During the downtime, while healing and hunting for food on north side of the western twin. While everyone is rested, Alexis addresses the group.
“If we’re going after the hammer and crown, we need to find a way to neutralize the Dark Hand. Mostly the ‘Made’, but also Mavon and whoever the third person was. Considering how dangerous it was to have a bow fight with that ‘Made’ in the tree, it seems like we need a better plan. I’ve got two ideas, but I’m interested in any others you might have.”
“My first idea is making traps. Big traps. Small traps. Luring traps. Pit traps. Enough traps to deal with the lot of them. They showed they’re willing to chase us around the mountains. And it seems like we can get them to chase us again if we really try. Hells, we could tell them we have Deepforge’s axe.”
“My second idea, is preying on part of what makes them stronger than us: supplies. Every week, or so, we have to spend 2 – 3 days getting resupplied. They don’t have this problem. They get supplies from elsewhere, like those Harnack rations, and/or they range for food and water. Either of these options gives us an opportunity to strike them where it hurts, possibly cripples.”
“Any other thoughts on this?” Alexis looks expectantly at the group.
Telosh perks up at the talk of ambush.
“They’ve a had a fair bit of time to get settled into the cave, it would be nice to know how much, if any trouble, they’ve had with the mold and the lizard-creature, but that could be tough to figure out. If we could capture Skellor again, or if ‘Red could talk to Mavon some more…”
Telosh shakes his head, “Sorry just thinking out loud.”
“They probably have more than one sentry in the trees outside the cave now, so trying to use our old perch on the top of the cave seems foolish.”
“Picking off those sentries first would be good, but costly. We did better when they were on the ground. I like your trap idea, but now that they know we don’t have what they want, it may be hard to get them to chase us like they did before. Traps that get their orks out of the trees would be good…”
“Getting the Smooth Cheeks to come back would be good too… If the Dark Hand is done on the other side, have we fulfilled our bargain with Yeegoth? Could we come in through their territory now? Surprise Mavon and the others?”
“The big trick in anything we do is having a safe place to go. We have gotten lucky that they haven’t tried to hunt us down. Something that is surely within their strength to do.
If we are to make traps I would start here, where we are now. Have a way to retreat that deals them damage. Have a defensible place to retreat to.
Also we can observe them for while from the smooth cheek area. See what they coming and goings are.
Attacking their supply line seems like a good idea.
Taking down scouts. Capturing anyone.”
Alexis looks at Ethelred for a moment. Thinks about something. Stops himself. “Yeah, I like that idea. I’d like to keep this place secret if at all possible. We can move up and make a new primary base… possibly where the Henrys where taken. We’re getting a little thin on places we can be safely in no-man’s land.”
“Sounds like Gus and Inkham will be on scouting duty. You and I will be on trap-making duty. We’ll need some oversight by Gus to make sure the traps blend in enough. We’ll also want hidden ‘alarms’ to let us know how close the ‘Made’ get to our various locations. I’m thinking strategic branches on the ground and something that rattles free of trees when those brutes jump from one tree to another. They might be quiet, but they are not light.”
“Other ideas?”
“Pit traps on the paths on either side of the cave would be good, that would make re-supplying and transporting treasure out difficult, but we don’t have a shovel, do we?”
“I’d really like to get their orks out of the trees… If we,” Telosh looks at Gustav briefly, “manage to scare up some game with any fat on it, we could grease up some tree limbs.”
Telosh pauses, shakes his head little, and sighs,
“Fire would remove their ability to hide in the trees. I don’t like the idea of burning down the forest, and fire can easily get out of control, so I don’t really think it’s a good idea, but…”