Brindle emits a high bark as the insult flies over her head, along with the arrow. She dodges a wayward blow.
"Not a dog!" she cries to emphasise Saraon's point, doubling down on the bandit.
[+2 BAB, +3 Str, - 2 furious blows]
[+4 THF]
[+2 BAB, +3 Str, - 2 furious blows]
[+4 THF]
Ralrae curses as he realizes he is too far from the stockade to aim effectively, and gets up to run in closer with Casey while talking to himself. "Too far, too far. Can't make a shot from here.... Move!"
Brindle unleashes a mighty flurry of violence. Her first hits the bandit in the gut, and he stumbles and falls. Her second attack lashes out at the other bandit, and her club hits him on the top of the head. An audible crack can be heard and the second bandit falls as well.
He charged forward for the gate doing what he could to force his way into the breach to keep them from closing it back up.
"Lets move move move!"
He called to the others charging across the bridge.
Sprig landed hard, but managed to stumble forward into a slow jog. He slips under the bridge trying to keep himself out of the line of fire, not aware of the bandit's situation. He attempts to climb out of the riverbank, but his heavy pack and weak arms prevent him from making any real progress.
Saraon nods at Bas' words and begins dashing around Brindle and across the bridge into the open gate.
With some effort, Sprig climbs out of the creekbed but stays low and near the bridge. With an almost casual flick of his wrist, the kobold launches a globule of acid at the orcish leader. Afterward, he scuttles as best he can for cover.
Bas inflicts a mighty blow with his bardiche, leaving the orc reeling. Sprig, ever the opportunist, shoots a glob of acid at the orc and she falls to the ground.
The bandit standing on the palisade throws down his bow and puts his hands up saying, ”Don’t kill me!”
Brindle looks approvingly at her pawdiwork. Seeing as her near companions seem to have the stockade under their control she waits to wave her other companions in, keeping a weather eye on the cliffs,
Saraon looks up at the surrendering bandit.
"You yield?" he asks, pointing his curve blade at them.
As Casey makes his way up with the others, he looks up at the bandit who's given up. "Best you come on down then. We're gonna need some answers from you. And if you decide to take off, well, next time we find ya - and we will find ya - there won't be no surrendering allowed. So be smart when you come down. That's all I got. You can come on down now."
The man walks down the stairs and says nervously, ”Wh...what do you need to know?”
Ralrae slows to a jog as the battle seems to end before it even started, with three of the bandits down and the last surrendering. He comes up to the stockade wall in time to catch the man's question, and quickly asks the most important question (in his own mind, at least). "When are your replacements s'posed to get here?"
Saraon sheathes his weapon and approaches the surrendered bandit.
"Breathe easy...it's not in our nature to hurt one who surrenders," he says kindly. "What's your name?"
With the others speaking with the bandit he moved amongst the fallen pulling them all together... then going over their gear and what was in their pockets... after all they didnt need it anymore.
Once the bandit surrenders, Sprig puffs up and swaggers his way into the palisade with his best crocodile smile. "Well boy, looks like yer th' smart one outta yer friends. Once yew tell us what we need t' know we'll turn you loose. Ah know yer just outta a job, but if yer lookin' t' turn over a new leaf, look no farther 'n Sprig Snaggletooth. Ah'm willin' t' look the other way for one's past transgressions if yer willin' t' work hard 'n honest. Meet me back'n High Gulch in a coupla days should things work out."
The little lizard reaches into his pack once again, asking aloud, " 'Ere, as a gesture of good faith, lemee give yah a little somethin'. Yew want a cigar? or do you chew? Y'all are welcome t' some too iff'n you want." The kobold doesn't actually take any himself, reptile-face and all.
The archer starts breathing heavily and clutching at his chest before sighing deeply and calming down some. "My name's Shot. I...What replacements? We don't guard this gate at night, if that's what you're asking."
Searching the bandits, Bas finds two battleaxes, two sets of hide armor, two bucklers, and a sap off the orc. The orc also had a pouch containing 13 gold in assorted coins.
