The Taking of Woodsford Keep - RPLOG
Participants
Date
22/8/479
Log
The wagon carrying a load of Freeswords and other swords-for-hire from the capital slowly trudges on as it crests a hill. The village of Summerford is just visible to the north, a small pile of stone buildings surrounding a guard tower, and ringed by mud-and-straw cruck houses going all the way from the hilltop to the base.
They have been summoned here to help deal with a common crisis in the Kingdom's fiefdoms. Unwanted squatters. Apostates, bandits and murderers all according to the missive they were given, have taken claim over a fortification. With the Rangers busy, and the Army being of too high a strategic value to allocate to such a small fiefdom, it falls upon these private contractors to fulfill the eviction notice on these unwanted dregs of society.
The wagon bumps, and slowly rolls to a stop. With a sharp call from the driver the Freeswords are invited to dismount. All around is thick, lush forest, but just down the path the landscape opens into a large clearing, in the middle of which is a giant massif, the bedrock upon which the grand old fort is built on. Standing up on a rock and looking on into the clearing is one salamander, leaning on his spear as he gazes up at the castle in the distance. He turns as he hears the wagon, and with a knowing smirk Zane hops down from the rock and moves to greet the mercenaries.
Clayton Southfoot, whom had been travelling with the group, hops out of the wagon first, soon followed by a half-dozen Freeswords of various species. He moves up to Zane and salutes, and the others follow suit with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
Shira hops off the wagon as the others do, making care to wiggle he war to the front of the crowd so she can see the salamander and better listen to him, in case he is the contact. The tiny mouse looks around herself and up at the various mercenaries that surround her, trying to figure out how large a group of squatting bandits must be to warrant calling in what amounts to a small private army. She does however not salute Zane, why is unclear.
Fenris is here today as Amos Longtooth, the grizzled old veteran who is most definitely not a member of the King's Spyguard. The tattered old tomcat eases himself down from the wagon and gives a whistle, cueing his gigantic, iron boar to trot up from where it has been following the wagon. "Zane," he rasps, nodding to the little salamander sheriff, "Clayton gave me the run down. You got anything to add?"
Angus hops out the back of the Wagon, taking his hat off to run a hand through his hair after the long cart ride. Placing it back on his head he looks around, stepping up to the rest of the crowd with his arms crossed as he studies the old fort and its crumbling battlments.
Zane, himself the captain of the Summerford militia, offers Amos a smirk. "He did, did he?" He throws Clayton a look and orders him to step aside with a nod of the head. "Well, for the benefit of all the other mercs.." He turns around and steps back towards the rock, gesturing at the ruined fortification. "Welcome to Woodsford Keep, or what's left of it. This gem used to be a trading post and army station, but as times change so do the needs for defense, eh?" He crosses his arms after turning back to the group. "Mission's easy boys and girls. That place is laden with apostates, murderers, thieves and bandits of all kinds. They've been using it as a launching platform for raids on the countryside, specifically on the nearby village of Lillup. They've stolen cattle, crops, burned up property. I'd not be surprised if they started extortion soon..." He turns back to look at the group, nodding at them. "We're here to make sure they don't wipe Lillup off the map completely, and never move on to pick on Summerford or any of the other villages here. Use whatever means you need to make sure this ends here."
Shira nods along with the briefing and lets one hand rest on the grip of her short sword, while the other tucks on hair and ear, the little rodent filled with determination and anticipation. Typical young fighter, still eager to get their blade wet. She does not ask any further questions, being pointed at the enemy and let loose on them seemed rather straight forward.
"Got it," Amos rasps, then looks from Angus to Shira, "Shall we?" The tattered old tom cat turns and starts to saunter down the hill, his hands jammed deep in his pockets. He does not charge or sneak or do anything but walk toward the gates of the ruined fort, his boar shaped golem thudding along behind him. "I think I will go knock," he says.
Angus whistles a little. "They managed to us this run down thing to stage all that? I'm impressed, damnedable thing looks like it's about to fall down on their heads." His ears flick as Amos starts walking up to the gates, smiling just a little bit as he shakes his head. "Remind me to never get that crazy when I get old." He teases, making sure his voice carries as he keeps an eye on the battlements.
The fort isn't particularly big, and is in somewhat of a state of disrepair. It sits atop a large natural rock formation - a massif - that makes a direct assault on the walls difficult. Luckily the fort has indeed seen better days, and while the walls may appear rather impregnable the main gate is partly collapsed and clearly non-functional, a permanent chink in the fortification's defenses.
The being-made clearing is somewhat overgrown with thigh-height vegetation, but devoid of any tall cover or trees. This ostensibly makes it hard for any invading army to approach the walls without suffering volley upon volley of bow fire.. but at the moment the walls lay bare, and the fort is approached not by an army, but by a small group of dedicated and crafty mercenaries.
