Leira breaths relaxed as she observes the ogre does not survive the strike. She climbs down the wall once more "Look at the map, there is this tower marked as K25e. We might be able to climb up from inner stairs into the walls and move all along the southern edge. I think that is our best option, but otherwise, we might be able to go through all this middle area" she points at the eastern doors in the courtyard "and hopefully move all through to approach the moat. We will be on the ground instead of the walls though"
She then approaches to the small door under the stairs at the south of the courtyard and makes sure it is safe.
a good idea anga says. let's try it
She starts moving off.
Aye, sounds as good a place to start as any.
Haskyll takes a few moments with his axe, to remove heads off the ogres and giants that have fallen so far, and bag them up.
Leira does not detect a trap on the door. She does hear talking from behind the door.
" There's some taking ahead, beware" Leira moves away and lets Ulfgard, Ragnir or Kaos open the door while she takes a shooting position behind.
Ragnir moves forward, readying by the door, "Let me ken when ye be openin' this thin'. I've got me a spell ready that'll be protectin' us from tha' lot."
When Kaos opens the door, he sees a set of stairs heading up to his left. This lower portion of the guard tower has a rack with composite longbows and other weapons. Two very ugly Humanoids were arguing about something while returning their bows to the weapons rack. One humanoid is unnaturally thin, with a third vestigial arm. The other is a hulking brute with an oddly deformed head.
Surprise and Round One
They get uglier by the day
Ulfgard would rush in, but as the others are probably faster he takes care no enemy runs off.
As the door opens and the first enemy is spotted, Leira loosens one arrow strengthening it with arcane magic.
She then moves into the room and quickly climbs up the wall ten feet, then shots another arrow at the same enemy in front.
Haskyll moves in and spears at the one that Kaos attacked.
Kaos opens the door.
Surprise Round
Leira fires an arrow at the first humanoid she sees. The arrow embeds into the being.
"Diplomacy is fer diplomats," Ingrahild fights through the despair, takes a step and fires an arrow at the skinny extremely ugly deformed humanoid, that has yet to be engaged. But the arrow bounced off the stone wall behind the creature.
Ragnir brings up a Protection from Evil for everyone.
Kaos moves in and engages the big headed ugly humanoid.
Haskyll follows with spear in hand.
Anga looks on.
Ulfgard guards the door.
Round One
Moving in and spider climbing up the wall, Leira hits Mr. Skinny with a second arrow.
Ingrahild attempts two more arrow shots. The first arrow strikes deep into the skinny one's chest. The ugly falls unconscious as Ingrihild's second arrow misses high.
Ragnir, seeing Mr. Skinny fall, shifts his attack to the big head humanoid, but misses the surprisingly nimble humanoid.
Startled, the remaining humanoid pulls out a wicked hooked weapon and slashes at the big human. The one nearly as tall as himself. The hook cuts into Kaos.
Kaos misses with his counter strikes.
Haskyll sticks the big headed humanoid with his spear.
Anga watches.
Ulfgard guards.
Round Two
Ragnir looks surprised at the nimble ogre(?), and then grumbles "I don' ken why I even keep tryin', it's no use." But despite the gnawing despair, he hefts his axe again and swings at Big Head.
surprise round
anga strikes big head with a force missile
round 2
another one
Moving in with his hammer leading Ulfgard strikes the big headed one.
Earlier in the Surprise Round
Anga hits the big headed humanoid with a Force Missile.
Round Two
Leira acted first in the Round.
Ingrahild fires two arrows through the crowd at the big headed humanoid. But unable to find a spot with others in melee, she misses her target with both shots
With the thin ugly down, Ragnir hefts his axe, steps in, and hacks into Pumkinhead.
Kaos takes a step to the right.
Haskyll stabs at the creature.
But, Ulfgard steps in with Agrimmosh and drops Mr. Pumkinhead.
Both Humanoids lie unconscious on the floor.
"Good job" says Leira. Then, while the others register the bodies and the room she advances herself towards the stairs and checks upwards the way to the upper part of the walls.
Leira reaches the top of the fortified tower. There is no one there. There are two doors to the left and right. Neither one is trapped
Ingrahild's begins to weep for not apparent reason.
Look, there. Ah see a concealed door. Anga moves to the secret door and examines it.
How could I have missed that.
He then goes to make sure the bad guys are good bad guys, and drives his spear into each ones chest to make sure.
The southern guard tower (area K11e) contains a weapons rack holding two composite longbows (+6 Str), alongside a wooden crate containing six quivers of 20 arrows each. Kaos will find on the Humanoids 2 Ogre Hooks and a total of 35gps.
Anga will find a secret door in the stone wall. It appears to pivot in.
Haskyll will finish off the humanoids.
Leira is upstairs.
Ragnir slumps to the ground, shaking his head silently, "What does this all matter? It's pointless...
Snap out of it Ragnir, what are you, a dwarf, or one of those pansy humans.
He then looks at Kaos.
No offence, but right now, you are an honorary dwarf.
Once called by Kaos through the spell, Leira goes downstairs. Observing Ragnir slumping to the ground she approaches him "Came'on, you are my giant dwarf. This is just a small obstacle to overcome" she tries to push the dwarf up softly.
Leira inspects the secret door then slides into the next room and inspects the area behind the door for traps and the room for any secret.
Buck up Ragnir, there are orcs to kill. What ye are feeling is magic, nay you.
Leira sees a heavy layer of dust blanketing the cold flagstones of this cobwebfilled corridor. The corridor is five foot wide.
Immediately, Leira detects a trap. It appears to be a falling portcullis trap.
"Ha, get some decent marbles. This is fun! I just looove to kill orcs!"
Leira makes a halt in her search "Wait a moment. There is a trap here! That portcullis can easily fall over"
The girl prepares her thief's tools and starts working in the mechanism a bit nervously but her hand quickly get sure of themselves.
"This should be done... but let me go fist" and the girl moves through the corridor expecting her quick reflexes to help her in case she failed.
She studies what lays ahead.
Leira is able to determine that there is likely a mechanism on the floor above that would prevent the trap from being activated. She also determines that a spike hammered and wedged against the portcullis and adjacent stones, at the right place, could prevent the heavy iron bars from dropping into place.
Leira takes a spike from his thieve's tools and hammers it into place to avoid the portcullis falling. Not wanting to risk it on a single metal, he places a second one too "Never place all your hopes in a single spike would Erik always tell me"
The trap is effectively disabled.
Leira goes back to the party and after informing she moves to the front and continues past the portcullis.
It is a good thing that it was easier for Leira to notice the wall scythe trap just beyond the portcullis.
Leira works in disabling the scythe.
Then keeps advancing very cautiously.
Haskyll stands at the entrance, and watches Leira.
May the maker watch over you.
Haskyll adds a little protection to the Rogue Arcanist as she negotiate the narrow trap-laden corridor.
Leira was able to disable the wall scythe by releasing the tension on the pressure plate, yet maintaining the tension on the scythe.
Just beyond the trap, Leira detects another secret door on the south wall. Beyond she sees another portcullis trap that had been previously released.
Lot of traps. these orcs are a paranoid lot.