So once again, the group is at the edge of the entry area. The two statues, which were tentatively identified as caryatid columns, are still looking as they did before, the forms of two white witches from the past.
"Do you think we could take these soldiers' uniforms to disguise ourselves? They seem to have identification papers."
Domitian takes a look at the identification papers of these guards. If it seems possible, Dom would be interested in disguising himself as one of them.
"Maybe, but I doubt the columns will be fooled. Of course, if they've been commanded to attack anyone not wearing a uniform, then your plan wins. I cant think of any way to know before we move past them. "
Ingrit takes the papers off the body of one of the guards, adjusting her sleeves, as her clothing over and under her armor magically shifts to match the guards' uniforms. "Only one way to find out."
"Ah, nice. I forgot you had those magic clothes, Ingrit. Okay, let's see if this will work."
Erland draws his icicle wand and moves up with Ingrit, keeping the wand-blade down by his leg.
"Agreed," says Anadrien, donning a guard's outfit and grabbing his clothing
"Do you think we could take these soldiers' uniforms to disguise ourselves? They seem to have identification papers."
Domitian takes a look at the identification papers of these guards. If it seems possible, Dom would be interested in disguising himself as one of them.
"Given that we don't actually have slaves that we'd be handing off to them, this ruse isn't likely to work much past the door being opened." Ingrit says walking alongside Wapiti towards the big statues. "Be ready to force our way in and hit hard."
"I'm ready. If were lucky, I can knock someone off their feet and then we rush in."
"Always ready to hit hard," says Dom, following behind.
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Anadrien, walking alongside Domitian, raises an eyebrow at his comment.
"That a life motto, or more of an approach to dating?"
She tries to suppress a wry smile, but only manages to finally do so when they enter the shadows of the caryatids.
"Why not both?" quips Rurik.
"I am nothing but a gentleman when it comes to dating," says Dom, grinning as he makes an exaggerated bow from the waist. Taking one of the slaver identification papers and tossing Andarien the other one, Dom makes himself look as much like a slaver as possible. "Perhaps we can pretend to be delivering Rurik to this tower."
"Would even be a good explanation for why you have a follower of Milani," agrees Rudrik.
Anadrien frowns at her papers before pocketing them, then takes a deep breath before speaking some esoteric words and making a complex gesture.
The next moment she not only stands in perfect slaver's garb, but is a foot taller, her shoulders broad and powerful, her features those of a hirsute and saturnine man, complete with a luxurious mustache and a bulbous nose turned red by drink.
Flashing Rurik a grin, she nods for him to move forward. "Get on, then, valuable Milani slave, or I'll be forced to serve you a mug of hot soup or something equally nutritious."
Her voice, disconcertingly enough, remains the same.
"Yes ma'am. Sir. Soup-deliverer."
Erland shakes his head and follows the others at a discrete distance.
With an amused smirk, Ingrit leads the way, holding onto Wapiti's reins, striding confidently in the garb of one of the Winter Guard, counting on the likelyhood that those who've learned to survive in Irrisen, do so by bending to authority when it is encountered.
As Ingrit moves between the statues, they do not move.
Domitian waits casually, though on the inside, he feels his heart rate rising as the prospect of battle approaches.
The front door has a latch that allows the door to open. The slavers knocked on the door when they arrived. There is nothing to indicate opening the door requires unlocking anything.
Striding confidently up to the door Ingrit knocks, the same number of times she'd observed the slavers do earlier.
"Fortune favors the bold, no? And if it's a troll or something equally dumb, maybe we can bluff our way in."
Erland stands off to the side, icicle wand ready but concealed along his side.
Knocking eventually triggers heavy footsteps originating roughly to the east of the entrance and ending with the sight of a female ice troll pulling the door open after peering through a peephole. She has blue-green skin with a layer of scales over her massive shoulders. She wears a leather apron showing ample cleavage, although any erotic effect is dampened by a necklace with three human skulls. A belt also has bones dangling from it. She carries a battleaxe.
"Vi har alle forsyningene vi trenger!" she says after taking in Ingrit and her entourage. "Med mindre du vil selge oss elgen!"
