Children of Zarus IC

[Jansviper]

Carcer

I agree, we should investigate. Our superiors noted that we should do anything possible to aid the empire's expansion, and be they friend or foe they WILL be between us and home. It would be... prudent.

Those that knew Carcer wouldn't be surprised by the lucid and, frankly, wordy (for him) comment. The man was usually at his sanest in the mornings.

And Carcer did want the group to investigate, just not for the reasons he presented. No, he needed time to think and for that they really needed to get off the boat. This new person, Dancer, was a puzzle he was determined to have solved before they continued on.

[Siric]

"We should press forward. Have Tarrin mark this place on the map, as we can always comeback."

Spoiler

Show

I'll also be restricted to the internet. Feel free to NPC me.

[Whiplord]

Dancer

Dancer shrugged once again. "We seem to be at a slight impasse. Well, I won't claim to have any authority here, having just arrived, so you have me stumped."

Dancer was still of a mind to get off. He really was getting a bit bored. And ships had always made him a bit queasy.

..And he really wished Carcer would stop staring at him like that.

[Tacitus]

With those on-board unable to come to a consensus their path remains true. The Children take note of figures hiding in the trees but are unable to determine any details. Tarrin makes several notes about the area, including a rough sketch of the area which is more than detailed enough to find it again. It is several hours more when the sun begins to fall and the cartogramancer alerts the others "We should be near our target destination, likely a half hour out. We had decided to land upstream from the mapped area, correct?"

[Siric]

Edward

With everyone refusing to answer Tarrin's question, Edward finally spoke up. "Yes, I do believe that is correct. I also suggest that we set up camp quickly, and have a few people scout out the area. Perhaps Dancer can scout the bottom, while I use my abilities to get a good look from above?"

[Lochar]

Tarrin

"If you will allow me to borrow your mount or your eyes when you ascend, I can also scout about a bit with my arcane eye. I promise it will not bring you any issue." Tarrin adds.

[Whiplord]

Dancer

Dancer nods. "That seems appropriate."

Spoiler

Show

Dancer will move, hiding in plain sight and moving silently. If he encounters something that seems highly threatening he will dimension door or expeditious retreat away.

I'd like to take 20s on my hide and MS, giving 33 on each. Otherwise, here's rolls.

Hide - (1d20+13)[26]
Move Silently - (1d20+13)[26]

[Tacitus]

The boat is anchored effectively and Dancer leaps from the boat to scout the surrounding area. It will take him approximately three and a half minutes to reach the walls at his current speed.

If Tarrin plans to borrow the dragon the dragon plans to borrow Tarrin's innards. It barely tolerates Sophia, and only because it is being paid for its services.

[Jansviper]

Carcer watches Dancer closely as he moves away. Once the man is out of sight he untangles himself from the bow and disappears from sight.

Spoiler

Show

Carcer will cast invisibility and then alter shape into Ravid form. He will ascend to 621 feet and move towards the base.

[Lochar]

Tarrin

Tarrin, nonplussed, explains that he doesn't want to borrow the dragon, only share either its eyesight, or its rider's eyesight when they ascend to view the fort.

[Siric]

((*edits*))

Edward looks around to see that Dancer left to apparently scout and that.... Carcer had left for..... for whatever reason. The monk wasn't actually sure what he was doing, thus, causing him to let out a very heavy sigh. "Let the dragon lie. Perhaps it should just stay back for the moment? And it seems that both Carcer and Dancer have left rather swiftly. Tarrin, if you wish, you could cast your... vision spell on me and I can scout area, although I imagine having three scouts would be rather... unnecessary." The druid then began to mutter on how he couldn't understand, once again, how Carcer was more of a benefit to Zarus then he was a taxation, and that he hopes that nature and evolution purge him and his chaotic and possibly impure ways before he can do any (more) harm.

[Tacitus]

After a few choice words between Sophia and her mount in Draconic scarlet wings unfurl and she mounts the glorious aerial herald of draconic doom. If Tarrin wants to cast a spell upon the dragon he will have to negotiate with it personally, which means that casting it on Sophia is likely much easier. While it is true that a third scout may be unnecessary the dragon is now ready to actually do something in case the assault will soon begin in earnest.

