"So long as he shoots straight he's fine where he is."
Jaryx pulls the brushwood gate aside. The leader of the bandit group begins to carefully guide his kank through the gap.
Nuuko crouches in the shadows, utterly invisible to all but the keenest of eyes.
In the shadows of the hut, Grea stands in her usual half-crouch watching through a window. A thin sulfurous odor builds, accompanied by soft sucking and popping sounds and her skin shade slides toward tan as she concentrates on drawing energy to herself for the coming fight.
Arakan is waiting nervously, yet comforted at least that he has Th'Kal nearby. Despite being a kreen, the thing has proven very useful in keeping him safe and following orders. As he waits to see how the men enter, he runs through a couple lie variations in his head, having the imagined conversations that would result from any given lie. He thumbs his fruit of presence readily, prepared to consume it as soon as he needs to begin the talks.
Three of the bandits ride their kanks through the gap. The others hang back with the two inix. The leader looks down at Jareen and Arakan. "Who are you? Where's Hedla?"
Only three entered!?
Manifest thicken skin when they enter, good for 20 minutes.
I assume, Grea doesn't have line of sight to the bandits outside. Is she expecting more than 3 bandits based on past encounters of this type?
She may have to try to lure some more in. HA!
Jareen stands waiting for Arakan to answer.
"By the voice of the Four Winds, you have arrived as they foretold. The spirits of the air see the whispers on the wind and herald your appearance now at our humble gates. We are all children of the shimmering desert air rising off the sun-scorched dunes, and as such I welcome you as brother, and ask that we meet each other as such." He lays on thick with the loopy, nature-praising, kooks that he's heard in the past jabber on about worshiping the elements.
As the men draw closer he responds to the question, "I am sorry to say, but Hedla was not in any condition to continue managing the meetings between our village and your people." He's comforted by the fact that he doesn't not even have to try and make this sound true, as he firmly believes it.
"I wish to tender the agreements and conditions of our two peoples in a different more productive way. If we open our minds to the possibility of working toward a common goal, then we all benefit from the results of our efforts. First, I ask that you all come in, join us by the fire. As the night grows cold, the heat of the great sun leeches away from the world, where the lights of Ral and Guthay look over the barren landscape and set bones to chill with their cold stares." He waves in, towards the others in the back, encouraging them all to follow, "Come! Come! Let us all work as one, to make your trip a fruitful and joyous one. Warm yourselves inside the comforting embrace of the walls, outside of the chill and dangers of the open desert, while we conduct the formalities of 'business'."
"Come, come. The night is cold, and our fire is warm."
The bandit squints at Arakan and Jareen and snorts, "Are you on something?"
He shrugs. "We've got word they are sending some people from Silver Spring to scout about. Have you seen anyone?"
The half-giant shrugs, "Jaryx does not know." He's truly at a loss about what to do - the bandits didn't do the right thing. He hesitates to close the gate yet, though.
To the bandits outside, he shouts, "You come in? Or you stay out?"
As the raiders near his hut, Nuuko goes fully prone, listening to the conversation below while keeping his eye trained on the gate and the signal to attack.
Cahel, confused, remains in position, as still as stone.
The leader smiles warmly at Arakan.
Arakan feigns a gasp of surprise, ignoring the first question "Oh, by the Winds! Scouts are coming? Do you think they may be dangerous? I know we pay 'tribute' for our 'protection', but if there are scouts from Silver Spring headed this way, we should get all of you inside the safety of the walls, both for defense and to hopefully hide you from any prying eyes. We would not want your exposure to cause any undue harm to our loved ones due to our own negligence."
"You talking to me?" growls one of the bandits outside the gate at Jaryx.
Inside the leader grins and says, "Sure!" He shouts, "Everyone inside!" Two of the riders dismount and begin leading the inix inside.
But one of the riders next to him says, "That's not the plan we agreed."
"Yeah," replies the leader, "But we can trust these guys. Come on, everyone, inside!"
At the mention of the word 'trust' the second-in-command's frown deepens. "Are you okay?" he says before he looks suspiciously at Arakan and Jareen. "I've not seen you two before. Just who are you? What's wrong with Hedla?" His hand strays to his spear.
