The Red Hand of Doom!!

Duroin sits down on a fallen log, and quickly sketches a basic outline of the keep in the dirt. "The place is pretty torn up. There is a clearing from the treeline to the keep's walls, which are breeched in at least two places I could see. The gatehouse appears to have collapsed, as has part of the southern wall." The dwarf indicates the areas on his dirt drawing as he speaks. "The remaining walls are about 15 feet high, and there are at least a couple of intaact structures within the courtyard. I saw no movement or figures to indicate that anyone remains, but we should stay vigilant regardless."


The map looks accurate. The gatehouse is to the right side of the map, the collapsed southern wall is to the bottom, I'm guessing.

Kirrg stands over the crude map and the drawn map as he takes in Duroin's words, "So you saw no foes? That must belay truth to our theory about doing this ordeal during the day. If we find them resting, we find them defenseless."

Virashil - Sorcerer 5, Hp: 21/21

"Well, do we want to head up the path and get a good look at the keep firsthand?"

"How close can you get on the trail before the keep can clearly be seen? I'd bet anything that there are more of those damn hobbies waiting up there for us.... But you didn't see anyone? Could they be sleeping?"

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OOC:

I'm all for walking right up and barging in, or I could be swayed to try a more stealthy approach. Like I mentioned before, invisibility from the wand will be 3 minutes in duration.

Sir Jonathan

Sir Jonathan watches as Duroin sketches out the side of the keep in the sand. He puts his hand on his chin and then says, "The goblins might not be staying in the keep after all, though the tracks might say otherwise. I still say we approach under invisibility and silence. There may be guards that cannot be seen easily, and while Duroin is stealthy enough to evade notice from a sleeping guard, the rattle of Kirrg's and my own armor would give us away." He sighs, and adds, "Good to have to you back Duroin, I was beginning to worry about you."

Duroin smiles at Sir Jonathon's words. "I saw naught sign of living foe, neither during my approach or in making my way back to you. Perhaps the goblins do not post guard because they do not have anything to fear. This keep, after all, has been abandon for many long year."

Rhun said:

Hey H4H, how far is it from the treeline to the walls of the keep?

Click to expand...

The forested hillside ends some 30 odd yards from the structure. Closer around the back and sides but approach from the sides or back would require climb checks.

"We'll have to cross a hundred or so feet of clear terrain from the edge of the woods to make the keeps walls," adds Duroin as he stands back up and prepares to lead the way through the trees. "We should stick to the forest. The path could be watched."

Virashil - Sorcerer 5, Hp: 21/21

"OK - lets move out. I'll turn us invisible when we get to the edge of the treeline -- then we can move into the keep." Virashil says as she pulls her tunic back over her head - she had stripped down to her halter top due to the heat, and slings her backpack across her shoulders and grips her longbow.

"We may not need silence, for if we are invisible, anybody there will have a hard time figuring out where the noise is coming from -- we'll easily get the drop on them. Plus, how are we going to be able to keep track of each other if we are silenced and invisible! It boggles my mind." She says as she throws her hands up in the air.

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OOC:

I think invisible and silenced = disaster waiting to happen as we wouldn't be able to communicate or tell where each other were, or coordinate attacks or movement.

Lets get to the clearing, Virashil will use 4 charges off her wand of invisibility, we then make our way to the keep - should take ~ 30 sec to go 30 yards -- (5 rounds x 20' movement for you slowpokes = 100')

Then we can explore the keep.

Thoughts?

Having Jorr stand watch to make sure no ambush comes from behind the heroes make thier way through the forest uphill. Duroin and Virashil wince as thier heavily armored companions crunch and creak alongside them. But you all make it to the treeline unmolested.
(reposting this)
The Old Keep is in very poor repair. The gatehouse is partially collapsed, as is a section of the southern wall. A small wooden building sits next to the remains of a long abandoned garden in front of the structure. The walls surrounding the keep are about 15' high, with a two-story tower looming in the southwest corner of the courtyard within.
Large boulders lie strewn amid the ruins of two watchtowers, and a massive humanoid skeleton slumps amid the ruins of the northern one. The skeleton still wears tattered fragments of hide armor and a large club lies next to one of its bony arms.


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