Mandraiv nods in agreement. He heads back to the others with Artius as stealthily as he can.
The two scouts make it back to the group believing that they have not been observed by the creatures within the keep.
Back at the ridge with the rest of the party, the rain starts to get heavier, prompting you to find some cover under some large deciduous trees nearby.
Oso welcomes them back with a gentle slap on the back in anticipation. "Well? We going at them now. Under the cover of rain."
Mandraiv replies, "Maybe."
"The tower is attached to the wall of a castle which is built up against the side of a cliff. The wall surrounds the castle on its three exposed sides. The castle has one gateway. The outer gate doors have been torn down but the inner gate doors are still shut. There is also a large hole in the wall near the gate that might or might not go all the way through. We saw no signs of life, but we did hear a strange chittering sound coming from the inner courtyard."
"I would prefer to avoid going through either the gateway or the hole next to it. I think those two areas are almost certain to be watched if not trapped somehow. However, the general condition of the stonework on the tower and the wall is that it is crumbling into ruin, so it looks to be climbable without too much trouble."
"My suggestion would be that we either climb into and take the tower as quickly and quietly as we can, or we climb a section of wall on the far side of the castle from the tower. The advantage of taking the tower is that it gives us a spot to hide as we check out the rest of the castle. The disadvantage is that there may be sentries there we did not see. Climbing a section of wall makes it less likely we would immediately run into sentries, but gives us no place to hide once we get over it."
Aredhel listens, and then nods when Mandraiv outlines his proposal.
"I agree, taking the tower would be an excellent first move. Rather than climb it directly, perhaps we can scale the wall a little down from it, and then move across the top of the wall to enter the tower from the side? A lateral approach might be less guarded against."
She looks to the others for their opinions.
Imsh rattles his armor as he speaks
"Not too sure how well I can climb in this armor. You might have to drop me a rope to assist in the climb."
Mandraiv says, "The only problem with moving along the wall is that you are potentially visible to whoever may be in the castle. As far as the climbing goes, I was planning on going first and then tying off a rope for everybody else to use. Though I suppose Artius and Oso might join me on that climb with Aredhel and Imsh joining us after we get the rope down."
"We've only got about 4 hours of daylight left. If we were to go now we would probably find ourselves in the castle as the kobolds start to wake up. Then we could end up spending most of the night we need to sleep in fighting fresh kobolds. We might want instead to find a spot where we can hide, get a good nights sleep, and hit the tower in the morning shortly after the kobolds have gone to bed."
Aredhel nods, considering. "Good idea, Mandraiv. A morning strike sounds good."
She stares down at the diagram scratched in the dirt. "So you think a direct assault on the tower by climbing up to a window is best?"
Oso smiles at the last conversation and agrees that a dawn attack suits. "Shame we not got spell to make us look like dem kobols."
Mandraiv shrugs. He says, "Either up to a window or up to the very top of the tower. I suspect any sentries would be paying more attention to the south side of the castle where the gate is. We should approach the west side of the castle and try to take the tower from the north."
Mandraiv shrugs. He says, "Either up to a window or up to the very top of the tower. I suspect any sentries would be paying more attention to the south side of the castle where the gate is. We should approach the west side of the castle and try to take the tower from the north."
Aredhel listens carefully, content to let the others determine their best point of entry.
"Mandraiv's plan is a good one," agrees Artius. "Let's head along the cliff-face towards the western wall, climb up and then secure the tower from the top down. Hopefully we'll be able to do that swiftly and unobserved - they dont appear to have many sentries. From there we can determine the best way forward. Perhaps they have a camp in the castle grounds, although it would be more likely they'd be in caves or the inner keep, I'd guess."
"I dont think one more night's delay is going to hurt," he continues, "so I suppose we could fall back a little way to camp and then try and breach the wall tomorrow. Depending on the weather, me might want to wait until late afternoon though."
"If it's sunny tomorrow," he explains, glancing up somewhat doubtfully through the rain, "climbing up in the afternoon will mean anyone watching the western wall from inside the castle grounds will be looking straight into the sun. It will mean we need to act fast, but I think we should do whatever we can to delay raising the alrm."
"Bargle talked of contingensees. What if they see the climbers or hear any fight in the tower? Do the rest come inside the main gate? Bargle not stupid - and things go wrong."
As the planning goes on, Imsh stays silent. He is a much more direct person, and would rather forgo all this planning and simply walk into the place, and let the chips fall as they may, however he does understand the need for stealth, so he remains quiet, counting out his beads and waiting until called upon to act.
Aredhel nods her head as Artius lays out his thoughts.
"Agreed. Let's find a safe place to spend the night, and then follow Mandraiv's plan come morning."
