Devil Awakened

[Yoshiyuki Satsumaru]

Type of Quest: Ambush the Bandits
Quest Info: Satsumaru has been hired by a local prefect to deal with a gang of troublesome bandits. Armed with bows, Satsumaru and a few volunteers are preparing an ambush to take the bandits by surprise on the road. His intention is to eradicate them entirely.
Location: Outside a village in Totomi, along a road surrounded by woodlands.
People Involved: Satsumaru, NPC volunteers, NPC bandits.
Plot-Important: Not in the slightest

[Oda Nobunaga]

Satsumaru is leading a group of thirty men! They're about ready to get set up, but haven't just yet!

"Where do you want us, sir?"

They were volunteers, after all. This wasn't their typical gig.

[Yoshiyuki Satsumaru]

Satsumaru felt unsure of the men's ability in combat, but the nature of this mission meant that at the very least, they were dedicated to fighting. After being preyed upon by bandits regularly, it was likely that these volunteers were the men most willing to kill those who had wronged them. The red-eyed ronin hoped this would be a factor in the fight to come.

And while not formally trained, some of these men had at least hunted before, so they had some experience with the yumi (bow). Satsumaru placed any uncertainties aside. Thirty men, desperate and devoted to killing their predators, would do the job well enough. He only had to guide them...

"All of you..." the long-haired captain spoke in a hushed voice, "Hold your bows tight to your chest, hiding behind the trees nearest the road. These trees will keep you hidden from view and provide cover in the fight to come. Keep your eyes and ears open."

Gesturing with his fan toward where he planned to station himself for the attack, he went on to say, "No one is to make any movement in the slightest until you hear my signal. If anyone steps out of line and starts taking random shots on a whim before I give the signal, I will personally take their life once the battle is over."

Some slight murmurs emanated, and more than a few faces looked grimmer, but the point was made. Anyone acting out of order would jeopardize the mission and cause unnecessary losses.

And so, with a wave of his hand, Satsumaru ordered the men to take positions throughout the treeline.

[Oda Nobunaga]

The men did indeed take their positions close to the road, but out of sight! They held their bows close to themselves and did their best to remain calm. This Satsumaru fellow seemed to know what he was doing, so he sort of boosted their confidence, just being there.

Satsumaru would begin to hear the sound of many feet crashing against the dirt roads, but it wasn't too close just yet. He could see the dust, but not who was creating it.

[Yoshiyuki Satsumaru]

They were coming. Given the fact that it was creating dust, he could surmise that he wouldn't be lucky enough that the bandits were a mere handful of men. Regardless, whether it was ten or a hundred, there was no backing down now.

Satsumaru gripped his bow tightly and closed his eyes. He had a good head and a good deal of patience. His many senses of perception would play their part in timing the attack, but now was the time for his sense of hearing to do its job. His ears would listen to locate the enemy's progress through their ambush area.

He didn't want to hit them head-on. That would be pointless, and it would narrow their target area. The first few men would act as human shields for the incoming arrows, though probably not intentionally. The casualties from the initial surprise attack would be minimal. And the same would come of a full-on attack once they had passed. They would be at a worse position to defend themselves, but again, less initial casualties would leave a more even playing field.

No, Satsumaru wanted to wait until a good number had passed. Then, the two sides of his ambush could turn and fire, creating a wall of arrows from both sides. Even if they weren't accurate archers, shooting at such an angle and with such a spread of them would give the best chance at killing more of them from the first attack.

Once the first volley was out, the red-eyed captain could play it by ear depending on how they responded. If they panicked, another volley could work. If they began to charge, he would order his volunteers to close in on the road and flank the bandits.

[Actions: Satsumaru waits for the bandits to pass in the middle of the ambushers. Once they're all within range of the ambush, he will give the signal for them to fire.]

[Oda Nobunaga]

2vKLFh6V

[Oda Nobunaga]

Satsumaru would find, as the bandits were within sight, that there were at least eighty. They would walk along the road, completely oblivious to Satsumaru's ambush, and, as he gave the signal, the volunteers would begin to fire. The first wave took out thirty men, no problem, and the bandits were in shock, their actions delayed. This gave the volunteers enough time to nock a second arrow and unleash a second volley upon the men, this time killing another twenty! The rest, however, rushed into the trees, looking to kill the ambushers!

+85 Bandits
-50 Bandits

[Yoshiyuki Satsumaru]

Satsumaru's heart felt like it had forgotten to beat. The die had been cast (figuratively and OOC literally*), and now, it was time for the real work. The ambush had been successful. The unruly mess of bandits had see most of their number slaughtered in the surprise attack. The battle was headed for a more pitched state, however...

Trying to take the initiative, Satsumaru turned from behind the tree he had been using as cover and took a wide swipe with his war fan, attempting to force a blast of wind into the bandits to hurt - or at least disorient and slow - them, in order to give his men a chance to regain some momentum and get a chance to converge on the bandits. Divided, it would be two even skirmishes. If they could keep the bandits in one surrounded group, it was a single battle with a tactical advantage in their favor.

"Charge, men! Keep them in the center and kill them all!" the ronin roared, quite the opposite to his normal demeanor.

[Actions: Satsumaru attacks wide with his fan to hurt and disorient the bandits as much as possible and give the volunteers a chance to charge at the bandits to keep them surrounded.]

[Oda Nobunaga]

The wave of Satsumaru's fan kept the group of bandits pushed into a single group, allowing his volunteer force to charge unhindered! Fifteen bandits would be slain in the endeavor, along with three volunteers. However, Satsumaru's force held the advantage!

-15 Bandits
20 remaining

-3 Volunteers
27 remaining