Vrox suggests, "You wouldn't have to sneak quietly if you or Lord Akkron know magic like the faeries' glamour: a subtle illusion, or 'seeming', could make our group of heroes look like a party of Drukhari raiders returning to their keep." He laughs quietly at the thought of walking right into the Druhkari's guard house. "But, of course -- as you say! -- none of the Enemies in Veldos could stand against us. Even if they bar the doors of the keep against us, I'm sure that you and Clarac and the 'Angry Giant' could bash the door down without casting a spell!"
[[OOC: How much open ground without cover does the party have to cross between the edge of the forest and the wall of the keep? Just curious how long the party will be exposed to the keep's archers, war wizards, or even siege weapons (like ballistae or trebuchets) before we reach the walls.]]
The ground is mostly chest tall grasses and bushes, no trees until you are about 30 feet, then there is no cover but open space with a thin layer of snow on the ground
The ground is mostly chest tall grasses and bushes, no trees until you are about 30 feet, then there is no cover but open space with a thin layer of snow on the ground
[[OOC: Could be worse!]]
If the grass is chest-high, the party could crouch down / crawl. Normally, the movement of the grass would give them away, but Vrox offers conceal their approach with Pass Without Trace. That may help the whole party to approach within 30-ft of the walls without being spotted. Of course, that means that the group who wants to approach the wall first will have to travel together in a tight group. If they are spotted, someone could drop a spell right on top of the whole group.
If the party does not plan to use Pass Without Trace for their approach, then Vrox will plan to hang back approximately 100-ft away from the walls. That way, he can stay hidden and cover the fighters at the wall, targeting any defenders who try to fend them off.
Khessa agrees with the Pass Without Trace option... "If we get caught, we might still have time to try to rush the door - or maybe I could erect a magical ward to avoid or limit the damage. It's worth a try".
"If only it were night," the blonde arcane warrior sighs, "I know a nice darkness spell that would be perfect for hiding us from view... But in broad daylight, the appearance of a sphere of darkness might arouse some suspicion."
Flute looks at the group, "Well, technically it's not cheating. But I could, let's see if I can explain it simply, create a bubble around the party, phase us out of this time for a moment and return when it is dark. It will only seem like a second, but it won't disrupt the time continuum. What do you say?"
"If we did this, I could enchant an object and make it radiate total darkness in a 15'-radius sphere..." Khessa explains "No one could see us - and in the night the area of darkness shouldn't be easy to distinguish, so it shouldn't arouse suspicion."
"As long as we're inside the sphere, we won't be able to see either" the blonde arcane warrior explains. "But my brother Anator can... He's a bat and can keep in telepathic contact with me. He can direct us. We'll get where we want without anyone seeing us."
"Plus," the tall adventuress winks at Flute "technically it's not cheating... and the time continuum will be spared either! What more could we ask for!?"
"The Darkness plan is a good one, but what of the captives?" Clarac asks. "If we wait until dark, they could be taken to the valley or even within the mountain by the time we arrive." She kneels before Flute. "I do not mean to doubt your knowledge, Flute, but if this time-warp be the plan we choose, I would request to be left behind. Wetherbee and I will pass the time naturally while watching from the skies, in case the prisoners are moved during this time or some other event occurs."
OOC:
I've added the superior healing potion and one spell scroll of cure wounds lv 4 to Clarac's character sheet
Flute nods and asks the group to stand close together. The mounts are picketed close by. She plays a different tune on her flute, and to the group it seems the light around them becomes a hazier grey for only a few seconds, that then fades to black. When she stops playing, you are exactly where you were standing, but now it's dark as the sun has set.
For Clarac: You see Flute begin to play but can't hear the music and the group fades away until you can't see them. As you take to the air, you get a better view of the valley from your position. The ruin of the keep stretches across the entrance of the valley, intent of being a means of guarding the entrance to the valley. There is a second set of defenses further down the valley, and in the far distance between you and the mountains where you believe the dark dwarves live, stands a massive dark tree.
As the sunsets, and you land, the group reappears,
Khessa kisses Flute on the head: "Thank you dear! You are indeed a lovely child - and my favorite goddess!"
