The whistle sounds to Varielky like a note blown on an instrument, like a high-pitched conch shell. An alert, or a call. The Eye answers Auger:
“One Jenghen cherry blossom on gossamer wings falls from greying skies,
Should I not see you in your grace by missing news of your arrival,
Then I must hurry to catch the Dominion train to gaze upon you…”
The statement is interrupted (or perhaps he was finished already) by the sound of another high-pitched call at a different pitch, coming from ahead of and above you, echoing mournfully through the enclosing mist.
Then for a while, unbroken silence. The music from the ball is no longer audible.
As you go, every 100’ or so there is a sturdy tower in the shape of a man or woman reaching skyward, made of dense wood — by what magic they were sculpted, Auger can only guess — which holds the tram line aloft. You have just passed one of them when a rustling sound presages an enormous shadow which passes above the lines. You crane your necks to look, but whatever it was is gone in a moment, the slightest wake of twisting mist following it downslope.
Snow stares at the Eye and then out of the tram as the second high pitched sound is heard. Spotting the shadow pass overhead and the disrupted formation of mist, he has only one thought.
"From what the Eye says, and what I know from my own eyes and ears, it seems highly likely that the Captain has called for a lift", he says as he turns to the others.
"Hopefully the journey up will take longer than the journey down, otherwise we are far too exposed here", he adds and then suddenly spins to address the Eye.
"There were two cars down." Varielky breaks her silence, though her speech is now uncharacteristically monotone. Flat and distant. "He wouldn't need to call another car. Rather, I think they will be expecting us once we land up there." Varielky doesn't face the others as she speaks, but her voice is strong enough to be heard regardless.
When the shadow passes, though, Varielky is finally forced to come back to her senses - at least for the moment - and actively try to see what just passed. A Roc, and its rider, perhaps? That would be really bad, as she'll have no way to fight it back if attacked on this car. She could throw her last axe, but if that's not enough, she'll have to depend on the others. "Or, maybe they decided not to give us a chance to land at all."
Cherry blossom. Dominion train. My arrival. In my grace. Quite the puzzle this Eye.
As the discussion about the possible Roc rider continues, presumably the Captain will get to the top ahead of them, Auger starts to think not so much about the summit as he does about their arrival at the top, where they can expect a confrontation.
Py, fly ahead to where the tram stops and then come back to tell us what we can expect when the tram stops. Do not expose yourself to the view of this Captain.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
The Eye answers Snow in an arcane monotone, “Clean brisk day. The clouds high in the sky. Brown leaf slowly falls.” The tram maintains exactly the same speed.
Py buzzes up and away. Five minutes later, it is not in view, nor does Auger feel its presence when, in complete silence, the mist parts behind you to reveal the enormous form of a red-brown roc, its rider wearing helmet and splint mail armor, visor down, eyes upon you, as it descends to the level of the tram car while passing at great speed.
You are now situated like so as the roc’s great wings suddenly flap energetically. In a moment it will pass over you and then be out of view again. You have only a split second to react if you want to do anything before it passes. It will not come closer than 30’.
So, he rides the beast himself, Auger thinks. He is going to be a point of difficulty, I wonder if I can make things difficult for him.
As he sees him approach, Auger is unsure if he has time to do what he wants. "Stand clear!" he yells. Reaching into the Sea of Stars, Auger causes a dragonfly figure to form and fly inexorably into the rider on the Roc. All who look at the dragonfly figure feel a sense of confusion and unease emanating from it. Meanwhile the strange form drips bright, grayish green energies as it flies into the Captain.
Then, still connected to the energies of the stars, Auger releases a pair of his twisting blasts, each purple and surrounded by aqua coils, intending to push the rider from the back of the Roc. Or if he hits the Roc, that might serve his purpose as well, though he would prefer not to anger it.
Details
Bonus Action: Auger casts Hex and the Captain now has disadvantage on Wisdom-related checks (like, oh say, Animal Handling <crosses fingers>).
Action: Casts Eldritch Blast, targeting the Captain and with 10' of pushing on a hit. I assume the Captain is harnessed and so I won't pretend to know anything about what happens, whether I roll well or not.
Beam 1: 19 +10 = 29. Damage: 4 +5 = 9 force damage + 3 necrotic for Hex.
Beam 2: 1 +10 = 11. Damage (in case you need it for whatever bad happens): 6 +5 = 11 force damage.
