Redcap Raid!

[abyssbound]

Who: Anyone who wants in on the raid
Which: Open mingle log
Where: One of the redcap-infested ruined castles in the wildlands. More information in This OOC post!
What: An assault on one of those troublesome iron-thieving Redcap hives
Warnings: Violence. So much violence.


[As noted on the Dream Board, Redcaps have become a serious problem of late, filching all the iron they can find and creating a severe shortage of the critical material. Asura has spent the last few days recruiting people to launch an assault on the largest hive in the arean; a large ruined castle in the wildlands where much of the stolen iron has been stashed.

Today is the day of the raid, and Asura gathers the recruits in a clearing in the dense forests of the wildlands to brief them. He looks at each of the gathered recruits in turn before beginning his explanation on the plan...


Group 1

The scouting party will travel in pairs to survey the exterior castle grounds. This group should avoid detection if at all possible, but if spotted, then they should immediately neutralize any redcaps who find them to prevent them from alerting the others. If you find any traps that can be quietly dismantled, then do so, and mark the locations of those that can't be destroyed in your journals to let everyone else know where they are. Also note any entrances and exits you find, as this intel is crucial to the second phase.

After the scouting party is done with their survey, phase 2 involves setting up gunpowder charges around each of the discovered entrances, with the exception of a single doorway through which Group 2 will launch their assault. After setting a charge, note it in your journal, and once all charges are set, ignite them and retreat.

---

Group 2

With the fires started, the redcaps trapped inside the ruins are sent into a state of panic and confusion. This is the signal for Groups 2 to begin the attack, rushing into the ruins through the single remaining entrance.

Once inside, you should be wary of any traps the redcaps have set. Falling rocks, log traps, and pit traps are all things to look out for, as well as magic--if it's in an Indiana Jones movie, it's probably here. Combatants will need to contend with these hazards as they clash with the redcaps themselves. As per Asura's order; show no mercy and leave none of them alive. The goal here is to completely purge the hive.

---

Group 3

As with any battle, there are bound to be injuries and casualties. Group 3 has set up a camp a short distance from the ruins with medical tents to tend to the wounded. There will need to be a few combat-capable people in this group as well to both guard it from attack from any redcaps who happened to be outside of the ruins, and also to run into the ruins themselves to look for any wounded who can't make it out on their own two feet.

Additionally, there will also need to be supply runners going to and from Reverein to transport food, water, and medical supplies--anything that the camp might need.

------

Once the raid is complete and the last of the redcaps slain, a large stash of iron ingots and tools will be found in an underground store room, along with several casks of wine.]

Comments

[abyssbound]

I'm not hungry right now. [Not "I have standards" or "I don't eat goblins" or anything like that, no. He just isn't hungry at the moment.

He's eaten far worse than this, after all.]

Our work isn't done until they're all dead, so if you still have room for more, then gorge yourself to your heart's content. [Wet footsteps echo off the corridor walls as Asura continues deeper into the ruin, paying no mind to the pools of blood his bare feet trudge through. It's been growing quieter the deeper they go, but Asura harbors no illusions that they're alone down here. There's probably some traps up ahead.]

[lonelysmiles]

[Ah, so another connoisseur! Interesting! This place truly did pull in all types!]

[He catches up with a few long-legged strides, his shoes leaving prints that look like deer tracks in the blood. He pockets his handkerchief as he falls into step, staying just out of arm's reach. Partially due to wariness from not knowing what the other might do. Mostly because the blood on the other made him smell good and Alastor wasn't in the mood to take on another demon.]

Don't tell me you're planning to fatten me up for a feast of your own! I'm afraid you'd never manage it!

[abyssbound]

[Asura's situation is... unique, shall we say, and leave it at that for now.

Asura remains constantly aware of Alastor's position behind him, more than familiar enough with demons to know not to drop his guard around one, regardless of whether he is a momentary ally or not. With the sheer pressure of the demon force emanating from him, it would be foolish to relax, but at the same time, Asura keeps his back to him as he walks; it's just as much a show of good faith in their current "alliance" as it is a power play to indicate that despite having seen Alastor's carnage firsthand, he does not fear him.]

I'm not interested in eating anything that looks like it tastes of ichor and rot. [Asura shoots back without looking at him, smirking a bit.]

