Tauron puts the body of the wizard down and cast detect magic on it just see if wizard had cast spell on himself to look like he is dead.

The wizard appears dead from the impact of a large rock...

Tauron

Imiria comes out and points her finger in Esmerelda’s face touching her nose

“The bandits have set camp at the place I was held hostage where the forest the plains meet the Thorn River.  That is where the pitch wagons and bandits are....It is well the wizard died before casting pussiant magic upon us.”

She points out a flowerbed of the garden...
“We can place him in the empty bed and cover with heavy stones until we know for certain.”

Octavia gathered the troops and said:
 “We should focus on the threat at hand. Keep this one in shackles if he’s not dead, keep him in a fresh space otherwise.”

She turned to the witches:
“Do you have powers to set fire to this pitch wagon you mentioned? Or if not, could you fashion an incendiary projectiles to throw with our catapults?”

She turned to the botanist:
“Theo, maybe you can help with this — you have an understanding of things alchemical, right?”

If anyone wanted to spend more time on the mystery of this wizard, she would leave it with them, but as a military person she had other more pressing concerns.

Eilyne was please they had overcome the initial attack though the wizard was...odd.  Dead, undead, faking, who knew?  The thought of placing him in the garden under some rocks made a lot of sense though and she said, "I'm sure the plants there could use the fertilizer so why not?"

Esmerelda
“Flaming arrows into the camp seems the best first course of action, one of us could cover your approach with fog if you like.  Imiria perhaps this time...”

Imiria
“We may also recover the spell book of the wizard, unless it is held at the fort.”


Svetlana
“True it would be best to burn the wagons far away from here, but not set the forest ablaze.”

Father Johod
“This might be a great chance to strengthen our community.”

 "Flaming arrows into the camp sounds good... do we have very long range arrows? Master Vellek can maybe help with this. Otherwise, we could try the catapult. It is good for throwing heavy stones at a reasonable distance, but maybe we can use it to cast a volley of light flaming projectiles at a greater range."

 As evidenced by her armour and weapon of choice, Octavia was better suited and looking forward to the art of melee combat. That is where she would serve her god best.

 But in the meantime, weakening the enemy at a safe distance was a great idea.

Tauron added.
I can levitate.  If you can get me into the forest at the right distance I could float up to the tree tops and drop arrows down on them from above and be hard for them to attack be back.  I may need someone to spot for me however.

"Levitate is an option I suppose... long range fire arrows may be easier though. Any ideas in that area?" said Octavia.

Theo Knocks on the gate to be let in, having trailed the bandit's path for an hour. His plant monster drags off the horse corpse to find the sunward facing wall of the fort to leisurely mulch at.

Approaching the war council, Theo reports
"I'm not sure what to make of it, I don't see any tracks leading away and all the tracks leading this way are accounted for unless someone was actively hiding their presence. Seems foolish to attack the fort, let alone with less then a handful of men and a unwilling wizard.

Also I found this hidden back a ways where they last broke camp, I think he took it off his captors but never got a chance to use it." Presenting an awkward looking key of unusual metal.

This whole thing was giving Theo a migraine, why would bandits attack the only place in the region that could supply them with manufactored goods, and haphazardly at that.



Scratching his head, "Well it's not all that different then making torches, the trick is making them hard to put out.. Wouldn't it be easier to go for the wheels? If they can't move the wagons they'll still have to defend them. I'd certainly be in a pickle if my cart's wheels broke.  Do we even know why the bandits are acting out all of a suddenly? I though they were mostly content to exist outside the law and raid the odd trader for things they needed."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:44, Mon 25 Jan 2021.

 "As far as I know, the so-called stag lord has had enough of Oleg and his merry band stepping on his toes. There may be other reasons, but it should not distract us from the fact that our mandate in those lands was to get rid of banditry. I will no ask questions if murderers and thieves start acting foolishly. They may be going through a rough time, but it's not going to grant them mercy or empathy from his one." she patted the almost comically large sword at her side.

  "Now, to other matters. Yes, immobilising the wagons and being able to claim their content is a better option than wanton destruction through fire. If I can get close enough and have cover, I will gladly destroy a few axles in a skirmishing move before moving to kneecaps, hips, and other joints."

 To any who had seen the priestess fight, this made sense. She had a knack for targeting, hitting, and splitting joints in a manner that was as efficient as it was hard to watch for anyone who did not have a background in butchery.

Esmerelda
“So your not going to just burn it all down?”
She asks with disappointment

"Never say never," Octavia replied with a sibylline smile.

"We will try the subtlety of axle breaking, but if it fails we can move on to arson."

A knock rang out on the gate to the trading post and when the gate was opened, a young dwarf wearing finely tanned hide stood before the gate. He was leaning on his staff and a hammer could be seen at his belt.

The dwarf's beard was braided and the braids were held in place with small leather bands with a simple gem of varying color on each braid.

"Ho there. I hear there be bandits in these parts that need to learn a lesson or two. I have come to aid in the effort to settle these lands and expand trade throughout the area on behalf of the mountain dwarves of the Nomen Heights. If you'll have me, that is."

