The rain falls from a dark sky - not a downpour but enough to make everyone wet - as Esa and RL head towards Harken Keep. At this time of night there is no one about. There is a full moon, but it is hidden behind dark clouds, giving only a little illumination.
Harken keep stands on top of a short, steep-sided hillock overlooking Harken vallage and the King's Road. The trees and ground cover on the hillside are cut back at least 100ft from the walls, leaving a bare, grassy slope. The hill rises precipitously on the eastern side. The other approaches are more gradual, but none flatten out until about 100 feet above the village. A causeway of hard-packed dirt climbs around the hilltop to the castle's front gate, exposed to archery fire from the towers and walls for most of its length.
The rain means the watch seem to be less diligent. Probably another benefit of Nazin Redthorn not being present to keep discipline. A guard's head pops up every 10 minutes or so to have a quick look around before heading back inside a tower again, and the look is cursory and each time RL gives a warning growl and stops moving and Esa lands on him and does likewise.
They finally make it to the south east tower, which Old Kellar's map listed as The Great Tower. They can see why, it is the tallest tower and looks like it is a keep within a keep. There are no lights coming from the narrow, tall windows.
Around near the north tower Vakiel, Grimbald, and Augustin make it to where they have memorised the tunnel that leads to the secret gate should be. They cannot find it in the dark, it must be well hidden, so they can only wait for Esa and RL to open it for them.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
RL will drop the mastiff wild shape. Grin at Esa, put the blue ball away and wild shape into a spider. RL the spider will climb the wall and go into the first room along the ceiling to see what is in there. Passive perception 17. Perception check 9
Esa turns herself Invisible. She flies beside him to the window, looking out for other windows or cracks that could prove to be a useful point of entry.
There are only two windows/arrow slits on the ground floor, one on the south of the tower, one on the south east. They both lead into the same room. There are more arrow slit windows on both levels above the ground floor.
The room is obviously a barracks for three people, there are three beds, two of which are occupied by sleeping humans, one male, one female. The third bed is unmade, indicating someone has been using it recently. At the foot of each bed is a chest.
There are two doors, the one to the west leads to a storage cupboard, probably where the occupants keep their equipment and gear. The one to the north leads to a kitchen, according to Old Kellar's map. There is a soft, warm glow from firelight coming from under the north door.
There are only two windows/arrow slits on the ground floor, one on the south of the tower, one on the south east. They both lead into the same room. There are more arrow slit windows on both levels above the ground floor.
The room is obviously a barracks for three people, there are three beds, two of which are occupied by sleeping humans, one male, one female. The third bed is unmade, indicating someone has been using it recently. At the foot of each bed is a chest.
There are two doors, the one to the west leads to a storage cupboard, probably where the occupants keep their equipment and gear. The one to the north leads to a kitchen, according to Old Kellar's map. There is a soft, warm glow from firelight coming from under the north door.
RL will crawl over the ceiling and down the wall to the door going north and look for a crack to squeeze through. Perception check 12
As a spider, RL can easily slip under the door, finding himself in a kitchen lit from a fireplace in the north wall. Three people, one halfling and two young humans, kitchen staff probably, are sleeping on blankets on the floor. RL knows from the map that two of the three doors lead to storage areas, and the north door next to the fireplace leads to the gaol area.
As a spider, RL can easily slip under the door, finding himself in a kitchen lit from a fireplace in the north wall. Three people, one halfling and two young humans, kitchen staff probably, are sleeping on blankets on the floor. RL knows from the map that two of the three doors lead to storage areas, and the north door next to the fireplace leads to the gaol area.
RL will crawl back up the wall and go across the ceiling to the north door, back down the wall and under this door to try to find the last guard and see what is in the gaol. While looking around can either of the doors be locked from one side or the other?
The door north of the kitchen can be locked, none of the others can be.
Crawling under this door - it seems to take ages, the equivalent of a long hike on RL's little spider legs - RL sees a larger room which appears to be a guardroom lit by a torch in a wall sconce. A tired-looking guard is playing cards with an imp and there is are a couple of small stacks of copper coins on the table. The cells are out of view from RL's current location.
Esa follows RL, watching him as he scurries in and out. Realising she won't fit under the doors to follow him, she decides to peek up the stairs, occasionally looking back for a sign that RL has returned.
Esa returns to the door to the North where she saw RL disappear, and waits for him. As soon as he comes back, she is going to pick him up and take him to the stairs.
RL comes back via the ceilings into the original room and squeezes under the door then looks around before smacking himself on the head with 8 legs since Esa is invisible
RL comes back via the ceilings into the original room and squeezes under the door
Esa carefully picks him up and carries him into the staircase. Pressing herself into the top corner near the ceiling, she whispers quietly to RL. "We need a better way to communicate. I' can't fit under the doors, so after you look into a room, come back to me and give me a report. If the room has anyone inside, walk in circles. One circle means one being. If you find the hostages, walk in wiggly line. If you want us to continue through that door, come back and wait outside the door. Then I can get it open and follow you.
If there's any danger, I'll make some sort of noise, sound, or smell to get your attention. Otherwise, I'll simply wait and stand guard at the door so you know where I am. If you understand, frantically wriggle in my hand."
