Grand Dream - Betrayal is Blue, New Kids on the Block [3.5]

[true_shinken]

Emperor Ahmed rules over the Azure Empire with an iron fist. The janni wizard has lots of nicknames and titles - the Serpent Slayer and Wizard King are the most common. By his side, he has a terrifying empress. Empress Renveshal is not human, though she looks like such. She is a very old and powerful blue dragon. The sons of Emperor Ahmed and Empress Renveshal are special beings on their own, with the blood of genies and dragons. While the rulers usually stand in the Saphire Pagoda, in the city of Draergar, their sons are enough of a threat to most people. They also count with the better equiped army in all of Rubia. Even the lowest among the lowest soldiers of the Azure Empire carries enchanted equipment
Needless to say, the Resistance is going badly. For 200 years, the Resistance tries to overthrow the government. They have yet to achieve anything other than being a minor inconvenience.
The plan, of course, is becoming a major inconvenience. Lady Sayara is the current leader of the Resistance. And she gave Almarand a very tough job.
The sha'ir stood with the best Lady Sayara could offer him - meaning half of them were just recently recruited. In a shady tavern in the city of Al Khaji, he finally got the group gathered. They were miles away from the Resistance's headquarters in Al Zerej. They are on their own, plain and simple.
Their task is very hard. There is a prision in Al Khaji, known only as The Block. A huge adamantine building, with no doors or windows, protected by devils and golems. No one has ever escaped this place. Their job is to change this.
The Resistance discovered this is where Shaaneks, a yuan-ti princess, is held. If they manage to get her out, this could mean finding the remaining yuan-ti - the one race the Emperor seems afraid of.
Gathered around the table in a nameless tavern, they plan.

[KingRexII]

Jaq, clearly Azurin with his deep cobalt sclera, leans back in his chair, tipping it slightly. He has wild black hair and a full, thick black beard. Even in the sweltering heat, he seems comfortable. He drinks a foul smelling liquor and smokes an even fouler smelling cigar.

His voice is as harsh as the desert winds: "I say we bust through the front doors, blastin' everything we see." It is difficult to say if he is serious or not, but he smiles at his preposterous idea nonetheless.

[Ajadea]

A short man, garbed in shades of brown, hood drawn far over his head, sits at the table, back to the wall. Royal blue tattoos are visible on his forehead, cheeks, and the back of his callused hands. His eyes glow with incarnum, and it is clear that he is an azurin. Below the glow of incarnum, his eyes are as green as any elf's, and his skin is a shade too pale for someone living in the desert. "We know there are devils and golems, which means there are likely casters of some sort or other to control them. Which is interesting and all, but right now I just want to figure out how the hell we're all supposed to get in and out of a building with no known doors."

"And before you suggest letting Verasali get captured, I want to make a statement. You get to persuade her to go along with your plans. I'm not getting involved in that." He speaks in a low tone, his words rhythmic, with a slight Elven accent.

[Shyftir]

"Obviously first we need to find out how people get in and out." Kix smiled laconically. "Which means somebody needs to watch the place when they put somebody in." The human commando looked to be about 40 years old, but truthfully he was only 31. The years of rough living between Army and Resistance had left him graying prematurely.

"We got a map or anything?"

[PairO'Dice Lost]

A third azurin sits at the table, a glass of wine next to his clasped hands. Almard has a fairly drab appearance, his skin and clothes all light browns and dark grays, but his clothing is of fine quality and his mustache and goatee have not a hair out of place. "I doubt a map of the Block exists," he answers Kix in his resonant tenor, "for if one did, surely our predecessors in this organization would have already carried out a successful rescue at some point or another." After taking a sip of wine, Almard continues, "I agree that reconnaissance should be our primary concern. While blasting through the front doors or letting someone be captured voluntarily may end up being our plan when all is said and done--as exceedingly unlikely as those eventualities may be--it would be quite inadvisable to do so before knowing what sort of resistance we would face once we were past those doors."

