"She was just trying to help is all, she probably didn't expect those roots to be so tough. Calm down, she doesn't have much in the way of sharp metal weapons like I do."
Caitir replies to the kobold, swiftly trying to mend things over before switching to Common.
"I'm Caitir, and I don't give a damn about life debts. You can come along and help if you want, but its your life, do whatever you like provided it doesn't stuff things up for us" she finishes, before nodding at Dhavik.
"Amber is fine, she's just hanging back. She's just a little owl and likes to stay away from combat. Besides, there wasn't a lot of point her flying above us glowing like a lantern when we were trying to stealth our way into an ambush".
Fully aware that the mites already knew they were here, and little was to be gained via stealth, Caitir inputs two fingers in her mouth and utters a short whistle. Moments later, Amber flutters into the room, circling overhead and hooting happily.
Caitir comes across as a little rude here because she doesn't really approve of the concept of life debts even though she isn't really complaining about having an extra pair of hands to help out.
Hey GM do you allow retraining? Can Caitir retrain her familiar feats into Wasp Familiar for something more combat capable, and then retrain out of them at level 5-7 into Improved Familiar and get a talking familiar to roleplay with. Would that work to give Amber a bit more of a visible role?
"I can have Amber light the way ahead like we did before" Caitir remarks helpfully, a little disappointed that she didn't get to kill anything. Still, she couldn't exactly argue with what Mirana had said, so she gives her a quick nod. "I can talk with your friend here and see what he knows. Extra knowledge is always valuable and all of that sort of thing."
Caitir helps Mirana if her quarterstaff is unsuccessful against the roots, before squatting to the same height as the kobold.
Draconic:
"So, how did you end up here? Did you get captured? Find out anything useful?"
I think that I am still 5-10 feet away from being able to hit the mites in melee w/ Caitir (assuming I'm counting correctly on the map). Let me know if I have this correct. If not, I'll change my action slightly to include an offensive action (I think regardless of Caitir's movement, Mirana will definitely still be out of reach anyway)
"Hey, leave some for me" Caitir grumbles in lighthearted fashion as she and Mirana pushes her way through the terrain, (hopefully) arriving in the thick of things.
Both Mirana and Caitir move up into the fray (maximum movement speed) before taking a standard action to use the Total Defense action should they still be out of reach to attack any of the mites.
If movement costs double I think Caitir can just about make it out of the tunnel with one movement, but I think is still largely out of reach from combat at present.
Caitir nods at Iradyiel's instructions, swiftly following the brothers. The low ceiling hampers her movement though, causing her to move slightly slower and be unable to reach the mites - at least initially.
Drawing her rapier, she locks eyes with the kobold in the center of the mites. She wasn't sure how much help it would really due, but hopefully at least talking to the kobold might reduce some of the panic and confusion it might be feeling at the current developments.
Draconic:
"Oi, scale skin, this didn't start off being a rescue attempt but if you want to help us out with eliminating these mites we could show you the exit. Your have other members of your race outside ready to take you home should you wish"
Move (drawing Rapier), then taking the Total Defense action if movement still puts me out of reach from melee.
Just before we close to melee, just a quick tactic idea (which I can rp out once we know how we feel about it). We still have the caltrops and I can have Amber drop a bag of them to prevent them charging us en mass - letting us pick them off with ranged attacks if we want.
It might hurt us if we want to fight in melee though, and I don't know how caltrops work against mites with DR. Are they immune to its effects due to their damage reduction?
"Maybe we should have taken them back to see if they could repair our catapults."
'Perhaps, but more likely the kobolds wouldn't have tolerated us bringing them back with us - and anyway, they attacked us on sight. I doubt it would have been easy to bring them back" Caitir remarks dryly, examining the room now that combat wasn't ongoing.
"That was some nice bladework, you two cut right through them" she continues before bending down to check the corridor ahead for any traps that might have been laid.
Taking 20 on Perception as well, hunting for traps though mostly.
Caitir curses a little, as the increased lighting drew the attention of the two creatures. It was irritating, but not really unexpected and it couldnt really be helped - they did need to see down here after all.
She moves towards the two blue creatures, with her blade out in front of her, trying to close the distance swiftly as Amber flutters overhead.
