Orin will, after examining the boots, offer them to Iraki. "You are our... scout. I believe these are a good match for your natural aptitudes. They make the footfalls of one more quiet and generally more difficult to detect."
Later, as Orin reads by firelight, he is filled with a growing sense of horror. Cavorting with a demon... attempting genocide to curry favor... This little one is one of the more monstrous creatures I have so far encountered.
Orin finishes the journal and takes a moment to compose himself before approaching and whispering to Echo. "Good Sir, I think we need to distribute warnings and wanted posters for Tartuk. He is dangerous in ways I had not believed possible. He also has a friend, an Amerisha, who we will need a priest to dispense with. I will, sadly, give you more details on the ride tomorrow if you wish."
Ser Brandon enjoys the rather odd fare at the table and prefers to camp outside. He has is own supplies, blanket and bedroll and is sufficiently confortable. He does his best to make conversation with the Kobolds and thanks them for the feast. "I am honoured to have such allies as you little dragons. You have only just shaken of a tyranical ruler, with some time and trade between us we shall both be greatly benefited. TO THE SOOTSTALES!" he raises his glass in a toast.
Brampton enjoys the exotic fare at the banquet and watches his new companions. Looking for the strengths and weaknesses of each.
It pays to know about those you will be fighting with.
He decides that he would rather be under the stars for the night after seeing his accommodation options.
He heads over to Ser Brandon, "Do we set a watch for the night or do we rely on the kobolds to keep us safe while we sleep? The ousting of the false leader was not that long ago and he may still be lurking in the area."
Looks to Orin "Thank you for the boots my friend" "Did you find anything else about the false leader or is that for another time?"
Seeing what the sleeping options there is he heads outside to find somewhere they may be a little more comfortable
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Orin finishes the journal and takes a moment to compose himself before approaching and whispering to Echo. "Good Sir, I think we need to distribute warnings and wanted posters for Tartuk. He is dangerous in ways I had not believed possible. He also belonged to a cult dedicated to an otherworldly and unwholesome creature. If we happen to encounter members of the cult, we should dispense with them. Their worship seems to require criminal acts. I will, sadly, give you more details on the ride tomorrow if you wish."
Responding to Irakli's comment, "Not at all, Irakli. You would be the one who benefits most and, in turn, becomes even more adept. As to the leader, I think I should save the story for the ride tomorrow." His voice turns from happiness to be of help to a somber tone when mentioning Tartuk.
The kobolds certainly offer to provide guardians for your group through the night, both to keep you safe and to assure that Tartuk does not try to retake the clan. They are quite sure, if your group will attest it, that the healing may now begin and their people will shake off the effects of any ill humors the false chief infected them.
Brampton wakes up in the middle of the night.
I wonder if Ser Brandon realizes he snores
He rolls over and goes back to sleep.
ready to head out.
The night once more passes uneventfully, though irritably cold. The nighttime temperatures again fall to just below freezing, 30F/-1C. It becomes apparent to some that maybe a night under shelter, even those of the Kobold caverns, might have been a welcome change.
Wealday, the 12th of Desnus dawns partly cloudy, with the sun peeking forth in the distant east, slowly sending rays out amongst the peaks of the Levenies. While the skies are better than yesterday, grey clouds remain along the edges of the horizon. It is likely the daily temperatures will rise to the mid 50's, say 55F/13C, but the wind and wet still make themselves known.
You gather up your gear and say your good-byes to the leadership of the Sootscale Mines. You promise to send emissaries to the mines once you are safely back in Olegton, but for now you must deal with the Stag Lord and his minions. The kobolds offer you their own emissary now, to aid you in locating the Stag Lord's home.
Roughly an hour away from the Sootscales, you find a grim sight when approaching the crossroads, the point of turning north back to Olegton or south onwards towards Tuskwater Lake. There, hanging by his neck, is former prisoner Owlin Creed. Upon approach, it appears he has been dead maybe less than a day. The area shows signs of tracks, both horses and men. A small pile of rocks hides a scrap of parchment, a note intended for the leadership of Olegton.
