Dane Grahn's page

Well, there's two ballistae on the gatehouse itself, on the third floor (room 33). There's also an onager on the roof of the keep (room 48) that are visible on our map at any rate. Kitchen's a bit harder to say, not specifically marked in any way. But there is a chimney I believe, marked on the keep going from the ground floor to the second floor. Rooms 10 and 31 respectively. Since fire is kind of important for cooking, it's probably one of those two rooms.

Going after the siege weapons right now runs some risks however, as the gatehouse is separated from the rest of the castle by a long bridge, meaning that we'll be cut off on the wrong side of the castle to escape if we do go across. Raising an alarm once we're there could prove really bad. Same goes for the onager as that's at the top floor of the keep, centralized and hard to leave if we're being assaulted from the base levels.

Going after the onager will also lead us past the prisons, and I'm guessing the dwarven workers (room 35). We could walk right past them, but if we wanted to do anything with them, that'd be the time. Perhaps we should go to the central keep and just work our way up? Kitchen at the bottom, dwarves in the middle, onager at the top?

Now mind, Dane's probably going to keep trying to deviate to find the illusory Mrs. Mott in this place, so I can't promise I'll follow such a plan to the letter, but I'd say the ballistae might be best for another night since getting out when an alarm over the fire we raised and the captain we killed is quite likely. Dane may well attempt to interrogate the first lackey he finds at this point for that effect.

Sorry I dropped off the map a bit there as well, kind of burnt out on gaming for a bit. Should be steadier now.

Whelp... scratch that last post then!

Perhaps they heard the struggle and have begun arming? Locking the door to buy time? Dane nods towards Durova and sets off at a quickened pace. Heading north down the hall and away from the room at a fast pace.

Anyone got any ideas for rooms they want to investigate? Here's the link to the map again. http://duderlybob.imgur.com/all/

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

Dane stares at the door for a moment. If they heard something... then why wasn't an alarm raised? Why not rush to the defense? Why lock the door and stay silent? ...Perfect. Dane turns towards Durova and smirks as he quietly whispers. "It's curious that if they heard something they haven't actually done anything. Perhaps this isn't a soldier... but a valuable hostage."

For more detail Eldon, could you describe these sounds of movement for us? Is it more like the sound of heavy boots on stone? The jingle of chain? The creak of someone heavy getting out of an old bed? Bare feet on the stone floor?

True enough! It's mostly the casting time of 10 minutes on Mending that's making Dane try his hand at a different weapon for the moment rather than a true replacement. Once Dane can safely leave the weapon in Durova's care for an hour or so of repair, he'll be back in action.

Oops, yeah if I didn't actually post that, I did. Dane's been taking a keepsake/trophy from each Captain he's killed from the Talirean Army, and is in need of a replacement weapon for the moment, so he's definitely taken it.

So Eldon, I was thinking, perhaps to help regalvanize this game (seeing as we seem to be down to three players), perhaps we should recruit a couple more? I'm thinking some fresh blood may help at this point, at least once we get to an area where new recruits would perhaps make sense, or see if anyone's interested in taking over some of the existing characters. Thoughts other current players, GM?

Dane walks swiftly down the hall, and peaks into the next room. Room 5

Dane shakes his head. "I'm not so talented at disguises that I'd fool the people who know him, and if anyone discovers the body I'd only be making it more obvious who the intruders are." Dane retrieves his weapon. "Come, there's still more work to do, the sooner we leave this room the sooner we will blend into the crowd."

Dane actually has Cestus to count as armed as a backup to the Rhomphaia, so no AoO, not that he hit anyway, but for future reference.

Dane walks forward with a smirk playing about his face. "I suppose I'll have to use your blade until I regain my own." The Iraen rolls the Captain over on his back, "Your people will die, your country shall burn, and the Iraens will finally have the vengeance we've been denied for so long. Vengeance against our oppressors." Dane wrenches the man's neck wickedly, hoping for that telling snap that would herald the Captain's death.

