”Well if it can smell us then we can’t sneak past it. Let’s just march in and kill whatever is there. If we do it fast then we can keep the element of surprise. And if we don’t? Well, it would ruin what we’re doin here anyways, so at least it’ll be dead.” Ingrid reasoned.
Brogol nods. He didn't love Ingrid's plan, but... it was better than anything he could come up with. "My eyes will be useless in that tunnel without a light. Do you want to take the lead, Ingrid? Maybe it is just a large hound, and you can put it down in a second or two. And if not, we can charge in after you, with Eris' father lighting the way?"
"Right. Let's do it then." Ingrid said, deciding that moving forward with a plan was the best option, even if the plan wasn't the best plan.
Reasoning you won't be able to sneak past the mysterious creature, the three of you descend down into the courtyard and head right for the south-eastern corner with the rocky tunnel. Ingrid takes the lead, and with the benefit of her darkvision, she's able to see down the dark tunnel.
Inside, she sees the interior of a rocky den and spots a large tiger-like creature currently rising drowsily from its nest. The leathery wings sprouting from its back betray that it is no ordinary big cat, as does its strangely humanoid-like face. The creature arches its back as it locks eyes with Ingrid and starts to flare its nostrils.
===================
Ingrid
Brogol
Tiger-like Monster
Eris
Meeting claw with claw, Ingrid waded into the fray. She trusted that even if she fell that her soul would go to her deity, and that so long as she upheld her end of the contract he would uphold his. Given that, what use was there to fear for her life?
The creature seems slow - slower than Brogol at least. Skirting along the tunnel wall, Brogol pushes past Ingrid and unwinds his scarf, sending it flitting through the air at the creature.
-
Back outside, Eris hears a pitched whistling a moment before an arrow lances into the gap between her armor and her neck. The shaft is small, but perfectly placed to create a bleeding wound. Eris just briefly spots some movement at the window of the gatehouse - it seems there's a sniper up there!
Inside the den, the tiger-monster swipes a paw at each of the villains. Its claws pierce past Ingrid's guard and slice deep , while Brogol is just barely able to duck under the claw aimed at him. The tiger-monster growls and pants, badly injured, but defiant!
|||| INIT ||||
Eris (10 dmg, 2 bleed)
Ingrid (13 dmg)
Brogol
Tiger-like Monster (26 dmg)
??? Sniper
Completely heedless of the danger Ingrid moved in, putting a claw on each side of its head and pulling herself to its neck for a vicious bite. Like a terrier she held on, shaking her head in an effort to rip its throat out with her teeth. She knew that an eternal award awaited her if she fell, so what was there to fear?
"Yer hurt," Brogol mutters as Eris comes into the cave, fur floating in the air between them. "Where's the enemy?"
Ingrid stood up from the carcass to look for where the danger was coming from. Unfortunately, she had to wipe the gore out of her eyes first.
Ingrid tears the tiger-monster's throat out in a gruesome display of sheer power. The creature gurgles loudly, claws pawing weakly against Ingrid for a few moments before it collapses to the hay covered floor.
With Eris now inside the beast's den with the rest of you, you don't have a direct view of the gatehouse's windows. However, on the other hand, there's no line of sight from the windows to you. With the sniper unable to hit you with their arrows, you're left in peace for now.
Combat Over (for now)
|||| STATUS ||||
Eris (12 dmg, 2 bleed)
Ingrid (13 dmg)
Brogol
Brogol thinks for a second that they could use the cat for cover, but one look at the creature's size and the driver shakes his head, dismissing the thought. "Heal yerselves, and let's rush the sniper. Be quick about it too - we don't want 'em looking for reinforcements."
Brogol creeps forward, hoping to use the tunnel walls as cover for any attack, and peers out into the courtyard towards the gatehouse.
The courtyard otherwise appears empty, and he doesn't notice any signs that an alarm is being raised.
"We could use the body of this monster as a shield." Brunhild said, as she healed the worst of her wounds. "Once we get to the gate itself, we should know where the arrows are comin' from. Then we break the door down. That is, unless Brogol can find us a way where we can get there without bein' shot up."
"I was just plannin' on us rushing the door," Brogol admits, "I figured its an old building, but the gatehouse does seem to be in better shape than the rest of the place."
"Eris, shine your father's light there... and there."
While the others are healing, Brogol looks over the creature's layer for any hidden baubles or doors.
While the infernal healing from Eris' wand slowly repairs your wounds, Brogol pushes the massive carcass of the tiger-creature aside and sifts through the bed of hay, skins and bones at the bottom of its lair. He finds a savaged leather satchel containing several interesting objects, including what looks like a wand.
