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"Any tips about travel, Al? Anyway we might make up our lost time?"
"Afraid not." He claws at the ground as he lands once again. "This ground doesn't have much in the ways of plant-life this far away from the sun's warm rays. If there were plants I might be able to save us some time traveling."
Allarnon sniffs the ground. As he exhales a small puff of dust rises low in the air. He growls. "Let's head to the drow."
Those knowledgable in such things think that the best course of action is to go to the Bloodforge first. It's K, Q, P if you circle around the lake. Then to J on the Map.
From here to there are a number of river crossings, including two rather large ones. Due to some of the difficulty the party has crossing the Black Blood, it's a four day journey to reach your next destination.
You encounter some phantom fungi, which you easily avoid, a mating pair of vrocks which you drive off, and a wave of ghouls but it's the black blood infested fiendish cockroach swarms that nearly do you in on the third day. You're still picking the little blighters out of your food supply and armor a day later.
Hidden on a tiny island along one of the many rivers of black blood is a small ring of towers surrounding a wide, tent-filled courtyard. In typical Drow fashion, the place is well lit with soft purple and dark blue lighting - but still visible from some distance.
You're about a half mile away when you stop to discuss your approach. You see walls connecting the towers to form a large keep maybe 200' across at its widest point.
"Oh, I don't recommend the frontal assault. We shouldn't go through the front gate, as that's too obvious, and leads directly into the courtyard, likely. That's kicking the hornet's nest, and we'll deal with the entire keep in no time. No, we should go in invisibly, and aim at a tower some distance from the front gates. I can't tell how many floors it has, but we need to avoid drawing attention, so arriving at the top floor should be sufficient. If Allevrah is as powerful as we suspect, the Bloodforge is on alert already, likely."
Lief checks his formulae. "I can give flight to three of you, as well as myself." The young man looks at the bear. "Kay, what do you think? We managed the Weeping Cliffs without Tarkir, but we might have no choice in dealing with the numbers of denizens here."
"Ayep, the courtyard entry won't be for the best at all," Kaylayne muses as she gazes at the structure from a distance.
"To be honest, I sort of want to level the keep and all the drow within to smoking rubble," Kaylayne opines. "I don't think invisibility is likely to work, but we can give it a shot. But these are drow and they are certainly likely to wary about such an obvious magic trick...and they are probably aware of our coming."
"If you give me a night of rest, I can give us some different options for things, but what might be nice is some scouting," Kaylayne looks around for some local birds/bats to emulate.
Not a lot of flora or fauna down here save the monstrous types. You've seen (or at least heard) dire bats but maybe only one of their smaller cousins. So bat is probably your best bet, but they are somewhat rare.
"To be honest, I sort of want to level the keep and all the drow within to smoking rubble. I don't think invisibility is likely to work, but we can give it a shot. But these are drow and they are certainly likely to wary about such an obvious magic trick...and they are probably aware of our coming."
Lief nods, taking note of certain points the woman makes. "Reducing the keep to rubble will not suffice, as there is a Glyph to be undone in a timely manner. I certainly don't have the patience or strength to dig down to it." The young man waits for Kaylayne to strategize her magics further.
"Reconnaissance is fine, I suppose, though I'm not sure it will accomplish all that much, considering what we'll likely meet- drow, driders, what else, demons? Likely. And their main male drow, Drexinis. If we can catch him off-guard, during his studies, we must do this by avoiding a raising of an alarm. If he's into experimentation, he'll leave the vigilance to his guard."
Dimitrio nods, "Yeah, let's try to avoid the front gate if possible."
He then reminds Lief, "No need to use your formulae, the wand of fly should still have charges left, no?"
He adds, "Let's see what Layne finds out and then make a better plan."
Kaylayne looks at Allarnon, knowing the man's eyes and ability to change at least into a flyer of note.
"Alla? You want this? Your abilities may be better suited for scouting than I," Kaylayne asks the bearman.
"I'd like to know what we're up against in there before we prepare too much."
"I don't know about fightin' but I can be quiet enough, an' I been studyin' the underground ever since I knew we was fightin' drow. Give me some o' that invisibility, and flight, I can bet I can get closer than the bear can yeah?"
He winks at Allarnon playfully and hopes the two of them can use their similar skills to keep the party alive in the bloodforge.
Ederin takes any assistance that the group is willing to offer up before attempting to survey as much as he can, falling back at the first sign that he might have been sighted, or when he feels he's gathered sufficient information. He keeps his eyes out particularly for any paths that seem to be used less often or have less traffic, hoping it might help the party find their objective faster and escape the same way.
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Over the last several days Allarnon had intently studied what little wildlife he could see down in the Underdark. The days and walks were long in the darkness. This is the longest he had spent below ground and it unnerved him somewhat. The only thing keeping him sane were watching the large bats, how they swooped and glided through the air with ease. Using the invisible currents to their advantage.
All his life Allarnon had been able to control short bursts of wind. While he was more attuned to his bear form he has always had trouble turning into much more than that.
"I can attempt to turn into one of those bats, though I have always had some difficulty as I bonded with Tarkir here. Though I am able to control the wind to some degree and fly with ease if you are able to spare another of those invisibility liquids. Even with the wind I am not all that silent. Some of the bear doesn't go away."
So it sounds like Ederin and Allarnon are approaching and investigating. I'm assuming invisibility for both - correct? Ederin, I don't think you added invisibility to your roll, but Allarnon did. Let me know if that is not the case.
For now, you begin your approach from the southeast. As you get closer, you can see a handful of drow guards on the rooftops (maybe a half dozen?), which seem ~20' up, so either you've got tall ceilings, or two floors. There are several smaller towers and one larger along with a number of tents within the compound itself.
You're a few hundred yards away, outside the light ring, how do you want to approach?
Kaylayne waits for the team to return from their scouting at which nothing can possibly go wrong.
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Allarnon floats and hovers near the edge of the ring of light surrounding the compound. using his arm he waves it through the light to see if it will have any ill effect on him.
If no ill effect Allarnon floats closer to the building looking for any sort of opening or windows to peer through. His body creates a slight breeze through the chamber as it invisibly swirls all about.
Allarnon discovers no change in his appearance in the light. He approaches carefully and investigates.
There are arrow slits here and there as can be seen on the map. Are you looking in, or squeezing through?
The Bloodforge itself is not a forge at all but the alchemical laboratory where someone performs experiments on the black blood to create new poisons, transmutative potions, and other alchemical wonders. The cages are used to hold stock for the experiments. The cages are currently empty.
A tall drow (image) has just completed one of his experiments - another failed attempt to infuse a creature with the black-blooded template. The result of this failure, a slowly melting but still barely alive drider, screams in the middle of the room where it has collapsed.
The thing will be nothing more than a pool of rancid black sludge in less than a minute. Drexinis is accompanied by a lumbering hezrou demon. Drexinis has just given the demon permission to feed on the dying, melting drider... it is quite an unnerving and nauseating sight.
Fort save DC 22 or you are nauseated and lose your lunch. An odd sight for an air elemental especially an invisible one. After the save, make another stealth check, which I'll modify with your vomit as needed.
- - -
Ederin, how do you approach and what do you do? You're unable to communicate with Allarnon as speech might give you away, and you're both well hidden/invisible.
Dimitrio fiddles with his rapier as he waits for the scouts to return. He sharpens his blade and cleans his clothes; his nose wrinkles as he realizes that the black blood smell is seeping into his attire.
He asks Lief and Layne, "Do I smell funny?"
There are very few tracks near the compound. You suspect they must fly in and out - or teleport. Very little foot traffic. What little foot traffic there is heads east and goes through the main door.
Judging from the slight breeze coming from the east, Ederin assumes that Allarnon must have headed in that direction.
Ain't much else wind down 'ere.
Wanting to cover as much space in as little time as possible, Ederin heads towards the nearest tower north of the party and attempts to peer inside, looking for whatever he can to give his friends an egde when they storm the gates.
- - -
The glyph you see in this chamber is likely the glyph you seek. It is too large to be anything else and has that purply sheen to it.
- - -
A large fire pit dominates the southern wall of this circular room, with a number of small stools and a couple of tables filling the remainder of the space. Sacks of an unidentifiable, flour-like powder rest against one of the walls, next to a pair of empty barrels that stink of some pickled and preserved goods. A flight of stairs leads up to the tower roof.
There are two drow in here currently, making what appears to be their biscuit like bread. When the dog begins to bark, the drop what they're doing, prepare their hand crossbows, draw rapiers, and head out to see what is going on.
- - -
Everyone - we’re in rounds for now. Please feel free to post one round of actions. The main party is probably 400yards away I should think. Far enough away that there is no chance of being detected - even in the relatively flat shale like terrain - as long as they stay low to the ground.
Lief tries to calm his mind, waiting for the two to return from their fly-over. He recalls his time in Zirnakaynin, walking the walls and halls of drow architecture, comparing the Bloodforge to it. He forms a mental picture of Drexinis, lackey of Allevrah, and imagines a hunch-backed form toiling away. He plays over what new challenge the third Glyph will put forth, the previous ones asking for noteworthy skills in diplomacy and healing. He also conjectures over what less mundane form of guard is likely inhabiting the keep. How he considers drow and drider mundane, he'll have to ask himself at a later time.
"Do I smell funny?"
The question almost slips by him. The young man is used to the dancer's self-consciousness. He simply doesn't expect it to bubble up here, of all places.
"I can't tell, Dimitrio. The surrounds have diminished the senses. Not seeing at distances, the paranoia of unknown sounds, the smell as you say. I understand wanting to travel to broaden knowledge, but I see very little here that would harken to pathfinders seeking to write on the Land of Black Blood. They would do just as well writing fairy tales."
...
Lief's attention, already forward towards the keep, becomes slightly more finely-tuned. "A dog barked. Animals given to scenting, even here, Dimitrio, appear to be functional, at least."
Lief waits, to see if Allarnon or Ederin return in a hurry.
"Do I smell funny?"The question almost slips by him. The young man is used to the dancer's self-consciousness. He simply doesn't expect it to bubble up here, of all places.
"I can't tell, Dimitrio. The surrounds have diminished the senses. Not seeing at distances, the paranoia of unknown sounds, the smell as you say. I understand wanting to travel to broaden knowledge, but I see very little here that would harken to pathfinders seeking to write on the Land of Black Blood. They would do just as well writing fairy tales."
Not satisfied with Lief's answer, Dimitrio smells his clothes and wrinkles his nose once more. "This place stinks. I stink."
...
Lief's attention, already forward towards the keep, becomes slightly more finely-tuned. "A dog barked. Animals given to scenting, even here, Dimitrio, appear to be functional, at least."
Lief waits, to see if Allarnon or Ederin return in a hurry.
Dimitrio cocks his head, "I hear it too. I think our scouts have been found."
The bard casts a smell and his form starts wavering; he stops fidgeting with his blade and waits for battle.
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HP 115/115
AC 32, touch 18, flat-footed 25
10 +4(DEX) +2(belt of DEX +4) +7(chainshirt+3) +4 (buckler+3) +1(ring of prot) +2 (dodge) +2 (natural armor +2)
Conditions: BLUR
Melee (rapier+3): +23/+18/+13 = +11(base) +4(dex) +2(belt of dex +4) +3 (magic) +1(weapon focus)+1(swashbuckler specialization)
Melee Damage (rapier+3, arcane strike, panache): 1d6+19 = +3(weapon) +4 (dex) +2(belt of dex +2) +2 (arcane strike) +5 (precise strike)+2 (specialization) +1(swashbuckler specialization), 15-20, x2
5/5 daggers, 5/5 panache, 3/3 charmed life, 28/28 bardic performance, 6/6 1st level, 4/5 2nd level spells, 4/4 3rd level spells, 1/1 arcane bond spell, ring of fire 5/5
He asks Lief and Layne, "Do I smell funny?"
Kaylayne wrinkles her nose before she even sniffs, as if at the idea of being asked to sniff Dimi rather than the actual act of sniffing.
"Uh, I guess," she leans over for a whiff, wondering if her nose is too acclimated to the Under-Stink to notice a difference.
Perception (smell, no scent)
Perception (Dogs)
"Not sure that I mind that they are found," Kaylayne shrugs. "Hopefully, they will send out a scouting party for us to whittle down their numbers. I wonder what they are finding out about the keep."
Well damn, didn't figure them for the dog type." Ederin thinks as he hears the dog sound the alarm. He frowns, not happy with the little amount of intel he's gathered, but he knows better than to stick around and get sniffed out.
He clicks his heels to activate his boots and rushes back towards the party as fast as he can go, hoping he can keep ahead of whoever the drow send out.
The scouts fall back and regroup with the rest of the party - still invisible. Assuming you do nothing further, nothing further seems to happen outwardly. The keep grows quiet, but you can feel a tension in the air as they seem to be more alert now than they once were.
Just to refresh my memory, can any of you see invisibility? Also, everyone may make a perception check (I'll use Ederin's fine roll which he didn't need to hear the dog as he was close by).
Allarnon lands to the ground and reappears before the group as he drops the veil of the spell. "I found the Glyph we seek. It is in the tower to the southeast, though there was a drow and a demon inside feeding on a failed experiment."
"Great job!"
He turned to Lief, "Assuming we can fly up there; do you want to use your wand on us? I rather bypass all these ground forces if possible."
Kaylayne waits, trying to see if he can spot when their team returns.
Perception
* * *When they return...* * *
"I'd prefer to go in tomorrow, when we are all fresh. I can prepare better knowing what we face. Tell me about the room with the glyph...and how you were able to see what you saw? How far was the glyph from the portal by which you viewed? Might the stone be warped away to allow ingress?"
Time passes and all remains quiet. Apparently the drow are content to have you come to them, or they are viewing it as a false alarm, hard to know which from this distance.
The glyph was on the western wall, between the doors to the chamber, marked on the map. Allarnon doesn't know if the stone is magically protected, but if not, it should succumb to stoneshape normally. The walls are quite thick and the arrow slits small, but that might not be so large a problem.
Kaylayne looks to see if others have thoughts or opinions about stuff.
Kaylayne looks to see if others have thoughts or opinions about stuff.
Dimitrio reiterates his proposed plan, "So, do we fly up there then?"
Waiting to hear additional information, that seemed the best plan for them now.
"C'mon people, work with me. I got to get out of this stinking place before it seeps into my bones."
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"I'd prefer to go in tomorrow, when we are all fresh. I can prepare better knowing what we face. Tell me about the room with the glyph...and how you were able to see what you saw? How far was the glyph from the portal by which you viewed? Might the stone be warped away to allow ingress?"
Allarnon begins to explain the room as best as he can. "The tower was nearly 70 feet across. Three cages were on the southern side with shackles. On the north end were a bunch of tables with vials and all sorts of nauseating odors as the liquids within bubbled. Everything seemed stained in blood.
The only light in the room was from the Glyph itself. It was 10 feet wide and hovered on the southeastern wall. The Bloodforge didn't look like a forge at all. It looked like some sort of experimentation area for the Black Blood. There was a tall drow inside that looked like he dumped some Black Blood on a Drider.
" Allarnon shudders. "The Drider melted into a pool of black sludge in less than a minute when a Hezrou demon began to feed on it."
He slumps down. "I was peeking through a small arrow slit trying to see more and that is when the dogs began to bark."
"You saw much more 'an I did then. North tower looks like some sort of kitchen or pantry, near as I can figure. Even the drow in there reacted quickly to the dogs barking though. Don't figure we'll have much time to act before the whole compound swarms us like the bugs they are, we better have a plan and work it fast. "
Kaylayne still doesn't have an answer to her question.
"I can get us through the walls, likely, or one of the arrow slits directly into the room with the glyph. But it will take a night's rest. Or do we want to go in now?"
"We may want to rest the night and let things settle down." Allarnon suggests.
Dimitrio wans't going to get any better by resting but he understood the others to replenish new magic spells.
"Resting is fine but they will be out looking for us. We should move away and post double watches throughout the rest period."
The party moves off a half a mile or so. Ederin finds the best bit of flat shale to make your camp, slightly depressed so it's not directly visible to the keep - even if they could see this far in the cloying darkness.
The night is spent uneasily as you are on high alert. You expect the same is true in the keep, but have no watch on it to know for sure.
In the pitch-black 'morning' you rise wearily and make your preparations... It is Sunday, 22 Neth, 4709.
Kaylayne awakes grumpy, if refreshed.
"A plan could be to fly up to the window where the glyph is, hopefully unseen and carve our way into the room. Maybe Lief can disable the glyph while Allarnon and Dimi watch the doors. Do you all think that will work? Once it is disabled, we get out. Is that a good plan? Or do we want to go room by room and kill everything?"
Kaylayne seems flexible as to either option.
Lief listens, nodding at the appropriate moments, for strategem and speculation.
"If we can tackle a single tower, the relevant one, disabling the glyph and retreating before we've been met on all sides, I'm all for it. I don't suppose we need to kill the dog, do we?"
The young man turns to the bear man. "Did you try to reach out to the Glyph, speak to it with your mind? It might have given you an idea of what is necessary to disable it, if it sensed you probing it."
Lief proffers several vials of Fly, as well as the remaining 9 charges of the Fly in the wand, prior to bedding down for sleep. He can work up Invisibility for enough folk, at the expense of other versatile preparations as well.
If any discussion comes up that steers the young man to concoct different formulae for the siege day, he does so.
"Did the Glyph tower have only one door in and out? What about floors? Can the room with the Glyph be accessed from the ground floor as well as the tower floors?"
Lief is ready to siege when the others are.
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"Did you try to reach out to the Glyph, speak to it with your mind? It might have given you an idea of what is necessary to disable it, if it sensed you probing it."
Allarnon takes a few steps back "No way I could reach it through the small arrow slit, plus the dogs alerted everyone in the room."
"Did the Glyph tower have only one door in and out?
"There was a single door and a set of double doors. Both on the western side of the room." Allarnon thinks back trying to remember each detail.
Can the room with the Glyph be accessed from the ground floor as well as the tower floors?"
Allarnon's ead begins to swirl with the multitude of questions as he initially thought he had done good by finding the glyph. Now he was a bit unsure of himself as he had not probed the entire situation.
"Ummmm....." He shrugs his shoulders.
Kaylayne speaks up again in case others did not hear her.
"As I mentioned, I can likely open up the slit to allow us entry. If we want a quick surgical strike that is where we cut. But if we wish to pull up this fortress root and branch, then we'll need another approach."
Kaylayne waits to hear which approach they will be using.
Fire Seeds, Overland Flight (already cast), Detect Scrying (already cast), Ext Magic Circle Prot Evil (Tarkir), Magic Vestment (Tark & Kay), Ext Barkskin, False Life ( temp), Resist Energy (electricity).
Kaylayne speaks up again in case others did not hear her.
"As I mentioned, I can likely open up the slit to allow us entry. If we want a quick surgical strike that is where we cut. But if we wish to pull up this fortress root and branch, then we'll need another approach."
Kaylayne waits to hear which approach they will be using.
The easy way. Always the easy way.
Dimitrio shook his head, "No need to risk ourselves unnecessarily. Let's go for the surgical strike. We'll fight if we have to but not until then."
He added, "Lief brings up a good point about the glyph. The first needed to be calmed, the second one to be healed, and who knows about this one? Maybe it wants to enjoy one of my dance performances."
He checked himself, "C'mon, let's go fly up there and get this over with."
"Right, in an out, fast as we can."
Ederin takes some time to check over his equipment, making sure it's in good condition, counts his arrows and, when they prepare to leave, bolsters his defenses against electricity.
"Ain't too keen on fightin' driders again, let's make it quick."
The group prepares early the next 'day' and you make your approach. Some ways away, you see the light shift as there are guards atop the towers keeping a weather eye. You also see a dire-bat rise up from the fortress and fly to the east. There was a package, or rider, on its back. Hard to know for sure at this distance in the poor light.
I assume everyone is flying. Who is invisible? Anyone not invisible, please make a stealth check (I'm assuming take-10s from the rest of you, plus invisibility for 30+skill).
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As the group departs Allarnon does what little he can to prepare for battle.
Floating up to the tower Allarnon takes care to move slowly and stick to the shadows to remain as hidden as possible. Peeking in he tries to see if the Glyph remains and what all is currently in the room.
The entire time he floats towards the tower his heart races. All these times being invisible and I don't even know if they are behind me. I don't know how to communicate with them. Are they already there?
AC Bear: (AC 33) [+5 Armor; +4 Shield; +1 Dex; +4 Natural; +3 Deflection; +1 Dodge; +5 Enhance Barkskin; -2 Rage (+1 additional Dodge when raging); +1 Haste]
AC Human: (AC 30) [+5 Armor; +4 Shield; +2 Dex; +3 Deflection; +1 Dodge; +5 Enhance Barkskin; -2 Rage (+1 additional Dodge when raging)]
HP: 187/187; +0 Temp HP; -DR/10 adamantine (110 remaining)
Buffs: Rage 18/18; Stoneskin; Barkskin)
Tarkir
AC: (AC 37) [+4 Armor; +3 Dex; +11 Natural; +5 Enhance Barkskin; +2 Deflection PfE; +1 Dodge; +1 haste]
HP 67/72; 67/67
Buffs: Greater Magic Fang; Barkskin
Neg Effects: 1 Neg Level