Brindle lops on in and joins Bas, searching the stockade for other food or gear.
Then she turns to the prisoner from a crouched position.
"Shot - the orc-woman who shpoke. What her name wasz?"
Brindle nods, stands.
And then:
"You don't guard thish at night. Sho you pull back to your camp at dayshend. When will you be expected? And what elshe can you tell ush that we might need to know?"
Ralrae relaxes as the captive bandit explains that there are not reinforcements on their way. He nods at Brindle's questions - those are all good things to clarify. He notes the others working their way through the corpses and looting the stockade, but he doesn't bother to join in - nothing here is worth his time. "Perhaps we can get a bit closer to the camp by coming in at the time this crew would normally pack it back home... Take the camp by surprise while the ranged folks wait to ambush the defenders? His idea is simply a repeat of what just happened, but with more information it is much more likely to come together into something effective.
Brindle finds some scraps of food, but nothing indicating more thorough habitation.
Shot clenches his fist and shies away slightly as Brindle talks to him, ”Y...you knocked out Tangor and Sleez with one hit. Don’t do it to me please! Her, um, her name’s Ukra. We head back to the base at sundown. There’s, ah, like twice as many at base, plus Crusha. Don’t know what he...it is. Just something big, tough, nasty.”
Sprig take a quick look around the palisade, once he's satisfied, he talks rather broadly to the party of his plans. "Welp, Ah think I can rig this place up nice 'n cozy iff'n we want t' let 'em come to us. Be easier on us if we hold this ground, but might give 'em time t' escape or summit."
Looking at the cornered bandit, the kobold speaks with avarice in his eyes. "Yer boss Okra is th' only one who ain't broke over here. Where's th' money? T'aint nobody workin' for free, there's gotta be actual somewhere."
Shoot slumps down, clearly having resigned himself to his captivity, ”Not quite sure. Only the higher ranks got to carry money with them. There’s more at the base though, probably in Svedka’s rooms.”
Saraon listens quietly to Shoot and nods.
"Desperation is in your voice, Shoot, desperation and fear. Are you more afraid of us, or afraid of what your former comrades will do if they learn you have helped us?"
”I...well, uh. I’m not sure. Both, I guess. I ain’t used to this kinda, ah, heart-to-heart as it were. Svedka ain’t gonna be happy once she learns I helped y’all out, but I got nowhere else to go.”
"Well Shoot, there are other options. Sprig's offer is sincere; you can build yourself a new life. And I promise you; Svedka will not be a problem for you after tonight." Ralrae grins, his meaning clear in his expression.
Saraon doesn't say anything, but a kind expression is clear in his eyes.
Brindle sits on the nearest available seat - Ukra’s crumpled corpse. She sneers good-naturedly to assist the good vibes, and sets her club’s head on the ground, resting her arms on the haft. Sniffing the air, Brindle thinks on the options.
”I did think thish would be good to hold, and I’m shure you could rig it up nyshe Sh...Sprig. But you are right, ush being here for any length of time won’t bother ‘em, jusht givesh them time to es..cape.” Brindle licks her lips thinking of the food she sits on, but negates the thoughts of a tasty arm-entree.
”I think we do what Ralrae shed. Head in when they expect a party returning.”
Brindle sits a little taller, and drops her head a little trying to appear less demonic.
”Shot. Shoot. Man. Describe thish Crusha. What he looksh like? He have weapinz? Armor? How menny hedzh? Plush, draw mud-map of camp.”
Brindle finishes with another toothy leer.
”Or I eat you.” She lets Shoot/Shot dwell on this before she bursts out laughing. ”I no eat you!!! I eat Ukra, and take her strong spirit inside me!”
Shoot nods and says, ”I appreciate the offer. Might be tough adjusting to honest work.”
Shoot’s eyes widen when Brindle threatens the eating before he says, ”Gods, your serious. Crusha...he’s real big, good bit taller than any of you. Big, muscly thing. Probably too dumb to use weapons. Nasty-tempered thing.”
