Somehow RL manages to keep the staff quiet enough, and that, plus the rain seems to be enough to stop the alarm being raised. Esa finds the secret door behind some barrels which are rolled out of the way. Following the remembered notes on Old Kellar's map she activates the mechanism, and the door opens. But it does make a grinding and squeaking sound - the downside to having a secret door is no one maintains it.
There is some voices heard upstairs. Not of alarm - yet, but likely someone just asking what that noise was.
RL will signal the others to start exiting if they havent already. Pull out his tinderbox and light the oil on the pile of debris at the base of the stairs. He will throw oil over the stairs so that the fire spreads and stops the person coming down. Once its going he will move teh barrels and other burnable items close to the fire until everyone else is out through the door. RL will go last.
There is some shouts coming from upstairs and a bell starts ringing.
The secret door leads to a short passage which leads to another door to the outside of the wall. It takes a minute or so to unbar the three thick timbers holding it closed, then use the mechanism to open.
Vakiel, Augustin, and Grimbald see some commotion on the battlements. Raining or not guards are coming out of the towers after someone starts ringing a bell. There are shouts, and a cunningly hidden section of wall opens and Esa and RL, accompanied by what seems a horde of domestic staff come pouring out and, incredibly, an Iron Circle guard is running with them. A tall, broad-shouldered man, holding a shield and carrying a spear.
It doesn't look like they are going to make it to the treeline in time - the guards on the battlements are shouting and pointing and are already starting to shoot.
Esa will ride on Leth, hoping this will deter the party from accidentally attacking him. She reaches behind her and casts Thunderclap to loudly call for attack.
The thunderclap makes many of the staff scream and cower, but they keep running. The rain is bucketing down now, which will help, as will the dark night.
Esa will keep shouting for the staff to make it to the treeline. "The Delvers there will protect you!" She watches the keep behind them, waiting for the first sign of enemies following on foot.
The thorn whip grabs hold of one of the guards and pulls him off the battlement to crunch to the ground. There are shouts of rage and surprise, and the guards start shooting at RL.
3 x light crossbow shots with disadvantage:
Attack: 11 Damage: 4.
Attack: 22 Damage: 6.
Attack: 14 Damage: 2.
There doesn't seem to be anyone following on foot, but it will happen. They just haven't had time to organise or get the drawbridge down.
Augustin hobbles into action! He starts to make his way to the villages to try and draw some attention away from them.
Depending on the distance and how quickly they are moving, he will take the dodge action and move OR dash to get in front of them if they a bit further apart. 2
If any guards start pouring coming for them on foot.... its tackling time!
The crossbow shooter clutches a shoulder where the firebolt hit, but is not out of action. She lifts her crossbow again and fires back (with disadvatage).
Some of the guards see Augustin and take some potshots but chances are hitting are negligable. It does allow the last of the staff to reach safety where Vakiel and Grimbald are in the trees. Only RL and Esa are targets for the archers at this point.
RL will follow Leth with Esa riding on him and the staff to meet up with the others with a huge grin. 'Well that's the first part. Now how do we keep them all safe? Do we run for albridge or send the villagers on and fight in town?
I suppose some introductions are in order, this former Iron Circle guard is Leth, he chose to defect and has helped us get the staff out of the castle. He has kept his word and not tried to sabotage our escape efforts which I very much appreciate. RL claps Leth on the shoulder in thanks
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Lets get everyone out of town, and cover them. Lets avoid these woods" pointing to the adjacent sand of trees, "but use the cover of trees all the way out of town" Grimbald casts Pass without Trace (everyone he can see) <lasts for one hour, Concentration> . 35
Everyone makes their way through the edge of the woods, avoiding anything that might harm them, to arrive at Old Kellar's house. Then it is a short walk to the wood where the cart and Santo and Stervuld wait with the other escapees. Shouts can be heard faintly on the night, now that the rain has stopped for a while.
"Time to go?" asks Santo, as he helps escapees onto the cart. "That's more people than I was expecting, not sure the cart will make it through the mud with such a load. They can get out and push if need be."
Some escapees are saying they want to get their families out of Harken as well, they are capable of making their own way to Albridge.
Everyone makes their way through the edge of the woods, avoiding anything that might harm them, to arrive at Old Kellar's house. Then it is a short walk to the wood where the cart and Santo and Stervuld wait with the other escapees. Shouts can be heard faintly on the night, now that the rain has stopped for a while.
"Time to go?" asks Santo, as he helps escapees onto the cart. "That's more people than I was expecting, not sure the cart will make it through the mud with such a load. They can get out and push if need be."
Some escapees are saying they want to get their families out of Harken as well, they are capable of making their own way to Albridge.
RL is in favour of getting all the people of of Harken, let the buildings be burnt but get the people out. What does everyone else think?
We could even symbolically set the snitches house on fire to show the IC that we know who has been helping them
Most of the escapees have family here or their family have already fled. They are ready to disperse amongst the village, waking people up to leave. The only problem might be that there are Iron Circle troops stationed on all four roads out of Harken Village. Only a few at each, but the villagers are all commoners with no (or little) fighting skill or armour.
"My father and brothers will want to fight, we don't want what happened to Marl to happen to Harken," says Rodrick, the tall, gangly youth rescued from the Great Tower. "We might live but we'd have lost everything!"
