CH. 02 - Raider's Camp

[Zero Prime]

Caelin Valaerys, pariah of Tarkhisis
ARMOR CLASS: 17 | HIT POINTS: 18 | CURRENT: 18 | HIT DIE: d8; d10 | CURRENT: d8; d10
PASSIVE PERCEPTION: 15 | PASSIVE INSIGHT: 17 | INSPIRATION: 0
ACTIVE EFFECTS: None.
CONDITIONS: None.

Caelin looked at oddly at Eliana as she offered to pair up with him, unsure of what that meant. Confidence in his abilities, even though he'd failed them at the rear guard. Concern for him? He nodded, in recognition of what he hoped was faith, but then turned to the group. His head was shaking slowly, "I still don't think splitting up is going to work, if we split up into three groups, you've now tripled the number of things that can go wrong, and reduced the number of people that can help by a third." He sighed, "In pairs we have no way to communicate anything we've discovered to one another while in the camp, one pair could find the captives and be captured themselves and we'd only know when they didn't show up at the scheduled place and time. Even then we'd be guessing."

"We scout from the lip of the precipice." He slammed a fist into the dirt, furious that the old fool had deemed the lens more critical for Greenest than the success of the mission. "Once we've done so we move as a group through the front gates, moving towards where we suspect the captives are being held. We bring the guards food and water, then we kill them, disguise their bodies as the captives and try to escape, depending on the captives condition, either up the cliff face or disguised through the camp."

[HorizonsDream]

"I think the point of splitting up, at first, is to find the captives and to figure out what we are really up against." Eliana says. She gently puts her hand upon Caelin's shoulder after he slams his fist into the dirt. She isn't exactly sure what that action is all about, but she feels that he needs a little grounding from whatever anger that he is feeling. "Even though we are just a few people, we are still a noticeable group. If we go in as we are, right now, we will be watched. As pairs, we are a little less suspicious, and they won't be watching as as closely. That means we will be able to blend in a little better with the people in that valley. We can find the captives and size up their defenses. Once done, we then can meet up at a spot away from the camp, and come up with a proper plan to save the captives. We would probably have to set a time limit on how long we are in there."

[Bunny Commando]

Henry - HP: 10\20 - Conditions: None - Active Effects: None


Henry sighs at both Benyt's and Caelin's words, again putting his hands forward like he's trying to de-escalate "Eliana is of course right - six people, all quite different, would attract way more attention than pairs. And while it is true that splitting the group increases the chances of things that could go wrong there's also to consider this: if something goes actually wrong for one group, the others could still carry on the mission. And if the enemy captures one group, the best course of actions for the others is to stay put and plan for their rescue. If we stay together and we get captured, no one will rescue us." a brief pause, as to let everyone think over his plan "I would say that one hour should be enough to scout the camp; after we have more informations, we could actually plan for the rescue." another brief pause, then he clears his throat "And while I do understand that we all have our motives to be here, I know you won't let those motives endanger the lives of the people that count on us."

[Zero Prime]

Caelin Valaerys, pariah of Tarkhisis
ARMOR CLASS: 17 | HIT POINTS: 18 | CURRENT: 18 | HIT DIE: d8; d10 | CURRENT: d8; d10
PASSIVE PERCEPTION: 15 | PASSIVE INSIGHT: 17 | INSPIRATION: 0
ACTIVE EFFECTS: None.
CONDITIONS: None.

Jan 2, 2021 16:51:28 GMT -8 Henry said:

"Eliana is of course right - six people, all quite different, would attract way more attention than pairs."

Caelin shook his head, emphatically, "No Henry, she is not. Three pairs of unique individuals walking into a camp will draw *more* attention, because we are not attached to any group currently present. The outlying group we attacked had ten people in it, a group of six will draw no more attention, and we can cover for one another, we need to do this as a group, there is no question. This isn't a question of what motivates us, we all of us, gave our words to see this through, we are here for the captives, for Zakkoth's friend. And to acheive that goal we need to stay together, that is our only chance at success. Every time we split apart, scout ahead, engage in succession, we have been laid to waste, wounded, injured, left for dead. We go in together or not at all."

[Igordragonian]

'I am not sure how we will find each other later.' Zakkoth say.
'We can move as a group, eventually we will find Leoshin.'

[HorizonsDream]

Eliana looks out over the valley again, and the people that are shuffling through the entrance into the valley. "Henry, we could probably pull it off as a group," she says. "The people walking into the valley look like regular people," she says. "Of course, that makes me a little uneasy, but getting in doesn't look to be a problem."

