Six Things Wicked This Way Come: Way of the Wicked

[Amazo]

http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/188080/Branderscar_Prison.png

In the kingdom of Talingarde, many crimes may send you to Branderscar Prison, but the sentence has but one meaning. You are wicked and irredeemable. Each of you received the same greeting when you arrived. You were held down by rough hands and branded upon the arm with a runic F. The mark signifies ‘forsaken’ and the painful scar is indelible proof that each of you has betrayed the great and eternal love of Mitra and his chosen mortal vassals. The burn of this truth to some of you is nearly as mortifying as the aloofness with which the guards and their Sergeant, Tomas Blackerly, eagerly dealt you the pain. Something about the act seemed to bring out the worst in them, or perhaps something about the prison, or the liquor you could smell on their breath.

Condemned, you face at best a life of shackles and servitude in the nearby salt mines. Others might await the “gentle” ministrations of the inquisitors so that co-conspirators may be revealed and confessions extracted. Perhaps, some of you will be spared this ordeal. Perhaps instead you have come to Branderscar to face the final judgment. In three days, the executioner arrives and the axe falls or the pyre will be lit. Through fire or steel, your crimes will be answered.

You have all been chained together in the same communal cell dressed in nothing but filthy, tattered rags. Manhandled and mistreated, any finery you once possessed is either ruined or long lost. No special treatment has been given any prisoner – male or female, commoner or noble – all of the forsaken are bound and imprisoned together. Your feet are secured by iron cuffs tethered by one long chain. Your arms are secured to the wall above by manacles. A guard is posted right outside the cell day and night. Little thought is given to long term accommodations. At Branderscar, justice comes swift and sure.

Escape seems hopeless. You have all been well searched and every attempt to conceal anything on your person has failed. And if you could somehow slip your bonds and fly out of this prison, where would you go? Who from your former life would want anything to do with the forsaken? Despised, alone and shackled – all that you can do now is await your doom.

For each of you, your old life is over. For each of you, hope is a fading memory. For each of you, justice will be fairly meted. And who can blame fair Talingarde after what each of you has done?

The cell you are in is approximately 25 ft. by 60 ft. Opposite you on the other long wall is a single lit torch for the entire room. It seems that the soft crackle of the flame, clinking of the occasional movement in the chains, and squeaking of rats around the room are the only stimuli you will likely be getting before you meet your ends.



Ellowryn as Thradure Aranax, the dhampir cruoromancer necromancer (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1008231)
NeoSeraphi as Atoli Graveshield, the priestess of Urgathoa (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=51245)
Kingzfall as Gnash, the scarred witch doctor wielder of insanity (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=51747)
Inspector Valin as Lady Maya Celeste, the first gunslinger (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1046303)
TomPliss as Firost Torog, the half-orc slayer of the streets (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=51844)
bcool999 as Ash Telnari, the occultist arcanist scholar (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1046240)

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli wakes up in the cell, and immediately shuts her eyes. She has no desire to see any part of her cage or her new cellmates. She is a prisoner, but only if she allows herself to be. Instead, she lets her mind wander, trying to reach a place where the sounds of death and the slight chill across her neck couldn't touch her. No stranger to poor living conditions, Atoli has learned through years of experience that the only thing she has to fear from her life is depression. Denial is the easiest method of avoiding her feelings, and so she tunes her execution and her situation out, instead imagining the day old bread she had scavenged from a trash can three days ago. If she really concentrated, she could remember the taste of dough in her mouth and it warmed her up.

A harsh sneeze brings her back from the brink of escape. Her nose is runny and her temperature is through the roof. Atoli nods to herself. She was all but dull to the pain of illness at this point, so it took a physical reminder of her symptoms to refresh her memory. She was sick. She was here for a reason. Lady Urgoatha had stayed her hand, prevented her from using her powers to kill that Sir Balin character. That meant that she was supposed to be in this cell too, so she had to figure out why she was here.

Hesitantly, Atoli opens her eyes. The dim light from the torch is still enough to cause her to recoil, and she is unable to rub her eyes as they adjust. Shaking a bit involuntarily, Atoli turns to the others in the room, taking note of each one of them, before sneezing violently again and forcing a smile. "Hello, my children. Lady Urgoatha has sent me to you, in this hour of need. Would any of you like some grief counseling before your executions?"

[Inspector Valin]

What a wonderful place. A fine example of human culture in Talingarde. Shame I won't be staying long.

The criminals of Branderscar are at once various and united: people from many different walks of life, reduced to a single point of rags and failure. Yet even amidst this sorry assemblage, the halfling stands out. Her eyes dart around the room swiftly as the convicts are marched to it, taking in the specifics of both their location and her new associates. Once the bars slam shut however, something seems to drain from the little one. Her black hair is dirty and dishevelled, stained with some strange alchemical grease that the prison wardens never bothered to let her wash off. She wears faded green and brown rags: once upon a time, they were likely fine merchant livery. But clearly this lady, like the rest of this company, has fallen upon hard times.

After one final brief glance around the cell, the woman's eyes fall shut. None of the other prisoners seem immediately noteworthy to the halfling. She'd been on edge since the branding, eyes darting across corridor after corridor as though expecting some kind of miracle. But of course, none arrived, and now she's as defeated as the rest of them. After a few seconds, the strange woman starts humming to herself, an old tune that some might recall halfling's singing around tavern fires in wintertime. A few lines in, the convict begins to sing. Her voice is tired, and the words slow, coming from long forgotten memory. But some impulse places the old tongue's words upon her lips, almost unbidden.

"Mae hin wold fay nahadau yan,
Wold beridid hal chouriohn,
Eh ghwirol relfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra mad,
Dros ryddid collasantir en ehl gwaeld..."

The alchemist rests a hand upon her forearm without thinking. The pain still lingered, both literal and metaphorical. The thought that a drunken oaf like that was the one to finally seal her fate, after all this time, was beyond infuriating. He's nothing. That Sargent is vermin, unfit to so much as speak to me, let alone command officers of the law. Yet the good Sargent Blackerly was on the outside of Branderscar's cells, with ale in his gut and the liberty of the nation. And Maya was condemned to death. Two points of fact that the Hin craftswoman could not forget, no matter how she tried.

Maya sighed as she glanced outwards, beyond the bars, before returning to her song. As endings go, this one was the picture of embarrassment. Condemned by fools for the crime of a human's foolishness, and left to rot by people who were too stupid to realize her true potential. The old verse was the one bit of dignity she had left, a memory of... what felt now like better times. Blackerly'd not take that from her. He didn't have enough time for that.

Just three more days. Then it's over. No more indignities, no more failures, no more hot irons. Everything can finally end.

[Ellowryn]

The dhampire gazes around the room in somewhat idle interest. True, they were chained in a dark cell awaiting execution, but the fact that the warden had allowed Thradure to change his clothes out of the entrail covered smock meant that it didn't smell quite as bad as it could have been and to be honest he barely noticed the brand given the large amount of scarring from tending to various angry, large, viscous beasts. The rather sour outlook of those he was chained with however was annoying.

Boy, you people. You get locked up to be executed in one the most secure and brutal prisons in the country and the first thing you do is give up? You got to look at the big picture here. We all get to enjoy each others company for at least three days. And let me tell you three days is a very very long time, so how about we all be civil and see about improving our outlook on life.

Beaming, he looks around into the faces of those who he was directly chained to.

I'll go first, i am Thradure Aranax, former apprentice and newfound master of his own fate.

[Kingzfall]

The voice returns...
"Gnash.... Its time. Wake up. The story..... begins....."

Gnash stirs awake. He pain feels a pain in his arm.

Orcish "Where....."
Gnash tries to bring his hand over to inspect his marked arm. Quickly realizing that he has been shackled.
Orcish "What the..?
He yanks on the chain hard. Panic starts to creep in..... Where is he? What have these pink skinned humans done to him? His breathe quickens into deep raspy bestial sounds.
The voice. "Remember Gnash, You do not feel fear..... We are fear..... "
The bestial rage settles down into a cold calculating calm. Gnash observes his surroundings. Taking in what details he can.

When the woman speaks, Gnash turns his head in her direction. It's been awhile since gnash used the human tongue. As he regards her Gnash begins to feel the the wrong in her. Almost like when you know the meat of a kill is about to turn. He can almost sense the rot about to set in. She defiantly didn't seem well either.

Common "I know not of this Urgoatha or why she sends you. Maybe you should talk to her, You look as if you might not make it to the execution."
Gnash continues to survey the room.
Common "Besides, I don't think the end with come so quickly.." Orcish "That would be a boring story"

Gnash turns to look at the new speaker.
Common "Gnash of The Caer Bryr......"

[bcool999]

Silently fuming at the state he finds himself in, Ash looks around at his fellow prisoners. He scowls slightly upon learning that a servant of the Pallid Princess is among them. Great, not only will I be uncomfortable in this reeking cell but also ill to from her disease which she will happily call a blessing I bet. Ash thinks to himself. When Thradure the apprentice speaks however, Ash cannot help but let loose a sardonic chuckle at his definition of 'master of his own fate.'

"Well I suppose I can tell you my name since you have already given your own, I am Ash Telnari. Recently a scholar of lore before my academic pursuits were labeled as 'witchcraft' by those afraid of what they know nothing of."

[TomPliss]

"Ugh, it smells worse than the worst part of the port"

With a grumpy look on his face, Firost looks at his manacles and sighs.

"If this smells doesn't motivate you to try and get out of here, I don't know what will.... Anyway, I'm Firost, and if you get me out of those shackles, I'll get you out of this prison."

[Amazo]

For those of you who have not succumbed to the futility of your predicament, further examination of your cell reveal just how little care has been put into the upkeep of the prison. Your restraints are more red and brown than anything resembling the iron you know them to be made of. The rust is rough and abrasive against your skin, as your positions cause your sleeves to roll up and expose your skin to it. The manacles themselves are not directly bolted into the barely hewn stone wall behind you. Instead, they are connected by a length of chain, also filthy with rust of course, which is fed through a metal ring embedded in the wall high above you.

Even in these restraints, the prison and Talingarde seem to mock you. The lengths of chain and manacles are all of identical size, meaning there is no accommodation for your vastly varying statures. Gnash and Firost are tall enough to receive additional slack from their manacles, but the cuffs are particularly tight against their thicker wrists. Ash, Thradure, and Atoli, on the other hand, can just barely move their arms without stretching or standing on their toes. However, the most insulting bondage is Lady Maya's. She has but one manacle attached to her right wrist. The other manacle has been pulled taut against the ring to give the chain enough reach to bind her arm at all. It seems that even in meting out death, the tall folk have no respect for the Hin.

[Kingzfall]

"This cage is a joke. This bindings are insulting. The humans think their laws apply in the Caer.... They are mistaken. I will not remain here."

Gnash grips both his chains and attempts to pull the ring from the ceiling. As he grips the chain he thinks to himself.
"Did i always know this much common? or is this the work of the voice." He pushes the thought away as her begins to pull at the chain.

Can figure out the forum dice roller. Just used a real d20. Results: 11 +1 = 12

[Amazo]

There is a hideous metallic scrape of the chains as you try to wrench the ring free, but it holds firm. You here a laugh ring out beyond the only door leading out of this room, followed by a mirthful voice saying, "I told you! I betcha a gold it was one o' them orcs. Ol' Jack ain't stupid enough to try that again!"

A different voice, much fainter presumably due to distance, snorts a reply, "Save yer cash, Willem. I'll be takin' it off ye in an hour anyhow. I'm overdue to win an ante tonight." The final humiliation comes from a few flakes of rust falling onto you from your attempt.


"A fearsome display indeed, Gnash. I feel that their bravado will only last them so long.

[Amazo]

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Ellowryn]

See? Know we all know at least each others names and are on the right foot to being able to do something about this situation. And look, even Mr. Gnash has not given up on anything, pointing to the large Orc straining against his restraints. That being said, now that i have had a chance to give this place a good it seems that with only a little bit of force this entire place could come down. I believe a bit of precision is in order.... If the rest of you could keep an eye and an ear out for any movement from our jailors and warn me if the come i would be most appreciated.

With that Thradure begins to concentrate and try to weave the somatic components of one of the few spells he has secreted away in his mind. Though he fails many times due to the restrictive nature of the manacles eventually he completes the ritual and says simply Acid Splash.

Casting Acid Splash at the ring above my head that is holding the chain in place. As a cantrip i can cast it indefinitely so i will eventually pass the concentration check required to cast the spells while entangled and hit the ring enough times to break it.

[Amazo]

Thradure's first casting of his spell is executed flawlessly. The sickly glowing green liquid splatters the ring and sizzles softly for a moment before evaporating into nothingness again. The ring itself looks none the worse for wear after just one spell, however. In fact, that first casting has managed to remove the outer coating of filth and make the ring and chain shine like new.


Thradue's plan will only work if I count acid damage as bypassing iron's hardness, which I will because of course it should. Taking into account the DC of the concentration check required to cast the spell as well as the ring's AC, only 16.5 out of every 100 castings are successful in damaging the ring. Assuming average damage gives us 122 castings to finish breaking the ring. Since Thradure can cast this spell 10 times every minute, this plan will take about 12 minutes to succeed. As such, please feel free to continue roleplaying in the meantime.

[Inspector Valin]

The little alchemist's song stops as the rest of the group begin talking, Maya following the conversation idly as it progressed. It seemed the others were uniformly in good spirits, considering their situation. Resolved that they could escape from this, that everything would be simple. They had more faith in luck than the Hin lady did. For all Branderscar and its guards were in poor shape, it was still a prison complete with guards. And they had no arms, no armor, and as far as she could tell, no plan. She tried to keep a straight face, but couldn't resist a bitter chuckle at Thradure's spell seemingly cleaning the lock. She gestured with her free hand towards the hallway. "Even if you get through that, you've still got the bars to do. And the guards are going to come back to check on us at some point."

Then again... humming to herself and forgetting the other members of the group for the moment, Maya turned her attention to her own manacle. The humans, to save on actual thought, had clearly built this cell purely for occupants around their own size. Her single bound hand, hoisted high against the wall was an indignity, certainly, but this was something she could make use of. The chain holding her arm up was pulled tight, yet the manacle was far too big for her. Maya started to tap upon the wall as she worked. It was more a thought experiment than an honest attempt at escape, but if she could move her hand...

If possible, Maya will take 10 on this Escape Artist check. She starts at 4 from Dex and if the manacles are this standardized, seems like it might be borderline routine to slip her hand out. If not, roll time!

[roll0]

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli notices the others struggling and shakes her head solemnly. "Watching you all try to fight your fates, attempting to escape your crimes rather than own up to them...such lack of personal responsibility is depressing. If you were captured, that means you were caught. Perhaps, if you all were going to break the law in this city, you should have been more careful about witnesses."