As they approach without any effort to hide, a few heads pop out form atop the battlements. There is a rush of motion, a messenger travelling from one of the crumbled towers to somewhere deep within the fort, no doubt to report this latest development. A few guards, roused by the commotion, stand forward and take position near the main entrance, behind what looks like an improvised pallisade to try and plug the gap left by the non-functioning gate.
Shira hums quietly as she watches the bandits take positions and asks towards her allies, but no one in particular, "Shall we then? Would be rude to leave them waiting." She does not wait for an answer as she starts focusing on some supportive magic to enhance the mercenaries in the battle that is sure to come, slightly glowing mathemagical symbols glowing on many of the weapons that the beings are carrying, signaling their enhanced potential.
"Don't go wild just yet, newbie," Amos growls, "The best way isn't always the way that ends in the most destruction." Then the old tom raises his voice. "We're here to talk with Hulda," he shouts, stopping at the gate, "Open up before I gotta knock!" His monstrous golem tromps right behind, providing a possible cover should someone decide to take a pot shot at the threesome.
Angus flicks his ears, shifting his weight a bit as his stance widens in response to the defenders. His arms stayed crossed at his chest, counting the sorry sort of defenders. "Under armed, and uncordinated. Don't think they were smart enough to fill the rock bucket over the main gates, but keep an eye out in case for once we are unlucky enough they can think." He mutters quietly enough anyone near him can hear it.
A certain quiet comes over both the defenders and the dozen of mercenaries as Amos calls out Hulda's name. A rather lanky hyena being, one of the mercenaries, steps forward with his sword pointed at the palisade. "Yea, bring 'Hulda' out. We wanna have a word." He lets out a sinister snicker, which is cut short as the palisade opens to admit a rather imposing being. Tall and wide like a heavy clanner, this plant being - a cactus of some description - steps out to stand before the gathered. "Yea. Well the boss ain't takin' no visitors."
The other defenders peek over the palisade, eyeing the myriad weapons that these mercenaries are carrying. There's a sense of fear in the air, from all but the massive cactus being. "If you're the Lord's men, you must know what happened to the previous lot. So, ya wanna go back home in a box or a bag?" He grins widely, trying to be intimidating. It seems to have worked on the hyena, who clearly steps back to where he was in the line, clutching his sword defensively.
More defenders appear up on the battlements. Seems they've roused all the manpower they have in there, and they're all taking defensive positions as the conversation continues.
Shira sticks out her tongue and draws her short sword, fitted to her size its even smaller than a dagger for a regularly sized person. She steps forward and puts on a cocky smile, pointing the weapon at the cactus. "Funny, I was about to ask the same. Lay down your weapons and come with us peacefully, if you value your lives!"
"Shove it, Chuckles," Amos rasps at the overeager and underintelligent hyena before considering the Cactus, "You too, Squeaks. We'll get to fighting sooner than anyone wants." He looks the massive being up and down with a frown, considering his words carefully.
"Box," he finally says, "Ships better and doesn't bounce around as much. If Hulda isn't taking visitors, then who're you?" The rangy old feline does not seem to be all that intimidated. But then, up against a hulk like that in an open field in daylight, the old cat looks more ridiculous than intimidating himself.
Angus doesn't really change his stance, scoffing a bit at the remark. "And here I thought that they had respect for nobles here." He comments, waving a hand dismissively to the Cactus as he studies them, looking for weaknesses in their form and stance in case blades start being drawn.
The cactus being laughs out loud. "Ha, nobles!" He turns aside to the nearest defender, his grin wide and cocky. "Ya year that boys? We have ourselves a noble to ransom!" He turns back to the group and clenches his fists, clearly itching for a fight. "Name's 'Big' Hartman, shortstack." He says pointedly at Amos. "Welcome to Woodsford." He takes a step back and yells. "NOW!"
All the beings that had collected in the battlements were there for a purpose. They are not armed with any sort of proper ranged weapon, but gravity can be as deadly as any black powder. Large rocks, fragments of masonry, even a worn-out winch wheel come tumbling down onto the gathered Freeswords! The first large rock falls onto one of the mercenaries, a porcine being who was too slow to move out of the way. The rock hits him square in the shoulder, and as he falls with it it rolls and crushes onto his leg. The rest of the mercenaries roll out of the way, scatter or retreat - such as a certain hyena, who's already making a break for it.
Shira narrowly evades a rock that is being hurled her way with a well placed gust of air magic that throws her small body sideways through the air, still in the air she starts working on her counter attack, her eyes narrowing as she focuses on the battlements after sticking her landing. Dark clouds appear seemingly out of nowhere and get ready to unleash their fury upon those who threw the debris at them. "See what all that talking got us? A wounded."