A few hours later, you reach the flow of the Thorn River, at a spot which grows unusually shallow just before it empties into the Shrike. The resulting ford here, though wide, is never deeper than 3 feet. Marking this spot for later inspection, the site may be a good place to set a watch upon the flow, and a potential trade outpost or overland portage.
Turning south once across the flow, you follow the Shrike River's western bank towards the Tuskwater. The banks close in at points, but a track has been run which allows you to make good time, better than as planned. As night falls, you reach the edge of the lake, the outer edges of the Stag Lord's home.
In the distance, maybe a half day's further ride around the northwestern shore, spied from across the lake, you see an unexpected sight. In the shadows of dusk, the ruins of a once solid town loom ghost-like amidst the evening mists gathering upon the lake. Jagged and tall, above the town, a battered bastion stands, a small keep, the Stag Lord's stolen fortress.
"A right proper fortification my lord. Too bad we are not equipped to lay siege. I suppose we'll need to find some other way to gain entry. I wasn't expecting a castle, this is definitely a surprise."
Remember, it is nightfall, so you are not getting a clear look at the ruins, and you are a good deal away from the location. I am waving a bit for simplicity sake.
I waved the travel and events for today, but please feel free to comment or question anything you wish to discuss in detail. That can be anything, from which kobold is the emissary, who or what was Owlin Creed, the fording of the river, the conditions of the Shrike, the Tuskwater, etc.
Link to the ruins of the Stag Lord's Domain
Dawn's light shows you a little more of the place. Much of the Stag Lord holdings are damaged, worn down by time and weather, battered by years of neglect. The castle itself, while from this distance, seems whole and intact, there are faint signs of damage and previous scars from a battle long ago. Though difficult to make out, it appears as though a single-mast Ulfen karve, a small longship, is docked at the ruined pier. Faint traces of smoke rise above the castle, but none are seen from the village itself. Movement cannot be discerned from this distance.
As Brampton sits on the shore looking across the lake he turns to the others and asks, "Does anyone have any ideas on how to attack the Stag Lord's fortress? I would love to know how many men he has with him."
Ser Brandon too looks over towards the Stag Lords holding and ponders the events of the next day.
"It is too early to consider much. We are still a good distance away and much light is lost from the sky. We shall send out a scouting party in the morning and gather more information. Gaining entry will be the first challenge. The followers will fall to our blades and magics with ease." The tone of Ser Brandons voice conveyance a sense of confidence almost bordering on arrogance. It is clear he does not worry about facing the Stag Lord.
"He is said to have an army,but that is rumors, I have been face to face with him and his bandits once" his tone almost turns to to anger "We will have have to fight though all the bandits while he hides behind them like he did before" Clenches his hand in a fist.....You will taste my blade soon...
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"There are several ways we can handle this.", Brampton states as he holds up one finger, "First we can ride up to the gate and tell them they are all under arrest, but I don't think that is going to work too well. He holds up a second finger, "We can move around the west side of the lake tonight and try to find a place to hide in the town and watch what they are doing and develop a plan from there." A third finger is raised. "We can try to lure him out the castle by building a bonfire here. I am sure he will see it and either come out himself or send men to investigate. A prisoner can tell us what we want to know about the fortress and the Stag Lord himself." Another finger goes up. "We combined the last two plans and sneak into the town tonight leaving Pun-Pun and Meepox here to light a fire at dusk tomorrow. After the Stag Lord sends people to investigate we can attack the fortress. Hopefully there will only be a few defenders left to deal with."
Responding to Brampton, Orin shakes his head back and forth slightly and says "I do not think we should leave the kobolds anywhere to serve as a distraction. If we keep them with us during the battle, they should be as far away from the action as possible. We cannot risk the chieftain and the ambassador, especially after everything the tribe has already gone through."
"Or, that is my feeling on that."
Orin begins stroking his beard. "It would use a good chunk of my spells, but if we are knocking on the front door, as it were, I could make Irakli invisible for a few minutes as well as give him the ability to cling to walls to make it easier for him to go over the gate and open it."
"However, if we decide to do something different, I can choose different spells to ready."
"I can do fire," Silas responds, "But if we're fighting from the darkness, we should keep track of who's got the best eyes for it."
"Then light the fire in the evening before the sun goes down. Give them enough smoke to see. It would look like a fire being prepared for a supper." Brandon adds.
"I agree, it's best to the thin the number and catch a small party, if the not stag lord himself in an ambush. We will gain valuable information at the very least."
As night falls, you reach the edge of the lake, the outer edges of the Stag Lord's home. In the distance, maybe a half day's further ride around the northwestern shore, spied from across the lake, you see an unexpected sight. In the shadows of dusk, the ruins of a once solid town loom ghost-like amidst the evening mists gathering upon the lake. Jagged and tall, above the town, a battered bastion stands, a small keep, the Stag Lord's stolen fortress.
Dawn's light would show you a little more of the place. Much of the Stag Lord holdings are damaged, worn down by time and weather, battered by years of neglect. The castle itself, while from this distance, seems whole and intact, there are faint signs of damage and previous scars from a battle long ago. Though difficult to make out, it appears as though a single-mast Ulfen karve, a small longship, is docked at the ruined pier. Faint traces of smoke rise above the castle, but none are seen from the village itself. Movement cannot be discerned from this distance.
The castle is on a cliff that rises over the lake, and sits above the village. A damaged tower or lighthouse sits atop the other stretch of land sheltering the village bay, it too rising over the lake.
Let's wait a and travel a little further in the morning, and then set camp a little closer tomorrow in the early afternoon. They will see the smoke billowing, we will be able to see better, and if they come out during the day, we will be able to see.
"The town looks dead. And all that damage to the structure might mean we can go over the walls. A fire will just put all of his men on alert and give them time to prepare or dig in. If you are in a castle I think you would remain in it, not ride out from it."
"The presence of the ship is of interest though. It means navigable waters."
"I'm in favour of the earlier plan. It also give the kobolds a way to feel part of the victory. It will bring us closer together. Besides we may learn a great deal from any captured troupes. Brandon speaks in a very matter of fact tone, a man of action he is clearly growing impatient from all the discussions on what actions to take.
Ser Brandon, ignoring the changing advice of the Baron and his other councilors, lights a fire off from the main camp that first night upon the shores of Lake Tuskwater. He tasks the kobolds and Brampton Pratt with taking turns watching for activity, though nothing seems to transpire across the lake. There is no sign of activity from the castle throughout the night, cold and increasingly cloudy.
The next morning Ser Brandon rises early and douses the fire, abruptly with water, thereby creating a plume of steam and white smoke. It rises quickly, thickly, but again seems not to cause any discernible activity from the castle or town ruins. The kobolds seem to keep quiet about the knight's activities, Master Pratt has his own council to consider.
Travel this day, the 13th of Desnus, is marred by heavy winds, dark clouds, and a scattering of sporadic rains, often falling in heavy sheets. The group trudges wearily along the northern edge of the lake, heading west as the quicker route to the Stag Lord's holdings. Prior to noon, the rains let up, a small bit of sun brightening the day.
Just past midday, the band finds themselves along the beach, bordered on the west by forest and brush. Nearly 150 yards from the castle a lonely cape of rocky ground extends about 30 to 40 feet out into the lake, rising a few feet above the lake surface. There are a small smattering of scrub grass and bushes along the length which may afford a spot to get a better look at the castle.
Approaching any further along the beach would risk exposure to the castle and possible detection by any guardians therein. Scouting into the woods uncovers a rough track which leads south and at one time may have been a roadway for the settlement which once rested ahead of you. You may be able to follow it, possibly past the castle, into the ruined village beyond.
"Hopefully they will be expecting a large force due to the brazen manner with which we built our fire. Maybe they will be tired from keeping watch on it."
