You determine the boots have a constant effect which does not require the wearer's knowledge of their function to function. Something to do with repelling water, as well as disease and/or poison.
Errol nods thoughtfully to Green's comment.
"The Stag Lord's fortress is only a few hours away now. Is everyone prepared for the plan?"
"Well, more or less. This will be the true test of our abilities."
Morning comes without incident. Kesten walks the area while shimmying his armor into place. "Well-chosen spot for a camp... almost hate to leave it." He looks around the horizon and treetops as if trying to find distinctive landmarks.
"Should we take our positions on the wagons now?... do we expect patrols?" He looks to Errol who shrugs... Kressle shrugs as well. He turns to the group for their word.
To replay Ta' question about the plan: "The plan is to try to get in pretending to be outlaws ourself, once in, we try to keep it quiet for a while and try to spot some weakness we can exploit at our advantage. When we are in the best position we strike."
To replay Kesten "If who has to go undercover can lay comfortable they can hide now, otherwise just stay hidden and get in later, I don't want to have somebody unable to move for the prolonged stillness"
Kesten nods and passes on a few orders quietly to Rook and Errol... Kressle stands, arms crossed and smirking at him - waiting to see if he will try to give her orders. Kesten pretends he doesn't see her, and awkwardly begins arranging the crates of herbal liquor.
After spending some time wearing the boots, and re-examining them in the morning... Furiel determines the properties of the boots...
Boots of the Mire
"That is my que to get into position I think...I will see the rest of you once we have no choice but battle then I think..."
After noding to each person in turn, The Green Man climbs aboard the cart and hides behind the crates.
"I am ready, just let me know what you need me to do!"
Alice announces, looking at Norton.
The wagons get underway. After a while, those under cover find some ventilation is worth the risk until you get closer. After you are on the road for a few hours, Errol speaks just loud enough to be heard. He points out a trail which crosses your path and curves into the woods.
"Few miles yet, but... This is how far out we'd pat when I was under the Stag. Said to be fewer at the fort now, so I'd wager we'll find a tighter pat now. Regardless, might be prudent to batten down the hutches."
"...and incident'ly, anyone with a dark hooded cloak and a willingness to keep their head down might pass for Nihtscada. Believe me no one who knows'er comes near her... "
Furiel nods.
"Just stay quiet. Silence is better than saying the wrong thing. Errol knows what to say, take your cues from him."
Ta'de-win nods and takes her position in one of the wagons. "Many things will be decided this day. Let us work to ensure we are victorious."
You reach a lightly wooded low hill as you travel along the wagon trail. When you reach the top, you see the fort to the southeast. It sits on the edge of a large body of water, in between where the two rivers empty into the Tuskwater Lake. It is a couple miles from your current position. A sharp eye might spot you from the fort, but the trees provide enough cover to lessen that possibility.
From this distance, the size of the fort is difficult to determine... the palisade is probably about twice the footprint of Oleg's. There are two towers visible, and what looks like a main keep with a slanted roof peeking above the outer wall. There might be a third low tower behind the keep... (you see the tip of a peaked roof like the other two towers.)
There are several tents outside the palisade. Three pup tents, and a pavilion tent. The gate of the palisade is on the north side.
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Those not hidden see a couple figures patrolling along the parapet of the walled fort. There appears to be some movement around the small tents, and a smoke presumably from a cooking fire obscured from your view. You are about a mile away.
You see two guards on the wall, and three outside the walls by the tents. A few seconds after do a first head count, you see the guard on the near wall slow, suggesting he most likely has just spotted you.
Riding to the fort, you are distracted when you notice Errol's trembling hands. Errol notices the trembling himself then glances at you, and tugs his sleeve. "Once the fighting begins, I will be fine... until then..." He wipes the accumulating sweat from his face "I am terrified of this place.. that beast of a man."
