Gawain grimaces at the thought of putting elk urine on his boots. "It could be worse I suppose...And if it works, it works. Crannoc has a good plan, let's get on our way."

Prisoners tied up and in tow, your party continues on. The road splits off one last time on your journey, narrowing and sloping upward as the brush grows thicker around you. As you get closer to the tower's location, you begin to spot pockets of the tangleweed. They grow thicker and more common the further you go. Eventually the path narrows even more, leading up a rocky slope to the broken stone walls of the bandit's watchtower. A two-foot thick carpet of glistening green-and-violet weeds and thorny brambles surrounds the stony hill on which the tower sits.

The sun is low in the sky when you arrive, casting an orange glow across the landscape. Testing Crannoc's theory, you splash the elk urine on the boots of one of the bandits - when you force them approach the tangled vines, they slither and retreat from their footsteps. Afterwards, Gawain is able to backtrack a bit and find a suitable place far enough from the road to tie the bandits to a tree.

After returning, Gawain peers up the slope at the tower, looking for movement around its entrance.

Perception: 14

"Since we can go through the tangleweed...Perhaps we should circle around the other side before climbing to the tower. They'll be less likely to spot us that way."

Crannoc agrees with the plan.

As Gawain looks for movement around the entrance, he reaches for Silvanus' guidance and peers towards the windows (arrow silts?) in the tower, looking for watchers, though he keeps getting distracted by the tangleweed and is not as perceptive as he usually is.

Perception plus Guidance:  10 + 1 = 11

Iris nods, hesitantly pouring some the yellow liquid on her own boots before they set off into the thorny vines. Her movement is careful, even with though the plants seem to retreat from them, she takes care not to move too quickly through the thorns.

Stealth: 23

(Stealth Checks from all)

Stealth: 9

Stealth: 10

Crannoc Stealth even with Guidance:  4 + 1 = 5

(rolled natural 1 on both d20 and d4).

Hildr Stealth: 7

Neither Gawain or Crannoc see any signs of movement from the door or arrow slits. If you didn't know better, you'd think the tower was just abandoned.

With the tower's entrance on the west side of the hill, your party moves through the tangleweed surrounding the base of the hill to the east side. The elk urine works as the bandit implied, as the vines retreat from you wherever you walk. Despite your efforts, your group isn't the stateliest as you move through the carpet of tangleweed vines. Still, after you work your way up to the east side of the hill and to the tower's base, all is still mostly quiet.

You can hear muffled voices from inside the tower, occasionally punctuated by a shout or some laughter.

Aware that he has likely made more noise than a bear blundering through a briar patch, Crannoc winces as he whispers to the others.

"Should we charge in like wild boars, taking the battle to them as I think Hildr would suggest?  Or more carefully in case they are ready for us and have lain a trap?  Either way, just before we start, please allow me to take a moment to call on Silvanus' blessing on our frontline warriors to help sway the battle towards us.  And keep a sharp eye out for the stirges.  I hope that Iris' sleep magic works on them."

"As you must know, Crannoc, wild boars remain hidden in the brush until ready to attack. We may not be hidden, but the enemy seems to be oblivious. Let's proceed carefully, as you suggest. There is no honor in self-sacrifice. The point is to win."

Hildr also suggests that, when the fight breaks out, she can serve as a distraction—a target—enabling the others, especially the paladin, to maneuver more freely and take the fight straight to Calavaz.

Gawain nods his agreement with the other two. "Crannoc cast your spell, then we go quietly as we can up to the doorway? From there...Well we'll have no choice but to be loud I think." After the party creeps around the tower to the front entrance, he'll listen for a moment - trying to determine how many people he hears. If he's successful, he'll hold up a number then move aside to let Hildr in first.

Perception: 16

The party moves around the tower until they are just outside the doorway on the west side. Listening with an ear to the door, Gawain is able to pick out two distinct voices.

Iris stands further back as the group approaches the doorway. When they enter, she'll be either the last or second to last in, immediately looking for stairs upwards or downwards where the striges might come from.

“I could create a distraction on the other side of the tower for the rest of you to sneak into the building. Do we think that is a good idea?”

Hildr nods approvingly, "Sly idea." It's the first time you've seen her smile.

Just before the group enters (after any distraction), Crannoc uses the last of his divine magic to call on Silvanus' to bless himself, Gawain and Hildr.

(Add 1d4 to all attack rolls and saving throws).

"Whatever you have in mind Gallant, do it quickly and safely as you can." Gawain says quietly, ready to burst through the door at a moment's notice.

Gallant will pull out his lute and run to the other side of the tower and using a miner illusion he will say, "I am here to join the sunless bandits, I am a gifted orator and a cutthroat killer. I will do whatever it takes to get what I want." He will keep talking until he knows all of his friends get into the building.