To his nearest companion, Helgash questions - "Why the focus on this place friends - what is it exactly that we pursuit?"
Lady who runs the local resistance agreed to bring Beck back if we rescued a friend of hers from this place.
The area around the clock tower is businesses and restaurants as it is close to the north gate of the city. That way those who enter the city have quick access to spending the money they bring in. A few homes dot the area but that is the exception rather than the rule. Spending a day here would not attract any undo attention.
City overview map. Clock tower at location L.
Royal Palace at H:
Water Palace at I: where you found the bath house
Hidden Gardens at J: you past these on the way to the bath house just didn't realize it at the time.
Shrine of the Everbloom at K: Underground resistance location
Clock Tower at L: current location
Market Square at M: more on this later....
Other than her shopping, Duardlara has no reason not to be here, watching. If she can do her shopping while she is here, so much the better. She will invest as much time as the party allows her in the immediate vicinity.
Her 'master' seeks a special gift and she is shopping on his behalf, if she is asked. He has not given her the money to make the purchase yet, so she feels this is a test and she wants to choose very, very well.
Lady who runs the local resistance agreed to bring Beck back if we rescued a friend of hers from this place.
"Understood" - Helgash nods - "What have you ascertained from the scouting - is this viable? We had a particularly bad experience the last time we simply invaded an hostile location" - he looks at Beck - "Should we scout the area for a longer time? Perhaps we can ascertain if it is better to try and gain entrance in the evening or daytime, if subterfuge can be used to our advantage, or even if we can somehow bluff our way inside? What say you friends?"
Try to see when most of them sleep I reckon.
"Then Duardlara could invade the area, and provide us a means of ingress?" - Helgash adds - "I would rather not burst through the door this time"
While the rest of the group lies low, Venja and Duardlara spend their time near the clock tower trying to figure out any patterns to the individuals that reside within. Accutely aware of how precarious of a location they are in Venja does her utmost to blend in to the surroundings and avoid suspicion. Perhaps she spent too much time on that endeavor as while she escaped notice, the only real intel that she was able to come away with was that every so often a puff of frost could be seen coming for the very top of the clock tower. The southern face of the clock was removed creating a large opening that was covered in ice and snow. It is safe to assume that the white dragon resides here and keeps watch over the city from it high vantage point.
Duardlara spends less effort on hiding herself and twice was nearly question. Each time though she was able to slip away and allow Venja to maintain the vigil. While Duardlara was there she happened to notice a couple of items of interest besides that of the white dragon's lair.
The first thing of note was on the 3rd day total spent here the women arrived again bringing a kicking and screaming kid along with her. she knocked on the door, left the kid just inside and then left again.
the second thing duardlara noticed was a beautiful song emanating from the clock tower. Clearly Solveig's friend was still alive. It also seemed that the song coincided with the puffs of frost at the top of the clock tower.
Jetro hangs out in the shelter.
As Jetro returns to the Summer's Return hideaway Solveig looks up and sees him. Oh good I was hoping that 1 of you would come back soon. I just finished speaking with a contact of ours that was formally a part of the city guard. They have since been disbanded when the queen implemented her Winter Guard. That has caused quite a bit of friction as you can imagine. It was a long conversation but I will spare you the length of it. What it comes down to is that the former city who had the favor of the populace compared to the Winter Guard believes that they would be reinstated should some decisive blow be dealt to the Winter Guard. Such a blow, like the killing of their lieutenant White Dragon Logrovich, would be enough to get them replaced. In exchange for that service the City Guard agreed to do a favor for us. That favor relates specifically to you. During the time that the conversion is occurring the Market Square will be left with just a token guard to give a visual presence there. That is where the Hut is located. You should be easily able to get into the Market Square and into the fey forest without a problem. What you encounter once in the forest though is beyond him and you will have to decide for yourselves how to proceed. Does this sound agreeable to you Jetro?
So she fails with Endure Elements and Dispel Magic and cannot try again for one week. How many checks does she actually have complete after each day? Thanks!
Huh, that sounds like a good bargain, we'll have to check with the others about it but it sounds like something we could do.
