Immersive Ink

waysoftheearth wrote:
Wibert, Nidhogg and Koch

With their tired feet and empty stomachs foremost in their minds, Wibert leads the party in a south-easterly direction, back toward the site of the company's overnight camp.

Away form the gatehouse without incident, they find a damp mist clinging to the gullies, which makes it tricky to see too far ahead. But Wibert seems to know where he is headed, so the others follow on with quiet confidence...

waysoftheearth wrote:
The Main Company

Leaving Victor and Boris behind to guard the wagon load of loot, the remainder of the company sets out to the south west. The ever-curious Desmond, and sharp-eyed Olaf scout ahead, then Dieter leads the main column.

A light veil of mist lingers in the gully floors, but it is not so thick as to risk getting disoriented, and before too long the cool, chaffing breeze begins to break all but the most stubbourn pools of the stuff up.

Up front, Olaf keeps low and moves cautiously, allowing Desmond (with his shorter legs) to more or less keep up. The land about seems still, and neither spy more than one nervous hare and a flight of half a dozen birds which startle and flee well ahead of them.

At length they turn their course nor-west, and tramp down a wet, misty fen toward the ravine. On this course it is an easy, slightly downhill hike to reach the ravine, where they see that a trickle of ground water leaks over the rocky precipice. The ravine itself runs north-easterly, and some hundred yards or so along that feature the gatehouse itself can be seen squatting sullenly. A film of mist still clings about it, the broken bridge projecting from it like a felled tree...

What now?

tombowings wrote:
"Anyone got a grappling hook?" asks Pelenwin?

coffee wrote:
"I do," Dieter says, stopping to get said item out of his pack. He holds it aloft and the grapples spring out from the shaft.

eris wrote:
"And I have a coil of rope, if you don't have one Dieter." Olaf says as he rejoins the group, "I'm a little concerned about just walking up to a walled keep, though. The brigands could be up on parapets hidden from our eyes just waiting to rise up and pepper our hides with their arrows."

"I say we should scout around the Keep and see if we can find another opening that is less direct."

tombowings wrote:
"Great, let's fire it on to the bridge there and hook it good," Says Pelenwin the Brave. "I'll scurry on over it then and better secure the rope to we can cross, one by one."

tombowings wrote:
Pelenwin, no longer on drugs, continues to walk towards the keep.

waysoftheearth wrote:
Here's a scratch map for clarity...



``````/``````x```x/`````x`````````
`x``````````````/````````/X`````x`X
x`````/``````x``X/```````/x```````/`
``````xX```````/```````....``````/`
`````x/``````x/```.....````.````x`
````/````````/``..```x/`````....``
```/`````````...````/````````x``.``
`x/````````..x````/`````````X````.`
`x````````Cx````/``````````x`````.`
X````````x/````/`````````/x````/.``
````````/````/``````````/`````/`.`x/
``````/`````x``````````/```````P`xX
````/````````````````/```````````x/ R
``/`````````/``````/`````````````| a
```````````X/`````/`````````````X| v
```````````/```/```````````````xx i
````````/X`````````````````````/ n
```````/x``````````````````###/ e
``````/```````````````,----#.#=====
````x````````````road/`````### bridge
```x```````````````/`````keep`\
`S````````````````/````````````\
E+W``````````````'````````````X|
`N```````````````/````````````x

C = Campsite
.. = Recent Path
P = Party



So that party is currently to the south of the keep, preparing grappling hooks and lines as they approach the mist-shrowded walls...

coffee wrote:
Dieter keeps his grappling hook and loyal silk rope handy, but hasn't yet seen a reason to use it.

He signals the scouts forward, then follows them toward the entrance to the keep.

waysoftheearth wrote:
The Main Company

Dieter signals the scouts forward, then drops a knee to the cold muddy earth, his chain coat shunking as he does so, concealing himself partially among the swaying grasses.

As Olaf and Desmond skulk up to the gatehouse for a closer look... Dieter and Pelenwin begin to talk grappling hooks like boys enthusing over prize marbles while the others wait patiently.

From 30 yards, Desmond and Olaf have a good view of the gatehouse. It appears still and unoccupied. In fact, the portcullis that would block the arched entry is raised. Olaf waves the rest of the group forward, and Pelenwin immediately marches up. The others follow...