Fenris steps calmly and purposefully to one side as the broken winch slams into the ground where he had been standing, not even six inchens from his elbow. "Good," he says, "Then there is no misunderstanding. Razorback!" At the sound of Amos's call, the golem, which has been mostly passive to this point gives a squeal of metal grinding on metal as it rears back and charges toward Hartman, steam billowing from its body plates!
Amos himself produces a long, wavy blade from within his tattered coat with a fluid motion to lash out at the cactus being!
Angus had been waiting for when it boiled down to a fight, his movements quick and fluid as he evades the ammo from above. Both blades are drawn, rapier and dagger almost leaping to his hands as he lets Amos deal with the cactus, moving around their fight to see if any other defenders want to try their luck. "Yes a noble, some poor old noble who clearly needs to be ransomed! Lets see how many it takes to capture said noble."
The battle is joined! Other than the mercenary who fled, and the one who got his leg crushed, all of them rush forward. They are met by a wave of defenders who clear the battlement armed with spears and clubs.
"Ha, now this should be a f-" The cactus' fun is interrupted by a meaty punch from the golem, which has Hartman backstepping to regain his footing. He grunts and hefts his fists, clearly intent on wrestling with Amos and his creation hand to hand. He gives the golem a mighty shove, trying to open a path to Amos, but is met with the wily old being's sword - a solid blow, enhanced by a burst of magical flame from Shira's earlier spell that has the cactus being howling in pain, his attack foiled.
The defenders leap the palisade, and two of them focus on Angus, armed with spear and club. The spear user, a rabbit, is clearly using his range to keep Angus at bay, and pushes with his spear once he sees an opening. A brave effort, but all he accomplishes is to scuff Angus' armor, causing no damage and getting the tip of his spear stuck in the fabric. His friend, a rather smallish hippo, fares much worse: The moment he tries a brazen close-range attack with his club Angus responds with a quick lunge of his blade. The rabbit lets out a screech of horror and tries to pull his spear out of the folds of Angus' armor as his companion is impaled in one clean strike, end-to-end, and falls over dead.
Shira's spell is brutally effective. A cloud of steam forms, that billows into a dark cloud, roiling with crossed winds and spitting lightning. The horrified screams of the beings in the battlements confirm several kills - or at least several routs.
"GET THE MAGE!" comes the shout from Hartman, and another poor defender - a rather lanky bovine - charges at her to try and spear her through. He misses. She's quite literally gone with the wind, his spear only hitting roiling air.
Shira grins widely and yells at the cactus. "I told you to come peacefully!" She ignores the bovine that attacked her for now, confident in her ability to evade again, should they attack her once more and keeping an eye on them as she focuses on Hartman. This time there is no loud thunder or dark clouds. It is focused and deadly magic, that quite literally knocks the air out of the plant being.
Fenris dances back behind the cover provided by his porcine golem. "Razorback, Burn," he commands, and the wicked attack golem starts to glow between its hard outer plates as burning Creator fire grows within. The golem rears back, opening its mouth to release a stream of glowing energy toward Hartman! Even if the Cactus dodges, the golem is pointed right at the ramshackle gates!
Angus had felt the impact of the spear, that would turn into a nice bruise when this is all over. "Shoddy work! You never lunge at a foe while their eyes on them." He snaps, knowing the hippo would not hear him as their blood hisses on his blade. Wrapping his arm around the imbedded spear he helps remove the thing from his armor seeing if he can't yank it out of the rabbit's hands. "Now, who else wants to try the noble?" He snaps the challenge as he brings his blade at the ready, the blade balancing at level with his throat as he holds his ground.
The rabbit being does the wise thing. The moment the spear is yanked from his hands he turns and bolts, scrambling back towards the palisade and trying to clamber up onto it, unsuccessfully. The bovine attacking Shira readies another attack, but he's met with a different obstacle - one of the freeswords, a leopard, interposes himself between Shira and the bovine. The two of them lock in combat, with the leopard appearing to have the upper hand for the time being.
Hartman hears Amos' call, and sees what is about to happen, but at that very moment the air is taken from his lungs by the wily mage. He can't call for help. His muscles fail him. He tries to roll out of the way, but the blast of fire engulfs him and sets him, the rabbit and the palisade ablaze. He's still alive, but won't be for long with the way those flames are raging.
More debris rain down from above - lesser in number and in size, anything from pebbles to fist-sized rocks. Four heads can be seen popping up and down behind the battlements, throwing rock after pebble after piece of wood. The pelting debris hit some of the mercenaries, but they are all glancing blows, incapable of causing harm. "Run Big Heart!" A voice from above cries out, but no reply comes from the oxygen-deprived titan of a being.
Shira dodges a rock that comes her way and does not even have to catapult herself across the battlefield this time. Being small has the advantage of making you relatively hard to hit after all. The mouse is still locked on her target and keeping up the spell that prevents the cactus from breathing.
