Without thinking, Amari sends two more arrows against the small target before he can get behind cover again.
Amari's third shaft draws a yelp of pain and a small curse in some language you don't recognize.
Zed: -9
The commander introduces Zaza to Emir, the man who lost his keys. "She is here to inspect and investigate. We of course will cooperate with all of her questions and orders." Emir bows respectfully in greeting. Before you stands a junior officer without a single hair out of place, his uniform perfectly arranged with wrinkle, not a speck of dust upon him, and his weapon clearly well cared-for.
The officer blushes deeply but maintains his perfect posture. "Ma'am, I had the keys on my person early this morning but could not find them a few hours ago. Of course I filed a report immediately. I cannot think how I could have possibly lost them..."
Lo'Laan and Serenity stalk into the room ready for battle.
<We can try a catch but those guys are tough and we are under strength, so it might be difficult.>
The dark figure ducks behind the desk. You don't hear or see anything else.
The officer replies "I suppose the most likely moment would have been when I was inspecting the lock to the office, ma'am. I inspect it every morning for signs of tampering. Ironic. I remember having my keys before the inspection then I went to check guard rotations and it was during that inspection when I noticed my keys were missing..." He blushes deeply again at having committed such an error.
Amari leaves his high position and rushes through the room, to close the circle quickly.
On his way, he passes Agaban and whispers: "Small. Caster."
If he sees the small one after cornering the desk, he will get into kick distance.
Amari doesn't notice the small figure anywhere behind the desk.
<Gone! Block the door!>
Lo'Laan gives a command to his companion and awaits for some sign of the dark figure.
Serenity moves around the desk to attack the humanoid hidden under it.
The officer nods. "Yes ma'am. I mean headquarters." He defers to the commander for the follow-up questions. "The gate is the only conventional way in and out of the fort. I suppose one could climb the wall or let oneself down over it. Of course, ma'am. A careful watch will be set." He confers with his officers about setting such a watch. The wall is 20 ft tall and made of stone but it's certainly not perfectly smooth.
Lo'Laan awaits for the figure to show itself before attacking.
Even aided by Agaban, Serenity can't manage to land a blow. Frustrated at being found, the small assailant steps out from under the desk and strikes twice at Serenity.
Though Serenity isn't surprised whatsoever, she is still struck hard on the jugular twice, leaving her dazed and nearly unconscious (13 non-lethal) as the small figure strikes her twice with small blunt weapons.
Amari quickly steps around the chair and throws himself against the smaller opponent, trying to tackle him to the ground!
Amari can't quite get a hold of the small attacker as they duck under his grasping arms!
Lo'Laan moves to flank the small figure as they continue their coordinated assault.
Serenity trips the foe with her bite, allowing her to land follow up attacks with her claws. Lo'laan then moves into position and the tough half-orc brings his weapon down on the operative with a crash. The dark figure staggers for a moment then slumps to the floor, unconscious. You pull of the mask to reveal a young adult male goblin.
A belt.
A small bag that somehow has 4 bear traps in it, a 10 ft pole, 4 waterskins, nice-looking thieves' tools, and 10 days rations.
A shiny metal shirt.
2 saps that look nice.
Keys to the office.
Amari will search the man (?) really carefully and removes anything that even remotely looks like it might be a weapon, anything with a sharp edge, which might be magical, containing poison or looks suspicious before tying the little fellow up with lots of rope.
<Someone check the safe.
Agaban, can you wake one of the guards?
We could need a runner to the Commander and Zatinya.
They need to know what has happened here.>
Amari finds one small blade tied into the goblin's hair.
Grinning inwardly, Amari cuts the braid containing the blade and stows it in his small pack.
Shadow scouts and assassins are trained and equipped in similar manner as this goblin.
He ought to have something like that on his body, in the hope that it would go unnoticed and would allow him to escape imprisonment.
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Make sure you have him bound tight think it may just be easier to channel a little energy to try to heal both guards and Serenity but haven't figured out how to limit who it impacts.
Taking a step towards the center of the room, he chants a brief mantra before raising his holy symbol and blasting out a wave of energy.
After waiting a second.
