Above & Below

"I can help!" Pip chimes in, proudly holding up his short bow. He looks at Brask with wide eyes.

"Hiding and sneaking are two different things," Freedom replies, smiling. "They're not going to make a move before nightfall. We'll be in position long before that."

"Stealth is still not my forte either, "Effort admits.  "But ranged attacks are.  I should likely be like Pip and remain out of the direct fray, to be most effective at ambushing Namar's people.  I'm still no good at taking a direct hit," she says sourly.  "I can have Cadmael provide us with an aerial view of the streets around the warehouses... it might perhaps give us an edge, knowing the terrain well before they do.  We might even be able to arrange a trap in an alley to box them in somehow."

"It sounds like we're all in agreement then."  Kurama chimes in, "We'll lure them into a trap in or near the warehouse and strike them from all sides.  We should stealthily try and find our ambush location early so that we are thoroughly prepared and waiting before they arrive." 

Euphoria comes over. "Freedom, we're leaving," he stares at Effort as he says this. "The rest of you will meet up tomorrow three hours before sundown. Behind the Murky Pear tavern. Only a few blocks from the warehouses." 

Freedom hugs Effort again, squeezing tightly for a moment. "I will see you tomorrow. Rest well...rest here, if you need." She smiles at the rest of you. "It was a pleasure meeting Effort's friends. I look forward to fighting alongside you." She exits with the other tieflings. Akrus turns at the barn doors to smile and nod at Effort before closing them halfway.

(assuming there's nothing else for our group to do here before tomorrow should we just head back to the inn?"

Yeah - I don't want to rush any RP opportunities but we can fast forward to the next night if everyone wants. I know that discussion took awhile being that it started over a slow weekend. 

(OOC:  Happy to move ahead.)

good to go as well!

The following afternoon, you meet up with the tieflings. Freedom and Akrus are there along with a half-dozen others. They're mostly wielding bows, with daggers and a few short swords hanging off rugged belts. A few help carry large planks of wood. The three warehouses are each two stories high, running long-ways down the street. The cross street approaches the center of the middle building. Freedom suspects the half-orcs will come up that way - but coming from either direction on the main street is a possibility too.

Freedom turns to Effort and Pip. "Are you coming up to the top with us?" There are ladders on the short sides of the warehouses. Some of the tieflings start to head up, carrying the planks with them and laying them carefully across the gaps in the warehouses. Cadmael takes flight, circling low a few times over the buildings and then rising up further into the sky.

Brask, Kurama, Burik: You can hide between the warehouses or amongst the smaller buildings across the street.

When everyone has decided where they'll be, roll a perception check.

Staying together seems a good idea, for those on the ground at least.  

How about this:
(Red is Burik, Kurama and Brask, Green is Freedom, Yellow is Effort and Pip)

(Sure that spot works for me and it should be flexible enough to adjust our position should they arrive from a different direction)

I‘d put pip with freedom...they can run to cover both streets if they come up on the right side and manage to destroy the planks somehow.  Effort can always misty step in a pinch but she can‘t bring pip with.

Let's go with that.

"Okay everyone," Freedom addresses the whole group. "We have a plan. Let's get to our positions. The idea is to catch them by surprise. Depending on their numbers, it might be the only chance we have." She heads around to the side of the middle building with Pip and some of the other tieflings to climb up onto the roof. Effort climbs up onto the northernmost building, and the rest of you find good hiding spots between the warehouses. It's not that hard - there are piles of boards laying around, a big metal container, and some other things that would serve as decent cover.

The sun slowly starts to dip below the horizon, and soon the only lights you can see are some distant torches in the nicer parts of the city. The sky is cloudy but there's a full moon behind the curtain of gray, offering a bit more in the way of visibility.

Everyone, roll a perception check. Effort, let me know which direction Cadmael is focusing on. The higher he rolls, the more ground he'll be able to cover in terms of scouting.

Effort: 18 + 3

Cadmael will scout south: 18

Perception Check: 17

Brask's Perception 4

As the hours pass, you go back-and-forth between becoming more tense, and realizing that you're letting your guard down. Everyone stays quiet, and there are only distant noises coming from other parts of the city. A horse braying, some drunkards yelling, that kind of thing. 

Something in the distance down the main avenue moves. It's too far away to tell what it was, but everyone perks up. From a hundred feet above your heads, Cadmael swirls around to get a closer look. I think they have arrived, he thinks. About a dozen half-orcs, along with two hairier creatures...bugbears, I think. They've gathered nearby, but now seem to be waiting. 

The rest of you start scanning in other directions. Brask is distracted by a growling stomach - he knew he should have had seconds at the tavern before you set out. Effort is focused at first, but something clouds her focus. Something within herself. Some emotion, or feeling, is pulling her attention away from the task at hand. Luckily, Cadmael wheels back around and spots a small group of half-orcs moving in from the south. More. Another three coming from this direction.

As Kurama peers out to the north, he sees movement as well. One, two, three figures hurrying behind one of the buildings. They're getting close.

(OOC: Just to clarify,

• 3ish coming from the South?
• 3ish coming from the North?
• 8ish coming from a third direction (I'm assuming West)?)

Effort relays Cadmael's information to those across the roof and on the ground using message.