Balmir grumbles. "I don't know what to do but I don't think we should just sit here doing nothing. Maybe I'll just storm the fort myself."
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With lots of indecision in the group, Mouser decides to take the lead as the only one who has been inside.
"I think we should sabotage the dam," he says. "I don't think I'll get caught, but it would probably be good to have everyone nearby just in case I do."
He scratches his head, considering options. "Let's all use Tam's spell to get inside, then hide in those empty tents I found. After that, I'll sneak out and see what it would take to wreck the dam. Of course, everyone may need to get out of the tents, but maybe I could find a nice place inside the keep we could get to before I break the dam. I think that's as good a plan as any...any opposed?"
"No as you said 2 of us are not that quiet and we will need all the assistance we can get to sneak in. Are we sure those spare tends will not be checked? The last thing we need is to be found while sleeping." Derrik says. "Calriane told us of the sewer to sneak in as well, she did think that was a good option."
"As much as I hate waiting to kill some orcs, maybe you could sneak in through the sewer so we know what's inside." Balmir looks at Mouser.
Mouser does some recon. A rickety dam turns away the rushing river water from the dried-up moat. Although the dam appears to have been hastily constructed from makeshift materials, it has weathered the years remarkably well.
"Cannot open what alone? The Dam?" Derrik responds
Barred with an iron grate (hardness 10, hp 30, break DC 24), a narrow sewer tunnel only 4 feet in diameter opens into the fort’s outer wall. This culvert was originally submerged, but with the draining of the moat, the grate is now visible. If you destroy the dam, it will clearly be submerged again.
Somer examins the bar to see if, instead of breaking, they could be bent. He comments the breaking them might make too much noise.
Bending through sheer strength seems unlikely.
Derrik looks at the bars as well, "Do you think we could pull them off?"
"It wouldn't make much noise to try to pull them off. Or, is there a lock somewhere?" Balmir looks to see if the grate even has a hinge. Maybe it wasn't made to open at all.
It does not appear to be something that was ever meant to be opened.
"Mouser do you think you could squeeze through? Maybe there is a lock on the other side." Derrik offers
to assist if we go that rout.
"Lets see if the two of us can give it a yank. Sadly I do not think we have a tool for his."
Balmir studies the grate for a few minutes then grabs a couple of bars. He lets his grip settle then slowly starts to pull on them while the others try to give him extra leverage. His muscles bulge under the strain but even with the help, he's not sure that it's enough.
You do eventually pull the grate out. It isn't easy, and it looks fairly obvious that it had been forcefully removed, but no orcs have come to disturb you during the process.
"Milani grant me the blessing of Light, to allow us to see a bit better in this darkness." Derrik picks up a small stick and hands it to mouser. "This will allow you to see better, if you need to dismiss the light just say Avero.
Balmir grunts with the exertion. He drops the grate to the dirt. "Ok. Now what? We go in?"
"Go in at night, sounds good. Its already inside so those that cant see in the dark will be just as effected night or day I guess. Maybe a break to observe and then we move."
"Will you scout the tunnel first to make sure it is safe?" Derrik asks
Balmir grins and grunts at Mouser then looks at Derrik. "You asking me to do the scouting? I think that's a bad idea."
":I mean mouser."
"Are you saying all of us normal-sized people look alike to you giants?" Tam says teasingly with a twinkle in his eye.
Derrik smiles back,"I bet all us doublings look a like to you as well."
Waiting out in the tents proves to be no problem. No orc ever seems to ventured back to these tents - clearly they were setup as a decoy to scare off an outright assault.
So, is Mouser venturing in alone? Using Derrik's light stick?
As you creep in through the drain, you notice up ahead grey ooze that seems to shiver at your approach. Behind it, you see another. It looks like a pile of goo, but you get the impression that it is somehow alive and dangerous.
Balmir starts when Mouser comes out of the tunnel in a rush. "What? There's something following you?" Balmir lifts Agrimmosh and steps to the side of the tunnel entrance. He points to the other side of the opening with the tip of the hammer. "Quick. Someone else stand there so we can hit it from two sides." He cocks the hammer back.
As you get into position, since it is dark out, the ooze seems more willing to venture forth.
Speaking quietly Somer lets a couple of frost coated arrows fly at the lead ooze. "We should try and do this quietly if we can."
Derrik quickly moves to the side opposite Balmir reading himself for the creature to come out.
As the ooze oozes out of the tunnel Balmir smashes agrimmosh down on it with a slurping thud.
Slinking their way through cold swamps and bleary marshlands, or sometimes even dungeons and caverns, gray oozes consume any organic materials they encounter. Despite its lack of intelligence, the gray ooze is a most problematic creature due to its transparency. While the ooze cannot easily climb walls or swim, its habit of lurking in the thick mud that lines the banks of marsh pools or lying in harmless-looking pools on dull-colored dungeon floors makes it dangerously easy to overlook and step on.
Some sages believe that the gray ooze is the result of a failed alchemical experiment, while others postulate that the first gray oozes spontaneously arose from a cesspit of magical detritus. Of course, these theories that gray oozes are not living organisms, but rather the alchemical result of an unfortunate mixture of rare caustic fluids and magical waste, are derided by many who dwell in areas plagued by the creatures but which do not have a long history of magical pollution.
The digestive acid that covers a gray ooze dissolves metals and organic material, but not stone. Each slam and constrict attack deals 1d6 additional acid damage. Armor or clothing worn by a creature grappled by a gray ooze takes the same amount of acid damage unless the wearer succeeds on a DC 20 Reflex saving throw. A wooden or metal weapon that strikes a gray ooze takes 1d6 acid damage unless the weapon’s wielder succeeds on a DC 20 Reflex save. The ooze’s touch deals 12 points of acid damage per round to wooden or metal objects, but the ooze must remain in contact with the material for 1 full round in order to deal this damage. The save DCs are Constitution-based.
They have ooze traits and are immune to cold and fire.
"They will not be bothered by fire or ice, shame there. Mouser, you will have problems hurting it much too. Balmir and Derrik you might be the most effective."
"But we can just keep smashing it, right?"
Somer, Derik, Mouser and Balmir all easily hit the target, doing a lot of damage to the mindless creature. The arrows, after hitting, quickly dissolve in the acidic ooze, and the frost spell seems to fizzle.
Derrik manages to pull his weapon back quick enough to not be dissolved in the acid. "This might be worse than we thought, they eat away at anything."
Knowing his spells do nothing Somer still coats his arrows in ice as he fires. The magic might not help but he fires faster this way. He steps back and keeps firing.
"Magic weapons are generally stronger, lets hope Balmir's hammer holds up well."
Balmir looks in dismay as his weapon starts to sizzle. "We need to kill this fast!" He swings the hammer again.
Derrik takes Balmir's advice and swings again hoping to pull his weapon back in time.