Double Move into the room with Kunala and Iradyiel
Caitir carefully watches Amber flutter downwards, lighting the way up ahead. She was a little worried about her friend getting into trouble, but reasoned that with no sign of any watchers currently, things were probably fine.
At Dhavik's question she glances away from the hole and looks at him. "From what I understand, they advised that they won't be joining us. Defeating the mites seems to be our task. Its a little frustrating but at least its means we don't have to be as worried about them stabbing us in the back if they think better of our alliance."
I'm fine with making Amber part of her character, but I think she absolutely would be staying in the backpack - save for maybe stretching her wings a little around the campfire.
The problem is that its not a great idea to have your familiar sitting on your shoulder or flying around randomly while investigating hostile territory (particularly with bandits in the area). I'm making an exception now to push an interaction but in reality its a little OOC to be doing this as its not a smart move. As Amber has just 4 HP (until Caitir gains a level), a single stray arrow basically ends her. I could have Caitir retrain her feats and go Mauler Wasp Familiar which would make her familiar a little tankier and then get a bit more 'screen time' but then I wouldn't be able to take an Improved Familiar like I had initially planned for.
Sorry guys, had to self isolate while I was waiting for someones COVID-19 test to come back. Fortunately, just came back negative now but it stuffed my last couple of days.
"There is a simple solution I think" Caitir remarks, opening up her backpack and carefully lifting out Amber, her owl familiar. She strokes the bird carefully for a moment before glancing at Mirana.
"Amber can fly down with you guys, carrying an object that Mirana could cast Light on. It would let you climb down safely, and ensure that you can see when you get to the bottom. Just be careful - Amber doesn't really do combat much" she adds as an afterthought, as she holds out the silver amulet for Mirana to cast Light on, before handing it to Amber to clutch in her talons.
Caitir offers an amused smile. "I wasn't being entirely serious with my earlier suggestion. I don't think Mirana much likes that strategy either. I'm fine with us walking in the front door and hacking our way though, that strategy is a bit head on for my taste but its simple, and its probably still going to get the job done here I think."
"They consider the mites dumb, not smart enough to keep scouts active" Caitir translates for the others, with a skeptical look on her face. I cannot tell if that is actually true though, or just tough talk and bravado. Clearly the mites have some strengths if they are challenging the kobold tribe...I think we should be on guard all the same" she remarks, looking at the tree with a calculating look on her face.
"If we knew all their entry points and blocked them, I'd rather we pour accelerant down the entry point and light a fire, Inelegant maybe, but probably practical>" the rogue continues, before shrugging. "I think it might have to be head on though for this one, frustrating as I am about doing the obvious course of action. If I can get room to flank with someone, anyone, I'll be happy, but that's all I really care about."
Caitir chews her lip for a moment before raising an eyebrow at Kunala's question. "Hey, that works for me. Knock yourself out" she replies in a casual tone before heading over to the kobold group. By now she knew roughly which of them seemed to be speaking on behalf of the group, or at least the one the others looked to for opinions and guidence. The small cues were enough for her to figure out who to direct her remarks to.
Dragonic:
'My friends and I don't have darksight, so we are planning on resting for a bit and then attacking at first light. No fires tonight I think, the warmth would be welcome but the light might give us away. We don't know if the mites have or use scouts of their own that we need to be wary off, so its best to be cautious."
"Mirana is the same I think, must be why she washes with Create Water every morning" Caitir remarks cheekily before she turns slightly more serious at the task ahead.
"If the Mites have resistance to normal weaponry, that is going to make things slightly harder, but as long as we dont run into a huge number of them, we should be able to pile through it with our kobold allies...I think. We should test the waters though at least, and see how things go. Cold camp, then attack at first light."
Caitir yawns a little at the discussion. "I'm not scared of much. If it bleeds, I can kill it, and then there isn't much need to be scared of it anymore. I'm a practical sort of girl. Then again, I used to get Mirana into all sorts of dangerous situations so perhaps a reckless approach isn't the greatest thing to have. Still, we had fun" she reflects, thinking back on some good times.
"As for the mites, I...I would prefer that we attack in the morning I think. The later we leave it, the greater the chances we run into some stupid vision or supernatural senses disadvantage. I mean, I'm mostly fine with either option, but thats the preference I have. I'm not really worried about the mites themselves, but I'd rather avoid making things harder for ourselves."
