Borric was silent as many of his companions spoke. Saira brought up the idea of checking the land and making sure that it remained safe. While Caramip spoke of a seat of government and representatives, even from the kobolds! Kael, ever the one to see holes in an optimistic plan, pointed out several things that seemed unsurmountable. But Dominique recognized the fertile lands. Borric closed his eyes for several seconds. "This is harder than I thought."

He let his confession hang in the air, "We need allies. No we need friends. Maybe Oleg can offer some advice... he did establish an outpost. Or Svetlana." Borric looked at each of his companions in turn. "Where can we start? How do we start?"

"Beg." Dominique suggests simply, a wide grin spreading across his face, and lets the answer hang for a few moments before explaining, "Lady Jamarka, Master Sellemius, and hells--most of Rostland--have a vested interest in you succeeding. Play that hand for everything you can get--men, supplies, settlers. Beyond that, if you can ensure law, order, security, and the wellness of your subjects, the people will come to you. You'll need to enforce the law consistently." He glances at the gnome, and even the so-called paladin, expecting them to take issue with the advice, before continuing, "I expect the people of the region would balk at too strict or harsh a legal doctrine, but too soft or enforced on a whim and your people won't be safe. Forgiveness is for the victims and the gods ... the people need to trust that wrongdoers will be punished and deterred."

Borric frowned when Dominique suggested that he beg. His brow furrowed as he listened to Dominique's suggestion. "This sounds like politics. My family was very good at politics. I had to stomach for it." He looked uncomfortable when he mentioned his family. Through all this time as the companions fought bandits and wild creatures of the land, Borric never mentioned his family. He was silent for several minutes before he finally spoke in measured words and tone.

"My family. I left them... in Brevoy and I left their name as well. I took up my mother's name. The Romanov family. We... They have estates in Brevoy and gold. Lots of gold. They are heavily into politics." Borric paused again, searching for words. "Elena." Borric smiled, "I prepared oaths to become a paladin very much like you. Iomedae called to me and I answered. I almost took the final oaths, but that night... my heart was heavy with grief. I lost Karella, the love of my life. My blood runs deep with scoundrels and conniving politicians." Borric turned and had a slight smile. "Is it possible for me to stay out of politics?"

In reply to Borric d'Tor (msg # 8):

Saira watches the rest of the proceeding, her own request not meant to be counsel, yet it seemed that is what it had evolved into. She didnt quite mind, just this had not been her intention.

Given the seriousness passing around the gathering of companions, she watched and listened as Keal and Dominique debated. Keeping her peice to herself, that is... until Borric addressed the party and explicitly asked for guidance. Listening to Dominique, once again, she finally spoke on the matter.

"I cannot pretend to be knowledgeable in the ways of court, nor would I ever dare to consider myself an expert of deplomacy. It's all rather stuffy, really. However, I am inclined to disagree with Dominique. There are people out there, the bandits got their loot, their living, and their ranks somehow. Nevermind there are the kobolds... nasty creatures, that you have secured trade agreements with. Use the remaining bandits, use the kobolds, use hermits, the immigrants and refugees. Turn no one away, and your lands will fill in no time. With the fort, if you build it up, as a place of safety and refuge, people will come. The real trick is making sure the people know about it. Getting word out, and around... in wildlands, rangers are best at that. Oleg's outpost is already a known point of trade... and Vekkel and I can help find wondering rangers and hunters. I think we should get word out while fortifying the refuge for when settlers, traders, and merchants come."

"The place to start would be declaring your lordship of the region and sending messengers to the surrounding areas. To back that claim up you'll need an army. Whether that be ex bandits or mercenaries. Those surrounding these lands will test you that much is for sure. We can count on support even if tenuous from those that sponsored this expedition. They don't want a full scale war, or they would not have bothered to have the Greenland taken this way. We know that Pitax also seems to have designs here and we should ready ourselves against them. A general call for good people wanting a new start should get immigrants coming from the lands that sponsored us, humans, like orcs, are always looking to expand their lands," Caramip offered.

As Borric spoke of his past, Elena put a comforting hand on his shoulder.  He'd spoken of his lost love before in passing, but she didn't think she's ever gotten the full story.  Did he think his scheming relatives had been behind Karella's disappearance?  How horrible.  Elena's own reasons for leaving her family behind seemed almost childish in comparison to that.

Still, she couldn't help but smile as Borric asked if it was possible for him to stay out of politics.  "No."  She replied reassuringly.  "Or...Yes, obviously.  When we start building a settlement, you could always become a baker or a farmer or a guard.  We'll need plenty of those.  But you shouldn't do that, and I don't think you will.  Because when people start arriving, they'll need someone to keep them safe from the scoundrels and politicians as much as the owlbears and bandits.  And you're the best for the job."

