This time, Vilma goes to the other side to have a look, looking for a place to set up a grappling hook. And a rope.
"Maybe we can try the other side of the fort ?"
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This time, Vilma goes to the other side to have a look, looking for a place to set up a grappling hook. And a rope.
"Maybe we can try the other side of the fort ?"
Seresey nods. “Seems prudent. Perhaps Brother Jaume would favor us with another attempt to break down the door? Be the effort genuine or otherwise, no doubt climbing the wall would go largely unnoticed with all that banging.”
Lillian watches the goings on, looking mildly put out at the not-so-subtle insults directed her way. When her sister considers getting to work and realizes there is no lock to pick the spacey woman looks to one side of the fort with a bored expression. Sighing, she removes an extract from her bandolier and says, "I'm going up to get a good look. If it's safe I will come open the gate. If not, I'll help set a rope to climb." Then she drinks her extract and easily scales the wall, carefully looking over the top for signs of guards or lookouts.
Spoiler: MechanicsDrink a Monkeyfish extract, then climb the wall. Once within 10-feet (a move action) from the top she will slow and finish climbing stealthily, peeking over the lip of the wall and trying to get a good view of things without being seen herself. If there is an obvious place where she can hide - hanging vines on the wall, a shadowy cleft, etc... - she will aim to hide there as she observes the inside of the fort.
Winter
Winter steps to allow access to the door for Brother Jaume and then watches with some interest as their new companion drinks something and then tries to scurry up the wall. She watches with a keen eye and waits to see what Lillian reports then shrugs as the wall is too sheer . As she waits she glances at Wrentz, "Interesting agents you have brought, colourful, but they do seem rather competent."
Lillian finds that the smoothly-fitted stones of Fort Hailcourse's first story are completely beyond her ability to climb, even with her extract.
Brother Jaume, do you attempt to do a straight up breakage, or do you seek to batter things down with your fists the long way? Either way, please make rolls. Feel free to make a bunch of them to save time since you aren't in combat.
Brother Jaume will set down his staff, enlarge and attempt to push and break the doors.
Spoiler: crunch
Enlarge each attempt
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
Brother Jaume is unable to break open the door with a single burst of force, and recognized that after only one attempt (so he only used one use of enlarge) that to For Hailcourse's credit, it is a fine, stout keep door ... proof against a quick break from a giant.
Brother Jaume shrinks down to normal and shakes his head.
Lillian looks at her webbed hands and feet in obvious disappointment as her extract fails to provide enough of an advantage to scale the walls. "I've one option left - Vessex, fly up there, get a look around, and tell me what you see, please," she says as she opens her familiar satchel and frees the unusually-large wasp inside. It flies up and looks around, intent on following Lillian's directions and giving her mistress an idea of what to expect inside the fort.
The housecat-sized wasp buzzes abruptly .....and flies off and up, moving around in lazy circles to do so. Vessex is gone over the lip of the battlements for several seconds before she flies back quickly and Lillian senses alarm from her. Landing on the ground in front of Lillian, Vessex buzzes again.Spoiler: Lillian<"Yezz, Mizztrezz!">Spoiler: Lillian<"Creepy puddle! Almozt flew right over it, but it wiggled funny, and I don't like it. I did zzee that mozt of above is ztone roof, but zzeveral turretzz and a couple placezz that zztuck up above the level of roof but weren't turretzz had doorzz.">
"It looks like there is some ooze or pudding inside - dangerous enough to spook Vessex. Also, if we can get to the roof there are several doors there we can try to use. Looks like we need some foothold for me to climb or a grappling hook and rope..." Lillian tells her companions, looking about expectantly.
Brother Jaume will pick up his quarterstaff and move East around the fort to see if there is anything to see since has neither rope nor grappling hook.
Winter
Winter looks with curiosity at the wasp then looks asks quietly ”Can the wasp carry the grappling hook up and hook it somewhere for us.”.
Then taking at step back and glancing up and down the walls liking for any windows “If not we need a battering ram or some mechanism for disrupting the wooden door.” she offers, pondering if her goddess has that capability in her prayers.