Well done everyone glad we were able to catch him but now the hard part of getting a hardened spy to talk...Amari wasn't this guy traveling with a companion and/or bird...do we think there is another in the fort or watching from above?
One of the guards gets up, bewildered at suddenly coming to consciousness. But he thanks you and goes to get the commander and Zaza when you ask. They soon arrive at the scene with a pair of other guards.
The commander of the fort looks to you deferentially "Ma'am, you have more experience in these matters than I do, but I fear it will take some time to get answers from one such as this. And in that time, the other could escape. What can you tell me of this other?" He looks very concerned at the presence of not one but two Taldane spies in his fort all of a sudden! This was not what he expected on parade day.
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Hearing Zaza talking about a gnome, Agaban looks uncertainly around.
<Is there a gnome here???>
Not seeing anything forthcoming he turns back to Zaza.
Also, Zaza do you think you can detect any residual magic since we know they used a spell at the last fort but I didn't see anything being cast when we came through the door or during the fight.
The bag and the belt detect as magical, as does the captain's armor and the lock on the safe.
You don't know what the bag is besides that it seems to hold more than it should and has an aura of moderate conjuration. The belt grants its wearer increased dexterity (+2). The armor is +1 and all you know is that the lock has moderate abjuration on it.
The commander looks at all of you. "We didn't see anyone matching that description. What should we do now? I fear a general order that alerts the fort will only send a professional such as this running very far and very fast."
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Appearing even more confused Agaban goes to the guard Zaza just woke and takes the time to look him over and will check the other guard if/when he returned with the commander.
Normal sized gnomes...is there another species that was common where Zaza is from that has them regular size...guess it doesnt matter.
Turning briefly to sign towards the group.
<Zaza did you get any more information on the recruit/soldier that returned early from leave/training...and is he in here when you casted Detect Magic...wondering if there could be an illusion on him to either scout or help our friend here enter the fort.>
Pausing after this he then seems to think a little harder.
<Zaza do you think we should separate you from here before we wake our friend so he isnt able to identify the whole group...doubt it would matter since we haven't located his accomplice but cant change that fact.>
Taking a moment after looking over the wounded. He then takes the armor and looks it over with something catching his eye.
The guards look ok. They were knocked out with saps but it didn't do any lasting harm. They have serious leg aches, however, from getting sap-sneak-attacked in the femoral nerve. Who knew that would knock a person out?!
The armor looks nice but Agaban doesn't have a lot to say about it.
Zaza indeed finds Emir's keys on the goblin. The commander then heads to the wall with her to speak with Alni.
The commander heads to the wall with you where you see several guards keeping watch. He points out Alni and you cast detect magic. Immediately, you detect illusion magic on Alni but simultaneously, he silently transforms into a leopard and lashes out at the shocked guards around him.
The leopard blinks its eyes rapidly and growls at Zaza, shaking her light from its eyes. It lashes out at her and the nearby guards with tooth and claw.
It kills one guard with a blow from its paw and leaves a second nearly dead. Its jaws latch onto Zaza (9 dam) and grab her. Fortunately for the flame dancer, meat isn't on the great cat's mind. He immediately releases her and dashes toward and up the ladder, nearly reaching the wall already. The soldier stabs wildly at the beast but loss of blood leaves him too off balance to land a blow on the fast cat.
The captain rallies his men while drawing a longbow. "You heard her. Get it!" He fires while two of his men move into longspear range and two others hurl javelins. Another guard comes running up from along the battlement, drawn by the commotion. Thanks to Zaza's leadership, four telling blows are landed. The creature snarls in pain as its hide is pierced repeatedly but it seems focused on climbing the ladder the rest of the way up onto the palisdade.
Zaza's ideas are good ones but they don't pan out. Her whip snakes around one leg but the leopard's three free legs were more than enough to pull away. The bard then throws herself into the ladder but can't bring it down. The leopard snarls back, almost with a grin, and leaps easily over the rampart onto the ground on the other side and hits the ground running, taking off across the sand but leaving no tracks. Some men run up onto the ramparts and begin drawing their bows. The commander rushes up behind them. But the leopard is gaining distance quickly and will soon be out of range.