"A hoard?", Nighthill repeats: "I don't suppose that dragon up there is just feeding its own greed..." he looks at the Kobold who is slowly meandering around the room, taking in the spartan decoration. Noticing he's being looked at, Vak turns and gives the governor a shrug, barely noticable with the big improvised grey scarf covering his shoulders.
"No less, this is a lot of valuable information. What do you suppose this dragon man and dragon lady are? Dragonborn?", he looks at Vorrak, "No offense."
At that moment the door swings open, bringing the noise from the ward back inside. A young guardsman stands in the doorway, "Governor Nighthill! The temple is under attack, they're bringing a battering ram!"
"These questions will have to wait. There are people who took refuge inside the temple. We'll have to act fast if we want to save them. Follow me up the tower, it overlooks the entire town. I can give you a lay of the land from there."
Vorrak remains silent for most of the encounter, not wanting to draw the ire of those in the keep. His presence would likely be taken about as well as Vak's at this point.
As the governor speaks to them he finally speaks up. No offense taken, and let us hurry. Time is of the essence.
Venali nods, "I have some questions of my own, but you're right, this is not the time." He follows after the governor.
Evendur follows wordlessly after the Governor.
On the way, Zillyanna speaks to Vorrak in a low voice.
"Don't worry, they're a little scared. I'm sure when this is over they'll treat you as hero."
Following Nighthill up the tower, you climb the narrow staircase. The stairs being designed to preserve material and get up fast, require uncomfortably high steps. The more broad shouldered among you bump against the walls a few times on the way up. The governor leads you around the battlement to the eastern side. He comes to a stop next to a gruff-looking dwarf his bright-red beard and receding long hair knotted and tangled.
You can see that the governor was not exaggerating, you have a commanding view of the entire town from here even the buildings and the mote normally hidden behind the treeline to the south are visible from here.
The governor points outward to a stout building, one of the few buildings completely build from stone in this town surrounded by a cobblestone wall. The temple's footprint is several times wider than the building is tall.
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You can see grey-robed cultists and kobolds parading around the building. Another fairly large group is carrying what looks like the trunk of a tree toward the main entrance while a few others are apparently transporting bundles of hay around the building, to a spot at the opposite end, you cannot see from here.
"Looks like they are trying to get in through the back entrance as well. I think they're about to start a fire over there." the dwarf says in his raspy, deep voice, not losing time with introductions.
"I found some people who can help us, Escobert." Governor Nighthill responds. The dwarf leans to take a look past the governor and the six of you: "Oh, good.", he doesn't sound perticularly impressed.
Nighthill continues: "I don't know how many people have taken refuge in the temple, but you have to get into the building and bring them back here somehow."
"We'll get them out of there.", Zillyanna turns to the party, "If we're fast enough we can just take the enemies at the front door and let everyone escape as we hold the wall's entrance. Those weird winged kobolds can be a problem, though.
Venali stares down at the temple, more interested in the movements of the raiders than the building. "You said there was a back entrance?"
He thinks back for a moment to some of the old books he read about high adventure before turning to face Nighthill. "You've already ordered the date closed to the keep. Are we to wade through the townsfolk, open the door for the attackers and hope to slip by unnoticed as we did coming in? Or, by chance, does this keep also have a back entrance? So to speak. An escape tunnel of some kind?"
The dwarf answers that "There is a tunnel and I was about to suggest it too." somewhere in between the scruffy red beard follicles a grin shines through, "It's not been used in a long time, what with this being basically the first time this keep has seen something even remotely like a siege. Probably buried in spiderwebs by now."
He points to the moat, where it curves closest to the keep. "The exit is over there. It was meant to allow people to sneak out and get fresh water during a siege."
Venali nods, "Could you direct us to the tunnel's entrance here in the keep? Unless," he looks at Hutch, "anyone thinks that would be the coward's way of doing things?"
The priest can see the symbols at a glance... but fails to notice the significance.
