The Death of the Weave [D&D 3.5]

[Tyrann]

Three days you've been here, chained to the wall of this cell. A mockery of a trail and you were dragged off to this keep, locked up in the jail below it.
It would have been hard to keep track of the days if it hadn’t been for the water flooding the cell every so many hours, with water getting as high as five feet. It didn’t take you long to realize it was seawater and the cell is somehow connected to the bay.
Seven floods. Three days.
And the days have not been kind. Your skin is dehydrated to the point that it has started to crack, and you’re covered in small wounds and sea salt.
During all of your time here, magic has been completely impossible. There are dull red glowing symbols on the floor around the cell.

Your bread and water have been provided by a hunchbacked man with boils on his hands. He has been nothing but sadistic, making you reach for water and then pouring it on the floor in front of you, and spitting disgusting brown yellow snot on your bread before throwing it down in the dirt and bugs that cover the cell during low tide.

There have been at least four guards posted near you at all times, and something has felt wrong.

You’re all in the same cell, that you share with one other prisoner: a man little more than skin and bones that was already catatonic when you were brought in.

http://i.imgur.com/E1TpmBa.jpg

You guys are in squares E5 to F6.

There are guards at D9, G9, D13 and G13.

Adiana and Ali'Bael have a lot less of a bug problem than the rest of you do.

Bugs around them have sometimes just randomly dropped dead.
There is a tattooed man standing in the shadows behind the cell (square I2). He hasn’t moved for the entire time you’ve been here. Attempts to talk to him have been met with the feeling that someone was stabbing you in the back of your eyes with a blunt knife.
You notice an alien presence in your head, attempting to read your thoughts. Attempts to talk to it have been met with the feeling that someone was stabbing you in the back of your eyes with a blunt knife.

You can block out the mind reading. Partly blocking out the pains takes a DC 23 will save every individual time.


Edit - Additional information upon rereading this:

The cell is a 10 foot deep "pit" in the floor with heavy iron bars over it. All the walls, including those of the pit, are made of blocks of natural stone. The stones don't seem to be very porous.
Your shackles look like they are masterwork, but they have definitely seen better days. The seawater has made them quite rusty.

[Archmage1]

Adiana, the small, thin girl, covered in dirt and grime, wearing grimy prison clothing, yet looking somehow noble, almost beautiful, leans there, against the grime encrusted, salt encrusted wall, her small injuries and cuts clearly causing her some pain, but she ignores them. After spending the first few hours in the cell, trying to think of some way to escape, she now waits, passively, hoping for an opportunity.

After a few moments, she seems to wince in pain, as though someone was stabbing her in the head.

[kladams707]

Ali'Bael sat there quietly, still contemplating what had happened. All he knew was that he was judged for something he had no knowledge of. These strangers had judged him without giving him a chance, and this thought burned him up inside. Like the past three days, he looked around, trying to figure a way out. As he did, his eyes landed on another elf. Despite his vision, the dim light still seemed to hinder it a bit. She seemed familiar, but couldn't quite place it. His thoughts went back to escape, though his eyes would from time to time flit back to her.

[Breitheamh]

At first, Aereck was certain this was all just a misunderstanding, and he would be released in no time. Then the floods began to come, and his optimism dulled. It slowly began to dawn on him that these people actually wanted him to be miserable, or dead, or both. The days began to wear on his spirit, but he just got an idea. He figures if he can't use his magic, then maybe those runes he saw on the ground outside have something to do with it. He attempts to climb up and see if he can get a better look at them and figure out what they might mean. If he can read them, maybe he can dismantle them somehow and give himself a bit more of an advantage.

Rolls:
Athletics (climb-if necessary):
take 20 if allowed, othewise...[roll0] (-2 from that if they let him keep his chain shirt on)
Decipher Script:
[roll1]
Knowledge (Arcana):
[roll2]

[GranAures]

The pit made Dalenbar uneasy, plenty of darkness but not enough Shadow. His was extremely lively the first day, despite the issues with the water level, and was more than content to loiter about. The second day had involved him trying to make small talk, though some of his attempts were met with ill.

Among his more creative attempts were: "So how many of you actually earned this hole?" a question directed playfully at the other conscious prisoners.
And: "What did you two eat before getting tossed in here? Seems a natural pesticide the way these bugs seem to be ignoring you." directed at Adiana and Ali'Bael.

Now day three, it was clear that the gnome had lost something, whether it was recently or not was clearly subject to debate, chattering off in gnomish. Anyone fluent could easily recognize the words of the gnome simultaneously insulting and praising himself, a slew of convoluted escape plans, as well as a number of ramblings akin to spell formulas the far different from any common magic.

[Archmage1]

Adiana, feeling remarkably dehydrated, hungry, and rather irradiated, not, of course, to mention, the need to kill those that have done no harm to any, is not exactly pleased when the stinky gnome tries to get her to converse, and with such a sad topic.
She simply glares, sullenly at him, feeling rather put out about the whole thing. I have done nothing to deserve this. I heard the guards discussing something about something about magic, but I don't have any, just a hope for salvation, so this entire thing... Had they found out? But... that wasn't possible, no one had seen, and my headband... No, perhaps it was simple suspicion... But even then...
She shakes her head, and looks away, once more staring into space.

[Breitheamh]

Perking up at the thought of conversation, Aereck replies eagerly to the gnome's attempts, I don't think I've ever earned anything quite this horrid, although I suppose that time back at home with the miller's daughter might have put me in a more precarious position had I been caught, but no matter, I'm sure you don't want to hear me blather on all day about who-knows-what. My name is Aereck. Some call me Aereck the Valiant, at least in my dreams. HA-HA! Oh, I kill myself with that one. Tell me, what's your name, sir? Where do you come from? Can you think of any way out of this mess? And, seeing as you brought it up yourself, why are you in here?

[Amoren]

The young man seemed to be rather quiet for most of the time, his stance and acts seeming to betray a familiarity with imprisonment that he didn't bare lightly. Still, his mood hadn't soured too much despite his new, shared prison. He moved around with the few feet of movement he had been given by his chains, and notably had attempted several things with his reach; namely making his way to the catatonic member of their cell and attempting to see what he knew from his quite limited knowledge of medicine and biology. Oddly, if the catatonic man was given food of his own, the human would try to ensure that the man ate... As best as he could. He had also, like the other human, attempted to climb the walls of his cell, only to discover that he didn't quite have enough reach to get to the top, not with his few feet of give. Strangely, it seemed that he was aware of something else in the darkness, and shortly after this awareness this came a short grimace of pain over his features before it faded, and for most of the rest of the confinement it didn't seem to return.

On day two, he returned the gnome's small talk. “I did relatively little, besides being at the wrong area at the wrong time with an unknown trait from my mother's side of the family, if the inquisitor's words were true and he wasn't running with the simplest of excuses to try and finish what he started with her,” he replied simply, before going back to pacing with the small amount of space he had available to do so in.

When the person that fed them and 'gave' them water returned on the second day, the man attempted to talk to him. “Sir,” he spoke, as diplomatically as he can given the situation, “You might want to send for someone to attend to our companion we're sharing this cell with. He seems to be quite ill... And I imagine the church would be quite disappointed if one of their special prisoners died in this rat nest rather than on a pyre where they could make a show, don't you think?”

On day three, the man, curiously enough, responded to Dalenbar's ramblings in his own tongue! The human displayed a good hold of the gnomish language, but the timing on his words and the accent betrayed he had learned it in a primarily academic situation and hadn't had much practice actually using the language for communicating. Mostly, he responded to the short man's wild escape ideas, usually bringing up facts that would have defeated whatever plan he was moving with at that point, but occasionally adding a small insight that came from his observations.

[theterran]

Doing his best to ignore the others, Jarel attempted to sleep as much as he could, if nothing else, just to stave off the hunger. Still, when the question was posed as to why everyone was in the hole, he decided to respond, if briefly.

"I won a bet..." is how Jarel answered.

Repositioning himself, Jarel settles himself in to attempt more sleep. With what sleep he manages to get, he mutters "...the Rat must pay...", or varations of those words, at random intervals.

[Tyrann]

---------
Past three days:
---------

As Aereck tries to pull himself up by the bars, he finds that the shackles on his feet don't allow him to pull up far enough to raise his head to the bar level. Which is just as well, because it isn't long before a guards with a spear moves over shouting: "Oi! What do you think yer doin'? Get back down!"
Aereck did get a good view of the runes, but while they are clearly magical in nature he can't quite identify just what they are doing.

When Markus tries to feed the catatonic man, the man offers little in the way of reaction. He nearly chokes if you try to force-feed him.
Upon Markus' pointing out that the catatonic man isn't doing well to the hunchback, the hunchback looks into the shadows for a moment, a little worried, but then looks back down at Marcus, somehow reassured. "Oh 'ell get what's coming to 'im soon enough, don't you worry about that."

---------
Current time:
---------

Two suits of armor, a pair of wooden heeled shoes and a limping set of keys come walking down the stone spirally steps.

"Dreadful smell this place. They are all still alive I assume?" comes a middle aged erudite voice.

"Yes, yes. Alive'n well, sir." says the raspy voice that you know to go with the keychain.

"And what of our.. "special" guest? Timeth?"

From the shadows behind the pit: "He remains as was requested, my lord." This voice is calm, emotionless, and eerily familiar.

"Very well," you see a tall man in a long white coat stately move to the edge of the pit, ignoring all of you completely and looking straight at the catatonic prisoner. "extract him if you please, Timeth."

"My lord, are you certain? The master was quite clear on.."

"Yes I am Timeth. Quite certain. Thank you. I very much doubt these vermin could get out of this cell, and even if they did we can always leave the rat to squeek can't we?
You two, and you two as well, with us. And do hurry Timeth, I don't have all day."

As the tall man speaks, the hunchback opens the four heavy locks that keep the bars over your cell down, and though you see no-one touching it the raster of bars is somehow moved enough to allow a person to come out.
Then you see a man whose face is covered in tattoos. As he holds out his hand, the shackles on your fellow prisoner fly open and the thin man is simply levitated out of the cell.
Any bravery on your part is met with a (nonlethal) demonstration of rather powerful pionics.


As he's being floated away, the catatonic man uses sleight of hand to cast a hidden spell.

He cast erase on part of the runes.

You are left in your cell, feeling magic seeping back into you if you had it.

Close by you can hear the hunchback muttering about how this is an outrage and a danger to his person. He makes sure to keep his voice down though.

After about two minutes you start hearing horrible screams coming down the stairs. Sounds like someone is being tortured.

[kladams707]

Spot:
[roll0]

[Breitheamh]

"Curse these manacles. No room to have any fun," Aereck mutters as he slips back down to the bottom of the cell. He begins to tug at the manacles in the hopes that the days of seawater will have corroded them to make them easier to break. As he begins to feel the magic flowing through his body once more, he asks the rest of the little group, "Did anyone else feel that?"

Taking 20 on Str check to break the manacles

[kladams707]

Ali'Bael simply glares at those taking the body. They were just as responsible for his imprisonment and he would see justice done to them. Soon after, the doors closed. A moment later, he heard the screams. He had a feeling that those scrams could be his in the near future.

After three days of silence, he finally spoke. In a biting tone, the elf said "If any of you have more than just idle talk, now might be the time to use it." As he spoke, he observed Aereck and he too began to struggle against the manacles.

Taking 20 as well to break the manacles

[theterran]

Jarel lay slumped, purposefully ignoring the guards and their conversation. Resigning himself, if it was his time, it was his time, perhaps someone he knew would bury his body in a mound much like he had dug.

Realizing it was not his time, Jarel sighs and keeps in his slump. Even the feel of magic doesn't pull him from his stupor.

Hearing a voice he had not yet heard, he answers. "All talk is idle talk..." he comments. Not until he hears manacles being broken does he look up. Seeing others pulling and tugging, he comes to the realization that he himself had not even tried to break.

Shrugging, he gives them a hard tug, and is rewarded with the sound of rusty manacles breaking under his strength.

Taking 20 on Str check to break the manacles

"...Now what?..." Jarel comments, though with no more enthusiasm than he had shown before.

[Amoren]

Escape was on his mind before, but with how quiet the dank cell was, he doubted escape was ever really a potential. But now, with the sounds of their fellow prisoner ringing down the halls as he was tortured, it was possible that they could do SOMETHING now. And so, the man pulled out his hidden tool - a bit of warped wood, fallen iron, or a bone from some vermin in the cell, anything he managed to get his hands on across the three days and, with discreet motions against the stone walls, file down into a pick. Arranging his hands and pulling the manacles into an odd position to get the pick to the proper angle, he'd start to delicately ply the hardened pit of bone, wood, or metal to begin poking and prodding at the tumblers, working them...

Until, after some point in time quite a few seconds later, as the sound of potentially broken manacles greeted his ears, he'd rush over to whoever had not yet shattered their manacles and begins to pry his improvised tool to their chain's lock as well. "Not sure," the man spoke as he worked, oddly enough his eyes didn't seem the least bit disturbed by the gloom of the prison as he plied his delicate craft. "We need to get out and past the guards..."

For a split second, he paused, however, and went back to searching through his mind for that familiar feeling of his brain being probed. He had managed to push it out many days ago, but if it was still monitoring, their escape attempt might be rather short lived.

Will Save to see if he can recognize the man rooting through their minds still: [roll0]

[Archmage1]

As the screams of the doomed man flood down the hole, Adiana tries once more to slip her manacles, but not even her blood is enough to enable her escape. As the others shatter their manacles, she starts to lose hope. After all, the guards would likely kill her if she remained and the others had escaped.
However, her gloomy thoughts came to a rapid end when the smaller human male came over, and started picking the locks on her chains. When they came free, she smiles at him, before she scampers up the wall, finding the climb easy, as the blocks had shifted in their age. Once up at the top, she looks around, through the grills, being careful to keep quiet, before she drops lithely down to the ground once more.


[roll0] spot
[roll1] move silently
[roll2] hide
[roll3] acrobatics(fall)
10 climb


Once there, she looks fiercely at the other freed prisoners, hope once more in her eyes. Her voice is soft, almost lyrical, and she speaks quietly, with a strange accent.
"I don't know if you are here because you have magic, or if you were simply unlucky. It does not matter. What does matter is getting out of here, now, while the guards are gone."
She turns to the rogue who had picked the locks on her chains.
"Do you think you can climb up and open the grate? If you can do that, we can get out, and, once out of this pit, we can escape."

[GranAures]

"Or we could get the deformed one to leave his and use those," Dalenbar responds quietly as the human helps with his own set of manacles. "Thank you, might have to treat you to some good liquor if we get free of this."

Free of his shackles, and with the familiar presence of the shadow weave washing back over him, a small smile creeps onto Dalenbar's face. When he straitens back up the gnome looks over at Aereck.

