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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2013 17:14:36 GMT
Mahir was up and about before the rest of the search party that day and went about his normal routine of reading and preparing his spells out of his book. Once he was finished with that he went back to working on the map of the area while munching on a bit of the food he had brought. As he was scanning the map he noticed something and after a bit of cross checking with his notes he seemed almost certain.
When the rest of the party was up and getting ready to go Mahir was already packed and ready to move. He approached Ahmed as he was saddling up his horse. "I know you have orders to search this entire coast area and see what we can find but I think we should start heading further east to the coastline today... Looking at the map I'm seeing some landmarks that look very familiar to things I have read in the past... I don't want to get anyones hopes up but I think that if we head a little farther east we may be in for quite a surprise."
*He gives Mahir a smile and heads off to get Seren up and ready*
After the party sets out, they don't have to travel long before Mahir is able to confirm what he suspected. He points out the looming and clearly abandoned castle off in the distance the second he sees it. "AHA!! I was right! There it is! I thought I had read of an old castle being in these parts that was sieged and abandoned a long time ago... Might need a little work to put in working order but hey it's a castle right?"
As the party gets closer to the castle they spot two hobgoblins hanging around the area. Either hunting themselves or they have been using the castle as a lair. Not wanting to bother with the two as he was too excited to get inside the castle Mahir muttered several arcane words and with a wave of his hand the hobgoblins fell into a magical slumber while the rest of the party converged on them to end their lives quickly and cleanly. When the hobgoblins had been dispatched Mahir turned to the group. The castle only a few hundred yards away now.
"Ladies and gentlemen, A wonderful find for the kingdom I believe. We will have to check inside to make sure this isn't a lair for more of these little pests here but I believe if we can clear it out and renovate it a bit it will provide us with protection along the coast as well"
*He turns to Ahmed again* "As the elite guard I do believe the privilege of exploring goes to you first"
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Post by Garrett the Clanless on Sept 5, 2013 17:31:49 GMT
After being prodded awake by a quarterstaff(after a few minutes), Seren got himself fully dressed and equipped, gathering up the various supplies and his tent. "Alright, alright." He muttered as he stretched, walking with the rest. In battle, Seren was far more perceptive and focused, casting magical bolts of arcane destruction at their enemies, helping dispatch the hobgoblins.
When they weren't fighting or doing something important, he was a relentless chatterer, typically talking about nothing in particular, and speaking with his white raven, Dante, in Draconic when no one else felt like listening to him. Once they arrived at the keep, he made a low whistle.
"Wow. That's one hell of a find." He said, grin widening. At Mahir's words that the elite guard has first rights, he frowned a little, but said nothing.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2013 18:54:07 GMT
Ahmed would have woken shortly after Mahir, the moment the sun crested the first hill he would have begun to stir. He noted Mahir deep in his book and set about to breaking camp and left him to himself figuring that he was doing whatever he needed to do in preparation of working with the forces he wields. When he moves to packing his horse as the party is getting ready to head out Ahmed turns as Mahir approaches him.
"Of course Mahir, I see no reason why not." he nods wondering what the surprise could be and feeling alittle unsettled if it is something that get a wizard all excited.
Shortly after the ride began following Mahir as he sourced his own drawn map Ahmed found himself looking off in the direction of Mahir's pointed finger and feeling a sudden skip in his heart. A castle...a ruined one aye but a castle none the less, a wonderful find for the Sultanate, two castles would be able to bolster their defenses and allow another city to sprout around it bringing in even more commerce not to mention a bastion that could guard against invaders from the coast. He was lost in reverie for a second but then kicked at his mount and started riding toward the castle, that was when they spotted the two hobgoblins.
For a moment Ahmed felt elated this was to be his first official command in a battle, that elation went away when he realized that they were in fact only hobgoblins and would easily be dispatched by the numbers and strength his party wielded. With that in mind he turns to give orders only to find Maleek already drawing his sword and moving forward and Mahir speaking quickly and succinctly before waving his hand. The feeling he always gets around magic floods over Ahmed and he feels himself go cold...he spurs Ravi on instinct and his mount rides forward closing with the hobs Ahmed raises his bow out of reflex and loses an arrow that sinks into the shoulder of his target and a moment later a bright bolt of energy slams into the same hob. The creature reels from the two sudden hits and then makes a simple confused noise and then simply falls asleep...
Ahmed looks over his should and sees Mahir still looking at the castle and no longer worried about the hobs who now soundly snore upon the ground with their deaths bearing down on them. Ahmed passes the warding gesture across himself this time with a bit of conviction behind the thought of protecting himself from such magics. he then rides up and sinks one arrow into the already injured hob and looks up in time to see Ieksha rip the throat form the other.
Ahmed looks to Mahir as he speaks after the hobs are dead, not even concerned of the fact that he just sent two hobs quite literally, silently into the good night. "We strip the bodies first, their arms and armor could be put to use by the Sultanate." he dismounts and begins stripping them of their belongings however mindful of the stink.
"I would not take such an honor from the person who knew how to read a map as such to find a gem such as this...let us enter together" Mahir could not sense mistrust but perhaps there was a bit of wariness about Ahmed letting the caster be behind him.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2013 21:39:42 GMT
Mahir offers the man a slight bow of thanks for his consideration and makes his way over to help sort through any useable salvage on the bodies. He picks up one of the bows off of the corpses and slings a quiver of arrows over his shoulder. He pulls an arrow how and hooks it into the drawstring and gives it a couple of tight pulls, testing the strength of the bow. He doesn't seem to have a lot of interest in the other items on the body.
