“No need to ask,” Bell declares, cinching down the straps of his own kit. “I would not dream of sending Haj off to explore the ruined castle of Daggerdale, without me!”
”Come, now. I will tell you what I know of this place, as we proceed.” (History: 17)
Zyzix briefly considers busting out his disguise and taking the form of the bandit he memorized, but he decides against. No need in showing some of his tricks yet. Only a handful of the crew knew he could change how he looked, and he would like to keep it that way for as long as he could. No need in showing some of his skills yet.
As Taj and Bell ready themselves to go scout about, "Drax'' approaches them and says in his jovial way, "You two be careful out there now. I'm certain you'll do fine, no matter what you may find!" As he speaks, he weaves some of his subtle, mind-influencing magic into his encouraging words, leaving both the men feeling a tidbit more confident for some unexplainable reason. The Veil had trained him how to lace his words with insidious magic that altered others' minds, making them easier to deceive and manipulate. Zyzix discovered early on that he could also use a slightly different technique that encouraged and inspired others to do better, making them more confident in themselves. He found the trick to be quite useful when he wanted someone else to do a task for him.
When the two head off into the deepening twilight gloom descending upon the rolling hills around them, Zyzix turns his focus back to making camp for the night. "Drax" tries not to grin as he says, "Probably shouldn't light a fire this close to the castle. Don't want to alert everyone in these hills to our presence!" He "tries" to keep the excitement out of his voice at the suggestion, but he purposely doesn't do a very good job at doing so. It was a well-known public fact by this point that "Drax" strongly dislike fires. He usually slept at the periphery of the camp as far away as the fire as he could, and he was always glaring at it distrustfully when awake. In reality, Zyzix liked campfires. The light and heat made him feel a bit safer from whatever may lurk in the darkness of night.
"Probably shouldn't light a fire this close to the castle. Don't want to alert everyone in these hills to our presence!"
"You're right," Taya agrees with Drax. "We noticed them because of their fire, and what we can see from here, they will be able to see from there, too."
Taya brainstorms with Bell about what they've heard in rumours about the castle but she clearly doesn't remember as much as the bard. (History: 7)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
As the party settled around the low-burning fire, Bell recounted the tragic history of Castle Daggerdale, lending context to the imposing ruins that loomed in the distance. He spoke of a time, some fifty years ago, when the old king of Daggerdale had succumbed to madness and a thirst for power. His tyranny had become unbearable, leading to his eventual overthrow by the united forces of the Dalelands.
Bell described the castle's last stand, a dramatic and desperate moment in history. As the armies of the Dalelands breached the castle gates, the mad king, refusing to be captured, made a catastrophic decision. In a final act of defiance, he detonated a massive amount of dynamite stored beneath the castle walls. The explosion was devastating, collapsing large portions of the structure and claiming the lives of many, including the king himself. Though the Dalelands' forces eventually took the keep, it was left largely in ruins, a hollow victory in a tragic war. Since then, Castle Daggerdale had stood abandoned, a somber reminder of the past, never rebuilt or repurposed.
After the history lesson, Haj and Bell took the opportunity to survey the area surrounding their campsite. Haj's keen eyes quickly identified several sets of humanoid tracks leading in the direction of the castle. Bell, examining the tracks more closely, recognized the pattern of the boot prints. They were strikingly similar to those he had seen on the mercenaries' bodies back in Shadowdale.
With this new information, the rest of the party took action, enhancing their defensive measures for the night. They kept the fire low and carefully positioned, enough to provide warmth and ward off the chill of the night, but not so bright as to be visible from a great distance. They arranged their sleeping areas strategically, ensuring that each member was within sight of another, and set up a watch rotation to maintain vigilance through the night.
As the first light of dawn broke over the horizon, casting a soft, golden glow on the forest, the party roused from their uneasy rest. The night had passed without incident, but the tension of the previous evening still lingered in the air. They quickly and quietly packed up their camp, each movement efficient and purposeful.