Sorry to falter on my own attempts at conversation," he says rather properly with a bow, "Dalenbar Uranskor, locked away for taking shortcuts in my cleaning."

[Breitheamh]

"Well met, sir," Aereck says, returning the gnome's bow after stretching his limbs. "I must say, I find the punishment we have been dealt does not seem to match the triviality of our transgressions. I was in the process of extinguishing a fire on my cloak when I was arrested. I thought I'd been mistaken for someone else." Turning to the thin girl, he continues, "Are you certain the guards are gone? I was rather hoping for a bit of tussle on the way out of here, but no matter. Excuse me, sir, with the lock-pick. Do you need a boost to the grate for an easier time at the locks?"

Mechanics:
Aid another on climb? [roll0]

[Amoren]

The rogue glances up after he had unlocked the last manacles still standing, "I can give it a shot. I don't know if I'll be able to move the grate silently enough afterwards, but I'll see what can be done." He'd then take the help offered, although it didn't get him relatively far up the wall, where he'd then have to rely on his own climbing capabilities... And assuming he got to the top of the wall, he'd use one of his hands to grasp the grate for perch and use his other hand to begin tinkering with the grate's lock.

Going to take 10 on climb (16), Hide (23), Move Silently (19), and 20 on Open Lock (27). Hopefully those should all be sufficient for opening the grate.

[kladams707]

Apparently, they do have more...which is good Ali'Bael thought to himself. He watched intently as the others worked, hoping freedom was at hand. He was about to step in and give the rogue another boost before observing him climbing up with relatively little trouble. As he looked on, he hoped that their activities had gone unnoticed.

[Tyrann]

Markus' efforts are rewarded. With the Aereck helping him up, he quickly and quietly manages to unlock the grate. The hunchback seems none the wiser.
Both Adiana and Marcus have clearly seen him now. He's standing is standing in E12 and looks rather nervous, which is a look you haven't seen on him before.

If any of the party try to move the grate you'll find that it's not too difficult with a combined effort, but it's fairly evident it would be hard to do so silently.


Mechanics for opening the grate if relevant:

There are no hinges on the on it, it's basically just a huge heavy steel manhole cover with locks on four sides of it to hold it in place.

It's weight is about 2000 pounds. It can be pushed/dragged if you manage a dc 10 athletics check to climb the wall.
This would clearly make noise as the steel is dragged over the stone floor.

If you attempt a lift, use the "lift overhead" from mythweavers. You'd need a DC 15 athletics or DC 13 dex check for this, to steady yourself on the wall. Lifting one side of the grate high enough to let someone out or put something underneath requires you to lift 500 pounds.

You can just add your combined push/drags and lifting for now.

Edit: Marcus does not detect the psionic presence he felt earlier. Sorry I missed that.

[Archmage1]

Seeing Marcus's success with the grate, Adiana smiles. She was almost free!
"Hm... Is anyone strong enough to lift it up enough to get those of us who know how to hide out? We will need to take out that hunchback before we can pull the grate up enough to get everyone out."

Despite the others doing so, Adiana does not give her name.

[Breitheamh]

Struggling for a little while to lift the grate, Aereck finally gives up and turns to the others.
"I cannot lift it myself, but if each of us adds some of their strength, I'm sure it can be done," he says with a smile on his grime-covered face.

Athletics check:
[roll0]

[Archmage1]

Adiana frowns slightly at Aereck's failure.
The grate is heavier than I thought... At least there are 5 others who might be able to help lift, and they only need to get me up. Once I am up, I should be able to knock out the hunchback, but some support would be nice, in case I am missing something.

"We need to get enough up to stealthily take out the guard. I know how to move in the shadows, and I suspect that Mr. Lockpick does as well. If you two."
She points to Ali'bael and Aereck
"Can lift the gate, we should be able to climb out. If you can't, hopefully the others can help you enough."

[Amoren]

Marcus slips down quietly to the ground floor with everyone else, allowing him to whisper just loud enough over the tortured screams so that the hunchback couldn't hear them. "The smallest of us and easiest to get free would be the gnome, but I don't know if he could manage to slip by and take out our 'keeper' for the rest of us. I can do it, but that means I wouldn't be able to help lift my size out."

However, upon hearing the elf he contemplates for a moment. "If one of us slips out, then the other can help lift the grate. It'll be easier for someone above it to pull it up than for us to lift it up."

[Archmage1]

Adiana smiles wryly as the human proposes more or less the same plan that she had.
"I think we have a plan. Now... we just need to do it."

[GranAures]

"Not alone anyway, especially if I was to be of any use later," Dalenbar responds rather dejectedly. "While my relations with the shadows are fairly close, I can still only call upon their aid so often."

Dalenbar looks up at the grate for a moment, almost gauging it's size.

"Though I might be able to help a bit with the load, just under 100 pounds of it."

[kladams707]

Ali'Bael rolled his eyes at the attempts of one lone prisoner trying to lift the grate. It was clear it was time for him that he would have to join in the effort. Without a word, he went to one of the walls, and began his ascent to join Aereck in lifting the grate.


If he can, Taking 10's on the athletics checks that should make both

Otherwise:
climb: [roll0]
steady: [roll1]

[Archmage1]

Adiana looks at the gnome.
"Do you think you can help them? It looks like they almost have it. But keep quite"

[Amoren]

"Here," the human rogue whispered as he clambers up another portion of the wall and attempts to help add a bit of his strength to the grate. "Hurry up and get through before our arms get tired. Make sure our 'friend' doesn't see you as well!"

Taking ten on athletics for the climbing again, and I should be able to easily make a 10 athletics or dex check to steady myself to push up.

[Archmage1]

"That works too. I'll see if I can't get you up as well."
The frail, lithe woman rapidly climbs the wall, and through the now opened grate, moving quietly.

Once she is up:

Adiana carefully lifts the grate, allowing Marcus to clamber through, before she carefully lowers it once more, doing her best to not let it clang on the stone.



Adiana moves quickly, praying that he didn't see her coming out of the grate, getting to the side, and out of sight.



[roll0] hide
[roll1] move silently

[Tyrann]

The hunchback does have line of sight into shadowy illumination, but he does not see Adiana slip out, nor does he hear anything.
He ís however still facing toward the cell.


I'm assuming you slipped out on the least illuminated side of the pit.
The guy rolled a 3 on spot and 7 on listen, on top of the penalties he was already getting >.>
So you're totally hidden.

[Archmage1]

Seeing that the hunchback had not noticed her, Adiana carefully lifts the grating, signalling Marcus to hurry out.

[Amoren]

The rogue quickly, and quietly, slips out of the grating and briefly turns around to help lower the metal contraption back down as quietly as could be managed. He then motions for the elf to sneak around the other end, as he lurks through the shadows to try and come up on the man...

And, if he was successful, would attempt to strike the hunchback in coordination with his elven compatriot, attempting to knock the man out quickly and quietly!

Taking ten on Hide (23) and Move Silently (19). But in case he can't due to the situation, I'll include rolls at the bottom.

Hide[roll0]
Move Silently[roll1]
Unarmed Attack[roll2]
Unarmed Damage[roll3]
Sneak Attack[roll4]

[Archmage1]

Adiana, not quite as skilled as her human compatriot, also sneaks around, and attempts to knock out the hunchback.


[roll0] hide
[roll1] move silently
[roll2] unarmed attack
[roll3] unarmed dam
[roll4] SA
[roll5] init
(12 damage total, unless a 18 misses)

[Tyrann]

The two rogues skillfully sneak around the room towards the bridge, but the bridge is well illuminated. Hoping to get the drop on the hunchback, they rush forward. The hunchback sees them, but it is too little too late.

Markus' fist misses by a hair, but Adiana's fist lands squarely in the already deformed face, and the would be guard falls flat on his back, knocked unconscious.

[Archmage1]

Shaking her hand slightly, Adiana looks to Marcus for a moment, before returning to the grate, and helping to lift it once more.
She whispers harshly into the pit.
"Come on! That cell is going to have a new occupant!"

[Amoren]

Being the stronger of the two, Marcus would move to try and drag the man quickly and quietly back into the shadows nearby the cell. Once there, he'd quickly frisk the man for anything of note, before moving to help slide the grate open so that the rest of their fellow prisoners could escape.

Search Check to see what the man has on him: [roll0]

Marcus pockets the man's coins, keychain, cane, and envelope before leaving his unconscious form adjacent to the grate to help move it.

[Tyrann]

The party successfully manages to all climb out of the pit without alerting any guards.
The Hunchback is kicked into the pit, and Markus gags him and binds him arms behind his back with the manacles.

Freedom is now closer than ever. The screams of torture still fill the room. It's been about four minutes since the screaming started.

Upon quick inspection of the room you find the following:

- The water under the bridge on the map is about 10 feet down. The tide should come in soon.
- The stairs up aren't very well lit.
- There are 4 torches here, mounted on sconces.
- You see the occasional rat scurry away as you move about the room.

If you choose to open the envelope:
You find a letter on paper that's starting to go yellow with age. It reads as follows:

Oh Sophia, my Sophia
Oh how I love you so
You're my angel in an apron
And you're cooking makes me go:

Oh Sophia you're so sweet
And your cooking is sweet too
And your stew is just to die for
Oh Sophia I love you

Oh my dearest someday I will tell you
Face to face something like this
Oh Sophia, my Sophia
Would you give me our first kiss?

[Archmage1]

After the hunchback is placed in the pit, where he belongs, Adiana looks at Marcus.
"Anything interesting?"

After that conversation, she looks around the room, taking it in.
"Two options. We can take the stairs, and hope that their guard force is very light, or we can try and swim out... but they may have a grate or something in the way, and we are not in the best of condition."
She pauses for a moment, clearly thinking. Then, she continues, in the same low tones, calmly.
"Get ready. I will return soon... hopefully, alone.."

And with that, Adiana carefully proceeds up the stairs, hoping to get an idea of the opposition.


[roll0] hide
[roll1] move silently
...
And there's the dice gods revenge.

[Amoren]

Marcus takes a moment to open and read the letter, hoping that it would reveal something that might help them escape their confinement. But, seeing nothing but a rather poor love poem, the human just smiles and lets it drop to the floor, before he goes about locking the grate in place. He then offers the cane to whoever wants to use it, as it was better served in another's hands besides his own. "Here, I'm going to go with her and make sure if one of us gets into trouble we can get out."

Hide: [roll0]
Move Silently: [roll1]

[kladams707]

Though not his weapon of choice, Ali'Bael takes the cane, preferring to have something that could be used as a weapon than none at all. He followed the other two up, not only to see what kind of resistance was ahead but to keep a wary eye on the others, especially the other elf. He kept trying to place her, and it seemed as if a suspicion was growing, but he couldn't be sure. He delayed for a moment before creeping up the path they took.


Hide: [roll0]
Move Silently: [roll1]

[theterran]

Jarel scrambles out of the hole and takes a quick survey. Noticing everyone else 'sneaking', he shrugs and attempts to follow suit. ...this should be interesting... he thinks to himself.


[roll0]
[roll1]

[Archmage1]

When Adiana hears the stomping coming from behind her, she turns around, seeing Ali'Bael and the smaller human, and she looks at the other one, stomping his feet in an effort to "sneak"

Her expression conveys the message "Stop" very clearly.

[Tyrann]

While Adiana attempts to stop Jarel's attempts at stealth, Markus and Ali'Bael reach the top of the stairs and see the following:

http://oi39.tinypic.com/1znst9u.jpg

The outer hallway of this floor is well lit by torches. The rooms are all dark, except for the ones with the doors at (3, 2) and (13, 4).

(3, 2) is very clearly where the screams are coming from. And strangely it sounds like someone is sawing.

(13, 4) is a room with a wooden desk and bookcase.

(2, 8) has a storage closet with hastily opened drawers in it. The drawers display an assortment of various saws, hammers and other sharp looking small instruments (scalpels, tweezers, scissors etc.)

Whether Jarel still wants to go up is up to you guys. Be careful with the Psionic guy though.

[Amoren]

Marcus, following his better intentions rather than his immediate hope for escape, silently makes his way to the west, towards the sounds of the tortured screaming and the curious sound of sawing. However, while he may eventually want to reach the frail man, it wouldn't serve either of them if he did not secure a path for his compatriots to follow, and thus he came to the first door (6,8) concealed in darkness. Fortunately, with the keen eyes (at least in complete shadows) that he had unknowingly inherited, he would be able to peak his head around the doorway to look into the room - opening and picking any doors or locks that would be in his way as he did so.

Assuming there was nothing interesting in that room, or after he had done quickly pilfering what he could, the man makes his way to the next door (3,8), and upon seeing its contents, would slip in to grab a hold of any reasonably bladed instrument that he could get a hold of. Grabbing as many as he could in a quick search, he'd return to the stairs with any potential bounty - either handing them to Ali'Bael to disperse amongst the group below if he was still there - and if not, heading down the stairs quietly to hand over the goods to his fellow, if elven, delinquent. Of course, he keeps a hold of one of the blades for his own use...

Gonna keep my hide/move silently rolls. Hide is a bit low, but that move silently is pretty damn good, and that's what probably matters most right now. :)

Search: Going to take 10 for an 18.

If he needs to Open Lock: [roll0]
And if that doesn't do it, taking 20.

[kladams707]

Ali’Bael patiently waits for Markus to return. Should he return with anything useful, the elf accepts just enough that he feel he might need himself before leaving Markus to distribute the rest. Ali’Bael pushes past Markus, bumping his shoulder as he does so. Freedom the overarching goal, he marches to the east and north toward the other set of stairs. The screams curdled his blood, and he had this urge to help. However, even with this motley crew of prisoners, the odds seemed to be against them, magic users or not. Not wanting the prisoner’s actions to for naught, he instead continued, hoping to find the freedom they were searching for.


Keeping those rolls as well.

Also, if Markus does find anything useful, Ali'Bael is fairminded and would only take what he really needed, which includes the possibility of nothing (since he does have the cane and everyone else to my knowledge is unarmed).

[Tyrann]

When Marcus attempts to open the lock at (6, 8) his improvised pick, already damaged from opening the manacles earlier finally breaks. It takes him a while to get the remains of the pick out, but he does manage to open the door.

Inside the room he finds a room with several large barrels lined against the eastern wall. One of the barrels has a tap in its side, the others have corks.
There are 12 barrels in total.

On the northern wall hang 6 sets of chains and manacles. On the eastern wall is a closet with 17 sets of prisoner clothing, 40 emergency rations, 5 bars of soap, bandages, 6 torches, a flint and tinder, the large spoon the hunchback used to (not) give you water and a wooden bucket.

Marcus finds a total of 11 usable sharp objects, which are distributed amongst the party as needed.

As Ali'Bael moves past (15, 7) for a moment he thinks he hears water draining down inside the wall.


