"Lots, many more than you!" blurts the bandit.
"We camp next to some ruins. No one has ever challenged us there - it's too far for an army and too hard to find. The desert there is just black grit and if you don't know the way you get lost."
"Then you'll make the perfect guide and stay alive a few days longer."
The bandit gulps.
"The ruins are haunted," blurts the bandit.
"If you go into the ruins after dark, you don't come back. You are never seen again."
Arakan rolls his eyes, letting Djal take over the questioning after the Mul made his comment about the decision of mercy or not belonging to them. However, he sees them getting lost going down the janx hole, and he has to reel it back. "Look, 'Tribesman'," he spit the word at Djal with disdain for his comment about it being their decision, always winning friends like he does, "You're wasting your time talking about haunted ruins. Are these spirits coming out here and taking your people? Are they going to defend the raiders if we attack, even though no one has come back out of the ruins? No, not likely. Let's stick to the important questions."
He begins, holding up a finger to count them off as he goes. "What does the layout of the camp look like? How many entrances are there, and where are they? How many men are on watch at any time, on how many shifts? When are you guys due to return? Are there any passwords we need to give to be allowed entry? Oh, and let's not forget, where are they holding the prisoners?"
"Well, its got a wall, and a gate. There's a few guys on watch all the time, uh, you know, when they tell us to. I think they're expecting us back tomorrow. We don't have passwords and stuff - we just know what each other looks like. We've got a big cage for the prisoners in the middle, but we let them out to do stuff in the camp during the day - you know, cooking, cleaning, if we need a shag, that sort of thing."
"It's pretty obvious what he means. Let's stay focused."
Djal at first clenches his teeth in reaction to Arakan's dismissive comments, but the bandit's answer gives him something else to grit his teeth about: "What do you mean, a shag?" he snarls, the sharp edge of his guisarme now dancing close to the bandit's eyes.
"Well, I don't think he's talking about carpets...."
"Er, anything else," cringes the bandit.
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"Sounds like we need to take this one along for the ride, and either hit while the slaves will be caged to make manoeuvring easier, or when they wont to make their life harder and hopefully kick start some resistance inside. What do you think Arakan? You are our strategist, if this fight was anything to go by they will fall quite easily."
Arakan nods at the old man, "Sounds about right. We will surely take this one with us, to show us the way. We need to try and strike when the prisoners are caged, to prevent them from getting in our way or being used as human shields. We need to return tomorrow, so as to not arouse any suspicion, and ideally under the cover of darkness to help conceal our true selves." He turns back to the man they are questioning. "The front gate, which way does it face? Toward or away from the rising sun, or neither?"
The man thinks. "The sun rising."
"If that is the case, it may be best if we plan to arrive at sunrise. With the sun at our backs and in their eyes, it would go a long way toward getting us inside. Or at least get the gate open before they are aware of our deception."
"I agree."
Quietly, to the group. "I can make one of our number invisible for a short time, a few minutes, or until they attack. I can also make myself look like one of these bandits, again, for a few minutes. It's not much but it should help us convince them."
"I will not go in the cage," Morthak declares emphatically. "But would be happy to go invisible."
Arakan calms the others, "Considering the facing, and the direction we will have to travel, it actually means we need to arrive at sunset, not sunrise. That gives us time to gather ourselves and our things. Maybe, we can better prepare after a night's rest. Some of us can disguise well enough without magic. We should utilize that and the gear of the fallen as best we can." That said, he looks around, and asks, "Morthak and Djal, can I have a word with you guys off to the side?"
Back in human appearance, Grea returns with her herd of giant beetles. After wrangling them through the gate she looks at Jaryx, then jerks her head toward Djal. She spins on her heel and walks toward the ex-gladiator.
"Djal, is all well here?"
Jaryx makes sure the gate is set into place and follows her.
"Jareen, if you have a chance to sleep and recover yourself, how many people can you offer magical disguises? I do not intend to use it, I will dress as the leader, and do the talking, as is the standard. We need to look like we are as many as they were, maybe one or two less, if we take one of the half-giants prisoner. We also need to feign like we are returning with supplies. There are eight of us from the attack. Th'Kal will need magic to hide him, as Jaryx and Cahel might also. If we can bundle some of them to look like returned supplies, that may help as well. Do not use too much of your resources, as we may need some of it for the fight once inside, like the webbing."
"Four, but that would remove my most offensive capabilities from the game. I can alter people, or make them invisible. We should decide which. In both cases the effect lasts only a few minutes."
Hearing enough, Arakan decides he'll make the call. "Here's how it's going to work. They came at us eight strong. Jareen, Djal, Grea, Morthak, and I will use their gear as a disguise. Those of us who pull it off better will be closer to the front. Jareen, you use your magic on Cahel and Th'Kal for disguises when we get close enough for it to last at least through the gate. Jaryx will be a prisoner, and a reason both for the delay and being down a man. As for delay, we will plan to arrive at sunset, or dusk if we don't make it in time. This puts the sun at our backs and aids in our disguises. Cahel, the only animal I can see of use would be a Kes'trekel, so you can perch somewhere inside, but most people don't exactly let the vicious carrion birds hang around unmolested."
"Yes. Dont want to be eaten either," the half-giant says, out of ideas.
"Brrr'k. I stay here and look after clutch in village," buzzes Th'Kal.