Domitian had been leaning against a wall, watching his companions interrogation efforts proceed with interest. When Oleg speaks up, Domitian feels the need to clarify. "The law is clear - the punishment for banditry is execution. You're wrong about one thing, though, Oleg; he can't be a warning to the others, because they'll all be dead before they find out about it. This group sounds like a cancer that needs to be ripped out." He shudders a little and adds "Particularly if they are connected to that evil presence I felt in the battle. We can't allow this to continue. I say we execute this one, then ride hard for the camp in the morning. Hit them hard, then figure out how to deal with this castle."
"If the boy wants to help," he says, gesturing to Delan, "I have no problem with that. I don't know that we can trust him if things go south; he turned to the bandits once before. So long as things don't go that way, though, he could be valuable, and it might do him some good to work against this evil."
"I've been meaning to ask," Moira says as Domitian brings up the bandit leader's strange behavior. "The hell was that? He went all firey at the end there. What kind of wonky magic does that?"
Domitian shrugs, a look of concern on his face. "Honestly, I don't know. Some sort of possession by an evil spirit? After we finished him off, the evil presence faded, and the man thanked me - didn't seem like anything before that was actually the actions of the man himself. Some sort of unwilling control seemed to be going on." He shakes his head, clearly frustrated. "I wish I knew more, but all I can tell you for sure is that it was powerfully evil, whatever it was."
Vetra eyed the boy for a moment. "No diplomacy. We deal with it with precision." She turned and looked around the corner to see the older man. She was getting impatient with the whole thing with him and his restlessness. She knew he was trying to loosen the bonds. She would almost protest to the idea of keeping the older man alive but it seemed Oleg got to the point first. With Domitian clarifying the law she smirked.
The kobold wouldn't waste anymore time, "No, we ride out now. It is morning. We have full day. Don't give them time to prepare. They expect them soon, so lets show up and bring them down." She'd say this as she walked up to the older man, her right hand flexing. "By law of the land. By order of the writ. You death is sealed." She'd grab the mans forehead with her left hand and pushed his head back to expose his neck. With a quick movement she pulled her hand back and swiped her talons across the mans neck, letting her talons dig deep into his throat as it would tear several deep gashes along its path.
She'd push him to the ground then and turned around. "Don't give cancer the time to fight." She'd stare at Domitian for a moment before looking to the entire group before speaking. "Lets not waste time. Lets ride hard and cut get rid of these bandits, so we can explore the lands in relative peace." Pointing a finger to Oleg and Svetlana, "So they can sleep in peace and not worry about their lives."
Rose followed the conversation between the others going back and forth, allowing herself a bemused smirk. She could finally feel the effects of her mutagen beginning to fade fully, her skin returning back to it's smooth texture, aside from her previously attained scars, and she could relax a bit more. Breathing a soft sigh of relief she watched curiously as the little one seemed to come a conclusion, stalked over, and slit the unpleasant bandits throat without an ounce of hesitation. She was plainly stunned, as the man quickly died from such a horrible wound to his neck. She composed herself, realizing that she was gawking at what just happened. She knew what both her and Lyra got themselves into, there would have to be some dirty work at the very least. She did want to give the other man a chance to perhaps redeem himself before having to deal him a similar fate.
She would casually stroll over to Domitian and give him a raised eyebrow. "So you said their leader seemed possessed? Not drugged? Relieved when we dealt him mortal blows? That's... peculiar and troubling to say the least. But at least the entity doesn't seem capable of possessing every single bandit at once, since it seemed to make him stronger somehow." She bit her lip softly, becoming once more lost in thought as she mulled it over in her mind.
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Moira saw it coming but not how it was going to happen. Vetra was going to kill him. Of that she was certain. And she was okay with that. The law said unrepentant bandits got the sword or the noose. He was obviously not repentant. She figured Vetra wasn't strong enough to haul his body up to one of the broken catapults and hang him so that meant sword.
...but Vetra didn't have a sword. So how was she...by the gods!
