Casimir seems to be at odds with Viktor's plan of allowing the bandits to enter the fort. Thinking about it, Anastacie realizes that if the bandits numbers are too great, letting them would be a tactical blunder. If the bandits are few in number then they could be trapped within. It all hinges on the raiding party's size.
"How many others does this Kressle usually bring with her?" Anastacia asks Oleg.
"That might make them aware of outside interference. After all they expect the towns people to be submissive after raiding for how many months now Oleg?"
"You actually don't understand what I mean, if you believe I would be keeping such a thing so obvious to the common eye. The tree, once stripped properly and applied, could be moved inside and placed so it could, with the flick of a rope, fall down from the blindspot and impact our foes. They'd never see it coming!"
"Sounds like a great idea to me Casimir," Majda says with a smile for her creative cousin.
Wilhelm listens carefully Oleg tells of the injustices and misdeeds thrust upon him by the bandits. As he listens, the young paladin's jaw clenches tightly. After Oleg finishes telling his tail, Wilhelm observes in a voice thick with anger, "It sounds like these bandits have some sort of base. It seems best that none should escape to warn the rest of the scum."
He follows the rest of the party in, staying near Majda and the rest of his squad. With a grim smile, Wilhelm addresses his cousins, "I agree with Majda, Casimir. This log trap seems like a good way to ensure none of these bandits escape justice. Is that the use you had in mind?"
Lanya looks up in wonder at Casimir.
"Well it looks like your great engineering mind is alos a strategic one, good thinking Casimir."
She inspects the demolished structure and looks for any sort of cover she might use.
She speaks to Viktor and the ones surrounding him.
"I guess I would best be up on the wall above the smashed gate, it seems a good place to be to cast spells as well as to fire upon any of them trying to leave the post. I can make their fight and retreat a whole lot worse."
She then looks around to the buildings inside the trading post.
"If we want to surprise them we'd best hide in the buildings until they are in, then come out when they are trapped or Oleg needs to escape to safety. Our archers are of course best suited on the walls, raining down hell on them."
"I'll post up on the wall with Argos as well. I'm better with ranged support than I am on the front lines but I can also hold the wall in case any bandits decide to come up." Rowan looks around at the other warriors assembled.
"For those of you with the ground force, my horse is trained to bear a rider in combat if anyone is interested in a good mount."
Viktor listens to everyone's suggestions thoughtfully, "Excellent idea, Casimir. Do you think we can get the tree moved in time and disguise the excavation?" Turning to Lanya, Rowan and Dantalion, "You three should be fine on the battlements, but lets see if Oleg has a tarp or cover of some kind you three could use to remain hidden."
Turning to the group, "Everyone, once you find your hiding spot stay hidden until I give signal. Casimir that will be your cue to drop the tree, then we'll join the fray. We should have the advantage of surprise and terrain. Do not let them group up you. Fight in the alleys between buildings or doorways. Fight together; don't be a hero and run off on your own."
"Any other ideas before we start preparing?"
Felix get's his squad together before everyone breaks for their ambush points.
"I am only going to say this once boys, I want you all to survive this mess in one piece. If you are wounded I want you to fall back to me. My skills as a fighter may be a little lacking, but my skills as a healer are not. Is this understood?"
If there are no comments from the squad other than yes.
"Boys, today we strike the first blow against the threats of banditry and strife in this land. I wish it to be a fatal blow. That being said, our charter says unrepentant banditry. That means we will give the underlings a chance at mercy if they ask it. If they drop their weapons and surrender I do not want a senseless slaughter. Not everyone had a choice in how their life has gone, it is up to us to offer them a different path. We are the Hammer boys, "
With little to do but smile earnestly, he nods towards Viktor, then motions towards the outside of the fort, where one can hear the machinated cohort.
"Already on the way in. The way I see it, these doors open inwards, so the door will naturally block anything behind it. It's quite easy, actually," he starts as he adjusts his goggles, his voice bold and confident. "It'll lock them in with us, and us in with them, because if this goes right, it'll slam the door shut. I plan to have it hoisted up like an optical illusion, so it simply seems like it fits into the fort's design - could pawn it off as a flagpole, too, I suppose - and it'll slam the door shut, along with anyone in the way being expelled, or shoved into the other door."
