Helvetilia nearly bungles her operation, but the use of the the spell turns failure into success, albeit barely.
Magnus learns that spare keys for Crownhold
are stored in one of the warehouses in Glacier’s Rest!
Phase 3:
Coro: Go
Gorlach: Go
Helvetilia: Approach Crownhold
Magnus: Discover Crownhold Secrets
Vorcan: Discover Ordluf's Secrets
The monk will use his stealth and elven cloak to make another approach to Crownhold. He takes a different path and at a differing time.
Stealth +25
elven cloak w/ invisibility
Coro orchestrates an elaborate distraction to take place just moments before the group plans to infiltrate the fortress: a series of explosions at various spots outside the walls – including one cache of fireworks. It's not subtle, but should be quite effective.
Vorcan begins her day churning through the rumor mills about Crownhold's secrets.
Helvetilia prays quickly, "Cloak my steps in your silence. Let eyes slide past me, let shadows claim my shape." She vanishes just before one of the guards turns toward her. She slips quickly behind a snow drift.
Once out of sight again, she takes advantage of her hiding places to observe Crownhold yet more closely.
Vorcan has some bad luck, hearing nothing new, but Helvetilia does manage to get some interesting tidbits. She gets a good look at the guards and their patrols. Groups of three soldiers patrol the fortress, each wearing furs under heavy plate armor and carrying greatswords.
Phase 4:
Coro: Go
Graloch: Go
Helvetilia: Observe Crownhold
Magnus: Go
Vorcan: Orchestrate Timely Distraction
The monk is patient. He waits. He watches. He is still.
Stealth +25
Graloch is beyond quiet, easily infiltrating the hold. Before escaping back he spots a couple of salient things:
First, there's more than a dozen soldiers moving around on the west side of the first-floor balcony. Second, a blue-skinned giant with three eyes emerges from the central doors on the second floor holding a mug, tosses the coffee dregs over the wall, then goes back inside.
Phase 4:
Coro: Go
Graloch: Observe Crownhold
Helvetilia: Observe Crownhold
Magnus: Go
Vorcan: Orchestrate Timely Distraction
Coro attempts to gain some insight on the interior of the place.
Vorcan again tries to discover secrets.
Vorcan walks away something quite interesting. You learn that there’s a secret vault in Crownhold somewhere in the basement, and that the vault reputedly stores a powerful magic rapier—a storm flash —that an assassin attempted to use on Ordulf a year ago. Rumor holds that while Ordulf defeated the assassin and kept her magic rapier as a trophy, he has a particular hatred of this weapon and has on numerous occasions nearly melted it down—yet each time, the pride at having defeated the assassin compelled him to relent and keep the weapon as a trophy.
Phase 1:
Coro: Go (May Observe Crownhold)
Graloch: Go
Helvetilia: Go
Magnus: Go
Vorcan: Discor Crownhold's Secrets
After reporting in, the monk gets some food and rest. He knows he needs good rest to be in top condition.
Feeling refreshed he packs some extra food/water and heads back in for his approach.
Approach
Stealth +25
invisibility
"Blue-skinned with three eyes? Hmm,"Helvetilia taps a finger against her lip as they discuss their day's work.
The next morning, she heads back out into the snow, disguised as a blond-bearded hunter. She takes care not to approach from an obvious direction and is ready to speak the words of vanishing if she needs do so.
Graloch masterfully returns.
Unfortunately Helvetilia again struggles with identification. It's either an oni, a giant with fiendish abilities such as willing itself invisible, or it's an frost giant with some minor psychic abilities that manifest as a Third Eye.
Thankfully her approach is a more straightforward success.
[ooc]This period of two days is broken into four phases. During a phase, each PC can perform one of the special exploration activities. After each phase, the PCs reconvene long enough to share information and plan their next move. There are two goals to preparing this assassination. First, you can uncover valuable information that helps you plan the hit. Second, the party can earn Leverage Points to help you overcome complications during the adventure. Be careful though, mistakes can be lethal. Careless assassins accrue Awareness Points
Phase 1:
Coro: Go (May Observe Crownhold)
Graloch: Approach Crownhold
Helvetilia: Approach Crownhold
Magnus: Go
Vorcan: Go
Vorcan again tries to discover secrets. Society +25
Also she will try to ID the giant (+25)
Coro attempts to gain some insight on the interior of the place.
Coro takes time to cast his spell and study the interior as best he can.
Vorcan spends time taking in all she can. By the time she needs to reconnect with the group she's confident that the team has a pretty complete picture She is quite confident that the creature is a snow oni. They are giants from Tian Xia who have mastery of cold, and therefore a weakness to spirit damage. What most people don't know (and oni would prefer to keep it this way) is that they are terrified of simple legumes....