Atoli herself is less interested in breaking out of her chains than she is in getting a better look at the room. She closes her eyes and concentrates deeply, attempting to reach her goddess through faith alone and asking for her assistance.


"My lady, I am your humble servant. I am loathe to ask this but if I am to understand your will, please grant me but a small portion of your power so that I may assess the situation and gain a greater understanding of what it is you wish me to do here."


Atoli will attempt to cast the light spell, despite her not being able to use her unholy symbol as a divine focus. Similar to Thradure, Atoli's spell is one she is able to cast at-will, so she will eventually successfully concentrate through the somatic difficulty. If her faith is strong enough to substitute as a divine focus, she will touch the only thing she can reach, herself, and have her body glow as illumination.

If she is successful, she will turn her head to the orc in the room. "My apologies. I know your kind are none too fond of bright lights, but if you don't wish to die then I'm sure you'll forgive me." Then Atoli will take a look around the room and try to notice anything that was too dim or unseen to her before.

If she is unsuccessful, Atoli will bow her head and repent for not being strong enough for her goddess's assistance.

[Amazo]

Maya's attempt to slip her hand through its restraint gradually eventually gets caught up around where her thumb meets her palm. She would likely to tear some skin inching it through even at that already slow speed. As her hand sits there mildly contorted, the muscles throb and shout at her to give up the notion of escape this way. Even so, she finds her hand gaining another sliver of space. After a few more moments, another sliver. She may very well succeed this way but will she persevere to do so?


Taking 10 is not enough to escape, but taking 20 just might be, though you'll be at it for 20 minutes.


Gnash takes notice that the arcane gestures of the people around him no longer seem like the feeble motions of frail men about to meet their ends on his blade like they did previously to him. They instill in him now a feeling of familiarity, capability, and the beginnings of a new powerful force his orcish blood begs him to conquer and master like any other.

Concluding her prayer and seeing no immediate results, Atoli begins to hang her head in shame for assuming her goddess favored her so. A sense of true loneliness unlike any she was accustomed to crept upon her when the shuffling of feet could be heard beyond the door of the cell block.

The man from earlier, Willem, sputters, "Ser-Sergeant! What brings you back here so soon?"

The voice of Blackerly, as oily and disgusting as his appearance, answers, "One o' them scum had a lover, apparently. She's here to pay 'er respects." The sound of a key in the lock tells you your escape attempts are now placing you in further peril.

[NeoSeraphi]

Hearing the guard moving towards them, Atoli smiles to herself. The others had attempted to break their chains so foolishly, and they may be penalized for it. The brand on her arm was enough pain, thank you very much. She raises her head and opens her eyes. "You had better stop that, if you know what's good for you," she tells the mage, referring to his continuous acidic endeavors.

If the guard himself enters the room, Atoli will look up at him and say, "I understand that my faith is a crime to you, but it is all I have left. Would you not take pity and at least return the symbol of my faith to me in my final days, so that I may pray to my goddess for her mercy?"


[roll0]


If the guard does not enter, Atoli will instead watch this 'lover' very cautiously as they make their way into the cell, but will keep silent unless spoken to.

[Inspector Valin]

Close, but not enough. Maya relaxes her attempts swiftly, letting her right arm fall upwards, and her body loll against the wall. She'd expected as much, really. Her luck had long since faded. And even if she'd put herself through the contortions necessary to slip through these manacles... what then? There was no plan, no follow through, no reason to put herself through such pain. The coming days were inevitable; they were all to die at the hands of this pack of foolish drunken dogs. And nothing any of this little band of miscreants could do would come close to changing that.

The only Hin in Branderscar turned her eyes downwards, those earlier theories confirmed. Exactly as she'd thought. She was on the verge of closing her eyes and attempting sleep when she heard the guards pipe up. The Hin raised an eyebrow at the talk of this new visitor. One of this group of convicts had a lover? This lot? She glanced over the faces,sceptically. It seemed unlikely. Not the Priestess, not the orc... perhaps the half-blood, or one of the mages? Possible: a touch unlikely, but the tall folk's attempts at courting remained something of a mystery to Maya. They seemed frequently attracted to each other based on qualities she could never truly understand.

Even so, a loved one's arrival like this seemed implausible. Blackerly granting them an audience doubly so. The Sargent thrived on petty cruelty and pointless displays of strength and authority. Benevolence was out of character for the man. Something truly strange was going on. Now what could it be?

[Ellowryn]

Hearing the words of caution he was waiting for Thradure stopped his incessant chanting and shifted the chain through the hoop a few times and made over-exaggerated attempts to pull the chain out. No need to let his jailors know he could actually cast spells. In perhaps a bit of a silver lining his arrest happened while cleaning out the remains of yet another failed experiment and he had left his spellbook in his room.

Now this new visitor could also be a blessing in disguise as they might be here to help at least one of them. And given the opportunity maybe all of them.

[bcool999]

Ash considered joining in on Thradure's attempt at escaping their chains, but without a concrete way of escaping the room afterward he wasn't quite willing to risk punishment on the first day. Maybe as the gallows drew closer he wouldn't see the harm in joining in.

Such considerations were forgotten as Blackerly announced a visitor to Branderscar prison. I am fairly certain that visitors are not permitted here... at least not without bribes or other ways of convincing Blackerly to overlook the rules. Which I am sure he would gladly do with the right incentive.

Local: [roll0] on how legitimate that this 'lover' would be allowed into the prison without bribes and such.

[Kingzfall]

Gnash lets go of the chains and lets his arms hang slack. No use struggling in front of his captors.
To himself under his breath "Blackerly...... He gave me this new scar." Slight smirk. We'll have to return the favor.

Gnash focuses on the guards and Captain Blackerly as the cell opens. He knows no one in these parts and no one knows him.
Whoever this guest is, he assumes its for one of his cellmates.

[Amazo]

The door opens, and Atoli's plea immediately assaults the guard, Blackerly, and their unknown guest before they have even turned to enter the room. Her impassioned request is so frantic she nearly does not notice the light from the door hitting her squarely in the eyes before being shed on the rest of her co-conspirators. Willem scoffs and says, "Stow your bellyaching, forsaken. Mitra hears our prayers just fine. If you worshiped someone worthy of such devotion, maybe you wouldn't need your trinket."

Blackerly shoves the guard aside and makes way for the guest wreathed in light from a torch behind them, obscuring their features until they enter the room completely. Ash has reason to suspect foul play is afoot in some way. Mitra would sooner visit the Nine Hells than Blackerly would be moved to kindness. Either that or someone locked up with him has been less than truthful about their social standing before their incarceration. If this lover had enough sway to politic their way into Branderscar unannounced, then the potential liar with him has some explaining to do.

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x37/tradgamestock/Way%20of%20the%20Wicked/SergeantBlackerly.png

Blackerly points at Atoli and says gruffly, “You there! That’s the scum! Get ‘em unshackled. If any of you makes trouble, they’ll earn a thrashing! Today’s your lucky day, scum. You've got a visitor. How you ever warranted such a fine lady is beyond me. Seems she wants to say good-bye. Now step lively. We wouldn't want to keep her waiting.” Even with his normal pattern of speaking, it is clear that Blackerly is impaired in some way. His movements are sluggish, and his eyes barely focused.

The shadowed figure turns on its heels and leaves before Blackerly approaches the door to the cell. Willem and Blackerly enter the cell, clubs in hand to threaten anyone who tries to menace them, and grab Atoli by each elbow before simultaneously reaching for their sets of keys to unlock her manacles. Their aim is clearly to take her with them out of the cell block to meet this prisoner, leaving the rest of you alone with your thoughts for the time being.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli raises an eyebrow when the guards point to her. The idea of her having a "lover" of any kind is preposterous. Not even laughable, it was so illogical that it wasn't even humorous. And yet, her curiosity was peaked, and it wasn't like she had any real choice in the matter. As the guards roughly undid her manacles, Atoli briefly considered attempting to curse one of them, but she decided the safest choice was compliance. Bowing her head, Atoli allowed herself to be led out of the cell.

[Amazo]

The two men roughly escort Atoli out through the door they entered from. They barely let her stumble with each step to keep up with their brisk pace.


On her way out, she can see that all of the other cells on the block are empty. She does, however, notice that the wall to their cell's right cuts off abruptly a little ways beyond the border of their own cell. She can see the stone wall meet at another door of iron bars in the middle of this room-within-a-room. When she reaches the exit to the cell block, she can see a staircase leading down immediately in front of her, but before she can try to notice anything at the bottom of these steps, she is turned abruptly to her left. They usher her into a room with two chairs and splintered wooden table between them.

http://www.firemountaingames.com/images/tiadora_preview.png

There waiting for the group is a hauntingly beautiful woman in an elegant black dress and soft silken veil. She looks as if she is headed to a funeral. Her hair is so platinum as to almost be white, and her eyes are a vibrant almost unearthly green. She clearly has been weeping. “Oh, dearest,” proclaims the unfamiliar woman. “I’m so relieved you’re alive!” She quickly turns to Tomas. “Could we please have a moment alone, good sir? For pity’s sake?”

Tomas goes blank for a bit and then quickly agrees. “Of course, my lady. For you, 'tis no problem.” Blackerly seems rather eager to obey this woman's requests and immediately turns around to usher Willem out of the room. Atoli hears the sounds of their heavy boots marching down the stairs.


You are entitled to a Sense Motive check if you so choose.

[NeoSeraphi]

[roll0]

Atoli is forcefully guided through a hallway and led into a room with a woman she's never seen before. The woman whisks the guards away and suddenly they are alone. Atoli raises an eyebrow, impressed, before quickly covering her mouth and sneezing into it. Her eyes well up and she reaches up with her other hand to check her forehead. Her temperature has spiked and she's almost ready to pass out. Almost.

Atoli nods to herself and sits down. "So," she begins, as politely as she can. "You wanted to see me, my lady?

[Amazo]

Atoli knows this woman has more influence beyond what simple bribery or blackmail could provide to have Blackerly act as if driven by a motor.

As soon as the guards leave, the woman's demeanor immediately changes. She drops all pretense of grief or concern. She is immediately all business. “Have you forgotten me, dearest?” the unexpected visitor says with a smirk. “Call me Tiadora. We possess a mutual friend who would like to meet you and your fellow cell-mates. Unfortunately, our friend is unwilling to visit you in your present rather shabby accommodations so it seems you must escape. Don’t be so dour. Just because it’s never been done before is no reason you can’t be the first."

Her smile widens at her challenge before continuing, “If you manage that, cross the moors on the outskirts of town. On the old Moor Road you’ll see a manor house with a single lantern burning in the second story. There our mutual friend waits. That is all I know. He did want me to give you this.”

She takes of her silken veil and wipes away a few fake tears with it. “Something to remember me by, dearest.”

[Inspector Valin]

Maya watched Blackerly's arrival and departure with the priestess, doing little to hide her scepticism. The situation seemed... implausible, to put it kindly. The alchemist muttered, moreto herself than her companions. "The man's a drunk, but alcohol doesn't give you mercy. And he acted the same towards us. Who the hell was that?"

Perhaps the priestess' goddess had decided to pay the prison a visit. Either way, the prisoners were soon enough left alone again. Energized by the abnormality, Maya closed her eyes, thinking to herself. Soon enough, the halfling speaks up, quietly raising one thought the others might not have noticed. "You know, if you could think of a way our of here, there's a good time for it. The guards have a card game starting in about ten minutes. They'll bring the priestess back here first, then they'll be off to that. Leaving less people in the hallways." Enough for a band of unarmed prisoners to rush them? That was a second thought. But if the others were going to try and escape, best be constructive about it. Maya glanced around the party. "Do any of you have a plan that could get us all out of here that quickly?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli frowns and takes the veil. "Tiadora? No, I don't believe we've met. But...you want us to escape? You realize that that will likely involve committing serious crimes, including possibly murder, don't you? I'm not so black-hearted as to believe my life is worth more than the lives of men who are simply trying to do their job to feed their children. These men are just innocent warriors who happen to be ignorant pawns of the king. And you want me to escape just so I can meet this...friend of yours? I'm sorry, but you're going to have to give me a little more to work with than that."

Diplomacy: [roll0]
Examining the veil (Take 20): 24

[Amazo]

Her smirk drops into a shocked visage for the barest of moments before she recovers. "Somehow I have difficulty believing that sadistic men taking pleasure in branding young women, drinking heavily and gambling their wages while working, and openly mocking an unassuming holy servant are altogether as kind-hearted as you have painted them. I am simply offering one of the last great voices of a wronged goddess a chance to continue her righteous and truthful evangelation. Besides, I am certain that you and your cell-mates are more than up to the task of doing things your way if you so impose."

http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/214754/Magic_Item.png

Looking the veil over closely, rolling it through your fingers, turning it over, you notice that the decorative lace is actually stitched to resemble different mundane objects. Among them, you spy what appears to be a key, a lantern, a coil of rope, a pair of crossed blades, a vial half full, a frowning theater mask, a window, a shirt and a pair of breeches, and a bag bearing the symbol of Talingarde's currency. The final item you find stitched is far from mundane, however, and may even make you reconsider your previous accusations...

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20081007003910/pathfinder/images/d/da/Urgathoa_symbol.jpg

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli blinks in surprise as she gazes at the item in her hands. "This...benefactor of yours. What exactly does he want with me?" she says slowly, suddenly realizing that this woman is no mad person and genuinely intends for her to ally herself with that gang of brutes and strong arm her way out of prison.

"I...I will do as you ask. On one condition." Her brow furrows with anger and she looks directly into Tiadora's eyes. "There is a knight. Someone I need to...punish. His name is Balin. Sir Balin of Karfeld. If I meet this friend of yours, will he help me take my revenge?"

She turns her eyes back to the cloth and whispers a short prayer. Her eyes glow blue and she scans the cloth for magic.

Casting the detect magic spell. Has only Verbal and Somatic components, no holy symbol required

[Amazo]

Her eyes twinkle with mystery, "As I have said, merely to let the truth be heard once again. Each of you knows of the lies and follies this kingdom's prosperity and exclusive happiness is built on. Together, we shall give them their much-needed reminder, but first, your benefactor needs the lot of you to prove your mettle, in battle or in cunning, as appropriate. Even now, you have shown your cunning: Sir Balin suffers and festers as we sit here chatting idly."

She stands to leave, the chair scraping and skidding along the stone. "If that will be all, dearest?"


The veil itself is definitely magical, each individual item giving off its own aura in addition to it. Tiadora herself also seems to have a magical aura as well. However, without training in Knowledge (Arcana) you are unable to identify what kind of magical aura either of them possess.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli blinks in surprise. "He is...already ill? Well now, that's fantastic news! Very well, my lady. I'm not entirely sure I should trust you, but clearly the Pallid Princess is smiling upon me today, and so I will not sit idly by and wait for death. However, your benefactor should know that he is not releasing any ordinary priestess. If I am given a second chance, I will not hide below the streets like a rat. The streets of Talingarde will be strewn with the sick and dying. I will become Pestilence itself and I will not stop infecting until either all in the city have been touched by my lady or I am brought down by sword or arrow. As long as you understand that, then I will see you again, very soon."