Of course we will go. We will no doubt, some of us at any rate, stand before Kelemvor's holy judgement seat but it will mean life for some of those trapped.
What are we waiting for. The more fools we take down the easier it will end up being. Hutch says derisively thinking about how much money could be made. He habitually pats his short sword before turning from the governor.
"It's in the keep cellar under the guardhouse, you'll need this key.", the dwarf removes a key ring from his belt and takes off one of the keys. "The door is covered in storage crates, since nobody ever needed it."
He holds out the key for the first person to step forward to take it.
Afterwards the governor leads you back downstairs and into the cellar beneath the guard house. The room is dusty and covered in cobwebs, crates and barrels lining the walls.
Evendur notices the corner of a thick wooden frame embedded in the far wall, peeking out behind the wall of crates.
There it is... see the frame?, he says pointing it out.
He moves forwards to the area and starts moving crates.
Venali takes the key from Escobert, "My thanks." He then turns to follow the dwarf, taking the other cloak and his lodestones out to repair it as they walk.
After entering the cellar, the dusty smell causing him to sneeze, he takes a look around. Once Evendur points out the frame and goes to move the crates he returns the mended cloak to his pack, and the lodestones to his pocket. "It certainly seems many people don't come down here. Here, let me help you with those crates." He sets down his pack before moving to help the priest.
Zillyana moves to help the other two with the crates.
"I hope this is not full of...ugh, rats..."
It takes the group a fair couple of minutes of moving crates and barrels to free the door, a heavy looking, ironbound wooden door. Though the bindings are ristuy, the port still looks sturdy. Escobert's key opens the door with a creaking moan of the lock, revealing the corridor beyond. A dim light flickers at the end, revealing the shaowy silhouettes of thick cobwebs.
The way down the tunnel is not pleasant for anyone who values personal hygiene, as every step looses dust and tears another web off the walls to get stuck on somebody's shoulder, arm or head. Venali unintentionally uses his face to fish a thin, long-legged spider dangling from the ceiling out of the air.
At the end of the tunnel a rusted iron grate covers the exit. This covering is in a much more dilapidated state than the inner door. You can see on the other side the shallow stream of the moat flowing past from your right to your left. As you approach you notice some of the masonry in the right wall has collapsed revealing a hollow from which you hear the occasional squeak. The hollow is covered in a mass of dull brown fur, with the occasional hairless tail and beady-eyed rodent face sticking out. The hollow appears to be filled with hundreds of rats. Some of the animals take notice of you and scramble over each other to find a place further to the back.
Putting the key into the rusted old lock you can feel how much the mechanism has degraded.
Zillyanna lets out a low scream on seeing the rats. She walks up to the gate hugging the left wall and quickly takes her thieves' tools out to open the gate.
"Le-lets get out of here!", she says, while nervously picking the lock.
Distracted by the rodents swarming in the recess in the wall, Zillyanna twists her lockpick the wrong way and a piece gets stuck in the old lock, jamming it for good.
The stronger among you surmise they should be able to force the grate open with a good kick or two.
As Venali walks down the hall he takes as much care as he can to stay away from the spider webs, using his magic to remove the webbing that does get on him as they walk. After running into the strand that pulls the spider, he knocks the thing away, sputtering as he wipes his face. "Well, at least we know we are the first to venture from either side in some time." He decides from then on to remove the webs before even coming into contact with them.
After reaching the door and inserting the key, feeling the resistance of the tumblers inside, he removes it. "I fear we may..." At this point Zillyanna rushes over in her haste to be away from the rats, jamming the lock with her broken pick. "Well, I suppose this passage is lost to us then. These iron bars, corroded as they are likely won't be moving any time soon. If only we could remove the pins in the hinges." He gives them a quick once over and notices them caked in a layer of rust, "Though I think that's out of the question.
He pockets the key to the door and moves as if to go back down the corridor.
Hutch scowls and shoves everyone to the side. Looks like I'm the guy who is going to do his job. I'm guessing you are all the other one.
