Forums of the Coast

With most of the low level soldiers taken care of, all that's left is to clear out the stronger demons and leadership within the citadel. This is no job for armies, but surgical strikes by a highly skilled and well trained squad. Maybe one that just took down a Chimera. The rest of the army begins setting up camp and will be gathering resources and making a few strikes of their own, but nothing particularly deep into the citadel. Mostly just slinging a few arrows from the walls at any demons dumb enough to expose themselves.

Your allies have all volunteered for jobs while you're in the citadel, but you are free to ask them to accompany you if you'd like.

Anevia will be leading scouting parties and the occasional strike on the demons.

Aravashnial has volunteered to be in charge of the prisoners and questioning them.

Aron will be helping Anevia with some of the strikes, as well as working to repair the outer walls and siege equipment.

Horgus Gwerm will be leading scavenging parties into Paradise Hill to gather supplies to support Aron and your eventual rebuilding of Drezen.

Irabeth will be burdened with the chains of command, managing the crusaders and ensuring that order is maintained in the camp, as well as continuing to run drills with the soldiers.

Millorn will be crafting potions and scrolls to support the crusaders, as well as researching any texts he can find from the cultists and/or the cemetery. He asked to help Aravashnial, but the elf turned down his help for now.

Sosiel will continue to work on healing the crusaders you rescued from the demons.

That evening, Aron Kir calls all of you as well as Anevia, Aravashnial, and Irabeth to the command tent to go over his knowledge of the citadel and advise you on your assault. There is a laid out in front of you, with some notes jotted down in various margins.

Aron starts the meeting by saying that the citadel was built by dwarves and in general it is safe to assume the following:
Ceilings are 10ft high
Doors are strengthened iron and include internal locking mechanisms designed to seal off overrun areas.
There are 1 inch diameter ventilation shafts running through the building to keep it well ventilated
At one point there were plans for more levels below Citadel Drezen, but lost the site to the demons before they were able to begin that stage of construction.
Unlabeled rooms were most likely storage.

He calls your attention to the Secret Vault (AA40) and says that this is where the Sword of Valor was originally kept, though he doubts it's still there. Still not necessarily a bad place to look.

Aron's Map is also linked in my sig as Citadel Map

"Unless someone has a particularly clever plan, it looks like we're going in through the front." Daveed says, sighing grimly.

"Hmmm.... Epicette used flight to take out the catapults... I don't suppose there's a way to get that sort of thing for all of us? Then we can go in through one of the towers with marginally less danger."

"I also have access to that spell, and the ability to cast it quite a few times."

(8 second level slots, though I do use those for Scorching Ray as well so I wouldn't mind splitting casting Fly with Dai...)

"Couldn't we also just have you levitate a rock with your scale? That seems to have worked well in the past."

"That's slower and more obvious, but yes, that is also an option."

Aron Kir speaks up "Well the Garrison Balconies are only 20' up. From what I recall of your levitation that shouldn't take too long to get that high."

"Oh. Yeah, that's only a few seconds. I thought they were higher. There would still be the giant swirling clouds, but if they're only there for a few seconds it'll probably be okay."

After examining the map for a while, Epicette suggests: "we should circle around from the outside the curtain walls and levitate up the northeast towers then, I think. That's hopefully give us the element of surprise in attacking the north garrison, and possibly even the officers' courtroom before they wake up. Assuming the demons may use them as intended, of course."

"A good plan. Unless there are any objections, I propose we move out before the hour."

"Within the hour sir?" Aron asks. "I'd think with today's excitement you might consider bed first. Your group could regain their spells before assaulting the keep."

DM note: this meeting is around 6PM

"Somehow most of us feel a little more invigorated than expected after the chimera fight, and I think a first night recon-in-force might be a good idea to put them on the edge. Assuming their morale isn't so demoralized already that we flush them out in an hour or two."

"If that's what you think is best." Aron shrugs.

Unless there is anything else, the group is able to do any last minute prep. Malorix has a Funeral service to do which should take him about 45 minutes and then you assemble on the wall to the east of the citadel around 9:00PM. The North Garrison balcony is 20ft off the ground and 100ft away. It doesn't seem to be manned as Anevia has been running a few raids on all the balconies, and after 3 dead guards they stopped posting them in the open. You don't know if anything is watching you from the Armory though.

DM notes:
Aron is available for RP now

Before departing, Daveed asks Sosiel to check in on Millorn and assess whether his dagger may be possessed.

Otherwise, he is ready to depart.