Fenris stands behind his golem, allowing the thrown bits of debris to ping off the boar's iron hide instead of his own. "Door, please, Razorback," he directs his golem to ram the gate to the fort, "I'd get it myself, but I've some botany to attend to." The old tom cat saunters toward the burning cactus, removing his coat in a swirl of movement to batter out the flames. "Now, I suggest you yield," he rasps, producing a strange net and casting it over the recently doused hulk.
Angus steps out of the way of some of the debris, smacking another out of the air with the flat of his blade before lowering it. "Come now! Lay down your arms. You fight within the crumbling remains of a fortress, your defenses have already been shown to be weak. Rocks won't stop us, there is no need to all be killed here." He shouts his blade lowered, but ready to be brought up in an instant it is needed.
The forward defense is broken, just like that. Hartman barely moves - without air, a net over him, set ablaze and then doused in water. His life hangs by a thread, but the big guy has plenty of endurance to spare. His companions don't see it, however. The bovine is so distracted by these events that he's easily dispatched by the leopard, who kicks his body to the ground before spitting derisively. "Apostate scum. Who do you think you are?" He calls to the now-dead bovine, pointlessly. Every other defender has routed and broken, some back behind the palisade, others behind the battlements.
With a loud crash the palisade bursts open by way of golem, opening the way to the main courtyard of the fort. A few beings stand there, a loose line of poorly armed defenders cowering behind their leader. Hulda, the squid being, easily stands apart from the rest, not just for her unusual species but also for her well-kept uniform. Were it not for the grime and dirt that comes with living rough it might even be an outfit up to army standards - or navy, given it's nautical look.
Next to her is another being, who stands out for his weapon of choice - a skipjack beetle, he clicks his tongue audibly as he stands in a firing stance, rifle at the ready. "They got Big Heart. A shame." He says to Hulda, who replies with an annoyed growl. "This isn't like last time." She turns to the side and whispers to one of the defenders, who runs off back into the fort's central keep.
Shira sees the new arrivals from afar and instantly focuses on the beetle, detecting the probably most dangerous weapon on the side of the enemies and having decided that the cactus situation is under control. A few, surprisingly simple, yet effective calculations later and arcs of electricity shoot from the mouse's fingers and towards her new target.
Fenris leaves the incapacitated Cactus behind, hopefully weakened enough and restrained to keep him from rejoining the fight. The old tom cat limps through the broken gate behind his golem. "Hulda," he rasps, "Call off your people and I'll call off mine. This doesn't have to be a bloodbath." He stays behind his iron boar, just to be safe.
Angus keeps his blade lowered, wiating to see the response of this 'Hulda' and their forces as he keeps on the balls of his feet. With this somewhat pause in the conflict he could study the squid more directly now, eyeing up their uniform as he takes a deep breath to calm the adrenaline rush.
The roling cloud of lightning has many of the defenders scrambling for help, many of them escaping back into the hold. Hulda and the skipjack beetle hold their position, and as the lightning arcs over them and strikes near them.. it misses. It seems to arc over them and hit the ground, the lightning crashing into dirt and forming a criss-cross pattern of winding and bending lines as the electricity is disspated. The skipjack beetle clicks his tongue derisively, still holding his stance. "Told you." He comments at Hulda, who silences him with another annoyed snap. "Just shut up and continue doing what I pay you for, Conrad."
She steps forward a few paces, squaring down with Amos and the others. "You're not the Lord's cronies, are you?" She asks, raising her voice. "Most of them just run when they see Big Heart back there." She raises her voice. "You alright there big boy?" After a moment's silence, no reply comes from the great cactus, too beat up and worn out to say anything. "Pity. He's been useful." She draws her sword - a commander's sabre. "Now, I suppose you won't just leave -my- fort if I ask nicely, will you?"
In the distance, some beings can be seen descending from the battlements via a ramp. They seem quite small, and one of them runs towards one of the defenders that are in full retreat. The small being is picked up and carted off, bawling and crying about Big Heart being dead.
Shira runs her hand through her hair and ends the motion by tucking on her own ear. Her lighting should not have missed. She makes her way closer to the battle, her leaping stride greatly assisted by her affinity for air magic. She focuses on the beetle again, but now uses the spell she used on the cactus before, aiming to knock the air out of the markman's lungs.
"No," Amos says to Hulda, "But I will see that you and yours are treated fairly. Which is more than you will get from anyone else. Squeaks out there seems particularly set on seeing that no one leaves here alive." He keeps an eye on the fleeing beings, specifically making sure that no one tries to stop them or hurt them.
Angus eyes the uniform curiously, tilting his head a bit in confusion. "That's a lot of decorations, Andrussya? What was your rank Ma'am " He asks curiously, letting his guard down calmly as he is now openly curious. "I find that this situation is rather confusing, enlightenment would be helpful."
