Dungeon Raiders: The Wolf's Den

[Li Shenron]

Dungeon Raiders: The Wolf's Den

In search of treasure, experience, and the unknown, you have been travelling to the mountainous regions of the north. Here, at a day's journey on foot up the mountains from the nearest villages, lies a grim fortress known as the Wolf's Den.



Yesterday...

The fortress was built by the ruthless chief of a large tribe of bandits, the self-appointed Lord Wolf, who raided and pillaged for years around the countryside, and amassed a considerable wealth.
Many locals were kidnapped for ransom, and those whom it was not paid for, were said to have been fed to a monster living trapped under the fortress.
Lord Wolf days came to an end eventually, as the knights and heroes of nearby regions mounted an assault on the fortress, almost a century ago. They decimated the bandits and routed the few survivors, but didn't find Lord Wolf himself and his family, and the loot they retrieved was not as large as to be called a 'treasure'.
Many bands of adventurers through the years have entered the fortress in search for Lord Wolf's treasure, but none ever came back, until recently. The locals say in fact that the fortress is now inhabited by a new band of brigands.


Sulannus has further insight on the fortress story tho... It is said that Lord Wolf had seen his end coming, and committed suicide together with his close relatives and acquaintainces, only to be entombed in the fortress catacombs by faithful servants. However, none of the surviving bandits knew where Lord Wolf's body was buried, and the entrance to the catacombs was not found. The supposed 'monster' was never found either, but neither were the remains of the kidnapped victims.

...today...

The fortress sits atop a small forested hill. An overgrown dirt road leads to its main South gate. When at the junction between the main travel road and the dirt road to the fortress, you've managed to notice well in advance that a group of 9 bandits on foot was travelling away from the fortress: you left the road, hid in the wilderness and manage to let them pass without noticing you. You then decided to travel the last mile or so towards the fortress through the woods. Thanks to Bartleby and Aeiyan, you've managed to secure a safe spot here from which to observe the fortress.

The gate seems guarded all the time by at least three guards, and you've noticed more of them moving on the fortress' roof. At night, lanterns are lit around the fortress walls, illuminating an area about 30ft wide from it.

On the East slope of the hill there is a cave opening. No light comes from this at night, but the area around the entrance has been cleared, some large boulders have been moved closed to it, and you've noticed 2-3 guards sitting on top of them.
The slope itself is quite steep, and it appears unlikely that the cave entrance can be seen from the fortress.

Bartleby has information that the band of brigands might be the one lead by a rogue Mage known as Milv, a notorious criminal seen on several bounty boards across the continent. Unfortunately, Bartleby hasn't been following this bounty's case personally, so he knows no details on Milv's skills or intentions.

(I assumed that Sulannus' retainers remained in town, but you might have also brought them with you. In this case however, they will be of little use in dangerous quarters, and you should probably arrange for them to stay in the wood).

...and tomorrow

It's your choice if you want to attempt entering the fortress from the south gate or going into the eastern caves, or doing something else.

Let's say you can also pick the time of day for when starting the action. It's autumn and the weather's slightly cold and mildly cloudly, it might rain tomorrow. You have food and water rations for 3 days, but once back in the wilderness Tock can easily find food for everyone (just something to keep in mind, should you have trouble getting out...)

 

[Shayuri]

Though Sulannus didn't really have clothes suitable for mucking about in dirt and bushes, she chose one of her simpler dresses from the Fall of Summer, which was a rich, deep forest green in color, with dapples of lime and olive that cascaded thicker and thicker from the shoulders down to the hem, giving the visual impression of leaves falling. Her long, gleaming gold hair was gathered up in a bun, and mostly hidden under a jaunty cap that she MUST have bought on the road, because it did NOT go with the dress. Her handmaid, Hannah, kept staring at it when Sulannus' back was turned...looking for all the world like she wanted nothing more than to some how leap up and snatch it off her head, and destroy it completely. Hannah could tolerate the ugly leather sandals her mistress had elected to wear when it became apparent that walking miles in formal footwear wasn't going to work, because her dress largely covered them. But that hat. That HAT.

"You three stay here," the high elf instructed her trio of vassals as she peered at the fortress with ill-concealed eagerness. Her thirst for adventure was as worrying as her unpreparedness for it. "Move if you have to avoid notice, but otherwise stay here until we return." The daughter of House Phaedran, one of the high seats on the Court of the Sun, grinned an 'aren't I naughty' grin better reserved for childish mischief than beholding a fortress manned by ruffians. "I don't think we'll be long."

She looked around at her fellow 'heroes,' and her face fell from anticipation to resignation.

It was really so unfair. She was a mage; an apprentice Thaumaturge of the Tower of Mysteries. She'd opened the Book of Hues, and grasped the Flame of Ages in her soft, milky-white hand. The secrets of all reality whirled about her head! But these were the best she could do for companions.

At least one was an elf...albeit one of the primitive 'wood elf' tribes of the outland forests; far from the civilization of Anavaris and the crystal dome of the Citadel of the High Courts. From the towers of white and gold, and the towering form of Kliddrasin, the Memory Tree with its branches and trunk studded by all the lights of elfhomes from base to crown.

The rest? Eh. They'd be dead in a few decades regardless.

The good news, such as it was, was that Sulannus would at least have no trouble standing out among such a band. There'd be no competition for glory, no mention of names other than hers in the history orations.

So that was something.

"We'll go in through the caves," she said. "Less guards, and no archers to hit us from the walls. Sneak in close and attack by surprise." Sulannus nodded at the wood elf. "We'll cover you at range."

 

[Jimmy Disco T]

"A sound plan" said Tock in response.

Cautiously, he moved to the edge of the trees and took a glance at the cave entrance; trying to get a sense of the terrain and if there was any way they might make a concealed approach.

"Whom amongst us has the stealth to approach unseen? I fear my own skills lie in the more direct approach to combat... if indeed combat is how we wish to approach this. Perhaps we could lure the foe to us and engage them under more favourable conditions...?"

Tock looked around the area, trying to see if there is a good spot closer to their immediate location where they might spring an ambush; perhaps some fallen trees, boulders, or scrub that could provide cover...

 

[tuxgeo]

"A sound plan" said Tock in response.

Cautiously, he moved to the edge of the trees and took a glance at the cave entrance; trying to get a sense of the terrain and if there was any way they might make a concealed approach.

"Whom amongst us has the stealth to approach unseen? I fear my own skills lie in the more direct approach to combat... if indeed combat is how we wish to approach this. Perhaps we could lure the foe to us and engage them under more favourable conditions...?"

"As Her Highness has already implied, I am somewhat skilled in that matter," replied Aeiyan. "I'm not the best, mind you; but I'm still somewhat skilled. However, . . ." his voice trailed off for a moment.

He looked over the situation without making any attempt to depart immediately. Then he glanced toward the Cleric and asked, "Does this look as much like a setup to you as it does to me?"

He glanced around at the rest of them, continuing, "We have approached from the south, and we see the south gate strong and well-guarded. Yet from here we also can see what appears to be a weak point to the east. Wouldn't it seem to a tactician that any potential intruders were meant to see the eastern approach, and were meant to think it easy?" He looked directly at Rejik and added, "I'm thinking trap."

 

[Shayuri]

"They're bandits," Sulannus points out tersely, "Not tacticians. They're thugs. Moreover, we just saw a lot of them leave, so the fortress is at its weakest. This is the perfect time to strike!"

 

[Li Shenron]

While you discuss your plan, let's say that the time is late afternoon, thus you still have sunlight.

But if you prefer to attack with the dark, you need only wait a couple of hours or so.

 

[wedgeski]

He looked over the situation without making any attempt to depart immediately. Then he glanced toward the Cleric and asked, "Does this look as much like a setup to you as it does to me?"

From his position in the bushes, Rejik nodded. "Oh, aye, it does." The grass stalk jutting from his mouth bobbed in time with the words. "Her worshipfulness over there is right, these are just bandits, but they're bandits with a damned fortress, and it doesn't take a tactical genius to shoot from behind a strong wall while five idiots throw themselves at the gate. Or for this mage Bartleby heard about to incinerate the lot of us with a fireball."

He stood and spat a glob of green spit into the bushes. Something small and furry fled the impact. "We might consider looking for another way in, but if it comes down to it, then in the matter of gate versus cave... I vote cave."

 

[Kobold Stew]

Bartleby squats, the backs of his fingers brushing casually against the low brush while he thinks.
"The Cave seems the right place to start," he says. "Though of course a dwarf would think that." He casts a glance at Sulannus to see if the self-deprecation will crack her veneer.

They'd been walking for days now, but it seemed to him she was yet to show any consideration for anyone other than herself. Don't get distracted, he thinks, turning back to the boulder.

"I suggest we rest here until we see a shift change," Bartleby suggests, conscious that Sulannus is urging action now. "We can see what sort of schedule they're on. See how many of them leave from this spot, and whether they go in through the cave or circle round outside. That should give us a sense of how dangerous the route itself is, too -- whether it is walked by the unwary. And see where the replacements come from. If we're going ahead with this, I think the right time to go would be early in the next shift. Gives us the most time before someone notices that we've passed."

"When the time comes, if you want a distraction to help you get closer, just let me know. I might be able to get them at least to flush out one or two of then, and, uh… well. Tock, I have to admit, uh, I'm not the best at sneaking about."

 

[tuxgeo]

"Alright," Aeiyan confirmed, "the cave seems our approach then. However, we haven't had a look at the north or west faces of the castle yet. Instead of merely sitting here until shift change, I think I should skulk some distance around the hill, away from the fort, east then north then west, then back again, keeping out of sight and looking for interesting features, just so we know a bit more. I'll be back in about an hour."

Grasping his bow in his left hand, he turned toward Sulannus and grinned, raising a finger of his right hand as if about to say something; then he grinned some more, nodded and turned away, moving quietly eastward farther into cover.*

As he passed Rejik he added, "Two seconds to talk me out of it. Two; one. Bye!"

[If Aeiyan reaches a point where he cannot find good cover, he'll stop there and backtrack to the group; otherwise, he's always trying to stay hidden from the castle/fort. His Wisdom (Perception) rolls are with advantage with a +3 bonus: that's +2 from WIS modifier, +1 from proficiency.]

* The gesture is meant to be reminiscent of the act of leaving "a blank piece of paper by way of explanation" from Salinger's Franny & Zooey.

 

[Li Shenron]

One clarification: the cave doesn't open straight into the fortress, it is at least 150ft down the steep east slope
[MENTION=61026]tuxgeo[/MENTION]:

[sblock]Aeiyan can manage to scout around the fortress and back in about an hour. What he sees, is simply that there are no ground entrances on the west, north and east sides, apparently the south gate being the only one, although there are windows but only about as large as arrow slits.

During your scouting he also notices there are three ballistas installed on the roof, each facing to a different side except east. In fact, the scouting confirms your feeling that the east slope is so steep that it can't be walked up but only climbed, and that the cave entrance can't be seen from the fortress (but the sound of battle could eventually be heard).[/sblock]