[Amazo]

"Why stop simply at fair Talingarde's capital? Surely the countryside, housing most of her people, should not be spared the same divine revelation? The diseased mongrels of the North will help you see to that, I can assure you."

Her message delivered, she steps towards the door, and the guards return. Immediately, her demeanor once more changes and she is again a perfect picture of grief. “No, I can’t bear to leave you!” She rushes over and gives Atoli a kiss on the cheek. The kiss is ice-cold and feels somehow alien and inhuman.

Tomas shakes his head. “I’m afraid it’s time, miss.”

She looks deep in Tomas’ eyes and says, “Thank you for letting me say good-bye. There’s no need to search my dearest. You are such a good friend for letting me see my dearest one more time.”

“Such a good friend,” Tomas repeats his voice almost mechanical. Then the watch sergeant seems to snap out of it and bows politely. “A pleasure, madam.” She leaves unveiled.

Her eyes meet the PCs one last time and she briefly gives them a wicked smile. “Three days,” telepathically echoes in the PC’s mind. “Don’t disappoint me, dearest”.


The visitation concluded, Atoli is taken back to the cell by her cadre of guards and shackled once more. There is a resolute fire in her eyes that goes unnoticed by the guards, whom she now leads instead of trails.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli strides in, turning to the guards and smiling. "Thank you so much for allowing me just one last chance to say goodbye. It really did make all the difference. Now then, enjoy your card game," she says, tying the veil around her right wrist.

[Amazo]

In his clearly inebriated stupor, Willem scratches his head awkwardly trying to piece together how you could know that. Blakerly mimics the motion but seems legitimately confused instead. Both men realize they are still standing in the cell with you and hastily shuffle out to lock the door. As they walk side by side, each man seems to need to take a turn leaning on the other to support themselves during their quite short journey. The light from the hallway falls out of sight when they slam the door shut behind them, the loud wrenching of the lock tumblers indicating you are securely where they want you to be. The sound of footsteps fall out of earshot quickly.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Well, that was quite an interesting meeting. Though it concerns me why I was singled out instead of any of you." Her eyes sparkle as she turns to the group. She removes the veil from her wrist. "Listen up and listen good, because I'm only going to say this once. The lot of you have been sought out by a mysterious third party who seems keen on meeting with all of us. He's offered us a ticket out of here and all we have to do is work together and meet with him as a group in three days' time. All of us, so that means no leaving anyone behind or killing anyone, no matter how annoying they are." She glances at the orc as she says this. "Do you agree to my terms? What am I saying, of course you do. Better to agree and get out than sit here and rot in your own filth for three days, correct? Now then..."

Atoli will spread the veil wide and touch the design that looks like a key. She'll attempt to channel her divine power into the veil and make the key slide out as a real object. When the thieves tools appear instead, she blinks. "Oh. I'm afraid I'm no locksmith. Anyone know how to pick a lock here?"

[Amazo]

Her attempt is successful, though the object that appears in her hand is not what she was hoping for. Instead of a simple key like what Blackerly and Willem carried, Atoli's hand now drops for a second at the sudden weight of a leather tool belt containing a pristine set of thieves' tools.


"Gnash, I've left you a gift with this girl. It will let you use the other gifts I have already given you. These guards will know fear by your hand, and then they will die, and then their families will fear. A short, simple story, but one I look forward to seeing you write masterfully."

[Inspector Valin]

Maya frowns at Atoli's story, the priestess seems sincere, and yet what she says is barely credable. Even amidst the kingdom's thieves, who would show such an interest in them? Still, the cleric has the power to back up her words. Maya blinks as the thieves tools materialize in the priestess' hands. Magic was indeed at play; a more powerful magic than the mage's acid. They had exactly what they'd need to get out of this cell, and all without the notice of the guards. There... was a chance now. A chance to truly get out of this situation.

A fire begins to burn in the Hin's light blue eyes. She nods to Atoli at her question, reaching out with her other arm. "Hand it to me. I've got some experience at precision work, and they've left me a free hand. I can probably pick the lock if I'm careful."

Regardless of Atoli's response, the alchemist glanced briefly outwards, towards the direction Willem and Blackerly had left in. Maya chuckled dryly as she considered their situation "We're not going to avoid the guards forever, even if we can get out of this cell. I don't suppose you've got a batch of weapons hidden in that thing."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Unlock my shackles, and you'll find out!" Atoli replies with a smirk, reaching out and handing the thieves tools to her or to whoever is adjacent, eventually they will make their way to Maya.

After she has handed off the thieves' tools, Atoli will reach into the veil again, this time procuring the item left for her. "Even in the darkness of this cage, even when all others would abandon me, my Goddess has still found a way to reach out to me. Lady Urgoatha, I have heard your command!" The insectoid skull appears in her hand and she quickly fastens it around her neck. "And now, my faith shines bright!"

She will cast the light spell on her manacles, giving Maya more than enough light to work with with these tools.

[Amazo]

As the light shines forth from her new holy symbol and into the manacles, Atoli see the pendant gleaming with reflected light. Observing it more closely, she discovers the symbol to be made of silver and richly decorated far beyond her own previous crude symbol had been.


It's been really great reading all of the thought everyone is putting into these posts, but I really think we need to let everyone else get a shot in. In addition to that, I desperately need to sleep for work tomorrow, so I won't be able to keep going tonight. Feel free to keep posting in the OOC though, and Maya should certainly try her Disable Device check.

[bcool999]

Still suspicious of the situation, Ash is nevertheless pleased at the prospect of leaving this fetid pit far behind him. As he watches the halfling begin picking her shackle, he can't help but see the F branded onto his arm. Glowering darkly, Ash entertains thoughts on what exactly he will do to Blackerly and the rest of the guards when he escapes.

Furthermore, Ash contemplates just what he will do with his freedom should he and his fellow prisoners obtain it. He will be unable to return to his former occupation and anyone who knew him will know him as a forsaken. I could probably attempt to flee the country by sneaking aboard a foreign trader, but I have a feeling this mysterious benefactor will have a task to occupy me for the immediate future. After all, one doesn't aid in the release of condemned prisoners and spends magical resources doing so on a whim. Whether or not it is in my own best interests to listen to this benefactor... time will tell.

[Inspector Valin]

Maya took the tools with a faint smile, placing her foot against the wall to grant herself some slackening of the manacle whilst she worked, sliding the first pick into the lock. This wasn't really her area of expertise, and the tools were sized for bigger hands than hers, yet the blade was small enough for the job. These shackles were old, rusted, ill cared for. The tumblers should slide into place easily enough with a little persuasion. She'd forged finer items than this before now. All she needed to do was take her time, and hope none of the other inmates did anything too distracting.

Starting off by taking ten, in the hope that the locks are a simple DC15 or equivalent. If not, roll time! [roll0].

[Kingzfall]

Gnash regards the light that eminates from Atoli's symbol.

These creatures have power of their own. Where do they get their power? Do they also hear voices? I must know..... I must understand

Speaking to Atoli
"Full of surprises aren't you. I agree to your terms. Free me and I will help you escape. Besides.... something tells me that there may be.... something in that.... cloth?"
Unsure, Gnash turns his head slightly trying to get a better look at where Atoli is pulling these items out of.

She really is reaching into a piece of cloth? Strange...

Gnash nods his head toward the cloth

That something in there is meant for me. All I ask is that you give it to me and on our way out we find Sgt Blackerly and say...... Goodbye.[

[Amazo]

Beginning her attempt, Maya is in awe at the craftsmanship applied to these tools. They are weighted beautifully even for her smaller hands and sport small utility hooks on their sides to be snagged on an article of clothing and kept still while working with another pick. Sadly, her work suffers for it. The lock refuses to open. Examining the manacle more closely, she can see plainly that this lock is an antique, likely made before the last civil war considering the herald of Barca emblazoned on its reverse side. Such a simple device could almost be considered barbaric with the accomplishments Maya has achieved.


The set of tools is indeed masterwork, offering you a +2 circumstance bonus to your checks.

[Inspector Valin]

The only recognition of the failure from Maya was a grunt. Only natural it'd take her a little while to get the measure of an unusual device. She knelt in closer, determined not to let this lock get the better of her. The thing was ancient in design: barely there any more. And she had tools both fine and light enough to set the pile of rust into place. She just needed to take this slowly. She wouldn't be stopped like this, wouldn't meet her end here... at last, she had a chance, and as slim as it might be, the craftswoman was determined to seize it.

Taking 20. Slower, but works. Will concoct cunning argument on why Gunslingers should get Disable Divice as a class skill later. :smalltongue:

[Amazo]

Her mantra to herself drowns out the deafening silence in the room as 5 people watch on eager to see her success. One by one the tumblers click softly into place, and with each tiny milestone, Maya's vigor renews for the next one. After 2 minutes of held breath in the room, the manacle nearly throws itself open for her as the small device is finally conquered. The sight and sound of it is electrifying, so much so that she does not even notice the scraped ring of skin about her wrist from her earlier escape attempt until the moment passes.

[TomPliss]

Well, it was about time. Tell me, you got there because you were too slow at opening locks when you tried to steal something ?

[Inspector Valin]

Maya's smile at her accomplishment was short-lived, the impromptu locksmith wincing and clasping her wrist for a second. It hurt, the skin caught in the iron... but that was her own fault for once. And now she had the freedom of the cell and five allies in waiting. Even the half-blood's remarks couldn't entirely quell the little alchemist's good mood, she chuckled to herself as she moved on to Atoli. "I'd say that wasn't bad considering this was the first time I've ever had to pick a lock. Power chambers and vials are more my field. I'm no criminal."

A certain pack of nobles might disagree with that, but Maya couldn't care less. She knelt by the priestess' lock, slowly sliding the first pick into place. She actually smiled back to the human woman before turning to the half-orc and Gnash, gesturing between the two. "What did you and he end up in here for, anyway?"

[Amazo]

You are somewhat surprised to find that this lock is identical to the one on your own manacle. Picking the same lock over and over can only get simpler for Maya's deft hands.


You receive a +3 circumstance bonus stacking with your tools due to the manufactured or perhaps fabricated locks having identical internal mechanisms.

[TomPliss]

"Eh, I don't know about him.
I am here because soem noble though he was above the law, and apparently has enough relations to get me here for simply menacing to expose his shady methods."

[Ellowryn]

Thrad watched is curious silence as the proceedings happened, glad that the guards were still too drunk to notice the half destroyed manacles. The appearance of the interested third party was intriguing but that would have to wait until after they all get out, even if the need for ALL of them suggested they required service of the dangerous kind in return for helping them escape.

Waiting for his turn to be freed, once his turn came he held out his cuffed wrists. My crime? Honestly not all that bad and truth be told im not sure i even deserve to be in here. I mean, is grave robbing so bad? And sure my master was some crazy old wizard but he was usually content to stay locked away in his tower trying to create new and interesting magical horrors, is me being his apprentice really that bad?

[Inspector Valin]

Firost's claim makes Maya look up from her work, head tilted."You ended up in Branderscar for attempting to expose corruption?" The Hin didn't even attempt to hide her scepticism at that suggestion. This place was the worst in the country, and Talingarde was nowhere near corrupt enough to condemn a man to death for so little. Still someone able to lie that boldfacedly.... what sort of a man this half-orc was had grown fairly obvious. Not someone I'd choose to have dealings with. But desperate time, and so on. In a bad situation, make do with what you have.

And what she had was an identical set of locks. The revelation took Maya aback for a second. It made a stupid sort of sense: if the prisoners had been searched properly, they shouldn't have a lockpick, and probably wouldn't bother freeing others. Still... it left her job for the moment remarkably easy. All she needed to do was repeat her past success a few more times, note for note, tumbler for tumbler, and the whole party would be free. Then only the cell door would be left between them and the wider prison.

In a matter of seconds, Atoli's cuffs spring open. Then the mages. After that, Gnash. Each time, it takes the halfling only a few brief twists of those strange tools before she is done and the shackles click open. Finally she looked at Firost, smirking to herself at the man's earlier words, before finally attending to his cuffs. In under a minute, the entire band of prisoners was free. And without a word, Maya had turned her attention to the door lock. This one would take longer, but with time and care, it wouldn't bar their way. As she worked, the craftswoman spoke softly to the criminals behind her. "Does anyone know the location of the armoury? We'll need weapons if we're going to stand a chance against the guards."

And that, gentle viewers, is what taking ten on all the subsequent locks looks like. :smallwink: Taking 20 on the cell door.

[Kingzfall]

Gnash responds to Maya's earlier questions.

"I'm a full blooded orc.... They'd kill me just because of what I am. The humans that dragged me here said something of along the lines of consorting with dark powers? And here I thought i was only having a friendly conversation. Gnash chuckles to himself

Gnash nods in thanks at Maya after she unshackles him.

Gnash approaches Atoli.

I believe you have something for me.

[NeoSeraphi]

As the young thief frees Atoli, she rubs both her wrists and looks down at her arm, staring at the F that's been branded into her skin. Atoli smiles to herself. "You know, it's funny. Suddenly, I don't feel all that sick anymore." Atoli's fever had broken, it had been quite a few days at this point since she had contracted the flu, though the timing was more than a little convenient. She smiles to herself, knowing that the timing of every disease is not chance at all.

When the orc comes closer to her, Atoli nods. "But of course. Here, take this," she offers, reaching into the veil and pulls out the pair of crossed blades, handing whatever shows up to the warrior. She moves on to the wizard, handing him the lantern. "Hold this. We're going to need to see our way clearly," she whispers. To the corruption exposer, she hands the bag of gold, and to the person picking locks, she gives the coiled rope.

"Alright. Time to break out of here then."


Can I make some kind of check to guess what will happen if I try to pull out the window or the thing that looks like a pile of bricks between the lantern and the rope on the picture?

[bcool999]

"My thanks." says Ash as the manacles pop open and he feels blood returning to his wrists. He rubs the numbness from them and heads over to the priestess with the veil, "Mind if I examine this curious item our mutual friend spirited here?" Ash asks, careful to keep his voice from carrying to any guards that may be outside.

Should Atoli give him the veil (with a promise to return it after his examination if that is what it requires), Ash makes a quick gesture with his free hand and whispers a few arcane words which makes his eyes flash blue for a moment as he examines the veil.

Casting Detect magic and spending three rounds focusing on the veil.
Knowledge (Arcana): [roll0]
Spellcraft: [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli's eyes spark with fire. "You wish to embrace the love of Lady Urgoatha as well? But of course! Here, let me help you, I'm always happy to help those in need find their true selves!" She raises the veil with the seeming intent of covering Ash's nose with it.


