Bobble instructs the dogs what to do, and they enthusiastically start sniffing around.  They don't find anything interesting yet...

Conan finds the archers trail, it leads to a well used trail leading deeper into the woods.  It looks like this pond is used to collect water for a group.

Makoto heals everyone up, and then invests both Conan and Bobble with a Protective Luck.

When are you going to wake up the prisoner and what are you going to ask him?  Before or after you track down the archer?  The archer has a significant lead, so the odds on you catching him down are slim.

Bobble will wake up the prisoner as soon as everyone is healed.

Questions for Winston:

1: Where is the noble he beat up?
2: How many more of them are there?
3: Who would he have sold Makoto too?
4: What was he looking for in the rushes?

Makoto and Conan are welcome to ask any questions as well.

1. Where does the trail lead to further in the woods?   Assume it's to their camp.   Asking for confirmation.
2. What is the lay out of the camp?

Bobble can I speak to you privately please?   Asks Conan of Bobble when he get back from the tracking mission.   How do you want to handle the questioning of the prisoner?   Me, bad cop and you, good cop? i.e. intimidation and diplomacy.

Dont forget to post a skill check when you decide which skill to use to interogate him.  If you dont intend to let him go, intimidate is ok. Do you want to lie to him, bluff.  You may take 10 or roll.

13:36, Today: Bobble rolled 22 using 1d20+7.  Diplomacy versus W.

Bobble has no intention of freeing this scumbag. He needs to be turned in for justice or hung from a lamp post. OK maybe not the 2nd one...

So post the scene, what.where.how. you are waking him up and what you are going to say to him.

Bobble will ask Makoto to use a charge of the CLW wand on him. 2 if needed to wake him up.

Bobble will do the main questioning, with Conan in the background being bad cop if needed. Conover will be watching out for more bad guys coming up the trail. My dog will be right next to Bobble. Makoto will be nearby, and her cat can be on lookout as well.

20:12, Today: Conan rolled 17 using 1d20+10.  intimidation versus W.

All of their melee weapons are newish and bear a maker’s mark of an eagle clutching a pair of tongs, Marek's mark.


Effort/characterization/roleplaying can be worth bonuses.

   Bobble attempts to interrogate Wincent, but doesn't get very far. He is proud and haughty even in defeat. He does boast about “Aldona, the mistress of the moon,” who leads their gang and proudly show the scars on their upper arms and claim that with the next full moon, the power of their gang will multiply, and all of Silverhall will be their prey. A Heal check, identifies the scars on their arms as having been inflicted by the teeth of a predatory animal, such as a wolf or dog. Finally Conan's "bad cop" intimidates Wincent into answering your questions.

1: Where is the noble he beat up?  They recently kidnapped a “weak lordling” who had camped by their pond.  This lordling challenged Wincent to single combat and lost.  They were thinking about getting a ransom for the lordling, if they could figure out who might pay.
2: How many more of them are there? 4 + Aldona + her pet wolf (#$@^%v big wolf)
3: Who would he have sold Makoto too? They sell their loot/slaves to a hobgoblin contact.
4: What was he looking for in the rushes? They were searching the area around the pond for any valuables that the lordling may have dropped.
1. Where does the trail lead to further in the woods?   Yes, their camp.  It's a hour away.
2. What is the lay out of the camp?  A firepit in the center of a clearing with 6 tents in a semicircle around it.

Any more questions?
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:44, Fri 29 May 2020.

Hmmm. I don’t have time to take you back to town for a ransom. I see you are a bowman. I am going to leave you here. But you are never going to draw a bow again. Conan, please hold his arms down.

Bobble will then do what the French did to English bowmen they captured. His two middle fingers will be removed and the stumps cauterized.

Sorry if you think this was wrong. The other option was to hang you. Now you may leave. No weapons but one dagger. If I see you again you will die, understand?

  Wincent isn't a dedicated archer so doing what you propose really isn't going to do what you think it will do.  He used maces and had sneak attack (rogue) and as a bandit, honor isn't his strong suit. There also seems to be the issue of his leader and his old bite wounds.  Makoto theorizes Lycanthropy, so releasing him is not an option, murder is also not an option.  She asks if anyone knows the local laws (know nobility or local) and how much authority Lander has?

Shoot you are right Makoto. We need to head back with him and turn him over to the authorities. I don’t trust him at all. Then we can come back here, possibly with some hired swords. We would be outnumbered and we aren’t equipped for a lycanthrope.

 It is late afternoon, while you are discussing this.  Makoto says, "So you want to leave Landers as a prisoner of bandits while we backtrack to drop him off?"

