Pondering about the mission, Claeledar elaborates on the tasks.
"So, first establish a semi-permanent base a good distance away from the fledgling kingdom. From there, we can conduct our counter operations of guerilla tactics, spying, sabotage, assassination, revolution, and other deed to destabilize the human kingdom. In addition, we clear out as much of the evil presence in the River Kingdoms as possible. Am I missing anything?"
Without skipping a beat, I add in to the open discussion.
"Yeah, don't get killed in the process."
facepalm
I use a nearby creek to fill everyone's waterskins and purified them. Having completed that, I munch down a portion of rations, taking the supply down to 8 days remaining.
0-level spells:
Create Water
Guidiance
Purify Food & Drink
Read Magic
Mage Hand (W)
Message (W)
Open/Close (W)
1st level spells:
Cure Light Wounds (F)
Gravity Bow (F)
True Strike (F)
Vanish (F)
Bless Water
Detect Chaos/Evil
Hide From Undead
Protection from Evil
Sanctuary
Feather Fall (W)
Shield (W)
Entangle (Jungle domain)
2nd level spells:
Cure Moderate Wounds
Find traps
Cat's Grace (W)
Barkskin (Jungle domain)
I too, eat my day's supply of Elven trail rations. Attune to Good domain for the day. Spells are:
0-level:
Guidance
Mending
Resistance
Stabilize
1st level:
Cure Light Wounds (F)
Gravity Bow (F)
True Strike (F)
Vanish (F)
Bless
Diagnose Disease
Know the Enemy
Remove Fear
Remove Sickness
Protection from Evil (domain)
2nd-level:
Burst of Radiance
Remove Paralysis
Align Weapon (domain)
"Claeledar is correct in our agendas," I nod towards the Bladesinger. "Just remember that we don't have to kill everything we see. Reports indicate there is a fair amount of fey here. They don't like intruders. Plus, there are other creatures here that may be of use to us, should we handle diplomacy smoothly."
Spells for today are the following:
0-level:
Acid Splash
Detect Magic
Flare
Message
Open/Close
Ray of Frost
Resistance
1st-level:
Cure Light Wounds (F)
Endure Elements (F)
Gravity Bow (F)
True Strike (F)
Expeditious Retreat
Feather Fall
Grease
Identify
Jump
Magic Missile
Protection from Evil
Shield *
2nd-level:
Cat's Grace *
Create Pit
Darkness
Flaming Sphere
Web
Spells prepared for today are the following:
o-level:
Detect Magic
Guidance
Mending
Stabilize
Mage Hand (W)
Message (W)
Open/Close (W)
1st-level:
Cure Light Wounds (F)
Gravity Bow (F)
True Strike (F)
Vanish (F)
Entangle
Hide from Animals
Read Weather
Speak with Animals
Whispering Lore
Grease (W)
Shield (W)
Magic Stone (Earth)
Glide (Jungle)
2nd-level:
Barkskin
Defoliate
Scorching Ray (W)
Soften Earth and Stone (Earth)
Tar Ball (Jungle)
My spells prepared to kick ass are:
0-level:
Detect Magic
Detect Poison
Spark
Disrupt Undead
Message
Scrivener's Chant
1st-level:
Cure Light Wounds
Endure Elements
Gravity Bow
True Strike
Blurred Movement
Damp Powder
Feather Fall
Grease
Magic Missile
Protection from Evil
Shield
2nd-level:
Daze Monster
Fox's Cunning
Spider Climb
{i]Wondering if we are going to kill a bunch of harmless animals again.[/i]
"Let's find this base sometime soon. I'm in need of a hot bath that doesn't smell like skunk!"
0-level:
Detect Magic
Detect Poison
Flare
Disrupt Undead
Message
Light
Mage Hand
Read Magic
1st-level:
Gravity Bow
True Strike
Cure Light Wounds
Endure Elements
Charm Person
Floating Disk
Grease
Hold Portal
Identify
Shield (Intuitive)
Sleep
Summon Monster I
2nd-level:
Darkness
Cat's Grace (Intuitive)
Owl's Wisdom
Spider Climb
Summon Monster II
Revealing the exhausting list of spells by the squad, I feel content.