Mandraiv replies to Oso, "The best we can do is the best we can do. If you can come up with a plan that is less risky I would like to hear it. You are worried that Bargle may have a contingency plan for people climbing the walls. I assure you that he most definitely has one for people walking in the front door."
Oso shakes his head at the way he is misunderstood but says nothing more. He is no planner.
The group makes a hidden camp some distance from any path leading to and from the ruined keep, and spends the rest of the day and evening speaking in quiet voices, planning for tomorrow's violence.
After a cold supper, the weather even cooperates and the rain lets up, greatly improving everyone's prospects on getting a decent night's sleep. Later, watches are randomly chosen and Oso gets the short straw, giving him first watch. Everyone else settles into a slightly damp and apprehensive sleep.
...
That night there are again no major interruptions, although a number of inquisitive forest animals come close to check everyone out, quickly disappearing into the underbrush thereafter.
...
The group rises before daybreak and quickly breaks camp and their fast.
Again Aredhel spends the evening hours working through her katas, silently and elegantly practicing her forms, the muscles of her back and forearms straining with the weight of her great sword, which gleams in the shadows beneath the canopy of the trees like a treasure glimpsed beneath the waves.
When she's worked up a good sweat, she sits with her blade and works it over with a cloth, and then stows it and sits cross legged by the fire, her chainmail in her lap, scouring it with a metal brush so that the rust brought on by the sea spray of their voyage is removed. She's happy to listen to the conversation, and if asked relates her activities of the past few years as a trainee to become a Swordmaster of the Tower.
Come nightfall, she accompanies Oso on his first watch, only finally entering her trance at midnight, and awakening again a mere few hours later.
Breakfast is eaten cold. Though she's not hungry, her stomach tense with nerves, she forces herself to eat a moderate amount, and then dons her armor and gathers her belongings.
"Mandraiv? Artius? Would you gentlemen lead the way?"
Oso does not eat in the morning in case he gets a stomach wound. He drinks a stream dry, so that the water sloshing around inside will have time to absorb into his body.
Now that battle is almost upon him, the native born warrior slaps his face and chest over and over, his muscles start to swell up making him seem bigger.
He slips in next to Aredhel and waits for the scouts to move off.
"Before we head into the unknown, please join me in a prayer to the Lord of Iron. May he watch over us and guide are arms to victory!"
After a moment of silence, the 1/2 orc grunts and stands from his pious kneeling. He checks over his weapons, and mentally prepares himself for the trials ahead.
Aredhel bows her head respectfully as Imsh prays.
Oso copies Aredhel and tries not to scratch his arm as the prayer reaches its conclusion.
Mandraiv gets as much sleep as he can when he is not on watch. He again makes shameless use of the Prestidigitation cantrip so that his morning meal of trail rations smells and tastes good. Mandraiv double checks all his gear and gets ready to head out. He bows his head respectfully as Imsh prays. Then he says:
"So the basic plan is that we will hug the side of the cliff as we approach the castle. Once we get to the castle we will hug it's west wall as we make our way to the tower. When we get to the tower I will lead the climb up, Artius and Oso can join me if they want. Once we have secured the top of the tower we will drop a rope down for Aredhel and Imsh. Once we're all together and have a chance to check things out we will plan our next move."
Aredhel listens with fierce focus, and then nods.
"And if we are spotted either approaching the tower or while climbing it? Do we press the attack, or retreat to try another approach?"
She glances from one to another. "Best we decide now, rather than try to figure it out in the moment, and risk confusion."
"I vote for pressing forward," suggests Artius, "barring extremely tough resistance, that is. Storming a castle on the alert is going to be almost impossible. If we're unlucky enough to be seen, their lack of preparedness is going to be the only advantage we have. Best not waste it by running away - the kobolds would benefit far more from the lull than we would."
"Of course, it would be far better that we're not seen until we're safely over the wall," he continues with a grin towards Imsh. "Your lord will have to wait a little while longer before he showers us with his blessings."
Although it has been several years, Artius hopes his old friend doesn't take offence at his light hearted approach to piety. As the moment of truth nears, he is finding himself growing more and more nervous. Fearful that the others' suspicions about Bargle may be correct, he tries to distract himself with casual banter.
Mandraiv nods and says, "Artius has the right idea. The only real alternative to going in fast and quiet is some sort of siege. Which would be a time and resource intensive undertaking."
Imsh glares over at Artius, then his face splits into a toothy grin!
"He blesses the bold of heart Artius, and as such you are touched by the Iron Lord's grace! But let us hasten before Bargle dies of old age waiting for my weapon to end his life!"
Despite knowing better, their strategy feels like an impetuous rush to her elven nature, with events accelerating much as a river does as it draws close to a waterfall.