The blonde arcane warrior then proceeds as planned... she picks up a pebble, the she enchants it so that it emanates darkness, then invites all the party members to stand around her and move with her... and she calls Anator from her pocket dimension, holding him on her shoulder and following his telepathic directions, which, having Blindsight, he can see without any problems.
If all goes as hoped... our heroes should soon arrive near the door - and be able open it!
You move as a group through the tall grass, you hear or see nothing as you close on the front of the ruined keep. As you approach the stairs, snow falls like ash from pitch-black clouds, adorning a large three-spire keep that emanates an ominous red glow. As you climb the steps, you come upon the frozen corpse of an Elvan warrior. From the body drifts an elderly voice singing a children’s lullaby: ‘Hush little beet, now don’t you cry, granny’s gonna make you into a pie…’”
"A lullaby?" Khessa murmurs, amazed. "A strange choice, to target those who, like the elves, never sleep..." she bends over the corpse, examining it and searching it, both to better ascertain who it is, and to recover any useful equipment, if still present.
"...But when the gods are involved, I suppose one should stop wondering too much" the blonde arcane warrior concludes. "Anyway, when we're done here, probably others will be 'sleeping'..."
"A lullaby?" Khessa murmurs, amazed. "A strange choice, to target those who, like the elves, never sleep..." she bends over the corpse, examining it and searching it, both to better ascertain who it is, and to recover any useful equipment, if still present.
"...But when the gods are involved, I suppose one should stop wondering too much" the blonde arcane warrior concludes. "Anyway, when we're done here, probably others will be 'sleeping'..."
The sound of the music is coming from inside the head of the corps, more specifically, the ear. As you examine the corpse, a small figure climbs out of it and looks up at you.
"Well now, I thought I had gone blind in my old age," the small figure, talking in the voice of an older woman states, "Sensed something was out here, but couldn't see anything. Thought old age had finally crept up on Old Agnes." Then the figure starts to laugh at her own joke. "Ah, but where are my manners."
The figure grows in size from tiny to medium size, taking the form of a grandmotherly human. Her curly white hair is shaded by a brown bonnet, and she wears a yellow dress embroidered with patches depicting smiling beets. "Nice to have visitors, not many travel these parts you know. Don't do well like this one." She prods the corps on the ground with the toe.
The blonde arcane warrior is ready to bet her armor against a copper piece that Old Agnes is a hag... But simply impaling her on the Death Lance would be a terribly rude response - especially if her hunch turns out to be wrong. So...
"Friends of Khaine!" Khessa replies "You must be his grandmother, right Agnes? Do you happen to know where we can find him and what he's doing at the moment? We'd like to give him a nice surprise! "
Khessa kisses Flute on the head: "Thank you dear! You are indeed a lovely child - and my favorite goddess!"
The blonde arcane warrior then proceeds as planned... she picks up a pebble, the she enchants it so that it emanates darkness, then invites all the party members to stand around her and move with her... and she calls Anator from her pocket dimension, holding him on her shoulder and following his telepathic directions, which, having Blindsight, he can see without any problems.
[[OOC: Even better, now that @Mister_Whisker adjusted Lord Akkron's build, Khessa would know that the lich has Devil's Sight and can see 120 ft. through magical darkness.]]
You move as a group through the tall grass, you hear or see nothing as you close on the front of the ruined keep.
[[OOC: FYI - Since it sounds like we just used night time and Darkness to approach the keep, so Vrox has not used Pass Without Trace yet. Since Khessa examined the corpse and can see Old Agnes, I'll assume that she either covered her Darkness pebble, or the spell has already ended. Either way, we can all see in the eerie, red glow that emanates from the keep.]]
Does Vrox recognize Old Agnes herself or at least what type of creature she is based on what he has seen so far?
Vrox - Nature: 19 (or Unable to parse dice roll. if she is a Fey or a Fiend since his Favored Enemies feature gives him advantage on checks to recall information about those creatures)
Does Vrox recognize Old Agnes herself or at least what type of creature she is based on what he has seen so far?
