Dred bows his head in respect to Svetlana, "All will be well my lady. We will ensure that these miscreants do not bother you again."
Nodding to Egon, he addresses Oleg, "We will prove our mettle to you tomorrow. Perhaps then you will apologize for your insolence."
Once dinner is complete Dred will thank his hosts for the food and will then go outside to inspect the stables and guesthouse. He looks for places to hide that have line of sight to the entrance of the tavern.
Perception:
Aldarion calmly listens to his new companions and hosts discuss the merits and dangers of dealing with these bandits.
While stroking his thin goatee, the sage replies to Oleg's concerns first. He makes eye contact with Svetlana and Oleg intermittently, "Of course, this is your home, and we should defer to your wishes in this matter. But I fear the avarice of such persons of low character as these vile ones will not abate. Not without intervention. They will press on in their demands, until their unwholesome desires outstrip your ability to satiate them. And then, I fear, your dear wife and yourself shall suffer at last, and even perish."
He pauses a moment, then, "My companions and I have been charged by the Swordlords of Restov to, and I quote, 'strive against banditry.' I intend to uphold this charge. We will help you, Oleg and Svetlana, to whatever ends you would allow."
Looking around at his companions before dinner is completed, "Perhaps we should now work out a plan of action for us to take in the morn. I agree we must deal with them here, in this trade post," glancing at Oleg, "with your permission of course, Oleg." He continues, "We would best ensnare them here, for we cannot risk even one escaping our trap to ride back to camp and forewarn the others. Once the bandits who arrive are dealt with, we should then proceed immediately to track their path back to camp. Immediately, so as not to arouse their suspicions of what might be delaying the ones we deal with here. At camp, we spring a surprise attack on them, if it is to our advantage."
"But first things first. How to trap those who come here?" The master gardener strokes his thin goatee, his eyes light up. Aldarion then makes a rather peculiar suggestion.
"Might you have a shovel to spare, Oleg? And perhaps some burlap and spare rope?"
A half smile crooks his face now.
"While there remains some daylight left, perhaps it would be a good time to do a little gardening. Give a big... 'welcome'... to our guests tomorrow..."
“Pardon, Oleg, these gentlemen are eager, if not a tad too confident, but they are not evil in spirit. They have not spent their life building what you have been building here, but I trust if we are allowed to intervene it will not be in vain. Your hard work is blessed by Erastil and he will not let it go to waste.”
“Gentlemen, my bow and sword stand ready and I am a decent horseback rider if needed. I am accustomed to archery in melee as well.”
"Are you proposing that we dig some sort of pit trap Aldarion? That could work, if we have time. I must confess I was envisioned something more simple like sneaking up on them and bashing them into submission, but I'm willing to try the trap idea. The trick will be to locate it in an area where we know they'll walk through, without making it obvious."
"Be careful, Aldarion. A lot of turned earth in the yard could arouse suspicion."
Sir Egon frowns. After the bandits are dealt with, he will expect apologies from the man, or, failing that, strive to have him replaced.
With a dismissive wave of his hand, the sage calmly articulates the details of his plan. "No no, there would be no tilling of the earth within this trade post, of course. Rather, with my gardening skills and some burlap and rope, I could dig up and wrap some bushes and vines quite nicely, then simply arrange them, in their burlap bags, all about the open yard where the bandits would likely pass. Make the plants appear to be for sale, alleviating any potential suspicion. Or maybe they might think you've redecorated the place, Svetlana."
"In any case, with some bushes and vines placed about thusly, there's an..." the gardener pauses a moment, "'old trick' I've learned some time ago. I'd be able to trap the bandits. Ensnared, they would be held down, and easier for us to... 'manage.'"
He continues, "I noticed some verdancy on the way down. I shall head out immediately to begin my work, with the assistance of anyone willing and able, to arrange my verdant ambush."
"I have noticed a plethora of good hiding locations for us to stay behind. Towers, behind the stable, behind the guesthouse, rooftop..." Looking around at his new companions, "Two of our strongest should hide behind the front gate doors, so as to slam them shut as quickly as possible after the last bandit enters this post. Two more might prefer to take up position upon the walkway around the wall, or from rooftop perhaps. Or from wherever you might prefer from hiding. I will remain behind the stable and rush in after my 'trap' is sprung, to assist in whatever way seems most prudent, depending on the circumstances."
Aldarion strokes his thin beard again, then "And, perchance, does anyone have skill with disguises? Maybe one of us can pretend to be one of our hosts, to draw in the bandits towards them, and protecting Svetlana and Oleg from their wrath?" he looks towards Oleg and Svetlana now, "Indeed, perhaps you might wish to stay hidden, wherever you think would be best, while we dispense with the threat?"
"You can count on me Let's take the horses, so we'll be back soon."
Nodding to Aldarion, "Your plan sounds good. I will be one of the gate closers. We will need to ensure that they don't have anyone who hangs back outside of the gates."
"If we spring the trap while the bandits are entering there may be no need to involve Svetlana and Oleg, or to try to disguise ourselves as them. Presumably the bandits plan to walk up to the tavern door to demand their ransom. Just ensnare them midway across the courtyard, before they get to the door. We need to be ready to quickly dispatch any bandits not caught in the trap."
Dolgan finishes cleaning his musket.
"Let's do this."
Dred will help Aldarion set up the trap.
Torin gives Oleg a look of respect,
"This is your home to defend and I've never been one to turn away aid in a fight, but if things turn south, you get your hide out of there. This whole plan will be for nothing if you let some scruffy ruffian run a sword through you."
After setting up the trap Dred will retire to his room to meditate and sharpen his sword. "Sleep well my friends, tomorrow we will teach these bandits to fear us."