Snow's fears are not quite made manifest, it does not appear to be Captain Sorakayoshi. But this rider likely had instructions form the Captain to take to the top. Or worse, an instruction not to let the party reach the top, although that was unlikely. From what he knew of the Captain he assumed he liked to witness his own dirty work.
He sees Auger spring into action and watches as he fires his twin bolts of energy at the rider. Unless the rider becomes unseated and falls, he will have to act himself as well.
He waits for the rider's view of him to be obscured and then quickly drags his bow across his violin, summoning the magical energies into the void within. Once there, he points the bow at the Roc and rider. Lights flash briefly around the heads of the Roc and rider, threatening to send them into a daze and making them unable to act.
Action: Cast Hypnotic Pattern - DC 18 Wis save with disadvantage due to the violin, or the creatures become charmed for the duration of 1 minute. While charmed by this spell, the creature is incapacitated and has a speed of 0.
Varielky watches silently, unable to do much. Maybe if it had gotten a bit closer, and lower, she could jump and maybe land on the Roc, or try to grab on to it. But... that seemed like a suicide plan, even if it worked. Maybe Granophyre could make her fly back if things don't go as planned...
Either way, Varielky's hesitation results in that she does nothing but watch whether the others' spells take effect. But indeed, a fight on a colossal bird... that she did not yet experience, and she was curious.
Auger’s first bolt smashes into the rider— who cannot be knocked out of his saddle and is therefore not knocked back. The second bolt goes wide and passes within an inch of the Eye, who has not heeded Auger’s warning and continues to stand, immobile.
When the roc flies through Snow’s hypnotic pattern at 30mph, it does not suddenly stop. However it loses its equilibrium and is effectively blinded. Its wings curl in an absurd direction, it careens up and then down and left, twisting upside-down in a dizzying arc following its momentum, and plummets away into the mist. A moment later you hear it screeching violently, and simultaneously, a cacophony of splitting tree trunks and whooshing pine foliage as it crashes into the wooded slope.
In hindsight, you all realize that the rider was definitely not the tall, plate mail-wearing Sorakayoshi, although he and all roc riders wear light blue cloaks with the dagger moon symbol upon them.
Residual noises of creaking tree limbs, falling pine cones and small forest creatures reacting to the sudden invasion of their nocturnal quietude rustle from below, but there is no immediate further activity from roc or rider. However, the rider is not dead, apparently, for Auger’s Hex continues.
Your tram likewise continues on unabated, the night-black eyes of your driver seeming, like deep wells, to entrap light and time in their depths.
Snow looks over the side of the tram in the direction the Roc went and that all the noise now emanated from.
"Well that was something", he says looking back at the others. "I just hope we reach the top before it comes to it's senses and comes back after us, because I expect it and it's rider will be pretty mad. Assuming the rider survived of course".
He wasn't a warrior, or soldier, or even a criminal used to violence. But one thing he had learnt on his journey so far was that it does sometimes comes down to the simple choice of you or them. And he realised for the most part, he would choose himself. And his new companions of course.
"Not sure that was the right move, but if that was their only way of getting a message to the top, I think it was right to do something to stop it".
"In truth I thought it was the Captain himself,"Auger says regretfully. "The rider still lives, though hopefully he is not in any condition to pass the news of his issues to others." Considering for a moment, Auger continues, "If he does live to say something he might lose his head for it."
Auger turns away from the scene below, lets his gaze pass over the unmoving Eye and takes a moment to try and discern which of the tattoos on his head watches him and then makes eye contact with it. "You should listen when I call out, sir. I apologize for bringing any risk to you. And your fine tram here."
Auger then moves to the front of the car and stares towards the summit, trying to see it through the night and the mists. So close now. And nothing would stop them if he could help it.
For his friend Tamazaert and her baby Sura. Of course.
But also for... something more.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
"They could probably make that whistle sound again," Varielky states. She leans on the side wall again, craning her neck to look at the line that holds them aloft. Like a cord, she was sure someone could cut if they really wanted to, leaving them to meet the same destiny the roc rider met. Maybe they'll survive as well, but it was still an unpleasant thought. "I'm pretty sure that's how they called the rider down in the first place. There was also the second car, they could ascend with it. Even if it is just as slow as this one, they'll reach us eventually. We're better off just preparing for the fight."
