Arwyn glared at the lodge, as if it had personally offended her. She rubbed her earth stained fingers together for warmth, having dug up moss and leaves from under the snow to pack around their prisoners to stave off hypothermia.
"I don't like this. How could they have taken the High Sentinels?" She muttered to the others.
She shook her head.
"I don't fancy camping outside with this cold; but the lodge might be too tough a nut to crack without resting first."
She turned to the others.
"We need to get undercover. What say we quietly sneak into the barn to rest?"
However much I like the idea of warming up in the heystack together, I'm not sure if it's wise for me to do that in my armor. Arwyn, Could you peek inside and see what we'd be up against? Maybe we can plan an ambush and take the advantage.
Gondork is still grinding his teeth, not content with the situation at all.
Blasted cold. Here I am. A couple of days ago I was drinking moonshine in the sun. Blasted winter witches. I'm sick of this!
Giacomo will look out for traps. He's been warned about an alarm and a crossbow, he's not dumb enough to just wade in without checking.
you don't see anything from here.
you can see there's obviously two fires going from the two chimneys. you can't see much light from it though out the eastward facing windows. there are lots of tracks going up to the east porch though."We need to get undercover. What say we quietly sneak into the barn to rest?"
you think it'd be pretty possible to sneak in the treeline to the south, around the outbuilding, and you could stay at least 20 ft away from the house. there's a little tree cover that you can use. if you wait until dark, all but giacomo can see and use the darkness for concealment to hide. but yes, you've all heard how loud and noisy Gondork's armor is. you know the bandits are all human, so you'd have some of an advantage, with the darkvision and low light vision, approaching during the night. they *shouldn't* have fey allies, from your interrogation intelligence.
there are horse tracks, so there's likely horses in the barn.
I could take off my armor, but I won't have access to my magic then.
Gondorks adds, as he is peering at the lodge through the snow.
Although I think sleeping in the barn is in itself not a bad idea, I don't like having these two goons in the same room as us, next to their base camp. I say we strike at them hard and fast, and we do it now.
Arwyn looked at Gondork with surprise.
"So no one needs to rest for spells?"
She smiled.
"Well then, let's take them now!"
Let's leave the prisoners out far enough that they'll be scared to die of cold but close enough to not actually let them.
Gondorks snorts.
Arwyn paused.
"Um..." She said. "Do we need a plan? I've never fought indoors before." She said, looking at her bow worriedly.
"OK, let's keep this simple then." Arwyn said. "We sneak up to the outbuilding through the tree line and check it out, Gondork waits until waived forward or things blow up into a fight. We'll head to the main building then."
Arwyn begins sneaking down through the column of squares with the treeline to the outbuilding. She listens at the wall to see if any watchers are there.
Sounds like a plan.
He nods.
stealthily Arwyn moves over to the outbuilding. She doesn't hear anyone inside it.
random dice rolls
The door to this small outhouse looks iced over and frozen shut. a small hammer hangs by a rope from its upper eaves to chip away ice and provide access. The stench of the outhouse is kind of overpowering as you get closer. It seems the weather has made it much less functional.
Gondork lies in the freezing cold, watching Arwyn make her move.
Arwyn steps out of the treeline and waived all clear to Godork, then moves stealthily to the main building.
She crouched by the woodpile, watching and waiting for her companions to move up.
He regarded the approach of Arwyn silently and cursed under his breath in abyssal for a brief moment. Stealth and him didn't match at all. He was someone to make his appearance and show himself, it would be entertaining for sure
you cross to the porch and spot something, hidden up in the rafter of the porch there seems to be a crossbow leveled at the trail approaching the lodge, and a thin tripline, probably lain and covered by recent snowfall. you can see two men posted as watch, looking out the windows every now and then from inside.
Gondork lies in the cold, and follow's arwyn's movements, plain as day to his half-orc vision. she waves him forward as she crosses to the woodpile from the outbuilding.
Abruptly, Arwyn holds up a fist in warning.
Working carefully, she stealthfully made her way back to her companions.
Once there, she huddles up with them and draws an outline of the trail and chateau in the snow...
"I saw a heavy crossbow hidden up in the rafters of the porch. Looked like it was leveled at the trail approaching the lodge, and a tripline, probably lain and covered by snowfall.
"There's also I think two men posted as watch, looking out the windows every now and then from inside.
"The outbuilding is empty though, so no worries there."
about then, Arwyn and Gondork perk up at some sound. they turn to look at the porch, expecting the door to have just opened and someone to have stepped out onto the wood planks from what they heard. But there's no one there. Maybe its around the other side, out of sight, maybe something caught in the wind. its quiet now, no sound but the airy woosh of the air blowing up on the ridge, and the snow falling around you.
perception checks
you wait a few minutes with baited, frozen, breaths. The sickly sweet pungent smell of some smoke reaches you, carried by the wind, but there's not much besides the ambient noises from the ridge and the lodge. The plumes of chimney smoke continue to flow. A few minutes later the drag of a heel across wood, and the slamming of a door can be heard. The quiet of the snow engulfs the ridge again in cold silence again.
What are they doing!?
Did we agree on some kind of signal?
Gondork mutters to himself, uncomfortable in the cold.
None yet. Arwyn just scouted this side of the lodge, found the crossbow trap, and pointed out the guys standing watch inside. Want to do something? I don't mind all this cold as much.
the snow continues to fall as the waning light of the sun falls past the ridge, turning dusk into twilight. the snow and clouds making the night quite dark, but the snow on the ground making an almost luminescent mirror out of the ridge
Giacomo, let me give you a piggyback to next to entrance so you can see. After that, you're on your own.
"Thanks, Gondork! I could cast Light on myself, but I'll only do that when we're spotted anyway."
