Mission 4: Mikawa Recruitment

[TheDude51]

"An excellent plan. With such a small group I can give everyone magical enhancements, and an Invisibility Sphere or two from Sugire might allow us to sneak up on them undetected."

[Zanaikin]

Sugire: "Invisibility Sphere? totally have it covered, just leave it to me. I won't have much magic left for individual invisibilities after the Disguise spells though."

(don't we love slot levels? xD)
(Since it doesn't seem like Dave and Marty intend to join in [=\], skipping forth...)

---------- * * * ----------

It took another few hours across the hills and through the woods before the entire raid group arrived at the fields on the outskirts of Chiryu village. Even before reaching the tree line you can see smoke rising from the distance, telltale signs of the village itself being attacked and pillaged. The main village was about 3/4th of a mile away from the tree line of the woods. However, the scouts also quickly pointed out there was a smaller patch of trees, but still enough for a team to hide in, just a few hundred feet outside the main village area.

There were villagers still running away in panick, but it seems most of them had already escaped. Several armored men could be seen in the village itself, with battered Takeda banners on their back. But for whatever reason, none of them were mounted, nor were there any Tebasaki mounts in sight...

Genichirou: "What do you all think? Should we have the rest of the group support our attack from that patch of trees, or have them lay down the ambush so we can either lead or push the enemy into it?"

"Full strike I'd say," said Hayato (one of the ex-samurai rebels). "We need to gauge their behavior first, and also--- something feels a bit off about these Takeda."

[TheDude51]

"Isn't the Takeda army a cavalry force? Strange that this group is all on foot. Perhaps we should scout the village before charging in blindly. Yuuta, you can cast invisibility right? Can you scout ahead and check what we'll be getting ourselves into?

[Laharl]

Yuuta looks kind of sheepish. "Actually...I can't cast Invisibility, unless one of you has a scroll or wand I can borrow. I am a fair hand at sneaking around without magical assistance, though."

(It's a Deception Patron spell on the witch list, and I don't have a patron.)

[Zanaikin]

(almost forgot I was going to run the cohort non-combat...)

Nobody volunteered with any free invisibilities.

Yumi takes a step forward, pulling her bow out. "I'll follow you and lend a backup if something need be; and this might help." She then casts Camouflage on Yuuta (+10 stealth to hide)
(this is at a favored terrain for her, so allies within sight of her also gain +2 initiative, perception, stealth, survival, and cannot be tracked. Since Yuuta has the better stealth mod [far better with the buff] I presume he'll do the leading).

[Laharl]

(Stealth 9+33=42)

Yuuta nods, thanks Yumi, and sets off to to scout.

[Zanaikin]

(I should note for future that whenever any of you make a stealth check you should also make a perception check--- seems to be needed hand in hand).

Yuuta made his way across the open fields and into the small patch of woods, situated almost right next to the village. It's almost winter and the crops have already been harvested, but that unfortunately also meant what grains are kept are what the local needed to get through the winter season. A trace of nostalgia struck Yuuta as he looked at the main road leading in, as this village was near the one he originated from, and several of his old comrades were from here so he's visited occasionally in the past.

As he entered the small patch of trees, he notices that there were still two more families hiding there. They however didn't show any signs of noticing him, all their attention was towards the other side--- where you see nearly four dozen armed men finishing up their raid, loading foodstuffs and things of remote value into a large ox-drawn cart. There was also two other carts nearby, but both of them were covered by a thick fabric. Several of the homes were already on fire, likely their doing. Most of them were also preparing to move out towards further north, which is troubling--- (1) it's further away from the Takeda encampment and (2) Yuuta's home village is in that direction just a few miles down the road.

The suspicious part was the enemy themselves. Although they weren't seen earlier, these troops did have a few mounts, but there were only five of them. They wore a mix of ashigaru lamellar armor and the samurai's great armor, but not particularly well-doned or even well-fitting (heavy armor were normally fitted for individuals after all). They also carried spears that were far longer than normal for around here, with pointed steel tips instead of steel blades at the end. Lastly, and possibly the most obvious--- they simply didn't look from around here. Their darker complexions looked more like those from western Japan or even from the continent (not that Yuuta had seen that many of them for a good reference, but going to the Death Lands did broaden his views).

Yumi whispers over the comm rings: "I have a feeling these men are just pretending to be Takeda troops--- they don't really look like it."

[Laharl]

Yuuta adds "They're heading away from the Takeda camp, towards the north. I think they're from somewhere well to the west, maybe even the continent, though it's hard to be sure."

He gets closer for a better look if the terrain allows.

