Like all good Gnoll battles this will quickly descend into chaos and confusion as it will turn out that everyone has gotten everything wrong the second you let them out of your sight.

So get that sword whatever it takes so you can lead from the front. If you have to subdue everyone yourself then so be it.

Or if you do have to run for it at least you have a nice sword to run away with.

Well you might have just surprised some random guy who happened to be wandering these parts. But he does have a sweet sword and you are already running so fuck it.

Knock him over with sneezer and steal his sword. Then draft him to work for you and hope the rest of the plan is not blown.

>>767869
That's no Gnoll I thought I'd ever see.
So GREEN.
Maybe he's an actually a werewolf of some hippy ass elf with green hair, or a werewolf scratched a tree and gave it a daytime curse and it turns out the werewolf curse can transfer to plants.

>>767873
or it's camo

>>767869
From this angle, Clamp looks like he's fat! XD And that guy on the far right looks like he blindfolded himself! XD

Make sure someone holds his mouth shut, so that he can't yell for help!

We can't. Can you imagine what would happen if this went south because you wanted to nab some passerby's sword? That's one sword, but a blacksmith can make swords his whole life; think long term.

Huh. I think this guy might be a different clan's scout or something. I guess someone's been having the same ideas as you?

Your hammer might be a more accurate throw than sneezer. Try it and if you can't catch up to him in the next 30 seconds or so, turn around and head back.

Clamp You're getting off track. You can have all the nice swards you want later, but this guy is clearly leading you into an ambush of his own.

Why did You, the giant lumbering behemoth chase him in the first place? You have subordinates for that.
Get back to the front and lead your gnolls! They need you.

1/2 Clamp 2016/12/24(Sat)00:22 No. 767926 ID: 7a524b
File 148256777269.png - (220.82KB , 800x800 , 68.png )

Green gnolls are a bit unusual, but nothing like a black and white one.

>Clamp looks fat
Shit, after lying down for so long, I feel fat.

The smart bits of me are telling me that I have subordinates now. I can send others to chase after runts like this. I'm the one that's supposed to stick to the plans and get a blacksmith to make swords all his life instead of risking it all for a single person's sword.

But if I were like that, I'd have been chief a long while back. I throw Sneezer right at 'im. I could throw my hammer too, cept a square hit from the hammer could hurt him bad. I just want to ask who he is and then knock him out as soft as possible.

Sneezer sails like a real arrow, but the target sees him coming and sidesteps and keeps running. So we keep on chasin', and he redoubles his efforts to stay out of arm's reach, but he looks like he's huffing. The two other gnolls beside me stay in front, and Sneezer gets up just in time to run behind me.

That said, I don't like how far we're going. Guess I'll just tell my guys to call it off, it's -

2/2 Clamp 2016/12/24(Sat)00:23 No. 767927 ID: 7a524b
File 148256778218.png - (205.49KB , 1200x400 , 69.png )

Damnit, I run past a pair of trees that hid the cowards that call themselves archers, judging by their bow and arrows. Probably were waiting for all of us to go forward than shoot us in the back like cowards.

What's really buggin' me is that since I thought of this very shit happening, I get to hear myself say I told me so.

>>767927
They're carrying quivers and they seem smug. I doubt they have melee weapons ready, so do you know what that means?

THE CLAMP.

Grab their heads and smash them together.

>>767927
Archers have no right to be smug when they're in arm's reach.

Sweep both your arms in backhand swings, so you smash the archers' heads back against the trees they're right next to.

You don't even need to use a full clamp on these guys. Just the first half of opening your signature move will take em out.

Spin around to your left, grab the one there with your right hand while throwing out your left to smack that guy's bow as he brings it up, then smash the guy you've grabbed into the other. You've got your good pal sneezer backing you up. If you can don't kill them, since these guys might make good "recruits" as well, but don't take any bad risks.

Watch out for other ambushers. A really clever person would have one guy lead you, two shoot you, and then another two or three spring out to finish you off close quarters once the archers had softened you up, since archers aren't usually supposed to go in close unless they can't help it and I expect a lot of gnolls take more than a few arrows to stop fighting back.

This looks surprisingly well-organized considering you guys are supposed to be the attackers here. I'm increasingly suspecting these guys are a different clan from the one that lives here, and this is going to turn into a giant three-way fight.

Points for a good idea but demerits for poor execution. Archers should never have hid for an ambush so close to where the enemy would be passing by. Grab 'em and bang their heads together to teach them a lesson for when they try it again for you instead of against.

>>767927
You're running too fast to stop normally in time.

Jump, spin around backwards in the air and then shift your weight forward so you land facing them on all fours.

Not only will you stop, but your momentum should prime you to sprint or leap for these two.

Don't bother with the hammer, no time. Just grab one assailant and slam him in the other.

>>767927
They're within arms reach, if their not fast enough, you may just be able to bonk their heads into each other with your big massive arms.

Grab one in each hand, smash their faces together. Now that you know it's a trap, all you can do is extricate yourself quickly.