The scalpels and scissors are close enough to daggers to use without the normal -4 for improvised weapons. They deal 1d3 damage.
I roll 3d4 for objects, lucky you guys :o

[GranAures]

With a slew of potential defensive implements before him, Dalen only takes up one of the short blades for himself.

"Hardly one for direct combat, always been one to stay well out of the way," he admits playfully, "better for the van to have the bulk of the weaponry anyway in case something goes awry."

Marking said object on sheet, also anyone present can make a spot if the so choose.
Anyone paying any mind to the gnome can notice that while he stays relatively still in taking the small blade his shadow is strangely far more active, flourishing the implement rather clumsily. Oddly it seems to impact the point that its owner is bad with weapons.

[kladams707]

Upon hearing the water, Ali'Bael pauses for a moment. He looks the wall up and down, looking for the source. Perhaps the water will lead us to where we need to go, he thinks to himself.



I guess spot?: [roll0]

[Tyrann]

Ali'Bael sees a wall as normal as any other. Both the ceiling and floor appear to be perfectly normal as well.

[Archmage1]

When Marcus returns to the stairs, Adiana, still restraining Jarel, turns to see him, smiling when she sees the bounty of weapons.
"Are those for us? Thanks. If we do need to fight, we will need them."

Adianna casually borrows 4, thrusting three of them through her clothing, twisting them slightly, so that they stayed, and holding the last in her left hand.

"These should be most helpful. Now, what is up there?"

[Breitheamh]

"Marvelous! Alright, now let's go forth for our freedom," Aereck excitedly says, quickly grabbing one of the scalpels and brushing past the Adiana toward the stairs, paying barely any heed to his surroundings.

[Archmage1]

As he goes past, Adiana grabs his shoulder, speaking softly, but urgently.
"Slow down. Freedom is good. Living to see it? Much better. Why don't we let Marcus tell us what is up ahead, before we do anything too foolish."

[Breitheamh]

"Indeed. I agree, but keeping still is not my strong suit." Stopping and turning to look at Adiana, Aereck notices her inhuman features for the first time. "Pardon me, young lady, if this comes across as rather rude, but where do you come from? You are not quite like anyone I have seen before."

[Archmage1]

Adiana shakes her head, gently, clearly disagreeing with him about keeping still.
"Waiting, however, is a very important attribute. Being able to wait for the right moment has won many a hunt. Learning... is a necessity. Maybe you should take up knitting, or cross stitch, to pass the time while you wait."
When he asks where she is from, the thin waif pauses for a moment, growing briefly pale, before she answers.
"A village far from here. We... we don't travel much, I'm afraid. The cost... is just too high."
She pauses, clearly regretting the price that she spoke of, before continuing, in a much more cheerful tone.
"What about you? Do you have any family? How did you end up here, of all places?"

[theterran]

Somewhat disappointed at being hindered from exploring beyond, Jarel does his best to hide it...

"Didn't happen to find a way out did ya?" he says, somewhat dejectedly.

Noticing the weapons, Jarel stares...

"You didn't by chance happen to find a longbow up there did you? I've always fancied having a longbow..."

[Breitheamh]

"I do have family, like yourself, in a village far from here. I was just passing through here on my way to there," Aereck replies, a smile crossing his face once again, before adding with a wink, "However, if there is more to be discovered in this world than what I have seen, perhaps I will extend my travels before returning home."

[Archmage1]

She smiles slightly, a twinkle in her eyes.
"Almost the same story here, but I need to find something before I can go home. Perhaps you could help me with that..."
She pauses, her sentance breaking off before she actually gets around to explaining why she is here, and shakes her head.
"No matter. Either way, we need to get out of here first."

[GranAures]

"Might have to follow one of you two then," Dalenbar muses absently, assuming, of course, the church lets you get back home."

The gnome stops for a moment, his expression turning sour as a realization strikes him.

"Shade blasted guards," Dalenbar mopes, "probably made sure all my research books were thoroughly erased," Dalen pauses again, this time another wild grin on his face. "Come to think, I'm not even sure I bought them all so they might have turned the shop inside out looking for more of them, would be a heck of a mess to clean alone, poetic justice I say."

[Archmage1]

Adiana raises an eyebrow at that, turning to face the Gnome.
"You were a shopkeeper? Selling books?"

[GranAures]

"Well I spent more time keeping everything in order," Dalenbar chuckles, part at the woman's reaction and part at the perceived misfortune of his previous employer, "poor Cedric never had a head for organization. I did take care of the business side every now and then when he was out, in fact, I'm certain I bought more from him than I ever sold to others."

The gnome tilts his head quizically after he finishes, Adianna's words taking a moment to finally sink in.

Not anymore though, why, is that an odd profession where you come from?"

[Amoren]

Having finished distributing the scalpels to whoever wanted them, the rogue comes back to the base of the stairs as he over hears the conversation. "I found two doors before I found the weapons and returned, heading to the left from the stairs. The first contained some manacles against the wall, rations, soap, and other miscellaneous items including some barrels which might contain water. The second was obviously where they stored their tools for torture or dissection, and is where I found our new armaments. It sounds like the man who gave us our opportunity to flee is being tortured just around the corner from there."

"Our other friend was waiting when I got back and I handed him two of these scalpels before he went off to the right. I think I'm going to return up and see if I can spot what sort of situation our... tortured friend... is in. If there's anything we can do for him, I'd like to return the favor he's given us."

"I didn't find any bows, unfortunately. Also my pick broke in one of the locks I opened, so unless I find a replacement that might serve quickly, any barred doors might be off limits from now on."

[Archmage1]

Adiana looks down at Dalembar, her face neutral.
"The lore that we have is freely shared, and maintained by a few. I was hoping to add some information to it, but... that hasn't been going well."

When Marcus finishes his explanation, Adiana smiles, her voice a whisper.
"So they are being light on guards... wonder why... perhaps they need to ensure that the laity doesn't know about this place? We should have an excellent chance of sneaking out. Marcus, if you wish to return to the torture chamber, the rest of us will start sneaking towards the entrance."
She turns to the others, looking perhaps a bit doubtful.
"Ok, the single biggest thing about stealth is taking it slowly, carefully. Don't worry about how long it takes, just worry about how quiet you are being."

Adiana starts sneaking towards the entrance, presumably with several others behind her.


taking 10 on stealth, for 19 in both hide, and move silently.

[kladams707]

Search check for secret door: [roll0]


Ali'Bael looked a little more curiously at the wall, hoping that perhaps there was a reason he was hearing water draining. He thought that perhaps there was a hidden passageway. If his search proved fruitful, he would return to share this information with the others. If not, he continued to the stairs he was headed for to before returning, oblivious to the group's conversation.

[Amoren]

The man nods, "Be careful, and silent. If anything happens on my end I'll rush back to you and give you the heads up."

With that said, the man slipped back up the stairs and made his way quietly down the left corridor, keeping near to the northern wall. When he reaches the corner, he stops to listen, seeing if anyone might be in the corridor before he pokes his head around to see if it was clear.

If it was clear of guards, he would then begin to quietly make his way forward, and attempt to glance in on the torture room to see what was up.


Keeping the previous rolls if I can. If not, some new rolls.
Hide: [roll0]
Move Silently: [roll1]

[Breitheamh]

"Onward and upward friends," Aereck cheerfully whispers, trying his very hardest to be sneaky.

Move silently [roll0]
Hide [roll1]

[Tyrann]

Ali'Bael finds nothing of interest on the wall. Just the occasional sound of water flushing downward trough a pipe.
When he gets to the stairs and peeks around the corner he sees this:

http://i.imgur.com/3rIR3Rm.jpg
The elf comes up the stairs at (4, 2).
This hallway is fairly well lit by torches mounted on the walls.
When he peeks around the corner he sees a closed heavy door at (3, 4).
The hinges are on the other side, but even from this side you can tell this door is very sturdy.
At eye-height it has a peephole, covered by bars and an 8 inch square hatch.

The rest of the party except for Markus start moving towards the stairs.

Markus moves trough the shadows to the corridor and listens for a few moments before carefully looking around the corner, only to find that the corridor is empty.
He does however see a well armed guard standing in (2, 2), facing east.
He proceeds very cautiously to the door, and briefly looks around the corner and..

You see the catatonic man. However bad you thought he looked before, he looks much worse now. He is strapped down to a by his hand, legs and torso to a large wooden table that looks somewhere between an operating table and a torture rack. You immediately notice that the rack is covered in blood and that the man is missing his left arm. There are also two large symmetrical wounds on his forehead.

In the room you see the 6 guards, all looking at the man with their hands on their hilts, shifting nervously around the room. The Psion seems to be in a trance of sorts. The man in the white coat is busy preparing something in the corner.

Your eyes dart back trough the room and then you make full eye contact.. with the mutilated man.

For a moment you feel yourself collapsing, only so snap back into consciousness a split second later.

"Timeth if you could keep him still this time, I can't sedate him any more than I already have. He's starting to go into respiratory arrest as it is."

".. You should run .."
As you hear the voice a terrible pain comes over you. Like someone jammed a dagger into your left arm, sliced open your forehead, and hit you in the back with a sledgehammer.

".. I can escape this, but I cannot outrun them. You will have to clear the way for me .."
For a moment you feel like your head is going to explode.

".. I am sorry about the pains but I cannot always block them out myself. And I am sorry for not speaking to you earlier. Your kindness meant a lot to me, but I could not risk the psionic reading your mind. Everything would have been for naught. .."

"Velen my dear: this might hurt a little." says the man in the white coat in posh celestial, taking obvious pleasure in his work.

He grabs the man's head and you cannot see what he does, but your forehead burns so much you almost faint as you hear more whispers.
".. Please hurry, go clear a path. I will follow if I still can .."

[GranAures]

"It helps to weigh about a third of the average human too, but, hey, whose keeping track right?" Dalenbar chuckles a bit before falling deathly quiet as he slips into file.

Taking 10 on stealth rolls, so a 20 each

[Amoren]

'I understand. Hang in there.' Marcus thought, hoping that the previously catatonic man could hear him before he darts back from where he was peeking through, and as quickly as he could while remaining silent, makes his way towards the rest of the party, scalpel in hand. “We need to hurry,” he spoke in as loud a whisper as we dared. “The man being tortured is apparently able to escape, if we can clear a path for him. Although it doesn't look good. I suggest we make a hasty escape and take out every guard we see from here till there and hope we do so in time.”

[Archmage1]

Adiana looks around, before speaking softly, and continuing up the second set of stairs with the group.

"Very well. Then let's move."

Once she gets up the stairs, she sees the door, and shakes her head, before looking to Marcus.
"Do you think you can open that? I don't think we can break it down."

still taking 10 on stealth, for 19

[kladams707]

Ali'Bael is about to return to the others when he is surprised by their appearance. He was visibly annoyed that they couldn't wait. This'll save time at least, he thought. He pointed to Adinna after she spoke to Marcus. You. I heard the sound of water behind the wall on the way here. Couldn't find anything, but you're welcome to try if you think you can.

[Archmage1]

Surprised at Ali'Bael's reaction, Adiana offers a brief explanation, while Marcus goes to work on the door.
"Marcus said it was clear... And of course I can go and see if I can find anything. Some fresh water would be wonderful. Especially if there is some food there."
Not entirely sure why Ali'Bael was so angry, Adiana calmly walks off, following his directions, and heads to the wall, and listens.

taking 10 on stealth, for 19
[roll0] listen
[roll1] search(if it fails, take 10, then 20)

[Tyrann]

Adiana like Ali'Bael before her finds a regular wall. Nothing extraordinary about it other than that she hears water flushing down a pipe from time to time. No secret doors.

Those of you at the heavy door can faintly hear voices on the other side.
You can also just barely smell something.. smells like stew.


You hear two men very close to the door. They are talking, and you can hear from their movement that they are wearing chain armor.

"Sure smells good today. I recon we can get an extra big portion, I think that Plump one fancies you. Just give her the eyes or something."

"What, Rosie. Don't be disgusting. Besides I've got a girl back home. And I don't much feel like leaving my post with lord Darian in the basement.. I've heard stories and after those screams just now.."


The lockpicking DC for the door is 30 (but remember to check your party loot)
This is probably the only thing I can post today. Am on my phone and it's my birthday.

[Archmage1]

Adiana returns to the group, and shakes her head.
"It seems to be just a pipe. Maybe they have a sink or something up there."
Once more, she turns, to address Marcus.
"Did the hunchback have keys to this door?"

[GranAures]

We can hope," Dalenbar perks up from his preovious quiet, though still maintaining a low whisper, "though it might be foolish to, with as easy as he was subdued."

Catching a whiff of whatever was cooking, the gnome gazes about to look at the others.

"Now I don't know about you all, but that smells pretty appetizing after three days of prison fare."

[Archmage1]

Adiana smiles, clearly pleased at the idea.
"Maybe we can steal some along the way. I really want a shower though..."
She pauses, looking sad, before she shakes her head, and continues.
"But... we need to escape, first."

[kladams707]

Ali'Bael doesn't say anything in response to Adianna. Instead, he lets the others take the lead before following the party to the heavy door. Remaining an elf of few words, he brings up the rear as the rest converse.

[Breitheamh]

"There is more than just stew to be stolen behind this door. If we can take out the guards, we may be able to grab some armor. Finally, a chance for some real action," Aereck comments as he waits for Marcus to try the keys, his right hand twitching.

[Amoren]

Hearing the murmers as well, he motions for everyone to prepare to charge in and take the guards by surprise, while he began to examine the door. He first moved as quietly as he could to make sure the door wasn't open by attempting to open it, but if that failed, he would then start to go through the keys on the ring as fast as he dared to while remaining quiet.

[Archmage1]

Aradia, in anticipation of meeting the guards on the other side, tries to hide once more, her dull grey prison clothing being of some use, as it was sort of the same color as the walls.


taking 10 on hide and move silently, so 19 in both

[Tyrann]

Markus tries the first key, which fits in the lock, but doesn't turn.
The talking on the other side of the door stops.

He tries the second key and it turns! You hears the heavy mechanism turning and with a clunk the door is unlocked.

On the other side of the door you hear swords unsheathing.

Guards are in (5, 3) and (5, 4). Please let me know where you guys are in your posts. Markus has to be in (4, 3) or (4, 4). Adiana is hidden from both the guards.

Reposting the map here for convenience.


Adiana [roll0]
Aereck [roll1]
Ali'Bael [roll2]
Dalenbar [roll3]
Jarel [roll4]
Markus [roll5]

Guards [roll6]


http://i.imgur.com/3rIR3Rm.jpg

Poor guards, that roll :(

[Archmage1]

Adiana, hearing the swords unsheathe, moves to a place of relative saftey immediately before the door opens, and once it does, she snaps her wrists, sending two of the scalpels that Marcus so thoughtfully provided into the guard behind the door, hoping to clear the door for the others.


