Marvin played the part of a woodsman coming into town for supplies, so he naturally stopped off at the tavern for a drink first. He hoped he'd be able to overhear useful information, or perhaps someone would engage him in conversation, but at the least, he'd be able to enjoy a simple drink and relax a bit before having to focus on the task at hand.
@Marvin:
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Erick grabs ahold of his pack and tosses a little bit of dirt all over himself to make himself look, well more like himself, a farmer.
Heading into town he wanders around a short distance, just taking in all of the sights and sounds for a bit before heading to the tavern or inn.
Though he is completely oblivious as to what is going on around him as the people simply seem to give him a wide berth.
"Have you ever been to Balentyne's choir hall? Amazing! The priests are such beautiful singers, and sometimes the stone saints that adorn the place join in the chorus. Such a miracle!"
Watchtower Balentyne stands on the far shore of the River Tyburn. Barring flight, teleportation, or some other special movement, approach is only possible by traversing the 100ft-long stone bridge. This bridge is well-protected: a large gatehouse complete with drawbridge and iron portcullis guards the entrance, and you can see a secondary crenelated bridge that overlooks the main bridge. Local chatter tells you this is known as the "Bridge of Death." From your distant position, you can see two visible guards, but there are likely more out of sight. The gatehouse is three stories tall, after all.
Balentyne
"Mad Martin is a strange one! He tends the rookery in the Watchtower. They say he never leaves except for necessities. He talks to the birds like people has named every one!"
Celestine quietly watched the fortress for a bit before moving on. It wouldn't do to look like too much of a stranger, after all. That bridge would be a problem, but if they couldn't see her, she might still be able to sneak inside somehow. Mix that with an illusion, maybe...?
"Lord Thomas Havelyn is the most honorable and capable commander that Balentyne has ever had. If he can't keep the Watch Wall working, then no one can!"
Oh, good. A potential assassination target. ...Not that she'd come close to saying any such thing aloud, of course, but hey. The more information they had about the garrison, the better.
Zyxtyvia will continue to pose as a peasant girl/cook and go to the market to buy foodstuffs...
and try to make conversation to pick out anything of value...
As is typical on Fridays, the market is bustling with activity as the villagers go about their shopping. By late afternoon, the selection of foodstuffs is rather lacking, but when you consider that there's well over one hundred soldiers in the Watchtower, that fact isn't surprising. All the good stuff doubtless gets purchased first, after all. An elderly villager affectionately referred to as 'Mama' Giuseppe is almost done collecting the ingredients she needs for her famous beef stew. She's clearly one of the town icons - no doubt due to her friendliness and weekly tradition of delivering a giant pot of good homecooked food to the Watchtower to add a little variety to their meals. It's very evident that Aldencross and Watchtower Balentyne have an almost familiar relationship with each other.
Boy, it sure would be a shame if someone poisoned that giant pot of soup... Celestine mused as they went over the information they'd gathered. Something at least most of the soldiers probably looked forward to and ate on a regular basis? That was a definite possibility for... creative use.
Zyx goes back to the others and lets them know about the one called Mama Guiseppe.
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As the day rolls along Erick returns to the tavern to find Marvin having a drink.
"Lord Thomas Havelyn is the most honorable and capable commander that Balentyne has ever had. If he can't keep the Watch Wall working, then no one can!"
He says as he almost seems to boast about the man in case anyone is listening. He raises his drink high into the air and clinks it against Marvin's mug.
Nodding his head as the others enter Erick suggests they meet in private within a room.
During the day Zyxtyvia will keep her disguise as a peasant girl/cook as she walks through the town as if on errands. She will definitely go to market on those days. During the evenings she will change her look and go with the others to taverns to listen for worthwhile gossip.
Information Gained
- "There's a pack of Dwarves in town led by a grumpy short fellow named Barnabus Eisenbauch. They're here to fix up the watchtower - or so I've heard. A hard working fellow ... just don't try to challenge him to a drinking contest. He'll drink you under the table every time!"
- "Those dwarves are a thieving lot! I heard one of them was caught picking a man's pocket."
- "Did you hear about prisoners escaping from Brandescar? Were they ever caught?"
- "Do you know how the 'Lord's Dalliance' got its name? It was once a brothel! I hear there used to be a secret passage to the basement that allowed the Lord of the Watchtower to sneak in here and have a good time. Of course, it must have been sealed up years ago."
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Aldencross Info
- Most of the local food comes from farmsteads south of town. Wheat fields, apple orchards, vegetable patches, and pasture for sheep and cattle are everywhere.
- Unlike other places, the forests surrounding Aldencross aren't owned by local lords. This means that even the poorest of peasants can freely hunt both fowl and deer. As a result, venison is frequently on the town's menu.
- The village reeve is a man named Dominik Vallison. He owns both the general store and the mill, owns a large estate in town, and is a lover of education and culture.