Coro enacts his plan getting solid view of the exterior, but struggles to get inside. The spell ends before he finds an opening. Perhaps the biggets discovery is a secret door on ground level that would allow a team to avoid the two main entrances.
Phase 1:
Coro: Observe Crownhold
Graloch: Approach Crownhold
Helvetilia: Approach Crownhold
Magnus: Go
Vorcan: Discover Crownhold's Secrets
Magnus works his customary angle, building up a little bit operational leverage
Phase 2:
Coro: Go
Graloch: Go May Observe Crownhold
Helvetilia: Go May Observe Crownhold
Magnus: Go
Vorcan: Go
Helvetilia watches from her vantage point. She tries to get a closer look, ready to disappear under the hood of her magical cloak.
The monk calms his mind and body for a long stay. He stays out twice as long to get a greater sense of what goes on in a typical day.
Observe
Stealth +25
Darkvision
Magnus keeps at it, locked in, and ready to go with an increasing amount of operational leverage. Helvetilia and Graloch both reconnoiter with cold efficiency. Occasionally, what looks like a giant white owl flies
from the top of the keep. It circles around, swoops down on
an elk or yak, then returns to the keep with its prey
[ooc]This period of two days is broken into four phases. During a phase, each PC can perform one of the special exploration activities. After each phase, the PCs reconvene long enough to share information and plan their next move. There are two goals to preparing this assassination. First, you can uncover valuable information that helps you plan the hit. Second, the party can earn Leverage Points to help you overcome complications during the adventure. Be careful though, mistakes can be lethal. Careless assassins accrue Awareness Points
Phase 2:
Coro: Go
Graloch: Observe Crownhold
Helvetilia: May Observe Crownhold
Magnus: Prepare Tools
Vorcan: Go
Helvetilia slinks cautiously back to town. She carefully chooses an alley in which to remove her false beard before returning to the inn.
Coro will definitely share the discovery of the ground-level secret door [ooc(GM, if you would show us on the map where it is, please?)[/ooc], even as his failure to penetrate the stronghold's defenses frustrates him. No sense trying to find fruit on a barren tree, he rationalizes, as he works on another distraction, this time enlisting local ne'er-do-wells to start talking at the local taverns about Ordulf and the fact that he hasn't met a significant combat challenge in ages. Why, he probably can't even hold a sword anymore, he's gotten so soft and bloated!
Helvetilia gives a lesson as only a thaumaturge can. Such a bird must be a Frost Roc. It's wings are so mighty that they can push aside even the strongest foe who tries to close distance for melee.
Also, a Storm Flash is a mighty weapon indeed.
Unfortunately, Coro is less than impressive.
Phase 2:
Coro: Orchestrate Timely Distraction
Graloch: Observe Crownhold
Helvetilia: May Observe Crownhold
Magnus: Prepare Tools
Vorcan: Go
Vorcan will cause a timely distraction again, +26!
Vorcan builds up the buffer the party will have once the action starts.
Phase 3:
Coro: Go
Graloch: Go
Helvetilia: Go
Magnus: Go
Vorcan: Go
Like money and cake, one can never have enough leverage.
To drive the point home, Vorcan delivers a masterclass in preparation, distracting the guards.
Phase 3:
Coro: Go
Graloch: Go
Helvetilia: Go
Magnus: Go
Vorcan: PRepare Timely Distraction
The monk is bluntly honest with the others. I dont think Ill be of much direct use with the rest of preparations. Is there a way I can assist the rest of you. I can pretend to be a servant or body guard for one of you?
”Nonsense, Graloch,” Helvetilia says once they have finished their midday conference. ”You could race me to see who can reach those rumored keys first. I don’t promise not to cheat.”
Coro shakes his head at Vorcan's claim. I've had too much cake before, he laments. My bowels didn't recover for a week.
Magnus and Coro both falter as the team shows signs of the yips.
Thankfully Helvetilia slips in with extreme skill.
Phase 3:
Coro: Prepare Timely Distraction
Graloch: Go
Helvetilia: Approach Crownhold
Magnus: Prepare Tools
Vorcan: Prepare Timely Distraction
The monk will accompany Hel.
Stealth +25
Invisibility as needed via elven cloak
Uncharacterstically, Graloch gets spotted! Thankfully the invisibility provided by the cloak prevents true disaster. Still, it's the First misstep the team has had to deal with. While Graloch is safe, the guards are a bit more attentive...
Phase 4: FINAL PHASE
Coro: Go
Graloch: Go
Helvetilia: Go
Magnus: Go
Vorcan: Go
With Graloch falling behind, Helvetilia moves in to finish the task.
Vorcan will approach and attempt to steal the keys.
+26 stealth with foil senses an activated Vaultbreaker's harness, swift sneak; +25 thievery
Distraction, Performance +23.