"Not anything I said no....." Majet answers not really expecting Ern to listen to her anyway.
The three scouts close in on the encampment, that's located on a clearing near a small waterway.
It soon gets clear that the camp isn't all too large and has no fortifications,
The clearing seems to be man-made, trees cut down and all. In the center of it is a stone-lined fireplace, with some smaller sticks and kindlings kept nearby.
About 5 bandits can be seen on the ground doing their business, mainly resting, 2 tending to their equipment.
Halfway circling the camp, they hear the sound of a big branch falling from a tree, and quickly thereafter the bandits in the camp rise to arms. Seems like that was the alarm and they have been spotted.
Queslin holds still until I'm sure I've been spotted.
- Once I'm sure I'm ok, I'll hold still and try to figure out the pecking order among the bandits. I want to make sure my first shot is at the leader, the Lady with the axes.
- If by some act of some horrible god that I am spotted, however, I'll try to lead bandits back to where the other characters are. If they don't want to follow, I'll take shots at them until they give chase or all die.
Big Ern plops down on his ass and waits for Queslin to return or for the sounds of a sissy elf screaming. Either's good.
Agerron at least tries to find a large tree to stand behind. Although he certainly desn't expect to remain unseen, he knows the tree can provide cover from ranged attacks, and may at least break up his outline a bit. He'll ready his bow for Queslin's return.
stealth
Branomonrik waits for the others to return with his crossbow ready.
Big Ern grunts in discomfort. "How come there are so many damn BUMPS in the ground around here?" he mutters.
Majet also gets ready to blow things up.
Big Ern grunts in discomfort. "How come there are so many damn BUMPS in the ground around here?" he mutters.
"Wouldn't have thought you would notice, what with all that insulation," quips Agerron.
Big Ern grunts in discomfort. "How come there are so many damn BUMPS in the ground around here?" he mutters."Wouldn't have thought you would notice, what with all that insulation," quips Agerron.
Devlin chuckles a little.
"Wouldn't have thought you would notice, what with all that insulation," quips Agerron.
"That's what I'm trying to tell you! If I can feel 'em, they must be pretty big BUMPs. Anyway, I can just tell you're jealous of my natural cushioning." Big Ern slaps his meaty thigh in emphasis.
Branomonrik nods at Ern "All the more reason to do Abadar's work here and get some proper roads I believe" The dwarf says with conviction
"You said it. Once we stack those damn bandits' corpses up like cordwood, I'll call my brothers down and we'll start our own logging business. Probably make a thousand gold pieces as easy as taking a dump in the woods, I bet."
Devlin says quietly, but forcefully, "Keep it down all of you! Do you want the bandits to ambush us instead of us ambushing them?"
Bump
While Queslin and Delfey try to get a look on the bandit's camp, the rest of the group that's still out in the wild (namely: Aggeron, Big Ern, Branomonrik and Majet) more or less loudly discuss the things to come, once the lands are pacified.
Being in their discussion, they overhear the bang, that's rather loud at the camp of the bandits.
And it happens to be a thunderstone, that strikes a tree between Queslin and Delfey, shoking them.
The bandits grab their bows, and hide behind some large tree-trunks that had been used instead of benches beforehand.
Kressle, the female leader of the bandits is easily identified though: she's the only one left standing upfront, throwing knives up in the air and catching them again as a show of bravery in the face of the enemy.
"Getcha' han's inne air an' show yo' asses! No sneaky 'round 'ere!"
Agerron stops teasing Ern and his head whips around in the direction of the bang. "That didn't sound good." He draws his longbow, and starts moving in the direction of the camp.
"Orcstink!" Queslin curses below his breath. Supremely confident in his abilities, Queslin looks to around to find out who it was that saw Delfey or at least try to figure out where the thunderstone was thrown from.
Perception +2 v Humanoid (human)
At the sound of the boom, Devlin heads in that direction.
"......Drat they've started without us." Majet then rushes n the direction of the noise.
Queslin spots the thunderstone thrower easy enough. He hides in the nearer one of the watch-platforms in the trees around the encampment. (About 25ft. southeast of your position, 20ft. up in the tree)
Queslin spots the thunderstone thrower easy enough. He hides in the nearer one of the watch-platforms in the trees around the encampment. (About 25ft. southeast of your position, 20ft. up in the tree)
Foot. Agerron doesn't trust the damned beasts in combat any more, after the last time through.
Big Ern starts sprinting (4x speed) towards the source of the noise, if the terrain permits.
"Hey, Leafy Joe! You wasn't supposed to start the fight without me!"
Eyes on the prize. Shoot at the lady with the axes, then move to better cover.
She's human, right?
