Heng continues, "We should take a strong offensive postion and strike quickly before the enemy has a chance to threaten Ameiko or the caravan."
"Ho, ho ... now we're talking, Heng. My kinda plan!" Parity nearly rubs his hands together.
"Remember, the oni were warned when the warding box was opened... if only for a few moments. That may have been enough signal to set off things here."
"I could see that setting off plans to interfere with the guide, but the sword still bothers me." Maeve sighs. "It was right there in plain sight. Why wait so long, they could have had it in a few days of searching any time in the past fifty years. Fynn wasn't making any secret of having it."
"What if they didn't know about it until the vision? And more importantly, what if they knew we or Ame would come looking for it ... the only other link to her past within a 500-mile radius, that she knows of. It's scary to think that not only do they know what we know, they know what we don't."
"Many different posibilities. Maybe they knew of the sword and wanted to use it as bait, then we loosed the seal. Maybe they were alerted and became scared? Or maybe this is part of the plan to bring us into their trap. Whatever it may be it is our only choice, we must get the sword. The sooner we attack the better. we killed many of his men in the ambush, let us press the attack while they are still week."
Uksahkka, who has sobered up a little, speaks up. "If you wish to go tonight, then we should leave now before full dark. It will be difficult to find the way, but I think I can guide you. Otherwise, wait for tomorrow?"
"I think all this talk of onis and their plans is a bit of a waste. They know, they're here, and we have to deal with it fast. Let's go find our guide tonight, and then we can head to this estate. Either way we need to go as soon as we can and then get moving again. We have one more day until the wagons are repaired and restocked, but we can't go anywhere without a guide."
"I am fine to move at night also. I say we attack as quickly as we can."
Night time is the right time.
Decided on confronting Asvig Longthews this evening, you set out with Uksahkka as soon as you collect your gear. She leads you out the southern gate just before they lock them for the night, and along a hardpacked dirt road to the southeast. The fading light of day slowly disappears as you travel, and within an hour it is full dark. Still, Uksahkka continues without torch or lantern, guiding the way expertly under the moonlight alone.
Under the cover of night, you leave behind the clusters of farmhouses close to the city, and into the sparsely populated wooded hills farther out. Time passes interminably before Uksahkka finally signals a stop, pointing to a glow at the top of the next ridge.
"That is Longthews's farmhouse ahead," she explains. "I will wait here inside the treeline until you return. Go with Gozreh's strength, and be careful."
You continue ahead within the night shadows, closing on the farmhouse and its smaller outbuildings. About sixty feet from the house, you come to a ring of short, wooden posts driven into the ground, circling the entire compound. Each of the posts is carved in the stylistic lion image you recognize from the arm-rings. In addition, runes have been carved down the length of each post.
Maeve creeps towards the farmhouse, possibly looking a bit silly in her brightly colored dancing outfit. Or perhaps not. She doesn't seem to take heed of anything except her goal of getting this the hell over with so the city can be enjoyed.
"There's a party going on in there ... we can likely sneak up. However, the feel of these runes here suggests some sort of conjuration. Magical trap?" Parity surmises.
Knowledge Arcana:
Spellcraft:
Malnival moves forward and inspects the runes. "Maybe, let me try to figure it out for a second."
"You know, it's not much of a party if they don't allow guests."
Harlan leaves Prugk parked behind a tree and arms his crossbow.
Malnival looks up from the runes and nods at the others. "Summoning magic. We must continue but be ready."
Maeve frowns. "Wait, does anyone see anything else?"
Maeve frowns. "Wait, does anyone see anything else?"
Heng stops and looks back, "What do you mean?"
"Well..." Maeve thinks for a moment. "The poles are magic...you have to walk between them to get to the lodge. If they do something when you do that, like Mal's implying they might, there has to be some way to stop them from doing that..." After a few moments, Maeve grins. "Got it!" And then she pulls out the spare lions-head armband. "Probably something like this." And then she puts it on, even though it hangs comically off her shoulder given her slight frame. "....I guess there's something else that works for the girls."
"Maeve you're a genius!"
Harlan also pulls on the armband.
"Remember though it may still tell them someone is coming, they just won't expect it to be armed and angry strangers."
"Great idea ... we only have one though, right? Toss it back an forth?"
Malnival nodds hiks head and grins at the bard. "I guess that might work, only one way to find out."
Maeve nods. "We'll have to toss it, but that shouldn't be too bad. It's pretty heavy." With that, she starts foreward, carefully.
As Maeve steps across the imaginary line between the two posts, a surge of magic and flash of light herald the appearance of the guardians. Standing a few paces in front of Maeve, is a pair of golden-hued lions, though their forms are like the icon on the posts, stylized and blocky, as if created by someone who had read about a lion but never actually saw one. They stand poised for attack, but remain in place, eyes locked on Maeve.
"...Oops."
Maeve gulps and does hold out the symbol.
Malnival grins and readies a spell.
Maeve gulps and does hold out the symbol.
The lions remain still, watching. They don't seem to take any notice of anyone but Maeve.
|
Heng rubs his shorn scalp thinking. "You seem to have their attention, Maeve. Whether that is because you hold the ring or because you have crossed the posts, it is hard to tell which. At least they are not attacking. Perhaps we should check what effect not bearing a band has." So saying, Heng carefully steps across ready to retreat if the lions take notice.
"You just let me know how that works out for ya," Parity scoffs while he draws his sword, but prepares to follow any how. "Is this seriously the only way in? No sewer entrance or escape tunnel or something less ... I dunno, potentially deadly?"
So saying, Heng carefully steps across ready to retreat if the lions take notice.
As soon as Heng crosses the line, both lions immediately notice him and lunge to attack.
Maeve shouts out, again in Skald, before looking to Heng. "Run!"
The lions ignore Maeve as they hurtle past her. They are about to maul Heng when he gets his armband on. They come to a sliding stop inches from Heng, staring intently.
"That...huh. Alright, give me a second to change my drawers and I'll be ready to go. Armbands for everyone."
Harlan wipes the sweat off his brow and puts on an armband, handing one to Parity.
Maeve breathes a deep sigh of relief. "Let's just hope no one heard this."
After another minute, the lions disappear in another flash of magical energy. You each put on armrings and are able to pass the summoning posts without any trouble. Using the cover of the outbuildings, you approach the farmhouse unseen, but don't notice any guards either. The building itself is a large, long structure built with mossy stone walls and a thick, thatched roof. There are no windows, and from your approach, you see a single entrance on the southeast corner.
"Hmm..." Maeve considers the structure for a moment. "Well, I suppose I could just toss an alchemist's fire onto the roof. That would get them out fast."
"Wow, that was a bit intense. Maeve, I'd admire your directness but shouldn't we attempt either a deception or see if there is a hidden entrance or even a visible one from the back or even some sort of combination of both?"
I will not be part of burning the building. There may be noncombatants that are harmed. We must find another way.
I will not be part of burning the building. There may be noncombatants that are harmed. We must find another way.
"...oh. Right. Sorry about that." Maeve blushes a bit. "Let me sneak around then, see if there's anthing."
"Yeah, I won't be part of that either. We don't know who's in there or why. Let's move around the back and look in the windows."
Harlan moves quietly with his crossbow out.
Parity draws his sword and casts chill touch. He stays within 10 feet of Harlan.
Reconoitering around the farmhouse, you find two additional potential entrances on the north side. One is on the northwest side, and the other is through a woolery. This room is open to the outside through a wide archway where carts can be pushed in for loading. Bundles of raw wool are piled along the walls next to buckets of water and urine for scouring. A bench holding combs for carding the wool sits beside the door leading into the main building.