Chapter 4.3: Returning to Report

Round four, continued...Having heard Ben and quick to respond before anyone else, Antonius raises his voice and calls across the Road, around the wagon and oxen, to the cluster of combatants clustered around the fallen great beast. "Death is not ours to trade. It belongs to Wee Jas. I will not barter one life for another simply because you demand a count. But there is something you can answer for. You were waiting here. Armed. Hidden. You surrounded that wagon and threatened its occupants. So tell me plainly: Who chose this place for the ambush? How long had you been watching the wagon? How did you know it would pass this road? And what were you expecting to take from them?" Antonius’ eyes narrow, and in the pause, Ben mutters Berthold: "Does he always talk so much?" Not hearing this, Antonius continues: "Because this was no chance encounter. You came prepared for these travelers. So tell me — who told you they were coming, and why were you sent to intercept them? Answer those questions, and perhaps we can stop adding bodies to this road."

There is a moment of silence as Ben the bandit pauses for a moment, then starts. "Oh! Are you done? I wasn't sure you were done talking. You seem to be confused about how the life of a highwayman works. There isn't a grand plan; we're trying to make ends meet because life has kicked us in the teeth, and sometimes people come along who have something we can use. We were ready to just take their supplies and leave them be, and they attacked us. And then you did, too."


"Listen to my friend," Berthold says sternly, "There is a narrow path you can all take, where the bloodshed ends now."

"Yes, I know." Ben nods sagely. "I just told you what it is. You just need to choose which one of you will die. That guy over there -" he gestures at Antonius, half seen on the other side of the wagon, "he's not willing to choose. By all rights, it should be you that dies." He points his bloody sword at Berthold. "Because you're the backstabber that killed my friend." He raises his voice. "But I'm being reasonable, and I'm letting you all choose. Which one will it be? Will it be him?" (still pointing at Berthold) "Or will it be her?" (he points at Sora) "Or maybe one of the others, like that guy in the trees?"

As if on cue, Dell moves out from behind the rock outcropping and steps smoothly, carefully down the slope, crackling through the underbrush, his bow drawn, aimed directly at Ben, and Ready to loose. "I would listen to my friends, bub, or you are the next to take an arrow."

"I am listening." Ben sighs. "Listening and talking. So much talking! But it seems like you are not listening to me. You see, I've given you a chance to stop this in a fair and just way. All you need to do is to choose one of you - just one! - that will die to balance the scales. Then we'd leave, satisfied (after we claim our share of the loot, of course). But not choosing which one of you will die is still making a choice. And that choice would be that ALL of you would die."

Antonius Readies Toll the Dead as he approaches cautiously, crossing the Road partway and reaching the ox team.

---

21 - Kazzak (12/12) north of the Road
19 - Cultists Walter Dead, Wanda Dead, Devon Dead
18 - Morton (0/15) in the Road, dying
18 - Owlbear Dead
14 - Sora (7/12) next to Karl
14 - Amnestria (9/9) north of the Road, behind cover
13 - Grallaria (0/1) spell ended
13 - Kobolds Karl, Kathy Dead, Kelly Dead, Ken Dead
11 - Bandit Ben (-12)
9 - Berthold (10/11) on the Road
8 - Dell (6/8) south of the Road, in amongst the trees
5 - Antonius (3/10) on the Road by the ox team
3 - Bandit archers Aaron Dead, Amy Dead, Annie (-9), Arthur Dead
0 - Troglodytes Warren Dead, Wayne Dead, and Willie Dead

Round four, completed

"I have given you my answer, and you have proven what kind of man you are. Hence I believe we are done." Antonius responds for the group. Then he calls out, hoping that the other bandits that he can't see are listening. "There is no need for you to be judged by Wee Jas, and you may go or join us. Whichever you wish?"
Annie the archer has heard the message from her leader, but she also can count, and is not as confident in her chances of survival. So first she runs into the trees, taking cover behind a bole, before nocking another arrow.

"Now you're trying to poach my people? That does it!" Ben growls, then raises his voice to repeat his earlier command about killing the assassins. "They've made their choice! Let 'em have it!"

Annie sees the armored wall that is Kazzak approaching; she draws and looses.
Kazzak takes 7 piercing damage!
Dell, hearing the grunt of pain, turns, sees his friend hurt, and looses his Readied attack on the bandit, but the arrow lodges into the tree trunk behind which Annie is hiding. Antonius, on the other side of the wagon, cannot see her to release his spell; he is focused on Ben, who surely will be attacking momentarily.

