reassures him.

Outside, Kazzak grumbles to his nearby companions, "We should find out who this leader named Black is." They both know he is referring to Black's true identity, as everyone in the party has already been informed about the mysterious bandit leader. Sora replies, "I'm good at roughing people up, but not so good at chatting with them."

Taking that as his cue, Berthold sheathes his sword and slings his shield over his shoulder as he kicks the crossbows and Fern's sword under the wagon. Then he crouches down and starts to unbuckle Ene's belt. Fern tenses at this, clearly fearing some molestation, but the knight simply removes the scabbard and sword, tossing them into the wagon. "Your friend is well, but I need you to stand and follow me. No harm will come to you, as long as you hold the peace." Then he stands, taking Fern gently but firmly by the elbow to help her rise. She trembles under his palm, almost certainly from an adrenal mixture of fear and rage. He steers her around the wagon to observe her companions' bodies, sprawled and awkward in death. He nods at Abe's grisly corpse. "Was he your leader?"
Fern grits her teeth, and gives a single shake of her head, no. "My love."
Berthold tightens his grip on her elbow, aware of all the other scattered weapons at their feet.

Kazzak walks past the carnage and returns to the front door of the farmhouse to stand guard, half expecting more bandits to emerge from the woods.

Antonius shakes some brain off of his hammer and then moves to the stairs to examine the scorched and blistered remains. He notes with considerable interest that Gull's corpse was flash burnt; the fire did not last long enough to ignite any lasting fire on his clothes or equipment. He nods, filing that piece of information away, satisfied at this tribute to Wee Jas. Then he returns to the main room and watches the others out the front window.

---

20 - Bandits Abe (Dead) and Bem (Dead)
19 - Grallaria (circling above the wagon, 1/1)
17 - Sora (west of the wagon, 8/12)
17 - Amnestria (in the second floor north room, 9/9)
17 - Bandits Chel (Dead) and Dhit (Dead)
14 - Dell (in the yard, 9/9)
11 - Bandit Ene (west of the wagon, full cover from ranged, asleep) and Bandit Fern (east of the wagon, Grappled, -9)
10 - Bandit Gull (Dead) and Bandit Huff (Dead)
6 - Berthold (1/11) east of the wagon, Grappling Fern
6 - Kazzak (12/12) at the front door of the farmhouse
3 - Antonius (7/10) in the main room of the house, looking out a western window
0 - Reynald (4/4) in the southern room on the 2nd floor, Guilbert (4/4) in the eastern room on the second floor, Olyena (1/4) in the southern room on the 2nd floor