Ro continues to fail miserably at landing a blow on the goblins.
Drasven ambles along, trusting in the younglings to deal with the goblins.
With his progress, he wasn't likely to make any difference anyway.
Edgar makes strides to try climbing the rope.
Perhaps due to his crossing recently, he's a bit tired and makes slow progress.
Thistletop
Lia raises her hand and summons a ball of frost, she tosses it at the remaining Goblin.
Ranged Touch vs. Goblin
Damage
SPLAT!
The freezing cold and the shot from Uldar bring down the remaining sentry!
The group tenses for the moment, all that can be heard is struggle of your remaining allies to make the climb, the Keep is still unaware of your arrival, at least so it appears. From across the bridge Windight waves and then he vanishes, presumably to escort Gwydd and the shapeshifter back to Sandpoint.
The first mission of the assault has gone of, mainly, without a hitch. The rest of your allies climb up. The Goblins have little of value, at least to any one you. The stairway down into the keep beckons the group forth...
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I can't believe that worked. I've heard brass bands make less noise. Uldar shakes his head in amazement and smiles. "Well. An auspicious start. I will have to remember to never hire a goblin as a guard." He adjusts his cap and nocks another arrow. "Ready when you are."
"Wait." Draven cautions as he begins a quiet prayer.
"Blessed is our approach , Blessed be our strikes and morale." he finishes as he requests the spell to bolster his companions from his patron.
Thistletop
Karmid shrinks back to normal, ties and lowers the rope, then gets his armor and gear back on, Klar and Earthbreaker in hand.
"Now I'm ready."
Matrim is thinking of all the magical stuff he can't do.
"I'm ready whenever you guys are." he proclaims.
Jili waits. She doesn't look like she's quite calmed down from the action, and tries to determine what the plan is.
Ro trades her sword for her bow.
"If the doppelganger was straight with us, we should find a north-facing door beside a double door down the steps. Matrim, want to take a peek while we're getting ready to move? I'll back you up."
Ro makes ready to follow Matrim down.
Drasven checks the safety catch on his crossbow before nodding.
"I'm ready."
Edgar translates Jiliana for those who need it. "I am prepared also, not that I ever wasn't."
Looking at Ro for guidance, Karmid looks questioningly and whispers loudly.
"You want me on rear guard for now? I need room to swing and that looks pretty tight to me. I brought my longbow if I need to switch it up too of course."
Ro stops and looks back from the top of the stairs.
"I dunno Karmid, whatever seems best. We're either going to find some stairs down below like we were told, or just more goblins I guess. No idea what's after the steps. And if it's goblins, you'll know best what to do."
"Karmid could go to the front. I do believe our rear is a little secured......You might need the additional power Karmid brings."
"I am one of our more armored allies, I might be better in front where I have a shield to block with." Edgar offers, ever valiant and steadfast.
Ro gives a quick nod. "Sure. Karmid, want to take my place going with Matrim? I'll stay here."
When Edgar speaks up she replies "This is just until we know whether there's a set of stairs where we were told there would be. Should be right close by, and two will go quieter than all of us.. Once we know what Matrim and Karmid have found, we'll figure out things better. If it's not there, we'll have to start going through the fort until we find a way down."
Karmid hefts Angela, his massive hammer, and moves towards the way down.
"Got it Ro! Matrim? I'll back you up. Let's go."
Matrim smiles. ”Let’s go.”
Lia had sat down where the Goblins sat before, trying to understand the game they had player. Rolling dice and coming up with Snake Eyes, she stares at Drasven as he makes his way up, whispering "Intruders, Intruders" at him softly.
Drasven takes a hand of his crossbow to wag a finger at Lia as she keeps whispering at him like a haunt......
Then he looks back again to ensure that they haven't being greeted by the goblins yet.
Lia wags the finger at Drasven as well, mirroring his gesture, speaking in a resolute and fatalistic manner: "But we ARE intruders..."
Drasven resists the urge to face palm. It could be dangerous with a loaded crossbow.
Matrim softly whispers to himself as he hear those two. "Why must we dance with Jack of the Shadows so soon."
Thistletop
As the fighting dies down the group can hear a set of dogs, likely goblin dogs, baying nearby. To the north where the roof ends in a ledge is likely a Courtyard below.
Being up on top of the roof now without having to worry about the threat of sentries, the party can see that there is also a set of stairs on the right side of the roof that leads down. At one time, both appear to have been watch towers but time and perhaps sieges have reduced the towers to rubble which has been cleared away towards the back of the roof.
---
The doppelganger recommended the left set of stairs so that is the set that Marim and Karmid make their way down. Neither hear anything and continue down quietly.
At the bottom of the stairs is a small 20' by 20' landing. To the north is a set of double doors to the east is a set of double doors. If the doppel's intel was correct, the eastern doors should open to the foyer of the Keep and this is the western set of doors and to the north will be another set of double doors and of course to the south east the entrance way.
A sack sits in the northeast corner of the room.
Uldar breathes a sigh of relief. Now if only those damn dogs would quiet down! He chances a peek over the ledge to the north to see what lies down in the courtyward below.
Matrim is happy that the group isn’t making anymore wise cracks as he moves on.
Drasven pauses to see if his companions react to any possible danger but seeing that they continue on, he follows.
His eyes still dart around to check their surroundings though.
Ro waits for Karmid and Matrim to return. She also keeps everyone low, quiet, and in place in the watchtower until they have some word from the scouts.
I hope that goblin was going in that door rather than out. I think...
Thistletop
Matrim will move closer to the sack to check it out. Checking for traps quickly.
With Karmid and Matrim going down the left flight of stairs, Lia wanders over to the other staircase, to the right. Circling it, she squats down nearby so that she can see the final steps up from above and behind, then listens.
Uldar whispers to Ro. "I count six goblin dogs below. They know we're here." He tilts his head in thought for a moment. "Anyone in the group good with animals? Killing them might bring more attention. Perhaps we could throw some food down to them instead."
His eyes light up. "I wonder if they'd like the meat of these guards?" he says with a wicked smile.
Karmid waves at Matrim and points to the east in a general way. He then holds up two fingers and hisses quietly.
"Two goblins! Coming this way? Take them out or let them go?"
Hearing Karmid’s warning, Matrim replies in a whisper.. ”if we can take them silently. If not, let them pass.”
Karmid nods and draws his Klar's blade near his throat in a gesture of death for the goblins. He then moves to position himself for a quick killing blow near the entrance in the east!
Surprise Attack!
Jili stays still so she won't alert the two goblins heading their way.
She shakes her head when Uldar asks about handling the dogs. "I don't have that skill."
Thistletop
Matrim finds the sack full of... pickles! Fresh ones too by their smell though the smell of the sack dulls any appetite he may have had for them.
Bothe Matrim and Karmid await the entrance of the Goblins through the eastern door. However, it never comes to pass. It seems that the curious Goblin has been successfully disuaded from checking on the guards.
---
Lia hears nothing from below.
The question posed by Uldar hangs in the air, to throw down the bodies to the dogs or not to do so...
Karmid looks at Matrim and shrugs. Then points at Matrim and then back up the stairs. He then whispers as best he can.
"Go ahead and have them start coming down quietly. We need to decide where we go from here I think, unless you have any better ideas..."
Jili stands waiting outside the door waiting for someone to tell her to go down the stairs or up on the roof?
Matrim grabs a pickle and sniffs it. He takes a bite if it smells good.
Drasven waits as his companions consider their options.
He waits trusting in the young Uns to do what is best but hes starting to get nervous.
They're in the enemy stronghold and no telling what could happen.......
The pained look on Ro's face shows she'd rather not think about what to do. Throwing the goblin bodies down to the dogs might keep them quiet, but it seems... well, kind of awful to do it.
"I don't know, we need to keep them quiet, but what if they starting fighting over them and it gets worse?"
She sighs. "Sure, go ahead."
Ro remains on the stairs waiting for Karmid and Matrim, not offering to help.
"I don't relish this either. It just feels like we're short on options." And there's no way in hell I'll give those mangy curs any of my fine halfling trail rations! Mmmm. Scones and cheese would be good about now.
Shaking himself from his reverie, he grabs a goblin corpse by both legs. "Anyone want to help? I'm not sure the kind of distance I'll be able to manage." He starts to spin around, hoping to use the momentum to his advantage, like in a hammer throw.
Karmid listens at one of the doors.