A ??? scroll
A ??? wand
A fine courtier's outfit
A bottle of cheap rum
A signet ring bearing a seal consisting of a pair of struggling falcons (worth 10 gp)
A pouch containing 59 gp
As Brogol finishes looting, you finish healing. Eris still has a minor injury , but otherwise your group is healthy.
Parsing through the things, Brogol lifts the potion and the wand. "These'r probably magical, yeah? Either of you know stuff about this stuff?"
Once everyone's ready, Brogol nods to the women and tries lifting the cat. It was heavy, but both of his companions were stronger than Brogol - perhaps together they could do as Ingrid suggested and use it for cover.
"To the door then."
”To the door.” Ingrid agreed, having no ability to identify the magical.
Working together, you start pushing the massive winged tiger-creature out of the cave. Although the thing is too heavy to lift, you're able to slide it along the ground and squeeze it through the narrow opening of the den. It's all going well until you get to the base of the stairs, where it becomes clear enough that you're not going to be able to push it up and use it for cover at the same time.
You could however push it to other locations in the courtyard if you wanted.
Brogol's heart racing, he gives up on pushing the beast (with a succinct "Bulls" indicating his resignation), and sprints towards the gatehouse door. "Cover me!"
"Run now!" Brogol yells, gritting his teeth as blood spills down his leg. "She's backed off the window!"
Thanks to Brogol's sharp eye, you notice your opening to reach the door to the gatehouse. Eris' taunts go unanswered for a moment - a moment long enough for her to get out of view of the gatehouse's windows. Ingrid is also able to follow along, though it takes her a little more time.
Brogol's wound bleeds profusely
Now that you're at the gatehouse's door, you have complete cover from the archer. The door itself looks to be made of solid wood and is in surprisingly good shape considering the rest of the fort. After a brief moment to test it, you realize that it is barred or blocked on the other side.
"Well of course." Ingrid said, finding that the door was barred. "Brogol, I've got nothign that can help ye. Hopefully Eris can." After a moment she added "Think ye can get this door open, or will we have to break it?"
"Hnng," Brogol says, his eyes widening as blood pools in his boot. "Eris, can you hit me with that wand." Pausing, Brogol realizes he ought to clarify. "Metaphorically speaking."
Kneeling, Brogol inspects the door, and then taking a pouch of tools from his pack, sets to work.
"I'll try and get it open before we attempt bursting it down."
Brogol sizes up the door. He doesn't see an easy way to open it without breaking it down, but he does notice an alternative, if risky path. The external walls of the gatehouse are rough enough that someone skilled at climbing might be able to hoist themselves over to a window and get in that way. . Otherwise, the door seems reasonably solid and might take a few hits to splinter and a few more to break fully.
|
With the wand still in hand, Eris follows after Brogol. When he stops, holding his bleeding wound, she looks at it with a twinkle in her eye.
"Aww, but it's so fun to watch people bleed!" she protests. Nevertheless, she taps the rogue with the wand. His bleeding stops, and the wounds slowly knit together, helped by a little devil blood.
"Should we batter this thing down?" she asks. "I'm sure Ingrid could make short work of it."
Brogol nods his thanks. "Agreed, so long as they're not me."
Turning to Ingrid, Brogol doffs his hat, an exaggerated gesture of the more politer society. [i]After you, ma'am.[/ic]
Ingrid shook her head. With a sign she got up, looked at the door, glared at it and then gave it a solid kick...
With a single swift kick, Ingrid knocks the bar barring the door loose and splinters the frame in the process. The door swings open, revealing a low-ceilinged, mostly empty room that smells rather strongly of rotting wood. Crouched about as far away from the door as she can get is a bow-wielding halfling. She raises her bow, hissing out "You bastards 're gonna pay for what you did to my friends."
===================
-------
|||| INIT ||||
Eris (3 dmg)
Ingrid (17 dmg, 2 bleed)
Brogol (11 dmg, 8 rounds more fast healing)
Jexxi Six Splinters
With a prayer to Asmodeus on her lips, Ingrid charged forward. The arrow came out of her leg, the worst of the wound healing and the bleeding stop. Her body could not handle any more such miracles that day. Luckily, she still had strength of claw and tooth. Something which she proved to the halfling by raking her claws against the foe's arm.
Brogol slides into the room after Ingrid, scowling. "Yer friends - and you - are bringing this all on yerselves. Drop the spear, you'll live. Otherwise..."
