This morn my companions and I gathered with the other charter-holders in the courtyard of the Citadel for a final farewell prior to setting off into the Stolen Lands. We had brief conversations with Maegar Varn, who kindly gave us good directions to Oleg's Trading Post, and with the Dreadnaughts. A clerk also gave us further information about how to locate the trading post.
While we were looking on one group was loading a very large quantity of goods and equipment into a chest. It did not matter how much was put into the chest, it accepted more. Then mages cast spells to create smoky horses of magic which were hitched to a carriage, and then they created discs of magical energy beneath each wheel, lifting up the carriage so that it would float! It was quite astonishing.
After a time Advocate Jenessa approached us, wearing a rather concerned expression. She congratulated us, and presented us with a curative potion that had been taken from Kahn. She informed us that some of the members of the selection committee were not entirely convinced that we had not all been party to Kahn's crimes. We assured her that we had been unaware of his behavior and would never have put his name on our list of preferred comrades had we known. I do not know if she believed us.
When it was time to set off, Reislin cast a spell to summon a horse to ride, and the rest of us boarded Zander's wagon, which is not at all as fantastic as the floating carriage and is drawn by an ordinary horse. Then we departed from Restov in a large group, all of the charter-holders traveling together until we pass beyond the southern border of Brevoy.
1st Pharast
After traveling for 6 days, the Varnlings split off from the main group and turned to the south. By the time we found the sign for Oleg's Trading Post that we had been told to expect, the Dreadnaughts also bid us farewell. I hope that I shall see them again before too much time has passed, as I enjoyed conversing with another worshipper of the Dawnflower. Reislin also seems to have befriended Havin Wayfinder, Jastra Moondown, and Erendis. They gave her gifts when we set off.
The weather has fortunately been mild. The Greenbelt is a vast rolling plain, with a line of trees to the west showing us where the forest known as the Narlmarches lies. The old fort in which Oleg Leveton has made his home and trading post is not an impressive sight. It is made of logs stood on end with their upper ends sharpened to a point. At each corner stands a tower holding a ballista. But the wood is old and weathered, with much of the chinking between the logs fallen out, and the ballistas are no longer in working order. Within the walls lies Oleg's house, a bunkroom, a small storehouse, and a stable.
Oleg himself is a rather gruff man of dour disposition. He at first mistook us for bandits. When he saw that we were not such ruffians, he explained that a bandit gang has been preying upon him and his wife Svetlana, taking all the furs they collect from local trappers as well as stealing food and supplies from them. He was in fact expecting the bandits to come for their "tithe", which was why he first assumed we were the brigands. After I read our charter aloud to him to confirm that we have been officially dispatched by the Swordlords of Restov, we asked him to tell us more of the bandits that we might understand our enemies.
Oleg gruffly told us that the bandits had first appeared in a group of a dozen men, but lately their regular visits have been by a smaller group numbering only five or six. One of their leaders was a man named Happs who had once lived at the trading post, but had been driven away for theft.
When we had learned what we could from Oleg, we at once began to plan how we could handle the threat of the bandits, as Oleg expects them to arrive tomorrow. Our charter states that unrepentant banditry is punishable by death. I wish to give the bandits the opportunity to lay down their arms and repent of their wrongful way. Maria and the others are in agreement with this.
Once we had decided we would try to persuade the bandits to surrender, and to fight them if they refuse, we had then to determine how we should meet them. Should we prevent them from entering the walls, or meet them in the courtyard? Should we hide ourselves from sight and attack them while they are unaware of us? This took some considerable time to work out, as none of us have participated in this type of combat before.
In the end we have decided that we will let them enter the courtyard between the buildings, and while some of them are in the storehouse looking at the things they intend to take, we will make ourselves know by shutting the gate behind them so they cannot flee. Chahana will be on the walkway at the top of the wall with her bow and her horn, which she will blow to let us all know that the entire group has come inside the fort. Then Maria and Zander will push the gates shut. Simon will try to deal with their horses. I will take up a position behind the storehouse where they cannot see me, and Reislin will be on one of the towers from which she can cast her spells.
Now we have consumed a hearty meal of venison stew made by Oleg's kindly and much more friendly wife, Svetlana. It is time to rest so that we will be prepared to meet the bandits. Each of us will be standing a watch this night. It is a situation we must become accustomed to if we are to explore the wilds of the Greenbelt.
2nd Pharast
Just after we had taken breakfast, Chahana climbed up on the wall and spied a group of horsemen approaching the fort. We took up our positions as they drew nearer. Six men dismounted as the entered the courtyard, and two went into the storehouse. From my vantage behind it I could hear them tossing various items about heedlessly as they sought the most valuable objects. I put my head just past the corner of the building so that I could see one of the bandits standing near Oleg, whose fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white while the man Happs taunted him. I reached out with the sense that the Dawnflower has granted me in an effort to determine if the bandits are truly evil souls, but I could not find any evil in their auras.