Vetra drug her claws across the mans neck and shoved him to the ground. She left him to suffocate. Or to choke on his own blood. For several long seconds he writhed on the ground, air bubbling through the gathering blood in a wretched wheeze. He coughed and choked a few times, eyes wide open in panic.
*****
"You see it suffering yes?" her father asked. Before them laid a deer eyes wide with fear as they approached but too wounded and weak to run. An arrow, her arrow, was in its gut, its blood covering its entire belly and both back legs. They had to follow it for several miles before it finally bled out enough it could no longer run.
"Yes," she said, head hung with shame. She hadn't been practicing like he told her. The shot went wide. It hit but it wasn't a kill shot.
"End it. Then thank it for it's sacrifice." She hesitated a moment. This wasn't the first time she had to end a creature's life. And it wouldn't be the last. But she'd made a mistake. She didn't breath right, wasn't sure of the shot. She was impatient and hungry and because of her mistake the creature before her was suffering. Even worse, her father was disappointed in her. That hurt the most.
She drew her dagger and approached. She avoided the deer's eyes. She could never look them in the eye. Especially now. But she didn't waste time and made sure not to miss this time. The dagger plunged into its heart and it finally stilled.
"Thank you for your sacrifice. And praise Erastil for this hunt. May you graze the everlasting plains of Erastil's domain," she said standing up.
"Erastil blessed us with a good hunt. To thank him for it, we perform it to the best of our abilities. And we train those abilities so our prey do not suffer any more than they have too. Quick and clean. It is why we wait," he says putting emphasis on the word causing young, Moira to cringe, "for the right shot. We do this for all prey: deer, rabbit, boar, kobold, roc, ogre, orc, human. It matters not what they have done. If we are to bring them death it will be swift like the arrow. Understand?"
*****
"I understand," Moira says quietly. She approaches quickly, drawing her blade yet again. She rolls the man over with a boot and places her weight on his back to stop him from moving. She didn't want to miss. With one swift thrust, she drove the tip into the back of his skill. It was going to wreck the edge, going through bone and dirt, but it was worth it.
"Lets not waste time. Lets ride hard and cut get rid of these bandits, so we can explore the lands in relative peace." Pointing a finger to Oleg and Svetlana, "So they can sleep in peace and not worry about their lives."
"Don't think they are going to sleep well for a while," she spits angrily at the kobold. "And we aren't going anywhere until we bury all these men." She turns to Oleg. "Do you have some shovels?" Some of the heat still lingers in her voice as she speaks. As apology, she takes a deep, calming breath and says, "I don't disagree with your judgment. But I don't think hanging these bodies from your walls will send a good message. It will turn away hunters and anger their companions. Best no one knows they met their end here."
Watches the differences among her companions, and even though they both vastly differed in how they did things, she felt it was need. She said a small prayer over the body, as even in death any remaining revenge should be sated. She would then help bury them properly, and further thinks on her companions. So we could set up shop here and no one really stop us if we remain on friendly terms. Who says we don't take over this bandit man's terraitory. As she thought on that more, she felt that sticking to what they had been hired to do would be better. Besides, she wasnt going to find much work out here anyways. She does mention to both Moira and Vetra that she thought they did what was needed, even if it was unpleasant at first.
Domitian's eyes widen in shock at the suddenness of Vetra's actions, and then calms and nods at Moira as she finishes the deed. "This man's own decisions led to this, and we acted as the law demanded; I agree we should show them and the environment the proper respect of a good burial." He will go, along with Mehaila, and say a brief and silent prayer over the dead. He'll then take any offered shovels to begin the burial process.
Rose will inquire if her help was absolutely necessary. If it wasn't she will politely excuse herself. "Oleg? I don't suppose you have a quiet secluded space I may borrow for some time?" She would ask, a soft lilt in her voice.
Once she found a necessary space, she would carefully set up her lab. Within moments she would start the painstaking process of brewing up another dose of her strange mutagen.