Does anyone else move around to the east with Brother Jaume?
Meanwhile, Kris says, "I can get up there and hook a grappling hook, but I'm none too interested in tangling with anger-goop."
"If you can hook the rope, I can join you," says Lillian. "The rope should help enough for my extract to do the rest. Then the others can follow, unless we want to sneak to the door and open it for them..."
Kris takes the grappling hook and floats up to just reach and attach and hook the grappling hook before she flies down quickly, obviously nervous about being near the top.
But the hook is securely set.
As Brother Jaume begins to leave, Seresey calls out, "make some noise over there- we might need it." She then puts a had to Lilian's chest- not gently, but with familiar affection. "We both know you're not going up that rope first, sis. Be ready to join me."
The keen-eyed woman takes a few breaths to focus herself, and begins to climb.
BJ hears the request and looks for some stones to bang together.
The area around the Fort is (or was) well-policed. There are no loose stones, but Brother Jaume finds he can clack his quarterstaff on the cobbled walkways, but either he has to go out of sight, or return to the party ... and given Brother Jaume's mindset, he returns to the central walkway to create noise.
Seresy has a little trouble starting out, but even for her this isn't that terrible of a climb, and she makes it steadily up to the top, taking a look around. Directly ahead to the north is a non-turret tower, part of the main keep ... as well as to her northeast. The area to the north does not have doors from her current vantage, but there are stairs at the area to the northeast. Otherwise, much of what she sees ... what isn't part of guard towers ... is stone roof.
Vilma gets closer to the rope, grabs it, and starts climbing as well.
Vilma stows her shield and begins climbing. Seresy had a faint bit of technique, but is not very strong. Vilmahas no technique, is wearing heavy armor, but is quite strong. Still, she makes it slowly up the rope, and Seresy backs up from the edge to give her room, putting her out of sight.
Just as Vilma makes it to the top .... still technically climbing and not quite over the battlements, but enough to see ... she sees that Seresy's body is mostly disintegrated by some type of goopy sheen that covers her. Seresy is dead, killed quickly and noiselessly by this stuff, and wandering pseudopods seem to drift to "point" at the helmed head of the inquisitor looking over the battlements from the outside.
Vilma, do you just drop down? do you climb down cautiously? or, do you try to climb over the battlements to meet this thing alone? what do you do?
Realizing the presence of the goo, Vilma lets the rope slip through her finger, hoping to fall on her feet.
Winter
As Vilma slides down rapidly Winter looks at her in surprise as she had been readying to try and climb the rope. Seeing the expression on Villa’s face she exclaims ”What is it? What did you see up there?”
.... which she does, initially, before gravity and inertia continue to plant her on the stone ground on her butt, back, and back of helmet as well as her feet, taking a bell-ringing 12 damage on the cobbled walk.
Everyone saw her. While difficulty climbing, Vilma was definitely at the top, and seemed to have purposefully let go.
Brother Jaume rushes over to Vilma to offer aid.
Winter
Winter looks in surprise as Vilma plummets beside her and joins Jaume in offering aid. Seeing her injured she focuses and a pulse of light seems to emanate from her as she channels energy into the poor injured Vilma. ”What happened? What did you see? Where is Seresy?”
Spoiler: OOC
Convert summon I to cure light wounds [roll0]
The healing energy heals most of what Vilma suffered, though she still does have from spillover wounds from yesterday as well still extant.
She shakes her head.
"She's dead. The ooze got her right as I arrived, there is nothing more to do. I'm sorry."
For her part, Lillian seems incredibly calm. Like terrifyingly business-as-usual, though perhaps less chipper. She was just told that her twin sister was killed and she says nothing.
The shocking news hits brother Jaume especially hard as another member of his flock is laid low. He drops to a knee grasping his bronze holy symbol in a white knuckled grip, silently mouthing something. After several moments he stands and looking pale but resolute he gets Ms. Wrentz’ attention. He points towards the East side of the fort and then motions for everyone to follow him.