Coup de Grace
Damage: 1d4 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

Dane face contorts in a fierce glower at the snapping of his blade. "Then die well knowing you've fulfilled your final promise. You'll pay for what you've done." Dane finally utters the phrase as he realizes that any hope of a quiet battle is far over as he throws the now useless handle of his weapon to the ground, and lashes out with his fists, throwing blow after blow trying to strike the man.

Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
Damage: 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Dane continues his attack, appreciative of his allies assistance.

Power Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
Damage: 2d4 + 15 ⇒ (2, 2) + 15 = 19

Does he have improved sunder? Or did that provoke another AoO? Also, cool on the post assembly, I avoid doing that but that sometimes means that I lose the entire post to a board reset or other woes.

Ah, cool. Well with the win on initiative, I'll go ahead and swing again!

Dane swings once more, keeping his attack quick and furious, he breathing intensifies, but true to form he attempts to keep the battle as quiet as possible to avoid drawing attention.

Power Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
Damage: 2d4 + 15 ⇒ (3, 2) + 15 = 20

Power Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
Damage: 2d4 + 15 ⇒ (1, 3) + 15 = 19
Initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Dane watches the man, keeping an eye for any sign of hidden weapons, that the man is in fact awake, or any sign of treachery really. Then he slinks up on the man, and deals a swift blow to the neck.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Stealth: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10

Attempting a coup de grace.

Dane, looking at the map, begins looking around. "Will be a good way to see what these individual rooms correspond to." Then turning right, Dane enters the room immediately on his right. Room 3

I believe that to be the plan. That's at least where Dane's going.

"Fine, let's do this quickly, the longer we're on this level the better the chance we'll be trapped."

Happy birthday Eldon! I hope your real life is full of nothing less than the finest of pillaging and destruction of all that is good and right in this world! ;)

Dane nods, satisfied at the swift deaths of the guards. "Well then, back to the fire then we should move to the main keep, quickly."

Yessir!

Power Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
Damage: 2d4 + 15 ⇒ (1, 2) + 15 = 18

Initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

"Keep going, I'll deal with this." Dane says to Durova as he whirls around to face the guardsmen. "The demon's here lads!" Dane calls out in response to the two and rushes forward his blade lashing out.

Power Attack/Charge: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15
Damage: 2d4 + 15 ⇒ (4, 3) + 15 = 22

Looks like Durova's got it.

Yep, we're all in favor it sounds like, so that's what's going to happen. Adding some fire to the mix so hopefully we'll have moved out before it becomes exceedingly obvious its arson.

Dane looks to Sion before suddenly laughing quietly. "Initially I was avoiding it to make sure it didn't look like arson, but I don't think that's an issue for us to worry about right now is it?" Dane shakes his head. "All in favor?"

Dane looks about the room, "Let's keep going."

I do believe so. Onward!

As the group leaves the birds to their squawking, Dane shuts the door behind them. "I think an inspection of the main keep would be a fair idea at this point."

That is the case.

"So long as we have the fire to distract and our disguises to hide ourselves, going out the front gate should still be simple. We'll just walk over, slay the guards, and leave. If there's a stable we should take some of the horses for our own use, and stamped the rest. They'll either lose their cavalry or spend precious time and manpower chasing after them."

Depends on how observant the innkeeper is. If he's suspicious now that we woke him, there's a good chance he'll notice who's missing from their rooms come morning and just happens to walk in the front door at some other point in time. He does lock the front door at night, so we can't act like we just got a jump on the day before he got up. Perhaps we need an alibi? Admit to one crime to hide another? Perhaps we can use Mordesel and someone else (I'm out as my disguise is supposed to be unaffiliated with you guys now) come stumbling back through the tunnel ragingly drunk off of Bellam's stores in the tunnel. Make it look like Mordesel got to stealing booze, not storming castles and murdering people.

