Taking to their vehicle, the three men drove it in the direction indicated by the maps that they had. Before they left, they took a look at their map. In order to get to the Misr House, they'd have to take a narrow bridge that lead them across the place where the marshland met the sea towards a small island, home to the fabled Misr House and a wooded area, but not much else.

Driving gave them an entirely different perspective, as it became apparent that there was likely little purpose of taking this road other than going to the estate in question.

---

OOC:

Here's a map of the general area I'm describing:



Before proceeding, I'd like to know exactly what you plan to do. Drive across the bridge onto the island, park the car somewhere and proceed on foot, etc. Specifics, gentlemen. :)
This message was last updated by the GM at 19:17, Wed 01 Nov 2017.

What's the scale of the map?

I'm presuming the dike is elevated above the generally low lying land. I'd say we park the car before the bend in the road (at the nearest) and strike off to the northeast (presuming the map is north-oriented) to reach the dike, then follow it easterly until it makes that sharp turn back to the south.

We can climb to the top there and use its height as a vantage point to (perhaps) survey Misr House with our binoculars. We may also be able to see the bridge from there to see how long it is and whether there are any sentries there.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:32, Tue 05 Sept 2017.

EDIT - I think I've been posting at the same time as Bo, so overlapping his comments here.

If the Island is Small (say, less than a mile across) then we should not drive on to it. If the island is significant in size, we should drive on.
From your words small and the map, I'm assuming the former and we can glimpse the house from the road? Is that right? If so we certainly shouldn't stop anywhere within vision.

Given these assumptions, we should dump the car (say, a mile or two away...hopefully after another junction, or somewhere not obvious). If there is nowhere obvious, we could split up.
One of us drops of the other two close, and parks the car further away.
Where-ever we park the car, we should also hide the (single?) set of keys.

Once out of the car we will have the weapons, and will attempt to see:
- Can we see any other likely river crossing points by foot (bridges, overhanging trees, where it looks shallow etc). For example, how passable does the swampy side look?
- Can we see any people, structures, or vehicles (including boats/a boat wharf, or the 'truck' we expect will be in Soho later)
- What can we make of the island.

Pending the above, I expect we aim to cross to the island away from the bridge (if easy crossing), else over bridge, then stay off the road under cover and approach the house proper.

Question - did we pass a phone box on the way (so if we get info and need to pass it on in a hurry, do we all know where to drive to or run to...even if it is miles away, or back in the town itself).

OOC: I think the suggestion of finding some high ground south of the bridge and getting a look at the island with binoculars is a wise first step. My prime concern would be the aforementioned sentries on or near the bridge. If some are present, we make a plan of attack. If not, we venture across. I'd be wary of attempting any other crossing besides the bridge.

I also agree that driving the car across might not be wise. Given the apparent isolation of the locale, the sound of an engine might be easy to discern, and if we're coming in at a time when visitors aren't expected, it might prompt investigation by the estate's residents.

Once we're across, we get as close as we possibly can. Inside, even, if we can do so without detection.

On a side note, I'm going to admit up front that I'm completely geeking over this situation. A crumbling, seaside estate on a remote island just screams Lovecraft. It's awesome. :)

With the layout of the area in mind, the three men set off towards the Misr House in the hopes of scouting out the area. Pulling the car well off the road, they found a place to park it, lodging the key securely out of sight, but within the vehicle's framework should one of them need to access it at need at any time.

Making their way towards the dike, they were able to climb to the top, barely cresting the ridge, and lowering themselves so they didn't stand out too much. A pair of binoculars gave them a spectacular view of the small island before them.

The road leading to the island had narrowed even as they had approached, but from this view they could see that it further reduced in width to the extent that at most one vehicle could traverse the bridge at a time in either direction. At the end of the bridge, a small gatehouse spanned the road, with a vehicle gate spanning the gap within it and a pedestrian gate to one side. At the top of the gatehouse there was a room that allowed observation outward, and it appeared there was a man there within. The gatehouse itself was a small structure, but seemed as if it could comfortably hold four men, any more being possible but a squeeze.

Casting their glance further to the east across the island, they could see the road lead to a large building in the distance where their map indicated the Misr House would be. It looked to be, as they knew, a two stories, a large manor house that might a dozen or more bedrooms and servants quarters to boot, besides other common areas proper and necessary for the functioning of such a residence.

The western half of the island seemed mostly to be a lightly forested area. The bridge itself seemed to be near a dividing line where the sea met the marshes. On the western side of the island, the terrain was marshy. On the eastern side, it was coastal. From their position, it might be a half mile to the gatehouse, and perhaps three quarters of a mile from there to the Misr House.



OOC:

General: The map isn't particularly to scale, but more about overall positioning. I can answer things more specifically about how far things are, what you can see from where, etc.

I'm going to try to amaglamate the suggestions from your various posts and work them into one for ease and simplicity, and will be glad to adjust as needed if you want to add an element to your approach.

Walter: You're correct about the dike's elevation, and the potential for an overview.

Tommy: The island is indeed small. There's no phone box on the way. Out this far, there isn't much phone service except what is available in the larger towns of Harwich and Colchester. You might imagine that even an estate such as the Misr House is lacking in phone service.

"Vince, it looks to me like, if they're prepared to fire on anyone coming across the bridge, they could hold off a company of infantry, at least for a while. The only chance would be to approach at speed and try to crash the gate before they knock out the driver. Course, with an armored car..."

Bo turns his attention to the house and it's outbuildings, trying to see if there's a boat or a boathouse.

Maybe Tommy's idea of a boat was a good one, but time was getting short. No phone would be a point in their favor, at least.

Moretti studied the scene for several minutes, nodding when Bo shared his thoughts. Ignoring his craving for a cigarette, he said, "I think you're right, as far as any sort of direct approach goes. If they have any sort of warning, they could kill every one of us before we got a third of the way across that bridge. Using a car to go through the gate...it's a gamble."

He frowned. "Of course, there's always inganno. Trickery."

"We could approach the gate as a group, shotguns openly displayed, calling out for help. Claiming we're a group of hunters who got separated from the rest of our group. My guess would be that whoever's manning the gate would be suspicious by nature, so it might not play. But there's always a chance."

He glanced back down the road. "Of course, we're expecting the lorry to come. But it'll be loaded with people. But if it's not the only vehicle that arrives, we could try to hijack one of the others. See if we could get in the gate that way. If the guards recognize the car, It's possible they'd just wave us through."

"There's also the spell. The one Rosalie translated that changes someone's appearance. She could make one of us look like Cockburn, the guard Tommy and I did in at the Foundation. It could work, provided none of the Brotherhood knows that he's dead."

He sighed, briefly silent as he focused on the manor. "There's one other idea. But...you wouldn't like it, Bo. Still, it could very well work. One of us could cause a scene at the gatehouse. Get themselves caught while making a clumsy attempt to get inside. Then, while the guards are figuring out what to do with the intruder, the rest of the group sneaks onto the grounds." He paused, taking another long look at the gatehouse. "If it all went well, the others could rescue whoever went in first."

"By 'sneak' I take it you mean swim. You're right, I don't like it.

"But if that lorry's not hear yet..."

Bo scans the grounds, looking for a lorry, which presumably wouldn't be easy to hide.

Moretti shook his head gently. "No, no. I don't mean swim. I mean that one of us goes down there alone and gets themselves caught, causing enough of a problem that most of the guards in the gatehouse get involved in restraining them. So, while the majority of the watchdogs are carting their new captive off to the manor to see Gavigan, the rest of the group uses the opportunity to get through the gatehouse and onto the property."

"It just means one of us ends up in Gavigan's clutches. And potentially killed out of hand," He focused on the gate house again. "I'd be willing to take the risk."

OOC: Is there a part of the house, or a separate structure, that looks like it might serve as an indoor garage?

OOC: If there is, you can't see it from where you are now.

Moretti frowned, taking in the layout of the island one last time. "One more thought," he said, "I think we should take a closer look at the marsh. Try to get a sense of how deep it is. It's fronted by the forested area of the island. If there's a route through it that could be traversed safely, it might give us a chance to reach the manor undetected."

Tommy lay on his stomach on the grass, peering through the binoculars at the island while his friends spoke in hushed tones.
"Well, one good thing at least is they don't seem to have any telephone wires over there. Surely by now your little surprise at the Foundation has been uncovered, but there is a good chance who-ever is on this island dosn't know about it yet...".
He rolled to his back and sat up thoughtfully.

"Vince, if one of us walks up to that guardhouse and causes a ker-fuffle, that person is getting shot. We know these guys are killers...what you are suggesting is too risky.
Either we hit them hard by force or we try some other ruse.".

He shrugged.
"The hunters with shot-guns might get us close enough to have a fair chance. But I like the idea of hi-jacking another vehicle even better. Problem is we dont know another car or truck is coming and we could spend hours waiting...unless we get back to Harwich and commandeer some plausible supply delivery truck.".

The reporter passed the binoculars back to Bo before nodding at the suggestion to get a better look at the marshes. "Yeah, maybe there is a way through the marshes. I'd rather face a pile of mud than guys with guns. As for spells..." he frowned, still struggling to accept such things were real. "Rosalie isn't here. And even if that mumbo-jumbo did work, why go for the guard...why not become Gavigan?".

Climbing back down the far side of the embankment the trio clung to the thick hedgerows of the Norfolk fields as they swept West toward the swamp side of the Island.


I think we are all heading toward Swamp town? So following Vincent's lead as dice are always fun:

13:14, Today: Thomas Cotton rolled 17 using 1d100 with rolls of 17.  Spot hidden vs 70.
13:13, Today: Thomas Cotton rolled 21 using 1d100 with rolls of 21.  Stealth vs 80.


This message was last edited by the player at 12:14, Wed 13 Sept 2017.

Moretti nodded. "That's a fair point, paisan. Out here, as isolated as it is, there's no reason for them not to kill an intruder."

He sighed, silently weighing their options. As Cotton had pointed out, without Rosalie, the spell was probably not a viable idea. Depending on when she and Leo arrived, the window for such a deception to be believable might well have passed. Letting his eyes travel the boundary of the island one last time, he settled on a course of action.

