Posts from Horizon of Darkness Auto-translated

- They'll offer more for living captives, and it would be more just. The question is, will we manage to bring them in alive and with all their limbs intact?

- I agree with Zeikin; we can always kill them later. Perhaps we should send one or two of our most presentable squad members to talk to them. Persuade them, intimidate them, or, if all else fails, lie and say that we've brought the entire squad to take them down, along with half the Radovud garrison. Tell them that if they don't surrender and lay down their arms, we'll feed them to our pet slug, which will digest them alive for a thousand years. The rest of the squad stays quiet and doesn't reveal itself. If they start to resist, then we attack. I think we have a good chance. But first, we need to disarm the perimeter of any traps.

Are those the escaped prisoners?
I also think it's better to just kill them and be done with it. Otherwise, they might escape again and come back to take revenge on us.

— It would be good to find out in advance where they placed the traps, so that there are no complications later. They will probably check them shortly before leaving to see if any game has been caught – we can track them.

"If I remember correctly, it doesn't matter to the recruiter whether they're alive or not," Lin thought, but decided not to say it out loud to avoid being unnecessarily annoying. "Okay, we'll disable the traps according to Nikta's or Radiel's plan; you two know best how to do it. Then, Zeike and Joe will go to the negotiations; show them your muscles or whatever impresses the guys, and then we'll see how it goes."

- I agree with Zeikin; we can always kill them later. Perhaps we should send one or two of our most impressive members to talk to them. Persuade them, intimidate them, or, in the end, lie and say that we came with the entire squad to get them, and we even brought half of Radovud's guards with us. If they don't surrender and lay down their weapons, we'll feed them to our pet slug, which will digest them alive for a thousand years. The rest of the squad stays quiet and doesn't reveal itself. If they start to resist, then we attack. I think we have a good chance. But first, we need to clear the perimeter of traps.

- I think it's better to approach them as a group – it will be more convincing. Although... I doubt they'll even listen to us – I know this type; this scoundrel will cling to his position until the very end, even if he has to climb over the bodies of his comrades like a cornered rat. I'm not afraid of a knife in the liver – it will heal somehow, but if they run away from us, through the undergrowth, traps, and darkness, it will be a hopeless task to catch them. We should surround them and set up an ambush, and we, for example, could scare them with Jonik. And if they don't run, then you yourselves will come out to fight.

- Our group isn't particularly impressive on its own. But I completely agree that we need to set up an ambush. Maybe we can reconfigure the traps and lure them into it.

- I think it's better to go together – it will be more convincing. Although... I doubt they will even listen to us – I know this type, this scoundrel will cling to his own until the very end, even if he has to climb over the heads of his friends, like a cornered rat. I'm not afraid of a knife in the back – it will heal somehow, but if they run away from us, then through the thickets, and through the traps, and in the darkness – it will be a hopeless task to catch them. It would be better to surround them and organize an ambush, and we, for example, will scare them with Jonik. And if they don't run, then you yourselves will come out for a fight.

— Just in case they try to escape into the forest – I know one tune... It will make their legs tangle up, so they can only crawl on all fours.

but for that, I need to transform

“If pirates were to ambush each merchant, introduce themselves, and state the terms of surrender, they would be more like civil servants than pirates!” Joe chuckled. “We and the guys usually ‘intimidate’ them the old-fashioned way: a couple of cannon shots, gutting the first few sailors, and if the rest fall to their knees, we can take them alive. But if you want to persuade them with words instead of action, I’ll help you. Although, I doubt this plan will work.”

—If pirates announced themselves to each merchant from an ambush and stated the terms of surrender, they would be like civil servants! —Joe chuckled. —We and the guys usually “intimidated” them: we fired a couple of volleys from the cannons, gutted the first few sailors, and if the rest fell to their knees, we could take them alive. But if you want to convince them with words rather than deeds, I'll help, why not. Although, I can see that this plan won't work.

—And who knows, maybe they'll really soil their pants when they see you, ah-ha-ha!... Kh!... Khakh!... Khe-h!... —Zeykin started to laugh hoarsely, and then he coughed so hard that tears came to his eyes — decades of smoking made themselves felt. —Uff... You know... maybe you can tell me about that ghost ship you had, brother, while we're here? It piqued my curiosity.

Flying Bucaneer? The Revenge of Queen Alkanna?

