"I guess it's only fair that I volunteer if we are going for the uniform approach" says N'Kai trying to find one of his size.
He turns to Father Castigarr and Larissa "I would appreciate if any of you could heal me, just to be in top form if things with the golems go south. And I think Leik and Aethorduil could also use some help."
"Father Kastigarr has been using his gifts as we fought the trolls. I believe it is my turn to do the same."
"Thank you Miss Brightfoot" says N'Kai while he places a fitting tabard over his clothes. Then he stands in front of the portcullis.
"Ready when you all are" declares while he plays with his magical pearl among his fingers with one hand and grasp his scimitar with the other.
"If this works and we lack enough tabards, I can levitate someone and you can pull them over the bridge with a rope. If the rope will reach."
Edwin looks at the goblin, pity warring with common sense in his mind.
He sighs. He always was a soft touch. He'd going to have to learn to curb that if he is going to be a successful Detective.
"Dogtricker, You have been very cooperative. We will now let you go, with this warning. Convince your tribe to stay away from the humans. And for heaven's sake, watch out for Trolls." He adds with a nod to Leik in thanks for translating.
"Let us send just one in first, see if the tabard trick works on the golems. We can proceed from there. Everyone ready?" Edwin asks, keeping an eye on Dogtricker to make certain that he is leaving without mischief.
Aethorduil feels much recovered after the channelling. He also gets his adamandite blanch out and coats 10 arrows with it.
Dogtricker is gone.
Huzzah
Edwin scratches the shadow of stubble on his chin.
" 'Dogtricker', huh. For a Goblin, that's a fairly high compliment. And he was smart enough to make himself useful to the trolls so that they wouldn't make him a snack. Mark my words, that little Gob is unusual. I wouldn't be surprised if we heard from him again." Edwin muses. Then the detective shrugs and turns his attention back to the bridge and it's golem-dog guards, obviously dismissing the now vanished goblin from his thoughts.
The detective puts on a tabard as well, and then readies his bow.
"Enter slowly and cautiously. If this does not work, fall back and we'll cover you." Edwin advises Aethor.
Edwin blinks, and then examines the gate latch.
Leik puts a tabard on after the goblin runs off. He will tie it up in places it is loose (basically everywhere) while ensuring the symbol remains visible.
I was gonna handwave the opening of the gate in order to save a month of time.
Who's getting a tabard on? Serendipitously there's enough for everybody. 10 little McDonald's uniforms in total.
Rholf tabards up.
Once everyone has tabarded up, N'Kai will recover a silk rope from his backpack and tie it up to the bottom of the portcullis. Then he will tie the other end around his waist.
"Hopefully this will help us to get to the other side. If the hounds attack, do not hesitate to close the portcullis. I have some resources to get back in on my own" he tells the rest with a wink. Then he will proceed slowly towards the other end of the bridge, alert for the wolves' reaction.
Aethorduil covers his kindred, sighting down an adamandite arrow in case this fails to work.
N kai moves 5 feet forward, to W-14. The hounds both look at him and start lurching forward towards him at a slow pace.
Anybody want to do anything?
"Patience..."
"Steady on..."
I was gonna handwave the opening of the gate in order to save a month of time.
Edwin follows Aethor's example, and sights down the length of his own arrow.
"Easy does it. They are animated corpses, but they are only dogs. Even if they attack, N'Kai can hold his own until we can retrieve him." Edwin mutters calmly.
"Patience IS a virtue,..." He adds softly, as if reminding himself,...
..easy for you to say....
Nkai is comforted by the spray of the waterfall below him, and the spray of water is refreshing, even if it does make the stone of the bridge slippery. The bridge with no siderails.
Freakin rich castle building guys.....being chintsy with the siderails.....
N'Kai keeps advancing towards the hounds, but can not avoid a couple of sweat drops sliding along his brow as he does...
He'll try not to make things worse for himself by going too fast and risk slipping...
"Watch that first step,..." Edwin advises wryly.
they're on dantooine.
N'Kai keeps advancing towards the hounds, but can not avoid a couple of sweat drops sliding along his brow as he does...
He'll try not to make things worse for himself by going too fast and risk slipping...
They lope up to him. they seem friendly; though they're scrabbling around on the slick stone like an overly excited black lab on a recently wetmopped kitchen floor.
