Kingmaker: Here Comes the Cavalry! (IC)

[Lost Demiurge]

KINGMAKER: Part I

THE STOLEN LANDS

BE IT SO KNOWN THAT THE BEARER OF THIS CHARTER HAS BEEN CHARGED BY THE SWORDLORDS OF RESTOV, ACTING UPON THE GREATER GOOD AND AUTHORITY VESTED WITHIN THEM BY THE OFFICE OF THE REGENT OF THE DRAGONSCALE THRONE, HAS GRANTED THE RIGHT OF EXPLORATION AND TRAVEL WITHIN THE WILDERNESS REGION KNOWN AS THE GREENBELT. EXPLORATION SHOULD BE LIMITED TO AN AREA NO FURTHER THAN THIRTY-SIX MILES EAST AND WEST AND SIXTY MILES SOUTH OF OLEG'S TRADING POST.

THE CARRIER OF THIS CHARTER SHOULD ALSO STRIVE AGAINST BANDITRY AND OTHER UNLAWFUL BEHAVIOR TO BE ENCOUNTERED. THE PUNISHMENT FOR UNREPENTANT BANDITRY REMAINS, AS ALWAYS, EXECUTION BY SWORD OR ROPE. SO WITNESSED ON THIS 24TH DAY OF TALISTRIL, UNDER WATCHFUL EYE OF THE LORDSHIP OF RESTOV AND AUTHORITY GRANTED BY LORD NOLESKI SURTOVA, CURRENT REGENT OF THE DRAGONSCALE THRONE.

A single piece of parchment, illuminated with fancy scrollwork. Stamped with the authority of the highest office in Brevoy.

Each of you carry one, now, in a waxed leather tube. This writ is your authority out here...

You answered the call. Brevoy has need for explorers, and too much frontier to its south. To the south lie the Stolen Lands, a wild area that has eaten many an attempt to settle it. You answered the call, and now you're both the trailblazers and the law for the area known as the Northern Greenbelt.

Brevoy can spare little gold or supplies for this task, but they also have no claim to whatever treasures lie hidden in the tangled roots of the Narlmarches, no claim to whatever sunken treasure gleams in the wide rivers that flow to and from the vast Tuskwater Lake. They allow you the privilege, and the danger, of looting whatever ruins may be overgrown and crumbling away in these lands which have never been tamed by any civilized folk.

And so you set out from Restov, the southernmost city of Brevoy. A large city and wild one, rich with frontier trade from the River Kingdoms beyond the Stolen Lands. A day or two after departure you passed through a stockaded farrier's post, and since then the road's continued on through plains of waving grass, past the occasional abandoned farm, or empty watchtower. There are no waystations out here. There are no villages out here. There is nothing but empty road, wilderness, and the occasional woodsman heading back to civilization, to refill his supplies after the end of the last long, hard winter.

Four days out of Restov, the road is now nothing more than a dirt track. Ahead of you, as the sun starts to sink in the west, is a small stockaded structure... It looks like an old fort, but unlike most of the others you've passed, this one is in relatively good repair. The sounds of hammering come from within, and the old gate is standing open. This must be Oleg's Trading Post.


The sun will soon fall, and be replaced by darkness... It is a night of a new moon. Should be a good view of the stars, as there's not a cloud to be seen above. A warm, moist breeze makes the grass surrounding you ripple and sigh. The scent of pollen upon the air is heavy. Spring has come to the Greenbelt.

The journey has occupied your time, and you've had little chance to discuss the trip with your comrades. Though you know your own reasons for being here, you know little of your new allies. They are doubtless here for their own reasons, but you are united in at least one task by the paper sealed away in your packs.

From this point on, your fate is in your own hands.

[Steckie]

Roqoan

Roqoan rubs the sweat off his forehead and looks ahead at the old fort.
He's glad to see something that resembles civilization again. Sure, it's small and a bit old, but at least it isn't empty. He's tired of those damn empty watchtowers, empty houses and empty farms.
After a dull and quiet trip to this place, it's going to be a welcome change.

But first things first. Their little group hasn't had much chance to talk yet, and while he knows their names, he doesn't know much else.
Since they're going to be working together very closely, knowing them is going to be very important.

