Felgrael grumbles irritably at the results of his surveilance. It was like he wasn't even there. Still he and the others managed to retrieve some fairly good data on the target, which was always key.
At Gethric's words Felgrael nods easily. I agree, breakfast would seem to be the ideal time and opportunity to strike if possible. From a personal standpoint, it caters to my skills rather admirably. Also, due to the exposed and general nature of the area, it will be far easier to hide our involvement in the whole affair. If the man catches ill at a meal, it could be anything from food poisoning to a disgruntled chef. I of course need to see if I am able to come up with anything suitable in the time we have to act otherwise we might have to approach this a bit more straightforwardly.
I will visit the café, Silence writes. But many will be distracted at the gladiatorial ranch. People will watch him at the café, but he will receive far less attention during a gladiatorial match--even a spar.
"I do not recall the guards and servants being a part of our mission," Candy practically purrs, her smile for the half orc sanguine. "The death of one man, a well liked man, may be investigated, but in Egorian, likely will lead nowhere. The murder of over a dozen? Well, that is unprecedented."
Candy reads Silence's board and nods. "Slaves, and warriors in general are not renown for their abilities to overcome magics," she agrees. "Mine could help provide an adequate distraction for those of you who have far more malicious intent than me."
At the same time, anything that we do outside of the house will be under the watchful eye of Hellknights as well as the local guards, in addition to whatever bodyguards he has. At the same time, in his home, he will be less watched. I doubt the bodyguards will be with him all the time. Most of them seem to stay in the lower floor and there are two bedrooms on the top floor. If we can get into the second floor through the balcony, we can take him out at night. A quick slice of the juggler, and he never wakes up. By the time the bodyguards find him, we will be back home and waiting for our patron to contact us.
Poison has two drawbacks. If he is immune or resistant to it, he will likely know a poisoning attempt occurred. In addition, if he realizes that he was poisoned, he could visit one of the Asmodean priests and purchase healing - he is not poor after all.
At the same if our first strike fails to finish him, then I can hex him back to sleep and we can finish the job. I love the quick and silent poisoning as much as the next, and the pain it can cause is enjoyable. However, in this case, we are not doing this for pleasure and need to assure that the mark goes down.
"I'm with Squid, I'd prefer a private kill to one in public... and if we can make it in without being detected, then the silent kill might work.... if"
If there is one guard, I can probably put him to sleep briefly. Same thing with any dogs if we want to go in through the back. And, while the life of another has no value to me, I see no need to take out the mark's entire staff. For every extra death, the likelihood of a more thorough investigation increases.
So, do any of you have any thoughts on how to infiltrate the compound? I did not see and water to swim in under which means either scaling the wall to the backyard, climbing to the balconies, or going in through the front door. None of us look like the brute force to go in through the front, notwithstanding that I do not think we were retained for our talents at face to face combat.
This leave going through the backyard or through the second floor balconies. There is also the lower floor where the servants tend to enter and leave from, but we do not know how this connects through the house and would likely have the greatest chance for an encounter.
Spawn, how good are you at climbing? Could we climb to the balcony and enter into the bedroom while he is asleep? Or while he is out of the home and then hide in the adjacent bedroom? This could allow us to most easily gain access to him and possibly do it quietly so that we can escape before the guards are aware.
"I'm not for scaling walls without rope, and I'd think he'd hear a grapple landing. I'd wager on the safest option using a distraction to draw the guards attention then enter from a different angle - while the mark is out."
"If there's no clear access higher we'd have to push through the house quick to limit the chance of running into any of the house help."
Well speaking of the help, there is the option that I could change my appearance to look like one of the servants. Once inside it should be a relatively simple task of letting the rest of you in. From there you can commence whatever havoc suits you.
DM TarkXT - could we see any sort of a guard schedule? Was there one guard outside the building, or all inside? Any specific shifts? More during the night when the mark is home or during the day when he is out?
DM TarkXT - could we see any sort of a guard schedule? Was there one guard outside the building, or all inside? Any specific shifts? More during the night when the mark is home or during the day when he is out?
No. Sadly you spent so much time dodging the dottari that you could get a headcount and a brief schedule but little else.
Keep the damage low. We have one and only one to kill. The others must not know who we are.
You have my vote. Slumber them and then quickly have Spawn coup-de-gras them, preferably with a sap or some similar non-deadly method to reduce collateral damage. As long as it is one guard at a time, this should work. If any of you can also knock out enemies, that would help.
The other option is to sneak in through either the second floor balcony or the rear and then lie waiting until he goes to sleep and take him out silently.
