As they begin to move out again,unaccustomed to Hafkris' bulky armor Brand contines to inadvertently knock his Axe haft against his side.
As he tries to move silently, he trips over a bramble A hiss escapes him as he attempts not to fall on his axe.
Not put off by her stumbling companions, Siobhán at least moves with elven grace.
Not put off by her stumbling companions, Siobhán at least moves with elven grace.
"How does she do it?" Thinks Ynyr
As your half-elven colleague glides with assured grace, the rest of you continue to lumber along.
You now think you must be halfway. Coinneach shakes his head in amazement at just how noisy a group of people can be, but presses on.
Cursing himself for thinking of his new-found goddess instead of the matter in hand, Healaugh's instincts revive.
Move Silently: 1d20+5 ?¨ [12,5] = (17)
Chewing on her lower lip in worry over the sound of the footfalls of her companions Siobhán silently prays to the deities for a little good luck and for the creatures in the manor to be a little deaf as she follows Coinneach.
Brigid must be smiling on the child of the Tel'Quessir...
Trying ever so hard to move silently without making a noise Ynyr moves on. And gets caught on another bramble.
Brandlaik really, really, tries to be quiet, but is only minutely more quiet as axe and armor conspire against him
Melisana looks at the rest of the group with pleading eyes and sighs to Siobhan. Coinneach impatiently bids the rest of you follow him. There's not much further to go...
Moving with less than his customary care, Healaugh nonetheless manages to keep the noise down(ish).
1d20+5 ?¨ [8,5] = (13)
Siobhán gives Melisana a weak, nervous smile as the group continues to stumble their way towards the manor.
Tresmeer stumbles again and swears as his head bumps into Brand's back. He thinks evil thoughts about all the tree roots in the ditch.
"Bledy clodhoppers!"
He summons every ounce of quietness and willpower to get to the other end of the ditch.
Move - just effing quietly! (1d20+2=7)
His foot turns in a hole he missed and Tresmeer disappears into a convenient bush near the end of ditch. He struggles to free himself, angrily shaking the bush as he goes.
Ynyr has a sudden realisation about moving silently. If you watch where you put your feet BEFORE you put them down and then check that you haven't snared yourself in some roots or other growth BEFORE you pick them up to move forwards, you can cut the noise considerably.
Moving as lightly as only Ynyr can. (1d20+1=18)
You stop in your tracks. The building is close now from the edge of the depression. So very close, only a few feet away. You can see the window that the old man indicated. You hear something...
Melisana peeks over the edge. "One of them's coming this way!" she whispers urgently.
Conall had been making his way as quietly as he could. It was strange he could move quietly at times but he felt almost as if on a hunt and he was missing the baying of the hounds. What he wouldn't give to have his faithfull family running at his side.
Once they stopped and detected the approach of an enemy he hunkered down and tried to make himself inconspicuous. Lowering his body to a low crouch he tried to keep a small a profile as possible.
Healaugh flattens himself to the ground and tries breathing very quietly.
Hide: 1d20+7 ?¨ [7,7] = (14)
Tresmeer dives behind another bush, dragging his feet and sword behind him.
Hide check, I have a good feeling about this, everyone else rolled well! (1d20+2=18)
Whilst naturally good at moving silently Siobhán is a little less lucky when it comes to trying to hide herself, ducking behing a bush that is a little too small, enough to cover her but not well.
Ynyr ducks down behind some bushes, but he cannot resist trying to peer between the branches.
Moving very, very slowly, Healaugh readies his sling.
Just stop breathing tha daft halfling - they'll hear thee from mile off.
Brand looks around anxiously, aware that everyone has quickly hunkered down but seeing nowhere left to hide, he pulls the verminous hood down over his face and does his best Yrch imitation.
Brand spies out of the corner of his eye that a rather bored-looking Hak-kubra, armed with a bardiche, has ambled up towards the depression, "Hwaet? Ai, tha ist." he says with a nod, before ambling away again, "Gan pearroc, léasere." he calls back to you semi-amiably, seemingly satisfied that you are one of his compatriots.
Fhoi Myore
Coinneach makes sure that the yrch pirate has gone back to his guard post before he creeps over to the window and takes off the loose bars. He crawls in through the window into the manor.
Tresmeer ups and follows quickly, trying to keep low to the ground.
He hops in after the sprightly old man.
Holding her breath in fear of making too much sound Siobhán quickly and closely follows Tresmeer and Coinneach into the manor.
Brand will wait till last, then slink, Yrch-like, over and through the window
Still clutching his sling like a lucky charm, Healaugh crouches low, runs fast and clambers through the window. Only after he is safely through does he realise he had his eyes shut most of the way.
Ynyr moves carefully to the window, hands his axe to someone inside before climbing through himself. He will then reclaim the axe and around him.
You are all now inside the manor. Enough light spills in for you to see without the need for aids.
The room you are now in seems to have been a dormitory-type room; numerous broken cots and storage chests. There is a door in the wall opposite the window.