Hutch kicks at the door several times untill it breaks down. He holds his Halberd him one hand, it's pole pressed against the floor to provide balance.
Hutch only really needs one well-aimed kick and with a tortured creak the grate flies open, almost getting torn off its hinges as it rebounds off the outer wall with a metallic crash, and rust particles flying off. Slowly swinging back it eventually comes to a stop at a roughly right angle.
As you come out you all notice the grey of a cultist robe flapping from behind a curve in the slope surrounding the stream bed.
You may issue a short warning to the others if you want even though your turn is later..
Initiatives:
Initiative Order
-Venali, Hutch, Vorrak, Zillyanna, Vak
-Enemies 1 and 3
-Evendur
-Enemies 2
Upon seeing the enemies Hutch will grin. I believe a thank you is in order
Hutch will move towards the nearest enemy his Halberd ready.
As Hutch kicks the door loose, the heavy metal slamming into the wall and ground, Venali sighs and shakes his head. "Well, let's hope no one heard that." As the group moves out of the tunnel and he catches the slight of the cultist's cloak in the distance, Venali pulls the two cloaks out of his pack and tries to hide near the tunnel entrance. In a whisper, "I don't suppose anyone wants to try and do things smartly here?" He throws one of the cloaks on himself and holds the other out for whoever wants to take it, if anyone.
"If we're fighting, i don't think i want to be in the middle of- looks like we're fighting..."
She sighs, bow in hand, trying to get in range while remaining undetected.
After Venali puts on the cloak he takes a look around the area outside of the tunnel. Surely this cultist can't be here on his own, unless he's relieving himself.
Evendur warns the others!
With Evendur warning the group of the enemies in the brow above Hutch charges up the incline, his halberd slicing down into the green hide of a drake that was just about ready to pounce, cutting a bleeding wound into the draconic creature's shoulder. His halberd swings around and the shaft slams into the creature's face.
Venali and Zillyanna seek cover from the only opponent they already spotted, hoping the cultist wouldn't see them.
Vorrak wades out into the moat, his shield up. "Come and fight me, you cowards!" he bellows.
Vak follows him drawing one of his looted scimitars, squawking in agreement with Vorrak, while maintaining a defensive stance.
"Attack!, the human voice comes from the brow above, and human cultists emerge from the woodwork, one on the far side side of the stream, sprinting around the brow, sticking to the high ground, another two move in along the riverbed, blades raised in defense.
A fourth one leaps from the underbrush, scimitar overhead he slashes down at the dragonborn.
The swing is slapped aside by Vorrak's shield.
The green skinned reptilian beast, wounded but far from defeated cricles around hutch and snaps its jaws at the mercenary.
Hutch withdraws just a step, causing the jaws to snap close around thin air.
Seeing an isolated cultist on his side of the river, the priest of Kelemvor moves to intercept him!
for
Evendur moves around to stop the cultist trying to charge from above, his sword swings, but the uneven footing throws him off and the swing goes wide.
Kobolds emerge from the brush, two leaping into battle with daggers raised, another two readying their slings as they emerge from the brush to your right.
The dagger wielding kobolds swing at Zillyanna and Hutch, but the two easily dodge the uncoordinated attempts at attacking. Evendur can bring up his shield in time to block one of the bullets, but the the second one hits his left thigh.
Initiative Order
-Venali, Hutch, Vorrak, Zillyanna, Vak
-Enemies 1 and 3
-Evendur
-Enemies 2
Enemy Status
-Drake is wounded
-everything else is healthy
Seeing Evendur is in trouble, and seeing the cultists moving towards them cross the water, thrusts out his hand towards a cultist (1). A rime coats his hand before melting, the cultist instantly becoming coated in frost.
"I guess someone DID hear that.", Zillyanna drops her bow and quickly draws her rapier, taking a step back to outrange the shorter blades and poking the closest kobold with her sword.
Hutch continues attacking the drake.
