[Nights/North] Chapter I : Let The Rain Fall

[bamaotaku]

While she very well could have fired a shot at the last fleeing bandit, she decided against it, lowering her bow with a sigh followed by a wince from the pain of the bolt in her side. Still standing, she frowns as she carefully works the projectile from her body. (Ending Awesome Beauty as another free action and taking 10 on a Heal check to remove the bolt for a total of 20).

"I'm fine. Thank you for your concern." Placing her hand over the wound, she closes her eyes and the hand glows for a few moments. When she removes it, the wound is completely healed. (Lay on Hands to heal the 5 damage. Got 7 HP worth of healing left.) "I'll feel much better once we're out of this rain and next to a fire."  

[Reevinja Mk II]

Lydia's eyes linger in the direction the men had fled, surprised. A fight had began and ended sooner than she was really able to react, leaving her feeling a bit off by the whole ordeal. She's snapped out of her daze as Ider speaks toward her and Miai, giving a slow shake of her head: "I-I'm fine.. What was the point of that aside from one of us wanting blood? It seemed meaningless... we could have just paid and moved on. There are more important things than greed and murder. I take it nobody is going to mention the fact that we struck first when we turn him in?"

She sighs, shaking her head slowly before turning her gaze upon the barricade to see if there was a way around it or not. If there was, she'd begin leading the horse-drawn carriage to go around. If not, she'd climb down from the carriage and move over to the barricade to begin moving what was needed to make a path for them to go through.  

[x_Adriel_x]

(Use rope = 18 )

"Got it." Adriel entered the caravan to rummage through Ider's bag, and pulled out a rope. He exited the caravan, walked towards the frozen bandit, and began tying him up.

"You, my dear, are not living up to your calling." he called to Lydia as he worked, chuckling slightly. "Greed is everything, especially for mercenaries like us. It's what we do. It's who we are. The sooner you see that, the sooner you can make peace and revel in it like I do." He finished tying up the bandit, and turned to Ider.

"So, think we need to keep anything he's got as evidence, or can I please for the love of Olidammara loot him?"  

[glitterboypilot]

"Their is a difference between, being a merc and being a merc with honor. History isn't always written by the victor, my young friend." Ider said as he ether pulled aside to let Lydia and Maia pass, or if their is a gate blocking he got down and helped Lydia open it. "I would say leave it as evidence, but for some reason I don't think you will do as I say. So take just leave enough to prove he is a bandit." He said waiting on Adriel  

[bamaotaku]

"Just leave him be. He'll be tried in the eyes of the law. I'll have no part in thievery. Otherwise, it makes us no better than him." She gives a disapproving glance at the man who has tied up the bandit.  

[Reevinja Mk II]

Lydia pauses what she was doing, turning her gaze toward Adriel - looking utterly disgusted. She couldn't believe the words she'd just heard, and she made no attempt to hide that fact.

"I've.. never.. stolen out of greed. More gold has only made me more miserable. I may be a mercenary... but I'm glad to know that I know something you don't. Part of me hopes you never learn what that is, because with an attitude like that - you don't deserve it." She is rather agitated, and it showed in her tone.

Turning back to what she was doing, she keeps her back to Adriel, trying to clear the path for everyone to pass.  

[x_Adriel_x]

"Geeze, tough crowd. Well, pardon me for enjoying the finer things in life, and being willing to get a little dirty to achieve them. Since no one wants to dirty their conscience, I suppose I'll be the only one collecting spoils? Works for me."

"Now, you're coming with me." he said, dragging the man to his caravan. He climbed inside, pulling the man after him, and set him on the floor to begin his search.

(Considering the guy's not moving and we've got a ways to go until we reach the city, I'm going to take 20 on my search roll, if that's alright with you.)

(Search = 31)  

[bamaotaku]

"Stop...." Miai turned to face the guy before he had disappeared from sight, stepping down off of the wagon she'd been sitting on. "If you want gold that badly, I'll give you some of mine in exchange for you handing him over to me. Please." Ally or not, she couldn't abide such actions. It just struck a sour note with her.  

[x_Adriel_x]

"Please, where would the fun be in that? Relax, I'm just going to check out what he's got, out of curiosity, and hold my blade to his throat if he starts to move again, nothing more. No reason for your conscience to bug you on my account." With that, he closed the caravan door, and got to work.  

[bamaotaku]

"No!" Rushing over, Miai grabbed a hold of the bound man's arm. "It's not on your account that I cannot let this stand. If you have no consideration for your own actions and their consequences, there's nothing I can do to change that. But when those actions affect others, I cannot abide it. He is an unarmed and helpless man and I'll not stand idly by knowingly while you seek to take advantage of that. I do not want to do harm to you any more than I did to him or his cohorts...but I WILL stop you if you insist on this course of action. Now...please...hand him over."  

[x_Adriel_x]

"Let me get this straight. You're threatening me, to protect what valuables may or may not be on the body of a man who wanted to slit your throat and steal everything you own just moments ago? I mean, I know you paladins are all righteous and holy and all, but by Olidammara's grin, have some sense."

Adriel pushed the man into her arms in disgust. He stared at her, his eyes cold, ruthless, completely lacking the spark of good humor he'd held through this ordeal. "Take him, do what you will. Just hope that my knots and that spell are enough to hold him. I doubt your honor and righteousness will have any effect on his lust for your gold. Or your life. Or Hells, maybe even you."  

[bamaotaku]

"Justice will see to it that he gets what he deserves. There is no point in robbing him at this point other than simple greed. There is no 'sense' in it, if that's what you must call it. All you're doing is seeking to take advantage of someone who is unable to defend themselves. At that point, the differences between you and him disappear and you are just as cowardly."

She stared back without fear or remorse for her actions before turning and walking him to the wagon she'd been in prior.  

[x_Adriel_x]

"Hmph. Paladins." Adriel uttered the word as if it were a curse. He quickly turned about, his movements angry yet fluid as those of a jungle cat, as he stalked back to his own caravan. He swiftly climbed in and slammed the door shut.  

[bamaotaku]

"I hope you don't mind if I ride in the back to make sure he doesn't go anywhere," she asked Lydia as she guided the man into the wagon before climbing in after him. Once there, she'd just let him lay on the ground before drawing her greatsword and laying it calmly across her lap. A simple, yet direct warning to insure he didn't try anything foolish.  

[Rock_DS]

The passage now cleared the party can name there way along the road. The day will be drawing to a close soon enough. The thunder has passed, but a light drizzle still persists as the party sees the gate of Andrad.

The town is dominated by the large tower in it's center. The next tallest building was at less than half the towns hight. The builds rolled away from the center of the town to be obscured by the high stone wall on it's sides.

A set of guards stop the caravans as they close in to the gate.

"State ye name and business" He ordered of the drivers.