The Heroes Strike Back

Ander lowers the rope down after securing it, resisting the temptation to kill the guards while they are unaware. He assists his comrades ascend in any way that he can

"Skeetz" shuffles his feet nervously. Uh, yeah, boss. He hit the supply cart, he says meekly. Fucker killed most everyone before we knew he was there. Pure luck I survived long enough to bargain. I uh, told him I could take him to the boss. Skeetz looks up at the night lord with a murderous glint in his eye. When I done that before, he says meaningfully, it worked out pretty good. He goes back to his meek shuffling and glances sidelong at Ryvid. Don't know if he can drink, though.

The Night Lord considers the Skeetz's words.

"Yes, I suppose this is the second time you've brought outsiders into my home. That's a nasty habit you've gotten yourself into SKeetz. A nasty habit."

He turns back to Ryvid.

"A drinking contest? I prefer a fighting contest myself. An I nominate my champion: the brave, loyal Skeetz. To the death, of course."

The masses by the throne weirdly convulse at the mention of death, in unison. The other night blades glance uneasily at them, repositioning to keep an eye on them as well.

ANDER, PAGEFLAP, SULPRAX, AND TORDEN

---

The climb up is rough. Multiple times Torden, Pageflap, and Sulprax slip and injure themselves (8 damage). However, you manage to keep quiet enough to make it to the top without alerting anyone.

On the way up, you pass between two cages. Pageflap and Torden recognize Sheriff Willowmane in one, and her brother Matthew in the other. Although the sheriff is unconscious is appears Matthew is awake and alert.

Odric and the two miners, along with Ralavaz, remain on the ground.

Once you get to the top and are reunited with Ander, what do you do? The situation is much as it was in this post, although now there are only 3 guards - two within 100 feet, and the third another 200 feet away from that.

Torden whispers, "Ander, Pageflap, get to work lowering those cages. No doubt Ralavaz can unlock them. Sulprax and I will watch the guards." the dwarf sticks a finger in his mouth and holds it up, wet, to gauge the wind.

"I did not waste my time coming here to fight your lackeys, Gardren. I have already won the fight against Skeetz and the men he was with; he is only here now because he was my bridge to you." Ryvid motions to the pile of cloaks "I think you already know this though. I came here to avoid needless bloodshed, to not diminish your group to meager numbers, to allow you the chance to keep some semblance of your group or, in the event of me losing, not join a group that has been diminished. The only question left now is, do you decline my challenge out of fear or ineptitude?"

Ander shrugs and sets his bow down for a moment to begin working with the Kenku on lowering the cages to the ground below.

B-but boss! "Skeetz" stammers, "struggling" against his bindings. He killed a bunch of your men! I brought him here so's you could finish him before he got to more night blades!

The Night Lord looks down his nose at Skeetz, without even so much as glancing back at the pulsing masses by the throne. His town turns jovial for a moment:

"Save your own ass, you mean! I know you, Skeetz! And I can appreciate cowardice in a lackey, I really can. Easier to keep a coward in line than man with integrity. But this ... "

The Night Lord's face darkens, his voice deepens and twinges with rage.

"Twice now you have brought interlopers past my gates and into my stronghold. You had better step carefully, Skeetz. Very carefully."

Next, he turns to the shepherd, a bit of humour returning to his tone.

"And you, shepherd. Really, a drinking contest? What are we, old chums settling a score? But very well, if it is a drinking contest you want, a drinking contest you shall get! Skeetz and Schneider, since you brought this character into my walls, you'll have the honour of hauling up a barrel from the cellar."

Schneider turns a bit pale, clears his throat, and stammers "Yes boss. Sorry boss." and reluctant starts walking away from the room.

"In the meantime, tell me your tale, shepherd. What bone do you have to pick with the Night Blades?"

Okay Ander is going to start lowering the cages, what do Pageflap, Sulprax, and Torden want to do?

A good plan Torden, Ander and Pageflap let me know if you require any aid in your endeavor.

With that, as Ander and Pageflap get to work lowering the cages Sulprax takes out his maul to use in a manner similar to a walking stick, just in case his and Torden's watch turns into a melee.

Ryvid shakes his head "No bone to pick. Night Blades, Afternoon Spoons, Morning Forks; I'm not interested in who more so as the what." He holds up a hand, similar mimicking the town hand protruding from the ground "I have a thing for hands; they are so simple, yet so complex." He looks back to the Night Lord "I don't have any bone to pick with you; which is why I'm here offering a drinking contest instead of continuing my slaughter."

As "Skeetz" and Schneider head off to grab a barrel, he overhears Ryvid's professed affinity for the simple complexity of hands. "Skeetz" leans in toward Schneider and mutters, Fuckin' weirdo, that one is.

ANDER, PAGEFLAP, TORDEN & SULPRAX

---

Torden gently rolls a blanket of fog over the castle wall, obscuring your movements. You work quickly to lower the cages, and you can see Ralavaz, Odric and the miners working carefully to free them. Once free, you barely recognize any of them from the dark and distance. From the way the men look like they're dragging dead weight though, you're not even sure if any survived. Probably in need of significant healing at best.

Ralavaz gives an all clear signal before disappearing into the dark garden with the rest of them.

Those of you on lookout watch as the far guard eventually abandons his post and approaches the near turret and strikes up a conversation. It is only a matter of time before they notice the fog. One of the pair hastily makes his way for the stairs that descend down the courtyard and toward the main keep. The other two guards maintain their posts, staring intently into the fog.

RYVID

---

The Night Lord seems to enjoy Ryvid's response, clapping his hands together in delight at the end.

"I assure you, shepherd, hands are not simple. Next time you have need to interrogate a man, peal back thr skin of his hands and see the workings of the muscles. Cut away the flesh to see the intricate bones.

But back to the matters at hand. Tell me shepherd, how is it that you got the better of my men? Are you a sorcerer of great power? Or an Arkasian knight of old, stepping forth from the pages of a story book?"

KIT

---

Schneider leads you to the kitchen, grabbing lamps for both of you. As he is opening the trap door into the cellar he responds to your observation.

""Which one? Gardren's got worse, Skeetz. He spends all his time with those things, singing to them, caressing them. I mean, he's always been crazy but I used to think it was an act to keep the riff raff in line. But this is something else, man.

He lights a lamp and reluctantly descends into the cellar with you, which is a tangled nightmare of blight vines wrapped around wine barrels. Grubs scurry away from the light.

"I am simply a man with nothing to lose and training on how to kill." Ryvid stares down the Night Lord "I do not know many stories, I focused my time on honing my weapons. I do know of one though...it was common tale in the military. I do not know how old it is but may perhaps, you've heard it too. It's of a boy, hardly a teen, defending his town against a mercenary goliath. My strengths lie in weapon play, not storytelling; the boy killed this goliath, a man at least twice his size with a single stone. I'm afraid I forgot how the story ends though."

Don't tell me things like that, Schneider! "Skeetz" hisses. Gardren's already lookin' for an excuse ta string me up without you talkin' about him bein' crazy. He pauses to try and take a closer look at the blight tentacles and grubs, trying to see if there's still time to destroy what has been growing.

When one of the grubs scurries away, he jumps (not entirely an act) and grabs Schneider's arm. But, uh, just between you and me, what do you mean "caressing them"? Do they look like they're talkin' back to him? What are the others saying about it?