The Evil of Ravenholm - Chapter 2: The Ashen Mountains

[SporkMaster5000]

Gerash walked over to Grashuk once the elf played monkey for the night, "I think I'd like to put your theory to the test," he speaks in a low tone, expecting proximity and the rain to keep him from being overheard. "We don't need him any longer than is necessary to find this book he's so hard up about. After that I don't see what's to stop us from just cutting him lose and letting Pelloth pass it off at his little temple when we get back."

Something about Daelos had the necromancer on edge ever since this job started. This had only been intensified by the elf's insistence that he be the only one to handle whatever this book was they were after. This misunderstanding had done nothing to endear the stalker to Gerash, but had made it plain that no love was lost between Daelos and his companions. "What do you say, bugbear?"  

[iDragow]

The bugbear stared into the fire for a few moments, contemplating the situation. "So far, Daelos has done nothing to threaten me personally, and I have no reason to take arms against him. But I do not like his 'tests', especially when they start taking place against the people I've grown accustomed to travelling with."

He shrugged, and turned back toward Gerash. "If he does anything to change my opinion, or if the majority of the group decides we're better off without him, I shall assist in slaying him."  

[SporkMaster5000]

The hint of a smile creased Gerash's face, he would just have to be sure the majority was in his favor. He had an idea of how to persuade Pelloth, but Hars and the kenku would be a bit of a trick to convince. But that could wait, he doubted Daelos drifted off immediately, and the elf would get suspicious of the whole group started whispering amongst themselves immediately after the little misunderstanding with Cain. The Necromancer settled down a little further away from the fire than might've been comfortable were he still living, and attempted to rest for the night.  

[Arc Vembris]

Seeing Pelloth approach, he fades from dusky man into the female elf form she had been using and huddles close to the drow for added warmth.

"This is miserable business. I hope we can kill something soon or I don't know what I'm going to do."  

[NayrVentess]

As the night draws in, you all settle into what you have called 'sleep' for the last six nights. The rain is relentless, although you have just started to get used to the constant pounding on your senses twenty four seven.

Morning comes, and to your delight it brings the end of the downpour. The ground is still soaked, and your boots caked in fresh mud, but at least the rain is no longer falling. It even seems to put Daelos in a good mood. "Come on then, let us be off. Not long now." He smiles and kicks the mutilated body of Gregg Torchbearer as he leaves the clearing and heads north.

You travel for a few more hours, taking in the crisp air and being able to see the sky once more. The views are rather spectacular up here in the Ashen Mountains, but you are not here for sight seeing. At about early afternoon, with the sun starting to dip in the sky, you are walking along a narrow and winding path around the outside of one of the mountains. And just up ahead along the path, you see the ruins of Castle Carnarvon. It looks like a thick but short stone tower, looking out over the side of the mountain. It is crumbling, but the flag poles around the place seem to have been recentely decorated with the flags of the city of Valleta; a black gryphon on a purple background. Along with the large castle-like tower, on the face of the mountain directly opposite of the tower, is a small keep built into the rock face. Daelos stops walking, apparentely having a good look at the ruins. Seemingly satisfied that there are no sentries on watch, he keeps walking along the narrow path.

As you get ever closer to the ruins, Daelos draws his hand crossbow and cocks it. "Best to be ready." But he wasn't ready for what then happened. Stepping on a portion of loose rock, the elf loses his step and falls to his right, off of the mountain path. His crossbow flies from his grip and plummets down the mountain side, but the elf just manages to grab a hold on what remains of the path where he fell. "s**t, the rocks are coming loose, quick gimme a hand up!" He says this to no one in particular as his grip is beginning to falter...

((By the way, if you have the FR campaign guide, look at page 107 for a rough look of the castle. Just imagine it in ruins))  

[iDragow]

Grashuk sighed as the elf cried for help. Hars had brought up a good point in the camp, though, and they weren't sure they could finish the mission without him.

Stooping, he grasped ahold of the man's arm, or what he took to be the man's arm. It was entirely possibly that he would draw forth nothing but a handful of sleeve. Oh well, no one could say that he didn't try.  

[Arc Vembris]

Hars grabs onto Grashuk to steady him. If the elf was falling off cliffs, it didn't speak well for a bugbear's chances  

[Vorastrix]

Pelloth wasn't at all worried that the elf might fall, in fact he had the opposite sentiment. "Oh no, you dropped your crossbow," the drow said in feined concern. He would then step to the edge of the cliff to get a better view of where it had fallen, carefully placing weight on one of the hands gripping the ledge.  

