A Keep on the Borderlands: Consolidation
Bastian nodded. "If you don't want to take credit, I'm sure we wouldn't mind telling the iron dwarves we cleaned their house for them ourselves," the cavalier said with a bit of a grin, though he fades back to stay out of Arcata's way. He couldn't resist the jibe, but he knew things were far more precarious than that, and the last Dulat was better trained at handling these sorts of prickly relations.
Dr Simon
Explorer
Menexes strokes his ginger beard thoughtfully.
"You have a point," he says. "And the Waystation is a valuable resource. I'll commit forces to your aid. I'll need to leave some here to guard the sanctuary, particularly in case the Cobalt Dwarf decides to counterstrike. But I can spare, say, thirty dwarves to our joint cause.
"However, Schattenstein has the advantage of a fortified position. If you have any ideas, perhaps now your should be telling?"
"You have a point," he says. "And the Waystation is a valuable resource. I'll commit forces to your aid. I'll need to leave some here to guard the sanctuary, particularly in case the Cobalt Dwarf decides to counterstrike. But I can spare, say, thirty dwarves to our joint cause.
"However, Schattenstein has the advantage of a fortified position. If you have any ideas, perhaps now your should be telling?"
Bastian Sangue, human cavalier
"There's the tunnels, but since we just used them to escape, I have to imagine they'll be guarding those better now," Bastian offers.
"There's also the opening on the side of the cliff. If we had a way to get there without risking all of us falling down the chasm ... that might not be an avenue they'd expect. Of course, unless you've got a gaggle of riding eagles or spiders hiding somewhere, I'm not sure that's a viable option."
"There's the tunnels, but since we just used them to escape, I have to imagine they'll be guarding those better now," Bastian offers.
"There's also the opening on the side of the cliff. If we had a way to get there without risking all of us falling down the chasm ... that might not be an avenue they'd expect. Of course, unless you've got a gaggle of riding eagles or spiders hiding somewhere, I'm not sure that's a viable option."
Arcata thinks. "The Cobalt Dwarves weren't expecting trouble," she says slowly. "And they were...slipshod in maintaining the waystation. They might not have bothered to stockpile food and fuel. In that case, a siege could be very effective. We'd just have to keep them from going hunting, since I'm sure they already don't have any support from farms."
She frowns at something then. "I don't like a plan that depends on one's enemies to slip up though. And it assumes they don't have some secret way out...underground passages or the like."
For a moment, Arcata is silent, then looks at Menexes. "Wait, what about that? How hard would it be to dig under the Waystation's walls?"
She frowns at something then. "I don't like a plan that depends on one's enemies to slip up though. And it assumes they don't have some secret way out...underground passages or the like."
For a moment, Arcata is silent, then looks at Menexes. "Wait, what about that? How hard would it be to dig under the Waystation's walls?"
Dr Simon
Explorer
Menexes calls Rexun over to join the discussion, and explains the situation to him.
"What do you make of the Lady's suggestion?" he asks.
"The rock beneath is Sandstein being," replies Rexun. "At least, from what I see. Tunnels already underneath, where me they were holding, so if we are another tunnel making that meets these, very easy."
"But it will still take time," sasy Menexes. "The Cobalt Dwarves may well not be provisioned for a seige, but neither are we. And we will need a safe place for our sappers to start, unoberved by the Waystation preferably so that Schattenstein isn't warned of our intent. It can be done, but not without risk." Menexes pauses as if considering something, then continues. "There is another possibility, but it also carries risk, to you particularly, My Lady. I'm not sure that your bodyguard will approve. But for some reason Schattenstein is interested in you. Maybe we could use that in some way? Set a trap, perhaps?"
"What do you make of the Lady's suggestion?" he asks.
"The rock beneath is Sandstein being," replies Rexun. "At least, from what I see. Tunnels already underneath, where me they were holding, so if we are another tunnel making that meets these, very easy."
"But it will still take time," sasy Menexes. "The Cobalt Dwarves may well not be provisioned for a seige, but neither are we. And we will need a safe place for our sappers to start, unoberved by the Waystation preferably so that Schattenstein isn't warned of our intent. It can be done, but not without risk." Menexes pauses as if considering something, then continues. "There is another possibility, but it also carries risk, to you particularly, My Lady. I'm not sure that your bodyguard will approve. But for some reason Schattenstein is interested in you. Maybe we could use that in some way? Set a trap, perhaps?"
Bastian Sangue, human cavalier
Bastian's gaze cools, his hand moving an inch toward the hilt of his greatsword before he clears his throat and regains his composure.
"You're right: I don't approve," he says evenly. "The Lady Arcata Dulat isn't bait for anyone's hook.
"That said," he continues, his tone measured, "that doesn't mean Schattenstein can't be convinced she'll be somewhere that she won't be."
Bastian's gaze cools, his hand moving an inch toward the hilt of his greatsword before he clears his throat and regains his composure.
"You're right: I don't approve," he says evenly. "The Lady Arcata Dulat isn't bait for anyone's hook.
"That said," he continues, his tone measured, "that doesn't mean Schattenstein can't be convinced she'll be somewhere that she won't be."
Arcata moves to Bastion's side and puts just her fingertips on his sword hand's forearm.
"He wasn't trying to be threatening," she says with gentle reproof. "It was something I was already considering bringing up, in fact."
She looks at Menexes.
"I don't object to trying to lure him out, but if I take a risk like that it would have to be a very good plan. Just riding me up to the wall wouldn't work. We'd need to feed him false information in a way that it seems trustworthy, and I'm not sure how to do that. The nature of the Cobalt Dwarves seems as if they wouldn't have an easy time infiltrating you."
"He wasn't trying to be threatening," she says with gentle reproof. "It was something I was already considering bringing up, in fact."
She looks at Menexes.
"I don't object to trying to lure him out, but if I take a risk like that it would have to be a very good plan. Just riding me up to the wall wouldn't work. We'd need to feed him false information in a way that it seems trustworthy, and I'm not sure how to do that. The nature of the Cobalt Dwarves seems as if they wouldn't have an easy time infiltrating you."