D&D 5E [IC] Creamsteak's Princes of Elemental Evil

[Creamsteak]

OOC: Let's see what happens at the monastery. You can always continue on towards the spire or the Shallow Graves if wanted.

After two days travel, the group arrives without being harried at the monastery.

A trail leads into an ever-narrowing defile between bluffs of wind-sculpted sandstone. Eventually the walls draw in so closely that you can reach out and touch either side, but then the narrow space opens into a hidden canyon in the heart of the hills. A sprawling monastery with dark, narrow windows and red tile rooftops stands in the middle of this natural amphitheater, ringed by sandstone cliffs all around. Ahead, a weathered flight of stone steps leads up to the closed monastery doors. The plain doors are made of heavy timber with iron studs. A dusty footpath circles the building.

 

[Creamsteak]

OOC: Top down view

 

[Kobold Stew]

"Do we knock?" asks Carradoc. "Who'd say no to a good-looking group like ourselves?"

 

[hafrogman]

Tolan chuckles darkly to himself.

"We could always try honesty again. Display our tags and tell them that we are investigating the caravan. Then wait for them to try and kill us before wreaking bloody vengeance."

He shrugs.

"Other than that I am not sure. Possibly try to warn them of treachery from the Eternal Flame? See what stones that overturns."

 

[Forged Fury]

Damien could hear Archandros' frown in his mind. The devil detested puns, at least when the warlock wasn't making them.

"Well, we're already at the front door. Sneaking is probably not an option now and, from the reports we've received, the Mirabarans were captives of the people who call this place home. It seems like the direct option is about our only one at this point." Frowning, he finished, "As far as the Eternal Flame, or whatever that is, they could even be in cahoots with these Stone guys. We really don't have enough information to do anything but take wild swings and see what we knock down."

 

[Creamsteak]

OOC: There don't appear to be any sentries watching around the place.

 

[Shayuri]

"I don't see any watchers," Aridha says with a frown. "The walls, the high places around...no movement or shadows." She shakes her head. "They may be confident in their walls...or perhaps this place has already been attacked."

 

[Forged Fury]

Damien's eyes traced the footpath that appeared to encircle the structure. "Perhaps we will find a better, less obvious way in around back?"

 

[Kobold Stew]

Carradoc shrugs, calls forth the spirit-owl he keeps in a nexus of not-space, and sends it flying around the perimeter of the monastery. He gazes through its eyes, temporarily losing sight in his own, but as he does so he describes what he sees, and particularly whether he sees any signs of activity. If there's none, it will take a cautious flight over the top of the monastery, to see what's open from above.

[OOC: summon familiar, which flies around dodging, will bolt at any sign of trouble.]

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Seeing Carradoc deploy his owl, Dent resisted the urge to march up to and kick in the monastery door, but only just. Instead, he settled in to wait for the bird's report. He wasn't clear just how, exactly, the bond between the owl and transmuter worked; was the bird a bit of Carradoc given flight? Or was it perhaps a fanciful bit of magic, pure illusion? Dent fell to watching the sky for the owl's return. Idle fingers drummed of their own accord on the hilt of his blade while he waited.