Casimir nods, and Talon moves the tree to just behind the guest house, leaning against the wall.
When called over, Casimir excuses himself to hear what Felix has to say. With open ears and an open mind, he nods along, and writes some things down in a small scrap of paper, then pockets it.
Marick flashes a wicked grin, "Hell yes and what a blow it will be!"
Marick heads into the bunkhouse loosening the straps on his jacket, letting out the extra folds of his clothes. Once inside he puts his shield extract in one hand and his mutagen in the other waiting for the signal.
Casimir, on entrance to the outpost, immediately begins to wear a frown as he inspects the arbalests, and the poor upkeep. It appears Talon just walks behind with no cares in the world... but exhausts steam in a sigh, almost as Casimir does himself.
It's almost a sin to see a fort going down like this... if only I could fix things faster, we'd have a better defense... wait a moment. Didn't he mention a tree? There's a plan!
Casimir, without even asking anyone else, immediately closes his eyes - the halo on his forehead, and upon Talon's brow, glow for a moment, and the hulking machine wades forth to collect the fallen tree.
"Hey... since we're defending this place, we could rig it up with traps and planned obstructions." He walks up towards Olegg, and nods to him in a manner of understanding. "Do I have your permission to make some modifications to the entrance of your home? I've got a few ideas that might make life easier towards dealing with the bandits - including implementing that tree you mentioned. I'd also like to get started as soon as possible, to get maximum efficiency."
The arbalists aren't in poor repair, they have methodically smashed. Oleg explains that in the first encounter with the bandits they smashed the arbalists. Oleg is OK with any modifications you wish to do as long as they don't reduce the living quality of the Post, ie. no poking holes in roofs or something like that.
"That might make them aware of outside interference. After all they expect the towns people to be submissive after raiding for how many months now Oleg?"
They first showed up three months ago. He hasn't given them any problems, although he has sent weekly pleas to Ft. Serenko for help.
"If they normally come up the road, most of you could hide in the stables. Rowan and I can mount up behind the fort. Oleg can lure them all inside the fort's walls and then one of you can let off a signal and attack them. Rowan and I will ride around quickly to the front to trap them in the fort. If there are a lot of them, it would be prudent to make sure none get away to warn their friends that there is a new law in the Stolen Lands. At least not until we are ready to deal with the bandit threat as a whole."
All three previous times they've visited they have come down the road from the north.
Casimir seems to be at odds with Viktor's plan of allowing the bandits to enter the fort. Thinking about it, Anastacie realizes that if the bandits numbers are too great, letting them would be a tactical blunder. If the bandits are few in number then they could be trapped within. It all hinges on the raiding party's size.
"How many others does this Kressle usually bring with her?" Anastacia asks Oleg.
[dice=Diplomacy]1d20+5
Usually about a dozen bandits show up. Kressle led the group the first two times. Happs was with her the second and was leading the bandits on the third visit.
Dante smirked to himself listening to the whirlwind of preparations going on around him. A whole squad of tactical thinkers, working as a well oiled machine though we all barely know one another, a commander's dream. The thought made him smile even more broadly as his respect for his comrades grew. He took up his spot in the bunk house next to Marick, unsheathing his sword ready to charge in.
Lanya takes her position on the wall, just above the smashed gate and crouches down as to not stand out. She keeps a vigilant sentry from her crouched stance.
With little to do but smile earnestly, he nods towards Viktor, then motions towards the outside of the fort, where one can hear the machinated cohort.
"Already on the way in. The way I see it, these doors open inwards, so the door will naturally block anything behind it. It's quite easy, actually," he starts as he adjusts his goggles, his voice bold and confident. "It'll lock them in with us, and us in with them, because if this goes right, it'll slam the door shut. I plan to have it hoisted up like an optical illusion, so it simply seems like it fits into the fort's design - could pawn it off as a flagpole, too, I suppose - and it'll slam the door shut, along with anyone in the way being expelled, or shoved into the other door."
Casimir nods, and Talon moves the tree to just behind the guest house, leaning against the wall.
When called over, Casimir excuses himself to hear what Felix has to say. With open ears and an open mind, he nods along, and writes some things down in a small scrap of paper, then pockets it.
