then it sounds like the general consensus is to move  in through the temple at night hoping to clear out the lieutenants before the return of Oswald"

"It looks that way."

A nighttime assault it shall be.  Makes sense.  Everyone knows demonic powers are at their weakest at night.  Mwa ha ha.

Heading back to the cemetery, the party winds its way through the grave markers and mausoleums toward the kobold crypt.  Getting closer, you notice light, banging sounds, and harsh masculine voices ahead.  As you approach close enough to see the crypt, the obvious assumption appears to be correct: the light and sounds are coming from your destination.  The entrance to the crypt is lit by numerous torches and lanterns.  A crew of a dozen or so orcs appears to be working on the crypt.  Orcs exit the crypt, grab materials from a pile of supplies outside the entrance, and go back inside the crypt.  You can hear the pounding of hammers, scraping, the occasional snarl accompanying a hammered thumb, and you're pretty sure you even hear the sounds of an anvil in use.

The orcs have no idea of your presence at this distance.  What do you do?

Anthony looks trepeditiously at the others and then whispers, "Attack?"

Elwood whispers "I can cast Sound Blast in their midst, which would damage and stun at least some of them."

Whispering as much as he dares, Cole says, "Is sneaking past a viability?  Either that or sneak attack it will be our best bet to take down a dozen or so orcs without taking too much casualty ourselves. They seem just like works, if sneaking past is an option then we buy us some more time before our presence is discovered.  Just a thought." Cole readies Vera as he waits for his comrades to take action.

(Cole will attack only after Elwood casts sound blast.  If no pre-emptive moves are made, Cole will stay his hand for the time being, but remain at the ready to fight should the need arise.)
This message was last edited by the player at 20:27, Mon 04 Sept 2017.

In a whispered voice "We have the advantage of darkness on our sids, whilst they are lit by torches. An attack from range would surely thin out some of their numbers before we engage in melee combat."

With that, Jack readies his bow should the party agree to an ambush.

Just to be clear, these orcs are manual laborers.  They are not wearing armor or carrying weapons (at least not swords; several are carrying ordinary hammers).  Most are wearing overalls and construction hats.  Looking closely you notice the hats have "Int'l Brotherhood of Orcs Local 1312" stenciled on the back.

Don't forget that Rotter is a "free city" meaning humanoids are welcome and have the same legal status as humans and demihumans.

There is no way to sneak past the orc construction crew.  The crypt is relatively small with no room for sneakery.

Anthony holds up his hand and whispers, "Wait. They look like common laborers, not guards. Maybe we can scare them away instead?"

Dreya inches a little closer, squirming in between Just Jack and Simply Elwood to join the huddle.  "Can't we make a big scary sound? Or I can entangle? Or maybe make it really foggy right in the middle of them and then they would have to...uh...walk away from the area?"

"Just walk in and act like you own the place. They'll probably let us right by. If they give you guff, just say you'll report them to Oswald.  They know who pays their wages."

Elwood stares at Cole, digesting what he just said.  "I was thinking about casting Light on a stone, and then Anthony could possibly make it float around them, but perhaps Cole's plan is more straight forward.  We should probably try that.  I know Dreya speaks orcish; does anyone else?"

"I do?" Dreya replies, brow diving slightly in confusion as her gaze flicks up to the Cleric's. "Oh yeah, I do!"

Then she shuffles forward as close as she dares, peering out from around a grave stone as she listens to what conversation is being had between the workers.

Anthony considers and says, "I do like the idea of the floating rock of light. Scaring them away without a source is a good idea. I say we try that first. I can use a mage hand spell to manipulate the stone, and Dreya can be the disembodied voice speaking from it."

Dreya can hear the orc laborers chatting as they work.

[Language unknown:
"Eve, Tocepr.  Estut p ver iloer earncered."

"Witla n.  Meil ain eluste som thivmi ad u evwhi bemi u econst prli linandday p thuomecom oulca io somhoueau siwa.  At e ulnoul mauris."

"Ncce llme der at rea amearebut rat Etai-mewein theareeau?  I Itelngil, Int re remeen t waic unbe m ilsti outstrbut ev dinaun."

"Ie, us, unck.  Alloussan no that.  Lar stvir on m llster man tin astectore ameas lasa ut reerac."

