As the party gathers near the tower to investigate the scroll, the thunder takes a short pause and something is heard from the hole.
Latro -
“Some elf wizard with a lot of money and time on her hands, apparently.”
“So, why we keepin’ the dwarves alive?”
“I dunno, maybe Falck thought they’d be more useful alive than undead.”
“Ain’t it obvious, you two? This place is partly collapsed. We might need ’em for diggin’.”
Rulf, A'loran, Kava -
“Some elf wizard with a lot of money and time on her hands, apparently.”
Canas -
"do you guys hear that?... sounds like there are more down there. Lets find a way in and deal with them before they realize we're here."
tha sounds like a great plan, we can use the ruins for cover an catch em with their pants down when they come up. One a you humans should call out eh, whaduya think. Rulf whispers to his friends with a malicious glint in his eye as he puts the scroll away in his belongings.
Latro leans closer to the whole, as if listening intently. When A'loran speaks, Latro speaks in hushed tones as well,
"I hear them too. Someone said an elven wizard built this place, but more importantly, someone else said something about keeping the dwarves alive...to dig? I think there might be some dwarven hostages down there. Maybe we're gonna have to go down there and rescue your kinsman Rulf."
"Well, I might be able to lure a few of the bandits up here and scout out down there in one fell swoop. Archibald, go take a quick fly down there and back out, would you?"
Canas -
The walls are adorned with half-finished murals depicting great battles. Rickety, 10-foot-high wooden scaffolding clings to the north and south walls, directly below these murals.
Upon the floor and scaffolding stand several leather-clad figures with yellow skulls painted on their faces, as well as a device that looks like rusty iron jaws stained with blood.
"The Archibald plan sounds good Canas, but if there are more hostages down there, we probably want to descend. We'll want to be careful though because our last HOSTAGE turned out to be the enemy!"
"Don't worry, no hostages. Just a lot of bandits, some of them on scaffolding. There's also a rather grisly-looking device, but let's hope we don't see it used. Now, go get their attention and come back, Archie."
Meanwhile, the owl flies close enough to the bandits to get their attention and flies back to the entrance, assuming he can do that and remain within 10 squares.
Canas -
The bandits seem startled as Archibald assaults them, but they don't give chase, instead crossbows are readied.
Everybody can hear cries of alarm, but then a harsh shout of "Hold it!" ends the ruckus.
Latro -
As Archibald returns to his shoulder, Canas frowns. "Well, that didn't work as planned. It looks like they're just getting ready to shoot whatever comes down next. Still, it seems that they're keeping the dwarves nearby. I suppose I might as well go first, draw their fire, all that?"
The brigands have punched a hole through the flagstone floor of the tower, exposing a 5-footdeep shaft that breaks through the ceiling of a 20-foot-high chamber. Anyone standing within the tower can see flickering light and hear faint voices rising up through the gaping hole. Anyone who falls down lands on the pile of jagged rubble in the middle of the chamber (3d10 damage).
A rope ladder with one end tied off to an iron spike in the floor is rolled up next to the hole. The ladder is 50 feet long and descends to the lower chamber.
"Shhh...Don't send Archie down there again. Those bandits have orders from their boss to shoot him on sight."
"So what do we do? It looks like a long way down and the bandits will be shooting us if we throw the ladder down and start climbing. I'm for climbing down, but it might hurt a bit."
Lady Kava has the right of it methinks. We need to try an bluff em in to sending help up here an i think it needs ta be a human voice.. I'd do it myself but mines too resonant yer know an filled wit proper words, Rulf says with complete sincerity.
"Well, I suppose I am the only human here, aren't I? Well, here it goes." Canas clears his throat before leaning over the opening. "Hey! Some adventurers tried attacking! How about some of you get up here and help with the bodies already!"
A voice from below calls out, "What? Adventurers? Just throw the bodies down!"
Latro calls down, disguising his voice as best he can. "I think these adventurers had enough gold to keep me and boys up here happy for a long time. Much more than standing in the rain and fog, guarding a broken tower pays. A little help and maybe we'd be willing to share it!"
Calling over his shoulder to his companions, he continues his bluff, "So what'd ya think boys? Take off and let those lazy bums rot down in the hole. Or should we at least give them a chance to share in our new-found wealth?"
After a couple of usefull suggestions to Latro Rulf makes his way behind the nearest cover.
Kava gives Latro a nudge with what should be a believable lie, too bad the bandits don't seem convinced. "If you're willing to split gold, it must be more work than it's worth.", yells up one voice.
Rulf listens to the exchange, but can't figure out anything that would convince them to leave their hole, especially if gold didn't work.
A'loran taps his head with his staff... history check to gain any helpful information for our endeavor
A'loran taps his head with his staff... 1d20+12 history check to gain any helpful information for our endeavor
"Well, maybe they're not in this for gold?" Canas quietly consults with the owl for the next course of action.
Well I figured with the faded crest that was uncovered... and maybe the dwarf turning on us. That there might be some historical knowledge that could assist us... or some info that could assist a bluff.
Well I figured with the faded crest that was uncovered... and maybe the dwarf turning on us. That there might be some historical knowledge that could assist us... or some info that could assist a bluff.
Canas figures out that the thieves may want to come up (especially for gold), but something is holding them back, maybe orders.
Using the knowledge that orders might be holding them back, "We're still willing to share. There's enough here for all of us to never have to take orders again! Man, I'm outta here. Final chance to come along and leave this foresaken place."
Rulf looks at the corpses probing his memory about religions to see if there could be something usefull with their beliefs. Maybe they dain't covet gold, let me think back on this base cult.
"No, no, they're definitely in this for gold. That much is certain. They'd probably be up here right now if they weren't being ordered to stay down there."
A'loran rubs the spot where he tapped his head to no avail. "I read in a book once that.... Bandits love to drink. And so do Dwarfs.... " A'loran stares at Rulf for a bit. "So maybe we should cheer that we found a keg of beer."
Canas takes his position behind the tower's wall.
In a whisper, "Well that worked. I'll have my surprise ready when you're ready Kava."
Latro heads into the fog and around the corner of the tower. A glint of steel flashes in his hand.
Rulf takes up his position behind the ruined walls and whispers to Kava well that worked, I bags any o'them pesky gnomes.
T24