Varielky runs her hand on the hilt of her sword. The thing that most bothered her about what happened with Abadolla was that she lost control, acting on emotion alone. Whether the actions were justified or not was negligible at this point, it didn't matter. And now, if she let her feelings about that interrupt the fight that's coming, it will only be worse. So, for the moment, Varielky suppresses her feelings.
"Alternatively, after we get up, we can cut the line to prevent them from using the tram to ascend the mountain. They could still send rocs to pick them up, but that means it will be one less enormous bird to fight at one time. However, we'll have to find another way to climb down the mountain."Like fly on one of the rocs, but Varielky had no idea how to control these animals, and unlike horses, you can't jump down if things go wrong.
As Varielky speaks about cutting the tram lines, she may notice that they are heavier than any ship’s rope she has seen. Even with her hand axe, it would take time, she estimates.
The tram’s driver seems oblivious to all that transpires, although his tattoo-eyes focus on each speaker, and seem to have noted the roc’s passage.
In another two minutes, the mist before you parts to reveal, some 120’ in front of you, an escarpment, into which a wide landing has been hewn, an ornately decorated precise rectangular opening some 20’ tall, 80’ wide and 80’ deep. The heavy rope holding up the tram, along with a second line, some 20’ to your right, attaches to heavy sculptures of rocs on the cliff-face, just at the roof of the landing, wings in V-shapes, pulling the ropes taught. Between them, a large sculpted hawk-like head, of gilt steel. Lanterns light the landing at regular intervals, and more light is barely discernible from windows in the escarpment below the landing level, and also in a line some 30’ above the top edge of the landing. There is movement within: busty women along the back wall carrying bundles up a stairway from a level below, and then up another flight to a level above. You see several Imperial garrison fighters standing guard at the stairways.
A large shadow seems to pass over you from behind and above you at some distance, and two more pass in the opposite direction a moment later. You barely see these, but rather, feel them, hear rustling which you attribute following your recent encounter, to the feathers and pinions of great birds in flight, passing through the misty night above you.
As they sight the end point of the tram, Auger realizes Py never returned. With some confusion, Auger attempts to summon Py to him (OOC: By bringing it to its pocket dimension and then to Auger here). It was supposed to tell what was at the top and then come back, Auger thinks. Did something impede it? Another magical ward, perhaps?
Feeling the passage of the great birds above, Auger wonders if he took the right step in attacking one of the riders.
He also starts looking around. Where would be the spot to find Sura? And what of the force that draws him here? Where does it tell him to go now?
{Edit: post edited to reflect new info below}
Up... up to the aerie, he realizes, which Py said was one floor up.
"The stairs appear to be guarded. Shall we discuss our approach with them?"Auger queries the group.
(OOC: I forgot about Py. It returns after the roc episode and describes what you now see. It says the actual aerie is a huge clearing above the landing near the mountain top. He has not seen any wards. As for the pull, Auger still feels drawn to the aerie.)
Snow turns his gaze to look at the landing area as Auger speaks, having been worried that the Roc and rider would return since they were grounded.
"Those women carrying bundles, could the bundles be the babies that were taken?", he asks squinting and trying to get a better look, trying to see signs of movement from the bundles.
"As of this moment, I think we can assume that no information about us has reached the landing. As always there are two choices before us. The subtle approach and the blunt approach", he says and looks at Varielky particularly. "I think you are right, it is only a matter of time before the message about us gets through. We have the element of surprise now, but not for long. I will follow your lead, Varielky".
"I'm not so sure what's subtle about unexpected people getting out of that car, then going up the stairs. I'm willing to bet they have orders not to let anyone through." Though, the guards at the castle's gate probably had the same orders. "So unless you can make us all vanish, then pass everyone without getting caught while they wonder why an empty car arrived, I think the... 'blunt approach', as you called it, is our best bet. I can wait while you try your way, though. It makes no difference for me." She wouldn't use that element of surprise, and even if she wanted to, she wasn't sure how she could. Everyone will see the car landing, and she has no way to attack them before it does.
"I fear a fight with these guards will likely bring more guards. Still I do not see a way around the issue. With Py's help I might be able to create a distraction of some sort but we do not know enough to understand what is possible."Auger looks ahead again, trying to make out the area above the landing for any useful details.
