Brevig tests the portcullis. Can he raise it himself? (OOC, and apologies DM but I’m on my phone & can’t access the die-roller. Could you for me? STR is 19 with gauntlets of ogre power.)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Brevigand Gwin grasp the portcullis and simultaneously lift, hoping their combined efforts will make a way into Delvindraz...
Athletics (STR) check for Brevig with advantage and guidance:21
...the gate lifts a few inches, and then the sound of a loud, metallic clank reaches the ears of everyone standing outside the portcullis. After that noise--which causes everyone to cringe momentarily--Brevig and Gwin raise the portcullis with relative ease. They sense the gate will not remain open and suspended overhead, for whatever linked the gate to the control mechanism has broken...
Fargoth quickly ducks under the gate and draws his bow, before adjusting his hood over his head, suddenly blending in with the surroundings. “We are committed then... I suspect it would be hard to re-raise this with a horde of orcs at our backs.”
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Brevig looks around the room, especially the edge of the ceiling near the portcullis. “Dwarves are master engineers, aren’t they? Gwyn? Surely, if it is possible to break that chain, the master builders would have thought ahead to allow access to the mechanism in order to replace the broken part. Where do you suppose it might be? Perhaps a use of prestidigitation, as I’ve seen done, would repair it? At any rate, it is was never my expectation that a hasty retreat was to be a part of the plan. Perhaps if we remain perfectly still here, Gwin’s magic eye or Fargoth could peek around the corner. I shall not try to creep but neither shall I move until we know whether or not we have company here, so as not to call attention to our presence.”
Gwin winces at the sound of the clank and freezes for a moment. Not wanting to bring any more attention to their presence by verbally responding to Brevig, she instead initiates her Arcane Eye once again to see just how close they are to the orcs.
DM: Sending my eye down the passageway in the northwest corner. My intention is to get an understanding of the layout of the area, how many orcs and other creatures there might be, and approximate distance to them, if possible.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
Patrinpeers around the corner and finds himself looking down a hallway that leads to a large open room. He can see only the northernmost portion of it, but he surmises the room may be circular. The distinct sound of orc voices reaches his ears slightly more clearly now, but there doesn't seem to be any indication of orcs moving toward the party. It seems the sound made by the portcullis, and--worse yet--the sounds made by Donir's armor have gone unnoticed by the Hi-Thoror.
Brevigscours the room with the hope of finding a hint about the system for raising and lowering the portcullis. He quickly sees the simplicity of the system: a retractable, spring-loaded bolt (that is located in the jamb around the portcullis) is what locks the gate open or closed (from the inside only). That bolt has been broken; half of it, along with the spring, are lying on the floor.
Gwin's arcane eye then floats past Patrinand begins to explore deeper into Delvindraz. The cleric whispers aloud the description of what she sees...
After passing through an open portcullis (A) in the hallway, there is a large circular room (B). In the center is a massive circular stone that has been painstakingly carved with images of dwarven life: mining, crafting, scenes of battle, and so forth. Exiting the circular room in the southwest corner is another passageway that leads upward (C) with a long series of steps, at the top of which is another open portcullis. After that is another circular room (D); its walls adorned with bas-relief and dwarven runes. Continuing north from this room, the magical eye ascends another stairwell and upon passing through another open gate (E) exits into the open air. Immediately to the right is a large tower (F), the doors of which face north and are closed. On the eastern side of the tower is a set of stairs (G) that descend to a large open courtyard (H). The stairs to the northeast (I) lead down the face of the mountain. A total of 10 orcs (black squares) and 3 half-ogres (red squares) are detected by the arcane eye.
NOTE: The locations of the orcs and half-ogres merely reflect a snapshot in time. Most of them are moving about as Gwin's eye passes them.
Patrinpeers around the corner and finds himself looking down a hallway that leads to a large open room. He can see only the northernmost portion of it, but he surmises the room may be circular. The distinct sound of orc voices reaches his ears slightly more clearly now, but there doesn't seem to be any indication of orcs moving toward the party. It seems the sound made by the portcullis, and--worse yet--the sounds made by Donir's armor have gone unnoticed by the Hi-Thoror.