Vrox - Nature: 19 (or Unable to parse dice roll. if she is a Fey or a Fiend since his Favored Enemies feature gives him advantage on checks to recall information about those creatures)
Clarac proceeds normally within the darkness. Magical darkness being a favorite trick of fiends, Clarac in turn trained her other senses to compensate when in darkness.
As soon as Old Agnes changes size, Clarac uses her divine sense. Clarac also hopes to determine just how desecrated the fortress is; ominous red glows usually appear for a reason. No matter the result of her divine sense, Clarac quietly—this was still a stealth mission—asks Old Agnes, "Ma'am, these are dangerous lands. Are you in need of assistance?"
The blonde arcane warrior is ready to bet her armor against a copper piece that Old Agnes is a hag... But simply impaling her on the Death Lance would be a terribly rude response - especially if her hunch turns out to be wrong. So...
"Friends of Khaine!" Khessa replies "You must be his grandmother, right Agnes? Do you happen to know where we can find him and what he's doing at the moment? We'd like to give him a nice surprise! "
The old woman starts to cackle and laugh, slapping her sides. "Oh no dearie, not at all. I'm no one's grandmother." She gives you a rather sly look. "I'm too sure who this Khaine fella is you speak of; I do have an agreement with them who inhabit in there." She points her thumb towards the ruins of the keep. "We have an accord don't you see. Anyone who goes in normally don't fare very well, unless they are one of those either light skinned looking Elves, or dark-skinned dwarves. The count on the other hand, who is commanded to hold this ground, well he is a totally different story."
She looks down at the frozen corpse and nudges it with her toe once again. "They do their rituals or whatever they do to them who is unfortunate to be drug inside. Once they are done with them, well old Agnes gets what's left over; their life essence. It's a win, win don't you say? They get their jollies or whatever it is they do; I get to live. Soon, another will be cast out, some brave fool just came through here, a warrior seeking to glorify himself, He is probably in a need of rescuing to be honest. "
Does Vrox recognize Old Agnes herself or at least what type of creature she is based on what he has seen so far?
Vrox - Nature: 19 (or Unable to parse dice roll. if she is a Fey or a Fiend since his Favored Enemies feature gives him advantage on checks to recall information about those creatures)
Clarac proceeds normally within the darkness. Magical darkness being a favorite trick of fiends, Clarac in turn trained her other senses to compensate when in darkness.
As soon as Old Agnes changes size, Clarac uses her divine sense. Clarac also hopes to determine just how desecrated the fortress is; ominous red glows usually appear for a reason. No matter the result of her divine sense, Clarac quietly—this was still a stealth mission—asks Old Agnes, "Ma'am, these are dangerous lands. Are you in need of assistance?"
You sense a dark, evil energy woven into the very stone of this ruined keep. You can almost hear the faint screams of victims that are part of the stonework and mortar holding it together. This keep has been here a long while, and whatever dark and evil power that has been lurking here, it has been for a good time.
"Yes, a win - win..." Khessa gives a sad smile "...until the evil you are allied with gets wiped out as it deserves - and you with it".
"But mature and experienced people like you, Agnes," the blonde arcane warrior pats her on the shoulder "are usually wise enough to know when it's time to change side! Help us. Tell us everything you know about your ex-allies and their lair".
"This way, if we are defeated, your ex-allies will never know - and you'll be able to feed on us" the tall adventuress reasons. "While if we win... you'll be spared because you helped us - and you'll get to feed on your ex-allies! This is the true win - win!"
The ground is mostly chest tall grasses and bushes, no trees until you are about 30 feet, then there is no cover but open space with a thin layer of snow on the ground
[[OOC: Could be worse!]]
If the grass is chest-high, the party could crouch down / crawl. Normally, the movement of the grass would give them away, but Vrox offers conceal their approach with Pass Without Trace. That may help the whole party to approach within 30-ft of the walls without being spotted. Of course, that means that the group who wants to approach the wall first will have to travel together in a tight group. If they are spotted, someone could drop a spell right on top of the whole group.