Caitir sucks in the cool morning air for a moment, stretching before she gives the kobolds a thoughtful nod as she thinks for a moment after their latest comment. Queen of the Spiders did sound scary, but they would have to handle it sooner or later anyway.
"The kobolds just advised that there is a Spider Queen in an east direction. They want us to go through the forest or go around. I'm tempted to check it out and eliminate the spider itself - there are a lot of us after all - but I'm not sure if its beyond our abilities yet. Thoughts?"
Nothing for me yet GM but I'll have a think on it. Just got power back after five hours since arriving home from work so I'm a bit cold, and a bit hungry, but if inspiration strikes and I think of something, I'll just put it in spoilers so that it doesn't slow anything down.
Caitir is surprised, but encouraged by Kunala's first attempt. It was a bit of a gamble to offer the kobolds their own food - Caitir hadn't really thought to ask them herself, worried about a negative reaction - but she was extremely pleased that everything had worked out in the end. It was also good to see that kobolds appreciating the attempt being made to learn their language.
They are going to find it much harder to double cross us down the road the friendlier we are with them. People find it hard to stab friends in the back" she reflects idly, before nudging Marana, indicating that she would take the first watch over her.
Caitir coaches Kunala on what to say, drawing the words first on a page and underlining parts of them so Kunala could see how they were written, and pronounced, giving him pointers not just on what to say, but also how to read some of the language.
Caitir finishes giving the cave a bit of a brief inspection, but nothing detailed. It didnt seem to be regularly used by other creatures, and while the paw prints outside were concerning, it was unlikely that they would meet trouble with kobolds and her friends nearby - most creatures would not seek an active challenge.
Caitir returns to the cave, initially nodding at Kunala's request, before frowning a little "Why don't I teach you the words you need to say, and then I can translate for you? That way you can learn a couple of words, and maybe we get more respect from the kobolds in attempting to speak to them in their preferred language."
Caitir scouts around the cave, comforted slightly by the fact that the site appeared to be a common camping site as she eavesdrops on the kobolds conversation - fluent in their language.
"We should be safe I think - at least from the kobolds tonight. They don't trust us either, and are appointing a watch to ensure we don't attack them" Caitir responds with a wry smile. "I can't say I'm too upset with that arrangement, a bit of healthy paranoia on both sides might reduce the chances of being stabbed in the back. Good news all around" she finishes in an amused tone.
"Whether it rains or not, Mirana will probably still insist on bathing with her Create Water spell" Caitir remarks, rolling her eyes as her friend sticks out her tongue at her in amusements.
"As for the magical item, I don't believe they specified what it was - just a statue. It might have magical powers, or it might be significant for religious or cultural reasons. We might know more when we lay eyes on it."
Caitir nods at the kobolds and translates for the others.
"They want us to rest for the night, and perhaps let the weather pass over us. They don't seem to be bothered by the weather, so perhaps this is their attempt at being understanding - or perhaps they just hide things really well. I'd suggest we take watches though just in case - even if the kobolds dont try anything, I don't imagine we would be the only things in this forest that would view a dark cave as a nice place to ride out a wet night."
At Kunala's question, Caitir smiles slightly. "I'll be happy to teach you the basics - its beats me having to translate all the time. Its a pretty straightforward language to learn - I don't have much talent for them and picked it up off an old text. If someone like me can learn it, I'm sure it won't take you too long to pick it up."
Caitir leans back, letting the wind push her hair backwards as they continued to ride at a slow pace. At Kunala's comment she turns and half smiles in his direction.
"You raise a good point and I'm thinking along similar lines, having a bit of a pessimist view on things. I doubt they have the authority to make treaties, but equally, if we prove ourselves capable of defeating the mites and regaining a station the kobolds have so far been unable to claim back for themselves - I think it tells their chief that we are formidable at the very least. I think we should absolutely be on guard and ready for a possible betrayal - I think that would be practical - but I do think its worth trying this and seeing if we can open up diplomacy before we start slicing off heads."
