"So you must know a bit about the Baron's place. We want to surprise him. Is there a special way into the castle so that we can give him a big surprise?"

Knotty refills Bumbo's water just to be friendly.

"So you must know a bit about the Baron's place. We want to surprise him. Is there a special way into the castle so that we can give him a big surprise?"

Knotty refills Bumbo's water just to be friendly.

You are refilling the jug with water, right?

"You mean the tunnel under the kennel? It's not a way in. It's a way out. It's so the Baron can run away if someone wants to hurt him. He's my uncle but I'm not supposed to say that. I'm not supposed to talk about the tunnel either so don't tell anyone."

No just his glass from the jug. The way you help someone to get more tipsy and willing to talk, but he seems to have said enough.

"Now that sounds like just the place we need. Could you show me? I promise not to tell a soul. And everyone here can keep a secret."

Knotty doesn't choke on his wine but it was a close thing.

Hru steps into the hallway with Manfred and awaits Galadar.

"Smaar indicated that Dreyxor Almir is no friend of the Baron, yet his employee Shenk cares for the Baron's nephew." Maybe someone should have a talk with Almir. Soneone who is good at such things, alas I tend to rub people the wrong way Gorum tells me the lad in there has some enchantment about his armor, yet he seems genuine" he says in a low voice.

No just his glass from the jug. The way you help someone to get more tipsy and willing to talk, but he seems to have said enough.

"Now that sounds like just the place we need. Could you show me? I promise not to tell a soul. And everyone here can keep a secret."

Knotty doesn't choke on his wine but it was a close thing.

"I'm not supposed to ... but ... if you come just after dawn it might be okay. Dawn is my time to feed the dogs."

"Don't pester the boy," I say to Knotty, rather pointedly, "Give me a moment and I will write out a letter. I need it sent out though first thing in the morning. I'll be hunting you up tomorrow make sure it was sent."

I sit down at a table and glancing up to make sure I am not having anyone looking over my shoulder, I begin to write out a letter.

I'll compose the letter later today that I plan on giving to Bumpo.

Bumbo will wait a bit longer but seems increasingly anxious to leave.

"Knotty give the boy something to drink," I say and then take my time writing a letter.

When I am done with my letter, I seal it with wax and press it with my signet ring. I then address it to Madam Greenfold, 223 high street, Laekestal.

"This has to be sent out tomorrow first thing. I will hunt you up and make sure it was given to someone going that way."

I hand the letter to Bumpo and then escort him politely from the room.

As soon as he is gone, I glare at Knotty, asking "Are you trying to give the game away? That lad isn't as slow as he acts I'm pretty certain, if we try those tunnels at dawn we'll meet a party of guardsmens I have no doubt. I plan on following the lad and meanwhile, see if you can round up everyone - we may want to move tonight."

I then see if I can tail the lad unobserved.

Stealth: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (19) + 17 = 36

Sir Manfred whispers to Hru; "Lets wait on that; If Galadar's gambit succeeds, we may not need to."

Bumpo leaves bowing his head and apologizing and insisting Tweiford will be mad if he stays out too late. He then heads straight back to the kennels and crawls into one of them.

Liandra waits until Bumpo he leaves to follow

1d20 + 14 ⇒ (19) + 14 = 33

Bumpo leaves bowing his head and apologizing and insisting Tweiford will be mad if he stays out too late. He then heads straight back to the kennels and crawls into one of them.

I wait for a while, watching the kennel.

After about ten minutes, assuming there is no return on his part and assuming that I know where Liandra is (no doubt we picked the same super hiding spots),...

"Liandra, the boy spoke of a secret passage from the kennels into the keep. In an unguarded moment, the dimwitted lad made it clear that he was brihgter than he let on. I don't doubt that the secret passage is real but Knotty might have made him suspicious. I think we should press on into the keep tonight - what do you think?"

As the door opens and people file out Hru goes silent. Then stepping back into the room he turns and looks to Manfred

"Agreed"

Then he sits mumbling low prayers to himself while running a whetstone 'cross the edge of his massive battleblade.