[SporkMaster5000]

Gerash shared Pelloth's lack of concern, but mostly because he expected the fighter and bugbear combined should be able to haul the elf up. The fact that Daelos was apparently incompetent just forced the necromancer to wonder if he was playing at something, or if stabbing him in the back actually would be that easy. As he considered and did nothing to actually help, the corpse man did at least step a bit farther from the edge, not wanting to find out how long he would have to fall down the mountainside before being rendered unconscious.  

[NayrVentess]

Grashuk leant down to Daelos and reached for his arm. The elf grabbed hold and the Bugbear just managed to drag him to safety, thanks in part to Hars. Pelloth ignored this and had a look at the elf's weapon, which he saw plummet and smash into pieces, which then scattered and fell further.

Daelos got up off his knees and brush the dirt off of them. He then looked at Grashuk and said, "Thanks." He then tried to locate his crossbow, but cursed when he knew that it had been lost. Shaking his head, he drew out a dagger holding the tip of the blade, as if he would use it as a thrown weapon.

He then nodded at all of you and carried on walking toward the ruins, staying closer to the mountain side now. You made your way along the path, being cautious just in case any humans would rear their ugly heads. Eventually, you were near the perimeter. Standing under a flag pole flying the crest of Valleta, the six of you looked around. To your right, the large tower/castle structure looms. The double door that must have once kept out enemies is now in ruins, gaping holes are in the wood and it hangs loose. To your left, the small keep built into the mountain face seems to have survived the years better, and the large door still stands tall and closed. There are no humans around, but signs are there. The flags have obviously been put up recentely, and near the castle on the right you can see droppings from horses, still fresh by the looks of it.

Daelos turns to Grashuk, "What would you suggest, Tactician?"  

[iDragow]

Grashuk squatted low to the ground, seemingly to see the lay of the land better. "I'm thinking of a couple different strategies. There's always my favorite: Bash open the door, and kill everything in sight. For a more tactical approach we could have Hars, Cain and I scale the walls of the castle, and take out any resistance as quietly as possible. They wouldn't be expecting an attack from above, and would probably rush outside, where Pelloth and Gerash would be waiting to incinerate them."

He gripped his chin, lost in thought. "Of course, this method leaves us open to reinforcements from the smaller keep. We could try the strategy there first, but it would also run the risk of alerting the larger keep of an enemy presence."

Standing up, he shook his head slowly, still thinking out loud. "But that's not taking into consideration the monster problem that the soldier had been talking about. It's possible that just by going in we'd be entering into the center of a warzone.

Finally making up his mind, he looked at Daelos, his eyes once more taking on their usual 'don't give a s**t' appearance. "The most cautious and most likely successful tactic would be to take the smaller stronghold first. If the enemies are alerted, it is in better condition to survive a seige, and it's smaller size would be easier for us to man. And the chances are that there is a small, if not no, enemy presence within, making it easier to take, as well."  

[NayrVentess]

Daelos stroked his chin, "Hmm, I agree with most of that, but I forgot to mention some of what our scout reports had found. The small keep on the left there, as you can see it is built into the rock face. And I have been made aware that it goes far down, and into the mountain side. Whereas the larger one on the right would most likely be being used as a base. If there are monsters, they would probably be somewhere below the smaller keep. Perhaps we should scout out the large keep first, take out any guards on the surface before descending. But I leave the decision in your hands." He doesn't just mean Grashuk, he looks around at all of you.  

[iDragow]

"Ah." The bugbear nodded his head a few times, feeling slightly foolish. "In light of this new information, I would also agree that we take out the fortress before descending into the mines."  

[Arc Vembris]

"Goody. So, we climb the walls first and kill it all from the top down. When can we start?" Hars rubs her elven hands together in anticipation.  

[SporkMaster5000]

"I'm not climbing anything," Gerash remarked to Hars, "There's a perfectly good doorway. Lets just get on with this. We wipe out whichever one doesn't have monsters then go hunting in the other, come on." The wizard begins walking toward the open entrance to the larger keep, pulling his orb out and keeping an eye open for hidden sentries.

((13 perception to avoid getting jumped. doubt it'll work.))