Caitir gives Dhavik's comments consideration before shaking her head slightly. "I don't think so. They appear to be largely independent anyway - and apparently prickly enough to be suspicious of anything we recommend regardless if our intent. We might as well proceed in a manner they feel most comfortable and have a smoother journey overall."
"No-one is backing out" Caitir says smoothly but firmly, putting on her most charming tone. "My friend was just conscious that the bandits would be tougher to handle if we wait until later. She was worried about the increased risk to members of your tribe that would help us. She just wanted to give you the option is all. Seeing as you are willing to wait until later to handle the bandits, why don't you lead us on towards the mites and we can both help each other."
Bit of an oversight but GM do we get a sense that they will keep their word. I presume so but I shouldn't assume :)
Caitir nods at Iradyiel's comments. "I tend to agree, but I don't see them as a particularly rogue faction at the moment. Helping get the statue though will hopefully lead to a friendly relationship though. Best case scenario, we learn to co-exist. Worst case scenario, we help them and they help us establish a foothold in the area...and then we deal with any problems later down the road."
Caitir scowls a little at Mirana's comments, but does see the wisdom in letting someone else kick up a fuss over the agreement instead of herself. She listens to what Mirana instructs her to say, before translating for the kobolds.
Draconic:
"My friends here, are happy to lend our assistance towards taking care of your mite problem, as agreed. Unfortunately, we find ourselves in a significant time problem. My friends want to eliminate the bandit tribe within these parts, but they are expecting six reinforcements over the next two days. If we leave to attack the mites now, it make sour job almost impossible by the time gets back" Caitir remarks almost sadly, before brightening slightly. "My friend Mirana though recommended some options. [b]"If you want, you could help us eliminate the bandit tribe now. They are weak now, vulnerable and its the best time to strike. Alternatives, we could leave and go to the mites and attack the bandits later. The bandits will be stronger though, which increases the risk that someone who takes part in the raid or attack might get hurt. My friend wanted to know if you had a preference between the two options, since you might not be aware that bandit tribe will be much much stronger in a few days if we delay."
Caitir nods, then gestures towards the others, standing in a group, waving them over.
"The kobolds and I have come to an agreement I believe. They are willing to help us, if we help them deal with the mites. Apparently they want to 'get back' a magic stature - so it was probably stolen from them at some point. I considered it a fair quid pro quo."
Caitir pauses for a moment, before creasing her brow a little in annoyance. "One problem through, they said it would take a couple of days to get there. Which means that even if we defeat the mites, its two days to get there, two days back. Thats more than enough time for the bandits to have reinforcements. What do we thing?"
This sidequest is unfortunate timing since I think it makes our job harder in the long run in defeating the bandits because they get an extra six guys. Maybe it might be better to ignore the kobold thing and move onto the bandits.
Caitir rubs her chin somewhat melodramatically as if she was giving the offer serious thought. In truth, she was fine having the kobolds as allies and the decision was an easy one, but she didnt want to look too eager in case she intimidated the kobolds in some way.
Draconic:
"I'll accept, on one condition - that my friends can come too. They are even better warriors than I am, and will therefore make it even easier to deal with the mites. Does that sound fair? I'm allowed to bring some of my friends along to help you with the mites and get you favor? Then you help us?"
Sorry Kunala, I know this isn't particularly exciting for you, just trying to bring us all together now.
Caitir watches the spear jab in her direction, calculating the distance between it and her and realizes its not going to meet its mark. She doesn't even flinch, putting on a confident show.
Draconic:
"If you are not scared of long legs, then you won't have any problems dropping your weapons then won't you? There's four of you and one of me and I'm not holding my weapons. I'm here to talk. I understand you have a bit of a mite problem yes? I have a bandit problem. Perhaps we can discuss our problems and see if we can find a solution?"
Diplomacy (subtract 4 from the result if its a pure CHA check:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
"Long legs have Chiefs as well you know, its not merely a scale skin invention" Caitir replies patiently, not intimidated by the small spears. "Put your spears down scales, if I meant you harm I could have hurt you while you slept. If I wanted your radishes I could have easily taken them. I woke you up because I wanted to talk. You don't need to be brandishing your weapons at me...unless you are scared of long legs that is" Caitir remarks, trying to put the kobolds into a verbal trap. They could either admit to being terrified of her to hold onto their weapons, or struggle to decline her reasonable request."
