Trying to keep his spirits up in the horizontal rain, Vosil hums an ancient madrigal to himself as he looks at the fort:
"Now is the month of Desnus,
The merry merry month of Desnus,
Fa la la la la la la la la
Fa la la la la la la"
He doesn't sound very merry. Possibly because a madrigal requires between three and six singers in order for the complex harmony truly to be expressed. Or it's because the rain is p!$sing it down - and sideways; he hasn't had a proper bathe in longer than he can remember; and he's still got bits of spider in his beard. Could be either.
"So, we've located the near-mythical Stag Lord's fort; what now? Sound the trumpets and advance? Or regroup for a plan of attack? I favour the latter option, personally." He stretches, with a wince. "If I were offered a Kelesh Bath right now in exchange for my soul, I'd seriously consider the offer..."
There it is! Naralesh's hand snapped to his bow upon spotting the hated bandit encampment. A twinge of remembered pain shot through his head, beneath the eye patch concealing the very first wound he'd received in the Stolen Lands. If not for this band of murderers and parasites, none of this would have happened. Stag Lord, make your peace with your gods... this is personal. Broken out of his thoughts by Vosil's question, he returned to the situation at hand. "Regroup. This damnable rain might have a use just yet - I can hardly think of a better cover for approaching the fort." He looked at the others. "And no mercy offered first this time. I lost an eye the last time we tried to give these animals a chance to talk before coming to blows."
Dregan who as normal is out in front will reign in at the site of the fort, dismount and get everyone else to do the same before motioning them to stay low and come forward.
"Even if we don't attack, dis is perfect wearfer t' scouht around an' look fer an easier way in."
Talia rides towards the castle, her spirits light and buoyed despite the driving rain. Her House had never had a proper castle. Money, sure, and influence, quite a bit. Even some well-appointed townhomes in Restov. All of which is quite lovely to have, of course...
But a castle! That is a status symbol that makes the playwright giddy with possibility. For the safety and security of the surrounding lands, of course, Talia tells herself as she spurs Apple forward, humming to Vosil's madrigal.
Once they get closer, the fact that the castle is merely a fort becoming abundantly clear despite the storm, Talia's temperment comes crashing down to earth, like Apple's hoof into one of this damnable land's many rapidly filling mud puddles.
Tying off her horse, Talia creeps forward towards Dregan, taking in the enemy post. Mostly wood, not stone. A few towers. Heavy wooden gate. All the work of killing these bastards for half the prize.
Still, the fort-not-castle was a significant prize, and the method of claiming it - the killing of the Stag Lord and her or his men - well, that was a sweet prize itself. Payback for her capture, the deaths of her comrades, Naralesh's eye, the following weeks of trudging around in this blasted wilderness, soaked to the bone most of the time and kept awake by Dregan's snoring...
Fort-not-castle or no, the promise of revenge was enough. And it looked as if they were careless.
"They don't pay attention to the hillside!" Talia whispers, her voice rising in excitement.
Magna follows the others, and even if she has waited for a long time for this, the rain and the way to approach make her very uncomfortable.
"Be alert!"
She signals the others to take the Lookout stance.
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"Well spotted, I'll sneak forward 'ave a look around tha base ov tha fort. Have tha 'orses ready in case I get spotted an' 'ave t' run." Dregan says. After a quick survey of the land he sets off towards the tower through the area Talia indicated that was poorly observed.
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The look of disappointment on Vosil's face is plain as he realises what a ruin the castle is in; still, at least a wooden palisade is easier to assault than a stone wall, if it comes to it.
The news that the bandits aren't watching the hillside makes him uneasy.
"Dregan, wait." He grabs ahold of the larger man's elbow, not hard, but securely. "Let's all think. Why aren't they watching the hillside? Either they're utter, utter, morons - which is possible - or they're not watching it because they're not worried about it. Suppose it's trapped? A few dozen bear traps buried in that mud would stall an army: step in one and you'd be held in place until they shoot you down."
