AnemoneEnemy

Thomas of Nowhere | AC: 18 | HP: 30/30 | Per: +5 | Fort: +7 | Ref: +8 | Will: +7 | FP: 2 Æthelflæd | AC: 19 | Per: +4 | Fort: +7 | Ref: +8 | Will: +6 "Perhaps 'twould be of aid tae ken," Thomas says, a little sheepishly, "Æthelflæd can swim sure an' swift as th'fish ye caught, Mam, if need be." He surfaces from the melancholy which had enveloped him and kept him quiet and gloomy on the way like a diver rising for air. "I'll have th'crabbit blighter drag a rope across, like." Æthelflæd glances at the river, and their perpetual solemn frown only deepens; the tip of their nose and the lapels of their suit quiver in distaste. OOC/mechanics

Thomas of Nowhere | AC: 18 | HP: 30/30 | Per: +5 | Fort: +7 | Ref: +8 | Will: +7 | FP: 2 Æthelflæd | AC: 19 |  Per: +4 | Fort: +7 | Ref: +8 | Will: +6 "Och, aye. Be pleased as punch tae make sure ye get yer vengeance," Thomas says. Rather than flinching back, he looks at the ferryman with a mixture of pleased shrewdness and respect. He does nudge Sija, though, murmuring quietly to her. "Nae sure his son's comin' back, like, Mam. Fella's sense o'time cain't be tae guid." He raises his voice again. "Which way'd yer lad get off tae, Master Nettle? Might be we'll go fer a stroll an' stumble across'im, like."   OOC/mechanics        

I thought that we had the option to take the trail to the front gates (seems bad) or take a path up the hill in cover, so we're unlikely to be spotted. The idea is to go up the hill to the side (?) of the fort and figure out the best way in from there.

  Sithi Silvercloak | AC: 17 | HP: 28/28 | Spot/Listen: +12 | Fort: +2 | Ref: +3 | Will: +6 | Effects & Conditions: Mage Armor "I don't think they signed up for that, and I doubt they can move quietly enough," Sithi demurs. "Let's get a peek at how they're set up in there first. Then we can make concrete plans." O   OC/Mechanics    

Thomas of Nowhere | AC: 18 | HP: 30/30 | Per: +5 | Fort: +7 | Ref: +8 | Will: +7 | FP: 2 Æthelflæd | AC: 19 |  Per: +4 | Fort: +7 | Ref: +8 | Will: +6 "Ye're welcome, suren ye are," Thomas crows at his discovery of the mine. "I've made ye rich; I expect that tae be contribution enough fer the time bein'." He gives Antonia a wry twist of the mouth. "There is, an' I'm right sorry tae say it. Yer instincts guide ye well, an' I'll squirm out from beneath 'er gaze soon as I can. There's but one lady o' the Fair Folk I care tae set eyes on now." There's a broken longing in his voice for a moment, sharp and ragged, and then his melacholy takes him and he speaks no more, not until the dead man lays a hand on Sija. Thomas promptly turns, and bows, and counts out five coppers he holds out. He doesn't seem like a rule-following sort of man, but there are rules, and then there are rules. "Pleased tae make yuir acquaintance. If yuir son's indisposed, might be we can try an' help ye restore service. But how were it set up in th'first place, like?"   OOC/mechanics        

Yup - I thought we would move ahead to up the hill at this point. This may not make it. :'(

  Sithi Silvercloak | AC: 17 | HP: 28/28 | Spot/Listen: +12 | Fort: +2 | Ref: +3 | Will: +6 | Effects & Conditions: Mage Armor "Yes--of course," Sithi says, absently. She's looking at the keep with eyes that aren't seeing it as it currently is. "I can cloak myself in an invisibility spell, see how many of them there are and where they are. The hill it is." O   OC/Mechanics    

Thomas of Nowhere | AC: 18 | HP: 30/30 | Per: +5 | Fort: +7 | Ref: +8 | Will: +7 | FP: 2 Æthelflæd | AC: 19 |  Per: +4 | Fort: +7 | Ref: +8 | Will: +6 "Aw coins be three-sided, Mam," Thomas says, voice gloomy. "Ay, an mony sharp-edged, too." He does doff an invisible cap and take a courtly bow, though without his usual sparkle, going through the motions. "Am no' so young as aw that, Mam, dinnae let the pretty face trick ye. Served at th'fairest court, I 'ave, an' treated wi' critters strange an' wondrous. I have been an eagle, a stag in a wood, a sword i'the grasp of a hand; I have been a harp and harper both. I--" He speaks faster and faster, as though the words are tearing themselves out of him; his voice turns hollow, unearthly--distant but not sepulchral. He cuts off, throat working as though it's an effort to keep the rest of a riddle down, and turns away. Æthelflæd, sympathetic for once, lays a long-fingered hand on his back. Thomas brays a bitter laugh, kicking at a rock and sending it skittering away. "Fergive me. A sage! Let that stick in Æthelflæd's craw." , OOC/mechanics        