"Good, we have a wide variety of spells prepared for the unknown. If we keep to the trees, we should be able to cover more ground and spot the abandoned tower easier. Unfortunately, we have no intel on what to expect, but this is where our training and teamwork will pay off." Suddenly, a thought comes to mind...
"Fiavia, trade out the charm spell for Feather Fall. There is a chance YOU might fall on your head," I warn her with no touch of humor in neither my voice or facial expressions.
"Good choice. I'm rather fragile in my girly figure anyway."
DONE.
With everyone prepared and ready, we begin tree hopping south by southwest. Team intervals of 15 feet apart when possible. Column formation. Myself in the lead, Daelynn second, Claeledar third, Kethelis fourth, Fiavia fifth, and Amual in the rear.
The squad is making good ground, as the trees are well woven together without the need for making acrobatics checks. The weather seems unusually warm for even this time of year from your research on the area. The undergrowth is sparce to medium dense despite the lack of real foliage due to the seasons, but your LOS is good. Travel in the trees and LOS is much improved.
In four hours, you come across a slow-moving river that is flowing eastward. Width is about 80-feet and is lined up on both banks with swamps that vary in width. The trees are equally close here in both directions, but crossing the river by tree is not possible unless you feel confident in your jumping abilities.
I give a hand signal for the squad to turn right (west) 90-degrees and continue to follow my lead. Continuing to move normal treetop speed (40 feet per round).
ROLL PERCEPTION!!! EVERYONE!!!
Ok, that's good enough. All of you spot an artificial structure about 150 feet away to your 1 O'clock bearing. You also spot tracks just below you.
I come to a halt, and signal the squad to form a line formation in the trees best they can facing the structure.
"Is this it?"
"I think so, now everyone be silent and stealthy, let's observe the immediate area for about 10 minutes or so."
From this distance, the structure looks like a circular keep surrounded by very large trees that appear taller than most from what you have encountered thus far in the Narlmarches. You can make out a large central tower surrounded by at least two smaller towers and a wall. It looks very abandoned and ruined, but mostly intact. Vines and moss covers the walls everywhere. There appears to be an archway facing you, the doors are no longer present. There also appears to be a very large opening to the south side of the barrier. You do not hear any noise, see any lights or movement inside nor outside. It's very quiet here. Something does not "feel" right here.
The tracks below you are very strange. They appear human sized, but that's about what you can determine thus far.
I slowly climb down to the lowest branch that can support my weight to examine the tracks closer. I look to see if I can identify them and what's going on with the tracks (what's the story).
I will assist Amual.
@Amual:
You notice that the tracks are very recent, from only a few hours ago at most. They lead southward. Appears to be a single creature type of medium size. There are different tracks though. Fresh tracks lead to the east, while older tracks from what you perceive as a day old go back and forth. From your experience, the tracks are from a creature that wears leaves for footwear and is unnatural. The older tracks returning from the east look deeper into the ground than before. From your knowledge, it's either a magical two-legged beast or some sort of abnormal creature. Possibly fey. There's also something else, it looks like the faint path traveled was poorly swept in an attempt to cover the tracks.
@Daelynn:
You see tracks that crisscross from east to west in multiple trips. Seems like only one single creature is traveling to and from the structure from east to west and back. The tracks are clearly not anything normal to the land and is not human, elven, dwarven, or any of the subhuman types. The scrapes along the rarely used path indicates that something big was dragged back to the towers from the east.
After examining the tracks with an equal intent as my Sylvan colleague, I keep a look out.
"Amual, whomever came across here recently, they dragged something back. Maybe a hunt?
"That or a victim was bagged, now that you mention it," I respond without taking my eyes off of the ground. "The traveler is some sort of two-legged creature, not human or human type. I'm getting some bad vibes with this place, has to be with whatever resides here."
"What have you found out about the tracks?"
