Voss nods in the direction where Q'wyn just vanished, "As my traveling companion Q'wyn is off with a companion of a different sort, Alion and I arrange a room across the hall or next door. With what we've all been through, I agree we should l stay close this night. United we stand..."
He ponders for a moment.
"Unless anyone has other arrangement ideas? Do they have rooms here for a whole group such as us?"
Alion looks toward the doorway, "As Stones said, we could always just stay here." He gestures toward the room.
Radegast looks around the room. It is a bizarre room when you really think about it. An injured halfling, a fat man and a young boy huddled together behind a table, and three heavily armed giants of men.
“I have to agree with Alion. I think it best if as many of us stay here as possible. If there is anyone gifted in the arts of traps and gadgets, perhaps he should check around this room for hidden passageways, or other ways into the room. These old castles are full of secrets. And if we can bar the door, I also think that is best. Or at least move some heavy furniture in front of the door.”
He pauses, looking over his companions, one by one.
“We are facing a short night of sleep, if we get any at all. The priesthood runs the town here, and many of the towns along this road. We really have no place to go that they cannot find us. And they are looking for us, of that you can be certain. The only way for us to get out from under their claws will be to cut the head off the beast itself, and that will take us back to the temple at the graveyard. So the closer we are to the temple, the better. "
Ronak The Fat Man winces at the words.
“The only other certainty… they know where we are, and they are coming for us. Staying here is as good as staying anywhere else at this point. Either the priests or the town watchmen will come for us, be it within the hour, or sometime in the night, but before the sun rises, we will be cornered here within these high castle walls. So we best be prepared.”
He looks to Voss. “Would you be so kind as to make a few quick rounds of this floor. I think we need to see about finding several ways up and several ways down. They will come fast and hard, and when they do, I hope against hope that they won’t take the time to cover all our exits.”
Voss replies, "Aye. That I can do. I'll scout the floor and see what I can see."
Voss picks up his two long swords, sheaths them, then exits out the door into the hallway.
Radegast walks to the window, and flips the catch, pushing open the glass panes. He looks down to determine how far to ground.
“Does anyone have a rope? We might want to see what we can get it tied to in case I am wrong and we end up boxed in here. It would be wise to plan a way down, if all else fails. Also, we will need to figure out a way to get this one down,” he says, gesturing towards the prone form of Elbeneth.
He turns to Stones. “Please stay here with us tonight, warrior-priest. You are powerful and work with old magics. We won’t make it out of here alive without your help.”
Radegast's fatigue clear on his face. He sets his mug down on an end table. “I apologize for my silence earlier. I have many demons from my younger days that often occupy my thoughts. But I assure you, I am here with you now, and will do what I can to make sure we all make it out of this alive.”
He gestures towards the keg. “Please, drink what you will. But be wary. The brew is strong, and you will find it a sorry ally if the fight comes sooner than the morning sun. Please excuse me, I need to speak with the woman and her Dwarf.”
He moves toward Inara’s bedroom door. He gives the door a brisk rap. “It is Radegast. I need to speak with you before you retire.”
The door opens, Radegast disappears inside. A few minutes later he exits the door - whatever conversation they had is for their ears only.
Thirty seconds after Radegast's re-appearance, Remsfeld the dwarf exits Inara's room. He goes to the keg, takes a remaining cup, and pours himself a cup wordlessly.
He takes a deep gulp, his eyes glistening with pleasure. It is about as happy as a dwarf will ever look. He reaches into his cloak, takes out a gold piece.
"For respect" He puts the gold piece next to the keg. It is an old dwarven custom more everyone knows about. If a dwarf liks a drink a dwarf leaves a token of respect for the brewer.
Remsfeld then disappears back into Inara's room. The door thuds with a loud slam.
Ronak the Fat Man looks about. He has not been more than two feet from the boy the entire time. He reaches forward, picking up the bastard sword. "I will happily do my part to help."
Ronak looks toward Brin, "Though YOU will stay hidden and quiet."
About 15 minutes later Voss returns. He is not even breathing heavy.
"All quiet on the Tara front," he says. The floor below us seems to house traditional guests, though I heard nothing from within them. But the floor above is a long long doorless corridor of war murals carved intricately into the rock face.
"I checked as best I could for secret passages, but found none. Where the hall ends, I do not know. Perhaps more secluded accommodations than we ourselves have or could afford."
"I'm willing to head back up if anyone's up for joining me. Otherwise, while this room is defensible, other than the windows, I don't like being cornered like this. Are the windows a viable escape route?"
Radegast studies the mental map Voss paints for the group.
Radegast's finally speaks.
“While the upper hallway interests me, I don’t believe snooping much further and risking alienating the hotel staff which currently serves as our only, albeit thin, buffer against priestly incursions, is the best way to proceed. The windows are an option, but only if we have about 150 feet of sturdy rope. We can send one down, then lower Elbeneth with a bowline knot, then send the rest of the party down one by one, but it will take time, be pretty dangerous for the last person to climb down, and for each person escaping, the remaining party is more and more at risk. In other words, it’s doable, but not a great option. I think, if you remember the hallway we came up to reach here, just past the spiral staircase, there is a choke point where only one man can pass at a time. If necessary, I can hold that choke point while the rest of the party escapes down the rope, and then I can join you on the ground if someone is handy with a bow, and arrow, and some well-timed insults. I’ll explain more if it comes to that."
Stones and Voss nod in agreement. Understanding enough to let Radegast keep speaking.
“Inara seems to have full confidence that we will be fine here for the night, but I think caution is best. We should post one scout outside the doorway, within sight of the spiral staircase, so we can mark all comers and hear if a party larger than one or two approaches. We can take shifts. If we all agree, I can take the first watch. Do we have a second? "
Stones nods along while listening to both men.
"I can mask the room I silence so no one can hear us. I can also lock the door so that none may pass through unless they break it down, or of they are an extremely skilled lock pick. Either way, awake or asleep I would know the moment the door was breached. But you are right, a man awake is better than any spell. I will take the second watch. We should gather our rope just in case and secure it to the table that is bolted to the floor."
Within minutes you are getting rope together, tying it securely to the table.
As he gets the ropes together Stones speaks, "--And I can also make a portal that will take us from this room directly to the temple...but I lack the gold and components needed...perhaps Inara...well, as you say, we shouldn't tread upon the hospitality being shown to us..."
It is now 2 AM. People lie down on the floor to rest. Ronak the Fat Man acts as a giant sofa of sorts for Brin.
Radegast takes first watch. His two hours are uneventful.
It is now 4 AM.
Stones takes the second watch. Toward the end of his watch one of the damndest sites ever greets him in the hallway.
Qwyn appears at the edge of the hallway. He is sprinting toward Stones, he yells out a quick yell, "Everyone up, We've got company and lots of it!!!"
When Qwyn finally gets into the light - there are stones permanently lit aligning the walls to give off light - Stones notes that the tiefling is half dressed. Covering his lower half are two towels that have been tied together in some sort of loin cloth.
As Qwyn comes to a halt the loincloth falls to the floor.
Half-naked tiefling bearing bad news.
It is now 5:45 AM. It is still pitch black out save for the waning moon light.
Notes section
- DM Notes- Someone let me know the two people who donated rope to the cause.
Also everyone EXCEPT Ronak managed to get his/her gear out of the fire. - In regard to powers--daily powers have NOT reset as you did not rest long enough.
- Next post Thursday AM
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