"There's another problem too. They're in an antimagic field. We have to fight this one with steel"
With the group moving off, Suny quickly scampers off ahead. Doing her best to flit from shadow to shadow.
All ways trying to keep herself in a position to be between any Drow scouts/forces and her own allies.
"They didn't seem to have a banner so I think either they are drow rebels out something has gone very wrong
Having determined as much as she could from the drow camp Chara heads back to the caves. Appearing at the edge of the light like a shadow Chara walks out of the forest into the cave. She walks towards the Commander, smiling at the gentlemen surrounding him. Chara kneels next to the Commander so that she can look up at him.
“I assume you have been informed of the drow encampment? I could see no banners either, that is very unusual in these parts. I think they may be rebels. Either that or something is very wrong.”
Chara stands up and looking Ausk in the eyes smiles and extends her hand.
“hello, I'm Chara”
Chara looks at him with wide eyes that are the colour of dark emeralds while waiting for a response. A golden diamond-like pattern is faintly visible on her tanned skin going down from her right temple, across her cheek, down her neck and over her left shoulder, where it disappears into her clothing. Her clothing seems to have been carefully made to show off the sinuous curves of her body and yet still be practical. If someone pays attention when she speaks they might notice that she has a forked tongue.
Arim raises an eyebrow at the new girl, and after she's done talking to the commander yells out to her "Now he's a little rough for your taste, why don't you come over and have a chat with me?"
I search the cave and surrounding forest for herbs and things to in Potions
Ausk takes the offered hand and brings it to his lips.
"Ausk Swiftstrike, Milady."
Ausk kisses then releases her hand and gives her a small bow.
"I must admit that the mage is right. I'm a bit rough when it comes to speaking, but I thank-you for the information."
"An anti-magic field!? Shards! That's high-powered stuff. What in the name of the Great Wyrms are we dealing with here?"
When Chara appears from the shadows, Nyroba looks her up and down appraisingly. "Rebels, hmm... I wonder. Does anyone have a smallish animal companion or familiar we could ask to do a little spying? They are unlikely to suspect a cat or a bat or a bird... and if someone can cast comprehend languages on it... oh, shells! The field would negate that. We need to try to hear their conversation, find out if they're actually a detachment from the Ravens or something else."
"Also remember that familiars are magically enhanced, the field could render them a regular animal. Well, let's get old school, perhaps a disguise?"
"Tarks, front and center"
A lump of flesh falls out of the bottom of Traskdar's pants and lands on the floor. Upon closer inspection you can see that it appears to be shaped like a scorpion
Tarks, do you think you can go gather some information for us?
The lump of flesh emits a short squeal
he says he's up for the task
Nyroba blinks, but takes it in stride. "Does it know any languages?"
"I'm afraid nothing beyond scorpion, but as you mentioned if anyone can cast tongues he can help greatly
Kaldin stands up and clears is throat
unless we have a clever plan, we need to take them out ASAP. What you describe, it sounds they have taken the place where we need to make camp. Its the only place available for a few miles
let us go wipe them out then
"Sir, respectfully, if they're rebels we might be able to help each other. I don't like running in there with claws unsheathed when there's a possibility they share the enemy we're fighting. Doesn't fit. Something's off about what we're seeing here. Wish I could see it myself, but I can't turn invisible or anything."
Appearing in the circle of people, Suny raises a hand.
"Um...I know it be risky...but.....if these Drow be enemies of our enemies...Might that make them almost friends?" She asks. Suny counts heads or the group.
"Like. If there be a whole lot more of us. We can surround them and parlay from a positiion of strength. Then is things get all wonky, we can take them from all sides?" She suggests.
Traskdar produces a potion from his satchel
Did some ones say invisible?
"Ooo!" Suny bounces forwards. "Might I have a swig? How long do it last? I in't never seen a Drow afore." She asks excitedly.
I only have two for now and they last for about three minutes, I'm looking to see if I can find some herbs to make more somewhere around the cave
"Ah..." Suny nods....
Very well, we will split in to two groups. Ranged and magic, and melee and combat medics. Nyroba, i leave that in your hands while i sort out the rest of our supplies
"Invisibility would also be negated by the AMF. Blast it!"
Nyroba ponders, flexing her fingers, her nails lengthening and sharpening, then retreating as she just holds back the transition to claws. "Sharding scale-rot!" she finally explodes. "There's no way to do it. With that anti-magic field, I can't see any way to spy on them without endangering the mission. Nor can we contact them without endangering it, unless we know that they're rebels, which we cannot until we get intel, which we can't get! Sir! I withdraw my objection. My vow of vengeance against those who have kidnapped Lil is sacrosanct -- we can't take this risk. We'll have to move in, fast and steathily, until we reach the border of the field, then make an all-out assault, take them out as quickly as we can, destroy the field if we can determine its origin -- which might mean killing its caster -- and only then can we afford the luxury of finding out what they really are. I suppose we can make any reasonable attempt to keep them alive when they are defeated."