If the party does not plan to use Pass Without Trace for their approach, then Vrox will plan to hang back approximately 100-ft away from the walls. That way, he can stay hidden and cover the fighters at the wall, targeting any defenders who try to fend them off.
Khessa agrees with the Pass Without Trace option... "If we get caught, we might still have time to try to rush the door - or maybe I could erect a magical ward to avoid or limit the damage. It's worth a try".
"If only it were night," the blonde arcane warrior sighs, "I know a nice darkness spell that would be perfect for hiding us from view... But in broad daylight, the appearance of a sphere of darkness might arouse some suspicion."
Flute looks at the group, "Well, technically it's not cheating. But I could, let's see if I can explain it simply, create a bubble around the party, phase us out of this time for a moment and return when it is dark. It will only seem like a second, but it won't disrupt the time continuum. What do you say?"
"If we did this, I could enchant an object and make it radiate total darkness in a 15'-radius sphere..." Khessa explains "No one could see us - and in the night the area of darkness shouldn't be easy to distinguish, so it shouldn't arouse suspicion."
"As long as we're inside the sphere, we won't be able to see either" the blonde arcane warrior explains. "But my brother Anator can... He's a bat and can keep in telepathic contact with me. He can direct us. We'll get where we want without anyone seeing us."
"Plus," the tall adventuress winks at Flute "technically it's not cheating... and the time continuum will be spared either! What more could we ask for!?"
"The Darkness plan is a good one, but what of the captives?" Clarac asks. "If we wait until dark, they could be taken to the valley or even within the mountain by the time we arrive." She kneels before Flute. "I do not mean to doubt your knowledge, Flute, but if this time-warp be the plan we choose, I would request to be left behind. Wetherbee and I will pass the time naturally while watching from the skies, in case the prisoners are moved during this time or some other event occurs."
OOC:
I've added the superior healing potion and one spell scroll of cure wounds lv 4 to Clarac's character sheet
Flute nods and asks the group to stand close together. The mounts are picketed close by. She plays a different tune on her flute, and to the group it seems the light around them becomes a hazier grey for only a few seconds, that then fades to black. When she stops playing, you are exactly where you were standing, but now it's dark as the sun has set.
For Clarac: You see Flute begin to play but can't hear the music and the group fades away until you can't see them. As you take to the air, you get a better view of the valley from your position. The ruin of the keep stretches across the entrance of the valley, intent of being a means of guarding the entrance to the valley. There is a second set of defenses further down the valley, and in the far distance between you and the mountains where you believe the dark dwarves live, stands a massive dark tree.
As the sunsets, and you land, the group reappears,
Khessa kisses Flute on the head: "Thank you dear! You are indeed a lovely child - and my favorite goddess!"
The blonde arcane warrior then proceeds as planned... she picks up a pebble, the she enchants it so that it emanates darkness, then invites all the party members to stand around her and move with her... and she calls Anator from her pocket dimension, holding him on her shoulder and following his telepathic directions, which, having Blindsight, he can see without any problems.
If all goes as hoped... our heroes should soon arrive near the door - and be able open it!
You move as a group through the tall grass, you hear or see nothing as you close on the front of the ruined keep. As you approach the stairs, snow falls like ash from pitch-black clouds, adorning a large three-spire keep that emanates an ominous red glow. As you climb the steps, you come upon the frozen corpse of an Elvan warrior. From the body drifts an elderly voice singing a children’s lullaby: ‘Hush little beet, now don’t you cry, granny’s gonna make you into a pie…’”
"A lullaby?" Khessa murmurs, amazed. "A strange choice, to target those who, like the elves, never sleep..." she bends over the corpse, examining it and searching it, both to better ascertain who it is, and to recover any useful equipment, if still present.
"...But when the gods are involved, I suppose one should stop wondering too much" the blonde arcane warrior concludes. "Anyway, when we're done here, probably others will be 'sleeping'..."
The sound of the music is coming from inside the head of the corps, more specifically, the ear. As you examine the corpse, a small figure climbs out of it and looks up at you.
