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Ausk scratches the side of his head and continues to stare.
"This is an awful dream," he quietly expresses before slipping off of the crag onto the dirt below. "I'm with Jethro, except I'm a few steps closer to his goal than he is which makes it that much more important that I don't get gutted by ten orcs with pikes. If this is what we're doing maybe we should start scouting it out now, or perhaps the eagle would be so kind as to do it for us?"
If Suny can get close enough she will begin to try stroking and petting the magnificent creature. (^_^)
"So, we's goin' back ta' bed an' checkin' things out in'a mornin', right?" She asks, still stroked and petting the eagle.
"Where'd this talk of gettin' int'a fight with thems below come from?" She asks, puzzled. "I mean...we were goin' ta' bed an' doin'...um...stuff...in'a mornin?" She shivers slightly, snuggling a little tighter within her blanket.
"I'm with Jethro, except I'm a few steps closer to his goal than he is ..."
Jethro winces.
Suny blinks and looks at every one...still puzzled by what's going on having just woken up. She keeps petting the avian, though....
If an eagle could sniff, Hierodotus would - he certainly seems to convey the general emotion. "And I suppose you think I, master of the air, with a LITERAL birds-eye view, and my master captive, would have rested on my nest hunting lizards, wouldn't you? I have been scouting the ruins and the Gnarl's territory tirelessly since Erwin's capture, as is my duty." He shuffles his talons, and his dignified and haughtily offended mein is ruined slightly by Suny's affections.
In a slightly quieter voice, he continues. "It is difficult to keep a pinpoint on Erwin's location. I have not seen him since yesterday's sunrise, but I know where the prisoners are kept. We would find him."
That works for me Hierodotus.
Yep, point us in the right direction and we get yer guy out in the mornin'.
"Well, I'll let the military geniuses figure out a way to get me in and out of that settlement in safety. I need to get some sleep for when the plan invariably goes wrong." Jethro turned to his bedroll. "It's the end of my watch anyway. Have fun and don't stay out too late, kids."
"I know where the prisoners are kept," my eye. I know where the crown jewels of Cheliax are kept, too. Knowing where something is located is, what, a third of the problem? I hope the eagle has enough sense to know how a group of oversized walkers can get in to that place. And even more importantly, out of that place, too.
Caln startles into awareness from his communion with Pharasma. He looks around in confusion at the scene in front of him. How did Suny get a pet bird?
"Everyone listen. I've just had, or at least think I've had, a vision from Pharasma. There is a cleric or druid held prisoner in the camp below. We need to recue him, or maybe her, from the orcs. There was also a parrot I think in my vision...
Laughing out loud Arwen will reply Its an eagle and his name is Hierodotus and yes it Talk and its intelligent. And you know what Caln? he right here pointing in its direction
"That's it, I'm startin' ta'e think ye've all lost yer minds. I'll be taking my nightly guard-duties fer now - the rest of ye ought to get some sleep a'fore we sneak into the camp in the mornin'."
Gryndar walks off to find a suitable spot to guard the others, and sits down while examining his crossbow to make sure it's working proper.
A vision, huh? You been smokin' anything, Caln?
Marco nods to Gryndar,
See ya in a few hours.
He unbuckles both swords, and rests his hands on both pommels as he lays down to rest.
Hierodotus flies off, to return in the morning. The rest of the watches until sunrise are fairly uneventful, and when the last shift ends, the eagle returns to your perch and begins preening his feathers as he waits for you all to get ready. The sun is rising in the east, coloring much of the sky a glorious pinkish-red. It looks like it will be a beautiful, hot summer day, with almost no clouds. It's still in the very early moments of dawn, however; the sun is just making itself known in the sky. Down below, the guards' fires are extinguished, and the enormous bonfire of the previous evening appears to be a pit of white ash.
all right let's do this is thinking arwen as he gets ready
Suny gives a small sigh/Awe of regret as the eagle flies away for the night, though she herself wastes no time in scooting back to where she'd made a patch of ground comfortable and curling up to sleep herself.
Come the early morning she rises for he shift. Moving to sit on the edge of the ledge with her blanket open to greet the warming morning sun-rise.
Whence the eagle returns Suny wastes no time in getting dressed herself and thence helping the eagle straighten its feathers. (^_^)
Marco checks his swords and armor in preparation for the rescue attempt.
I assume that we will go in on foot? Can we get to the cages without crossin' the camp? Where are the captives kept, bird?
Gryndar's bushy beard is a sight to behold as he rises from his slumber, as he has clearly chewed and drooled all over it during his rest.
Once properly awake, he fishes through his backpack for some food and prepares his weapons and armor for the task at hand. A confident nod follows as he's done looking through his gear, and he looks up towards Marco and the others. "I'm ready, looks like a good morn' to kill us some orcs."
Jethro rolled out of his bedroll and almost immediately curled up, fetal like, around the coffee pot, muttering "הבזק" over and over as he tried to heat water.
indeed it should be an interesting day
Suny helps pack things away,
"Aye, but t'is such a pretty birdy!" (^_^)
"It seems that this needs to be a sneak and grab, not a smash and grab. As much trouble as we had with a few dogs and 3 orcs, I don't like our chances if we have to fight the entire camp."
