scotland ♔ yet how the wind revives us here

[untethered]

♬ Presentiment - Manami Kiyota

WHO || Belle, Gold, Emma, Hook, Lila [closed]
WHAT || Several Knights take a secret journey to try to help Amara...
WHERE || Oakhurst, Scotland
WHEN || January 15th, 2014 [forward dated]
HOW || Actionspam

It's probably a very good thing that Gold sweet-talked them a car in the nearby tiny Scottish village of Oakhurst, because it is freezing cold out and snow blankets almost everything around. Walking the seven miles up the Old Road to the ruins would be a bitch and a half.

Instead, they comfortably drove past rocky downs, near stands of old-growth oak covered in snow, and past two farms that looked abandoned. No other travelers were visible on the lonely road, which finally curves, passing east of a narrow ravine. Belle signals for them to pull over here, where, at the road's closest approach to the cleft, several broken pillars jut from the earth where the ravine widens and opens into something akin to more of a deep, but narrow, cavern. Two of the pillars stand straight, but most of them lean against the sloped earth. Others are broken and several have apparently fallen into the darkness-shrouded depths. A few similar pillars are visible on the opposite side of the ravine.

Comments

[uncurse]

Than thirty on seven? We need a plan. Some way to slip past them. Was there a way around the great hall?

[bittersweeter]

The entrance is in the hall. At least the only one Sparky knows. I might be able to find a sneaky way into the hall so we can pick them off from cover, but I'm not sure there is a way around it.

[undealt]

What if there was a way to lure them out of the Hall? [Gold's mostly thinking out loud here.]

[uncurse]

Not a bad idea, actually. At least shrink the number we have to keep an eye on at once. Let's head that direction, see if we can create some kind of distraction. [ to lila, she adds; ] Do you know the way?

[bittersweeter]

I think so, yeah. [ or rather she can make the goblin lead the way and they can follow. she mentally tells him to do just that, no use wasting time. ]

[untethered]

[ as the goblin starts leading them out of there, belle hangs back a bit to whisper with concern: ] If that's just how many are in the Hall, aren't we concerned that a distraction outside it might draw all of them plus more from other rooms as well?

[ the goblin moves through the door to the south, where they see a light source for their first time since coming down here. several torches mounted in crude wall sconces burn fitfully in the long chamber, filling the air with a haze that blurs sight. a double row of marble columns carved with entwining dragons marches the length of the hall. ]

[undealt]

Not if we trick them into thinking there are more of us than there are. They'll likely run before they risk losing more numbers. Assuming Lila can find decent enough cover.

[It's not the best plan, but it's better than trying to fight their way through a bunch of goblins.]

[untethered]

Do you have any illusion spells that might help fool them?

[undealt]

I think I may have just the thing. [He beams at her.] Do you still have a few more tricks?

[Gross flirting activated.]

[untethered]

I might be able to come up with something.

[uncurse]

[ emma's been hanging back and pacing a little anxiously, clearly trying to just keep moving in order to keep discomfort from settling in. but she finally stops and speaks up. her voice all but cracks with uncertainty. ]

I think I've got an idea. [ sorry to interrupt ur romantic moment with MAGIC and shit. she turns her gaze to lila, hand remaining out and expectant towards her teacher. ] Do you know which door it is? [ maybe if she keeps talking and demanding things then ... she won't be anxious and uncomfortable about performing magic. ]

[unhand]

[Hook comes up next to her. He doesn't know she can do magic or have any idea what she's planning (wis 2), but he doesn't like the anxiety she's showing. Still, he'll back her play, whatever it is. She's pretty competent.]

What'll you do?

[uncurse]

With any luck? [ she looks over at hook, then down the hall towards the doors. ] Scare the shit out of them. [ that's the best you're getting you will see when she gets started. which will be as soon as she knows which door it is. ]

[bittersweeter]

[ lila nudges the goblin to stand in front of the right door. BECAUSE POINTING WAS TOO MUCH EFFORT, I GUESS. ]

[untethered]

[ the goblin takes the first door to the right, hugging the wall, rather than heading down towards the end of the hall. he leads them into another dusty sort of back hall, all the way down to the very end.

this is it. this is the door to the hall of the goblin chief. ]

[undealt]

[Gold catches onto Emma's plan and smirks knowingly, adding in a whisper:] The trick is convincing them that there are more of us than there are. They won't fight if the odds aren't in their favor and they're not bright enough to send for reinforcements. They'll clear the hall and we'll have a straight shot to the grove.

[Ideally.]

[bittersweeter]

Shit for cover. [ she grouses, almost to herself, looking around in case she missed something. that she is going to miss again with her 6 spot check. useless. ] And we might be screwed if this is the way they come out, they'll bottleneck and then we'll have to climb over them to get into the hall. And we don't exactly want them fleeing toward the grove. [ she huffs out a sigh, pushing her hair back under her hat. ]

[sternshield]

Are we sure this is the best idea, and not, well... suicide?

[uncurse]

Look, if you've got a better suggestion, I'm all ears. [ and emma will ... try to think of something and offer an alternative at least instead of just being defensive she gestures to one of the other doors. ] If you can do your ... thing remotely, we can hide in another room and send the goblin through to tell them to flee. But, there's no guarantee they will, and all that'll do is warn them to prepare. No matter what we do, there's a chance it could screw us. But we have to do something.

[bittersweeter]

I can. It's at least 50 feet. [ as that is the distance from the roof of a four story building and the ground. the distance between lilacat and cassel sleep walking to his (not) death. and that was when she was a cat. being sure of that actually calms her some, since its pretty much the only thing she's sure of. ] I'm not sure I can actually make him talk though? I can try to convince him there is way more than us and wake him up then send his ass through the door, but I've never tried to make anyone sleeptalk.

[uncurse]

There's no telling that wouldn't send them pouring back into the grove, too. And that can't happen. The last thing we need is a whole horde of goblins and an evil druid on top of it. [ charming hips. ] Are we sure there's only two ways out of that room? [ she nods up ahead to the hall in question. ] if it's this hallway or the grove, we're screwed, but if they're terrified of the druid, and of us, it could push them to a third option. [ she backs off a bit, working her jaw, then turns to the door on their left. ] Let's take a look in here before we jump into anything. If it's got an adjoining door that direction, we might just be in the clear. [ because she'd spotted one at the end of the last hall they'd been in that had to also filter into this room, and if they all connect, the goblins might just think they can slip right on by them and flee that way. ]

[untethered]

[ as emma gets closer to the door on her left, it becomes very easy to hear something beyond it... it doesn't even require a listen check. there's the burble of many, many guttural voices beyond, distinctly goblinoid. ]

[uncurse]

[ her voice drops, because if she can hear them, there's like a 30% chance they can hear her. she turns back to the others. ] We got goblins. [ she rests a hand on the door, looking back to consider it. she nods. ] This room opens in to the next hall. If we manage to spook them, we'll be able to avoid a fight entirely.

[untethered]

It sounds like... quite a lot of them through there. And you think there are thirty more through the other door, as well?

[unhand]

[Hook draws his sword.] If it doesn't work, we'll simply have to fight. But all this deliberation does is offer them the chance to hear us coming, and not on our own terms. Best prepare your weapons and your healing potions. And get on with it.