He clears his throat and says: "Well, looks like we made to Oleg's Trading Post. Once we get there, we're free to do what we think is necessary in these lands.
Why don't we get a good meal at Oleg's and during that meal we try to come up with a plan on how to act on our charter?

And while we walk, why don't we get to know each other a bit better?
You all know my name is Roqoan. But what i don't think you know about me yet is that i practice the ancient art of Varisian Tattoo magic.
Because of my tattoos i have a few magic tricks up my sleeve.
Literally. Like this."
Roqoan rolls up the sleave from his right arm, throws it in the air and the raven tattoo on his arm comes alive and flies upwards.
"Little tricks like that, and a few other usefull things. I can also craft tattoos, if anybody wants one, it wont have any magic though."
While he says this, he stretches out his arm to the air again. His raven dives down straight into his arm and becomes a tattoo again

[Sithis]

Alistar Crowley loves this kind of country. It is, after, very similar to the lands where he grew up. Granted, the Coalition lands have a fair bit less of an...abandoned...feel to them. But after spending weeks getting this whole charter thing sorted out, he was just happy to be out of the city and back in nature.

The big man had kept mostly to himself for the duration of the trip, simply enjoying the scenery. However, as they approached Oleg's Trading Post, the dude with the facial tattoo...uhh... Roqoan? Well, he started introducing himself and whatnot. Alistar was a bit surprised when the raven flies from his arm.

He chuckles, "Well, that tattoo thing is a neat trick, I must say. And I guess I'll go next. He gives a bow in the general direction of his comrades. Alistar Crowley, at your service. I'm a Hunter, I can hold my own in a fight, and I'm probably one of the better trackers you'll ever meet. He wears a wide grin as he continues. "Also, so it's not a surprise later, I'm a werewolf.


(OOC: Rush for time, have to go to work soon, bad writing, will post more later.)

[stack]

Julian Gardros

Another man strolls along, leading a mule bearing pack-bags bulging with odd shapes. He had been paying more attention to passing vegetation than the others on the road, his mouth moving, silently naming each species according to the conventions of his trade, old azlanti terms, as he recalls their uses.

The questions, as well as the magical demonstration, bring him back to the world of human interaction. "Ah, impressive. Magic. What reagents are used for such markings?" Certain pigments could provide binding for arcane infusion, form matrix for summoning?

"Manners. I am Julian Gardros. I am a student of life, the body, humors, suchlike. Fascinating land here...a werewolf you say? Interesting. Very interesting. Would you consent to examination? Tranmutations contagious, altered form, strength, very intriguing. Some work on the subject myself." Observe carefully, could complete notes on transformative elixir. Very close to breakthrough. He pats a side-pocket on his heavily-laden pack. He seems to be bearing more wight than his mule.

[Chained Birds]

Maple

Riding atop her magnificent (Slightly used) horse named Apples, is the jovial halfling, Maple Leafsinger. She stands only a few feet high, and weighs less than the items she carries, but she seems to carry herself with her charismatic smile and charming personality.
She joined the group after contributing her horse to assist in carrying supplies they might find throughout their travels, but soon found a place for herself in the front-lines if battle should happen to take place. Though she has been too nervous to say much to the ragtag group before her, Roqoan's sudden display of magical prowess peaked her interest.

"Very nice Roqoan sir. What is the name of that little bird? Is it a cute name like Sosa or Winslow? As you know, Apples here was named for his love of Pears... now that I think about it, that doesn't make much sense now does it?"

She laughs a bit before growing silent when people start looking at her.

[Madmal]

Aesha

The red-haired woman walking along the cart lets out a low chuckle "It is funny with the proper sense of humor, i guess." She was quite sore from all the riding, but she wouldn't dare to mention it.

"Well, my full name's supposed to be Aesha Savska Medyev. 'Esha is just fine. I've seen people hurting themselves trying to get it properly pronounced." She gave a glance to Alistar "Werewolf, huh? I hope we won't have to tie you up at night. I left my silver greatsword on another pair on pants."

[stack]

Julian gives the halfling an uncomprehending stare. "Why would you...oh. A joke?" He tugs his brown leather gloves a bit tighter over scarred hands, silently cursing his social ineptitude.

"And yes, Roquan, a meal would be good. Long walks lead to stiffness, injuries, if not accustomed. Much walking ahead, I think."

