Has Jurgen seen any signs of Draco or Laiti?

Perception: 6

Investigation: 27

Bryony gives Quinn a small smile. "Thank you for checking," she says. "Maybe you're right. Maybe they just ran away from the goblins. I'm not sure where they would go though. There's not many places outside of town that are safe. I'll leave a note just in case though."

The halfling takes some parchment from Aunt Qelline's writing desk and quickly scribbles a note using a quill pen dipped in a bottle of ink: "I am safe and with friends. Stay safe. Stay in town! Love, Bryony."

Bryony perks up at the sight of Jeeves. With Fergus' permission, she spends some time patting the pony, giving him scritches behind his ears. She smiles at Fergus, knowing he is trying to cheer her up, appreciating the kindness.

"Thank you, Jorzu," Bryony responds in the halfling language. "We have to find them. We just have to."

At the sight of the imposing obsidian doors, Bryony falters just a bit. Were Auntie Qelline and Carp inside? She hoped they were all right, but the thought of them being prisoners of the goblins made her sick with anxiety.

Boona glares at the doors remembering the unusually resistant one in the mine, but offers regardless.

" Want me smash door open?"

Fergus:

”Chances are they are watching the front door.  Walking straight in is an option, but stealth, deception, or a less obvious entrance may be less likely to alert our foes,” suggests Fergus.

”Perhaps one of our stealthy or invisible allies could do a quick recon for us first?” he adds, looking at Jorzu and asks, “Is Laiti around?”

(It's been over 24 hours. What were your standing orders with Draco and Laiti again?)

Draco direction: 

- quietly and stealthy follow that goblin back to its base. Keep track of how you got there.
- If someone tries to attack you, run as fast as you can to the inn and make your alert noise. 

Jorzu had instructed Laiti:

He asks her to follow the sawplee goblin as it presumably returns to its den. He insists she not be seen and not try and interfere with any of the goblins actions. Once it's lair is located she is to make note of its location and then return to him. He warns her that if she hadn't returned in halfday he will summon her back magically.

Laiti has not returned on her own; Jorzu may choose to summon her at any point.

Jorzu 

The travel had taken Jorzu's attention away from his tiny charge. He had said she had a half-day and now nightfall was upon them. His hand motion forward and then in reverse and suddenly a tiny voice all but yells at someone. "This better not become a thing. Send me off and then forget about me! I'll tell you what, if it wasn't for the folk you deal with I'd be pricking you and telling you..." her tirade continues. Its clear to everyone that she is berating her master. Jorzu calmly shushes her which only brings on another round of insults. When she finally calms down he asks in a whispered voice, "What did you find my lovely little friend?"

Bryony watches Jorzu and Laiti with curiosity. "Is that...is she a fairy?" she asks incredulously. "I've only read about them in stories!"

Laiti's appearance is enough to momentarily distract the halfling from her worry.

Laiti, thoroughly irritated, quietly reports to Jorzu. Although she was able to quietly follow her quarry without being seen, the strange goblin was well aware of the clattering Draco following it. Outside of Phandalin, the goblin led them in ever-wider circles through the countryside, as the nervous goblin tried to shake the steel construct. (Draco Perception: 6 and Laiti Perception: 9 vs. goblin Stealth: 9 )

...Finally, it managed shake the steel defender, and nearly lost Laiti as well. But Laiti was able to (just) relocate the fleeing goblin, ultimately tracking it east along this very trail until Laiti was summoned back. In fact, the wayward goblin should be arriving within the hour here, she figures, looking around. As to Draco, she left it clanking through the countryside somewhere outside of Phandalin.

The light is beginning to dim behind heavy clouds. A warm breeze, and the smell of something chemical or caustic, wafts in the air here. The blackened, boulder-strewn landscape is barren and lifeless. The forbidding obsidian doors remain closed in the cliff wall ahead.

Boona is still waiting on whether or not she can smash the door, though she is also slightly distracted by the glowy bug lady.

There is little visible in the fading light other than black boulders, gray dust, and the occasional scraggly weed. The air is warm, with a nasty sulphuric scent. The cliff face – not a sheer drop, but a steep rocky slide – looms ahead and above you. The double stone doors are closed; two black arrow slits are visible on each side of the door, about ten feet up. You can see bare, clawed goblin footprints everywhere.

(You are further away than depicted on this map and are presumed to be out of obvious sight from the arrow slits.)

Jorzu 

"Thank you Laiti. A valiant job as always" Jorzu thanks his little skivvy. He relays her information to those who could hear before approaching Byrony. "Good guess, but Laiti here is a Sprite. Although, for the life of me, I've never really learnt the difference" he says before readdressing the group with his thoughts of how to approach. 

"If the goblin is due within the hour, why don't we wait and observe the entry process? We could then replicate it and enter at our volition. Of course, both Laiti and I could try and follow the goblin invisibly if that's a better thing..."

Fergus:

"That's quite a good idea.  If you two can sneak in behind the returning goblin, you can stay hidden inside the entrance until the sentries go back on watch.  Once they have settled back into watch, you can take out sentries and let the rest of us in undetected," suggests Fergus.

Quinn nods in agreement. But then he remembers their quite large friend, Boona. He looks to the gentle giant.

"Boona. We need to find a big rock for you to hide behind."

Quinn shields his eyes scans the area for a suitable rock.

"If Jorzu and his friend can get us through the gates, I have have a trick up my sleeve that can help the rest of us be a bit more stealthy."

Everyone: Make a Stealth check to stay hidden from the reported incoming goblin, as well as the arrow slits and any other eyes in the area. (It'll be a group check. There are lots of boulders and hiding places in  the area, even for Boona-sized folks, so the DC is not high. Sneaking in unseen behind the goblin as it passes through the doors, however, will be a trickier roll we'll deal with later...)

It's growing dark, and it'll be hard to see soon on this overcast evening. 

Fergus:

Plan set, Fergus hides and encourages Jorzu, “We can do this!  Even if you just disable any warning mechanism and crack the door open for us, we will benefit.”

Stealth:  10

Bardic Inspiration to Jorzu.

Boona attempts to be a rock.

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