"Well now, I thought I had gone blind in my old age," the small figure, talking in the voice of an older woman states, "Sensed something was out here, but couldn't see anything. Thought old age had finally crept up on Old Agnes." Then the figure starts to laugh at her own joke. "Ah, but where are my manners."
The figure grows in size from tiny to medium size, taking the form of a grandmotherly human. Her curly white hair is shaded by a brown bonnet, and she wears a yellow dress embroidered with patches depicting smiling beets. "Nice to have visitors, not many travel these parts you know. Don't do well like this one." She prods the corps on the ground with the toe.
"Old Agnes is my name, who are you?"
The blonde arcane warrior is ready to bet her armor against a copper piece that Old Agnes is a hag... But simply impaling her on the Death Lance would be a terribly rude response - especially if her hunch turns out to be wrong. So...
"Friends of Khaine!" Khessa replies "You must be his grandmother, right Agnes? Do you happen to know where we can find him and what he's doing at the moment? We'd like to give him a nice surprise! "
[[OOC: Even better, now that @Mister_Whisker adjusted Lord Akkron's build, Khessa would know that the lich has Devil's Sight and can see 120 ft. through magical darkness.]]
[[OOC: FYI - Since it sounds like we just used night time and Darkness to approach the keep, so Vrox has not used Pass Without Trace yet. Since Khessa examined the corpse and can see Old Agnes, I'll assume that she either covered her Darkness pebble, or the spell has already ended. Either way, we can all see in the eerie, red glow that emanates from the keep.]]
Does Vrox recognize Old Agnes herself or at least what type of creature she is based on what he has seen so far?
Vrox - Nature: 19 (or Unable to parse dice roll. if she is a Fey or a Fiend since his Favored Enemies feature gives him advantage on checks to recall information about those creatures)
Ugh! Here's the result if he should have advantage from the Favored Enemies feature:
Vrox - Nature: 20
And if that's not the right skill, then the equivalent result would be Arcana: 14 or History / Religion: 8.
Clarac proceeds normally within the darkness. Magical darkness being a favorite trick of fiends, Clarac in turn trained her other senses to compensate when in darkness.
As soon as Old Agnes changes size, Clarac uses her divine sense. Clarac also hopes to determine just how desecrated the fortress is; ominous red glows usually appear for a reason. No matter the result of her divine sense, Clarac quietly—this was still a stealth mission—asks Old Agnes, "Ma'am, these are dangerous lands. Are you in need of assistance?"
The old woman starts to cackle and laugh, slapping her sides. "Oh no dearie, not at all. I'm no one's grandmother." She gives you a rather sly look. "I'm too sure who this Khaine fella is you speak of; I do have an agreement with them who inhabit in there." She points her thumb towards the ruins of the keep. "We have an accord don't you see. Anyone who goes in normally don't fare very well, unless they are one of those either light skinned looking Elves, or dark-skinned dwarves. The count on the other hand, who is commanded to hold this ground, well he is a totally different story."
She looks down at the frozen corpse and nudges it with her toe once again. "They do their rituals or whatever they do to them who is unfortunate to be drug inside. Once they are done with them, well old Agnes gets what's left over; their life essence. It's a win, win don't you say? They get their jollies or whatever it is they do; I get to live. Soon, another will be cast out, some brave fool just came through here, a warrior seeking to glorify himself, He is probably in a need of rescuing to be honest. "
From what you can sense, she is a Night hag
You sense a dark, evil energy woven into the very stone of this ruined keep. You can almost hear the faint screams of victims that are part of the stonework and mortar holding it together. This keep has been here a long while, and whatever dark and evil power that has been lurking here, it has been for a good time.
"Yes, a win - win..." Khessa gives a sad smile "...until the evil you are allied with gets wiped out as it deserves - and you with it".
"But mature and experienced people like you, Agnes," the blonde arcane warrior pats her on the shoulder "are usually wise enough to know when it's time to change side! Help us. Tell us everything you know about your ex-allies and their lair".
"This way, if we are defeated, your ex-allies will never know - and you'll be able to feed on us" the tall adventuress reasons. "While if we win... you'll be spared because you helped us - and you'll get to feed on your ex-allies! This is the true win - win!"