"We have concluded through some not-so-serious brainstorming, that the tracks belong to something medium sized but humanoid. Yesterday, it appears to have dragged something, either a hunt or a victim. This trail has been used often by the same creature."
Continuing to keep eyes on the towers, looking for movement, sounds, windows, smells, etc.
Ditto with Claeledar
"Are we going to sit and do the scout thing, go in, or ambush the incoming creature?"
Ponders the situation before us.
#1, we don't know what is inside the towers as of this moment. We do know something is there, just not what and how many.
#2, something did leave the place, but we don't know what and when it will return. Pattern indicates that this creature does this daily.
Having thought this out, I have made a decision.
"We will observe the place for the time being to get more information for today. I don't want to send ourselves into the place unless I know when the wanderer returns. About four hours of silent observation should do for now unless something happens. Fiavia, Claeledar, and Daelynn will slowly move up closer to the towers and keep eyes there. The rest of us will sit tight here and watch the trail. Camo up and keep hidden. Stay up here so we can get better vision and avoid getting arrows caught up in the bushes. Use spells for communication and avoid chatter. Maintain distances between us of about ten to twenty feet and make sure we can all see each other. Go"
As you three approach the towers, you are about 60-70 feet away from the structures. You can all tell everything is of Elven crafting. You are facing the broken archway, no doors are present but the structure is intact abide the overgrowth. There is open space of about 40 to 50 feet from the walls to the closest trees. The nearest tree branches are about 30 feet away, making any jumping to the walls or towers difficult without magical assistance.
There are four towers positioned northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest. The entrance is facing east. The four towers are about 20 feet high as is the circular wall. Everything is stone. The upper portion of the southwest tower has collapsed, but the others look intact. A central tower dominates the keep, standing equal in height with the surrounding trees. You see no windows along any of the towers nor the grand tower. From what you can tell by looking through the entrance, there is a bit of open space in the courtyard. The rest of the grounds seems overrun with undergrowth.
In a short amount of time, you all feel like you are hiding very well. In the first hour, nothing happens other than noticing minute details of the keep such as the type of vines growing along the walls and that climbing with your tools or spells will not be difficult. Wildlife doesn't seem to hang out inside the walls, but life is abundant away from the keep. From the angle of your positions, some of you spot a breach in the south section of the wall, where rubble is piled up. Amual and Daelynn notice that the tracks from the single creature does not lead into and out of the main entrance, but to the breach and...to...the southwest portion of the wall near the tower in that quadrant.
We shall continue to hold position and observe. I really don't think going in without more info is a good idea. If we get lucky, we may be able to see the lone creature coming back. Very certain it's not the only thing inhabiting the keep.
Watching the area, I ponder an idea from our training.
"We could scout the keep while waiting for the unknown creature to return." I suggest humbly. "We could either send in summoned creatures like a bird or something and have it report back. Or, we could have two of us be invisible, climb the walls, and get a closer look."
"Well, it is a common tactic," I thought to myself.
"All right, here's what we will do. I and Fiavia will lose a spell and use invisibility to place on Claeledar and Daelynn since they are the best at sneaking. This will take about twenty to thirty minutes to prepare the spells. Once done, you two will climb up the wall on the north side of the southwest tower where the rest of us can cover you. Take about two minutes per tower except for the central part of the keep. Do not go to ground. Avoid combat unless something jumps on you. The moment we have cast the spells on you, the time limit is fifteen minutes to get it all done or unless I interrupt you with a message. That's the plan. Let's do this."
Loses Web, studies Invisibility.
Loses Owl's Wisdom for Invisibility
"Um, the invisibility spell will lasts only for 4 minutes tops. I suggest we SLOWLY sneak up to the towers, then use the spells, climb and observe for two minutes, then return. Otherwise, we could summon a creature then have it return to Daelynn since she can speak with animals."
Facepalm
"damn,"I mutter to myself silently.
"Very well, we shall use the other option. Let's keep the invisibility spells, as they are always useful."
Suppresses the urge to start giggling. "Sometimes, we sure outsmart ourselves."