Aldarion smiles as he calmly and very carefully digs up each plant he finds, trying not to damage the roots as much as possible. He speaks and hums some strange words and lyrics here and there, making a few gestures here and there, as if pacifying the plants. He wraps a bundle of soil for each plant in burlap, tying the ball with rope, to ensure each plant has ample nutrition while apart from the earth.
After carefully arranging the plants in the open entry area of the trade post, the gardener thanks his helpers, and rinses himself off in private. He bids whomever he spots a good night with a nod on his way to the guest house. Seeing four beds and five guests, he offers to forgo a bed for himself, instead sitting with legs crossed in a trance-like state for several hours upon his folded blanket. Anyone with insomnia might see him thus, his eyes half-opened and staring... and might be disturbed.
...
An hour before dawn, he rises, exits the guest house, and performs some silent walking meditation around the post. Taking in the night sky deeply into his lungs, he exhales slowly and calmly, observing the southern horizon from the wall-walk...
"Can those covered pits in the back be used to store prisoners should we take any?"
Egon rises more than an hour before dawn. He offers a prayer to Pharasma, and then joins Aldarion on the walkways, covering the eastern horizoh.
Aldarion tilts his hooded head towards Sir Egon, continuing to scan the horizon.
"Well. Svetlana informed us last evening that the bandits are camped in the Greenbelt, which lies south from here. A southern approach is therefore most likely."
He pauses a moment, index finger raised, "But perhaps we'd best keep an eye out for the western and eastern horizons as well, not to mention a northward glance every so often."
With a smile, the sage spares eye contact for a moment, "Just to be safe."
He adds, returning his gaze afar, "Perhaps Oleg and Svetlana would be so kind as to more explicitly indicate to us the bandits' usual approach, as well."
"Galu-aur, Hîr Egon."
Aldarion tilts his hooded head towards Sir Egon, continuing to scan the horizon. The sage continues to speak in a fluid and strange tongue to him. A perceptive listener might overhear Svetlana's name mentioned. He pauses a moment, index finger raised, and then continues to speak in the foreign tongue. With a smile, the sage spares eye contact for a moment, and speaks some more of the dialect.
He adds, returning his gaze afar, another sentence or two of this alluringly mystical language. Again, the perceptive listener might recognize both Oleg and Svetlana mentioned this time.
"Galu-aur, Aldarion." Then, switching to Common: "I hope that they are smart bandits. More of a challenge, and better to reason with. And yes, we should ask that. I'd also like to see if we could interrogate the bandits before going to their camp, to get information about their numbers and defenses. We'd also need to ask Oleg about the maximum amount of prisoners he can keep in the outpost.
Ah, sometimes I get too obsessed about tactical possibilities."
After checking in on the hostess Svetlana, Enora joins the men on the rampart.
"Good dawn recruits, I will seek a good nook in the north eastern tower. We will find out soon if our good deeds can do better than our flowery rhetoric. May Old Deadeye bless our aim."
Aldarion nods in agreement with Sir Egon, "A wise plan. I concur. I expect our gracious hosts might not be too keen on the thought of turning even part of their trading post into a prison. But perhaps temporarily, it might do. We should certainly make plans for a more permanent solution, should we find so many bandits willing to repent in these forsaken lands."
At the sight of Enora coming close from the Levetons' home, he takes a slight, polite bow. "Good lady, I bid you a fair dawn as well. A sound course of action, I agree. I shall take my place behind the guesthouse, emerging after the trap has been sprung."
He pauses, then, "Might our hosts have revealed to you the direction these bandits usually approach from, by chance?"
Dred crouches behind A2 as the bandits enter. Once they have moved through the gate he moves up the side of the building until he is just out of their line of sight. Once Aldarion triggers the spell he will sprint to the gate to shut it. He keeps his sword ready.
The sage from the wall-walk gives the signal to those around and below him once he has the distant specks of approaching horsemen in sight. He proceeds to count aloud, "Five bandits, seven horses."
As the companions take their places, he informs them, "Master Dred, the gate should be shut right after the last of the bandits enter. I will spring the trap at the same time."
...
As soon as Oleg reaches the safety of the storage shack, and before the bandits have a chance to do much else, Aldarion's smile turns stern as he mutters esoteric syllables to himself. A yellow-green light appears to emit from his normally brown pupils as he mutters. Staff in one hand, he thrusts forth his free arm out before him, palm opened towards the sky. His fingers for a few seconds slither, like snakes in a wriggling pattern. At that, the vines in their burlap sacks all about the open trade area begin to freakishly animate and slither towards their prey like serpents, coiling around limbs, waists, and necks alike. The branches of bushes as well animate, grappling the legs of horse and human alike.
As the last man enters the courtyard Enora moves swiftly north along the walkway, bow drawn and ready.
Enora will shout out. ”Drop your weapons and surrender now! By the Swordlords of Restov, you are under arrest for theft and thugery. Do not force us to put an end to your miserable lives!”
Once the trap is sprung, Torin will stand up with bow drawn.
Dred springs forward and snaps both doors closed with a clang. He then turns to the bandits and draws his great sword, "You are surrounded. Drop your weapons and we will spare your lives. Resist, and we'll kill every last one of you!"
Intimate:
Egon moves through the stable doors. He will attempt to attack an entangled enemy. If one can not be reached (without provoking AoO's). If nonot possible, he will attempt to attack an unentangled enemy.
"Cowards" he growls.
Dolgan readies his musket, adding to Dred's point.
Egon starts praying "I am the Hand of the Law..."
Initiative:
Enora lets her first volley fly on the closest fool to draw his weapon a very unimpressive archery display.