—A ship? What ship? Ah... Well, listen to this. —settling down comfortably, Joe took out the cigars he had been given from his cloak and began to tell his story:
—We were sailing after a raid, and we got about a dozen gold teeth, but what a haul! They, you see, didn't believe in superstitions and prejudices and set off with their husbands to seek happiness on the waves. They said, who decided that women on a ship bring bad luck? Well, life in the form of us quickly taught them a lesson, ha-ha! They didn't suffer for long, though: we are a people who believe in proverbs! And it's not right to separate them from their husbands for long, and they met at the bottom of the sea. But that's not the point.
Waving away the invisible memories, the old pirate exhaled smoke and continued:
—Even the sea devil doesn't know, but we sailed into such a thick fog that you couldn't see your own hook. The sea was dead calm, and the silence was so profound that you could hear your own soul. Well, by that time, the guys were already quite tipsy, so they decided, with the captain's nod: what the hell, we're not doing anything anyway, let's have another drink! And we really got drunk then... Poor Miggy slipped on the deck and fell, may he rest in peace, he was a brave lad.
Realizing that he was getting carried away again, Joe thoughtfully scratched his hook behind his ear, gathering his thoughts:
—So, time knows how long we spent in this smoky stupor, but it brought us right to an abandoned ship in the middle of the ocean. And this wreck was floating on the water like a black swan: only light circles disturbed the smooth surface. At first, we didn't understand anything, but luckily, the captain quickly brought the guys back to their senses! It's a rich ship, he said, and we're just a bunch of vagrants, so let's board it, there must be something left to loot! We were, of course, already eager and cheerful by that time, but when the boss said so, there were no questions! But as soon as we stepped onto the deck, a chilling cold ran through all of us, and all the rum evaporated!
Mentioning this, the old pirate involuntarily shivered:
—You know me, for me, a drink is medicine and a help in battle, but then... For the first and last time in my life, I lost the desire to drink. Sobriety struck us so hard that only our hearts were pounding in our chests. Someone immediately wanted to get off the ship, but it was too late. What, are you scared? — someone from our crew sneered. Of course, he was just trying to give himself courage, but it worked. The guys shrugged and reluctantly went on. No one wants to be known as a coward, the captain sends such people straight to the sharks.
Finishing his cigar, Joe took a swig from the half-empty bottle of rum.
—We searched the entire deck: it was empty. It was as if the ship had just been launched: not a single stain or dent. And everywhere there was this chilling fog, it seemed to suck the cold out of your skin. We broke into the captain's cabin: it was empty. The safe was open, and instead of valuables, it was filled with papers. We didn't have anyone who could read that language, and who would care anyway! There were also some cool badges on each one, I remember them for the rest of my life: red triangles alternating with white ones, and they all converged at the center with sharp ends. Well, we wandered around for a bit and decided to go down below. As you can imagine, what happened to the crew? — someone from our crew asks, and his voice is trembling! And what happened was really unclear: we didn't find a single soul on the ship! And the deeper we went, the darker it became. Soon it was so dark that you couldn't see anything. Someone reached for a torch, but it was no use: the devilish fog devoured the flame, and it was even thicker inside.
Coughing, the old pirate took a large gulp of liquor and smiled:
—We started to think about whether it was worth going down to the last level. Half said that it was not worth it, let's tell the captain that it's empty and we're done! And someone was afraid, but also excited. What can I say, I was among the latter! So we decided to go on. We climbed into such darkness that you couldn't see or hear anything: even our steps were silent. And everyone was afraid to make a sound, so as not to disturb the dead silence. Then, ahead, we heard someone's breathing. It was muffled, with a hoarse sound like that of a heavy smoker. We, to be honest, were terrified and froze in place. Then, a black helmet appeared out of the darkness. Then I only remember a red flash and a soul-piercing scream: "I AM THE AVALANCHE MAN!".
After a long pause, Joe seemed to be lost in thought for a long time.
—I woke up on my own ship, missing an arm. Or a leg? I don't even remember. Half of the guys, like me, had no memory, and the other half died on that cursed ship. The captain, to his credit, cursed like the devil: you idiots, he said, got drunk and cut each other up. And that cursed ship has disappeared into the fog, and no one can find it now! And the other guys don't even remember it. But I know! And the conclusion from this is: you have to be careful with ghosts, just like with alcohol: if you don't have experience, then stay away, lad! Otherwise, they will suck out your soul, and you will be like old Joe: scarred on the outside and inside.

- What a feeling, - Zeikin finally said. - It's true that the sea is a hostile element for a land-dwelling person; who knows what you might encounter there. No king, nor any shaman, can control it, and who knows what lies beneath the surface in the depths. Maybe there are merfolk with an entire city, or creatures like our "jizha," or those scoundrels from the river. You, my friend, are a lucky man to have lived to old age and have so many stories to tell. I myself am not a coward, but the ocean – not a chance. On a wooden vessel, going where you can't even see the shore? No way. You'll drown, and that's a blessing, but what if you end up as someone's meal? Or even worse, you encounter unimaginable horrors, a single glimpse of which can drive you to madness... You, Gen, weren't a sailor by any chance, were you? - He looked around, remembering that his companion wasn't with them, and waved his hand, eventually reaching for a cigarette to calm his nerves.

- Alright, let's disarm the traps according to Nikta's or Radiel's plan, you two know best how to do it, and then Zeike and Joe can go to the negotiations, they can flex their muscles or whatever impresses the guys, and then we'll see what happens.

Thanks to her skills and abilities as a hunter, Nikta was able to locate all the traps that the bandits had set up not only in the forest but also near their camp. She can try to disarm them now, risking being discovered, or she can do it during a potential battle.

Can you only move on the flat clearing? And will they trigger their own trap if they step on it? Also, what's the approximate chance of Nyx failing her stealth check? Perhaps it could be used during the conversation while they are distracted.

Can you only move on the flat clearing?

You can move anywhere, but where there are trees, each cell counts as two.

And will they get caught in their own trap if they step on it?

They will.

And what is the approximate chance of Nyx failing her stealth?

Who knows...