With the ruins of Castle Daggerdale growing ever closer on the horizon, the party continued their westward journey. The morning light revealed a landscape draped in the dewy freshness of a new day, yet the sight of the castle, imposing and steeped in history, overshadowed the natural beauty of their surroundings.
The smoke that Haj had noticed the previous evening still billowed from within the keep, a dark column rising against the clear morning sky. Its presence was a constant reminder of the potential danger that lay ahead. Whoever had taken refuge within the castle's broken walls was still there.
The party moved with a mix of caution and determination, their eyes frequently returning to the castle. As they trekked across the landscape, the ruins seemed to grow in stature and presence, a brooding entity that held both the secrets of the past and a potential key to their current quest.
As they drew nearer, the party began to discuss their approach.
((This is an RP encounter for now. The castle is the focus of the hex. You don’t see anyone outside of the castle right now. This hex and encounter focused on the castle, feel free to plan your approach or how you’ll avoid the castle))
As they begin to get closer to the ruined castle, "Drax" pipes up, "I mentioned this to a few people before, but I'm quite skilled at theatrics. I've been thinking about how we can get close to the castle and possibly get into the mercenary's camp without being cut down before we even get close. We managed to scrounge up three Black Serpent uniforms, and I can use illusions to create another. What if four of us wore disguises and the other three pretended to be hostages. Our story could be that us four managed to escape after being rounded up. Our three "hostages" would be part of a group that was sent to track us down, but we managed to capture them and brought them here for the boss, if there is one, to question. This way, we can get close or even into the camp without trying to waste energy fighting our way in." The white dragonborn shrugs. "It's just an option, and I'm very much so open for other suggestions."
"I can also change to blend in, although I haven't practised enough to become a mercenary. I could maybe pass for a villager and the change would mask my weapons."
"I don't know Drax," replies Taya hesitatingly. "I have no doubt that you could fool them into believing that you are one of them but are you really so sure that the rest of us are up to the task? I have next to no experience in acting as if I were someone else. If they are very organised - which I don't believe but I want to bring it to attention - if they are very organised, they might have codewords to identify themselves. Or simply habits, religious or otherwise, that makes us stand out. Many of them were orcs and goblins, we aren't either. And lastly, if we enter this way, we will be in the middle of them with no immediate way of escape in case we are discovered. I do like subterfuge as a tactic but I'm not sure that this will work with all of us. And we are actually nine, including the two caravan guards, or should they remain hidden with the horses?"
"If we follow your suggestion, perhaps we can alter it slightly and only those of us that are sure to keep the act together infiltrate the castle. Perhaps, after we know more, like their numbers, their morale, their equipment, and - or their plans. Perhaps then we can try to find a way to deal with them directly, either the infiltrators create a diversion for the rest of us to enter, or something else. I don't know. We need a good communication channel for this to work, too. Anyway, I just think that it is best to get intelligence first and the most capable ones of us should do that so that it is not jeopardised by an untimely smile or nervous tick. The rest of us could stay back, hidden, and run to the rescue if the plan goes south. Still, if someone else has a better plan, let's hear it."
Taya thinks a few moments and proposes what she had come up with as an alternative. "I was thinking to use the woods as cover to make way to the road unseen and then approach like a normal traveller that would want to go to Daggerdale. Perhaps, we could appear lightly armed only, so that we appear as easy target. Maybe then they'll come out and try to rob us, ideally not in full force. If we can repel that attack, we might be able to take a prisoner to interrogate, and in any case there would be less mercenaries left in the castle. In this scenario they would also still not know that we are coming after them."
"At the end, I think the most important point is that we all agree to follow one plan or another and see it through together. Being united is our strength."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
“Their leader, Riggs, knows my face, so unless you can alter my appearance and not just clothes, I won’t be much help, unless you would want to use me as a prisoner. The trouble is, anyone used as prisoners would be in the middle of the dragon’s lair with no weapons. This is an idea but I think we need more information first. I think we need to observe the castle first, as closely as we can while avoiding detection. We should try to assess how many could be in there, patrol patterns, that sort of thing.”
