"Gamble and his partner Proctor might be able to put something together. I can have someone take you over to Leo's place to follow up on the net thrower." Teddy offers.
"Sounds like a plan to me," agrees Agripos. "Let's meet this Leonardo the fishy fellow."
A gnome is assigned and out the door you go. Walking up to Leonardo's place you can see he is some sort of inventor. His yard is littered with contraptions, some covered, some open to the weather. The house is also rather strange with a flat strip running along the peak of the roof and several metal rods sticking off of it. Your guide knocks on the door and a disheveled looking gnome opens the door. In short order, he is taking you out to his barn. Inside, he unveils a large device on wheels that resembles a ballista.
"Here she is. I made it for catching schools of fish so launching a net of the size you mention should not be a problem."
We could mount this on the ship, and that's how we get it close? What do you think? Gheorix asks the others, puzzling how exactly to get this to work in an effective way.
"Mounting on a ship you say?" Leonardo says with gusto, "She was made for it."
"This is quite incredible! A creation worthy of Athena, goddess of wisdom and war. Have you considered employing your talents to the defense of Showerton? The islands are not as safe as they once were with Imperial forces on the move."
Alejandro admires the net launcher.
"This looks amazing! It will be good as a back-up plan, if we can't land without getting spotted, although maybe we should plan to draw the dragon out."
"I'll have to look into defenses like you say. Can't claim i had thought about it. At any rate, I'll get started on the boat install whenever you would like." Leonardo says beaming at the compliments.
Hmm, I wonder if this net could be made conductant, and then be utilized to deliver touch based magiks, not that I currently have a lot of them! Your inventiveness does you credit!
Sigrid is impressed.
Gheorix will aid Leonardo in installing the catapult onto the boat, while describing for him the Imperial ship's offense capabilities as he understood them so Leonardo can help plan the defenses.
While Gheorix and Leonardo "The Fishy" get the ballista style weapon mounted on the boat, what does everyone else do?
Sigrid prays to Ran (I dont actually have Augury yet) for crypic hints about what she can do to prepare for the following battle.
A few hours later the net thrower is mounted on the fore of your ship. Some of the scouts have offered to guide you at least within eyeshot of the plateau and the lake. Sigrid has nothing revealed to her at this time.
Alejandro, feeling the need for a more rapid ranged weapon, goes shopping for shortbow and a quiver of arrows. If there's a composite +2 bow, he'll take it, but he's not fussy.
Once they're heading towards the lake, he'll keep lookout on the front of the boat.
Agripos goes in search of tanglefoot bags.
"We'll gladly follow the lead of the scouts to get us going in the right direction," agrees Agripos.
Alejandro is in luck and finds the fletcher in town. Short bows, as it turns out, are his specialty and he has a short bow of the desired draw strength on hand. Agripos, likewise, is able to find what he seeks at Cooper's general store. Between arrival, shopping, discussion, finding the net thrower, affixing it to boat, and shopping again it is near dinner time. The scouts can lead you out whenever but they do recommend waiting until morning.
Sigrid shops for some Stagger proof boots
And happily pays the cost of 2000 gold. These items seem to be rather common, as they are apparently close to standard issue for riflemen, who often fire from prone and change positions rapidly.
She then waits until the morning,
Alejandro spends some time in the evening practicing with his new bow to get the feel of it, the tries to get some sleep before the next morning.
The next morning the team meets the scouts out on the air field. After a quick good morning and some coffee shared around, the groups are off. It's a hard push and takes all day. About an hour before first pass you come upon the lake. As mentioned, there are the remains of some ancient town all around the water's edge. Not a roof has survived and the walls are either partially buried or tumbled down. The water must be deep for it looks nearly black and it is a placid as a saucer of milk. As it is down in a bit of bowl in the plateau, wind does not seem to touch it much. The island in the center is flat on top and stands about thirty feet out of the water. The quay with its little boats can be easily spotted. Circling the island reveals no other entrances.
Agripos buys a set of four tanglefoot bags, and the next morning is ready to head off.
He confers with the team and the scouts as they survey the island. "We need to get the boat close so we have a chance of hitting the dragon with the net. Is the dragon usually in the center of the island?"
"Sir," says one of the scouts, saluting smartly, "We haven't seen the dragon come or go. We usually do our scouting in the wee hours of the morning or just into first pass. We suspect it hunts at night and comes out at that time."
