Today’s snippet, titled “Tactics (pt 2)”, is a piece I wrote about my PC in Mark’s new (Good) Pathfinder Campaign.
      Be forewarned, there may be mature themes and naughty language below.
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      Three separate armies – three they could see, she thought with a frown – occupying the outskirts of Drezen with the Gods only know how many within the walls of the citadel. Paradise Hill, once a vibrant district of warehouses and import/export shops, guildhalls and riverboats, had been reduced to rubble and looted to the last copper piece. The scouts reported that penned up within the district were as many as two hundred slaves, likely the hardiest of the survivors.
      The Southbank was occupied by an army of cultists much like ones they had faced previously and when Graves heard this news a great grin split her face.
      “We’ll fucking destroy those evil bastards,” she growled, slamming her fist into her palm.
      Rhiallis was heartened by her courage and straightened her shoulders.
      Then came the report that the cultists were not alone in occupying Southbank.
      “Thems got a whole army made up of them tiefers also,” Nura said. “Like what we fought a’fore, but more of ‘em, I reckon.”
      Aron held up a hand to silence her. “Plus, they’ve chained up some monstrous aurochs by the main bridge – down in the moat. They’re ready to pull that down the instant we get too close. It won’t be easy to get past them.”
      “And,” Nura piped up, her strident, nasally voice was enough to cause Rhiallis a fresh migraine. “Thems got another army over at the city dead lots. Thems got ghouls and ghasts and there was sumfin bigger and shadowy what I didn’t much see, but I bet it is real bad.”
      Rhiallis pursed her lips. “Great.”
      “We’ll want to march straight on the gates then – before they can pull down the bridge. Right?”
      “No,” Graves shook her head, “We can’t leave those two armies on our rear. They’d come up behind and smash us against the gates.”
      Kumiko grunted her agreement. “Hai. But who dies first? We go Southbank, we take Paradise Hill in rear. We take Hill first, we get Southbank in rear.”
      “Plus, they’ll pull down the bridge!”
      “They won’t risk that. Not right away. It is their main way in and out of the city, too.” Graves leaned her rear against a table and crossed her arms at her chest, thinking. “But Kumiko’s got a good point. Either way, we take a chance on getting pincered between two armies.”
      “And if we go for the gate, it could be three armies,” Mira said.
      “More, if they get across the bridge before we can take it.”
      Everyone glanced at Athynacious and nodded. He does make a good point – we don’t know exactly what lays within the city at this point.
      “So then – what do we do?”
      The map Aron had sketched for them was spread out across the table and now ten heads peered down at it, all deep in thought.
      Viggo would know, she chuckled to herself. Viggo had such a mind for tactics. I didn’t learn enough from him to be as useful to them as I might but… What would he have done, Rhiallis? Think. Think!
      “Paradise Hill,” she said, hastily. “If we can take it fast, it’ll give us high ground.”
      “Yeah,” Graves nodded. “That’s what I thought too. We’ll hit Paradise Hill first, and hell, if we can liberate those slaves, maybe they’ll be able to bolster our numbers.”
      Celeste frowned. “We should probably take Southbank first though. They seem to have bigger numbers. And what about the gate?”
      “The gate will have to be our third goal – its important, obviously, but I think it’ll be safe until we reach it. And like I said – if we mobilize quick enough, maybe they won’t even have a chance to destroy it.”
      “I can get down there and maybe disable the chains or something,” Mira volunteered, shifting her weight from foot to foot. The halfling was ready for action.
      “Right. That’s it. We hit Paradise Hill, liberate those slaves, turn south, massacre the fuckers at Southbank, and then we’ll hit the gate.”
      “What about the graveyard? All the undead at our back?”
      Graves shrugged. “We gotta take our chances, Celeste. Hedge our bets. They might not be aligned with the demons. They might not cross out of the cemetary. We’ll risk it. And once we take care of business, by the Holy Light of The Inheritor, I vow we will root out every undead bastard in that place and put them all to the sword.”
      As if to punctuate her declaration, Graves’ hand found Radiance’s hilt and from within the scabbard, the blade’s holy light began to shine.
      “Fine,” Celeste capitulated. “To Paradise Hill then.”
      “To Paradise Hill. We march within the hour, so get your gear together. I’ll get James to send the officers out and we’ll be away.”
      The others filed out of the tent to ready themselves and their army of paladins. Rhiallis didn’t notice Fenton and Koto go, but suddenly she realized she was alone. The map of Drezen was still upon the table and she drew a finger tip over their proposed route, mentally fighting the battle.
      It is the smartest choice, she told herself. Viggo would do the same, I know he would.
      A few moments later, as she pulled down and repacked her tent, Rhiallis noticed some small footprints nearby and frowned. They seemed to come up the row, stop at the backside of her campsite, and after milling around there, moved away down another direction. She took a moment to examine every thing she had left unattended, but found nothing damaged or missing.
“There’s still a traitor amongst us,” she said to herself, shoving the tent stakes into their pouch. “We mustn’t forget that. And it could be almost any one.”

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Note: Image is “King Jagiello Statue Central” by (Mulligand) from SXC.hu; edited by me