1/2 Clamp 2016/12/24(Sat)14:58 No. 767987 ID: 7a524b
File 148262031714.png - (285.60KB , 800x800 , 70.png )

I ram my heels in the ground hard enough to make an imprint for weeks and swing my arms to the sides. I'd say these dumbasses aren't worth recruiting, since apparently they're such a bad shot that they need to shoot in point blank range.

But then again, I'll take what I can get. I grab both of their faces, but and they both try to pull their arrow back and fire at me. Course when I ram their heads against the tree, their aim suffers. One of 'em misses, but the other grazes the back of my head and slices my bandage off and manages to cut me. Nothing worth a blink but damn if it isn't irritating.

2/2 Clamp 2016/12/24(Sat)15:00 No. 767990 ID: 7a524b
File 148262042276.png - (232.04KB , 800x800 , 71.png )

I clonk their faces together as I look at 3 other gnolls start engaging my own two. Sneezer's running up, and the first target that ran from the ambush location just realized what's going on, and is turning around to face us.

"Are you guys even blacktorch?!" I yell to them.
>"Hell no!" says one. "They're ours, so whatever you're doing here, forget it and leave!"

>>767990
"No." Back to killing them.

>>"Hell no!" says one. "They're ours, so whatever you're doing here, forget it and leave!"
Like hell. They can either stand down and cut a deal to split stuff with you, right now (we get the blacksmith, non-negotiable) or you're going to kick their asses before they ruin your ambush.

>>767992
Gnolls aren't the type to negotiate when they are already in battle.
Back to the killing.

Ok, make sure to re-tie your bandage some time soon or you'll get attacked by one of your own guys.

Anyway, time for tactics. Shout "Fine, we'll leave, back off! Guys, back to me!" Then leave... to rejoin the rest of our force, send your scouts out, wait for whatever these guys are going to do, then sweep in with your whole force and take what you want from them and blacktorch once they're worn out from fighting each other.

It'll look bad for a moment, but once your guys known what you're planning it should be fine (you'll want to whisper it to them right away, while you're heading back), and you need to go check how your original squad is doing. If you're lucky, they actually managed to catch the blacksmith while you were messing around here, and you won't risk him dying from these chuckleheads before you can take them out. If not, you might need to do something to make sure you get him. Might be a good idea to get out of here soon anyway, this noise might've attracted the locals. Best these guys get their plan ruined rather than you.

Of course, all of this is dependent on the idea that you guys can actually stop fighting. That might not be a realistic possibility, the way gnolls are, and most of your clan still getting used to following your orders. You might not want to take even a temporary hit to the image of your courage, too. So, if you don't judge the tactical plan valid, a second plan: mop the floor with these guys and punch one of them until he tells you what his group is here for. Maybe tuck him under your arm and do your interrogation while you get back to your main group. Take their weapons.

Clamp 2016/12/24(Sat)16:26 No. 768007 ID: 7a524b
File 148262561525.png - (189.55KB , 800x800 , 72.png )

"No."

Wouldn't care to take a hit to my image later on, but it's too soon to have us back off now. I'd have to shout loud enough for the whole Blacktorch clan to hear me to get these numbskulls to stop fighting anyway.

Once I run up and they realize I wasn't just standing on a mound back there to look taller, they start backing off and withdrawing.

Course, we're on their heels, so we could try and run them down and at least get one or two more, probably. The smarts in me is nagging at me to stop being a dumbass. Up to this point, I've always just been able to run around the battlefield however I damn well please. That was before I was chief, so maybe it's about time to go back to the ambush spot. We got those smug archers for questioning, anyway.

>>768007
You drove off the people trying to steal your ambush. Following them as they retreat towards possible reinforcements and better places to use their arrows, and leaving your own plan undermanned and to fall apart in your absence, is a bad idea.

Sadly you are the boss man now so you have to make the smart choices and lead by example. That sweet sword will be the next goal after blacksmith guy and you can find out who owns it from archer assholes.

For now get back into ambush spot so you are not out of place when your guys run by with the Blacktorch clan on there heels.

Time to stop chasing them and head back to your ambush spot.

Hopefully, you're not too late and you can still pull off the plan!

If you can't get all of them it's not really any use getting any, so yeah. Tell your guys to grab those archers, and that you need to go back and check on the others and maybe waking up with 20 other gnolls glaring down at 'em will make this pair talk quicker. Take up the rear guard yourself while you're on your way back, you have sharp senses, and don't just follow your own trail back because if the blacktorch were lucky enough to get wind of that and send out their own scouts it'll make it easier for them, circle a little and follow your way back from the futher side. Not too far, you don't want to get lost.

>>768007
Eyes on the prize big guy, maybe some punks and one hefty sword vs probably a whole clan and the swordmaker is a no-brainer.

It's good you stumbled onto these green assholes though because them blending into the background and shooting arrows could have done some serious damage had they gotten the jump on you, they probably have some beef with blacktorch and were out for blood, you've no time for that.

>>768027
Who cares? You have overly smug prisoners, no ambush team, and no need for a name. Why not just kill them and start finding out what the situation is? It's not like they're going to tell us anything useful when they can stall us with shit like names.

Clamp 2016/12/24(Sat)17:29 No. 768033 ID: 7a524b
File 148262937101.png - (220.63KB , 800x800 , 73.png )

"Back off, runts. We're leaving." I say. My clanmates look at me like we're supposed to run after them, but they don't argue.

While we walk back, the two archers are waking up. Some spare bandages are used to lock their snouts shut until I drop them off at the center of our ambush zone.

Once we do get back, someone whispers to me that a few of our scouts think that there's more of these green assholes snooping around, but they're careful not to get too close to us. There's still no sign of the ambush team, apparently.

I drop the two archers down a little dip where we aren't out in the open.
"You make a bark after we undo these, we'll make sure you only get a squeak out." I say, untying them.
>"You expect us to talk or something?"
"I do, and I'm not even gonna ask a whole lot to start off. Who are you with, if not the Blacktorch?"
>"We're the Irontree Clan! Who the hell are you guys?"

... I'd say we were the ones asking the questions here, but they bring up a damn good question.

What better time to name your new clan then while out in the field off the top of your head!

So what was the old name of the clan? Just Wind's clan or did he have a spiffy name?

Could name it Clamps clan. Or maybe after a object or location. Like the crappily defended Valley/mesa clan.

Or just look around you and throw some words together. Like you are sort of reddish and you like steel so the Redsteel clan. Or whatever really.

Pick an ironically boastful name that implies how well defended your camp is. Like Stonefortress or Ironplateau.

Wrong time to make a big decision like that, and letting the prisoner turn things around is just about the worst mistake you can make during an interrogation.

"We're the ones who captured you idiots. Were you here for the Blacktorch blacksmith specifically, or just any of their assets you could grab, or what?"

We're the democratic people's republic of answer my fucking questions or I'll make you wish you were smothered in your crib. How many assholes you got with you, where are they, when are they attacking, did you capture anybody?

If you really think now's the time to come up with a name, how's Iron Tide for size?

>>768033
Clamp are you saying your clan didn't have a name!?

How about the Stonecrusher clan.

>>768033
>Who the hell are you guys?
We're the clan of "Answer my fucking questions before I rip your arm off and beat you to death with it"!

You can decide the name later, when you get back to camp. I'm sure Matron can help you with something that important.

>>768048
No! Shhhh! Don't specifically name the blacksmith! That'll tell them what we're trying to get!

Obviously, the name of the clan must be derived from that which unifies them. That which holds them together, which guides them, which comforts them, which urges them to strength and wisdom, something that they all admire.

You are, of course, the Bandagetits clan.

... but seriously coming up with names is hard and answering this douche's question weakens your position, so make sure he knows you're the one asking things here. Maybe punctuate the sentiment with a slap across the jaw.

Clamp 2016/12/24(Sat)22:24 No. 768080 ID: 7a524b
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I slap his jaw.

"We're the Clan of answer my fuckin' questions before I rip your arm off and start beating you with it to make you talk! Now let's play don't get your throat stabbed. The rule is simple. We're gonna stab your throat. As long as you tell us shit we want to know about, we won't stab your throat. When you stop, we cut your throat. You ask another question that we don't want to answer, we cut your throat. Spill enough information, we don't cut your throat. Here's a start: What are you assholes doing here?"
>"We always raid these guys." says one. "They have good weapons and equipment, and we don't know where they get it from, so we get it from them."

I start shoving a blade to the throat of one who's kept quiet.

>"They've tried stopping us!" he says. "But we've gotten good at hiding and picking them off from afar without doing direct warfare."
>"Yeah, that's what we're going to start doing with you! Unless you got Softpaw, we know where you're all at now, and are going to just shoot arrows at you till you leave."
>"Yeah! We're only 15 strong but we're some of the best. You got lucky you got a good eye, big guy, standing behind a couple of trees usually works, close range or not."
>"Just a little to the left, and I would've got your eye!"
"Your losing your topic. Start talking about how I can get your scouts off of us."
>"You'd have to kill most of us or the chief, guy, and good luck finding him."
>"Or just finding most of us!"
"And you just happened to come here on the same day as us?" I ask.
>"I guess so! I didn't hear anything about other clans coming by. Why - uh, nevermind. What else could we say? We'd rather live through this, ya know. We're damn good archers. It'd be a waste. A big waste. Just, real dumb kind of waste to kill us."

"You're not my archers."

I don't need luck, I've got you. When your friends come back, where are they going to come from and how?

Drag them back to the ambush site, and tell everyone to keep their heads on a swivel. Keep Tweedledee and Tweedledum gagged up, too.

Also, is that paint or are they naturally an unnatural shade of green?

Clamp 2016/12/24(Sat)23:02 No. 768087 ID: 7a524b
File 148264933222.png - (166.39KB , 800x800 , 75.png )

"You're not my archers."
>"We can be!"
>"We'd rather be yours than dead!"

Not even a little loyal. These guys don't seem to be camoflauged, either, and are just naturally green. Not too uncommon for some gnolls to have a spring coat like this when there's more green than brown.

Still, as much as I loathe archers, I can't deny they're useful, plus, they still know stuff.

"You lot!" I say, to the rest of the clan. "Keep swivelling your heads, keep an eye out! And you two, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, where are your mates going to attack from?"
>"All over, and all at once! We're really good at emulating bird noises and have all kinds of communications. There's two scouts per group, one watcher, one shooter. When the right call is made, everyone shoots, then we run to a new location, and repeat."

He pauses to take a breath. Right then, the sound of gnoll barking and yapping snaps through the forest from a ways away. It's in the direction of the kidnapping group. Either the kidnapping group is barking too, or a whole lot of the Blacktorch clan is chasing 'em.

Guess I should decide if I'm gonna worry about keeping these two alive to recruit them, or just kill them now and not worry about it.

>>768087
Eh, worst case, they can be a consolation prize. Leaf could probably use them, even if he just breaks them to find out how good they are and any secrets they have. Keep them for now. Get to that fight.

Recruit them. Worst case scenario, we kill them later. Looks like you've already put the fear of god in 'em, now make sure they don't desert before we whack this softpaw jerk.

String them up and you and another big guy hang them over your backs as arrow shields while you run.

You're about to be in the middle of a three-way fight, and that's bad. Basic tactic is, if you're fighting on two fronts, go for the easiest fight first and try win it as quick as possible. So go fight the blacktorch guys. You can drop your two archer captives when you're about to hit them, so they don't weigh you down. They might wriggle off: too bad if so. If this green clan shows up while you're fighting the blacktorches, than at the very least when they shoot into the melee they have an even chance of hitting the people you'll be fighting. If the blacksmith's around make sure you get him out of danger's way as much as you can. Melee's chaotic enough, with all these trees around to boot, that the greens will waste most of their arrows and shouldn't land lethal on the shots that do hit.

If you're lucky, these green guys didn't figure out exactly how many people you have with you, and won't think much of sticking around to fight you and whoever the blacktorch've sent out once they see you all, and will bugger off. Worst case might be you having to beat down the blacktorch guys, get them to tell you where their camp is, and then fall back to take shelter there where these green guys won't feel like following for a little raid like theirs, since they're set up for this hit and run stuff. Which will be hard, since you'll have to steamroll yourselves back over the whole blacktorch clan, but it'd be better than letting the greens just take shots at you, and you do have the numbers plus the advantage of fighting whoever's been sent chasing separately from whoever's at their camp, since they must have left at least some behind.

So, for now, original plan: go ambush the blacktorch clan who are chasing your kidnap squad. Take them out quickly, and keep an eye out for what the greens do. If they fall back now that they're 12 vs 30 vs 20, great, keep on the original plan, you'll just need to be on guard for them to try swoop in again after. If they attack, then shout at your dudes that you're fighting your way to the blacktorch camp. Hopefully Leaf will appear to guide you there, but if not you'll have to rough up a blacktorch, tell them the greens are shooting at them as much as you and get them to tell you where to go.

Clamp 2016/12/24(Sat)23:49 No. 768097 ID: 7a524b
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"Go run your asses to the kidnappers!" I yell out, but wave over a few people to give the order to to bind and gag these two archer dimwits and have someone strong stay back and carry them. Once it's settled, we run forward.

From what I'm seeing, there's about 15 of us charging to help the kidnappers. There's 5 to 10 of us lagging behind either because of our recruits, or because of some bullshit excuses. I see one of us limping ahead of me, but is going backwards to me. He looks like one of the kidnappers.

"Explain to me why we've got to run so damn far away. It may as well not have even been an ambush."
>"They - their Chief was too fast and tackled a couple of us! We don't want to leave them behind, but now there's just 4 of them getting overran, since I ran to get help since I didn't know if you guys would realize we needed the - "
"Yeah great the hell are the rest of you gawking at, get over there and help!"

Some damn bird noises mix in with my 'help', and is followed by a pair of yelps.

>"Archers!"
"Fuck it, take out the Blacktorch, use 'em as arrow distractions! Take them out hard and fast!"
>"Orders for me, boss?" Leaf asks. I don't even see him; he's probably up in a tree above me.

>>768097
Murder anything that makes a bird noise.

>>768098
Or just push them out of the trees, whatever. Keep the friggen green arrow losers from ruining all this.

As for Clamp, I think he needs to go pull the kidnap and ambush part of the plan out of the fire. Make sure we get our guy, beat up the pursuers causing problems.

First, to tell you where the blacktorch's home base is and if there's anything super important you need to know about it or the way to get there. Then to try and trip up these archer guys, whatever way's best for him, no need to be careful with their lives. Does Leaf know any bird signals himself? He could try use one to warn you when the archers are setting up and from what direction. Have him make the call now, and tell everyone to listen for that call again; when they hear it, they need to duck behind something away from where they heard the call from. Leaf will only be able to do that once or twice before the greens catch on, then he'll need to switch to just causing trouble. Tell him not to get himself killed, you'd rather tank a few arrows than lose him.

You should go back to the people lagging behind yourself, Clamp, to encourage them to catch up to the rest as quickly as possible. Getting your full numbers to bear as quick as you can is vital. Even take a turn carrying anyone who needs carrying yourself, since you're one of the biggest guys here, and your muscles/bed fat can suck up a few arrowheads. It'll do good for your reputation.

>>768097
>"Orders for me, boss?" Leaf asks.
"Go have some fun! Kill any gnoll archers that're making bird noises and firing arrows at us!"

This forest is pretty much a playground for Leaf and, since he's so good at hiding, he could probably sneak up on and kill all of them.

Keep those green tweety bird bastards off our backs. Just push 'em out of their trees and move on if you need to. If you find an asshole named softpaw with a big sword, kill him.

Now get in there and kick ass.

>>768107
get them archers off us, quick as you can, don't care how.

Have him find the Iron Tree chief while you charge Blacktorch. Have him report back to you immediately upon finding him.
Once his location is known, and the blacktorch chief is down, have leaf lead you to the Chief of the Iron Tree and take him down personally.

>>768107
>If you find an asshole named softpaw with a big sword, kill him.

Retrieving that sword is a higher priority than confirming the kill on Softpaw, and neither of those objectives hold a candle next to bringing the blacksmith back to our camp, alive and functional. All those tweety green bastards are here for the blacksmith too, they just don't know it.

1/3 Clamp 2016/12/25(Sun)18:16 No. 768205 ID: 7a524b
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"Murder anything making a bird call behind us. If you see a bigass sword, bring it to me! If you see a Chief, bring me to them!"
>"You got it."

That order gives the stragglers some time to catch up to me and look like they want to be spoonfed orders too, but damn if they shouldn't be able to figure it out. I tell 'em to follow my lead, and I figure the rest of this fight can be done with the usual tactic.

Rampant violence.

Some bastard with no bandana gets the first taste, and I hope to hell that he was a Blacktorch clanmate and wasn't just someone of ours who had their bandana fall off at a bad time. I'm holding back enough to just knock 'em out for awhile. Maybe they'll wake up too soon, maybe I hit 'em too hard and they die. This is the only way I know to test how thick their skull is.

Some arrow whacks me. Motherfucking green arrows.

2/3 Clamp 2016/12/25(Sun)18:16 No. 768206 ID: 7a524b
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Rampant violence continues. I swing the hammer nice and easy. Bones still break, but it's doing wonders for increasing the chances that we'll have some survivors.

Damn green arrows are getting a deathwish. They're focusing up on me, and not even doing their bird calls. Leaf takes his sweetass time.

3/3 Clamp 2016/12/25(Sun)18:18 No. 768208 ID: 7a524b
File 148271872707.png - (225.12KB , 800x800 , 79.png )

I look around. Nothing but bandana wearing runts. Leaf shows up.

"Leaf, I got arrows in me. Why's that?"
>"Sorry Boss, I couldn't kill 'em all within 60 seconds. Killed two, knocked out three. The rest ran off."
"Any sign of anyone important?"
>"The Blacksmith is still tied up right there. Their Chief and about 7 remaining Blacktorches just ran back to camp. That's all I know."

Probably about 15 to 20 of us that are ready to fight. We might've lost six to eight gnolls, but once we collect all the enemy survivors, we'll have 10 to 15 recruits. That's what we get if we leave now.

Who knows what gear the Blacktorch has. Normally I'd charge the bastards down easy, but there's no guarantee that green arrow clan ran off far. Could just be regrouping.

>>768205
Set fire to their camp and see if that gets them to move out? Forest fires shouldn't be that huge a concern, live wood doesn't burn well and they're good for getting rid of dead underbrush.

Assuming we've met up with the original grab team, I think we've got what we came for. Some recruits, and a blacksmith. Pushing on and dealing with what's left of this clan and the green fuckers at the same time is a problem we don't need.

We got most of what we came for and pushing farther in this mess will just get more guys killed.

Have everyone grab a wounded gnoll and lets get back to camp.

Unless Leaf can get you more info quick is probably better to not overreach ourselves.

>>768212
Come on, we saw a cool sword and we're gnolls. What're we supposed to do, leave it alone?

Those assholes archers are a pain in the ass. If we can reach them let's kick their asses.

>>768208
About 7 guys who run from a fight shouldn't be much trouble. If we take out the Blacktorch boss, we'll have enough muscle to wrap up with those green pricks too.

Can you wander up to the camp and challenge there leader to combat?

Would be you with your makeshift hammer vs a guy with a probably awesome sword but might be worth a shot.

>>768212
This.

This is mission accomplished right now. Pressing on into anywhere between one and two ambushes is probably not necessary, and if you want to inspire better loyalty in your OWN gnolls, trading their lives on diving into traps is probably not the best idea.

Better to withdraw for today. Have Leaf cover the rear and make sure the green guys don't follow your inept minions back to your secret tunnel.

>>768208
The plan went bad and attacking will result in more losses than you were planning. Return to base and get Leaf on researching this Irontree clan. They're the next target, and taking them out might even get blacktorch to forgive kidnapping their smith.

1/2 Clamp 2016/12/25(Sun)22:24 No. 768256 ID: 7a524b
File 148273345327.png - (289.54KB , 800x800 , 80.png )

I could challenge their boss to a fight, but no guarantee he'll take the offer. Some clans'll do that, some won't.

If we could set a fire in their camp then maybe we could smoke 'em out, but that's got a lot of if's about if it's feasible and if it'll do any good.

Tough pick, but I've had about enough.

"Alright let's get outta here!"
>"Aren't we going to run down the rest?" someone asks.
"Fuck that, ain't worth it, we got what we came for!"

We run off before the archers realize we're leaving so soon. Our forward and backward scouts make sure we're not being cut off or being followed before we can march back home peacefully. By the time we get to the cave, I'm given a better idea about what we got and what we lost.

Raid Complete
Gnolls lost:
2 Scouts, 5 fighters.
Gnolls recruited:
3 Scouts, 7 fighters, 2 Archers, 1 Blacksmith

(+6 Gnolls Total)

Total gnolls wounded: 12

Item Report: Small boost in overall weapon quality. No special items gained.

2/2 Clamp 2016/12/25(Sun)22:24 No. 768257 ID: 7a524b
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We dump off all our crap at the communal area. Our camp didn't get burned down while we were gone or anything, so that's nice.

The blacksmith is dropped off in front of me while Leaf and Matron start digging the arrowheads out of me.

"I hear you're good."
>"Er... what?"
"At blacksmithing."
>"I - yes. I'm probably the greatest gnoll blacksmith you've seen. I know I'm the best I've seen."
"Well now you get to make me the best two handed sword sword I've ever seen. You can show our resident rookie the ropes."
>"... you raided our home and killed that many just for me?"
"You got a problem with that?"
>"Oh, no, it's just nice to be appreciated before even starting."
"Don't get flustered. You're gonna have a ball n' chain for a week just so you don't try anything. Other than that, you'll be comfy and fed."
>"So I live here, now."
"That's right."
>"Hrm, assuming Blacktorch doesn't manage to snag me back. This place looks... kind of a shitty place to defend - "
"Shut the fuck up and start working on my sword alread!"
>"Alright, alright!"

....

....

"Leaf."
>"Boss."
"The hell are you doing?"
>"Testing for poison."

So Matron wasn't the one he was interested in watching, huh? And shouldn't he be looking at the actual arrows for that?

Leaf if you wanted to get this close to me you had the chance yesterday when I was with Matron.

But yeah would be a shitty thing if they sunk that low.

We should check if any of the other new gnolls know how to carpenter. Cause we should probably be ready for someone wanting there blacksmith back soon. In fact I would have Leaf set up a ambush at our most undefended point so we could capture said raiding party when they show up one night.

>"Testing for poison."
No, really. What are you doing.

So how'd that raid go, clamp? Are you happy with it, do you think the rest of the clan will be unhappy about it?

And how are the votes coming in for Champion?

>>768257
Keep an eye on those archers man. They're practically walking, living spies at this point for when the inevitably turn coat for their dudes, which are a lot better at subterfuge than you are.
You need to have your Main Man Leaf convert them to your cause first. Belief in a Clan without Borders a name.

Now we need an engineer, for base development/research and/or maybe a wizard for more specialized research.

(I have no idea if Clamp is The Boss or Big Boss or Major Zero, or if Leaf is Big Boss or Ocelot or Kaz. Is new blacksmith Sig Int? Doesn't seem like a Huey. Matron can be Paramedic, Eva and/or Amanda. Wind is MOST clearly Quiet though.)

Leaf are you snuggling me? Cause I do not hear sniffing back there and I would think it would be easy enough to inspect the arrows for poison.

Now if you actually want to sample some of my recently improved skills in bed talk to Matron to set up a appointment.

Get with matron. Find out what the old clan name was so we can come up with somethin appropriate.
We should regroup and finish blacktorch soon, but we desperatly need carpenters. That should be fine the next scouting target.

>>768257
>"Testing for poison."
Really? Cause it feels like you're actually hugging me like you were worried about me or something.

Hey, Matron, has Waster been behaving herself while we were gone? She giving you any trouble? Cause you have my permission to punish her if she starts giving you shit.

>>768263
>(I have no idea if Clamp is The Boss or Big Boss or Major Zero, or if Leaf is Big Boss or Ocelot or Kaz. Is new blacksmith Sig Int? Doesn't seem like a Huey. Matron can be Paramedic, Eva and/or Amanda. Wind is MOST clearly Quiet though.)
*insert MGS 5's Sins of the Father by Donna Burke here*

>>768268
If I'm poisoned and I have to be stuck in bed again, then I'm going to be so fucking pissed. And when I get better, we're going to go fuck up Irontree as payback.

Also, Matron, we got a name or something? If it's a good name I might keep it. If it's a shitty name, then I'm gonna change it.....and if you've got any suggestions on what to change it to, I'm listening.

>>768257
Okay, first of all,that's not how you test for poison, second, if you wanted to cuddle you should have mentioned it some time ago.


...Maybe he's good in bed?

>>768257
roll eyes and mutter something about him being a big softie

"Anyway, that was a bloody nuisance. I can't decide if it's good or bad for blacktorch to be such good targets their ambushers end up fighting each other. Matron, you hear of these irontree guys?"

>>768276
Victory sex! Push Leaf down and make him a proper lady gnoll while Matron gets on her knees to give Leaf the handy you sure as hell won't be reacharounding.

Don't do victory sex, no time, you got work to do!

>>768276
This

also (if it's not already common knowledge/Clamp already knows) ask Matron about clan naming; do you keep one of the old ones (chiefs/ majoritys) or make a new one

>>768280
Victory Sex?
The operation may have been successful. But Gnolls Died.

Sure Gnolls are less adverse to combat and death than humans are. Sure Clamp probably didn't know them and probably doesn't personally care... But that doesn't mean they weren't someone's sons, someone's brothers.

Even if it's something simple, as chief it's Clamps job to make sure the dead get their last Rites.

There is value in ritual. It solidifies the past, brings value to the present, and help's those who live move forward. Even from a purely pragmatic standpoint, honoring the dead would improve moral, both at home and on the fields of battle.

>"Testing for poison."
You couldn't lick the damn arrows for that?

>>768257
Came up with a thought, you COULD just threaten the archer's with death if you start suffering symptom's of poisoning. And if you die before that could happen, the next chief here will kill them and take over, if massive infighting doesn't occur in the power vacuum first, but they'll probably be killed in the riot.

That way you'll know for sure.

Clamp 2016/12/26(Mon)10:57 No. 768299 ID: 7a524b
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"Really. Cause I don't hear any sniffing, I don't see you licking the arrowheads, and this feels like snuggling."
>"I sniff quietly. It's easily confused. Don't mind me."
"Seems like last night would've been a better time to be doin' this."
>"You weren't shot with arrows, Boss."
"Go see what those two archers are made out of, you big softy. Go have victory sex with 'em to win 'em over to this clan, I don't give a shit."

>How'd that raid go?
In my opinion, was definitely worth it for the clan. Probably not worth it for the ones that bit it, but if we ever do a raid that doesn't involve one of ours dying, it means it was a tiny raid. Bunch of us got hurt, too, and need a few days before they can do much, but no one's in critical condition or had any lost limbs or anything like that.

Didn't get lucky with a proper carpenter or any gnoll with trade skills other than the blacksmith, but said blacksmith does know a thing about woodworking, just enough to make his own tools out of wood. Course, some of that carries over to general woodworking, but he wouldn't know how to make a good guardtower or anything like that. He says he'll have a quick, usable sword for me in a couple of days, but as time allows, can make a superior sword in a couple of weeks.

"Matron, ever hear of Irontree?"
>"We know of them, and that they're a nomadic clan, but otherwise, you learned more about them than we knew."
"Alright. Where's the graveyard?"
>"What?"
"The gravestones to mark the gnolls who died?"
>"... I have no idea what you are talking about."
"For fuck's... alright, apparently that doesn't happen around here. We're going to set up a tradition. Dead gnolls get a marker, with their name, and a small little engraving about who they were. We can put it in the caves people are spooked by or something."
>"Did someone you care for die?"
"I didn't even catch their names, but they still fought to get what we got today, and what, does this clan just not give a shit about gnolls dying for the good of the clan?"
>"Of course we do." she snaps at me. "We share the stories orally. You can start putting physical markers down if you like."
"What was this clan called anyway?"
>"Just Wind's Clan. We should change that. If you have any interest in the name sticking after you die, I don't recommend 'Clamp's Clan'."

Consider apologizing or at least asking about those stories.

As for names, I guess the standard is the neumono naming sense, so... does it have to be descriptive or would the clan be fine with something else?

>gravemarkers
If you wanna do that right, count the gnolls who died in the battle where the clan was formed. Including Wind.

>If you have any interest in the name sticking after you die, I don't recommend 'Clamp's Clan'.
Pf. I'm barely worth naming after myself. Clan should be something bigger than one gnoll, anyways.

Given how easily assaulted this place is, we could name the clan the Deathtrap clan. Plus, it misleads enemies.

Stories? Stories are great. We should have a feast, and in it commemorate those who were lost. Fill the whole night with the stories of the departed. Even those who were captured can share about their old clan-mates who died in today's battle.

Knowledge of basic wood working means our new Blacksmith can build a palisade. It's just entrenched logs really. The important things to have are saws, axes, spades, and maybe bark strippers. It may be wise to get half a dozen unspecialized knolls working under him tomorrow, to train up more smiths, get him some help. It'll be time before they can make Decent weapons, but they will be invaluable for making all sorts of tools. Not to mention, once they are trained up, a team of blacksmiths can make high quality arms quite quickly.

As for the name, I'm gonna throw Storm Hold out there. First off, It's a combination of Wind (Storm) and Clamp (Hold). It's also appropriate since we have enough knolls to literally storm our enemies instead of just raid them, and this place can be built up into a literal fortress (A hold).

Irontree are nomads, huh? That sucks, gonna make it hard to track them down for a bit of good ol' grudgery. I have a sneaking suspicion they're going to continue pestering you, too. We'll have to look into them.

>marker with their name

... Are you sure that many of this lot can read, Clamp? The way Matron snapped at your there makes me wonder if maybe reading's not so common around here and she's sensitive about it.

>>768310

Sounds like it'd be kinda demoralizing, if the gnolls in the clan start thinking they're in a deathtrap.

Let's see, we have those two sets of cliffs, above and below, and hopefully one day we'll have towers to look out from them. Something with "watch" in it, maybe? It's a good word, makes you think of vigilance and awareness and discipline. Implies power, too, that you've got an eye on things. And the red-brown fur spectrum seems common here. Redwatch? Rustwatch, like you're looking out on the rusting remains of your enemies' gear?

>>768314
>Something with "watch" in it, maybe? It's a good word, makes you think of vigilance and awareness and discipline.
Overwatch?

Clamp 2016/12/26(Mon)13:39 No. 768330 ID: 7a524b
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"Right, lemme think. Stories are cool too, but we'll throw in physical markers for them and the ones when I took over the place."
>"What about Wind?"
"Yeah the bastard can have one too."
>"... how oddly generous."
"You got a problem?"
>"I have the opposite of a problem with that."
"Damn right. May as well share stories about some of 'em with a good feast tonght. Figure we may as well celebrate since all in all, it was a success. I got no attachments, but I figure they had siblings or someone that cared."
>"You would also want to honor your siblings, if they died?"
"No fuck that, if any siblings of mine died then good riddance. Just figure that not everyone's got a mutual state of ignoring one another when it comes to their siblings."

>Does it have to be descriptive or would the clan be fine with something else?
Clan's gonna be fine with whatever I give 'em.

Descriptors are most common even back at my homeland, like the Slicers or the Wagon Rollers. Still some that're more figurative though, like the Salamanders.

So far, leaning on Storm Hold or Redwatch. Maybe say fuck it and go Deathtrap.

The votes come in a bit later when it starts getting dark, and Stoneback's the winner. Apparently he fended off three gnolls by himself for a good 30 seconds or so, and without him, the three Blacktorches could've snatched up the blacksmith and carried him back to base, and we'd have had a tougher fight against a regrouped clan.

>>768330
Well, good to know Stoneback's got some experience now. Go congratulate him and announce you're clan Redwatch now. Plus it's time to get some grave markers. We might as well put the graveyard on the other side of the river, it'll get in the way of stuff otherwise.

>>768313
Stormhold sounds good to me. Plus it covers the 'our base would be really easy to attack' angle without being quite as obvious as "deathtrap."

>>768330
I like Storm Hold. It references our plans to fortify, our fury and your signature move, the clamp, is a kind of hold so it connects to you in a roundabout way.

>>768330
>Clan name.
I vote Storm Hold.

>>768330
Moonstone Mongrels

Stormhold's fine too. Sounds more like a Fortress though

>>768337
We will Make it a fortress!
A Dwarf Gnoll Fortress!

Clamp Quest Thread 1 END Clamp 2016/12/26(Mon)16:25 No. 768357 ID: 7a524b
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"Storm Hold. That's our clan name."
>"Hm. That sounds good, although like the name of a fortress."
"That's the only way to make this place defendable, and I don't plan on having to run multiple places like I ain't already tired of dealing with so many runts all - wait a second. Wind already had a gravestone, didn't he?"
>"Yes, you got me. Still, it's just a monument to prevous chiefs, and having one with your blessing would be special, I think."
"What am I, a priest?"

I go over to the feast table and have at the meal. All I can eat, and Stoneback gets the same treatment.

Leaf shows up. Tells me the archers got potential. Not much for tactics or hand to hand fighting, so there's work, but apparently their marksmanship is top notch. Figure as long as people keep an eye on 'em, after a few weeks they'll be as good as ours.

He also gives a set of reports from the scouts returning with word on the outside. Apparently there's 4 nearby clans that are joining forces.

The sentiment's that they had a decent thing going with Wind, but it wasn't on equal footing, so now they want equal allies. Apparently half of it is an expectation that I'm going to go rampaging through the countryside, and they want to be able to stand up to us.

Knowing gnoll politics, an alliance like that probably won't last, and I'd just as soon let it collapse in on itself. Two problems with that; it sounds like a pain in the ass to be around while it does last, and apparently there's a couple good carpenters in that mix. Plus, just to get 4 clans to do that, it sounds like there's a real negotiator in there too, somewhere. Somewhere in the report was a mention of an old tactician that Wind used to know, too.

I want all those skills and damnit, I may need to expand after all.