Esteriande watches with fascination ... this is quite remarkable, how Alli perceives things, how Muchorak and her relate. Truly, my Goddess, love takes many beautiful forms!
"What did you discover of ze tower itself? Will we need means of flight? I could only afford a few potions, but a wand may be available if we need it."
Esteriande watches with fascination ... this is quite remarkable, how Alli perceives things, how Muchorak and her relate. Truly, my Goddess, love takes many beautiful forms!
"What did you discover of ze tower itself? Will we need means of flight? I could only afford a few potions, but a wand may be available if we need it."
"The tower's a tough nut. One door in. Tough to climb. Possible to fly in, but the windows are closed up tight. Local legend has it there's a fatal step in the stairs five or six floors up. Ali had the best look at the upper floors."
"So if we 'ave ze funds remaining, a wand of levitation would be useful, non?" Esteriande suggests. "Zat way we avoid ze escalier fatale."
"The advantage of a tower is that it lets those inside see nearly everything around them. If we simply float up to the window," Inikai pauses when he considers how ridiculous it sounds for describe such an idea a simple. "They might well see us and simply loose flights of arrows or who knows what at us. I think we should arrange for a distraction that will draw their attention to some distant point on the ground, away from the window if possible. Then we should make our entry when they are not as aware."
"Non, if possible we use ze tower itself as cover and ascend ze inside. We 'av ze potions and ze wand as ze fall-back in case of accident or in ze event zat ze stair is destroyed. For all we know, our nemesis resides in ze basement."
"How long will the magics last? In may be best to approach in the evening, use darkness as our cover." The Shoanti pauses, "Then just before entering or once inside; depending on the duration of such magic, we can use the wand and ascend from within."
"A few minutes, I zink. I concur wiz your strategy," Esteriande nods firmly.
Romon smiles. "After dark is good. I don't think the door will present a problem and if we go in on the ground floor whoever is inside will have to go through us to escape."
"Zen we should acquire a wand and retire to rest."
As far as I can see the party has hardly spent any funds..Romon has spent a bit has anyone else any specific requirements?
As I said earlier I really don't want to get into a big fight scene over the holidays so you have time to think through what you want.
Before they leave Inikai takes a look around to see if anyone has taken an undue interest in the group.
Was the plan to approach at night..that would give you the required period of rest.
You reach the tower without incident and assemble near the base in the almost total darkness cast by its bulk.
Naria casts an extended mage armour on herself
Ali casts Barkskin on Lunas, Little Bear and herself
(+3, 70 min)
And Greater Magic Fang on Lunas.
(+1 & magic, 7 hours)
Then, she casts an orison and summons a tiny rat. Gently picking it up she coos lovingly to it for a few moments, then places it by the door and tells it to go inside and see how many two legs are inside then come back and let her now.
(Casts Summon Minor Ally-7 rounds)
Romon kneels in front of the door and listens carefully in for sounds inside. He examines and probes the door's surface, edges, and jamb.
Perception(listen)
Perception (find traps)
If the door is untrapped and all is quiet beyond he gently turns the knob. If it is locked he tries picking the lock. If it is trapped he tries to diable the trap.
Disable device (lock)
Disable device (trap)
If it is not quiet beyond he'll wait a bit.
Inikai watches Ali and Romon work and waits anxiously to see the results they produce.
Esteriande watches and waits near the door, letting Alli and Romon do their part.
Perception (general):
Muchorak casts magic fang on Ursus; . Then readies his weapons and waits for Romons signal...the big shoanti almost seems eager for battle this night.
Perception
Romon hears not a sound and the rat scurries inside then out again very quickly..
Ali
Frowning as she listens to her little friend, Ali thanks him with a kiss and sends him scurrying off. Bending down to the crack the mouse went through she inhales deeply, trying to ascertain better what he might have been referring too.
Perception:
Plus Scent and Smell Evil
When the others look at her curiously she stands up and explains "Little four leg friend say there be no two legs inside but that place is bad bad and smell of big big and strong 'sliding death'. But Ali no sure what that last part mean."
Esteriande draws a deep breath and directs her senses at the door and the chamber beyond.
Naria casts a detect magic focusing on the door and beyond
Sliding death?
"Might be snakes." Romon suggests.
"I have no idea what that could be."
"Whatever it is," Muchorak checks his grip on his blades, "It is going to die."
Esteriande detects no evil within her range.
Romon draws his favorite dagger and eases open the door. As usual if the door pulls toward him, he'll use it as a shield and step back out of the way. If it opens inward he'll move in and to the side as quickly as possible so he doesn't impede the party's entrance.
There are no traps and the door opens inwards.
Ali gets a faint musky scent one she cannot identify..also she picks up traces of the scent from the Mill..
The air inside the clocktower is dusty and dry. Swaths of rubble and mounds of plaster lie in heaps on the stone floor, particularly in the southwest corner, where a large mound has gathered. A single wagon sits to the north, and six partially collapsed offices line the northern and eastern walls, their doors hanging askew and their ceilings caved in. A wooden staircase winds up into the cavernous space above. Well over two hundred feet overhead, four immense bronze bells hang from sturdy crossbeams.
The collapsed rooms were once used as barracks, workshops, and storerooms, but nothing of value remains here now.
Despite the place’s general appearance of ruin, a fair amount of foot traffic has been through the area—the floor bears several Medium humanoid footprints and a pair of enormous misshapen prints that would defy classification had you not dispatched the creature that made them earlier today..
Where do the footprints lead?
The prints go to the bottom of the stairs..then begin to ascend.
It is of some comfort that the stairs held the weight of the hideous brute from the mill. Why can't these wretched folk ever lair in pleasant surroundings?
Inikai points to the pile in the southwest corner with the tip of his longsword and gives the others a questioning look.
Muchorak will look over the tracks, validating his own suspicion that they are just what they seem; their age and an exact amount of traffic...
Surivial (Tracking)
Stealth:
Perception:
Esteriande scans around carefully as she glides into the room; nodding to Inikai she scans the pile of rubble and assures herself it is just that. Placing a finger to her lips she gestures upward, and draws out the wand of levitation and passes it to Naria, gesturing to the rest of the party.
Naria nods and begins to use the wand on the rest of the group Starting with Romon then the others in the following order Ester, Inikai, Muchorak, Marak, Any animal companions and finally herself.
|
"Take care not to linger directly beneath the bells. To someone who lurks high above, it would be but the work of a moment to send one toppling down to crush us..." Marak says in a low voice, seeing danger where none likely exists.
He quietly calls upon Nethys to open his eyes to the glow of magic, and keeps an eye out for magical auras.
His architect's sensibilities are offended at the state this building has fallen into. A tower of such height may have taken years to construct, and here it stands, useless and abandoned.
"We should stay within an arm's reach of ze stairway," Esteriande whispers, "one counterspell could otherwise initiate ze long drop." Drawing out a scroll she softly recites it as Naria enspells Romon, and then herself, and the begin to rise.
Romon replaces his dagger in its sheath, strings his bow, and fits an arrow to the string. He doesn't draw, but holds the arrow in place with his left forefinger.
He enjoys the feeling of levitation. He stretches and pushes off from the stair bannister to launch himself across the room. Smiling he flips his feet forward to land on the wall and push himself back across. This time when he hits the wall he flexes his knees to absorb the shock and continues his ascent near the wall.
Ali also quietly moves over to the pile in the corner, using her keen senses to ensure that it is innocuous
Then, giggling quietly at how silly all of her friends look as they begin to begin to float up into the air, she waits until Naria is also floating as well. Next she flows to hawk form and quickly wings upward, scouting ahead for the group, continuing to remain as silent as possible . As she passes Lunas, she brushes her wingstips against him in a comforting gesture.
As for the wolf himself, he is not, at all, enjoying the sensation of floating in the air. For the first few seconds his legs scramble automatically for purchase, but finally after a few moments, despite his great unease, he does manage to regain his usual noble, wolvish manner and moves upwards much more steadily.
|
|
Marak remains close to the wall, unwilling to surrender to the playful instincts that have swept up Romon. He attempts to move like a climber, from place where he can grip a secure handhold to place where he might be able to stand, as if unable to trust the magic to hold him aloft, and fearing that it might fail at any moment.
Once it is evident there is no threat on the ground floor Muchorak moves next to the wall along with Ursus; sheaths his blades and begins to climb as well as showing Ursus how to climb under this magical ease.
As the group begins to rise Naria casts haste on all of them.