He uses an arrow to sketch out a crude map of the camp. There’s a low stockade around three sides of it, and the canyon wall blocking the fourth. The wall itself is unguarded except for a gatehouse at the one entrance. There’s also three buildings, two large and one small. One large building is the bunkhouse and mess hall, and the other is the storehouse. The smaller building is Svedka’s quarters.
"Looks like we should be able to get close, avoiding that gatehouse. Then we can keep the long guns ready while four of us walk in and whale on 'em." Ralrae looks around at the group, noting that the mix of long guns to melee fighters is not as well matched to his idea as he could have hoped. "I do not know which is riskier; returning fewer guards than expected, or bringing a rifle to a knife fight... "
Sprig packs away the tobacco, there'd be time for celebrations later. Taking a quick look at the map, the industrious kobold pipes up once again. "Alright, th' way Ah see it, we got a cuppla options 'ere."
Sprig counts out with his claws as he speaks.
"One: Ah use mah earth-movin magicks t' dig a hole under one of those walls n' we sneak in thataway.
Two: If we got enough rope, we can climb down th' canyon wall an' take 'em by surprise.
An' Three: Ah got enough oil in 'ere t' set a good chunk of th' wooden structure ablaze. We burn the whole place n fight 'em as they flee. Or at least hit 'em while they're fighting the fire."
The little lizard scratches under his chin as he continues. "We got a coupla problems with each of them plans though. Fer th' first one, Ah got no idea how deep them walls go, we might not get under 'em in any decent time if they're too deep. Second plan, climbin' down is easy, but we ain't gonna get back up in any kinda hurry. Once we're in, there ain't no retreatin'. Third shud be an easy tell, th' fire might burn up any valuables that are hidin' in there."
The kobold clacks his teeth together and says, "Hol' on, Ah got another idea! With a little careful plannin' Ah might be able t' cause a rock slide right into their camp! It ain't a way in, but it could take a few o' them 'fore we get to th' action."
Acid Dart Ability [5/6]
Level 0
Spark
Prestidigitation
Mage hand
Mending
Level 1
Expeditious Excavation (2x)
Snowball
Grease
Level 2
Create Pit (x2)
Brindle listens avidly. Her face lights up with each new option, then falls as each is picked apart.
"I like the digging option. We shneek in. I don't think they dig wallsh deep. Could be wrong. But if we try, and fail, wall ish too deep - they still not know. Unlesh wall collapshez into hole."
Brindle clearly likes the rockfall idea:
"If gatehoushe closze to canyon you could flatten it! If not, may not help much. Hmm. Dig under wall shtill best option, maybe. Fire destroysz all everythingz and climbing in could leave ush shtranded." The gnoll ruminates for a few moments.
"Which still leaves Crusha..."
Saraon listens quietly.
Cocking his head to the side, Ralrae mulls over the possibilities. "I like the digging option as well, but do we have the time? We've got until the outpost guards are supposed to return, and then they'll be alert... and once they know to keep an eye out, they may just spot our tunnel... " He's obviously less than enthusiastic about coming out of a tunnel into the waiting arms of the bandits.
"It IS magic, Ralrae. Magic tends to be pretty fast," Saraon comments.
"whats the plan B if the digging thing doesnt work? Doesnt sound like the digging or rockslide thing will both work."
Sprig nods thoughtfully, "Well, if th' walls are less than five feet under the ground, it's only take a minute, prolly less. It depends on how much we gotta dig with tools. Now if yer worried about time, we could make some kinda distraction. Them fireworks Ah got'd prolly do."
"Yer right Bas." The diminutive lizard sighed. "Ah ain't got enough juice for both of 'em. If only we had a parcel 'o black powder, that'd do the trick for a rockslide."
