Quest #15 "Taking Down Captain Bing"

[OGRE MAGE]

Emancipation Time
Stiiiill Watching
Starday, The 6th of Goodmonth
Early Afternooon, Hot, Sunny, Buggy

Continuing to monitor this camp while hidden away at the edge of the jungle, the bug bites are really starting to accumulate. Talaris has had enough and sits down against a tree to try to get in a few winks. Lerrick thinks strongly about joining her fellow priest, since there is little for them to do except watch anyway. The sleeplessness from the night before, along with the relentless attacks from the bugs, is starting to make a few of the groups members a little cranky.

Nothing changes in the fields. The yellow skinned brutes continue yanking the slaves around by their chains, pulling up stakes and pounding them back in. The watchers are unable to deduce where the natives sleep. There is no shelter building for them anywhere to be seen. The dirty blue robbed man wanders away from the waterfall and eventually enters the cave in the side of the cliff wall. He stays in there for a few seconds and then wanders right back out. The man seems to be oblivious to anything that is happening around him.

A short while after lunch, a bit of action starts to sizzle around the camp. The men all gather nearby the river where the rafts are stored. It appears that there are about 30 men in total by your best count, but a few more groups enter the area from the trails end again, making it difficult to get an accurate count at this great of a distance away.

The smugglers all begin to bunch up in a fairly tight circle, seemingly awaiting something that is about to happen, even further tempting the groups mage and his itchy wand fingers. Unfortunately, Chauncey believes them to be just out of the wands range at the moment. Soon after, the presumed captain and his dark robed companion exit their private shack and head towards the gathered men, taking the blue robed wandering loner along with them. The captain starts a loud speech, though you cant make out a word of it from your position. Periodically, the men all cheer loudly after a few verbose sentences from their leader.

At one point, the captain brings the loner out in front of the assembled group. The cheers and revelry all instantly stop. It is fairly apparent that the smugglers have not accepted this person into their ranks. After a few more sentences from the captain, they reluctantly cheer again, but it is obvious that they are doing it because they have to, not because they want to.

Two of the sailors move off to the river and seem to be preparing some of the rafts, setting them into the water and actually positioning a wooden chair onto one of them. The pep rally seems to be winding down as the group starts to slowly disband. The captain, along with the blue robed loner, begin to make their way towards the floating rafts in the water.

Actions?

IMG_2085.JPG (680.05 KiB) Viewed 399 times

Luther R3 26/26
Lightfinger T4 19/19
Talaris C1 9/9 3/3 first
Monocar F3 30/31
Chauncey MU3 16/16 CL, DM, RM 2/2 first 1/1 second
Lerrick C1 8/8 3/3 first
Alordan R3 18/18

[ravenn4544]

Alordan getting a little cranky himself ask,"What are we gonna do? What about returning to town and getting some reinforcements? We can be back here in a day or so ready to go. Doesn't look like anyone is going anywhere?"

[ChubbyPixie]

”It certainly looks as if someone is going somewhere!” says Chauncey, ”Via boat throne, it would seem. Let us make our way along the tree line, using the jungle as cover, until all is within range of the boom stick. Then we shall begin to enact a plan. Waiting any longer will result in death by bug bite! Come, quickly!” He begins making his way east just inside the trees.

[ChubbyPixie]

Whoops, forgot this last time: Hard Wisdom Save (12): [4d6] = 10

[Urson]

Luther

Yeah, it looks like they're forcing our hand- and I ain't waiting any longer to rescue those poor bastards out there.

Not to wave my own flag too hard, but I'm one of the toughest here. How 'bout I break into the open on the south end of the farms and try to draw their attention, while the rest of you attack 'em from the sides and the rear? I know I'm slow as hell, but I ain't volunteering anybody else to be the target.

Luther's clearly ready to do _Something,_ but he's holding position for now, not rushing out into certain death.

[kruk]

LutherNot to wave my own flag too hard, but I'm one of the toughest here. How 'bout I break into the open on the south end of the farms and try to draw their attention, while the rest of you attack 'em from the sides and the rear? I know I'm slow as hell, but I ain't volunteering anybody else to be the target..

The cleric stands I can follow you and heal you when you need it.

[Bluehorse]

Monocar

Scarfs down his last crab ration and begins striping down put of his armor, looking at the clerics. Either of you think you can wear this? he offers the splitmail chestpiece and the small helm that barely goes on his own head.

He sets aside his woodaxe and offers his longsword. I expect this back... he offers it to Luthar. He then strips down, looking at Chauncy. Do me, Cha-cha!

[tkrexx]

Lightfinger mounts resistance.

