The Heroes Strike Back

Ryvid removes any weapons on the unconscious body and takes the rope from his bag and ties the remaining Night Blade to the tree he ran into. "Take what you will from him, Pageflap, he has wronged you the most." He raises his crook and taps the side of the Night Blades head to rouse him, after Pageflap has relieved him of anything he wants.

As the Night Blade falls, Ander marches down the hill, drawing his sword as he approaches, "He killed Canthus!" he snarls angrily, stopping several feet from the man and obviously struggling not to walk over and kill the man.

Sulprax stops Ander and pulls him close.
"Indeed he did, and jusssticccce will be yourssss. However, for now him being alive can be ussseeeful to ussss. Jusssticccce is everyone'ssss fate and ssssome patienccceee will grant you what you desssire. You have my word with Lendyssss assss my witnessssss.

"I do not think the end results are comparable; I only count three dead, all belonging to their side, your wolf is not amongst this count. This man's life is owed to Pageflap, not you; take that and you will find demons in it's wake." He switches languages, beginning with a soothing, sweet sounding dialect, switching mid-sentence to a harsher, rasp

Letting out a chuckle at seeing the NightBlade run into a tree, Pageflap walks up to him as he's being tied down and decides to take mercy on him by liberating him of the dagger in his shoulder and the money in his wallet. As he's at it, he looks for anything else of value before moving on to doing the same to the rest of the bodies, casting prestidigitation to get some of the blood out and put out as much of the fire as he can.

He takes a bit of glee taking Skeetz's stuff. He must have certainly feared his wizarding powers if he freaked out that much from his insult. Yes. That must have been it.

Ander lets out a low growl, like that of a wolf, and then snaps his blade back into its sheath. He takes a quick step forward and slaps the man hard across the face, "Wake up, we have questions!" he shouts.

Ander wakes the man. He moans in pain, but he seems more or less intact.

"Is this the part where I answer your questions and you let me live?" he asks sheepishly.

"I think you're far beyond that, friend. You've wronged this kenku and you vaporized this halfling's wolf. Answer truthfully and they may see it fit to give you at least an honorable death."

"To be fair, the wolf did bite me first. That's worth something, right? I mean if a wolf came up and bit you on your ass, you're not likely to just stand there and let it nibble."

"If it was wild, yes; I would defend my flock. That isn't the case here, this was a trained animal sicced on you; in that scenario, I'd surrender and rethink my life choices that lead to having an animal commanded to bite me. I think you already know what those choices were for you though...don't you?"

"Ssssome humility may sssserve you well Night blade. Bargaining and mercccccy have never been my sssstrong ssssuitsss, I can't imagine my friendssss are willing to exercccissse they're abilitiessss at the moment.

The Night Blade swallows hard.

"Not much sense of humour then." the man speaks, his voice hoarse from fear.

"I suppose a clean death is better than I deserve. But I ask one thing."

The bandit turns to Sulprax and points to his holy symbol.

"You really a man of Lendys? If I help out a man of the Gods with his mission, surely that'll count for something? You do the deed, you put in a prayer for me - and I'll answer true."

"It was Lendysss who ensssured that thossse who did evil actssss were rewarded with evil, that thosssse who did good recccceeeeived good, and thosssse who lived by the ssssssword died by the ssssword. He had no mercy in his ssssoul, nor forgivenessssss, and gave no ssssecond chancessss. That is the name that you invoke when asssking for pity? You musssst be a dessssperate man... Or one on the edge? One who lived a life of mediocrity? Who'ssss never sssstrayed too far from hisss lot in life? A victim of ccccircumsssstanccceee? Perhappsss at the lassst momentsss of your life you feel that one final act of morality will sssway your pendulum away from an eternity of torment?
Invoking my god in thisss manner would be a foolssss folly. He would have zero capacity for mercccyyy for you."

As Sulprax speaks and his hiss-like lisp becomes more pronounced sparks begin to develop as though his Dragonborn gift of fire is begging to be released.

Sulprax looks earnestly at Ander as he picks his next words carefully. After taking a calming breath he is able to control his tongue and sparks much more easily and he begins:

"However, we aren't, and mossst assssssuredly I am not Lendyssss. Mercccy of sssssome capacccity may be yourssss thisss day. You are not the one who dessssccccended upon Whitessssparrow like a plague. But you contributed. Your sssinssss are yourssss alone to deal with in the afterlife. How you reach the afterlife issss a ressssponsssibility that is upon our shoulderssss. And it issss not for ussss to perform evilsssss upon you asssss you would the people of thissss town. You have my word that given you keep to your honor that I will perform a ritual to ensssure that your transssgresssionsss will be weighed in the afterlife with no predjuidicccee, no holy rage on my part, no ssssmiting asss it were. From there it isss only what issss in your heart, your passsttt actionssss, and the whimssss of the divine that will determine your ultimate fate. That issss what I can offer you. A fair and balanccced ssslate upon which you can write your entire life'ssss journey for thosssse of the higher plane to judge. If that issss what you assssk for I will grant it. If your dying action issss in fact a betrayal of untruthssss then I will do everything I can to make sure that after passsing on you do anything but ressst in peacccce. What sssay you now? Are you ready to give ussss the information that the venerable and powerful Pageflap desssiresss?"

As he finishes he monologue Sulprax sheathes his long sword and unstraps the maul from his back to lean upon as he begins to rest and regain his composure after someone so desperately invoked the name of his deity that, in his mind, was tantamount to heresy. His mouth slowly begins to stop smoking and then completely stops as he collects himself.

The Night Blade's face is now white, his eyes wide with terror. All he can manage is nodding his head.

LOOT

4 Short Swords of reasonable quality
3 Heavy Crossbows*
3 Night Blade™ Cloaks*
15 Bolts*
60 Gold Pieces worth of coins in various denominations -

* The combustible items on the Night Blade in the fire pit were destroyed, but the metal items were salvageable

You have also acquired one wagon laden with barrels, along with the 2 horses. On closer inspection, only 2 of the barrels contain ale; the others contain various valuables of the townsfolk - silverware, jewelry, gilded heirlooms, and coins. A conservative estimate is 500 gp worth of valuables.

Our prize is the massssk, and whatever treassssuressss may lay under the town. The weaponssss you all may usssee asss you sssseee fit, though the trinketsss and treasuressss of the townsss common folk will need to be returned. Pageflap, oncccce we're ssssorted I trussst you know who can disssperssse thessse properly? Alsssso asss you contemplate your line of inquiry, Pageflap, I will sssample thisss ale, answering Lendysss'sss call isss thirsssty work.

The alcohol tastes like moonshine - strong but crude.