Assuming that Marcus opens the door on his turn, or it is opened. Will delay until then, of course.
Rolls
[roll0] dagger toss 1
[roll1] SA: [roll2]
[roll3] dagger toss 2
[roll4] SA: [roll5]
Near the wall in 3,3

[Breitheamh]

Aereck bursts into the room, sweeping his arms low to knock the first guard he sees to the ground before thrusting his scalpel into the guard.

Going for the first guard I can get to who's still standing, and I'm coming from 4,3. Trip: [roll0]
If that works, attack with scalpel: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

[Tyrann]

As Aereck opens the door, Adiana throws two scalpels at the guard behind it. The first one lands in his left shoulder and he grunts with pain. The second scalpel misses due to spellthief having to throw around the duskblade, and bounces off the wall to the back of the hallway.

Aereck comes in low and tackles the guard, who is off balance from the blade in his shoulder. The guard lands on his back with a loud thud and ringing of his chainmail.
Aereck tries to follow up with a stab as well, but the small blade fails to penetrate the guard's armor.

[kladams707]

So, I think I misunderstood what was going on in terms of readying/delaying, so I'm just going to take my turn, which is going to be somewhat inconsequential. also change Ali'Bael's spot to 2,3

Ali'Bael could tell there was not much else he could do. Once the guard went down, he saw on openong and took ot. He drew one of the two scalpels Marcus had provided and rushed passed Aereck.

Doing the overrun, ending at (7,3)

[GranAures]

With the most direct guard on the ground and the other well out of view, Dalenbar was fairly uncertain at his aim. Given the situation he just slides a bit closer to the door, waiting for a less prone target to present itself. As he waits, the shadows in the spaces between his fingers almost seem to roil.

Starting at 1,3
Free: 5ft step into 2,3
Standard: Ready an action to cast Arrow of Dusk against the first non prone guard to cross in front of the door(squares 5:3, 6:3, 7:3, or 8:3). Any such target will be within point blank range.
Attack: [roll0] vs touch
Damage: [roll1] nonlethal

[Amoren]

Marcus pokes his head around the corner and, assuming that the space immediately behind the doorway was empty once Aereck charged in, he'll take a step over and thus leave the space around the door frame's corner to the gnome to take cover in. He'd then flick his scalpel to readiness and bring it down, attempting to take advantage of the prone state of the guard in front of him.

To Hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
And Sneak Attack, if it applies somehow (don't know if he was not detected from around the corner or not): [roll2]

[Tyrann]

As Aereck opens the door, Adiana throws two scalpels at the guard behind it. The first one lands in his left shoulder and he grunts with pain. The second scalpel misses due to spellthief having to throw around the duskblade, and bounces off the wall to the back of the hallway.

Aereck comes in low and tackles the guard, who is off balance from the blade in his shoulder. The guard lands on his back with a loud thud and ringing of his chainmail.
Aereck tries to follow up with a stab as well, but the small blade fails to penetrate the guard's armor.

Ali'Bael sees his opportunity and runs past the knocked down guard into the hallway behind them.

Dalenbar's looks behind the door, waiting for an opportune moment to strike a target, but none comes because as Markus takes a stab at the guard's leg and nicks the femoral artery. Blood gushes out the guard's inner thigh, spraying over the wall as the man starts bleeding out. The other guard, who doesn't look a day over 18, looks at this in utter horror and takes a desperate swing at Aereck, and slashes him across the chest.

http://i.imgur.com/QCW5rV3.jpg
I took some liberties with your placement but I think this is the spirit of what you guys intended right?
The stairs at (4, 7) and (4, 6) go up, so the guard can't take any shortcuts.



You get hit for 8 slashing damage

[Archmage1]

Adiana, seeing the blood spraying everywhere, feels slightly sick, but since she doesn't really want to be executed for breaking a human law, especially one that she didn't break at all, she tumbles past Marcus, and Aereck, slashing at the guard as she rolls past.
"Drop your weapon if you want to live, guard!"

Using the 27 rolled in the OOC to tumble past(not that it is needed, since dc 15 would see her through, but meh.)
Once there, slash.
[roll0] attack
[roll1] damage
[roll2] if by some reason, you allow sneak attack(don't see how myself, but...
Adiana ends up in 6, 3

[kladams707]

Ali'Bael is about toss is his scalpel at one of the guards when he stops upon hearing Adiana's demands. He looks and seas the youthful guard, horrified and covered in blood. As much as he wants to take revenge on his captors, he can't bring himself to kill such a young soul, clearly frozen in fear. He waits, staring down the guard waiting to see how he will react.


Delay until after the guard's turn

[Breitheamh]

Aereck recoils at the young guard's attack, backing off and saying, "Whoa! Watch it there! I would much rather not kill you." But he lifts his scalpel anyway, readying to defend himself.

Just taking a move action to step outside the doorway and readying an attack if the guard attacks through the doorway.

[GranAures]

"Yes, best not to end up like your friend there," Dalenbar muses aloud as he hears Adiana's ultimatum for the guard, he. "However, we may still need you to take a nap, can't rightly leave you conscious to go telling the people down stairs about our escape."

The gnome readies himself to act if it seems the guard insists on fighting or running instead of surrendering.

Delay until the guard's actions, acting if he chooses not to surrender

[Amoren]

Seeing the situation taken care of with a multitude of people surrounding the young guard, and with how cramped it is, Marcus steps back away from the door frame and pokes his head around the corner to see or hear if anyone is approaching from the sounds of their scuffle.

Spot: [roll0]
Listen: [roll1]

[Tyrann]

Adiana gracefully tumbles past the guard and slashes at his arm, but the scalpel fails to really connect and instead just scrapes over the guard's chain shirt.

As the guard hears Adiana and sees both Aereck and Ali'Bael are not attacking him he seems confused.

When he hears Dalenbar mentions his fellow guard, he looks down and stammers:
But.. but.. Werner. Is he?.. Is he? Did you kill him?

He is still holding out the sword and looks absolutely mortified. Any sudden movements on your part results in him immediately pointing his sword at you.

You can hear him shaking in his chain.
Meanwhile the other guard is still unconscious and pulsing blood from his inner thigh. He is starting to look more and more pale. Almost grey now. You can see sweat forming on his brow.

Markus scouts around the corner to the back, but sees nothing, and hears only distant screams of torture.

[Archmage1]

"Ali, can you bind Werner's wounds? No one needs to die here. Well, maybe that psion, but certainly not this fellow."

When he points his sword at Ali or herself, she glares at him, her voice commanding.
"Stop that. Would you like it if someone was doing that to you? Just put it down before you hurt someone. We can save your friend, and then we leave. Simple as that."

She cut a strip off of the bottom of her prison shirt.
"Here, this should be usable as a bandage. The salt will help clean the wound."

[Tyrann]

Adiana presses on the wound and starts wrapping the improvised bandage around the bleeding guard's leg to help Ali'Bael, but she finds that her own efforts have already stopped the bleeding.

The man does still look terribly pale, but he seems stable.

The young guard notices and says:
"Did you save him? I don't.. I don't understand." He drops his sword which clatters on the floor while the guard falls on his behind and backs up into the corner where he pulls his knees up and sits curled up like a ball.

"You are witches. You are evil." He says while rocking back and forth as he starts crying. "What are you doing? Why are you here? What did you do to Werner? What will you do to me?"

[kladams707]

Geez, really? Ali thinks to himself as the kid starts to cry. ”You don’t have to understand,” Ali’bael replies. Seizing upon the kids worries, Ali makes sure to put away his scalpel and and tosses the cane to Aereck picking up the sword. He puts his hand on the guard’s shoulder as if to comfort him. Once he has his attention he replies ”You only need to know two things. Your friend here should be fine, and you have a choice.” He admires the sword a bit as he says emphasizes the word ‘choice’. ”You can show us where they keep our weapons and let us go, or you can find out how evil we really are. He backs away, sword still in hand, giving the guard some space. ”I recommend you make your decision quickly. I’m not sure how patient my other friends are.


[edit]Nothing to see here.

Not sure if he's still considered under threat. Take 10 for a 19 (including the aid from Adiana) if he's not. Otherwise:

Heal: [roll0]

[Archmage1]

Adiana, having finished binding the fallen guard's wounds, looks to the young guard, her words kindly.
"He will live, unless those below decide to kill him. It will be fine. We are not witches, just people who angered the cuthbertines. We are just leaving. Can you tell us where our equipment is being stored? Or if there is an armory here?

[Tyrann]

"They.. They are behind the door over there. Your weapons. To be burned.. with you."

He timidly points to the door at (2, 6) and with a shaking hand he offers you a keychain, already holding out the correct key, while looking away into the corner and trying to look as small as possible.


You do indeed find crates, each of them labeled. Inside your crates you find your belongings, your weapons, and even your gold.

Aereck - The warlock responsible for the last cold winter. Drowned dozens. Has been seen freezing fire wherever he went.

Ali'Bael - Speaks to animals, and hideously deformed by vile magics.

Jarel Yountz - Defiler of corpses, necromancer.

Dalenbar Uranskor - Dealing with devils in shadows, attempted mind control of esteemed shopkeeper.

Adiana - Tomb raiding, attemps at collecting shadow magic, multiple accounts of setting guards on fire through magic. Deformed by magic.

Velen Razavius - Murder, coercion, extortion, attempted regicide. Deals with demons for corporeal transformation. Summoning the flames of hell and the shadows themselves into fair Caria.
This crate only contains a single envelope, the seal broken, but the letter still inside.

It's a plain boring letter from his sister detailing how devastated his mother is with all of this. Except for Marcus, who also sees the vague remnants of something that was written on the letter with some sort of powder. "The Crimson Rose" it says.
Michael Levinsk - Attempted regicide
Inside you find two short swords, a dark cloak with a hood, and a bracer with a spring-loaded small pointy weapon concealed in it, as well as 71 gold pieces.

The only crate missing seems to be Markus'. There is a label with a crime though.

Marcus Baruch - Shadow mage like his vile mother before him. May he be the last of his diseased family we have to burn.

[Archmage1]

Adiana smiles at him, glad that he made the smart choice, before she leans forwards, and takes the keys.
"Thank you for making the right choice."

She then heads over, and opens the door, pausing as she reads the notes on the crates, shaking her head when she sees the one on her box, speaking softly as she opens it.
"Setting guards on fire? Deformed? Where do they get these ideas from... I certainly did not set anyone on fire, and I am not deformed. Idiots..."
She collects her items, before opening Velen and Michael's crates as well, taking the contents. Once that is done, she looks to the others, as she heads out of the room.
"Come on, we don't have much time."

She puts on her weapon belt, and shoulders her bow and quiver, but, in the interest of time, she does not put on her armor, instead, placing it in her backpack, before she heads up the stairs, moving carefully, hoping to see an exit.


[roll0] hide
[roll1] listen

[kladams707]

Ali'Bael begins rifling through his crate, failing to notice the other notes. He knew Adiana was right, and the time for reading wasn't then. He quickly grabbed his weapons, but like Adiana, put his armor in his backpack. Once everyone else was done, he looked back at the guard and says "Don't make me regret this" he growls as he slides the sword on the floor at the guard's feet before following the other elf.


Not the smartest or wisest move I know...

...but on with the rolls:
Move silently: [roll0]
Hide: [roll1]
Listen: [roll2]
Spot: [roll3]

[Amoren]

Upon hearing about their things being in the far door, Marcus wandered over and looked for his things, only to notice the box where his things were most likely put already stashed... Which likely meant that he was more than likely being prepared for a fire, good thing he got out when he did. However, seeing Adiana begin to collect the belongings of a man who didn't seem to be apart of their entourage, he speaks, "It seems that my own crate is missing, and it didn't have much in the way of weaponry or armor in it if it did. Do you mind if I collect that crate instead to help us escape?"

[Archmage1]

Realizing that Marcus didn't have a box, Adiana smiles at him.
"Certainly. There wasn't any armor, though, just a pair of short swords, a cloak, a bracer, and some gold."

She passes them over to him.

[Amoren]

"Thanks," he nods in a simple manner and quickly equips himself with the contents of the box. The lack of armor was unfortunate, but the dark cloak and weapons were far better than he had at the moment. He pulled the cloak on first, wrapping it around his frame then pulling the hood over his head, before going about equipping the shortswords. He then turned his attention to the bracer, playing with the spring-loaded mechanism for a few seconds as the rest of his companions got equipped, before eventually equipping it onto his sleeve to be played with later.

As he was about to leave, though, he stopped in front of the guard crumbled on the floor. "We need to take care of him, either knock him out or tie him up in case anymore want to escape," he spoke, giving a glance towards his compatriots as he gestured ever so slightly with his head towards the sound of torture. They needed to clear a way for him still, after all.

[Breitheamh]

Reading the label on his crate, Aereck is taken aback. "This is outrageous, absurd! I am indisputably not a warlock!" he says, and continues to grumble to himself as he puts on gear and puts his neatly folded chain shirt into his backpack.

[Archmage1]

Pausing on her way up the stairs, Adiana looks back.
"Is that really needed? We should be able to put him in the storage room, and move Walter there as well, so no one steps on him. Locked in, they should be safe enough."

That said, she continues up the stairs, hoping to get a look at the next area.

[Amoren]

Marcus contemplated this for a few moments, before eventually nodding and turning his attention towards the guard - and kicked the shortsword back away from his grasp. "You heard the woman, bludgeoning to the head or the storage room. Make sure to drag your friend in there as well - we'll leave the key nearby so they can get you out after we're good and gone," he spoke after the last of his companions had collected their gear. He shifted his arm to noticeably reveal his hand holding the hilt of one of his looted shortswords, adding emphasis to the fact that the guard should move, now.

[Tyrann]

The young guard follows Markus' orders and drags his fellow guard inside the room with him while softly sobbing. He keeps his eyes on the floor and only stops to rub tears from his eyes with the shoulder of his tunic.

Both Ali and Adiana notice immediately as they go up the stairs that they are looking into a kitchen. There are lots of tables with pans and cupboards underneath them to hide behind. You see doors to two rooms, both open, to your right hand side. One looks like a pantry, the other (closer) you can't really make out.
This floor has small windows near the outer walls that go up into the ceiling with mirrors below them to reflect incoming light. It seems to be dark outside though since the room is mostly lit by torches. The windows are much too small for even a gnome to fit through and are also barred.

A quick headcount tells you there are at least 12 cooks here, most of them human females. Way across the room you see 3 large stoves with chimneys, stairs that spiral up, and 2 food elevators that actually might be mansized.

[Archmage1]

Adiana, amazed by the number of cooks(and just how complicated their presence makes her escape)
12 cooks? This prison complex is either horribly overstaffed, or there are a lot more guards here than I thought. Still... getting out of here... we seen to be one level below ground, so those stairs probably lead out. But how to clear the room of cooks... Or at least to block their sight. Perhaps steam might do it... but first...