After a couple of tugs he puts the arrow back and looks to the others around him. "Well the craftsmanship on these bows is terrible. I'm guessing these creatures either made them themselves or they were damaged in the process of them taking it from whoever they got it from... but it will do well enough. At least it will still fire an arrow and there may be someone back in the city who can strengthen it further."
*He shrugs slightly and walks it over to Ahmed so that he can secure the equipment they found on Ravi to keep safe since they will likely spend some time checking out the castle*
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Post by Garrett the Clanless on Sept 6, 2013 6:49:14 GMT
Seren ignores any of the equipment gathering, not expecting the hobs to have anything of interest to him. He walked up beside his brother, shrugging slightly. "What can you expect? They're hobgobliins, likely brigands." He said, stretching his arms a bit. "But a castle... wow." He said, following after his brother, if only to make sure he wasn't alone while they explored the giant castle. Seren did seem rather interested in the building itself, looking for the various defensive structures and living quarters.
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Post by Fleda of the Fang on Sept 6, 2013 15:51:47 GMT
Shievik went into the battle in silence, keeping a constant and watchful eye on her Hyena. The half-orc found no warrant in celebrating a ruined castle just yet, and so her entire focus was on the simple battle before them. She proudly watched as her beloved Ieksha approached and ripped open a sizable wound on one of the goblins, and before she herself could land a hit everything was over. Simple, but the rewards were unimpressive, though Ieksha seemed pleased with the taste of fresh blood in her mouth. "If anything we can use the bows for fire starters. Come. The "castle" waits." She turns from the group and follows (whoever is moving toward it? There's not a great sense of consistency going on in here, guys. ) up to its steps, scrutinizing the ruins as if they were a monument attesting the power and contingency of Nature. "Stone cannot stand to the test of time against the rough edge of Nature's grind," she quotes to herself, reaching down and patting the Hyena's head. It chuffs at her happily, skipping forward and sniffing at as many things as she can. "Is anyone able to determine the age of the castle?" Shievik rests a hand on one of the stones still standing for the walls. "Surely such a grand place as this has history."
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2013 17:10:02 GMT
*Mahir doesn't need a whole lot of prodding as he seems to be the most excited about the find despite the fact he must know that this Castle would be going to the estate and he more than likely would not find any accolades for such a find. None the less it was clear he was trying very hard to be patient and contain his excitement. Out of respect he did his best to wait for Ahmed who offered that they enter the Castle together but when Shievik made her way to the Castle gate he gave one last look to Ahmed to make sure that he was making his way toward the castle at first before the nimble elf bolted off towards the castle gate in an excited jog.*
He ran past Shievik, almost bumping into her as she ascended the steps but twisted his body just enough to miss her as he passed. He stopped when he reached the broken down gates that actually led into the massive structure and turned around again to look at all those behind him.
"Well come on!" *He said with a wave of his hand beckoning them forward* "What are you all waiting for?"
*With that he turned and ran into the castle, making a turn to the right following a massive hallway and disappearing from sight of the rest of the group clearly either unconcerned about what may be lurking about or too excited to fully think about it*
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2013 18:29:40 GMT
Ahmed secures the gear bit by bit and watches Mahir lightly as he picks up the bow and quiver to test it. Seren and Shievik might notice that Ahmed looks like he is about to move forward to assist or correct something in the wizard's draw but thinks better of it and simply waits.
After retrieving the bow to secure to Ravi who gives Ahmed a sizeable shoulder check at the feeling of the increased load Ahmed pats his side gently. "Enough of that, our resources are low and we will be returning to the capital after we secure this castle there we will lighten your load." Ravi chuffs in response as if he is not pleased but at least assuaged by this response getting a chuckle out of Ahmed.
Ahmed then turns seeing the others already reaching the castle and Mahir quite blindly running in, he shakes his head and mounts Ravi in a single fluid motion and canters over to the entrance. Ahmed dismounts at the steps the movement simple, graceful, and entirely out of reflex his bow appearing in his hand and an arrow suddenly notched as he moved to the entrance "Mahir, stay with the group, we have no idea if this place is truly abandoned!" he calls.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2013 21:19:13 GMT
If Mahir heard Ahmed call out after him he didn't show it as no sound came from the unlit hallway that the elf had run down. If it wasn't for his ability to see clearly in low light settings he may have been more cautious of where he was going but at the moment Mahir only had one thing on his mind. Finding where this Castle kept whatever library or magic lab to see if any books still remained unlooted and in tact.
After a few moments the group back at the gate heard a loud crash that came from inside and echoed down the mightly corridor followed by a very faint voice shouting. "IT'S OKAY! I CAN FIX THAT" before the sound subsided again.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2013 21:27:12 GMT
Ahmed doesn't wait for a response he gives Shievik one quick glance and shakes his head with frustration before he turns and grabs his ever burning torch from his saddle bag and runs after Mahir. Again he calls out
"Mahir! Dammit man STOP!" as he books it down the hallway Ahmed draws a bit on the bow...the tactician in him already expecting the worse. As he runs he quickly takes glances down corridors and hallways and adds them to what he saw from the outside quickly working on a mental layout while looking for an easy way to cut off Mahir.
Sudden he hears a crash and puts on a burst of speed...then the shout about fixing it, he hears himself respond his blood pounding now "DAMMIT MAN I WILL FIX YOU IF YOU DON'T STOP THIS INSTANT"
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