Thomas of Nowhere | AC: 18 | HP: 30/30 | Per: +5 | Fort: +7 | Ref: +8 | Will: +7 | FP: 2 Æthelflæd | AC: 19 |  Per: +4 | Fort: +7 | Ref: +8 | Will: +6 Thomas snorts. "Opportunity, 'e says. Rope tae hang themselves wi', like. Nary a courtroom fer ye here, Judge; nay, nor circuit tae ride, neither. Ye cannae have prisoners 'til ye've built a goal, an' taken taxes tae spend on it. When I were a wee bairn, me bonnie land was a slice o'border, nae held by one side nor the other. The noose an' the blade pecked at us, but nivver cuild they rule us. Th'law was a changin' thing, whitever it needed tae be fer folks tae have scran an' safety, an' keep from havin' a square go at each other. Ye need peacetime an' plenty fer laws." He and Æthelflæd have been having one of their quiet but heated arguments, the fae alternately snippy and imploring, and Thomas' mood has gone sour again. Æthelflæd tugs Thomas' sleeve and clears their throat; Thomas glances back at them, scowls, and spits over his other shoulder, then makes a gesture like tossing a handful of something over it. "Ay, dinnae luik sae sour, ye clinkit priss. I'll nae haud me wheesht." He scratches at his jawline, scowling. Just a roguish hint of stubble, for all that no one's seen him shave. Then he clears his throat, and Æthelflæd raps their staff of office against the ground like a herald. Thomas raises his voice, smothering the brogue a little, smoothing the burr out of it. "Stag Lord aside, this land has a lady already, and a law: the First Law o' the First World. A fey queen, or some such, with wanderin' attention an' whims. They've wandered tae me, I regret tae say. It's a sair fecht, bein' sae pleasin' tae look upon. She showed me Erastil's temple, like, all twined in the Thornwood's vines, the god's statue outside, west o'here, an' bid me seek it. Summat there may help us against the Stag Lord. She has plans fer me, she says." Æthelflæd looks on, solemly. Thomas' face screws up like he's tasted ashes, eyes as distant and mournful as the others have seen to date. "Well, an' tis richt ye ken it. But her plans are nae me own, an' e'en if she be a faerie queen she be nae me own lady. Nay, nor even a faint shadow of her. Whit can she do tae me worse'n what I endure? I'll spit i' her eye an' work against her whims, dinnae worry. I'll go wi' ye whichever road ye take." , OOC/mechanics        

  Sithi Silvercloak | AC: 17 | HP: 28/28 | Spot/Listen: +12 | Fort: +2 | Ref: +3 | Will: +6 | Effects & Conditions: Mage Armor Sithi nods. "So long as the horses can manage it, let's stay out of the open. We should wait for dark, or at least for nightfall. Maybe find a good hiding spot with a good view of the trail, to keep track of those coming and going. --How many soldiers, would you guess?" She asks the trackers, hoping to get a sense of just how suicidal this mission might be. O   OC/Mechanics    

Sounds good to me. Let's git'r'done.

If we dash on by, all we're skipping is whatever loot it might have, right? I'll leave it to those at most bodily risk how much they want that. I'd say get it on the way back if it's important, I'd rather not show up at the keep down a bunch of spell slots.

Going into the swamp isn't even a good idea in real life, much less in D&D.

      Sithi Silvercloak | AC: 17 | HP: 28/28 | Spot/Listen: +12 | Fort: +2 | Ref: +3 | Will: +6 | Effects & Conditions: None Sithi's ghost sound keeps moving across the water. "I'll defer to those at most risk of being bitten. It might feed on some of the incoming horde--or get pushed out towards the roads to feast on fleeing travelers. Give the word and I'll try to blind it before you charge in." O   OC/Mechanics    

I'm alive! Been dead for a little bit that kept getting prolonged by spouse medical stuff and work stuff. I'll start the super fun work of moving my character thread and post template and stuff.