Lyra watched as Vetra moved over to the older human and grabbed him by the hair. Before the deed was executed she turned away from the imminent bloodshed and stared at Shirak. The young tiger watched the execution with bright eyed intensity, the spilling blood causing the animals' nostrils to go wide and suck in the coppery scent. Next she heard the crunch of bone as Moira ended the bandit's suffering and stifled a shudder from the brutal efficiency of her companions. Being aware of the law and actually carrying it out were two completely different things and she was glad it did not fall on her to enforce.
She would retrieve a shovel from her belongings after the deed was finished and follow Domitian out of the compound. "Over here at the edge of the forest. His death will not be wasted; his body shall be the seed of new growth while his soul is judged by the gods." she would say while pointing at the wall of trees only a hundred feet south of the fort.
Once the bandit was buried Lyra crouched down with a tiny seed she drew from a pouch and planted it over his corpse. She would pour a little water from her pouch over the fresh soil. Kneeling next to the grave she pulled a raw evergreen branch festooned with tiny pinecones from her bag. Holding it as an athame she said a prayer to sooth the passing of an angry soul and to call all the gods of the wild to bless the seed with purity.
Once the burial had finished she would return to the compound and collect the horses of the bandits, stripping the tack from the tired creatures and rubbing down their sweaty sides while whispering to them, calming the animals.
The older man tried to struggle as the small kobold gripped his hair with unyielding strength and exposed his neck. Before he could say a word his throat was opened and the only noise he could make was a gurgle as blood poured down his front and into his throat. He coughed involuntarily and spattered his golden scaled executioner with blood. Agony stretched across his face as he attempted over and over to take a clear breath as more blood poured into his lungs, drowning him.
Moira's quick actions spared the man anymore pain as he ended. His body twitched for a few seconds as his heart continued to pump out more blood before finally stilling itself as the last semblance of life slipped from the corpse. The blood spilled quickly soaked into the ground and within an hour would have vanished completely.
Delan watched the sudden execution with a mixture of relief and pain across his face. It was clear the young half elf had complicated emotions regarding his captors but said nothing as the law of land was enacted. When the funeral procession carried the corpse out he chose to stay in the compound and approached Oleg and Svetlana slowly, trepidation clear on his face. He would drop to his knees and bow his head as he said "I am so sorry. Words cannot express how I wish...how I wish life had happened differently. I wish that my family's caravan would have made it here, wish that the bandits never troubled these lands. I-"
He was cut off as Svetlana reached out and lifted his bowed head with a hand on his chin. "If you have not taken a life, not robbed a merchant and simply survived by pretending to be one of them then you have nothing to apologize for. Reclaim your life and stand free, fight injustice and bring hope to these lands."
Delan would sigh in relief at Svetlana's words. He looked over at Oleg in question but the human said nothing after a long, hard stare before moving off. The half elf busied himself with his own horse, untacking to rub the horse down with a rag from his bags. Once that was finished he loaded the tack back on and began to apologize as he tightened the girth. "Sorry girl but we have to turn around."
After the nasty business of burying the body with Dom and Lyra, and all three had said words to their own beliefs, she speaks to them in the somewhat private area they had. " As we all have some experience with gods and other clerical matters, I have a few questions I think we need to have answered, and planned. Dom, you mentioned a spirit, and I felt something hostile. Lyra, you know your sister the best, so we only need to mention it to Moira and Vetra." After trailing off in thought for a second, she bites her lip in obvious worry before she states " I think this new kid could be helpful, but I worry over what he has done in the past. We all know my faith and hobbies would be useful to one who has some world experience, but to a young man, my charms could become... dangerous. I feel I could not ask him a question and trust his answer. I only ask this as I feel we should try and gather more information about him. Svetlana and Oleg do not wish him dead, and that says something. But that does not mean he isn't that Stag Lord either. All those questioned said they had never seen his face" It was clear something about the set up bothered her, as she just could not fully believe they had bested that many bandits so quickly or easily. It just felt wrong
Moira nods in thanks to the help burying the bodies. It was nice to work off the frustration too. In the end she watches Lyra plant a seed with each with some reverence. "Thanks for that," she says. "Erastil or one of the other nature gods?"