[lonelysmiles]

[Rather than be offended, Alastor laughs.]

Given I've been dead for about ninety years, that's a fair guess! However, I find my fellow demons quite tasty. Venison is superior to that though!

[He is keeping an eye on the stranger but he doesn't want to give the other a reason to feel threatened and strike first.]

[abyssbound]

[Considering his back is where Asura's Spiritual Entity emerges from his body, standing behind him is not necessarily a guarantee of safety, but I digress.

Asura stops near the end of the corridor, pausing before the archway into the next room. He can smell old blood inside--likely from the red caps' trademark bloodsoaked hats--but no fresh blood. He can also smell gunpowder.]

There are more through there. Traps, too, most likely. I can smell black powder.

[lonelysmiles]

Oh undoubtedly.

[Alastor walks up to stand beside Asura, peeking into the next room.]

It positively stinks of old death, doesn't it? Would you like me to have a go at these things?

[abyssbound]

One second. They've made a fatal mistake in using black powder.

[Asura shoots him a sideways grin before he wordlessly extends a hand into the room and snaps his fingers. Instantly, a ball of flame erupts and sets off the stored gunpowder in a series of explosions that engulf the room in flame. That done, Asura lets his arm fall back to his side and looks back toward Alastor.]

Now then, be my guest.

[lonelysmiles]

[Alastor watches, folding his hands behind his back. Honestly he's feeling rather jealous. His own flame conjuration is currently not working properly and he's had yet to summon one of his own tentacles. The only shadow he can control is his own, and he can't even conjure items.]

[Ah well. Not much to do about it. He keeps that jealousy hidden behind his perpetual smile.]

[Meanwhile his shadow rises from the ground to occupy three-dimensional space.]

I doubt he missed anything, but best to double-check.

[With that, the shadow starts zipping about the room, searching for anything that might go off.]

[abyssbound]

[Well, all of the gunpowder has been burned away at the very least, even if it isn't ideal (they could have salvaged it otherwise), but it's best not to take any chances when these redcaps are involved. There's still a good chance that a few of the nasty fae might have survived that fireball, but even if they did, they'll inevitably be in pretty bad shape. The smell of charred flesh is overpowering.

Asura watches Alastor's shadow as it moves independently of his body.]

Find anything?

[lonelysmiles]

I might have found where some of the iron went! Unsurprisingly, some of it went into their traps.

[He grins excitedly.]

Let's take a look, shall we?

[And with that, he teleports to his shadow's location. Sadly, he has to be able to see his shadow to get the trick to work at the moment, but hopefully he'll have his normal range and connection in time.]

[He leans over the trigger to one of the traps.]

Pressure trigger for a spring trap. Like a bear trap. Crude but effective!

[abyssbound]

[Asura nods and strides into the room, scanning the dark corners and smoldering remains with his eyes. When he reaches Alastor, he kneels to get a closer look at the trigger plate in question and brings a hand to his chin in contemplation.

...And then takes a few steps back, evokes his Spiritual Entity, and hits the trigger with one of those death tentacles from his back, intentionally setting off the trap to see what exactly they're dealing with.]

[lonelysmiles]

[Just as Alastor predicted, the trap snaps shut on the tentacle. Had that been someone's leg, it probably would've broken the bones and likely poisoned them given all the rust and dried blood on the "teeth".]

As I said before, "crude but effective"!

[abyssbound]

Effective, but can only be used once before it needs to be reset. [One nice thing about those tentacles is that they're not as easily damaged as flesh or bone, so they make convenient sticks to poke things with. He extends a second tentacle to pry the trap open and free the limb. It falls to the floor with a loud clang, but if the rest of the hive were going to be attracted to noise, they would already be coming this way at the initial fire explosion.]

Did you find anything else? If not, then we can go deeper. There's no way we've gotten all of them already.

[lonelysmiles]

Just a smell. [He swipes his tongue over his fangs both in anticipation and at the divine smell marinating future prey.] Fear.

[The redcaps were learning, it seemed. Too little too late.]

[abyssbound]

[Asura laughs outright at that and shakes his head.]

Then lead the way, bloodhound.

[lonelysmiles]

[Alastor awkwardly chuckles.]

Not a bloodhound. Honestly, any hellhound could beat my nose, but I'm amazed you can't smell all that fear yourself.