The blade of his halberd bites deep into the creature's head, sending it to the floor, lifeless. The followup swing from the other end of the weapon goes toward the kobold next to him but goes over the creature's head.
The cultist goes pale as it seems his skin gets covered with rime, his breath becomes visible and his movements slowr.
Zillyanna impales a kobold on her rapier, and kicking its lifeless body off the blade turns to face the next opponent.
Vorrak delivers a downward slash to the bultist that tried to attack him,
but the robed man sidesteps the attack.
Vak swings his scimitar as well,
But the uneven ground throws the kobold off balance and the attack goes wide.
The cultists close in on the party, blades ready to attack.
Vorrak blocks one attack with his shield, leaving him open for another blade that slices a shallow wound over his sword arm.
Another cultist hits Evendur's side.
The last robed raider tries to attack Vak, but the little kobold slinks out of the way easily.
Initiative Order
-Venali, Hutch, Vorrak, Zillyanna, Vak
-Cultists and Drake
-Evendur
-Kobolds
Enemy Status
-Drake and Kobold 1 are dead
-everything else is healthy
Enemy Status
-Drake and Kobold 1 are dead
-Cultist 3 is wounded.
-everything else is healthy
Retcon: The cultist missed Evendur and Evendur is still at full HP.
Evendur attempts to drop the cultist, hard!
for - Crit! add
He then draws upon the might of Kelemvor to launch a bonus attack on one of the Kobolds.
for
A brutal chop from Evendur's sword splits the cultist's skull in half, and the robed man sags to the floor, his blood seeping into the grass, while evendurs blade arcs around and almost splits a kobold in half.
The remaining kobold closes in on Evendur dagger held above its head, eager to retaliate, while the other kobold, near the rest of the group thrusts its knife at Zillyanna.
An effortless circular movement from Zillyanna's blade deflects one knife, while the other scrapes off Evendurs armor uselessly.
Initiative Order
-Venali, Hutch, Vorrak, Zillyanna, Vak
-Cultists and Drake
-Evendur
-Kobolds
Enemy Status
-Cultist 3 and Kobold 4 are dead
-everything else is healthy
Hutch spins his Halberd targeting the cultist ten feet away from him, almost challenging the Kobold directly in front of him. He chips down with the blade, then spinning the shaft so the butt of the Halberd goes to smack the Kobold.
Venali moves as if to attack the kobold before turning and lunging at the cultist attacking Vorrak, hoping to catch him off guard.
"You wait for your turn", Zillyana says to the kobold, steping to the side and flicking her rapier towards the cultist (#2).
Hutch's halberd slashes a wound across the cultist's chest, while the man staggers, the tip of zillyanna's rapier slickes across his neck, just ever so slightly grazing his throat. Blood gushing from his open throat the man drops to his knees, slowly falling over, clutching the wound.
Venali's thinblade pierces straight through another cultist's neck, the man stands still for a moment, before Venali withdraws his blade and the clutist collapses to the floor
Vorrak swings his longsword upward at the remaining cultist threatening him. The cultist tries to parry the blow, but the dragon born smashes straight through his defense cutting a deep wound up his torso, almost sending him fly backwards.
Vak swings his blade at the one of the remaining Kobolds, who are beginning to look scared as their companions are falling quickly. but the kobold manages to dodge the blow.
It is beginning to look like the Kobolds are about to try and flee.
Initiative Order
-Venali, Hutch, Vorrak, Zillyanna, Vak
-Cultists and Drake
-Evendur
-Kobolds
Enemy Status
-Cultist 1, 2 and 4 are dead
-everything else is healthy
Evendur strikes out at his nearest foe!
for
Evendur decapitates the kobold with an effortless swing from his sword and closes in with the rest of the party.
The remaining kobold screeches and scrambles to get away.
Initiative Order
-Venali, Hutch, Vorrak, Zillyanna, Vak, Evendur
-Kobold
Enemy Status
-Kobold 2 is running
-everything else is dead