---

21 - Kazzak (5/12) on the Road
19 - Cultists Walter Dead, Wanda Dead, Devon Dead
18 - Morton (0/15) in the Road, dying
18 - Owlbear Dead
14 - Sora (7/12) next to the dead owlbear
14 - Amnestria (9/9) north of the Road, behind cover
13 - Grallaria (0/1) spell ended
13 - Kobolds Karl, Kathy Dead, Kelly Dead, Ken Dead
11 - Bandit Ben (-12)
9 - Berthold (10/11) next to Ben
8 - Dell (6/8) south of the Road, in amongst the trees
5 - Antonius (3/10) on the Road by the ox team
3 - Bandit archers Aaron Dead, Amy Dead, Annie (-9), Arthur Dead
0 - Troglodytes Warren Dead, Wayne Dead, and Willie Dead

Round Five
(this is preceded by round four)

Kazzak pulls the arrow out and grits his teeth as he proceeds inexorably toward the bandit that had just wounded him.
Kazzak regains 7 HP with Second Wind.
Then he slashes the bandit woman in the neck.
Annie takes 11 slashing damage and dies!

Morton blinks blood out of his eyes, looking at the puddle forming beneath him.
Morton has one successful death save.
Sora kneels down and tries to stop the blood flowing out of Morton's face with her hands.


Amnestria calculates and quickly determines the best target for her magic: the cringing kobold that has no cover from her attack. She pops up from behind the stump and flicks her wand with the requisite arcane syllables, sending a gout of flame at the monstrous humanoid once more.
Karl the kobold takes 6 fire damage and shrieks with pain!

Karl nocks an arrow, draws, and looses it at the wizard. The arrow punches through the stump, coming to a stop just an inch from Amnestria's eye.

"This for the first assassin!" Ben the bandit says, striking at Berthold. Antonius' releases the pent-up energy of Wee Jas in the same instant, but the bell tolls for no one. Ben's sword misses completely; he follows up with a dagger thrust that skitters off of the knight's shield. Then the captain brings his sword back around for another slash. Berthold barely blocks this blow; the shock nearly makes his arm go numb.


As Ben's eyes widen as his inability to get past the knight's defenses, Berthold slashes him with a retaliatory strike!
Ben the bandit takes 8 slashing damage!

"Aghh!" Ben cries as Dell's arrow punches into his side.
Ben the bandit takes 12 piercing damage!

"Sora," Antonius calls as he moves to his dying teammate, "keep pressure on him." With mace in hand, he raises his holy symbol. "Wee Jas, lend her your strength." Wee Jas hears and is merciful. Energy flows with these words.
Sora regains 7 HP from the cleric's Healing Word.
"Hold the line Berthold." Antonius says to the knight, whose attention is solely focused on fighting the bandit. "I'll guard Morton."
Antonius kneels down and sets aside his mace momentarily so that he can touch Morton. The peace of Wee Jas flows down his right arm and into the half-elf. "Easy, Morton. You have not been called yet."
Morton is stable and no longer dying.

---

21 - Kazzak (5/12) on the Road
19 - Cultists Walter Dead, Wanda Dead, Devon Dead
18 - Morton (0/15) in the Road, stable, unconscious
18 - Owlbear Dead
14 - Sora (12/12) next to the dead owlbear
14 - Amnestria (9/9) north of the Road, behind cover
13 - Grallaria (0/1) spell ended
13 - Kobolds Karl (-6), Kathy Dead, Kelly Dead, Ken Dead
11 - Bandit Ben (-32)
9 - Berthold (10/11) next to Ben
8 - Dell (6/8) south of the Road, in amongst the trees
5 - Antonius (3/10) on the Road by Morton
3 - Bandit archers Aaron Dead, Amy Dead, Annie (-9), Arthur Dead
0 - Troglodytes Warren Dead, Wayne Dead, and Willie Dead

Round five, continued...

Amnestria calculates and quickly determines the best target for her magic: the cringing kobold that has no cover from her attack. She pops up from behind the stump and flicks her wand with the requisite arcane syllables, sending a gout of flame at the monstrous humanoid once more.
Karl the kobold takes 6 fire damage and shrieks with pain!

Karl nocks an arrow, draws, and looses it at the wizard. The arrow punches through the stump, coming to a stop just an inch from Amnestria's eye.

"This for the first assassin!" Ben the bandit says, striking at Berthold. Antonius' releases the pent-up energy of Wee Jas in the same instant, but the bell tolls for no one. Ben's sword misses completely; he follows up with a dagger thrust that skitters off of the knight's shield. Then the captain brings his sword back around for another slash. Berthold barely blocks this blow; the shock nearly makes his arm go numb.

---

21 - Kazzak (5/12) on the Road
19 - Cultists Walter Dead, Wanda Dead, Devon Dead
18 - Morton (0/15) in the Road, dying one success
18 - Owlbear Dead
14 - Sora (7/12) next to the dead owlbear
14 - Amnestria (9/9) north of the Road, behind cover
13 - Grallaria (0/1) spell ended
13 - Kobolds Karl (-6), Kathy Dead, Kelly Dead, Ken Dead
11 - Bandit Ben (-12)
9 - Berthold (10/11) next to Ben
8 - Dell (6/8) south of the Road, in amongst the trees
5 - Antonius (3/10) on the Road by the ox team
3 - Bandit archers Aaron Dead, Amy Dead, Annie (-9), Arthur Dead
0 - Troglodytes Warren Dead, Wayne Dead, and Willie Dead