OOC: There's the road the Baron's men used (now almost impassable for horsemen or wagons), and the one to Northport -- any other road access to the village?  How would the Baron's men likely approach on a retry, given they know about the blockage on the road and in the paddies alongside?

In reply to Chou-Zhen Mou (msg # 8):

most likely they would approach on the road, dismount, and engage archers.

"I believe we need to prepare a counter for archers approaching by road.  Do any in the village use bows, crossbows, or slings?  They can shelter behind wall sections while they reload."

In reply to Chou-Zhen Mou (msg # 10):

the three hunters, including the two faced man, are skilled bowmen, the other villagers much less do, although a few have throwing skill and another group can use spears.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:46, Mon 25 Apr 2022.

In reply to Village hunters (msg # 11):

"I would suggest that some not skilled with any weapon also be given bows, and practice with them. They might get lucky, but even if they do not, it will take the enemy time and observation to work out who the good bowmen are, and until then, the not so good bowmen can focus on avoiding enemy attacks and so divide their attacks."

"Even better if we had crossbows, as they are far easier to learn -- but if there are enough bows, and arrows for them, a mass volley could hide the fact that only a few actually shoot well.

"Another thing we might do is to place traps in the road -- I can make pits very quickly, but I cannot do so at a great distance, more is the pity.  Still, I can keep control of a portion of the earth I move for a pit to hold it as a false cover, for a horse or man to fall through -- though only for as long as I remain awake, so I cannot do this earlier than the day the attack is expected."

In reply to Chou-Zhen Mou (msg # 13):
npc'd
"Ho! Chye can train villagers to be archers or to look like Ashigaru!"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 17:00, Fri 29 Apr 2022.

In reply to Chye Isuel (msg # 14):

new player to arrive soon

In reply to Narrator (msg # 15):

"There is another, I have learned.  he may be here soon."

In reply to Tanaka Kojimaru (msg # 16):

"Should we finish preparing the village before ewe arrive, so we can move out as soon as he is ready?"

"Extending the wall segments, or filling in the gaps, will take at least a day with myself and Ming-Sa working together -- a bit less if Ales contributes energy -- and I do not know if there is enough gain in doing so to make it worth the effort."

In reply to Chou-Zhen Mou (msg # 18):

"And with me shaping earth as well? I can do that all day if I work with 1 cubic yard a minute."

"Can you also change Earth to Stone?  For each wall segment we made before, I Shaped Earth to form the wall, then changed an outer layer to stone to make it durable after the spell is released.  I was able to do this pretty quickly, but the size of each segment and the two spells in quick succession meant I was near exhausted after each segment.

"Ming-Sa and I worked out a method to split up the recovery time.  If you can change Earth to Stone, you and Ales could work together while Ming-Sa and I do the same.  We could do the work about twice as fast -- fill the gaps in the wall and extend it significantly in but a single day."

OOC: see msg. 644 on this page: link to a message in this game

In reply to Chou-Zhen Mou (msg # 20):

"I cannot change Earth to stone, but my skill on shaping the Earth will allow me to cast that slowly all day, meaning you only need cast one spell."

A lone figure walked down the trade road from the north.  He made no attempt to hide his advance.  The figure quickly got closer and closer until he made it to the stone barricades that had begun to ring the village.

"Hello in the village!", he shouted as he maneuvered through the walls.

"I've heard that there has been trouble. Are your elders available to talk?"

The man carried a long bow and wore leather armor under a light, drab colored cloak. Those close enough to see saw a subdued version of Lord Sakemoko's crest embroidered on it. His hair was unusual though as it was black but streaked with bright copper.

In reply to Kichiro (msg # 22):

Since he was asking for the village elders, Saishi allowed them to answer.

In reply to Saishi Jin (msg # 23):

"Welcome back, Favored Son. Tell us of your travels. The hunters spoke of your return."

"It is good to be back. This village is most welcoming...like a second home.", Kichiro replied.

"I'm afraid that now may not be the time for telling stories.  Some woodsman in the north told me a rumor that a band of Pequenaud's men had attacked the village. I came to help as soon as I heard.", he said with a solemn tone.

In reply to Kichiro (msg # 25):

""These folk also came from the Omo, and helped us deal with the Yokai that plagued us."

In reply to Village elder (msg # 26):

"We work to expell them still, you are welcome to assist us "

It's good that the yokai have been dealt with.  They had been troublesome for far too long." Kichiro replied.

"I saw that there are new defenses surrounding the village.  How did you get them up so quickly?"

In reply to Kichiro (msg # 28):

"Earth magic..."

"Hmm. Magic would make sense." Kichuro said, mostly to himself.  He paused thoughtfully and spoke again.

"I will help you and your friends. The people of this village have been mistreated for too long. ", Kichiro said to Jin.

In reply to Kichiro (msg # 30):

"So what is our next step then? Defenses, or moving on the Barons forces?"

"I am not sure yet. How many allies are with us?  How many from this village can fight? How soon will the Baron's men come? Many questions to be answered before we can make a final decision.", Kichiro replied.