Glanced to Moira when she snapped at her. A frown settled across her features, shooting a quick quip back at her, "Sleeping better then they have been." She'd huff and turn, annoyed in all honesty.
She'd not even bother to help with the digging, in her mind they should just be tossed to the side of a grove, let the animals have their fill. But she wouldn't voice it, as she obviously can tell she's a bit out numbered on her way of thinking. Refocusing herself she'd go help clear the tack off the horses and aid in cleaning and prepping them for a hard ride to the bandits camp. With the others digging the graves for the bandits, she'd make herself useful in other ways.
After a moment she'd look over to see Delan. She'd study him for a moment, though unable to really read anything from him. It was a bit frustrating.
"Are you ready? Do you have doubts? Air them before we leave. I want to know if I'll be able to rely on you in fight ahead." She'd cinch the saddle upon the horse and lowering the stirrups enough where she could use them as more of a ladder. Damn her being short and all. Need's more stirrups....
3 medium sized leather armor
2 waterskins filled with a sticky substance with an acrid scent
2 shortswords
1 dagger
2 longbows
1 composite longbow (+2 str)
60 arrows
55 gp
1 small corked earthenware bottle filled with a metallic liquid
3 light horses
3 riding saddles
6 days of trail rations
1 silver amulet of a stag's head
"I don't think he is this so called Stag Lord." Lyra responded to Mehaila while they concluded the burial detail. "The spell I hit him with is not very powerful and he succumbed quite easily. If the leader of the bandits is really so weak willed then anyone of them would have easily killed him in their bid for supremacy. Also it is not in the nature of bandit lords to run protection fee collections themselves; they delegate. Like any criminal organization the lower ranked are sent on menial jobs like this one. I imagine the leader is enjoying the spoils of his nascent empire with the regular shipments of whiskey the human mentioned."
She remembered the charm on Delan's wrist and his display of power. "Also Shelyn does not abide evil acts such as banditry. He is a cleric of the Goddess of beauty and love and would not be graced with divine powers if he had murdered or robbed."
Rose was completely lost in her art. The sound of the flame flickering and bringing her liquids to a bubbling fervor, watching it change colors as it proceeded through various processes of purifying and refinement. It was quite a tedious process, but if nothing else she learned a great deal in patience. It had to be prepared slowly, or suffer the consequences of a rushed and incomplete product. She knew better than be haphazard about it, especially after all the trouble it took to finally perfect it even to this point. She also knew that this wasn't the final form of it, there was still quite a bit of room for improvement. She shook her head from her idle thoughts, it wouldn't do her well to become distracted during this crucial process as she continued her work.
Bodies buried. Prayers said. Possessions tallied. The only thing Moira considered worth it was the extra arrows. And she'd never wield a sword or dagger she hadn't made herself. Rosasaria and Domitian were eyeing the powerful longbow pretty hard so she'd rely on her trusty sword then. One thing that did catch her eye after the now deceased bandit mentioned their boss was the stag amulet. She picked it out of the pile and looked it over. She tossed it to the nearest person asking, "You think this is important? Like a mark of allegiance or rank?"
With the bodies disposed of and the gear allocated the group set out on horseback with Delan leading them. Before they left he would suggest they keep the amulet as it might come in handy later. He would spend the first few hours describing his capture and treatment at the hands of the bandits as well as the general layout of the the river camp.
If pressed about any information on the this supposed Staglord Delan wouldn't be able to recall anything more specific then several frequent wagons being sent to his fort filled with any whiskey they got their hands on and marked just for the bandit leader. Towards the end of the day they crest a hill and see the huge forest stretching away to the south.
Ranging slightly to the right of the group so that Shirak could stay near her Lyra would often look up at the sky and smile, reveling in the clean air and wide open spaces of the wilderness. The tiger would often vanish into the tall grasses and scout ahead, once returning with the blood of a recent kill evident on her fur. Her hawk Mylee flew far ahead of the group and coasted on still wings.
