Planning The Square Mission

With the exception of Will and Oldrich, all of the members of the party and their associates head out in order to perform their respective tasks. During the morning, Oldrich takes advantage of the quiet period in assisting Will in learning how to control 'the Vibe' and the two of them also begin work on composing some songs to celebrate the party's achievements to date.

Of those that went out into the city, the Padre is the first to return, a little after midday. Shortly after that, Magda, Aneira and Gronk return, along with Bennett, who they have obviously managed to locate. Over the next hour, both Hana and Ithridiel return from their respective tasks, joining the others in the private room. At around 2.00pm, Faewen'il then makes her reappearance. Those that are already there notice that her mood has changed tremendously since the morning. Instead of the look of extreme annoyance, she has a very smug grin writ large upon her face. They also notice that she is carrying a small sack filled with something or other.

After seeing who has returned, she then makes her way upstairs, returning to the private room some 15 minutes later, with the smug grin still firmly in place.

Another half an hour later, getting on for 3.00pm, Xavier and Yaz arrive back. The last members of the party finally make their appearance close to 4.00pm with the arrival of Winnacer and Jihan. All of the party has managed to make it back to the Silver Unicorn safely.

Faewen'il, still dressed from head to toe in black actually orders a nice glass of wine to sip at as she sits near a corner; though in a chair rather than on the floor. Those near her can hear her humming some nameless tune.

Shortly after Fae takes her seat in the corner, Gronk approaches, his head looking slightly downward and his hands clasped tightly in front of him. Gronk clears his thought before he begins, quietly:

"'cuse me, me lady. Could I please be havin' a word with ya?"

Gronk moves with Fae as far away from the rest of the group as possible. The others can see that this is not easy for Gronk and he is more that a little uncomfortable.

"It 'pears I be owin' ya one whopper o' an apology. I know I be a crude, crotchety little bugger, 'ats just what I be, but it ain't no reason ta treats ya like me did in 'at jail. Iffin I'd opened me eyes I could o' seen what 'appened ta ya. Instead I go an' blast ya. Not 'at what me said weren't right, ya be a right fine lookin' little lady. I just don't know 'ow ta keeps me trap shut some times. Iffin ya can't be forgivin' me over it I's understands, but da 'ings I be sayin' in 'at jail be grievin' me bad so I gots ta ask."

When Gronk has finished speaking he hangs his head, not being able to look Fae in the eyes.

Faewen'il listened to the dwarf apologize for himself; the smug expression still undiminished on her face as she sipped at her wine.

When he was done, she spoke dwarven to him in a sweet voice.

"Yers wordses too good fer me. Me no deserve good wordses... me stupid girl-thing... no worthy to look on yer beard. You no trust words Lawbringer say me... he say me bad...yers should trust him.. he good man, know all... know right for all."

Gronk replies, in dwarven:

"I be understandin'. Whats I did be just too bad ta be forgivin'."

Gronk slowly lifts his head to look Fae in the eye:

"'bout Mr. Holy 'ere, just a blow'ard with a stick up 'is back side I'd say."

When Gronk realizes that everyone is returning with some of the stuff that had been taken at the jail, he checks his room and then return to speak with Fae:

"Did ya see Thunder?" he asks, a tinge of hope in his voice. "'ey didn't do nothin' ta damage 'im did 'ey?"

This time, Faewen'il spoke in common so that all could hear her words so she wouldn't have to repeat them over again; the smug expression slipping to one of neutrality and almost annoyance.

"Aye, I saw yar axe... it do be hangin from tha belt o an Orog guard at tha witchfinder building. I saw all yar weapons in similar hands... silly me, I did na think ta go grab them while I was there... just even more proof tha Master Winnacer do be right about me."

At hearing this news Gronk is crushed. He slumps to the floor and begins sobbing, oblivious to the spectacle he is making of himself. He is muttering in dwarven, but even those who understand dwarven are not able to make out what he is saying.

Faewen'il does not show any reaction to the pathetic sight, but rather continues:

"I shall simply have ta beg one o ye goodly folk ta take time out or yar busy day ta come with me an remind me o such thins in tha future, far ye would ha sartainly gotten them from tha guards."

Faewen'il then got up and sat back down on the floor in the corner; talking more to herself now than to the group; her wine glass left on the table.

"Stupid silly girl... such a simple thin an ye fargot ta do it... what will ye farget ta do next... lemme thin now... iffen I count all tha thins out... maybe I will ha remembered tha rest o them...."

Faewen'il then looked thoughtfully at the ceiling and started to count with her fingers as she spoke:

"I went to tha Lord Protektor's ta spy on him ta see iffen I could find out anythin about his plans far tha villages... though I failed in tha task an had ta settle on stealin some o his thins and sellin them off to a pawn broker an vandalizin his private quarters an food suppply... I hope tha tha will suffice...oh...well.. he did mention tha him an tha other Lord Protektor tha is in town will be in a spectator booth tha they do be buildin for tha execution... an he was also thinkin about how he was goin' ta kill Kurtek an tha Witchfinder General..."

Aneira murmurs:

"...but I want to kill Kurtek..." hearing none other of Fae's words, nor tone.

Bennett attempts to wade into the river of bullshit:

"Okay, self-pity aside, you have determined that we have a fine target who will be in a booth with another fine target. Chances are very good that, if we eliminate either or both, the plight of the villages will be lessened, as the Nyemetz will be more worried about saving their own asses than going after villagers. Also, we now know that some of our main targets have eyes at others of our main targets, which could be quite useful if we play our cards right. Two camps of enemies who hate each other. That's not something we should dismiss. How to use that?"

Nervously Magda speaks to Faewen'il. The priestess of Spravedelna by now seems to be quite terrified of her:

"Errm .. . would you have found out which town or city the Lord Protektor came from, by any chance?"

"Some place called Trebova," Faewen'il replies testily. "Not that a silly thing like me would know where that is."

"This is all useless information, I know," she continues, "an I do truly be sorry far that... iffen ye wish ta beat me far it, I will surely understand."

"I also went ta tha witchfinder's building ta spy on them an get all yar thins back... an ye see what a mess o tha tha I made... me only poor offerin do be what little thins I brought back.... I must ha been distracted by lookin in on tha dupes they brough in ta replace us and stuck in tha cell right next to tha one we were in... or parhaps I was distracted by the Witchfinder general plottin ta kill tha Lord Protektor with tha head o tha merchant's guild... maybe...well... it could ha been when I was tryin ta memorize where all tha traps were in tha buildin... or maybe I was distracted by tha potions an scrolls in thar lab..."

Bennett is thoughtful, obviously ignoring the sarcasm in Fae's voice:

"There's promise in this as well. We got out of that cell with little trouble, and I imagine that breaking back into Witchfinder HQ is an option, though I don't think it's our best one. However, having Fae have all this useful information is too good to waste. If we know where the traps are, then a trip to retrieve our weapons at least, and the prisoners ideally, is something we should consider. However, if we rescue the prisoners, then the execution will have to be called off, and our chance to reverse the trap they have laid will be lost. But it lessens the risk to avoid the big struggle. What do you all think?"

Xavier smiles:

"Herr Bennett does have a point here, freunds. Ve do not vant to spring our trap too early, but I vould be more comfortable in possesision of my own arms and armor. That armor, once blessed by the High Commander of my order, now lying in Nyemetz hands leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth.. Vhat can be done to retrieve it I am in favour of."

Bennett nods at Xavier:

"I too would like to hold Retribution in my hands for this struggle, but it appears the battle tomorrow would be endangered by such an action. If the gods are willing, we will have an opportunity to retrieve our weapons later, but I think at this point it would be futile. I have talked to Glorin about getting some armor and/or weapons for us, but it turns out I am actually equipped properly. The Nyemetz were apparently not aware of the supernatural aspects of the Fabio armor and thus left it with our other items. Added to that I have Zsolt's shield and Regret, my axe, which is all I need. If Winnacer still has all his excess equipment, perhaps you can take a weapon from his store and get some armor from either the Padre or Glorin. It seems we can all get enough weapons and armor to make this thing happen from those two sources."

Bennett continues:

"As for our plans tomorrow, as much as I would like to lead Glorin's dwarves into combat with the Nyemetz, I prefer even more being a part of the group that assaults the leadership, with whatever magical augmentation Petr and Fae can bring to the table. I also think the group would be better for my presence in it, as we will surely have to overcome some stiff resistance even with magical concealment."

"I know I was truly distracted by them, far I had ta bring them with me ta figure out what they are," Faewen'il continues, "though have na worry Master Winnacer; I do truly feel badly about havin taken thar thins an I will return them shortly."

Faewen'il then reaches a hand up to scratch at her head.

"Far tha life o me, I simply canna remember all tha other thins tha ye had wanted me ta do taday as penance far bein such bad parson... yet another thin ye need ta punish me far."

In the middle of Fae's recounting of her days adventures, Gronk's sobbing stops and he sits up to listen to Fae, his mouth agape. His mind is not doing a very good job processing all that Fae has just said. He doesn't seem to realize that he is now thinking out load:

"Ya mean...how'd ya...when did...in 'is 'ouse...but...but...'ere be walls an' guards...I don't...Shit!"

"A good beatin should insure that I remember better next time!" the lass finishes

"By th'gods, lass!" the Padre says with more than a touch of awe. "That's about th' best bit of reconnaissance work that anyone could rightly expect. I only wish I had done 'alf as well as ye! P'raps, then, the damnable Nyemetz vermin can't take all of ye 'eart, eh?'

A cold look flickers through her eyes as Faewen'il briefly looks at Jihan while speaking. The meek look then replaces it so quickly that you wonder if you truly saw it:

"Although ye all ha taken everythin else o mine, NO ONE be havin me heart... or me soul far tha matter..."

"I am simply such a failure at makin meself give them away... for I surely donna deserve to have them...."

"T'ye credit, then, an' ye have my apology fer not knowin' it of ye sooner," Kokal says, with a slight bow of his head to Fae and a solid look at her before turning back to the discussion at large.

At that point, the door opens and High Priestess Valechkova walks in. She takes a moment to look at them all, obviously checking that all returned safely from the day's activity.

She then sits down at the table next to Magda and starts to tell them of her day:

"Immediately after I left here, I headed for the Library of Kitry where I met with Head Librarian Konig. I spoke with him at length about what we are trying to achieve here tomorrow and asked him for his aid. As I expected, he is supportive of the actions, and will support us with whatever help you may require. However, he wanted me to remind you that his order is against violence and that all Kitrians have taken a vow against violence, save for their TruthSeekers. Even if this were not the case, he is very nervous about pushing the Lord Protektor too far after the warning he received from the Witchfinders yesterday. As a result, he is unable to provide you with any direct aid tomorrow."

"After finishing with the Librarian Konig, I returned to the Cathedral of Spravedelna in order to meet with the senior priests there. I told them about what we believe is taking place tomorrow and began a discussion regarding what physical support we should provide for the undertaking. I must say that the debate was a long one, and was quite heated upon occasions, although not quite to the levels that you are used to. The feelings of the senior priests were very similar to my own overall. While we wish that the actions will succeed and are willing to provide aid, most of the priests realized that we cannot risk the future of the Church here entirely upon this one action, in case it is simply a trap."

"After much debate, it has been agreed that the two senior priests who are most in favor of direct action will accompany you. The other ten, plus myself, will have to provide you with assistance only indirectly, so that the Church will not be destroyed should everything go wrong."

She breathes deeply and then turns to each of them:

"So this is all of the assistance that I am able to provide you with, I am sorry to say. How have your other activities gone today?"

Upon his return, Yaz bursts through the door to the Inn and rushes over to the nearest table. He opens a wooden box and hastily begins rolling a joint, with a speed, practice, and urgency you've not seen before. Once it's done, he trips over a chair in his single-minded effort to reach the fireplace and light the weed.

