"Oh, apologies, allow me to introduce myself, I am Daemon, an old friend of the your... friends father, don't worry about sneaking out I wont tell him anything." I say kindly and conspiratorially, "now come down here, he was worried about where she had gotten off to and sent me to look for the two of you."
Murmur looks through the chest and pulls out a crudely carved wooden doll that reminds him of a friend he'd had long ago. When he receives Daemon's message, he clutches the doll and goes outside.
Murmur leaves the house and heads to the barn. Before entering, he hides himself in the shadows to better observe the occupants.
"I have my own mount." Gathroc says in response to Vesta's comment about transportation.
The teenagers continue to huddle together in fear amongst the hay. The female states "I'm not sure mister, my pa never told me bout no-one called Damon..."
Murmur, disappointed that the "playmates" are too old and interested in each other to be interesting, stays hidden and sneaks behind the teenagers, ready to act if Daemon fumbles his charade.
just let me know whn i get there in the farmers body
"Very well, I was hoping to do this the easy way but if I must come up there I will."
With that I will make my way toward the hay loft to capture the teenagers.
Murmur, seeing Daemon unable to bluff the teenagers, sneaks up to the them and reaches out a bony hand to touch the male. One of them, at least, won't be making a sound...
Daemon and Murmur both strike out at the teenagers at the same time. The boy falls to the paralyzing touch, while the girl's voice disappears as she feels Murmur's hand brush her arm. She starts to panic animatedly as she attempts to scream...
I Smile, rather vilely, at the girl and then paralyzing touch her as well, "Thank you for your assistance in this matter Murmur." Then I will paralyzing touch each of the horses in turn. After finishing this I will walk back out to the others, (If they are all still outside) "I do believe I have found us transportation to the tower, and a way to find out more information about this book that we are looking for. It will take me at least an hr to prepare the spells that I will need for this."
Cleric
0, 4 Detect Magic, Guidance, Read Magic, Resistance
1, 5 Bane, Divine Favor x2, Doom x2 +1 Protection from Good
2, 3 Bull's Strength, Enthrall, Silence +1 Death Knell
3, Dispel Magic x3 +1 Animate Dead
Wizard
0, 4 Touch of Fatigue, Mage Hand, Message, Open/Close
1, 5 Shield, Magic Missile x2, Ray of Enfeeblement, Enlarge Person +1 Expeditious Retreat
2, 4 Web, Locate Object, Scorching Ray x2 +1 Spider Climb
3, 2 Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Clairaudience/Clairvoyance +1 Fly
Vesta walks into the barn in the Farmers body,
" Oh good. Horses."Vesta surveys the barn and momentarily makes eye contact with the frightned teenagers. Then just as casually looks away and at Daemon. "If we're going to leave tonight we should get going."
"If we are to leave tonight, how are we going to protect the Vampire? You said you had something, but I have yet to see anything that could shield her from even the early morning sun."
"If we are to leave tonight, how are we going to protect the Vampire? You said you had something, but I have yet to see anything that could shield her from even the early morning sun."
"She already said she had an extra dimensional purse she could get into. I have a similar item if needed."
I step outside the barn with Vesta, so that everyone can hear what I have to say. "Prior to leaving I would like to cast a few divination spells to try and discover more about this book we are looking for as well as raise some steeds for those of us that have none. I could be done within an hr and a half."
I step outside the barn with Vesta, so that everyone can hear what I have to say. "Prior to leaving I would like to cast a few divination spells to try and discover more about this book we are looking for as well as raise some steeds for those of us that have none. I could be done within an hr and a half."
I would prefer to have more information. However as I have no weight I will not need my own steed. I'll merely need to hang on to another's as they ride.
"My mount can hold myself and another, so that's one fewer you need to raise. WHoever wouldd like to may ride with me."
Murmur studies the paralyzed bodies for a moment, then shrugs and walks away. Not much fun to be had there. Outside, he silently listens to the discussion, not really caring how they'll travel to the tower.
