Pulling at the Root of Evil

[Zhym]

"Do not forget about the obscurement spell," Gaerys reminds Vorsyin. "We would be well hidden until about 10 feet from the prison door. As for you going, it is out of the question. There are other ways to open doors than magic. Antheris and I could survive an attack by the fire giants long enough to return. You would not."

"Let us see what brother Tanner can tell us of the prison doors."

[NJWilliam]

Antheris, Druid

Antheris smiles, "With magical silence and the obscurement we might be able to get a third down there with us, perhaps with those boots of springing to jump from the mist to the cell area? And we could stage the wolves, Blue and anyone else fit to fight at the bottom of the stairs in the event we are detected. Vorsyin's wizard eye would be excellent as well, and perhaps we Stone Shape could create some obstacles or seal off a door or corridor that was inconvenient for us . . ."

[Magnus]

Date: Autumn, 432 ca., Campaign Day 4
Time: 08:59
Weather: 45 degrees; drizzling
Location: Steading; Upper Level
Magic in Effect:

-- Obscurement: Expires in 1.7 turns

********************************************
HP:

Antheris - 32/41
Ethan - 27/71
Kjelti - 25/56
Vorsyin - 19/48
Gaerys - 24/56
Hollis - 14/50
Blue - 27/48

*******************************************

Map based on Tanner's input and what the party has seen so far. The red star is the party's starting position.

Engineermap.jpg (689.38 KiB) Viewed 909 times

Will post dialogue later today.

[Magnus]

Vorsyin's heart aches at the idea of a countryman still locked below. As he listens to the freed men he opens the Keeper's bag and carefully checks its contents.

Vorsyin finds:

1. A ring of keys
2. A large jug containing 4 doses of a potion, which smells slightly like fresh fish. The jug is marked with a crude drawing of water waves.
3. A half-dozen dried human noses
4. Three large pieces of healing fungus
5. A razor sharp skinning knife

[Eulalios]

Kjelti surveys the party. "Only Antheris and I have distance weapons," she says. "Not enough to get a good volley down the stairs. Nor is there much reason for the giants to come up to our blades, without first filling this room with hot slag."

[Magnus]

Just as Gaerys asks about the door locks, Vorsyin takes the keys out of the Keeper's bag. Tanner holds up a crude lockpick fashioned from a small piece of metal, then looks at the keys and says "Those 'ill do better"

Tanner then takes a deep breath and answers the party's questions regarding the happenings at the STEADING:

The weird stuff, eh? Plenty of that down here... Don't know about you, but just the sight of giants and ogres working for something besides smashing and eating everything in sight is plenty weird. Don't you think?

But the REAL weird stuff started about three (?) weeks ago. We were digging in the East Tunnel, trying to make more room for the giants and dig iron ore out of the natural caves. We went through a wall and hit a tunnel caved in with rubble. Horrible smell coming out of that place - never came across anything like it. The walls were strange colors -- very unnatural. Hornfeet start hopping around crazily and Chief Ugly showed up a few minutes later. He cleared everyone outta there...guy looked pretty pleased.

A couple human-sized visitors in purple robes, as well as those disgusting black-eyed beasts and a shitton of hornfeet, came through a couple days later. I saw that fat giant chief talking to them, and walking in that direction. Lots of the giants seemed a little spooked, but the hornfeet seemed more uppitty and vicious. They're playing their heathen drums and doin' lots a killin.

Gotta think this is all connected, but obviously no one will tell me anything.

Fire giants were here when I got taken. They seem to do the blacksmithin'. So was the Valerian. Not sure what his story is...

Heard a lot of noise upstairs about 3-4 days ago. Was that you guys? Place seemed to go into a panic, and then on lockdown. Been locked in that cell ever since then... Kept my hopes up, though, figuring someone'd make it down here.

Tanner pats Denys on the back, and responds to Gaerys's questions to Denys:

This guy needs a few hours to calm down. He's almost a sick plaything to the giants...they take him every so often, brand and burn him, and throw him back in a cell. I don't really know why the giants kept him alive. They well may have been saving him for another feast...or just like to hurt him. Who the hell knows what those sick bastards think?

Are we getting out of here or what? I haven't eaten anything in days.

Tanner looks up and realizes that he is in a room full of food. He uses the spear to fish down a drying sausage, sniffs it, and takes a bite. He then turns to the shelves and finds some hard tack, honey, and nuts. He shares the food with his companion.