She gestured to the the rest of her compatriots gathered around their campfire.  "I mean, we're the best for the job, and you're the one we all trust to lead us.  As for where to lead us?"  She shrugged.  "I don't know. Everyone else sounds like they've got good ideas.  Maybe...Maybe we could try to make friends with Issia?  Sure, they tried to have us all murdered in our beds, and they might be sending an army down to kill us right now, but that's all the more reason to make peace.  They think this whole thing is a power grab by the Swordlords, and they might back off if we can convince them we plan on staying out of their business.   After all, it's not like we can beat an actual kingdom in a war, no matter how many trappers and bandits we round up for our side.  Besides, I have to believe anyone can be redeemed, even politicians." 

Even Dom's suggestion made sense.  Laws were great, so long as forgiveness was written into the law itself.  Having rules on paper could stop the inquisitor from stringing people up over bar fights and misplaced sheep.  But there was plenty of time to work out those details later.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:41, Thu 27 May 2021.

Kael easily slip back in the role of a devil's advocate. "Hmm, I would not be so quick to accuse the regent of the attack in Restov just yet. If Jamarka had any real evidence of her claims, she would have already presented it to other noble families to topple Surtova. The fact that the regent is still sitting on the throne and Brevoy is not yet tearing itself apart in a civil war tells me that, at best, Jamarka has no hard evidence to show. And at worst, she has nothing at all and is just blindly pointing her finger at her political opponent."

He shakes his head in bewilderment. "That whole incident was weird. Who the hell hires a bunch of green wannabe assassins for a mission that important? Bah."

"Well we're not close to building a kingdom just yet. We need settlers and resources. Turning in the Stag Lord and the other bandits will give us resources to start, but we need to become self-sustaining." Borric turned to Saira. She had been bold to seek what she asked. "Saira. You've been with me since the beginning. We're moving forward to the unknown with threats that can be... from wherever it can come." Borric seem to search for the words... so he finally said. "Saira build your lodge. Gather those like you in skill and heart. We would all be better for it."

In reply to Borric d'Tor (msg # 15):

She slams a firm fist to her chest, in a motion almost like stabbing a dagger, "Thank you".
This message was last edited by the player at 00:00, Mon 31 May 2021.

As Borric turned his attention to Saira's proposition, Elena addressed Kael's point.  "Who says killing us was that important?"  She asked with a smile, happy to meet his contrarianism with some of her own. "A pack of nobody adventurers, getting ready for a bandit hunt?  We were probably just a loose end to tie up, or a distraction while that cook went after Jamarka Aldori."  Her smile faltered as she remembered all the potential allies that had died in that attack.  All the potential friends.  "Over a dozen people murdered, as an unimportant diversion."

"Still," She nodded.  "You're right.  It would be unfair to blame the regent without seeing any proof.  Just as it would be unwise to ignore the fact that it probably does lead back to him."

Kael shrugs. "Could it have been the Regent behind the attack? Of course. Or maybe it was some other party trying to start a civil war and use the ensuing chaos as a ladder. Or some foreign factor trying to destabilize the realm by doing the same. After all, the one result this attack actually had was to raise the tensions in Brevoy even more. But without any evidence to go on, all this is just guesswork. Next time we are in Restov, I'd very much like to examine what evidence has been found on the attack."
This message was last edited by the player at 08:32, Tue 01 June 2021.

"If I had to guess our old friend was the cause of the problems at the start. Tartucchio was present. His level of magical use was well beyond our own at the start. He grew less than we did in our travels I think. Given his connections to Pitax it seems likely that he let the attackers in. Most likely Pitax wanted to make sure Restov could not bother them when they moved against the Greenbelt. If they could devolve them into a civil war all the better for it would leave the Greenbelt to Pitax. Of course I have no evidence of such but given what we know that is the more likely course of events," Caramip offered to the others.

"Except the gnome was going to be leading the expedition from the beginning. If not for Mister Brasshammer's thick neck we'd all be dead. I'm not sure exactly what he was after, but I don't see how killing so many would help. Certainly someone with access to the resources to arrange the attack could have given Tartucchio a contingent of men on their own to do ... whatever he was up to." He frowns and shakes his head, having no stomach for schemes and plots, before swearing, "If I find out whoever had a hand in that attack, I'll leave it to Pharasma to sort them out."

"Didn't Tartucchio jockey for leadership as a result of the attack?" Cara mentioned though sometimes memory failed one, "Thus with one opportunity lost, they gained another."