Py. Have you seen a way where we could start a fire perhaps and draw people away from here?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
The whistle sounds to Varielky like a note blown on an instrument, like a high-pitched conch shell. An alert, or a call. The Eye answers Auger:
“One Jenghen cherry blossom on gossamer wings falls from greying skies,
Should I not see you in your grace by missing news of your arrival,
Then I must hurry to catch the Dominion train to gaze upon you…”
The statement is interrupted (or perhaps he was finished already) by the sound of another high-pitched call at a different pitch, coming from ahead of and above you, echoing mournfully through the enclosing mist.
Then for a while, unbroken silence. The music from the ball is no longer audible.
As you go, every 100’ or so there is a sturdy tower in the shape of a man or woman reaching skyward, made of dense wood — by what magic they were sculpted, Auger can only guess — which holds the tram line aloft. You have just passed one of them when a rustling sound presages an enormous shadow which passes above the lines. You crane your necks to look, but whatever it was is gone in a moment, the slightest wake of twisting mist following it downslope.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Snow stares at the Eye and then out of the tram as the second high pitched sound is heard. Spotting the shadow pass overhead and the disrupted formation of mist, he has only one thought.
"From what the Eye says, and what I know from my own eyes and ears, it seems highly likely that the Captain has called for a lift", he says as he turns to the others.
"Hopefully the journey up will take longer than the journey down, otherwise we are far too exposed here", he adds and then suddenly spins to address the Eye.
"We must go faster!", he commands it.
"There were two cars down." Varielky breaks her silence, though her speech is now uncharacteristically monotone. Flat and distant. "He wouldn't need to call another car. Rather, I think they will be expecting us once we land up there." Varielky doesn't face the others as she speaks, but her voice is strong enough to be heard regardless.
When the shadow passes, though, Varielky is finally forced to come back to her senses - at least for the moment - and actively try to see what just passed. A Roc, and its rider, perhaps? That would be really bad, as she'll have no way to fight it back if attacked on this car. She could throw her last axe, but if that's not enough, she'll have to depend on the others. "Or, maybe they decided not to give us a chance to land at all."
Varielky
“I wasn’t suggesting he was calling a tram, I think he wants to beat us to the top by using a Roc”, Snow clarifies.
Cherry blossom. Dominion train. My arrival. In my grace. Quite the puzzle this Eye.
As the discussion about the possible Roc rider continues, presumably the Captain will get to the top ahead of them, Auger starts to think not so much about the summit as he does about their arrival at the top, where they can expect a confrontation.
Py, fly ahead to where the tram stops and then come back to tell us what we can expect when the tram stops. Do not expose yourself to the view of this Captain.
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
The Eye answers Snow in an arcane monotone, “Clean brisk day. The clouds high in the sky. Brown leaf slowly falls.” The tram maintains exactly the same speed.
Py buzzes up and away. Five minutes later, it is not in view, nor does Auger feel its presence when, in complete silence, the mist parts behind you to reveal the enormous form of a red-brown roc, its rider wearing helmet and splint mail armor, visor down, eyes upon you, as it descends to the level of the tram car while passing at great speed.
You are now situated like so as the roc’s great wings suddenly flap energetically. In a moment it will pass over you and then be out of view again. You have only a split second to react if you want to do anything before it passes. It will not come closer than 30’.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
So, he rides the beast himself, Auger thinks. He is going to be a point of difficulty, I wonder if I can make things difficult for him.
As he sees him approach, Auger is unsure if he has time to do what he wants. "Stand clear!" he yells. Reaching into the Sea of Stars, Auger causes a dragonfly figure to form and fly inexorably into the rider on the Roc. All who look at the dragonfly figure feel a sense of confusion and unease emanating from it. Meanwhile the strange form drips bright, grayish green energies as it flies into the Captain.
Then, still connected to the energies of the stars, Auger releases a pair of his twisting blasts, each purple and surrounded by aqua coils, intending to push the rider from the back of the Roc. Or if he hits the Roc, that might serve his purpose as well, though he would prefer not to anger it.
Details
Bonus Action: Auger casts Hex and the Captain now has disadvantage on Wisdom-related checks (like, oh say, Animal Handling <crosses fingers>).
Action: Casts Eldritch Blast, targeting the Captain and with 10' of pushing on a hit. I assume the Captain is harnessed and so I won't pretend to know anything about what happens, whether I roll well or not.