"I'm going to go down, find a point that's well concealed, and see if the marsh can be crossed on foot. If it can be, I think it might be our best option."

Keeping to the trees, he made his way west, doing his utmost to remain unseen while searching for a possible crossing point.

If needed:

08:23, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 11 using 1d100 with rolls of 11. Stealth - Stealth 80%.

08:36, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 95 using 1d100 with rolls of 95.  Spot Hidden - Spot Hidden 60%.

"I'd expect Gavigan is already on the island and the guards know it. They may be more familiar with the magic than we are.

"I'm going back to the car to keep watch. If a truck comes up, I may try to hijack it."

Bo hikes back to where they left the car. He pulls it across the road, effectively blocking passage. Then he takes up a position on the island side in the undergrowth with a shotgun, watching for traffic.

Walter 'Bo' Brandon rolled 41 for Spot Hidden 58%; 79 for Stealth 60%.

From his vantage point, it was hard to assess the terrain accurately, especially given how unfamiliar he was with it. While well traveled, he was more familiar on the city streets of New York than in marshes.

Walter, on the other hand, found no traffic coming towards their point.

Are Vincent and I west enough to be out of view of the bridge and house? If so I expect we will approach the marshes closer. We are essentially looking for a way on to the island which avoids the bridge. In my mind marshes are hard going but passable in the UK, depending how deep they may be.
While we are above the marshes by the hedgerow's I'd propose we try and break off some long sturdy branches if possible to help us through the marsh.
If we are still in view of the bridge (guards?) and house (guards?) then let us know and we'll pause to reconsider.

You can find a place not far from the bridge itself that by virtue of its proximity of the bridge is completely shielded from view from the guardhouse. Once you flank out further than that, you'll need to make a Stealth roll.

In reply to The Keeper (msg # 22):

OOC:

To Walter's question, you did not see a truck on the island. As to where a truck might hypothetically be concealed,a reminder to my earlier note that you can't see anything on the other side of the building. Lots of things might be back there.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:25, Sat 16 Sept 2017.

In reply to The Keeper (msg # 26):

How convenient. ;)

Sliding through a gap in the hedgerow Tommy paused for Vincent to follow.
He nodded down the bank toward the marshes below.
"Here - those trees are blocking the view from the bridge. Let's see if we can make any headway down there. Ready to get your feet dirty?".

For a moment he paused, looking up and down the hedge row to identify a sturdy branch they could use to test the depth of the water and help if the going was hard.

<ooc>If I understand correctly, Tommy and Vincent are out of view of the house and the bridge, and will now attempt to cross on to the island itself.
Did anyone think to bring a flare or any way of setting off a signal? I guess not...</ooc>

Moretti put his hand on Cotton's shoulder. "Hang on, paisan. Bo and I, we did some work together down in New Orleans a few years back. I learned a bit of how the streets work down there...but I never got a good grasp on how to make my way through the bayou. Too many years in the city, I suppose. But Bo...Bo knew how to navigate the swamp."

He pointed back, over his shoulder. "I want him to get a look at this. He might see a way we could safely cross. Stay put. I'm going to see if he and I can switch places."

Moretti retreated back through the trees, keeping to the foliage. When he neared the place where the car had been parked, he called out to Bo twice, so the other man knew that it was him who was approaching. Once there, he explained the need for Bo's expertise. "If you could take a look, I'll stay here. Keep watch on the road."

OOC:

Tommy, I probably explained it poorly. Let me bit a bit more direct:

If you're checking out the swampy shore on your side, you need to make a stealth check, unless you're just under the bridge or right next to it, or unless you submerge yourself mostly in the water.

Now Vincent seems mostly to be in a state of assessing it - I don't think anyone's attempting a crossing quite yet.

In reply to Vincent Moretti (msg # 29):

"Okay, Vince, I'll go check it out."

He passes the loaded shotgun to Vincent, certain the man can see the purpose of having the car mostly block the road.

By the time he reaches Tommy's position, he has acquired a dead branch, reasonably straight and about five feet long. He doesn't like how open and exposed the marshland is, but at least it will be less infested with carnivorous and venomous fauna than the swamps he's known in Louisiana and Africa.

"You stay here. No use both of us getting caught," he whispers to the young reporter, "I'll try to get over to that more solid-looking area and work my way onto the island from there.

"Take this." He passes Stan's .38 to Tommy. "If I'm being chased when I get back here, you cover me as I get up the dyke. Then you take off. We'll meet back at the car, that way."

Walter takes a sight on the bridge and a tall dead tree the other side of the dyke and slips down the bank into the water. He submerges up to his head and tries to keep the high grasses between him and the guardhouse on the bridge.

Walter 'Bo' Brandon rolled 120 using 2d100 with rolls of 41,79.  Spot Hidden 58%; Stealth 60%.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:54, Tue 03 Oct 2017.

OOC:

08:56, Today: The Keeper, on behalf of Walter 'Bo' Brandon, rolled 21 using 1d100 with rolls of 21.  Natural History (35).