Achiko bows respectfully to Lord Perpireen.
"Among the Koga Hexagon Clan, you would be considered the supreme shinobi—invisible warrior—Perpireen Daimyo!"
Lord P smiles
"Realy? That's nice, I'll have to come to visit someday, See where I'm from, I'm considered a bit clumsy"
He chuckles.
"Where is this gypsy?" Altin asks suspiciously. "Is he actually a Traveller, or just a vagrant? Did he seem on the level? Because if he did, he's probably trouble..."
I think we should go in in force...just un case there is trouble we can deal with it.
"He's over there, said he escaped last month, he offered to take us to the outflow pipe. I think he means to go back in using the sewer." Wulfgar thinks for a moment trying to remember the impression the Gypsy made on him.
[dice=sense motive]1d20+6
You can trust in me! The gypsey grins innocently...
I think we should go in in force...just un case there is trouble we can deal with it.
I think we should go in in force...just un case there is trouble we can deal with it.
Whispering to Wulfgar: Do not trust the gypsey, Monsieur Wulfgar... Something about his behavior hints that he may be a thrall, dominated by the vampires and sent into the populace to tell his tale of “escape”, and lure the vampires’ enemies into a trap...
Coming to Wulfgar, shoulder Lord P says.
"Its always good to have a man of the cloth around to gives us wise words."
Coming to Wulfgar, shoulder Lord P says.
"Its always good to have a man of the cloth around to gives us wise words."
To Father Abelarde: It is considered rude to whisper in these parts, Father...
The gypsey chuckles... I’m just sporting with you, Padre! Heheh! Do we have a deal, or do you think I’m a “spy for the vampires”? Hahaha! Nonsense... Everyone is so spooked by these bloodsuckers... They are all asleep right now! Is perfect time to give them what’s coming, no?
'I'm tired of these games, I trust the priest and the fairy both more than him.' Wulfgar casts enhance diplomacy then approaching, lighting his halo as he snarls and grabs the man by the scruff of his neck. "How long do you want to live?"
[dice=intimidate]1d20+14
*GASP!!* A long time, sir!
Holding the thief by the collar, Wulfgar turns to Father Abelarde, "Father, you understand the compulsion that these vampires may put on a man. Will this thief be able to speak the truth or should I just kill him and put him out of his misery?"
Wulfgar draws the gladius and puts it to the mans throat, watching from the priest to the thief "What is the trap set?"
Yes! Yes! There is a trap! They are waiting for me to bring prey to them! These monks are vampires and practice wakeful meditation instead of sleep during the day!
Altin bangs the butt of his spear on the ground threateningly. "I'd skewer you right now, were you not under the vampire's control," he growls.
Vanna twirls her new rapier around.
I wouldn't mund testing this before setting off...she says looking right atvthe thief.
"Well, normally you'd identify a likely entry point for a small group of infiltrators, then send them in at night to attempt to get a gate, sally port, or side door open. But in this case, the cover of darkness mightn't help so much. Whatever we do, we want to get inside quickly, so we're not dealing with archers all over the walls. I still think our three-strong strike team could be the way to go... but if we fail, we're dead, and the group's strength is lessened. Happy to follow your orders, Captain." The last is delivered without a trace of Altin's customary humour.
Vanna tries to look disappointed, but cracks a smile. She then ponders about trying to get in the fortress.
What about from below? They must have a water source running in...unless it is built right on a spring...
The Abbot is the master... He has his sarcophagus in the catacombs... It is a marble sarcophagus, with inlays of turquoise and jasper... In the east wing... There are also sixteen vampire spawn, all monks of the Order of the Desert Scorpion! They do not lie in torpor during the day as most vampires do, but rest in mindful meditation, aware of all that goes on around them! Half are alert and wait to ambush the unwary, while the other half rest...
Please, be merciful!... I am compelled by vampire magic to do as I do!... I’m sorry I tried to trick you!... But I had no other choice!
Vanna tries to look disappointed, but cracks a smile. She then ponders about trying to get in the fortress.
What about from below? They must have a water source running in...unless it is built right on a spring...
A well... They have a well... We thralls still drink water, after all...
"Where is that well? Answer us truly, and we'll free you from your thralldom. Unless you want to live in slavery to the undead."
"We should bring fire, let them fall onto a person who in turns lights up as bright as the morning sun, turning the dead to ash? Possibly this gypsy?" She says using a dagger to clean underneath her sharp nails.