Ta'de-win lets on what she's seen as though speaking idle conversation. "Two guards on the wall, three outside by the tents. It does appear they have spotted us. Into the den we go."
Furiel nods. "Normal alert level."
You continue, and see a glint of light... a reflection from the guard on top of the wall.
You faintly hear him yelling down into the palisade. "Two wagons, two drivers, two riders."
The ones outside the wall walk out into the open... one of them begins to jog over once you are a couple hundred feet away. Errol pulls back his hood and raises a hand to wave, the approaching bandit waves back and slows as he nears within 60 feet. "Errol! Grundy's secure now? General Glausho with you?" Errol begins to stammer a response.
At this point you are 150 feet from the fort.
Norton suggests Eroll "Tell them they stayed back with the old man, he needed to get some more berries and they will keep him safe during the wandering"
[occ]I think Norton can easily suggest without being heard from the bandit, in case a roll is needed for secret message[/ooc]
Errol seems to inflate with sufficient confidence with Norton's words in his ear. "Yes Grundy's Taphouse is up and running again... The old man is low on ingredients, so Glausho stayed behind just to make sure things go smoothly for a while. Thought we should bring a couple cases... and we have a few of Kressle's men here who have just become redundant."
The bandit looks thrown by the word.
Errol explains, now fully in character... "They have been replaced. Akiros will decide what to do with them." Now with an outlet for his nervous energy (his tongue), Errol has difficulty stopping. "If it were up to me... considering how completely ineffective they have been..." He shrugs "They most certainly have not performed up to the standards of your esteemed general."
The bandit replies "Oh. Right... thank you?" He turns to the two outside the gate watching. "Delivery from Grundy's boys!"
You are now 50 feet from the gate.
We keep going on, like we were just another bunch of the lot
Clever, quick thinking and silken words...and it takes us inside.
Truly, a man like that can be more dangerous without a weapon in hand.
The bandit greeter slows, allowing the wagons ahead as he casually inspects. "Good deal of stuff here. Don't look like they've done that bad." He turns toward the gate. "Looks alright! Can open up!"
The bandit guard on the catwalk left of the gate responds "No no. We wait for word from Akiros."
To which one of the other bandits outside the gate replies "Take yer time, I'm gonna get drinkin."
The bandit who came out to receive you then says somberly to the bandit eager to drink "Thinkin we should wait..."
Lead horse on lead wagon is 15 feet from gate.
Furiel whispers : "Why don't we give these guys some drink?"
After considering for a moment, The Green Man whispers back to Furiel."Probably best not, the Stag lord is a drunk right? He might not like it if someone dips into his supply."
Errol waits a moment for any more input from Norton, then as he starts to feel awkward - stalled at the gate... "So anything worthy of noting in the days since I left this place my good man, Shaaa-?"
"Schagshwim sir."
"..... so?"
"Yes sir?"
The corner of Errol's mouth accustomed to derisive smirking stiffens... "Any news?"
"Ah no hah sorry sir... no. No news from me sir. Been stuck here at the fort."
"Ah. Well." Errol glances quickly at Norton with a subtle shrug while the bandit greeter looks up at the wall guard.
You hear a sound from beyond the gate, like someone falling off a roof in platemail. The guard on the wall snaps his head around to look, then speaks. "Y'alright 'kiros sir? We let these folks in o' what?. Shag is sayin all looks alright. Just Errol and some bluecloaks from Grundy's."
A voice muffled by the closed gate responds.
"I am fine... have them unload the wagon and send them on their way... He is no mood for lingering visitors. I'll decide what to do with the bluecloaks after they have unloaded the wagon."
The guard on the wall by the gate then says in response to the muffled voice "Soo... open the gate then sir? And its two wagons."
This time the other voice is loud enough for most to hear "Yes. Open the gate. One wagon at a time... this isn't a stable."
The guard on the wall drops out of site, and you hear a mechanical cranking sound as well as a dragging/scraping sound.