[Steckie]

Roqoan

"My bird's name is Humphrey. I know it's a bit of an exotic name, but it sounded nice when i heard it."

[Chained Birds]

Maple

Humphrey? That's not very cute. Maple thinks to herself.
Without having to speak out about her own hunger, Maple simply nods at everyone's notion to get something to eat.

[Sithis]

Alistar

Alistar gives Julian a wary looks as he speaks. "Wait, examination? What? And what do you mean contagious? It doesn't work that way? It... He stops in mid-thought as Aesha speaks up. His grin returns as he turns to her.

"Nah, that's not gonna be an issue. I don't know where you guys got all these stories. The moon, lycanthropy as a disease, all that stuff. It's not true. Well, the silver thing is, but beyond that...let's just say that I'm not gonna randomly get the urge to bite you in the middle of the night And even if I DID, you'd have nothing to worry about. Well, besides the bite itself."

He chuckles at all these foolish notions as he adjusts his pack and sword belt. ""Anyway that's the trading post right? I think we should probably just get a move on there, and continue this discussion after we've had a bit of food.

[stack]

Julian

"Hmmf. Tales not always reliable evidence. Bears investigating. Need samples, hair, both states. Blood is possible. No harm, extraction simple process. Balances the humors." Or so enough of the commons believe. The cure comes from the droughts you can make with the knowledge from the blood, not in ere exsanguination. Strange folk beliefs.

[Lost Demiurge]

As you ride up to the post, a pretty blonde haired woman on the far side of youth peers at you from the gate, then waves hesitantly. After scrutinizing you for a second, her eyes go wide with surprise... Then a smile blooms on her face.

"Come in, come in!" She says, over the hammering. "You're finally here!"

She gestures toward a small barn just inside the gates, where a hitching post awaits some reins. Bustling past a shed, a bunkhouse and a firepit, she hurries to a large blockhouse, and opens the door.

"You must be tired! And hungry! It's a long trip. I've got goulash and plenty of bread bowls ready!"

The bunkhouse has several doors off its main hall, but only one of them is open, and it has a DELICIOUS smell coming from it. A fairly small room is just big enough for all of you, and the compact table proves to be an effective distribution spot, for the purposes of sharing goulash. A stuffed deer's head peers down from the fireplace.

"Oh, this is very good. You're just in time! It's the dark of the moon, so they'll be here in the morning. We are very, very thankful that our missives have been answered. Oleg, say hello to our guests!"

That's about the point you notice the hammering has stopped. In the doorframe, a stout man in plain clothes mops his head with a bandanna. The other one's holding a hammer. He considers you for a moment, then grunts and nods. Doesn't look like he's smiled in the last decade or so.

"Where are my manners? I'm Svetlana, this is my husband Oleg. But you knew that already. Did they brief you on the bandits, or do we need to tell you about them again?"

My, that Goulash smells good. And the bread bowls are nice and thick...

[Chained Birds]

Maple

"Hi Mrs. Svetlana and Mr. Oleg. We many wish to aid you any way we... can..."

Maple's words trail off as she is carried away by the smell of delicious foods and suddenly appears at the table with a fork and knife and a napkin tucked in her collar.

[stack]

Julian draws his senses back from cataloging the spices he smelled in the air, his stomach rumbling.

"Yes, hello. Briefed, no. We have a charter, bandits mentioned, lack of specifics." He sets his pack down and starts drifting toward the cooking fire before he pauses, head tilted. "The morning?" Little time to prepare, plans needed, extracts need steeping, fortifications testing, too much to do, only one night...

[Lost Demiurge]

Svetlana beams happily, then looks a little confused. "You, er, you haven't been briefed? You're not specifically here to..."

SMACK! Oleg slams his palm into his forehead. "Those idiots!" He rumbles. "We pay our taxes like clockwork, and they take our money and do nothing... ARGH! Troll-licking useless uncaring..." He moves outside again, and soon enough the hammering starts up again. It sounds much angrier this time.

"Oh. Er." Svetlana adjusts her kerchief, nervously.

"I'm sorry. He's just frustrated. We... Ever since last fall, bandits have been taking our goods. They showed up with quite a lot of people, and told us that we would give them half of our profit each month. Or they'd... Well, it... You can probably guess." She shudders.

