Battle OrderD20 + 1 = 6 (5)

  Kitool was first to move, her staff blurring as she cracked it against the sides of two of the bandits, who crumpled like paper before her staff, even though they were adorned in . They dropped, spitting up from the sheer pain of her blows, and Kitool ducked under another’s bde, smmiaff into the earth before drop kig the third bandit, who smmed against the nearby wall.

  A bde made for her side, but the arm dropped as the bandit howled in pain. Awo dropped beside the bandit, deep gashes across the pair who had fallen. Jaygak rested her bde against her shoulder casually, gng to the side, where she watched as the rest of the bandits cshed with Adam and Jurot.

  ‘What?’ Brenna remained frozen in shock as she tried to push her scythe harder against the young man’s neck. Yet, even as she tried to reap the man’s neck off, it was as though she was trying to cut against a solid oak trunk.

  Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2Attack - WraithD20 + 10 = 13 (3)D20 + 10 = 27 (17)Hit!Mana: 21 -> 20Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 30 (3, 6)(6, 6)30 damage!

  Attack - WraithD20 + 10 = 24 (14)D20 + 10 = 26 (16)Hit!Mana: 20 -> 19Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 25 (1, 6)(4, 5)25 damage!

  The chief, Old Jim, watched as the four strangers he had hired cut down the bandits with ease. The young Half Elf in purple pte mail easily cut down two of the bandits, seemingly not breaking a sweat, his axe fshing white hot with… something. Meanwhile, Brenna was fighting the topless Jurot, whose axe sank deep within the woman’s shoulder, though that didn’t seem to expin the nose bleed, nor why the young woman dropped and clutched at her head.

  “S-stop!” Brenna shouted, spitting up blood, trying to catch her breath. “We surrender, damn it! We surrender!”

  The st bandit, whose bde had been shaking as Adam approached him, dropped his on and he dropped down before the giant wall of purple.

  ‘Sun Father!’ Jim felt the strength in his legs give, but he leaned against his spear.

  ‘How terrifying!’

  Victory!XP Gained: +10010 600 -> 10 700

  “Why’d you chop off her arm for?” Adam asked, shaking his head. “She won’t be able to live an ho life now.”

  “She tried to stab Kitool,” Jaygak replied, simply.

  “Alright, fair.”

  “Tie them up,” Jim stated, and the vilgers gnced his way, shocked. How were they going to tie up that group? “We ’t let the bandits walk freely.”

  The vilgers let out a collective sigh of relief, realising who he was talking about.

  “I guess we’ll leave them to you, then,” Adam said, yawning lightly. “I thought you said she was some kind of terror or something?”

  “I didn’t realise you were even more terrifying,” Jim admitted.

  “Yeah, fair.”

  “You will take them to the town?” Jurot asked.

  “Yes,” Jim stated, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face. “I will go and inform the lord of what happened.”

  “Will y back the bounty then?” Adam asked.

  The vilge chief he bandits were tied up, with the vilgers barely bandaging the missing arm, before the bandits were forced to march towards the town. There were five vilgers to ended up taking the bandits, the vilge chief, another man in his forties, and three women who wielded crossbows.

  Omen: 10, 16

  Quest plete: Bandit SubjugationXP Gained: +100XP: 10 700 -> 10 800

  ‘Oh? Why didn’t I get it yesterday?’

  The chief had returned with their reward, a hundred gold s, as well as a letter that gratuted them for their good work.

  “The Baron wishes to meet us at the end of the month,” Jurot said, closing the letter and slipping it within his rge torso pocket.

  “He’s given us quite a bit of gold,” Adam said, slowly nodding his head. “Might be a good idea to buddy up with him?”

  “Yes,” Jurot replied.

  “Alright.”

  The days tio pass by ufully. The group tio assist the farmers and bourers with their task, finding there was little which threatehem after the beasts and bandits were dealt with.

  Omen: 1, 10

  “We wish you good fortune,” Jim said, handing the group small sacks of flour, dried meats, and dried fruit. There were also skins full of fruit wine.

  “Sun Father watch over you,” Jurot said, bowing his head lightly.

  “You as well.”

  The fan to make their way out, Adam waving his hand towards the farmers. The toparently a few miles dowh, and after an hour of walking, with the nd slowly ining upwards, they could spot a castle atop a hill, with a town nearby.

  As they trekked along the dirt path, it eventually gave way to stone, and as they veered towards the entrance of the town, Adam he distant people, tiny ants, who were w on their fields.

  The Half Elf halted abruptly. He blien nude bodies, each written on with all manner of obsities, with their faces branded, were impaled atop metal rods. They were grey with death, still being pecked apart by birds.

  stitution SaveD20 + 6 = 7 (1)

  Adam stumbled off to one side, spilling his breakfast into the grass, spitting out repeatedly. “Ah, fuck.” He rinsed his mouth out with the grain wiedly, before he gnced back towards his panions. They waited for Adam to finish up, Jurot and Kitool pletely bnk, while Jaygak’s head was slightly tilted.

  “You guys don’t want to vomit?”