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow's fears are not quite made manifest, it does not appear to be Captain Sorakayoshi. But this rider likely had instructions form the Captain to take to the top. Or worse, an instruction not to let the party reach the top, although that was unlikely. From what he knew of the Captain he assumed he liked to witness his own dirty work.
He sees Auger spring into action and watches as he fires his twin bolts of energy at the rider. Unless the rider becomes unseated and falls, he will have to act himself as well.
He waits for the rider's view of him to be obscured and then quickly drags his bow across his violin, summoning the magical energies into the void within. Once there, he points the bow at the Roc and rider. Lights flash briefly around the heads of the Roc and rider, threatening to send them into a daze and making them unable to act.
Action: Cast Hypnotic Pattern - DC 18 Wis save with disadvantage due to the violin, or the creatures become charmed for the duration of 1 minute. While charmed by this spell, the creature is incapacitated and has a speed of 0.
Varielky watches silently, unable to do much. Maybe if it had gotten a bit closer, and lower, she could jump and maybe land on the Roc, or try to grab on to it. But... that seemed like a suicide plan, even if it worked. Maybe Granophyre could make her fly back if things don't go as planned...
Either way, Varielky's hesitation results in that she does nothing but watch whether the others' spells take effect. But indeed, a fight on a colossal bird... that she did not yet experience, and she was curious.
Varielky
Auger’s first bolt smashes into the rider— who cannot be knocked out of his saddle and is therefore not knocked back. The second bolt goes wide and passes within an inch of the Eye, who has not heeded Auger’s warning and continues to stand, immobile.
When the roc flies through Snow’s hypnotic pattern at 30mph, it does not suddenly stop. However it loses its equilibrium and is effectively blinded. Its wings curl in an absurd direction, it careens up and then down and left, twisting upside-down in a dizzying arc following its momentum, and plummets away into the mist. A moment later you hear it screeching violently, and simultaneously, a cacophony of splitting tree trunks and whooshing pine foliage as it crashes into the wooded slope.
In hindsight, you all realize that the rider was definitely not the tall, plate mail-wearing Sorakayoshi, although he and all roc riders wear light blue cloaks with the dagger moon symbol upon them.
Residual noises of creaking tree limbs, falling pine cones and small forest creatures reacting to the sudden invasion of their nocturnal quietude rustle from below, but there is no immediate further activity from roc or rider. However, the rider is not dead, apparently, for Auger’s Hex continues.
Your tram likewise continues on unabated, the night-black eyes of your driver seeming, like deep wells, to entrap light and time in their depths.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Snow looks over the side of the tram in the direction the Roc went and that all the noise now emanated from.
"Well that was something", he says looking back at the others. "I just hope we reach the top before it comes to it's senses and comes back after us, because I expect it and it's rider will be pretty mad. Assuming the rider survived of course".
He wasn't a warrior, or soldier, or even a criminal used to violence. But one thing he had learnt on his journey so far was that it does sometimes comes down to the simple choice of you or them. And he realised for the most part, he would choose himself. And his new companions of course.
"Not sure that was the right move, but if that was their only way of getting a message to the top, I think it was right to do something to stop it".
"In truth I thought it was the Captain himself," Auger says regretfully. "The rider still lives, though hopefully he is not in any condition to pass the news of his issues to others." Considering for a moment, Auger continues, "If he does live to say something he might lose his head for it."
Auger turns away from the scene below, lets his gaze pass over the unmoving Eye and takes a moment to try and discern which of the tattoos on his head watches him and then makes eye contact with it. "You should listen when I call out, sir. I apologize for bringing any risk to you. And your fine tram here."
Auger then moves to the front of the car and stares towards the summit, trying to see it through the night and the mists. So close now. And nothing would stop them if he could help it.
For his friend Tamazaert and her baby Sura. Of course.
But also for... something more.
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
"They could probably make that whistle sound again," Varielky states. She leans on the side wall again, craning her neck to look at the line that holds them aloft. Like a cord, she was sure someone could cut if they really wanted to, leaving them to meet the same destiny the roc rider met. Maybe they'll survive as well, but it was still an unpleasant thought. "I'm pretty sure that's how they called the rider down in the first place. There was also the second car, they could ascend with it. Even if it is just as slow as this one, they'll reach us eventually. We're better off just preparing for the fight."
Varielky runs her hand on the hilt of her sword. The thing that most bothered her about what happened with Abadolla was that she lost control, acting on emotion alone. Whether the actions were justified or not was negligible at this point, it didn't matter. And now, if she let her feelings about that interrupt the fight that's coming, it will only be worse. So, for the moment, Varielky suppresses her feelings.