"We've been writing to Restov, asking for some guardsmen or soldiers to run them off, but we've heard nothing back. It's been getting pretty bad, and it's killed our profits for the season. We've barely been keeping afloat... And I'm worried that they won't be satisfied with just trade goods for much longer."

"They come the morning after each new moon. They'll be here tomorrow, early. If... If you aren't here to deal with them, then you might want to leave early. They might try and take your horses, or your weapons and armor."

She hesitates.

"When I first saw you, I guess I was hoping... Nevermind."

[Morbis Meh]

Felix waited until the wagon stopped before exiting out through the back. He had remained silent for the entire duration of the trip, solemn and contemplative. The charter in his pack felt as if it was the weight of lead, the others he guessed had come willingly, craving adventure and treasure but he was here for an entirely different reason. In truth he was an exile, given the choice of the charter or the noose, both death sentences in their own way. What bothered him most is that he failed the ones that had needed him the most: the orphans and street urchins. He couldn't provide or look out for them if he was stuck out in the middle of nowhere and the magistrate had known that and had seen the cruel, smug satisfaction in that shark's grin. Felix swore he would go back some day and get his revenge but for the time being he had to stay sharp and think of how to survive out here...

He spat on the ground in hopes of removing some of the dust that had collected in his mouth over the course of the trip. To be honest, he was completely miserable, he had never spent a single day outside of the city walls before this ordeal. He smiled grimly at the thought and pondered on how the others would find this situation comical. He choked up at the thought of Molly, his one true friend. She had warned him about host last job saying it was a set up but he foolishly ignored her plea.

Surveying the ramshackle outpost, Felix mentally noted his travelling companions. A hedge magician, a mad scientist, a werewolf, a halfling with an odd sense of humor and a red head. Felix began to laugh aloud at the mental picture he had conjured for himself And of course the convict. What a terrifying troupe we make...

The smell of hot food was welcome, it had been says since he had anything other than trail.rations but even though he was a scoundrel and a cutpurse he still knew how to mind his manners. He walked up to the blonde lady, grabbed her hand and lightly kissed it "Thank you for your generous hospitality my lady, you are a queen amidst these savage wilds." With a smile and a wink he left the woman and sat down next to the eager halfling. The food smelled divine but he thought he might as well be sociable for it was a crime to be a bore admit company, though it wasn't his choice; never the less, he should attempt to make the best of it. He surmised the halfling or the other woman would best to associate with since he didn't want an examination or to to be made a meal of. "Did you know little one that horses absolutely love melon rind? Though the may be hard to come by in these parts I am sure Apple would adore such a treat. I do say that she.deserves it by being such a faithful, hard working companion. Dear me, where are my manners! I am Felix I am an acrobat... yes a performer of sorts, my troupe fell on hard times so here I am."

[Sithis]

Alistar

Alistar does his best to ignore the smell of the food. Not easy. GODS it smells good.

"Ma'am, we may not have been sent to deal with YOUR bandits, but I'm fairly certain our charter says that it's our JOB to deal with any bandits we encounter. And I think that yours might be as good a place to start as any." The wonderful smells in the air have finally get the best of Alistar's keen nose, however, and he takes a long whiff. "But that's not until the morning. For now, I suggest we eat, and discuss how we may deal with these bandits." His smile returns as he bows his head to Svetlana, before dropping his pack near the table and joining the others there.

[Steckie]

Roqoan

"Oh, i don't think we'll be leaving. At least i wont leave.
You see, we've been given charters to explore these lands. These charters say, and i quote: 'THE CARRIER OF THIS CHARTER SHOULD ALSO STRIVE AGAINST BANDITRY AND OTHER UNLAWFUL BEHAVIOR TO BE ENCOUNTERED. THE PUNISHMENT FOR UNREPENTANT BANDITRY REMAINS, AS ALWAYS, EXECUTION BY SWORD OR ROPE'.
So, if we want to keep having the sworlords suport us in our exploration of the Greenbelt, we're obliged to stop the bandits that bother you.

So, if you would please explain to us what you put in your letter? We'll need all the info we can get."

[Chained Birds]

Maple

Forgetting her manners and eating away at the food presented, the halfling turns to Felix with a questioning look.

