Assuming I can find an angle that only includes the spellcasters face, Delta raises her right hand (the one without the sword) and a ray of multicolored lights spray from her palm, bathing his face in light...

Quick as a flash, Delta raises her hand and speaks arcane words. The man in dark robes is surrounded by a myriad of colored flashing lights.  After a moment of turning and swatting at them, he falls unconscious to the ground.

The battle....is, ended.

Ms. Branch looks around for moment as if awakening from a deep sleep, and then rushes over, first to Delta,then Janek, and the everyone one else,  Tears flowing,

"It was like a horrible dream, I couldn't wake up from, you have saved me, bless you all!!"

In all the rush of emotions that pour forth, she swoons.

Janeck will hog-tie the robed man.

In reply to Janek (msg # 269):

ooc: Hog tie, something about that expression, and its appropriate, made me laugh! Thanks, I neede a laugh just now!

Tanyl goes into the tents, starting with the robed-man's, looking for something . . .

(OOC)


Oink!

It has to do with keeping from getting kicked.  For him, feet tied together,  hands tied between the feet behind the back.

Vala looks proud... and pale from blood loss. 'I think I could do with a healer.'

Her eyes drops to the dog. 'You fought well hound.'

Relieved that her gambit worked, Delta quickly sheathes her blade, and rushes to Missus Branch. She gently attempts to  tug the frightened women down to her knees, so that the gnome can reach her arms around her for comfort. If she cannot, she will be satisfied with embracing one leg.

"There, there, shhh... calm yourself. We have ye now darling, and soon you will be back in the arms of your loving husband. I spoke to him just a short while ago, and he is safe, and now, so are you."


If possible, she will stroke the woman's hair. She will open a skin of the woman's own apple cider, and offer her a sip.

As she does so, she looks nervously in the direction of Vala, who took quite a tumble. She had missed the killing blow on the dog-beast, but saw the result and knew her friend to be a fearsome warrior indeed.

In the back of her mind, she wonders if the spell-caster might have been an illusionist, and hoped to find a few more spells  in his good, but says nothing about it at this time.

If she gets a moment to speak to Vala though, she has a suggestion.

"I suspect that if we can get that dog-body back to town, and maybe get it to a taxidermist, we could sell it to the mages guild. Or failing that, make a few coins putting the body on display."

)Did we level? hehehe... just kidding, I like a slow game.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 01:42, Sun 09 Aug 2020.

Janek jokes, "Looks like dog stew for dinner...again."

Eye wide at Janek's comment.

"NO! I mean, no please Master Dwarf, I have some venison stew for us back home. This dog-beast is pretty rare, I think it's body can make us some money."

Janek laughs heartily.

Matthias stands, motionless, in shock, for a few moments after the brief but violent confrontation is over. The young man then doubles over and vomits, mostly water, onto ground. He shakes his head in equal parts self-reproach and embarassment, rubbing the sting out of his eyes, then glances over at the bodies on the ground near him.

He looks up and notices the dwarf laughing and shakes his head. The temple training grounds had prepared him to defend himself, press the attack, and other martial maneuvers; but, it had not prepared him for the taking of life and the casual disregard for a lost life.

Once he has somewhat composed himself, Matthias stands, and sees that Madame Branch is alright. Assuming she has not been harmed, he then forces himself to look at the faces of the fallen.

"I don't understand...what happened?" he says in a low voice while looking to the others.

Janek says, "They made a choice and paid for it.  We saved a life that would have been lost to what they decided, but is alive because we were here to prevent evil."

Matthias listens to the dwarf's explanation and then surveys the damage wrought around him and then looks at the dwarf once more and nods. "From many, one, stronger, may it ever be so." Matthias says the Erathian prayer in a solemn tone while placing his open palm over his heart.

The young man appears to be conflicted over something, but in the end he lets it go and says,
"Thank you, all, for being here."

Noting the despair of the young priest, Delta offers what words of comfort for him she has to spare.

"We saved one of them!"

Tanyl's search of the tents finds a spell book of low level. It contains:  Charm Person, Read Magic, Shocking Grasp and Ventriloquism.

Total coins recovered, including the payoff, 242 platinum pieces.

Three short swords, two short bows with 40 total arrows, two sets of leather armor.

The three tents are decent, easy travel tents that require just a single pole for one or two people.

There is a pot with ash that smells heavy of sulfur,  and a metal brand in the shape of the paw print.

The bodies of the two dead elves, both have leather necklaces with a twig and oak leaf tied on them, holy symbols as such for those with Druidic powers.

There are bits and whatnot of normal life, but nothing a great value.

Delta and Matthias together awaken and calm a very grateful Gloria Branch. And in short order, the party is marching back to the homestead.  Knowing Mr. Branch has a wagon and mule, they can plan to return and retrieve the dogs body, tents, and anything else they don't wish to carry.  They do have to carry the unconscious and hog tied elven wizard.

(OOC)
The advantage of hog tying,  you can carry him o on a pole or branch.

Janek will find d a fallen branch and ask Matthias to help him carry the image back.

Delta also suggests that once Missus Branch is safe, they search the area, very carefully, to find and disable all the traps, and fill in any pits.
She will give the short swords a look, to see if they are of better quality than hers. If not, she would like to take one, as a spare, anyway.
She will also want any cooking stuff they might have, salt cellar, spices, etc.
I forget how much the payoff was, is any of that 242 PP profit?

OOC: I assume the spell book is all mages spells? Not sure how that works here, could I learn any that are of the illusionist school, like perhaps Ventriloquism?

"Delta, if you can make use of that ventriloquism spell then be my guest.  As for the others: I think I can get a good price for them at the mage's guild."

And by the way, as far as that robed man is concerned: I know some people who would pay a lot if we turned him over to them."

"I suggest we interrogate him in the barn before we borrow the Branch wagon and carry him back to town.  It would be nice to see if he was working for anyone or if this was his own scheme."

Tanyl shrugs.

"Interrogate him if you want.  But afterward, I say we hand him over to some people I know will pay handsomely for our efforts."

"Agreed."

Vala smiles at her friend. 'A great idea little skald. I had been thinking maybe a cloak but I only wear blue green is an unlucky colour. We'll do as you say.'

Vala moves to comfort Mrs Branch and after checking on her turns to Matthias who she has noticed looks pale and upset. Confused but sympathetic the barbarian warrioress touches him by the arm. 'Do not worry my friend if this is your first battle, you did well! There was a time before my sword tasted blood for the first time so there is no shame in being surprised.'

Mr. Branch welcomes you back with great relief for his missing wife to be returned to him, unharmed.  As the tale of what happened is told, he has to sit down, clearly stunned by the danger of it all.  Two men dead, a powerful dog killed, and man captured, all of them conspiring to steal his money, and possibly harm his wife.

The campsite is cleared of traps, four more are disabled, the dog and all the gear returned to the homestead even as night falls.  The party returns Branches 200 pp, and keeps the 42 and all the gear for their efforts.   Delta even finds a few decent metal pans, and a pouch with a few spices she's not tried before.

"Thank you all, I am beyond words.!  It will be cool enough tonight, tomorrow I'll give you and the prisoner and dog a ride into town.  Tonight, you will drink my very best cider! "


ooc:  For any spells found, if a spell can be cast by both a mage and illusionist, it is the same spell and either could add it to their book.  Some,  of course, can't be learned until a certain level and that is still the same.