(057) Dawn Patrol

[waysoftheearth]

Is that about the necessary distance to ensure the best chances of staying undetected?

If an encounter occurs it will be at 20-120 yards range.
If it is a surprise encounter it will instead be at 10-60 yards range.
(distances relative to Desmond--assuming everyone is moving forward along the same line of approach).

Therefore, in order for Desmond to be truly "separate" from the main group (and treated as an independent operator) he has to be more than 120 yards ahead (for a regular encounter) or more than 60 yards ahead (in the case of a surprise encounter). Otherwise, he's part of the same group but with a long gap between the first rank (Desmond) and the next rank.

What is "optimal" is up to you.

[ehiker133]

Then for now Desmond will only scout ahead 60 yards or thereabouts.

[waysoftheearth]

Very good.

Desmond/Mondes clambers up the rocky incline about 60 yards ahead of the main column, ducking in and out of view periodically as he picks a careful route between outcroppings, and over ridges and natural defiles.

In this way the company weave a circuitous route into the adjacent gully, and then climb steadily for the best part of an hour, intermittently hearing yelps and howls of wolves carrying on the wind and echoing in the gully...

In open terrain a stronghold's scouts/spies would normally spot an approaching party on a roll of 3-6. However, given the mountainous terrain and your approaching off the main route, I'll reduced this likelihood to a 5-6: 1d6=?

...it is almost noon by the time you attain something of a plateau above and behind the abbey, and the wolf cries have been growing louder and more frequent. From where you are you see a knot of wiry little apple trees growing on a rocky shelf maybe 40 yard wide, right down to the rear wall of the abbey itself--apparently it is an untended orchard gone wild.

The abbey itself appears peacefully still and quiet, but now you're sure there are wolves tracking you. You hear them baying, somewhere back downhill, and those at the rear of the company have caught glimpses of them moving in the gully below...

What now?

[coffee]

"Press on," Dieter says.

[sully]

Dorgan says, "We can keep moving but we oughta find a good spot to fight at some point. Them wolves ain't gonna stop and go away anytime soon."

[ehiker133]

Desmond returns to the group during the brief respite.

"Do we want to fight the wolves here, where we can pick out position? Or do we want to chance them coming up behind us when we reach the abbey walls and chance being caught between two groups of foes?"

[Olroda]

Beringar halts and whispers, "I say we take a stand - right now. They're just wolves, so once they realise that we are this many, they'll surely be off looking for easier prey."

[mgtremaine]

Wen would agree. "They tore Envongr to bits, and almost got our flank while Dieter and Dorgan battle their masters. If we can deal with them now it would be better. Besides, instead of a torch and werelight to hold them off now I intended to put an arrow in one."

Wen would look around for any small tor and rock where we might get some defensible position. If any of the wolves come within range he would fire.

[waysoftheearth]

Regards pressing on: the back wall of the abbey is within throwing distance--across a 40 yard wide rocky shelf home to an untended apple orchard. To reach the wall you'd only need to jump/clamber down from your vantage (hidden behind a rocky crest) and cross the orchard. Highbough and Olaf both recall that there is a particular tree which can be scaled/used as a bit of a ladder to clamber over the wall.

Regards choosing a defensible place to tackle the wolves: where you are now seems as good a place as any. There is, at least, some protection from the direction of the abbey (your right as you look down into the valley). And you have a commanding view over the downhill approach (the direction from which you've come). The rocky slopes continue onward and upward both above you, and to your left (as you look down into the valley). The chief risk in your immediate position would be if a pack of wolves were to leap over the crests above your or to your left--or both--and quickly get among you.

Of course any real fighting would create a certain amount of noise...

What to do?

[Tonneau]

"I say we jump the wall, and leave these doggies behind", says Gustave, shifting a wine skin across to his other shoulder.

"If we fight here, we will alert whatever, or whoever, lies within, and I fear there will be more than wolves awaiting us there."

"At the very least, let us make our stand against the wall, and send a scout before us to the interior. If we are beset by the wolves, then we can fight, but if not, we have not lost our element of surprise."