Chilling Adventures in the North

     “Do we knock?” Bàn asks, worried a bit by just how big… and full… this place seems to be.  “Ring a bell?  Announce ourselves?”

Qinfaren looks up the cliff face and the stairs they have to traverse.

"I don't think they will be happy to see us," Qinfaren says. "It might be better if we enter quietly."

He goes back to looking at the entrance to the fortress.

"We can get up there quietly, and then I could sneak in through one of the windows or a crack under or beside the entrance and get the door open from the inside."

     "Perhaps Owl can at least let us know what is up there," Bàn says and then showily send his owl familiar off into the sky to go scout the fortress.

As Owl flies up towards the fortress to investigate the area, a loud grinding noise comes from high above as large sheets of ice break off the fortress walls and tumble down the mountainside. Suddenly, great doors of ice previously hidden under snow stand open more than three hundred feet above you, and from between them flies a giant dragon made of dark ice. Its eyes glow with a bright golden light as it lets out a terrible roar, hurls itself into the air, it glides away from the fortress, then turns and heads north toward Ten-Towns.

     "He seems a nice fella," Bàn states, watching the dragon fly away.  "Too bad we scared him away..."

Ricky let's out a low whistle. "Seems the rumors are true. There's a dragon. Not sure the front gate is out door, though." 

     “Perhaps we should consider not using any door?  I hear the south is wonderful this time of year…” Bàn says with humor in his voice but also nervousness…

     “I mean, no offense, but I’m not sure we can take that thing..,  ya know?”

Qinfaren watches the dragon fly away. Finally he looks over at Bjorn.

"We're too late," Qinfaren says. "They've already made the dragon."

He looks at the Bàn and Ricky.

"The Sunblights made that dragon and it may be under their control. We need to find out where they've sent it and if we can take control." Qinfaren says.

He points up to the top of the fortress where the dragon flew out of. 

"Maybe we can get in through those doors if they stay open."

((Do the stairs lead up to where the dragon came out? Part of the way? Does there look to be a climbable way up?))

(There's not going to be an easy way to climb up to those doors, and it would take a spider a long time as well.)

"Yes, it seems we are too late to stop the dragon," Bjorn nods. "But we might not be too late to help the people of Ten Towns if we leave now.

But perhaps it would be best we continue to infiltrate the fortress. Ricky and Bàn, you two are from the towns, what do you want to do?"

     "Move out of the towns," Bàn says dryly.

     "But no, we're not catching up to that thing before it gets where it is going and does whatever it does.  Maybe if we were there we could help, but we're not and we can't.  If there's anything we can do here that's going to be the best thing we can do..."

Qinfaren looks back up at the fortress.

"Maybe now that the dragon is loose they'll be celebrating and we'll be able to sneak in," Qinfaren says. "I've some magic that can help all of us be quiet. We can sneak up to the doors at the top of the stairs and then if they're closed, we can probably sneak in and open the doors from the inside."

Ricky ponders. "I think I would be a bad mayor if I didn't say we should go back to try to help Ten Towns. But they asked us to go for a reason. If we go in there, we risk getting more than just beat to a pulp. Perhaps... I mean, the grays gotta come out sometime, right? Maybe we snag one."

"Well, we can't just wait out here until one of the duergar may come out," Bjorn replies. "Not whilst your people are probably being killed by the blasted dragon."

Qinfaren nods when, Bjorn speaks.

"If we could fly, maybe we could catch up to the dragon, but on foot, down this mountain, no, I think the best thing is for us to get inside and try and figure out what they have the dragon doing."

Qinfaren plants his staff into the snow, pushing it down until it touches the stone below. He lets the energy of the earth flow through the staff and mistletoe as he concentrates.

"Sine trass," Qinfaren says as he casts Pass Without Trace 

Then he starts up the stairs.

Stealth: 15  

     Bàn follows.  Owl continues to scout above and in front to try to warn of any dangers and maybe look for the easiest way inside?

Stealth: Nat 1 for a 13 with Pass w/o Trace. lol

(Bjorn: 21)

The group climbs the stairs up to the fortress. Moving east from the top of the stairs leads to the fortress's entrance: a ten-foot-high double door of featureless stone. An arrow slit facing in the direction of the group guards the approach.

With no sign of anyone challenging them yet, Qinfaren moves to the doors and sees if they will open easily. If they're locked or stuck, he'll look more closely at the arrow slit. Does it look clear of snow or other obstacles? 

How tall is this fortress?

     ((Is there a roof to the fortress or can Owl fly up over the wall and see if someone stands ready to shoot from the arrow slit?  If there is a roof, the owl could at least fly up to it and peer in?)