A large sullen hound exits the kennel, blocking your view of the inside, and then returns, lying back down with a heavy sigh. Bumpo does not return within 10 minutes. It really isn't that big of a kennel either.

Tarren the Dungeon Master wrote:

Bumpo leaves bowing his head and apologizing and insisting Tweiford will be mad if he stays out too late. He then heads straight back to the kennels and crawls into one of them.

I wait for a while, watching the kennel.

After about ten minutes, assuming there is no return on his part and assuming that I know where Liandra is (no doubt we picked the same super hiding spots),...

"Liandra, the boy spoke of a secret passage from the kennels into the keep. In an unguarded moment, the dimwitted lad made it clear that he was brihgter than he let on. I don't doubt that the secret passage is real but Knotty might have made him suspicious. I think we should press on into the keep tonight - what do you think?"

"Sounds good to me."

Stealth checks to avoid waking the majority of the hounds and a handle animal check to get one in the kennel to move.

Huh. I was going to suggest just Liandra and I killing the hounds with stealth and/or close range missile fire once everyone was assembled near the kennels. Unless knotty can cast sleep.

I head back and see if Knotty has rounded up the rest of the group, advising each of them that I think it might be better to move before the baron gets word of suspicious activity involving us.

Stealth moving away from the kennels: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (7) + 17 = 24

Huh. I was going to suggest just Liandra and I killing the hounds with stealth and/or close range missile fire once everyone was assembled near the kennels. Unless knotty can cast sleep.

Sure, you could do that. ;-)

Knotty finishes off his drink and meal, then sets about having a nap in the corner. "Need sleep for dawn. Wake me in four or five hours someone. Thanks."

He is soon asleep and snoring gently with the odd bubble of saliva on his lips.

Knotty finishes off his drink and meal, then sets about having a nap in the corner. "Need sleep for dawn. Wake me in four or five hours someone. Thanks."

He is soon asleep and snoring gently with the odd bubble of saliva on his lips.

Apparently, Knotty has not rounded up the rest of the group. ;-)

Does not seem to take kindly to much, especially being ordered around. Horrible halfling really.

When Galadar arrives back at the inn, he finds Knotty taking a nap. Piren's Bluff is quite small. It takes 5 minutes to walk from Tweiford Shenk's Kennels to The Dead Well.

"Hru, Mannfred, where is that halfling girl... We think we have a way in, are you ready? Any reason not to move in now? Someone wake Knotty up. If he wants to sleep we'll have to leave him here..."

I explain the situation, and then try to get us all back to where Liandra is waiting.

Eria is just randomly walking around town so I am not sure if Tarren just wants her to run into all of you or not

Eria is just randomly walking around town so I am not sure if Tarren just wants her to run into all of you or not

Probably a good idea for her to do so. I've kind of been neglecting Eria as I wasn't sure of the timeline. It is now nighttime but before midnight.

I would assume as the town is not very big, and as we are going to be actively looking for Eria, and as she is not trying to hide, that we can see her on our way out from the inn...

"Eria, are you ready to go... we think we have a way in," I say quietly when I see her.

I am assuming Hru and Mannfred are amiable to the plan. If not probably should speak up now. The question is, is Knotty going to continue to sleep till dawn or is he going with us?

"What sort of plan?" Eria asks as she follows behind.

What time is dawn? I'm guessing that it isn't before he told someone to wake him.

"What sort of plan?" Eria asks as she follows behind.

"I think we are going to make it up as we go along. I have little interest in doing much more than our job, get in and get the Baron. But I suspect there is a narrow window on our secret entrance."

Sir Manfred smiles.
"Sir Hru, our prayers are answered."
He goes to Knotty and carefully but insistantly shakes him awake.
"Knotty, it's time. We have a way in."

What time is dawn? I'm guessing that it isn't before he told someone to wake him.

Dawn is still 6 hours off.

Hru nods to Manfred

"Surely"

He then sheaths the great sword and prepares to depart.

