Zenphar raises an eyebrow, "Very philosophical, Zeb. And likely true. Greed for gold. Greed for power. Leads many astray.

Perhaps Zeb and I should scout ahead, to make sure the way to the stairs is clear?"

---

Ehrendil Vakalyn rolled 16 for Stealth (DEX).

Makari gave a shrug and then nodded at Ehrendil's suggestion, spreading his hands a bit. He had no problem with some scouting ahead...it was when they ran in to trouble and were all split up, that's where the problem lay.

So he gave the two a bit of a lead and then began making his way after them, trying to be as stealth as he could.

Content to let the stealthy people do their thing Gorm does what bears do best, and plops down on the ground to wait it out.  While not quite asleep her restful pose seems far more reliant on others paying attention, or just being ignored, than on any sort of personal preparedness.

Morg hangs back a bit, hiding with Makari, but ready to charge.

---

Originally posted in OOC thread: Morg Danforge rolled 14 using 2d20+1, dropping the highest dice only with rolls of 13,17.  Stealth check with disadvantage (from splint) for entering back of monastery.

Zeb followed Ehrendil's lead, and though he seemed to blunder down the stairs, taking little precaution, still his tiny feet fell with minimal sound.

---

Zeb rolled 16 using 1d20+10 with rolls of 6.  stealth.

The group makes their way clockwise around the monastery, hearing no sound besides the attempts at soft footfalls from their own group. The tell, narrow windows of the structure afford little view into the interior, but neither do they easily betray the intruders' presence to the monastery denizens.

As they approach the northwest door, a great deal of activity can be heard from just inside, and smells of fresh baked bread are evident in the mid-morning air.

---

Map updated!

"Do we charge in and attack the cooks?" Ehrendil asks quietly.

He adds, "Zeb, can you use your magic hand to see if the door is unlocked?"

Makari hesitated and gave a shrug with a wincing face. He quietly replied, "I mean, the cultists at the other place just kept attacking us on sight every time, so I'm not sure."

He glanced at Morg for more information. "You were here before, yes? What should we expect?"

Gorm sniffs the air as they approach the kitchen, almost certainly detecting a much wider variety of smells even under the overpowering fresh bread.

When the question of attacking the cooks is raised she starts licking her lips with obvious anticipation.

"There were tables around the walls, a stove in the center of the kitchen, and laundry tubs." Morg whispers. "I think the rest of the party had robes on last time I was here, and the kitchen staff ignored us until we confronted them. I remember them saying something culty, but to be fair we invaded their place."

"We could ask them about the missing delegation, and see where that leads, tho that's more something you'd do at the front door if you were coming in good faith."

Zeb's hand endorsed Makari's suggestion with a raised thumb and skittered off to comply. Though the hand was perfectly capable of floating and flying, the gnome seemed to prefer having it run along the ground, using its fingers as legs, when possible. This weak nod to the laws of the physical world, when everything else about the detached hand was ineffably in violation of those laws, served only to enhance the eeriness of its autonomous movement.

---

Not trying to open the door, just test whether it could be opened. Stealth roll, in case it's needed:
Zeb rolled 20 using 1d20+10 with rolls of 10.  stealth.

Zeb tries the handle of the door into the kitchens, which is reinforced with iron bands. It seems to be locked.

Seeing Zeb's hand not able to open the door, Morg whispers "They may have fortified the entrances."

"I'm not good at hiding, so my inclination is to knock on this kitchen door, ask about the delegation again, barge in if they don't let us in, and asking those inside to surrender because some of them may be in there against their will. Those who don't surrender, get knocked out or killed. It's not the ethical way to do this, but I don't have much patience for these cults anymore."

"I welcome any smarter, more wizardly approaches."

Ehrendil purses his lips, as he thinks for a moment.

"I am fine with asking for surrender, if you think any of those inside are there against their will, but I think we would be best to take them by surprise...I am confident that Zeb can open the lock."

"That would be safer." Morg whispers in reply to Ehrendil.

Makari watched their backs with his quarterstaff in hand. He was getting himself ready for another period of cultists just straight-up attacking them - granted, they WERE kind of invading their 'home' or temple, so it wasn't like they were entirely blameless in being attacked. But the cultists were evil and deserved a home invasion by some good people. Probably. Maybe.

