Deliberations
Subject: Re: ummmmm....
"That," Sa'id says, "is an absolutely splendid idea."
OOC: If no one has any further strategic conversation, let's make camp in a side tunnel and sort out what we're going to do and when. We really need a plan here.
From: Scott
Subject: Deliberations
Mission sucks in a deep breath to stave off his impatience. Haste was not what was needed here. Cautious planning, strategem, wisdom. . .
His eyes flick over Cadfael, murmring there on the floor of the sewer. Wisdom and madness . . .
"Sa'id, can you question the dead creatures?" He gestures idly toward the tunnel where the zombies stand. "I don't know how much they would know about Anileth's purposes, or Elise, or even if they could answer us. But they don't seem hostile."
He shivers. "If we wait until morning, we loose the cover of darkness. Then, we will HAVE to depend on a strategy of distraction to lure the guards away from the temple, assuming we can gain the surface."
A rather large assumption. "Both Rennick and I have passed through the zombies. I'd wager that Garyth and Farron can as well. Sa'id, Cadfael-- I'm not sure about the two of you. But of everyone here, perhaps the both of you understand these corruptions of death best. Why would they let us pass? Would they stop you?"
Although he addresses both men, Mission is looking at Cadfael.
"Master Plate-mail seems to be a captain, or leader of some sort-- he may have information we could use. If attacking him draws out the zombies, Cadfael--" Mission swallows. "Well, Cadfael obliterated a good number of skeletons at Gully's outpost. Do you think you could do the same with these zombies? That would free Sa'id to work his magery on the four soldiers. If we close with them quickly, we may be able to subdue them before they can raise an alarm."
But he remembers how savagely the halflings fought, and the fanatiscism of Elise's man on the road. Even after his guts had been ripped open. He shakes his head. "I don't know. It won't be an easy fight, or a clean one. But we seem to have left easy and clean behind us a long time ago."
Mission says, "If we camp, we should do so now, and only for long enough for Farron and Sa'id to memorize the spells they think they will need to assault the temple."
From: Karl
Subject: Re: ummmmm....
Farron will take 15 minutes to memorize "tiny hut" to be ready to cast it when the group decides where/when we are going to camp.
From: Karl
Subject: Re: Deliberations
Correction: *IF* the group decides to camp in the tunnel, Farron will memorize and cast tiny hut. If we are just resting in order to fill vacant slots, Farron won't waste a 3rd level slot on tiny hut.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: Deliberations
Sa'id purses his lips, thinking. "I might be able to, but there are a few problems. The biggest of these is that commanding one of them might trigger the others to wake. When undead are set in such a fashion, both physical and magical interference are usually named as triggers. It probably isn't worth the risk, because the chance that any of them can tell us anything useful is small."
He glances at Cadfael before continuing. "My belief is that they are set to trigger on hostile acts, either against them or against the group by the ladder. If that is the case, then all of us can walk by them unmolested."
"My concern, however, is that Promise will not be born until tomorrow. Even if we get into the temple tonigh, we will have to somehow capture Anileth and keep her with us until Promise is born. That's a long time to have to survive in a place where everything wants to kill us, particularly given..." he trails off, then sighs, looking at Cadfael again. "Particularly given your single-mindedness, priest."
The necromancer shakes his head. "You're right about it being easier to get into the temple tonight, though. And if we could quiet ourselves, we might even be able to sneak in with my invisibility spell."
He sighs again. "The question is, what waits for us inside? Until we know that, we can't develop any sort of useful plan."
From: Scott
Subject: Re: Deliberations
"The Path protects me, and will protect Promise," Mission says. "Anileth withered when she touched me. Promise won't."
He grimaces. "At the very worst, if I grapple with her long enough, she'll cruble away. Leaving Promise."
He doesn't look terribly enthusiastic about the idea.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: Deliberations
Sa'id nods. "Yes," he says, "but she also felled you with a single blow. Still, it is possible that it could be done."
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Deliberations
"Attacking in the tunnel is foolish. Even if we were to subdue all of the men and the zombies, there is no way we could do it without revealing ourselves to the men seated not fifteen feet directly above them. If they know we're in the tunnel, they will seal off the exits and we will die underground."
"If we are to sneak in, we must do it tonight. I don't know what the morning will bring - more soldiers, less? The soldiers would be more alert, and we would find it nearly impossible to sneak by in broad daylight. As it is, their vision is impaired by the firepits, so we can move about largely unnoticed. In the morning, that will not be the case."