Iron Circle guard Perception check at disadvantage (because the rain coming down) - 11
Somehow RL manages to keep the staff quiet enough, and that, plus the rain seems to be enough to stop the alarm being raised. Esa finds the secret door behind some barrels which are rolled out of the way. Following the remembered notes on Old Kellar's map she activates the mechanism, and the door opens. But it does make a grinding and squeaking sound - the downside to having a secret door is no one maintains it.
There is some voices heard upstairs. Not of alarm - yet, but likely someone just asking what that noise was.
Some footfalls are heard coming down the stairs. One person, probably the most junior told to go see what the noise was.
RL will signal the others to start exiting if they havent already. Pull out his tinderbox and light the oil on the pile of debris at the base of the stairs. He will throw oil over the stairs so that the fire spreads and stops the person coming down. Once its going he will move teh barrels and other burnable items close to the fire until everyone else is out through the door. RL will go last.
There is some shouts coming from upstairs and a bell starts ringing.
The secret door leads to a short passage which leads to another door to the outside of the wall. It takes a minute or so to unbar the three thick timbers holding it closed, then use the mechanism to open.
Vakiel, Augustin, and Grimbald see some commotion on the battlements. Raining or not guards are coming out of the towers after someone starts ringing a bell. There are shouts, and a cunningly hidden section of wall opens and Esa and RL, accompanied by what seems a horde of domestic staff come pouring out and, incredibly, an Iron Circle guard is running with them. A tall, broad-shouldered man, holding a shield and carrying a spear.
It doesn't look like they are going to make it to the treeline in time - the guards on the battlements are shouting and pointing and are already starting to shoot.
Esa will ride on Leth, hoping this will deter the party from accidentally attacking him. She reaches behind her and casts Thunderclap to loudly call for attack.
The thunderclap makes many of the staff scream and cower, but they keep running. The rain is bucketing down now, which will help, as will the dark night.
RL will cast thorn whip against an enemy on the wall. Attack: 19 Damage: 7. if hit they are pulled 10ft towards RL.
Esa will keep shouting for the staff to make it to the treeline. "The Delvers there will protect you!" She watches the keep behind them, waiting for the first sign of enemies following on foot.
The thorn whip grabs hold of one of the guards and pulls him off the battlement to crunch to the ground. There are shouts of rage and surprise, and the guards start shooting at RL.
3 x light crossbow shots with disadvantage:
There doesn't seem to be anyone following on foot, but it will happen. They just haven't had time to organise or get the drawbridge down.
Two crossbow bolts hit RL but only barely penetrate his studded leather armour, the other misses completely.
Augustin hobbles into action! He starts to make his way to the villages to try and draw some attention away from them.
Depending on the distance and how quickly they are moving, he will take the dodge action and move OR dash to get in front of them if they a bit further apart. 2
If any guards start pouring coming for them on foot.... its tackling time!
Esa will Firebolt back in retaliation. She aims for one of the crossbow shooters who hit RL. Attack: 19 Damage: 15
The crossbow shooter clutches a shoulder where the firebolt hit, but is not out of action. She lifts her crossbow again and fires back (with disadvatage).
Attack: 22 Damage: 4
Some of the guards see Augustin and take some potshots but chances are hitting are negligable. It does allow the last of the staff to reach safety where Vakiel and Grimbald are in the trees. Only RL and Esa are targets for the archers at this point.
RL will follow Leth with Esa riding on him and the staff to meet up with the others with a huge grin. 'Well that's the first part. Now how do we keep them all safe? Do we run for albridge or send the villagers on and fight in town?
I suppose some introductions are in order, this former Iron Circle guard is Leth, he chose to defect and has helped us get the staff out of the castle. He has kept his word and not tried to sabotage our escape efforts which I very much appreciate. RL claps Leth on the shoulder in thanks
"Lets get everyone out of town, and cover them. Lets avoid these woods" pointing to the adjacent sand of trees, "but use the cover of trees all the way out of town" Grimbald casts Pass without Trace (everyone he can see) <lasts for one hour, Concentration> . 35
Everyone makes their way through the edge of the woods, avoiding anything that might harm them, to arrive at Old Kellar's house. Then it is a short walk to the wood where the cart and Santo and Stervuld wait with the other escapees. Shouts can be heard faintly on the night, now that the rain has stopped for a while.
"Time to go?" asks Santo, as he helps escapees onto the cart. "That's more people than I was expecting, not sure the cart will make it through the mud with such a load. They can get out and push if need be."
Some escapees are saying they want to get their families out of Harken as well, they are capable of making their own way to Albridge.
RL is in favour of getting all the people of of Harken, let the buildings be burnt but get the people out. What does everyone else think?
We could even symbolically set the snitches house on fire to show the IC that we know who has been helping them
Most of the escapees have family here or their family have already fled. They are ready to disperse amongst the village, waking people up to leave. The only problem might be that there are Iron Circle troops stationed on all four roads out of Harken Village. Only a few at each, but the villagers are all commoners with no (or little) fighting skill or armour.
"My father and brothers will want to fight, we don't want what happened to Marl to happen to Harken," says Rodrick, the tall, gangly youth rescued from the Great Tower. "We might live but we'd have lost everything!"