"I'll ride with you, Ignác." A bland voice spoken in a monotone.
After studying and praying for my new spells I quickly set up an alter to Urgathoa in the barn and Cast Desecrate upon it. I then place the paralyzed horses and the dead mother around it in a circle and the two humans kids upon it. "Urgathoa, take these sacrifices that I have laid out before you, that it may please you to look down on us your servants and help us with our small quest." With that I ceremoniously slit their necks and watch them bleed out into the ground. After they are dead I cast Animate dead and raise the humans as various versions of zombie and skeleton and the horses as fast zombies. I leave two humans in the house and the other in the barn with instructions to kill anyone who comes to investigate the farm after we leave.
After finishing the ritual and sacrifice I look to the group, "We now have rides and hopefully Urgathoa's favor. I will need to be closer to the tower prior to casting the divination spells, let us be on our way."
Once the new steeds and guards are raised, the group gets underway towards the tower. Making quick time over flat ground the group moves easily and is unchallenged by any man or beast.
After a couple of hours the tower upon the horizon looms up before you. It is a relatively squat and austere construction - you gauge it must consist of roughly four or five stories above ground with only the top level showing any external windows. Immediately at the base you see a moat that has but a single bridge accessing the sturdy doors.
** spoiler omitted **
After studying and praying for my new spells I quickly set up an alter to Urgathoa in the barn and Cast Desecrate upon it. I then place the paralyzed horses and the dead mother around it in a circle and the two humans kids upon it. "Urgathoa, take these sacrifices that I have laid out before you, that it may please you to look down on us your servants and help us with our small quest." With that I ceremoniously slit their necks and watch them bleed out into the ground. After they are dead I cast Animate dead and raise the humans as various versions of zombie and skeleton and the horses as fast zombies. I leave two humans in the house and the other in the barn with instructions to kill anyone who comes to investigate the farm after we leave.
After finishing the ritual and sacrifice I look to the group, "We now have rides and hopefully Urgathoa's favor. I will need to be closer to the tower prior to casting the divination spells, let us be on our way."
Before Daemon starts casting Vesta says,
"Take this one too" (referring to the adult male she inhabits)"The flesh will only slow me down. Paralyze him at your lesire then I will vacate once it is successful."
Presumably Daemon agrees and does so. That leaves 4 undead humanoid and one undead horse protecting the farm. Vesta leaves the scene as daemon begins changing.
Once the new steeds and guards are raised, the group gets underway towards the tower. Making quick time over flat ground the group moves easily and is unchallenged by any man or beast.
After a couple of hours the tower upon the horizon looms up before you. It is a relatively squat and austere construction - you gauge it must consist of roughly four or five stories above ground with only the top level showing any external windows. Immediately at the base you see a moat that has but a single bridge accessing the sturdy doors.
"Is this far enough for your divinations, Daemon? Then turning toward Euridicia. "I presume you know when the sun will rise and when you must escape to your 'sanctuary'. "
Before everbody heads out on their undead mounts Gatrhoc raises his hand "A moment, if you will" With that he starts to concentrate, and suddenly a small summoning circle appears beneath his feet. Swirling energies of several different colors dance about him, and then a horse's neigh, tainted with an infernal snort breaks the silence. A fiendish war horse materializes before your eyes with Gathroc astirde it. He then extends a hand to Euridicia "Milady?". He pulls her up behind him and then they're off, galloping towards their destination.
Upon reaching the tower, he surveys it with a critical eye born of centuries of warfare and combat. "Good move on the one entrance. Yet I can almost gurauntee there's a secret entrance some place. First, its only prudent as that bridge isn't the way you want leave in a hurry and second, this is a wizard's tower, which means he definitely wants an unknown passage, even if he doesn't personally use it. Vesta, Gabriel if you two could scout for said hidden door, the rest of us can plan out what to do once inside"
As you wish. Vesta? If you would be so kind?
Gabriel then scuttles off to start a scouting mission...
