Then we come to our latest group a week later, Valeros, Sidgrim and Deet. These three considering themselves the purest of heroes were appalled by the sight of staked heads at the side of the road with a sign reading "Dis Rode Belong Negan" assumed that Negan was some sort of bloodthirsty monster.
By this point the much more travelled path was becoming fairly obvious and they tracked it back to Negan's clearing no problem. Preparing for a fight Sidgrim used his magic to enlarge both Valeros and his warhorse. Negan hearing them approach yelled out "Leave Negan alone, leave or I kill you". Negan fully expecting that these people were here to kill him stood ready at his much sturdier door again.
Valeros attempted to get his horse to break down the door. He failed but Negan, fearing he would be successful, opened the door to defend himself. Valeros still on the horse, struck first, swinging his own greatsword at Negan and connecting leaving a deep open wound.
Negan responded by charming Valero's horse to run away hoping this would leave him less surrounded. This worked but Sidgrim dispelled the charm. Deet seeing a potential to end this without death took out a rope and dived through Negan's legs attempting to tie him up.
The party closed in on Negan and with a rope around his legs and all 3 of them in front of them Negan let out a conical blast of ice that chilled the skin off the bone. Valeros continued to swing with his greatsword getting in several more hits, as Deet stood between Valeros and Negan urging Valeros to not kill. In the heat of battle Valeros did not hear Deet's pleas. Negan tried to block but failed repeatedly. Finally in a desperate last stand Negan cast a fireball spell at his own feet. Standing in his doorway he knew this could kill his home and even himself but its all he had left. The fireball left everyone with serious burns but everyone was still standing, except the warhorse which Valeros successfully managed to dismount as it fell to its injuries. With everyone barely standing Valeros landed the final blow on Negan, ending the fight.
In the aftermath the group found a diary entry made by Negan. Detailing his persecution and the people who keep showing up to try and kill him. Deet performed the poor magi's last rites and they cremated him in his home burning it to the ground.
They left the scene in a solemn silence. When they finally broke silence at their camp later each has a different reaction, from their whole discussion of the morality of the encounter three things stood out.
Valeros: I hadn't killed anything in ages, that was great.
Sidgrim: We only know his side, he killed dwarves. He must be a bad guy.
Deet: Sobs herself to sleep tormented by the idea that Negan may have been an innocent.