Arakan raises his hands calmingly toward the questioner, "Whoa, brother, stay your hand. I am new here, that is true. I am an ex-slave like many of us, but I found my way here through the wastes with my aged, and slightly sun-addled friend here." he indicates Jareen.
"When we arrived, the poor woman, Hedla, was so distraught and frazzled over her 'agreement' with you guys, that it has taken its toll on her health. I offered to stand up and speak on her behalf to try and figure out how we can improve relations toward bringing their families home."
He maintains his placating nature, "My first step is to try and increase the trust between us by approaching you all as fellows brothers of a desert wasteland, surviving any way we can. As such, I had really hoped to invite you all in to share, comfort, what little food and water we have, and maybe stories of our travels. Why shouldn't we work toward truly understanding each other?"
The leader nods. "Yeah, it would be great if we can get your families home again." The second-in-command looks at him in disgust but doesn't make any further comment.
One of the bandits outside sticks his head round the gate. "You want us inside?" The three outside also dismount. Two of them stroll in while the third stays back to look after the mounts.
Realizing that the trap was about to be sprung, Nuuko whispers a few words to himself and moves up to a kneeling position, bow and arrow(s) in hand.
Arakan gets most of what he wants, but will have to settle for what they got. "Well, if you prefer to keep a guard on the mounts, then the least we can do is offer assistance." He calls out, "Jaryx, you should stay outside with the man tending the mounts. We don't want him to be alone out there, if he is unable to come in and join us. Djal will help you close the gate behind you for everyone else's protection."
He returns his voice to speaking to those nearby, "I will pray that the elemental force Nuuko, Glider of Winds, watches over those beyond the wall. We beg of it that those beyond the walls are not left alone without his watchful gaze keeping them from any unwanted hostilities."
In response to the query from the bandit outside, Jaryx gives him something between a bob, a nod, and a bow.
Replying to Arakan, he says, "Jaryx will help!" He steps over to 'his' hut to take up his tonfa, exits the compound, leans his tonfa against the outside of the fence, and works with Djal to pull the 'gate' into position. Turning to face the last bandit and the herd, he raises a hand in greeting. "Hi!"
Seeing the other bandits come in, Grea's smile widens. Arakan has a silver tongue indeed.
Hearing the half elf call upon Nuuko, Grea turns her thoughts inward. Her limbs bend inward, then flex back to an obtuse angle, well past normal. A sulfurous odor fills the hut as her skin appears to harden to chitin.
Get on with it already! Morthak sighs and waits for the signal.
With his Suprise action Jareen will cast Web, on y25, which will get some of the ones outside and help block the gate further. He'll bluff it as a cough and stagger, just as the gate closes and he loses sight of the target.
Once the gate draws to a close and the signal is given, Nuuko wastes no time in sending two arrows over the wall, hoping to take out the guard before he has the chance to flee.
Unfortunately, the first shot crashes into the wall, the arrow splintering, while the second flies off into the wastes, wide of it's mark.
While he waits, Jaryx asks the guard, "Do you want to play a game? I know a good game. It's called 'Catch!'"
The big fellow holds up a hand and a glowing ball about as wide as two thumbs appears before shooting across the distance between the two of them.
As the first shots of the skirmish ring out , Cahel steps out of the hut he had been waiting in and speaks enchanted words to the nearest of the Inix.
"Run to other side, past fire! They will fight here, not safe for you!"
Upon registering the signal, Morthak stands and moves to the door.
In the guise of a Thri'kreen, Grea pulls the door open and prepares to charge the nearest bandit.
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As everyone moves to spring the trap, Arakan follows his nature and backs up to put the fire between him and the enemy, drawing his hand crossbow as he moves. "Now that we have all gathered, we can get down to 'really' serious business." He calls out to the others, "Try not to hurt the one in the lead, he and I have an 'arrangement', don't we friend?" He adds the spark of inner conflict among the enemy in hopes of getting them to fight one another instead.
Th'Kal emerges from the hut he was hiding in near Arakan, and draws his weapon.