Not understanding a word that's being said, Dom's eyes stray to the necklace of human skulls. Unless someone intervened soon, he would soon be delivering those victims some vengeance.
Erland whispers a brief incantation and twists his fingers towards the ice troll.
The room the troll enters has weapon racks along the north and south walls. Two armor dummies stand in the northeast and southwest corners. A long table sits near the middle of the room, covered with weapons of various sizes. A male ice troll is occupied sharpening a battleaxe. When the female enters with humans following, she glares at him and he stands in the NE corner to let her and the others by, eyeing everyone suspiciously. At his feet is a trollhound, a four-legged creature that appears to be a dog-like version of a troll, with thick skin, powerful legs, and a mouthful of teeth with a pronounced underbite. It growls but stays at the male troll's side.
The female troll opens a door to a room on the south side of the armory and enters, leaving the door open for those who want to follow. A giant-sized bed sits in the southwest corner of this spacious room, and a large polar bear rug sprawls across the floor. Several small tables occupy the corners of the room, along with a chest in the southeast. Behind it on the wall hangs a large mirror.
As she passes the male ice troll, the female says, "Be bestemor Nan sende en pott med te og seks kopper."
The troll leaves after the last of the entourage passes.
Recognizing that Erland has enchanted the female troll somehow, Dom follows cautiously, keeping an equally wary eye on the male troll and troll hound. He remains standing in the doorway of the bedroom, ready to guard against an unexpected assault if need be. He silently watches Erland for cues on how they were going to act next.
[Spoiler=Giant]"Well, I appreciate your welcome and the offer of beverages. If you would like, perhaps you could tell us what your greatest need is here, and we could help you find it. It is always good to work with friends like that."
Common: "Our friend asked for tea to be brought. Please be on your best manners, and we can converse as long as necessary to make our desires known."
Taking a moment, Ingrit speaks softly to Wapiti, convincing the mighty elk to wait for her at the door, but to be ready to come to her call.
Remaining serious and somewhat aloof, she nods as Erland mentions tea being sent for, maintaining a spot beside Dom that should afford her the opportunity to draw and fire before being physically engaged should things go south.
The troll speaks to Erland while glancing about at the others, particularly Rurik. "Var gode. Spissen er godt utstyrt med mat til trollene mine. Bestemor Nan koker opp velsmakende måltider til dem fra bestanden dronningen gir. Det er bra å føle seg. Logrovich vil gjerne lage et måltid av den elgen der ute, men han jakter på sin egen mat så ofte som ikke"
The troll pauses and looks puzzled. "Jeg vet at vi har jobbet sammen før, men minner meg om hvem du er?"
Anadrien stands to one side, looking completely at ease as she takes in the surroundings in her slaver's guise. Not speaking a word of giant, she puts her trust in Erland, and attempts to look, if anything, bored.
Erland tries to remain calm and collected, eager to keep this new ally on her side as best he can while maintaining some semblance of advantage for the group.
"If I may speak freely, we have been tasked with a secret mission, and I feel you might be able to help. Agitators have infiltrated the land, and work against the queen. Part of our task is to root out such rebels, and bring them to justice. Do you have any suspicions of those inside? Or have you seen any one in the nearby area fitting that bill?"
"I'm just filling our host in on the mission to unveil rebels, and seeking if she knows anyone that raises suspicion. Let us relax and enjoy the hospitality for now."
(+8 if using diplomacy instead)
The troll wrinkles her brow. "Du er ikke med Vintervakten? De takler alle forsyningsbehovene mine."
Rurik keeps his head down and looks, for all the world, like he's been cowed into submission.
"I've invited her to lay down and take a load off. This should be our best opportunity I feel."
If the troll listens, Erland waits until she is by the bed and a few steps away from him, then uses his slumber hex on her. DC 18 will or fall asleep for 6 rounds.
Dom waits to see if Erland's suggestion works. Though he's definitely worried that it won't!
"Det er for mye arbeid å gjøre. Troppene mine er en lat gjeng som trenger konstant disiplin hvis vi skal holde dette stedet glatt og Logrovitsj matet og glad." the troll shoots back.