Requesting that I see the results of Catir's speech before Iradyiel and Kunala start drawing weapons - which is unlikely to make them disarm. If they hold onto them in spite of Caitir's most recent comments, I have no complaints with Kunala and Iradyiel stepping in.
"There is no need to apologize, it was a question for the group" Caitir remarks with a smile in Kunala's direction. [b/]"If everyone is comfortable with the potential risk, I could talk to them and everyone else could stand in aggressive positions where they could swiftly strike if they provided difficult. I'd suggest disarming them but that might not be possible without waking them up"[/b]
Caitir steps forward, lightly tugging on Mirana's arm, the gesture reminding the druid to hold off for a moment and focus on the present. "Actually, I can speak kobold. Or rather, I can speak Draconic which I think the kobolds can speak fluently. We could wake them up and I could communicate with them, assuming they are not immediately hostile. Do we want to give it a try and risk it? Do we want to ask them anything in particular, perhaps where the bandit camp might be?"
Caitir smiles at Kunala's comment as they ride, following the tracks toward the likely location of the bandit stronghold. "I don't think I learnt much to be honest from him, nor did he learn much from me I think. Thats the trouble with sparring I think, it doesn't prepare you well enough for real combat and its a pointless for someone like me who doesn't strive to fight toe to toe, face to face. You I think, would get more out of challenging him than I would"
As they approach the bandit camp Caitir pulls tightly on her mount, bringing it to a slower pace. "We should go a little slower here and quieter. The bandit scouts are no doubt fairly close."
We get a lot of drifters here...sneaking in and take a look... Caitir suddenly sits upright from her slouched position. "Oh, oh I'm such a moron. Guys, we can just walk right into the middle of the camp, just the four of us. We can pretend to be bandits in the area, drifters, like Sanok said. We can stroll right in, maybe under a cloud of initial suspicion but we probably don't get shot. We can walk in, assassinate Kressle, and maybe that is enough for the rest of them to flee."
Caitir stands up from the table and paces for a moment, running through the situation in her mind. "We could even ask Gael and Kesten to launch an attack from the outside on Day 3 while we are pretending to be bandits if we haven't succeeded by then. That could could cause a further opportunity, or create chaos or uncertainty for us to strike"
Caitir frowns, looking a little irritated. "A dozen men though on the hand side of the coin is even more difficult. We could wait until they attack us again, but equally they might not. They could stay where they are and just cause hindrance after hindrance. I reluctantly agree with Mirana though, my preference would be striking fast and hard while they have less men, but half a dozen with the addition of Kressle is beyond our capabilities at present. I'd like to root them out today but I cannot think of a strategy that would let us win."
Six to twelve is more than what we had to handle during the attack on the trading post - and that was with the element of surprise and a battlefield of our choosing Caitir reflects sourly. On the flip side, twelve men would be even more difficult to handle. We might have to risk it, even though I'm not thrilled with the idea" she reflects to herself, before nodding at Iradyiel.
"I agree, a dozen men is going to be extremely difficult if we let sleeping dogs lie. We might need to travel quickly."
Thats about all from me. Mirana doesn't have any further questions apart from whats just been asked.
Interesting...if the bandit camp is near here perhaps we should attack it more or less immediately. If its a few days away though, they will probably be on high alert. Caitir glances at Mirana and could see that her thoughts were progressing along similar lines.
"Sanok, would you be able to inform us as to where they place their scouts or watchers? Is there a way to approach the camp without being seen?"
Caitir straightens from where she had been leaning against the wall. She bore Mirana no ill will from her command, she could follow exactly what her friend was trying to accomplish. Sanok couldn't truly relax here if he thought she was going to shove a blade through his gut, he had to feel like this was his new family - hopefully one he didnt feel like betraying.
She nods in Sanok's direction, giving Mirana a bit of a scowl before half bowing in the boys direction. "I apologize Sanok, I remembered what Oleg and Svetlana went through, as well as what my friend suffered, and I got a little...heated. I'll keep a tighter handle on it in future" she replies in a matter of fact tone.