"Adate, ek oneingstr n ticwh.  Ai ithainich heonpl."

"Reit es ntess ter elli eesill etro th i roni be ecles ininpr rere som forlarove thi i hi somteroul?"

"P, bende ncho Entof ev wilth po es hisal hishistra."]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:10, Wed 06 Sept 2017.

Seline looking at the Orc larborers and listening to her companions she agrees "I think trying to scare them away is a good first attempt but lets avoid spending too many spells I have a feeling we may need them, the other option is we could bribe them to take a break, I think avoiding conflict might now will leave us rested for later."

[OOC: I say we go with the floating stone and if that doesn't seem to work while it is still floating Seline will walk up and say "hmmm that is weird pointing to the stone." Then offer One gold piece to each Orc if they go out of sight to take a break]
This message was last edited by the player at 20:38, Wed 06 Sept 2017.

"Well, I suppose the stone scare tactic could work, but like Seline said, we don't want to waste too many spells. If that doesn't work, arrows are pretty cheap."

Anthony nods. "Agreed. I will float the stone. Who will do the voice?" he asks, still whispering.

"Well seeing as how the only one of us that speaks orcish is Dreya, if she is willing to I'd say we let her, her voice may lend make it more creepy." Seline whispers back to Anthony

Elwood looks for a small rock ~10 feet away from the party.  Assuming he can see one, he'll point to it and whisper "I can cast light on that stone, so it won't show our position. Just let me know when everyone is ready."

"Wait!"  Dreya whisper's fiercely as she shuffles a little closer.  The deep grumbled voices WERE making sense!  Well, sort of.

Brow diving furiously, she whipped a look back over her shoulder, odd mane of hair flying about with the movement as she peered back at her friends.  "I...I understand them, like I understand the words...but I don't grasp everything.  One is talking about plaster...I'm not certain I even know what plaster is??  Uhh, their boss wanted to have their work done on the crypt finished by dawn but the dart traps aren't done yet.  Um...Then a couple of them are talking about some elf female they saw go into Lemon Gas's place.  And..."  Strangely, Dreya's face heats into a furious color as a blush rises to her cheeks.  "Um...I don't think you want to hear what they want to do to the elf.  Let's see...oooh!  Now they are talking about kicking kobolds about in a pit."

Dreya's mind whirls furiously.  "Maybe we are all over thinking it?  They are just city workers, right?  Besides, I told you before when some of us were at the cabin in the woods that orcs are just miss-understood.  Let's just go ask them what they are doing?"

With that, Dreya rises to her feet and moves around the gravestone she was hiding behind, waving cheerily at the working orcs, honestly and truly just curious about their toils.  The same gutteral language falls from her tongue as she strides forward.  [Language unknown: "Un, ndfiwe?  Sa osreti staredtho!  N weosarll any ssar bebe olfi ameverres aciv, meur thu omropasi thi ofven?  Allevepresan, prol ll es nceni reaughant?
Thi nosom be stosas aien al siss werevehis casitr lin fongti.  Tr re molari!"]  Dreya offer's quite willingly.

Elwood faces the rest of the group and just shrugs. "Let's see what they say, and as Cole suggests, act like we own the place."  He then follows Dreya, trying to look as tough and mean as possible.

Anthony groans and stays hiding for now. He looks very unhappy with this turn of events, not that anyone can see him hiding around the corner.

Seline thinks to herself, she doesn't remember anything about Lemon Gas or even what a lemon gas place would be however to err on the side of caution she remains hidden back by Anthony, catching Jack she places about a dozen gold pieces in his hand and whispers "I expect these back if you don't use them, but if what Dreya is planning to do doesn't start working just bribe them with a gold piece each to take the night off"

One of the orc workers is just about to grab some materials from the pile outside the crypt when Dreya speaks up.  The orc looks irritated at first, but develops an impressive leer (no one can leer like an orc) when he takes in the sight of the druid.

[Language unknown: "Onwa, peol ntosit.  Uswhth has, wiss earreahas ughsonear.  And lahoio i prwh naniul ngure nd les repele na sedi om buton?"  Oer ul ou virhouing a verterreavorted u encherble onei mo manughdernde chofmo tiohatred manaic ho ic ec.]

The orc nods his head toward a tomb off to the side.  So far, the other orcs working inside the crypt do not appear to have noticed Dreya.