Helter Skelter

We changed strategies and instead sought someplace higher than the camp, where we could observe them and plan a rescue mission. If we suppose we spawned in the southwest, slightly off of the camp, we spent our first night just north of west. There is a bit of a slope upwards going east — and that is where we are trying to observe from. There is only one road, on the south side.

The camp as a whole is bigger than I initially realized. There are at least 10 tents shaped like circular pyramids, they fit two to three people each, and there is a larger one in the middle that has the spam of three or four of the others ones. The amount of people we saw yesterday gave us close to 25 people, so maybe we should assume they are full capacity — around 30~35 people strong.

The weapons were somewhat subject to the environment in those wooden crates that are all around, so it is not an armory. So it is either a strategic center or the leader's quarter. 

There aren't any training dummies or targets. This camp is probably not military in nature. Perhaps the abundance of weapons is in anticipation of new adventurers? 

Tsk, I guess I shouldn't have gone ahead without hearing what I suppose would be a tutorial before choosing a door. I just imagined, given all those people in the sky place and the controversy with Daniel, that I'd have a better chance to save him if I acted fast. 

Daniel is with me, observing the camp. He didn't seem really keen to coming back, but he didn't complain and did follow. He attacked that NPC with a lot of rage … Does he want to finish the job, is that it? Does he plan to actually beat everyone in the camp? 

At least twenty people. It seems impossible to me, and I don't even imagine José's in his most hyped up day actually think we can do it. Daniel, however, is really a cut above us, I don't even understand how he has the same amount of skill points than us. 

Right now, I'm trying to gather information from the forest floor, but he somehow managed so perfectly use the vines to get to a better position. I had the impression he used every point into combat, but he did excel in survival too, and now in acrobatics. 

Did he already know how to do that before coming here? Or did he get more skill points because he beat more people than José yesterday? I can't help but feel like a supporting character …

… 

Tsk, whatever. That isn't a real thing. If I have time to think about all of this, there probably isn't much more to analyze here.

"Daniel! That is enough. Let's go."

Daniel seems satisfied too, and we go uphill and find José where we left of, with a leaf bed secured and relaxing a bit.

"So? How screwed are we? Hahaha" He says.

I explain what I saw and then start with what I think should be our best plan. 

"We are not in condition to actually fight right now, I need to craft arrows and my bow needs some time in the sun to get the proper flexibility. But it'll not get much better in time too. We'll get sick if we don't get an actual shelter and better clothing, not to mention food. We need to do something in two or three days."

Daniel speaks:

"They were gathering. Near big tent. Far side."

I noticed less movement, so they were gathering? So they were planning something. If it is a defense plan, we have to act before they can actually do something. Maybe they'll try to catch us, finally? Actually, possibly they contacted some city or government? 

José adds

"That means we are in an even shorter timer, they might be getting better prepared with a day to spare than we will be. If we know where Sis is, maybe we can do a stealth operation?"

Tsk, that is the worst scenario. We have to do something today, but I don't have any arrows and the bow is simply not ready … 

We need a plan, I wish Biel was here …

Wait, we can use his plan at the courthouse. Make a great ruckus at one side of the camp and then someone else invades when they converge on the other side.

I take some leafs away from a small area in front of us and start drawing what I saw in the camp. There were three huts in the north side, two east and four south and one west. 

"Southeast is probably where there will be most people late at night. Daniel and I can start fires in their wooden beam and create a diversion there. José waits in the west side until people get out of their huts and checks one by one for his sister and Biel."

"Hahaha, nice to finally see your courageous side, but I'll go with Daniel. You're useless in combat! Just be sure not to be found out on the other side. Take one knife and move already. We're doing this tonight."

I take the knife, then start explaining to him how to start the fire. Before I'm finished, Daniel adds:

“We kill them while asleep. Fire is plan B.”

My heart skips. “What? Kill? I don’t know—”

José cuts in with a laugh that feels wrong. “Better than fighting thirty awake mobs. They’re just XP, man. You look like my grandma, feeling for the lives of video game filler characters. Hahaha. ”

XP. NPCs. I want to believe that… but the words don’t sit right. Still, they’re the ones risking their necks. Who am I to argue?

I get the fire starting apparatus ready and left it with them. I have to back fast, it is getting dark, and I'd love to get a little rested before the operation. I only take with me the knife, 3 bamboo shivs, and the two pieces that'll be a spear and the bow. As well as some good amount of cordage.

Tsk, come to think of it. I should've waited and got stealth with that skill point. I really hope everything goes well now and with the points from getting such a mission done, I can fix my build.

By the time I reach my position, the sky is bleeding red, the last breath of day already gone. It feels less like sunset… and more like an omen.