Caitir frowns, ready to step forward and coax some answers out of the man before pausing as Mirana takes the lead role. "Now thats interesting, I didn't realise she felt comfortable enough taking the lead role in an interrogation...thats rather unexpected. Now, time to see if I can push her to be more like this in future" she muses slightly.
Caitir wanted to support Mirana's efforts, but she didnt feel that further kind words on her part would help. She wanted the man to gravitate to Mirana, not necessarily split attention between different parties. So she decides to be the nasty one, the scary one, so that the man would lean away from her and towards Mirana, presenting the kind and thoughtful approach.
"Oh please, can we skip to the part where we watch this guy croak his last already? He tried to steal from an elderly couple - why are we wasting time?"
Intimidate:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
Basically being bad cop, but only really attempting Intimidate if I think the guy needs a 'push' to latch onto Mirana or Kunala since I don't want to undermine their Diplomacy efforts.
Caitir keeps her eyes on Gael, taking careful note of her footwork and his opening stance. She listens carefully to what he has to say, and immediately notes his movement out of the sunlight when she reveals her tactic.
"I think I know well enough. You enjoy swordplay, or perhaps more accurately challenging yourself against another. You have discipline as well - to get up at such an early start and start training implies rigorous focus and attitude. You seen continuous improvement - its not enough to focus on your own style, you are interested in other tactics, it shows a willingness to be flexible and embrace change."
Caitir keeps her eyes fixed on Gael, but looks at the terrain, trying to see if there was a suitable spot within close proximity to Gael where footing could be a little more vulnerable or precarious.
"You are an intelligent fighter, you observe and adapt, which is somewhat of a rarity to find a smart bladesman. That said, you don't expect dirty tactics - probably because there is still that belief somewhere that people will always choose to fight fair. You also approached this sparring session casually - you didnt see me as a significant challenge in terms of pure technique - which was probably a fair assessment if I'm being completely honest. Its probably though why you had a brief lapse in concentration and lost sight of your environment and where you were standing, which let me turn the sun into your eyes."
In an almost ironic moment, Caitir suddenly steps onto a patch of grass slippery with morning dew. Her blade flies out of her hand and onto the grass, and she stumbles, relying on either Gael's chivalry to catch her, or if he makes no move - she steps closer to him anyway to stop herself falling.
It becomes clear though that Caitir was merely feinting, using the alleged stumble (and the fact that she was no longer armed) to get closer to Gael, lean against him, and trigger a spring loaded wrist sheath for a dagger to appear in her free hand right next to Gael's throat.
Caitir holds the pose slowly for a moment after the lightning quick maneuver, before giving the man a quick wink. "To answer your question, no, I don't just use objects and the land to my advantage, I'll use my enemies preconceptions as well. I might as well use everything I have at my disposal to get an advantage in a fight, my opponent probably won't hold back so why should I?" she finishes in a teasing tone before stepping backwards, checking if Gael does anything sneaky before picking up here own blade once again and sheathing it.
"So, how well did I do?" she asks, keeping her tone light and with slight amusement.
Yeah I want to pull Amber in more, but its tricky since shes a) nocturnal and we tend to be active during the day, and b) really really squishy (so she can only really come out when its 100% safe). When Catir gets an improved familiar (eventually) there's a lot more room to include a familiar in rp but its a little tricky at present. I'll try and think of something.
Caitir smirks a little at Gael. "I wasn't watching I was sneaking. Which is lucky for you, as it happens. If I was a real enemy I'd have your throat by now."
Considering the offer for a moment, Caitir circles the man slowly in thought. "Fine, I'll cross blades with you, even though I think dueling is a waste of time. Its not often your enemy is focused on giving you a 'fair' fight."
Caitir takes note of the position of the sun and draws her blade, keeping the sun at her back. On Gael's first attack she spins to the side to that Gael gets the full force of the glare directly in his eyes. Even in a duel Caitir disliked fighting fair.
I'm going to wring that roosters scrawny little neck if its going to do that every morning" Caitir moans a little from her bed. She had slept well but she still hated back to back early starts even though she was a practical sort who believed in getting on with the rest of the day.
Grumbling to herself she rolls out of bed, and is pleased to discover that breakfast is already laid out. She feels a little guilty, realizing that Oleg and Svetlana must have been up even earlier, but eventually her hunger gets the better of her and she tears into the food before reluctantly putting some aside on a plate for Mirana.