Ash remembers that until a few minutes ago, Atoli was very sick and spending a long time examining anything she's touched will likely pass the disease on to him. Though if he wants that she's more than willing.

[Ellowryn]

Ah, thank you. I forget that many people cannot see in darkness so i sure this will be helpful for them. Thrad looks over the lantern, noting its detail and functionality.

Also casting detect magic and concentrating on the lantern
Knowledge Arcana [roll0]
Spellcraft [roll1]

[bcool999]

Grimacing slightly at the priestesses antics, Ash quickly casts a cantrip to cleanse the veil (and a good part of the priestess hand along with it) before the priestess of filth can further any designs she may have had on his health. He then carefully examines the veil.

Prestidigitation to clean up the veil and the hand that holds it. I would also cast Mage Hand to pluck it from your grasp and to avoid touching it but it only works on unattended objects... And now Ash will likely be a germaphobe thanks to a certain someone. >_>

[Amazo]

The pair of crossed daggers, fittingly, produces a pair of Medium-sized daggers. In Gnash's hands, they feel perfectly weighted for both throwing and stabbing alike. Though he misses his personal preference for something more blunt and larger, he takes solace in remembering that the guards have all wielded clubs of some size or another to intimidate them. Firost is likely ill at ease without weapons of his own, but he hides it well.


"Pah! She assumes you still to be a simple brute! No, my friend, ask her for the mask!"



The pile of bricks was replaced by the sack emblazoned with Talingarde's currency symbol. Originally, it was supposed to be a stack of gold bricks, but I figured the dollar signs might be easier to guess. You reason that the window decal will either produce an actual window as pictured with the crossed blades or something that is effectively a window as the thieves' tools were effectively a key.



The lantern itself is nonmagical, but it is a fully filled bullseye lantern whose shutter is in pristine working order. In addition, you do detect a magical aura coming from beyond the wall to the right of your cell. You can roll separately for that one.



You detect an aura of transmutation coming from the veil and the items it produces, though the aura vanishes from them once they fully materialize. You identify the veil as an item similar to a robe of many things. This is instead a veil of useful items, which someone apparently took an inordinate amount of effort to specifically tailor to the individual needs of your exact party. You know that all of the items needed to be chosen and created by the fabricate spell at the time of the veil's creation, so how long and how recently whoever made this must have been watching the lot of you is enough to give you chills.

[Kingzfall]

Gnash hands one of the medium daggers over to the half orc.

"Something tells me you would use this better than the rest of this skinny lot."

Gnash hears the voice. He tips his head as if to better hear it.

"A mask?...." Realization dawns.
Excited, but still quiet as to not alert the guards. "Quickly let me see that cloth! Does it have a mask? "

[TomPliss]

"It's a bit small, but I guess I shouldn't complain. It's not everyday we get weapons in jail.
So, what's the plan ?

You open the door and we make our way straight out ?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli frowns. "My apologies, but it seems the veil was tailored to my divine gifts, I don't think anyone else can operate it. However, I did see a mask there..." she takes the veil from Ash and reaches into it, pulling the mask out and handing it to the orc. "Now then, about that illness. You clearly have some interest in magical discoveries, but you should really force yourself to learn more! The best way to do so is to have literally nothing else to do but study. Oh, I know, I spotted a nice rat in the street the other day whose leg was swollen with lesions, I bet it was leprosy! Let me help you find the brilliance inside you!"

"More importantly, however..." she turns to the group. "If we're going to get out of here, coordination is key. I believe it's time we introduced ourselves in order to understand everyone's skills and make sure we know who is talking to whom. My name is Atoli Graveshield, though underground they know me as The Priestess of Pestilence. Don't ask me to heal your wounds, if I get too close to an open sore I'm tempted to rub dirt in it just to encourage the infection."

[Amazo]

As you hand the embroidered mask off to Gnash, it transforms into one large sack instead. If Gnash opens it, he will find three smaller pouches within, stitched with the letters G, A, T, and another A.


"I had these made especially for you and your new friends. I look forward to their unnerved faces as they see how little they can find from us!"



You know for a fact that Atoli is mistaken: anyone could just peel off the patches and make the items themselves. You're not sure whether this is too funny to ruin or potentially a waste of time at a critical point in the future.



You know what a sack of gold feels like in your hands, and your experience leads you to estimate about 100 gp in it."

[Ellowryn]

Might i correct you one small point my lady, but while that veil seems to be acting as a divine focus for your abilities the items stored in it can be retrieved by anybody who knows that they can be retrieved. As for a plan of escape, i noticed a magic aura from beyond the wall next to us, perhaps we should seek to retrieve it as magic items will surely help with our predicament.

Focusing on that second aura, trying to tell if its only one or multiple and other such things such as distance.
Knowledge Arcana [roll0]
Spellcraft [roll1]

[Kingzfall]

Gnash is surprised when the mask transforms. He inspects the bag seeing the smaller pouches within.

Gnash smiles wickedly as he tilts his head to better hear. He nods his head in agreement. Gnash turns toward Atoli.

Well Priestess, since you were kind enough to give me the mask. You may find this useful.
Gnash hands her one of the bags marked A. Whichever one he feels she is meant to have.

Thrad was it? I believe this is for you.
Gnash hands him the bag marked with a T

Gnash turns to Ash.
Gnash tilts his head again as if listening to someone.
Something tells me this is for you.
Gnash hands ash the bag.

Gnash turns away from the group chuckling to himself.
I look forward to it as well.
Gnash opens his own bag.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli tilts her head curiously, but opens the bag and looks inside it.

[Inspector Valin]

Maya chuckled at Atoli's words, not looking up at the priestess of pestilence, but instead focused on this new lock. This remained a challenge for her; working with new tools upon a strange canvas, but the odd composition of their group was rather funny to the Hin-lady. She gestured between them with her off hand. "Everyone except for you and I already introduced themselves. We've got two magi, a brazen liar and Gnash over there."

A no prize for guessing who she pointed to as the liar. Bringing her other hand back towards the cell lock. "My name's Maya. I used to be... an alchemist is the closest word. I specialized in black powder weaponry, made for nobles who wanted something unique..." Perhaps she would've gone into more depth, but the Hin's attention was soon diverted. A click, and the cell door was open. Maya stared down at the lockpicks with minor disbelief that they'd made so smooth a job of it, before looking back across the group, frowning. "I don't suppose I'll have the chance to put my skills to use here. But if you can find a bow sized for me, I'm a fair shot with those as well. I used to hunt as a child"

[bcool999]

Fanaticism... Thinks Ash morosely as the Priestess continues to push new 'experiences' upon him, It reminds me of the ones who sentenced me and of Sir Balin himself though of a much darker vein of the same disease.

Luckily he is saved from having to answer her by Gnash the orcs' offer of a bag. He takes what is offered curious as to it's contents. Judging by the specific needs seen to on the veil of many things, brilliant piece of arcane crafting that, I imagine this pouch will contain something strangely specific to the individual... It is curious that one would invest so much in us with no guarantee of seeing a return, and if I were to be paranoid it is also curious that they would so quickly have the items at the ready and that we would all be here together at once. Unless they had a hand in our captures as well as our release of course.

Saving his speculation for later, Ash glances at the objects offered by Gnash before examining the wall pointed out by Thrad himself.

Knowledge (Arcana): [roll0]
Spellcraft: [roll1]

Nodding at the Mara's evaluation Ash confirms, "My magic is a tad limited since I have been stripped of my spellbook and spell components, But I know a few arcane secrets that will come in handy before the day is out, mark my words."

[Amazo]

Each of you with a bag discovers that inside are the exact type and quantity of material spell components of all of your prepared spells for the day. Even if you cast with a slightly unique material or amount of it for personal flair, this individuality has also been accounted for. Gnash is somewhat perplexed that he knows the names of everything in his bag by memory and what magics he can call forth with each item.


I'm still working but got caught up during my break to give you all this post. Unfortunately, the mobile version of the forums don't let me see the results of the roller, so I can't tell if you glean any information on that front just yet.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli blinks as she looks into the bag and finds only a bottle of sweat. "How...thoughtful of you," she says slowly, dropping the bottle back in the bag and reluctantly tying it to her waist. "Well then, I suppose we should get moving. Everyone ready to fight their way out? We're going to have to be careful not to kill any of these guards. Knocking them unconscious should suffice."

[TomPliss]

"I wouldn't mind knocking them out, but it is going to be hard with a blade..."


Firost ties the bag to his rags

[Kingzfall]

Gnash ties the pouch to his waste. He looks over to Atoli.
They chained us up, beat us, belittled us and branded us.Why wouldn't we kill them?

[Inspector Valin]

"... Indeed. I'm... with the Orc"

Maya blinked at Atoli's final statement, taken aback by the request not to kill the guards. She gestured to the cell behind them, replete with opened manacles. "They're going to notice that we've gone. And they were not exactly kind to us. Why shouldn't we kill any of them? If we let them be, that's more guards to chase us down later once they come to their senses. We've still got to get a good distance from the prison before we're safe. A few less hands to search for us is a good thing."

Still blinking a little in her surprise at the plague-priestess' plan, Maya held up her hands before turning to the other party members. "I'm not really in the position to kill anyone. But are the four of you going to refrain from killing our captors? Even Sargent Blackerly, the man who branded all of us whilst drunk as a fish and that laughed while we screamed?" Maya didn't need to think to place a hand upon her brand. The pain had mostly gone, but the strange sensation of having a mark there remained far too real.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli crosses her arms. "'Beat up, branded, belitted', that's odd, I don't hear the phrase 'murder' anywhere in that accusation, do you? We're already convicts and now we're going to be fugitives, we don't need to add murderers to the list of our crimes, do we? Look, I just...I know what it's like when your dad doesn't come home from work. I don't think we need to be punishing the families of these men for their actions. Rough them up, absolutely, but I'm not going to be responsible for a little girl losing her father tonight."

[Inspector Valin]

"Unless he catches the plague. Then it's absolutely fine."

Maya scowled, unconvinced. Still, Atoli seemed resolute. The Hin paused, trying to think the matter over. She muttered to herself, thinking aloud. "We're not going to get out of here unarmed or pulling our punches. We don't have enough strength for that. But we're not going to get out of here arguing either. Compromise quickly..." A few brief seconds of thought later, and the halfling nodded to their warriors. "Don't go for deathblows. We don't want to rile the guards into killing us in retaliation. But don't hold back. If a guard goes down, leave him. That way his life or death is with the gods, not us. "

Her compromise suggested, Maya looked back to Atoli, a little calmer now. They needed to work together. "This is the kingdom's most secure prison. Our odds are long to start with, even if we did set out to kill the people in our way. If you want to get out of here, that's the best we can do."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Please, I don't infect others to kill them. Don't disgrace the beauty of my Goddess like that if you know what's good for you," Atoli replies, her voice dripping with venom. "However, I concede that we are on the losing side here. I will agree to not hold myself back if the others agree not to make sure someone's dead when they go down."

[Ellowryn]

I am with Atoli in that there is no need to go out of our way to kill them. If they die in a fight with us then so be it, but need to go out of our way to be cruel. Turning to the orc, If you find what they have done to you so much an affront then why do you wish to do it upon them? That would make you no better than they are. And given the pride you exhibit and the way you carry yourself i believe you are much better than that.

Thrad also attaches his new spell component pouch to his belt, although he knows that he will only cast in the most dire of circumstances as once he does the spell is lost to him until he can find a scroll and spellbook to replace it.

[TomPliss]

"Well then, I guess it wouldbe all for the better if we can find some clubs soon."

[bcool999]

"I would lose little sleep over killing these men, but I don't particularly wish for their deaths. Escape is more than enough for me... However, if we were to capture Blackerly and find our way to the branding room..." A cold smile spreads over Ash's face, "Well, it would be some small justice to mark him as the brutish criminal he is."

Moving over to the half-orc, Firost, who seemed the most combat capable of those assembled, Ash took out a strip of cured leather and said, "Since you will likely be at the front of our assault, I will grant you a bit of protection against blows that fall on you." He then gestures and murmurs arcane chants as the leather starts to smoke in his hand and encircles Firost's form. It forms a sturdy suit of armor that is as weightless and moves perfectly with Firost's body, but when Ash taps on the smokey image, it stops his hand like a solid wall. The image fades, but the armor is still there warding Firost's form.

Cast Mage armor on Firost, +4 armor bonus to AC, no ACP or Spell failure or what not. Lasts 1 hour or until I dismiss it.

[TomPliss]

"Wow, I don't even feel its weight. Well, looks like I'm as ready as I'm gonna be.
You guys tell me when you want to go, and I'll open the way, stealthily or not."

[Kingzfall]

Acknowledging ash's remark about Blackerly.

Aye, I can agree with that.

Turning toward the rest of the group.
In the forest of Caer Bryr, its killed or be killed. You cant afford to soften your blows; but i can see that some of you are squeamish.
I'll promise not to go out of my way to kill them, but I will take any course necessary to get us out of here..... Is that fair? Blackerly being an exception.

[Amazo]

Ash and Thradure's eyes immediately return to the magical elephant in the room. The source of the aura they detected was large, faint, and directly to the party's right when they were in their cells. Stepping into the walkway between the two rows of cells, one can see that this walkway passes a longer row of iron barred cells that was opposite their own cell but on the other side leads along a stone wall. Other than a door of iron bars set halfway down the walkway, there seems to be nothing else in that direction.


If you have training in Knowledge (engineering), you are entitled to a reactive check.


Thradure's reading of the aura yielded no information aside from the aura's faintness.


Ash's reading detects the aura to be of conjuration. Indeed, the aura emanates due to a long-expired lawful evil-aligned casting of lesser planar ally. How this is possible or what this means, you are unsure. Congratulations on the double criticals though!

[bcool999]

Out in the hallway, assuming no guards are there to accost them, Ash is somewhat surprised at what he discovers to be the source of that magic aura, to Thrad he whispers, "You see that aura Thrad? Someone has been 'communing with dark powers' lately. A devil has been called inside Branderscar prison recently or I'd eat my spellbook... if I still had it."

To the rest he whispers, "There is an interesting magical aura in the air to the right... it could be nothing, but just the same I would like to take a look."

[Ellowryn]

Softly back to Ash I believe you, the very fact that we can sense it from this distance is proof enough, although i am not well versed in that type of arcane. The question is, is whatever is there an ally? But i guess there is only one way to find out, tally ho then.