Brogol's scarf snakes out, wrapping around the archer's leg, and Brogol gives a tug, trying to yank the woman from her feet. Looking to Ingrid, the driver barks, "Flank."
|||| INIT ||||
Eris (3 dmg) x2
Ingrid (10 dmg)
Brogol (12 dmg, 7 rounds more fast healing)
Jexxi Six Splinters (9 dmg)
The halfling tries to stand, but Brogol has anticipated this - the rogue whips the other end of his scarf around the woman's legs, and once again Brogol tugs, trying to keep her laying on the ground.
Brogol's scarf follows their enemy as she shifts her back against the wall, again wrapping around her leg, and again Brogol tries to upend her.
For her part, Ingrid tried to savage the halfling. Her aim was initially off, as the halfling fell out of her grip and then got up, narrowly avoiding a clawed hand. The other hand, though, managed to grab the halfling. The claws dug in deep, as the foe was pulled forward. Ingrid tried to rip the halfling's neck out, but instead "only" managed to get the side of the face.
The halfling endures another scarf slash from Brogol, this time getting deeply cut, and as he pursues her into the corner, she is once more tossed to the ground by his deft control of his weapon. This leaves her open to Eris' maddening touch, as well as Ingrid's deadly claws and teeth. She cries out in terror, unable to defend herself. Two deep wounds later, she goes limp, unconscious in a pool of her own blood.
Combat Over!
Small ??? shortbow
Small spear
Whistle
Thieves' tools
26 gp, 9 sp
In addition to the equipment the halfling was carrying, you find a small folded scrap of paper with a tightly scrawled message. It reads:
"Allamar warned me that the Baron's hounds have been growing bolder and more violent. She plans to resurrect our friend Bolgart and then bring him and some of the others in town over to you. Expect seven souls, two nights from now. Send them on to the Court immediately."
|
|
Eris clucks her tongue at the fallen halfling. "Your skill with the bow could have been put to good use elsewhere. My goodness that thing stings," she says as she looks at it.
As the group reads the notes, she says "I guess we're the hounds. I've been called worse. Like 'Cotton-headed ninny muggins.' But anyway, here's proof they wanted to get our little bacon-flavored friend back in business. Where would this 'Court' be?" she wonders.
"A bunch of dead men." Ingrid replied. "I've nay healing left in me. But this halfling might know the answer, if it's life can be saved." As she spoke she used a clawed finger to pick out bits of the halfling's face from her teeth.
Brogol winds his scarf back around his next, a small flat smile gracing his face. "Hounds? I quite like it, actually." Tipping his hat to the others, Brogol pulls a small flask from his belt and passes it to his companions. "I owe my fellow Hounds a drink later. Nicely done. As to your question, Eris..."
Memory searched, Brogol begins a physical search of the gatehouse, looking for anything else of value.
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Brogol finds an interrogation of the halfling unnecessary. Hearing the term 'Court' out here triggers the recollection of something he heard of in a story set in the Whisperwood. The 'Court' referred to in the note may very well be the "Court of Spears", an old bandit fort deeper within the Whisperwood.
The Court of Spears was once the hideout of a legendary band of thugs and thieves called the Nine Princes, led by the Feign Prince Lairsaph himself. The story, which purports itself to be a dramatized retelling of events over eighty years ago, described the band's adventures in fooling the nobles of the countryside by pretending to be Chelish tax collectors. After growing rich on their gains, they built a vast treetop fort deep in the Whisperwood with the aid of a dryad who fell in love with the Feign Prince. It wasn't until they were betrayed to the rightful authorities that they finally abandoned the fort, and as legends would have it, the fort was lost to the forest once more.
Surprisingly, Brogol recalls enough details from the stories to get a clear feel for its likely location!
His search of the gatehouse doesn't turn up much more than a bedroll, some camping supplies, and enough food to feed a dozen people for a couple nights.
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Once Brogol explains what he knows, Eris grins from ear to ear.
"Field trip! Yaaaaayyyy!"
She seems genuinely excited and hops up and down.
"So, these dryad and fey thingies sound like tricksters. We'll need to be super careful about them. I, myself, am more of a law and order type, praise Asmodeus, so I'll really enjoy taking them down. We may want to rest first, though."
"Agreed," Brogol says grinning back to Eris. "I'm beat more soundly than old Louslik's dog."
"Let's go get some rest. Maybe we should take this one with us, lock her up with the others? Or just toss her in the woods and be done with it? Probably nothing to do with that cat regardless."