Tests and Trials (Manzanita Judging)

[scout989]

Devlin sees the circumstances and utters a silent curse before addressing Luthiel and the others. "Well, I don't think right now is the best time to approach them. Let's hang back in the woods for the night and enter the camp after they debark in the morning."

ooc:damn, forgot about time of day. I thought is was morning, not afternoon.

"I know you are the one with the plan, but may I ask a question? If we are going in there to try to talk them into leaving, perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea to do it now, after all. I'm just wondering if it wouldn't look better if we did it now, rather than walking in there when almost everyone is out of the camp. If we wait, we might make it look like we're trying to be sneaky- and we want to look trustworthy, right?"
Luthiel thinks for a moment, then adds, "Besides, if our negotiations fail for any reason, we'll have the night tonight to think about what to do next. But again, I'm quite happy leaving such decisions up to you."

 

[Dungannon]

Devlin looks at Luthiel, "I understand your eagerness, but we're supposed to pass ourselves off as people conducting business. Business, at least legitimate business, is done during the day, not at night."

 

[Rae ArdGaoth]

The group decides to wait for morning. They set up camp just off the trail they traveled to get this far. It's far more peaceful here than at the first clearing, with the tower. There, strange hoots, eerie whistles, and glowing red eyes would constantly come from the woods around them. Here, there is only a light buzzing of crickets and the hoot of the odd owl. The night passes uneventfully.

OOC: Would you like to wait until after dawn or... what?

 

[Enkhidu]

OOC: No objection from me on fast forwarding through the night.

 

[scout989]

ooc: I'm pretty much taking my cues from Dungannon- whatever he says.

 

[Dungannon]

ooc: to paraphrase OotS, "early the next morning..."

 

[Rae ArdGaoth]

Dawn comes, and it looks to be a sunny, cloudless day. The loggers were already preparing for the day's work before the sun came up, and now they're ready to start chopping away their livelihood out of the forest. The three night watchmen head into the settlement into seperate tents. The group is well within the forest compared to where the loggers are. They can easily stay hidden, if they wish, or they could walk up the trail to the settlement. The trail conveniently (or not?) passes directly through the center of the loggers' work area.

 

[scout989]

Luthiel sees that the loggers are working right next to the trail, and immediately begins scanning the area to see how easy it would be to head around and come at the camp from a different direction. "Damn, do you think they'll know something is up if we come down this trail? What if the wolves and that elf have been harassing them? Should we try to go around the workers?"

 

[Dungannon]

Devlin ponders the situation. "I think we should approach the camp from the opposite side, like we're coming from town instead of from the woods." With that, Devlin starts to head out through the woods to the side of the camp opposite the logging area.

 

[scout989]

Luthiel follows, as silently as he can in these noisy woods. <Here it comes. This is almost scarier than getting into a fight. Urrgh, I'm no good at talking to people! Oh well. Here it comes...> His thoughts go around in a circle as they travel.