The Crucible of Freya (Inactive)

Game Master Grimmy

The view of the dungeon from the back is not very revealing. It's windowless second floor is visible above the curtain wall, but it's featureless exterior provides no clue as top the goings on within.

After a few short minutes the sounds die down. As far as can be told, no source of light has been utilized by whatever has stirred within the donjon.

Before...

Vhillish nods in agreement at the plan;

"Right you are sah. I'll get into position to give us support and eyes from above whot-whot! Permission to engage if I see anything untoward sah?"

The veteran then approaches Sam with his gear stowed and readied, afore attempting the scaling of the watchtower:

"Well Master Dawnbringer I'll see you up there whot?"

DC15 Climb up Watchtower: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

Once atop Vhillish will happily fix the rope and grapple to assist anyone who wishes to join him in sniper-mode

Uptop

Atop the tower, Vhillish settles in, readying his arbalest and maintaining overwatch of the courtyard and terrain below.

At the sound of activity he reaches for this weapon and squints to discern more:

DC24 Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

Cool will wait to see if Sam (or anyone else) has joined me before reacting to the Perception spoiler ;)

Easy now deputy, you jumped the gun a little there mate. We're still in recon mode outside. We're likely not mustering out until near dawn at least. And Jerrid is going to provide us a distraction first. Sorry about the confusion, our plan went through a little revision in the discussion thread.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Damien continues to watch the keep, "Might well be nothing. We know there's at least a few of 'em in residence at the moment. The lack of light suggests they're the cautious type...pity."

Kevezyat murmurs her approval of the plan, then settles down to grab some rest before rising in the middle of the night when her vision would be of most advantage.

Looking up at the keep, she seems to be carved from the darkness itself...

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Vhillish, you'll want to throw a stealth roll as you scale the watchtower, the torch light from the third story windows suggests it has occupants.

When Vhillish reaches the third story he can hear voices inside.

"New cook isn't so bad, for a half-orc."

"No indeed, no indeed. Decent stew."

Let me know if you want to peer in.

Up top:

From the watchtower Vhillish see the activity at the donjon. Six orcs creep out of the squat two story structure into the inner courtyard and begin making their way toward the watchtower. They seem to be carrying unlit torches.

On the rooftop Vhillish sees the pulley system for the cockatrice cage, as well as various pieces of broken masonry collected here for hurling down at assailants on the tower. There is a closed wooden hatch door in the center of the floor.

If Sam follows he has an easier climb check now that Vhillish has brought up a rope.

Stealth: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21

The good serjeant will shoot a look inside if he can...

Presuming Vhillish going up top won't interfere with the plan too much? He'll be in sniper position and provide overwatch to any advances and retreats...?

It looks like the two inside behind the window having the talk about the new cook are humans dressed in leathers. They have the look of bandits.

If we have comms online (cough) Message (cough) - Vhillish will relay the info at an opportune moment

Take 10 should get me there for climb
After scampering up the rope, Sam looks in glee from the top of the tower, making sure he manages a discreet wave to those below.

Using some hand signals or magic messaging, Sam seems to be conveying he wants the cage door to the cockatrice jammed shut or the rope cut.

You'll probably want a stealth check Sam.

How about this, 130ft for message should mean that the rest of us can be stationed just inside the treeline and still communicate.

Damien nods to himself before responding to Sam and Vhillish atop the tower, "Aye, half dozen tuskers in the courtyard? Cut the rope. Whichever side wins, they'll be the worse of it. Keep an eye on the hatch though, don't want to get blindsided. Backup incoming Deputy."

He turns to the others waiting in the trees with him, "Change of plans kids, going for a little climb. You lot coming?"

With a last nod to Kev, Damien breaks from the trees, moving quietly across the 30ft of clearing. Finding the lowered rope, the veteran grabs hold and begins his steady ascent.

Stealth: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
Following Sam's example, I'll take 10 for the easy climb.

stealth: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31

Leoven could cast barkskin on you if you are planning to do something

Oh man, that's great Leo! Excellent plan!

It sounds like we are moving. In that case Jerrid casts expeditious retreat (50ft speed) and mage armour on himself as the rest begin to climb.

The gnome legs it round to the front gate to create a diversion. His feet zip along the bottom of the walls with his body trying to keep up.

