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Laer     The city of Greyhawk is not actually THAT close to the ruins of the castle that shares its name. A number of miles, at least. Far enough that the denizens of Greyhawk don't have to fear the things coming out of the castle at night, though there are plenty of other things to fear.

    Laer will have given the group a haphhazard briefing on the history of the castle, explaining that it had been built through sealing a number of gods into its wall, had spectacular treasure, and that, quote, "No one has tried to use the ruins to unmake reality in at least fifty years. We're pretty sure. There's still loads of treasure there if you happen to go into a wing K.T. isn't in; no telling where she's at, though. Try not to die, because you're all very powerful and would be horribly annoying undead to deal with."

    It's a very bright sunshiny day on the ruins, today, and at the surface there isn't much activity. Two of the three major towers of the castle still stand; the other is horribly obliterated, a mere pile of rubble that looks like it is possibly in fact the rubble of rubble. A number of smaller buildings in various states of ill-repair are spread around the area. No signs of life are immediately apparent, but one of the two towers has an open doorway, and quite a large number of tracks lead in nd out of it.
August Kohler August is here, dressed in a hoodie with a vest on. It's...protective? In his hands is a mirrored CD case, which he flicks around to his eyes as they approach the ruins. Laer's briefing had him frowning the whole way, with only a hint of a smile at her very last statement. "Alright, so. I'm thinking we head for the tower. Door's open, which is either a trap or a clue, and we can survive either. Splitting up is going to get us killed." Yeah, sure, it's all Concord so August technically has no say here. But he's still going to give out plans!

And also begin approaching the open tower, holding the CD case up to his eyes.
Rabby Wearing her usual outfit and armed with her usual rifle, Rabby takes a moment to slap a fresh clip into her rifle. She can only scowl at the part about being undead, replying, "It's our job not to get killed, so you're not going to have to worry about us becoming undead hopefully!" She narrows her eyes for a moment before looking around at the others. "So no dying in here today! Everyone got that?"

It sounds a bit sarcastic, but the reality is that Rabby is one of those people who, when it comes to situations like this, has no sense of humor whatsoever. She's got a tough, no-nonsense attitude about her assignment, wanting nothing but to get the job at hand done.

That is, until she looks at the ruins again, and her eyes widen. "Whoa," She says softly. "Who knows what we might find in there?" She looks down a little. "I hope this 'K.T.' isn't going to easily find us..."
Staren     Staren is pulling out a number of stops for this adventure. Those who've been paying attention know what seeing him in the red armor instead of the white means. He's given Priscilla one of the tablets to keep safe.

    He's also accompanied by a few cases. Simple humanoid robots the size of short humans, they could be useful if you need to send hands somewhere that could be a trap.

    "I don't think this body /can/ be raised as undead. A golem, sure, but undead? It would be a curious new type... Still, I shall endeavor not to die, I assure you."

    So, one of the towers is open. Staren sends a few small quadrotor drones to check any windows, of any of the towers, for activity. "He has a point. Either the tracks mean KT is in there, or it's a trap which means we'll get her attention if we go."
Priscilla     Giant spooky castles that are surrounded by rumours and superstition, drenched in morbid history and said to contain all manner of horrors, if not the keys to the end of the world. Priscilla sometimes wonders how she always seems to end up at these places, and usually the best half-assed explanation she can come up with is just because she's unspeakably qualified by now.

    "Setting a trap within a fortress of traps wouldst seemeth redundant, no?" she replies to August, dressed in classic flavour fluffy today. "This likewise seems a well-explored, or at least well-traversed route, as many of these prints leaveth the tower as well as enter. I imagine not that we shalt meet immediate ambush along the lighted path, speaking metaphorically." Still, one of the tried and true strategies that gets her groups through these things is for Priscilla to poof out of existence and take the vanguard, spotting problems ahead of time. Unfortunately, it seems like she'll have to try her 80 DEX best to avoid deep dust as much as possible, possibly stepping in old tracks.
Tomoe Tomoe has signed on for this run it was interesing to her and really she couldn't say no to a chance to do some fund raising for the GU. Given the crisis on her home world? They needed funding and to keep indpeant from either her world's government or getting pulled into one of the success factions of the old war. Not that was was hostile but she found her life was entalged as it was it is. So here Tomoe the Salamder was at the briegfing paying close attention to eveything that's being said. Once that was done she would get ready to move in. She looks to Lear for amoment.