Norton listens carefully trying to evaluate the men around
After one last heavy click the door swings open. A blond weathered man in platemail grasps the bridle of one of the horses pulling the wagon. He leads you in and over two large bumps that would shatter your wheels if hit with any speed.
Once the wagon is clear of the gate he starts to lead your horses to swing around. (So that the wagon will be facing the right way to exit... horses facing east)
He stops for a moment and finally looks up.. first at Errol then Norton. "I know you... I don't know you... you a bluecloak I don't know?"
The grey-cloaked bandit east of you strolls over to the wagon and takes a look while the man in platemail stops to ask about Norton.
On either side of the gate, there are the bandit guards who were visible watching above the wall. There is also a man with brilliant red hair, who is painting an inner wall... scenes of debauchery, gods in compromising positions and defiled by various caricatures of grisly men and beasts.
The three outside are similarly dressed in militia armor (parade armor), they appear to be more of Glausho's mercenaries... and don't seem to have any intention to follow you in.
You hear indistinct sounds of activity out of your view... enough clamor to assume there are at least a half dozen more bandits here within the keep and towers.
The bandit greeter then approaches the second wagon drivers... Ta'de-win and Alice. "Be just a moment... ladies... 'less you wanna hop on out and join us by the fire?" He remembers to lick the remaining food from his teeth only after flashing a creepy smile.
Norton replies to the man inquiry. "First... first time I wore this was a... no more than a week ago." he tries to act intimidated by the man, to enforce in him the idea his story is legit "Find myself in trouble back home... left and ended up hereby, when I heard which the strongest side was I enrolled."
Norton continues with the story, hoping the lies will melt with the truths and go undetected. "I'm good with horses, seen a lot of them back home, and so they put me on a cart. Kinda of postman I became, I guess. You have an impressive structure here I see, ... are you the boss here?"
"I'm boss enough." He says brusquely... then after a thought. "I am Akiros. I am His second... No more than a week, eh?" He stops leading the horses and moves over reaching out to give Norton a hand down.
"Go on out and stretch your legs by the fire. Tell Glausho's men for me, they may each take a bottle from your wares." He gestures out the gate toward the tents.
The greycloak bandit guards grumble and mutter about it "lookin like we're gonna be doin the unloadin."
Going to post a replay, just haven't the time these days
Ta'de-win looks at the man sideways then turns back forward. "I do believe I prefer the company of the horse."
The bandit greeter scowls and turns... The other two bandit mercenaries laugh heartily at Ta'de-win's response... or more accurately, at their fellow bandit being rejected with a bit of a sting.
One of the two laughing says "Mipp, thinkin that be the one who broke'er hatchet on Hruska's skull for comin callin on'er tent late night."
The bandit greeter referred to as Mipp looks at Ta'de-win, and turns his empty palms out as he backs away. "Jus tryin to be friendly miss. I'm no Hruska." The other two snort... again at the bandit Mipp.... presumably from his going from alpha-male behavior to tail between the legs in seconds.
"Oh thanks, a few steps would do the trick" answers Norton to Akiros smiling at him an trying to looking friendly. "His words, his advice, his gaze, probably he could be an ally, if we only could have the time to swing him our way..."
()
Norton then 'casualy' turns towards the man who is painting the wall and soffocates a laught, in the hope of gaining some attention.
"Quite an amusing painting you have there, I know a few old church-men back home that would get an heart attack from it."
The red-headed painter turns and smiles... He glances at Akiros quickly as Norton speaks then nods and smiles again at Norton. He speaks while gesturing with a horse-hair brush - tipped with the same color as the unfinished rump on which he is working.
"Mmm. I know the sort. I live to stir passion. Like a mother with her children, I will tell you I love all passions equally. But between you and me, to see these old church-men and their sycophantic flock... When these devout glum fellows are all at sixes and sevens when my only reaction to their righteous indignation is a beaming smile... That, my friend.. That passion is my favorite son. Ha! Curse those self-anointed fools... red-faced from frustrated condemnation... That is a reward finer than a round of applause!"