A small older gnome female is the first to acknowledge your presence
Esmerelda
“A cleverly disguised miniature male Medusa would be safer than a dwarf.  Hide the ale! Tis a dwarven seige.”

A very young girl with only one hand shoo’s her away
Imiria
“Pay her no mind, she is getting long in the tooth, but she is still the finest herbalist in the land.”

Dods shook his head laughing at the woman's statement about dwarves.

"I've heard worse. Thank you for opening the gate. Now, where are those that are out to hunt bandits? I would like to hear the plan."

Octavia welcomes the newcomer with a handshake.
“If you’re here to hunt bandits, we welcome the assistance. I would typically ask how we know you are not one of them, but you really do not seem like the type. What is your skill and trade, Master Dwarf?” she asked.

Part of the answer could be inferred from his accoutrement and equipment, but she would really rather hear it from the proverbial horse’s mouth.

Dods smiled at the question, “My family mines, crafts and sells jewels. I do a bit of the selling and crafting but I was born to Thunder and Lightning flows out of my veins. I am still finding my way in the storm but other druids have guided me this far.”

Theo isn't thrilled by the prospect of a druid, archaic fools that are. The best of them were misguided but astutely competent, the worst had deranged fixation on exalting whatever they fancied beyond anything else. The fact that there was another person calling for bandit blood didn't sit well with him either. Theo moves off to Esmerelda, "May I borrow some of the sap and fruit from your garden? I can make a paste that will eat right through the wagons."







https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchineel

It would take Theo about 115 hours to craft bone paste, if he rolled 11, 80 hours if he rolled a 20, Under normal rules. Would need hand wave from dm to shorten it to 1-2 days with exotic materials.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:00, Thu 28 Jan 2021.

Tauron walk slowly up to the dwarf.  His swan and dinosaur following behind.
Both of which seem to be seeing who can make the nastiest noises at the dwarf.

Well.  From my understanding does not your race like to pull things from the earth and set them on  fire.  Not plant things and add water to help them grow.  That must be a culture shock for your family.

Tauron smiles.

Turning to Oleg Tauron says.
You may want to change the name of this place to Oleg's nature reserve.  You seem to have a witches coven and a druid circle in the creation at the same time.

Turning to the two creatures by his side.
Now you two stop it.  I know he looked funny and smells worse then some of Esmerelda's brews but somehow he is one of us so be nice.
The two animals stop their hissing at the dwarf.  Looking at him a bit oddly.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:51, Thu 28 Jan 2021.

Dods smiles once again, these people and their stereotypes. "Aye ya' tall lanky elf. There are dwarves that mine and smelt the ore they pull from the ground. If there weren't there wouldn't be none of your precious gold, silver, gems and weapons. But not every dwarf is a miner, just like every elf isn't a treehugger. Some of your kind live beneath the ocean, others in the desert. Dwarves aren't quite as varied."

"And the land gives in a portion that can be harvested and we return the energy in kind. Dwarves dig into the ground but they build structures to hold it up as well."

"I am not here to defend the dwarven people, or myself, but I am a druid of the storm and have an interest in stabilizing the lands in the Green Belt for the betterment of my people and those that live here peacefully."

The dwarf is gruff, but not rude in his response. At least he doesn't think he's rude.

The gnome witch Esmerelda points her finger at Theo
“Your not old enough to be messing with bone paste, and you best to form it out of doors...fortunately for your hide I already have some.”

Imiria ignores her
“Welcome master dwarf, who’s heart belongs to the wind...”

Still smiling Tauron says like a teacher talking to group of students.


Wind On The Hill
No one can tell me,
Nobody knows,
Where the wind comes from,
Where the wind goes.

It's flying from somewhere
As fast as it can,
I couldn't keep up with it,
Not if I ran.

But if I stopped holding
The string of my kite,
It would blow with the wind
For a day and a night.

And then when I found it,
Wherever it blew,
I should know that the wind
Had been going there too.

So then I could tell them
Where the wind goes…
But where the wind comes from
Nobody knows.

By A. A. Milne.

And come dear dwarf, admit it to one that noise, when nobody looking.  You sneak up and give them a hug.
I will not tell.  We know the tree do talk, you just have to know how to listen.

"That's a mighty fine poem, Mr. Elf. I like trees. I have no problem with hugs and if a tree saved my life, I'd be hugging it." He hoped the elf would let that be enough. "I must ask, what is your name and are you a druid as well or some other sort of witch?"

Tauron extends a hand to Dododir.
I am called Tauron Alphmellon a scalar of one of great Elven Wizard University.  However I could never understand why magic was split into arcane and divine.  In truth all things are worth studying if you have the time.  Personally I find studying with Eilyne Groveborn and Octavia Cassiana most enjoyable.  He winks at Eilyne.
But as labels help.  Yes I am both a druid and a warlock.

Dods shakes the elf's hand and says, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

He turns and says, "Now are we going to find some bandits or what?"