"I'll talk to our prisoner in a little bit, I'll just check the perimeter briefly first" Caitir remarks, finishing her food and heading towards the gate.
Its relatively simple to spot Gael, the man wasn't hiding and Caitir did admire the mans discipline to get up early in the mornings and practice swordplay. She noted the sweat on the mans chest and back and realized this was probably an early morning training regime of some sort. With a smirk, she tries to sneak closer without the man noticing.
"Kunala decided we would all be better off in tents for the foreseeable future, oh and we solved law and order" Caitir remarks, yawning slightly and swinging back on her chair. "It was a riveting discussion, full of twists and turns, and I'm for one, truly sorry that you missed out on a magical ten minutes" she finishes in a dry tone, half smiling at the end to let everyone know that she was only kidding around.
Caitir shakes her head slightly "I'd avoid a set or dedicated sentence for all bandits. Are you going to give the same sentence to a boy that never stole anything in his life but maybe had a job as a scout for the bandits, compared with the long time robbed dozens of people? No, keep it flexible, let the sentence fit the crime, and lets not get too rigid on details. Who knows, maybe things turn out where we have to kill the lot of them anyway"
"Let him work his debt off. This place is probably going to grow at any rate, and a maim and release strategy is unlikely to win any favors. The more he helps the better chance rehabilitation might be successful - or at least thats my slightly biased opinion" Caitir responds, before turning to address Olegs point, raising an eyebrow and smiling slightly.
"Its a good bed, but I'm not super attached to it. As long as our gear isn't within easy reach of someone else, I don't mind someone else using the bed while we are not using it. Sing out though if you need some help with the construction aspects, Kesten has a couple of big tough guys, they might be able to weigh in and assist."
Caitir stays where she is currently seated, reflecting on the role of the bandit and how best to get him to talk. She checks that Kesten isn't in earshot before answering.
"As the only criminal at this table, I probably have more of a unique view that most, but I think the guy delivers a chance. Now, I have limits. If he was the bandit that made the sort of comments Svetlana described quite frankly a blade through the heart is too good for him. Outside of that though, many people turn to crime due to their own vulnerable circumstances. They dont have money or food so they steal it, or the make poor choices. I'm not defending the action - especially against vulnerable folks, but sometimes people become victims of circumstances - just look at Kesten. My thinking is to talk to him, find out how cooperative he might be, and whether he can be err rehabilitated I guess."
Caitir half curtsy's at Kesten's gesture in taking her hand, before sitting down next to the man. She watches him administer orders to his men, before nodding her head in apparent admiration. "You give orders so well, you men must have a great deal of respect in you. You must have earnt their respect somehow" she offers, spreading the praise a little before raising her eyebrows earnestly. "Why do you think your superiors had a vested interest in Olegs, and this settlement flourishing? Surely your superiors trusted you with the reason behind it?" she asks carefully.
"Right, send the master thief to talk with a guard captain, what could go wrong?" Caitir thought to herself on approach, reflecting that it wasn't the first time Mirana had shown poor judgment. Still, it wasn't like the guards knew Caitir's actual history and anyway, she had only been a relatively minor thief anyway - the whole reason she left in the first place.
Caitir smiles up at the four men, giving Keston her most charming smile. Caitir knew how to be very charming when she wanted to be, and she had already decided that getting into the mans good books could only be a good thing considering her casual attitude towards law and order.
"Hello guys, I'm Caitir, please to meet you. Over there is my friend Mirana. We are lending Kunala and his friend some assistance in cleaning up this area of any problems. Are you here to help with that as well?"
"Typical - everyone's probably dreaming of glorious flanking tactics or hit and run strategies to deal with the Stag Lord when I could probably just slip into his bed and cut his throat" Caitir thought wistfully for a moment. She didn't think that this particular scenario was likely to happen, and besides - it was overly simplistic without thought for what could go wrong - but even so she allowed herself to dream of the simple, mundane, and probably less honorable solution. If it got the job done Caitir was happy.
She smirks a little at Iradyiel's latest remark, before jerking a thumb in Mirana's direction "Hes not the only one" she says in a mock serious tone.