Considering her options, Adiana casually swipes a loaf of bread that was sitting on the bench above her. It might not be the stew, but it was much better than what she hadn't been eating. It was still warm from the ovens, and when she pulled a small piece off, it steamed in the warm air of the oven. The portion of it she ate was quite delicious. She also looks around for some water she might snag, hoping to have something to drink as well.

That done, she heads back down the stairs, and explains what she saw to the others, before she proposes a plan.

"Ok, now, the stairs up are probably the way out, but there are a lot more guards around here, somewhere. Hopefully, those stairs don't lead there. We might be able to climb the elevators, but one at a time, so we would be split up. Additionally, well, the elevators will lead to where food is consumed, so there will probably be a lot of guards there. I propose that I sneak over, spill the cooks stew into the fires. That should create a cloud of smoke and steam, giving us cover as we move to the stairs. If that fails... getting the cooks to not call out will be... difficult. Any questions?"

[GranAures]

"Well, at least they know enough to try to call me a common place practitioner," Dalenbar chuckles a bit as he reads his "crimes" while donning his combat oriented gear and leaving the scalpel in the box instead, normal clothes would have to wait, "shame they missed the part that my studies exempt me from the normal drawbacks."

When Adiana comes back down from the next floor, the gnome thinks for a moment before looking at her.

"About how heavy do you think the pots were, and about how far from the stairs?" he asks, the gears visibly turning in his head. "I might be able to do that from the stairs if they're close enough, and not heavier than ten pounds."

[Archmage1]

Coming down the stairs with 3/4 of a loaf of bread in one arm, and a pair of hams in the other, Adiana would surely seem a welcome sight to the former prisoners.
Of course, she talked first, but now that was done, she tears off around 1/3 of the bread, and passes it, and the hams, to the others.
"Some food might be nice."
She looks to Dalenbar as he speaks.
"The pots... would be quite heavy. I would guess 30-70 pounds. Hopefully, I can sneak up, and spill them into the fires without drawing too much attention to myself. They are relatively close to the stairs, though. Do you have a way to tip them from a range?"

[GranAures]

"Not if they're that big, I don't think," Dalenbar grumbles slightly, pulling small pieces off of he foodstuffs before passing it on. "I can offer some aid in getting you to it unnoticed, if you're quick about it."

[Archmage1]

"Aid could be helpful. It is a busy kitchen, after all. I wish there was an apron, but... not within reach, sadly. When I go, all of you need to be ready to move, and move quickly."

[kladams707]

Ali'Bael quickly swipes the loaf from Dalenbar and breaks of his own piece. Passing the rest on, he quickly scarfs down the bread. He looks up, the only evidence of his share a few crumbs hanging from the corner of his mouth.

In response to Adiana, he says"Time to go then, if you think this plan will work.
"

[Archmage1]

Adiana looks somewhat doubtful, but she nods.
"It's the best one we have. When you hear the commotion, come running, head for the stairs."

After Dalembar provides his help, Adiana heads up the stairs, meaning to sneak past the cooks, and spill one or more of the pots of stew into the furnaces, filling the room with smoke and steam.


Assuming that that Dalembar uses Sight Obscured(2 rounds.)
[roll0] hide
[roll1] move silently

[GranAures]

Moving up the stairs a bit behind her, Dalenbar wordlessly touches Adiana's heel as she nears the top of the stairs. There is a slight chill as the magic takes hold, the shadows about Adiana shifting to help better conceal her position her position as she moves.

Activating Sight Obscured on Adiana, offering a +5 bonus to her hide for 2 rounds

[Archmage1]

Moving swiftly, Adiana tries to reach the stew pots undetected, dodging around the feet of the cooks as she moves under the benches, careful to not make noise. Once she reaches one, she grabs the nearby oven mitt, and spills the pot over, dousing the fire in stew.

Or, at least, that's what she tries to do.

[kladams707]

Ali watches as the pair journey back up the steps. Aware of the plan, he is on edge, hoping that it will work. As per Adiana's instruction, he stands ready to head up the stairs.


Ready to make a made dash as instructed

[Breitheamh]

"Anyone up for a bet on this plan's success?" Aereck jokingly asks as he prepares to run for it.

[Tyrann]

Adiana successfully manages to sneak around the kitchen until she gets to one of the large pans containing stew.
She pushes the pan over, and it loudly clatters on the charcoal and stone beneath it. A panic starts inside the kitchen as the stew becomes so hot that it start to sputter everywhere, with hot bits of charcoal in it, burning whoever it hits.


Failure: You take 1 damage as a bit of hot charcoal burns you.
There is some steam and smoke coming from the pan, though hardly enough to conceal a path to the stairs. Most of it goes straight up and escapes through the chimney. The smoke that doesn't go up the chimney curls along the ceiling around the chimney and escapes up the stairs and fills up the closest small window.
Some of the tables do start smoking mildly because of the coal landing on it.

The women all start screaming and running around, some of them attempting to put the starting fires on their aprons. One of them loudly screams:

"Oh mama mia! Miss Sophia there is stew everywhere!"

A rotund woman, sweating all over and with plucks of greasy black hair poking through her hairnet slams open the door to the room you couldn't see into before as she hurries in.
It seems to be where they clean the dishes, there is a large sink and lots of barrels. You also see linen and aprons in there.
The round woman picks up one of the barrels, almost hugging it as she carries it in front of her, and starts stumbling towards the sputtering stew.

Those of you still down the stairs hear a pan falling over, followed by loudly panicking women and what sounds like a door being kicked in.

[Archmage1]

Ok... that didn't go as I was hoping it would. But... will it be enough...
Adiana sees about making her way to the stairs up, hoping that the distraction would be enough to get the party through unseen... and knowing that it wasn't.

[roll0] hide
[roll1] move silently

[GranAures]

"Well everyone," Dalenbar says down to the group, seems like our cue to hope for the best and expect the worst."

Being near the top of the stairs into the kitchen, the gnome gets started on his way to the stairs up, though keeping an eye for the two less stealthy members of their band to see if they need some help with their concealment.


Hide: [roll0]
Move Silently: [roll1]
Dalen will also be prepared to use his 2 remaining uses of Sight Obscured on Aereck and Jarel should their hide checks be poor and they come close enough to touch.
*crosses fingers*

[Amoren]

"So it seems," Marcus responded as he made sure to pull the dark hood down as far as it could to conceal his face, before slipping his way up the stairs to follow their elven friend as discretely as he could.

Taking 10 if I can for 23 Hide and 19 move silently. If not;
Hide: [roll0]
Move Silently: [roll1]

[kladams707]

Ready to run up the stairs, Ali took a few quick steps before stopping, observing the others not making the mad dash he was expecting. He stopped. He noticed they were still moving, which meant it had seemed to cause enough of a distraction to continue, but stealthily.


See OOC for hide & move silently checks

[Tyrann]

As you head up the stairs, being careful to hide (and some of you doing this with much more expertise than others) the ball-shaped lady dunks the contents of the barrel on what remains of the stew.

It does create some steam, but far less than what you had hoped for, and certainly not enough to cover your escape since most of it escapes out the chimney.

Most of the women are still panicking and screaming, and you hear deep male voice coming down the stairs yelling:

"What's going on down there?"

Then you see two guards descend the stairs and step into the room.

The fat lady replies: "We had an accident with the stew. But I think we have it all under control now."

A milisecond after she says this, Aereck tries to move and accidentally brushes against pan that hangs under a table, which loudly clatters against another pan.

Both of the guards immediately look in your direction

"What was that!?"

They start moving your way, while the women do their best to move behind them, and as far away from you while still being able to get a good look.


https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AtssMQjsPmyIdGc5Z2U1bGRWaUoxTHl4eDg2YWMtU Gc&usp=sharing#gid=0

I've seen some other people use excel to do maps, and I figured I should give it a try since it's easier to update.

[Archmage1]

Adiana, standing in I2, sighs. She had not predicted the screaming of the women, but... how to get the guards off of the others...

She calls out, trying to match her voice to that of one of the cooks, and hoping that none of them would realize that it's different.

"It's nothing, just the ghost of the kitchen. He bumps pans and the like occasionally."

[roll0] bluff

[kladams707]

Using the tables for cover, Ali'Bael crouched as he moved. He froze as soon as he heard the guards, only to find himself glaring at Aereck as the pan clattered. With no time to dwell on it, he began trying to inch his way back (G25).

[Tyrann]

"A ghost?! Witchcraft in my kitchen? Why I never! Who said that?!" barks the fat lady. "Was it you?!" she points at a frightened little thing, who rapidly starts shaking her head and locks her eyes on a speck of stew on her left shoe in an attempt to avoid eyecontact.

And she's not alone in that. All the maids try their best to look as inconspicuous and innocent as possible.

From the way the other women act, you can tell that Sophia's philosophy on punishment is quite likely of the corporal sort. They are terrified of her.

"There there now miss, we'll see if we can't find your ghost for you." says the more vocal guard, and they both start advancing through the lines of tables, one on each side.

[Archmage1]

Adiana thinks to herself, even as she prepares to move up the stairs to avoid someone that wants to come up them.
Come on, guys, get out of the way, hide from the guards. After they leave, the cooks should be quite distracted.

[Amoren]

Marcus catches a glimpse of the soldiers making their way down the kitchen, and keeps his stance down underneath the table, relying upon his ears to keep track of were they were moving - as well as what he could see of them from underneath the table. He prepares to slip around the east corner of the table when the guards make their way past the last row of tables and would gain line of sight on him.

Once again, taking 10 on hide and move silently if allowed, for 23 and 19 respectively.

[Breitheamh]

Somewhat embarrassed, but determined to clean up the mess he got them into, Aereck thinks quickly and attempts to divert the guard's attention with the sound of someone escaping.
As soon as the guards get far enough away from the stairs, cast ghost sound to emulate the sound of footsteps running up the stairs, away from the kitchen. DC 13 I believe.

[GranAures]

Dalenbar visibly panics when the guards come down into the kitchen, quickly recomposes himself. At the mention of a ghost a devious little trick comes to his mind but the chance is stopped by what seemed to be the sound of someone running for the stairs, one that almost got him. With that little distraction though, the gnome readies to slip past the aisle to the next line of tables to his west should the guards fall for the trick to their senses.

Just going to default to my previous checks if possible(A 23/15), otherwise:
Hide: [roll0]
Move Silently: [roll1]

[kladams707]

Ali'Bael was about to draw his bow and fire an arrow into what looked to be a pantry, hoping it would be enough to make the guards investigate. Instead, he heard the spell and hoped the noise would be enough to distract them. Choosing to backtrack, he waited to see what they would do.


Ready an action to move to D25. Will also default to my previous rolls if possible, otherwise:

hide: [roll0]
move silently: [roll1]

[Archmage1]

Hearing the distraction, Adiana heads up the stairs, hoping to find somewhere out of the way to hide.

[Tyrann]

Both guards turn to look at the stairs.

"Did somebody just run up there? Sophia was that one of your girls?"

Sophia starts looking around the kitchen and starts doing a headcount. This takes about 20 seconds. The guards both have their backs turned to the party this entire time. The cooks aren't moving.

Adiana goes up the stairs and comes into a hallway, about 5 feet wide and 30 feet long. It has 3 doors: a regular wooden one to the left, a large heavy door to the right, and a very fancy looking double door straight ahead.


You hear snoring behind the left door. At least 4 people.
You can also hear footsteps and talking behind the double doors.

You can hear at least 10 people inside the room to the left, probably more. You mostly hears beds creaking, but you can make out footsteps and maybe even some armor rustling.

The voices from the double doors seem to mostly be speaking in Celestial. Sounds like a hallway with a high ceiling, and you can make out footsteps going up very large stairs.

[Archmage1]

Moving swiftly up the stairs up to the next area, Adiana avoids the eyes, but allows her foot falls to be heard, to enhance the illusion of a ghost running up the stairs.
She tries the door on the right, hoping that it wouldn't be locked.
This is... bad. Some priests through the center door, seems like a guard room to the left, which leaves the right. Hope this isn't as bad as it could be...

[Tyrann]

The door to the right is not locked and opens easily to reveal a small office, lit by a torch. You see a guard roster on the wall, and a large desk with a few candles, paper, ink, and some letters on it.

The desk has a few drawers, but they are all locked.

There's a large tapestry with a family shield on it hung from the back wall.

[Archmage1]

Entering the room, Adiana swiftly closes the door, making sure that it doesn't slam, keeping the guards from finding her.
Once there, she takes in the room, checking behind the tapestry, glancing at the roster to get an idea of how many guards are here, before looking for a way to put the torch out, not wanting the light to help the guards find her.

[GranAures]

With the guards and cooks distracted, Dalenbar takes his opportunity to cut across to the western row of tables. While the distraction lasts he attempt to make his way closer to the door along the west side of the kitchen, stopping after about 12 seconds so as to not push his luck.

[Tyrann]

Behind the tapestry Adiana finds a small locked safe with a very heavy lock on it, stuck inside the wall.

Judging from the guard roster there are at least 96 soldiers assigned to this keep, though they do not all sleep here. There are 40 beds in the room opposite to this one, most of them assigned.

8 guards are stationed in the jail (4 at the actual jail, 2 in the hallways, 2 at the door at the stairs).

The floor you're on right now has 12 guards stationed at all times.
4 guarding the doors to the soldier's dormitory (2 at each door), two at the stairs, and four at the front gate.

The floor above you has 12 guards at all times as well. 4 of those keep watch near the cannons, 2 of them are placed at the top of the stairs and 6 of them guard lord Varacis and his guests.

The roster indicates that all the guards have 8 hour shifts, and half of them get relieved every 4 hours.

You're not sure what the time is now, but you do see an hourglass that has about 3/4ths of the sand in the bottom.

There is an chamberpot with a lid on it inside the room that could probably be used to put the torch out.


The chair behind the desk is still warm, and the candlewax on the candles is still slightly liquid.

It's empty.

[Archmage1]

That's a lot of guards. And four are supposed to be guarding the doors? Then where are the other two? At least the front gate is here, although how to get out without triggering an alarm... We may need to disable those cannons if we want to escape... which means blocking the doors to the dormitory, as I don't want to get overwhelmed by guards. The safe is interesting, but I don't have the means to open it.
She reaches out, touching the chair.
So... someone was here recently. Very recently. I just hope I have time... Shift change in an hour or so. We don't have much time. I imagine that's what the cooks are working on a meal for as well.
Adiana looks for something unobtrusive to jam the door to the dormitory. If there is nothing, she will attempt to do so by breaking the lock(quietly).

[kladams707]

Ali'Bael was about to make his way towards the stairs when he saw Dalenbar sneak across the aisle. Looks like we aren't withdrawing, Shrugging, he decides to advance before ducking behind the table next to Dalenbar's (E22).

