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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Carlo-One" data-source="post: 8035837" data-attributes="member: 7015827">Once in a safer place out of earshot, the group again fell to arguing about how to proceed. Dermot recommended creating a distraction in the back, while others penetrated the manor defenses via the front path. Darrow said he was leaning toward the scenario of teleporting into the manor bedroom – which Shanni opposed – as the dwarf liked the chances there better, rather than having to fight the guards and the patrolling bear. Aerikoth said that he would be capable of this, but only had the one teleport spell, which meant the others would have to fight their way into the building. The wizard queried if there was a reason the attempt could not be made on the morrow, when he would be better prepared with protection spells. Rahnee said there was not, especially since the bear had already alerted the guards, and the group somewhat reluctantly departed the manor grounds.The wet and bedraggled adventurers arrived back at Kablin’s Inn in the wee hours of the morning. Rahnee, Darrow, Dermot and Shanni collapsed into the available rooms, while Aerikoth teleported out. Late the next morning, the four at the inn had just gathered for some watery soup – the only food available – when the wizard suddenly appeared in the common room. Kablin and his wife Yasia excused themselves to let their guests enjoy (?) the meal, apologizing for its quality and expressing their hopes that better times were ahead for their village.Rahnee, evidently having thought about it overnight, laid out her plan for the assault on the Beast. She wanted Aerikoth to teleport her and Darrow into the manor bedroom, leaving the two warriors to hold it as necessary, while the mage fetched Dermot and Shanni as reinforcements. Darrow signaled his agreement, calling it the best plan. Dermot more reluctantly agreed, noting that at least he was not going in first. Shanni just shrugged, looking entirely unhappy. Rahnee said that there was no perfect solution, but this did nothing to mollify Shanni, who said she thought it was beyond stupid to jump into an unknown situation. Aerikoth for his part considered it a tactic similar to what had worked with the assault on the Astorians’ headquarters and did not believe it likely that the bedroom would be heavily guarded at that time of day.After finishing his thin meal, Darrow headed to the barracks to inform Guard Captain Calen of their intent to attack the Beast. Calen promised to have his soldiers protect the village while the adventurers were away. On the dwarf’s return to the inn, he found his companions still arguing about the plan. Dermot was reluctantly supportive, while Shanni was turning livid with anger. Darrow headed upstairs to put on his armor, with Rahnee’s assistance, while Dermot divested himself of various items, to avoid having too much weight during the teleport. After the three returned downstairs, Aerikoth gathered himself quietly for a moment and began to concentrate on his spells.The mage cautioned Shanni and Dermot to remain touching each other, so that when Aerikoth returned from his first trip, both would be taken along with him on the second teleport. After a slightly nervous reminder from Darrow, the mage began casting spells of protection on the dwarf and the rest of the group. Dermot asked what he and Shanni should do if Aerikoth did not return. Rahnee advised them not to be heroes, but to wait in the inn as long as it seemed reasonable. Words of encouragement and caution were spoken by Rahnee, Darrow and Dermot as Aerikoth finished up by casting protective spells on himself. With a short phrase, “Here we go,” the mage touched Rahnee and Darrow, speaking a word of power and vanishing with them, as Shanni and Dermot linked hands in preparation for their own travel.After what seemed like a very long minute, the two saw Aerikoth appear again in front of them. He reached over to grab Shanni, then spoke a word of power. The three of them materialized inside a large bedroom, at which point Shanni and Rahnee visibly stopped holding their breath. The room was empty except for the adventurers and had a thin layer of dust over it.Dermot controlled his breathing and readied a weapon as he and Shanni slipped out into the hallway. Shanni kept quietly to the wall, as the two heard a group of men talking and laughing in the distance, their voices reverberating down the stone corridor. After taking a quick look into the chamber at the end, Shanni remained in the shadows to keep watch while Dermot returned to the bedroom. The ranger informed the others there were around a dozen men and some kind of large animal in the chamber, by the sound of it. Darrow expressed a desire to just charge the room, as a “simple plan” that “couldn’t fail”. Dermot advised that he had a couple of “tricks” – grease and tangling plants – that could help break up the crowd. Rahnee firmly agreed with the ranger’s plan while chiding the dwarf for his rashness. Aerikoth noted that he had spells available for use against the group, including one for summoning a wolf to fight at their side.Dermot asked Rahnee if she wanted to fight and show no mercy, or talk to their opponents first. The young warrior-woman confidently said she would like to talk, but would show no mercy if they were attacked. The ranger replied simply that this would be interesting, then without further comment followed the soft-stepping Rahnee down the corridor with the others. Shanni, from her post at the entrance to the back of the chamber, indicated that one of the men seemed to be giving orders, as the others had quieted down.Rahnee strode forward and showed herself to the group of wild-looking men occupying the chamber in front of them. At the head of it, sitting in the former baronial throne, was a large man clad in an armor of animal skins, with a similarly large worg lounging beside him. Shanni meanwhile was lurking against the wall, her face giving the impression she was wondering what the hells the others were doing. As the leader challenged Rahnee, asking how she had gotten into the manor, the other three adventurers stayed behind her, taking up positions by the corridor entrance. The conversation quickly turned ugly, as Rahnee claimed the manor for her own, and the leader – presumably the Beast – in response gestured for his men to attack.</blockquote>

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