Akre looks a bit confused at Clayton’s suggestion.
If you want to get into the keep, there’s a hidden door to the barracks just down that corridor there. Be careful, though. I think the hobbos have taken over our bunks. There may be other entrances, I did not have the strenght to explore all of the hidden corridors.
The trapdoor leads to the courtyard. Nothing out there but enemy sentries and the rotting corpses of my buddies.
"Barracks seems out best bet. If we're lucky, well catch them asleep and unarmored. Easy pickings."
Stochelo gets ready to head in the direction the soldier pointed.
Grumbles resolves that if he makes it on the way out, that this Chellish loving Molthune soldier won't.
Useful, is all he says in response.
"Don't worry about it, it isn't for you anyway."
He considers Stochelo's remark, "We might be able to slash some of them in their sleep, but that will still draw attention. Whatever is holding the hobs here is at the bottom of those stairs in the mess hall; we take out the witch and they won't have any reason to stay." He throws his hands in the air, "What say you all?"
"Let's find out, if we can get some during their sleep..."
"Agreed. I'm ready."
I think it would be prudent to search the rest of this corridor, in its entirety, before entering the barracks. As this man says, there might be other secret doors. It could be advantageous if we knew where they all were before we move inside.
I also have these, Silas adds holding up two scrolls. They reveal secret doors. We could use one here, should it be necessary, and save the other for the dungeon below.
"Understood. No need to be flanked, besides there might be treasure." He gives a grin and starts walking, "If you're willing Silas, I'm very much excited to see those work; I can't say I'm thrilled to be shuffling around down here when there are threats up there."
Let's wait and see if we can't find anything on our own first. If we suspect something is up and we need the help we can use one then.
Let's split up and search each branch as quick as we can.
"Ok, let's do a quick search."
Elduin takes a lead of the first split party and moves into a corridor, where he starts examining everything thoroughly.
"Come on Fowyn. I'm sure you can help."
Im with you Eldiun
Stochelo moves with Clayton, hoping to help with the search.
"I really dont know what I'm looking for..."
He pats his hands on his newest drinking buddy's back, "Come on let's go Stochelo." He gives one more motion to the others, "When you're done with that dead end meet up with us, we won't go further if we see any splits in the corridor."
Perception
Silas joins Elduin and Grumbles moving "forward" while the other two go back the way we came from to search the other direction from where we entered the passageway.
Splitting up, the infiltrator team moves in opposite directions to explore the hidden crawlspace. Akre Belring gives a curt wave before wrapping up in his cloak and settling down with the provided food to await your return.
Footprints and traces of blood are clearly visible on the floor of the corridor, no doubt traces of Akre Belring's passage. About 20 feet down the western corridor, you spot a door in the south wall. It is not concealed from this side, and has a small latch at eye level, which likely covers a peephole.
The corridor continues past the door, curving south after about 10-15 feet.
You move carefully back the way you came, and soon find yourselves back at the trap door you used to enter the keep. From here, you take the eastern corridor, which curves in a manner similar to the other one. You estimate that you have completed a half-circle when the corridor straightens again and leads west.
A dozen feet into the you spot a door in the norht wall. It is not concealed from this side, and has a small latch at eye level, which likely covers a peephole. The corridor continues past the door, branching into another Y not far ahead.
"Let's take a look. If theres a peephole, theres probably an occupied space on the other side of the wall."
Elduin silently moves away the peep hole shutter und peeks through it.
He whispers, "What do you see? Find anyone worth taking out?" Clayton begins to think of the others, and decides its still better to wait. "Not like we should anyway."
Silas continues past the door with the peephole, wanting to see what is possibly beyond it.
Elduin whispers to Grumbles and Silas. "There's two hobgoblins there. I guess, one is sleeping, the other one seems to be bored."
Moving a few feet further down the corridor, Silas can see the curve continue, corresponding with the four leaf clover shape of the keep. He spots no more doors along the curve.
Silas nods acknowledging Elduin's comment before continuing around the curve to examine the remaining passageway.
Following Silas Grumbles examines the trap door.
"Empty room. Maybe a storeroom.or something. Cant see much of interest."
Clayton gets impatient, "Lets head back to the intersection where we said we would meet. I'm not about to go wandering about with a bloodthirsty enchantress and an army on high alert."
He pats Stochelo on the back, "Better an empty room than one full of folks who can hear us I guess."
He begins to move toward the meeting point in wait for the others.
Just take this whole thing slow, we can easily do this.
The trap door above the ladder is similar to the others you have seen and does not appear to have a lock. Do you open it?
"Yeah, let's regroup. No sense wandering around on own.
Let's go see what the others discovered and choose which door we want to go through.
Stochelo and Clayton make it back to Akre Belring without incident. A short distance away, they find Elduin. Silas and Grumbles are nowhere to be seen.
Clayton walks back and hails the others, "So, what is the plan? Our side seemed to be pretty empty, but we found another door that we can use to move in." He queries, hoping to get an answer that gets them moving forward, "And what did you find?"
"A room with two hobgoblins. We could surprise them, at least that's what Silas' plan was, but one was not asleep..."
"We can use indivisibility to our advantage. Gang up on the awake one and then slit the sleeper's throat. We have enough hands to handle two hobgoblins, I hope."
Following Silas Grumbles examines the trap door.
Silas stalks out of the gloom to join the discussion. OK then, that makes two trapdoors in the floor. One we used to come under the wall and one that leads out into the inner yard, as per Akre. Two secret doors. One that leads into the barracks, with two hobgoblins present, and one that leads to a storeroom, apparently empty at the moment. And finally one trapdoor in the ceiling that leads to who knows where on the second floor.
Silas furrows his brow in thought before adding, We can probably use these passageways to hit and run the hobgoblins pretty effectively for a while before they get wise to us. Whittle some of their numbers down. Once we stir things up on this floor we can use the ladder hatch to go upstairs and do more of the same potentially.
Suggestions to quickly and quietly dispatch the hobgoblins?
Clayton thinks, "Move in with one swift move and snap its neck, then immediately kill the other. I can't imagine it would be able to survive all of us collapsing on it simultaneously." Cracking his knuckles he continues, "Then we pick whoever off one by one."
He puts his palms on the tunnel walls, "Then these passages will be our next plan afterwards."
"Agreed. Clayton can put the sleeper into a permanent sleep, while the rest of us gang up on the awake one. Hit it fast and hard, try to keep it from calling out."
"I'm ready to go if you are. I ain't getting any younger."
Elduin takes another peak through the hole, before the party establishes a charge-in order.
Then he draws his bow and knocks an arrow.
Silas nods silent assent with the plan.
Clayton gives a knowing nod, "You all ready?"
Pushing the trapdoor silently, he hopes to catch the hobgoblins off-guard.
Elduin who was gone for a few seconds comes back his eyes wide and raptor-like and feathers grown on the sides of his head.
Then he nods at Clayton.