Morgan slows his mount to a slow walk as the night closes in and vision is limited by the encrotching darkness.  He glances back to the others, gray eyes narrowing as he looks them over.  He is little more than a shadow in the night, his black leather surdcoat blending with the deeping darkness.

"So you know, I am Moergan Amcathra, of the Amcathras."  He pauses to let that sink in.  "My father is close friends of the baron, so I will not allow this issue with his daughter to go without us getting her back."  He pauses as he glances back to the path ahead.  "Also, I would highly suggest anyone who has any idea of this girl being anything but his daughter to forget they ever heard such foolishness, as that is none of our business."  He glances back as he finishes the last.  "I for one, as a noble of these lands, did not hear any such thing while in the keep..."

"Agreed," Thad nods sternly. "I am Thadraes Oaksunder, Commander o' the Baron's guard. Most just call me Thad, but most of ya already know that. We'll find her an' bring her back." Thad returns to his quiet trudge through the forest, watching for anything that might pose danger.

Morthos listens as the Morgan talks. He sighs quietly, remembering how the nobleman reacted when he pushed Iridessa for more information. Alas, Morthos was of noble birth too, but he supposed that didn't separate him from the common peasantry in Morgan's eyes. The night had been exhausting, but Morthos was glad to be finally approaching the cathedral. 

Morthos says to his companions, "When we arrive at Gernacht's cathedral, what should our plan be? We're obviously facing some very powerful individuals." Morthos glances over at Thaedren. "Any thoughts, Commander?" 

Lilandra will set her horse aside and provide something to eat for it. 

She will continue to walk around picking up things from her surroundings and her bag then sit down placing down some dry wood she found. She will cast Druidcraft to light the logs and a small campfire is started. She will look up to the others having listened to their words. I am Lilandra Wintersbane, my parents own The Burning Bottle. Im sure you have heard of it. 

Regarding Morgans words Lilandra, a bit intimidated by the large man. Simply looks at him saying I am not here for the baron or baroness. I just want Caelia to be safe, that is all that matters now. 

She will continue to work not keeping her hands still and prepare some soup for the group, humming a bit as she does enjoying the task. She puts in some herbs and ingredients as she works. She says to herself any anyone listening Cooking is a lot like alchemy, just mix ingredients and hope for the best. Smiling as she says it. As she finishes she will pass around a cup and some bread she kept. Its not much but we should keep our strenght up. 

As Morthos speaks of our destination her face get serious again. Wondering what they might face. 

(OOC:  Am I being too 'lording' with Morgan?  Just want to keep his noble status in mind, but also don't want to play him in a way that isn't fun for the rest of you.  Let me know if/when you find him being too overbearing or anything else and I can modify as needed.)

(It’s fine with me. I thought it was pretty cool to have a little bit of party strife, and maybe at the end of the adventure our characters can change and develop a bit more. Just wondering, does Morgan know of Morthos’s noble birth? If he didn’t know that, it may be an interesting discovery).

(So far I've been playing him as not knowing.  I am ok with keeping that going until he learns differently.  Could be a fun thing for him to learn later, and have to reevaluate his view of his own actions.)

(OOC - I'm ok with it. I don't think it's being too much.)

"Well we don't want ta rush in. Nor do we want ta spook 'em an' have somethin' happen to Caelia. I'd suggest we take a cautious approach an' try ta see how many o' 'em there are fer us ta take. While it mighta been three in town, there's no knowin' how many they met with here." Thad strokes his beard as he contemplates this last part.

By that point, after having spent hours traveling, getting directions, following tracks, crossing a stream, and talking to shady forest inhabitants, the group dedicated to Caelia’s rescue would at long last catch sight of something distinct come into view between the old moss-covered trees before them.

It had already been clear for some time that the deeper in they progressed, the denser and more ancient these woods became. Up ahead, the woodland terrain would begin to slope upward, forming yet another rocky hill among countless others they had traversed up until now. Yet this one was unique. Stone stairs covered the hillside, leading up to the top upon which a two-story monolith silently loomed, flanked by crooked rows of tall boulders that stood like dilapidated soldiers at attention. The monolith, foreboding in its immensity, had protrusions on both sides that curved upward, evoking the appearance of horns or a crescent moon. The entire area was decrepit with age, as evidenced by the uneven, crumbling stairs and the cracked, weather-worn, mossy surfaces of the monolith itself. A break in the forest canopy shone a beam of sunlight around the structure, further drawing attention to its forlorn presence here in these shadowy woods.

While strange, the object was hardly what one might be inclined to label as a “cathedral”. However, based on his view from the treetops earlier, Morgan could be certain it was the tip of this structure that he saw from the distance. Moreover, Thad and Lilandra would easily recognize the chilling iconography of the monolith to be that of the personal symbol of the dark mage Gernacht.