Lilith drums her fingertips on her arms. "Why is everyone so eager to attack this man in his home? It is the least advantageous position for us, as clearly demonstrated by none of you being able to present an even remotely viable exit strategy. And what does such a operation say for our professionalism?" she inquires, tone growing frustrated. "Beware the group of incompetents," she answers in a growl, "who cannot think of any better plan than a frontal assault on a fortified structure when they know it to be well guarded."
Candy sighs and paces for a few moments. "We have spent one day surveiling the target. We've six more before the deadline is done. so far we've collected very little information of use to us, and we are planning based upon broad generalizations and speculation," she observes. "I recommend that we take a second day to observe the man in his home at the very least."
I couldn't agree more. I for one don't relish the thought of having to fight my way out of a stranger's home turf either. I still think that a man who has a notably regular schedule at both a coffee house and arena opens himself up to numerous avenues of approach that don't have him staying on his home ground but my suggestion of such wasn't received all that highly.
Silence shakes her head at the increasingly heated back-and-forth. She slams down her slate with a BAM. She marks out three sections on the slate, and labels them Café, Ranch, and Home.
She marks the Ranch with an X. She then steps back, inviting everyone else to mark her slate.
Candy draws a crude set of lips under the column marked "Ranch," and steps back from the table. "If you good fellows and ladies will excuse me, arguments do not provide income to cover my expenses. I take my night tea at the temple of Abadar, should you require my oversight," she laughs softly at her stale jest about her lack of sight. "I do believe that I will take breakfast at the cafe tomorrow, however. Good evening."
I write this on the slate as I am saying it.
My only concern with the cafe and the ranch is that he has his bodyguards with him during these times from my understanding. People are usually more relaxed at home as the guards are outside, thus the mark would be alone and less wary.
If we decide to make our move outside his home, just remember, there are potentially more witnesses and a greater chance for collateral damage. For instance what happens if the wrong person gets poisoned food at the cafe?
Felgrael marks a small check on the board under the cafe. His bodyguards will be present no matter where we strike and while they certainly will be more attentive when outside the house, they are a factor in any scenario. At least in the public venue, there is a more viable option for flight should things not go as planned.
My only reluctance with the ranch is that if we're worried about guards already, adding a whole stable of gladiators to the mix could prove even more difficult if they should get involved.
Seeing people start to disperse for the evening, Smoke nods his head towards Candy. Checking out the cafe in greater detail appeals to my plan as well. Would you care for some company in the morning?
"You scout the cafe and ranch, I don't dare risk myself at his house two days running. I'll nudge some of Egorian's trees and see what falls out regarding our mark"
If we are dispersing, I want to go back and scout out the home over night. Exactly what time does he return, what is the guard schedule? Do they have a watch routine and patter of movement? Is there a guard at the rear entrance or the backyard? Does it appear that one can get from the lower servant entrance to the main house from within or just outside? Is there any water in the backyard large enough to hide in? How tall are the rear walls?
Stealth:
Perception:
Diplomacy(Gather Info):
At night the guard changes every 6 hours in a staggering schedule ensuring that there is always a fresh pair of eyes. There are fewer guards during the daytime. Two at the front entrance that switch off with guards from within. But it's otherwise unguarded during the day with the exception of perhaps the servants. Two guards at night walk the perimeter opposite of one another. You time it and the guards take about three minutes for a second guard to reach a point the first guard just passed (so six minutes for a guard to slowly traverse the perimeter).
There is no water to hide in in the mans small garden, which isn't even big enough to hide in itself. If you can get upstiars through the servant entrance you can't be sure. But seeing as you have not seen the halflings emerge and go around it might be safe to assume that their is.
The rear fence is about 12 feet tall with pointed rods to prevent people from casually climbing it.
Silence observes the parting group, erases the slate, and heads out into the evening. She heads over to the ranch to observe the goings on, and who stays at the ranch at night. She writes I am deaf on her slate and hangs it over her neck, but keeps it hidden unless asked.
Stealth:
Perception:
Diplomacy:
"Are you certain your honor will not be stained by being seen in public with a demimondaine?" Candy teases Smoke, and giggles. "Of course. You might even assist me with my project of making myself appear infirm," she says and taps her fingertip beneath a sightless eye.
In the evening, Candy will serve as per usual for her profession, and occasionally ask questions of her prospective and clients concerning the arena.
Candy finds it exceedingly difficult to gather information with her back on the ground her legs in the air and from people of a preoccupied mind.