He swirls the brush onto the bare spot on the mural with a fencer's flair. He then steps back, and nods repeatedly while gazing upon his work.
Inside the cart, The Green Man smirks.
The wolf shows her fangs and the stray dog retreats like a lost little puppy.
Furiel watches the exchange at the gate. He smiles as the bandit painter turns philosopher.
You then hear a booming voice from within the keep. "Akiros! Bring me a bottle "
Akiros immediately stomps off to the second wagon, and looks across the hold to where the cases of liquor are stowed.
Sounds of things being smashed now come from within the keep... "I said "
You hear Errol ask the greycloaked bandit east of the wagon.. "Seems more upset than usual... "
The greycloak stops to respond before reaching for the first crate. "Aye... Akiros ferreted out another rat it seems. Ox is cleanin 'im up right now. Has put Him in a right nasty mood."
The greycloak west of the wagon also stops short of attempting to unload a false crate, as he turns to Norton with a few less-than-friendly words "Hey... pup. Akiros told you to wait outside. You understand? You go wait outside and sit by the fire or do I hafta translate that with this." He rattles his sheathed sword hanging on his hip with his offhand.
"Excuse me big lord and boss. We have all this organized to come off in a specific order. Take this one, and this one."
Furiel gives directions keeping his eyes to the ground and his voice low.
The small and weak gnome sees how long the charade will last. He directs the unloading of the crates that will not give up the secret compartment.
"No... No reason to be harsh" Norton replies to the man addressing him, trying to seem impressed "I was just trying to be of help, as the little guy there said, the crates have been stockpiled in a very diligent manner. You know... when they put their mind to something gnomes can be pretty complicated, but we couldn't fit all the load in, until he told us how to arrange things." then leans towards the man as per delivering a secret message "Still, I believe they are a bit crazy"
Norton keeps talking hoping to divert the attention of the bystanders for as long as possible.
"Ehm... mr Akiros, if you are in a hurry to get some stuff in you should try with that couple of crates there on the other wagon" He points generally in the direction, "But have someone help you, they are kinda heavy." He then reaches for another one near him "This one too is a quick pick." And looks at the greycloack as to say "Grab the other and let's get this thing off quick."
"What the dretch... din't see the little one there." After snapping a glance at Furiel, the greycloak west of the wagon looks back and listens to Norton. He scratches the back of his head with a difficult-to-read "is this all really happening on my shift" expression. He responds by raising his voice to ask his fellow greycloak - while Norton turns to address Akiros "Was I being too harsh Fallon? Pup don't like me doing my job... then thinks I don't know how'ta take crates offa wagon." He puffs his chest and thumbs his belt.
Akiros - now returning through the gate with a crate of Grundy's herbal liquor, looks to the mouthy greycloak. He turns, forcefully placing the crate in the arms of the greycloak east of the wagon (referred to as Fallon), and pushes his shoulder to face him toward the doorway of the keep. Akiros then takes a few steps toward the mouthy bandit... Before he can get out a word, the mouthy bandit speaks "Maybe you should tell us if this pup is a rat, like my cousin Doekun, eh?"
Akiros sets his teeth on edge, and makes a fist in front of his chest as if grasping an invisible pendant... He then whips his arm pointing north, and speaks slowly and stern "Go unload the crates of liquor now. If you need help keeping your mouth shut I will have Ox do it for you."
The mouthy greycloak stands defiantly for a moment, but turns to go. He includes Norton in his seething glare as he walks past.
Akiros only softens slightly addressing Norton and then Errol. "Unload quickly, and keep to yourself. You... Get off your laurels, and help this foolish greenhorn."
Tense...and what was that about a rat? Does he suspect something?
Furiel adds, "I am sure the menial task of the carter is beneath one such as yourself."