[Amoren]

Marcus remains situated where he was for now, eyes and ears remaining trained on the guards while he keeps himself out of sight behind the table. Until he knew if they were going to make their way back up the stairs, or begin exploring the kitchen more, it was safer for him to remain where he was rather than yield ground or try to advance - especially with their eyes trained forwards the escape.

[Breitheamh]

Aereck stays where he is, as still as possible, waiting to see if his little ruse works, and prepares himself mentally to run out fight depending on the situation.

[Tyrann]

"11.. 12.. Maria 13.. Elsa 14. All here."

"Then what in Cuthbert's name went up those stairs?!"

Both the guards start running to the stairs.

Adiana hears two people in chain armor running up the stairs before she has a chance to break the lock on the door.

Meanwhile downstairs, all the women are nervously flocking around the stairs.

[Archmage1]

Adiana hides back in the office, darting to hide behind the desk, hoping that the guards wouldn't seriously look for her, closing the door behind her.

[roll0] hide
[roll1] move silently

[Tyrann]

Adiana quietly closes the door just before both the guards run up. You hear one of them rambling the door opposite to you a few times to check if it is still locked, which it appears to be. The other guards runs to the double doors at the end of the hallway. You hear the door open and he shouts: "Did anybody move by here?".

"Huh what? No. Why?" comes a reply from further out. Most of the Celestial chatter and footsteps have stopped.


The guard opposite from you doesn't hear the door open, but he is no more than 5 feet away from you, his back turned to you for now.
The other guard is standing in the door opening of the double door, keeping one door pushed open and leaning out as he's talking.

[Archmage1]

Adiana, knowing that they had little time, and also knowing that they would need more time, and secrecy, decides to take a risk. A fairly significant one, but critical... if it works.

She silently opens the door, draws her saps, and tries to sap down the guard, hoping to catch him, and silently move him into the office.


Because insanity is fun.
[roll0] hide
[roll1] move silently

[roll2] Sap 1
[roll3] + [roll4] damage

[roll5] Sap 2
[roll6] + [roll7] damage

[Tyrann]

The first sap misses, but the second manages to hit the guard square in the back of the head. He looks dizzy but is still standing. The other guard doesn't hear anything.

Guard's initiative (though he cannot possibly win it):
[roll0]

[Archmage1]

Taking a more firm grip on her saps, Adiana tries again, hoping to do a bit better this time.
And hoping that the other one doesn't hear anything.


[roll0] attack
[roll1] damage

[roll2] attack
[roll3] damage

[Tyrann]

The guard turns, and Adiana hits him hard in the temple as he does so with the first sap. He seems knocked out, but she hits him once more before he falls for good measure. The man is knocked out cold. He tumbles on his feet for a moment before sinking to the floor.

Adiana manages to catch the guard before he hits the floor.

The other guard still hasn't noticed anything.

[Archmage1]

Catching the guard, Adiana carefully drags the guard back into the office, hiding him beneath the desk, before returning, and watching through the door, hoping to catch the second guard as well, so that she could bar the door into the dormitory.

[Tyrann]

The other guard, still in conversation with whoever was down the hallway says:

"Well, that's weird. I may be imagining things but the women in the kitchen said they heard a ghost. Just keep your eyes open okay."

You hear him close the door as you're hiding the body of the unconscious guard.

"Johnny?"

You hear him walking over to your door and you see the handle go down.

"Johnny you in here?"

[Archmage1]

I was afraid this was going to happen...
Seeing no other choice, Adiana tries to jump him, hoping to take him by surprise.


surprise?
[roll0] sap 1
[roll1] + [roll2] SA

[roll3] sap 2
[roll4] + [roll5] SA

[roll6] init

[roll7] sap 1
[roll8] + [roll9] SA

[roll10] sap 2
[roll11] + [roll12] SA

[Tyrann]

The guard opens the door, but can't see anything so moves to grab a torch. When he turns his back, Adiana jumps him.

Her first blow doesn't quite connect, but the second two knock the unsuspecting guard out and he too drops to the floor.

[Archmage1]

Sensing her oppertunity, Adiana carefully drags this one near the other one, giving him another good whack to make sure he doesn't wake up soon, as she does so, she thinks.
Ok... this might be good... so long as they don't have more guards coming... If I can hide them, I can block the doorway into the barracks, which will keep reinforcements away. Hopefully, the others can make it through the kitchen without too much trouble. The thief can see what he can do with the locks in the office. I hope they can avoid the cooks, though. Screams would make things... awkward.

She swiftly searches the guards(search 20, taking 10), before peeking past the door once more, hoping the guard closed the door before he started looking for Johnny. If he did, she will try to jam the door into the barracks.

[Tyrann]

The guard had indeed closed the door.

When searching the guard Adiana finds the following:

Two longswords
Two chain shirts, along with the rest of their guard uniforms (no helmets)
Two waterflasks, both nearly empty
One holy symbol of saint Cuthbert
One keychain with 3 keys on it

One of the three keys fits the lock on the door to the barracks. She manages to jam the door by breaking the key off.

[Archmage1]

Figuring that she would have some time to wait before her allies came up the stairs, Adiana starts stripping one of the guards of his chain shirt, planning on putting it on to give her a bit of defense in the event of a more serious fight.
It also gave her racing heart a chance to calm down a bit.

[GranAures]

Dalenbar grimaces at the turn of events. Even though the guards had left, with all the cooks gathered around watching the stairs it would be fairly difficult to get up them behind their scouting companion.

With little option beyond the elevators to who knows where, the gnome sneaks as close as he can to the stairs, stopping at either the edge of the eastern table or the nearby stove if he feels he can get to it without alerting the mass of women waiting a bit for the others to get in closer as well.

Moving to M5 or M2 if it seems the staff is thoroughly distracted.
Taking 10 gives a 20 each to hide and move silently.

[Tyrann]

Dalenbar manages to move about the kitchen without being spotted, since all of the cooks are busy looking at the stairs.

"What do you think went up there?"

"I don't know but this place is haunted.."

A third starts mumbling a prayer.

"Don't be stupid child. There are no ghosts in my kitchen. Probably just one of those good for nothing guards that got drunks!"

[Amoren]

With the woman distracted looking towards their hopeful exit, Marcus follows Dalenbar's example and sneaks his way forward. However, he'd also keep his eye open on the tables he passed, looking for something small and easily thrown, but with enough weight and hopefully made of metal so that it could make a good, solid noise if it hit something. It would be a useful distraction if need be to get the girls away from the stairs... hopefully.

[kladams707]

Ali'bael, seeing Dalenbar go east, decided to go west. He headed north, passing by the food elevators. He considered using them, but ultimately ignored them not knowing where they would lead. He ended just short of the last stove on the left.


Assuming he has time, C5, otherwise as far as he can get

[Tyrann]

Both Markus and Ali'Bael move forward with little trouble. Markus sees a skillet, a saucepan, a grater, a couple of knives and a few soup ladles as he sneaks past the tables.

[Amoren]

The skillet and saucepan would likely be far to awkward and heavy to throw relatively far, although they could be easily heard. However, the grater might be a good compromise between weight and the amount of noise it could make, so as he slipped forward to hide behind Dalenbar, he made a motion to his other companions to get close and prepare before he threw it, motioning that he was going to throw it towards the west side of the room to try and distract them from the stair way up.

[Breitheamh]

Aereck attempts to sneak to the corner near Ali, gesturing for Jarel to follow as he passes him. He prepares himself to create several more noises to lead the chefs away I'd necessary and then make a run for it.

Moving to b, 25, then c, 6.
Move Silently [roll0]
Hide [roll1]

[Tyrann]

Not wanting knock anything over again, Aereck moves with extra care and the effort pays off. He manages to get to where Ali'Bael, sneaking as well as any of the rogues. Jarel tries to follow his example, and is not quite as sneaky. The occasional cook glances over her shoulder, looking at the table he's behind, but due to him being in cover and them being distracted, he just barely manages to get behind Aereck without being spotted.


The women are scared more than anything. They look only to make sure they can run. You see some of them grabbing each other's hands when they hear Jarel move.

[GranAures]

Stopping Marcus as the human prepares to throw the grater, Dalenbar lightly taps his head before motioning to his ear and the stair well.

"We've subdued him Sophia," the voice of the guard that had spoken comes from the passage to the stairwell, softened from the distance of being a floor up. "However for the safety of you and your staff from his blasphemous magics, please move to the pantry through the two center rows and shut yourselves in. We'll give you a bit to get in place before we bring the heretic down."

Using Racial SLA for Ghost Sound targeted at the stairwell(25ft). DC 13 Will.

[Tyrann]

Sophia yells back: "Oh a shadowcaster?! In my kitchen? Oh Cuthbert.. Yes, please! Put him in the jail and let me never see him here again. May Cuthbert burn him a little extra!" She spits on the floor to make a bit more of a statement.

The women are all rushing into the pantry, Sophia goes in last and locks the door behind her.

[kladams707]

Ali'Bael, losing patience, nearly drew a bow once again. Then a voice emanated from the stairs, ordering the staff into the pantry. Makes my life easier, he thought to himself as the cooks lock themselves in. Figuring the voice was actually one of the others in his company, he advanced up the stairs with little hesitation.

[GranAures]

"And by Cuthbert," Dalenbar whispers playfully as he makes his way to, and up, the stairs after the cooks set themselves into the pantry, "may the corpulent cook remain ever unaware as to how true that statement was."

[Archmage1]

Adiana, finished acquiring her new chain shirt, opens the door just as she hears the voice of the guard coming from just down the stairs.
Quick thinking on someone's part. Should clear the cooks away, letting them get up the stairs, with none the wiser. It would be good, I think, to avoid bloodshed on the way out.
Knowing that she had little time, Adiana carefully opens the remaining door, just slightly, trying to get an idea on what is on the other side without giving herself away.
[roll0] hide
[roll1] move silently
[roll2] spot
[roll3] listen

[Breitheamh]

Hearing the voice clear the kitchen before he has the chance to create his own distraction, Aereck smirks and follows Ali up the stairs.
The world is full of surprises isn't it, he thinks.

[Amoren]

Marcus waited for the woman to pass, shifting out of the way if need be once they made their way past the tables and into the pantry. He contemplated for a moment on locking them in the pantry, sealing them in until well and truly after their, and hopefully the mage's, escape... But, doing so might reveal that something was wrong to the kitchen staff in quite a few minutes, and he didn't know how far their voices could carry through the pantry and kitchen walls. It would be less of a risk to just leave them be and allow them to filter out at their own initiative - especially since they shouldn't offer much a threat if their compatriot manages to get out.

Instead, he stands, and silently makes his way up the stairs to rejoin the rest of the party, casting his gaze to and fro to see what the busy elf had been up to.

[Tyrann]

The others come up and see Adiana carefully looking through the door at the end of the hallway.

Adiana peeks through the door and sees a room unlike anything she has seen in here so far. From the marble floor to the painted ceiling at least 30 feet up, to the the gigantic curling stairs with golden railing and lined with red carpet: everything in here looks incredibly expensive.

There are statues of men all along the walls and several portrait paintings higher up and behind the stairs.

The stairs end in a curling balcony at the top, which presumably leads to the to the next floor.

She can't see any guards right now, but she spots a few very wealthy looking teenage human boys walking up the stairs. They seem drunk.

She also feels a bit of a draft. Smells like fresh air.


https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AtssMQjsPmyIdDlkYWdweXVKalNVV182ZzVRZE43Q Wc#gid=0

I know you are probably going further into the hallway soon so I drew in a few thing you haven't seen yet just to keep things moving.
I know one of those things is pretty big, but you would've seen it soon enough anyway :smallwink:

[Archmage1]

Hearing the others coming up, Adiana closes the door, and walks back over to them. She is now wearing a chain shirt over her prison clothing, with her weapons belt outside it.
First, she motions to the closed door, before speaking softly.
"A guard barracks. I've jammed the door, so if we do get caught, it will slow down their response."
Next, she looks to Marcus
"There is a locked safe, and a few locked doors in that office. Might you be able to get into them?"
She points to the office.
"The safe is behind the hanging. Don't mind the guards, they are resting rather soundly."
Once more, she addresses the group.
"The shift change is in around an hour, so we have that long to get out of here. The way ahead seems clear, mostly, but there are a few drunk nobles wandering around, as a important noble is visiting. I suspect that there will almost certainly be guards ahead, and there are cannons above, so we can't risk a commotion getting out. I have an idea about that, though. I, and one other, should be able to impersonate the guards, and get them to go to the kitchen. A suitably lascivious story will no doubt get them moving."
She heads back into the office, and starts stripping the guard who's shirt she stole, planning on changing into the uniform, and impersonating him, using her rather salty prison clothes to fill out the uniform a bit, as well as using them to bind her breasts, to appear as a man(Albeit a rather feminine one) She also checks to see if the water in the skin is water, before using it to clean off her face.


Hoping to get a large bonus for having the right uniform and everything. Because otherwise...
[roll0](Taking 20 for a 19) disguise(-2 for different gender, -2 for different race, hopefully, balanced by something.)
And yes, the rather thin elf with cha 17 is changing in the office, with(presumably), Marcus. She sees nothing wrong with doing so.

[kladams707]

"Let's just hurry it up," Ali'Bael replied sharply. He took little notice in Adiana's immodesty, more concerned with the time it would take to put this plan of hers into action. "I'll let one of the others play dress p with you.

[Amoren]

"I'll see what I can do about that lock," he spoke in response, then quickly nodding towards the rest of their companions, "Keep an eye out for any guards making their way here would you?"

Taking 20 for Open Lock, for a total of 27... Which I doubt is going to be enough. x3

[Tyrann]

Markus goes to work on the safe. This takes him about a minute.


It takes Markus a good while, but he finally hears a satisfying click and the lock opens. Inside the safe you see two bags, a letter, and a folded piece of paper.

Before you're done though, you get a surge of pain, it feels like hot pokers being stabbed into your forehead, thigh and your left arm. The room sinks away as you hear:

".. hurry.. I don't think we have much longer .."

And then you snap back into the room.

One bag contains 102 gold pieces and has a list of 102 names under it. The names include Werner and Johnny.

The other bag contains 10000 gold pieces and has a letter attached.


Dear Timeth,

My headaches know no end I fear: it seems our agent to the south was capable of still more incompetence than that already displayed thus far. I do however take solace in that our friends In the orient have indeed successfully located a shard by the Xianghao river, near the shadow valley. Landfall informs me excavations are to commence shortly.

The mission in the feywilds too has been successful, and the pointy eared freaks remain none the wiser. If a few of them die to starvation all the better. I had planned a rendezvous with our agent, but he informs me he sees chance to take the second shard now that the courts are in motion, so Cuthbert willing that will be the end of that front before winter.

Progress in the Orcish mission remains slow as ever. For all their savagery, the brutes are proving almost paranoid in matters of leadership. Though I fear this is in no small part due to the incompetence of that half-mongrel. Never send a beast to do a man’s work I say.