As Felix returns to his group and speaks Vors listens carefully. Nodding slightly at the first part of the order, Vors responds with a single "Yes," as the tactics are laid out. The second part about showing mercy is met with a wide smile, "Wise decision, this is what separates us from them," he adds. He shakes his head a bit at the rousing speech, but none the less he is pleased with his squad leader.
Dantalion hides himself from view on top of the wall.
Casimir looks at the log Talon's carrying in, and he moves to assist posthaste - he does not appear to care at all for how filthy his armored clothing gets. With enough assistance, he moves the large piece inside the fort, and pulls from Olegg's stocks enough rope, tackle, and a few more fishhooks. He also pulls twine if he has any.
"Say, I could use a couple hands with these if anyone's willing to aid? I only have so much brute force to bear!" he says after the items have been laid out.
Wilhelm nods to his cousin and pitches in wherever Casimir directs. Glad the group has someone with this kind of expertise. Seems like it will be handy if we ever need to build a castle or such.
Viktor takes an interest in Casimir's plans and offers his assistance. Knowing this is not his expertise he defers to the engineer's construction instructions.
Watching Wilhelm attempt to aid him with moving the log into position, he makes a snap decision, and whistles to him.
"'Ey, Wilhelm. How about you help me hoist these ropes up instead? We've got to tie them around the top of this log, maybe with some pitons to hold them down, and then wrap them around one of the wall's logs. That way, we can hold it for a longer period of time without straining ourselves!"
He does look at some of the items he has, and pulls out a net from his storage, setting it next to the twine - and lays out fishhooks.
"Say, anyone skilled in knots? If so, tie these fishhooks to the edges of this net. If they slide in a man, he'll be struggling to escape for a very long time, indeed!"
Upon Viktor approaching, he nods and points out the place for the hole to be dug - and motions to a shovel. He also hands him a length of rope, no more than 7". "No deeper than that, but pack the dirt loosely at the bottom, firmly at the top. Natural magic, you know." And with that, he winked as he returned to planning.
Dante aids wherever he is needed
Casimir looks at the log Talon's carrying in, and he moves to assist posthaste - he does not appear to care at all for how filthy his armored clothing gets. With enough assistance, he moves the large piece inside the fort, and pulls from Olegg's stocks enough rope, tackle, and a few more fishhooks. He also pulls twine if he has any.
"Say, I could use a couple hands with these if anyone's willing to aid? I only have so much brute force to bear!" he says after the items have been laid out.
Casimir come to the conclusion that the gate is irreparable in the time he has. However the log will effectively block the entrance
With time on his hands, Casimir himself moves to tying the knots and fishhooks with twine, each and every one evenly spaced and grouped for effect. Dante, who also lends aid, is directed to guide one of the loaned horses to where Casimir will be, and hold the rope by the saddle, easily removed once required.
With everything in place, he smiles to himself, removes his goggles, and lets his eyes of deep ocean blues look upon the job to be done - before finishing it for the encounter to come.
Pharast 1, Oleg's Trading Post Oleg provides a wonderful meal. Working the rest of the afternoon of the previous day and partway through the night, Casimir gets the log set up. Around 3 am it begins to flurry snow. Those who wished to set up behind the fort quickly set up now to avoid leaving tracks and spend the remainder of the night cursing the weather. The snow does a wonderful job of hiding how precarious the 'flagpole' is situated. The flurries only leave a slight dusting on the ground, barely half an inch and although it stops snowing by sunrise the sky promises more. Like clockwork, you see a dozen riders approaching the Post. They are confident and arrogant and totally oblivious to the danger they are in. The rider in front has a frumpy woman sitting in front of him on his horse. The woman definitely does not want to be there. Anyone close to Oleg hears him mutter "Oh no, they have Svetlana." They enter the gate and gather close to Oleg, having fun forcing slightly overweight man to dodge their horse. "Happs, you let her go!" Oleg exclaims as he barely avoids getting his foot stamped on. The head rider just laughs and says "Oleg, it's time you realized that everything you have belongs to us. These lands belong to The Stag Lord now and nobody is going help you." About this time the last two bandits are entering the Post.
Once Marick hears the bandits talking to Oleg he drinks both his extract and mutagen.
