Expedition: Fingers/Treasure of Yoldessi Plains- 30 Aug 2021

[onlyme]

Markd isnt too good with doors or climbing, so not sure the actions needed.

[Zhym]

Try the ground level entrance?

[onlyme]

probably only option. What do we need to do regarding a wizard locked door?

[DavetheLost]

I vote for ground level. Does anybody have the Knock spell? Otherwise we may be down to "Hulk Smash!" and the accompanying noise.

[Zhym]

Assuming Winnie doesn't know the knock spell and no one has any magic to open doors:

"Crap," mutters Fingers softly under his breath, low enough that the gargoyles won't hear (he hopes). "Okay. Back into the middle tower, everyone."

Once there, and the invisible group is able to speak aloud again, he speaks in a more normal voice. "Okay, so, that sucks. Guess all we can do now is try to front door. Or we say screw it and go home—or to resupply. We're low on food anyway. What does everyone think?"

[onlyme]

Would Fingers be able to scale and do some recon? Maybe set up a rope or something similar to make scaling easier once we are set up? or could we make the rope invisible too?

[Zhym]

I don't see a way to get everyone safely to the top. Like Marullus said, Fingers would have to climb up with a rope and grappling hook, then hang the rope from the edge, all without the gargoyles hearing him or seeing the rope. Once they see the rope (and its movement as people climb up), they can attack while we're in a poor position to defend ourselves. Or they attack Fingers while he's setting up the rope. Or they wait and remove the rope from the ledge while people are climbing it.

He might be able to climb up and look around, but it's awfully risky to do that alone. I'm not sure the payoff is worth the risk if there's no way to get people up there safely anyway.

This is where I say again that it's a damn shame Fingers left his crystal ball in his shop instead of bringing it with him. It would be awfully handy for scouting (handy enough that I've considered suggesting we go back and get it—but when we do, we lose the only PC who can use it).

[onlyme]

Any way to get the gargoyle's down to the ground then?

[Marullus]

From your vantage by the tower, you can see down into the noble estate below. You would have to deal with the gate where it ajoins the inner bailey, and then traverse the overgrown grounds themselves - with at least centuries of neglect, anything could be in there. The manor house itself, at least, is not an issue. It is a desolate heap, collapsed in on itself about a week ago when you let a djinni lose to destroy the tomb below. Only portions of the outer walls remain standing, the roof and interior pure rubble as if destroyed by a whirlwind. You see another stout door at the base of the tower similar to the one you are at now, including the disconcerting scorch marks from intense fire.

Markd considers the gargoyles above. It is only the craftiness of your invisibility which has kept them from noticing you thus far. Should you remove the protection, it is likely they'd take action against you as the others did.

Date: 9:00am, 10 September 2021
Light: Winnie's continual light
Effects: Invisibility (All)
Injuries: None

[Zhym]

Question: is bashing a door down an "attack" for purposes of breaking invisibility?

Not that it's probably a good idea whatever the answer to that question. But it sounds like the door at the base of the tower looks like it's any better of an entrance.

[Marullus]

Yes. It also is a ruckus, so attracts attention. Only the person breaking the door breaks invisibility, though. Everyone else still gets a surprise attack.

[Zhym]

Everyone else still gets a surprise attack.

...assuming the gargoyles get close enough to attack instead of just dropping rocks on us again.

[Marullus]

Correct.

[Marullus]

IC actions?

[Alethan]

Bandy hesitates.

"It seems like an awful lot going on here. And much of it seems to be beyond our capabilities, like these wizard locked doors. I say we retreat for now and come back when we have more resources and abilities..."

OOC: Sorry for my absence lately, folks. Life. Will at least keep up with this thread, but I'm probably not going to be actively gaming aside from that for a little while. I just don't have the time available.

[onlyme]

ok. I think that sounds like our answer, then... That said, what do we need to attack it even with resources? And what should we do about keeping the previously cleared roofs gargoyle free?

[Zhym]

I’m traveling through Tuesday and won’t have a chance to post until then. But we’re low on food, so I’m in favor of declaring victory and going home.

[DavetheLost]

A return visit with a wizard bearing knock spells seems in order. I'm afraid there's not much we can do to keep the gargoyles from reoccupying the cleared roofs With any luck they will just spread out, not bring in more. Let us regroup and resupply then come back, says Hengist.

[onlyme]

Markd will at the least notify his friends in the tower about their plans so they can hopefully defend the roof.

in a whisper to keep from negating the spells,
shall we quietly grab what we can, and sneak out while still invisible?

[Alethan]

Bandy nods, then stands quietly for a minute, before realizing nobody can see him nod his head. "Yes, let's do that," he finally agrees in a soft whisper.