Dancer is one third of the way to the fortress.

Carcer soars into the skies and notices trees. There are plenty of trees around the fort and from his height he can't see anything at all, especially seeing as light is quickly fleeing and the trees cast long shadows across the fort. There are not even any fires or lights present that might suggest activity.

[Unkabear]

Gordon wakes a bit late from his nap and slips from the ship onto dry land. By Zarus it was good to have solid ground beneith his feet. It looked as if others were scouting, though the idea of having one of their own in the air disturbed him as they would be the easiest to follow back to their camp.

But it was no longer his descision. So he instead decided to wander the area himself real quick and see for himself how safe that it was for them to camp.

Spoiler

Show

Hide (1d20+14)[30]
Move Silent(1d20+14)[22]
Spot(1d20+17)[35]
Listen (1d20+12)[21]

[Tacitus]

The immediate area is free from enemy scouts, and is actually free of any animals awake or asleep.

Spoiler

Show

Nature or Survival if you have it, Unks.

[Unkabear]

Spoiler

Show

No, but I will give you a wisdom roll.

(1d20+2)[10]

[Tacitus]

Spoiler

Show

Well, I'll give you this. There are no animals anywhere near here (except maybe the occasional insect), and that seems wrong.

[Unkabear]

Gordon did not have a chance to wander far when something did not seem right. The others were stomping about like wild boars, but that would not set the world to this...quiet.

There was nothing in this area, which meant that something was devastatingly wrong. He began about searching for some of the others so that he could share his revelation and perhaps confirm that he was not falling into madness.

[Jansviper]

About a quarter of the way through the duration of his invis spell Carcer will descend to a hundred feet and begin criss-crossing to find the river. Finding that he'd head back up to the boat and then back down towards the fort. If one could see his invisible impish face, the grin would be infectious.

If one could read his thoughts, they would be deeply confused by the presence of a running commentary on the state of the sky weasel nation.

Spoiler

Show

Spot checks
(1d20+3)[18]
(1d20+3)[16]
(1d20+3)[9]

[Tacitus]

Carcer easily finds his way back to the river and to the boat. Soaring down the river bank he comes across what used to be a dock with some stone structures that may have once resembled a watchtower. Rooting around in the open at the watchtower in the clearing is a single hunched figure that he knows for sure he would not have seen if it were standing any closer to any tree at all.

[Jansviper]

Carcer descends next to the man and hoves about 15 feet over his head, not trying to be terribly stealthy.

Especially when he opens his bloody mouth.

"Greetings, I bring good tidings from the Most Holy and Ancient Empire of Sky Weasels. What business have you in this land?"

[Tacitus]

The figure rises up and tilts its head back to glare at the invisible Carcer, staring right through him with a long slow sniff at the air. It growls in the tongue of giants, "<What? Bird? Me eat?>" Its head falls for a moment and then it glances back up, "<What you want?>" It cannot speak nor understand the common tongue, and therefore the amazing bluff was wasted on the figure.

[Paramour Pink]

Sophia

From a dragon's eye view of the world, Sophia stayed on her mount. She nodded down to Tarrin. A clear enough sign from her post in the sky that should he want to, she was fine with any spell he saw fit to cast. The low altitude of the mount and its rider were an insult to how high they could go, but she tried to stay close and low enough to the boat that she shouldn't outrange any spellcating attempts.

Spoiler

Show

Taking 10 on the Bluff check that might be necessary by the rules to get the non-verbal message across that Tarrin can go right ahead and cast his Arcane Eye thingy.

[Lochar]

Tarrin

Tarrin nods to Sophia, casting his spell quickly, and then watching from her vantage point while the dragon ascends.


Once Sophia takes her dragon as high as she wants, Tarrin will watch from her eyes to see the rest of the fort, looking for a good place to send his eyes.

Spoiler

Show

Casting Chain of Eyes on Sophia. Waiting until she reaches the apex of her flight, and then hoping she'll look around so Tarrin can watch and possibly cast his arcane eye.