  Wincent is proud and haughty and does not like where this conversation is going, cutting fingers off, hanging, etc...  Similar to Conan, his physical stats are above average (+2 or +3) but his mental stats are more normal with intelligence being slightly below average.  You know he is skilled in stealth, perception and acrobatics.  Once he figures out you aren't a rival bandit gang, he is willing to make a deal in exchange for his freedom and not being maimed.

Leaving Landers to rot, as a prisoner might or might not smartened him up to his responsibilities, that isn't an option, replied Conan, and neither is leaving him behind or free meaning our prisoner.   He continued.

Some other questions; What is the procedure for entering the camp when done with a raid?   How many guards are there in camp?   Where would their prisoner be being held be at?   Is this Contact in town or what?

Intimidation only last a little while and trying it again increases the target number, and he is done talking.  So what sort of deal are you willing to make?  He will remind you, the other bandit got away and will be warning “Aldona, the mistress of the moon" about you.  Time is passing quickly, so how badly do you want his information.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:29, Fri 29 May 2020.

Makoto you are correct we cannot afford the time to backtrack. Look, if we let you go you need to clear out of this area. Answer our questions about the camp, and you can leave. With your fingers. But if I see you again I will end you! And tell me, how is it that all of the weapons you and the dead guy have hallmarked by the smith in town? Is he running a side trade supplying bandits? Where is the G-damned Hobgoblin you sell people too? Any other questions you guys?

Bobble will pull out two daggers from the pile of weapons taken from the bandits. He will put them by the trail out of the area. The rest of the weapons we will keep as blood price for attacking us.

Anybody have silver weapons?

What is the procedure for entering the camp when done with a raid?
none, everybody goes on raids and there are only 7 people in the whole gang.

How many guards are there in camp?
Usual 1 person is supposed to be keeping watch, there is no particular watch location.  The guard usual just walks around the camp.

Where would their prisoner be being held be at?
Aldona took him into her tent, the big tent.

Is this Contact in town or what?
Wincent misinterprets your question to be about the gang leader and not about the hobgoblin contact.  The real leader of their gang is not Aldona, but even Wincent does not know the name of the true mastermind of the gang. Wincent knows only that Aldona receives her orders from a “smith from town.” The smith—a bald, bearded, and tanned man—has  visited the camp once or twice.  It does describe Marek fairly well.

how is it that all of the weapons you and the dead guy have hallmarked by the smith in town?/Is he running a side trade supplying bandits?
Wincent has no knowledge of this.  These are the weapons that the boss (the “smith from town”) provided them as payment to join the gang.

Where is the G-damned Hobgoblin you sell people too?
There is a squad of hobgoblins that come by about every other week, they should be coming any day now.  They are led by a hobgoblin cleric.

Ok, Bobble will untie Wincent.

Remember what I said, if I see you again you are dead. If you go to town to warn the smith you are also dead. Leave the area and don’t come back.

Once the bandit has left, Bobble will speak with the others.

Ok there are 5 of them left at the camp including the one who got away. At least one of them is a werewolf. Yikes. They will probably be expecting us, or will be coming here to look for us. We could try an ambush, or we could try going Off the trail to get to the camp secretly. And then we need to deal with Marek.

Okay, that does change things a bit from what I was planning.   Replied Conan after Wincet stated everything he had asked.   With the revelation of Marek being the true leader of the gang He thinks, Well that explains a hell of a lot of things about Marek's behavior and attitude towards the Lebeda Family as a whole.   Conan will state than that Marek knew Landers was coming out here and set him up.

My plan was to stealthily approach the camp later tonight and steal Landers away from them, but Bobble you are correct they will be expecting us just like they are expecting the Hobgoblins whom we slew but they won't come.   Maybe if we can use this fact against them all the better.    Stated Conan disappointedly, who wanted so desperately to prove himself up to the task.

So what's the plan now?

Ok we have 2 options Conan and Makoto as I see it. We can set up an ambush on the trail figuring they will come this way to investigate our run in with these three. The other option is we go up the trail a ways then try to go cross country to their camp. They will probably expect both options. We are outnumbered and I don’t have silver weapons to affect a werewolf. Conan what do you want to do?
This message was last edited by the player at 02:39, Sat 30 May 2020.

  Makoto can help with the silver issue.  She has a medium sized Silver dagger (Alchemical Silver, –1 penalty on the damage roll (with a minimum of 1 point of damage), not balanced for throwing) that she uses to cut special ingredients which she can loan to Conan.  She can also apply 2 silver weapon blanchs. https://aonprd.com/EquipmentMi...n%20blanch%20(silver) Each application can be used on 1 weapon or 10 ammo (arrows or bolts), only lasts for 1 hit and costs 5gp each.  She will also point out that werewolves burn like normal.

How about she loan Bobble the silver dagger?

The dagger is medium sized and Bobble would take a -2 penalty to attack with it. She will loan it to whoever Conan and Bobble decide can use it better.