" I don't, but I believe Kern does?" Relates Cromwell with a glance at the wizard.
" Or we can start the attack and draw their attention here, so that Theodric, Dyrm and Ging can take the from behind."
"I can, and will...prepare what spells you wish, after I send this, I will be attracting attention here."
Kern casts Message, targeting Theodric and whispering "Bandits have exited the forest and are heading for Oleg's. We will try to draw them here."
Kern then stands and shouts at the top of his lungs, waving his staff, "Hallooo! Some help here? I seem to have taken the wrong path!"
Theodric is slightly startled upon receiving Kern's message, not so much by its content as it's method of delivery. He quickly recovers however.
"The hell..." mutters Theodric. He quickly realizes its the same wizardry they used earlier to communicate with Cromwell while Oleg was away. Trying to be as quiet as possible, Theodric gets within whispering distance of Dyrm. "Kern says the bandits are out of the forest. Our companions will draw their attention while we attack from behind. Get ready to attack. I'll prepare the ogre and have him charge with me. When one of us goes we all should."
Theodric then heads over to the ogre and attempts to communicate with Ging in short, easy to understand sentences. "Ging, don't talk. Don't make any noise! Bad men ahead! When I shout 'charge', you attack bad men. Do nothing until then. No noise until then!"
When Theodric hears Kern's attempt at distraction he winces. Of course it would be the one unarmored man in our group who would decide to be the bait. Lanya at least could have relied on her looks and her words to keep her safe.
He quickly gets situated on his horse and draws lance and shield, waiting to make his move until the bandits have their backs to his group.
"The hell..." mutters Theodric. He quickly realizes its the same wizardry they used earlier to communicate with Cromwell while Oleg was away. Trying to be as quiet as possible, Theodric gets within whispering distance of Dyrm. "Kern says the bandits are out of the forest. Our companions will draw their attention while we attack from behind. Get ready to attack. I'll prepare the ogre and have him charge with me. When one of us goes we all should."
Dyrm mutters a soft curse in his language before nodding at the plan. Right past us. I feel a fool!
He readies his weapons, when he too hears the distraction. By Torag, he may need our help VERY quickly indeed!
" Well... I didn't mean right this second."
Cromwell mutters to himself as Kern stands and tries to get the bandit's attention.
Can't tell if they have bows or not...best to be prepared
He will keep an eye out for ranged weapons. Ready to cast mist at a moments notice.
Ging claps his hands to his mouth and nods eagerly. He hefts his club and waits.
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The group of slinking shapes stop in a low crouch.
"Watcha wanna do, Kressle? a man says with a voice like a mouthful of cotton.
"Send two to kill him quietly, the rest of us will keep moving to the outpost." says a woman, her voice dripping with disdain.
One of the shapes makes a gesture and two shapes rise from the mist, bows in hand, and approach Kern.
"Greetings, we can help you find your way. Come here and tell us where you're headed."
"Wonderful! Let me go get my gear"
Kern moves 10 feet back, and bends as if retrieving something from the ground as he casts Mage Armor.
"Ned, Bruce, please follow my lead on this."
Lanya steps out from the bushes as well as the two men approach. Playing with her hair and flirting a bit with the two young men.
"Oh hello, finally another friendly face, me and my companion here got a little lost when we fled an ogre attack. They managed to slay a whole group of guards at the trading post we intended to stay in for a few nights."
She nods at Kern meaningfully.
"Wasn't it awful Kern? The stench of ogres was still very potent there, we dared not to go in, for the smell and growling made us very uneasy."
Lanya gulps as though she remembers the sight vividly and makes her queasy.
"Luckily we bumped into a group of well-travelled men that knew these parts a bit better, they were looking to meet up with other adventurers in that direction."
Lanya points in the direction where the bandits had come from.
"Ned, Bruce! Are these some of the men you are looking for?"
As she turns around to call for Ned and Bruce she readies a casting of Grease.
Do they believe it? Hold off on the spell for now Cromwell. This just might work.
Cromwell thinks to himself, while gripping the crossbow with both hands. Still crouched in the trees, he remains hidden.
With the two turn-coat bandits Kern's squad has five. If they can't deal with two bandits by themselves with those numbers then we've already lost. thinks Theodric. We need to reserve my squad for the main force of the bandits. Striking that group first is our best chance of winning this. Despite what he tells himself the cavalier has a knot in his gut.
Dyrm looks over at Theodric and whispers, "I vill follow your lead in dis."
"We are but simple travelers, on the road down south for trade business. I am Lanya, and this is Kern." She twirls her hair between a few fingers, looking flirtingly at the two bandits.
"We met Ned and Bruce a ways down south of the Trading Post. They were telling us we were lucky that the ogres didn't get us, their group however wasn't that lucky so they have told us."
She waves her hand to the bushes.
"Come on out guys", she shouts towards the former bandits.
"Would you tell these two young and handsome men your tale of the ogre attack?"
"I say, your party isn't waiting for you. And heading towards the Trading Post it seems. From what I've been told there were at least 4 ogres there. Are you sure you want to risk that?"
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Bruce and Ned emerge from the underbrush, and Bruce starts in.