Before Daemon starts casting Vesta says,
"Take this one too" (referring to the adult male she inhabits)"The flesh will only slow me down. Paralyze him at your lesire then I will vacate once it is successful."
Presumably Daemon agrees and does so. That leaves 4 undead humanoid and one undead horse protecting the farm. Vesta leaves the scene as daemon begins changing.
"I have to be within 550ft of the tower prior to casting my locating spell. So we should cover as much ground as possible as quickly as possible and then hide ourselves, or find a way into the tower prior to the sun coming up. So that gives us 60 minutes of cover from shadows from the time we get to the tower to find a way inside."
As you wish. Vesta? If you would be so kind?
Gabriel then scuttles off to start a scouting mission...
"As you wish." With that Versta becomes invisible and proceeds to search the towerr. She's a flyer so she figures the other can look at ground level. She'll fly about ten feet up and test to see if the walls are protected from etheral creatures by sticking a single finger into the masonry. Does she pass through uneventrully?
If there is resistance she will search the exterior by flying up the wall and using detect magic.
If there is no resistance from the wall she will pass through the wall (invisibly and stealthing) so she can search for an entracne from the inside. I figure it'll be less hidden on the other side since it's designed for exterior secrecy.
She is invisible when she searches
Stealth
Search
The group is able to approach to within around 500ft of the structure without any issues.
The group is able to approach to within around 500ft of the structure without any issues.
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
Spellcraft
Knowledge ArcanaAppraise
Edit: I thought we were at the tower. My bad. I will detect magic and search as we approach the tower. You can just use the previous rolls for all that. If I find wards I will go below the earth and see if they extend down as well.
As soon as I get within the 500ft range of the tower, I halt my zombie steed and climb off. I stand beside it beside the road and with quick movements of my hands I cast Locate Object My mental image is of a book of family history, generic because I do not know what the actual book we are looking for looks like.
Euridicea dipped a single finger in the pool of blood under the dead bodies of the teenagers before they are raised, a satisifed moan escaped her mouth as she tasted their young essences before she accepted Gathroc's hand. She sat side-saddle upon his mighty undead steed, one arm circled around his body to secure herself with a tight grip upon his breastplate. The other is engaged in doodling invisible art masterpieces upon the back of Gathroc's armor. Obiviously, she paid little attention to the journey of a few hours toward the wizard's tower.
As the un-imposing, squat tower appears ever closer, Euridicea stood up upon Gathroc's horse, balanced as if on a knife's edge as she pointed and laughed at the tower, "The little dwarf upon the stand, sleeping quietly before our band, dreaming of things nice and sweet, never knowing we come to carve its meat." When the band slows down to survey the way into the stronghold, the nymph does a backflip off her ride and landed upon the ground as she started hunting around for any fresh tracks or other signs of recent activity in the area around the tower.
The area around the tower from your approach does not show many signs outside normal animal activity. There is a walking track that cuts across the field in the direction of the tower, but you're unsure when it was last used.
The tower glows like a hot ember with magical power, though the top floor is especially radiant. You believe that the magic also extends below the ground floor, as though there might be basements or catacombs in the structure.
You believe that the wards on the main building are proof against magical scrying and teleportation, though the top floor is protected by more powerful magic. You believe that you'll be able to carefully scout within the tower without raising alarm, as long as you are careful.
Gabriel scuttles back to the rest of the party, and helpfully notes:
The only visible approach is via the bridge to the barred door. The earth within a few tens of feet of the tower does appear to have been worked at some point in the last few months, though plant life has begun to re-grow already.
I let out a grunt of frustration after casting Locate object. "Well the book is definitely in the tower though I cannot establish where. Let me try one more thing and then we can try to find a way to enter."
I then take the 10 min that it takes to cast Clairaudience/Clairvoyance I position the magical eye a few feet outside one of the windows at what appears to be the top floor of the tower, swiveling it back and forth to attempt to get a better view into the room to see whats there.