  “This isn’t the first time we’ve seeh, Adam,” Jurot stated.

  “Yeah, but… this isn’t just death. It’s… it’s savage. Beastly.”

  “This is the world.”

  “Yeah…” Adam shook his head, ing out his mouth once more, but the bitter taste of reality could not be washed away. “Yeah.”

  They approached the town. Its walls were barely an Adam tall, though made of sturdy stone and built upon raised earth. Wooden watch towers stood guard over the walls from withiown, spread out every fifty steps or so. The gates of the town were open, but were fnked by a pair of guards, who wore shirts, carrying spears in hand.

  “Halt!” called a guard, raising their hand towards the strangers. “State your business.”

  “We were summoned,” Jurot stated, reag into his torso pocket, revealing the letter to the tense guard.

  The guard skimmed it and nodded. “You will o give up your arms.”

  “I rather like my arms, thanks,” Adam replied.

  “You are not allowed to step ih-,”

  “Leave them,” called an uard, who emerged from withiown. His hair was salt and pepper, his skihered by the sun, his eyes wizened from dealing with too muonsense in his time. “They were called by the Baron for dealing with Brenna.”

  “The gate fee?” the guard asked.

  “Waive it,” the uard said, waving his hand to dismiss the matter. “Follow me, I’ll lead you to the castle.”

  The small town was exactly such. A small town, barely a half hour walk from gate to gate, with perhaps a few thousand people at most. It was smaller thahe vilges beside the Iyr. Adam noted most people were w hard, though many were no doubt w in the fields outside the walls.

  ‘Quiet,’ Adam thought.

  The group were led to the castle, which had its ow of walls, and its own small vilges beyond. The guards of the castle were adorned in and carried spears, but they wore a bde at their side too. Adam hadn’t noted any uards thae guards, but he hadn’t been paying much attention to the area.

  “The guests,” Gee said, nodding his head to the guards, who nodded babsp;

  “Follow me,” a new guard said, leading them through the gates, then upwards towards the castle. The had the slightest of ine, Adam’s calves beginning to tingle as they made their .

  ‘The walls are thicker and taller around the castle,’ Adam thought, eyeing them up. ‘I guess that makes sense.’ He noted a few muards, easily a dozen, who patrolled around the area like pairs of dutiful ants. ‘Are they expeg some kind of attack?’ His eyes fell across the stable, where a five horses rexed. A boy no older than ten hurried towards them with a heavy bucket.

  The castle was small, but Adam hadn’t expected mupared to the estates of the various orders. The order’s had estates easily a square mile, about as rge as this eown. Even Sir Landoe was several times rger than the castle, and the young man was the third son of a low ranking noble. ‘I wonder how strong we are pared to everyone.’

  They were led through the castle towards a dining room, where a servant was still setting out the silverware, while another brought forth hot tea and cakes.

  “The Baron will be with you soon,” a servant said, bowing their head lightly, before the sounds of distant steps filled the area.

  ‘I feel like this pce is meant to be impressive, but its so…’ Adam gnced around towards all the silver and the various furniture and items, which caused the already small area to feel far more cramped.

  An man in his forties appeared not soon after Adam’s thoughts began to wander. His greying hair was cut short, and he wore a thick beard. The man was strongly built, though he definitely seemed to have retired a few years ago, filling out his breastpte well. He carried a bde of silver at his side.

  He was fnked by two heavily armoured warriors, each adorned in full pte, and each carrying fine bdes at their side. Their long cloaks fell down their shoulders, squaring their great stature.

  “You must be the four strangers who assisted my vilge so well,” the Baron said, motioning a hand to allow them to sit at the sides of the table, while he took his pce at the head. His two knights fnked him oher side.

  “Yes,” Jurot replied, before taking his pce to the seat o the Baron on one side, Adam sitting opposite him.

  The food was hurried in as the Baron praised them so eagerly, cutting into his food with his knife and fork with expert precision. Adam wasn’t sure how he felt about the Baron praising him so much. It felt weird for a o be so polite, save for Lord Morkarai and a few other nobles he had met.

  “I’ve heard that you all possess such fine ons,” Baron John Firstfield stated, having swiftly pushed through the pleasantries. “Though I am most ied in admiring the sword.” He motioo a knight who stepped towards Jaygak and waited patiently.

  Jaygak undid her sword belt, and ohe bde was within the Baron’s hands, he drew the bde to admire it. He poi up towards the sky, and admired the way the light refracted from the dark steel. He smiled like a boy with a oy.

  “How much would you be willing to part with it for?” the Baron asked, still admiring the bde.

  “I will not sell it,” Jaygak replied.

  “I certainly would not accept such a fine bde as a gift,” the Baron said.

  “I will not part with it.”

  “I just fear it will fall into the wrong hands.”

  “It will not.”

  The Barohed the sword, and though his lips were still smiling, his eyes no longer sparkled quite shtly.

  ‘There we go,’ Adam thought, letting out a soft sigh as he rexed. He caught Jurot’s face, which was stone cold. His brother could see how Adam smiled, suddenly far more fortable.

  Ah. There we go.