"So, you are an acrobat? Can you do a backflip? I tried once, but I ended up spraining my ankle and rolling down a hill. Father Wisely was very upset with me; mainly because he wanted to see me tumbling down a hill in a humorous fashion...
I guess Apples wouldn't mind something new, though I've never heard of a melon rind before. Sounds like something green."

Maple continues to eat unless someone stops her, while listening to the conversation.

"Don't worry! I will protect your kindness from those vile foes. I do hope they aren't actually evil though, as evil people are very sad."

[stack]

"Hmm, yes. The rot must be cut out for the body to heal, the weeds must be pulled for the garden to flourish. Just got here, not running off. Too much to discover." maybe the bandits would be willing to donate some samples. Never have enough materials. Cadavers are rather cooperative about such things.

Note to self: allies may be squeamish, take samples carefully. Don't mention sources.

He sits and dives into the proffered food, left hand working the spoon, conspicuously not removing his gloves. Pausing from his meal, he asks his hosts, "Do you have any spare room? I need a place to set up my lab. Deplorably small, all I could get on the mule."

[Morbis Meh]

At the mention of bandits Felix almost began laughing I wonder what they would do if the learned of my profession... the little one wants a show does she, might as well be accommodating to keep my cover.

He stands up from the meal and finds a suitable amount of space and attempts the requested feat.

Spoiler

Show

Acrobatics... don't know what would be more entertaining.. a pass or a fail
(1d20+9)[10] will edit based on roll... have no idea what the DC would be.
Well determined that is certainly a great way to start a game...

It was rather unfortunate that he was crowded by the small enclosure, for his left foot hooked the table causing him to fall violently backwards upon his head.

Felix saw black patches in his visions and was sure something or other was broken, certainly his pride was bruised. Standing up shaky he manager a weak laugh "I guess I am a little stiff from the long ride... don't worry, I'm alright." As he stands he stumbles forward into the table.

[Lost Demiurge]

Felix's handsmooch takes Svetlana by surprise. She blinks a few times, then regards him warily, as she helps share the food out.

The goulash is DELICIOUS. A perfect blend of venison, noodles, wild rice, potatoes, and paprika. A few doses of cumin mix perfectly with a scattering of millet, and the bread, while a bit tough, is hearty rye softened nicely by the stew.

At the group's comments, Svetlana beams in relief. "That's- That's great! Thank you! I'll go tell my husband immediately!"
She hurries out, and shortly thereafter the hammering stops.

Oleg comes in with Svetlana on his arm, and helps himself to a bowl, enjoying lunch and waiting for everyone to finish before the serious talk starts.

When Roqoan asks about the reports, Oleg removes his leather cap, and rubs his greying brown hair.

"Wellp. Always knew there was bandits out there, in the woods givin' folks grief. Trappers steered clear of the deepwoods. Bandits'd come out and raid traders n' travelers, then head back to th' woods. Hell, some of the folk come in said they was trappers might've been bandits. Don't know, don't matter."

"What does matter is just 'fore winter, twelve men and a woman rides up. Rough-lookin' sorts, mismatched armor and weapons. Figured this was it, got mah spear and got ready to go down fightin'. But this woman stepped forward, says that we gotta pay rent. Half of our trade goods each month, or I die and they... Do worse... To Svetlana."

The blonde woman puts her hands on Oleg's shoulders, and one meaty paw goes back to cover hers, as Oleg gives her a quick glance, and a reassuring nod.

"They took my wife's weddin' ring right off her hand, as a downpayment. Right off her hand... Twelve of them grinnin', darin' me to try an' stop 'em..." His face clouds with anger. "And sure enough, every new moon morn, they shows up like clockwork. Even in th' deep snow. But... Only about six to ten of 'em make the trip. Ain't seen the woman since. Fine by me, I've seen killin' folks before, and she had dead eyes. That there was someone who likes killin'. But no, she ain't shown up since. There's this big feller seems to lead 'em. Looks like a walkin' side of beef. They all got bows an' wear leather, some with spikes in it. They all got blades a' some sort. They all know enough to stay in a saddle, but they usually leave th' horses just outside."

"That's all I know on that."