To the rest, softly also While this is indeed a very nice lantern i am cautious to use it as it may give away that there is something wrong going on here. I do not require it, who else here does? For if there is only one or two that do we could let those that don't lead them and save the lantern for when we are out of danger.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli frowns. "We were given these items as part of a...demonstration. They are the tools we are able to use to escape this prison, hand-selected by this benefactor. If there's something in the veil, my guess is that we would be idiots to not make use of it. Perhaps the lantern would draw more attention than we'd like, but it'd be worth it to make sure that I and the halfling can react swiftly to any situation."

[Inspector Valin]

Maya was silent at Atoli's first response, trying hard not to escalate the situation. They needed to work together, she shouldn't have made that comment in the first place. The arcanists have seemingly discovered something in the next room, that could be worth investigating. But then the plague priestess speaks again. And whilst her words weren't addressed to Maya, the little alchemist visibly boils at her speech, stepping between her and Thrad and holding up her hands.

"Firstly, 'the halfling'? I told you my name already, Atoli. I'm not a pet. Secondly, Hin." She lets the word hang for a moment as though it should be explination enough before continuing, her anger barely restrained. They couldn't shout in this situation but it was obvious Maya was being tempted sorely to raise her voice right now. "The proper term for my race is Hin. Meaning Of the People. Not Halfling. That's a word your folk invented which my better natured kin just stopped objecting to after a few centuries. I don't call you 'big stupid giants', just because you're taller than me, so if you really want my help, be polite about it. Please."

Point hopefully made, Maya returned to the door, slowly pushing it open. Best to avoid the risk of it creaking as much as possible. She spoke as she moved it back. "Well, we're agreed. Fight with all we've got, just don't stab someone who is bleeding on the floor. Those are sensible rules. Now, let's go secure this area, and see how far we are from getting out of here" Smiling to the group just a touch sardonically, she stepped back from the door,gesturing them onwards. "After you, my friends. You have the weapons and the magic, after all."

[TomPliss]

"I know I shouldn't need the lantern, and as I was designated to be the first in line, I propose that we try to keep it behind a corner, not to attract too many guards at once. But of course, we should keep the lantern with us, as it will surely be useful sometimes."

"By the way, Maya, would you be good at throwing daggers ?
I don't mean, just now, but as soon as I can get my hands on something bigger, I can give those to you, if you can throw them as well as you can fire with bows and crossbows. I remember one of my old partners who use to throw knives in a particularly effective way..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli scoffs. "You insult my faith and imply that I am a murderer and then blow up at me for being unintentionally racist? How pathetically childish. Whatever, I don't speak Halfling so I have no idea what you call yourselves. 'Hin', was it? I'm quite alright making sure no one's feelings get hurt on this dark bloody rampage we're about to embark on. I'll hold the lantern, and I'll stay in the back. After all, you big strong men wouldn't want a frail young lady like me to get hurt would you?" She brushes the hair out of her eyes and looks meekly at Gnash.

[Kingzfall]

Gnash rolls his eyes.

"We have names. We'll just stick with those."
"Now, if there isn't anything else......"

Gnash tips his head as Thrad's words finally hit him. Magic?.... Aura?
Gnash is intrigued. How can he see magic Auras?

Poor Gnash.... Let me show you what is behind the veil.
Gnash turns toward the point Thradure indicated.
Words spill from Gnashs mouth as if he's known them his entire life. His hands go through complex patterns like they are second nature
Gnash casts Detect Magic.

Gnashs smiles a wicked smile as he taps into his newfound power for the first time. "Yes...." to no one in particular. "Let us see whats behind the veil."

I'm assuming Gnash sees what both Thrad and Ash see

Gnash approaches the source of the aura to investigate.
Oh, I love a good mystery!

[Amazo]

For those of you that wish to approach the magical aura to investigate further, your only recourse to do so is to walk along the walkway between the rows of the cell block until you are able to peer between the iron bars of the door. As you approach, you can hear breathing coming from whatever lies within this room. Perhaps Ash was right about the devil? If so, should you dare to venture further? If you do, you are immediately accosted by the snarling visage of this... creature.

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd444/hayforda/grumblejack.jpg

He looks at whoever approaches with fury in his bloodshot eyes, dark rings underneath them, and draws in a lungful of breath as if to roar.

[Kingzfall]

I hold a hand up to the creature to quiet the creature.

If I know what this creature is and if it is likely to speaks Orcish or Goblin I use those languages instead.
Calm friend. I'm sure you don't want to alert the guards.

If the creature doesn't roar. I try and communicate with it.
I see you have been imprisoned like the rest of us. The humans think they have the right to cage a strong warrior such as you? They have no right... Who are you? Where do you come from?

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli calmly walks forward. "Excuse me," she says, moving past the rest of the group politely until she reaches the front of the bars. "Slow breathing, one eye is swollen shut, some abnormal warts on the face here..." she mutters to herself, looking over the creature methodically.


Heal check, is this creature sick or injured? [roll0]
If the creature is injured, Atoli will cast a cure light wounds spell on it [roll1]

[Amazo]

His voice is so large and unearthly deep that it rumbles your chest as much as it must rumble his, "The little 'uns call me Grumblejack. I hate that name, but I have no other."

His countenance softens upon receiving healing from Atoli. His posture erects further from his initial hunched position, though his hand still leans against a bar for support instead of menace.


You suspect him to be poisoned beyond what your magic can assist with given your prepared spells.


Gnash knows he speaks the truth, as he may very well be speaking to the last living ogre in Talingarde. His people once revered and formed coalitions with these brutes from the North to attack the orcs' sworn enemies, the Iraem. However, a great slaughter befell them, wiping them all out to a man. The stories Gnash heard told of no survivors though living proof stands with you here now. However, Gnash is unsure whether ogres are supposed to have horns or not: his people's stories tended to focus more on their matter black hair being soaked in the red gore of their enemies.


The above was common knowledge for Gnash based on his far afield upbringing. Everyone else is entitled to Knowledge (History) and Knowledge (Local) to identify and learn information about the creature.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli's eyes widen in shock. "You poor creature! Who on earth would do this to you? This sickness is awful, he's been intentionally subjected to pain and muscle deterioration beyond repair!"

Atoli thinks for a moment and smiles. "Well then, let's see if I can't help you out."

Atoli reaches into the veil and tries to pull out the window, hoping that it will be something that helps this ogre escape his prison.

[Inspector Valin]

Maya holds up a hand against Atoli, though her look is not hostile. "Wait a second. I can pick his cell door too: the locks here are pathetic. We should save whatever's in the veil for when we need it."

Forestalling words given, the halfling steps forward, meeting Grumblejack's gaze directly. Smiling at the mighty creature, she gestures out along the hallway. "We're looking to get out of here. But there are a lot of guards in the way. If we open up your cell, would you help us fight our way out?"

[Kingzfall]

Besides the branding and being imprisoned this may be the best day ever![/

I've never believed I would ever meet one of your kind. I've was raised on stories of the great battles where orges and orcs combined forces to slaughter shared enemies. Spilling the blood of hated foes. It is an honor to meet you Grumblejack. I am Gnash of the Caer Byer.

[Amazo]

Maya's plan seems sound, but what appeared to be an iron bar door like on her own cell is actually just a set of iron bars. Peering into the room behind Grumblejack, you can barely see broken chains and manacles that must have held him once, but there is no door into or out of his cell.

Gnash's honorable greeting seems to fill Jack with shame as he laments, "Had I not been born in time to see the extinction of my family and instead in that time of song and glory, I would not be in this sorry state." The reply seems escape jammy eloquent for such a brutish creature. "The little 'uns here sap my strength with some foul concoction to keep me bound. A pet. A display. A freak. I would free myself if I saw a way."

You are entitled to reactive Perception checks.

[NeoSeraphi]

[roll0]


Atoli shakes her head and steps forward, handing the veil to the ogre. "I will not address you by the name these people have bestowed on you. I wish for you to make your own future. So here, take this veil and press your hand against the window design, you should be able to pull something out of it that might help you."

Smiling, she continues. "We are breaking out of this prison ourselves, and if you want to join us after you make your escape, you should cross the moor on the outskirts of the city. Look for the building with a lantern in the second story window. That's where you can find us. And then, you can tell us the name you have chosen for yourself."

[bcool999]

Staring into the cage at the Ogre, Ash is slightly confused. I did not think to find this here... unless he was the one that cast that spell whose aura lingers even now? Or is he the product of that spell trying to deceive us?

While he ponders however, the all too trusting priestess not only surrendered the bulk of the magical aid they were given, but also revealed where the group was going to a complete stranger with untried loyalties. Silently fuming he steps close enough to Atoli to whisper, "Are you sure that was the wisest idea? We know nothing of this creature other than that it is also a prisoner and you would hand over the tools given to us to escape?"

Still suspicious, Ash once more calls on his spells to look for any magical deceptions.

Trying to spot a magical disguise or something (or anything really).
Knowledge (Arcana): [roll0]
Spellcraft: [roll1]

[Amazo]

Grumblejack looks uncomfortable at the close scrutiny he receives from the party as he is passed the veil, but he accepts it with a gracious nod. His warty fingers and jagged, yellow fingernails have difficulty manipulating the fine weave of the veil, but he manages to pluck the window patch from it eventually. He panics when the patch grows large in his hands, forming a window large enough for Gnash or Firost to climb through with some difficulty. However, once it is formed fully, his panic reaches greater heights as you are no longer able to see him through the window. Instead, the side of the window facing you is a solid pane of light. He runs around his cramped quarters. If he could sweat bullets on demand, his face shows that he certainly would be now, though he manages not to scream with the terror evident on his face. When his back is turned, you can see that the side of the window facing him shows a rapidly changing image: first the bridge you were brought to Branderscar on, then a body of water, then your cell, then he faces you, then the bridge again. Eventually, he stumbles and drops the window. It lands light-side down. Some of you, Jack included, may wince, expecting a loud crash of broken glass that would accompany a window hitting a stone floor, but the sound does not come. Instead, the window falls into the floor a ways until the sides of the frame or no longer visible. Once there, the frame stops and shows a static image: a spacious bedroom with a small but comfortable and well-worn looking bed. Grumblejack has no words as his mouth falls agape, and he stares at you.


Jack's as big as Gnash or Firost hunched over but stands at least a full head taller when he straightens from Atoli's magic.


Jack is definitely an ogre, though you also know for a fact that ogres do not have horns like Jack does.


The stonework for the walls making up Jack's cage are both cleaner and more refined in their quality. It is fair to assume that they were placed long after the original construction of the room.


You know that every king from the House of Darius has led a campaign to rout the entirety of all monstrous humanoid races, as they are uniformly evil.


The aura is definitely coming from Grumblejack, but even standing a few inches away from him, the aura still seems distant and faded. Everything in your training on the subject leads you to conclude that the aura must be from the conjuration school, and your deductive methods for concluding the spell and its alignment are also flawless. Concentrating solely on the aura for features not related to identifying its spell source or school source, you notice a gently pulsing within the aura. It is fairly frequent and seems to mirror Grumblejack's movements: faster when he moves, slower when he is at rest. Though your Knowledge (the planes) check was not capable of identifying Jack's species, you do know that this is the telltale sign of a tiefling sired by an outsider while that outsider was on the Material Plane due to a spell cast by a spellcaster from the Material Plane. You were previously unaware that monstrous humanoids could even be tieflings.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli smiles. "Just as planned. Go ahead, climb through the window. Don't be shy. It's a portal, it'll take you some place safe. And I know you have no reason to trust me, but isn't any place better than a place where you're chained up and poisoned regularly? Please, just hand me the veil back and go through the window."


Diplomacy to calm him down: [roll0]

[Kingzfall]

Gnash throws a cocked eyebrow Did you get a good look at it while he was stumbling around? My guess is it will just let him drop onto the floor below us.
Definitely better than a cell, but safe isn't the word I would use.

Gnash speaks to Jack. You have the means to free yourself. What will you do? Remain the un's pet in this prison or show them that the orge's aren't done fighting? Blood and glory can still be yours Jack. If you want it....

Gnash turns ready to leave the the cell.

[Ellowryn]

Throughout this whole debacle Thrad had hung back, both from the fact that he could not understand what Gnash was speaking with it about and at the marvel of the fact that an Ogre was still alive. That and the the twisted appearance and presence of magic on the creature though lent a bit of caution to the whole situation. But at least it wasn't hostile, and the Orc seemed to have managed to gain its acceptance, so releasing it to ravage the prison was vicious but hopefully at least not dangerous to them. Perhaps if he could learn more about its true nature before it left...

To try and identify the magic on the Ogre and it strange appearance, using the detect magic that i stall have up to help
Knowledge Arcana [roll0]
Knowledge Religion [roll1]
Knowledge Planes [roll2]
Spellcraft [roll3]

[bcool999]

Relaxing visibly after divining the ogre's nature, and after seeing it's reaction to magic, Ash is reasonably assured that, other than it's size and strength, the creature is relatively harmless. "No wonder they locked him up," says Ash mostly to himself, "He would be hated twice over for his lineage, being both an ogre and a tiefling. I wasn't even sure that such a pairing was possible, but it explains why he is treated as a curiosity."

Slightly louder so he can easily be heard by the group Ash says, "Jack's movement with the window also showed us the direction of the bridge, which I believe is the only way off of Branderscar. As we move through the prison we should try to keep that direction fixed in our memories so we know which way we should aim for."

To the ogre he says, "Best of luck Jack, should we meet again outside of these walls it is my hope that it be as friends." He then turns in the direction of the bridge shown in the window, hoping to exit this place swiftly and have it be a faint memory.

[Amazo]

The reassurances of Gnash and Atoli seem to set Grumblejack at ease. At their suggestion, he hunches over the window, now more curious than anything. He opens the latch locking it and rolls the glass up to look through. A snort can be heard, before his snarling visage emerges from the window frame. "Blackerly," he manages through curled lips. "The mongrel sleeps here!" His hands ball into fists as his face grows stony and resolute. "I will await the coward or an opening." With a curt nod, he confirms, "Three days." Then he flashes the grin of a hunter with a target in sight before staring back through the window, unmoving.

Designating the bridge as north, Ash may be disappointed to discover that the only way out of the cell block is the door previously used by Atoli in the southeast side of the room. As Maya has already unlocked the door, the party need only to open it to begin their escape.

[bcool999]

Clicking his tongue in annoyance that they have to travel in almost the opposite direction of their destination, Ash decides to suggest a formation for them to follow as they make their way through the prison. "If I might make a suggestion, I think our chances for success will be best if we have Firost and Gnash in front since they have the daggers, Next me and Thrad can provide magical support in the middle, which leaves Maya and Atoli to watch our backs and provide healing or lock-picking as appropriate. If you have a problem with that don't argue it with me just do what you think is best. The longer we dally the higher the chances we are discovered and face resistance in our escape."

[TomPliss]

"Let's go, then, we have an Ogre to keep up to !"

[Kingzfall]

Gnash whispers as Jack disappears. Happy hunting my friend. Let him know fear.