"Irakli, I think you are our best bet. Would you scout the town? If it is abandoned we might be able to use it for cover."
Nods "Yes I will" and with another nod he heads off ahead. Using whatever nature has provided as cover.
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Irakli sets out into the wooded tracts abutting the lake, moving closer and closer to the castle, then past it towards the village proper. Every step he felt the muddy ground give, a sloorph, sluckk, and sloop that would surely draw down a rain of arrows from the castle towers. Yet none ever came.
Irakli was sure a figure passed by the gatehouse post as he crossed the exposed grounds to reach another copse of brush, but no alarm or call was raised. The elf pauses on the far side of the expanse, taking in and making mental notes regarding the structure.
The castle is a large and intimidating structure. Although only two stories tall (with the exception of one three-story tower), the squat castle looks all the larger for its position atop the bluff west of the ruined village, looming over the surrounding region with a once commanding presence. The castle is built of gray stone, weathered and worn, with inspection revealing numerous different types of stone currently used in its construction. The castle’s curtain wall is 15 feet high in most places. The numerous arrowslits can be squeezed, most likely he thinks. While the castle walls allow its denizens a commanding view of the castle approach, no creatures guard the walls as far as can be seen. A large rusted iron gate allows access through the gatehouse into the castle, but appears to be closed and most likely locked.
Quickly scouting out the village, Irakli determines that among the ruined buildings can be found a barracks, a smithy, several homes, a small glassworks, a trading post, and a stables. The two largest ruins are located in the eastern part of town, and consist of a town hall to the north and an almost completely collapsed temple to the south, near the entrance to a cemetery.
A naturally deep harbor has formed along the western bank of Lake Tuskwater which may have first attracted builders to this stretch of land. Two ruined piers extend into the only relatively shallow portion of the harbor here, and once served as moorings for visiting ships. While both piers are now mostly collapsed, the westernmost one has what appears to be a relatively recent visitor: a small longship is tied to the pier. The longship seems relatively new, but the vessel is partially
destroyed and half-sunken.
The south and eastern approaches from the village are steep and formed mostly of sand, sandstone, and shale. It would be difficult to climb quickly if not using the worn track leading up to the main gate. Irakli was not able to get a good view of the northern approach, jutting out into the lake, but upon his view of the western by north-western approach was not so obstructed.
A narrow rise of hard-packed earth winds along the hillside approaching the Stag Lord’s fort from the western side round to the lakefront to the north—this swath is at most 30 feet wide, 20' high, 160 feet long, but provides no real cover. The stretch is devoid of shrubbery save for a few isolated thorny vines, but periodic large stones or boulders provide better cover for a stealthy approach. The wall itself appears to have been previously broached in two places. Crumbled stone and half standing planking cover the holes, offering little in defense from the weather, let alone a determined advance. The rogue observed the spots for a bit of time, never seeing sign of any activity, either at the holes or in the towers closest to the points. A watch in general doesn’t seem to keep much of an attentive eye on the castle from either approach.
Goes back to the group and feels them of his findings in detail. "So what is the plan?"
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"It sounds like no one is home. Maybe the fire from last night or the smoke from this morning drew them out?", states Brampton to no one in particular.
He turns to Baron Echo and states, "If we are going to approach the castle I think it should be under cover of darkness. It will keep them from knowing our true numbers. We could move round and slip into the town from the east. We can then leave our horses in the stable with our brave kobold companions to guard them."
He turns to Irakli and says, "I have a bad feeling we are being watched. While we are on the move maybe you could slip off the trail and see if anyone is following us."
Ser Brandon considers the newcomer's words. "Fighting by darkness is foolish. Unelss you have eyes that can see in the dark. And if we are being watched what difference does it make in trying to hide our numbers. Let us take them head on! Steel and magic will win the day for us. We fight like warriors not like little rogues."
Ser Brandon is clear a bold assault will bring a decisive victory. He has no fear of this Stag Lord, it is also clear he is not comfortable moving around in the dark when he cannot see and his heavy armour clanks away exposing his position to his enemies.
