Seltyn casts the following spells in succession:
See invisibility (self) 90 min.
Shield (self) 9 min.
Haste (extended, all of us) 18 min.
Invisibility on 4 of us (using ring for 4th spell) 9 min.
Fly (self) 9 min.
That's 8 rounds. Our cleric may have some buffs for us, too.
Seltyn flies up to the top of the wall and takes a look at what's behind it.
Seltyn takes the rope and secures it at the top. Since he can see everyone, he uses the Message spell to direct them up and over.
Alika grabs on to the rope and does her best to climb over quickly and quietly.
Kyras waits to go last, steadying the rope at the bottom and assisting everyone else up. When it's his turn he quickly climbs up.
Alistair grabs the rope and climbs over.
Garran easily climbs the wall, his armor creating little impediment. He just hoped he was quiet enough.
We've got about eight minutes or so, Seltyn cautions, through the Message spell. Let's get a good look around. We can move quickly.
Understand...let us get moving then.
Seltyn heads over the wall first and takes a peek. He doesn't see anyone up there, so he ties a rope and sends it down to the rest of the group. The climb isn't too hard, thanks to Kyras knowledge in building and the years of neglect on the wall.
Once the clandestine up and over is done with, you have a bit more time to survey your surrounding. It would seem that this part of Old Korvosa didn't suffer like the rest of it. Finding informations about your target might be easier here, but for now, the streets are empty. You do hear the noise of patrols walking about, from the sound of it, one might be on you soon.
Let's see what's where.
Seltyn will fly around, peeking in windows to get an idea of the layout of the place.
Garran moves away from the area by the wall, moving into the streets and trying to see what kind of people still frequent the area. If the guards have some kind of uniform, maybe we could steal those?
Garran finds the street empty as it is the middle of the night. He does remember that the guards at the barricade did have tabards with the colours of house Arkona on them. It was the only piece of uniform on them.
Alistair tries to keep everyone insight but then remembers that he can not see any of them. He doubts that the communication spell will work since he can not see anyone.
Keep together as we can not see each other. Do not want to misplace anyone.
Yes, don't bump into each other. Try to get a look inside the windows.
Seltyn flies up to another window and peeks in.
You start looking at the first few building near the wall. The first thing you notice is that those house are bigger and of better construction then the ones on the other side of the wall. These are obliviously from richer residents of Korvosa. The main floors are made of stone while the second and third are made of wood. All the windows on the main floor have been boarded up, preventing you from seeing anything inside. Seltyn, thanks to his spell, is able to peek at the other windows higher up, but most have curtains closed up, preventing him to see much. The few that aren't offer barely any clue of what lies in the room. He sees bedroom or studies with no lights in the room, suggesting that no one is there or that they are sleeping.
Can't see much up here. No lights on. Any luck down there?
While there is no inn or tavern in this section of the town, you do remember that there is the Endrin Military Academy that is presently abandoned and not too far from you current position.
Garran whispers over the message spell, "The Endrin Military Academy is nearby. It's currently abandoned, and we could use that as a place to hide out while we're here. Maybe we can find out more in the daytime."
Garran suggests we go hide out at the military academy and try again in the daytime. We aren't learning much this way. Sounds like a good idea to me.
Seltyn will watch out as his friends leave.
Alika rolls her eyes and starts to climb back up the rope and over the wall.
Unfortunately she can't get a good grip from the far side.
"I'm stuck over here," she whispers back.
The academy sounds like a nice place to hold up in...let us get moving
You quickly make your way toward the academy. The place feel dark and sad. This once proud place now looks like it was looted for everything that wasn't bolted down and then some. The walls of the different buildings are still standing however, and provide a nice out of view place to prepare for the next step.
The next morning provide a bit of sunshine, making a dark situation a bit better, if only on the surface. Looking outside, you see some people walking about. There are also still patrols, but they are small groups and seems like they are just providing a feeling of security to the town folks.
What now? Kyras asks the group.
We watch and wait. Gather a bit of detail into what we are getting ourselves into.
Now that you are in the Fort Korvosa quarter, you are able to gather more information about the Arkona's manor. The place is perched at the highest point atop Endrin Isle in Old Korvosa. The palace is home to the Arkona family alone; servants and guards dwell nearby in one of two
outbuildings. The grounds are mostly open, decorated here and there with tiny copses of trees, exotic topiary animals (elephants, cobras, and tigers being the most common), beautiful flower gardens, and exquisite fountains. The palace is a breathtaking structure built in the Vudrani style, with golden pillars; high windows that rise to tapered points; minarets; and domes decorated with slender spires.
Currently, the head of the family is Glorio Arkona, the only other member of the family is his sister, Meliya Arkona. There are some lower family members living with them, but no one knows the exact numbers. No important visitors have been seen visiting the place, but servants and guards do come and go.
Kyras examines the structure and grounds and gives a low whistle. That my friends is real money.
I am thinking there is not much we are going to find out....What is the game plan or do you want to try and use magic to see inside the fort?
Seltyn takes a moment to admire the foreign architecture.
Old money.
I'd like to know what's in there. I could use magic to get in, but I'm no sneak thief. The spells don't last all day, and it would take all day anyway, in that mansion. Any ideas, anyone?
Alistiar looks on as the the guards and servants move about.
There is no push from the queen into this area. If she knew that the Arkona family had something she wanted, she would be here on their doorstep right now. The city would know that she got what she wanted.
He turns to address the group as a whole.
So that means she does not know their location or that the Arkona family has them.
Stepping away from the window, he continues to talk
The Arkona's have not made it known what they have. They are opportunistic and cautious with their actions, so why have they not made a play yet?
He stops with his hands resting on his weapon belt.
Perhaps we may have looked at this all wrong. Maybe the plan should be to walk right up to the front gates and ask for an audience. Maybe we could barter for their release? Just a thought...
"Interesting," says Alika. "So... under that hypothesis, the Arkonas know that they have something valuable, they know they have to keep it hidden, and they must have some endgame plan. They can't suddenly reveal that they've had the prisoner all along without upsetting the Queen, after all. Which... makes me suspect that whenever they've completed their plan, and they have no use for the prisoner any more... it won't be pretty."
Kyras frowns. I'd rather not split up, and am flat against it without a specific plan that requires it.
Seltyn is glad he had yet to prep any spells.
The direct approach? I'm not sure we'd get past the gate. Then again, the indirect approach doesn't look too promising, either. If we can get in, we'd get a look around, at least. They might reveal that Neolandus is there. For all we know, he wants to be there.