Koriko turns to adress the rogue: "I would appreciate an opportunity to learn more of those ruins, but these people need us. And you seem like the type to know about infiltration so you would be a most valuable asset in this endeavour, Fingers."
She then reverts her attention back to Irina.
"I'd rather not be caught unarmed by these creatures. I was taught not to leave my blade behind, and who knows what they do to prisoners. And even if you came to bail us out with our weapons, the hobgoblins will know there are at least four prisoners on the loose inside the town and they'll be after us. I think it's better to keep them ignorant of our presence altogether. So best to find a way in undetected and go there altogether.", she looks at the map once again
"Miss Marit, do you happen to know anything about their guards? Perhaps a place that might be a blindspot for them?"
Shrugging, Fingers realizes Irina has a point. He also hears Marit's appeal and the idea that freed captives might offer a handsome reward. "Fine." he sighs. "If yeh need me, I'm yours t'command. I jus' wanna be there when t'rewards are dealt out."
Marit thinks as she stares at the map.
"Well they're more concerned about people inside the town than out. I only saw two at the gate when I ran away, and they've got patrols. My little brother, we sometimes found him outside of the gate on the east side. So mayhap he found a way through the wall? They're real old."
She taps the southwest corner of the map. "Lotsa poor people houses there, it's like a little maze. Harder for the hobgoblins to spot people. They had more trouble keeping people under control there."
She then taps a spot near the armory in the west central part of the map. "The jail is there. Our jail is pretty big. They probably keep important or dangerous folks there."
"That could work to our advantage. OTHER loose prisoners might be a good distraction. Give the hobgoblins one more thing to worry about while we find a way to root them out. If their attention is focused on the inside, sneaking in should be easy enough. But then the question is, what do we do once we're inside and the hobgoblins are sufficiently distracted?"
Man plans, an' t'gods laugh," says Fingers critically from across the room. "Any o' us plan t'be 'ere now, eh? Let's figure out how t'get inside, an' take t'rest one step at a time, yeah? We don't ken what their response'll be until we see it. If we have t'bail, we can do tha' to."
"Not sure how comfortable I am loosing a bunch of other prisoners as a distraction without more of a plan." Zoresk eyes Koriko for a moment before shrugging. "Honestly Fingers suggestion makes the most sense. We can't really know how things will go in there until we get there. If we take a day to rest, we could try to get inside tomorrow night."
"You're right Zoresk, we shouldn't risk their lives. Let's do it like this then. We sneak in and see where to go from there. Let's use today to rest up and slip in under the cover of night.", Koriko opens her spellbook and begins contemplating what magic would serve them best.
Irina nods and looks for a place to do some basic exercises and get a bit of rest.
"Which gate then?" asks Fingers to the group. "My plan'd be t'get the prisoners from the jailhouse an' arm them as quick as we can. Then, we can see 'bout freein' t'church an' t'rest. If tha's the plan, I'd like to scout out the guards on t'West Gate, an' see if we can spot a rotation, or pattern t'their patrols. Casin' t'joint, we call it in t'biz, ken?"
Fingers asks Marit if she can lead them undercover to where they can get a good view of the guards manning the West Gate without easily being seen themselves. If so, he'd take 1 or 2 of the others, to reconnoiter the area.
Marit nods slowly to Fingers. "West of the town are more woods before it becomes wetlands. It'd be easy to just climb a tree and have a look I think, sir. Ya wouldn't need to be too sneaky."
"Sounds like a solid plan to me. Go to the gate closest to our target destination and see what we can do from there. Casing the joint, as you called it, sounds like a plan too. I'll join you if need some muscle. Freed from that lot, I'm decent enough at sneaking that I doubt we'd be caught." Zoresk nods towards the pile of loot in the corner that includes the heavy plate mail.
Over the course of the rest of the day, Zoresk thoroughly cleans and sharpens all his weapons. He also takes the time to do a few practice exercises with his new longsword.
With Marit in the lead, the party make their way towards the town, using small game trails to avoid the major paths and roads leading to Douleurs. There's still a bit of a drizzle as cold rain comes down, but nothing like the downpour from when you arrived yesterday afternoon. Some fog still hangs on the lake and despite the danger of the circumstances, it is quite lovely.
With the town to the southwest of the group, they strike out dead south and then start turning westwards in an attempt to circle around the town to its other side. Eventually the group comes to a large road. In the distance, the front gates of the town can be seen.
"Quickly across! This is the road south."
Marit rushes across and you then make your way towards the edge of a large swamp west of the town. She keeps heading northwards towards the lake, and the finally comes to a small east-west road.
"This road leads to the chateau, and the west gates of town."
And finally, after heading northeast a bit, the group spies the walls of Douleurs itself and its closed west gate.
Fingers wants to get a good look at the guards and patrols (if any) looking especially for size of each force, and when (or if) they rotate. He'd also make note of how they are armed, and what those in charge (officers?) seem to be wearing.
"Don't suppose any o'you can speak goblin or whatever those hobbies are talkin', eh?"
The group crouches in the bushes, eyeing the west gate of the town. It is mid-day at this point and two figures can be seen on the turrets pacing back and forth occasionally.
Fingers will remain in the cover as much as possible, not wanting to spoil the surprise or get caught unawares himself. He takes as much time as it requires to get a good view of the hobgoblin guards, their equipment, mannerisms, any patrols etc.
Watching the walls carefully, Zoresk replies to Fingers in an undertone, "I don't think any of us speak goblin, given that we had to wake the bugbear back in the dwarven halls. I can speak in Taldan, Hallit and Skald." Looking vaguely uncomfortable and eying his companions for a moment, Zoresk adds, "And I can understand and speak a bit of the demonic tongue. It's a useful skill if you want to stay alive where I'm from."
Zoresk remains silent as Fingers approaches the wall, marveling at how quietly he moved. And here I thought I had some skill and moving and keeping quiet. I might as well be a drummer sounding war compared to him. As Fingers fades out of sight into the underbrush, Zoresk moves to keep watch from some underbrush on the edge of the large clearing along the road. He will keep an eye out for any activity either way down the road and listens for any signs of distress from the direction Fingers disappeared in.
Fingers manages to avoid trouble, although he's not having a particularly good day keeping quiet and so keeps his distance from the town. The town's wall is around 25' high and 5' thick and extends a decent distance into the water where it is eroded and crumbling. The wall is ridged with battlements and has basic turrets which are slightly raised. Six hobgoblins are on the wall in total, two at each gate. The gates are all closed.
After finding an easy to climb beech tree he settles in to listen to gates and try to catch a patrol. It doesn't take long for a patrol to come in from the south; four hobgoblins in total. They send up a call and the gate opens to let them in and closes once more. After around fifteen minutes, the east gate opens and closes. The town itself is whisper quiet. He returns to the group with his information.
Returning to the group Fingers gives his report. "There's only two at each gate, an' none apparently on t'ground. If we can get t'gate open, say usin' Nilan's mendicant friar trick, we can take out t'two on t'turrets wit' arrows from cover 'ere. Then once we 'ave t'gate, we can rush through inta t'town. Might keep someone on t'gates so we 'ave a retreat path. After that, we find t'armory and jail as fast as we can an' start t'rescuin'."
I can do this, the people of this town suffer unjustly. Fate has placed me here, I will do what I must.
"We'll have someone ready t'cover you should it come t'tha'. Zoresk, that'll be you or 'Rina, heading to cover our friar before he gets blasted in t'crossfire, an' take out any gobbies that come from t'other side o' t'gate, yeah?
Checking with the others, Fingers goes over the plan to assault the gate once more. Nilan will make an introduction at the front, drawing the attention of the two hobgoblins in the tower. When they open the door, we'll fire at them from the brushline, taking them out. Then we'll send the melee types to rush the gate, and battle any troops in the turrets or on the other side. From there, we will assess, looking for the jail and/or the armory.
Zoresk nods as he listens to what Fingers relates. "Sounds fine to me, but we'll need a few decent shots at range which might be tough on top of the those walls. I've got my sling and I'm a fair hand at hunting with it. How about you Irina? Have you a bow or a sling?" Zoresk pats the quiet holy man on the back and says, "You should be well taken care of, Father, with either of us on guard."
The Lady will take me when it is my time, never before. Nilan says My Fate is in her hands, let us do this thing.
Nilan prepares to hobble down to the gate, affecting a more severe limp and slouching.
"I have my fireworks spell, which can distract or harm as you need it," says Narciso meekly. "Aside from that I can use my ray of frost at range."
Darts, mostly. Never took to shooting anything, Irina splays her hands out to emphasize Probably because m hands are so masculine. I'm good up close. More of a liability at the range but I can close a gap at a decent pace. I'll rush up to the priest first thing.
"Sounds fair enough to me. We'll also need to secure the gate quick-like so they don't shut it in our faces. After I send a few stones off at the hobbers in the towers, I might make a good candidate to hold that position with my fauchard."
"I have a spell that might incapacitate several of them, but I don't have muh magic to cast every day, so I would hold off on it unless we need it."
Nilan steps out onto the road out of sight of the gate and begins to make his way closer. As he approaches there's a sudden shout from the gate. A hobgoblin's head pokes over the side. He shouts out in broken common.
"You! This town closed! Who you?"
Nilan looks around as if stunned and squeaks Me? Iiiii. I'm Niilan M'lord, humble friar of the Lady. I make my rounds by round I do..does the town need graves dug, or midwifery? Perhaps you have an ailment? I can do wonders with poultices and prayer.
The two hobgoblins stare at each other, back at Nilan, and then to each other. They immediately start jabbering in their language.
"Orders are to not let anyone in!"
"Yeah, but you weren't the one who had to clean up the ogre diarrhea. This guy is a pipsqueak, he's no threat and we need a healer. For some reason that priest you put in a coma isn't healing anyone! The slaves are useless with injuries!"
"He'll try to free the slaves!"
"Not under armed guard he won't!"
The hobgoblin turns back and stares at Nilan.
"This town under military occupation of Company of Raven Claw! You no--"
The other hobgoblin interrupts.
"You know how to work with sick ogre?"
They descend into arguing once more.
"Idiot! Don't give information!"
"Oh come on, what's he going to do? We need a healer!"
"You need lashes is what you need!"
I can tend the ill of any sort. My skills are meager but... Nilan shrugs, trying to be unassuming
Irina holds her breath as the cleric interacts with the hobos...
Zoresk clutches his loaded sling tightly, watching silently as the small Pharasmin stares down the imposing walls of the town and its captors. Here's hoping this works... He waits, tense, for the hobbers to respond.
"Open the gate! I'll keep a sword at his throat - we need a healer for the damn ogre!"
"I knew taking this town was a bad idea. Easy enough to take, but how do we hold it?"
The hobgoblins snarl at one another and both of them climb down from the turrets. One vanishes out of sight, and there is a loud creaking sound as the gate begins to open. The other hobgoblin stands at the ready, a longsword pointed at Nilan.
"You, healer, drop any weapon, come to me."
Nilan leans heavily upon his cane I have no weapons...you would take a frail man's walking stick?
The hobgoblins stare at each other, grumbling.
"Fine, come here then, small man."
Seeing the hobgobins come down from the tower, to open the gate and escort Nilan, Fingers couldn't believe his eyes. He'd thought they would open the gate from the top, and cover his entry, turning him over to ground forces.
Now with the only watch on the ground, and the gate open, it was time to act! "NOW" Fingers shouts at the rest of the group, urging Irina nd Zoresk to take them in melee, if they are more skilled. He fires his readied bow at the goblin in sight, as the others race to engage.
"One of you get to the gate, and keep it open, find the winch and stop the goblin from closing it."
Nilan raises his Symbol of Pharasma and a screaming skull appears before one of the Hobgoblins it cackles madly as it rushes at him.
Zoresk bursts from cover at Fingers' shout. He rushes the gate, drawing his longsword with his free hand as he goes.
Koriko dashes out of the underbrush with her sword abover her head, as she approaches the hobgoblin standing in the gateway, she brings the blade down.
"Don't let them sound an alarm."
Pleased at his teammates response and execution of the plan, Fingers smiles a bit, then turns and sees Irina and Narcisso still standing there. "Go on, 'Rina! We need yer muscle in t'fight. Wizard-boy you stay 'ere by me and don' do anythin'. Just stand t'ere."
Irina follows on the heels of Zoresk following up behind Koriko as she moves to engage...
The hobgoblins are completely astonished as the group charge out at them. Koriko moves in rapidly and swings out, cutting deeply across the chest of a hobgoblin. Listening to Fingers, Narciso simply hides in the bushes. Nilan then fires off a spell, and the hobgoblin's greenish face turns extremely pale and he turns to run.
Zoresk
NIlan
Koriko
Irina
Fingers
Narciso
---
Purple Hobgoblin (frightened)
Yellow Hobgoblin (11 dmg)
Nilan moves forward, preparing to assist his allies in gaining the gate.
Rushing out of the cover fo the woods, Fingers draws and fires again from his shortbow, targeting the hobgoblin running from the fight.
"Stop that one from running if you can, but secure the gate first. After he's down, regroup in the turret!"
"Right, we need get this bastard down so we can go after the other." Finding no space to implement his plan, Zoresk whirls his loaded sling and lets a bullet fly at the panicking hobgoblin.