Getting out another way will be tricky, but I think it's doable. Dane can at least swim or climb down the walls if needed (assuming the DCs aren't crazy), and he could probably help support the weight of someone else on the lazy river, but it's still not ideal.

A fair point, it may behoove us to exit a different way to try and conceal our efforts, but then that makes getting back into the inn a different problem altogether.

Given Grumblejack, and Mordesel's attack on the cleric, that's already a known variable.

"If anything, that may well a good way for us to cause a great deal more damage indeed. If the soldier's are busy attempting to batter down this door and put out a fire, we can be relatively free to move as we need." Looking at the others. "A slow burn?"

"Well, I'd not see us waste the opportunity to cause more havoc in here than this. The innkeeper did seem to hear our entrance into the tunnel, even if we leave undetected, we may not be able to gain entrance the same way twice."

For what its worth, I think members of the military disappearing mysteriously would be linked to the "demon" regardless of how well we hide the body.

"Quickly then, let us escape this tower."

Dane smirks, "Mischief, eh? Mischief indeed. I do believe I'm personally up for more mischief myself, I do have a date with Mrs. Mott to keep, I'd at least like to determine where in the keep she is staying."

"Doors tend to muffle sound fairly well, but we should finish this destruction quickly regardless." Then clapping Sion on the shoulder, Dane jokes. "Guess now you get to be an Iraen demon too."

Hey Sion! You should totally get in on this defenseless old guy killing! I'm paranoid he may be a lot more doom-magey than he looks.

Dane turns away from the door. "Hey, old timer." Dane's disguise slips away and he leans down towards the man. "Boo." The signature blade of the Iraen sets in motion.

Power Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
Damage: 2d4 + 16 ⇒ (3, 1) + 16 = 20

Dane grimaces as he pushes the door shut behind the party, and if he sees a way to, bars or locks it. "It's sure starting to look that way..."

Dane pushes in with the others, muttering. "Can't believe there's been another attack..."

Bluff (Aid Another): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

Dane whispers to Anton, "Captain Mott may be one of few let in easily..."

Dane shrugs helplessly and knocks loudly on the door.

Ah, the Bardic Knock Spell. Always a classic!

"Let me see what I can't do about this." Dane approaches the door and produces two keys, Eddarly's and Varning's, trying them in the lock.

I'll go ahead and try since Dane can't keep his trap shut.

Bluff: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

Dane chuckles and shakes his head. "Not for you lot at any rate!" Dane tries to keep climbing the stairs, hoping that he won't be stopped.

And yeah, we do got a map IRL, here's the link. http://duderlybob.imgur.com/all/ :) And also to confirm, are we at Tower Level 4, or did we run into these guards along the way?

Well, while it's possible to change the shape of an object, alas, one cannot make one disappear. So, Dane will go as a soldier, as there's few servant disguises that'd make sense to be carrying anything the general size or shape of the Rhomphaia. I know Anton was planning a servant disguise, and I think the same goes for Sion. So it looks like we're doing 50/50.

I suppose I just don't know what else to really say. I said I'm making a bee-line for the Rookery. We've got a map and a fairly clear idea of where on the map the Rookery most likely is, at the top of the tower. So honestly, I've just been waiting for something to happen. If something interrupts my travel up the tower, by all means let me know, but otherwise I'm pretty sure the party had a clear objective and we're just following it with no detours.

To me, this has mostly been a problem of everyone's waiting on each other. The GM's expecting the players to have more for him, while the players are expecting the GM to have more them. I guess it might help if we all had expectations more clearly outlined for each other. Like I'm getting the feeling that you're waiting for all of us to individually post our agreement to the goal, whereas from the previous leg of the game we're used to majority consensus and lack of dissonant voices to mean that we all agree implicitly.

Dane quietly mumbles. "This way." And begins ascending the staircase without giving the room much attention.

Dane nods at the trap door, [b]"Up there, that should be the forge."[b/]