As the group moves from the stable area to the main building, Mirabella says quietly. "If there are any halfling slaves or other servants, they likely have an intimate knowledge of most rooms and areas. I can probably gain their confidence and learn what they know. And if you want to find servants, the kitchen is usually the best place to start."
Inside the hallway, she looks around and sniffs to catch the scent of food.
If she does not immediately spot a kitchen or dining area, she pops back out into the courtyard and ask the nearest soldier "Excuse me, good sir, but my master requires refreshments after our long journey. Could you direct me to the kitchen, please?", making sure to keep her eyes down and her tone and posture subservient.
"Good thinking," Jack whispers to Mirabella. He's starting to worry that the group might fail to find the secret area they're seeking. Toward that end, he keeps "inspecting" (i.e. - searching for secret doors) as the party proceeds deeper into the keep.
still very much in charector she inspected walls... corners. the arrow slit all with a frowning gaze. In the guardhouse area she doubled down on her scowl.. particular at the guardsman playing cards.
She licked her thumb and held it up trying to discern if the ripple of the flags fit with what should be the correct breeze.
Mirabella returns to the group and tells them what the guard said.
"Do we go straight up to the kitchen or spend a bit more time poking around down here?" she asks quietly.
"Let's try the kitchen. The faster we can get some orienting information the quicker we can get what we need and get out."
Mirabella nods and follows the directions to the kitchen.
Logan nodded and followed after. To keep up appearances he said, "We should inspect the brick work in the kitchens and adjacent areas to see if there are any defects that must be rectified."
Logan corners the poor sap, his condescending and demanding demeanor requiring instant obedience! "Oi You! Yes you! Come here and make yourself useful. We are part of an official inspection into the brickwork and foundations of this here fortification. The brass says everything's fine, but we need to find out if that's really true, if it came to a siege everyone's lives could depend upon it!"
His eyes bored into them as he demanded, "Have you seen any old or substandard brickwork anywhere, or are there any places nobody really visits? If so lead us to it at once!"
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This kitchen has a small table for preparing food, a basin for holding water, and several bins containing utensils and plates. Curiously, there are no food supplies or even a stove in evidence. Inside you find a single servant, a human by the looks except for the eyes which seems to sparkle with strange light. He looks morose and doesn't really seem interrested in talking with Logan. "Hmph another noble brat coming to demand attention. This whole place is more of old masonwork so you can take your pick of bad repair jobs around the keep."
Jack takes note of the abundance of space in the kitchen and wonders if the lack of usual clutter might indicate the presence of a secret door in one of the walls. He silently begins his 'inspection.'
Mirabella moves past Logan into the kitchen and smiles warmly at the man.
"Oh, he's not so bad once you get to know him. He's just hungry from our long journey and that makes him a bit cranky. Why don't you carry on with your inspection, my Lord, and I'll help this fine fellow prepare some food and refreshments for us all?" she says, aware that she is displaying a far more casual tone towards her supposed master than is usual for a halfling slave.
Looking around the half-empty kitchen, she adds. "If there's any food to be had, that is. I've never seen a kitchen this bare. But surely you must have some way of keeping all these soldiers fed..."
She extends a small, delicate hand.
"I'm Bella. Pleased to meet you. And who might you be?"
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Jack doesn't perceive any kind of secret door.
The man seems hesitant but Mirebella's words win him over eventually and he takes her hand. "Names Zorumar, a janni bound to serve Lucian Thrune. There isn't any food here, everything here is conjured up with my create food and water magic. Not by my own choice mind you, just the commanders order."
Zorumar's true nature takes Mirabella by surprise.
"A Janni? You don't say. I would expect halfling slaves, human servants or perhaps a bound devil working the kitchen in a Cheliaxian military fort, but not one of the genie-kin. How did you come to serve Lucian Thrune, if you don't mind me asking? You don't sound too happy about it." Mirabella asks while searching her memory for knowledge about Janni.
Logan was rather taken aback by a bound Jani and he added, "This does sound rather unfortunate... You never know we might be able to help."
She frowned looking at the janni and tilting her head.
"conjured food and drink. Means he probably paranoid about food getting spoiled or poisoned."