"Alternatively, after we get up, we can cut the line to prevent them from using the tram to ascend the mountain. They could still send rocs to pick them up, but that means it will be one less enormous bird to fight at one time. However, we'll have to find another way to climb down the mountain." Like fly on one of the rocs, but Varielky had no idea how to control these animals, and unlike horses, you can't jump down if things go wrong.
Varielky
As Varielky speaks about cutting the tram lines, she may notice that they are heavier than any ship’s rope she has seen. Even with her hand axe, it would take time, she estimates.
The tram’s driver seems oblivious to all that transpires, although his tattoo-eyes focus on each speaker, and seem to have noted the roc’s passage.
In another two minutes, the mist before you parts to reveal, some 120’ in front of you, an escarpment, into which a wide landing has been hewn, an ornately decorated precise rectangular opening some 20’ tall, 80’ wide and 80’ deep. The heavy rope holding up the tram, along with a second line, some 20’ to your right, attaches to heavy sculptures of rocs on the cliff-face, just at the roof of the landing, wings in V-shapes, pulling the ropes taught. Between them, a large sculpted hawk-like head, of gilt steel. Lanterns light the landing at regular intervals, and more light is barely discernible from windows in the escarpment below the landing level, and also in a line some 30’ above the top edge of the landing. There is movement within: busty women along the back wall carrying bundles up a stairway from a level below, and then up another flight to a level above. You see several Imperial garrison fighters standing guard at the stairways.
A large shadow seems to pass over you from behind and above you at some distance, and two more pass in the opposite direction a moment later. You barely see these, but rather, feel them, hear rustling which you attribute following your recent encounter, to the feathers and pinions of great birds in flight, passing through the misty night above you.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
As they sight the end point of the tram, Auger realizes Py never returned. With some confusion, Auger attempts to summon Py to him (OOC: By bringing it to its pocket dimension and then to Auger here). It was supposed to tell what was at the top and then come back, Auger thinks. Did something impede it? Another magical ward, perhaps?Feeling the passage of the great birds above, Auger wonders if he took the right step in attacking one of the riders.
He also starts looking around. Where would be the spot to find Sura? And what of the force that draws him here? Where does it tell him to go now?
{Edit: post edited to reflect new info below}
Up... up to the aerie, he realizes, which Py said was one floor up.
"The stairs appear to be guarded. Shall we discuss our approach with them?" Auger queries the group.
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
(OOC: I forgot about Py. It returns after the roc episode and describes what you now see. It says the actual aerie is a huge clearing above the landing near the mountain top. He has not seen any wards. As for the pull, Auger still feels drawn to the aerie.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Snow turns his gaze to look at the landing area as Auger speaks, having been worried that the Roc and rider would return since they were grounded.
"Those women carrying bundles, could the bundles be the babies that were taken?", he asks squinting and trying to get a better look, trying to see signs of movement from the bundles.
"As of this moment, I think we can assume that no information about us has reached the landing. As always there are two choices before us. The subtle approach and the blunt approach", he says and looks at Varielky particularly. "I think you are right, it is only a matter of time before the message about us gets through. We have the element of surprise now, but not for long. I will follow your lead, Varielky".
Investigation (of bundles): 7+7 = 14 (Passive: 17)
What you see. The bundles look very much like babies, but they are not moving in the arms of the women carrying them.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"I'm not so sure what's subtle about unexpected people getting out of that car, then going up the stairs. I'm willing to bet they have orders not to let anyone through." Though, the guards at the castle's gate probably had the same orders. "So unless you can make us all vanish, then pass everyone without getting caught while they wonder why an empty car arrived, I think the... 'blunt approach', as you called it, is our best bet. I can wait while you try your way, though. It makes no difference for me." She wouldn't use that element of surprise, and even if she wanted to, she wasn't sure how she could. Everyone will see the car landing, and she has no way to attack them before it does.
Varielky
"I fear a fight with these guards will likely bring more guards. Still I do not see a way around the issue. With Py's help I might be able to create a distraction of some sort but we do not know enough to understand what is possible." Auger looks ahead again, trying to make out the area above the landing for any useful details.
Py. Have you seen a way where we could start a fire perhaps and draw people away from here?
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory