Keep them occupied! Talin shrugs not sure how you expect me to do that! and rather cautiously positions himself between the ladies and the redbrands  just cool your heels for moment you two please, let Maric talk to them

The battle was over nearly as quickly as it began. Betty whirled at the newcomers as her animal-brain readied for another fight, but Maric - whom she swore she'd seen turn into a giant brown bear ... a Bearic...? - had already reverted back to his Elven form and was approaching the Redbrand remainders, apparently to see if they were interested in discourse over dismemberment.

Talin stepped in front of her, hesitatingly of course, and attempted to calm her and Morgan down. It worked, but only because Betty's rage-fueled (or rage fueling?) adrenaline wore off from lack of continued combat. She managed to sheath her blade and stow her shield before a wave of fatigue washed over her petite body, and she felt herself leaning into Morgan's powerful form for support. "Betty needs coffee, I suppose.", she manages, meekly.

"The old man wouldn't have given that staff up without a fight, so he's either dead or a prisoner. I'd like to know which, purely so I know whether or not to expect my next payment. Now look, we've seen you around, we know you've been fighting against the reds, and that's fine. There were some bad people mixed in with this lot, no mistake, but most of us are just mercenaries who were hired to do a job. That's it, nothing more. If you've taken out the man with the money, then there's no reason at all for me and and the rest of these to bother hanging around here any more. Those who enjoyed doing what they were doing were at the hideout under the abandoned mansion up there on the hill. Gold to mold says that's where you found the old man, so you know where I mean."

"The rest of us, just here to do a job of keeping the peace and protecting shipments and such, we're the one that hung out at the tavern, The Sleeping Giant. If you want information, I'm happy to share everything I know about whatever you've got questions for. If you killed the man, that's fine with all of us. It means we're missing out on a week's pay, but that's a small price to pay for getting to keep on breathing. If you didn't kill him, then I have to ask what did happened so I know whether or not it's worth the risk of trying to save the old man. I'm much more inclined to put this shit job behind me so I can get back to my wife and kid; so I'm hoping you tell me he's dead." The man waited for a reply.

Everyone paying attention to body language and such gets the feeling that this man is telling the truth. The other Redbrands look nervous, unsure of which step you're going to take next. They would not be slow to take up a fight if you brought one, but they all look like they're ready to walk right out of town.

Maric said, "He's dead. We did the deed. I would prefer no more bloodshed. From the sound of it, that's your intention as well. You have the next 24 hours to get your stuff together and get out of town. If I see you or any of your men after that time, I'll put out a bounty on all of you, and we'll chase you down one at a time if need be. That's as fair as I, um, as we can be, savvy?"

The nodded with a relieved smile. His face showed some regret, perhaps shame, but he was glad the bloodshed had ended. "We won't need 24 hours, we'll be out of here in less than one. Thank you for serving these people. There's more going on here than either of us are aware of. If you're looking for the dwarf, I don't know where he is specifically, but I heard something about a ruined castle. Crag...something. Never been there myself, and they weren't paying me to listen closely to details that had nothing to do with me."

"The wizard wasn't the one who hired us to start with, he's just the one in charge locally, and handed out the pay. The one who's really calling the shots is known as 'The Black Spider'. Our orders were to keep adventurers away and keep the locals intimidated. Never told us why, just that it was the job."

He turned to walk away with the others, but stopped and turned back real quick, "Oh, and you did rescue the family they were holding down there near the one-eyed monster freak, right? The skeletons guarding them shouldn't have been too hard to clear. Safe travels."

Maric says nothing to the last comment, just watches as the mercenaries take their leave. When they are gone, he turns to the others. "Do you know anything about a family?"

His face expresses concern that borders on dismay.

"Family? Shit." Betty says, struggling to stay awake. She grimaces as the words of the departing Redbrand wash through her memory again, replaying the end of the conversation. "We're going to have to go back, I suppose." She leans away from Morgan's form, standing up on her own, but swaying in the process.

"Betty definitely needs coffee."

You do remember hearing rumors about the Redbrands murdering a man in town and then his family disappearing not too long after.

Maric offers a heavy sigh.

"Yeah, we sure are. I screwed that one up. Should've dug deeper when the merc's were still here."

Shaking his head, he said, "Nothing for it, we're gonna have to go back. Can't leave them with that freakish thing down there. Betty, Morgan, can you swing it? Or do both need a rest?"

You can still interact with the mercs if you want.

Morgan, slightly surprised that Betty would lean on her for support, gives a smile to the smaller warrior. "Yes, we'll go back, but you need to see that luck priestess first to tend to your wounds. And coffee, if you prefer, yes. Maric, while Better gets her coffee, we could go have a chat with the bandits while they're clearing out their things from that bar they hang out in."

Maric offers a sheepish grin. "I have no recollection of the bar, but I'd like to talk to their leader. Thank you for coming with me."

"I heard earlier that they hang out in a bar. Didn't he mention the Sleeping Ogre or something like that? It's a small village, shouldn't be hard to find them."

"I need coffee to just stay awake at this point." Betty laments. "You want me to fight, that'll have to come tomorrow, I suppose. I can go now, but Betty will be more of a liability than an asset." she frowns.

[OOC: I've got a level of exhaustion, and am all out of Barbarian things 'til after a long rest. :( -Ken]
This message was last edited by the player at 01:51, Wed 03 Mar 2021.

Finding the tavern was quite easy, about 35 yards east of where they were currently standing.

Maric is at a loss. "Can you make tracks, Betty, or do you need downtime. I can't tell you what to do. You have to make this choice. Same with all of you. I'm still in good to go, however. I believe Talin is as well, though I would not assume such."

Family or no family, we all need some rest and food. Talin starts to make his way over to the tavernC’mon you guys, lets treat ourselves and then decide what to do next

"Well, I am hungry..." Maric said. He follows behind, a worried look writ upon his face.

"If you all are going to get food and rest, I am going to find the mercenaries. Morgan and Betty need to rest, so they'll be ready tonight or tomorrow. And Talin's hungry. I'll be back in awhile."

While not happy with having no backup, Maric still has a shapechange in his pocket. He goes in search of the merc captain.

Once he finds him, he hails the captain: "Captain," he shouted from a distance. "I would parlay again."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:18, Thu 04 Mar 2021.

"They've kept this long." Betty says, a slight twinge upon her conscience. She hated having to wait, but, likewise, she wouldn't be any help to a rescue party now. And, let's face it, this party certainly needed her help. She was too invaluable to leave behind, simple. "Hopefully they'll survive until we can come and get them, I suppose." She stifles a yawn, but her stomach rumbles, much to her surprise and chagrin.

"Betty needs a dressmaker, room service and a four-poster bed. In that order."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:44, Fri 05 Mar 2021.

Maric and Morgan return to the inn, to rejoin with the others.

The group enjoys dinner at the inn. News of the Redbrand's expulsion from the town had reached the inn even before you all did. The atmosphere of the inn changes almost immediately into one of relief and some bits of celebration. Some request a warm bath to help loosen up their muscles and remove the buildup of dust, dirt, and various other debris from chasing the wizard through the forest. With things that needed tended to that night taken care of, the group all turn in for the night. The rooms, the meal, and the baths were all covered by the innkeeper by way of thanks.

Morning arrives and you all feel much refreshed. Beatrice has some stiffness that still lingers in her muscles, but she is no stranger to this feeling and knows that the only cure for it is to get up and keep on moving, pushing through the pain until she worked it out of the muscles themselves. Breakfast is also covered, for those who wish to have a meal before heading back out.

Today's objective? Rescuing the woodcarver's family.

Betty rises, well-rested and mostly recovered. Her newly repaired dress and accoutrements are awaiting her in a packaged bundle outside of her door. They're in fairly good condition, given the rush order she'd placed on them, and she reminded herself that she'd need to tip the tailor - then look to see how his services could be improved for future work, should she decide to stay in this town much longer.

She dressed and prepared herself for the day. Her body was stiff from yesterday's battles, not only from the wounds, but the physical exercise that came along with them. More of the same - albeit with hopefully less of the wounds - would be the order of the day to work the remaining kinks out of her tiny body.

She had to admit, it felt nice being so appreciated by the townsfolk. It was something of a new feeling for her, and she hated that it made her a teeny bit giddy. She felt like a Real Hero^(tm), and that was something rather new, too. Should she stick around, she'd have to figure out how to manage all this adoration.

She headed downstairs where she was also offered a complimentary breakfast! Despite her small frame and demure demeanor, her appetite was as ferocious as she in combat. She was in the middle of the third full plate of food when one of her companions finally came down the stairs to join her ...

"Mpshffhs fmshms mshhfds mphsheses." She says around a mouthful of sausage and potatoes, then gestures to the bench beside her.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:31, Thu 11 Mar 2021.

"It seems you had a good night," Maric said.

For his part, red eyes and shadows lay think on him indicating a certain dearth of sleep.

"So used to sleeping out of doors. The mattress was too soft; I finally had to sleep on the floor to get any rest."

With a nod to Talin and Morgan as they approach, he added, "I am glad you are well rested, lass. Both of you as well. Shall we plan to search out this family once we break our fast?"

Sleeping on the floor? Betty scoffs at Maric's admission. "And they call me the Barbarian, I suppose."

Morgan finally makes her way downstairs and orders a hearty breakfast. She wears her chain mail armor, but her shield and sword are dropped behind her chair as if they don't really matter. Her hair flows down her back, brushed and cared for well -- probably the reason she's late to breakfast.

As she digs into her trencher of sausage and biscuits, she says, "So we're gonna face that eyeball weirdo? Didn't like that thing one bit, and no use letting it live if it's gonna prey on the townsfolk."