Lyra would whistle the group to a stop and point ahead at the large creature. "Grizzly bear. We should steer clear. Avoiding him while he's focused on ravaging that honey bee hive is the best option."
When everything was sorted and it was finally decided upon exactly who all wanted to travel, they set out. While they marched, Rose would travel near the back of the group. She didn't mind letting those that wished to be in front or behind her.
She noticed the bear having quite the struggle with the honeybee swarm, and decided to quietly give them a bit more berth. Not wanting to draw any attention from it's task.
Domitian takes up position toward the front of the group, bow drawn, eyes toward the wilderness in front of them.
When Lyra mentions the bear, Domitian smiles and nods. "Agreed, no need to disturb him."
As she would stay near the middle of the group, spaced enough she could reach most, if not all for healing.
AS they walk and she spots the bear digging, she stops to look at it, having not really seen them to often. Her companions state that should move on, but she would ask them quietly " Should we not make a friend of the animals where we can? I could heal it some and then we be on our way." She poses this as a question, having no knowledge of bears.
Squinted in the direction that Lyra pointed, but couldn't really make out what the shape was. She'd shrug and listen to the others while she moved her horse near Domitian to be at the front of the group with him.
Looking to Mehaila, "I am no druid, nor do bear's find my presence welcoming." She'd chuckle lightly at this as she pivoted to squint at the distant shape. Adjusting herself in the saddle she'd lick her lips for a second before continuing. "If someone would have best knowledge of what we should do around wild animals, I believe that would be Lyra."
Rose nodded to Vetra. "You would be right, my friend. She has always had more of a calling to the natural world. I can do a little this and that, but she is far more in tune than I could ever be." She gave a warm smile as she urged her horse to continue onward towards their destination. "You could heal the bear, but honestly I think we should keep our pace and hope to cover the most distance. Of course stop me if you think otherwise."
The forge was where Moira found true solace but the wilderness was a close second. Her problems, fears and worries were much further away out here, even if their destination would involve much conflict. At least it was conflict she was okay with. Moira lead way, mainly because it was furthest from the more troublesome people in the group, but also because she had some experience here. Even still, she couldn't beat elven eyes. She did not spot a bear, merely a brown spot in the distance. No matter what it turned out to be, one didn't needlessly poke their nose into things in unknown territory.
SHe scoffed at Mehaila's comment. Citybred. "Never get between a wild animal and its meal. First rule of survival. Lyra's right. Just leave it be."
Having little outside knowledge of bears and other fauna, she keeps riding, deferring to her companions superior knowledge. She did try to maintain the standard head held high all elves are known for, but one could tell she was blushing, as her companions made slight jokes. She however could not fault them, it was humorous when pointed it out.
The story from Delan doesnt make anything sound to different from other bandits, but this love of whiskey was an odd mark. She did stop at one point to ask him how much normally went to the stag lord, trying to draw on her long memory of any religion having that tradition.
Rose occasionally would glance back now and then along the path they had already traveled. She could not quite put a finger on it, but she had this unnerving feeling of being watched and followed. She did not want to say anything about it, in case she was just being paranoid and it would unnecessarily worry the others. She kept it mostly to herself, maintain her quiet vigilance as they continued travelling further along.
The party would take a wide berth around the hungry bear as it happily tore apart the log to reveal glistening combs of honey and ignored the furious bees as it lapped at the sweet nectar. They passed into the forest and secured a campsite as the night approached. The first night passed without incident as the moon hid behind clouds and shrouded the forest in impenetrable shadows. The wind came from the north that night and teased at the first hint of the changing seasons to come. The next morning dawned clear and sunlight came down in rays through the treetops.
The next day passed without incident as Delan led the group deeper into the forest on a narrow track that he seemed to know well. During the day he continued to explain the disposition of the camp they were planning to assault as well as answer any questions that he could about the larger Stag Lord organization. While his knowledge of the Stag Lord was sketchy at best he knew the river camp intimately and suggested some of the tactics they would defend with as well as the particular fighting styles of the bandits.