One long drag, and half the joint, later, Yaz's frenetic nerves visibly relax, and he slumps against the brick chimney as he propels a narrow stream of smoke into the air above him. He then examines the joint with a look of distaste, smacking the taste in his mouth, but soon shrugs and partakes once more.

"Butterball boy was right... This shit's shit," he says between drags. "I mean, it'll do, but..."

It's at this point that he sees the others coming down from their rooms with the reclaimed magic items Fae retrieved. Yaz regains his energy once more, his eyes lighting up, and he races to his room to see if his personal stash is there.

Sure enough, he emerges triumphantly with his weed pouch, flint, papers, and all. He flicks the mostly-finished non-holy joint away absently, and sets the pouch triumphantly down on the table in front of where Fae sits. Without thinking, he plants a two-handed smooch on the girl, then quickly sets about rolling a fresh joint just as he did before.

Within seconds, he is inhaling his holiest of holies:

"Dear Prirodna, thank you!" he breathes, smoke streaming out his nose and mouth as he does so.

"Well, Yaz, it looks like ye think in kind with the Lord Protektor," Padre Kokal says. "I passed through the Great Square after meeting with the Padre Commander, and saw that the Nyemetz fully intend to go ahead with the 'trials' and executions they've announced -- executing nine innocents in ye places. The cursed devils have even got the right number of humans, dwarves, men an' women, an' such."

"Other than that, everything else I have to report about my trip is good news: The Padre Commander has told me where we can get hold of weapons for any that need 'em, the Foot are all in the city and waiting for their instructions, an' Padre Lukas also will be sending four more of our order here tomorrow morning to help us in whatever plan we decide on."

Winnacer nods:

"We have elicited the aid of Petr, which should be quite a benefit to us down the road. He is willing to lend quite a large deal of money to our cause once we require it and he is willing to give us some passive help in the days to come. He has offered to cast spells of strength, size, speed, and resistance upon us if we wish to aid in the morrow's endeavors."

Winnacer looks at Faewen'il:

"He's also offered to pen a scroll for you for use tomorrow as well. He told me to tell you he is a Master of Alteration of the 5th rank, or something like that. We will send somebody to collect whatever scroll you believe would be best."

After a brief pause, Winnacer adds:

"Thanks for the books, but they were not needed. Would you like them back? Jihan can't make heads or tails of them."

Faewen'il stares at the floor as she answers him, her voice as equally meek as the look on her face:

"Are ye sure tha ye trust me ta use magic in yar presence? I might be possessed or somethin... an ye rightly folk should na have ta be subjected ta such a risk as meself."

"I simply canna tolerate tha thought tha I might do somethin wrong... as I have done so much wrong taday as it is."

Again, Winnacer fails to roll his eyes:

"Sarcasm does not change anything, Faewen'il. I would think that both of us have greater concerns and better things to do than aggravate each other. But do as you wish, as you have since the beginning."

"Ya didn't seem ta have nothin' better ta do last night," Gronk says quietly out of the corner of his mouth.

"Again, we have access to magicks,' the young Lord continues. "They are yours by rights. If us 'rightly folk' are going to be at risk, so be it. We have all taken much greater risks in our months together, we will just have to deal with it. So if it pleases you, we can use your help. And for a change we have managed to get you some aid instead of the other way around. So please accept Petr's gift if it interests you."

Winnacer pauses:

"But you have made your point, Faewen'il. I certainly have better things to do than worry about your soul. It was my mistake to care. I'll try not to make that mistake again, as I can see it is well appreciated. As Yaz pointed out, we should all know that you can always tell a book by its cover or, I guess, a fruit by its skin. I'll just concern myself with keeping your skin intact, I'll leave the worms on the inside to you."

Yaz looks up at the mention of his name, then looks incredulously at the paladin through the haze surrounding him:

"Wha..." he slurs, his tongue not quite working right. "Wha thu f***'s you bin smokin', man? I dint never say tha'..."

Frustrated, Yaz slaps some invisible object in front of his eyes with an uncoordinated hand, and sputters his lips like a horse, then starts to chuckle, his relaxed body heaving as he slouches in his chair.

