There's a moment's pause.

"The black spots!  You get covered in black spots and then you die!"

"A bit vague, as symptoms go. Does anyone have experience with treating diseases?" Kaelyn asks the rest the party, quiet enough not to be overheard by the men on the tower.

"Could be something magical perhaps?" She wracked her brain thinking about possible arcane causes for something like that, or spells that might cause those effects.

---

Somehow I have a point in know:arcana and spellcraft and they're class skills, so... if they're relevant, that's a pretty good spellcraft roll!

10:49, Today: Sofia rolled 24 using 1d20+4.  spellcraft?
10:50, Today: Sofia rolled 12 using 1d20+4.  knowledge:arcana?

Telastor shrugged and moved forward with the group, though he was surprised as everyone else when the person atop the gate called about disease.

"So... disease is why you're burning buildings in there?" he called back skeptically.

OOC:
Heal - 17, Perception 12, Sense Motive 14
K: History - 13; any history of diseases specific to this area or region that might be of note here?

14:30, Today: Telastor rolled 17,12,14,13 using 1d20+4,1d20+10,1d20+8,1d20+7.  Heal, Perception, Sense Motive, K:History.

Sofia can't think of anything specific.  There might be curses that would accomplish something like that, but one that was contagious as well would be a huge deal.

Telastor also hasn't heard of a disease that matches those symptoms that would be found in this region.  Maybe something from Mwangi, but that's a ways off.

"Hard to burn the bodies!" one of the figures shouts back.

Kaelyn listens to the man while trying to remember hearing anything about this disease.

08:21, Today: Kaelyn rolled 20 using 1d20+8.  Sense Motive.
08:22, Today: Kaelyn rolled 28 using 1d20+10.  Knowledge: Local.

This fort, are the gates open?

The gates are closed.

Kaelyn...

"There is something... off about these two." Kaelyn says quietly. She frowns as she looks at the fort walls.

Trying to see if there is another way in. How solid the gates look, how high the walls are, are the walls damaged in any place that she can see, do they look climbable, that kind of stuff.

Despite the fires, the walls still look pretty solid.  The gates are currently closed.  They could be scaled with time and skill, but it would be very difficult to do so unnoticed.

OOC: I know it's hard to avoid getting wrong impressions in PBP.  As such, I'll hint that you could always try talking more.

"Plague!" the gnome exclaimed, looking at least as fascinated as he was horrified. "Which plague? Grimes' Affliction? Keening Knees? The Devil's Ivory? Oh dear, I do hope it's not Throttled Pustules. That one spreads in the air, so burning would be... ah..." he looked warily at the clouds of smoke. "That really is quite a lot of smoke. How many bodies are you burning, anyway? And how long since you were in proximity to the bodies? Best not get any closer," he suggested to his companions in a lowered voice. "They may be infected, even if they aren't yet showing any of those black spots."

Sofia stood back and scanned the gate area, looking for any kind of clue for what was going on. They were clearly getting the run-around, but why?

She pulled back so only her group could hear her. "Come back after dark and try to get in then?"

---

Perception 10 (shoudl have been +7 instead of +9) isnt' going to tell me much...

15:54, Today: Sofia rolled 12 using 1d20+9.

"Or we just go away and don't bother coming back. We have plenty of problems of our own and no need to look for more. Though this could be connected with whatever is going on at Scrapwall..." Kaelyn responds, likewise careful not to be overheard by the men on the walls.

If we are sneaking up on them, Kaelyn is good at that, but far less good at climbing. Does anyone have any magical means to get around those walls? I do have grapnel and rope, but that still takes a skill roll to use, and could draw attention as well.

It takes a few minutes, but the group talks the guards into opening the gate.  Being firm about seeing to the plague victims seems to be all it takes.  They scramble down and the portcullis winches open.

OOC: What do you do?  If you're going through, give me a marching order.

"Don't bunch up, I've got a bad feeling about this," she whispered to her group before the portcullis went up.

Sofia moved in first, trying to look relaxes but inside was anything but. Her eyes darted all around looking for trouble, trouble she was certain was coming.

Ooc Sophia's first unless someone else really really wants to be. Her advice is that is best to spread out probably so we don't all eat the same fireball or whatever is coming!

Gizzos needed no encouragement to hang back. He was less worried about fireballs than contagious diseases. At the same time, though, a new city, was a source of endless excitement, and he looked around wide-eyed and wide-eared.

Gizzos Fip rolled 24 using 1d20+13.  perception.

forgot to copy this from dice roller

15:53, Yesterday: Sofia rolled 26 using 1d20+7.  Perception, looking for trouble.