Gnash approaches the door with Firost. Gnash keeps himself to the side of the door, dagger in hand.
He nods to Firost letting him know he's ready.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Well, I think it's important, strategically speaking, that I let you know I have no more healing spells prepared today. Though that shouldn't come as much of a shock, tending wounds is not something clerics of death are known for." she smiles politely and takes the veil back from the ogre. "Though, you never know...perhaps our benefactor saw that coming as well..." She reaches into the veil and pulls one of the last items, the half-full vial, out. "This could potentially be a healing potion," she explains, uncorking the vial and dipping her finger into it, wetting it a bit and then placing it on her lips.


Attempting to identify the potion's power through taste (Perception DC 15+caster level): [roll0]


Atoli licks her lips and shakes her head. "It would seem my recent sickness has dulled my tastebuds. Would anyone care to sample my backwash? You can learn the properties of the potion and receive a blessing from the Pallid Princess at the same time! Isn't sharing wonderful? Truly our goddess is a genius at the way she makes her touch of disease communicable and contagious, so that we may spread our joys with those we love who have been forsaken by her!"

[Amazo]

The dollop of potion on Atoli's tongue thrums with an energy distinctly similar to spells she has cast herself in the past, but she is unable to pinpoint exactly which spell that is due to the unfamiliar sensation of tasting magic.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Hmm...it seems familiar to me though. I'm guessing our benefactor doesn't have much in the ways of originality when it comes to divine spells, so this is probably a minor healing potion. Here you go," she corks the vial and hands it to Gnash with a smile. "Well then, only one thing left to check before we head out." She touches the clothes on the veil curiously and then shakes her head and yanks them out as well.

[Amazo]

The tattered rags you all wear, your last possessions from your former lives, seem to be spun anew and appear in Atoli's hands. In fact, far too many clothes appear for her to hold: the veil spews them out upon the stone floor when she can no longer keep up. A full outfit in your size appears for you: shoes, stockings, boots, breeches, tunics, small clothes... Whatever you would consider an average set of apparel for your former lifestyle springs forth.


With the final patch removed from the veil, anyone still looking for the veil despite the mess of clothes will note that its aura has disappeared.

[Kingzfall]

Gnash just shrugs at the pile of clothes. Why would we need clothes when what we have is sufficient? Gnash turns away.
Gnash doesnt want to see you all change anyway.
The longer we wait the more likely we get caught and strung up again.

Gnash moves up to the door and listens/looks to see if any guards are around.

[roll0]

[Amazo]

You hear four voices approaching you having the following conversation, along with the sounds of footfalls climbing steps.

A nasally voice whines, “That Blackerly is a damned thief! That game was rigged last night!”

“If it’s rigged, why do you keep going back to the gatehouse then?” retorts a younger man.

“The beer’s passable," pipes up a third voice.

A hearty laugh is heard. “Drinkin’ on duty! Damn, this place has gone to hell. Captain Callidan would have never tolerated that crap. That’s for sure!”

The nasally man finds something else to say, “Captain Callidan… he left what? Two years ago?”

The gruff man answers, “Almost three and since then the place has been straight down the ****ter. That old wizard never leaves his tower. He stays up there reading his books and petting his owl!”

“Petting his owl? Is that what they call it these days?” snickers the young man.

The guards enjoy a bit of a laugh before the footfalls stop in the room adjacent to your cell block. They do not seem to be approaching the door.

[bcool999]

Collecting his clothing, a set of scholarly robes, Ash agrees with Gnash though with a caveat. "True we don't have time to change now, but it would be better to not attract attention once we escape. A change of clothing would be useful in that regard." Though having the clothing safely stowed away until we needed them would have been ideal. Less of a chance of getting blood stained.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli's robe looks significantly worse than the ripped clothes she's already wearing. Her robe is stained with blood, dirt, vomit and snot, and the collar has human teeth marks in it as well as parts of it that appear to have been ripped off by force. She hugs it to herself. "It may not be necessary to change, but it is comforting to know that I'll be wearing my old clothes again once we get out of here." She holds them under her arm, carrying the lantern in the other. "We should make haste."

[Kingzfall]

Gnash turns back to the group and holds a finger up his lips in an attempt to silence the group.

Gnash points to his ear then holds up four fingers.

Gnash puts his hand on the door and holds up his dagger. Indicating that he's preparing to go through.
He looks over his shoulder one final time to make sure everyone is ready.

[Ellowryn]

Thrad quickly gathers up his cloths, using his short as a mock sling to hold them for now. There will be time for looking better later. Moving to the back of the group he then takes up position, satisfied that he will be able to add support without being subject to interruption in the incoming battle.

He nods to the Orc that he is ready.

[Amazo]

The moment of quiet, still tension explodes into the familiar adrenaline pulse of battle. Each second, each heartbeat seems to take an eternity, as each of them could prove fatal to someone if it didn't. Gnash shoves open the door on the unsuspecting guards, and the six of you let loose with your now-uncaged ferocity against your corrupt captors. Their faces barely have time to register abject terror as you set upon them.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli whips the bag off her belt and pulls out the bottle of sweat. "Sorry boys, but I'm all better now. If you want a blessing from the Pallid Princess, you'll have to make due with this!" She pours the sweat into her hand and breathes on it, watching it turn green with mucus and phlegm. Giggling, Atoli pulls her arm back and fires the disease right past the orc's head, hitting one of the guards in the chest. However, the spell only works if she had hit him in the mouth. Shaking her hand to get the liquid off, Atoli frowns. "Hmm.. It's a little hard to aim in the dark."

[Kingzfall]

Gnash runs into the room and proceeds to block off the stairs.
He stares down the Nondescript guard while brandishing his dagger.

[TomPliss]

Firost charges the nearest guard, preventing him from going near his companions, and stabs him in the belly with his dagger.
"Hum, a club would be better to knock him out..."

[Ellowryn]

A few choice gestures, only some of which actually relevant to the spell, and words before a small glob of green acid goes flying through the air into the face of the guard who suddenly found himself confronting a pony.

Well, not as powerful as i would like but it will have to do. Now, who else would like an Acid Splash to the face? I hear it works wonders for acne!

[bcool999]

Seeing the surprise on the guard's faces when the door opens, Ash decides that a touch of fear would do nicely. Centering his mind on the place where his magic lies, he bites his thumb hard enough to taste blood. He then intones in a guttural consonant heavy language.

"I summon thou, oh denizen of hell, to appear before me and know me as thy master. I call thou forth with words, and bind thou with my blood."

After the short incantation a single drop of blood falls from the self inflicted wound, but disappears before hitting the floor. In a flash of fire and sulfurous smoke, a blood red pony with scaled spine and hateful red eyes appears in the room with the guards and lashes out at one after a harsh word from Ash.

[Amazo]

The nasally man's shrieks of agony and surprise seem to be a miracle cure for whatever ailed his voice. His eyes dart immediately searching for a route of escape, but he finds none. His eyes seem to darken as he finishes literally cornering himself. Clutching his stomach with his shield arm, he slumps into the corner of the room while wildly shaking his remaining hand back and forth. "I yiel'! I yiel'! Lock me up! Take me keys! Jus' don' finish it!" he implores of Firost. It seems his promise to Atoli will be put to the test sooner rather than later. He is so panicked that his begging is not even loud enough to be trying to alert guards on another floor.

As Gnash steps up in challenge to the very plain man standing by the stairs, the man looks to his flailing partner and steels his own resolve. He takes a step the right while facing Gnash to make room for his already grim partner behind him, drawing a longsword instead of the club he had been brandishing previously in the process of moving. In position he takes a practiced swipe at Gnash!

The young man by the fiendish pony already seems to be stumbling despite being upright. He seems green in the art of waging war and likely green to the heavy drinking and gambling of his fellow guards. Even so, he manages to walk an awkward path away from the pony to pin Gnash between himself and the approaching veteran who has made no noise until this point. In his stupor, he willfully turns a blind eye to the horse that clearly should not exist before him and only draws his usual club to swing at Gnash with.

Finally, the man with the grim voice from earlier takes his position around Gnash as well, though he purposefully drops his shield while boldly stepping up to the much taller and much broader orc. His fingers begin to wrestle with the multiple clasps and fasteners around a small bugle attached to his hip as he takes a distracted swing with his longsword, drawn during his approach.



The nasally guard has willingly left the initiative order to grovel for his life.

The young guard provokes an attack of opportunity from the pony while moving to flank Gnash.

Gnash is taking some concentrated fire though.
Nondescript Attack: [roll0]
Critical Confirmation: [roll1]
Nondescript Damage: [roll2]
Critical Damage: [roll]1d8+2[/roll
Young Attack: [roll3]
Critical Confirmation: [roll4]
Young Damage: [roll5] nonlethal
Critical Damage: [roll6] nonlethal
Gruff Attack: [roll7] (flanking)
Critical Confirmation: [roll8] (flanking)
Gruff Damage: [roll9]
Critical Damage: [roll10]

EDIT: :eek: Holy mackerel! I'm so sorry! Gnash takes 15 slashing damage and 7 nonlethal bludgeoning damage!

http://i.imgur.com/5axMnpa.png

[bcool999]

Moving into the room, Ash sees that Gnash has been surrounded by guards and looks much the worse for wear. We mustn't let the guards get the momentum like this. Ash thinks in his head before directing the pony to a new position in an infernal tongue. While the pony moves, Ash glares at the gruff looking guard, and obvious veteran, and exhales in his direction. The air leaving Ash's lungs seem to suck the heat from the air, leaving tiny ice crystals in it's wake as it seeks out it's target.

Whether Ash's ice missile lands or not, the pony makes it's way behind the gruff guard and the non-descript guard and lets out a fierce unearthly whinny as it lashes out at the non-descript guard with a hoof.

Ash moves to C6 and uses his Ice Missile Arcane Exploit on the Gruff guard.
Ranged Touch Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] Cold damage
If hit, DC 13 Fortitude save or be staggered for 1 round.

Pony moves to G4 without provoking and attacks nondescript guard.
Attack: [roll2] +2 for flanking if Firost moves into E6
Damage: [roll3]
Crit Confirm if needed: [roll4] +2 if flanking
Crit Damage: [roll5]

[TomPliss]

Firost leave the yielding guard to go and protect Gnash, attacking one of the closest guards.



Moving to E6, without caring about a potential from the yielding guard.
Attacking non-desc guard : [roll0] (flanking bonus included)
Damage : [roll1]
Crit Confirm if needed: [roll2] (flanking bonus included)
Crit Damage : [roll3]

[NeoSeraphi]

Whoa, whoa, sorry. I only just now realized that guard was begging for his life. Changing my action.


Atoli moves up to D6 and takes the full-defensive action for this round.

[Ellowryn]

Well, i believe three volunteers have stepped forward, now the only problem is which one to choose... Thrad lets is sentence trail off, as he moves to cover the stairs. Ah, i believe you are the lucky man, here is your Acid Splash!

Moving to B4, then casting acid splash on the gruff guard
Ranged touch attack [roll0]
If a crit, confirmation [roll1]
Damage [roll2] x2 if a confirmed crit

[Kingzfall]

".... Maybe my faith was misplaced in you...."

"SILENCE! Watch my back. If i die, then you lose as well. "

Gnash takes Full Defense.

In character I want to attack, but I don't want to lose Gnash in the first fight. Probably wouldnt have helped much but i should have used scarshield before we left the room.

[Inspector Valin]

Growling to herself, Maya stepped swiftly through the doorway, moving towards the young looking guard trying to flank Gnash. The Orc had attracted a lot of trouble for himself quite quickly. She couldn't do much to hurt anyone, but she could at least prove a distraction. With a vicious grin, the Hin brought her hastily fashioned rope down around the guard. Let's see how he felt about fighting multiple foes at once.

Going to move to C5 to flank the young guard. [roll0] Attack, plus flanking bonus that I have currently forgotten.

[Amazo]

The recently-nasally man continues his whimpering in the corner. To further sweeten his offer of submission, he has started tearing equipment off of his person and limply tossing it before him. He manages to drop a longbow and his arrows, his club, his small wooden shield, and his longsword before the battle continues elsewhere.

The average man lets his superior press his advantage, turning instead to face the new man bearing down on him instead. His chain shirt gleams under the tear Firost's dagger tears in his blue tabbard. He swings his longsword at the half-orc a half second after turning to face him. The momentum adds to his already deadly swing.

The young man tries a similar maneuver against the woman approaching behind him, though his swing is much less coordinated. Though the young man is clearly barely an adult, he still swings up, expecting another lumbering foe. He corrects himself mid-swing awkwardly to fight the woman actually behind him instead. After, his club manages to drag him further away from Gnash than where he started.

The veteran's lips curl knowingly as he succeeds in grasping the now-free bugle. He brings the horn to his lips and sounds it proudly to reverberate along these stone halls, but the sound does not come. Instead, all that you all are capable of hearing is the sound of shattering glass and a mighty baritone roar shortly thereafter emanating from behind you. A rush light footfalls hurriedly make their way towards the source, and meaty whallops and stomping drown out any sound that the horn may have issued. His confidence in his summoning reinforcements has left the veteran exposed...


Everyone misses their attack rolls, so the guards seem more confident as they run through your ally.

Nondescript Attack Roll: [roll0]
Confirmation Roll: [roll1]
Damage Roll: [roll2]
Crit Damage: [roll3]

Whelp, Firost takes 11 damage.

Young Attack Roll: [roll4]
Confirmation Roll: [roll5]
Damage Roll: [roll6]
Crit Damage: [roll7]

Fortunately Maya is safe.

The hell pony is entitled to an attack of opportunity against the veteran as he takes his move action to retrieve his stored horn.

http://i.imgur.com/6qXLkWd.png

[NeoSeraphi]

"Wait now, hold on." Atoli interrupts, glaring at the gruff guard. "Your nasally friend surrendered and ran for his life, and we let him go. I demand equal treatment here. Or are you going to let a bunch of convicted criminals be better people than you? Stop the fight for a moment and let me tend to the orc's wounds."


Diplomacy (Come on Nat 20): [roll0]

[Kingzfall]

When its his turn.

Gnash almosts laughs at Atoli's plea for diplomacy.

I didn't expect you to have to use your gifts so soon.... If you survive, What as story it will be!

Incantations and Hand movements race into Gnash's mind. He quickly follows through and completes the spell while staring daggers into the nondescript guard.
Gnash draws a deep breath. On instinct he lets loose a loud bloodcrazed roar. Gnash knows he wont hear any sound, but he is still surprised. This magic stuff is still too new to him.
He continues to stare at the guard as the spell takes hold.

Save DC 15 Fort for Half dmg.
[roll0] Target is dazed

[bcool999]

Seeing the guard about to blow the horn on their little escape, quite literally in fact, Ash visualizes an accelerated execution schedule in his future. Then Jack must have made his move, Not the most subtle of ambushes, but I won't complain if it saves our hides.