Galdric doesn’t say this, but his anticipation for this confrontation is mounting. Mentioning Riggs brings up feelings of hatred, and perhaps a touch of fear. He wants revenge on Riggs for almost killing him, but at the same time he wonders if he’s strong enough to defeat him this time…
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Kaelan Thornfell - Wildhunt Shifter Beast Barbarian - Horde of the Dragon Queen
Gustuck "Grumpy Gus" Clayshaper - Deep Gnome Astral Self Monk - Malady of Minarrh
Shelmo Sherrinford - Fairy Inquisitive Rogue - Vae Victus
“So what do her do now? No need to over complicate things. The folks good at acting can cause a distraction and the rest of us jump em? Taya’s plan makes sense but I’m not so quick to disarm myself in any way to catch a merc off guard. I’m better off supporting from the rear if we go sneaky.”
Horros chimes in. Uncomfortable with acting and uncomfortable with being lightly armed he will let the others decide.
”Riggs.. That one strikes me as a survivor, from what I’ve heard from you. I do not believe his tale is finished, just yet. Perhaps Haj and I should scout ahead?”
"From what I've heard, I, too, think that Riggs would have put up more of a fight against the giants. From the reports it sounded like the poor fellows in that camp never had a chance at all, deserters if I would have to hazard a guess." Taya considers Bell's and Haj's proposal to scout ahead, "I agree, it would be the best to get information before we commit to one plan or another. The rest of us should probably hide until you return. But how can we keep in touch? How would we know if something went wrong? We should agree about a time window for us to keep hidden, or agree on a signal of sorts from time to time that we know that you are ok." She addresses concerns at both scouts. "And what does the rest of you think about this plan?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
“Is anyone capable of sending messages magically?”
"Drax" hesitates for a moment before saying, "I can send messages, but only over a short distance. However, I do know how to conjure us some illusions. I could use them to form words and images to convey images across a distance if needed. I think the best infiltration team would be Bell, Cal, and me. We three formed quite the team when fighting that blasted fire back in town. We could sneak in, do some reconnaissance, and then share what we find. The only problem is if the rest of you needed to communicate to us for some reason."
He pauses, looking thoughtful. "Now that I think about it, a problem with sneaking in as a group is they would expect us to know things. If all three of us don't know things like our names and such, it would be highly suspicious. If I were to go in by myself, I could probably convince them that I could have a hard time remembering anything because I got clobbered on the head back in town. I could even fake a wound to make it appear like I have a nasty head injury. My story would be that they townsfolk thought I was dead, but I was merely unconscious. After waking, I could have managed to sneak away and make my way here. While in their camp, I could also try to do some sabotage if I find the opportunity."
It was definitely a risky ploy, but also more likely to succeed than the plan to have a group infiltrate the castle. There were too many liabilities having multiple people involved now that he thought about it a little bit more. Zyzix was unaccustomed to working in groups; most of his prior missions were completed solo.
"Drax's suggestion makes sense, although I'm wary of just one person going in alone. I suggest that we move as close as possible in case of trouble."
He looks around the group.
"I suggest Bell and myself get the closest, possibly Cal too. The rest of you will need to stay further back; unless you want to leave all that noisy armour behind? And lastly, somebody needs to stay with the horses."
“What if we combine a couple ideas? Bell and Haj can perform some quiet reconnaissance outside the castle and see what they can learn about numbers, defenses, and patrols.”
“Once we know what we are up against, I may have a possible idea concerning infiltration. What if Drax disguises himself and takes me prisoner. Since I’m a known face, I suspect they will be focused on me and not pay Drax much attention. With any luck they will secure me someplace isolated. As long as I can see outside of whatever room they secure me in, I should be able to teleport out. Drax could wear my sword and maybe leave it somewhere close to my position. Once I free myself, we would have two separate agents within the castle. I can make some noise while Drax finds a way to get you all inside.”
“Obviously we’d have to wait for the scouts’ report to make sure this is viable, but it’s a start of a plan perhaps. Thoughts?”
