Shadowthorn's Princes of the Apocalypse

Rubin checks his gear, ready to move out when the others are.

(Assuming you all carry on to Rivergard Keep)

Not much longer after you find the bandit camp, you come into sight of Rivergard Keep.

A small castle overlooks the mighty Dessarin River, which is a good half-mile wide at this point. A gatehouse and keep stand atop a low bluff, but the walls are built to the water’s edge. On the river bank, another low tower guards a boat basin where keelboats are moored.

The keep seems old and worn, but new timbers and shingles suggest that repairs are underway. A white banner with a blue gauntlet flies over the keep.

The front gate is closed.

(How are you approaching?  You can see several guards pacing the walls.)

"How we going fer this, gang?  We gonna play green recruits, or maybe have some of us sneakier types creep up and take out those sentries?" Jairus asks.  

Mid way on their journey to the keep Wolf-Davian returns to human form. "I could get used to travelling on four feet. It's much easier on the body. Amazing animals..." He prattles on about his experience as a wolf for a little while longer, more to himself than anyone in particular. 

At Jairus' question he replies with "I am more than happy to change into another form, but I fear it may be a waste if all I am is a rat or mouse. I am no sneak in my normal state, but I can play a green recruit quite easy" The last said with a coy smile.

“Zhents used to say I had one of the worst poker faces they’d ever seen,” Jairus says, looking nervous. “Bluffing ain’t my speciality. I probably look the part, that goes a ways, so maybe I just stand around lookin’ like a guy who’s tryin’ to look tough. Which should be easy, as that does sorta describe me most of the time.” He smiles crookedly at the self aware reflection. 

(Mind if I rewind a bit?)

Quote from LordShadowthorn >>

The bandit blinks in confusion.

"I dunno, they all started drawing weapons so I did too.  No clue what his name was, everyone just called him sir."  He pauses in confusion once more, scratching his beard.  "My best . . .huh?  Who needs a recipe for cooking fish?  Stick it on a stick and put it over the fire till it’s not raw anymore, that’s good enough for me."

The bandit's captor would narrow her eyes at his unhelpful response. "Okay, then what's your name and where are you from?"

Despite his answer, Kethra will let him go, then ask the party for help with burying the bodies. Or if we're not too close to the keep, breaking the wooden boxes and using it as fuel for a pyre? (I don't know what you guys would be okay with.)

"We need to remember our ultimate goal: to investigate what happened to the missing delegates. I'm really taking Mr. Tyde's words to heart...we should avoid 'swinging swords' if we don't have to, but the only way we're going to do that is to out think them...or out move them! So...that means we'll NEED every single animal shape and wizard magic we can, right? Let's take a short rest before we get to the Keep."

She nods at Davian and Mr. Tyde, then starts handing out some of the bandits' smoked fish to the rest of the party.

"Rubin, Davian, I appreciate your idea to sneak in as recruits. But before we go and say hi, is it fine if we wait until nightfall, then ask you boys to take a walk around the Keep?"

• "Make a rough count of how many guards there are."
• "Find if they're redirecting river water inside the keep, so we can have an escape route that doesn't leave footprints."
• "If that doesn't work out, could you check for any unguarded places you can sneak through as a small animal and let a rope down from, Davian?"
• "Lastly, listen if they have any horses."

"If they find you...um, how about hooting like an owl three times?"

Quote from LordShadowthorn >>

The keep seems old and worn, but new timbers and shingles suggest that repairs are underway. A white banner with a blue gauntlet flies over the keep.

Upon getting to the keep, Kethra would shade her eyes to take a look at the flag. "That...doesn't look like any of the cult symbols we saw earlier...but I suppose they were pretty secretive about it before. So let's wait until nightfall and add one more thing to look for:"

• "Find the main support beam(s) that bears the most weight. It'll be a great distraction...or if we need to thin their numbers."

Quote from konpk>>

"Find the main support beam(s) that bears the most weight. It'll be a great distraction...or if we need to thin their numbers."

 (It's a large castle.  There's not going to be a main support beam.)

The bandit shrugs.  "Fair enough.  My name's Jeb Willowsplitter, I'm from around here.  Womford."