He again sends a freezing missile at the gruff guard, and the Pony joins in with a furious lashing of hooves.

Lets try this again shall we?
Ice Missile Ranged Touch: [roll0] (stupid firing into melee)
Damage: [roll1]
DC 13 fort save or be staggered for 1 round

Pony full attack:
Attack: [roll2] (+2 for flanking added)
Damage: [roll3]
Attack: [roll4] (+2 for flanking added)
Damage: [roll5]

[TomPliss]

Critically notched in the abdomen, Firost tries and attack the guard who nearly took him down.


Attacking non-desc guard : [roll0] (flanking bonus included)
Damage : [roll1]
Crit Confirm if needed: [roll2] (flanking bonus included)
Crit Damage : [roll3]

[Amazo]

Atoli's plea stuns all of the guards into a flustered silence for a moment. Their moment of consideration for actually-valid argument leaves them vulnerable to the efforts of her allies.

Unaccustomed to this sort of brawling without his trusty cudgels or armor, Firost's stab upsets his nicked side further. The pain shoots through him and interrupts his attempted blow before it can strike true and end this conflict sooner. He falls to a knee with a curse on his breathe before flattening unto the floor completely.

Maya thinks quickly to corral the young man before he escapes them completely. Jack may be a once-in-a-lifetime distraction, but even he would not be enough to drown out a man screaming and running through the halls. Drawing the lasso back up above her head, she tosses it at him with a quick flick of the wrist, hoping to bind him and curtail his retreat. The loop deftly encircles the boy's waist before she pulls it taught. Unfortunately, her diminutive frame is unable to hold the drunken coward's mass in check.

Ash's bound beast seems to be proving the idea that just because a creature hails from a plane of evil does not necessarily render it innately more dangerous than a more plebeian member of its species. However, Atoli's distraction does manage to let his incantation strike home on the guard with the bugle. The blast manages to embed itself firmly into his shield arm, making him regret being so bold as to try to call reinforcements.

The secrecy of their escape has brought Gnash's blood to a boil. He channels the war cry he had refrained from making earlier into his spell, but the unfamiliar gestures accompanying it allow the plain man to shake of some of its effects.


Maya Lasso: [roll0]
Maya Strength Check: [roll1]
Young Guard Strength Check: [roll2]

Gruff Guard Fortitude Save: [roll3]

[Ellowryn]

Wow, that is really kinda nice... I haven't seen anybody actually ask to help others... Thrad says as he walks around the melee to the gear that the cowering guard had tossed to the ground, then idly picks up the longsword. Oh, and would you please stop trying to run away, you might accidentally get hurt... He says to the fleeing guard.

Will as stated walk around the melee, avoiding AoO's, and move over to pick up the longsword. I would toss it but i believe that it is a move action to retrieve something off the ground so it will have to wait. Also, intimidate check on the fleeing guard [roll0] to try and help Atoli keep him from running.

[Amazo]

In his inebriated stupor, the young man interprets Thradure's words as a threat and begins struggling against the lasso immediately. However, his uncoordinated attempts accomplish nothing.

The veteran, perhaps a lieutenant, takes a knee in as showy a bow as he can manage with his mangled arm before laying down his weapons. His face is furious as he spits, "I yield! If ye have half the honor o' one of Talingarde's sons, that'll be good enough for ye!" With his head still bowed, he addresses someone else in the room, "Jance, take 'em alive! Talingarde deserves to see 'em hang for this!"

The only guard still wielding a longsword sputters back, "But, sir..."

The bowed man bellows, "That's an order!" The plain man, apparently named Jance, does as he is told and drops his weapon with a metallic clatter on the stone floor. With gritted teeth, he steps up to Gnash while drawing his club, intent on finishing the job his comrades had started.


Young Man Escape Artist: [roll0]

Jance Club Attack: [roll1]
Crit Confirmation: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3] nonlethal
Crit Damage: [roll4] nonlethal

http://i.imgur.com/HilpEBu.png

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli blinks in surprise. "Oooh, careful where you aim that club. You could poke an eye out." She steps back and raises her hand. Her holy symbol glows and the guard named Jance is suddenly overwhelmed with feelings of dread.


5' step back to D7

Casting doom. Jance needs to make a Will save DC 16 or be shaken for 1 minute.

[bcool999]

Accepting the gruff guard's surrender at his words, Ash tries to deal with the last remaining guard that isn't lassoed. Similarly he orders his pony to move up and attack him as well. Unfortunately, Ash had burned up a lot of power already and was forced to fall back on a cantrip. As the pony's hooves lashed out, a conjured ball of acid sped toward the guard's face.

Acid Splash GOOOO!
Ranged touch attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Ranged touch attack crit confirm: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

Pony attack 1: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]
Pony attack 2: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7]

[Kingzfall]

Gnash back-pedals away, trying to avoid the guards club.

Would... you.. just..... STOP!!!

Gnash throws together a quick gesture and incantation trying to stop the guard.

Gnash casts Daze on Jance
DC 14 Will

[Ellowryn]

Well then, there is only one of you looking for a fight any more, so i guess you are next up for a lovely gift of Acid Splash! As he holds the blade that is beyond his use that he realizes was rather useless to pick up.

Acid Splash!
Touch Attack Roll, taking the penalty due to melee that i forgot i needed to take... [roll0]
Confirmation if a crit [roll1]
Damage [roll2], x2 if a confirmed crit.

[Amazo]

And with this final barrage of blows, this guard is also brought to his knees. Longsword or no, it would seem that you have prevailed. Faced with his extreme odds against him, the young man goes slack against his bonds, presenting his wrists for bonding. Maya reels the man back in as you have two men breathing heavily, glaring daggers at you and two more men quaking in fear at your mere presence. Listening for the rumbling of Grumblejack below you, you hear one anguished yelp and the sound of a slamming wooden door. He seems to have made quick work of whomever awaited below.

[Kingzfall]

Gnash takes the club from the Jance

You wont need this anymore.
Gnash tilts his head toward the stairs to better hear.
Oh? it seems our friends is enjoying himself. Gnash gives the guards a pained grin.

Strip them of any equipment and throw them in the cell. They wont need it.

After the guards are secure and dealt with
You learned a hard lesson today. Control your enemies before they control you.... Not as smooth as a hoped, but your not quite dead. Your halfblood friend needs some help. His blood is not as strong as yours... Give him the potion. He needs it more than you.
Slightly perplexed Gnash approaches the half orc.
He tips back his head and pours the concoction down his throat.

After the guards are secure and Firost is being treated, Gnash finally falls to the ground himself.
Good..... now come help me... Gnash tries not to move too much. Everything hurts and even he's surprised he's still conscious

[bcool999]

With a gesture, Ash dismisses the pony back from whence it came, wishing that it had proved more of a distraction to the guards and their blades. Moving around the room, Ash collects the guards weapons and shields and moves them safely into a corner and out of their reach. "Armor off, otherwise what I did to his arm I will do to your heads." Ash says gesturing to the gruff guard's arm blackened with frostbite.

Ash then looks at the door out of the room that they didn't enter from, "What's behind that door?" Ash asks the nasally guard who cooperated first.

Intimidate on guards if needed to get them to disarm: [roll0]
Diplomacy on the nasally guard: [roll1]

[Amazo]

Ash's threats at additional violence do not seem entirely unfounded to the guards now that they have seen the pain he is capable of inflicting. Though they relinquish their weapons without hesitation, the three guards who had not handed over their keyrings do so now instead. The young man, still ensnared by the rope, is the first to answer, "That's the fireplace down to the kitchen. It's great and it's big, but it's no door."

Some of you may smirk as he stumbles over his words a bit to make sure he does not use any of his or his compatriots' previous demeaning slurs against you. Looking over at the doorway with more scrutiny, enough soot and ash dirty the floor to make what the boy says at least seem true. Seeing no other sconces for torches in the room, you only now realize that the only source of light presently is actually Atoli's light spell.

Atoli remembers there being light from a torch coming from where the fireplace is. She seems to have been mistaken while being dragged to meet Tiadora.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli frowns. "Okay. If you boys are done being violent brutes, we have an appointment to keep. Drink that health potion and let's get going before more guards show up."

[Amazo]

As Firost is unconscious, someone will have to manually administer the potion into his mouth for him to swallow. I suspect he might care who does this upon waking up, so I'd like someone to volunteer for it.

[Amazo]

As the healing ichor takes hold, Firost sputters back to consciousness, likely bolting upright not knowing the battle had been won.

Taking inventory of all of the items that guards hand over, you have received four keyrings, each with seemingly identical keys except one unique one on each ring, four longbows, four quivers of arrows, four longsword, four clubs, four chain shirts, four heavy wooden shields, and, if you are particularly thorough with taking equipment, four guard uniforms, all of which are Medium sized.

Firost has 7 HP. And so the game of HP rocket tag begins.

[Kingzfall]

Get them in a cell quickly. Except that last one.... Jance? was it. we have plans for him.
Ideas an thoughts merge in Gnashs mind/
He cracks a small smile and nods in agreement.
With the guards disarmed, Gnash makes sure that the guards are ushered into a cell.
Before Jance can enter the cell, Gnash turns him around and forces his hand around his throat
DC 15 Will to resist
Know fear....
After the hex is applied, Gnash pushes him into the cell and closes the door.

If I ever see ANY of you again, or hear that you some how aided anyone that may come after us. I will kill him
Gnash points to the new scar around Jances throat. I will kill him, then I come after the rest of you. IS THAT CLEAR!?

[roll0]

Glance glares one final time, then leaves the cells. He picks up a set of clean clothes and proceeds to cut them into bandages.
He then applies said bandages to himself
[roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

" Are you done showing off? Can we leave now?" Atoli asks in annoyance.

[bcool999]

"Yes let's get moving." Ash says to the others, "If I remember correctly, the warden of the prison is rather lax in his administration and leaves things to Blackerly... who has also let the place fall to pieces. The warden is a war wizard named Richter who lives in the tower next to the prison... I will admit I am a bit tempted to see if he has my spellbook sequestered away in there, but perhaps it isn't wise to challenge a wizard in his own tower hmm?"

Ash looks to the others for a moment, almost hoping that they will disagree and seek to challenge the wizard, but eventually he continues, "Anyway, once we escape the prison proper, we still need to overcome the gatehouse on the mainland, and after that we need to foil any pursuit. For now I suggest we make our way to see how Jack is doing below."

[Kingzfall]

Yes..... Now that we don't have to worry about a threat i'm ready to go......

Gnash ties the dagger to his side and picks up the club.

Lets go see how things turned out for our friend. If you don't mind. I've been a living shield enough for one day. Someone else can lead the charge this time.

[Ellowryn]

So after the demonic ogre it is then! He hands the longsword off to anybody who wants it and then follows after the group.

[Amazo]

Gnash leaves Jance grasping madly at his own throat. He expects the mark to strangle him at any moment. He pleads with his fellow prisoners to help him, scraping his fingers over the mark, as the lot of you close the door on them.

When you make your way downstairs, you are greeted by a sight of great carnage. The landing of the stairs leads enters into a hallway ending in a grand set of wooden doors with high ornate stone arches above them. The construction of this part of the building does seem to have had some care for quality put into it, unlike the prisoner's accommodations above. Along the hall, you spot two wooden doors on either side. The first door on your left is open and knocked off its hinges. The unmoving form of a man lays with arms outstretched, looking at you with unblinking eyes. Along the right wall between the two doors, slumped just underneath a torch sconce is another man whose skull seems to have been caved in. You can only imagine what has happened to the man whose legs can be seen from outside the second doorway on the left. None of these men seemed to have been armed, as you fail to spot any armor or the tabbards of the guards' uniforms on any of them. The doors at the end of the hall are closed to seal in the sight of these gory ends, but the bar for it seems to have been burst into two splintery halves on the floor just before the entrance.

[TomPliss]

"Well, I know who I don't want to be the prey of..."

[Kingzfall]

I agree.... It seems our friend can more than handle himself. Now where did he go?

You can always follow the trail of bodies.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Well, shall we try opening that door at the end of the hall?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli puts on a chain shirt, hoists up a heavy shield, and then opens the door at the edge of the hallway.

[Kingzfall]

Gnash follows behind Atoli. Actively listening and searching for any threat.

[roll0]

[Amazo]

The silence is deafening as you creep along the hallway. Though you keep your eyes on your goal at the end of the hallway, your hearts pound at what may be behind each door you pass. The first open door on your left features presumably the first of Jack's victims. Your proximity to him lets you see the heavy bruises already developing around his collar. If you peer into the rooms beyond him, you see a small office with a desk, sconce, and cabinet with a door on the other side. This door has also been battered down. Beyond that, you can spot the telltale shards of the window indicating this is where Jack started his escape and subsequent rampage. Venturing further down the fall, your only company is once again the sound of your own footfalls and the gentle crackling of torches as you pass by the seated corpse.

Nothing stops you from reaching the end of the hallway, though something catching your eye just might cause you to pause. The second door to the right is ajar and leads to what you assume to be the guards' quarters. Jack apparently disturbed these men from their sleep or socializing. What really catches your interest, though, is through the second door on the left: the last corpse is sprawled over a door leading into a supply room. Even unlit, the light from the hallway catches enough metal inside to glint with the promise of what lies within. Atoli's light spell reveals it all: armor of varying types and even sizes, weapons of all stripes, and atop a rack in the far corner of the room is a sign labelled, "Contraband." Maya's eyes are quick to spot the familiar metallic tube, grip, and trigger of her own invention laying there, though it seems much worse for wear than when she had been apprehended.

[bcool999]

Quickly changing course upon seeing the supply room, Ash is rather hopeful that his spellbook is in there. Though I doubt it, if I was the warden I would have any captured spellbooks brought to my tower rather than gather dust in a supply room.

[Ellowryn]

Oh! Contraband is always a good place to start, or a bad place to end, wither way this could be our chance to get some really nice stuff. Thrad then heads over to the door, eying to corpse to see if there is anything important on it and to see if is still intact enough for other uses even if he can't do anything with it right now.

Perception roll, boy i love making checks with skills i have no ranks in [roll0]

[Amazo]

A quick perusal of the room disappoints Thradure as he sees that everything in this room is of the order of martial equipment. Neatly hung on hooks with names posted on placards above them are 6 extra sets of the guards' uniforms, armor, and weapons. The contraband corner seems like much more of a jumbled menagerie than the guards' equipment though. Even at a glance, Thradure spots a suit of scale mail, a crudely made shiv, a massive hammer with cruel points on its head, a glaive, at least three sets of leather armor, including a Small one, four quarterstaves, a trident, a battle axe, and an assortment of swords that would need further examining for proper classification. All of this is of course in addition to the bizarre device and the sack tied to it that Maya seems so keen on.