Gronk chuckles softly and mutters under his breath:

"Ya better be stayin' away from pointy stuff 'en, ya wouldn't wanna pop."

Winnacer's voice softens as he continues:

"I only can sympathize with what you have been put through. I will put my trust in you, Fae, trusting that you really know what you are doing. I hope that you can do the same with me one day."

"So what have we heard of their preparations?" Winnacer asks. "We must plan now if we wish to use their own trap to catch them in."

"One point, Winnacer," Aneira says, almost diffidently, "I think we should have a small discussion on whether all want to proceed tomorrow. I don't believe I've heard any speak for it other than you, Will, and the Padre. I was just wondering if anyone else had an opinion on the matter."

"Aye," Kokal says, leaning back and folding his arms over his chest.

"A fine point. Well, ye started it -- let's 'ear it, then," he says to Aneira.

Aneira looked at Kokal:

"I am against wasting our lives for strangers, unless it will harm Kurtek. If it will harm Kurtek directly, I am all for it."

"I am sure that the poor woman about t'go t'er death in yer place would be against that, were ye t'ask 'er, priestess," the Padre says, calmly.

"Aw, F***!" Yaz spits through his teeth, throwing the butt of his joint down to the floor in an exaggerated, pot-induced movement. "I've had enough uh you holy types! How d'you know she's innocent??" he slurs, before realizing he just about wasted a perfectly good reefer butt. He picks it up slowly, carefully, dusts it off, sucks at it experimentally, and seems to forget his outburst.

"Well, as compelling an argument as that might be for lettin' th' Nyemetz kill citizens, for myself, let me just make clear that I -- and I'm sure my fellows from the order will agree with me on this when they arrive tomorrow -- am determined to see that none of those poor unfortunates goin' in ye place die," Kokal replies coolly. "Even if this whole thing is just t'draw you out, an' regardless of why they were imprisoned, if th' Nyemetz execute ANY 'rebels' tomorrow, it could hurt an' delay -- or extinguish - the chances of the Pardubitze citizenry ever risin' t'the call of the revolution. Especially if the people who may 'ave 'eard of this group and what ye 'ave done so far think it IS ye that 'ave been eliminated."

"I told you before, the most important thing we got going here is to show all the citizens that we're still alive," the druid continues. "That ruins the Nyemetz plans nice and neat. Everything else, even killing the big guys, is secondary after that, I think. And we're gonna do that. So I don't know what you're on about."

The druid's foggy brain starts to solidify as he gets going:

"An' why is it better for the Nyemetz to kill your war-priest guys than to kill citizens? Citizens aren't any more innocent than them, or any of us, are they? The Civs in Bohavia all seem to think they're defenceless, but they're not... they're grown-ups, they made the decision to fall, and so they aren't innocent. Not anymore."

"Now, if you told me there's kids up on that platform tomorrow, or Prirodna's forest children, or trees, then I'd take what you're sayin' and sit down nice and quiet... and fry the living shit outta every prick up there tomorrow. But there ain't."

"So... I just wanted to say that."

Yaz sits back down, scratching his head, wondering what it was, exactly, he'd just said, and why.

"Despite some here's apparent feelin' that it t'would be fine fer them t'die," Padre Kokal adds, "Radegast's Church will do whate'er it needs to in keepin' anyone in Pardubitze from bein' executed fer the sake of th' Nyemetz and their standing here."

Faewen'il sat there and listened to them all argue back and forth; listened to Winnacer give his "I am sorry I cared for you" speech as well, without responding.

But even her patience with listening to all of it had finally worn out and she stood up and truly let them have it; her voice attaining it's old fire.

"Will all o ye SHUT THA HELL UP!!!"

"Farst o all," she says as she rounds on Winnacer and jabs an accusing finger at him," Ye war tha one tha wanted me meek an humble... and when ye got it ye hated it. Fine. Donna bother with yar apology, far I can see that ye truly donna mean it. Ye will never trust me na matter what."

Faewen'il then turns to the rest of the group and addresses them as a whole.

"Since we would be here till all hours o that night, I will explain things to ye all short an simple. I used me magic o invisibility ta spy on tha bastards an me magic a turnin into a wraith ta escape gettin caught. I used me amulet o mind readin ta learn what it is they are plannin ta do."