Brevigscours the room with the hope of finding a hint about the system for raising and lowering the portcullis. He quickly sees the simplicity of the system: a retractable, spring-loaded bolt (that is located in the jamb around the portcullis) is what locks the gate open or closed (from the inside only). That bolt has been broken; half of it, along with the spring, are lying on the floor.
Gwin's [spell]arcane eye[spell] then floats past Patrinand begins to explore deeper into Delvindraz. The cleric whispers aloud the description of what she sees...
After passing through an open portcullis (A) in the hallway, there is a large circular room (B). In the center is a massive circular stone that has been painstakingly carved with images of dwarven life: mining, crafting, scenes of battle, and so forth. Exiting the circular room in the southwest corner is another passageway that leads upward (C) with a long series of steps, at the top of which is another open portcullis. After that is another circular room (D); its walls adorned with bas-relief and dwarven runes. Continuing north from this room, the magical eye ascends another stairwell and upon passing through another open gate (E) exits into the open air. Immediately to the right is a large tower (F), the doors of which face north and are closed. On the eastern side of the tower is a set of stairs (G) that descend to a large open courtyard (H). The stairs to the northeast (I) lead down the face of the mountain. A total of 10 orcs (black squares) and 3 half-ogres (red squares) are detected by the arcane eye.
NOTE: The locations of the orcs and half-ogres merely reflect a snapshot in time. Most of them are moving about as Gwin's eye passes them.
Brevig picks up the broken lock pieces and placed them in a pouch on his belt. If it seems to help make the portcullis look “normal” will one of the pieces fit partway into the bolt’s wall mount?
“Friends,” says Brevig, gravely. “I believe that once a melee begins, there will be no end until either we, or those ten orcs and three half-ogres are dead. Let us ensure that the former is the end we reach by choosing where the melee will occur. I suggest taking a stand at the bottom of the stairs, (in room D), with the Dwarven runes behind us. I will hold the stairway, and you all stand behind me and destroy them with magic as they bottleneck before me.” (N.B. — planning, not acting yet.)
Brevig picks up the broken lock pieces and placed them in a pouch on his belt. If it seems to help make the portcullis look “normal” will one of the pieces fit partway into the bolt’s wall mount?
(The broken bolt will appear normal if returned to its place when the gate is down. The broken portion, however, will not suffice to hold the gate in its raised position)
Brevig picks up the broken lock pieces and placed them in a pouch on his belt. If it seems to help make the portcullis look “normal” will one of the pieces fit partway into the bolt’s wall mount?
(The broken bolt will appear normal if returned to its place when the gate is down. The broken portion, however, will not suffice to hold the gate in its raised position)
Although the ruse seems likely to be of no use, Brevig returns the broken bolt to its place with the gate down. ‘We can take this fortress, and leave it vacant of aggressive orcs. Perhaps the gnomes can then live here. If that comes to pass, it will be helpful to them to have this bolt piece close at hand and easy to repair in order to secure their own back door.’
“Dwarven runes in a Dwarven fortress. This reminds me of the glorious tale of the Dwarven cleric Ednyss Greybeard, whose prayers were finally answered after falling, seemingly to his death, into a dark chasm, as his company defeated a force of armored undead...” and Brevig quietly tells the story, as the group plans, (OOC: using the Inspiring Leader feat to impart 12HP to each person there...if the 10 minutes passes without interruption...)
"In these curving corridors, my most powerful offensive weaponry will be ineffective. I can, however, attempt to dazzle the grouped up forces at the center, allowing us to strike them while they are confused. Brevig's plan seems sound, though I shall take up the frontline as well, as I will be able to effectively draw the fire of one or two of them using my armour's capabilities."
(I can cast hypnotic pattern, and I can also punch lads to make them target me or have disadvantage. I think I'm also the tankiest here, both in ac and hp, so it's best if Donir takes the most blows.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
"I believe Fargoth's reasoning is sound,"says Brevig after he finishes his inspiring story."What do you say to this? Fargoth will ascend to E, acting as if he is a lone thief who realizes too late he has gotten in over his head. He shows himself, yells in mock fear, destroys one of their number with a surprise shot, then rushes back to D, then to B, releasing arrows behind him but keeping his distance. Fargoth's task will be to let the enemy think they are at an advantage, that it is they who are attacking him. At B, Donir and I will stand on either side of the doorway, lying in wait and closing ranks as soon as Fargoth passes through. Gwyn and Patrin, and Fargoth upon his return, can stand at a distance from the stairwell, or immediately behind Donir and I, keeping the enemy bottled up. Donir's armor seems impenetrable, nearly. Mine, though of fine adamantine, is not, and I may require healing at some point to hold the line. Gwyn, may I shout to you if I feel my energies dwindling?"