The moorwalker readies his sword and turns to help the rest enter.
"Loike Oim a bit of a 'azard. P'haps it be best if'n I wait 'ere an' someone gets me. I be clumsy oaf when I be worried." He seems a bit pained to offer this because he wants to help but....
"M'not much better."
Healaugh shakes his head.
"Best be forming rearguard Tresmeer. We can keep watch mebbe."
Sotto voce:
"Now, wasn't the plan that Siobhán and I where to go and search the Queen's room? Is it not just a door or two along the corridor? What if the room is locked? Is the room locked Coinneach? Well, could not someone with good ears see if there may be anything out there? And then we should quickly go to this room and close the door and search isn't that so? Perhaps if most stayed out of the room, hiding somehow you know? Then could they not help us when some nasty Fhoi come along and try to surprise our little searching? But I don't suppose there is anywhere to hide safely is there? So why am I saying so much?"
Tresmeer goes to the door, opens it gently and listens.
Brand quietly checks the contents of the ransacked room in case there's anything of use or even mildly edible
After not finding anything of note, he turns to Ynyr at the sound of his whisper and says quietly "Perhaps we should split into 3, whereas you and Siobhan search the Queen's rooms, with maybe Tresmeer in case of trouble. Conall and I will each take another and search these rooms, slowly and carefully. In this way, should one group get discovered by those wretches, we won't all be trapped in 1 room and can pehaps surprise our would-be captors. Can anyone whistle? we could make it the signal for pucha-scum..but I guess screaming will do."
Healaugh also listens at the door and scans the room for useful items.
Listen 1d20+3;1d20+2 ?¨ [12,3] = (15)
Search 1d20+3;1d20+2 ?¨ [8,2] = (10)
"Reckon you or Connal need t'go wi' Siobhan and Ynyr. If'n they be looking hard, they'll not be listening well. Likely they'll need protection. Rest of us can watch for pucha-scum. Reckon you've right of it wi' screaming an' all."
He grins cheerfully up at Brand.
"Might I suggest that splitting up at all is utterly ill advised?" Siobhán pipes up a little shyly "We're all people of differing skills and need to stay together. The treasures might might help us, but maybe we should find the boat first, to know we have a route to our escape before the storm picks up"
Melisana says, "Oh no, I don't think we should split up but I also don't think we should try to get to the boat and then come all the way back up here past who knows how many Fhoi Myore. I think we should investigate up here and then as soon as we get to the boat, get out of here. We have Coinneach's map, after all."
Ynyr looks at Siobhán sympathetically.
"Thing is, you see, that won't we only get one chance at getting to the boat now? I think that once at the boat we must just launch and away, yes? So what I am saying is that we have to search for what it is we are searching for on our way to the boat, don't you think?"
"Isn't it that if we are all in different places, but close by too, that we will be able to come to each other's aid if they need aiding? But I would be happy, too, to have someone in with us because, to tell the truth, I don't feel as brave as I should, now do I?"
"Oh.. alright" Siobhán agrees quietly before quickly silencing herself and looking toward the floor timidly. Tugging nervously on a strand of her hair she appears to be in deep thought over the task ahead.
"Yes, as Ynyr said I don't want to separate, but I also don't want to be TRAPPED!" Brand raises his voice alarmingly, and, realizing this only increases the furrow in his already perpetually furrowed brow.
"Now I guess I can go wit' Siobhan and Ynyr to search, but I still say for the Phooka-scum sake we should, keep some outta therre...we can't all be caught...now if it comes ta' it I'll lay my life down like my father before me to keep some safe from the BASTARDS!! But I'd rahter we all 'ave a sunset view o' the island as we're sailin' away ta' 'ome"
Tresmeer puts a large hand on Brand's shoulder, "be strong, Brand. us need yum stone cold now or we all die."
His solemn eyes fix on the man. "Us'll want that view too."
"M'planning on seeing sunset from boat mesen. Wi' all rest of you."
"Well, then isn't it best that we be about it now? Healaugh, Tresmeer, was there something that you heard? Or is it safe to go do you think? Who is staying here, keeping a watch, and who is coming with?"
Then remembering one of his earlier questions:
"Coinneach, is the door to the Queen's room locked, do you know?"
"It wasnae afore." the old man mutters, and then as you are all discussing your plans, he opens the door, and peers into the hallway, "Jes takin a look at ma quarters, see 'tis all well." he mutters almost to himself as he makes to go into the hallway.
Following Coinneach's lead, Healaugh cautiously pokes his head out of the door.
Over his shoulder (assuming he sees and hears nothing to make him duck back with a warning) he mutters
"If'n I'm recalling map, Queen's room would be off to left. Going to have listen."
As the halfling makes to go to the left, Coinneach goes to the right! He pads down to the next door on his right and opens it. Once he has down so, you all hear him start yelping.
"The buggers! They've wrecked me room! Look a' all this mess!" is merely the start of what is turning into a wailing rant. He's not shouting but it's louder than the whispering you've all been engaged in.