Princes of the Apocalypse

21Rollo nods in agreement. Il hang back and cover you from a distance 

stealth 

Excellent! Merry smiles, clapping her paws together, And thank you dear Nibor...

Humming a tune to herself, Merry casts Prestidigitation and watches as the items around the camp are tidied away around her and the blanket she had been using is folded up neatly.

Shall we? Merry then turns from the rest of the group and skips off in the direction of the gatehouse.

Arnnon slips back into the cover

Stealth 12

Coal will try to hide, the steel defenders servos whirring slightly as it follows him.

5

Aided by Arnnon and Rollo, Coal just about manages to stay fairly hidden. Merry and Nibor approach the gate, freshly guidance. There are two lookouts atop the walls. The clouds are grey as if rain is coming, but it's dry for now. 

Merry waltzes up to the front of the gate, waving at the lookouts, Hello there! Was wondering if you two fine gentlemen would be able to let us pass through? 

As Merry smiles at the two lookouts she casts calm emotions.

Persuasion 21

Guidance add on to persuasion 4

7

12 

The guards shudder as they feel Merry's spell, causing the hairs on the backs of their necks to prickle and their palms to sweat. One of them shifts his stance. The other replies.

Hullo miss. Ye seem nice and all but we can't jus let any old person in. What business have you here? 

We were in the area, just passing through really and we heard the most worrying of sounds coming from your way last night. Wanted to check and see if everything was ok? It sounded like an alarm bell... Merry says, feigning concern.

Aye, we heard loud bangs coming from the woods. Sounded to be muskets or something. Closed the gates up tight. We're fine though, thanks for your concern.

......Any of you happen to have muskets? 

Merry grimaces, before smiling, Yes, one of our party does ...we came across some bandits last night, but don’t worry we’ve cleared them out now. You don’t happen to know anything about them do you? They had a few cultists with them...

Bandits? Cultists? Wouldn't know anything about that.

The quieter guard turns and disappears down a stairwell. 

Anyway, you two have a good day. Thanks for checking up on us. Very kind

Merry looks at them quizzically trying to make out if they’ve lied about anything they’ve said.

Insight 10

Nibor eyes the man warily 24

Merry is none the wiser. Nibor can tell the guard is uneasy and is shifting from foot to foot. He keeps half looking at the stairs the other guard disappeared down and his hand is hovering near his hip quiver. 

Coal would like to look at the building of the fort trying to work out if there are any structural weaknesses they could exploit. 
insight 16

investigation 9

From where they are hiding, Coal can see the keep’s main entrance. It features a two-story gatehouse attached to a round tower. Arrow slits look out onto the ground outside the gate. The gate itself is a double door of thick timbers reinforced by iron bands. The walls are 15 feet above outside ground level. A crenellated parapet faces the outside.  

The keep’s eastern wall juts out into the river. 

Rollo keeps any eye on Merry Nibor and the guards, ready to take out the guard reaching for his quiver should the need to arise

Merry tries one last time to win over one of the guards, smiling at the one who was nicest to her, Please would you be able to let us through, we don’t mean you any harm ...we have no reason to want to cause any aggravation ...is there any reason you don’t want us to come in?

Merry laces her words with the spell for charm person.

Looks like a frontal assault is out of the question friends. Coal whispers It might behoove us to inspect the waterside and see if they have grated or secured any channels from the river. I would imagine that if not that’s would be our best and quietest way in.