Planning expeditions of a martial nature, is decidedly outside of Bell’s bailiwick. As something of an explorer, however, he considers himself reasonably qualified to venture forth with the scouting party.
The half-elf stands ready to depart, softly humming the ballad of Daggerdale’s demise.
“What if we combine a couple ideas? Bell and Haj can perform some quiet reconnaissance outside the castle and see what they can learn about numbers, defenses, and patrols.”
“Once we know what we are up against, I may have a possible idea concerning infiltration. What if Drax disguises himself and takes me prisoner. Since I’m a known face, I suspect they will be focused on me and not pay Drax much attention. With any luck they will secure me someplace isolated. As long as I can see outside of whatever room they secure me in, I should be able to teleport out. Drax could wear my sword and maybe leave it somewhere close to my position. Once I free myself, we would have two separate agents within the castle. I can make some noise while Drax finds a way to get you all inside.”
“Obviously we’d have to wait for the scouts’ report to make sure this is viable, but it’s a start of a plan perhaps. Thoughts?”
"Another plan that could work, but whichever plan we use it seems that Bell and me are going to be scouting ahead."
Haj packs his equipment and prepares to move out.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Nyli Bemblade - Gnome Arcane Trickster
Portia Thornleaf - Halfling Rogue
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“No need to ask,” Bell declares, cinching down the straps of his own kit. “I would not dream of sending Haj off to explore the ruined castle of Daggerdale, without me!”
”Come, now. I will tell you what I know of this place, as we proceed.” (History: 17)
Zyzix briefly considers busting out his disguise and taking the form of the bandit he memorized, but he decides against. No need in showing some of his tricks yet. Only a handful of the crew knew he could change how he looked, and he would like to keep it that way for as long as he could. No need in showing some of his skills yet.
As Taj and Bell ready themselves to go scout about, "Drax'' approaches them and says in his jovial way, "You two be careful out there now. I'm certain you'll do fine, no matter what you may find!" As he speaks, he weaves some of his subtle, mind-influencing magic into his encouraging words, leaving both the men feeling a tidbit more confident for some unexplainable reason. The Veil had trained him how to lace his words with insidious magic that altered others' minds, making them easier to deceive and manipulate. Zyzix discovered early on that he could also use a slightly different technique that encouraged and inspired others to do better, making them more confident in themselves. He found the trick to be quite useful when he wanted someone else to do a task for him.
When the two head off into the deepening twilight gloom descending upon the rolling hills around them, Zyzix turns his focus back to making camp for the night. "Drax" tries not to grin as he says, "Probably shouldn't light a fire this close to the castle. Don't want to alert everyone in these hills to our presence!" He "tries" to keep the excitement out of his voice at the suggestion, but he purposely doesn't do a very good job at doing so. It was a well-known public fact by this point that "Drax" strongly dislike fires. He usually slept at the periphery of the camp as far away as the fire as he could, and he was always glaring at it distrustfully when awake. In reality, Zyzix liked campfires. The light and heat made him feel a bit safer from whatever may lurk in the darkness of night.
((Giving Bell and Haj bardic inspiration)))
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
"You're right," Taya agrees with Drax. "We noticed them because of their fire, and what we can see from here, they will be able to see from there, too."
Taya brainstorms with Bell about what they've heard in rumours about the castle but she clearly doesn't remember as much as the bard. (History: 7)
Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus ||
As the party settled around the low-burning fire, Bell recounted the tragic history of Castle Daggerdale, lending context to the imposing ruins that loomed in the distance. He spoke of a time, some fifty years ago, when the old king of Daggerdale had succumbed to madness and a thirst for power. His tyranny had become unbearable, leading to his eventual overthrow by the united forces of the Dalelands.
Bell described the castle's last stand, a dramatic and desperate moment in history. As the armies of the Dalelands breached the castle gates, the mad king, refusing to be captured, made a catastrophic decision. In a final act of defiance, he detonated a massive amount of dynamite stored beneath the castle walls. The explosion was devastating, collapsing large portions of the structure and claiming the lives of many, including the king himself. Though the Dalelands' forces eventually took the keep, it was left largely in ruins, a hollow victory in a tragic war. Since then, Castle Daggerdale had stood abandoned, a somber reminder of the past, never rebuilt or repurposed.