Nightfall! He pleads, If we absolutely can't avoid doing something stupid, at least we should wait for nightfall. Our chances of survival, as well as saving any slaves, as well as taking out a goodly number of these thugs... We simply must wait for nightfall. He leans closer for emphasis. We can get in after dark, Clancey can blitzkrieg the barracks and web the Ogres, I can unlock the slaves' chains, Aladdin, Loomis and Monocle can engage to cover our escape, then the Priests can heal our wounds - And there are certain to be many - And we can warn Beachtown. Without their foot soldiers, the evil Captain won't be able carry on with whatever activity he is currently up to, and would hardly dare seek revenge on the townsfolk. Striking now would be suicide, or even worse: Enslavement ourselves!

[ChubbyPixie]

Chauncey pauses at the perimeter when he realizes no one is following him. ”Listen, he’s getting away! If we have any chance to...” he begins, but is brought up short and stands dumbfounded, mouth agape when Monocar suddenly disrobes. He for once has no idea what to say...

Then Lightfinger chimes in.

LightfingerNightfall! He pleads, If we absolutely can't avoid doing something stupid, at least we should wait for nightfall. Our chances of survival, as well as saving any slaves, as well as taking out a goodly number of these thugs... We simply must wait for nightfall. He leans closer for emphasis. We can get in after dark, Clancey can blitzkrieg the barracks and web the Ogres, I can unlock the slaves' chains, Aladdin, Loomis and Monocle can engage to cover our escape, then the Priests can heal our wounds - And there are certain to be many - And we can warn Beachtown. Without their foot soldiers, the evil Captain won't be able carry on with whatever activity he is currently up to, and would hardly dare seek revenge on the townsfolk. Striking now would be suicide, or even worse: Enslavement ourselves!

...and, as he speaks, Chauncey’s eyes light up. ”Yes. Yes, Lightfinger! Scratch what I said about the head! Let us cut off the body! ...you remember?... the snake metaphor?... At any rate, what Lightfinger said, but with the following amendments. Firstly, I Web the ogre hut to prevent them interfering, however, I must be close to do it, and they will surely start a racket that will wake the camp. That is why, meanwhile, one or more of us has been busy setting fire to the drying barns. In the confusion, the mercenaries will rush out to see Captain Bing’s prize crop on fire! They all gather to put it out and... BOOM. I take them out with the stick. ...The fire has the added benefit of driving off the bugs! Meanwhile meanwhile, Lightfinger has been busy freeing the bonds of the slaves, allowing them to escape into the jungle! And yes, Monocar, you can be giant and naked for all of this if you wish.” He looks very pleased. ”Oh... and then we all run like hell back to this point and make our escape into the jungle.”

[Urson]

Luther

The Ranger's eyes lose some of that strange, 'wild' look they had as Lightfinger and Chauncey lay out their plan. I think that will work. I never wanted to take un-needed risk, but watching those poor prisoners has been worse than the chigger bites between my shoulder blades. We should move at full dark.

[Bluehorse]

Monocar

Oh. puts clothes back on for now, but still offers armor to the clerics for the battle.

[OGRE MAGE]

I am seeing a few different ideas bounced around in this one so far, which is good.

It seems that the majority of the group wants to begin the attack after nightfall. That is fine with me.

I will let this simmer for a little while longer in case anyone comes up with another idea, but if I don't hear anything else soon, I will push the action along with that plan in mind.

Please try to keep Monocar fully clothed till then!

[OGRE MAGE]

Emancipation Time
Stiiiiiiiiiiill Watching
Starday, The 6th of Goodmonth
Mid Afternooon, Hot, Sunny, Buggy

Chauncey almost makes a rash decision when he starts heading towards the river through the jungle. He gets about 20 feet away before he realizes that no one is following him. Then Lightfinger pleads with the others to, at the very least, wait until the cover of darkness before anyone gives up the groups position. The wizard quickly returns to the others and agrees wholeheartedly with the tall (for a halfling) thief. Despite the departure of the captain and his blue robbed buddy, the consensus of the group seems to be to continue watching, waiting till nightfall to attack.

Alordan just shakes his head when he looks out over the camp, certain that the group should head back to town to find reinforcements. He doesn't know what to make of the fanfare at the river, but being outnumbered 4 to 1 isn't what the cautious ranger would consider to be good odds. Talaris keeps swatting at the bugs all over him, throwing his hands up in frustration once the decision is made to wait even longer.

