war table: friends in low places (highway robbery).

[luaithre]

WHO: Abby Anderson, Gwenaëlle Baudin, Jude Adjei, Ellis, Marcus Rowntree, Vanya Orlov
WHAT: The gang do crimes.
WHEN: Solace
WHERE: Tevinter, the Hundred Pillars
NOTES: IC debrief, OOC debrief

Comments

[heorte]

No sign of humor from Ellis, studying the map intently.

"We should be erring towards high ground," is maybe an indicator of leaning in Gwen's direction, a reluctance to split them apart. "We can move downhill faster, attack the tail end of their group. If it comes to that."

A disadvantage either way. There is little option that ensures a clean sweep through to a success.

[luaithre]

"Alright."

A concord, then. There's a point to be made about the terrain, the difficulty of getting down into the foothills if it comes to it, but of their options, it's the better and more likeliest one.

"We'll all four of us move further north, scout around here for an ambush point. This path leads to and from the foothills, so we'll stay within an hour of it at least, divert if we must. Hopefully it'll still be sound."

Next topic, and not just because Marcus is delaying getting back out into the rain and the mud.

"The caravan is two armored wagons, and there's sighting of at least one escort equipped like a mage might be. I say we preserve the mounts and the wagons and take them with us rather than try to clean them out. I can manipulate the terrain to block their ability to flee, and sure it up again when we're ready to depart. If they're made to believe their lives are more valuable than the wealth they're escorting, we can try to force a surrender."

A glance back upwards at the three faces over the map, as he adds, "A thing made more likely by taking out their mage first." So it goes.

sneaks back in

[heorte]

Across the stretch of map between them, Ellis' eyes lift to Marcus.

A slight incline of his head. Its a type of claim to the assignment; Ellis can attempt this. (He understands the difficulty in this piece of strategy, can see it done without undue misery inflicted on their chosen target.)

[elegiaque]

(Gwenaëlle had cast Abby a sidelong look, a curve at the corner of her mouth, an I see what you did there, but under the circumstances left it at that.)

It isn't so much intending to speak over Ellis as it is not realising that he'd said anything; he's a subtle man and not one she's had so much exposure to that she might become particularly sensitive to the nuances of his gestures, readily capable of accurately interpreting them in a discussion of strategy.

“I suppose we need to surprise the mage, particularly, then,” she says, speculative. “Is there a most effective way to hobble them?”

The presumption being, of course, that obviously there is, but equally: presumably, their mage is going to know it best.

[armd]

(Honestly, having it acknowledged is enough.)

A pertinent question this time, then. "Do we know how many they've got?"

Bodies. Other people they'll have to keep off the mage as he is attacking the other mage. She's looking at Marcus when she asks; maybe she assumes that people who know magic would have a better chance of finding something like that out.

[luaithre]

"Six riders," first, to Abby, "including the mage, and then two drivers with a guard each. Ten men in total."

If the numbers are of a concern, it isn't heard in his tone or seen in his expression; the more likely thing being, it isn't much of a concern, and if it had been any easier, likely they'd not have been asked all the way out here. As for the mage—

"Most aren't equipped for close combat," Marcus says, to Gwenaëlle. "But if you can fire on them from a distance while keeping cover, then you," to Ellis, "can move in. The rest of us can cover you."