(Stealth 16+33=49, Perception 5+17=22)

[Zanaikin]

Yuuta moves as close towards the raiders as the shrubbery allows him to stay hidden, but he doesn't notice any fresh new details except a better look at the soldiers' decided more western appearances.

"I knew it wouldn't be Lord Shingen, allowing for something so dishonorable!" the ronin Hayato exclaimed over the comm.

"Well, that just means we can hit them without restraint---" Genichirou remarked with a vicious yet pleased tone, although Hayato snorted slightly in response, clearly doubting that he would have ever held himself back in the first place. "Hayato, Takahiko, split into two squads and lay an ambush on the road north from the village. Terasaka, if you don't mind, your squad and I can surprise them from the south and drive them north, straight towards the ambush. Sugire, if you would arrange our Oda disguises..."

Sugire looked towards Terasaka for confirmation...

[TheDude51]

Terasaka nods to Sugire, giving him the go-ahead.

[Zanaikin]

Sugire casts Disguise Other on Terasaka, Rainer, Shigeru, and Genichirou to look like Oda troops; he also cast Invisibility Sphere on Genichirou (since he'll be leading) and Rainer (so it covers his hard-to-stealth big construct). Finally he casts Protection against Arrows (Communal) on the four + construct + himself, granting DR10/- vs ranged (70pt maximum) for 1 hour to each...

Genichirou nodded simply and he beckoned everyone to follow him after departing from the tree line. "Alright, get's get this party started."

Under cover of invisibility, the group made it all the way over to near the foliage patch next to the forest without anyone being the wiser, although now that the range is dropping rapidly and Genichirou's heavy armor is anything but silent (not to mention Terasaka's clumsy steps which seem to find all the right twigs to snap) this may likely change very soon---

( Buffs up --- will make a buff compilation once that's done... )
( I need the following from everyone: Stealth check, Initiative check, and preferred deployment position on map [whether you reach it or not depends on your stealthiness: Yuuta and Yumi can be anywhere in the woods south of the village, while everyone else should position themselves somewhere in the deployment zone west of it -- see E14] )
( Map updated, obviously )

Yuuta and Yumi also notices from his hiding spot that the raider are just about packed up and heading out, as soon as that last package loads... (both Yuuta and Yumi gets surprise round, so feel free to take an action to start the battle if you want, or wait for the rest to get there before attacking).

In the meantime one of the remaining spearmen begin lighting the storage building on fire with a torch. Some of the enemies are already on the road north, but over a dozen of them are in the rear with the last two carts. Most of the enemy foot soldiers are equipped with really long spears (hence labelled pike: 15ft reach), and, despite doubts, they're mostly wearing Takeda samurai armor. They're also carrying pavise tower shields that's normally seen only with ranged troops, although most of them just have it slung over their backs right now...
There are also two mounted soldiers in the rear units, each armed with a heavy spear (effectively a lance) and a composite bow...

[Sajuuk]

(No buffs up yet)
(Stealth: 1d20+7 → [9,7] = (16))
(Initiative: 1d20+8 → [19,8] = (27))

(Put me in E20)

[Laharl]

Yuuta casts no additional buffs and starts in Q15.

(Stealth 5+33=38, Init 15+11=26)

Yuuta, as is his wont, launches straight into battle with the samurai, heedless of the pikes. He charges to T12 and slices at the samurai he finds there.

(Attack: 6+22=28 (FF), 36 damage)

[TheDude51]

Group Buffs:
Mass Shield of Faith
Extended Righteous Wrath of the Faithful (last to go up)
Fickle Winds

Group Benefits: +3 morale on attacks and damage, one extra attack on a full attack, +4 deflection AC, immune to ranged attacks

Personal Buffs:
Girallon's Blessing
Fuse Arms

Knowledge Devotion check (Divine Insight boosted): 1d20+31 = 41 (+5 bonus)

Stealth: 1d20-2 = 9
Initiative: 1d20-2 = 0

Location: Follow Genichirou's Inivisibility Sphere, so I'll be wherever he deploys.


Yumi:
Location: V19
Stealth: 1d20+24 = 39
Initiative: 1d20+7 = 14

Surprise Round: Yumi fires a Critical Shot aimed at the head of Mounted Samurai 2.

Attack: 1d20+22 = 35
Damage: 9d8+12 = 58, and make a DC 58 fortitude save or be killed instantly.

[Squall255]

Rainer Init and Stealth:
Rosebud Init and Stealth:
no buffs are up. Rainer is inside Rosebud who is (hopefully) positioned at (H14-I15)