The northerner stalls, snowback creaking beneath the weight of the two.
"Yes, it would be better to warm him up. Otherwise I guess he's nothing more than a burden." Keeping the man wrapped in the furs, he lays him on the ground beside Hassan's fire. He uncovers the side of him closest to the fire, but uses the rest as a blanket beside the man to catch more of the heat.
"I don't suppose anyone knows a good song while we wait?"
The party waits for two hours by the campfire until Doclyn finally rouses.
Everyone heals 2 HP of nonlethal damage.
Doclyn wakes up and begins tugging at his restraints.
24 Hours and no posts from players. Are you guys waiting on something from me?
The strix walks over to the prisoner, unsheathing his longsword.
"You've already lost to us once. And you had friends. Don't try anything or you'll end up dead."
What is waiting for us in the road ahead and how far are we from your camp?
Kirraak walks over the campsite searching if anyone is observing the party.
After some time, he walks back again to the prisoner.
Let me try something else.
"I think your best bet is to help us. You see, we are not a cruel bunch. Tell us what to expect and maybe we can set you free once all is over. Certainly I'll not permit if you help us, you to be murdered in this cold forest. You deserve better than that."
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After a time warming by the fire, Hassan knows it's time to press on. He douses and covers the fire with nearby snow piles, and prepares to break camp while the others question the newly-conscious captive.
"We should continue moving while daylight lasts. We don't want to be caught outside of camp in the dark in this weather."
Upon seeing bared steel Doclyn immediately goes still
Ah. Sorry. Was just getting comfortable ya know. He raises himself to a seated position and says Damned cold out here, t'aint nat'rel
To the weird raven faced being Doclyn says Well that is mighty generous of you.
To the blue skinned woman he says We ain't much more than an hour from camp. He stops and says I don't recommend you people going there in your state, they'll be lookin for me since we didn't check back in.
One hour? ok lets find someplace way off the road to make camp and rest before we assault it tomorrow
They are a bit over 20 of them and my magic is all but spent, just to let you know.
"Lady, how do you know their numbers?" ask Kirraak
Could it be she is one of them? To know their numbers? But she is the one keeping us alive! It does not make any sense!
Because i remember what he said when we interrogated him she says pointing at the prisoner.
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"If the camp is but an hour away, perhaps we can do a reconnaissance first and determine their number and defenses. I do not fully trust this braggart about their strength or ability."
"If they are weaker than expected, perhaps we assault them tonight, if more formidable we can wait till the morning. The prisoner mentioned traps as well, so we should be on the look out for those. However, a pitched battle without any healing back up, is not wise."
Hassan proceeds to question the captive about the position of the camp, and any possible trap defenses. (are they fortified or open, how many on guard at a time, what and where are the traps mentioned, etc).
Doclyn answers Hassan's questions Well, our camp is a nice lil place, was used by some Sentinels or something afore they was evicted. It' got a second floor and everything! Traps, just know about the pans is all, got some pans fixed to a wire, makes a helluva jangle if you don't bypass it. Guards, hell. Doclyn laughs a little You think we stand out in this weather!? Can't see nuthin anyways in this snow.
Sven rests a large hand on Hassan's shoulder. "You are eager to remove these men, no? I like that!" He smiles broadly beneath his long fiery beard. "But after the day we've had, perhaps some warm drink would do us good. I am fine with someone scouting if they wish to confirm this man's tale."
He then turns to the prisoner, with an eyebrow raised and scratching his beard. "And if they are expecting you, how might we use that to our advantage? I'm assuming you'd be ok with dooming the rest of them, if it saved your own life, no?"
Doclyn stays silent while the large man speaks, you can tell he is slightly terrified of Sven.
When? Is she lying to me? Maybe she is confunsing my mind with her withcraft. She and that big one. I need to be careful with then.
"Comes the darkness, I can scout ahead. I do not need light to see. Moreover, flying I would be able to run from then if they are in the snow. I am only afraid of the others dangers. Like those ice monsters and the little ones. But if you think it's necessary I'll go."
Well if you want you can go scout ahead until you think you should come back. I see no problems with that.
Kirraak waits until dusk and follows the trail heading Southwest.
Kirraak is planning to walk while scouting. Only if things get dangerous he will fly. (He is not good at it.)
In addition, I do not know if in game this matters but he will mark the trees, to help him get back if he needs.
+1 if following tracks.
(If needed)
The rest of the party will rest the night? Who has the best Survival skill modifier?
Walking into the front door is never a good option.
Being careful to not walk into any trap, as their captive said, from where he is, Kirraak will move north and try to circle the threes in order to get the view from the other side of the camp, near the bridge, without passing near the buildings.
Once there, he will look and see if there is anything worth mentioning. After seeing the place, Kirraak will return to his teammate’s camp and report the news.
really hoping the marks in the threes will give me some bonus here.
After seeing the place, the Strix will return to his camp and report what he found.
Kirraak arrives back at camp and the party rests for the night.
Sven wakes the next morning feeling stiff and sore taking nonlethal.
”I need to be careful with this.”
I have found their camp. No lookout in the night as far as I can see. It is a large roughhewn log cabin with two floors and a couple of outbuildings. The Wood flanks it on all sides but the rear of the cabin is flanked by a chasm spanned by a rope bridge. I could not notice any activity other than faint light from inside the cabin. There is a stable, which sounds like there might be horses inside. Kirraak will look at the prisoner and says ”I agree with him in the part of no lookout, but I think the traps were just to scare us. And I could not confirm how many were inside. It’s big, could have lot more than only twenty.”
He will be fine just a long night and little sleep for him as he worried about all of us she says gently touching his cheeks
After climbing at least a hundred feet into the hills, the snowy trail finally levels off. In a clearing among the trees, a
large wooden lodge overlooks a ravine spanned by a long rope bridge. Smoke rises from the lodge's two snow-covered chimneys, and large wood pile is stacked against the outer wall. A small outbuilding stands east of the lodge, and a stone well nearly blanketed by snow is barely recognizable to the north. Several tracks lead southwest toward a detached stable.
Sven can feel the cold penetrating deep into his tissue. He no longer feels his nose or ears at all and feels sapped of his strength as he awakes. He tries to stretch and warm himself with activity, but it's clear that the night has taken its toll on him.
"Friend! You look like a frozen steak! Are you all right?"
The northerner laughs loudly, though it is an uncomfortable laugh. "I make jokes about the cold here, but today it seems much stronger. Or I am growing weaker." The last comment seems to worry him a little. He scoops up a handful of snow and begins to rub it in his beard and over his cheeks. "Perhaps I have been away too long. The struggle is good, I think."
I don’t know why I did not noticed this last night…
”This once was a place where The High Sentinels stayed. They were a ranger group that operated out of the Border Wood area. Their original mission was to guard against Quadiran aggression in the Border Wood. Lack of hostility with Quadira led to a general loss of experience in the rangers. Their ranks were filled with citizens of Heldren and surrounding towns… I would not kill innocents if we were able to avoid. Let me talk to them first. Maybe I can convince then to help us instead.” says the strix.
"I think these are different men." Sven states, holding out a hand to stop Kirraak from pursuing parlay. "Perhaps we can ambush one here should he come out to relieve himself or restock the fire. I'm not sure I like the idea of rushing in and slaying whoever is inside. It sounds fun, but it seems the work of bandits, which I did not sign up for."
interesting Kiraaak, to me all those currently inside this lodge are or turned bandits. Didn't our prisoner said it? Those men inside killed the lady's guard, kidnapped her and are allied with one of the Cold fey touched. I think your pretty words will fall on deaf ears. she says smiling
Doclyn says to Gauthier I think the Lady is still here. Rokhar wasn't too keen about keeping her but Izoze said he had to.
"And if you were returning on your own just now, or with the other two, how would you enter?" Sven asks Doclyn, with an eyebrow raised, "Through the front door? Would you say something? Surely you'd rather live than help them, no?"
Doclyn says I'd march up to the door and knock, but I'd avoid the trap at the trailhead. Those pans make alot of noise and they are a pain to string back together. Then I'd tell em, "Let me the hell in cuz its cold as Kosatchie's crotch out here" he chuckles at his own rough humor.
"Then that is what we do." Sven says with a grin. "Do any of you sound more like him than I do? We'll watch for those pans, someone knocks and makes joke about Kosatchie's crotch, and we bust in when they come to the door." He pauses for a moment. "But we should be careful about killing them, and cautious of the Lady. Would anyone also care to watch the back, in case some of them try to run?"
I disagree with the last part of the plan Sven if there 20 or more our only chance is to kill them fast and hard in small groups. Don't take any unnecessary risque. I bet the hostage if near the boss'es room and if things turn sour for him he will try to bargain his life against her release. Fight Smart, Fight defensively if you think you are better skilled then them, don't charge etc. This little merry band has some healing power but don't think for one second that it is endless. She says casting a Mage Armor on herself just before the group of about to knock on the door.
Sven narrows his eyes, weighing Merisiel's words. "We will try this 'smart fighting' thing, and see then if it works." A slight smirk crosses his face, making it questionable whether his confusion is genuine or not. He then removes the furs that he had given Doclyn to stay warm in and instead wraps them around his own shoulders and head--trying to crouch a little lower so that he looks more the man's height.
"Open the door to hell! Because of something about Kosatchie's crotch." He practices, attempting to mimic Doclyn's voice. "Haha, I kid. It'll be fine."
Sven walks ahead of the group, but stops at the trailhead hoping to see this trap of pots and pans that they were warned of.
When the party get to the trailheard, Kirraak will search the place in details, to find the mentioned trap.
If he finds the trap, he will try yo disarm it.