Ok so it looks like we have Damien, Vhillish and Samduc atop the watchtower in the southeast corner of the keep, Jerrid at the portcullis in the south.

The bandits in the watchtower are conversing about food still as Damien and Samduc pass the windows to join Vhillish on the tower top. They don't seem to be aware that orcs from the donjon are crossing the inner courtyard.

Where's the rest of the gang, still on the north side by the iron door? Or somewhere within view of the watchtower? And who does Leo barkskin?

I can only assume the group is near the watchtower.

His head appearing over the tower crenelations, Damien slips on the roof of the tower, unslinging the hammer from his back. Moving over to the trapdoor in the roof, Damien stands ready to deal with the bandits if they try to make it upstairs. He nods to Sam and jerks his head in the direction of the cockatrice cage.

Jerrid. With the information we have, loosing the cockatrices on the courtyard should provide us all the distraction we need. You'd be free to join us on the tower if you wanted?"

Kevezyat watches the Damien climb the wall, then turns to Leoven, "Your turn, I will bring climb up last."

From her place in the shadows, she continues to monitor the clearing and the forest...

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

Damien, Vhillish and Samduc see the orcs in the courtyard approaching the watchtower door below. They are gathering their unlit torches into a pile, and one of them is dousing the pile with some kind of liquid. They glance up periodically at the tower crenellations as is expecting some retaliation.

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 13

Vhillish trains his arbalest onto the courtyard orcs and echoes Damien's nod toward Same to cut the cage rope.

Leoven pales when Kev say that to him

I probably will need a couple of aid another for the climb roll

The young cleric look up how high the tower is, he almost feint just by seeing it. Then he close his eyes and stat climbing.

CLimb: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (2) - 2 = 0
Stealth: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (6) + 0 = 6

I probably will need a couple of aid another for the climb roll

Nevermind

Assuming Jerrid hears the plan to free the cockatrix, he stays with the gang.

"They can fly up you know?"

"Doubt it'll be their first priority. Can't imagine those tuskers down there have been the kindest masters..."

Don't forget Leo, you can take 10 like the others did.

Seeing Leoven having problems with the rope, banging against he wall a few time, Kevezyat steps out to steady the rope for him.

Climb, aid another: 1d20 ⇒ 2

However, his movements are to much and her attempts to grab and hold the rope are fruitless.

I can take 10 for an 8, I would need 4 persons to do the aid another, wich could not be posible

It's only DC 5 to climb a rope with a wall to brace against Leo :)

The deep gnome grabs the bottom of the rope under Kevezyat and puts all his weight on it as a damper. Although he can move fast when he gets a chance to climb himself, he can see Leo will be like him.

Climb (aid another): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Jerrid swings backwards and forwards smacking his nose into a brick with a grunt. He lets go and waits his turn

Climb: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20
Stealth: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16

SAS or Navy Seals we aint!

It's only DC 5 to climb a rope with a wall to brace against Leo :)

In that case I take 10

As leoven starts to climb, it is obvious to everyone that he is making a lot of noise and he will surely alert the bandits inside when he tries to pass the windows on the third story.

However, before that can happen, there is a loud roar of flame igniting as the orcs at the foot of the watchtower ignite their piled torches before the door!

Smoke billows up from the courtyard.

Inside the watchtower the bandits shout.

"What was that!? We're under attack! Get to the roof and drop the birds!"

Damien watches the hatch intently, speaking to Sam in a low voice, a smirk on his face, [smaller[b]"You heard the man. Drop the damn things![/ooc]

Readied action to hit the first person to pop their head through the trapdoor.

So Janna, Kev, and Jerrid are on the ground outside the Keep. Leo is just starting to climb the rope. Samduc, Damien and Vhillish are on the top of the tower.

The orcs just started a fire at the door of the watchtower, inside the keep. The bandits in the watchtower are about to burst through the hatch to defend the tower from the roof.

Wow, my last post is a mess. That's what I get for doing it in a hurry :P

And yeah, that's my understanding of our situation.

Well, he missed his chance to get a tree as a pet, maybe after the fight was over, a cockatrice could be his new pet.

Sam opens the cage.

He readies his two daggers and crouches low, ready to give the one who opens the door a surprise thrust.
readied stab attack/damage/precision: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 221d3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 32d6 ⇒ (4, 1) = 5

So you guys drop the birdcage in the courtyard?

