IC III

[VonAlric]

Gardo

Slaying the last of the spiders, Gardo quickly looks about for Wulfka. Seeing Ribar tending to her, he quickly moves to their side. "Are you alright? Is everything okay? I got a bit concerned there for your safety, my d.......aring Wulfka." The last words stretched out and slammed together, as if something was said against one's will and then covered up. Gardo quickly turns his attention to Ribar. "You are a fine man, being quick to act and preventing that poison from taking effect. Well done!" He gives a friendly clap to Ribar's back, a little stronger than needed.

[thirdkingdom]

Feargus

"If I remember correctly, the upstart earl's castle is perhaps five or six hours within the Woods. I think our plan starts with Svenn's invisible recon and then decide if our feint and heist plan has merit."

Drift

"Five or six hours mounted," he says, "it will be longer on foot. Plus, the journey to the castle is difficult, the path not clear. It is best if I guide you. My suggestion would be to ride in together, and we will stop a safe distance from the tower and proceed with stealth."

[Rex]

Shmara

"Agreed, that makes sense. I would like to be somewhat close in case something goes wrong with the scouting."

[shaidar]

Newton nods "Very well, it seems reasonable to me. He might have sentries further out, but time is not a luxury we have to do it more slowly"

[thirdkingdom]

If anyone would like to do anything different let me know, otherwise I'll get an update out tonight.

[thirdkingdom]

Sixthmonth, Twentyfifthday?
Fifth Day in Faery

Led by Drift, the adventurers enter the Lonely Woods, acutely aware that their allotted ten days are halfway up. The Woods -- for they deserve to be capitalized -- are dreary and desolate. The full light of summer filters through the leaves, turning the skin of the companions a sickly green, and the humidity of the day is oppressive. There do not seem to be trails through the wood, and half the time is spent fighting through thorny undergrowth that grasps at their limbs as they pass by.

Finally, Drift calls a halt. "The Earl's manor lies jut ahead," he says, "over that slight rise." The companions haver perhaps three hours of activity left, under normal circumstances.

Encounter on 1-2:: 1d6 4

[kalstone]

Svenn

Svenn prepares to begin his scouting foray. "Drift, invisible spies must be a common thing in Faery. Would you expect there to be safeguards in place? If so, can they be bypassed?"

[Rex]

Shmara

"If we are waiting here for the scout we should hide ourselves some."

She looks around for a hiding place.

[shaidar]

Newton will accompany Svenn as far as there is natural cover, and then hide and watch.

[thirdkingdom]

Svenn

Svenn prepares to begin his scouting foray. "Drift, invisible spies must be a common thing in Faery. Would you expect there to be safeguards in place? If so, can they be bypassed?"

Drift

The faun thinks hard, his whole face screwing up with concentration. "See, the thing is," he says, slowly, "is that this is a place of glamor and enchantments. Most of the fey folk, myself included, and likely the Earl's ogrish oafs, have no more ability than you to pierce the veils of illusions such as you describe. The Earl, now? A faery lord -- or, at least, a would-be lord -- likely can see through deceptions like that, especially in their demesne. But I do not know that for certain."

[kalstone]

Svenn

"Well then, let's be off Newton, while there is still time."

[thirdkingdom]

Svenn and Newton dismount and advance, passing through the trees as quietly as they can manage. It takes about twenty minutes, but they finally reach the top of the crest and look down into the hollow on the other side, and behold one of the stranger sights they have seen in Faery.

The woods have been cleared down the sides of the slopes and into the hollow itself, allowing the area to be bathed in sunlight. At the center of the clearing stands a stately house, of a construction that neither of the two have ever seen before. A quartet of the gaudily dressed and rouged-cheeked ogres walk a lazy perimeter around the manor, taking them on a circuit that will likely bring them within 200 or so yards of the two's location.

: 2#1d20 15 9

[kalstone]

Svenn

“Here’s where we part ways. Wish me luck.”

He turns invisible and moves as silently as possible towards the manor, giving the oncoming ogres a wide berth.

[shaidar]

Newton

"Good luck, don't worry I'll be around here...somewhere"

The scout finds a spot with good cover and a reasonable view of the mansion and settles down to wait.

[thirdkingdom]

Svenn turns invisible and ghosts forward, waiting for the ogres to pass by on their circuit of the gardens. He slowly approaches the house and is able to get close enough to peer into several of the lower windows. The glass in the windows is thick and wavy, smeared with dirt and grime, but inside he beholds what looks to be a large ballroom, or perhaps an dining hall. It seems as though it occupies most of the first floor. In one corner -- the northeast -- he sees a grand flight of stairs sweeping upwards towards an invisible (to his vantage point) upper level.

Nature of roll redacted:: 1d6 6
Nature of roll redacted: : 1d20 12

[kalstone]

Svenn

Svenn looks for a side door entrance to the house, waits until he will be unlikely to be seen or heard, and tries to open the door.

[thirdkingdom]

Svenn sneaks around, moving in the same direction as the ogre guards. Before he can find a door, however, he notices a strange thing; at roughly ground height there is a window in the wall of the building, barred with what looks to be bars of solid bronze. There is no glass on the window, and in the filtered daylight he can see down into the chamber on the other side, peering into what looks to be a cell of some sort, although he cannot tell if it is occupied. The window is small, perhaps a foot per side.

[kalstone]

Svenn

Svenn waits for an opportunity, then hisses quietly into the cell window, "Lady Percula?"

[thirdkingdom]

Svenn

Svenn waits for an opportunity, then hisses quietly into the cell window, "Lady Percula?"

There is no response.

Nature of roll redacted: : 1d6 3

[kalstone]

Svenn

Svenn continues around the building, looking for a way in or another cell window. If he sees a cell window, he will call out for Percula again.