At the alchemist's question, he shrugs. "You want to set up yer... Lab, that's fine I reckon. North side of the barn there's middens. One of the towers overhangs th' yard there. Keep the rain off if you put a tarp up, and the only thing you could possibly damage if stuff goes wrong is the crap pits, so shouldn't be no harm."

"You get done with dinner, I'll show you around the place. Anything you want to use, any plan you got, we'll help. We can't take another month of them bandits, n' sooner or later they'll decide they bled us dry enough, and got no more use for us besides... Fun..."

Meanwhile, Felix does a backflip, almost kicking the stuffed deer head in the face, and landing somewhat awkwardly. It's a little cramped in this room, with everyone in here. Svetlana shakes a finger, as she darts out and comes back with mugs full of dark ale. "Here now! There's plenty of room outside if you want to tumble about. Er, sir."

[stack]

"Yes well, beef is made to be carved. Certain the space will do fine. Do you have a tarp? Excellent meal, by the way. Let us see to the defenses." He voice remains clipped as he suppresses the excitement roiling up inside.

A fight, bandits deserve a beating, haven't had a proper brawl in too long. And no jail time after. Keep the organs intact this time. Livers are too useful.

[Chained Birds]

Maple

Finishing her portion before everyone else (starting eating early and being small), Maple approaches Svetlana and grabs her by the hand.

"Thank you Mrs. Svetlana for the meal, and I promises you that you'll never have to worry about those nasty bandits while your're under Saranae's Mortal Sword's protection. That would be me."

She gives the woman a gleeful, yet calming smile, with a little food on the side.

"And maybe we can even get your ring back if the woman bandit is vain enough to keep it on her. Would seem like a typical evil villain thing to do."

Spoiler

Show

Diplomacy: (1d20+8)[27]
- Give her a sense that we will do are best to keep her and her husband safe.

[Steckie]

Roqoan

Roqoan thinks for a moment about the things Oleg said, he gave them a lot of usefull information.
"6 to 10 bandits, we should be able to defeat them if we can surprise them. But there are some things to consider.
First of all, we'll need to keep some of them alive to get information out of them. We'll need to know where they have their camp and how many bandits there are.
Perhaps we should incapacitate some of them? Or kill the leader and demand that the rest surrender?
We'll also need to make sure nobody escapes, so we may need to find a way to block their exit.
Do you have a lock on that gate, Oleg?"

Roqoan walks outside to look around the Trading Post. He'll look at the towers that Oleg mentioned. Also he is going to take a look at the gate and the buildings to see how sturdy everything is.

Spoiler

Show

Knowledge architecture & Engineering: (1d20+8)[9]
Edit: first roll and it's a natural 1. Well better now than in combat i suppose...

[Lost Demiurge]

Svetlana's smile shines. She's really quite pretty when she's happy. "Thank you. I think... No, I know you can help us here. This is such a relief." She squeezes Maple's hand.

Meanwhile, outside, Oleg shows you around.

The Trading post was definitely a fort, once. It's actually pretty large... About 200 feet by 150 inside. Most of that space is taken up by buildings, however.

The walls are ten-foot-tall and made of logs set up in a palisade. They're old and weathered but thick, and new coats of tar and a few hammered planks mark where Oleg's been reinforcing the walls. A tower marks each corner, each with a sturdy ladder leading up the side of it. There is a small walkway that goes around the inside of the wall, at the 8-foot-high level.

Weirdly enough, each tower has its own siege engine. A rotted, ancient catapult is set into the top platform of each tower, and a small pile of twenty-pound rocks lies scattered about each one.

The only way in or out is through the 20-foot wide gate in the southern wall. It's a sturdy gate, with a bar on the inside. It could concievably be closed quickly, but it'd either take a fair amount of strength or a few people on it. There's no lock, but once the bar's dropped into place, it'd take at least 20-30 seconds to wrestle it out.

Once through the gate, there's an open spot in the middle. To the west, is an ancient wagon full of straw, with a tarp thrown over it. Beyond is open space until the wall. Just north of the wagon is an old barn, with a livestock corral in the front of it. A tired looking horse is at the edge of the corral rubbing noses with the horses you brought in, currently over at the hitching post. Your cart is kind of blocking the barn's door.

North of the barn is an open space, with a few middens, and some canvas screens set up for privacy. It's not exactly a neat arrangement, but a bucket of lime nearby shows the reason why the smell isn't quite so bad.

