Khorden's quite surprised as the wagon explodes.  He'd not expected anything to spectacular, not even sure if the mute fellow knew of of what he... didn't speak.

Seeing the dog that Khorden had gone through pains to rescue is now beholden to Clair, he grumbles a bit in a good-natured fashion.  "That be gratitude fer ye."

Hearing Clair's comments about the fellow who names himself Alvair, he looks the man over closely.  "I'll take on th' job o' keepin' an eye on him."  In truth, Khorden isn't sure that there's much need, the man seems harmless enough and quite eager to be out of the service of that dratted mage.  He makes sure to collect the weapons that Alvair had set aside.

"With this Astar fellow gone, what be th' plan?  Old friends aside, I was hopin' t' put a bit o' coin in me pouch an' that seems t' not be in th' works now."

  Kree  Ducks  as he loses the  riegns  of the horses... after the  explosion he  gets  a piece  of deadwood  and  poskes  aroud the   front of the wagon's remains to see if  there might have been a stropng box or the like there.

  After he finshed, he walks  over to the others, watching the  dog with clair  and his eyes  go to Alvair,...You were a slaver..whether by choice   or nay..the deed is the  same...By my Village's Quest?  I should stake you to a tree, with my rune on your forehead...but Clair  has an eye for goodly  things, and Tymora  and Beshaba play thier tokens  well...answe this, the bestb you may...can you show me where the slaves  are now?  Will we be abke to save them?...If not...is there a building, or buildings  that  we...or I..if none else wishes...can destroy, to  damage  the slaver dealings   in that town?"

  As he  awaits the answer he says,...If  we  are able  to destroy  his holding pens...rescue  some , if nay all, the  slaves..we  will all but stop his business here....if we can at least...destroy the buildings  and kill off a few  more of his  hired hands...then he will be known as a high risk provider...and  we will cost him much coin...perhaps, even cause his death, if some of his customers think he is too high of  a risk for blackmail and such.....

  After the  Bit of Talk, he grins  a bit  darkly,  I have  one  more bit of Business to attend to... he  moves off to the  trees where the  other dead henchman lies. He  takes  the  Body to the nearest  dead  tree near the road he  can find. Using his  dirk he  cuts  three stakes, and  stakes  the body to  the tree, carving  the Elven Rune  for " Death Elf" on his forehead...then, tearing open the fellow's shirt, he writes  with blood, "..Slaver"..He  will return to the  group  with the fellow's weapons , coin and  anything  else of use he may have had.

Bruga ducks from the explosion but, fortunately for Alvair, holds the dagger steady. Then he grins and sheathes his dagger. He gets up and says Just so there's no misunderstanding, I'm going to pat you down and does so. Please stand he says, and he checks from the waist on down. (Assuming) All clean, unless he's something in his boots. (Bruga leaves any coins the man may have in his possession.)

In reply to Bruga Honeyfinder (msg #158):

Khorden my friend, I will be more then happy to give you my cut from the dead henchman and if you like we can play some cards and I will snic give you a chance to win some coin off of me and anyone else wishing to join in a game or three tonight when we rest.

Sighs, Alvair, understand once we have moved off from here I will need you to honestly describe your role with Astar and to give any help you can to us so we can use it to damage his operation looks to Kree, as you can see, your quick surrender and helping hand in saving our friend has saved your life, smiles now the more good honest help you give us the easier it will be for me to convince my fellow friends that you have played out your hand from the past and are playing the new hand we have dealt for you looks intently at Alvair that is if you wish to truly help us and denounce you past ways  chuckles, now I am not trying to convert you over to my lady's ways all together but she does truly help those who need it.

Now let's move out of here I guess back to Lotan.  Unless we can get more help from Cabain  Absently pets the dog again.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:19, Wed 26 Jan 2011.

Gosric rubs his wrists, then pulls his sack of supplies-luckily pulled from the wagon before it exploded :)-up off the ground and pulls out his still shiny splint mail.  Gazing into it, he lets out a loud groan and turns on the mute henchman.

"My hair, you dumb ox, its so.... greasy!!!  I'll never get this washed out. followed by a happy sigh; "Well, I guess the jokes on you anyway.  I would have been the laziest, most uncooperative slave you ever met!"  He starts to rummage through the bag, pulling out his supplies and placing them about his person, all the while mumbling something about 'stupid dad and his stupid adventure'.

Alvair will shrug about the where abouts of the slaves. He raises his chin towards clair and she can see a stilletto slit it would appear the man's vocal chords were pierced, then healed in such a way not to fix the voice.

[Private to Clair Brandywhine: Healing this is beyond your ability, you would need a "Heal" spell, perhaps one of the priests at yours or Gosric's church could do so, for a fee.]

Seemingly besides their weapons and simple armor, neither Alvair or the dead henchman carried anything of actual value. The wreckage of the wagon provides no clues.

In reply to GM (msg #161):

OOC assume we are at some type of camp for the night.

Clair looks at Alvair's throat a bit closer, hmm, that is a nasty way to make business.  she absently pets the dog then pulls out a bite of travel beef jerky from her pack and carefully hands it to the dog, then looks back to Alvair Can you write down in the dirt what happened to you to be placed in that predicament, motioning his throat.

  Kree nods then  shakes his head, his face  a mask of disgust,  I intend on going  back to the town, to the barn where i saw the slaves unloaded...can you take us  any further from there? I am thinking..if it was me..I would be rather miffed, if some one took my voice..then left me to die, when he knew there was an Elven Hunter and a stout lot of comrades with him..I would  want  some measure  of retribution...you can help us..save some of the lives you helped destroy..children  from thier parents..wives from thier husbands...  his voice cracks just a moment  as he smoothly regains control,..brothers  from thier sisters....help us...and you get a cut of whatever coin we get from this...