I would like to now move slowly toward the building searching and stealthed the whole time. I'd like to test the structure to see if it's protected from etheral creatures (such as myself). The test is simply putting a finger into the structure to see if I can. If I can then i want to search the first level inside for the entrance (from the inside so it should be easier).
I would then like to go through the earth to search a bit in the catacombs.
I will be using full stealth and not coming entirely out of any solid surface if I can help it. I figure it'll help my stealth checks. I am being VERY cautious. Basically I'm only trying to gather intel at this point.
Stealth
Perception
Spellcraft
Knowledge (arcana)
On the ride to the tower, Murmur amuses himself by using Ignác's armor as a drum. Various voices sing songs to the beat, some silly, some gruesome. As soon as they arrive, he slips down off the horse and waits patiently.
After the scouting is complete and everybody is together, Murmur pulls out his drum and plays a song. It starts off slow, sounding like a single zombie shuffling down a corridor. The pace picks up, building into a frenetic rhythm that brings to mind an army at full charge. Heavy staccato notes seem at first out of place, but soon it melds perfectly into a counter-beat that mimics the sound of a heart beating faster and faster. Murmur finishes at a blistering pace, leaving everyone eager to move forward, possibly to their doom.
Sinking into the earth below you are able to discern that a catacomb does exist and extends out into the earth beyond the base of the tower. The small area that you initially gaze into appears to be a laboratory of sorts - with all manner of pots, potions and beakers arranged in disarray. There appears to be less magical protections upon the catacombs - though you wonder how all of your party would gain entry - as you cannot discern any alternative way in currently.
As Murmur's drumbeats reach crescendo each of you has a brief image of a group of hungry ghouls chasing after running after fresh meat, their pace quickening as they draw near the prey.
After the group reassembles from its respective searches I pace back and forth grumbling to myself for a second before I say. "I am having the same problem our sponsor did, there is no way to scry the inside of this tower though I know the book is inside it, we will just have to proceed forward. Has anyone found a way inside yet?"
Once the troop gathers back together after scouting Vesta reports.
"The tower is HIGHLY protected. I had to be careful not to set off an alarm even given my incorporeal state. The bad news is that we will have problems getting into most areas. However, in the catacombs there is what appears to be a rarely used laboratory. Under normal circumstances it would be difficult to get to, but I believe I may have a way to enter. I have a portable hole that when in my pocket"She pats her vest"is incorporeal like I am. If everyone will enter the hole I can carry you to the room. There's a catch. Other extra dimensional spaces will react violently to being in my portable hole. So any bags of holding and what not will have to be left behind. Alternately we can dig, but that willbe more time consuming and less subtle.That's the best plan I have right now, but I'm willing to listen to alternative ideas."
Edit: added the phrase about digging.
Vesta continues to ponder.
Is the laboratory anywhere close to being with 760 feet of the surface? Dimension door was my secong thought.
** spoiler omitted **
Vesta speaks up suddenly
"On second thought, I have spell that can get us all to the lab. It may take two castings but that's a minor inconvenience. Possibly just the one if we work it out properly. Of course we could just dig. It's about thirty feet below the surface over there." Vesta points.
Gathroc considers all the information the others found, going over it all carefully in his mind. "If teleporting into this undeground lab is possible, that would most likely be the best tactic. I'm not sure if it would be undetected, but it would be mean we're a good distance away from the main areas of the keep. Also it gets us in without having to battle through the front door"
Gathroc considers all the information the others found, going over it all carefully in his mind. "If teleporting into this undeground lab is possible, that would most likely be the best tactic. I'm not sure if it would be undetected, but it would be mean we're a good distance away from the main areas of the keep. Also it gets us in without having to battle through the front door"
"I can transport three others at a time. I recommend any extras get into extra dimensional spaces that can be carried by one of the three. "
Euridicea dusted her hands off as she stood from her track finding expedition and walked over to the others as they discussed teleporting into the dungeon below.