Then I heard Chahana's horn blast and the thud of the gates slamming shut. I came out from behind the storehouse to stand in front of Oleg and told the bandits to lay down their arms and repent. At once Happs shouted to his men, ordering them to kill us. Two men struck at me at the same moment. I blocked one man's attack with the heavy shield Oleg had lent me, but the other was able to stab me from my right. I turned on him and slashed him in return.
Chahana's arrow flew true from the walkway, dealing Happs a serious wound. Zander emerged from beneath the walkway by the gate to attack a man at the rear of the group. Then Happs and the two men beside him slumped to the ground. I learned after that Reislin had sent them to sleep with her magic. One of the men tried to flee, but because he could not go out through the gate he ran toward the ladder to the walkway on which Chahana stood. Zander pursued him. Oleg used the truncheon he carried to strike the bandit nearest him over the head, dropping the man to the ground.
A second bandit also attempted to flee, running between Oleg's house and the bunkroom. I do not know what he meant to do; perhaps climb up to the walkway and leap from the wall. Both Maria and I pursued him and he surrendered to us. Zander had also persuaded his man to surrender and the man began to plead for his life. While we were all occupied with this, Oleg crushed Happs' skull with his truncheon.
We bound the remaining five men. One of the men was badly hurt, but the two who had surrendered and one of the sleepers we put into pits that lay behind the stable. We decided to question them one at a time, Maria and I together, first giving them the chance to repent. Then we asked if they would tell us where to find the rest of their band and how many men remained. One man refused to cooperate, stating that he had no desire to seek any other occupation. He would tell us nothing about the other bandits. The other men claimed to repent and a few of them told us more of their gang, including that their leader is a woman named Kressle and their camp lies three days away in the Narlmarches. One man also mentioned that they are part of a larger group led by someone called the Stag Lord, but he knew very little about this as he had never been to the camp of the main band that lies farther south.
Because the first man has refused to repent, we have decided that we must carry out the justice of the Swordlords. We have asked him whether he prefers to be executed by the sword or the rope, and he has chose the rope. This led us to another conversation about how best to carry this out and whether we should require the remaining prisoners to witness it. In the end we have decided we will drop him from the top of the gate, which we hope will quickly slay him without suffering. We will cover his head so that no one need see his face as he dies. The other men must watch so that they know we are serious, though Maria is not entirely pleased with this as she fears it represents a kind of mental torture, something she has suffered herself. Still she has not opposed having the other men watch their comrade's execution.
I admit I have little enthusiasm for slaying a man in this way. But it is the will of the rightful rulers of Restov who have granted us this charter, and my lady the Dawnflower also teaches that those who will not turn from evil should suffer just retribution. I can only take heart that the other men have chosen to repent of their wrong and perhaps the path of their lives can be changed.
3rd Pharast
The execution is done. All of our group witnessed it, along with our prisoners. I could not keep a tear of regret from my eye at taking a life in this manner.
Two of the men have said that they will leave this country if we free them. We have determined to do so, returning their arms to them and giving them a few days of food and a small amount of coin so that they will not be tempted to thieve again when they reach a populated area.
The other two men, whose names are Hagrid and Inky, will remain at the trading post working for Oleg in exchange for their food and lodging. We had at first thought we might remain for a few days to try to fortify the fort structure, as we fear that once the other group of bandits fail to return Kressle will send a larger group to investigate. But there are no supplies with which to fortify the walls and none of us know how to repair or operate a ballista, so any endeavor to return this structure to the state of a true fort will have little success.
Instead we will go out for a day to explore the surroundings of the fort. We hope to eventually locate an area where a logging camp might be set up so that we can have access to timber. Fortunately we now have access to the bandits' horses, which will make it possible for our explorations to range farther and leave us less exhausted once we become accustomed to riding all day.
5th Pharast
We have returned to the trading post from our exploration. A new group of people have arrived here, a small party of mercenaries sent by the leaders of Restov to protect the trading post and Oleg. There is also a traveler, a priest of Erastil named Jhod Kavken, who is seeking a ruined temple to the One-Eyed God which he saw in a vision. Chahana is not familiar with the gods of this part of the world, having come from distant Vudra, and Jhod told her of the god. Because Erastil's symbol is a stag, we told him of the Stag Lord and showed him the crude iron amulet we took from Happs' body. He does not believe this has any association with the Deadeye. I am happy to have with us a priest of a good god who is friendly to my lady. Jhod may accompany us on some of our exploration, as he is very eager to locate the temple from his vision. Oleg also has a variety of posters scattered about offering various rewards for finding certain creatures or people. There is even a reward of credit at the trading post offered for finding Svetlana's lost wedding ring.
Next: part 2, Attack the Bandits
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