Leoven keep climbing, how much rounds does it takes to reach the top?

Yes, Sam drops the birdcage to land in the courtyard. He is concerned that the birds will take the shock if the cage doesn't open.

@Leo: It's about 36 feet, so it would take several rounds once we're on initiative, but Leo can be just below the windows on the third floor now if you want. 8 feet more to climb.

@Sam: Ok, you can't reach it to open it but don't worry, it's already open.

Sam unties the rope and it spools out into the pulley... the birdcage goes careening down rapidly into the courtyard. The three birds nervously bound out of the cage as it careens to the ground. As they land clumsily on the ground and scatter dizzily about, it becomes obvious that their wings have been maimed to keep them from flying away. It looks like the bandits just wait for them to get hungry and crawl back in the cage looking for rats so they can reel the cage back up again after loosing the cockatrices in the courtyard.

As the cockatrices run willy nilly into the courtyard, the orcs having started their fire at the watchtower door turn and high-tail it back towards the donjon. Up on the watchtower roof, the hatch door opens upwards and a bandit's head rises up to behold Samduc and Damien's feat.

"Oi! They're already on the roof!" the bandit exclaims, and moves to draw the hatch closed and descend back down into the tower.

He gurgles blood as Samduc's blade flashes out and cuts his throat.

Surprise Round Go, Damien and Vhillish

So the bandit is dead? or just injured?

Can we see the other bandit through the trapdoor?

Oh, Leo. Did you cast Barkskin before we headed up here? If so, on me or someone else?

The bandit Sam hit looks like he still hangs onto life by a thread, but he slumps back down into the hatch. You can still take your surprise round attacks but after that he's about to crumple back down. You can see that he was coming up a 12 foot simple step ladder leaning at a slight diagonal from the floor to the ceiling hatch, and the other bandit he was conversing with is on the ladder behind him. There is a commotion from somewhere else on the third floor of the watchtower.

The floor plan of the watchtower is 30'x20', divided into 3 simple rooms. The room with the ladder to the trapdoor is 15'x10' in the southwest corner, with a door to the northwest room. There is a longer room with it's own window on the eastern side of the third floor.

Down on the ground the others see the flash of flame from the orcs lighting a fire outside the watchtower door. Through the portcullis, Jerrid sees the birdcage fall and the orcs hastening to back peddle towards the donjon in the north-west corner.

Right, thanks!

Lucern Hammer: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Damage: 1d12 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 4 + 1 = 10

Damien's hammer catches the slumping bandit square in the chin, near turning Sam's cut into a proper decapitation.

"Deputy, harass the tuskers if you please!"

The hammer strike interrupts the bandit's efforts to reclose the hatch. Dead or unconscious, he tumbles down from the ladder in a free fall to the floor inside.

The bandit behind him on the ladder narrowly manages to avoid being pulled down with him as he falls.

Reflex: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21

Holding the rope below, Kevezyat watches as Leo ascends, however inexpertly.

Once he's safely up, she nods to Jerrid, "After you , dark brother.", then sets to arranging her weapons and gear for climbing, all the while keeping an eye out for any sorties from the other entrances...

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Sam leaps through the open hatch to the ground with a nimble acrobatic maneuver.

acrobatics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15
He lands on his feet like a cat absorbing the impact with his entire body as he drops to a crouch. Then he lashes out with his dagger at the bandit at the bottom, uncoiling from his crouch like a deadly snake.
attack/damage/precision?: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 171d3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 42d6 ⇒ (2, 1) = 3
He hisses: "You are my prisoner--yield and live."

Jerrid follows Leo at speed, moving up the rope with her transmuted body. He climbs faster than the priest so gives him time to get to the top.

Climb 20 (see previous post); no stealth now that aggressive negotiations have begun.

Sorry, busy at the moment. I suppose to finish the climbing I spent my actions, if not then I use the remaining action to draw the shield.

Surprise Round:
Damien (attacked the bandit)
Samduc (attacked the bandit)
Vhillish <<<<

Round One:
Samduc (jump down)
Jerrid (climb 30')
Leoven (climb 15')
Kevezyat <<<<
Damien <<<<
Vhillish <<<<
Janna <<<<
Bandits

Leoven and Jerrid both reach the top of the tower.

Sam did you include your encumbrance penalty? You gotta include those in your roles I won't always be able to remember.