[Ajadea]

"And then we're back to our original problem, which is that there aren't any windows or doors known to the public, but there has to be at least one door..." Gabriel's eyes widen and he mutters something that sounds distinctly more Elven. "They've got devils," he groans, leaning back into the wall. "They can probably just walk up to the wall and short-distance teleport in with that level of magic. And then who needs doors? Which would of course explain how no one escapes. And the only way I can think of getting us in and out doesn't work both ways, and might not work at all, and certainly involves massive risk."

[Drewski]

"Perhaps we could blast our way in, we could use Explosive Runes. How much armor could they really have? We could just have someone make like 20 of them."

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Almard raises an eyebrow at that last suggestion. "Again with the plan to blast our way in. Are you both mad? Every golem and devil in the Block would converge on our location in minutes. We might as well send the Emperor an engraved invitation so he could personally observe the ensuing slaughter!" He leans back and taps his chin thoughtfully. "Though one or several large explosions of that sort could serve ably as distractions for an actual plan of attack. We will have to make a note of that in our final plan." Turning to Gabriel, the azurin adds, "And what method of entry did you have in mind? Hold no ideas back; even seemingly-suicidal ideas might inspire more useful plans."

[Ajadea]

Gabriel groans, tipping his chair forwards again and letting the front legs hit the ground. "Well, I'm not sure, but see, I learned to call Verasali to my side from a nearby location oh...two months ago? I might be able to call back a few of you as well, if you're touching her when I send the call. I don't know if it'll work, but it bears enough similarity to other spells that I might as well try."

"However, it sharply limits the amount of people we can send in, and we have to remember that we have to teleport Princess Shaaneks out as well. We may be able to send in only a single one of us."

[PairO'Dice Lost]

"Only one of us." Almard takes another slow sip of wine. "Yes, well, that would indeed involve massive risk. Though that raises another question, of whether she or other summoned creatures would even be able to enter the Block at all. Another point to add to our list of things to check in our reconnaissance."

[Ajadea]

"They've got devils, don't they? Unless they waltzed down to the nether planes and kidnapped some corny-somethings or whatever, Verasali should be able to enter. And you're still not telling me how we're supposed to do anything resembling reconnaisance."

[PairO'Dice Lost]

"The fact that there are currently devils inside the Block does not imply that it is possible for extraplanar creatures to enter and exit it; they may be as confined as the prisoners are. And I am a recruiter and scholar, not a tactician. I am merely pointing out possibly concerns and flaws, not suggesting a plan of my own. It seems to me that observing the Block from the outside to note where prisoners are taken, whether there are external guards, what sorts of wards are on the prison, et cetera, would be the most productive route."

[Drewski]

"I think we all can agree that we can't really plan an assault on the prison without any intelligence. Why don't we send a couple of sneaker people to check out it out, while the rest of us check out the surrounding area?"

[Shyftir]

Kix chuckled softly. "Hmm let's see who is sneaky and has good eyes in this group. Oh yeah. That'd be me." The former soldier ran his hand through his dark hair and them pushed the thumb and forefinger of his other hand up against his closed eyelids. "Okay, well, if you all would continue to get more esoteric information. I suppose I should go scout out the place from nearby." He stops to think before continuing in his gravely voice. "I'm gonna need rations for a couple days and it'd be nice to have a spyglass. Is it going to be in the budget for me to get that equipment?"

[tonberryking]

Flanking the rebel's table like a statue, Godoh the warforged finally uncrosses his arms, resting hands on his knees. It's hard to find chairs for someone his size and he's had to sit on a provided stool normally stacked with crockery (but at least it holds his weight,) but the weight of the conversation being parried back and forth seems more heavy than anything else at the moment.

"It is the fondest of wishes that I possess to barrage the gates of this prison post haste," he starts in that odd speech method he's garnered, that nobody has corrected because who would tell a near 7 ft tall iron person they speak funny? "But there are no gates, are there? It is to speak of futility, and I've no desire to blunt my blade against an edifice I cannot enter.