The wolves have yet to arrive, but will do so imminently thanks to Kjelti's opening the door.

Time ticks away a bit. Giant and Hornfoot growling and grunting can be heard from downstairs.

[Zhym]

"We need to see what's going on downstairs, and I don't think it can wait ten minutes," Gaerys says. "Antheris, would you be so kind as to lend me your cloak, switch to mouse form, and scamper downstairs? I will try to skulk down after you. No daring rescue attempts—not yet, anyway, until we know what we're up against. Vorsyin, could I have the keys and a mushroom, just in case an opening presents itself?"

[sulldawga]

Hollis the Cleric

Do you want the Silent Coin or not?

[Zhym]

"I will," Gaerys answers Hollis. "But not quite yet. I want to make sure the giants aren't too close. If the spell effect happens to catch one of them, it might alert them to our presence."

[drpete]

Ethan Blacktyde
"I don't love this plan. If we want information, it should be for a clear purpose, with a plan to use that information. I ... think ... our goal is to rescue the Valerian, not to explore. To do that, we need to clear a path through hornfeet and giants. We have musk, insects, wolves, and our lives to do that with. If the wolves will help with that...? Let's at least ask the gods which key it is, and pray for their protection in this. Going down just to look... That gives them too much time to regroup."

Let's add augury to find the right key, bless and protection from evil into the mix here, and make this more than a scouting mission. If we're going down, let's make it count. They'll be watching for the door to open, right?

[NJWilliam]

Antheris, druid

Antheris nods to Ethan."I agree to go with strength. We could likely sneak to the prisoners, but we've no means of sneaking them out.
"We could use the silence to position ourselves at the bottom of the stairs, and a spring over to the cells followed by an onslaught from the rest of us and the wolfpack should distract long enough to get the prisoners out. We should figure out how to carry them out if necessary, Blue should be able to help with that. We could stoneshape some caltrops in the floor, have an insect swarm ready, as well as the musk and I think in and out of there should be well handled. We need to beware the same sort of trap we fell into before though. If they are watching the stairs they'd likely spot even a mouse, though maybe not a pygmy chameleon on the ceiling."

[Zhym]

Gaerys, curt under the best of circumstances, loses his patience and stifles a scream. "Gah! Have you forgotten that those are giants down there? 'Strength' is their advantage, not ours. Our 'strength' in the first two battles has been a magic user who has now spent his offensive spells."

He turns to Ethan. "Tell me. Who are our opponents? What are their numbers? What are their positions?" To Antheris, "Have you already forgotten that we nearly got our rear ends handed to us down there by blundering in without advance scouting? We were lucky to escape the most recent battle without any casualties."

"We don't need to sneak the prisoners out. We just need to get them out. Depending on what's downstairs—which, I remind you again, we do not know—releasing the prisoners might be enough of a distraction that those party members who aren't releasing prisoners could attack with advantage and from behind. In the ensuing melee, the prisoners might need only flee for the stairs while we keep the enemies engaged. But we won't know what's possible until we've seen what's down there."

"Only a fool blindly charges in to battle against unknown forces. We need to know what we're up against and whether we can rescue prisoners without engaging another army of giants and hornfeet. Antheris, if you will not assist in scouting, please at least lend me your cloak. If you will not do that, at least stand back while I scout alone."

Gaerys waits to see whether Antheris will shapechange and scout with him or lend Gaerys his cloak. If Vorsyin hands over the keys and a mushroom, he will use the mushroom. Regardless, he quietly steps down the stairs, slowly enough to let his eyes adjust to the light, head as low as possible, to try to get a look at what's in the main room. He will be ready to run if spotted.

[NJWilliam]

Antheris

"Gaerys, we need to speak with the wolves that are on their way here, and the wizard eye and a potion of clairaudience may scout better than one or two of us heading down without a way to communicate. I've already offered my cloak if we decide to head in that way, of course.

"Vorsyin I understand you need about ten minutes to get a wizard eye conjured? And the eye is invisible and can see with infravision, is that right?

"The obscuring mist will last another 16 minutes or so.

"We could follow both plans, gather under the silence at the base of the stairs with someone scouting a bit ahead, at the base of the stairs we can see much of the room anyway, and the door leading to the other prison cells is no longer blocking our view of those.