"I fight to win, not for glory. We are a adventuring party, not an army Sir Brandon, but if you want we can designate you vanguard. We need to consider Pratts advice. Unless you brought materials for a proper siege."
Brampton shakes his head at Ser Brandon's remarks. "From the tales you have been telling me of your adventures since you left Olegton it would seem that bold moves only work outdoors. When you have been confined by walls things have not gone well. The mites and the false kobold leader both resulted in near defeats. You did attack that bandit camp successfully and I believe you did that at night."
Brampton start searching though his saddlebag and continues, "A quiet charge to the gates at night will catch them off guard. Confusion will be on our side. Even if we make some noise they will not really know what is going on until we are upon them."
He pulls out a small vile of red liquid and holds it up to the light. "And who says we can't see well at night. A drop in each eye of this will make the moonlight seem as if it is the sun were shining."
"Err... Ayerth, we're not even an 'adventuring party.' I'm a craftsman, and you're a scholar—we're just traveling to clear out this rabble so we can get back to building a town."
"Sir Brandon, if you would suggest assaulting a castle with a smaller force in the middle of the day, clearly you have never assaulted a castle. If you care about light, we can hood our lanterns to keep from being visible targets, letting the Dwarf tell us of any stumbling blocks in the road. I can fashion some makeshift eyepatches to keep our eyes dark-adjusted after we unveil a lantern to blind any attackers, if it seems worth it. Ayerth's spells should let us speak to each other in inaudible whispers, and if he keeps a group of Dancing Lights inside of his spell component pouch, he can grab and hurl them at anyone we come across, keeping them the center of light instead of us. I'll keep a Light arrow in my quiver for the same purposes, and remember that we can start fires anywhere with a bit of careful aim."
Ser Brandon puffs his chest up as his companion seem against his suggestion and he continues to justify his course even though such is now clearly not the best choice, "If our scout could sneak in and open the gates success is assured. The walls are it's best defence. Once those are breached it is man against man. I'm no novice to combat, I know of what I speak." he finishes defensively. [b]"Do what you will, since all you craftsmen, scholars and what not seem so wise in the ways of assaulting battlments."
He turns to the Baron. "What is your command my liege, how would you have us proceed?"
"Very well... but before we begin I'd just like to remind Ser Brandon that those walls are high, arrows exist, and I can only heal so many wounds."
Ser Brandon considers the newcomer's words. "Fighting by darkness is foolish. Unelss you have eyes that can see in the dark. And if we are being watched what difference does it make in trying to hide our numbers. Let us take them head on! Steel and magic will win the day for us. We fight like warriors not like little rogues." Ser Brandon is clear a bold assault will bring a decisive victory. He has no fear of this Stag Lord, it is also clear he is not comfortable moving around in the dark when he cannot see and his heavy armour clanks away exposing his position to his enemies.
Looks to See Brandon "Do you have an issue with rouges?" saying it with a stern voice.
"I think the is a good plan put both tactics together just need to think of best way to get in"
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Attempting to diffuse the argument a little, Orin nods to Irakli and jests with a completely deadpan expression, "I do indeed have a problem with rogues. With their devil may care attitude and eyes alight with mischief, no women will possibly give me a second look while any rogues are around. I have always loathed being the silver, or even the copper medal."
Pointing to Brampton's red vial, Orin says, "Now that, good man, is intriguing. Is that an alchemical concoction or is it some sort of magical effect?"
Handing the vial to Orin he states, "It is a wondrous item I first found in a little shop in Restov. The proprietor stated that it was made by a mage of great renown but I think he was saying that to drive up the price. It has served me well in the past so I purchase it whenever I can find it."
"Very wise, Baron. That is a good plan." he says ignoring the comments from the others.
"I guess we could be termed a traveling debate match or at least a committee of politicians. I for one completed a course in siege warfare, but that is not relevant to our current situation."
"How about people who have a job to do and should stop bickering, Ayerth?" Silas adds, grinning a bit smugly.