"So listen up, as I only be sayin this once. They plan on hangin tha poor sods tamorrow so as tha Protektor not be losin face. He has plans far killing Kurtek an tha Witchfinder General at a LATER date. He be very nervous tha thins go as planned tamorrow. I went out o me way ta insure tha he be enraged an careless as possible so that ye fools would have a better chance at rescuin our dupes an killin him, DESPITE tha treatment ye be givin me tha night a'fore."

"Then I went ta tha Witchfinder General an left him a note tippin him off ta tha Protektor's plans far his demise an tha tha price o his life was turnin tha other cheek tamorrow when tha execution be takin place. It be thar tha I learnt he be plannin ta kill tha Protektor at a LATER time; tha thoughts on how he be doin it war not foremost in his mind so I donna know what tha hell they be. As an obviously mis-placed courtesy, I took pains ta try an get all yar damned thins back DESPITE tha treatment ye be givin me tha night a'fore."

"An as far as sneakin back into tha Witchfinder buildin... good damned luck to tha lot o ye, ye will need it. I took what little crap o interest they had an it be tha guards tha be usin yar thins... so findin them will be a stroke o luck in tha farst place. So ye have ta figure, iffen they discovered I took thins...which they did as I was leavin, that they have DOUBLED thar security an now shut ALL o tha magical trapped doors."

"An as far tha cell itself, they be takin no chances with tha dupes, an have a strong guard on it as well."

"So while I may be able ta get back in thar by becomin a ghost, tha rest o ye are shit outta luck. I have na way ta get tha bastards out again, so it be doin no good by me returnin... EVEN IF I DID HAVE THA SPELLS MEMORIZED."

"Not tha ye could care what tha hell I have ta say, but it would be in yar best interest ta attack tha spectator pavilion tamorrow an target tha Protektors; saving a second attack far tha Witchfinder General iffen he did na care for me advice."

"An iffen tha mind-numbed nature priest do be havin a way ta sabotage tha pavilion, then it would be best tha he do it tanight... an iffen he does, I will, DESPITE tha treatment I be getting from ye, cast me last invisibility on him so he can do it."

"So ye all decide what tha hell ye be wantin ta do, far I have had enough o yar bickerin. Iffen it pleases tha LawBringer, I would go an visit this Petr meself an discuss what spells he might be havin rather than scuttle mindless messengers back an forth tha donna understand magic."

Faewen'il then folded her arms and glared at everything in general.

A slight smile comes to Gronk's face as Fae lays into the group:

"Give 'em 'ell, little lady. Sounds like she knows best whats agoin' on an' 'er idea seems solid. Iffin we makes sure some o' 'em foot be ready ta snatch 'em prisoners, we mights just not get 'urt too bad."

Winnacer looks as if he about to laugh, but only for a second. Regaining his composure, he looks at Faewen'il, meeting her glare:

"His mansion is two blocks from the Great Square, at the corner of Silk Street and Prince's Lane. Tell him that we will see him in the morning."

Upon hearing the location that Winnacer gave her, she headed out of the room without so much as a "by-your-leave"; gathering up the two spellbooks as she went.

"But even if th'only reason y'll go is t'get at Kurtek, fine," says Padre Kokal to Aneira. "No need t'explain the want t'take Nyemetz scum like him. 'Less you've 'eard different somewhere, Kurtek will be in the Great Square tomorrow, an' you'll 'ave ye chance t'make sure 'e gets hurt directly."

Aneira looked at Kokal:

"What my stand-in or any of the other prisoners feel is outside my concern. I am not seeking to be a hero or serving some noble cause. I am just seeking my revenge for the scum that killed every living soul I ever knew. Anything else is irrelevant."

Her frosty gaze never wavered from his face.

"If Kurtek will be there, and we can come up with a plan that does not seem suicidal, for surely this is a trap to lure us there, not just something to dispirit the masses, I will be there too."