"No." Borric responded to Caramip, "I remember that Tartucchio was given command of the expedition during dinner. And he was attacked by the assassins as well. Perhaps there were more than one actor that evening."

Elena shrugged.  "Whoever did it, we should accept that they're probably beyond our reach.  Our two top suspects have entire kingdoms behind them, and Tartucchio is dead.  Probably."  They had never confirmed that Tartucchio was the fake kobold that blew himself up in the mite's den, but it would be pretty strange if that had been a different tiny, bomb-throwing megalomaniac.

"And even if they weren't, we're going to be way too busy to go looking for the culprit anytime soon."  The Paladin let out a long sigh as it dawned on her just how much boring work lay in her future.  "Like Dominique said, first we're going to have to lay out some basic laws."

"Like...what to do with the bandits?  We can't make them work for us forever, or it's just slavery.  Do we give them back their freedom after a year or two, once they've shown they're serious about reform?  Should we make our "work release" scheme the usual punishment for criminals?  How about the bandits still in the woods?  There's probably more than a few stragglers willing to see the writing on the wall when they hear about the stag lord.  Offering them amnesty could save us the trouble of hunting them down later."

"How about the other locals, the monsters and the fairies?  We dealt with the kobolds like people, and we drove off the mites like monsters.  I'm not saying we were wrong either time, but how do we go forward when it's not just US dealing with this sort of thing.  Is everything that talks a person, until it proves otherwise?  Or are they all monsters until we make a deal with them?"

"Banditry is not only an assault on peaceful people, but an assault on the trade that allows people, cities, and kingdoms to grow and thrive. It is nothing short of treason and should be dealt with harshly to deter disruption of trade." Dominique asserts, hoping to make the others see why he takes the crime so seriously, before suggesting, "But maybe not all who commit the crime deserve execution, especially when acting in desperation and the River Kingdoms condoning it--just look how long they last doing nothing about it. I'd say the most pitiful of them might be allowed to work in reparation or be jailed for a time--as far as a young kingdom can afford to keep prisoners--but the rest we should just take their thumbs or mangle their hands and be done with them. It'd be tough to continue a life a banditry unable to wield a weapon. Bandit leaders, or those successful enough or connected enough to afford healing their hands or thumbs should just be executed." The Inquisitor looks to Akiros, the more respectable of the bandits they have encountered and asks, "What do you think? How many of the bandits do suppose deserve light treatment for their crimes?"

On the topic of the resident monstrous races, Dominique shrugs and reasons, "Beasts that can follow the law and benefit the barony are good in my books--" He pats his backpack, which actually does contain two religious texts the Inquisitor has referenced on occasion, before continuing, "--but beasts or men who do not should be cast out or sent to Pharasma."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:22, Sun 06 June 2021.

In reply to Elena Sazikova (msg # 23):

Saira furrowed her eyebrows as she listened to Dom and Elena discuss laws and disciplines. Though as elena mentioned the mites, the red head tapped her own lip in thought for a second before then talking "umm, I dont think we just outright treated the mites like monsters. For the most part, barring the stag lord of course, weve always reacted to a fight and never really started one." She moved her finger from her lip to the bridge of her nose, squeezing it while recalling the on going frustration that was Tartucchio, the mites, and the kobolds "Even when the mites attacked us we still tried talking to the ones left standing. They didnt show any interest in talking."

Now relaxing her hand, she then turns to dominique "I think those are good ideas, a great way to encourage a bolstering of our ranks as well. Offer that if they serve time in borrics military, if they offer labor, basically doing servitude then service, then they will be allowed to an opportunity to a fresh start? Though, forgive but never forget. I think even if they take the amnesty route they should still be branded or at least lose one of their less important fingers. Something to remind them, and the people, of what they've done."

*edit fixed the to they
This message was last edited by the player at 20:15, Sun 06 June 2021.

Kael offers his (uncalled for) comment on the party plans. "Eesh. Funny thing about mutilating people - it tends to leave them far less capable of providing for themselves through honest work. And given that banditry is the national pastime of this charming country, that's possibly a lot of new cripples. So, if you all truly must break out the instruments of torture, I'd suggest branding is as far it goes. Unless the goal is to create more beggars and thieves to plague this place, of course."

"I don't like the idea of branding them if those bandits turn themselves in." Borric added to the discussion, "And chopping off a finger, I like less. If amnesty is the route toward these people joining the new country, I would like to offer them a fresh start... one without a reminder to their past. Remember that some turned to banditry just to feed themselves. A fresh start offers hope. Hope and a future is good."