Marick quaffs his extract and watches as a transparent shimmer appears in front of him. Now the unpleasant part, he thinks as he drinks down his mutagen.
Marick grins at Dante looking quite silly in his over sized cloths and then the pain starts, it races through his body and his muscles start to swell, his eyes turn fiery orange as his skin starts to darken to a dusky blue. Maricks finger nails grow hard and long and his mouth enlarges and sprouts massive sharp teeth.
Standing in Maricks place is a large hulking monster with a wild gleam in his eye and his smile is now almost horrifying as he whispers in a low growl to Dante, "Now the fun begins!" Followed by a low chuckle.
Viktor frowns as he hears the bandits outside. He rests his hand on Wilhelm's shoulder as they wait. Once the sound of horses movement has stopped Viktor raises his voice in a shout that carries throughout the trading post, "CASIMIR, NOW!"
His pitch drops immediately after the signal and he begins a deep note that reverberates through the bones of everyone present. The note rises into a wordless melody which reaches inside and calls up the primal urges of battle and bloodlust.
He then moves out behind Wilhelm into the battle and strikes out with his longspear in a mighty thrust.
Wordlessly Dante, walks through the light snow, raising his sword and striking at the nearest bandit.
Dantalion attacks the closest Bandit to him.
Standard Action:
Full round:
He pulls out an alchemist fire and calls Caelus to him.
He then gives Caelus the alchemist fire and Caelus flies off.
Caelus continues to fly high above the fighting with the alchemist fire in talon.
With a howl Karver bursts through the door and rushes passed the man Dante slaughters with his sword and leaps at the man called Hap holding the women.
Karver reaches up and sinks his claws into the man on the horse and he lunges forward biting at his throat.
It's almost perfect. Too perfect to watch the mayhem begin as Casimir slices the rope with his spear, and orders Talon to not only activate from a soft hibernation, but to charge out and mete out justice.
And justice indeed would be met - the machination lifts its terrifying pronged hand up, and attempts to sideswipe one of the men on their horse. Coupled with the factor of a massive log falling down, most presumably on the last riders to enter due to appropriate angles (Casimir found that fact fulfilling in other ways), it was sure to inspire a shattered morale. Unfortunate what might happen to the horses, though.
Meanwhile, Casimir had started by moving behind Talon's path, his spear at the ready - and prepared to defend not only him, but his companion.
It's one thing to be able to fight clearly. It's another to actually win. Casimir steps up and attempts to focus on the same combatant as his machinated friend. Meanwhile, the construct decides to focus on another target - the one who may have been impacted by the log or not.
Wilhelm draws his sword as he hears the stamping hooves of horses and raised voices through the door. He nods over his shoulder at Viktor to signal his readiness. As he hears his leader's call to action, he bursts through the door, takes a moment to get a handle on the location of the bandits before moving up towards the unruly men threatening Oleg. As he does so, he calls to the assembled bandits, "In the name of Iomedae and laws of this land, I call on you to lay down your arms."
Seeing little reaction from the bandits, he invokes his goddess' power to strengthen his blow at the man closest to Oleg.
Majda spurs Thunder into action after hearing the fighting start. Guess no one else wanted to ride... She thinks, shaking the snow off her furs and galloping around to block off any possible retreat.
Anastacia hears the sounds of horses entering the yard, then the shout that triggers sounds of combat. On cue she moves up the ally between buildings, only to find Wilhelm blocking the way. "May Pharasma shield you." She intones, touching the embattled Paladin between the shoulder blades.
Lanya turned around to face the bandits as they moved into the trading post seeing them approach she had warned the others via silent whispers and hand signals.
As Viktor gives the signal she rises slowly and casts in a rather odd but graceful way a spell.
"Ssslip and Ssslide, you savages!"
Erastil, may your will be carried today against those who prey on the hard working men and women of this land. I ask you to bless these stones so that they may strike down those who have turned their backs on what is good and civil. So it shall be! Rowan casts magic stone on three of his sling bullets, prepping them for battle. Hunkered down behind the wall, he waits patiently for the bandits to arrive.
Rowan watches as the bandits file into the fort's interior, counting them as they come. Nine, ten... eleven including the leader. Not too good of odds if our ambush doesn't work well. But then Viktor's voice rings through the air, causing his blood to be stirred to arms. With the signal raised, he stands tall and watches his comrades launch their attack. Before the enemy begins to react he launches an enchanted stone missile into a nearby bandit.