"I mean isn't it an eye for an eye written in one of those religious books you all seem to adhere too?"
Altin turns to the gypsy. "Is there any possible way to access the keep via the well? If not, what other possible ways are there inside?"
"Over the wall?" She says not exactly sure what else could be an entrance.
"Maybe a slave/servents entrance?"
Altin turns to the gypsy. "Is there any possible way to access the keep via the well? If not, what other possible ways are there inside?"
There is no way but the front gate and the secret way of the ambush. Make your choice, Christian! These vampires are not fools...
"Over the wall?" She says not exactly sure what else could be an entrance.
"Maybe a slave/servents entrance?"
Even before the vampires, this place was impregnable. That’s the point of a “fortress” monastery. There is the main gate, the postern gate, and the outflow tunnel.
Smiles
"See the thing about impregnable fortress, is that they tend to be impregnable from ground attack, and attacks from the air or under are so often overlooked. You see what we need to get in here is a hole load of summoned Badgers
Smiles
"See the thing about impregnable fortress, is that they tend to be impregnable from ground attack, and attacks from the air or under are so often overlooked. You see what we need to get in here is a hole load of summoned Badgers
Altin frowns. "Well, crazy as it sounds, maybe we should attempt to infiltrate through the overflow tunnel. I know it's walking into a trap, but walking in knowing it's a trap is different to walking in blind. However, I think we should all stay relatively near. Perhaps Lord P and I will be able to handle the required sneaking."
Altin shrugs. "You know I'm not much of a planner, Wulfgar," he says apologetically. "I'm happy to follow your lead. But my bowstring fingers are getting itchy, if you know what I mean."
Altin frowns. "Well, crazy as it sounds, maybe we should attempt to infiltrate through the overflow tunnel. I know it's walking into a trap, but walking in knowing it's a trap is different to walking in blind. However, I think we should all stay relatively near. Perhaps Lord P and I will be able to handle the required sneaking."
While the Desert Jackals plan their attack on the monastery-fortress of Safi, a dark elf assassin rides the winds above the Moroccan desert on a magic carpet, headed for Safi, where his targets await unawares...
This job will make me very wealthy indeed! But I must be cautious... These targets sound formidable... I must strike unseen from the shadows, with lethal venoms...
Achiko volunteers to scale the wall and open the postern or main gate, whichever Altin prefers.
I can do it unseen by the thralls, Altin-San. Shinobi means “invisible warrior”! Koga Hexagon Clan shinobi are the best at infiltration and sabotage!
O'Reilly favors the outflow pipe, turning the ambush tables on the vampires.
They will be expecting us one way or the other... We might as well go in the way with the least thralls in the way...
Don't forget...likely no guards on the water pipe...
Altin turns to Wulfgar with a sigh. "We're talking in circles here. Time to make a call, fearless leader."
To Wulfgar in English: If you’d like a diversion, I can lead the attack on the walls... I’d let Achiko and O’Reilly scale the walls at postern gate and anterior gate, open both, and then split the gladiators and combat-worthy harem girls between the two gates... We’d do our best to subdue the thralls instead of killing them, but that depends on them yielding instead of fighting to the death, of course...
That sounds good to me. Double check your gear...no time for mistakes.
Altin heeds Giovanna's words and goes over his equipment one last time, before nodding to Wulfgar. "Right, let's do this then." Face grim, he hefts his bow and makes to depart for the pipe.
The outflow pipe lies just north of the north end of the quay, and is about five feet in diameter. Water trickles out of the pipe into the harbor.
The Desert Jackals assemble near the mouth of the pipe while the gladiators and harem girls divide into two forces and prepare their distraction at the postern and anterior gates.
Lord Perpireen flies into the pipe and into the catacombs beneath the fortified monastery, locating a dark chamber some sixty feet square, where a dozen wooden coffins are arranged near the walls, leaving the center floor open... A shallow channel, about a foot deep by three feet wide, catches sewer water that spills through a grate in the center of the fifteen-foot-high ceiling, channeling it into the outflow pipe...
A stairway near the east wall of the chamber descends to the north, presumably to deeper crypts...
Six pale monks with eyes that glow red like burning coals in the darkness squat upon six of the twelve coffins—those nearest where the outflow pipe exits the crypt! They watch the outflow pipe for intruders...