They reach what would be considered melee range. (5 foot squares next to 5 foot squares). They seem to be "panting" and "smiling" like dogs happy that their owner is home. Their corpseish bony tails wagging. It would be cute if they didn't appear as skinned roadkill.
Awwwww.... grotesque, says the elf.
Maybe push them off? Don't know if we'll have the uniforms coming back or if they won't be covered in blood to the point they aren't recognisable?
"Good puppies" whispers N´Kai, almost to himself, as he tries to get past them.
"Let´s just be careful for the time being and try not to anger them. I am confident they all can get past the same way I do, with the rope to make it safer."
He carefully looks for a place to tie the rope at the other side of the bridge and begins advancing towards it, pushing gently aside the dogs only if they stand on his way.
The door's closed.
They let nkai pass them by.
"Well, that's unexpectedly fortunate." whispers Rholf.
nkai gets to the door. It's shallowly alcoved. He sees, to the left, a rope.
It's a solid wooden double door, and looks sturdy.
Aethorduil crosses with the tabard stretched awkwardly on and aims to support the group by the door with bow fire if something should go wrong.
If no suitable spot to tie the rope is found, N'Kai will hold it himself allowing the rest of the group to cross the bridge.
When Edwin arrives, he'll point to the bell ringer and the door.
"Maybe we should check for traps before we pull that rope. Seems too easy if you ask me."
Awwwww.... grotesque, says the elf.
Maybe push them off? Don't know if we'll have the uniforms coming back or if they won't be covered in blood to the point they aren't recognisable?
"Not at all Master Aethor." Edwin says, replacing his arrow in his quiver and slinging his bow across his back.
"If our host has provided us with the means to bypass his guard dogs so, easily, it would be rude to destroy his work unnecessarily. Besides, this way if we run into trouble we can always retreat here and have the dogs help us." He adds with a smile.
"I'll go next, Just to be sure. Sorry to be rude ladies." The detective says apologetically as he moves through the gate. Edwin moves slowly and cautiously across the bridge to avoid any possible slips. He does not hold a drawn weapon, but rests one hand on his whip, just in case. As he draws near to the dogs he studies them with a look of curiosity, not revulsion.
"Good dogs!" He says firmly, making sure that both golems have a clear sight of the patch on his borrowed tabard.
If no suitable spot to tie the rope is found, N'Kai will hold it himself allowing the rest of the group to cross the bridge.
When Edwin arrives, he'll point to the bell ringer and the door.
"Maybe we should check for traps before we pull that rope. Seems too easy if you ask me."
He finds something to tie it to.
Leik crosses with the skill of an acrobat, but he does take a cue from the care of others and does it at a slower pace, knowing that should the tabard fail he is but a bite-sized snack.
Rholfy and Larissa going?
Ed, Aethor, Leik make it up to the door unravaged by the two golemhounds.
When Edwin arrives, he'll point to the bell ringer and the door."Maybe we should check for traps before we pull that rope. Seems too easy if you ask me."
Edwin raises an eyebrow.
"Why Master N'Kai, How positively Cynical and Untrusting of you. I approve wholeheartedly." Edwin says with a small smile, stepping forward to examine the rope and bell, then the door.
The detective is utterly calm, cool and collected. At the moment, nothing escapes his keen eye for detail.
;)
"I learned from the best, Master Drood. So, what's your informed opinion on the door? Are we to worry?"
It's trapped. The rope isn't, but the door itsself is.
You just......know it....like you got a 20 roll on your skill or something.
Rholf crosses with the others.
right on.
"I learned from the best, Master Drood. So, what's your informed opinion on the door? Are we to worry?"
"About the rope? No. It is a simple bell-pull rope of no nefarious purpose."
"The DOOR, on the other hand, might be a problem."
"Kindly stand between me and the golems so they cannot see. We don't know if they have a 'messing with the door' command or not." Edwin asks politely, pulling his long coat aside to pluck a few small tools from an inside pocket.
"One moment please, Ah! Master Rholf, your timing is exceptional. Would you please stand a little to one side of me? Perfect. Now I can see."
Edwin slowly and carefully begins working on the doorway with tools and magic file,...
;P
Looks like you can take 10, but you can't take 20 on a trap.
Edwin doesn't get anywhere with the trap.
"Well, since the bell pull is not trapped, maybe we should take the simplest approach here..." declares N'Kai.
And with that, he pulls the rope, ringing the bell...
You hear a bell ring somewhere in the building.
Does anybody do anything?