Aredhel, who prefers calm and studied strategies at all times, feels her stomach knot at the impending chaos. Still, this is the way of the world; you fight to maintain peace until you have no choice, and then you must take up the blade.
"Then let us be at it. One way or another, we will bring justice to Aleena's name today."
Artius:
Imsh (disadvantage): ,
Mandraiv:
Oso:
The group carefully makes its way along the western edge of the canyon that divides Warlock Island's two most-prominent hills. Perhaps it is recent rain that has turned everything to mush, but the party hardly makes a sound as they thread their way toward the ruined keep. As Imsh is about to step on a large boulder, Artius waves him away from it, pointing out quietly that it is barely balanced on another rock, and might have caused a noisy landslide had the half-orc knocked it loose.
As the party approaches the keep, the high-pitched chittering of kobold voices can be heard from within. Aredhel listens momentarily, as she is conversant in Draconic, the kobold's native language, only to realize that she can make out three distinct voices who seem to be arguing about who will take the next shift; they seem to be completely unaware of any intruders.
Aredhel pauses, finger tips trailing along the rough masonry of the castle wall, and listens intently to the piping voices from within. Turning to the others, she whispers, "They're arguing about who will take the next shift. If we hurry, we can catch them while nobody is on the lookout!"
Mandraiv nods his head and picks up his pace heading to the tower. When he gets there he starts to climb it.
Oso moves up and slings his sword, in preparation to follow Mandraiv up the wall.
Mandraiv and Oso make short work of the wall, as they easily climb up using the many handholds provided by its seriously deteriorated condition. They carefully poke their heads over the top, giving them an unobstructed view of the courtyard, which is covered in copious amounts of rubble. Ten kobolds stand around near the entrance of a rectangular keep. Most are squatting on the ground, eating or playing some kind of game, while a few keep watch on the main gate and the large hole in the southern wall.
Oso:
As they survey the grounds, the piece of masonry that Oso is standing on breaks loose, causing him to quickly grab ahold of something to not drop the 50 feet back to his companions below. Although he does manage to catch himself, he knocks a number of loose bricks off the top of the wall and they clatter loudly into the courtyard.
The kobolds on guard duty jump up at the sound and quickly spot the large Garundi man scrambling to not fall to his death. They let out a high-pitched shriek and grab their weapons.
Cursing in his native orcish, Imsh moves towards the hole in the wall.
Mandraiv looks around for something to secure a rope to. Assuming he finds a suitable anchor point Mandraiv secures his rope and tosses it down so the other characters can climb up.
Mandraiv quickly ties off the rope to a piece of masonry, but does not have the time to check its strength.
Aredhel curses in Elvish, and then glances at Imsh as he moves toward the hole.
"No! We must stay together!"
So saying, she grabs hold of the rope that Mandraiv just tossed down, and begins to climb.
Gauging how long it will take to climb, Artius heads for the gap in the wall also, drawing his swords as he does so. Nearing the break in the wall, he moves as quietly as he can, hoping the kobolds' attention will be held by those on the wall.
Oso is a simple fellow at heart, he scrambles down the inner wall as quickly as he can dropping the last few feet behind any minor cover or rubble he can find.
Anger comes hot and fast as his foot and hand both slip off loose stones in the wall and he yells out in frustration as he free falls the rest of the way down to the ground, "Yee-Arrrggg- thud!"
Perhaps only ten feet up the rope, Aredhel looks across to see Artius and Imsh hurrying toward the hole. She glances up at the distant wall top, and then curses again in Elvish, drops to the ground in a crouch, then unsheathes her greatsword, casts her cantrip, True Strike, and follows after them.
Initiative:
Mandraiv: 22
Oso: 18
Aredhel: 14
Artius: 12
Kobolds: 12
Imsh: 4
Mandraiv pulls out the rope and ties it to a large piece of masonry that he thinks will hold his weight.
Oso slips while climbing down the wall and desperately grabs for a piece of masonry to catch himself. He succeeds in grabbing on to what remains of the parapet, and now dangles helplessly 50 feet above the heads of his foes.
Aredhel decides that covering for her companions is more important than getting over the top fo the wall. She casts a spell and then follows Imsh and Artius, making it as far as the hole in the wall.
Artius draws his sword and heads for the hole in the wall at top speed, then holds back before stepping through, hoping to remain hidden. Although he can't be totally sure, the kobolds seem to be too distracted by Oso to take notice of him. (
Six of the kobolds draw their slings and close to within easy striking range, , but with the sun in their eyes, they are far from accurate. One of the kobolds ducks through the door of the keep, screeching loudly, while the remaining three draw their daggers and wait for the dangling Oso to drop down to them.
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Imsh races through the hole in the wall, closing with the three kobolds waiting for Oso to drop.