Very good then, Solvieg replies.I will let him know for sure that you accept and that you will begin phase 1 here shortly. It should be obvious when you succeed and then I will have him tell me when the guard is taking control again. How is the first phase going?
When not watching the tower, Venja will spend some of her time carefully coring some rather good sized carrots and rolling up scrolls and stuffing the carrots with them... Then, as time and hunger allow, she feeds them to Snow with lots of gentle encouragement to eat and enjoy. After each carrot, she gives him plenty of time to relax and digest his meal.
Jetro doesn't have much to add since he lacked the keen eye of the other scouts.
If we kill that white dragon, are new buddies will be able to help clear the way to where we need to find the hut. Sounds like a risky but fair deal.
"Agreed Jetro, and perhaps we can strike a decisive blow against the forces that hold this place in a choke hold" - Helgash nods at his companion.
Venja shudders at the idea of trying to go against a dragon, and spends the morning cuddling with Snow and letting his knowledge flood into her as she rearranges her spells for the day. After an hour or so of cuddling and playing with Snow, she brushes off her skirts, and stands up.
"I'm as ready as I can be... not that I feel good about this, but I've prepared as much as I can. We should have invested in some invisibility potions or something I think... While It's possible a dragon could see through such a ruse, it might at least have gotten us to and into the tower unchallenged. I wish I'd thought of it earlier."
"I think maybe the old woman will be our entrance. If I can sneak in when they open the door for her, I can open it for the rest of you later."
"I can cast a spell that will make you look like the old woman for a while if that will help."
With all the time taking being cooped up, Jetro starts doing some writing.
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JETRO A DULL BOY.
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JETRO A DULL BOY.
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JETRO A DULL BOY.
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JETRO A DULL BOY.
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JETRO A DULL BOY.
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JETRO A DULL BOY.
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JETRO A DULL BOY.
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JETRO A DULL BOY.
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JETRO A DULL BOY.
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JETRO A DULL BOY.
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JETRO A DULL BOY.
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JETRO A DULL BOY.
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JETRO A DULL BOY.
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JETRO A DULL BOY.
Thoughtfully, the elf asks Venja, "What if you looked like the old woman and I looked the part of the child? My spell of invisibility is very limited - would you be able to make me invisible for a longer time?"
"Invisibility is not something I'm capable of casting, I'm sorry."
Beck is more than a little disoriented after his brush with death... He sleeps fitfully for the next few days and seems to nod off rather often and wake with a start. He does take time to go out and buy himself a nice new cloak.
It is not until the day when he hears about the children that he really gets moving. He sits outside under the air, out of easy view playing his pipes very poorly, and whistling.
I'd like Beck to do some scouting in his own way, by casting Commune with Birds to ask a few questions of the local avians. Anyone have any questions for the birds? Beck asks.
When does the Dragon sleep?
When are there the fewest monsters at the ticking tree ?
Are there any hidden nests in the ticking tree?
Beck would also like to ask the birds a time that the Dragon is not around, or is deep in his cave, and then Spy using Eagle-Eye
to avoid notice casting
looking into the cave and at the tower from above.
He will have Obscuring Mist prepared and use Aspect of the Falcon, Cats Grace, Owl's Wisdom and Greater Animal Aspect: TreeLizard/Raptor to be spy-ey & sneaky (+4 stealth and a Climb Speed, +30 enh bonus to speed and Run feat) to run away, Alter-selfing once he hides from any pursuer to disappear in the crowds as a small child.
hopefully none of that's necessary
To Venja and Duardlara Beck notes, I can turn into a brat when I want. I can only do it for about ten minutes er so, but but that's enough time to walk up to the door, If'n ya want to do that Beck offers.
"And I can look like an old woman... perhaps that would be our best ruse?"
In a child's falcetto beck says No Grannie, Don't feed me to the Dragon, I'll eat my lima-beans, i swear! *snort* this place is warped as the most gnarled old lightning burnt tree. How can ya drag a cub into a dragon's lair like that. . .
Beck using your means as a druid to access certain spells for your reconnaissance you are able to observe the following information about the upper level of the clocktower...
This large chamber contains the workings of an enormous clock,
with huge clock faces on the north, west, and south walls . To the east, the entire exterior wall has been knocked out, and a platform of gleaming ice extends south into the open air. Tracked rails weave in and out of the corners of the room, passing through five-foot square area openings in the walls. A block of clockwork gears and mechanism runs to the ceiling toward the west. A trap door is set into the floor on the northern side of the chamber.
This level of the tower is almost 50 feet off the ground .
The interior ceiling is 15 feet above the floor. The openings
in the walls lead to ledges on the exterior of the tower,
below the clock faces. Suspended just off the floor of each
ledge, inside the tracks, is a giant bell.
The icy ledge to the east is 10 feet thick, and looks like it should suppor the weight of multiple people. Entering an ice-covered
square looks treacherous as it would slow one down and make it difficult to move with grace. (2 movement per square and -5 penalty to acrobatics checks)
Do the man-chicks children that go into the tower ever come out?
When does the Dragon sleep?
When are there the fewest monsters at the ticking tree clock tower?
Are there any hidden nests secret doors in the ticking tree?
The birds chirp at you answering briefly no, whenever, don't know, no.
know arcane DC 16 check for more information on the dragon.
Venja, from Beck's description of the dragon you would assume it to be a juvenile white dragon.
CE Medium dragon (cold)
Init +6; Senses dragon senses, snow vision; Perception +15
You will also get to ask 1 thing additionally Venja. Others can still make a check as well to learn other items of interest.
Venjayour knowledge of dragons leads you to believe that juveniles do not yet possess the ability to cast spells as you understand it. However some SLA manifest themselves in almost all dragons regardless of age. In this case you think that it could cast a fog cloud at will.
Immune to cold paralysis and sleep effects
special attacks: breath weapon (30ft cone, DC 18, 8d4 cold) that is it for special attacks. At least you know the save and the damage amount now.
After twittering with the birds, beck speaks with his friends, So Venja and I can get them to open the door, maybe, D'lara can slim in with us, Invisible, and once inside, we can take a look around, and signal for Gash and Jet to rush in after us? Beck asks, scratching his head. "If we go in when it's twilight, the other may not be so easily noticed approaching and we can bolt the doors after us? Just need a plan for what to do once the three of us get inside. SOme contingencies. any thoughts?
"I knows how ta ward us with Protections from the Cold so the Dragon can't hurt us so as much, or I ken summon living fire ta help us. Then there's also fireballs I can toss around and control for fighting the dragon. "
"The old woman never enters and she always makes her delivery during the day. We don't know who or what receives the child, so you and I may have our hands full right away to keep you from being fed to the dragon, but I'm thinking if we can get in and wait for dusk, we can let the others in, as you suggest."
Well at least it's a way ta get us to the door. The the rest can try enterin' once we gets the door opened. I could carry Sheelah in, turnin her to a baby kitten, but that's not an easy spell ta cast
Hmmm..If we can get our foot in and at least clear the bottom floor. We can have a somewhat suitable base. If it looks like they don't get much in the way of visitors, we might be able to hold it for a day.
"Agreed friends" - Helgash nods - "If we find a way to control the bottom level without rousing the rest, as pointed out by Jetro, this may become a strong foothold"
Beck gathers Information playing his pipes and listening to rumor and chatting folk up as he plays.
While the plans are drawn, Helgash takes some time, and making the best out of his natural charisma, engages a few patrons from a nearby tavern, trying to gather some information about the Winter Witch that regularly visits the structure.
His heart rushes as he hears the dreadful rumors, and his face his grim when he rejoins his companions - "It would seem that the monstrous woman brings children found troublesome to the trolls... So they can feed on them" - he growls - "We MUST find if this is true, and if so... She will PAY"
Jetro nods. For certain, we might try to find out where she comes from so another kid isn't endangered.
With that high of a check Helgash you would be able to find out that the witch only brings 'problem' children that have violated certain laws or are too troublesome for their parents. Of course that is the rumor you heard but regardless it is barbaric considering most of the children are at the most 8-10 years old. You would be able to find an alley near where the witch brings the children down the street to confront her.