"I would be a pain as an undead wouldn't I?"

At least that would be some contiuned existance she's not even sure if her world /gets/ something at all like that but there's not much to do.

"Heh I'd suggest if we have it to blow through walls rather than use the doors to be honest."

Rabby is new to and geta a good look over also She looks at August with a look that's almost pleeding. Nothing s said this is teh sure sign of someone who has run it August before.
Laer     There is noone immediately inside the tower that August approaches, and once he's inside the situation gets a little bit clearer. Above him, the tower is hollowed out, with the wreckage of stairs mixed with bones all along the entrance. There are two carts inside, emptied out. The corpse of a horse, not quite fully rotted, is hitched to one of the wagons. The trail, meanwhile, leads to a door in the floor of the tower, currently closed.

    There are not many windows to either of the standing towers, though the one August is in has a few that show that the upper structure of the tower seems to have been seered away in some strange fashion. Any drone that approaches the other tower will feel what is almost a magnetic force attempting to push it away; persistance in this regard will be met in turn with a lightning bolt, clear from the sky, aimed down at the drone.

    The dust is not too thick for Priscilla, as mentioned, and attempting the doors August found will find that they seem to lead down into the basement, the doors opening onto a ladder down into darkness.

    There's no immediate obvious clue how far in this might go, but this tower's exploration appears to be downwards-oriented, rather than up.
Priscilla     Thankfully, Priscilla doesn't have to play DDR through the opening hallway. The skeletons, and even the slightly putrid horse corpse, don't draw even the slightest bit of attention from her though. After centuries of the stench of Hollows and the pervasive aura of unnatural mass death, the remains of unfortunate adventurers are so much environmental clutter to her. The only time she spares is a quick look to see if they were carrying anything valuable or potentiall incriminating. Most likely just a supply wagon for a deeper dive party, though.

    Gazing into the darkness, Priscilla's fingers brush over a tiny, pale white crystal, which she holds up in her hand, leaving bright but soft radiance painting the walls and floor around her, illuminating it as if under direct, strong moonlight, but sharply falling off beyond the tip of a long stick at arm's length.

    "As I said, if there were some manner of trap set by K.T. so early on, it wouldst be difficult to target only us." She picks up one of the bones, and tosses them down the stairs, listening to the clattering to see how far it goes, and if it sets off anything automatic on the way down, before following.
Rabby Rabby meanwhile follows behind Priscilla with her rifle at the ready. She sweeps the area carefully before moving in as well. "You never know what can happen in a place like this!" Rabby says sternly. "You need to keep all possible situations in your mind!" She's not trying to lecture Priscilla, just voicing her thoughts out loud. "There could be traps anywhere at any time."

Rabby looks down the stairs, nodding a little as Priscilla tosses a bone down them to gauge the length and see if anything is triggered. "Even if nothing happens, be careful anyway. There might be something that we could trigger but that bone couldn't."
Tomoe Tomoe follows up with the others are they head in she keeps tabs on August and then Pricilla as well, Tomoe's got the mourning wall out and has dawnbreker in hand as she moves forward tring o take point abecause that is her job she looks to August.

"I go first it's what I do, i'm the best suited here for taking hits and it's what I'm good at you'd be better off laynching attack from behind me."

She looks to PRisc for amoment nodding.

She's also keeping an eye out for pressure plates and other traps too she suspect this place could be infested with them...
Staren     Lightning strikes a drone; Staren recalls the rest. "Looks like someone didn't want anyone flying to the roof or whatever..." He leaves another tablet outside the tower before they go in.

    Staren looks appropriately disgusted at the horpse -- he sets Dawn to reprogramming his sense of smell to filter it out. He stops to look at the other bones though -- forcing himself to set aside his revulsion long enough to at least identify vaguely what sort of creature they belonged to.

