Graloch does his best to cover during Helvetilia’s failed attempt. Luck holds and the monk didnt need to start stealthfully killing people.
Stealth +25
The merchants leave tomorrow. The time to strike is at hand.
Graloch considers it. He prefers tonight and stealth.
Coro concurs. Speed is important, but stealth is moreso.
Vorcan grumbles about stealth but assents. She changes her glamered armor to look like plate.
She considers whether she knows enough about General Ordulf Bladecaller to cast an effective disguise, as him. If the general wanters halls, it might help to impersonate him in a pinch.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"We should buy some beans to share among ourselves in case we run into that oni," she suggests.
Ready to see it through, the party heads towards Crownhold.
MISSION TRACKER
Infiltration: Phase 1:
Coro: Perception, Stealth or Scouting Lore
Graloch: Perception, Stealth or Scouting Lore
Helvetilia: Perception, Stealth or Scouting Lore
Magnus: Perception, Stealth or Scouting Lore
Vorcan: Perception, Stealth or Scouting Lore
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Helvetilia leads a benediction over their endeavor.
”Achaekek, whose blade strikes before the scream is born, let my footsteps fade from memory, let shadows cling to me as faithful allies. Still the breath in my chest and sharpen the purpose in my hand that I may pass unseen, unfelt, unquestioned.”
Once preparations and ceremony are complete, she slips into the night.
That oughta do it. Thanks for the prayer, Coro says, a bit sarcastically.
Stealth
The monk polites bows his head for Hel’s prayer. Graloch is always respectful of such things. Though for the most part he believes the Divines help those who help themselves. He generally tries hard NOT to need their help.
The mission has an auspicious start as the team approaches without so much as a hint of aroused suspicion.
With alacrity you all touch the walls of the fortress. Now it's time to get in. You each mentally review the intelligence gained through recon. What now assassins?
TACTICAL MAP
MISSION TRACKER
Infiltration: Phase 2: Set the stage, explore Crownhold
Helvetilia whispers to the others, "We need to slip toward that secret door you found, Coro. If the keys don't work for it, I trust you, Vorcan, can get us inside."
Coro nods and, after checking about, heads directly for the secret door. Right here, he points.
You approach the secret door. You can hear the sounds of armed guards fighting? No, sparring. The other side is likely a training area. It won't make for a quiet way in... A quick way out if you have to retreat through.
Vorcan whispers: Listen: there are people sparring on the other side of hat door. A training area? Perhaps this is a quicker way out but a noisier way in. She motions to move past the secret door.
"You're right," Helvetilia whispers. "We could climb to the next floor. There's a two-man crew at each end. We'd need to quietly deal with at least one of the pairs, and there's a patrolling force of three."
Helvetilia can tell this place is sacred to Gorum. You can feel that it is consecrated in his name. You techniques are anathema to him.
She frowns and then turns back to the others. ”This is more than a stronghold. Gorum’s belligerent grace is upon it and his faithful who dwell within.”
The monk moves to the door, he inspects and listens.
Perception
Graloch hears nothing on the close double doors. They don't seem to be locked either.
She frowns and then turns back to the others. ”This is more than a stronghold. Gorum’s belligerent grace is upon it and his faithful who dwell within.”
Vorcan shrugs. Gorumites… overcompensating up for something? Color me surprised. She pinches her fingers together as if measuring something very tiny indeed.
A fabulous opportunity to excel in Achaekek's name… with style. She winks and quietly moves to the closest non-secret door.
Graloch hears nothing on the close double doors. They don't seem to be locked either.
The monk lets Vorcan check the doors first, but he opens and leads the group inside
No progress can be made outside, so the team quietly slips in.
Vertical wooden beams line the walls of this vast open chamber, and the smell of wet fur permeates the air. Huge double doors stand to the south, while smaller double doors lead east. Steep stairs against the north wall lead down into what must be a basement level. A pair of huge, eight legged polar bears lies sleeping in the room. They don't seem to wake at the sound of the door opening...
Graloch doesnt overly think about it. But he is relatively sure their target isnt in the basement. He points to the smaller doors to the east. He motions to Hel to watch the western sleeping bear while he watches to the north.
He trusts the rogue to handle the door, and the other two to be useful where applicable.
Vvorcan waits for alignment from the team, assuming the others assent she stealths foeward, depending on her Trapfinder ability for alarms and the like
Helvetilia gestures to the others and points to the stairs past the two arctic beasts.
Helvetilia gestures to the others and points to the stairs past the two arctic beasts.
The monk acquiesces to Hel’s request to head for the stairs.
The 1/2orc moves with care and smooth balance.
Coro will follow Helvetilia's expert advice .
Coro and Magnus, you have rolled a fail. Do you want to use a Hero Point before I resolve?[/ooc]
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
The party creeps past the sleeping monsters...
A silent breath of relief before Vorcan heads down the stairs, wary for alarms and traps.
Downstairs you find yourselves alone in a storage room with plenty of supplies, mostly for repairing arms and armor. There's a lot here though. You could make a thorough search in about 10 minutes. There's a door to the east. The air near it is noticeably warmer, but not uncomfortable.
"Onward is our only option here," Helvetilia whispers.
A massive furnace stands along the northern wall of this rectangular chamber. Copper pipes along the walls connect to the furnace and lead up into the ceiling. The furnace itself features huge access doors on its east, south, and west sides. On either side of the furnace’s southern door, two gemstones embedded into metal frames glow with a reddish orange light. Double stone doors lead out from this chamber to the east, south, and west.
Coro points across the hall to the double doors on the side and raises an eyebrow with his head cocked slightly to the side. There next? he whispers.
Helvetilia surveys the room before stepping inside. "That seems odd. That should ultimately lead to another stable. It might be worth spending some time investigating this room," she says quietly.
Vorcan nods and moves to inspects the furnace. She's wary of the gemstones.
Vorcan determines quite confidently that this is an elemental furnace. The dwarves who built this fortress must have captured two fire elementals and trapped their essence in elemental fragments, then integrated the fragments into this specialized furnace, trapping the elementals within that chamber to provide constant heat for their arctic stronghold. Heat from the furnace is likely dissipated throughout Crownhold through the copper pipes in the walls, allowing it to stay comfortable to dwarves and other humanoid creatures throughout the year.
It wouldn't be overly difficult to remove the stones with the elementals trapped inside. What you do after that is up to you - Two potent items or freed elementals with a grudge against the inhabitants...
"Truly?" Helvetilia considers. "These may prove a useful distraction for the men and women training on the floor above. Let us pause on this and next see what is on the other side of this door."
Eschewing the opportunity, for now at least, Helvetilia checks the other door
only to conclude there's nothing on the other side.