He looks at the others. "Never, ever, ever, assume your enemy is a fool. If they aren't watching where they ought to be watching, there's likely to be a reason for it."
Vosil's last ward died in front of him because they got careless; he is not letting that happen again.
"How are we to know why they do what they do unless we look?"
Drawing her sling and loading it, Talia nods to Dregan. "Dregan's our scout. This is what he's here to do. But, if it will make you feel better, I'll go with him. I've snuck out of - and into - a few manors in my day."
Dregan stops and nods to Visit. "You're right. Maybe in better weather it'll be safe. " Then Talia speaks and he nods to her too "Let me go first in case of bear traps."
Crouching low to the ground, Dregan and Talia set out from the treeline, using the driving rain as cover. They reach the first boulder some 50' away from the rest of the group without incident. Moving quickly, they continue in this for some 100', until they are halfway to the fort. Still no activity from the bandits on the walls, and no sign of any traps, bear or otherwise. Dregan leans out from the boulder he is behind to get a better look at the palisade. Talia, hood drawn up to keep out the rain, steps up a little closer to the rock.
Then a desiccated hand bursts from the ground at Talia's feet, grabbing at her ankle!
Maybe it was a noise, maybe the fact she had her head down from the rain, but she manages to yank her leg clear at the last second! Now all around them zombies emerge from the ground, four in all, surging towards the two scouts.
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"Damnit! Magna - we need to move forward now! Everyone else stay back, no sense getting anyone else stuck in this."
Edric knows that he is the best equipped for dealing with these things. He draws his earthbreaker and hurries towards Dregan and Taalia - praying to Desna most devoutly that the bandits have not heard anything and that he can arrive in time...
I just hope they run away, please Desna let them run away!
Talia stifles a scream, cutting it off before barely any sound escapes her throat. "Run!" she hisses, and then the noblewoman turns and does just that, as quick as her legs will carry her.
Dregan quickly appraises the situation. The plan was to run if something happens and Talia was following the plan so he follows her, running for the horses.
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The zombies lurch towards the scrambling Talia and Dregan, but their undead legs can't keep pace. Edric charges down from the woodline, intent on destroying them. The three meet, just as an arrow whistles past Dregan's head. The faint sound of jeers and catcalls can be heard from the fort walls now that the bandits have noticed you and your flight from the zombies. The zombies reach a point some 300' from the walls - just short of your hiding spot - when they stop and sink back into the ground.
As you reach the safety of the woods, you now know why they weren't paying much attention to the hillside...
"I am glad you are ok... are they not chasing us?"
She looks in case the bandits give pursuit.
Striding to Apple, Talia mounts up. "Let's get the hells back to Oleg's and gear up. Then we come back here and put the Stag Lord out of our misery. Once and for all."
"I hope they assume we're just harmless travelers," Naralesh said, already mounted among the trees. "They can think they've frightened us off all they want."
Dregan mounts up quickly and set off at pace back to the trading post.
Vosil says nothing in the immediate aftermath of the zombie attack, giving all a chance to cool off.
After a while, the oppressive nature of the silence gets to him. "I don't go in for I-told-you-so's - I have made bad decisions in the past; I shall make poor decisions in the future. Life is not a game of second-guessing."
He smiles suddenly, white teeth gleaming. "Anyway, it's a good thing you discovered those zombies now, rather than when we're trying to rebuild the castle! That would have been an unpleasant shock for the builders."
"Very well. Re-group at Oleg's, eliminate the bandits, eliminate the zombies, claim the castle."
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Edric pulls up short when Dregan and Taalia flee the zombies. He does too, and retreats swiftly with them, away from the bandit camp. On the way back he remains quiet for some time.
"So, how do we propose to go about dealing with that place? If the bandits get in and out then the main path must be immune. If we want to get in we have limited options. We could go through the front gate or we could try and sneak in some other way. Sneaking is not my forte and, forgive me Lady Magna, I don't expect it will be you strength either. That would leave the front gate and either fighting or bluffing our way in.