    "Hmm, that's strange." Staren comments on the doors, once opened. "I wonder how you're supposed to get up. Teleporters?" Tomoe insists on taking point. "We do have actual disposable drones, you know." He points out, before following.
August Kohler As the group heads down the tower, August finally looks into the mirror and summons his Persona. The Tin Soldier appears besides him, taking point ahead of him, as he speaks to the others. "Apparently Mercykillers are crazy. I can see K.T. not caring about others if it'd capture us. The real question is - why this castle?"
Laer     There's only a few moments before the bone hits, about twenty-five to thirty feet down, with no traps seeming evident. It's even visible if the light can carry that far, a stone floor with scorch marks in places. The ladder, however, is wooden, and still there.

    Everyone is able to safely climb down if they choose to, finding themselves in a hallway that leads forward. There's the smell of cooking meat up ahead, and the low murmur of voices and clanging of pots. The voices aren't really audible, and it's a solid length ahead before they'll get to the kitchen that's clearly there, but the activity seems undisturbed, as though whoever was there did not notice the party entering the tower.
Rabby Rabby goes down very carefully, taking each step deliberately and slowly, not wanting to risk putting herself or anyone else in jeopardy of stepping on a pressure-activated trap or something like that. Once she's finally reached the bottom, she sweeps the area and frowns as she hears the voices and pots, and then the smell of something cooking. "Someone else is here," She softly says to the others. "I don't think they want us here either. Keep your guard up!"
Tomoe Tomoe Says "That I don't know August I'm afraid i haven'tbeen involved with this very long." Tomoe can't fly got long enough to get downbut hey she's had other hboobies that could help she puts her weapon and shield away for a moment. Then she's fining her way down scrambling ing the very terrain of the castle to get going. Though it's not as showy as you might expect but she's down landing nicely and getting her gear back out. She's tying to hear the voices as she creeps ahead she thinks it might be best to not tip them off and she nods.

"Right and lets try to see if we can overhear anything useful or avoid tipping them off."
Staren     Mysterious voices! Staren actually holds back once he's reached the floor, to let the sneaky people creep closer, and has the cases wait in the room above for now.
August Kohler As they hear a voice, the Tin Soldier raises its gun, waiting. It moves up towards the kitchen but doesn't enter, August crouching next to it. "Alright, on three, we get in and see who is in there and if they have any information." The Tin Soldier begins moving slowly towards the entrance. "One...two...three."

And then, waiting to see if the others contribute, the Tin Soldier pushes through the door, as August runs in with it. "Alright, who are you? K.T?" The Tin Soldier's gun is levelled at the nearest moving creature, as August shouts.
Priscilla     With no reason to suspect a false stair, arrow trap, or worse, stair mimics (after Priscilla found out that was actually a thing, she'll never fully trust stairs again), Priscilla continues up to the point the group can hear voices. While the others seem to be trying to overhear them and figure out their nature, Priscilla breathes deeply and expands her sensory awareness of living souls in her proximity, exercising that Lordran native's sixth sense for valuable spiritual essentia. Then, still invisible, she exercises her party role by walking in, to get a good look at whoever it is.
Laer     The voices are in a gutteral language, rather horrible sounding, though once listening closely the group can understand what the voices are saying.

"Is it done yet?"

"No. Stop asking."

"Is it done yet?"

"I said STOP ASKING."

Several seconds later... "Is it done NOW?"

"I SAID STOP ASKING THAT."

"IT WAS A DIFFERENT QUESTION."

    August will bust in on, and the stealthier people will surprise, a group of goblins and bugbears cooking the horse that used to be hitched to the cart that was horse-corpse-less. They will look surprised for a moment, and they do not look like particularly keen negotiators. They also do not know what guns are. The nearest bugbear will reach over for a large metal pot the size of a human and attempt to club the Tin Soldier with it, also not understanding the concept of it not being the true enemy. They're simple creatures, with simple needs. Like cooked horse.
Staren     Well, so much for stealth. Staren rolls his eyes at August, then charges after... And upon seeing the creatures consider a cooking pot an acceptable weapon, decides they're not a threat. "We're looking for someone in big spiky armor. Have you seen them?" If they refuse to talk, he'll shock any that try to attack him. If they actually hurt someone else he'll start using beam cannons.
August Kohler As August is attacked, the Tin Soldier reacts reflexively. The bugbear that moves in to clobber it gets shot several times in the stomach by the gun-leg, as it rattles briefly, August clutching his head. "Ow, fuck you, that hurt! Answer the damn questions." The gun points towards the Bugbear (unless it was a really weak bugbear and is dead, then it points to the next biggest thing). "Or get shot if you attack again. Either or."
Tomoe Whelp there goes any chance of talking but lets face it it didn't look ike it would be a thing. With a deep breath Tomoe redies her weapon and charges on in. Sh intend to intercept hte Bugbear but is too late to interceptbut she's there now looming with her weapon ready she changt a spell causing her blade to seem to catch fire. 5R
"my companion is giving you a chance to get out of this alive, Answer the questions! We're not here for you!"
Rabby Looks like there's trouble waiting here, and it doesn't look friendly either! Immediately, Rabby draws her rifle and levels it at the monsters, but doesn't open fire just yet. Instead, she keeps a stern glare over all of them and a finger on the trigger ready at any moment. "We're not going to hurt you if you just tell us what we need to know." She scowls as August goes on the offensive. "Let what just happened to your friend there be an example of what will happen if you don't cooperate with us!"
Priscilla     Despite her fantasy-genre roots, Priscilla has very little experience with ab/demi/sub-human races. Even things as generic as goblins. She can't help but stare a while at the squabbling, frankly very ugly creatures, cooking up horse like a delicacy. The stink is unique, and the air of unkempt barbarism obvious. It's perversely fascinating, a nose-wrinkling sort of way.

    Seeing August bust in NYPD-style though, Priscilla's hand is a little forced. She grabs a second bugbear, twisting her arm around his ostensibly, but not really, more muscular throat, and lifting him just enough to get his toes off the ground, before revealing herself with an obvious hostage. She has no idea if the rest will actually care, but she assumes the small ones are subservient to the big ones.
Laer     The creatures are quite surprised by the effectiveness of the gun, which makes a GREAT deal of noise in this underground kitchen, echoing through the room in a deafening way. There are real weapons around, but the creatures seem to be alarmed by the way that the shot bugbear is rolling on the ground and bleeding and doing something that's almost like whining.

    "You no do that again? We see many people in armor. Eat their horse. Horse was dead when we found it." One of the not-shot bugbears will state, the one that isn't currently getting surprised by Priscilla out of nowhere. That one is shocked to be lifted up by a 'puny' Priscilla, kicking for the ground.

    "You let us leave? We give half the horse meat if you let us stay." The bugbear will add, as though offering a great reward. There are a number of passages past this kitchen, the group may notice now, as the goblins cower. Multiple directions, moving further down...
Priscilla     It looks like the CR3 encounter has whimped out pretty quickly. That's good enough. It saves the group a little bit of attrition, so thinks Priscilla. The information doesn't seem particularly valuable, however.

    "Wearing armour is quite vague. How many woulsdt thou estimate there were? Did any amongst them stand out in particular." Pretty quickly, she'll drop the bugbear she's slightly choking out though, visibly in no mood to accept horse meat cooked in a grody pot, from an animal already long dead.
Rabby Rabby is a little uncertain about the trade. Namely since she's not a fan of eating horse meat. For her, horses are meant for riding and keeping as companions... or for some people anyway! Eating a horse doesn't sit too well with her...

"I don't know..." Rabby says, looking to the others to see what they have to say about the whole thing. She says nothing else, deciding to let the others act as a majority here since she doesn't want to risk committing a faux pas of some kind.
Staren     Staren lets the others speak for the moment. He has no problem with the bugbears staying here -- they can keep the horse meat.
Tomoe Tomoe does not care about the meat at all. She liustens to what they have to say there's still some more to go and she doesn't care about if they stay. She isn't sure how smart or reliable. Still it's less blood on her blade she's not one to complain as she talks on the comms quietly with the rest.
Laer     The group of monsters are not particularly intellegent or reliable, but they are thoroughly cowed by the overwhelming force. "There were many. More than one group. Spikiest one was weeks ago, many supplies, many men with. Killed the horse themselves, promise! No let it go to waste, right? We hid. Men as scary as you, but more noisy. Warnings of coming. Can hear them when they come up, too. If the come up."

    One of the other goblins will sneer, and say. "Iuz's clerics have probably sacrificed them. Won't hear, won't be coming back. Going below is death."