Trained and alert, Knotty wakes up at Hru's touch and nods through almost squinting eyes. "Good."

"I have charms and illusions that may help get us in without drawing too much attention and remember that Manfred can change his appearance once we enter. Maybe look like a servant or guard, if that helps."

"Here Hru, take this in case we get into a serious fight. It will make you bigger and more dangerous. If you don't want it then hand it on to Manfred because I don't do big."

Hands over a potion of enlarge person.

As we walk back, I tell the others, "There are dogs. I was thinking it might be best to take them out before we try entering the kennels. I can likely take one myself while it sleeps. Liandra might be able to kill another... Any other options or thoughts."

"whoa whoa wait a minute no one mentioned anything about killing dogs" Eria pipes up as soon as she hears this " Could we not charm them or something?"

"We are going to meet Bumbo, the dog handler so that he can show us the way into the castle and you want to off his dogs? Wont that upset him a little......Sir?"

Knotty shakes his head. "Can't we at least scout the area first then maybe find out if everything is green and clean for us to just walk in? Before we break out the wet work."

"whoa whoa wait a minute no one mentioned anything about killing dogs" Eria pipes up as soon as she hears this " Could we not charm them or something?"

Eria should make a Will Save vs. her own love of animals to avoid saying this too loudly. ;-)

"whoa whoa wait a minute no one mentioned anything about killing dogs" Eria pipes up as soon as she hears this " Could we not charm them or something?"

"If you can charm them then go ahead. As forBumbo, I don't trust him. He seemed awful anxious to get away from us after you let slip that we wanted to get into the keep. And he's not as slow as he lets on. Don't know how much is an act but the mention of Cheliax sure got his attention. But if all we have to kill is a few dogs to get to the Baron, I think we will be lucky."

Hru replies to Knotty "The Gifts of the Iron Lord provide for me, but thank you" Then he passes the potion to Manfred.

"Sir Manfred, Gorum grants me exceptional strength and size when necessary, and it may do well to have two of such size, especially in the event we have to break out of or into something big."

"Thank you Sir Hru." Peers at the bottle closely. "This may come in handy." Sir Manfred tucks it away for later.

Liandra continues to observe the kennels, wondering wher the hells the others are.

"Hey Liandra, here we are. Anything happen? Any changes? Eria doesn't want us to kill the dogs."

Liandra looks at Eria and shakes her head in disdain. "Y'know, whan a mountain lion wants chikes, he kills the guard dogs. All part of the natural order, predator verses predator."

"No, nothing's changed."

"The ways of Erastil are closed to me, but being one with Gorum has taught me that a priest or priestess's ways cannot be easily cast aside as a trifle." says Hru trying to gauge the others feelings.

Has anyone cased the kennel area for an ambush?

"Bumbo may be against us, but until we know for sure he can help us get in. That's good enough for me. Too many ifs, buts and maybes. Let's stop jumping at ghosts and find this Baron and slot him."

Knotty stops just out of sight of the kennels and waits. He keeps to the shadows.

Stealth roll 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22

"Well Eria, do you have a non-lethal way of taking care of the dogs? Truth be told, I would rather not leave a trail of corpses marking our manner of egress."

"Well like I said we could try charming them or something?"

"Well like I said we could try charming them or something?"

I grin, "We can't charm dogs. At least, I left my dog charming harp at home. The question is, whether you can charm the dogs? If not, taking them out quickly and quietly is the way we're going to have to go."

Eria wrote:

"Well like I said we could try charming them or something?"

I grin, "We can't charm dogs. At least, I left my dog charming harp at home. The question is, whether you can charm the dogs? If not, taking them out quickly and quietly is the way we're going to have to go."

Eria's face falls "No I cant" She seems to think a moment "but maybe someone at the Hunters lodge can?"

Eria's face falls "No I cant" She seems to think a moment "but maybe someone at the Hunters lodge can?"

"Maybe if we knew we could trust them. But we can't trust anyone at this point except perhaps the blacksmith. Anyone else have a suggestion?"