Turning to look at Shoot, Sprig talks about plan B. "Well we can start th' fire, they'd have t' open th' door to go put it out. It's still be a shot'n the dark tho. Else..." There was a gleam in the little lizard's eye as he continued, "Shoot 'ere could go tell 'em there was an attack on the outpost. It's th' truth after all." Sprig laughed coldly. "They'd open the gate 'n rush out 'ere. We can either ambush 'em or push through th' gate as they take off."
The kobold squinted once again in the daylight, noting the position of the sun. "If y'all are set t' go, I think it's time t' get started."
"Bas, Brimdall, yew two are the real muscle 'ere. Yew okay with a little diggin'? Ralrae, Casey, Y'all look like yew know yer way around some explosives, can Ah leave th' distractin' to yew?" Sprig was tearing through his pack to unload a shovel, a miner's pick, two flasks of oil, four paper candles and a pair of smokesticks.
When Sprig asks Brindle to dig looks like she might just have bitten a sour lemon soaked in pitch boiled in piss and glazed with plop. In other words...not keen.
"I gesh I kan help, but yoo sed magic waz going to dig the hole...?!?"
Nevertheless, the gnoll seems resigned to her fate and makes ready to help Bas.
As they walk over to the wall, Sprig laughs a little at Brindle's attitude. "Now don't fret Brimdle, it shud be just a lill bit o' diggin'. I'm takin' the dragon's share."
They make their way over to the one of the camp's walls near where it meets the canyon. Hopefully avoiding the gatehouse as they go. With a few quick words and gestures, the kobold holds up his end of the bargain. He excavates a ramp downward towards the camp's walls, with any luck there'd only be a quick bit of manua labor and they'd be in.
Saraon follows, ready to help however he can.
Ralrae laughs at the expressions on individuals' faces as they realize their lack of proper tools, and digs around in his pack. "Here ya go. This little beauty can be anything you need, including a shovel. Feel free to use it, though I expect it back." Ralrae holds it out for a moment in case anyone is interested in taking it. He's obviously happy to not be the one using it, ready to head upwards towards a support position commanding a good view of the camp, musket at the ready.
The party scrambles up the dry creekbed and heads along the canyon walls. The dry soil crunches underfoot, and a few sickly plants cling to life with what little water they can muster from the soil. Getting to within view of the camp they notice something of a confounding variable to the plan. The walls of the camp are pressed right up against the buildings, and the open space past the gate is occupied by a few bandits sparring with each other, a small stable, and a large and heavily deformed humanoid creature.
Sprig presses his hat further over his head, taking shelter in it's darkness. The kobold is quiet for a time before pulling the brim back over his eyes and speaking out. "Alright, looks like we're switchin' tracks then. Outside the leaders, th' bandits ain't paid a lot, so it's pretty unlikely that th' bunkhouse has much of anythin'. Them buildin's are right next t' the walls so we just gotta lob oil over to it 'n set it alight."
Sprig mimes throwing a bottle of oil as he talks."They t'aint gonna see nothin' 'fore it's all going up in a blaze. Wit' any luck, they'd try'n save anyone sleepin' in there. Meanwhile, a few come to see what th' commotion's about and we get 'em! 'Opefully that dumb brute'll come out by hisself while the others fight th' fire. Load yer guns, this'll get messy!"
Brindle breathes hard and gulps nervously. She's hot, a little nervous and mighty confused. She nods, tongue lolling, staring at the big creature.
He had taken the shovel to dig after all it made sense that he put himself to use and all and he was sure to get more done than any of the other folk, sides well the folk with the long guns. At the sight he nodded and frowned.
"Right, you want me to sneak up toss the oil over then?"
He asked assuming that if anyone was going to go traipsing up to the wall it would most like be him.
"We are not digging, then?" Saraon asks.
Sprig shrugs, "We could still try it, but we'd come out right underneath 'em. We might as well jes' walk in the front door at that point. I-I'd like t' keep mah hide intact."
With a sly look, the kobold reveals part of his plan. "If we can lure a number of 'em out, Ah can cut 'em off from their friends. We can pick 'em off in smaller groups instead of one big battle."