Assuming goods are purchased (if you have not yet, you can do it when you now) you begin your journey.
Your two days pass uneventfully as you hike through the mountains. Hunting is plentiful and no one bothers you. Kimble is very intellectual, but has difficulties hiking and he complains alot.
When you do finally make it to the base of the mountain it is well into the night. The remains of a small village sit at the bottom of the mountain road, and will provide a decent campsite for the night.
Inspecting the path up to the fort you find some things of note:
The side of the mountain is steep, practically a cliff face, the path is narrow as to allow only single file travel, the path zig zags back and forth so that the incline is slight, the path is carved out of the solid rock, not too far up you spot a broken stone archway over the road.
Kimble whines about blisters on his feet.
"Let's camp, and we do the climb tomorrow at dawn. I have the first watch."
Looks pleasant enough
"I will take the second watch. And no one let Vrexis take watch, she needs sleep more than we do"
Stretching a bit, Bankanor looks around the area for signs of things gone awry. Noting the narrow path he turns to his companions, and Kimble.
"Tomorrow, when we head up the path, we should probably go up in the order of Devon, John, Joshua, Vrexis, Kimble, Uriel, myself. I am best able to come up with what is needed at short notice in the rear and, Devon, John and Joshua make a formidable threesome as long as Joshua has some one to stand behind. Vrexis and Kimble in the middle is obvious and I may need help at the rear and Uriel can fire to the front any way so she gets to be back with me."
Bankanor then starts setting up a bit of a bed for himself
"I think that's a fine order, looking down at Devon, unless it scares you too much to go first," John says with a smirk on his face. " Of course it doesn't, a braver swordsman there is not." John laughs emphasizing the word swordsmen.
I'll take first watch, or last whichever you prefer, I don't do well waking up in the middle of the night.
"DIO, sit," Uriel points to her wolf, whom obeys after a low whistle from the ranger, "Good boy. I got your dinner here."
She tosses the wolf two skinned rabbits.
|
Vrexis huffs and lets her raven, Fen, fly off. he perches on John's shoulder. I may sleep, but it seems Fen isn't tired... even if he is a lazy bird! she then pulls out her bedroll and organizes her supplies. she pulls out her handy silver Any-tool and folds it into a shovel she uses to help dig a fire-pit
"Tis fine with me, John. Just try to not hit me by mistake. Although whether last time was a mistake or not is still up for debate." Devon responds with a smile.
A good perception reveals no trouble. This site has been empty for at least a century. Low stone walls and a few rotting timbers are all that remain.
First watch is uneventful. A dire rat lurks on the edge of the site for awhile but is soon chased off by a pair of coons who keep trying to sneak some food.
Second shift however Vrexis wakes suddenly as if from a terrible nightmare. A heavy pain in chest. Her connection to Fen has been broken.
Fen was seen taking flight not but 10 minutes ago, but is nowhere to be found now.
John grunts hearing loud noises while he is sleeping but continues to sleep. As the noise grows louder John grows more and more irritated and it grows increasingly more difficult to stay asleep.
"For the love of the Gods Vrexis," John hollars, "what is all this squawking for, are we under attack?"
Joshua keeps lying down.
"He'll be back, went to the bathroom probably. "
"Do not take Fen's disappearance so lightly." Devon says to the others.
"Vrexis is right, it is troubling. It removes Vrexis' ability to help us and points to something sinister if they were able to discern his importance."
"DIO, sniff the bird out."
Joshua stands.
"Right, right, let's look for it. I still say he went chasing some tail feathers, if you catch my meaning."
Dio indicates up the path
"Seems we are going up before we expected to..."
He casts (and keeps casting) Dancing Lights (4 lanterns variety) to illuminate the way (and all around them).
John hastily dons his hide pelts and grabs his ax and shield. Leaving the rest of his gear behind he stomps off angrily after the rest of the group.
"Vrexis and that damn bird I swear..."
As he walks he adjusts his pelts so that they fit more snugly.
"Waking me up in the middle of the damn night, just as I get to sleep.. Vrexis better find this bird."