Suny moves over and pats Nyroba's arm reassuringly. "I din't want tha' magic ta' sneak in't their camp. Jus' ta' use it ta' get close enough ta' have a look see with out me gettin' seen in'a process. Ye ken?" She smiles.
Heck, since we's only got th' two fer th' moment. They can be saved an' used fer them's whut might need a helpin' hand along th' way ta' sneakin' up on them's we want ta' have a closer gander at, hey?"
Suny frowns. "Here...if'n we can approach 'em peaceably., like, then we can hide under their anti-magic like they's doin'!" She adds rightly. (^_^)
After carefully listening Kaldin nods
Those are my thoughts too, we have to be swift. Keep our ranged units out of the field till we manage to kill the caster. Silent and deadly. We can't risk our position to be exposed. Set scouts around the ranged units, we do not wish to be surprised. Okay ladies, one hour, then we move on these... scum
Good, I've been itching for some boom boom
Sorry. Yes. Not a lot though
Chara smiles, leans forward and whispers conspiratorially,
“Maybe I like the rough guys.”
She gives him a wink, then giggles and flicking her waves of dark hair over her shoulder turns to Arim.
“Hello, you're a mage? That must be fun”
She walks over to him and puts her hand on his arm,
“What kind of magic do you practice?”
Listening to the discussion about the drow encampment till it reaches it's conclusion Chara steps forward.
“it might be prudent to keep one alive, they might have information that could be useful. We should try find the leader and question him”
While the rest of the group prepares, Traskdar sits down and begins mixing another invisibility potion
Even in war, some things never change, Nyroba thinks as she watches the attractive rogue flirt with Arim.
"Keep as many alive as reasonably possible. We're not butchers." Wouldn't you prefer to feel their guts around your claws... NO SHUT UP!
"Miss Suny, I appreciate your desire for intel, and to be sure before we take this step, but the rules of engagement are clear -- we cannot let anything jeopardize the success of this rescue. This MIGHT be a clan of Drow rebelling against the Black Dragons -- or it might not. Even if it is, there's a dungheap of reasons why they wouldn't necessarily welcome us. Sometimes, the enemy of my enemy is not my friend."
"I would suggest those of us with the most armor and least woodcraft take Mr. Traskdar's potions, so that we may move steathily to the edge of the AMF. Those who are skilled at moving silently and can strike hard should move inward. Mr. Ironskin, how far were you from the fire when you felt your armor disappear?"
Even in war, some things never change, Nyroba thinks as she watches the attractive rogue flirt with Arim.
"Keep as many alive as reasonably possible. We're not butchers." Wouldn't you prefer to feel their guts around your claws... NO SHUT UP!
"Miss Suny, I appreciate your desire for intel, and to be sure before we take this step, but the rules of engagement are clear -- we cannot let anything jeopardize the success of this rescue. This MIGHT be a clan of Drow rebelling against the Black Dragons -- or it might not. Even if it is, there's a dungheap of reasons why they wouldn't necessarily welcome us. Sometimes, the enemy of my enemy is not my friend."
"I would suggest those of us with the most armor and least woodcraft take Mr. Traskdar's potions, so that we may move steathily to the edge of the AMF. Those who are skilled at moving silently and can strike hard should move inward. Mr. Ironskin, how far were you from the fire when you felt your armor disappear?"
Well, I happen to agree with Suny.
Firstly, there must be a reason for them to be camping in an anti-magic field. I am no drow expert, but it just seems weird to make a camp in such a field for all kinds of reasons. The only reason to do it is to have protection from magic spying... And I am quite sure they do not want to be thus protected from us.
Secondly, just because we are in the land of the Black, it does not mean we have to kill everything we meet. I understand the mission is important, but how shall we know we will acctualy help it by slaying first group of drows we meet...
But it is just me thinking... If you, Nyroba, or the commander, think we have to attack, I am certainly ok with that. Chain of command and all that... In that case I would prefer to be in the ranged unit.
