Mordae's New Keep on the Borderlands 3.5 (IC)

[Mordae]

The reddening sun hangs low over the mountain peaks on the western horizon as your animals plod along the dusty, little-used road that winds northeastward toward the very edge of the Grand Duchy of Karameikos. This is far border country, much further than any reasonable man might dare to settle away from the sights and sounds of Specularum. The fabled Emirates of Ylarum are much nearer than the crown jewel of the Duchy, though the journey past the origin of the Castellan River would be a trackless endeavor through the heart of frost giant country.

Your journey nears its end as the road takes a bend to the north and the craggy hill upon which Norgar's Citadel has been built comes into view. At first glance its grey stone towers might be taken for ordinary mountain peaks, but the green and white pennants that snap from atop the battlements stand out starkly from the pale azure sky. Watchmen take note of your approach but do not challenge it; the mighty army of the Unyielding has naught to fear from an armed band of less than a dozen. You are able to approach the gate before a quartet of guards in chainmail array themselves to stop your approach. On the towers above, archers watch your every move, but no arrows are nocked--yet.

The eldest of the four, his green and white surcoat emblazoned with Norgar's golden lion seal and the single chevron befitting a corporal of the guard, strikes the butt of his halberd on the stones of the gateway to call for your attention. "State your name and business at the Keep of Norgar the Unyielding, Sentinel of the Northern Reach." His raspy voice is thin and of a higher pitch than one might expect for a man his size.

[Gorgon_Heap]

Unhindered with bulging bags, merchant's goods or much personal gear at all really, the gnome strides forward and politely renders a small bow. He reveals matted blond hair when he removes the metal cap from his head. It's a marvelous piece of craftsmanship gobbed up with splashed layers of red paint to match his doublet and cloak.

"Well met, guardsfellow. I am Stenly Sterling Snipewhistle, a caravan guard and huntsman by trade. At the moment I'd like nothing more than a pillowed seat by a fire, a garlic-roasted pheasant and at least two good bottles of wine."

He steps aside and clomps the cap back into place, giving his fellow travelers a smile both ingratiating and conspiratorial. To the closest traveler he says quietly, "After weeks of wilderness I admit a bit of formality is a good reminder why we're better than the animals we eat. They generally lack manners. Much like dwarves, only much less able to wield axes."

[TheTick]

Renard steps forward, shaking the dust from his vestments as he goes. "Hail, and well met, Guardsman. I am Renard, a simple Cleric of the Dweller on the Horizon, Fharlanghn. I am passing through here to offer whatever aid one of my order can provide. My path has brought me here, and I shall not stray from it." He nods once, and steps back to allow the others to declare themselves.

[Duke of URL]

A prime example of fine young elfdom is next. "I am called Valdamain, a wandering magician seeking to use my talents as a freelancer or mercenary. Does Norgar the Unyielding have any work for the like of us?"

[gunnar11]

The young elf looks around and doesn't make any motion indicating interest onto the guards. "Greetings" he says with a deep grim voice. "I'm here seeking knowledge. I heard this keep knows of some magic, is this true?"
He doesn't appear to be speaking to anyone directly, too wrapped up in his mind to absorb his surroundings.

[Gorgon_Heap]

Stenly clears his throat. "Adomourne. You forgot to say your name, Adomourne ." He looks up at the guard corporal cheerfully. "Adomourne," he chortles.

[TheTick]

Renard chuckles to himself. Wizards.

[Mordae]

The corporal nods his acknowledgement to the four speakers before turning his icy blue gaze to Stern and Daniel. "And what of these two? Are they among your number? Can they not speak for themselves?" His nasal tone and furrowed brow betray his irritation with having to deal with travelers at this hour of the watch.

Spoiler

Show

Looking for something from AsDeR and Doomboy911, but if they don't post within a day I'd like someone else to speak for them so we can get moving inside the keep.

[AsDeR]

Stern

Stern looks up the guard and smiles. "I'm a part of the group. I just want a warm meal and sleep under a roof." This questions are stupid, we could be here to kill everybody and lie about it... Stern thinks for himself while smiling.

[Doomboy911]

I approach taking a knee and in a very very raspy voice like a knife riding along a rusted metal pipe I say."Tis an honor for one so low to meet one of high. I am merely the meekly Daniel heading along for the sake of the sights." Than stepping off and back to the back of the group.

[Mordae]

The guard asks a few more inane questions about how long the group intends to stay, where they have come from, and how to contact their next of kin. Then he moves on to the standard admonitions. "The gate closes at sunset and opens at sunrise. There shall be no fighting or drawn weapons within the walls. Do not drink to excess. Theft is forbidden. Access to the inner keep is by invitation only. Violators may be punished by time in the stocks, by hard labor in the salt or silver mines, or by death, at the discretion of Lord Norgar." With that, he ushers the sextet through the arched gateway just as a horn blows from atop one of the towers. Turning to his detachment, he nods ones and says, "Close the gate."