At last, they had arrived.

A wave of uneasiness comes over Morthos as he gazes ahead at the horned monolith. His hand immediately grasps the pommel of his rapier, though there are no threats yet.

 “What a hideous structure. It befits a man with a heart of darkness, I guess”

Morthos looks at his companions as he dismounts his steed. “We have arrived. Time to start our mission. Thaedren said that we should be careful and take this slowly, and I agree. If you’d like, I can scout ahead. You humans can’t see well in this dark forest, and Thaedren’s armor may not be conducive to stealth. Thoughts?”

(I think stealth is the best approach. Lilandra has Pass without Trace and Invisibility, so we can use some magic going in).

Thad nods, "Forewarned is forearmed. I'm no one ta stealthily go anywhere. Scoutin' ahead would be useful, but don't go too far off."

Quote from DragonDenn >>

(OOC:  Am I being too 'lording' with Morgan?  Just want to keep his noble status in mind, but also don't want to play him in a way that isn't fun for the rest of you.  Let me know if/when you find him being too overbearing or anything else and I can modify as needed.)

 (ooc, no i like it. Its part of his personality so its good to have it. Wouldnt be good if everything agrees on everything already). 

Quote from RazorDawn89 >>

 “What a hideous structure. It befits a man with a heart of darkness, I guess”

 

 Dismounting her horse her face is grim as she looks upon the Cathedral. Gernacht was not known for his kindness, this looks like his symbol. To let all who pass know who it belongs to. 

Checking if she has everything she needs padding herself down to make sure. I could scout as well. But it might be wise to stick together. 

Lilandra will look around, and will have looked around for animals in the area. Her thoughts would be if animals are near, there might not be a large presence of foes here. Or at least not near the entrance. (perception 7, or passive 15 for looking around as they travelled)

If we are in agreement i can provide aid for a silent approach. 

You would have noticed an abundance of animals along the way here, in fact. Curiously though, (but perhaps not surprisingly), wildlife appearances have become more and more scarce the closer you've traveled to the monolith. The immediate area surrounding the hill itself is dead quiet and still.

"We should leave the horses here."  Morgan says, looping his reigns through a branch of a nearby tree.  He makes it so it can be pulled free if the horse is truly in danger, but tight enough that it will not just slip free on its own.  Turning to the stairs he grimaces, his ability to see much in this darkness limited, though the moonlight helps to some extent, at least it is not pitch darkness.  "I agree a stealthy approach is a good idea." He tells the others with a nod.  he gathers his black surcoat, helping him to blend in with he darkness a bit, as he glances to each of the group.  "Are we ready to do this?"

(I’m not sure we should advance as a group. Morgan and Thaedren are wearing stealth disadvantage armor. I think maybe Lilandra and Morthos should move up and scout out first, before coming back. On the other hand, Pass Without Trace could make a group approach work, though it may result in us being spotted. Thoughts?)

[If Lilandra doesn't repond by tonight you can have Morthos take it upon himself to scout ahead. If you want. Otherwise it is an option to forgo stealth and advance as a group too.]

(Im guesing you put the wrong name there since i made a post but only Morgan replied in character. So im waiting for others... Im good scouting alone or with the group.)

(Let’s go up ahead then, okay?)

Morthos will beckon Lilandra to come with him before creeping through the underbrush to the monolith. He would like to move slowly and search for threats and traps, while also scouting out anything of interest. Mainly, he wants to find where Caelia and the kidnappers are. 

Stealth: 8 + 10 Pass Without Trace 

Very well Lilandra says. 

He opens up her pouch and grabs a few things then kneels drawing some markings into the sand around some spruce covered in ash. She mumbles some words to an old incantation May the darkness mask our path. Casting Pass without Trace

The dirt on the ground begins to swirl and lift, sand and leaves ruffle as a gray veil covers her legs and quickly ascends to cover her entirely. A gray translucent cloak now covers Lilandra distorting the view of her. Concentrating on controlling the veil she points her arm to the others one by one as a thin line of the veil flows through the air connecting with them and forming a cloak around each of them. 

Be carefull, she adds as he starts walking after Morthos. (Stealth with bonus 17)

Every step Lilandra or the others make only leaves a footsprint for a second. Sand and leaves some their tracks leaving no trace of them behind. 

(terrible rolls continue, good thing for the boost)

[PERCEPTION CHECK (DISADVANTAGE, DIM LIGHT) - LILANDRA, MORGAN]

[PERCEPTION CHECK (NORMAL, DARKVISION) - THAD, MORTHOS]