Jairus agrees, and seems more comfortable with scouting the place out then the infiltration plan, as the former is more comfortably within his skill set.  "I think it's a great idea, better know what we're getting into."  If possible Jairus will call on his Outlander background, much time spent in the wilds, and survey the natural surroundings of the keep, and will attempt to cobble together some camouflage that might help their scouts, himself included, better blend in with the surroundings.  

OOC: Let me know if this has any mechanical effect, being camouflaged could help scouts blend in and offer advantage to Stealth checks, otherwise it could just be window dressing.  If a Survival roll is needed to create proper camouflage it is:

4

Jairus tries to gather some camouflage for himself, but ends up just getting his clothes muddy.

"This is not an area I am good at sneaking around in, but I will try..."  Rubin says as he tries to scout around the keep.

Stealth: 16

Perception: 15

If it is in darkness he would be invisible to those with darkvision.

The walls are too tall for you to get a good picture of the inside, but you do see there’s one guard on each of the four walls.

Rubin returns to report in.  "Looks to be one guard on each of the walls." He tells the group.  "Couldn't tell much more than that though..."

Jairus thinks to Kethra's reconnaissance suggestions:

• "Make a rough count of how many guards there are."  - Done
• "Find if they're redirecting river water inside the keep, so we can have an escape route that doesn't leave footprints."
• "If that doesn't work out, could you check for any unguarded places you can sneak through as a small animal and let a rope down from, Davian?"
• "Lastly, listen if they have any horses."

Jairus attempts to scout to see if he can hear any horses, see any signs of a waterway passing into the keep, or for any small openings where a Wild Shaped Druid might gain entry.

Stealth:  18

Perception:   11

Investigation:    22

Quote from Brian_Avery >>

"So if they only have one guard on each wall that may mean they don't have the numbers for more or maybe they feel they don't need any more than one." Tyde motions for the others to gather near once their scouting is finished.

"I guess the plan is to gain entry as new recruits. But what then, if they buy it we might get to look around inside. If they don't we may have a fight on our hands."

"We could wait until nightfall and try to sneak inside somehow. We would only have to deal with one guard whichever wall approached from."

"Any preferences?"

 Jairus relates whatever he learned, if anything, on water access, a crevice for an animal to enter, and the sounds of horses (based on rolls, possibly "no idea"), and then responds, "I'd prefer to just try to sneak in by nightfall, if you're askin' me.  Bluff goes bad, we're surrounded.  Sneakin' in we have a better odds of bein' able to fall back if things get nasty.  But if everyone else is onboard fer play actin' I won't say no.  Sneakin' in is my suggestion, though.  I can creep up and shoot down a few sentries, I'm sure we got some others here who can do some silent take downs."  

Jairus, you don't hear any horses.  There is a water gate you see in the distance, but it's also guarded.  You don't notice any convenient rat portals.

Quote from LordShadowthorn >>

Jairus, you don't hear any horses.  There is a water gate you see in the distance, but it's also guarded.  You don't notice any convenient rat portals.

 Jairus relates this to the others.  "I didn't hear no horses, there's a water gate alright, but they've got a guard on it.  Place is pretty well secured against a rat-sized animal goin' in, maybe they had plague in these parts in the past.  Anyway, that's about all the intel you were lookin' fer, Kethra.  Now we've all just gotta decide how we want to do this thing.  We've got to open this jar of pickles, we gonna grease the lid, coax it open, or smash the thing?  A handful of people smashing a fortified keep ain't smart, so one of the other two."  Jairus does not elaborate on the metaphor so it's unclear what posing as recruits equates to, as opposed to a stealth operation. "Smash" is clear enough, and not the way he is leaning.  

"That sounds better to me," Jairus agrees, nodding. "I don't much like the idea of putting ourselves in the hornets nest and rollin' the dice that we can pass fer hornets.  Rather sneak in and pick off those hornets on our terms."    

((I have to log off for the day, having some home issues and it may be hectic over the next few days, so if posts slow that will be why.  When things break they all break at once. Apologies in advance for any delays.))

(No problem.  Things do seem to all break at once, don't they.)

"I like that idea as well." Rubin says with a nod.  "Going in the water gate seems like our best avenue of entry.  I am not good at deceiving people, so it would probably be best if I not try to do so..."