The elf pats the stone in the centre of the circular room and looks up at it. "Someone should take refuge on top... exposed but with a good sight of all combatants. I will volunteer, to allow you all to maintain useful positions on the ground."
‘Let’s give that a go then. Also, if anyone is injured, I can assist as well...’ says Patrin, feeling the adrenaline begin to flow as he readies himself for action...
Brevig tests the portcullis. Can he raise it himself? (OOC, and apologies DM but I’m on my phone & can’t access the die-roller. Could you for me? STR is 19 with gauntlets of ogre power.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Gwin mock saunters over to Brevig, pushes up her sleeves, and in the tiniest whisper says, how about some Help and Guidance, friend?
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
Brevig and Gwin grasp the portcullis and simultaneously lift, hoping their combined efforts will make a way into Delvindraz...
Athletics (STR) check for Brevig with advantage and guidance:21
...the gate lifts a few inches, and then the sound of a loud, metallic clank reaches the ears of everyone standing outside the portcullis. After that noise--which causes everyone to cringe momentarily--Brevig and Gwin raise the portcullis with relative ease. They sense the gate will not remain open and suspended overhead, for whatever linked the gate to the control mechanism has broken...
94
"That's... one way to go about it, I suppose. Let's hope no one else heard that, otherwise we're in for some trouble. Shall we continue?"
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Patrin nods, and heads under the portcullis and towards the northwest corner, pausing before he looks around it...
Stealth: 11
Perception: 3
Fargoth quickly ducks under the gate and draws his bow, before adjusting his hood over his head, suddenly blending in with the surroundings. “We are committed then... I suspect it would be hard to re-raise this with a horde of orcs at our backs.”
Stealth: 22
Donir stays to the back, as he clanks about like a bumbling ape.
"Wish I'd had time to tweak my armour before we entered. I'll try to keep as quiet as I can."
Stealth: 1
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Brevig looks around the room, especially the edge of the ceiling near the portcullis.
“Dwarves are master engineers, aren’t they? Gwyn? Surely, if it is possible to break that chain, the master builders would have thought ahead to allow access to the mechanism in order to replace the broken part. Where do you suppose it might be? Perhaps a use of prestidigitation, as I’ve seen done, would repair it?
At any rate, it is was never my expectation that a hasty retreat was to be a part of the plan. Perhaps if we remain perfectly still here, Gwin’s magic eye or Fargoth could peek around the corner. I shall not try to creep but neither shall I move until we know whether or not we have company here, so as not to call attention to our presence.”
Perception for chain access: 16
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Gwin winces at the sound of the clank and freezes for a moment. Not wanting to bring any more attention to their presence by verbally responding to Brevig, she instead initiates her Arcane Eye once again to see just how close they are to the orcs.
DM: Sending my eye down the passageway in the northwest corner. My intention is to get an understanding of the layout of the area, how many orcs and other creatures there might be, and approximate distance to them, if possible.
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
Patrin peers around the corner and finds himself looking down a hallway that leads to a large open room. He can see only the northernmost portion of it, but he surmises the room may be circular. The distinct sound of orc voices reaches his ears slightly more clearly now, but there doesn't seem to be any indication of orcs moving toward the party. It seems the sound made by the portcullis, and--worse yet--the sounds made by Donir's armor have gone unnoticed by the Hi-Thoror.
Brevig scours the room with the hope of finding a hint about the system for raising and lowering the portcullis. He quickly sees the simplicity of the system: a retractable, spring-loaded bolt (that is located in the jamb around the portcullis) is what locks the gate open or closed (from the inside only). That bolt has been broken; half of it, along with the spring, are lying on the floor.
Gwin's arcane eye then floats past Patrin and begins to explore deeper into Delvindraz. The cleric whispers aloud the description of what she sees...
