The Heroes Strike Back

"I'm no good with locks," Ander replies to Sulprax, "Breaking the chains may be the best way unless there's someone else who can pick the locks?"

"The cloaks will speak for themselves; let his imagination run wild with how I procured them. Follow your heart with what you think is beneficial and I will follow mine. If you find yourself lost, follow my lead."

KIT & RYVID

---

The two of you make your way to the castle, shrouded in darkness. You climb the hill it sits upon and come upon the rusty metal fence that separates the long dead Lord Whitesparrow's garden from the outside world. The gates are not far and not attended; they swing free in the chill autumn breeze, creaking and clattering.

Ryvid nods forward to the gate and looks at Kit "Go."

Pageflap looks towards the poles with the dead heroes' heads as Kit finishes his speech. The group only travelled together for a month, but it was a good month and much preferable to traveling alone. He gives Kit a nod, before turning to Ander.

He makes a so-so gesture with his hand and then casts prestidigitation, conjuring some lockpicks. They are not of the highest quality, but they may be able to do the job if the locks aren't complex enough. Pageflap himself may be able to do the job, but during the past two weeks Ander's fingers looked to be more nimble than his own.

As Kit and Ryvid head over to confront the Night Lord, he starts heading around towards the prisoners, taking some blades to arm whoever he sees to be healthiest.

KIT & RYVID

---

The two of you stride forward through the gates, into an overgrown garden that has been somewhat hacked and cleared in recent days to make passage through the courtyard possible. There is a large fountain (not currently working) depicting a larger-than-life Kenku in white marble. The statue holds a book in one hand and a scepter in another, denoting his royal rank. This is likely a depiction of Lord Whitesparrow, the albino Kenku from whom this town derives its name. It looks like whoever was in charge of cleaning this fountain gave up about 2/3rds into the job, as the statue is still draped in vines and the basin of the fountain choked with weeds.

Beyond the fountain, you face the castle's south-facing wall loom 30 feet high. In the center is set a big iron portcullis, currently closed. Dim light is coming from behind the arrow slits of the guard house adjacent to the gate, set into the stone wall.

On top of the south-facing wall, you see 5 gibbets hanging from the battlements, 25 feet from the ground. They sway in the cool wind, their metal frames scraping nauseatingly against the stone.

The garden wraps around the rectangular castle to the east and west.

ANDER, PAGEFLAP, SULPRAX, & TORDEN

---

Ralavaz and the miners accept the gear you provide them. Ralavaz notes how the miners hold their blades awkwardly.

"I don't doubt their hearts but I'm not sure they're gonna hold up well in a fight. Anything else we can get can get them to do?"

Odric, the most senior of the three miners steps forward.

"We're willing to take the risk. We've known these people our whole lives. We can't stand just stand by and let this happen."

Pageflap gives Odric a thumbs up, then heads towards the bushes, waving for them to follow. He holds a finger to his beak, signaling to be quiet.

He begins sneaking towards the prisoners, keeping an eye out for night blades.

Security is lax, and the 8 of you make swift progress through the night unhindered. Sorrow's azure light. You follow in Ryvid and Kit's footsteps, making your way to the castle gate. Beyond it, you see much the same scene as Kit and Ryvid did before you, except there is no sign of a gate keeper at the portcullis.

Torden looks from Pageflap, to Ander, the lockpicks, and back to Pageflap. He whispers, "Well, is someone picking those locks, or do Sulprax and I use our not so subtle methods?"

Ander nods and takes the picks, attempting to open the locks.

Odric clears his throats and speaks up: Uh, boss, might help if we get up there first. We got the main portculls ahead but it's closed, see? You hero types might be able to climb up too, I dunno. You know better than us. "

Odric turns to Ralavaz: "See, I told you we'd be useful!"

Ah sssooo sssome climbing issss in order. Assss minersss I asssume you have sssome exxxxperiencccee with climbing and ropesss. Would you be able to climb ahead of ussss and lower a rope ssso our climb might be easssier?

Excited to help, Pageflap gleefully opens his book to his pages of previously plotted plans and points towards his idea of tying torches to a rope to make a crude ladder.

Odric responds to Sulprax, clearly a bit scared of the Dragonborn juggernaut.

"I, uh, don't think I could make that climb."

He gestures to the smooth castle wall.

"They usually make them hard to climb on the outside. Keeps people out, ya know? On the inside, there'd be some stairs to get up there. And, as the narrator said, there appears to be no guard at his post in the gate house here."

He elbows Ralavaz in the ribs: "See, that's twice now I've been useful!"

After hearing Pageflap's plan, he confesses: "Aye, a ladder would do the job, just gotta throw it up there and get it to gain purchase on the parapet. And quiet-like, in case they've set a patrol or something."

Ander looks at the rope attached to his pack and smiles mischievously, thinking of a job that he and his friend Dorak the Giant had pulled off at an orcish 'keep'. "Hey, Sulprax... do you think there's any way you could get me to the top of this wall with a rope around my waist?"

KIT & RYVID

Kit has managed to convince the Night Blade named Schneider thatKit is in fact Skeetz, and the two of your have convinced Schneider to acquiesced to Ryvid's demands for an audience with The Night Lord, in exchange for Ryvid's weapons.

Schneider leads you beyond the gatehouse and through the inner courtyard. You can see at least four crossbow-wielding Night Blades manning the walls, all of whom are staring down towards you guys instead of watching the walls. Schneider leans in to Skeetz (Kit), and mutters:

"You haven't been inside yet. Its pretty fucking creepy. I know the boss says its full of treasure, but I'll be happy when I never have to see this place again."

Schneider opens the big oak doors of the two-story keep, and the sound of a mad, lone voice singing in a reverberant hall fills your ears:

Knees up Mother Brown
Knees up Mother Brown
Under the table you must go
Ee-aye, Ee-aye, Ee-aye-oh
If I catch you bending
I'll saw your legs right off
Knees up Mother Brown ...

As you are escorted through the well-lit cloakroom, it takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to the bright lamp light. You smell burning oil and pine, and your boots crunch on twigs. As your eyes adjust, it looks as if the keep was at one point completely overgrown with roots and the Night Blades have been hacking through them them to clear them out, stacking them in the cloakroom. The room is uncomfortably hot.

Schneider leads you into the arched-ceiling great hall, where the golden-masked Night Lord sits upon a throne, singing, attended by four Night Blades. All the hearths in the hall are lit and roaring, and one of the bandits is busy tossing more chords of wood from a large pile into the bonfires.

The throne is most peculiar of all. Though it looks like it was once regal, it is now covered in strange roots. Two throbbing, violescent masses adorn the top of the chair.