That night the wind blew through the treetops and while the party was protected from the worst of it the sound of millions of leaves rubbing against each other quickly drowned out all other noise. Delan had turned the party west suddenly and moved through the forest for a mile before turning back south. Once the trees began to thin out he would stop the party and dismount.
Tying his horse to a tree the half elf crept up to the tree line and pointed to the south-east. At the very edge of view several campfires could be seen on this side of a wide river as shadowy figures moved between them. "There it is. They watch the plains and the trails from the north but ignore the river. It's pure wilderness upriver so they don't expect anything to bother them."
Vetra stayed silent most of the time, staying near Delan the entire time. He'd keep one eye upon him all the while. She trusted him as far as she could toss him, but it was more out of caution than anything else.
Dismounting from her horse, she'd tie it to the same tree as Delan. She'd creep forward, being a kobold it was fairly easy for her to be light on her feet. She'd crouch near the boy as she looked out at the camp further away, squinting her eyes to see if she could gain any other information the boy might be missing or forgetting.
While studying the camp she'd say quickly, "Stealth up to camp. Strike from shadow." her body tenses and relaxed as she felt a surge of adrenaline rush into her. She was still a kobold, and a part of her still tinged with excitement at an upcoming fight.
Moira crouch-walked slowly and confidently forward. She was a practiced hunter after all. She peered over Delan and Vetra, taking stock of their current "prey". Or at least what little she could see. She wanted to immediately discount the Koblod's plan out of stubbornness but...well it wasn't a bad choice in the moment. Most of the people at that camp would be asleep and most would be at a disadvantage at night like this. They probably weren't expecting an attack either. Hit hard and fast and they'd likely crumble before they could put up any resistance. Still.
"Can anyone see at night? If I was setting up camp, I'd have an early warning system. Trip wires connected to cans or chimes. And if we do this, we should get as close as possible before attacking and hit the ones with weapons first."
Domitian scans the forest in front of them, looking for any traps or lookouts. "I can see just fine, give me a second." He spends a couple of minutes examining the dark woods.
Rose carefully steps over a couple of trees from where the others were looking. She closes her eyes for a couple moments, and then opens them allowing herself to concentrate on what she was seeing. Below her everything was as clear to her as if it had been day out. She let her eyes roam over the campfires and silhouettes of the people moving around down near them. She slowly crouched down, hand still resting upon the tree she was near. She whispered quietly, "Do you see our target yet sis?"
Felts a bit out of place, as she was unable to see in the darkness, but with the low light near the campfires, it would help her out. She pulls out her dagger and looks to the others for a lead. She was unable to help out more, as she never had planned to assault a full camp. " I have a few spells that might give us some resistance, but it will not last long. Otherwise... I agree with Vetra. We should take out as many as possible, with a quickness."
Domitian glances at Mehaila. "Aye, fast strikes will probably work best. We have all the advantage here, if we use it well." He continues to look into the woods, trying to plan out the best approach.
With the torches scattered throughout it was easy to see into the camp, though the distance made it harder to pick out specific details. In the forest around them the group could hear complete silence as the permanent presence of the bandit camp had driven away most of the animals. As such the only thing active around them was the bugs.
Delan would crouch and use a dagger to begin drawing a diagram. "They have two watch posts here and here, always manned. There is going to be anywhere up to 8 other bandits and most of them will be sitting around the campfire here. Kressle likes to wander around but she has a permanent sleeping pallet south of the campfire. She likes to hack people apart with a pair of handaxes so be careful."
Domitian examines the map for a minute, then begins to whisper "I'm not concerned by the lookout to the southwest; I feel like we can probably ignore him pretty safely. If we can sneak around to the east and hit the campfire hard, the watchtowers aren't going to do them much good. Think we could safely sneak through the forest to the east without the second lookout spotting us?"