The clinking of chains and creaking of windlasses accompanies the slow groan of greased hinges as the gates swing shut and heavy bars are lowered into place. An iron portcullis slides down from its resting place above the inner face of the wall, closing off the archway against intruders.

The walls of the L-shaped outer keep are twenty feet high; most of the towers are an additional ten feet, though the Watchman's Tower at the northeastern corner of the keep, nearest the gate, looms fifty feet above the ground and is forty feet in diameter, a fortress in itself. The inner keep, nestled in the southwestern part of the castle, is even more stout; thirty foot walls and forty foot towers rise like a man-made mountain, but the summit is the impressive Tower of Guard. The largest in the whole citadel, it stands near the center of the castle overlooking the outer courtyard, some seventy feet in height and forty feet in diameter.

The outer courtyard is crammed full of buildings arranged such that there is no straight passage from the outer gate to the inner keep. Nestled in the shadow of the near-northwest tower, straight ahead, is the smithy. Stables are nearby to the left. Additional buildings further south outline a grassy yard where some crops are eked out of the rocky soil. Further still are warehouses, shops, and the Crow's Foot tavern and inn. In the gate court north of the inner keep, there is a chapel, barracks for Norgar's soldiers, and a deep well that provides fresh water should the citadel ever come under seige.

OOC: A very rough code-sketch of the citadel.

           o----------O
           |[]        |
           |[]  [][]  #
           |          |
o----------o  []      o
|[]      []           |
|[]    %     []       |
|[]                [] |
o----#-----@    [] [] o
|      |   |[]  [] [] |
|      o---|[]        |
|          |[]        |
|          |[] [][][] |
o----------o----------o

[Doomboy911]

I begin to try and make my way to the highest point whether it be by stairs or grappling hook.

[Gorgon_Heap]

Stenly chatters amiably with whomever is nearby, assisting with monor tasks and getting a feel for the place until the moment he spots the tavern shingle.

He then not quite politely excuses himself in a rush to fulfill his previously uttered desires, calling back over his shoulder he would love any comapany ...

[TheTick]

Renard stretches as best he can in his gear, and starts heading towards the Inn. "I'm going to see about a room, and perhaps get a pint."

[gunnar11]

"Great, I love when the mutually supportive group just scatters..."Adomourne whines with a sarcastic tone.
"Just make sure, everyone to come back here at 10." He yells. He then decides to go to the nearest shop and ask about any great magic schools, shops or magicians themselves around, to learn something from.
He goes investigating if he still's got time, if not he returns to the appointed spot, 15 minutes before 10.

[Doomboy911]

Daniel tries to find the highest point that's not being guarded. If he can reach the spot than I take a look around than head back to where everyone was.

[AsDeR]

Stern

"I will join you in a minute." Stern sais to the fellows heading to the tavern.
He head to the chapel to get some information about how the people is arround here.

[Gorgon_Heap]

Stenly instantly tosses a number of coins toward the bar, places his feet up closest to the fire he can get and plinks away on his lute, mumbling nonsense rhymes cheerfully until food and wine arrives. He then plunges in with gusto, and continues singing with food in his mouth.

He gleefully gulps any wine placed before him and seemingly has no intention of caring when - if ever - 10 o'clock rolls around.

[TheTick]

At the Inn, Renard politely inquires about a room and works out the details with the innkeeper. He heads to the tavern and gets a bite to eat and a drink, which he knocks back rather quickly. He punches Stenly on the shoulder as exits the establishment. "See you back out there. I'm not visiting you if you get put in the stocks on our first day here!"

[Gorgon_Heap]

More than a little surprised, Stenly calls, "But come now, Renard! After such a long trip. And what does that wizard hope to accomplish so late with the gates locked anyway?"

He grumpily plunks the strings of his lute and decides to flip a coin. Giggling to himself, Stenly holds the silver aloft and says, "Heads I go ..."

Spoiler

Show

1 is heads ... (1d2)[2]

"Ah, fate you cunning thing." He smiles and shrugs, then empties a bottle of wine and curls up, just managing to drag his cloak over himself before he starts to snore.

[Duke of URL]

Valdamian accompanies the others to the tavern, and spends a little coin on a hot meal and a decent flagon of wine, as well as plying some of the patrons (and the barkeep) with some drinks and silver to get a set of the current rumors floating around town.