[Matt4]

Chantilly Sweettooth

HP: 19/19 - AC: 16 - Perception: 15 - Insight: 11 - Inspiration: No

Chantilly was getting increasingly bored and impatient, so while the others kept on discussing she found a secure hiding spot for all her stuff.
Getting back to the group just in time to heard the draconian's concern, she proudly said: "Don't worry Zakkoth, I found a safe place that we could use for our rendezvous, I can show it to the rest of you and then we can go!"

[Igordragonian]

'Good work kender' Zakkoth say relucantly, and adress Eliana.
'You are right to be worried. If and when things go wrong, we will split into pairs. Anything else?'

[Zero Prime]

Caelin Valaerys, pariah of Tarkhisis
ARMOR CLASS: 17 | HIT POINTS: 18 | CURRENT: 18 | HIT DIE: d8; d10 | CURRENT: d8; d10
PASSIVE PERCEPTION: 15 | PASSIVE INSIGHT: 17 | INSPIRATION: 0
ACTIVE EFFECTS: None.
CONDITIONS: None.

Caelin shook his head, "I won't argue, but it is foolish to split our forces for an endeavor of this magnitude." He pointed to the large clearing opposite the cave on the eastern face of the bluffs, "I would suspect that Mistress Mondath and Cyanwrath have taken that for their own, perhaps to store the fruits of their raiding as well." He pondered their approach, "So either Eliana and I walk through the main gate, and proceed towards the cluster of tents to the south of the cave entrance, to determine where the captives are being held. Or we climb, but that leaves us open to being spotted by the northern watchtower if they are, indeed, vigilant."

"As we're splitting our forces," he looked poignantly at Henry, "I am assuming any captive that is *not* Zakkoth's friend, we leave to their fates?"

[HorizonsDream]

"Hmm, I don't think I'm going to be very good at climbing," Eliana admits.

[Bunny Commando]

Henry - HP: 10\20 - Conditions: None - Active Effects: None

Jan 4, 2021 21:20:28 GMT -8 Zero Prime said:

"As we're splitting our forces," he looked poignantly at Henry, "I am assuming any captive that is *not* Zakkoth's friend, we leave to their fates?"

The aspiring knight is about to say something - probably something unpleasant, rage in his eyes and fists clenched; he breathes in once, twice, thrice and only then he actually speaks to Caelin "You know I won't leave anyone behind. I do believe that splitting is the best course of action to scout the camp, locate the prisoners, see how many guards are watching them and what is the safest and fastest path to escape. But when we will spring the prisoners out of jail, we should to that together." then he shakes his head, seems about to just walk away - but then he stops, turns and with a smirk addresses both Caelin and Eliana "I hope you'll forgive me Eliana, but I do believe it would be better if I pair with Caelin. Someone has to keep me out of trouble down there."

[Zero Prime]

Caelin Valaerys, pariah of Tarkhisis
ARMOR CLASS: 17 | HIT POINTS: 18 | CURRENT: 18 | HIT DIE: d8; d10 | CURRENT: d8; d10
PASSIVE PERCEPTION: 15 | PASSIVE INSIGHT: 17 | INSPIRATION: 0
ACTIVE EFFECTS: None.
CONDITIONS: None.

Caelin noted the anger in the Solamnic's eyes, the clenched fists, Caelin almost felt bad for nettling the knight, almost. "You misunderstand me Henry, I'm saying with only six people we have to ready ourselves for the fact that we may not be able to save all of the captives. But still, we need to figure out a meeting point and give ourselves a timeline to gather there so we can link up again and rescue the captives once we discover where they're being held."

[Igordragonian]

'I only owe Leoshin a life and soul debt. If you want to be a hero, little knight..  Let's say the angry boy is right. Anyway, we are wasting time here, haggling and arguing. Who shall accompany this draconian veteran?'

[Matt4]

Chantilly Sweettooth

HP: 19/19 - AC: 16 - Perception: 15 - Insight: 11 - Inspiration: No

Chantilly didn't need to be told twice, the draconian was not even done with his sentence that the little half-kender grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the camp.
"Finally! Let's go!"

[HorizonsDream]

While Eliana was uneasy about how easy it would be to get into the camp, she was even more uneasy about having Henry and Caelin pair up in this adventure. "If you think that is what is best," she says to Henry. While she didn't think it was the best idea, she had individual faith in Henry and Caelin. "But I think it was mentioned that we meet up in a hour?"