"Well, if you're set on giving the ogres more time to establish defenses, this might help in getting your bearings." Vale rummages through his pack, and pulls out a crude map.
The rangers explain that Ft Rannick sits on the north end of a steep vale, nestled up against a bare rock cliff face. A 10' wide free-flowing creek runs parallel to a stout curtain wall, 15' high. The front approach is sure to be guarded well.
Behind the curtain wall are a few wood buildings and another wall with a trio of ramparts, protecting a round keep. The keep is two stories high, with a watch tower rising another two stories in height. (NOTE - for some reason, on Vale's map, the inner keep is shown as a collection of square buildings; it's really just a single round structure - no idea why this depiction is so off)
The cliff behind the whole structure is also riddled with caves, with a couple of different access points. They haven't been used in decades, with one reason being shocker lizards that nest in them. One access is via a waterfall which feeds into a pond outside the outer wall. Another potential entrance is via an aerie atop the mountain.
Hopefully, none of this sneaking around is necessary and there's a perfectly innocent explanation for the rangers' lack of contact.
"When do we plan to arrive at the Fort?" Jakardros asks. "Should we try to spy on them at night or during the day? If the Kreeg ogres have in fact taken Rannick, darkness of night won't stop them from seeing us."
"Then daylight it is... better for me, anyway!"
Vale's pretty gung-ho for a guy who was about to be an ottoman a few hours ago. Lleidr will end up giving him space if he can't relax. Besides, it's more important to Lleidr to keep an eye on Kaven, the one with that tattoo.
"I agree with scouting during the day."
So I suppose we should decide on an approach vector? Lleidr isn't much of a swimmer. Or climber. Or flyer. But hey, if the fort has a smooth, level entryway, perhaps with a bit of shade so he doesn't get too hot moving up to it, Lleidr's your halfling!
Dawn is quick to arrive. Turtleback Ferry comes alive with all the bustling activity typical for a rural village: fishermen venturing to their boats, maids sweeping out the tavern, and children dragging their feet to the schoolhouse.
The walk towards Ft Rannick passes without event, though the rain is heavy. The path grows steep as it winds into growing foothills lying at the knees of the Wyvern Mountains. Leaves slick with rain and slimy mud make your footing treacherous. Before lunchtime, the Black Arrows tell you that the fort lies near. You will see it when the walls of the valley close to a point beneath a tall peak.
The stench of sweat, urine, blood, and ogre-musk befouls the air for hundreds of yards before you even get near the fort. As you creep up the road leading to Ft Rannick, dozens of skulls and mangled corpses hang from trees, with gigantic rusty hooks spitting them like meat awaiting a butcher’s block.
Jakardros' map was accurate. Talons of lightning claw at the sky, casting pale light on the mountainside below. The lightning storm reveals a grim fortress of dark gray stone standing sentinel over the valley, huddled desperately at the base of two sheer cliff sides. Crumbling, fifteen-foot-high walls ring the citadel, the stone pitted and cratered from hurled boulders and ogre hooks. Like the face of a veteran with decades of winters under his belt, the fort’s craters, cracks, and scars are testament to its battle-weary history. A stone keep, a stubborn shadow against the mountainside, rises from behind the worn walls, a single tower jutting up from its ramparts like an ugly broken tooth. Nearby, a rushing curtain of white water cascades down the mountainside into a large pool of water just outside the fort’s walls.
Were the bodies hanging from trees mostly Black Arrows? Are there enough corpses to give us an idea if we're looking at a total massacre or possibly more captives to rescue?
Can the Arrows with us tell us about water and food supplies for the fort? How long do we think a group of ogres could survive on any stored foods as opposed to humans? Maybe we can whittle down their numbers picking off raiding/hunting parties outside the fort?
Can we see any ogres on guard?
Some were Arrows, yes, many others appear to be nearby villagers. And, yes, you can see a few of the ogres on guard, walking atop the parapets.
Their water comes from the nearby pond and waterfall; they'll have no lack of clean water. And, as long as they can raid the nearby countryside for people to eat, they could hole up inside Ft Rannick indefinitely. There's stores inside the fort, too. Enough to feed a fifty men for 3 months at least.