The raft carrying the captain and the young human departs downriver to cheers and chants from the assembled group. As soon as they are out of sight, the workers around the camp get back to their previous duties of working in the barns and sending more of the bundles down the river. The work in the fields continues as well, the treatment of the slaves really starting to grind away the integrity of the good aligned members of the group. Monocar doffs and dons his clothing a few times to see how quickly he can be ready for the wizards "make me big" spell.

A short time after the bon voyage party near the river has ended, the halfling and the bear man start to hear something in the jungle that doesn't quite sound right to them. The noises are not distinct or obvious, but they are clearly not in tune with what they have been hearing out here so far. They believe they are coming from their left, closer to the fields, but still emanating from the edge of the thick jungle. They also perceive that the natives in the fields have noticed them as well. The chained men seem to be looking in that direction a lot more now and one or two even risk a few indecipherable hand signals that way periodically. Eventually the ogres must figure this out, because the biggest of their numbers starts to bellow loudly towards the camp.

The ugly human in the black robes, accompanied by a second, much larger man, begin to head out into the fields to see what the brute is yelling about. (2 X's on the map)

Actions?

IMG_2088.JPG (554.51 KiB) Viewed 338 times

Luther R3 26/26
Lightfinger T4 19/19
Talaris C1 9/9 3/3 first
Monocar F3 30/31
Chauncey MU3 16/16 CL, DM, RM 2/2 first 1/1 second
Lerrick C1 8/8 3/3 first
Alordan R3 18/18

[Urson]

Luther
Luther heads toward the mysterious sounds, doing everything he can to be quiet and stay low. See if this is a threat or an opportunity..

[tkrexx]

Lightfinger does likewise.

See if this is a threat or an opportunity.

The little Thief could not have put it better. He gets low and watches with a wary eye both the investigators and the bulk of sailors, so as to note if they change their actions, and in what manner. Wouldn't it be wonderful if this happens to be the distraction we'd hoped for! He whispers.

[Bluehorse]

Monocar

Hearing the sounds and seeing all the activity the big man readies his sword, standing ready and waiting to see what happens, falling into the role of guard dog as his lizard brain kicks in, sensing something is about to happen.

[kruk]

The cleric moves behind Monocar with staff in hand.

[ravenn4544]

Alordan, noting the unsurprising disruption to the planning process, follows also ready to cover the front with bow fire.

[ChubbyPixie]

Though he is quite adept at sneaking, Chauncey will stay put for the moment and let Luther and Alordan do their thing. If the strange noises attract more of the mercenaries and/or ogres, he would prefer to be behind them, ready to pounce, and also still within range of the camp structures to provide a counter distraction and possibly split their forces. He eyes the dirty mage and his companion and his finger twitches on the boom stick. What manner of offensive magic does the magic one possess besides the lighting wand Wesley mentioned? At any rate, this one must be dealt with at the commencement of any potential action, lest he fry Chauncey’s band of adventurers into twisted, smoking black lumps of charred flesh. And who is the big man? Just a guard? He peers closer.

[OGRE MAGE]

Emancipation Time
Now What?
Starday, The 6th of Goodmonth
Mid Afternooon, Hot, Sunny, Buggy

Luther begins sneaking through the bush in the direction of the noises as the others stay put, keeping a tight watch over the rest of the camp. The bear-like ranger doesn't get too far from the others when all freeking hell breaks loose. He can see the slaves in the field shaking their heads back and forth and holding out their palms towards the noise, indicating to whatever is making the noise that they should not come any closer.

The ogres in the field begin grunting loudly and pointing into the jungle, a few hundred feet west from where the party is hiding. The black mage and his huge bodyguard instantly start heading in that direction. Suddenly a pair of dark skinned female natives emerge from the edge of the jungle and begin running towards the chained slaves. The ogres rush at them with their huge mallets while the mage stops dead and starts casting a spell.

In an instant, 3 tiny bolts of pure energy shoot forth from the fingertips of the man in black. All three of them hit the closest female to him, knocking her to the ground as soon as they hit her. The second keeps running for the chained men and is almost as quickly taken on by one of the oncoming ogres. He smashes her with his wooden maul, killing her violently and instantly.

The strange noises coming from the west are no longer heard. Lightfinger doesn't notice any change in the order of the camp. In fact, the workers there seem to ignore these sudden happenings in the fields completely.

Actions?

IMG_2089.JPG (785.88 KiB) Viewed 304 times

Luther R3 26/26
Lightfinger T4 19/19
Talaris C1 9/9 3/3 first
Monocar F3 30/31
Chauncey MU3 16/16 CL, DM, RM 2/2 first 1/1 second
Lerrick C1 8/8 3/3 first
Alordan R3 18/18