Esa is in the kitchen. Let's just assume she opened the door between the sleeping guards and the kitchen quietly. She's picked up RL who now looks like an arachnaphobic's worst nightmare - a flying spider.
There is a much smaller blue ball for Esa.
The rain falls from a dark sky - not a downpour but enough to make everyone wet - as Esa and RL head towards Harken Keep. At this time of night there is no one about. There is a full moon, but it is hidden behind dark clouds, giving only a little illumination.
Harken keep stands on top of a short, steep-sided hillock overlooking Harken vallage and the King's Road. The trees and ground cover on the hillside are cut back at least 100ft from the walls, leaving a bare, grassy slope. The hill rises precipitously on the eastern side. The other approaches are more gradual, but none flatten out until about 100 feet above the village. A causeway of hard-packed dirt climbs around the hilltop to the castle's front gate, exposed to archery fire from the towers and walls for most of its length.
The rain means the watch seem to be less diligent. Probably another benefit of Nazin Redthorn not being present to keep discipline. A guard's head pops up every 10 minutes or so to have a quick look around before heading back inside a tower again, and the look is cursory and each time RL gives a warning growl and stops moving and Esa lands on him and does likewise.
They finally make it to the south east tower, which Old Kellar's map listed as The Great Tower. They can see why, it is the tallest tower and looks like it is a keep within a keep. There are no lights coming from the narrow, tall windows.
Around near the north tower Vakiel, Grimbald, and Augustin make it to where they have memorised the tunnel that leads to the secret gate should be. They cannot find it in the dark, it must be well hidden, so they can only wait for Esa and RL to open it for them.
says "1st floor" but really means ground floor.
RL will drop the mastiff wild shape. Grin at Esa, put the blue ball away and wild shape into a spider. RL the spider will climb the wall and go into the first room along the ceiling to see what is in there. Passive perception 17. Perception check 9
Esa turns herself Invisible. She flies beside him to the window, looking out for other windows or cracks that could prove to be a useful point of entry.
Perception: 4
There are only two windows/arrow slits on the ground floor, one on the south of the tower, one on the south east. They both lead into the same room. There are more arrow slit windows on both levels above the ground floor.
The room is obviously a barracks for three people, there are three beds, two of which are occupied by sleeping humans, one male, one female. The third bed is unmade, indicating someone has been using it recently. At the foot of each bed is a chest.
There are two doors, the one to the west leads to a storage cupboard, probably where the occupants keep their equipment and gear. The one to the north leads to a kitchen, according to Old Kellar's map. There is a soft, warm glow from firelight coming from under the north door.
RL will crawl over the ceiling and down the wall to the door going north and look for a crack to squeeze through. Perception check 12
As a spider, RL can easily slip under the door, finding himself in a kitchen lit from a fireplace in the north wall. Three people, one halfling and two young humans, kitchen staff probably, are sleeping on blankets on the floor. RL knows from the map that two of the three doors lead to storage areas, and the north door next to the fireplace leads to the gaol area.
RL will crawl back up the wall and go across the ceiling to the north door, back down the wall and under this door to try to find the last guard and see what is in the gaol. While looking around can either of the doors be locked from one side or the other?
The door north of the kitchen can be locked, none of the others can be.
Crawling under this door - it seems to take ages, the equivalent of a long hike on RL's little spider legs - RL sees a larger room which appears to be a guardroom lit by a torch in a wall sconce. A tired-looking guard is playing cards with an imp and there is are a couple of small stacks of copper coins on the table. The cells are out of view from RL's current location.
Esa follows RL, watching him as he scurries in and out. Realising she won't fit under the doors to follow him, she decides to peek up the stairs, occasionally looking back for a sign that RL has returned.
Need a perception check from Esa.
DM's Note: Also thought I would copy and paste this from the chat to here as it is relevant to what is going on (and is pretty funny).
Esa thinking: "We didn't think this through. He can't see me and I can't communicate with a f**cking spider."
17
Esa hears and sees nothing from the level above. There is a dim light up there, probably from a torch or lantern.
Esa returns to the door to the North where she saw RL disappear, and waits for him. As soon as he comes back, she is going to pick him up and take him to the stairs.
RL comes back via the ceilings into the original room and squeezes under the door then looks around before smacking himself on the head with 8 legs since Esa is invisible
Augustin remains quiet and anxious, adrenaline starting to pump through his veins as the minutes tick by.
He looks around to see if he notices anything of interest going on?
Perception 10
Augustin is too distracted by the blue ball jokes everyone made when he handed them out.
Esa carefully picks him up and carries him into the staircase. Pressing herself into the top corner near the ceiling, she whispers quietly to RL. "We need a better way to communicate. I' can't fit under the doors, so after you look into a room, come back to me and give me a report. If the room has anyone inside, walk in circles. One circle means one being. If you find the hostages, walk in wiggly line. If you want us to continue through that door, come back and wait outside the door. Then I can get it open and follow you.
If there's any danger, I'll make some sort of noise, sound, or smell to get your attention. Otherwise, I'll simply wait and stand guard at the door so you know where I am. If you understand, frantically wriggle in my hand."
Esa is in the kitchen. Let's just assume she opened the door between the sleeping guards and the kitchen quietly. She's picked up RL who now looks like an arachnaphobic's worst nightmare - a flying spider.