The master informs me that when you are done overseeing preparations for the pyre and entertaining lord Darian, you are to assist in the operation at Viam. I am aware of your aversion to the little people but I fear time demands you take the quick route.

I am glad to leave this in your capable hands. The master requests I inform you that he is undertaking a mission personally, so further communications might be somewhat delayed.

Regards,

Valasca



Whoever decides to get changed along with Adiana can just assume they have successfully done so. Remember you can take 20 on disguise self if you want to.

[Archmage1]

Once she and her as yet unknown support finish changing, Adiana heads out into the corridor.
"Ok, everyone who is not in uniform, get into the office, and close the door. Keep an eye out. Once the guards move past, come out, and head to the entrance. We probably won't have too much time."

With that, she confidently opens the door(careful to obstruct the vision of anyone looking in), trusting her support to come in behind her, before she starts walking down the corridor, turning left once she sees the guards at the entrance.

Straightening once she sees them, she walks over to them, doing her best to emulate the voice of a young boy.
"Hey, they threw me out of the kitchen, because the cooks were doing something with the other guards that my dad didn't want me to see. The cooks did say that they were desperate as I was leaving, though."
She pauses thoughtfully, hoping that the thought implanted itself in the guards mind correctly, before continuing.
"Anyway, is there something I can do? I haven't been here for long though. Maybe I could watch the gate while you go and help the other guards with the cooks? Johnny said that they might need help."

[roll0], attempting to imply that the cooks are rather... desperately horny.

[theterran]

Not seeing anyone else going to help Adiana, Jarel strips off his Studded Leather, stuffing it into his pack, and dons the Chain Shirt and guard clothing. Then lays his crossbow down and straps the longsword to his side.

"If this works, assuming we can't come back, would someone grab my stuff on the way out?"

Without waiting he follows after Adiana, who already has a head start.

Pausing out of site, Jarel hears her story, and stifles a laugh. Thinking quickly, Jarel decides to jog after Adiana.

Rounding the corner Jarel starts in.

"There you are! Your dad sent me after you, to make sure you were doing as your were told and not snooping around the kitchen." Jarel says with a sigh, acting as if he would much rather be in the kitchen than 'babysitting'.

"He also instructed me to clarify any...umm...noises...you may have heard, and to find you something else to do until the cooks are...um...well...satisfied..." he says, acting uncomfortable with the conversation as a whole, while laughing hysterically on the inside.

What an inventive elf Jarel thinks.

[Tyrann]

Adiana sees four guards. One of them has a different uniform and judging from the the way the others treat him clearly has a higher rank.
As Adiana finishes he says:

"They made you leave your post? And desperate cooks? Explain yourself boy.."

One of the other guard nudges him and pulls up his eyebrows twice. And then Jarel joins in. When Jarel finshes the Sergeant turns scarlet.

"What?! They are doing WHAT?! Those HARLOTS! I shall have them flogged!"

He storms down to the kitchens, fuming. As he leaves he barks at Adiana and Jarel to watch the gate. The rest of the party hears one pair of heavy footsteps storming past the door followed by three jogging guards trying to keep up.

They hear shouting from below in the kitchen:

"In Cuthbert's name! You will open this door this very instant! How dare you defile fair Cuthbert in the kitchen my men eat in. That His priests eat in?! Open this door right now!"

Followed by loud banging on wood.

[Archmage1]

Hope the others get here soon. We don't have long now...

Adiana takes a look through the door while awaiting the others.

[theterran]

I hope they're not too rough on those cooks... Jarel thinks as he begins examining the gate.


If it's closed, it begins looking for a way to open it, if it's already open, he looks for a way to close and 'jam' it

[Breitheamh]

After letting the guards pass, Aereck pokes his head out the office door and looks around. Seeing no one outside save his two companions, he grabs Jarel's equipment and heads out, motioning for the others to follow.

[Amoren]

Marcus had just opened the safe, thankful for the hardier metal tools of torture he had found to open the lock instead of the material he had been using earlier, while the other two prepared to make their bluff. He missed their conversation, and the sound of the guards charging past as almost collapsed in pain, hand steadying himself against the wall as he visibly attempted to shake off the pain and, for some reason, seemed to nod. He didn't waste time in reading the letter, but quickly grabbed everything in the safe to be dispensed with later and came to the doorway where everyone else hiding was likely waiting. "What's the situation now?" he whispered, hoping that someone was perhaps peeking or at least listening through the door to find out what was going on.

[GranAures]

"Sounds like whatever they told them was believable," Dalenbar responds scurrying after Aereck into the main hall, but not before giving their disrobed room mates a sound kick to make sure they stay asleep.

In the main hall, the gnome moves quickly to where Adiana and Jarel. "Well he was mighty unpleased," he chuckles softly, peering about the chamber before his eyes rest on the nearby doors.

"Hmm, what do you figure both of these connect into barracks like the one across from that office?" Dalenbar whispers in inquiry, moving over to examine the door and statues along the side they had entered from before moving to the other side and examining them. "If they do, it might be best to see if we can't block them if we have the time," he passes to glance back the way they came, "to make things easier on our friend and all."

Performing a Non-Lethal Coup de Grace on each of the unconscious guards to make sure they stay out a but longer [roll0] [roll1]
Checks for the doors and statues "North" first then "South":
Spot(+6)/Search(+2): [roll2] [roll3](to check door hinging and opening direction)
Listen [roll4] [roll5](checking for voices on the other sides of the two doors.
Spot(+6)/Search(+2): [roll6] [roll7](to gauge the stue's weight and see if they would be moveable with a group effort.

[Amoren]

The human follows the gnome out to join the two disguised companions, with a grim, but serious, look upon his face. "We might need to take out the guards in the kitchen. If we leave them, it might make things difficult for our... friend... to follow us out. Not to mention they'll soon have the kitchen staff listening to their calls and informing them of everything that happened. If we dispatch them while we have the drop on them, we might get a few more minutes before this entire place is on high alert."

Taking ten on move silently, hide, spot, and listen.
23 Hide. 19 Move Silently. 18 Spot. 14 Listen.

[kladams707]

Ali'Bael remained silent at the suggestion of taking out the guards. That option was always in the back of his mind, but he neither assented nor dissented to the suggestion. Rather, he stayed quiet, pondering the possible results of the action.

[Archmage1]

Seeing everyone there, Adiana gestures urgently at the door, and speaks softly, but urgently, shaking her head at Marcus's suggestion..
"We don't really have time. If anyone sees the door unguarded, they will be suspicious, and I imagine that the head cook, Sofia, will keep the guards occupied for a moment. So long as he is quiet in leaving, he should be fine. Besides, we couldn't take them out without blood, but, so far, no one has died in our escape, and I would like to keep it that way."
She pauses, considering her and Jarel's uniform.
"Heading out, I will take the lead, and Jarel can take the back. Everyone else, look sullen, and Jarel, shove whomever is ahead of you occasionally. We want to look like a prisoner transfer to whomever is watching. Come on!"
And with that, she opens the door, planning to lead the way out of this place.

[Breitheamh]

Aereck contemplates Adiana's plan for moment before responding with a smile, "I am not very knowledgeable about the customs of our hosts, but I would not imagine that prisoners tend to be transferred while carrying their possessions, including weapons. However, as I cannot think of anything better at the moment, I would only suggest we all prepare ourselves to run for it."

[Archmage1]

"Hold them in front of you, so that watchers from the walls can't see, and hope for some luck."

[Amoren]

"Perhaps, but I think we might have more time if we disable them and hide them like the previous. As it stands, we may have only seconds before Sophia responds to a guard's voice, that she might know, and they discover the duplicity that's been had." He gave a small shake of his head, before a sigh. He had made his point as best he could, and with no way for him to take out the four guards by himself, there was little he could do if he couldn't sway his companions to his point of view, and thus he went along with their plan, keeping the hood of his cloak pulled tight over his head, while he gestured as if his hands were bound.

[Archmage1]

As everyone prepares to go, Adiana speaks softly, but urgently.
"And what of the cooks? We can't just take them out as well, as there are too many, and I think that the sergeant and Sofia will be angry enough to shout at each other for a few minutes. We must go, and go now. If we were going to ambush them, we should have done so outside the office. But we didn't know how many. We must go now, or risk failure. Come on!"
And with that, she leads the way out.

[kladams707]

Ali'Bael gave Adiana a quick "Don't tell me what to do" look. However, he knew she was right. As soon as she started, he paused for only a moment before begrudgingly following her out.

[Tyrann]

As you all walk out the front gate of the keep, the smell of salt water with a mild hint of sewage muck hits you. You look around and you realize the keep is built on a small peninsula. To your back, behind the keep, are the high walls of the noble's district. To your left hand is the bay, and now that you are outside the keep you see that this is what the cannons were aimed at. If you look at the front of the keep, all you see is a facade. And a rather expensive looking one at that. The rest of the peninsula is boxed in by canals that are roughly 40 feet across.

Ahead of you lies a paved stone road, about 10 feet wide, lit on both sides by hanging lanterns placed on both sides of the road at 30 feet intervals.

The road leads to a drawbridge, about 150 feet ahead of you.

The bridge draws up to the side you're on now. The mechanism looks fairly simple, but efficient. The construction seems to mostly have a military purpose, but has nonetheless clearly been through the hands of an artist and has two statues of rearing horses on both sides of it.

Beyond that bridge is the "island" (the whole city is separated into small islands by canals) that holds several more keeps that overlook the bay.

There is only one other bridge that leads off that island, and that one would take you to the island where the courthouse and the barracks for most of the outer wall guardsmen are.

You know the thieves guild sometimes uses the sewers to lay low. The accessibility changes a lot with the tides. It's still low tide at the moment, but the water is rising. You don't see any manhole covers around though.

The Crimson Rose is a ship whose captain has some ties to the thieves guild. If it is in Caria, it would be on the far end of the bay.

There is a hidden passage into the nobles district behind the keep, and you know roughly where it is and how it would open. You know the nobles district would be the last place they would look for you, at least until they bring out the hounds, and you would know another way out that can circumvent the barracks/courthouse island.

[Archmage1]

As she walks into the fresh air, and sunlight, Adiana breathes a sigh of relief, clearly glad to be out of that horrible place. As she looks around, hoping to see something she recognizes, she swiftly comes to a realization.
I don't know this place... but it looks well organized, and I know it has a lot of soldiers, so I need to get out of sight... but these others... they have been helpful so far. Maybe they would be willing to help me? Regardless, I can't just leave them here, waiting to get caught. Which means we need to escape. We need to get down this bridge, and see about stealing clothing, and bathing first. A bath would be lovely... this salt... it hurts when I move, and it is going to give us away. But first, down the bridge. Before the alarm gets sounded, so we should have the time.

Pausing momentarily as she heads out, Adiana soon continues on.
"We need to get across that bridge before the alarms get triggered. If we can do that, they will need to search for us, giving us a chance to escape the island, or to lay low long enough for them to give up. Let's go!"
And with that, she starts moving faster, at a fairly hard jog, as she looks around, alertly, trying to find any witnesses to their escape, or anything that seems like it would be helpful.
60 feet per round. [roll0] spot

[Tyrann]

Adiana sees no guards on this side of the water. On the next island she sees three keeps along the bay, each of which has 4 guards at the entrance.

There is a fountain on the other island that has a few musicians near it, and about 10 guards and 20 people out of uniform (possibly commoners) listening.

The fountain is in the middle of a square that covers almost the entire island. The slightly more paved road on the second island is kind of like a trident that forks at the fountain towards the three keeps, and leads to the bridge off the island at the bottom. The bridge you're at leads into the road connecting the three "trident points", going straight to the fountain.

There are quite a few people on the roads as well, mostly guards but also some people not in uniform. Maybe cooks, servants, or other commoners. Maybe guards not in uniform. It's hard to tell from here.

Only the keeps, the roads, and the fountain are well lit, thought some of the guards have lanterns and seem to be patroling, going off the roads from time to time as well.

[Archmage1]

Seeing this, Adiana prays for success, which is looking more and more doubtful as time passes.
We need to get off of this island before the alarm is raised... Too much military. Hopefully, I can convince anyone that stops us to let us through.

Continuing to hurry along, the others hopefully following her, Adiana skirts the edges, choosing a route that keeps the party out of the light as much as possible, as well as away from the roving guards, as she heads for the bridge off of the second island, knowing that they didn't have time, and there was no serious chance for stealth yet. Confidence was their best protection.

[kladams707]

Ali'Bael followed behind Adiana. Not only did he want to escape, he felt this urge to keep on eye on her. As they skirted the edges, he began to wonder when she had left the Feywild. However, this was neither the time nor the place to discuss this. Instead, he put his efforts into completing the escape, concentrating on the path before them.

[Amoren]

Marcus followed, however before they had left the keep he stumbled and braced himself against a nearby wall, a look of extreme pain flooding into his body as he tried to reach back through the link he was given and to the mage still inside of the keep. 'Path out of the keep should be clear. Only guards left from dungeon to front exit are busy in the kitchen hopefully still pounding on the door, should be able to slip or run past them before they know what's going on. Outside of keep now, no guards on walls or cannons, draw bridge down. Easy escape through canals, water deep enough to swim underneath, or can make a run for the city proper.' He tried to focus on the images and layout of the keep as they made their escape, hoping that might transfer back as well, but with no way of knowing he retreated back from the link after he had finished speaking, taking a brief moment to steady himself before rolling back onto his feet and following along with the plan. Worse comes to worse, diving into the canal might serve them as well as the mage if things went wrong.

[theterran]

"Did anyone happen to grab my pack and my crossbow?" Jarel asks the group as they move.

[Tyrann]

As you finish sending the message the pain noticably decreases. It takes a few seconds for the response to come, but when it does it's nearly painfree and overwhelmingly clear: ".. Start moving! Now! .."

About two seconds after Markus leaves the keep you all hear a bang so loud it literally shakes the ground under your feet coming from within the keep.

Far across the bridge the music stops playing, and some people get up to get a better view of the keep behind you.

None of you sees any smoke, light or fire coming from the cannons. The explosion seemed to be underground.

[Archmage1]

Without hesitation, Adiana, hoping to take advantage of the explodinating keep behind her, starts to run, hoping that the others follow suit.
It might not work, but it definitely beats getting blown up.

[Breitheamh]

Aereck feels the rumble and sees Adiana running, puts together what is going on, and begins to sprint behind her, laughing as he goes.
"What an adventure!" he says, tossing Jarel his pack.

[kladams707]

Ali'Bael felt the quaking ground and paused for a moment to maintain his balance. He began sprinting with the others, trying to get away from the cause of the rumbling.

[GranAures]

"Try not to run to fast," Dalenbar calls as the others start sprinting, trying rather poorly to keep pace, short legs aren't great for speed."