Abruptly, the door from the kitchens bangs open, and a figure clothed head to toe in brown hooded robes appears in the doorway. They move deliberately through the doorway, their movements practiced as if routine, as they idly toss a sack onto a pile of similar sacks and random refuse to the ground on the right of the stairs.

The person slowly turns to regard the party, their mein covered behind a golden mask resembling a stylized gargoyle. "Yes?" the figure calmly asks, regarding the array of visitors near the foot of the steps.

Makari blinked a few times and then plastered a friendly smile on his face as he stepped to the front. "Hello there. I'm Makari, nice to meet you I'm sure."

He indicated the group and himself. "We were hoping you could tell us if you know anything about a missing dwarven delegation? We're searching for them, you know. Are they here?"

Ehrendil forces a smile onto his face as he stares up at the masked figure, all the while gauging the distance from where he stands to the kitchen worker.

---

Based on the map, it looks to be less than 30 ft even taking Pythagorean's theorem into account.

Zeb's hand had not brought lock picks with it when it first went to investigate the door. It was on its way to retrieve them when the portal suddenly flew open. The hand dropped flat onto its palm, doing its best to resemble a rock and thus blend in with the surrounding terrain as Makari sweet talked the gargoyle-faced fellow.

The figure stared at Makari for a few moments behind the expressionless mask. "I'll go check on that for you," they replied, turning to re-enter the monastery and close the door behind them.

Zeb unslung the bow from his back and sought a defensible position. "Well that was ominous. I'm thinking let's make ready to fight our way in just on the off-chance he doesn't come back with a map of the delegation's whereabouts."

"NO!" Ehrendil shouts loudly.

[Case 1: If the masked cook pauses or turns back even for an instant]
"Gradus Nebulosus!" the ranger incants, as he shimmers, then disappears.

Appearing just inside the doorway, Ehrendil then throws his shoulder into the Masked Cook, hoping to knock him down the stairs.

[Case 2: If the masked cook does not pause]
"This is not going to go well for us." Ehrendil remarks as he nocks an arrow.

---

[Case 1]
Bonus: Cast Misty Step: Teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space in sight.
Action: Shove: push away 5 ft; STR (Athletics) contested by the target's STR (Athletics) or DEX (Acrobatics).
        Ehrendil Vakalyn rolled 13 for Athletics (STR) - shove.
Use an object: Drop arrow and draw rapier.

[Case 2]
Action: Ready bow attack against first hostile creature seen.

The monk is surprised by the sudden appearance of Ehrendil next to them, so much so that they spin through the air after the elf's push and land awkwardly on the ground next to the stairs. They recover quickly however, as they rock back with their knees up, then spring to their feet on the rocky ground.

"Intruders! Help me repel them!" the monk shouts, calling over their shoulder to the still open door. From inside an object crashes to the stone floor, and two other figures appear in the doorway, quickly descending the stair as the first monk moves to attack Zeb with their bare hands and feet.

---

Map updated! Everyone is up now.

Surprise Round
Ehrendil casts Misty Step and appears next to the monk on the stairs (M1). He attempts to shove the monk - SUCCEED. M1 falls off the stairs and lands prone.


Round 1 So Far:

Monks
M1 stands up, moves, and attacks Zeb - MISS.
M2 appears in the doorway and attacks Ehrendil - HIT once for 4 bludgeoning.
M3 appears in the doorway and attacks Ehrendil - HIT once for 6 bludgeoning.


Round 1 Initiative Order:

Who	Init	Status
Monks	21
Makari	19
Morg	19
Moonclaw	19
Gorm	12
Zeb	11
Ehrendil	6

Makari shook his head. This was going about as well as he thought it would end up. He moved up and around a bit to stay out of reach but get more of a visual on the various monks. As he did so, he called out the wrods a simple spell to empower his staff. "Shillelagh!"

Then he swirled the staff around and pointed it at the closest monk engaged with Ehrendil, saying the words "Eldritch Blast!" and loosing two bolts of golden force.

OOC: Moving up and around out of reach next to Zaina, on the far side of her from where Makari is starting.
Bonus Action: Cast Shillelagh.
Action: Cast Eldritch Blast at the 'north' most monk in melee with Ehrendil (AC 28 for 8 force).

23:26, Today: Secret Roll: Makari rolled 27,8,11,13 using d20+8,d10+5,d20+8,d10+5 with rolls of 19,3,3,8.  Eldritch Blast vs monk in melee with Ehrendil.