Gondork hefts Giacomo, leaving his tower shield and heavy armor in favor of a chain shirt, and moves up to the entrance. Trying his best to avoid the main trail where Arwyn said the crossbow was aimed, looking out for tripwires. he finds one strung between the well and something in the snow, and avoids it, going around the well. While going around the well, he steps through a hole, probably some burrow when there's not snow everywhere, sinking his foot in and loudly cracking a sheet of ice. the sound rings out, its not too noticeable in the night air. You get over to the woodpile. Arwyn curses a little and moves out with you. Caladan following.
Arwyn and Caladan peer into the window, and see a bed, and chest sitting across from one another in a small room. Two doors serve as exits. As you watch, the door opens, and what looks to be a disheveled bulky looking woman opens the door and comes in, russet hair worn short, she doesn't light a candle, and as she turns, taking off an apron from over her leathers, Arwyn realizes she's probably half-orcish. Folding her apron absentmindedly she tosses it onto the chest and turns to go back into the main hall through the door she entered from.
Gondork sets Giacomo on top of the wood pile, and peers over to try and look in the window himself.
Beyond the wood pile, you see a great room with a large table and two benches that runs the length of this hall, and a twenty-foot-high vaulted ceiling that rises into the rafters overhead. To the west, a roaring fireplace provides some jealous heat and light inside, while to the south, a flight of stairs ascends to a wooden balcony overlooking the room. A set of double doors stands in the wall to the east, and beneath the balcony another door.
standing by the windows to the porch are two human bandits, barely looking out the windows now that its full dark out. The rest sit around the table, dicing and talking. There's five bandits in all.
stealth ( giacomo rolling to assist gondork)
perception checks
sense motive checks
Giacomo whispers to Gondork. "Psst, Gondork! These people are talking about ransoming a noblewoman! Also, it's a good thing we didn't try to barge in, these doors are all locked! Do you think we might be able to surprise them if we go through the window? I'm freezing my little legs off here, I'd rather be inside soon."
Gondorks nods, re-composes himself and takes out his battleaxe. He slowly and deliberately whispers back to Giacomo.
I guess we'll have to solve this the old-fashioned way.
If we get to the noblewoman first, who is most likely on the second floor, we might be able to take her 'hostage'..
What's our plan of attack?
Arwyn turned to the others.
"We've been made." She said quietly.
Arwyn moved to the back door, then by prearrangement has Giacomo throw a wood block through a far window. When she hears the crash, she'll open the door and move inside ready to shoot.
[20: ochre], [20: purple], [17: green], [15: half-orc], [13: Giacomo], [12: Arwyn], [11: Caladan], [9: red], [3: blue], [3: Gondork]
The half-orc steps into the room, slamming the door behind her in a rush, and there's a flash of recognition from Gondork, who thinks he's met her before in Demgazi, a light fingered but down on her luck half-orc. She steps into the main hall and quickly closing the door. We've got company! she says bruskly, her voice rising as she finishes to a low shout.
Arwyn backpedals in the snow, away from the window, to get around to the porch, and whisper-shouts to the group that you've been made, not realizing what Giacomo said to Gondork about it being barred.
[20: ochre], [20: purple], [17: green], [15: half-orc], [13: Giacomo], [12: Arwyn], [11: Caladan], [9: red], [3: blue], [3: Gondork]
the bandits that were kinda taking watch by the door jerk up, Huh? Whats going on Ten-Penny? she responds quickly An elf and a tiefling, saw them outside my windown. Must be here for the noblewoman. at this, the men start to move. the first bandit, with purple patches heading south to the door there and opening it Get up you sick sons of b**&!es. We've got company. , the second bandit in ochre padded armor moving to the stairs, making it up to the top, repeating Rohkar! Rohkar!. a third bandit with green armor stands up, the few dice and coins on the table scattering, he draws his short sword while moving up to the door.
Ten-Penny Tacey, the half-orc woman, draws her short sword while stepping into the room more, and looks around. She spots Gondork and Giacomo hiding behind the wood pile and shouts, Two more! by the wood pile! Rouse the others! Get Rohkar up!
initiative checks
yea, move action like a door to open. you hit for two
Arwyn will move around to the porch door and open it (if possible). If it won't open, she'll move to a window and shoot through it at a convenient target.
If it does open, she'll stay on the porch and shoot at a convenient target.
for a possible piercing damage. (-1 damage if through a window.)
she moves and tries the door. you can throw a str check, take a move action that'll be wasted if it is barred, or shoot. you rolled, so ill take that as preference. firing at the third bandit, who gets an arrow across his neck, and gets a puzzled look across his face. but doesn't collapse
caladan moves up and commands ten penny to drop her weapon
Red , and blue stand up, drawing their short swords as they move over to the windows.
Gondork is up
Gondork moves past Arwyn, taking cover by staying low. He then tries open the door by force, holding his axe in his other hand.
the door holds fast
Arwyn stood where she was and shot through the window at Blue again.
for a possible piercing damage.
when last we left them... Gondork had rushed past Arwyn to attempt to bash down the door, which held fast.
[20: ochre], [20: purple], [20: rohkar], [17: green], [15: half-orc], [13: Giacomo], [12: Arwyn], [11: Caladan], [9: red], [3: blue], [3: Gondork]
The first bandit in ochre reaches the door upstairs, and opens it, Rohkar! Intruders! You don't hear much in the way of a response.
the second bandit in purple shouts to the men in the other room, Get up! make yourselves useful!
the third bandit, in green, staggers back, falling prone by the table Take cover!
Ten penny adopts a defensive stance, after dropping her sword where it is, moving around a corner and hiding, nursing her injury.
Arwyn shoots at the Blue bandit, missing, as he ducks at the last second.
"Guys! What do we do? They seem pretty adamant about keeping us out, I can't get a clear shot on any of them!"