After the history lesson, Haj and Bell took the opportunity to survey the area surrounding their campsite. Haj's keen eyes quickly identified several sets of humanoid tracks leading in the direction of the castle. Bell, examining the tracks more closely, recognized the pattern of the boot prints. They were strikingly similar to those he had seen on the mercenaries' bodies back in Shadowdale.
With this new information, the rest of the party took action, enhancing their defensive measures for the night. They kept the fire low and carefully positioned, enough to provide warmth and ward off the chill of the night, but not so bright as to be visible from a great distance. They arranged their sleeping areas strategically, ensuring that each member was within sight of another, and set up a watch rotation to maintain vigilance through the night.
As the company settles into camp, Galdric takes a position a bit away from the group, watching into the darkness, alert for any threats
Kaelan Thornfell - Wildhunt Shifter Beast Barbarian - Horde of the Dragon Queen
Gustuck "Grumpy Gus" Clayshaper - Deep Gnome Astral Self Monk - Malady of Minarrh
Shelmo Sherrinford - Fairy Inquisitive Rogue - Vae Victus
Solstice Nightchill - Winter Eladrin Hunter Ranger - The Yawning Portal
Captain Duskstar - Human Hex "Gun" Warlock - Airships and Whiskey
As the first light of dawn broke over the horizon, casting a soft, golden glow on the forest, the party roused from their uneasy rest. The night had passed without incident, but the tension of the previous evening still lingered in the air. They quickly and quietly packed up their camp, each movement efficient and purposeful.
With the ruins of Castle Daggerdale growing ever closer on the horizon, the party continued their westward journey. The morning light revealed a landscape draped in the dewy freshness of a new day, yet the sight of the castle, imposing and steeped in history, overshadowed the natural beauty of their surroundings.
The smoke that Haj had noticed the previous evening still billowed from within the keep, a dark column rising against the clear morning sky. Its presence was a constant reminder of the potential danger that lay ahead. Whoever had taken refuge within the castle's broken walls was still there.
The party moved with a mix of caution and determination, their eyes frequently returning to the castle. As they trekked across the landscape, the ruins seemed to grow in stature and presence, a brooding entity that held both the secrets of the past and a potential key to their current quest.
As they drew nearer, the party began to discuss their approach.
((This is an RP encounter for now. The castle is the focus of the hex. You don’t see anyone outside of the castle right now. This hex and encounter focused on the castle, feel free to plan your approach or how you’ll avoid the castle))
As they begin to get closer to the ruined castle, "Drax" pipes up, "I mentioned this to a few people before, but I'm quite skilled at theatrics. I've been thinking about how we can get close to the castle and possibly get into the mercenary's camp without being cut down before we even get close. We managed to scrounge up three Black Serpent uniforms, and I can use illusions to create another. What if four of us wore disguises and the other three pretended to be hostages. Our story could be that us four managed to escape after being rounded up. Our three "hostages" would be part of a group that was sent to track us down, but we managed to capture them and brought them here for the boss, if there is one, to question. This way, we can get close or even into the camp without trying to waste energy fighting our way in." The white dragonborn shrugs. "It's just an option, and I'm very much so open for other suggestions."
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
"I can also change to blend in, although I haven't practised enough to become a mercenary. I could maybe pass for a villager and the change would mask my weapons."
Haj nods "This could be a useful strategy."
Nyli Bemblade - Gnome Arcane Trickster
Portia Thornleaf - Halfling Rogue
"I don't know Drax," replies Taya hesitatingly. "I have no doubt that you could fool them into believing that you are one of them but are you really so sure that the rest of us are up to the task? I have next to no experience in acting as if I were someone else. If they are very organised - which I don't believe but I want to bring it to attention - if they are very organised, they might have codewords to identify themselves. Or simply habits, religious or otherwise, that makes us stand out. Many of them were orcs and goblins, we aren't either. And lastly, if we enter this way, we will be in the middle of them with no immediate way of escape in case we are discovered. I do like subterfuge as a tactic but I'm not sure that this will work with all of us. And we are actually nine, including the two caravan guards, or should they remain hidden with the horses?"