Caln begins to pace. "Can our sneakier folks get to the cages without triggering a fight? Could we simultaneously create a distraction if needed on the other side of the camp in case our raiders are noticed. We probably need to have horses close at hand if we need to escape quickly."
"I can move all stealthy-like, Caln - be sure ta'e point me in the right direction, and I'll see if I kinnae get to them cages."
"That's an exceptionally good question, Caln. Given that I have no idea where the cages are, what the territory is, or even on what side of the camp we're going to enter from, I'm going to go with a moderately-sized 'I don't know.'" He drained the dregs of his coffee. "I was hoping that the Clue Fairy would show up in the thin grey light of dawn with a detailed operational plan, maybe a map. Barring that, I'm thinking 'speak softly and carry a fast pair of running shoes.'"
Even as she finishes patting herself and all her gear down, Suny kneels and absently pats the eagle.
"Well...I can be quiet, though I in't practiced at sneakin', like." She admits.
"Though them Orc's an' doggies we met afore, they din't seem ta' be inclined ta' chewin' on m'self." She points out.
"I be up fer either. I can sneak or I can help with tha' distractin'." She giggles, "I dun't know what 'tis, but folks always be sayin' somat about m'self be distractin'." And she continues to pet and stroke the eagle. (^_^)
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"Whoever makes that distraction gets either the dark eye from them or chock full of spike." Ausk holsters a javelin on his back-- that kind of spike. "They're not deer. They're not going to run away at the first branch snap or charge at us from a distance because we're there-- we're on their home ground. They know the terrain here better than we do and you'll be damn sure they'll use it. You'd be surrounded before you had a chance."
He takes stock of the assembled group. "A wise man once said 'split not ye fellows.'"
Jethro crawled over to the edge of the cliff, looking out over the quiet settlement. "Okay, bird, I'd like to know exactly where these unfortunate prisoners are...."
I too am able to move in silently, and I am a fair shake at locks.
Arwen is rather amused by the exchange from Jethro, suny and ausk (and it shows)
Caln and Ausk, you're both well aware - Ausk from personal experience, and Caln by study - that the orcs surrounding Freedom Town are usual representatives of the breed in all respects but one. Due to their constant proximity to one of the only human-dominated settlements in the region, their behaviors have adjusted slightly over time. Some tribes come to do minor trade and battle negotiations with Marshall Oswald at the Tributory building - though one look at the interior of THAT building proves that the trading visits are rarely totally peaceful. Others work themselves into a furious lather and charge Freedom Town directly - those are summarily dealt with by Oswald and his local deputies, not to mention the townsfolk themselves, battle-hardened veterans all.
What this means is that the orcs that want to live longer don't directly assault Freedom Town, and most of the surviving tribes in the area know it. Hell, Ausk, Marco, Gryndar and Arwen - the local deputies - have likely encountered some of these orcs down below already, in minor skirmishes.
They're still orcs, however. The diplomatic situation might be drastically different if you find yourselves vastly outnumbered and in their home turf.
Either way, you know that they love the chance for a fight, even among themselves, and a small brawl can rapidly travel from one end of the orc camp to engulf the entire ruins for several hours. This is, in fact, an orc's version of breakfast. You think it should be possible to call orcs "to breakfast" a little early this morning, without even being directly involved yourself. Remember that Oswald told you that there are numerous challenges to the chieftain's power in this tribe of late, and Ausk and Marco had that corroborated by the orc hunters they cornered.
The group of deputies peer down at the ruins over the course of the night and into the very early morning. Hierodotus, when he returns, points out the most likely path he has found for a stealthy ground assault, which curves around the ruins to the south and comes into the ruins extremely close by to where you see the caged prisoners sleeping. To the north you see a small forest of what look to be crude humanoid figures made of brushwood. Ausk's knowledge of orc society recognizes these as spirit totems, placed there by the shaman or spiritual leader of the tribe as a way to trap the spirits of the slain enemies of the tribe, to languish there forever. It was never patrolled by any of the orc's guard fires in the night, and so far seems to have been totally avoided by most of the orcs. The spirit totem forest extends into the ruins themselves, providing relatively consistent cover for an alternative approach.
There's also a well-worn carriage trail that leads directly into the camp from the west, opposite of your perch, looping around the hills. To the east of the camp, directly below your stone outcropping, is a gentle slope that leads down to what appear to be a collection of stone buildings, dotted here and there by large, half-destroyed sculptures made of stone.
"Fellow deputies, if I remember correctly my study of Orc behavior we should be able to get them into a breakfast brawl. We could send a team close to the north end of town through the spirit totem forest. If they can trigger the brawl it should draw any orcs away from the prisoners. The rest can move in to free the prisoners from the south. We can use Suny's eagle pet to pass news quickly from one end of town to the other. I can go with the southern group in case any of the prisoners need healing before they can run..."
