Skull Mountain: The Lake

[Spanningtree]

Dieter - Mage

Before Dieter crawls up the rocks he grabs 2 more flasks of oil (bringing the total to 4), the rope, grapnel hook and the lantern. Only one way to go... he says looking up.

OCC: Sheet updated with the sundry items.

[greyarea]

Up a cliff

Einar (autopilot) takes the grapple from Grimes and scurries up the steep rocks. He attaches the grapple and tugs twice to let you know it's secure. Soon you are all at the wall and then, once the coast is confirmed clear, over it.


each hex is 30 yards

You can see the tower, it is close by to the west of you. It's about 35 feet high and the thief thinks he should be able to scale it if need be, although the rest of you don't think you can without the grapple used before. From this distance you can only make out one shape on its roof but there is no alarm: you do not appear to be noticed yet. The entrance to the tower, a door, is on your side of it but it is closed. You see flickers of light from within from what could be arrow-slits in the sides.

Inland you see a large structure of three partially nested domes, the largest of them at least as tall, if not taller, than the tower. These buildings are smooth and without windows or other features. You cannot see an entrance to it from your current position.

The rest of the island is fairly featureless. Nothing can grow in this darkness, so there are no trees or even scrub. You see a group of five or six creatures in the distance: probably a patrol of sorts by the way they walk.

Actions?

Hit points and marching order
Grimes 18/34
--Furuk 29/36
Dieter 18/18
--Dandy 13/23
Einar 11/11

[badams30]

Grimes - FIghter

Grimes will say in a whisper "Look, a patrol! Help me gather this rope and hook, and let's get out of here!" He'll then start to rapidly coil the rope and will grab the hook, getting ready to move out - he'll go where the party decides to go, at this point, his main focus is to gather the evidence of our passing and get out of the line of sight.

[Spanningtree]

Dieter - Mage

Hmmm... the tower controls the pier, we need the pier to get out of here.... we should try to take the tower first I would think. Looking at everyone: Thoughts? Dieter is keeping the lantern shuttered for the immediate future.

[badams30]

Grimes - Fighter

Grimes nods in agreement to the tower suggestion. "Sounds like a good place to start. Perhaps Einar can scout it out, then we can move in." Grimes waits for the group's decision, looking about nervously for any other signs of patrols or bad guys.

[Craigers07]

"I'm ready to stay low and out of sight while Einar tries to climb the tower."

Furuk tries to stay out of sight of the patrol.

[greyarea]

Einar pulls his cloak over his head, disappearing from view.

It seems like a long time he is gone. You spot another patrol but they miss you.

Einar reappears among you with his scouting report. There are a number of lizardmen in the first floor of the tower. I heard at least four distinct voices but couldn't see clearly enough through the arrow slit to get a good count. Sounded like they were eating or something. The tower itself is three stories and I counted four lizardmen and one darkling on the roof while I was up there. It seems the darkling is the boss. He came up to check on them while I observed. The hatch is bolted and they use a password to get the lizardfolk on the roof to open it, but I didn't catch the word.

I could probably get a grappling hook on the edge of the roof, but I can't guarantee that it won't be spotted. And I don't think I can take out all of the guards myself. One yes. Maybe even two. But five with one a darkling? No chance.

So, what's our plan.

Actions?

[badams30]

Grimes - FIghter

Grimes says "Nice work. Did you spot any sort of alarm system? A bell, whistle, gong, or somthing like that?
Grimes scratches his head... "If they don't have a way to raise an alarm, we could just go in from the bottom and work our way up, or we could sabotage the downstairs door shut and climb to the top." If just a couple of us could get up there and engage the one on top, the others could make it up, and we could fight downwards. And best of all, if we take the tower and reinforcements arrive, we've got some means of a stronghold."

OOC: He's for whatever plan is devised He will remind anyone though, that he is at a tad above 1/2 his hp total, so any brutish, major assault isn't going to be in his favor...

[greyarea]

Einar replies that he saw a signal gong on the roof as well as a catapult. The guards on the roof didn't seem that alert until the darkling captain came upstairs. They were looking out every so often but were mainly chatting among themselves.

[badams30]

Grimes - FIghter

"So that's it, men. We need to take the roof first, and prevent that gong from being rung at all costs."

OOC: How's this for a plan - Einar takes the hook up, we wait to quickly scale the wall. We wait so that NO darkling is up topside when we go up, and then we take out the guards on top, and then disable the gong, just in case. Then we work our way down, killing all we encounter. Then we eat.

Okay, the eating part is just an idea, but you get the drift.