"I don't buy it," Yaz says, surrounded by a yellowy haze, "that this is all to catch us. I mean, shit, they advertised that they captured us. So they gotta show that they finished us off, otherwise everybody'll think they're whusses. Right? Like crowd control."

"I say we just show up, like on a rooftop or something. Too bad Corrow wasn't here, maybe he could make an illusion of us up somewhere visible. Then, with some ventriloqism act or something, we talk to the crowd, tell them we're still alive."

"The worst the Nyemetz could do then is say they're gonna kill the prisoners if we don't come quietly. All we gotta do then is have everybody in the crowd have a sword or an axe or a spear or something, and rattle it at 'em, make 'em scared. That Foot of Padre's could pass out weapons to the crowd while it's gettin' together... could be a real shocker for 'em. They wouldn't try anything like killing prisoners if they knew there was an angry mob comin' for 'em, would they?"

Yaz is clearly wobbling on his feet now, and steadies himself with a chair:

"I kinda think we oughtta be careful though. From what Maire' says, maybe these guys are about to kill themselves... maybe we don't gotta do nothing. I'm just afraid if we show that we're too powerful, they might unite so's to kill us, and forget about their fighting. But if we just set the town against the Lord Protektor, maybe that'll be just more reason for the other guys to wanna off him, 'cuz he lost control of the city."

Winnacer takes a breath, his patience obviously running thin:

"Of course this is a trap. But it is not a particularly good one, and we should take advantage of it. They are trying to trap us without any knowledge of what resources we truly have. And by diverting their attention away from our main goal, we can hit them hard, fast, and from surprise."

Yaz speaks softly, almost to himself:

"Bull f***in' shit, Paladin-boy... Ask Maire', she said they's jus thinkin' 'bout themselves, not us, man... Ask her! No trap! Of course it's not a good trap, 'cuz it's not a trap! I thought Bennett was paranoid-guy... And if it is a trap, how the hell you think you'll get surprise? I don't get it... I'm not too smart, as you know, but I don't think you make much sense."

Aneira remarks:

"I like the idea of somehow projecting an image of us at the execution site. Is that even possible? It seems if folks know we are actually alive, the point of the execution is moot. I don't think the idea of us, even with supporters, going up against a well-fortified square is very smart. That sounds fairly suicidal to me, especially if it is a trap. Not that I really care; if I can kill Kurtek, I will die happy."

Her face reflects no emotion at all as she speaks. She looks faintly bored.

"First off, our warriors can all be magically augmented by Petr," Winnacer continues. "If we were to leave Petr's place as an invisible group and make our way to the Nyemetz brass, we can hit them from surprise and decimate them. Of course, this leaves us vulnerable to being mobbed by the Nyemetz guards."

"However, if we were to break the foot up into ten man squads and have them spread out amongst the crowd, we can have them quickly strike at multiple areas around the crowd. This would create quite a stir and confuse the Nyemetz, as they would have trouble figuring out exactly where the threat is coming from. With the Nyemetz guards needing to split up to attempt to engage our Foot, we can then strike from surprise, killing all those we can get close to. Slaying both Lord Protektors could cause quite a stir amongst the Nyemetz. But we can be sure that many of the Witchfinders and Kurtek should be in attendance."

"While we may be able to sit back and allow the Nyemetz to tear each other apart, it is not something we can count on. With a bold move tomorrow, we can wipe out a great deal of their hierarchy, then concentrate on destroying the rest of it as they are reeling from our strike."

"We also have the aid of several priests. Using them to signal the attack, they can immobilize or divert the attention of some of the higher profile targets, aiding in our ability to get close and eliminate them. If we can have the priests and Foot strike quickly, then fade out, we can strike a quick blow as well as minimize our losses. We need not beat all the Nyemetz to win this engagement."

"Lastly, we need to free the prisoners. We need to figure out where exactly the prisoners are to be in relation to the top brass. Perhaps one squad of the Foot led by a priest could lend the prisoners aid as we slay the brass."

"Such a quick guerilla type action is something that the Nyemetz can not be betting on. They remain overconfident and without appropriate intelligence into our resources. Let us make them pay at their own party."