"But harken to me; I know something of tactics. A prison can only withstand if the walls thick, which they are, but also with resources. Doesn't it have to have supplies and sundries? Wouldn't it be better to find out who sends things in than simply view the building while hiding? If some of us stay, we should discern this puzzle..."

[goken04]

Balitr, the typical-looking well-dressed Elf that he is has been watching the conversation without comment, pondering the magnitude of what is being proposed. However, when Godoh speaks up, his green eyes suddenly snap to attention.

"I say, the construct does speak true. We should discover the method by which the prison is supplied and ferry ourselves inside by those means, if at all possible."

[Ajadea]

"Pose as workers, you mean? Someone does has to transport things like prisoners and workers in and out. Charming one of those people may be our best bet. If we're all done, can we go and break into the unescapable prison now?"

[Shyftir]

Who would tell a 7 ft. tall robot he talks funny? Kix Greenbriar.

"You seriously need to work on your vocabulary Godoh. Who taught you to speak? Books your maker had on hand in his 300 year-old underground library?

The tough "old" soldier sighed. "Tell you what I'll head out to the desert with whoever else thinks they can keep their head down. Those of you who know the back streets can use your connections to get the scuttlebutt and anybody who doesn't fit those categories can start working on some decent diversions and problem solvers."

The grey-eyed human stood up and stretched his arms. "Anybody got a problem with that?" He turned to Armand. "Oh illustrious commander?"


Assuming we go forward with some semblance of the plan I just suggested.
Move Silently:
[roll0]
Hide:
[roll1]
Listen:
[roll2]
Spot:
[roll3]

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Almard sighs and drops his head into his hands. "Once again," he says through his fingers, "I am neither a commander nor a tactician. I am merely this cell's liaison to the greater Resistance--its face, if you will, not its brain." He straightens, finishes the rest of his wine, and stands. "It would be my pleasure to...get the 'scuttlebutt' from the 'back streets', as you say."

Gather Information: [roll0]

[Ajadea]

"Too late for that, I think. People always seem to equate face with head, which implies brains, you know?" Gabriel snickers at his own comment, then frowns, thinking. "I've never been much for stealth, and Verasali makes a better guard than scout-her stealth is and has always been barely above elven average. I'll poke around a bit then come back to plan, I guess."


[roll0]

[Drewski]

"Looks like I'm going to be the one asking around for sensitive info"


Gather Info[roll0] That should get us some good info.

[true_shinken]

Samlor and Gabriel leave to gather more information. They return two hours later, to a table filled with empty mugs.

The info
Once a month, one single person goes into the Block to perform repairs on the constructs and to bring food to the prisioners. Currently, a dwarf performs this job. He entered the Block last night and he stays there for at least a week.
Twice a month, prisioners are admited into the Block. No one heard anything about new prisioners the last few days, but they could be coming from another town any day now.

[Drewski]

"Gabriel, what did you find out? I found that once a month a dwarf brings food into the citadel and repairs the constructs within."

[Ajadea]

"Twice a month, prisoners are admitted into the block. As no prisoners have been admitted in the last few days, they could be sending in more any day now. If we want to act, we must do so swiftly. We should test to see if my idea for the others escaping with Verasali will work as well. Where can we find an out of the way place..."

[tonberryking]

Godoh has bravely guarded the mugs and those who remained to drink them up until now. Listening between the two doesn't help him conceive a plan of his own, sort of, but he does at least offer this: "A dwarf, you say? This could indeed be a boon to our cause; mayhap I should visit this wayward uncle and expunge at length to win him over to our motivations..."

The obvious idea, that he pose as a new 'innovation' for yonder jail just sails right over his head, nor does the other idea posed by Gabriel, which probably makes more sense, hold much water.

[Ajadea]

"Or you could pretend to be a new construct for the Block and we send you in like that," Gabriel says. "Not sure if we'll have a way to get any steady info from you. But if you scout out the Block and then meet the others when they get in, we won't be running around blind looking for Shaaneks."