"If it hunts at night, then it should probably be sleeping now. If we want to deal with the kobolds, now would be a good time to do it." Alejandro suggests.
"Can we approach from the opposite side of where the quay is? Don't want to make our assault too obvious."
"Of course, sir." one of the scouts says and then begins to adjust sails to get the boat to go around the back. Taking a wide arc about the lake you find yourselves at the rear of the island opposite of the quay. The island is rough on the edges and rises at least 30 feet above the lake. On top it is as flat as a table with minor remnants of previously destroyed dwellings.
Alejandro peers over the rubble, looking for any sign of danger or kobolds (or dangerous kobolds)
If there's no sign of danger,
"Looks clear enough to me, should we land here?"
It does appear clear and the boat could easily be brought to ground level and anchored. What remain of any walls are no more than a foot high. The spacing of such makes it so that movement is unimpeded. The wind and rain seem to have scoured the top clean and only a handful of weeds in rubbled corners cling to the top.
"Okay, but where's the dragon then?" And where are the kobolds? This feels too quiet."
Of course, Agripos doesn't see more than keen-eyed Alejanro.
"Guess we can set down and try to figure it out."
The quay is off of steps that lead up to a door in the side of the island. The island itself would seem to be a building. You are essentially landing on the roof.
"On second thought, the dragon and kobolds must be underground, with the quay marking a path into the side of the island. We'll approach from the other side and get a drop on the door that's there."
The team lands, tossing down the anchor to help the boat stay in place. The gnome scouts came closer to the island than they ever have, still do not approach for the landing. They not only stay back but increase their distance but stay within view. They likely have pulled their spyglass and are watching to see what happens. After disembarking, the team makes it across the top of the island with little difficulty, it is perhaps 100 yards across. Once you reach the rim above the quay you find you are about 30' above the steps. There is an overhang so you cannot see the kobold's front porch as it were.
Alejandro moves to the side, and stealthily climbs down far enough to check that under the overhand is clear.
Sticking to the side of the cliff like a spider, Alejandro scrambles down about fifteen feet and peers under the overhang. At the top of the stairs four columns carved in the likeness of aquatic humanoids separate the steps from the entryway. A large set of double doors provide entry to the structure. It is a 30' drop to the quay from the top of the island.
Assuming Alejandro signals that the coast is clear, Agripos looks to see if he can set up a rope to aid their climb down into the quay.
"Looks clear enough outside" Alejandro calls in a low voice to the others.
As the groups descends to quay level, he approaches the doors and listens carefully for anything inside.
Understood, following your lead at a distance
Sigrid says, not wishing to upsets Alejandros stealth with her relatively clangyness.
Anyone have a piton? That would make for a good anchor. The ground itself lends nothing to anchor the rope
Gheorix fishes a piton out of his pack, handing it to Agripos, Here, be careful. Looks quiet down there, but you can never be too sure.
Agripos nods and takes the piton. He borrows a hammer as well and drives the spike into the rock before checking that it seems secure. He hoped the time and noise wouldn't draw trouble, and follows Alejandro's lead downward.
The piton is quickly pounded in and a rope anchored. Everyone starts going over the edge.
Regardless of how the descent goes, you arrive either unmarred or with some minor bumps and bruises. As Alejandro has already seen, four columns carved in the likeness of aquatic humanoids separate the steps from the entryway. A large set of double doors provide entry to the in island structure. It is quiet except for a soft breeze and the soft lap of the placid water against the quay. And maybe the grousing of one of the team if the climb didn't go so well.
Gheorix breathes heavily when he arrives on the ground, he scans the area with his spear in hand.
It's an easy enough climb for Agripos in his new mobile, lightweight armor. Agripos stands with Gheorix with his own spear and for a moment, he forgets that Gheorix is a Celt and not a fellow Greek phalanx solider.
Once everyone is down and has given the nod of readiness, Alejandro attempts to open the doors.
I got this
Verdammter Mist, ich und klettern ist wie betrunkene Wildschweine und langsame Tänze
Sigrid swears a bit as her descent is comparable to the antics of a happily drunk boar.
The doors swing open easily and reveal a fifteen foot wide hall. Trash and debris cover the floor of the hall. It appears to open into a larger space a short distance ahead. There is no light inside.
You hear whispering in an unknown tongue (unless you speak draconic).
Alejandro peers into the darkness, then holds up a hand to stop the others entering
"Someone's whispering in the dark" he says to the others in a low voice. "Anyone got any light?"