"A missing patrol is going to draw attention," Cori says. "A patrol that returns intact, but recently infected with a highly contagious disease where the symptoms have not yet presented would weaken the entire fortress from within. Even if they have healing magic, that magic would have to be spent stopping the disease instead of bolstering their fighters."
She shrugs and adds, "just a suggestion."
She grins with some teeth showing, Disease. You actually mean mother nature just doing her work, clearing out the weak to make space for new growth.
Tapping her chin, Well they currently short on healers.
"Here's what I was thinking," Cori says, seeing her plan has garnered some interest. "I'm sure we can find someone in this town who is sick with a potentially fatal, easily spread illness. One of Calistria's Gifts to me is the ability to contract and spread disease without being affected by it. I will expose myself, then cross paths with the patrol, and make sure they carry the disease back to the fort."
“We do have time limit though to point out. But the idea does carry merit depending on the disease however it may simply not be deadly enough atleast for the current predicament. As for the detection of evil, don’t put necklaces protect us. I seem to forget Lord Throne’s gifts from time to time in planning..”
Right. Even if we find a perfect disease I am not sure we have the time to allow proper spread and clerical magic can be used to stop it. Plus the rest of us could catch it if we are not careful. An interesting option but perhaps not the best choice.
Cori shrugs. "We can find the patrol and just kill them, then. I won't deny that'll be fun. Just don't be surprised when their absence puts the entire fortress on alert for trouble."
Casta shrugs “We’ll have to start shedding blood eventually. Either now or later. Here we can make it look like it was something besides us. Inside it’s harder to hide.”
Then it is agreed. Do we know the timeline and planned rout to be able to plan the ambush?
Tapping her chin, she looks up at them. Best we do the ambush on the far side of the fortress, so it seems their problems from that side, not our side.
He shakes his head, “I was only able to learn that a patrol will be conducting scouting leaving the fort in the next couple days unfortunately. Perhaps conducting some scouting of our own would help to ascertain when and where exactly they will leave.”
Agreed. Lets be very careful but it would help if we could find the departure date and the general direction. Numbers and composition of the group would be good as well.
Knowing the approximate departure time of the outgoing patrol you make your way back to your ship and cross to the other side of the river. From there you find a nice spot to watch the exit of the Ballantyne and early in the morning, you are lying in wait until you spot a patrol heading out.
Looks like a group of eleven on horses. Ten soldiers following a captain. You notice the ten soldiers have blue capes and the captain has a red cape.
They are heading east into the mountains at a slow trot.
At this time they seem pretty relaxed they likely don't expect to be attacked this close to the castle.
It will be a challenge to make sure no one rides back to the keep to raise the general alarm. How do we make sure so many horsemen stand and fight and that when they start to loose make sure none break away? stanislav says in a quiet and calculating voice. Troops on foot cannot force mounted men to stand and fight.
Ambush them as they camp. Pit Traps, Grease spells. Traps at their point of extry. Alexandr offers.
We have the capability to appear as what we are not as we strike at them, this is to be considered as well. Should we attack at night, stringing ropes on their way back may well knock out a soldier fortunate enough to escape us.
"Kill their horses," Cori replies with a shrug. "Drop something toxic in their feedbags, and watch the ponies drop. Even if someone mounts up and tries to ride off before it takes full effect, that will just speed the poison getting deeper into the horse's system. They won't get far."
A good idea. Stanislav says but points at the departing horesemen. Perhaps a bit too late to go and procure something toxic though.
Listening the the conversions she begins to grin, with many pointed teeth showing, While we follow, lets see what mother nature can provide as poisons for the horses.
“I think under cover of night we could pay them a visit. If we can get close and and attack them unaware that’s a few dead, with no armor on and horses tied down for the night to make sure they don’t escape they should be easily overpowered. It also allows us to deal with them farther away from the castle without worry of witnesses.”
A good suggetion Sir Casta, I believe that night combat suits us far more then our adversaries
Alexandr says.
Agreed.
Still grinning, Oh yes. Night will do best, though still need to be careful of the watch. Take them out quietly, then we can party.
“Excellent seems we have a plan, now we simply follow our prey along and once they get ready for the night and rest, we will strike.”