A devilish grin spreads across Morgrim's lips as he watches from afar. "Lets give that fellow a welcoming committee when he finishes up his business," he whispers, beckoning the others to follow as he sets his shield and hastens across the craggy path.

In reply to Morgrim Ironhammer (msg # 116):

Dalgura couldn't help but think he'll need to use the outhouse again after he sees Morgrim in his element.  The thought brought a smile to her lips and lightened her steps as she followed her brother with her weapon ready.

Morgrim leads the party toward the wooden outhouse to the left of the cave's entrance. Approaching slowly, the group hears a man humming, quite badly, a tuneless tune of unknown origin. Unbeknownst to the hummer, three interlopers await just outside the rickety door.

The cave's entrance lies some 30 feet distant. Faint tendrils of smoke waft out of the cave, carrying the scent of burning wood, but little other activity is observed in that direction. One might expect a lookout, but perhaps that fellow is presently indisposed within the outhouse.

Morgrim looks to his companions to ensure that they are ready. Drawing his scimitar he counts down on his fingers.

Three.

Two.

One.

Then he opened the door and struck without warning, punching out with the basketed hilt of his blade in an effort to subdue the sentry without killing him.

Surprise attack hits AC 12 for 4 damage.

17:18, Today: Morgrim Ironhammer rolled 4 using 1d6+1.  Damage.
17:17, Today: Morgrim Ironhammer rolled 12 using 2d20+3, dropping the lowest dice only.  Surprise attack.

Ellie nodded silently in agreement, silently sliding the dagger from the sheath at her hip. She followed behind Morgrim with a stab at the man's nonvital areas.

---

^{21:43, Today: Ellie Dovehand rolled 15 using 1d20+3.  Dagger Attack.
21:44, Today: Ellie Dovehand rolled 5 using 1d4+1.  Piercing Damage. Nonlethal.}

Dal saw that Ellie and Grim were all ready.  She held her action until she saw if theirs didn't work.  No sense in wasting all their moves only to discover they might have needed another one. She had her weapon in her hand and her spells readied if needed.  She didn't think she would since very few got past Grim and somehow she felt that the same might be said about Ellie.

Morgrim flings open the outhouse door and rushes in to strike the defenseless and suprised man hovering over the raised chamber pot, trousers ungloriously at his ankles. The man looks up, eyes shooting wide, as the dwarf brings down his scimitar, striking the man in the noggin. Ellie manages to wriggle her way into the tight confines as well, bringing her dagger roughly up against one of the man's tender nether regions.

The battle, if one could call it as such, is over before it begans, the man effectively incapacitated.

The man holds his hands up in innocence and flashes what would be a toothy half-smile, were it not for the wreck of diseased gums in his mouth, "Don't kill me. Not like this..." he says, gesturing with his eyes at the less than noble circumstances.

"Who said anything about killing you, you miserable bastard?" Morgrim said, grabbing the man roughly by the collar.

"Start talking and you can walk home. Otherwise you can drag yourself back through the snow on two broken knees, because I'm not carrying ye. Understood?"

Morgrim paused a moment for this to sink in.

"Marek and Slim. Where are they? And how many more of you louts are in there with them?"

In reply to Morgrim Ironhammer (msg # 123):

Dalgura kept on the lookout for anybody who might have heard Grim's growl.  She knew better than to interfere Grim when he spoke like that.  She was more use sending people peacefully on their way into the beyond or keeping an eye out for those who wanted to interfere.  She did give a little shiver when she had seen Ellie go into the outhouse.  She hadn't thought there was that much room.  Perhaps the guy who Grim was talking to didn't stink up outhouses as much as Grim did occasionally.

The half-dressed man swallows hard and then glances down at his exposed lower half and says, "Fine. But how 'bout you let me see to a couple of things, right?" He grunts uncomfortably as his eyes dart back to the women standing behind Morgrim.

Once this situation is dealt with, the man responds to Morgrim's questions.

"Slim's not here. Hasn't been in a couple days. Reckon he's back in town or some such," he says irritably.

"Marek came through early this morning. Didn't stay long. Headed eastwise, toward Kelvin's Cairn."

OOC: Everyone make a Perception check...

"You didn't answer my last question," Morgim prompted. "How many others are inside?"

Hopefully I can use Morgrim's passive perception (15), because that roll was a wash...

10:42, Today: Morgrim Ironhammer rolled 6 using 1d20+5.  Perception.

The man's mostly toothless mouth hangs agape a few moments before he musters a response, "Gah..I don't know?! A dozen or so. I never had no reason to keep score or count 'em as such."

In reply to DM Shard (msg # 127):

Dalgura looked around thinking they were taking too long but knew sometimes you couldn't rush things. She kept her weapon at the ready and hoped she wouldn't need it.


10:09, Today: Dalgura Ironhammer rolled 14 using 1d20+3.  Dalgura's Perception roll.

Morgrim looked over his shoulder questioningly at the others. "Think we can handle twelve men, assuming the rest of them aren't using the privy also?"

In reply to Morgrim Ironhammer (msg # 129):

Dalgura grinned.  "I think we could handle them better if they WERE using the privy.  That would be too much to ask for though.  On the other hand, if they come out in force, I might suggest we set fire to this privy and roll it towards them or something."

Morgrim nodded.

"Well, we can't have this one telling his friends," he replied, reaching for a length of rope.

^{22:09, Today: Ellie Dovehand rolled 4 using 1d20+2.  Perception. Did he have the herpes?}

While the party discusses their prospects against perhaps 12 bandits, Morgrim hears footsteps and a low whistle coming from the direction of the cave's entrance...

"Yer fellows are whistling for you," Morgrim said quietly. "Give him a whistle back or holler to let him know you're alright or whatever it is that'd assure him and keep in mind yon miss over here has a dagger pressed against yer nethers and a quick wrist."

"Wouldn't want anything untoward to happen to yer wedding tackle."

The captive appears to be mulling something over in his mind for a few moments before finally acknowledging Morgrim's request by attempting to whistle. He has difficulty effectively whistling, but after a few attempts whistles back in response, two short upward chirps followed by a single, drawn out descender.

Morgrim grunts. "Smart man. You'll go far."

The dwarven druids finishes tying up his captive and then nods to the others. "Are ye both ready? Come on."

"Just waiting on you brother.  Are you tying his mouth up too or leaving it untied?  There are merits to both."

Dal hadn't paid attention to how Grim was tying up the man so she hadn't seen if he had or had not tied up his mouth too.  She was just waiting for her brother to finish.

Morgrim cocked his head to the side as he eyed Dalgura. "I can't think for a moment what the merits of letting him go without a gag might be, dear sister. We don't want him calling out."

Binding and gagging the captive to clarify. Then heading into the cave.

In reply to Morgrim Ironhammer (msg # 138):

Dal grinned at Grim, not taken back at all by his answer.  "In this case the only thing that I could think of was if he needed to answer a whistle call.  Since now he can't I say let us make haste."

After dealing with the man in the latrine, the party advances toward the cave's entrance. The entrance tunnel is littered with refuse, mostly food scraps, and the smell of roasting meat drifts out from the tunnel. The group can hear voices (common tongue) echoing off the wall inside and judging by the nature of the conversation and the occasional tell-tale metallic clink of coins on a table, the men inside sound to be engaged in some sort of gambling activity.

The tunnel leading into the cave is about 10 feet wide at the entrance and it curves away to the right as it descends deeper into the hill. The voices sound close, perhaps no more than 100 feet distant.