17-18 Calistril, 44NC

After sunset, the party debates a plan and, without a clear consensus, start raiding the tower somewhat independently.

Snot scales the tower and drops a rope from the battlements for Matten to scale behind him.  Once at the top, they slay the two guards without raising any alarm.  Dan scales the rope as well and joins them on the tower roof.

Once the watchers are out of action, the rest of the party hides outside the main tower door.  Nimue hides her armor and weapons and knocks at the door, posing to the solders as “entertainment” sent by Captain MacDougal.  Syl poses as her escort.

The bored soldiers are incredibly enthusiastic about the “entertainment”.  While the three move down from the roof, Nimue seduces the platoon sergeant into a private room.  On the second floor, Snot, Matter, and Dan find four soldiers sleeping.  They kill two and drug the remainder.

Syl ensures the exterior door doesn’t fully close, and while the solders in the common room are distracted by the sounds of an incredibly vocal Nimue (who killed the sergeant and was faking it), Matten, Snot, and Dan come down the stairs, joined by an almost entirely naked blood-covered Nimue into the common area and a fight ensues.

Within fairly short order, the party finishes off the remaining soldiers and secure the tower.  While most of the party is resting up, Kagdir notices an oddity with how the chandelier in the common area is anchored, and after Snot helps out, they realize that there is likely a mechanism involving the floor, but they don’t seem to have all of the necessary parts.

A few hours later, very deep in the night, Sir Gregory rides up with his squire.  He rapidly discovers the bodies of the platoon.  Kagdir calls down from the tower top.  They exchange jabs for a few moments.  He does reveal that his family have been liege-men to the Tyrs for ten generations and his loyalties will not be broken.  When Kagdir suggests that proximity to the Ring of Spirit may be warping Duke Tyr’s judgement, Gregory laughs and notes that it’s not the ring, as much as Isabella Vasquez who is corrupting him.

The next day, a scouting party from the Volkov camp arrive and rest up outside the tower.  They report that they’re followed by three companies including Smoot.  They don’t make any mention of entering the tower and just make themselves comfortable outside.

Near the end of the day, a large contingent of soldiers arrive with Smoot in the lead.  He congratulates the party on saving Baron Giles and securing the tower.  He also arrives with the missing pieces for the device, which he rigs up with all haste.  The party joins Smoot as the device lowers the floor down into a large natural cavern below the tower.  While Smoot is fussing with an artificial lamp, he explains:

“You know, after Kironius slew Tahl’Mearis, his entire army scattered.  Most of them were conscripts anyway.  The rest turned tail and hauled ass all the way back to Highguard.  And you know what no one ever asks?  Ask me what no one ever asks.”

They ask.

“They never ask, ‘what ever happened to all of their stuff?'”

Smoot throws a lever and lights all the way down the cavern come on, revealing hundreds of pallets loaded with heavy equipment under oiled tarps.  Smoot strides up to one and throws the tarp off, revealing an early-model Bubblesneezer Rotary Cannon.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Smoot continues,”we’re going to Westergarde.”