I don't know enough about the bandits you've dealt with before but would it be possible to sneak some of us in as bandits - perhaps bringing prisoners or loot as a distraction? If we get in then we could then identify and eliminate the key players without a general melee..."
Edric looks around "I defer to our experts of course but disguise and stealth seem the best ways to avoid unnecessary deaths. Even more so, although I know the Lady Magna will disagree with me on this" He grins widely at this point. "We might do well to explore more widely around the fort, see if any other surprises await us."
"No, I am not subtle either. We had already a plan, using some insignias we recovered to infiltrate the place."
"Sounds good, but they use passwords, and its been a while since we knew their password so it is likely to have changed. We could set up an ambush near the fort and take out a group either going to or from the fort and question them. Maybe the alchemist can even make potions to transform us into to them that would make it easier."
3 Desnus 4707
The return to Oleg's is uneventful, even the weather remains mild. It is late in the evening when you bring Oleg's into view, and the horn sounds from the tower as you near the gate. Three long blasts, the signal of your return.
Despite the hour, Both Asha and Kesten are eager to hear the tales of your explorations, especially what you know of the fort.
"There's been a significant drop in bandit activity, the trapper's report. Almost nothing seen or heard from them in some time. Still, I would think the Stag Lord has been active. It's just not around here."
Asha is most interested in the zombies Talia discovered on the hillside. "The rumors say that the old fort used to be a monastery to Gyronna. And that she took out her wrath on the too-peaceful monks who lived there. I would guess they aren't old wives tales now..."
She pauses in thought.
"Still, ending the Stag Lord is too important to our cause here, and you need an expert. I shall accompany you for the assault."
Magna bows to Asha.
"And we appreciate it. It will help us a lot."
Talia smiles, despite the late hour, at seeing Kesten and Asha. "Of course! Let me get some hot tea, and I'll tell you all about the last many days. Of most import, we found the Stag Lord! Of almost as much import - Kesten, we've almost been done in by trappers twice now. Please let those coming through know that they are to attach a red kerchief or other clear warning to a stick or branch near to any trap that is set."
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Upon hearing the history of the old fort, Talia's demeanor grows quite serious. "A wicked place, then. We'll need you there to put the monks to rest and consecrate the land once we are done. Asha, the bandits have grown complacent with their zombie trap, and do not watch the area. Do you know of a way that we lay the undead monks to rest so that we can use the approach to enter the fort unseen?"
"Oh an' Asha there was an impawtan' quesshun I need t' ask you... Arrr, damn I forgot what i' was." Dregan looks around the others for help then brightens "We found a shrine t' tha Old Fawerst Farfer, 'twas very pret'y an' peaceful."
"We're going to make sure he stops being active - once and for all." Naralesh is grimly confident in his tone, full of determination to put an end to the bandits' predation on the Greenbelt once and for all.
Naralesh makes sure to find the time to ask Oleg about scroll-scribing supplies early on. "Oleg, before our final assault on the Stag Lord, I have quite a few magical scrolls to prepare. I'd like to take a look at parchments, and whatever inks, incense, and herbs you have in stock, to see what I could use for my spells."
"We aren't in any 'urry right? And ge'in' all da supplies people want'll take some time. I'm gon'a go 'ome an' spend a week wiv Mary. Will everyone be ready when I get back?"
"Still, ending the Stag Lord is too important to our cause here, and you need an expert. I shall accompany you for the assault."
Vosil bows low, doffing his hat with a flourish. "Our thanks, O fair and valiant priestess of the Deadeyed God!"
He nods at Kesten's report. "Good to know bandit activity is down. Once the Stag Lord is dealt with, and his den reclaimed, we should be able to drop it further."
With that, he seeks out Oleg & Svetlana. He arranges with Oleg for the tatzlwrym skin to be sent to a tailor in Absalom who has his measurements, to get it made into a cloak; and he gladly pays for Svetlana to have a hot bath made up.
Soaking in the steaming water, he has a long think about many things: if he is to make a future here, he needs to address his past. It is true that he owes his friend Dylan - the man - a great deal, including his life; but what he owes to Dylan - his commanding officer, the Savant-Major - is less clear.
