Chapter 2: Playing With Fire

[Othniel]

"I would hazard to guess that the girl is kin of the man," Morwen suggests. "And you are trying to figure out if it is just to punish him with death. Do I guess near the mark?"

[ManWithDoor]

The barbarian nods, speaking quietly. "Girl not an evil slaver, too young to collar anyone. Keep only for questioning? Feels darker than that."

[Grimbold]

"What is your question?" Eyris says bluntly. "What do you want to do with these people?"

[Vardaen]

"Your minds are keen, you see before you a man who is our enemy." He points at the man's hand, "You see the ebony band on his wrist, played there as a tattoo, a mark to show his willing allegiance to the Order of the Ebony Hand. He is a smith of this town. When we arrived he claimed he was nothing but a blacksmith, and that he only bore the mark to protect his family from the fanatics and cultists. He swore to us that he was nothing more than a blacksmith, making tools and supplies for common folk; that he never made a weapon for war."

He paces around your group, hands how tucked behind his back, "Yet, when we searched his forge we found a secret cache of blades, ritual daggers, and spear points forged black, and slaver shackles in some number. Clearly he is a liar above all his other sins. What sentence would you level against him?"

[ManWithDoor]

The barbarian tribes of the hinterlands have very direct methods of justice. Funding some sort of public jail isn't really within their capabilities, and communal trust in these tough times is a must. Having a possible traitor in the midst would likely get the person exiled, less by law and more by peer pressure backed up with fists. "You have judges, yes? People who do that for a living? Ask them to follow your laws." He isn't an idiot, truly, he just isn't the type to have the education or wherewithal to analyze the difference between willful action and violently compelled compliance. From that point of view, forgiveness might be understandable given that the man did not want his family slain or turned into monstrosities such as the burning skeletons the party barely survived.

"If member of Mongo's tribe, would cast him out or kill. Cannot trust someone who joins the enemy."

[Othniel]

"Conscript him. Give him work in the trade he knows." Morwen gestures to the child. "She is obviously family. To deprive her of her father may do more harm in the end than slaying him and turning her over to charity. This way she can stay with him and he can pay recompense for the ill he has wrought by doing some good."

[Grimbold]

Eyris just nods. There is no point in giving yet another possibility. "Conscript him. You should spare the girl. Young minds are like wax, and in the right environment she will become a good person."

[Vardaen]

"Yes Mongo we have judges, we have already judged him. His fate is sealed already, I was curious on your perspective." He listens and nods, "Mercy then, you would show your enemy mercy, even when they work to enslave people, like yourselves, or make war against Icatia and Braduk's free cities." He pauses at the girl, "The girl, you guess rightly, is his daughter. He has raised her in his way, she is an enemy as well, and will some day grow up to hate us more than she does. Already she knows the prayers to the dark powers, and watches and learns from her father. Should she not also find the same fate at he? Do you let goblin spawn live? Do you not shatter the eggs of monstrous spiders before they can hatch and do harm to your family? Why is justice different for the young than it is for the old?"

He pauses and looks at both, "We have judged them both, and tomorrow morning, they both shall hang." He watches you carefully for reactions.

[Othniel]

"Your justice is a farce," Morwen practically spits out the words. She immediately regrets her outburst, but why stop now? "Why bring us here and ask our opinions if your mind is already made up? I was silent before, but the reason Torwin died back at the village was that your soldier killed one of the fiery skeletons we were fighting, causing it to burst into flame and kill our companion. I do not think you people are so righteous as you claim. It seems to me that the ends with you justify the means. There is no right in killing either of these people. Even if the father worked for the Ebon Hand willfully, there is no guarantee that the daughter will grow to be evil as well, but with methods such as yours, it would be no wonder if that turned out to be so."

[ManWithDoor]

Spiders! Why did he have to say spiders? Mongo shudders when he brings those up. "Not all spider type people evil, but yes. I have stamped out many creepy oozy eggs." He isn't heavily surprised Morwen is more passionate about things, but isn't as invested. Getting uppity with other barbarian tribes is a good way to start a blood feud. "Mongo not agree that little one cannot be raised right, but would likely hate you and your people. The Order not big on ... what was that fancy word ... salvation? Thought good people like that. Guess your Order too busy chasing black hand enemies instead."