Kaelyn moves in after Sofia, but before doing so she casts one more spell for protection, just in case.

Casting Shield.
23:14, Today: Kaelyn rolled 17 using 1d20+10.  Perception.

It really shouldn't have been a surprise.

Talking your way in the gate took a bit of effort, but there were too many fishy things about the story of the "plague" to just let it go.

When, as the group was about half through the gate, it suddenly started to descend rapidly, well, that shouldn't have been a surprise.

OOC: Sudden but inevitable betrayal!

Sophia is on the inside, Gizzos is on the outside.  Kaelyn (and anyone else) can roll a die and call evens-odds on whether they are inside or outside.  Changing either way requires a Reflex save, DC 12 to dive past the falling gate.  It is advisable that you don't fail the check.

Guess I'm out. I was hoping to be in, but even with my good reflex save I'd rather not attempt to dive past the falling gate. I have 20% chance to fail, and it sounds like failure could be very nasty indeed. I don't suppose evasion could help with this roll somehow?

00:09, Today: Kaelyn rolled 2 using 1d2.  1 is in, 2 is out.

"Oh! Ummm..." The gnome hesitated just a moment, and that was all it took for the gate to slam down, trapping him on the outside. "Crumbcakes!" he muttered under his breath.

Sofia finds herself in the courtyard, alone.  The second guard steps out of the gatehouse where the control for the gate no doubt resides.

As he does so, the other one, who had been waiting a to the side, yells at him.  "I tole you to let half of them in firth!"

That bit of infighting aside, they drew blades as a couple more men appeared from behind them.  The other two look decidedly less "guardlike" than the first two, though now that you are up closer they don't look like "guards" much, either.

In fact, they look rather terrifying.  Where their cheeks should be, they have masses of scar tissue and no lips.  This exposes their teeth and goes a long way toward explaining the strange lisp of the ones on watch.  And why they wore full-face helmets.

OOC: Let's try this without a map for now.  The area beyond the gate is a rather wide open area (30-40' of open space, easily).  The closer guard is about 15' from the gate.  The second guard and the other two are about 30' away from there, out in the open.

Everyone may act.

Kaelyn abruptly disappears from sight as she prepares to scale the walls. With Sofia trapped in there they need to get in fast.

Swift: Vanishing trick, using Magic Weapon spell to power it.
Move: Ready rope with grapnel.
Standard: Throw grapnel up on the walls.

23:08, Today: Kaelyn rolled 21 using 1d20+6.  Initiative.

Sofia had the same thought as Kaelyn. Despite the fact that there had been no blood shed yet, it was clear that was coming. She didn't think twice about drawing it first.

She pulled her sword, raged and charged at the one by the gatehouse, hoping to kill him before he could close the door, then follow him in and raise the gate.

---

move to dude by gatehouse and attack him using destined strike. Hits AC 19 for 25 damage.

Free: bloodrage +4 str, +4 con +4 will +2 fort +2 reflex
Move: to bad guy closest to gatehouse; draw greatsword
Standard: Attack him with power attack and destined strike

16:01, Today: Sofia rolled 25 using 2d6+16.  damage; +9 str, +6 pa, +1 magic.

16:00, Today: Sofia rolled 19 using 1d20+11.  attack +4 BAB +6 str +1 magic +2 destined strike -2 power attack.

The gnome laughed as Sofia drew her weapon. "Oh, you dummies have sure done it now. She's the last person you'd wanted to be trapped with. You may not have lips, but you've sure sunk your ship!" Between jeers, he maneuvers to get a better view into the gatehouse, ideally at the gate-control mechanism itself.

Casting Blistering Invective. When you cast this spell, make an Intimidate check to demoralize each enemy within 30 feet of you. Enemies that are demoralized this way take 1d10 points of fire damage and must succeed at a Reflex save or catch fire. Spell Resistance can negate the fire damage caused by this spell, but does not protect the creature from the demoralizing effect.

Gizzos Fip rolled 20 using 1d20+9.  Intimidate.

Trying to assess whether it might be possible use Mage Hand to open the gate.

Kaelyn successfully seats the grapnel atop the wall.  OOC: The walls are normally a DC 15 climb check and are 15' high.  Using the rope, the DC drops to 5.

Sofia charged the nearest foe and cuts him down where he stands.

Gizzos spends a moment thinking.

OOC: Gizzos, I think you misread the distances.  Dude #1 was at 15'.  The other three are at 45' (30' from the first guard).  That'd put them out of range.

Pausing here to let Gizzos adjust.