The skipjack beetle is hit head on by the spell, feeling the air being wrenched from his lungs. He pulls the trigger on his rifle, the expert marksman's aim thrown off by the spell - but the bullet still flying awfully close to Shira. Were it not for her spell interfering with his aim, it would have been a different story. He raises his hand and traces a few mathemagical symbols in the air, attempting to reverse Shira's spell and draw air back into his lungs once more.
"Control yourself, Conrad" she says to him, without even sparing a glance. She keeps her eyes on Angus after he calls out to her. "Aah, a navy boy too? You clearly know your uniforms. First Mate. Former." She flicks her sword in a quick twirl. "I don't think I'm ready to surrender just yet, and besides, Conrad here still wants to fight, don't you Conrad?"
The beetle being finishes weaving his spell, breaking Shira's hold on him and taking a deep gasp of air. He doesn't reply, except by throwing her an annoyed glare, and a click of his tongue. "Treated fairly. Now that's a laugh!" The squid continues. "Ask me again in a minute." The courtyard is nearly cleared, almost all of the defenders now running for it apart from these two.
Shira is now literally dodging bullets. Thats gonna do wonders for her already too big ego. She does stop it with the magic for now though, both because she could use a break and because of the talking thats going on. She can't quite make it out from where she is standing, so instead of listening, she repositions herself, taking to the walls where she had first unleashed her magic when the fight broke out. The hight advantage would come in handy when things go south with the talks.
Fenris looks around and the cleared courtyard. "I see," he rasps, and he does. The magician is getting ready to do something big. "Then we will talk later, I hope. Razorback," the old cat commands, sending the mental order for his golem to throw itself upon the magician beetle to keep him from whatever cataclysm he has planned.
Angus sheaths his blade, giving a crisp salute and a bow. "Angus Solacious, first captain of the Divine sentinal unit of the good kings Milita. I'm not a navy boy, but I'm a veteran of a few to many fights." He answers, watching the proceedings going on. "Tell me, why desert? It seems you're protecting someone here, a forts a little different then a gallion."
Hulda snerks. "Now that's just assumming things." She twirls her sabre again. "More like I was forcefully ejected, but refused to leave on amicable terms. I-" She pauses as the golem starts stomping forwards, towards Conrad, and with some speed she.. dodges out of the way, letting the skipjack take the brunt of the attack. She bolts towards the ramp leading up the battlements, seemingly ready to either flee or enact some crazy plan.
Conrad responds to this situation with an annoyed click of his tongue. "Crap." That's the only word he can manage before the rampaging golem is on top of him, quite literally, leaping at him with the skipjack just about barely escaping by scrambling to the side. He weaves a quick spell, fire dancing in between his two hands as he intones the Divine Math. "Take the wily one. I'll get the mage." He says to Hulda.. before noticing she's bailing on him. "Double crap."
Shira grins as there is finally action to be had once more. The mathemagically gifted mouse magician slings another thunderbolt from her tiny fingers, this time directed at the fleeing squid.
"Pin him down, Razorback," Amos says, "Hold him." Then the old cat runs. Not after Hulda, but after the fleeing beings. "Hulda is yours, Solacious!" he shouts.
Angus sighs as she starts to run, and is Amos leaves it to him to restrain her. Turning his attention to her he takes to the air, working to land on the battlements before her to try and cut off her escape. "I'd ask that you stop running, but I'm sure you'll probably won't listen."
Without being able to see it, Hulda has no hopes of dodging or avoiding the lightning strike. It strikes her directly, eliciting a cry of pain from the squid being and making her reel and fall to one knee. As Angus lands nearby she picks herself up and retrieves her sword, gritting her teeth. "I'm not going to jail again. And you're not getting your hands on the others." She takes a lunging swipe at Angus, trying to gain the initiative.
Conrad unleashes his spell on the golem, but the damage it inflicts is fairly minimal - and the golem is hardly going to be scared off by the light show. The skipjack beetle clicks his tongue in that annoying way of his before the golem comes crashing down and pins him to the ground. He struggles faintly, but is unable to pry the giant creature off of him. "... Hi." He says to the golem.
Shira smirks at her hit and was about to fling another bolt of lightning in the squid's direction as she sees Angus engaging her. Playing it safe, the mouse decides to go with her suffocation spell once more, aiming to make Hulda an easy target for either a killing blow or an arrest.
Amos watches the fleeing bandits. . . or whatever they are at this point, and decides not to pursue. Instead he turns back to where Conrad is pinned under his golem. "Comfortable?" he asks, "Please wait here while I see to Hartman." Then he saunters off to check on the cactus being, leaving Hulda to Angus and Shira.
Angus takes a step out of the way, hoping his armor would prevent the blade from drawing blood. He grunts as it does not, gritting his teeth as the blade manages to nick flesh. "It seems you have two choices here Ma'am, You can allow yourself to be taken into my custody and mine alone. Or I assure you the rest of the freeswords here will put you down, and everything you are looking to do will be for not."