Hitoru starts to check his light crossbow.
hmm, bloodthirsty and overzelous - must be careful around her
Society: drow society is traditionally class-oriented and matriarchal. Male drow usually fulfill martial roles, defending the species from external threats, while female drow assume positions of leadership and authority. Reinforcing these gender roles, one in 20 drow are born with exceptional abilities and thus considered to be nobility, and the majority of these special drow are female. Noble houses define drow politics, with each house governed by a noble matriarch and composed of lesser families, business enterprises, and military companies. Each house is also associated with a demon lord patron. drow are strongly driven by individual self-interest and advancement, which shapes their culture with seething intrigue and politics, as common drow jockey for favor of the nobility, and the nobility rise in power through a combination of assassination, seduction, and treachery.Relations: drow have a strong sense of racial superiority and divide non-drow into two groups: slaves, and those that are not yet slaves. In practice, however, races that may share similar inclinations (such as hobgoblins and orcs) and those who serve willingly may be treated as servitor races and granted a measure of trust and modest rank in drow society. Others, such as dwarves, gnomes, and halflings, are deemed fit only for the lash. Manipulative drow delight in exploiting the weak character of humans. While they claim no kinship with fetchlings, the drow harbor a curiosity toward the shadow race, as both are adaptations of races exposed to extreme and dangerous conditions. Finally, the drow's hatred of elves sets these beings apart from all other races, and the dark elves desire nothing more than to ruin everything about their surface cousins.
Drow either have lolth as their deity. Yet they will serve the Empress till they are released from service by her alone. Willing slaves so to speak.
They also have spell resistance.
The amf makes sense to stop any magical buffs the enemy might have. So enemy needs to rely on pure mental and physical ingenuity to fight. And not magical.
Do we have any intel about the group? Except that they are sitting around a fire without banners and there are at least 10 of them?
Do they have sentries? Are there any females? What equipment they have? Do they look ready to fight or to sleep?
Surround them, charge them and lets hope to take prisoners is an... interesting plan. At leas it has the benefit to be simple. Not much can really go wrong.
Yeah, except three things - the surrounding part, the charging part and the take prisoners part...
If this is the quality of intel this outfit usually operates on, I am not surprised we have no more info about the mission... But I am kinda suprised we are still alive... If I based my con operations on stuff like this, I would be long dead.
"we could not get close enough to determine those things, although they didn't seem to be preparing for a fight. If there are going to be invisibility potions I will also volunteer to go investigate in the camp. Since the potions are alchemical won't they still work in an inti-magic field?"
Tuning to Nyroba Chara looks her u and down trying to figure out how she fits into the picture.
"Not butchers perhaps, but could we risk leaving them alive to spread word of our arrival and possible information on us? I might be wrong, but I don't think we want our presence known quite yet, I for one, don't"
Turning back to Arim, Chara looks at him thoughtfully.
"Hmmm, we could ...
Chara turns back to face everyone
"We could smoke them out with fire, start a fire or two close to the encampment. When they leave silently pick off one or two for questioning. That way we can get information without killing everyone or letting them see us. Unfortunately the ones we question might have to die.
I have never felt the power of Bahamut leave me like that before. Powerfull magic there. I will have to stay on the outside in this one. Any archers should stand with me so I can hasten your attacks. I will resummon my armor. Hopefully with enough ranged attacking we can draw them out. The hase won't last long, I will give myself some increased speed though and be in charge of chasing down any that flee.I also can call on the power of the sun for a bit. It should provide plenty enought light for those that don't function well at night.
Marcus will preform his ritual and prayer to recall his spiritual armor. He will cast expeditious retreat on himself as they move out to take positions.
Nyroba blinks. "200 feet?" "That is far larger than the typical anti-magic field. This is beyond strange. I was hoping we'd be able to charge from cover and be among them before they could begin firing arrows. We need a different plan."
"Well we could attack, but I'm strangely curious as to why there are so many drow running away? Could we use them as allies? Let those of us who are naturally stealthy get around 130ft from the fire. There we could try and listen in on the drow to see why they are here."
I second the motion. I could be considered naturally stealthy
And seeing you "sneak" away last time, I am not sure the same could be said about you
Or, if the clearing is grassy and dry, we can set it on fire... And draw them out. Hitoru says winking, Just expanding our options...
Without looking up from my potion I say Do any of you speak drow? cuz if not, spying is kind of a moot point.
Good point. But you can find out a lot even without understanding the language.
Whoops, did not know they do not speak elven.
This is a tuff one, tactically I'm useless in the field. Outside the field I can haste a couple of archers. Burning is not bad exceept that it could alert other threats in the area to us. We either move with force or I don't see any other options.
Arim gets that lopsided grin on "Well I don't practice anything in particular, got quite a few different tricks up my sleeve. But one thing I can do that most can't..." with a twist of his wrist he conjured up a few roses "Is use my magic silently"
Arim shakes his head "They don't have their own language, they speak elven like the rest of the elves. Also, we're forgetting that this isn't a typical drow camp. Perhaps they're potential allies. My proposal is that we surround the place, archers on high, soldiers close up, and simply send some people in to talk to them. If it goes south we can run over it, but before then let's not be the first to spill blood"
Good point. But you can find out a lot even without understanding the language.
Whoops, did not know they do not speak elven.
Drow use 2 languages. Undercommon, Drow sign. But yes, they can speak elven too