To the east of the central space is a small bunkhouse. It's got slit windows and space inside for about eight people to sleep. There are straw pallets on the ground, and bedding neatly arranged around the center of it. Just to the north of the curtain-covered door leading into the bunkhouse is a firepit. Around the firepit are several piles of wood, some clearly firewood, other piles of planks, and construction-grade material. A couple of sawhorses show where Oleg's been working recently.

North of the bunkhouse is a large blockhouse. This appears to be the main building. It's got several small rooms inside, most of which are locked. Oleg tells you that he and Svetlana sleep here, and store the more valuable and portable items in a small storage room. The blockhouse also holds the kitchen/dining room where you spent half an hour enjoying a hearty dinner.

West of the Blockhouse, and East of the middens, directly north from the gate, is a large shed. Oleg explains that he keeps most of the trade goods there. At this time of year, it's mainly furs, a dozen or so beartraps, plenty of rope and oilskin, some basic weapons and tools, and travel rations. Oh, and lamp oil. Two barrels worth.

Oleg shrugs, after he's done pointing things out. "I don't know what else y'might be lookin' for. This is what we got. Questions?"

[stack]

Wooden construction, fire untenable. Acid instead. Acid cheaper anyhow. Siege engines...hmm, neither time nor knowledge. Gate bar-able. Good. Enhance size and strength, easy task to close. Offered space sufficient for alchemical tests. Lime may be useful for other purposes. Midden hides failures.

Bear traps...potential. Lamp oil, same risks as fire vials. Maybe next time. Burning fort not conducive to winning friendships, need stable base of operations. Siege ammo...potential...limited. Melee more effective/enjoyable.

Construction time limited, traps unlikely viable. Bar gate, attack directly? Distribute acid flasks for initial surprise, then engage. Companion capabilities uncertain.

Julian makes note of the available materials, thinking through the potential defense. The tour complete, he speaks. "Ambush attack is optimal. I possess sufficient acid flasks, could be useful for initial engagement. May disturb mounts if ridden in. I am capable of melee. I suggest that I can shut the gate. Enlargement combined with strength enhancers ought be sufficient."

"Alternately, fire effective, carries high risk. Undesirable, but possible. Could dig containment trenches to create burn zone near entry. Oil and fire flasks potent combination."

[Steckie]

Roqoan

"You're right Julian, fire would be a bit too dangerous in a wooden fort.
How about we let one or two people hide around the gate to drop the bar to lock down the gate. One or two other hide in one of the towers. And the rest in one of the buildings.
Oleg mentioned they leave the horses outside, so we just wait until all of them are inside, lock down the gate and attack.
I can put some of them to sleep, if i get the chance. And i can also put a layer of grease in front of the gate once the bar is dropped, to make it harder for them to escape."

[Madmal]

"Folks tales, huh?, well i once had an uncle that got invited to hunting party on Ustalav. Fool got really torned up by one of those "Folk Tales" that still roam around".And yet she kept her smile "But I think i'll believe you. Ustalav is a kooky place afterall".

Her eyes practically take on a light of their own as the food is offered. No pomp, and bit of trampling, and little ceremony follows, and maybe a repeat, if it doesn't hurt.

Once satisfied and had been given the tour, she crouches down to check on the ground. "Soil seems fertile enough, a bit of a nudge and i could pin them down. Another option i can offer is to -*erp* excuseme, draw from the morning mists and...well, make them thicker. However, that may a double-edged sword, specially if we don't trap them."

[Sithis]

Alistar

"I volunteer to shut the gate. I'm not bad in a scrap, so I'll be fine if it comes down to it. Also, I'd actually suggest when we close the gates, that we try to do so after only a couple of them come in. Divide and conquer and all that. After all, we are in a veritable fort." He gives one of the walls a kick. "The walls seem pretty sturdy. They're not gonna get in if we don't let them. I figure we let a couple in, me and someone else close and bar the gates, we wipe out the guys on the inside and then we can turn our attention to the those stuck outside."

Alistar pauses and thinks a minute after Esha speaks. "That might not be a bad idea 'Esha. Especially if you can do it quickly. Causing your enemies confusion is always a good thing. Plus, it will probably be harder for anything to get set on fire if everything is damp."