Conrad lies back, completely pinned under the golem and with no hope of escape. He turns his head to look at Hulda, facing off against the unknown flying fox. "Was good while it lasted." He utters to himself.
Hartman is still alive. Barely. The great giant is unconscious, tightly wound in the net. Looks like he tried to struggle free, but had neither the strength nor the stamina to accomplish anything but tire himself out and bind himself up more in the net.
Hulda grimaces, despite her successful swipe. "Your custody. I can only imagine what that might entail." She maintains her defensive stance a moment longer. "I figure the others have escaped by now." She admits, before turning her blade around and offering it to Angus. "I yield."
Shira looks around. Everything seems to be under control now. She jumps off the wall and gently descends, slowing her fall with simple air magic. She slowly wanders over to where Amos and Hartman are and crosses her arms as she gets there. "Not so big and mighty now, is he?"
Amos eases himself down next to Hartman, tangled in his net. "You did it wrong, big guy," he says, "Pirate ships never last." The old tom tugs at the pendant hanging from his neck, then tends to the gigantic being's wounds. "Shove it squeaks," he rasps, "This is about the worst way this could have turned out. You better pray to whatever gods you believe in that I don't lose the big guy here."
Angus quietly takes the offered blade, resting the tip against the crumbling stones of the ramparts. "Please stand First mate Hulda. In my custody entails that you will respect what I tell you to do, I will not bind you in irons unless I have to. You will be confined to the Solacious compound when we return to Firmament, and I ask that you answer all of my questions. I do not look to harm anyway unless absouletly necessary, have I made myself clear?"
Hulda nods slowly as she stands, limping slightly on account of the earlier lightning strike. "Solacious, huh?" She snorts derisively. "Never going to live that down. But then again you haven't gone for my throat yet, so that's a win I suppose. Alright, I accept your terms." She doesn't seem awfully pleased by this, but seems to comply so far."
Hartman is in a bad state. Amos' quick soul swap allows him to address the most immediate wounds, but it quickly becomes apparent the big guy is going to need proper and probably lengthy medical attention. Those spells hit awfully hard and accurate.
No noise is heard from Conrad, still pinned under the golem as he is.
Shira rolls her eyes. "They are bandits, they broke the law and had it coming. They should be grateful we did not kill them all." She narrows her eyes at Amos. "And do not call me that again, you hear me?" Old people, no respect for the talented youth! She slowly wanders over to the beetle and sits down next to him. "So, hey. You guys lost." She eyes how the golem has him pinned down. "Do tell me how you blocked my lightning, yeah?"
Amos does what he can for Hartman to keep him stable, but he will need to get him more treatment later. The old tom cat leaves the cactus being bound for now, hopefully he won't hurt himself further. He makes his way back to where Conrad is pinned. "A ward, oh talented youth," the cat rasps, "You haven't ever run into them?" The cat looks down at the pinned beetle, "If I let you up, what are you going to do?"
The skipjack beetle clicks his tongue at Shira. Quite the annoying habit. "A magician never tells his secrets." From this distance it's fairly easy to see he's packing a soul pendant himself. "This thing is on my chest. Hard to talk." He grunts and looks up at Amos. "Escape." He admits. "Or try. Bad to be captured, yes? Better to try and flee. Might succeed." He seems rather.. earnest, to say the least.
Angus waves his hand down the stairs of the battlements. "Ladies first if you please? Is your friend going to be co-operative as you?" He asks somewhat curious as to how this will play out as his ears flick.
Shira shakes her head. "I have not." She eyes the beetle up and down, or rather sideways, as he is lying on the ground. "I would advice against that. I would have to incapacitate you if you were to run. And you see what me incapacitating someone did to your floral friend over there." She points in the direction of Hartford. "So, what do you say about coming peacefully with us?"
"I appreciate your honesty," Amos says, "Razorback, hold him." The tattered feline starts to wander through the worn down old fort, examining the area and trying to see what he can see and learn what he can learn.
"Conrad? He doesn't even do what I tell him most of the time." She admits. "He's a hired hand. Do what you need to him." There'a a small ring of untruth in her voice. She's hiding something.
Conrad shrugs.. as best as he can with the weight on top of him. "You can try. Will escape anyway, at some point. Always do." He grunts. He's trying to loosen up a bit under the golem pinning him.
As Amos walks around and starts to investigate, he heads in the most obvious direction - the rather large central hold. The inside smells lived-in, a bit foul as well. There are a lot of improvised beddings here, and there's a firepit in the corner. A few children's toys lay strewn about. Not a soul is here, oddly enough. They all ran this way but are all gone. There's a stairwell leading up, onto the rear wall of the central hold.