  Looking to Clair he adds,..we sell the other one's armor and weapons...spilt the coin, or put it into party funds...

After a long period of silence, Senuviel absently says, more to himself than to anyone: It wasn't Astar's spell which took him away from us. The elf then goes to the prisoner: Who took Astar away? Are there magic-users among your group?

In reply to Kree Quickshadow (msg #163):

Kree, that is fine with me in putting that stuff into party funds, though Khorden wanted some coin for his work so far :)

Senuviel, yes another either laid a spell upon Astar so that he could cast it or he had a device to cast from.  I did not think he was that high in power.  Of course that worries me he has friends in high places.  Alvair, I keep asking you a lot but can you also tell us how connected you were with Astar and his gang of slavers?

  Kree nods to Clair,...aye..our  friend gets  paid...seems  like the next bit of coin we get will either  come from the dead bodies of slavers, or from bounties on thier heads...

Well, upon a time a lone stranger...like to an elf but not an elf...sojourned in our village. Wonderful tales he'd tell of far-away strangeness. He was fond of saying, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." He'd pause and then add, "But sometimes the needs of the few—or the one—outweigh the needs of the many." I've been not much, and you've been kind ot me....and I don't have any particular needs now anyway. I say we go with Kree.

In reply to Kree Quickshadow (msg #166):

Ah, yes I would hope we run through some good luck and not only free some slaves, stop or slow their trade and make some coin on it all, she grins which of course for me some coin will go to my church. chuckles Talking about coin, so who is up for some cards. oh and for our watches for the night, we should be extra cautious. Again absently pets the dog, soothingly says to the dog. what am I going to call you. oh yea, I would like either first or last watch so I can rest up to regain my spells.

umm one more thing, looks to Alviar, I trust you will stay put and not try to run off into the night I would assume you want in with us sighs but if you do run, I can not stop Kree smiles so stay with us it shall be fun.

Clair, doubtless you will want your friends to have good luck were we to play cards with you—your idea of aiding us. However, you deserve to keep all you now have, so I decline your repeated invitation with admiration for your generous offer.

  I will take  the late  watch again, give you all a bit  more sleep before sunrise. Let us move off the road  a bit, into the trees...be harder for  folks to approach us, and i can use the trees to watch the  road...if you make a fire this night..make it small..and put it in a deep hole, to cut out the glow from being seen...after  we eat..the fire  goes down to embers..cannot afford to be spotted.

In reply to Bruga Honeyfinder (msg #169):

Laughs, then chuckles, ah one day Bruga we shall see who can draw and keep their Ace and pulls a card out of the deck shows it an Ace smiles.

Clair makes sure to feed the dog some scraps and all.  Then if no takers will settle down to take first watch, I'll take first watch, calmly but with some authority to the dog, hear, sit, stay, indicating a spot next to her.  Then of course will give him a scratch under the ears where he seems to like it.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:19, Thu 27 Jan 2011.

  That dog is like  a Rabbit  snare..maybe call him that? the  elf leans  against a tree with his hood up, bow and an arrow across his  lap. As  he seeks  a bit  of sleep himself.

In reply to Kree Quickshadow (msg #172):

hhm Snare, looks to the dog, Snare maybe she pets Snare soothingly saying Snare, good boy.

I take the second watch. Senuviel moves toward the trees in order to find a nice spot to set his bedroll.

Alvair simply writes it is to much to explain, but writes "Astar Betrayed." and shaeks his head when asked if there are magic users, he himself not seeming to know as much as you like.

Any is fine with me.

In reply to Bruga Honeyfinder (msg #176):

As the night winds down Clair asks Alvair to stay with her during her watch so she can gain more information about him (She has Snare with her too) So Astar betrayed you before or after your throat , awaits shake of head yea nay (will do this with each question), Not trying to play charades but where you forced into serving you? 
where you a slave?
How did he betray you?  You can write the basics.
Are you willing to follow us and do what we can to take out Astar and/or his trade?  smiles I am looking for honesty here, you can say why not since it is just you and me and I spoke to keep you alive SO I am not going to wast my breath like that to just kill you if you do not want to deal with Astar more then what you have done so far.
Do you have family nearby?

Gosric stares at Clair with a slightly disbelieving look.  Being nice to that slaver, however he might have been abused?  And that monster of a dog?  He wasn't a cruel man, but there were limits to his kindness.  Seeing that the others were going to sleep, he lays out his cloak like a blanket and falls right asleep.  The terror of being held captive had left him exhausted.  Hopefully, in the morning, he could get some answers as to what was going on.

OOC: He pointedly avoids offering to take any watch, although he has suffered a great deal recently.

Alvair points at his throat instead of writing perhaps suggesting he will talk for the healing. He will say nor write no more. The night itself will pass uneventfully, the morning rises and the party including Alvair is ready to go.

Next morning, Gosric feels some of his humanity return.  Having performed his meditations and relearned his spells, he remembers Alvair's request from the night before.  Kneeling down in front of the prisoner, Gosric pokes him with a stick, trying to avoid touching the dirty man.

"Hey, hey, you!  You wanted someone to heal your vocal cords?  I can do it, if you want."  Seeing the grime on the man's skin, he almost regrets making the offer, but offers a silent prayer to Lathander.

I'm paying my penance now, but can I please get that comfy parish soon?