"I reckon I'll be headin' south with Marco and Caln then, eh lads? Ye taggin' along with us gnomeling, or are ye gonna crack some skulls with Ausk, Suny and Arwen? Can't say I blame ya if ye go with them." Gryndar holds his crossbow firmly in both hands, eagerly anticipating a fight.
"I reckon I'll be headin' south with Marco and Caln then, eh lads? Ye taggin' along with us gnomeling, or are ye gonna crack some skulls with Ausk, Suny and Arwen? Can't say I blame ya if ye go with them."]
"Gryndar, if the north group has to crack skulls then we lose. They need to figure a way to get the orcs fighting without getting involved themselves."
Caln gives the entire group a look, "I don't know if my plan is a good one or if there is a better one. We need to talk through our options."
i am not a stealthy type replies arwen
"Fellow deputies, if I remember correctly my study of Orc behavior we should be able to get them into a breakfast brawl. We could send a team close to the north end of town through the spirit totem forest. If they can trigger the brawl it should draw any orcs away from the prisoners. The rest can move in to free the prisoners from the south. We can use Suny's eagle pet to pass news quickly from one end of town to the other. I can go with the southern group in case any of the prisoners need healing before they can run..."
"Well,...." said Jethro, deliberately and dramatically drawing it out, "If there are going to be fifty angry brawling orcs on the north side of the town, then I definitely want to be on the south side. Of some other town, by preference."
"But do we really need to send a team to trigger that brawl? Why can't we -- I don't know, drop a candle on one of the spirit totems? They're just brush, they should go up like firewood. Or fire a crossbow bolt with a flaming rag tied to it into one of the more flammable buildings. Give the eagle a shield and have him -- ask him to -- drop on something noisy and metallic. Shout "ձեր մայրը քնում հետ Էլֆեր" from someplace not-where-I-am."
"With respect, "dwarfling," if you start "cracking skulls," then all I'm going to do is go back to Freedom Town and sing ballads about your heroic last stand. We already have information the rat needs to hear...."
"Now, now - there is no reason ta'e be rude. All I was saying is that if yer goin' to make a distraction anyways - I wouldn't blame ye if ye sneaked into the brawl to crack some skulls a'fore ye sneak back out of there."
Gryndar membles a few words to himself.
"I do like yer idea as to strappin' the bird with a shield, and sendin' him down there to create some havoc. But why not make it even simpler, I'm sure he can carry a torch or two in those claws o' his, so why don't we let the creature drop a few of them, a'fore we sneak down there?"
"But do we really need to send a team to trigger that brawl? Why can't we -- I don't know, drop a candle on one of the spirit totems? They're just brush, they should go up like firewood. Or fire a crossbow bolt with a flaming rag tied to it into one of the more flammable buildings. Give the eagle a shield and have him -- ask him to -- drop on something noisy and metallic. Shout "ձեր մայրը քնում հետ Էլֆեր" from someplace not-where-I-am."
"Interesting idea...if he can fly in from the east then the orcs should not be able to see him with the sun in their eyes. If he can drop a rock onto an Orc that is near another Orc and also call out in Orcish something about supporting a new chief he may be able to trigger the fight..."
"I like that idea a lot better than sending our only cleric into an orc settlement with instructions to attract as much attention as possible, certainly." Jethro paused, drew a deep breath. "In fact, mere words cannot truly convey the depth of my feelings regarding particular plan."
Suny sits, still petting and stroking Hierodotus, watching the banter fly thick and fast between every one. She leans closer,
(^_^)
Ok then, we all go south, but the sneakier of the group will head to the cage while the other stay back for a quick escape with the horses. That is, if'n the bird can help us out with the distractin'
Stealth:
Perception:
Disable Device:
"How many cages are there? Are we rescuing everyone? I didn't think to pack a spare horse..."
arwen is secretly wishing Marco a swift sucess
Hierodotus' head follows the flow of conversation and listens to the questions. "I do not think it possible to rescue all of the prisoners today. My concern is with the entire Hold of Belkzen, not just those few prisoners - I must focus on Erwin. He will not have need of your horses."
"As for your distraction idea...I confess the appeal of watching the Gnarl's shaman panic when the spirit totems he worked so hard on go up in flames. I will carry the fire to the north end of town and set the forest of totems ablaze. That could be a signal to the rest of you."
He looks down at his talons again, lifting and setting them down in the dirt thoughtfully. "If we are to adopt this plan, I will not need much help. In my past few days scouting, I have seen that the archery of the Orcs is miserably inaccurate. All of you deputies could go the southern route; stealth will be easy to attain once the other end of the encampment is on fire."
He lifts his gaze again, looking determined. "There is little time to waste." He flies up to a small rock that overlooks the outcropping on which you all stand. "When you are down below, in position, and ready, hold the lit torch aloft, and I will carry it to the northern end of the ruins and make as big a distraction as I can. We will rendezvous here once Erwin is safe. Is this acceptable?" His eagle eyes fall on each of you in turn.
It is for me
Marco nods, and as soon as the first Totem is ablaze, he heads towards the cages using the rolls above. He will attempt to free Erwin only and rerturn to the others in the woods.