Shira rubs her chin. "So, you are basically saying that no matter what, you will escape? Am I getting that right?" Still sitting, she draws one of her blades and hovers it near the beetle's neck. "Maybe, if this is your attitude, a more permanent solution is needed. I will ask once more. Are you going to come with us peacefully so you can have a trial?"
Angus quietly walks over to Razorback, taking a seat on the back of the golem if he is allowed it. "If he was a hired hand he wouldn't of made sure to keep a ward on you after you left him for dead. Do remember that I asked that you do not lie to me, I'm trying to keep this as civil as possible as it's very clear to me that this isn't some random bandit encampment." Looking down at Conrad he studies them for a moment, studying the blade near his throat.
The two 'bandits' exchange a worried glance. "Surrendered, boss? A pity." Conrad says. Somehow he doesn't seem very much bothered by the threat on his life - if anything, Hulda seems more worried than him. "Conrad, stop being a stubborn bastard, just do as you're told."
The squid turns to Angus. "Bandit camp? I suppose that is one point of view. All souls here are refugees, castaways, tossed out of their homes for a tiny, meaningless infraction." She nearly growls. "They're my people."
Conrad sighs. "Sentimental. Told you this fort was a bad idea. Best to keep moving." He turns to Shira, finally. "Sure. Come with peacefully now, escape later. Will escape eventually." He clicks his tongue at her.
The golem does not move, keeping its place as jailer.
Amos, meanwhile walks slowly through the abandoned keep, moving bedrolls gently with his foot and looking over the fire pit before heading toward the stairs. "Hello?" he calls in his rasping voice, "I'm not armed." Not visibly at least. The old cat does have a few weapons of last resort, but he keeps his hands deep in his pockets.
Shira shrugs at the beetle and gets up, sheathing her weapon and addressing the squid. "You broke the law in your homes and got punished, then you came here and took what you needed from the hard working villagers. Seems to me you did not learn your lesson and still think you are above the law. You could have made a proper new beginning here and started a couple of farms or work other jobs, but no, you stuck to your criminal ways, stop trying to paint it like you are the victims."
As Amos walks up the stairs he finds a small room overlooking the back yard of the small keep. This would probably have been the keep commander's own room, but the back wall has half collapsed into a pile of rubble. A small whimper comes from a hidden corner of the room. Rather poorly hidden, a few small ones huddle up for safety - children. One of them throws a pebble at Amos before hiding again.
The collapsed back wall seems to have been the point of escape for the hold's previous residents. Ropes hang down over the edge, secured to one of the load-bearing pillars in the room.
Angus sighs as his expression hardens, his pointer finger darting between the two. "Talk. Now. Why are you criminals, why are you refugees. What is going on here, the longer you talk the more time you're friends have to get away from here. And yes I am aware that you have been stalling, and it's very clear you two are either old military buddies are something more. While the mouse here seems blood thirsty no harm will come to you if you just tell me the truth."
Amos looks around the room, giving it a full scan to make sure it is safe before he squats down a little way away from the children. "Are you Big Heart's friends?" he asks, gently.
Shira shrugs. "I am not blood thirsty. Just can't stand it when people think that the law does not apply to them." She takes a deep breath and mutters something about that kind of thing making her furious, before she scans the area herself, casting a wary eye on her surroundings, though she stays where she is.
Hulda rubs the back of her head. "Alright. We are refugees. Apostates, as folk are so eager to call us." She turns to Shira. "It's not as easy as that, tiny and ignorant one." She turns to Angus. "We're not old military buddies, but Conrad here is a friend." He snorts and clicks his tongue at that. "Sentimental squid."
Inside the hold, one of the small children nods slowly, although the others continue to huddle up. They seem terrified, scared to death, clearly left here by the others escaping, or too afraid to follow them down the rope.
Hulda gestures 'zip it' at Conrad before turning back to Angus. "This here was going to be our chance at making a living for ourselves. Noone was using this fort anyway... but figures, once the 'bandits' have taken it, everyone wants it back." Conrad clicks his tongue. "Told you."
Amos nods. "Me too," he says, "But he's hurt and he needs our help. Can you come help Big Heart?" The old feline holds out a hand to the children, otherwise staying still. "Did the others leave you here all on your own?"
Shira shrugs one last time and only says, "Law is law." before wandering off to explore the area some more and head inside the building if she can find another entrance than the one Amos used, no use in two people searching the same area.
Angus rolls his eyes. "The law is the law, but we do not shoot barely armed individuals, I am sorry about those that you have lost today. But if you truely wish to see the others live without fear. You will tell me how many you have, where they are going, and they will all submit themselves to be brought back to firmament, There are establishments already together that could use more members, or you may be sanctioned to make your own village after the rule of law is given."
"He's hurt?" One of the children says. "He's dead, I saw it!" Cries another. "They killed him!" He hides again and begins to bawl, clearly upsetting the others in the process. A small wolf girl peels off from the group. "If he's hurt we gotta go help him!" She walks towards Amos, but the others don't dare move yet.