"'S true Neil." he says to the bandit that spoke. "Ned 'n me's the only two to survive. If that's Kressle leadin' 'e men to th'tradin' post, you sh' stop her now. 'Ere's no chance there."
He steps a bit closer and drops his voice to a stage whisper.
"These two'll fetch a good ransom 'fyafollame." He bobs his head at Lanya and Kern.
"Get the axe b#%*$ and and get her movin' this way."
___________________
Neil's eyes grow progressively wider as Bruce's story unfolds, until, at the end, her tears off after the largeer group, leaving a lone bowman puzzling over what he's just heard.
Ok, Ned and Bruce are definitely cooperating, they could have gut this approach with two words...best not case again for a bit, at least not until the rest pass Theodric's group...
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After a few minutes, a large shadow forms in the mist and, just a moment later, the runner emerges with 9 bandits in tow: bringing the total to 10.
Bruce speaks up in a voice louder than necessary so that Theodric and Dyrm might hear.
"Where's Kressle?"
The runner, Neil, answers, "She 'n Dean are gonna meet us at the post. Now let's get these two in chains!"
The 10 bandits draw weapons and begin to move in on Kern and Lanya.
"Stupid decision. You get one chance to surrender, which you won't take. After you've finished laughing, you'll attack, and then you'll grow to regret the decision. If I have my say, most of you will not be allowed to regret it for very long. If any of you do have brains, do the smart thing."
"Stand down before we have to put you down"
"Laugh all you want, however my comrade in arms is right. You have one chance to escape now, you will most likely not make it if you fight, unless you surrender. We are not the mere travelers I said we'd be.
Let me demonstrate what could happen if you should fight."
"Ssslip and Ssslide my friends, Ssslip and Ssslide!"
Lanya casts Grease on the tightest group of bandits within reach, DC 15 Reflex.
Then moves back a few paces as the first bandits notice the slippery substance beneath their feet
"CHARGE!" shouts Theodric as he moves toward the farthest bandit he can reach, leaving the closer ones for his slower companions. He doesn't wait to see if Ging and Drym follow. He'll try to go after one of the bandits that Lanya did not target if he can reach them.
Damn. It didn't work so well after all.
" Filthy Dog. Surrender and face Justice or die."
Yells Cromwell as he rises from a crouch and fires at the nearest bandit.
He will then reload.
"Ja!"
Dyrm charges forward as Theodric shouts, the dwarf covering surprising distance for one of his kind. He slashes at the first foe he can reach
Ging charges with Theodric, nearly keeping pace with his massive courser. He laughs like a schoolboy chasing a butterfly if the schoolboy had a voice like rushing water over gravel.
"Ging like hurty race with grumpy metal man! Ging club puny woodsy men! Teehehehe!"
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The bandits run in swords drawn. Apparently, two travelers in their woods don't warrant much caution...
The bandits pass the low, sloping rise behind which Theodric, Dyrm, and Ging lay in wait. As the last row of bandits storm past, two mighty war cries and a sputtering, gravely laugh erupt from out of sight.
The charge is impressive indeed: just like a story book. Three efficient strikes, and three bandits drop: their life-blood pooling on the fertile soil almost like the earth was reluctant to participate in this slaughter.
The remaining bandits continue their headlong rush, although their motives are now equal parts rage and terror.
One of them sprouts a crossbow bolt from his right lung, stumbles a bit and regains his footing only to be crushed into the ground by Kern's over-sized staff.
A strange snaking hiss coils through the air...
...and four of the frothing miscreants slip on a viscous liquid and crash to the grass in a skidding heap.
Fully panicked now, the remaining 2 bandits charge on, intending, it seems, to continue their flight into the trees in an effort to escape.
Suddenly, two swords swing into their path, but their careening flight leaves them no time to alter course.
The man under threat of Bruce's blade ducks his head just enough to escape the blow, but Ned slices his man's throat. The bandit's legs pump another 3 steps before he collapses in a gurgling pile.
It's something of a race after that, Dyrm turns on the sole bandit who is still standing and alive and tries to beat his compatriots to taking him down.
But it seems the lucky man escapes his axe.
"Blast!"
"Refusal, check"
"Laughter, check"
"Attack, check"
"Regret, check"
Kern moves towards the bandit, then levels his staff and shoots a bolt of force at the remaining bandit
"This is your last chance, bandit. Surrender or die"
Lanya murmurs a bit and finally says
"Seek and Destroy my friend."
A snakelike apparition appears from her outstretched hand, coils up and shoots away as straight as an arrow.
" Ahh crap. Musn't let him get away." Whispers Cromwell as he reloads and fires at the last bandit.
Abodar guide my aim.
Theodric moves within striking range of the bandits knocked down by the grease.
"Stay down on the ground and don't move, or you will regret it."
Dyrm breaks into a run after the fellow....pouring on the speed in a way rare to his race.
Realizing he can do little to stop the one running into the forest, Kern turns to Theodric, "You don't seriously intend to offer these a chance to surrender, do you? We made the offer already, and they turned it down. Seems to me their opportunity is over, and we really can't afford to take of them anyway. Besides, we still have that woman and the rest of them to chase down."
Dyrm looks back at the guy and grits his teeth into a grin.
Lanya moves until she has got the fleeing bandit in her sights and sends another magical snake after him.