- Aldencross' local church is a small building that was rebuilt only 20yrs ago after a fire. The chaplain (Father Donnagin) also manages Balentyne's spiritual affairs, so he's rarely in town. As a result, the chapel is run by a humble man named Brother Justin of Travismere.
- Surprisingly, Aldencross has a small magic shop. 'The Illuminated Scroll' is run by a middle-aged wizard who's old friends with Balentyne's battlemage.
- One of the town's newest shops is 'Master Caldwin's Cauldron' - an alchemist shop. Teryth Caldwin (the owner) is a recent arrival who's regarded as a talented (but odd) healer.
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Two days completed
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Erick grows impatient and excited at the thought of a secret passage within the inn. He looks to Marvin. "Think you can find that hidden door?"
He smiles as he gets antsy staying cooped up all day. "Let me know what you find. I'll be back later tonight." He waves as he darts out of the room.
Erick heads across town to scope out the magic shop he heard of. This Illuminated Scroll. Opening the door he heads into the shop and slowly looks around at all of the items within.
Celestine occasionally poked around the Alchemist's shop, looking for ingredients that could be used in some potent poisons. Maybe she could get the alchemist to brew it up himself if she mentioned she wanted to experiment with putting deer to sleep so they could be caught - and fed to people - more effectively?
After discussing all the info collected from the group Zyxtyvia tells them "A couple of options here for us...this Teryth Caldwin is rather new to town and may not be well recognized by Balentyne. A possible way in. Also we need to see if dwarves have access to the castle, and then set up some discontent with the locals and dwarves... possibly... or even kidnap one of them and take their place with these disguise headgears we have...or if one of us could pose as a Mitra priest to gain access into the town due to the local priest being absent frequently- that could be another way in. We also need to identify who are possible threats to us once inside the castle or even here in town. We know there is a Battlemage in the castle and a wizard in the town, we need to find out the names and habits of any guard officers or knights in the area. We know Vallison is the village reeve- what can we find out about him to exploit. What say you all?"
"I think we ought to investigate if this tunnel that leads into the keep exists. If it does, that could provide an excellent way in and out for any number of different plans."
Not being familiar at all with magical things, Erick has no idea what he's looking at inside The Illuminated Scroll. However, behind the counter, he does see a small collection of scrolls. Presumably, they're magical.
Master Caldwin's Cauldron is well-stocked with alchemical equipment and various potions. The proprietor assures you that if he doesn't have something in stock, he can probably make it for you custom. He also has a large supply of arsenic in stock, as rats are a fairly common nuisance in Aldencross.
The reeve is well-liked and goes to visit Balentyne's officers fairly regularly. He has a particular fondness for intellectual pursuits, stimulating conversation, and performers with interesting and unusual talents.
Late one night, you're awoken by soft footsteps in the corridor. When you go investigate, you see the innkeeper sneaking down to the basement. As he's the owner of the Lord's Dalliance, there's no reason for his furtiveness, so there's definitely SOMETHING of interest involving the basement.
Day 3 complete
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Growing a bit impatient and bored with menial labor Erick decides to investigate the magical shop, the Illuminated Scroll. While all seems pleasant enough he is actually watching the owner and for any signs of additional help within the store. Erick also looks around for something large enough to carry a body in, like a crate or box big enough to fit an adult male.
If the store is not busy and the man is alone Erick pounces on him and places him into a sleeper hold (DC 16) before outright choking the man to death.
Locking the door he spends the next several minutes arranging the body in the crate as he will have a gift for his companions waiting in their room.
[ooc]Erick will deliver the crate and say his foolproof plan of one of the smarter ones taking the wizards place once he has delivered the 'package.' I will roleplay this all out of course just wanted to run it by you or if it will cause too much chaos.
"Good point Marvin. We should search that tunnel out. We cant send everyone to do so since that would attract too much attention. Any volunteers?"
"I'm not particularly good at sneaking around, but if no one has a better plan, perhaps something like this?" As he spoke, his voice raised in pitch, from the warm tones of an older man to the bright notes of a small boy. Marvin's frame also shrank to accomodate his new voice, his hair darkening, and the fine lines around his eyes replaced by fresh smooth skin. In a moment, the surly looking older man was replaced by a boisterous young boy of no more than eight years old.
"I figure this way I could just play it off as playing and getting into trouble? You know, I heard there were goblins hiding in the inn's basement, and it's my duty as a good follower of Mitra to vanquish such evil!"
"I will go with you disguised as well to assist in case you run into trouble. I will stand nearby to distract or intervene whilst you search the area." Zyxtyvia tells the man before he departs.
She then dons her hat and puts the peasant girl disguise on traveling with the shifter to the are in question...
to keep an eye out for Marvin...
to deceive anyone as to the groups true intent...