The water is tepid before he comes to a final decision: he will not be reporting back to the Society on his current activities. He cannot be half-hearted in his loyalty to his new companions.
Thus cleansed, beard newly-trimmed & oiled (and de-spidered), he steps out, ready to enjoy a week's civilisation at the fort before they go and root out the Stag Lord.
It is late when Talia finishes her report to Kesten and Asha, but the excitement of story-telling still has her nerves on edge, each recounted tale of near-death keeping her mind churning. Leaving some coin on Oleg's counter, the playwright grabs a bottle of wine and heads up to the top of the southeast tower. There she sits, for a couple of hours, sipping wine from the bottle and looking southward into the darkness.
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The next day, she places and order from Oleg and then retires to her makeshift office to write, making sure to check in on the others from time to time, until they are ready to go south again. She also makes a point to visit with Nat to see how his farming is going, and to check in with the other pardoned bandits, trappers coming and going, and anyone, trying to gauge the mood of those she chats with, and listening for good rumors and - godswilling - any gossip from up north.
Oleg takes the necessary orders, promising they will arrive within the next two days.
Over the next week, the mood around Oleg's is good, maybe better than it's ever been. Kesten has broadened the patrol circle around the area, and Asha has made contact with the various shrines and temples you found. She reports that are indeed, holy sites to Erastil, and that sometime in the future more must be done with them. Nat reports that his farm plot is planted and coming in nicely. In fact, he predicts he should have food to keep everyone at the trading post in fresh fruit and vegetables for the year!
Rumors from around the Greenbelt are mostly benign, no news being good news. There is some grumbling about 'marking traps', and the trappers say they will comply, but you don't have the most confidence that they will do it.
The rumors from the north, on the other hand, are somewhat more concerning. It would seem that the Swordlords in Restov are not content, but more information is not available.
"I can cast a spell to hide you from them, of course. The bigger issue will be dealing with the undead after the fort is captured. Why, I have to ask, do they not attack the fort? Why is it that the bandits can come and go at will, without disturbing them? All questions for later, I suppose."
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Talia shrugs, looking to Asha. You're the expert, she thinks, but keeps her thoughts to herself. "Perhaps they are haunting the site where they were buried? They didn't follow us beyond the hillside either. At any rate, the confined nature of their haunting has left us an avenue of approach. Thank you for your help, Asha - it will be invaluable in the days to come."
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"I can cast a spell to hide you from them, of course. The bigger issue will be dealing with the undead after the fort is captured. Why, I have to ask, do they not attack the fort? Why is it that the bandits can come and go at will, without disturbing them? All questions for later, I suppose."
"I imagine, Lady Asha, that the undead only rise on the hillside - or perhaps only from a certain side of the hill. Either way there must be a recognised way path that the bandits use."
"Just Asha, if you please. I gave up any pretenses and connections to my family when I dedicated my life to Erastil and came out here."
Leaving Apple tied up well into the treeline, Talia crouches and scoots forward onto the hillside . Drawing her sling as she goes, the playwright, normally only nominally religious, finds herself offering a quick supplication to Abadar none-the-less. God of Walls, help us over this one safely and stealthily. These bandits have long done too much damage to Brevoy's southern border. Help us put these enemies to civilization in Pharasma's Book.
Crouching at the wall's base, Talia looks upward, her green eyes searching the night for signs of their discovery. Turning, she looks to her companions and nods. There was nothing to be done now but wait, and hope they made it up and over the wall without discovery...
Magna kneels and starts reciting in a clear low voice, preparing for the battle:
"My fire extinct
My forge decayed
By the side of my bench
My old vice is laid
My anvil and hammer
Lie gathering dust
My powerful bellows
Have lost their thrust
Hearts now cased in steel
To a blacksmith’s prayer I will kneel"
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Vosil's - still unnamed - stallion whickers slightly as Vosil looks at the fort. His expression is unreadable, but the horse has clearly picked up on the excitement (mixed with trepidation) that Vosil feels right now. He absently pats the horse's neck before dismounting and tethering him safely. "Not your sort of fight, this, I'm afraid," he murmurs.
A wry smile at the idea of a horse climbing walls to assault a castle. Then a slight chuckle as he looks around at his companions. "A dwarf, an elf, a kobold, and four humans walk into the Stolen Lands - sounds like the start of a long-winded joke, doesn't it?"
He pauses, letting his light mood fall away. A grim smile. "Let's go and show these bandits what the punchline looks like."
He draws his whip, flexing it. "Shall we?"
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"Desna is with us and we serve her great purpose in this." Edric agrees with a firm nod. "Let us begin."
He tests all his weapons, making sure they sit easily in the various scabbards he carries. Not being able to hold a weapon as he goes over the wall makes him nervous but the familiar routine comforts him somewhat.
"Are you ready, friend Kaalib? I'm right behind you."
Crouched in the shadow of his nemesis's fortress, Naralesh had adopted a mood of cold determination. Mercy was not an option here. These brigands would throw down their arms or be cut down where they stood, and he would ensure as few of them escaped justice as possible. Mirroring his anger, his fox familiar Nora stood atop his shoulder, puffing her chest out bravely and growling softly.
"When you're ready, Kaalib," Naralesh whispered. When the kobold indicated he was prepared, Naralesh produced the scroll they had ordered and whispered its unfamiliar incantation. "Ivikoras inispiri totemak," he said, unleashing the scroll's magic. Its words faded from the parchment just as Kaalib faded from view.
Now, all they had to do was wait.
Magna's faith reminds him and he says a quick prayer for the coming hunt before heading leading the others across the hill side. Once at the base of the fort he whispers "If Kaalib is going to be invisible he should tie off all three ropes and Edric Magna and I should burst on to the roof at the same time."
It's dark, the sliver of a moon barely visible in the clouds that roll across the skies above the Kamelands. The fort is a blocky shadow silhouetted against the night sky as you begin creeping across the open space of the hillside. At each step, you expect a desiccated hand to reach up and grab you, dragging you down to a horrible death.
It is with some sweat and anxiety that you reach the base of the rough wall. Fifteen feet high, and rough on the exterior, it is not a difficult obstacle to scale. From inside, the sounds of men and women in some stage of gambling and drinking can be heard. Clearly the bandits have not gone to bed early this night. Of the men on the towers, only bare glimpses through the cracks in the wall can be seen.
It's now or never...
It was certainly nice to have the backing of at least most of the group as he went forward. He would have liked to repay his debt in a less dangerous way, but this would definitely do the trick. He reached out and patted the paladin on the knee, as it would have to do since he couldn't reach his shoulder. "I won't let you down. We'll be over the wall in no time at all."
With the magics in place, he was able to scramble up the wall with little effort and even less sound. The first rope fell down in short order followed by the next just after Edric started climbing.
Magna starts sweating, thinking in the effort to climb the rope.
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Edric takes one last look across the top of the wall but doesn't see anyone before gripping the rope firmly and hauling himself up. Without the extra support he wouldn't have been able to haul his armour all the way up . As is he makes it to the top but is unable to prevent himself bumping and scraping the palisade repeatedly as he climbs.
Whispering a prayer to Desna that the bandits be deeply into Her realm of dreams he shuffles sideways across the parapet, retrieving his new bow as he does so. Placing an arrow on the string he scans for movement.
Kaalib drops to the ground silently, after dropping a rope over to the outside. To his front, a short wooden stair leads up and right to the small tower on his right. The tower is 20' tall, just over the top of the 15' wall. The tower consists of a wooden platform with a low wall around it and small roof. In front of you stretches a crude stone wall that extends to the right and left. The stair is between you and this wall. There are no openings that you can see in the stone wall.
Kaalib stops a moment to take in his surroundings, when Edric lands on the ground with BANG!, his shield clashing on his armor.
"Eh?" A voice from the tower says in alarm. "Oo's der?" The silhouette of a man appears at the edge of the tower, peering down at you...