Immersive Ink

Dorgan will guard the party from the orchard side and be last to climb the rope.

"Remind me, friend Gustave, that as soon as we secure a new home, we should plant some tobaco or other leaf the first thing... This'd be a good time ta enjoy a pipe, if'n we had anything ta put in it."

Olaf has gone up the tree with the overhanging branch and is on the flat roof. He has his bow ready and is surveying the grounds looking for signs of trouble heading toward the party.

To those looking at the bell tower he says, "I went up the ladder inside that tower last time we were here. There is barely room to climb inside, much less fire a bow.

OOC: That's how I remember it, anyway.

Josiane will ascend the rope at her earliest opportunity.

If she is successful and sees the scene in the courtyard, her eyes widen and she visibly pales.

"Oh, sweet Thuul, no..."

She hastens to examine the fallen bodies.

"Next to the bell tower, there is a place you can climb down to the courtyard. Olaf and I left a rope, it might still be there."

He however is old, and stops once he gets to the top of the wall, to catch his breath and watch the situation unfold.

sully wrote:Dorgan will guard the party from the orchard side and be last to climb the rope.

"Remind me, friend Gustave, that as soon as we secure a new home, we should plant some tobaco or other leaf the first thing... This'd be a good time ta enjoy a pipe, if'n we had anything ta put in it."

"Well, as it happens, my friend...", replies Gustave, pulling the remnants of Wibert's longbottom weed and pipe from his pack, "we may not have to wait so long."

He glances back at the stalwart form of Ulric, struggling up the rope, "And we have a moment or two to spare, I believe..."

The means of ascent from the orchard are presently limited to Dieter's rope and the overhanging tree bough--it is a modest effort to use either.

After Ulric attains the summit (and vanishes within), Highbough, Armando, Olaf, and Josiane each scale the wall in turn, and likewise vanish within. Those on the wall can what is going on outside in the orchard perfectly clearly, but those outside can't see anybody on the walls.

Meanwhile, Desmond returns to the black-robed body on the wall, and discovers she has no shoes... nor any Enigma of Thuul or religious curio that he can see... but, what's this... she appears to have four red scratches upon her chest that run from the base of her throat, parallel and about half an inch apart, and four or so inches in length. These are maybe a few days old...

From his position upon the wall, Highbough notes movement within the abbey. He can just see through the rising smoke and broken windows and the dimness within to make out a number of figures scurrying about, making some kind of readiness...

{Assuming Wen made it to the wall as stated up thread}

Wen would remain ready with his bow and make his way towards Highbough. "Two elves are better then one they say"

waysoftheearth wrote: Meanwhile, Desmond returns to the black-robed body on the wall, and discovers she has no shoes... nor any Enigma of Thuul or religious curio that he can see... but, what's this... she appears to have four red scratches upon her chest that run from the base of her throat, parallel and about half an inch apart, and four or so inches in length. These are maybe a few days old...

Desmond nods his head slowly and looks up at Josiane, peering over his shoulder.

"Look," he points out, "no shoes. And scratches on her chest, certainly from some carnal were-creature activity. These are no doubt the same unholy fiends as we found here the first time, Josiane."

Feeling more confident he isn't going to any of the seven hells for killing innocent members of a holy order, Desmond checks the body for weapons and examines whatever he finds more closely to see if her armament provides any additional information about her origins.

Armando drops to one knee and wraps his Elven cloak about him, the better to espy the goings-on within the walls of the Abbey while remaining unseen ...