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Erick speaks with the local wizard at the Illuminated Scroll for the day and nearby folk as he scouts the store out and heads back to the inn for the night gathering just a few rumors and such. he changes his mind about killing the small frail wizard as a soft voice rings in his head.
What would Celestine do?
1, 2, 4, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20
While not as effective as the middle of the night when everyone is asleep, snooping around during the dinner rush ends up working beautifully. In her guise as a barmaid, Zyxtyvia is able to subtly cause just enough chaos that nobody notices a small boy head downstairs in search of 'Mitran-hating goblins.' At first glance, the basement appears to be nothing more than a simple storage room filled with casks of ale, sacks of flour, and the like. However, a little searching reveals a single off-colored stone in the back wall. When pressed, a well-hidden secret door (clearly of Dwarven design) opens to reveal a long passageway. At the other end of the passage, you find a large vault filled with enough iron rations and water to feed 100 soldiers for several months. You're obviously somewhere inside Watchtower Balentyne. There's a trapdoor installed in the roof of this vault - presumably leading elsewhere in the castle.
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Over the course of the day, you learn that the gatehouse guards observe a regular rotation. There's no discernible gap in the coverage. You also learn that there are four guard captains. Finally, every morning, a contingent of Dwarfs enters the Watchtower to work on reinforcing the gatehouse. From what you can tell, it'll be an extremely lengthy project. Every night, slightly before sundown, the Dwarfs return to the "Lord's Dalliance" to eat, drink, and sleep.
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"That Captain Zack Eddarly is a handsome one, isn't he? Such a gallant! And still unmarried at his age. He'll make some lady of proper breeding quite a catch, won't he?"
Day Four complete
Once they had some time to themselves, Marvin filled in the rest of the team about his findings. "Some good news. There's actually a passage down in the basement that can lead us into the fortress. Not only that, there's a massive cache of food and water there. If we're able to procure sufficient poison, that would be an excellent target. Other than that, it's a good access point if we need to get in ourselves and avoid the sentries on the bridge. Could be good if we want to attempt some assassinations. We'll want to be careful though, if we expose that the passage is compromised, we'll lose that advantage.
"Finally, I'm guessing the inn keeper might be involved with someone in the keep, or perhaps he's stealing from the soldier's supplies? It's all speculation at this point, but he definitely slipped down there late the other night, and seemed to be wary of anyone seeing him. Whatever it is, if we're able to uncover whatever he's hiding, we may be able to use it as leverage."
"We do have some options then.
1- we could eliminate the innkeeper, impersonate him and close the inn so as to work undisturbed- but that brings some attention to the inn for being closed.
2- continue as we are and sneak around to use the tunnel- but that increases the chances of being caught while in the inn since we won't control the establishment.
I do like the poison angle if we can find enough of it in town and buy it in waves as different people so as to limit suspicion.".
Celestine smiled slightly. "It doesn't take much, and I found someone who can make it." she noted. "It shouldn't take more than a day or two at mos to get any we'd need."
"Here is what I suggest. We buy poison, all we can, without bringing attention to ourselves. We try and frame some big wig for the poison, preferable someone who is a caster, or already dubious in character. We also start eliminating any potential person capable of directing defenses of the town and the castle when the horde arrives. If we play this right we can get the leaders unsure of trusting each other and use that to delay any defense response."
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Erick shrugs. He did like his more direct approach of course but it could always lead back to that. he was just happy to be a free man for once. Not chained down by responsibilities to the farm, family or even literally chained to his cell.
"Where the hell we gonna buy all this poison?"
Erick tries to think back to his younger days on the farm and his Father teaching him about herbs and roots to think if he could remember a natural poison that he could gather nearby without notice.
"I know a guy." Celestine answered. "Sells a lot of arsenic to deal with rats, isn't likely to ask questions if we get enough for our purposes - which honestly isn't that much. I mean, it's not like we need wagonfulls of it or anything. The horde should be fine on its own, even if someone does direct the defenses - I'd rather not make our plan any more complex than it needs to be, and saving a few of their lives isn't worth adding a way for our plan to fail." The best plans were kept as simple as possible - anything too complicated tended to not work out the way you wanted. If they could do it with their basic plan, then sure, but it wasn't worth going out of their way to do.
"That's fair, but the more of the horde that survive, the more will be available for whatever comes next in the cardinal's plans."
Unfortunately, Erick has absolutely no clue how to make a poison from scratch. Celestine's idea, on the other hand, has merit. You should be able to procure enough arsenic to affect a decent portion of the Watchtower's forces for approximately 100gp.
"Good thinking Celestine. We get the arsenic and poison the food of the defenders the day before the attack. If we do it too early they may hire replacements. Do it just before the attack and they wont have the time. Now should we spend the time to murder off other possible defenders?"