Squad Games — A Mercenary Company Turn-Based/Tactical LitRPG

Lothar knew he had to risk everything to kill Redblade. He also knew, when he had settled on his plan, that he would be leaving most of his mercs behind in Eisenberg.

‘I can’t take you,’ he explained to Wilson.

The gnome looked outraged.

‘You can’t pass as one of Redblade’s brigands.’

Even Twerk couldn’t argue with that.

‘I can't take you,’ he told Ashlyn. ‘Or Femke and Mila. Redblade doesn’t have female brigands.’

‘Take us? That means you’re going?’

He nodded.

‘Without us, your chances of making it out alive are much reduced.’

‘I have to go. There aren’t many I can send who will both look the part and have a reasonable chance of not getting killed. Manslayer is one of those. Did you end up speaking with him?’

‘I did. I haven’t asked his permission to tell you the details. But I can say, I think you can trust him.’

That would have to do.

Then there were those lives it wasn’t worth risking. ‘You’re staying,’ he told Jaelin and Christoph.

That left The Baron; Manslayer; Brickhouse; Pavel (the other brigand they had captured)—and Lothar himself.

The Baron

Name

Unknown

Nickname

The Baron

Race/Nationality

Human/Durnish

Age

31

Daily Wage

7 pence

Action Stats

EXP Level

3

Action Points

3

Hit Points

15

Core Stats

Might

6

Agility

12

Grit

6

Intellect

11

Skills

Thievery, Disguise, Knives (proficient)

Equipment

Weapons

Short sword (damage 1-6), Dagger (damage 3-12)

Armour

Leather

Other

Lockpicking and other tools of the trade, Coin of Deception

Manslayer

Name

Edmund Rigge

Nickname

Manslayer

Race/Nationality

Human/Durnish

Age

34

Daily Wage

3 shillings

Action Stats

EXP Level

4

Action Points

6

Hit Points

29

Core Stats

Might

14

Agility

9

Grit

11

Intellect

8

Skills

Swords (master), Shields (master), Spears (expert), Knives (expert)

Equipment

Weapons

Longsword (Slayer, To Hit +2, Damage +1, damage 6-41), Short Spear (damage 4-24), Knife (damage 4-16)

Armour

Hide

Other

Brickhouse

Name

Bartek Arcacz

Nickname

Brickhouse

Race/Nationality

Human/Livanian

Age

24

Action Stats

EXP Level

3

Action Points

5

Hit Points

22

Core Stats

Might

13

Agility

6

Grit

6

Intellect

6

Skills

Polearms (novice) Knives (novice)

Equipment

Weapons

Pike (Breaker, To Hit +2, Damage +2, damage 3-12), Dagger (1-4)

Armour

Ring mail

Other

Pavel the Brigand

Name

Pavel

Nickname

None

Race/Nationality

Human/Livanian

Age

21

Action Stats

EXP Level

2

Action Points

3

Hit Points

16

Core Stats

Might

10

Agility

6

Grit

4

Intellect

4

Skills

Swords (novice), Spears (novice)

Equipment

Weapons

Short sword (damage 1-6), Short spear (1-6)

Armour

Hide

Other

Stiff

Name

Lothar Sauer

Nickname

Stiff

Race/Nationality

Human/Hargon

Age

50

Action Stats

EXP Level

7

Action Points

8

Hit Points

36

Core Stats

Might

13

Agility

9

Grit

16

Intellect

15

Skills

Swords (expert), Shields (expert), Spears (proficient),

Equipment

Weapons

Longsword (damage 4-32)

Armour

Hide

Other

Brickhouse led them west to Redblade’s fort. Lothar needed to rely on the man’s personal ambition. If he turned against Lothar and stayed loyal to Redblade, they would be in trouble. Too much trouble to deal with.

‘If you so much as think of betraying us to your old master,’ Lothar said to Pavel as they walked, ‘I won’t hesitate to butcher you on the spot. Even if I achieve nothing else. You understand me?’

‘I understand you,’ said the brigand.

Lothar eyed Brickhouse, but there was no reaction from him that revealed his inner thoughts.

The hill fort came into view, dominating an otherwise flat landscape. Earthworks followed the contours of the mound in concentric rings. At the top, wooden stakes defended whatever buildings were inside the settlement. It looked impregnable, even if one had a small army to send against it. In that sense, it only confirmed in Lothar’s mind that trickery was the best option he had.

Brickhouse led them around a sharp bend in the hill. Before them, a white chalk path rose towards a giant cleft in the earthworks that reached all the way to the top; completely vertical, and impossible to climb.

The brigand looked at Lothar, who gave him an encouraging nod. Brickhouse shouted up to the top of the fort, his voice loud enough to reach such a height. ‘Drop the ladder. It’s me, Brickhouse!’

Lothar could just make out a figure at the top of the fort, peering down at them.

This was the moment of truth. It should work, Lothar told himself. Why wouldn’t it work?

The trick they played was only small. After all, Brickhouse was Brickhouse. Pavel was also Pavel, if anyone up there cared about it. The Baron looked more like the dead brigand whose brown leather clothes he wore than the dead brigand himself did. Lothar and Edmund wore hide armour taken from two of the brigands killed in Eisenberg—Lothar disappointed at having to leave the Armour of Resilience behind. Neither carried a shield, since Redblade’s brigands didn’t. They made sure to stand behind Brickhouse, so no one so inclined could study them in detail.

‘Why have you come?’ a voice carried down to them.

‘Eisenberg was attacked,’ Brickhouse answered. ‘Get the ladder dropped!’ he added, allowing some irritation into his voice.

Good, Lothar thought. Sounds believable.

Something was hurled off the edge of the fort. The rope ladder reached all the way to the ground.

Brickhouse began to climb. The Baron followed, then Manslayer. Lothar went last, behind Pavel—ready to fling the brigand from the rope should he try anything.

By the time Lothar reached the top of the ladder and dragged himself onto solid ground, Brickhouse had begun striding from the edge of the fort towards the centre of the settlement. The Baron and Manslayer walked with him across the grass, as well as several brigands. Lothar hurried to catch up.

‘Help me with the ladder, will you?’ a woman’s voice asked.

Lothar side eyed her. He was in trouble. She wasn’t studying him now, but get involved with the task, and she would almost certainly realise she didn’t recognise him. The whole mission would be discovered before they were ready. He peered over the edge, wondering how long it would take her to reach the bottom, and what kind of noise she might make when she landed.

‘I’ll do it,’ Pavel offered, perhaps alarmed at the sight of Lothar contemplating sending her over the edge. ‘You get on.’

Lothar nodded his thanks and caught up with the others.

Brickhouse slowed, and the others followed his lead. Approaching from the opposite direction came half a dozen brigands. Lothar fixed his gaze on the pommel of a sword held in a scabbard. The crystal was pink, but he imagined it might shine red when goblins were near. Its owner was tall, with shoulder length brown hair, and looked quite dashing in his expensive looking armour.

‘You lost Eisenberg?’ Redblade demanded of Brickhouse. ‘To who?’

‘The Blades,’ Brickhouse answered. It was a reply Lothar had given him.

The two sides closed on one another.

Redblade frowned as his gaze took on Manslayer. ‘Who’s this?’ he demanded.

Manslayer’s hand went to his hilt.