Composite Longbow: to hit
Composite Longbow: damage
Queslins arrow finds his target, but scratches off the womans studded leather armor harmlessly.
The elf finds a nice big tree to hide behind just some steps to his left, and is followed by the looks of the bandits, but no arrows for now.
Delfey could reach the female, jumping over a treetrunk and running past two of the bandits along the way, but would risk getting attacked from them.
Delfey charges the nearest opponent.
Attack:
Damage:
Branomonrik, raises his crossbow and looks toward the sound. "Up an at em Lads, there is Abadar's work to be done this day" he says headed toward to sound on foot, unwilling to enter combat on that beast if he does not have to, after all he had two fine stable legs.
Delfey's claws find their target easily, ripping through the leather armor of the bandit, leaving an open wound.
The hit enemy screams in pain (which Delfey doesn't hear), lets go of his longbow and takes some steps back from the eidolon (retreating).
Being in the open now, Delfey is an easy target for 5 bandits with bows, two of them up in the trees.
They shoot at the eidolon, while the woman laughs: "Two do-gooders? That all? Ya shoud've kept to yo' bedrolls taday!"
Being hit from 4 arrows, the summoned creature falls to the ground, liveless.
Queslin peers around the corner and fires another shot at the female bandit.
Composite Longbow: to hit +1 if within 30'
Composite Longbow: damage +1 if within 30'
"NNOOOO!!"
Devlin speeds up as fast as he can after feeling Delfey die.
Another arrow that flies to hit the woman, but also another one that doesn't draw blood.
The woman laughs again, this time throwing one of her knives at the tree Queslin hides behind. The dagger and several arrows stick to the bark of the tree shortly thereafter.
"Give up already! Han' over yo' weapons an' yo' gold an' we let yo' wan'er off!"
Queslin will use this action to move to another place of hiding in case they are surrounding him.
Perception +2 v Humanoid (human)
Stealth +2 v Humanoid (human)
Queslin is able to get away from the tree he hid behind without the bandits noticing. He makes his way to a large bush and a fallen treetrunk a bit further north and sees the banits fire another volley of arrows at his previous hiding spot. They don't even try to get at him from the sides.
The woman still plays with her remaining daggers, laughing and acting fearless.
**Huff** **Puff** "By the gods, you grace me with magic and battle skill, but no speed!" Agerron slings his bow back over his shoulder as he runs, and pulls out his greatsword.
Devlin is scanning the woods in front of him for any sign of the bandits or Queslin.
From behind his new hiding place, Queslin refocuses himself on the task at hand. He comes out of cover just enough to shoot at his target and let's an arrow fly.
Composite Longbow: to hit
Composite Longbow: damage
Sure of his aim this time. Queslin moves over a few steps in anticipation of return fire.
The bandits camp is situated on a man-made clearing with a diameter of roughly 40ft.
It has a stone-lined fireplace in it's center and some sticks and firewood nearby.
The clearing is surrounded by large treetrunks that normally serve as chairs and are currently used as cover.
East and West of the clearing is a watchpost in a tree, hidden behind some branches.
About 60ft. west of the camp runs the Thorn river, though that one is pretty shallow at that point, and the ford is probably the reason for the bandits to make their camp there in the first place.
Queslin is currently a bit (~30ft.) southeast of the camp, hiding behind some trees and bushes, letting another arrow fly at the human woman leading the bandits, this time piercing her armor just under her left shoulder. She screams in pain, shouting: "YEARGH! There's 'nother one! Get'em, ye lousy stupid ban' of cow'rds! An' get'em good or I get yo' hides!"
After realising that it was still only Queslin, the female starts laughing again: "Ha, so yo' had'a lucky shoot. That all?"
Of the 4 other bandits on the ground, two see through the trick of the elf and start to move towards him.
One of the bandits in the trees up in the watchtower notices Queslin's movement as well, and let's loose an arrow, but misses.
Devlin and Big Ern approach the camp from northeast, seeing the female bandit leader standing in the clearing, having an arrow stuck in her chest.
Big Ern charges the nearest bandit, swinging his axe with all of his might.
power attack + charge:
**Huff** ... **Puff** ...
Devlin charges the nearest bandit, be it regular bandit, or the woman.
Out of the woods, from the northeast of the camp, a furious human wielding a morningstar comes running, flailing it at the first bandit he encounters but missing by just inches.
Devlin now stands in the clearing of the encampment, bandits left and right and in front of him the woman with the arrow in her chest.
Despite receiving fire from several different directions, Queslin stays on target and shoots at the bandit leader again.
Composite Longbow: to hit
Composite Longbow: damage
Despite receiving fire from several different directions, Queslin stays on target and shoots at the bandit leader again.
Composite Longbow: to hit
Composite Longbow: damage