Spoiler

Show

GatherInfo - (1d20+2)[8]

[TheTick]

Renard smiles broadly. "I may have the protection of my God, but I'm still not angering a wizard!"
Renard then walks out of the tavern to meet up with Adomourne. And to make sure Daniel isn't a puddle on the ground below some tower.

[gunnar11]

"There you are" Adomourne smiles brightly when he sees Renard approach. "I guess the rest will come in a bit, won't they?" Gullible as always.

"Did you find us a tavern, inn or anything the like? I do want everyone to stay together, and the way some people took off seemed like they wanted to get away from the rest." he continues. He was here early, as always. Punctuality and pacience are virtues for Adomourne, something not always combinable.

"What should we do afterwards? I am still in search of greater magic, and I'm not sure I can find it here... As for you guys, what do you want to do?"

Spoiler

Show

I guess we'll get an update from mordae soon? I mean, I still want to know what happened in that time.
Also: Maybe it's useful to write longer posts instead of more, as not to overload my inbox xD

[Mordae]

Daniel enters the tall stone tower guarding the northeast corner of the fortress. The Watchman's Tower is a chambered affair with a central spiral staircase leading up the various levels to the top of the tower. At the very top, a large catapult stands ready to repel invaders. The tower is manned by four soldiers in the same livery as at the gate; all are equipped with longbows and short swords. One of them gives Daniel a cursory nod as he arrives; apparently, they are used to seeing visitors. From this high vantage, the rogue can make out the fir and pine forests that blanket the hillsides surrounding the citadel; the rushing rivers that zig-zag between the hills, merging into greater and greater rivers en route to the Castellan Keep further south; and, beyond the marshy valley to the north, the sparkling expanse of the Iron Falls that separates the low valley from the higher plateau where the frost giants can be found.

Stern heads to the chapel, where a robed priest of Pelor greets him courteously. To the devoted man's query, the priest answers that the folk of the citadel are hardy, self-reliant, and perhaps a bit brusque, but are fiercely loyal to all who share their calling in the defense of the duchy. To those who would distract from this duty, little quarter is given.

Renard discusses sleeping arrangements with the innkeeper. Rooms are available for the inexpensive rate of three silver pieces per night, and can accomodate up to three guests. There is also a larger room that can sleep up to ten, at a cost of eight silver pieces per night. A bath is five silver pieces. Sleeping in the common room of the Crow's Foot is but a single silver piece.

Adomourne is perhaps the only one who does not easily find what he seeks. The folk to whom he addresses his inquiries tell him that no great wizard resides in the keep, not since Opell the Wise (a companion of Norgar) left to perform a census and survey of the local lizardman populations some years ago.

The common room itself is a lively place, lit with tallow candles that shed brilliant yellow to all the corners. The bartender, a bald-headed man of large build whose face is marred by a long scar across one empty eye socket, serves drinks in the southwest corner. In the southeast corner, upon a slightly raised platform, several musicians are playing and dancing a jig to the amusement of all. The patrons consist primarily of off-duty guards, some pilgrims, and a fair number of like-minded adventurers. A yawning fire pit in the west wall is tended by a young lad of about twelve years, who is mindful of the roast goat upon the spit that he turns. Stenly, having found himself a comfortable chair, is passed out with an empty flagon before him.

Valdamian overhears a group of adventurers lamenting their recent, failed expedition. It seems they were in search of lizardman lairs nearby but were ambushed by a troglodyte war band near Iron Falls.

[Doomboy911]

"Aside from a lovely view I haven't seen much to interest me I think I'll go take a nap in an alley so I'll be fully rested for some night rounds."

[TheTick]

Renard will meet up with Adomourne and check in with him...

if you wish to RP this, go ahead

...after which he will head back to Inn and rent one of the three person rooms. He will let anyone of his party he passes know he will have a couple of extra bunks. Barring anything earth-shattering he hears from his companions, Renard will bed down for the night.

Spoiler

Show

He sleeps with his morningstar next to his bed, and his backpack on it and under whatever cover there is.

[gunnar11]

Adomourne will repeat the previously mentioned dialogue, and return with renard, kindly accepting his offer for a bedroom.

Spoiler

Show

on mobile at the moment, so keeping posts short

[Doomboy911]

Daniel wanders the alley looking for a empty barrel. "Not much worth stealing here"

[AsDeR]

Stern

"Thanks for your time, please take this donation for your temple." Stern gives 10 gold pieces to the priest, then heads back to the tavern where he joins Stenly in the table and asks for food and beer.

After a while, if the night remains calm, he rents another 3 bed room and takes stenly back with him.

[Gorgon_Heap]

"Grmble*snort*caffmumf."