Rose gives Domitian a very serious look. "Do you think we should split up and enter at separate locations? Or would that needlessly complicate things? I know I am far better at a distance than up close in all honesty, but I am not above getting my hands dirty if need be." She gripped and gave her worn and intricately carved staff a squeeze, more to reassure herself rather than anyone else.
Vetra was silent for a moment before looking to Domitian and replying with a soft voice, "Night and shadows belong to me. I sneak around without being detected easily. I can even scale a watch tower and attempt to take out a guard quietly." She'd flex her claws in the dirt, griming them up. She'd give a glance to Rosasaria for a moment before continuing, "I can even create a distraction, allow you to get surprise strike."
She shifted her wait as she balanced herself as she checked her bindings and gear, securing any loose equipment quickly with a leather strap she kept to help reduce any noise she would make. "Say word, I'll go."
"If we attack from a few angles we can make them think there is more than we have," Moira says, looking at the camp rather than the map. She couldn't see it well in the dark anyway. She was more concerned with sizing up their adversaries. Would they run? Fight? How well? Weapons? Ambushes could even the battle to an extent but superior numbers almost always won.
Rose gave Vetra a nod. "Sounds good to me, my little friend. I also have some extra assurances for more chaos, should I need to cause such. It is definitely dark enough to draw attentions or at least send the rats scurrying." She chuckled softly, and then turned to the others. She wanted to make sure any other suggestions were made now before they began, after it would most likely be too late to change any plans.
"Give me a minute to handle our friend across the river." Lyra would murmur before moving out in a crouch. Her footfalls were shielded by the sound of the river and soon only those who could see in the dark would see her cross the shallow river and stop on a sandbar in the middle.
Once she saw the human lazily take another swig from his jug she wove her hands and quietly murmured the spell that was swallowed by the sound of the river. A shimmer around her hands was the only evidence that the spell had been cast.
Lyra's insidious magic took hold as the the guard yawn widely before sliding down to a sitting position and dropping his chin to chest. A moment later his chest began to rise in a steady rhythm as the magical sleep settled in deeply.
"Why put anyone at risk? We have enough archers in the group to riddle them all with arrows before they have a chance to know where the attack is even coming from." Lyra said quietly. "And if by some chance they figure out where the attack is coming from Vetra and I can screen the archers from attack."
She gripped her cudgel and pointed with it at the camp. "Against the campfire they might as well have a target in glowing paint on their back wrapped with a bow.
Domitian begins to respond, but then hesitates, looking off to the south. "A fine plan, Lyra, and smoothly done with the lookout, but more company approaches. Riders, coming from the south. Do we strike now, or delay until the riders join the group?"
Vetra seemed to start getting a bit of an itch to start the fight. Shifting her weight she'd look to the group before huffing out "Bow is last resort for me. I go melee. I distract them, you attack from shadow."
She would growl before quickly going into the shadows. She was getting agitated from all the talking and no action.
She'd creep closer to the camp, trying to get as close as she could to the biggest target in the camp. Becoming one with the shadows as she reverted to her instincts. Getting ready to pounce and attack as the soon as any signal of a fight flared.
After giving the group her terse plans the kobold seemed to vanish into thin air. After two long minutes nothing changes in the camp although Vetra would notice that the guard in the short tower stirred when she got close. He would lean over the railing and look over the group around the campfire for several terse minutes with a frown before sitting back down, his hands clearly resting on his weapons.
It takes Vetra two minutes to get into position. Almost immediately the clatter of saddles and horses herald the arrival of five more bandits and soon the nearly invisible kobold was surrounded by activity.
As soon as Vetra vanishes Lyra lets out a quiet growl that brings the armored Shirak out of the bushes where the tiger had been hiding. She would wait for several minutes to allow Vetra to get into position. As soon as the other bandits rode up Lyra turned to the group and whispered "When the commotion begins, start shooting."
She pulled the branch of holly from within her coat and began to weave a spell with the athame, whispering in a strange dialect. Upon completion of her spell there was an immediate response as the entire area in front of the group began to undulate as the grass grew to incredible lengths and wrapped around anything that moved.