After sharing what he knew, Spriggy looked at the structure with renewed appreciation. It was a marvel of magic and engineering melded together.

"It seems that if we want to enter, using the chains may be our best bet?" he suggested tentatively. He was certainly open to other options though. "Even if nobody is home, there may still be useful information within."

"If the typical means of arrival is flight, that might be faster and safer than trying to use the chains.  If there *is* someone home and they decide they don't want visitors, I'd much rather we be in the air than all trying to clamber along a chain."

Realistically, clambering along a chain while wearing full plate mail did not fill Sir Gorrid's heart with joy.  Plus, being a dragon had been kind of fun...

"I don't think I will be able to pull off that spell a second time right now," replied Spriggy. "At least not without taking a good long rest first. The spell took more effort than I had anticipated. Buckthorn and/or I could potentially still fly in though if we need some scouting done." He didn't mean to volunteer Buckthorn for the task, but the two of them were the only consistent fliers of the group.

"I think we'd be better off waiting than hurrying and exposing ourselves to unnecessary risk.  Even if we were to make it across, we'd have to leave the goats on this side and I'd feel more comfortable with them somewhere safe."

Long rest is DnD.  Prepare spells is just an hour, and it's not even lunchtime yet :>

After taking a look at the chains, Russel said, "I should be able to climb up the chains. Except for splitting up being a bad idea, not all entering at the same place could confuse any defenders."

Rarely one to speak up in a decisive manner, Buck looked from face to face during the discussion. His mixed  expressions mean to convey that while he does not like the idea of anyone crossing by manner of the chains, he also does not want to be perched on the edge of the caldera for much longer.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:13, Fri 17 May.

"I see benefits to both waiting and with moving forward," replied Spriggy, since it seemed the party was split in their decision. "If we rest for a bit, it will be much safer to enter, and we can potentially bring the goats. But if we head in now, we won't risk more orcs investigating the appearance of a dragon and scouting us out in the meantime. Not to mention if there are people inside, waiting will give them more time to prepare for us. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is still unknown."

Spriggy shrugged noncommittally. "Maybe Russel and Buckthorn should test out crossing those chains while Gorrid and I recuperate with the goats for a bit? Definitely try to stay within earshot though if we try something like that."

Russel glanced at Buckhorn, "You willing to give it a try? Shouldn't be a problem till we get to the top. We can at least peak over and see what the inside looks like."

If Buckhorn is agreeable, Russel proceeds to climb the chains while keeping an eye out for anyone besides his friends.

Buck nods in agreement and follows Russel closely onto the gigantic chain bridge. He doesn't look down.

Sir Gorrid takes a few moments while his more agile friends were preparing to scan the area around the caldera for any signs the orcs frequented the area.  This was either the sort of place the orcs would take over, or would studiously avoid.  He suspected the latter, but it was best to be sure.

quote:

17:08, Today: Sir Gorrid of Torr rolled 15 using 2d6+3 ((6,6)).

What happened here recently?
Who's really in control here?
What here is not what it appears to be?

The chains are awkward to navigate, but they're big enough that you can safely cross them without risk of falling. And despite the glowing magma below you, the air is just hot, not scalding. And when you reach the anchoring ring of the fortress, the temperature drops to a comfortable warmth.

But you can tell something is wrong in the fortress itself. The place is clean, but you see a sword on the floor, just out of the nearest entrance to your right. You can't hear anyone or anything, other than the wind and the rumbling of the volcano below. There were people here, but something took them.

To Gorrid's eyes, the fortress is an amazing defensive position... if there's a magical way to bring in food and water. Without magical help, there's no way this place would survive a siege. It's also too out of the way to justify expending serious resources to hold it, as it doesn't control any useful road. So there's no reason the orcs would try to take the place over...

And yet, looking down the slopes of the mountain, you can see raised banners, marked with dragon skulls, making their way up the mountain.

Do I have a sense of how quickly they're moving or how long it's likely to take them to reach us?

"Looks like company is on the way.  Could we rig a rope?  If we can feed a rope through a link at the top and a link down here and then tie the ends together, I can probably help pull the goats to the top, and maybe even myself..."

As the others did what they were doing, Spriggy got to work refocusing his mind and re-preparing his spells. His song/spell book was opened in front of him, and inside his own mind the elf was composing as much as he was spellcrafting. The two were one and the same as far as the bard was concerned. Music had a magical quality to him, and magic had a musical quality to him. And both were as malleable as his own natural shape had become.

Spriggy tried not to let outside happening distract him too much. He trusted that if there were a true emergency, his allies would give him as much warning as they could.

---

Trying to re-prepare my spells. I will keep the same ones. Does spriggy have enough time? And does his debility also wear off at this time, or do I keep it? Are we basically making camp? (Marking off a ration and healing half HP?)

Is anyone down HP?

In reply to Sir Gorrid of Torr (msg # 350):

I believe so far I'm fine, thanks.

Since you flew up the mountain, you're not certain how easy it is to climb all they way up. But they're clearly moving as quickly as they can. If they find a good trail, they could reach you in an hour or two.

Using a rope would let you cross easily. The goats, for their parts, are steady enough to make their way across without issues.

You're not making camp, just taking an hour to wait. If you want to wait that long...

"I'm not sure we're going to have the time to wait.  If we can string a rope I can probably get across.  It may be best to cross now and not be visible when the orcs show up and perhaps seek a defensible area within."

Spriggy nodded and began gathering his things again. "Yeah, the spells can wait. Let's grab some rope from the gear I packed and get everyone to safety first. Maybe we can even grease the chains behind us to make them harder to traverse. But let's not worry about that until we are safe and sound inside."

Spriggy grabbed some rope from his Adventuring Gear and helped to construct the device Gorrid had in mind.

---

Using one adventuring gear to produce some rope.

After the lengthy trek across the chains spent mostly studying the fantastical structure, and before he can remark on the welcomed drop in temperature, Buck's eye is caught by the nearby sword peculiarly laying in the doorway.

"Hmm..." A brisk walk to the entrance and he glances inside, assuming it's clear he will stop to kneel and place one hand on the sword and one hand on the stone frame of the entry to this magnificent keep.

Buck can't remember a time when he's communed with whispers twice in a day, perhaps never. His pulse quickens and after a moment of concentration he begins to sweat again.

Buckthorn rolled 11 using 2d6+2 (3,6) to Commune With Whispers
This message was last edited by the player at 06:05, Fri 24 May.

As you regroup on the fortress' ring, you notice Buckthorn groan and hold his head. "Ssomething went very wrong here..." The halfling shakes his head. "The mages called a creature here... something that even the spirits fear..."

"Marvelous...

Well, if there is evil here, it must be defeated."

Is it obvious how to get into the fortress from the 'ring'?

You see passage to the interior, leading to guard posts. Unguarded, of course.

"Shall we head inside before the orcs arrive?  We can then see what they choose to do from a concealed and defensible position.  Once we know what's happening with them, we can focus our attention on whatever now resides here?"

Russel moves forward to the closest guard post, while staying alert to any threats or traps that might be in the area.

"That sounds like a good plan to me," replied Spriggy, following the others inside to wait. "We just need to make sure whatever is inside doesn't have a chance to sneak up behind us while we are distracted." Spriggy hated to think what might happen to them if they ran into whatever had decimated the residents who had summoned it. Presumably. Because they also presumably felt they were prepared to deal with it and still got decimated anyway.