Csiza has slightly better luck and observes the ranch without much trouble throughout most of the day. As might be expected there are a number of overseers, and gladiators watching the place as well as one or two trainers. A sign clearly saying NO WEAPONS hangs on the door and upon observation indeed the gladiators train with blunted wooden weapons, The ranch consists of a large yard filled with training equipment and a small sandpit circle, one smaller building, one larger building that houses the gladiators, and all surrounded by a large wooden pallisade whose logs are sharpened like spears separates the ranch from the rest of the world. The ranch itself sits less then half a mile outside the city walls making it a long walk and difficult to approach without being spotted.
When we reconvene, I relate the information in the spoiler above.
In the evening, the guards appear to be on about a 6 minute perimeter watch, there are two guards, so about every 3 minutes a guard passes. The two exterior guards cycle off with guards in the home so there are fresh eyes every few hours.
Based upon their rotation, we could probably knock out and bind one exterior guard before the second one gets to that point, and then take out the second one. If done just after a rotation, we would probably have a good hour to climb up to the second floor. I am not the best climber, but if someone else is more skilled we should be able to get to the second floor unnoticed. We only have two days, so I think we should attempt the hit tonight such that we can make a second attempt if possible if the first one fails.
Also, my guess is that we could get to the main house through the servants' entrance, but then we would be going through the interior guards and we do not know the layout of the home.
Finally, the rear is less guarded, but has a 12 foot wall topped with spikes, so that looks to be a tough way to get in.
Silence prepares her slate with the following information.
Ranch: Hard to reach, easy to be seen on the way. No weapons allowed, the gladiators use wood. Surrounded by wooden wall. There are overseers, but more for looking inside instead of out.
Best attack point: on the path to the ranch, outside the city.
Sorry, if I could get a diplomacy check from Smoke and Candy to actually get into the cafe. It is rather high brow.
Unfortunately your out of fashion clothes, and your, *ahem* demeanor sets off the doorman's "poverty sense" and you are not allowed entrance.
Candy clings to Smokes arm as they are turned away, and speaks to him in a whisper so as not to be overheard.
"At the very least we have learned that we will not be striking here. Any attempt on our part to return will be noted. But this does not exclude the others."
, hand cupped to ear.
So options are:
My vote is the home. If the guards are on a 6 minute patrol, we can take one out on the backside of the wall at a time. We do not need to kill them, although if necessary so be it. Once the two guards are gone, we can climb up to the balcony and enter in through the unused bedroom. We do a stealthy patrol of the area to make sure that there are no guards inside and then enter his room. Coup de gras him while sleeping and then exit down from the balcony the way we entered. If done right, the whole process should not take more than a few minutes.
As the guards are on staggered schedules, we should hit an hour or two after midnight about an hour before the next guard shift so that one guard is tired and the other has been up for a few hours. This is my thoughts. As I have mentioned, I can put most anyone to sleep for a brief period. If one of you can charm a person, that would be quite useful.
"The ones who sent the letter want this man dead, and want no ties of the killing to them or us. While it may be the way of common thugs to slaughter him upon the road - it has less chance of exposing us to discovery. It may not be elegant, but it's efficient" stretching out his arms and back after he speaks.
Grimacing in an action that shows off his tell-tale nascent tusks "Then again, it's easier to murder a man in his home where his guard is down. How do we put ourselves in there to wait for him?"
I think that a night assault might be best. There are two outside guards on about a 6 minute patrol rotation with each split by about 3 minutes. If I can put one of them too sleep, then [Gethric, forgot your name] can coup de gras him and silently take out one on the side or back of the house. We then wait and do the same to the other. This should give us time to get up to the second story where the bedrooms are. If we go up the balcony at night, we should be able to make it in unseen. As long as one person can climb, the rest of us should be able to go up a rope if necessary.
Once on the second floor, we silently enter and hit the mark hard. If we have to break in and it awakes him, we should still have time before any interior guards get into his room, but preferably we do it silently.
Spawn shrugs at Squid and turns to see the other's opinions...
Smoke frowns at the heavy-handedness of Squid's proposal. I don't care how stealthy a combatant our Spawn here is, what you propose will create a commotion no matter what. I would think we would want to avoid that where possible, and even so as a measure of last resort at best.
There has to be a way of getting us in there without a full assault on the guards. The quality of our work is also to be on display here and it would certainly look better if we're in and out and only our target is left dead by our passing.
Have we seen any magic in place? Silence writes.
Smoke, we do not need to slay the guards, knocking them unconscious is just as effective. The difference is that by disabling them, should we need to make a hasty exit, they will not be waiting for us.
Responding to Silences inquiry:
I have not been able to get close enough to check.