After passing through an open portcullis (A) in the hallway, there is a large circular room (B). In the center is a massive circular stone that has been painstakingly carved with images of dwarven life: mining, crafting, scenes of battle, and so forth. Exiting the circular room in the southwest corner is another passageway that leads upward (C) with a long series of steps, at the top of which is another open portcullis. After that is another circular room (D); its walls adorned with bas-relief and dwarven runes. Continuing north from this room, the magical eye ascends another stairwell and upon passing through another open gate (E) exits into the open air. Immediately to the right is a large tower (F), the doors of which face north and are closed. On the eastern side of the tower is a set of stairs (G) that descend to a large open courtyard (H). The stairs to the northeast (I) lead down the face of the mountain. A total of 10 orcs (black squares) and 3 half-ogres (red squares) are detected by the arcane eye.
NOTE: The locations of the orcs and half-ogres merely reflect a snapshot in time. Most of them are moving about as Gwin's eye passes them.
Brevig picks up the broken lock pieces and placed them in a pouch on his belt. If it seems to help make the portcullis look “normal” will one of the pieces fit partway into the bolt’s wall mount?
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
“Friends,” says Brevig, gravely. “I believe that once a melee begins, there will be no end until either we, or those ten orcs and three half-ogres are dead. Let us ensure that the former is the end we reach by choosing where the melee will occur.
I suggest taking a stand at the bottom of the stairs, (in room D), with the Dwarven runes behind us. I will hold the stairway, and you all stand behind me and destroy them with magic as they bottleneck before me.” (N.B. — planning, not acting yet.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
(The broken bolt will appear normal if returned to its place when the gate is down. The broken portion, however, will not suffice to hold the gate in its raised position)
Although the ruse seems likely to be of no use, Brevig returns the broken bolt to its place with the gate down. ‘We can take this fortress, and leave it vacant of aggressive orcs. Perhaps the gnomes can then live here. If that comes to pass, it will be helpful to them to have this bolt piece close at hand and easy to repair in order to secure their own back door.’
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
“Dwarven runes in a Dwarven fortress. This reminds me of the glorious tale of the Dwarven cleric Ednyss Greybeard, whose prayers were finally answered after falling, seemingly to his death, into a dark chasm, as his company defeated a force of armored undead...” and Brevig quietly tells the story, as the group plans, (OOC: using the Inspiring Leader feat to impart 12HP to each person there...if the 10 minutes passes without interruption...)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"In these curving corridors, my most powerful offensive weaponry will be ineffective. I can, however, attempt to dazzle the grouped up forces at the center, allowing us to strike them while they are confused. Brevig's plan seems sound, though I shall take up the frontline as well, as I will be able to effectively draw the fire of one or two of them using my armour's capabilities."
(I can cast hypnotic pattern, and I can also punch lads to make them target me or have disadvantage. I think I'm also the tankiest here, both in ac and hp, so it's best if Donir takes the most blows.)
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
"I believe Fargoth's reasoning is sound," says Brevig after he finishes his inspiring story. "What do you say to this? Fargoth will ascend to E, acting as if he is a lone thief who realizes too late he has gotten in over his head. He shows himself, yells in mock fear, destroys one of their number with a surprise shot, then rushes back to D, then to B, releasing arrows behind him but keeping his distance. Fargoth's task will be to let the enemy think they are at an advantage, that it is they who are attacking him. At B, Donir and I will stand on either side of the doorway, lying in wait and closing ranks as soon as Fargoth passes through. Gwyn and Patrin, and Fargoth upon his return, can stand at a distance from the stairwell, or immediately behind Donir and I, keeping the enemy bottled up. Donir's armor seems impenetrable, nearly. Mine, though of fine adamantine, is not, and I may require healing at some point to hold the line. Gwyn, may I shout to you if I feel my energies dwindling?"
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
The elf pats the stone in the centre of the circular room and looks up at it. "Someone should take refuge on top... exposed but with a good sight of all combatants. I will volunteer, to allow you all to maintain useful positions on the ground."
‘Let’s give that a go then. Also, if anyone is injured, I can assist as well...’ says Patrin, feeling the adrenaline begin to flow as he readies himself for action...
"That sounds good. I will wait around the bend at B, so I can fire down the hallway once Fargoth is clear."
Donir heads to his spot, where he holds up a single finger, which begins to crackle with electricity.
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."