In reply to Borric d'Tor (msg # 27):

A look of frustation and disgust flaired up in the red head, and for a moment she was about to shout her protest.

"WHA-"

Then catching herself, she looks down in thought for a moment before trying again, "Desperation is a terrible thing, but there are many ways to survive. Letting people do terrible things to another person and then letting them be neighbors to those they once hurt? What kind of message would that send? At the very least, something significant and impactful should be done to show those who have suffered... those who have survived... the banditry for years without resorting to it themselves, show them there is justice." then, she takes a step back, and momentarily fidgets with the end of her bow, "Just consider though that if we do nothing and empower the once troubled side then they will be more likely to take their power and use it to inflict revenge. Please... I wont say any more on this and will still serve to the best of my ability, just at least think on it some more."

Saira bites her lip now to draw it out of the scowl it now held, trying to hide it by keeping her head down.

*edit fixed typo changed ones to once
This message was last edited by the player at 19:57, Sun 06 June 2021.

Elena moved to put a comforting arm around the half-elf.  "I know, Saira.  It doesn't seem fair.  Maybe it isn't fair.  But the point of an amnesty isn't just mercy, it's also to get the remaining bandits out of these woods.  If they don't see another way out, they'll only get more desperate.  That means more people getting hurt and robbed.  More trade getting disrupted."  She spared a glance at Dom as she made that last point.  "And more of us chasing them around the forests when there are bigger threats to focus on.  And nobody's going to turn themselves in if they hear stories of us maiming and mutilating the people who did."

"Still, that doesn't mean they won't face any consequences.  Just not from the law."  The paladin paused, trying to let her thoughts catch up to her feelings.  "They'll have to confess to all their crimes before those crimes can be pardoned.  Publicly confess.  Maybe we could stick them in the stocks for a day, or make them stand on the corner with a sandwich board or something, to make sure everyone knows exactly what they've done.  After that they'll be a free citizen, but it'll be up to their neighbors whether they want associate with them, or do business with them, or walk past them in the street without spitting."

"It might not be as permanent or as, um...as satisfying as taking a hot knife to their thumbs, but I'm sure anyone truly vile will find themselves just as marked as they'd be if we'd branded them."

"Yes, I like the spirit of what everybody is thinking." Borric agreed with several people. "No maiming or brands. But public confession and hard labor for a period of time. Justice would be served. The community can be built up. And those that turn themselves in may find hope in a new profession after their time of service."

Borric smiled, "If the framework of this is agreeable. I think that Dominique can lead the efforts of writing down these laws, etc. I've no skill in this matter. But I would like to make sure that we all read the document and understand it."

"Dominique, would you take on this effort? And if we can have another to join this endeavor? Saira, you've a lot of good sense about what is right and fair. And you also see the needs of protecting the surrounding area of threats. Why don't the two of you work together?"

Dominique tempers himself to pay no mind to the Paladin's slander, ignoring that he just finished suggesting leniency and work for those acting out of desperation and suggesting he would enjoy executing the practical justice of corporal punishment. It's confusing to the Inquisitor that a Paladin would have such disregard for justice and be blind to the fact that some just can't be redeemed, but soon Borric's suggestion catches his interest. He remains silent for a time, looking into the flames of their communal fire while reflecting on the gravity of such an undertaking and whether he is the right person for the task. When he finally breaks his silence, he explains his hesitance, "I have spent much of my life travelling the world, marveling at what people can achieve when working together--both under fair and equal application of the law and under the whip. I can't say which is better. Most balk at Cheliax's harsh and unforgiving systems, but the iron fist saved them from generations of bloody civil war and famine. While in Kyonin the laws are lax, the Queen exercises very little of her absolute power, and the Elves thrive. Lax laws in Cheliax or strict laws in Kyonin and each would tear themselves apart like the many transient River Kingdoms. It would be a great honor to craft the laws that form a new nation, but a grave tragedy if I do not have the wisdom to tailor the laws to the people. I'm just an investigator and enforcer..." He looks apologetically to Borric with raised eyebrows and a slight shake of his head, "I would need to seek guidance from my betters in the priesthood before I could imagine undertaking something so important."
Foreshadowing the shift to cleric a bit...

Saira made no objections to Elena laying her arm on the half elf, her pointed ears, a tell to her lineage, flushed slightly red. She glanced to the paladin as they spoke, diverting her eyes to each other person as they too spoke.

When Borric stated his desire that she assist Dominique on writing out the laws, the paladins arm lent a more casual sense to the conversation and further comfort... as well as an excuse that kept her from trying to offer another gesture of acknowledgment.