(5.24 PBP) Vault of the Dracolich (IC) Redux

[Hriston]

After having gathered what additional javelins he could find scattered around the battlefield and having listened to Brogh's responses to Urgan's questions, Terrin spends the rest of the hour sitting and exchanging pleasantries in Halfling with Corrah.

"So it seems we have a means of crossing the bridge and entering the gate," he says, rising to depart. "Now that any who require it have enjoyed my Lady's grace, the question that remains is who, if any among our group, will depart for the caves with Corrah before we set out to cross the bridge. Or do we all cross together and postpone the sundering of our company until a later time?"

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Spoiler: Merrick- Team AMBUSH

Merrick Thorburn Race: Human	HP: 45/53 AC: 15/17(with shield)	Buffs:
Rage: 3/3	Inner Healing:1/4	HD: 3/3
Spoiler: Stats(saves) STR: 16+3(+5) DEX: 13+1(+1) CON: 16+3(+5) INT: 8-1(+-1) WIS: 10+0(+0) CHA:11 +0(+0)	Spoiler: Skills Athletics+5 Intimidate: 2/5 Perception: 2/5 Performance 2 Stealth: 3/5 Survival: 2/5	Spoiler: Spells Daily: JUMP: 1/1 At will Thaumaturgy Message

---

"I`m going to the caves unless you really need me at the gate. I can speak to the kobolds so maybe we can barter our way through. It might be good to bring a bit of this food we found with us to convince them."

He says to Copper,

"Listen, I don`t think you fit in with this gang, " he`s talking about the mercenaries,

"I recon they`ll pick you out as being an outsider. Why don`t you join us in the caves?"

OOC: This is Merrick trying to convince @Leatherhead copper to come along. Also, maybe I can snag a barrel of some food or booze - if there's some small enough to carry - to offer to the kobolds. As long as the cultists won't miss it @FitzTheRuke Nice job with the corpse. I had a little tinge of sympathy for him

 

[Hriston]

"I think our success at the gate will depend more on guile than force of arms," Terrin replies to Merrick, "but also that we will have need of a strong warrior, either to win the gate or soon thereafter. Ultimately, you must decide. However, it is my understanding that the caves can be approached both from here, by crossing the river and scaling the cliffs, or from the other side of the bridge, which I assume is the easier of the two. Corrah, please correct me if that's not correct. So the question immediately before us is do we cross the bridge together, or do we part ways now."

"Also," Terrin continues, "with regard to the composition of those of us attempting to breach the gate, I believe back at camp Corrah mentioned that some of this caravan were new recruits so may not be recognizable to the forces that await us, either by type or by number. Of course, we don't know what communication there may have been between the caravan master and those inside the fortress, but it was probably limited, I would think."

 

[FitzTheRuke]

While resting, Terrin conversed with Corrah, and he discovered her motivation. She said, "I don't want to scare you or the others off, but I gotta tell you - Imani sent a small group in two tendays ago, an' they never came back. One of them was my brother, Edgar. I've heard that bastard, Silakul can turn his victims ta zombies, or skeletons. I'm afraid to go inside, not because I'm afraid to die - well, I don't think it's that - but because I'm afraid to find Edgar as some yucky undead. That would be just awful."

Later, after the spell had been cast, Corrah seemed ashamed to have been part of it.

"I'm such a hypocrite!" she said to Terrin with tears in her eyes. "Brogh the Blade may have been a heel, but his mum, if she's alive, probably still thinks of him as 'Bruggie'."

When asked about the two possible routes to the Caves, she answered, leaving her guilt behind and moving onto the task at hand, "Well, there's just no reason I can think of, once we cross the bridge, for us to go east in front of the Watchtower. They'll see us do it, for sure. 'Where you going?' They'll ask, and we'll have no answer. From there, it's less of a climb (though there's also not much of a trail). It's a few hundred yards of avalanche rock. Blackpeak seems ta shed 'em."

"I don't really know who knows who in there," she said in comment to Terrin's musings, "But I get the idea that the Cult an' the Mercs don't cross-over much, and there's enough of both that they probably don't know everyone in either group. There's a good chance the young'uns* are new."

* She indicated the bodies of the two younger cultists who had rode on the back of the wagon.

 

[Steve Gorak]

Team Lake

Aywin quickly gets a view of his companions that went over the water fall to see if they were ok. Reassured, he eyed Loklafd and asked "Will we need the kayak for longer? If so, let's bring it down."

Telepathically, he sends Svetlana further down to investigate.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Team Ambush.

Urgan grunts and thanks Corrah for her insights. He spies the exe the corpse had mentioned, and he picks it up. Rusty and old? Clean and new? Whichever it is, he straps it to his pack. Who knows when it might be useful.

"The Wagon's ready to roll. I know you all kindly voted me leader, but I'm really just a craftsman. And I don't have a mind for tactics. I don't think we should split up, but if we do, then at least we should cross the bridge together. I can perhaps obscure the vision of the guards at the tower and those going to the cave could separate then."

 

[Tonguez]

TEAM LAKE - SUBJECT: SHADE-9 - MISSION: SEPLUNKING

Shade-9 leaned back against the rush of water as they plunged over the fall, adjusting his spray-blind optics. He had miscalculated the landing space and the tug of the current, but it seemed that the setback was only minor. Darius was unharmed and even Bill managed to adapt and find his way back to shore.

[Hazard Register: Unexpected Aquatic Displacement // [Subject: Darius] - Stable//[Companion Subject: Bill] - Temporary Loss, Self Recovery] [Kayak Operational status normal]

Shade-9 turned his gaze toward Aywin and Loklafd, assessing that they too had arrived and could descend safely.

"Companion Bill is confirmed safe" he advised scanning across for Bjorn "We have entered the subterranean lake. Recommend regroup and reassess position. Awaiting Further Instructions"

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Team Lake

Loklafd answered Aywin, "If the others are well, I would be happy to ride the kayak over the waterfall, but it would be easier to do if I could see. Is there any movement out there in the dark? Can we risk some light?"

Darius had swallowed some water when he'd taken a breath too late as they plunged into the lake - a thing that he might have avoided if he had been able to see how far they were falling. He was blind, drenched, and coughing. He too, would appreciate a source of light.

 

[Leatherhead]

Spoiler: Copper: Team AMBUSH

Copper AC:15 HP:31/31 HD:4/4 PP:14 CloudJ:2/2

Copper takes a look at the relatively diminutive mercenaries lying dead about the recent battlefield. "Yeah it would be hard to pass as one of these 'Beasts', maybe as a cultist? I dunno much about that kind of stuff though." The goliath agrees. "Maybe some of those Amnish spirits will buy the kobolds over?"

 

[Neurotic]

"So, if I follow this correctly, we will be a few heads short, so 'we didn't find new recruits' or some such. And we were attack by...a ownbear? Or something." Lorent muses as he prepares for the ruse.
"Lets feed the beast." he climbs the cart as he cleans the cape of the cultist with a minor spell.
"Saphirrion, remain high up. Don't be seen."