Honestly, the gnome would have been more rattled at the minor quake if it weren't for the odd change that had taken place with his vision. Where he had once been rather poor at evening events due to his poor vision, the shadows that had since obscurred his sight seemed to open to allow him a better, if limited, view of the world.

"So that's what he meant," Dalenbar muses aloud at the spectacle as he runs.

[Tyrann]

The party is halfway across the island with the fountain when three more explosions come in rapid succession. *Boom* *Boom* *Boom* Even though you're on a different island the ground sakes under your feet again.

You're getting close to the next bridge now. Past it you can see the long island that holds the barracks, and to the far right end of it you see the courthouse you all stood trial in, its white dome-shaped roof towering over the other buildings.

Across the bridge you also see several confused guards coming out of the barracks, more than a few of them only wearing undergarments and some of them holding torches. There's a lot of them, far too many to go past unnoticed.

You know the next island has four bridges:
One of them is the one you're standing at.
The bridge on the right side of the island leads to the nobles district. The nobles district has a wall around it.
The bridge to the left leads to the market and the nobles harbor.
And straight ahead leads into the city itself.
If you want to stay on the road you have to go past this island.
The bridges are all drawbridges.

And then comes another explosion,this one still louder than any of the others.


Failure: you fall to your knees.

Several guards on the next island fall down.

[Archmage1]

Staggering a bit, Adiana comes to a stop when she sees the guards, considering.
"We can either try to bluff through the guards, or try swimming for it... But that would be rather obvious."
After a moment, she nods.
"Right, we are a prisoner transfer. With luck, they will let us pass. If not... well... at least they seem to be unarmed."

She looks like she was planning on just walking past the guards.

[Breitheamh]

After steadying himself from the shaking of the ground, Aereck wracks his brain trying to remember something about the city layout from his brief time before being arrested.

"Market, housing, or try for the nobles district?" he asks of his companions as they move.

[Archmage1]

"Getting through the wall would be a bit risky, so we don't really want to go to the noble's district. The market should be a good place to change clothing, and lose the pursuit that will probably be coming after us soon."

[Amoren]

"We might look a bit out of place in the Nobles Market, however. Going straight into the city might be a better idea, it gives access to the city proper were there's more places to hide, and we can check out one of the bazaar's to get more clothes," Marcus responded as he followed the group, looking back idly and wandering what was going on inside the keep, before shifting his eyes forward as they attempted to make their way forward.

[Archmage1]

"From what the guards said, I thought it was a general market, not a market for the nobles. Are you sure? Either way, we need to get past the guards first, and there will be more people in the market, which will help as a distraction, provided we can find a change of clothing."

[theterran]

"Hopefully it's a general market, we'd stick out like a sore thumb in a noble's market, and nobles are a fussy lot...they don't like to be bothered by anything outside of amassing money and power..."

Including normal folk, run them right over...so many bodies... Jarel turns crimson while thinking about all those bodies he'd buried.

"What's the quickest way into the city proper?" he asks, his voice shaky.

[Archmage1]

"Straight ahead, past the courthouse, I think. Weren't you conscious when they took you to the courthouse? The market is the shorter distance, and we do need to get some clothing before we get stopped for being prisoners. Now, act like a guard. We are just a prisoner transfer, nothing for these guards to be concerned about."

Through all this, she has kept marching towards the confused guards.

[kladams707]

Ali remained dead silent as the two others argued over the what kind of market they might be headed to His eyes narrowed, revealing his annoyance. When a plan of action was finally decided, it quelled him enough to not snap at the others as they continued on.

[Breitheamh]

"I believe that..." Aereck falls silent as they pass by some guards, "the city proper is proba...." again more guards pass, "probably our best option. At least for now. Let the guards head to the keep while we hide, then get to a market while they are all distracted."

[GranAures]

"The sooner we're out of immediate danger the better," Dalenbar mutters just loud enough for the others to hear, trying his best to play the part of a captive as they make their way. "We may need to "procure" a bit more than some fresh clothes for some of us though, I stored away only so much on the case I needed to get out of town."

[Archmage1]

Keeping a stern face as she leads the group through the commotion, Adiana makes a brief comment back, as she hears the group talk.
"Getting clothing and supplies now lets us lay low for a time, if needed. Without that, we would need to expose ourselves once the search truly gets started. If we can do it, leaving before the alert is sounded would be ideal, and the market is closer to the docks. We should be able to pick up whatever supplies we need in the market, after we... acquire some coin. Which might be interesting."

[GranAures]

"Coin," Dalenbar responds again, "or if we can find some loose vellum and ink with pen, I could attempt to fashion a form of requisition and maybe a writ of passage to get us out through the docks as well. Of course, if someone would rather go the procurement of coind route, I could help in that endeavor as I did in the kitchen."

[Archmage1]

"We would need coin to purchase materials, so we need it regardless. Depending on how alert they are, forged documents might get us into a bit of trouble."

[Breitheamh]

"I have at least most of the supplies I need to hit the road, though I could do with some more food," Aereck responds to Adiana's idea. "We may need to split up to accomplish anything. I could go to the docks to see about ships leaving soon, if anyone needs to spend time procuring supplies."

[Archmage1]

Adiana pauses, looking back at the ragged Aereck, and shakes her head.
"You are rather... unique. We need clothing, and information before we can really do anything long term. Not to mention, deciding what we actually want to do, after we leave."

[Amoren]

"There was some coin in the safe I opened, as well as a letter," Marcus spoke silently when they weren't nearby some of the guards, "Not sure how much exactly, but should be enough to get us all some clothing and supplies once we're away from the guards. We can discuss it more when we're clear."

After he spoke, the man braced himself for the potential pain again and tried to speak towards the mage once more; 'Plenty of guards heading towards the keep from the front with the explosions. Be careful.'

[Archmage1]

"Agreed. Now, to find out how much convincing these fellows are going to need. If they won't be convinced, I think a swim might be fun."

[kladams707]

I hope you mean for them Ali replied sourly in reaction to a possible swim.

[Archmage1]

Adiana looks vaguely offended as Ali expresses his... disbelief in her tactical ability.
"If you want to fight over 50 guards, feel free. Me? I don't want to go back there."
She seems quite determined about not going back there.

[Breitheamh]

"We have money? That changes things." Aereck thinks aloud, a smile rising to his face again. "Let's find somewhere to change clothes. I can buy clothes for anyone who is lacking. There's no need to jump in the... 'water'."

[GranAures]

"Now need yet," Dalenbar whispers, putting inflection on the "yet" to draw attention back to the approaching guards, "let's all us 'prisoners' just try to look pathetic. We should be able to get them to believe you two are new and don't quite know the way to the pyres yet."

[theterran]

Jarel puts on his best 'guard' face...

This is never going to work he thinks to himself...

[Archmage1]

"We can hope."

[Tyrann]

The party moves onto the island with the barracks, conversing when the situation allows.


You brace yourself for pain, but none comes. Instead you hear ".. I'm almost out. Psion breaking down building behind me. Keep moving! .."

You get a few confused looks at first, but there is so much going on you manage to get a good 80 feet onto the island before a sergeant yells:

"You there! Guardsmen! What's going on here? Where are you taking these men?"

As he yells this the guards around you, some still unarmed and out of uniform but outnumbering you almost 10 to 1, start to form a circle around you.

[Archmage1]

When the sergeant yells, Adiana comes to an abrupt salute, before she stands at attention.
"Sir! We were informed that an escape attempt might be made, and were instructed to move the prisoners, Sir!"

[roll0] bluff


[roll1] know: local, see if she knows a place that would be believable for the prisoners to be sent.

[Tyrann]

"Prisoners escaping?" the sergeant says, giving away a hint of surprise, before adding in a voice that almost sounds alarmed "Is that what those explosions are?" As he's waiting for an answer he looks over the party, pulls up an eyebrow and says in a stern voice "And do you mind telling me why these prisoners are carrying weapons, private?"

[Archmage1]

Trying to emulate an eager, new recruit, Adiana does her best to answer his questions.
"Sir, I don't know the source of the explosions, Sir! They were setting a trap, though, Sir. My orders were to get them to Fort Freewater, Sir! The Prisoners are carrying weapons so that if they make an escape attempt, we can legally kill them, Sir!

[roll0] bluff

[Breitheamh]

As the sergeant grills Adiana, Aereck grips his possessions tighter, preparing to run if necessary, but keeps his head down and plays the part of the prisoner.

[Tyrann]

He takes a deep sigh and shakes his head, puts a hand on Adiana's shoulder and whispers in a very patronizingly tone "You just keep them unarmed and shackled, child. If they try anything you take off the shackles and put the weapon on them after you poke them full of holes. The scum doesn't deserve any better" he sneers as he looks at Aereck.

"Guards, disarm and shackle these men. What is your name private and where are you going?"

As he speaks the guards are advancing on the party members not in guard uniforms.

[Archmage1]

Adiana looks horrified by the suggestion.
"I was raised to be honest, sir! How could I lie on a report? We were to go to Fort Freewater, Sir! Are you going to escort us, Sir?"

[roll0] bluff
She signals to the others to not resist, for now...

[Tyrann]

"You, son, have a lot to learn. But we'll get you sorted yet. I missed your name there. And Freewater eh? Darian order this? I'll send a few soldiers with." He looks over Adiana's shoulder to the barracks behind her and shouts "Where are those shackles?! And someone tell me what those DAMNED explosions were already!"

Meanwhile the guards are attempting quite forcibly to relieve Aereck, Ali'Bael. Dalenbar and Markus of their weapons along with anything else you might have on you except for your clothing. They're not being shy about their frisking.

[GranAures]

Lifting his head just enough to assess their situation, Dalenbar quickly quells any thoughts of playing scapegoat with the sergeant. Surrendering up what he has without to much fuss, he makes an attempt to look rather relieved to be rid of the weight.

[Archmage1]

"I'm Timmy, Sir! Timmy the Thin, on account of being so thin. I got my orders from Adjudant Carmine, Sir. Thank you for the escort, Sir, it is a long walk."

[roll0]

[Breitheamh]

Aereck does his best to put on the face of the confused and scared prisoner as the guards take away all of his possessions yet again.

[kladams707]

Ali'Bael held onto his possessions for only a moment before relenting. It seemed he was the only one willing to fight, but the numbers he could tell did not favor them even when fighting together. A look of defiance remained, buthe was smart enough not to act on those feelings. However, his suspicions of Adiana grew with the lies she told, wondering if perhaps she wanted him to stay a prisoner.

[Amoren]

Marcus' first instinct would have been to bolt for the water line as soon as they were called out; after all he was reasonably sure he could make it before the guards knew what had happened. Still, for some reason or another, he stayed with the party to not blow their cover, although he seem visibly worried with the new information he had received.

He remained silent, watching as Adiana conversed with the captain, and then watched as guards approached to confiscate their weapons. The loss of the shortswords was a hefty blow, but as he watched the others being accosted for anything hidden, Marcus realized that they'd more than likely discover the loot from the safe he had absconded with - which would more than likely end horribly, especially if the letters that were with them contained a seal of the keep or church.

Still, at least he had the cloak he had acquired, and hopefully with that he could manage to keep the guards from noticing those items...

Taking 10 on Sleight of Hand to keep the money purse and the letters he's acquired throughout the misadventure from their notice. Their search check wasn't high enough to notice the hidden blade, and he'll not put up a fight or resistance as they take the shortswords.

Over all, that's 22 for taking 10, then another +2 for having a cloak on to help, for a total of 24.

[theterran]

Jarel simply lets Adiana do the talking, not trusting his own tongue, which seems, at least in his mind, to have grown to mammoth proportions.

[Tyrann]

Dalenbar, Ali'Bael, Aereck and Markus
You are all relieved of your weapons and forced to your knees onto the pavement, your shins pressing into the cold uneven stones.
Any resistance on your part is met with a hard elbow to the ribs or the back of the head.
Markus does quite nimbly, and much to quick for most of the others to spot, manage to keep the gold, the letters and his bracer hidden.

From one of the houses to the party's left you hear a guard coming out carrying shackles. But before he gets close enough to get a good look the rinkling of the chains is loudly overpowered by the loudest explosion yet.

Several guards around you fall down, and a lot of them look up to the sky above the keep you all escaped from.


You see a huge cloud of grey-brown dust flowing slowly up from the keep's entrance.


You see a man floating or flying up over the cloud. He doesn't appear to have been launched but seems to be full control of where he's going.


The flying man is the Psion that removed the catatonic man from the cell.


He is looking directly at you.
No more than 5 seconds after this explosion you hear four deep short blasts of a signal horn coming from the keep. All the guards, including the sergeant, look at the "prisoners" and unsheathe their swords.

[Archmage1]

Staggering a bit in the explosion, Adiana manages to see the Psion flying out of the ruins of the Keep, and realizes that they are probably in quite a lot of trouble.
Still, there might be a way out.
She screams, and points to the flying man.
"It's a witch! It just blew up the fort! Muct be trying to rescue it's companions!"
She points to the guards who are holding the parties weaponry.
"You lot! With me! We need to get the prisoners out of here before he can free them! They must know something vital! The rest of you, grab bows, take him out before he casts another spell!"


Taking 10 on spot, for a 17.
Curiosity roll: [roll0]
Bluff: [roll1]
Raw CHA? [roll2]

[Tyrann]

One of the archers with a bow squints his eyes and says "Sir, that's the psion."

The sergeant replies to Adiana "I don't like it any more than you do child, but that freak is with us. And I'll be damned if I shoot an arrow at him. But you heard the horns, that signal means kill on sight! Guards!"
Several swords are being raised.

[Archmage1]

Adiana replies once more, quite angry now.
"That bastard just blew up the fort! The gods alone know how many of us he just killed! And you say that thing is with us? Do you STILL think that!"
After a moment, she calms down.
"Besides, my orders were painfully clear. I either escort them, or I join them. I'm no witch!"
She turns her head and spits.
"I will not be sentenced as one because of a traitor!"


[roll0] bluff

[Tyrann]

".. Hold on, I'm almost there .."
"I'll put in a good word for you boy, but order are orders and I have no intention of getting on that freak's bad side. Men, may Cuthbert's justice be.."

He never gets to finish though, because an enormous snake made of oozing purple-black shadows appears around the party. It's coiled up but is at least 100 feet long and well over 10 feet thick, and it towers over the guards in the streets, loudly hissing.

It's an illusion
It's Major Image

The guards all stumble back as it hisses, many of them screaming.

"Witchcraft?!"
"Hurry, kill it!"
"It doesn't bleed! My sword does nothing?!"
"Ahhhhhh!"

The Sergeant just stands there looking mortified.

After about three seconds you hear a whisper in between you "cover your eyes"

A split second later nearly the entire island flashes with an extremely bright light.

Failure: you are blinded
It's Pyrotechnics
"To the Market. Run"

You look at where the sound is coming from, but see nothing. You do all feel a lot quicker all of a sudden.

You're affected by Haste

You guessed it. He is coming your way now.