"If we follow your suggestion, perhaps we can alter it slightly and only those of us that are sure to keep the act together infiltrate the castle. Perhaps, after we know more, like their numbers, their morale, their equipment, and - or their plans. Perhaps then we can try to find a way to deal with them directly, either the infiltrators create a diversion for the rest of us to enter, or something else. I don't know. We need a good communication channel for this to work, too. Anyway, I just think that it is best to get intelligence first and the most capable ones of us should do that so that it is not jeopardised by an untimely smile or nervous tick. The rest of us could stay back, hidden, and run to the rescue if the plan goes south. Still, if someone else has a better plan, let's hear it."
Taya thinks a few moments and proposes what she had come up with as an alternative. "I was thinking to use the woods as cover to make way to the road unseen and then approach like a normal traveller that would want to go to Daggerdale. Perhaps, we could appear lightly armed only, so that we appear as easy target. Maybe then they'll come out and try to rob us, ideally not in full force. If we can repel that attack, we might be able to take a prisoner to interrogate, and in any case there would be less mercenaries left in the castle. In this scenario they would also still not know that we are coming after them."
"At the end, I think the most important point is that we all agree to follow one plan or another and see it through together. Being united is our strength."
Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus ||
“Their leader, Riggs, knows my face, so unless you can alter my appearance and not just clothes, I won’t be much help, unless you would want to use me as a prisoner. The trouble is, anyone used as prisoners would be in the middle of the dragon’s lair with no weapons. This is an idea but I think we need more information first. I think we need to observe the castle first, as closely as we can while avoiding detection. We should try to assess how many could be in there, patrol patterns, that sort of thing.”
Galdric doesn’t say this, but his anticipation for this confrontation is mounting. Mentioning Riggs brings up feelings of hatred, and perhaps a touch of fear. He wants revenge on Riggs for almost killing him, but at the same time he wonders if he’s strong enough to defeat him this time…
Kaelan Thornfell - Wildhunt Shifter Beast Barbarian - Horde of the Dragon Queen
Gustuck "Grumpy Gus" Clayshaper - Deep Gnome Astral Self Monk - Malady of Minarrh
Shelmo Sherrinford - Fairy Inquisitive Rogue - Vae Victus
Solstice Nightchill - Winter Eladrin Hunter Ranger - The Yawning Portal
Captain Duskstar - Human Hex "Gun" Warlock - Airships and Whiskey
"Ah, Riggs" sighs Haj, "He knows my face as well, so that could also be a problem."
"Then again, with a bit of luck he may have been the main course, or at least a starter."
Nyli Bemblade - Gnome Arcane Trickster
Portia Thornleaf - Halfling Rogue
“So what do her do now? No need to over complicate things. The folks good at acting can cause a distraction and the rest of us jump em? Taya’s plan makes sense but I’m not so quick to disarm myself in any way to catch a merc off guard. I’m better off supporting from the rear if we go sneaky.”
Horros chimes in. Uncomfortable with acting and uncomfortable with being lightly armed he will let the others decide.
”Riggs.. That one strikes me as a survivor, from what I’ve heard from you. I do not believe his tale is finished, just yet. Perhaps Haj and I should scout ahead?”
Bell glances over at the scout, then at Taya.
"From what I've heard, I, too, think that Riggs would have put up more of a fight against the giants. From the reports it sounded like the poor fellows in that camp never had a chance at all, deserters if I would have to hazard a guess." Taya considers Bell's and Haj's proposal to scout ahead, "I agree, it would be the best to get information before we commit to one plan or another. The rest of us should probably hide until you return. But how can we keep in touch? How would we know if something went wrong? We should agree about a time window for us to keep hidden, or agree on a signal of sorts from time to time that we know that you are ok." She addresses concerns at both scouts. "And what does the rest of you think about this plan?"
Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus ||
“Is anyone capable of sending messages magically?”
Kaelan Thornfell - Wildhunt Shifter Beast Barbarian - Horde of the Dragon Queen
Gustuck "Grumpy Gus" Clayshaper - Deep Gnome Astral Self Monk - Malady of Minarrh
Shelmo Sherrinford - Fairy Inquisitive Rogue - Vae Victus
Solstice Nightchill - Winter Eladrin Hunter Ranger - The Yawning Portal
Captain Duskstar - Human Hex "Gun" Warlock - Airships and Whiskey
"Drax" hesitates for a moment before saying, "I can send messages, but only over a short distance. However, I do know how to conjure us some illusions. I could use them to form words and images to convey images across a distance if needed. I think the best infiltration team would be Bell, Cal, and me. We three formed quite the team when fighting that blasted fire back in town. We could sneak in, do some reconnaissance, and then share what we find. The only problem is if the rest of you needed to communicate to us for some reason."
He pauses, looking thoughtful. "Now that I think about it, a problem with sneaking in as a group is they would expect us to know things. If all three of us don't know things like our names and such, it would be highly suspicious. If I were to go in by myself, I could probably convince them that I could have a hard time remembering anything because I got clobbered on the head back in town. I could even fake a wound to make it appear like I have a nasty head injury. My story would be that they townsfolk thought I was dead, but I was merely unconscious. After waking, I could have managed to sneak away and make my way here. While in their camp, I could also try to do some sabotage if I find the opportunity."
It was definitely a risky ploy, but also more likely to succeed than the plan to have a group infiltrate the castle. There were too many liabilities having multiple people involved now that he thought about it a little bit more. Zyzix was unaccustomed to working in groups; most of his prior missions were completed solo.
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
"Drax's suggestion makes sense, although I'm wary of just one person going in alone. I suggest that we move as close as possible in case of trouble."
He looks around the group.
"I suggest Bell and myself get the closest, possibly Cal too. The rest of you will need to stay further back; unless you want to leave all that noisy armour behind? And lastly, somebody needs to stay with the horses."
"Alternatively, Taya's plan may work."
Nyli Bemblade - Gnome Arcane Trickster
Portia Thornleaf - Halfling Rogue
“What if we combine a couple ideas? Bell and Haj can perform some quiet reconnaissance outside the castle and see what they can learn about numbers, defenses, and patrols.”
“Once we know what we are up against, I may have a possible idea concerning infiltration. What if Drax disguises himself and takes me prisoner. Since I’m a known face, I suspect they will be focused on me and not pay Drax much attention. With any luck they will secure me someplace isolated. As long as I can see outside of whatever room they secure me in, I should be able to teleport out. Drax could wear my sword and maybe leave it somewhere close to my position. Once I free myself, we would have two separate agents within the castle. I can make some noise while Drax finds a way to get you all inside.”
“Obviously we’d have to wait for the scouts’ report to make sure this is viable, but it’s a start of a plan perhaps. Thoughts?”
Kaelan Thornfell - Wildhunt Shifter Beast Barbarian - Horde of the Dragon Queen
Gustuck "Grumpy Gus" Clayshaper - Deep Gnome Astral Self Monk - Malady of Minarrh
Shelmo Sherrinford - Fairy Inquisitive Rogue - Vae Victus
Solstice Nightchill - Winter Eladrin Hunter Ranger - The Yawning Portal
Captain Duskstar - Human Hex "Gun" Warlock - Airships and Whiskey
Planning expeditions of a martial nature, is decidedly outside of Bell’s bailiwick. As something of an explorer, however, he considers himself reasonably qualified to venture forth with the scouting party.
The half-elf stands ready to depart, softly humming the ballad of Daggerdale’s demise.
"Another plan that could work, but whichever plan we use it seems that Bell and me are going to be scouting ahead."
Haj packs his equipment and prepares to move out.
Nyli Bemblade - Gnome Arcane Trickster
Portia Thornleaf - Halfling Rogue