Devon laughs at John's grumpiness.
"All that effort, John?" Devon says as he simply picks up his swordbelt and buckles it on and then straps on his buckler. Drawing his blade he leads the way indicted by Dio.
I require 3 d20 rolls please. The path is narrow and hazardous. Please everyone but Bankanor make acrobatics rolls. In the dark you pass through more archways. Kimble says they used to be gates to slow down armies. There are 7 of them.
John fumbles and bumbles his way down the path following Dio.
Acrobatics
[ooc]For DIO
As the others start the climbing, Joshua takes his flute out, and sounds a song of quiet, trying to ease their minds and help them focus on the path.
Both Vrexis and Uriel have a close stumble, but no one falls. At dawn you reach a small ledge. It is ten feet wide and 90 feet long. The seventh arch has an iron gate that blocks the path ahead. The stone wall the the GRE is in is 20 feet high and extends 5 feet over the edge of the cliff.
In the rock face of the mountain there are thirty small arrow slits some ten feet up.
A mist now obfuscates the mountain top.
Joshua detects magic on the iron gate, arch and the mist.
Uriel takes out her bow and scans the surrounding area,"DIO, sniff out for any trouble."
Everything in the mist is in a haze of magic.
"The mist glows with magic..."
"Ssshhh, be quiet, I don't like the shifty looking fog. Magic fog is always bad omen."
Dio is uncomfortable about the mist.
You had been hustling for about 3 hours. You are 3 Miles from where your camp was if you were to draw a straight line over a map. The elevation and zigzagging path make for slow overland travel.
Looking over the scene, Bankanor is not overly optimistic.
Well this is ominous...
Bankanor maneuvers himself to the front of the column to get a better look at things.
"With six able men, we probably shouldn't storm the gate. Devon and Joshua keep an eye on the fog and the gate. John, give me a boost up to this arrow slit so I can take a peak inside it"
Bankanor will move to just below the closest arrow slit his Bardiche at the ready, waiting for John to come help him.
If he does get a boost from John, Bankanor will not let his head get in view of the slit, but will wave his hand in front and listen for any noises coming from it.
A whistle from the wind is all you hear.
”This is the last gate on the path. We are near the top. We must be right under the four towers; we simply can't see them in this mountain mist."
"Here you go Bankanor" John says boosting the goat up.
Joshua starts reciting an old poem:
"This fortress is the warrant of death
The bird will die for it
It’s got seven door and thirty windows
And four towers that keep the world awayThis fortress is the forgiveness for life
Like a tainted cheek of sin
It’s got seven gates and thirty people
And four towers that keep the world away."
He let's the words sink in, and then continues.
[b]
There may yet be time before the Raven is nevermore...
The arrow slits do not appear to be manned
"I don't detect anything in the arrow slits" Bankanor tells the others as he gets down off of John.
"I say we head to the gate, but stay tight to the wall so they can't fire arrows at us. I'll lead and test the ground with my bardiche"
Bankanor then begins to slowly walk along the wall towards the gate, testing the ground before him with his bardiche as he goes and watching and listening for any signs of danger.
Bankanor will stop if any other character tells him to, if he senses danger or when he is 10 feet from the gate.
|
|
Vrexis is no longer sad, rather she is furious. If i come upon the ones who took Fen i will rip them apart! she draws her katana and follows the others. She knows she can't help much in combat, and without Fen she doesn't want to waist her spells. she surveys the area, but she knows she may not help...
Joshua follows them.
Devon decides to check the gate.
Devon decides to check the gate.
It seems to be bolted and mortared in place. It has no handles or hinges.
Joshua checks the gate and the construction for a way to pass.
Joshua checks the gate and the construction for a way to pass.
[dice=Knowledge Engineering Check]1d20+8
This door is not meant to be opened. You could climb up and over it. ( The wall that the gate is on is perpendicular to the mountain side) the gate simply blocks the path, it is not an entrance to a room. The climb would be 20 feet of rough surface, the natural rock wall or the brick work seem evenly difficult. Or you could just blow it up.