She added helpfully.. inside she was sort of panicking. He smile seemed frozen on her face.
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Logan barely remembers anything about the Janni, but they are made of all the four elements which means they spent most of their life on the material plane and the are generally on good terms with the Djinn and Shaitans.
Zorumar snorts. "It wasn't my choice I was forcefully bound to Lucian Thrune througth a ritual untill his dying breath. I have to stay within a certain distance of him, and I can't leave that whillingly."
”That certainly sounds unplesant. But then again, it is a dangerous time to be a military commander in her Infernal Majestrix’s service, with all the rebellious activity going on. In fact, that is why my Master and his associates are so interested in the stonework. We have been sent from Kintargo to investigate reports of an imminent rebel infiltration into this stronghold. Apparently, there should be some secret passages dating back to the keep’s dwarven origin. Have you seen any signs of such hidden doors during your time here?”
”We will do what we can on your behalf when we meet the commander. Where can we find him? And are there other residents of the keep we should know about?”
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"Lucian's office is at the other end of this floor, you can get that by taking the door just down the end of the corner right outside here and walk all the way around the battlement to find another door leading into a hallway with 3 doors. The first door on the right from that side would be his office. You could also go through the guard quarters by taking the next door in the hallway right outside to get to Lucian. Mostly there is human soldiers here and a few devils, along with the commanders pet wyvern." He informs Mirabella.
"Devils...well that figures, hard to find a military stronghold in Cheliax without one of those. Do you happen to know what kind?"
Jack, who's been surreptitiously listening in on the conversation, wracks his brain to see if he can identify the creature in question.
"I think we should take the long way around the Battlements..." suggested Logan.
She bent low to get closer to mirabella's ear.
"Its go time yes? we are killing this jerkface yeah?"
Mirabella shoots a careful glance at Zorumar, conscious that the terms of his binding might force him to react to any direct threats against Thrune. She jabs Canacha to keep her quiet and follows Logan out of the room.
Then she nods and replies just as quietly. "I do believe it is. If we can cut the head off the snake and get our new friend here to show us the secret passage, we can hopefully bring this whole fortress down before neither soldiers or devils suspect a thing."
She frowns at jack for a moment something was dodgy about what he said.... She then shrugged it off. he was sucha a cootie patootie and all hers it didnt matter if he was being.... opaque. it was cute. She began to reload her weapons with those trusty cold iron bullets....
"Going straight for the head is bold, but we will go in at full strength. If we can do anything to surreptitiously lock doors behind us or otherwise block reinforcements, someone slight of hand may want to try that."
"Between me and her , I think we can manage that."
Do it. If anyone comes along, I’ll use my magic to charm them. Now, once we get to the commander’s office, do we try to talk to him forst or just go in with drawn weapons? It may be best to make sure he’s alone, but on the other hand a surprise attack could give us an extra advantage.”
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As he walked towards the Battlements Logan suggested, "I think perhaps our little ruse has mostly run its course. I say we go in hard, and fast and we take him out."
She double checked her rifle... It was loaded. She made sure her pistol was ready too. finally she touched hte bright shiny rapier on his hip. She was as ready as she could be.
"Lets do this Death to a Thrune!"
Mirabella nods grimly and pauses for a moment to make sure she has all her gear out and ready, abandoning the pretense of being a slave.
Once they reach the door to the commander’s office, she signals the others to wait until she can use her magic to check beyond the door.
While Mirabella does her thing, Jack checks the door for traps.
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This open rooftop is surrounded by a low crenellation that provides cover to ranged attackers against foes on the ground below in areas. A pair of heavy ballistae are kept here along with a half-dozen bolts each; the ballistae look out over the areas just outside the gates respectively, and are mounted on ingenious turrets that allow them to fire down into those areas, or to rotate and fire down into the courtyard. There are six guards standing her in crews of three by each billistae.
Before going in, Logan casts several defensive spells to help with what is likely to be a gruelling fight. His first spell made a swarm of Logan's appear to dart around him and his second conjured a wedge of force that
moved this way and that, trying to intercept any potential threat.
As the group moves along the battlement, Mirabella makes sure to cover up her weapons and armor with her cloak.
If none of the guards take notice, the group moves to the door on the far side and enters.