Later when they were somewhere safe, Logan started planning the fake letter of introduction they'd write to the commander at Meandor Gap.
To Miri he said, "I'm thinking perhaps we should be an inspection team, dispatched to perform a survey of the foundations. What do you think? That would give us a reason to go poking about looking for the forge."
”Not a bad idea. We just have to include some plausible reason why we are all armed to the teeth.”
I Didn't you hear Mirabella there is a rebellion going on. This dangerous group... these silver ravens are causing havoc with government pfficials...
"Plue there's that whole Glorious Reclamation thing going on throughout the rest of the empire," Jack chimes in, giving Canacha's hand a little squeeze. Brains and Boom, this one!
"Uh...I wonder how that's been going lately...." he adds, regaining control of his wandering thoughts.
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Menador Keep sits in the shadow of an arch of stone that hangs over the pass itself, forming a short, natural tunnel through the mountainside. The road narrows to just over ten feet in width as it approaches the keep, ending at a large iron gate that blocks entrance into the keep’s courtyard.
South of this courtyard stands a one-story stone stable,
while the keep to the north is two stories tall, with half of its upper floor built directly into the arch above. Numerous arrowslits decorate the bleak stone walls looking out over the pass.
Bicks on the to the keep you didn't notice anything unuseal about the plants, looks like the regular chalaxian wildlife. However you did notice at the base of the mountains that there seems to be patroles who has come through the vegitation regularily.
Mirabella looks down at the fortress, scanning the countryside for patrols.
”There it is. Guess we had better go knock on the front door. Remember, we are special agents of House Thrune, so act arrogant if we are challenged, as if we have every right to be here.” Mirabella says, activating her magic cap to make her look like a gnome instead of a halfling.
"I always find it better if I'm a clerk or assistant in these situations so feel free to boss me around and tell me to 'state our business or the like."
”I suppose I could also pose as a slave. Using my magic cap to appear as a gnome is an easy way to bypass racial predjudice, but it is also risky if someone in the fort can see through illusions. Many devils have that ability, and we should expect the human crew to be augmented by allies from Hell. On the other hand, Bicks and I are the smoothest talkers, and we just need to get inside the gate.”
Logan added, "I suppose I could pretend to be in charge, taking a leaf out of my father's book and being all high and mighty and thoroughly obnoxious."
"I think that's a good idea, Logan. You can pose as the leader, with Jack and Canacha as bodyguards or special agents, Bicks an assistant and me as a slave charged with hauling equipment and menial tasks. I can hide my weapons and armor in my handy haversack, and use my wrist sheath to store a wand of hold person."
She looks at the keep, eyes narrowing.
"Given our capabilities, I doubt we will have trouble handling the rank and file soldiers, unless we face them in large numbers. We have plenty of magic that should disable them easily, from wands of hold person, charm and suggestion spells and Logan's slumber hex. The commander and any infernal allies are another matter, so we should reserve our most powerful magic for them."
Logan nodded, cracked his knuckles and said, "All right. Let's do this!"
Lvl 1 Egorian Diplomacy, Frostbite, Frostbite, Shield, Shield
Lvl 2 Bladed dash, Rime frostbite, glitterdust (DC 16), Mirror image
Lvl 3 Displacement, Rime Frigid Touch
"Im no guard.... i am however your hired engineer specilist to check the foundations and for suspect eneemy tampering!
She said excitedly. SHe had alwayas wanted to poke around a keep like this.. she had theories and things to test....
"Mirabella, you are an organizational master. The fact is that you would the running a Gods damn small province by now if we were in any other country."
Mirabella blushes slightly at Bick's praise.
"Thank you, but I would still be singing opera and entertaining arrogant nobles if it was not for all of you. Hopefully, we all have a chance to shape the future of Kintargo when we have kicked House Thrune out of power."
Canacha looked herslef over as they were getting ready to leave....
"guns... check, bullets... check, powder...check. Stabby implements, check. Basher...also check. hmm... cute utilitatioan outfit... check. Official looking papers declaring im an official engineer in the city department..... check. Cute boyfriend wrapped about my finger....."
She paused eyeing jack carefully like she was looking for a flaw of some sorts...
"Check. Willingness to kick thrune in the butt for mucking up our city.... thats three checks. Im good to go i think."
She said with a smirk barely showing any fang and patting Mirabella's shoulder. She felt more confident having the little lass about for sure.
Her weapons hidden in her haversack and her armor carefully concealed beneath her clothing, Mirabella does her best to look like a downtrodden halfling slave, making sure to stay in the back as the group marches towards the stronghold.
For this chicanery, Logan had arranged for his best noble outfit to be repaired and upgraded with extra cloth of gold and silver thread all in the best imperial style. It was hot, it was itchy, frankly he looked ridiculous and that was making him cranky which was just what they needed.
Chin out, he marched right up to the gates as if he owned the place and brandishing a bit of paper he bellowed. "Ahoy there the keep! Open up at once, and fetch your commander and be quick about it! We have have an imperial warrant, this is AN INSPECTION! Don't just stand there looking dumb, run and fetch him! CHOP! CHOP!"
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A guard stationed in front of the gate approaches Logan not looking very intimidated, at least outwards, and looks over the papers. "Hmm.. They seem genuine, on what grounds do you need me to fetch the commander rather than show you to him. This doesn't seem to imply you can command a Thrune to show up before you but rather that you be showed to him." He asks making gestures for the gate to open at least. You can see two guards inside getting ready to meet you.
Jack maintains his stony visage, though he turns to eyeball the mouthy guard briefly.
Hmm...a Thrune commands Menador Keep, eh? Jack tries to recall which Thrune might be stationed here, as well as anything he knows about that person.
She didnt bother to pay attention to any of it.. already hopping down and moving along the front of the keep poking about the gate with a dagger... as if she was looking for weaksports or rust....
"gates are a little light on the oil sir....I'll add it to my report."
Hmm...a Thrune commands Menador Keep, eh? Jack tries to recall which Thrune might be stationed here, as well as anything he knows about that person.
”Meeting Lucien Thrune in his office would be preferable to dealing with him at the gate. If we are lucky, we can overcome him without all his troops around him.” Mirabella whispers as she cowers behind Logan, eyes to the ground.
The guard's words didn't phase him in the slightest, and insufferably he replied, "Good grief man! Surely you don't think I was referring to such an august personnage as Lucien Thrune himself!? Naturally I was referring to the duty commander..." Logan peered at the man, "Perhaps you would be so good as to escort us to him? Unless that is you are him, my orders didn't state the name."
All this was said with an air casual condensation and menace underneath a veneer of courtly politeness.
"while not a part of the official structural inspection sir I will make a note that the guards on Duty were very unprofessional, witch doesn't sit well with the inspection engineer... after all... Unprofessional soldiers are sloppy soldiers....
She add with a smile and a slight glare... you know the smile with the teeth out.
A muscle in near one of Logan's eyes twitched as his eyes bored into the man who seemed to stubbornly unfazed. Briefly he entertained a fantasy of beating the man to a pulp, which he swiftly suppressed. With a predatory smile he responded brightly, "Splendid! Yes. We should start the structural inspection at once. Our instructions are to be thorough given the age of the fortress, I trust there shalln't be any problems with access to the lower areas..."
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"Open the gate!" the guard yells before returning to Logan completely ignoring Canacha. "You will have free access to the lower areas, given that we are on the lowest part of the keep anyway."
Once inside you enter the keep’s courtyard, it's mostly stark, bare stone. Gates to the east and west control passage through the keep, while stone double doors to the north and south allow entrance into the keep and the stable, respectively
Bicks will walk in and start looking at the structure, the foundation "Hmmmm. Codes...support...upkeep."
Mirabella follows the group in, keeping her head down but taking careful note of the courtyard and the Cheliaxian soldiers manning the keep.
"Right let's get this survey underway." remarked Logan, "First let's get an overview of what we're dealing with."
He walked around looking at all the stonework, looking for signs of where a concealed room might be.
Not noticing anything he asked Cannacha, "Well you're the engineer, where do you think we should look first?"
Taking a queue from Logan, Jack begins to casually inspect the walls, also looking to detect any sign of a secret door.
"look for any cracks in the foundation or walls. These cracks can indicate settlement, foundation issues, or other problems with the structure. Second, check the eaves and corners for signs of sagging or unevenness. This can indicate trouble with the framework. If you spot something you are.... questionning let me know."
She began absently her fingertips running along a seam in the brick absently. Jack was being so cute paying all that attention to the walls.
As if he read Canacha's mind, Jack approaches her and whispers his report into her ear. "My eyes only detect one crack in here," "but it looks quite dangerous."
Upon hearing the results of the analysis, Logan says "Ok we're just going to have to make a methodical sweep. Lets try the area to the south then work our way north."
Bicks follows Logan, diligently taking notes and following directions.
While the rest of the team pretend to inspect the lower levels of the fortress, Mirabella does her best to remain in her role as an obidient slave. She keeps an eye out for other servants or isolated soldiers that she might charm using her magic.
Mirabella quickly gathers her things and falls in line behind Logan and the others, ready to follow the soldier.
Logan replied, "Your commander is clearly a busy man. To avoid bothering him over and over, perhaps we should complete an initial survey first so we have an idea of any works that might be necessary. Should only take half an hour, less if you could show us where the older parts of the construction are."
"Aye--makes sense, sir!" Jack chimes in, backing Logan's play. "The place seems to be in better shape than we were led to believe. Half hour sounds about right."
She watched the guard as he left out of the corner of her sight and only slightly muttered once he was far out of earshot...
I should have brought bigger bombs
She continued to let herself be enthralled by the architecture of the fort
Trying to discern anything hidden about the place.
"Well done, Logan. Let's make the most of the time you just bought us. If our meeting with the commander turns ugly, we may need to fight our way out of here. Perhaps we should look closer at the northern part of the keep and the lower levels before we head up, so we don't risk running head first into something nasty." Mirabella whispers.
When the guard was gone, Logan nodded to Miri and suggested, "Let's quickly ahm survey this area before trying the main building."
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Logan doesn't sense anything neither in the stables or the courtyard. Taking a quick look inside the guardhouses, you see two guards around a table in each doing various things to pass the time.
Moving north the doors into the interior of the castle is open and you can see narrow windows on the east side of this long, chilly hall look out over the Menador Gap. The black-and-red Asmodean tapestries that hang on the walls ripple gently in the draft.