[Paramour Pink]

Sophia

The pair travelled upwards, and only then, when about fifty feet higher than the tree tops, started towards the direction of their original destination. Sophia tipped and tightened her reigns on the dragon as necessary to get him to descend on coming across anything likely to be the fortress. She was only interested in that. Everything else was about as important to her as tomes were to the illiterate.

Spoiler

Show

"Taking 20" on Spot checks please to spot the fortress, and then anything about it's current state, of course.

Sorry, I'm not sure what would be a good height so I just kind of said, "...50 feet sounds good."

[Tacitus]

Sophia takes to the skies and with the swift wings of her dragon she quickly finds the fortress. As soon as she is within sight range, however, all hell breaks loose. In the growing darkness she can see what she thinks must be a dozen shapes scrambling about before ten slender spears rise up through to meet the Paladin and her mount. The dragon is pissed off but after the serious pain inflicted by the javelins alone it quickly advises Sophia to retreat.

Spoiler

Show

Ten javelins launch up from the fortress. The dragon is hit 7 times, Sophia takes one that lances up through her armor at its angle and bites deep.

The Dragon takes 40 damage and must make 7 Fortitude Saves against poison.
Sophia takes 11 damage and must make a fortitude save against poison.

>.> Wow, so many good attack rolls and then **** for damage rolls. >.> Rolled five freakin ones. I really hope the dragon rolls well on its saves... I really don't want to kill the dragon. >.>

[Paramour Pink]

Sophia

Tugging on the reigns harshly, Sophia had the dragon snap away one of the spears with its right wing while managing to turn the pair around with the maneuver. Her surprise had never fully left her face as they quickly flew away from the fortress. They then headed back towards the boat.

A pained complaint clamboured through the mental link; the dragon felt weaker. Knowing from experience that adrenaline tended to overpower ordinary wounds when they were intially inflicted, it occured to the paladin that it was likely poison.

“If you want to live long enough to rip those savages apart, you'll need to hang on. I'll find supplies to treat it on the boat.”

Spoiler

Show

Demanding fortitude. Hopefully the forest should obscure us enough that they won't know where we're going to follow us, anyway.

[Jansviper]

Carcer says nothing more, irritated that the beast could not understand him. He ascends as quietly as possible, landing on one of the thicker branches about 30 ft above the beast. He settles in and waits for the rest of the party to attack.

Or, rather (he thinks with a wince at the screams of fury and pain as the dragon makes a flyby), for someone to make an effective attack.

Spoiler

Show

D= I can't preview, post, and still get rolls? Bull****

[Tacitus]

The troll glances around for a few moments before stamping the ground and doing what appears and sounds to be cursing in Giant. Its eyes slowly scan the surroundings, pausing in several places, but then it growls and goes back to watch duties. If it knows where Carcer is, the troll does not make any outward sign to that effect.

[Lochar]

Spoiler

Show

Sorry, I'd thought I'd been waiting on combat resolution. The spell does have a ten minute casting time, after all.

Tarrin

Cursing quietly to himself, but ignoring the dragon's plight at the moment otherwise, Tarrin peers from Sophia's eyes and quickly chants when her eyes sweep over the fort.

Arcane magics flare as Tarrin uses Sophia as a jumping point for sight, and his arcane eye flickers into visibility for an instant before vanishing once more.

Spoiler

Show

Arcane eye as close to where the spears came from. He's going to quickly move it around at it's 30 ft move in the general area, before sending it to the fort. After the spell ends, he's going to quickly map out everything he saw. It lasts 7 minutes, so however far you think that'll take it.

[Tacitus]

Tarrin's eye is able to scout out the entire ground level of the fortress but almost as soon as it heads down into the cellar it winks out. It was obviously not finished with its duration and seemed to have either been suppressed or destroyed.

Spoiler

Show

See the map I posted for Whip in the OOC.

The large brown shack is enclosed on three sides and has a staircase at the back leading down. There are two trolls inside the shack.

The smaller rectangles are mostly ruined tents, bedrolls, nests, bones, or other assorted trash.

Tarrin notices a total of 11 trolls in plain sight and being quite active.

The smaller entrance at the outer walls is mostly blocked by rubble from the wall around it. The larger one is intact but has been barricaded. One half is actually constructed from the original great door.

Make any checks you like for this time period. Five minutes tops.