The first bandit takes a serious blow, and without even waiting Rowan grabs a second bullet and launches it at the closest bandit to him.
[ooc]Round 1 Action: Attack against Bandit 11
At Victor's signal he and Wilhelm step out and surprise the bandits near Oleg. Wilhelm feels the power of Iomedae flow through him, the bandits were indeed worthy of her justice and the bandit he swings at (#3) is sliced across the chest and falls to the ground groaning in pain. Following close behind him Viktor's spear guts another one (#1), he looks down in disbelief as the longspear as he falls from his horse. Dantalion shoots at one of the entering bandits but misses, however he quickly hands a bottle to his eagle who then flies up above the melee. Suddenly a being from nightmare comes bounding into the fight, dodging past a surprised bandit it leaps towards Happs, smacking him soundly with a morningstar. Happs is staggered but still conscious. Casimir springs his trap, the log falls on Bandit 10 horse, crushing its hip and pinning it. Bandit 10 screams as he is pinned under his own horse and their is the audible pop of bones breaking. Bandit 9 has a little more time to get through but is trapped inside the Post. Bandit 8 is skewered by a beautiful thrust of Casimirs and after pausing momentarily to asses the threat posed by Bandit 10 he rips Bandit 7 apart. Anastacia casts a spell of protection on Wilhelm. Dante knocks the one the beast ran past from his saddle (Bandit 5) and then ruthlessly decapitates him. Majda's rides Thunder to the front of the Post, all the riders are trapped inside but Thunder is so large she can easily pick out targets for her bow over the log. Anastacia has to move closer so that she can cast her spells, but it very effective. Both Happs and Svetlana fall off the now very slippery saddle. As Happs tries to stand up Marrick takes advantage of his distraction and dispatches him with a mighty blow of his morningstar. Bandit 6 falls off his slippery saddle and lands badly (rolled a 1). As he starts to stand back up a rock from Rowan catches squarely in the head and he goes down. Rowan also gets a hefty hit on Bandit 11. Bandit 10 amazingly manages to pull his mangled leg out from under his horse. Moaning in pain he begins a torturous attempt to climb over the log. He is prone. Bandit 11 cowardly rides behind the stables. Bandit 3 also attempts to get away from the fight this way. Bandit 9 tries to follow 11 but swings at Rowan on the way.
and barely misses.
while Rider 2 attempts to jump the gate.
but his horse comes to a halt in front of it and refuses to move any further.
Oleg runs to Svetlana and helps her to her feet. They embrace.
Round 2: Currently only 5 bandits are still conscious. 4 and 11 have retreated behind the stables. 9 is in front of Rowan. 2 is trying to get his horse to move, but it has stopped. 10 is badly hurt and has a broken leg and is currently trying to crawl over the log.
Hmm, this is going very well for us already.
Felix strolls out of his hiding place and to where the others seem to have everything well in hand.
"Any of ours wounded?"
Waiting with the others to spring their ambush, his mind begin to walk down the familiar path of the red shadows. He struggles to keep his senses, but the solid grip he had begins to slip as Viktor gently nudges him along. No, I mustn't, he instructs himself. He steps away from the others, . Seeing two bandits trying to escape he moves around the stable to intercept them. Turing the corner he sees one of them close by. He closes the distance and uses his greatsword almost like a spear, impaling the bandit who thought himself save. Hearing the man coughing blood his paternal ancestry draws him ever closer to the madness of the rage.
Lanya conjures up a small blueish snakelike creature in front of her whispering to it.
"Ssseek him out my friend, ssstrike true." The snakeformed creature nods, straightens itself and bolts after the designated bandit.
Anastacia moves past Wilhelm finding a central spot. Once there, she holds her holy symbol aloft. It is a simple carved disk of dark wood, worn from handling. The spiral of Pharasma, highlighted in white paint. "Pharasma's will guide our hands!" A colorless shimmer bursts out from the upheld symbol. Those allies it touches feel a sense of clarity. Their aim will be truer.
"Fight's not done quite yet." Anastacia tells Felix.
Attacking Bandit Number 2: