Not a monkey
In the end, after debating for a while the group decided on the Gorillas' hunt despite the higher risks, because it was a much shorter mission. After all, all three mission involved social animals with group hunting tactics, but the Gorillas were the ones with the smallest territory.
Now, the group was discussing the targets' weaknesses and habits.
- Other apes have limited endurance compared to humans, but looks can be deceptive and while they cannot run for long they are faster than human. (Dalene)
- We know, but that's the same thing with the feathered lizards and the ptedons anyway. (Belina)
- But feathered lizards can't crush your bone with one punch, or throw rocks 150 feet away. (Dalene)
- With terrible accuracy. (Arc)
- Accuracy is not that a problem when they can throw a handful of big rocks with enough strength to knock a horse. (Dalene)
- From what you are saying, I gather they are far too agile and numerous for the usual tactics to work. Can't we use fire to control their path? (Chris)
- Not unless you want to burn the forest and fields. (Dalene)
- What a damn nuisance. (Arc)
- Hit and run tactics are good and all, but even if I am a decent shot on horseback, I lose so much range and accuracy that I'm not sure it's worth it. (Chris)
- How much? (Dalene)
- First, I can't use my longbow on horseback... Well, I can but there is no point since I'll shoot at a slower pace with less precision than if I use my short bow. And even then, expect something like 120 feet at best. (Chris)
- As for me, expect 80 feet or less on horseback! Don't look at me like that, when do you expect me to train? (Arc)
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- And on foot? (Dalene)
- I can reliably hit my target around 400 feet, and sometimes up to 600. (Chris)
- Reliably up to 250, and with one out of three at best over that range. (Arc)
- The heavy repeating crossbow has a range of 800, but the accuracy is terrible over 100... The goal of those weapons is piercing power after all. (Belina)
- Well, what if we shoot them from max range with the crossbow, have the wagon retreat when they charge while we change for bows, and as soon as they get in throwing range we use the horses to flee and restart from afar? (Chris)
- It sounds doable, but thinking about the cost makes me sick. (Belina)
- Almost everything is harvestable in giant gorillas, we can easily make 1 crown for each. (Dalene)
- Not if we use poison, and how else do you expect to down something this massive? (Arc)
- We can use muscle poison, the risks are minimal, even with wounds in the mouth. (Dalene)
- I have one flask, what about you? (Arc)
- One flask too, that's enough for forty arrows if we are conservative. (Chris)
- We'll need a lot more than that... How much does it cost? (Dalene)
- Around one silver per flask, it comes all the way from the west after all. (Chris)
- What about serpent venom? (Belina)
- Like with any venom, there is no certainties they'll work. (Dalene)
- Doesn't matter, we can try, it's cheap and we can renew our stocks ourselves. (Belina)
- I've bought lot of hallucinogenic in the last town, high doses can be mortal for animals and human. From what I heard people use it as drug and slight overdose cause nightmares, paranoia and violent behaviors. Since monkeys are similar enough, we might see some good infighting if we're lucky. Plus it's cheap as hell. (Arc)
- They're apes. (Dalene)
- And it's not like every arrows and bolts we shoot will be lost. (Belina)
- Guys, I don't want to get ripped apart by monkeys, the mission pay crazily well, let's buy a few flasks just in case. (Chris)
- They ARE APES! (Dalene)
- I don't want my eulogy to be killed by monkeys. (Arc)
- You're right, getting slaughtered by monkeys right after hunting a bird-footed lizard would the epitome of ridicule. (Belina)
- THEY ARE BLOODY APES AND YOU KNOW IT! STOP DOING THAT JUST TO PISS ME OFF! (Dalene)
All three together.
- It's because it pisses you off that we're doing it.