Shira finds another stairwell, this one going downwards. She finds a basement, the hold's siege reserve. It's.. nearly empty. There are a few sacks of grain, some recently hunted game, and barrels of booze - unmarked, probably some kind of moonshine. These reserves wouldn't last them a month on rations, much less a harsh winter with children to feed.
Hulda scoffs. "As if they haven't heard that before, so many times. They're going to run and hide, all of them. Probably up north. That was Big Heart's plan, keep moving and head to the mountains." Conrad interjects. "Was a good plan." Much to Hulda's displeasure. "We all made the choice, Conrad." She turns to Angus. "They'll keep running, and they'll fight back. I trained them to survive at all costs."
"He is definitely alive, young lady," Amos says, giving a bit of a lopsided grin, showing one oversized fang, "He's too tough to die, but he needs your help to get better." The cat waits patiently, his hand still extended to the children. "No one is going to hurt you," he promises.
Angus taps the badge on his chest. "I might be a little bold here, but the last few times didn't come from a noble now did they? Make no mistake, You've been labeled as bandits, These freeswords were hired to track you down and kill you if necessary, they won't stop as long as people hire them. I'm giving you the one and only chance for a potentially peaceful life, there has been enough killing for today."
The small wolf girl seems to trust Amos, moving to take his hand. The rest of the children stay huddled up, but have stopped crying. "OY. ANY MORE OF YOU LOWLIVES UP THERE?" The voice came from the opening at the back of the room, and it sounded very much like Zane screaming at the top of his lungs.
Hulda nods slowly. "If you say so." She does spare a glance at the other mercenaries. "Well.. take us in then." She looks at Conrad. "Conrad, stop being an idiot. That's an order."
Shira searches the area for anything that isn't food or drink, namely things they might have stolen for value rather than survival, after she is done she slowly returns to Angus and the captives.
Angus shrugs. "Beats fighting every day for rations, especially for children." He sighs a bit, taking off his hat to scratch his head. "Look I've got to be honest with you, soldier to soldier. I can't sit around and let kills be killed, and I don't want to see some poor sods killed because they were looking for a home either. I promise you I'll do everything in my power to make your sentence light, and to help your people find a new home."
"Just me, Zane," Amos calls down, "Stand down." The grizzled old tom cat takes the little girl's hand and rises. "Tell you what," he says to the children, "We'll go down and check on Big Heart, then come back. Okay?" He then leads the young wolf down the stairs and across the courtyard to the gate where Hartman is lying in the net. "See," Amos says, "He's still alive, but he needs all of you to take care of him."
Shira's search turns up little. There's clothes down there, and construction materials. Seems they've been scavenging or stealing their way up to rebuilding this place. There are very few proper valuables, at least not being currently stored in the basement. In fact they don't seem to have stolen much at all, compared to original reports...
Hulda nods slowly at Angus. She doesn't quite believe him yet, but then again noone has really tried this with her before. "I'm afraid I still don't know where the rest of them are. Like I said they most likely ran north. On foot.. they might not make it very far before they have to find a place to hide."
"GOOD! WE GOT THE REST OF THE BASTARDS I THINK!" Comes Zane's cry from down below. "Move out people! Back home to Summerford. Drinks are on me!"
The small kids follow Amos, some more reluctantly than others, but now that the little wolf girl is leading the pack, the rest seem comfortable enough to follow with.
Rokarion cries.
Amos leads the children to Hartman. "I will stay right with you until Big Heart is better, alright" the old cat says, "Don't worry." He stands and whistles, calling his golem and letting Angus get on with his work. "Zane!" he calls, "You treat those beings kindly or you'll have me to deal with."
"You'll treat them kindly or your own lord won't be the only one mad." Snapped Angus in response as he hears Amos call out, standing back up before looking at both Conrad and Hulda. "Now, shall we head back to Firmament?"
Amos sits with the children and the injured Cactus being, administering what help he can to the unconcious Hartman. "Talk to our friend, kids," the cat says, "He needs to know that he kept you all safe." He carefully plies his sacred doctor.
It takes a bit to round up all the stragglers. Surprisingly few beings are brought forward to be arrested by Amos and Angus, and the reason becomes clear once the group moves around the back of he castle in a later sweep - the cunning but misguided salamanders of Sweetwater set up a perimeter and though many escaped, a great deal of the apostates met their end at the militia's speartips.
While Conrad continues to be annoying with both his quips and clicks of the tongue, Hulda keeps him in check long enough until the group reaches Firmament a few days later. Big Heart recovers his consciousness halfway through the trip, and though he is heavily wounded and rather scarred, he still seems to act like a magnet for the various children that were apprehended as well.
The mission was technically a success, but many questions are left unanswered...