"Once the wolves arrive I'll need a minute or two to speak with them so we know what they can help with and what we need them to do.

"If we want to summon insects before we head down, I would need another minute for that, as well.

"After that I'm good with whatever plan is decided on."

While waiting for the wolves, Antheris will cast Protection from Fire on himself (casting time 5 segments), and when the wolves arrive he will cast Speak with Animals (casting time 3 segments, duration 16 rounds).

[Zhym]

"Those are all excellent things to do while I am scouting," Gaerys replies. "Although the base of the stairs is too visible to be a gathering place, silence or no. Now, may I borrow your cloak, or am I going in without it?"

"It's a pity we don't have three of you," he tells the druid. "One to speak with your animals, one to change into a form suitable for reconnaissance, and one to be ready to summon a swarm of insects at the start of battle. I suppose we should be glad we have even the one."

[Eulalios]

"Was the Valyerian not permitted to speak with you?" Kjelti asks Tanner. "Or - did he choose not to? What did he say of his reason for being here?"

After a pause, she adds, "Death bravely in battle is best, when death softly in slumber cannot be had. But consider: the door that was spiked by a man, any giant can open. The tunnels run deep. Vorsyin, who had slain six or eight with as many weird words, now is silenced. It would be wise to retreat, and return with force renewed. Let the pack protect our withdrawal."

[Magnus]

Date: Autumn, 432 ca., Campaign Day 4
Time: 09:04
Weather: 45 degrees; drizzling
Location: Steading; Upper Level
Magic in Effect:

Antheris:

-- Obscurement: Expires in 1.2 turns
-- Protection from Fire
-- Speak with Animals, expires in 16 rounds

********************************************
HP:

Antheris - 32/41
Ethan - 27/71
Kjelti - 25/56
Vorsyin - 19/48
Gaerys - 24/56
Hollis - 14/50
Blue - 27/48
Wolves - ? ? ? ?

*******************************************

The party continues to debate its course of action, all the while waiting for the wolves to arrive.

Sure enough, 4 (normal) wolves jog through the door and green Antheris with a soft growl and a sniff. The wolves have nothing to tell Antheris that would be useful in the upcoming slaughter scouting and rescue mission. They do, however, inform the druid that the party is quite close to a hole in the STEADING wall, so escape would be simple from their current location at the moment.

Kjelti continues to speak with Tanner, asking about the Valyerian:

His name is Lorath. I trust him - no way the giants lock up and abuse one of their own just to trick us. Stern fella, though. Says his business is his own, but told me in no uncertain terms that it'd be worth my while to free him. Had time only to open one cell, and Denys needs my help much more than Lorath. Told him that I wouldn't forget him.

- Notes:

- There are only about 8 keys, so the "key fumbling" should not be too much of an issue...maybe a round. Don't think an augury would be sufficient to nail the proper key.

- Got a busy day today, so settle on your plan, if you haven't already, and lay out its execution in the game thread. I will resolve tonight or tomorrow AM.

[Zhym]

Regardless, he quietly steps down the stairs, slowly enough to let his eyes adjust to the light, head as low as possible, to try to get a look at what's in the main room. He will be ready to run if spotted.

FWIW, I had meant this to take effect immediately (i.e., as of the update you just posted).

[Magnus]

okay. will try to post update based on pre-scouting later today.

[Eulalios]

Kjelti has a change of heart about the axe. Setting down her shield and her claymore and hefts the great long handled chopper in both hands, testing its swing and recover near the head of the stairs, clear of the party.

how often can I update for this "circlet of health" thingy?

And basically checking for "magic" cause if not, it's disposable / loot depending on tactics

[Magnus]

Kjelti has a change of heart about the axe. Setting down her shield and her claymore and hefts the great long handled chopper in both hands, testing its swing and recover near the head of the stairs, clear of the party.

how often can I update for this "circlet of health" thingy?

And basically checking for "magic" cause if not, it's disposable / loot depending on tactics

The axe is remarkably light for a weapon so huge. It has an incredible feel and would certainly "bring the pain" to any opponent.

I think the Circlet confers +1 to Con on a permanent basis.

As I have permitted in the past, a bona fide sparring session with a weapon will reveal its properties (or trigger its curses)

Is Kjelti battle axe proficient?