Not sure what your next step is guys. Feel free to throw some ideas around. There isn't much activity of note, other than occasional ogres patrolling behind the battlements.
Well, the water supply is accessible, though we may have to be extra sneaky to get to it. How do y'all feel about trying to poison the water? Lleidr's not that kind of rogue, but I reckon it's a fair, if distasteful, move when assaulting a fortification. We could try fouling it with carcasses, though the ogre constitution may handle that easily, or try to create or procure a more potent, alchemical poison that might be more effective but also more costly.
I didn't think the stores would be so great at the fort, but I figure ogres would eat through the food much more quickly than a human. Maybe in a month? That's a long time to wait.
But we may not have to be that patient. They have food inside, but I bet they'll send out a raiding party soon enough to get more humans to slaughter. We could try to get the jump on them. Or if we're real froggy, maybe some ranged attacks (bows or spells) against the sentries to draw out a group into an ambush.
Or I guess we could say too bad, so sad, and write off Fort Rannick as lost to the forces of evil :)
Lets look for a point of ingress, says Nicholas, all military sterness.
The first point is getting inside where we can cause maximum damage rather than a frontal assault on its walls.
Vale nods vigorously. "Agreed. The walls will be manned by their better fighters, but if I know the Kreegs, the ones off-duty will be easier to take down. When they take their eye off the ball, they get sloppy."
The caves behind the waterfall are an obvious way to sneak inside.
Jakardros also points out the castle's sluice gate, on the south wall, not too far from the waterfall. "The pipe yonder should be big enough, barely, to get through the wall and into the castle. Not a very pleasant trip, as you can imagine. It's the drainage for the keep's sewage and refuse."
Nich, you notice behind the outer curtain wall that you see occasional ogres coming and going from a large wooden building. The rangers point out that the structure is the keep's New Barracks, but they abandoned it due to the danger from fire. Anyone sleeping inside would likely burn to death very quickly.
Baiting and luring out a company of ogres could prove useful. You could also do some combination of these things, maybe even splitting up the party to set up a distraction.
Oh for a fireball or my faith being strong enough to manifest a flame strike.
Lets try something of a dual strategy. We can sneak in via the sluice - it would disguise our smell in any case and then set fire to the barracks... then we could have Vale and his men launch a noisy distracting attack with flame arrows to create confusion... what say you all?
Nich, Nich, Nich....I throw out "write off the fort," and you come back with "wait, let's crawl through ogre poo to save it"? You drive a hard bargain :)
I think Zilt mentioned these rangers didn't consider the caves behind the waterfall to be a viable access point because of some shocker lizards [insert dirty joke here]. But the Arrows also think we're bad ass. Are we tough enough to handle whatever shocker lizards are? Is the risk worth it to avoid crawling through raw sewage?
Whichever way we go, I agree that we get in there and set fire to the barracks. You little pyros have been itching to burn something since Thistletop, and even I'm ready to torch something after stumping around this water-logged AP 'til Lleidr has trench foot.
If we're dividing up, I like party vs Arrows, as well.
Poo vs no-poo, I vote for shocker lizards.
Awwww
Focus on the fire, Nich. Glorious flames burning brightly.
Okay - so we go via the waterfall... After we set the barracks on fire the Rangers launch a distraction attack
Sounds good to Lleidr.
"Let's go see what shocker lizards are!'
Jakadros nods. "Once we see smoke rising from the barracks, we'll know to begin. I recommend that we attack the north bridge, since the south bridge is nearest to the New Barracks.
Keep in mind, you probably won't be able to set fire to the barracks from outside. There's also a rather large crawlspace full of extra lumber, which I'm sure you could put to good use. But, there's supposed to be a hidden access from the caves to just behind the barracks.
Vale grips an axe in each hand, snarling in contempt towards the fort. "When will you make for the waterfall cave? My weapons cry out for Kreeg blood."
Kaven's hands shake, and his eyes are heavy. He hasn't said much this morning, but his fatigue is obvious. "Maybe I should climb the nearby hill, to better watch for your signal. Good luck to you!"
Lleidr will bid the Arrows good luck. As he talks to Shelelu, he wants to use Bluff to try and communicate a secret message to her that Lleidr has a bad feeling about Kaven and he needs to be watched.
She looks at you, her eyes betraying both concern and surprise.
"Worried about him? Why do you say that?" she whispers to you. "Maybe I should stay with the rangers instead of going with you into the caves."
Also whispering. "It's more a gut feeling. I been watching him since he tried to lie about that tattoo, same as my cousin's. I can't make a direct connection between it all, but he's been squirrely since we called him on it."
I know I'm late with an update for you. I'm feeling drained this evening ... I'll get an update tomorrow, promise!
Sneaking round the wall of the cliff, you spy the opening behind the waterfall easily enough.
The floor of this cave is dotted with puddles. Patches of pale moss and fungus grow in sheets on the wall, while to the north, a five-foot-wide
passageway angles up into darkness. A walkway of soggy planks leads from this opening southeast to a second opening curtained by cascades of falling water.
As you make your way inside, I need an Acrobatics check, to navigate the slippery floor. NOTE - the scale of this map is quite large, so your tokens are especially tiny. And now that I think about it, they're too big. I need to adjust the scale once again tomorrow.
Oh this can't end well. Anything that can be done for clerics in full plate?
Can you just un-see that prior image I posted? I forgot to turn on the Player View in Maptool.
Going to need someone to secure me on a rope I think...
"Eh? What? We're here already? What's the plan?"
Ned & Selia, can you give me an Acrobatics check for the slippery floor in the cave behind the waterfall?
The only visible route through the cave is a passage that winds its way north, deeper into the mountain.
There's a loud clatter after several of you slip and sprawl down on the slick floor. But, none of you are hurt, just a bit shaken from the fall.
Again the only obvious exit is north or back through the waterfall from which you entered.
Sorry about your hip, Ned, but it's the way of nature.
Lleidr finally got a rope a while back, so if it's a matter of incline and needing help get up to the exit, he's ready. Otherwise, he's more than happy to pop Light on his ioun stone and take the lead, leaving the room by the northern tunnel.
grumble
"Well, I think if I just step carefully he..... argh!"
The priest falls with a clatter and a loss of dignity but rises and leads the team in following Lliedr to the north.
"Next time we should just get Lleidr to carry us all across"
The floor, walls, and ceiling of this cool, damp cave are coated from floor to ceiling in soft, dark gray fungus. Several crates are stacked in a nook to the northwest. You come upon a pair of shocker lizards, who appear startled to see you. They flick out the thin curls of their ribbon tongues and pounce as if to either flee or strike.
Nich, you have first action. Then the lizards get to go.
Here's what a Shocker Lizard looks like.
Just need a combat action (or not!) from Nich ...
Nicolae draws his sword and moves in a diagonally straight line to cover the corner of the corridor the lizards may enter through - either stopping them as Nicolae distracts them with the potential threat or providing an AoO if they push past him.
The lizards turn down the north-east passage and scurry away out of sight (fighting withdrawal).
What now, everyone?
"Well done. You really... showed them?"
Whatever their size,though, Lleidr will congratulate Nich on his intimidation skills.
And then there was some mention of crates in a nook to the northwest. Lleidr will move up thataway to check them out.
Small sized ... around 3' in length. In proceeding, you've got 2 choices ... north-east or due north. You should be pretty close to that barracks by now.
The crates bear the sigil of the Black Arrow rangers and are coated in dust. Making a Perception check on your behalf, and you see nothing dangerous. Detect Magic reveals an aura, very muffled and faint, as if buried by the contents of a chest.
"I detect something maybe under the chest. Can you strong fellows move it? Or maybe it is inside, at the bottom?"
does Ned know anything about the lizards?
She obviously means Lleidr, so while Ned flips through his Mark Trail archives, the halfling will roll up his sleeves and move the crates with the intent of retrieving whatever is emanating magic.
Ned, that's going to be a KNO Arcana check, unfortunately.
The crates store a mini-armory! All together they hold 2 dozen each of
- longswords
- shortswords
- daggers
- longbows
and an oilcloth wraps 6 arrows emanating a strong magical aura.