[bcool999]

Looking about the room with distaste, What need have I for crude implements such as these? Ash inevitably admits that he will find no spellbooks here. Though he does pick up a staff, he sees a lot of walking in his future and having something to defend himself with, or lean on when he is winded, may come in handy.

[bcool999]

Looking about the room with distaste, What need have I for crude implements such as these? Ash inevitably admits that he will find no spellbooks here. Though he does pick up a staff, he sees a lot of walking in his future and having something to defend himself with, or lean on when he is winded, may come in handy.

[Ellowryn]

Well, that was indeed disappointing... He slowly walks over and takes one of the other stave's. Better to be thorough though, and with a moment he focuses inward to bring forth his arcane power, Detect Magic. Once activated he begins to sweep the rooms looking for anything that might be useful.

Casting detect magic and sweeping the rooms seeing if there is anything magical. If there will concentrate on it to try and determine what it is.

[Amazo]

Sadly, he finds nothing in this room is magical, though you do see a pair auras in a room behind this one. Without line of sight, however, he cannot identify the types of aura or properties of the items.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli sees nothing of value to her, but she will walk around and provide light to anyone who requests it.

[Kingzfall]

Gnash looks at the spiked hammer. Then to the club in his hand. Then back to the hammer.
Without looking back at the club, Gnash drops it and stumbles over to the hammer.
He picks it up and takes a few practice swings to get a feel for the weapons weight.

This is assuming its either a Heavy Mace or a Morningstar.

Not bad.....

[Ellowryn]

Interesting still, there are more magic aura's beyond that wall He points in the direction he detected the magic from.

Assuming the group chooses to follow the aura's he will keep up detect magic and navigate to them.

[Amazo]

The only exit to this room is back into the main hallway. Keeping Thradure's vision centered on the auras, he loses sight of them when he tries to look at them through hallway wall. He reasons that they are likely accessible from the office the group passed further up the hall. If you follow this hunch, Thrad is successfully able to pick the auras back up as being from somewhere in the room that Jack jumped down into. Some of you may be getting nervous at the amount of time you are loitering within the prison as these frequent changes in armor do take a few moments to complete. To make matters worse, the soft ringing of the new armor makes stealth more difficult though Firost's personal training to conceal his movements help to counteract this greatly. Nonetheless, you are not disturbed as you work your way through the small office, taking note of the locked door and desk with strewn papers here as you pass them. The bedroom that connects to the office seems like a ludicrous waste of space in the relatively cramped halls of Branderscar. There is only an armoire, a bed, and a nightstand in the whole room. Thradure's eyes focus on the bed, since the auras seem to emanating from underneath it. The bed sheets are strewn about and the mattress sags indicating either frequent or recent use.

It functions as a morningstar.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli picks up on Thradure's interest and detects magic herself. Spotting the auras, she'll climb under the bed and examine what's beneath it.

[Amazo]

Looking under the bed, Atoli finds the source of the auras to be two stoppered flasks next to a hard metal footlocker. They glow with an energy similar to the flask Gnash had given Firost earlier though the larger bottle and volume of liquid seem to indicate some dilution has occurred.

At the same time, Gnash's rifling through the desk turns up three articles of interest. First, he finds a professionally-made map of the prison along with a hastily written schedule of guards and their locations around the prison. Second, he finds a number of papers that seem to be keeping some kind of financial record for the upkeep of the prison. There have been extensive revisions to them with entries being double and triple blotted before a final total is reached in some spots. Finally Gnash finds a short personal letter from the warden to Blackerly. It seems recent as the wax seal has only been broken instead of removed for filing purposes.

The letter reads, "Not one but two treasonous affronts to my craft are being brought here on the morrow. See to it that their arcane effects are brought immediately to my library for cataloging or study. I will find a way to scour Talingarde of those scum down to a man yet!"

http://i.imgur.com/W0ZqGC1.jpg
This map is accurate except for the four units indicated as patrolling the wall. The schedule indicates that there are no wall patrols tonight.

[bcool999]

Stroking his chin thoughtfully after reading the note to Blackerly, and reviewing the map, Ash looks around the room, judging the combat ability of those around him before conferring with Thrad, "I believe I know where our spellbooks are being kept. Unfortunately, retrieving them would likely take us directly to the Warden who studies the arcane out in his tower rather than see to his duties toward this prison, which we should all be grateful for. He is a celebrated veteran on the wall, but I know for a fact that his deeds have been exaggerated in the telling. I believe if we strike hard we may be able to overpower him and take back our spellbooks. Now we just need to convince the others to aid us."

[Ellowryn]

Hrm... I concur. As for convincing the others, what do you think the odds are that our friend Blackey will run to the all-powerful wizard while being chased by our friendly demonic ogre? Thrad gives a mischievous grin back to Ash.

[TomPliss]

"The map doesn't indicate any guard with him, and there are 6 of us. Let's get you what is yours !"

[Kingzfall]

Gnash has a confused look on his face.

To himself, Why would they need books?

They need the books for their magic.

Don't they have a voice that tells them how to use magic?

No, they aren't as lucky as you my friend. We should go with them. There's a chance that our mask is alongside their books.

The mask? Why would we need it?

If you wish to continue to wield my magic.... you will find the mask.

Gnash nods his head in agreement, Find the mask. Got it.

Lets go get ou... I mean your stuff.

[Ellowryn]

Stopping for a moment before heading to the tower, Thrad will concentrate on the discovered bottles to try and see if he figure out their exact contents.

Attempting spellcraft checks to identify the two potions, DC equals 15+CL of them
Potion 1 [roll0]
Potion 2 [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli pulls the metal footlocker out from under the bed and checks to see if its locked. If not she'll open it.

[Amazo]

Thradure confirms that the second bottle indeed contains another cure light wounds spell. He is unable to identify the first bottle precisely, but due to their being stored together and the similarities in appearance and aura, he may deduce the first bottle contains the same.

Atoli's hands heave against the lid of the locker to no avail. In moving the trunk to get better access to it though, you all do hear the unmistakable sound of vast numbers of coins sloshing against each other come from within.

Maya enters the room after having stayed behind to change into one of the spare sets of leathers. For those still interested in her curious device, she has fashioned a simple rope belt to hold the sack to her hip. The peculiar device itself is half hanging out of the bag. She also seems to have salvaged a bow and some arrows of her size perhaps from under the pile of leathers or tucked away in a corner you had not paid much attention to.

Looking over everyone's ransacking, Maya approaches Atoli to examine the trunk's lock with her. She has her tools at the ready but her frown deepens as she says, "Of course Blackerly would be keeping something with a functional lock for himself. I don't think I can do this one without a key or help from someone that knows more about locks than I do. Maybe one of you big, strong men could break it open if we had the time." The last bit comes out dripping with sarcasm and an accompanying roll of the eyes.

[Kingzfall]

Well, we might get to chance to ask Blackery for his keys on our way to the Warden.

Gnash chuckles. Unless Jack ate him. if thats the case, you may have to wait awhile for that key.
With that, a thought hits him Or you could just get Jack to smash it open too. Should see what kind of trouble he's getting into.

[bcool999]

Waving a hand dismissively Ash chuckles, "With the level of sheer force I have seen out our dear friend Jack he will likely be well on his way making mashed pulp out of the remainder of the guards in the guardpost outside. I doubt we need worry over him. For now we should make any preparations we need to face the Warden. Speaking of which..."

Ash holds out a hand in front of him and concentrates for a moment, a mote of energy appears in his hand glowing faintly before he promptly pops it into his mouth and swallows. "Ahh... much better, though that is only a temporary measure until I can get some sleep... We have to leave the main building to reach the Warden's tower. We can return and melt the lock if we can't find Blackerly or Jack, let's go take our first look outside these walls since our incarceration shall we?"

Using Consume Spells to 'eat' one of my level 1 spell slots and restore 1 point to my arcane reservoir so I have 1 level 1 spell left and 2 arcane reservoir points remaining.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Well, I'm all out of ammo until I get some rest, so if we're going to fight the Warden, I'm going to be useless," Atoli warns. "That is, unless you want me to throw out bursts of energy that will decay your skin and send you to an early grave."

[Kingzfall]

We have one more trick up our sleeve.
We do?!Gnash asks excitedly
Yes, but it's the last one until we find the mask. Make it count.....A dark imposing presences pushing down on Gnash
Ye...Yes....
Gnash turns back to the group.
Another weapon is useful enough. We should get the drop on him before he has a chance to strike back.

Gnash follows the group limping behind.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli picks up the two potions and hands them to Gnash. "Drink these. Both of them. Dying to injuries is not graceful at all. You need to be in perfect physical condition for all the infections I'll be giving you once we get out of here." She smiles sweetly.

[Kingzfall]

Gnash gives Atoli and the Vials a worried look.

Don't worry. She's not trying to kill you...... At least not yet.

Gnash takes one of the vials and downs it in a quick gulp.

[roll0]

Edit - Gnash feels his wounds stitch shut and the pain fade away. He stretches and checks himself any remaining wounds.

Ahh..... much better.
Now that he feels like he isn't knocking on deaths door, Gnash checks the map for the quickest way to the Wardens tower.
He then takes a few more swings with his new hammer.
Gnash then motions for everyone to follow and proceeds to make way to entrance to the Wardens tower.

[Amazo]

The group correctly assumes that if there were any guards still present in the dining hall or kitchen, they would have been alerted to Jack's escape long before now. You make your way back into the hallway to investigate the only door in the main hallway left closed. The map tells you the room beyond is a dining room, and the unlocked door reveals the same. Given the slovenly and inebriated nature of the guards you have encountered so far, you may be expecting a disaster of a room to be before you, but instead it is kept quite tidy. Perhaps the prison has supplementary staff to take care of these duties? In any case, you file along the empty rows between tables, careful not to scrape their wooden legs against the floor and draw any further unneeded attention. The door leading out the back of the dining hall actually opens its top and bottom halves separately, though pulling the unlocked door handle opens both parts simultaneously for you now.

Peering into the kitchen, the disarray you expected from the dining hall is instead found within the kitchen with pots, firewood, plate, and utensils strewn about the floor. The group's pace slows further to avoid sending any of the heavy metal items on the floor rattling about though there is no great skill to avoiding them other than proceeding cautiously. Huddling up on the door exiting the side of the kitchen, the sound of crickets can be clearly heard on the other side. When you unlatch the door to exit the prison however, the sound quickly escalates to a loud din instead. As it is summer, the pests are fully in season tonight. Apparently the small garden of herbs and crops maintained on the prison island itself is more than enough to draw a small horde of them to the island for spawning. You may count your blessings that this maelstrom of cacophonous chirping will likely drown out a good deal of the noise of your escape to those stationed in the guard house.

Surrounding you is the prison wall, periodically dotted with guards' towers exactly where the map indicates they should be. Each tower is lit with a pair of torches at its top and at the entrance at its base. The groups' attentions are drawn to the one tower unique from the rest. Whereas most of the towers are barely thirty feet across, this one spans almost a hundred, and while the others consist of only two floors with a presumably elongated staircase between them, this tower features three floors to stand imposingly above the entire prison. Its peak and flag give the air of something some fairy-tale princess ought to be locked away in rather than the makeshift wizard's tower you now know it to be. Regardless, you make your way towards it, intent on punishing the man whose sole task was to prevent you from harming anyone ever again.

As normal, you are entitled to Perception checks to learn more. However, as Atoli may wish to extinguish her light, DCs will be greater. If she does not, DCs will remain unchanged.

[Ellowryn]

Well, lets go rescue the princes, imean loot the tower. Thrad says with a chuckle. Once finished he will begin looking around the are for signs of danger and cover.

Perception check [roll0]
I have darkvision 60ft and low-light vision if that makes a difference.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli kills her light spell and sneaks along with the rest of the group.


Stealth: [roll0]
Perception: [roll1]

[Kingzfall]

Gnash also creeps along with the group, keeping an eye out for danger.
Stealth [roll0]
Perception[roll1]
Also the other heal potion [roll2]

[bcool999]

Grimacing at the need to skulk about in the dark, Ash nevertheless sees the necessity of catching the Warden unawares as much as possible. With luck he will not even know Jack is escaped, much less that we have left our cell.

Perception: [roll0]
Stealth: [roll1]

[Amazo]

Everyone's scanning eyes take in the legions of dead crickets already strewn about this courtyard, but Atoli, Thradure, Gnash, and Firost can see a particularly high heap underneath a small bush nearby. Across from the kitchen's exit lays the aforementioned garden attracting the crickets. For the most part, it consist of a few simple rows of staple items, but one lone shrub lays carefully pruned and planted away from the rest. This plant is the one sporting the particularly high occurrence of dead crickets. Relatively confident in your groups' attempt at remaining hidden, some of you may wish to examine this curiosity further.

For those of you that spotted the occurrence near the plant, you are entitled to Knowledge (nature) or Survival checks to identify the plant if you examine it. Otherwise, someone needs to inform you that they're investigating the plant for your own check to be possible.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Interesting. I believe we may have found the source of our friend's weakened state here. But to grow poison in the open and force it upon your prisoners so brazenly...I doubt such actions would be well received by Talingarde."

The priestess kneels down to examine the lone shrub.

[roll0] Survival

[Amazo]

A quick examination of the shape of the leaves, their color, and the arrangement of branches gives some of you some insight into the vegetation.

http://i.imgur.com/OxDJKJt.png
You have identified the shrub as being belladonna. Preparing the poison is quite simple, in fact. You simply brew a tea with it, and you've found enough for three such doses.

You may attempt Appraise checks to place a value on the poison if you are made aware of what it is and are trained in the skill.

[Ellowryn]

This could be useful in the future as an ingested poison, unfortunately not so much right now unless you guys want to add it to the mages tea, but just in case... Thrad sneaks over to the bush and retrieves a couple of the better looking leaves and stuffs them into his makeshift bandolier. Plus this could be worth some coin in a pinch, better make sure to come back and prune this later before we leave. From there he follows along with the rest of the group.

Appraise check to the poison leaves [roll0]

[Amazo]

Thradure's hasty stuffing of the leaves into his pockets may quicken just a bit as he finishes wracking his memory...

Thradure believes the poison to be worth 120 gp per dose. A particularly unlucky victim would likely collapse under the weight of their own body or simply be incapable of mustering enough force to inflate their lungs. That kind of potential has to be worth quite a bit to the right person...

[Ellowryn]

Pausing before heading off, he grabs quite a few of the leaves, and then begins to wonder how difficult it would be to just take the bush with them.

[Amazo]

The rest of the group abstains from the bush as Thrad has at it. Once he finishes thoroughly stripping the branches, he turns to the rest of the group satisfied with his work. Continuing to their objective, the group slinks along the south side of the prison compound to avoid the torchlight from the nearby guard tower. As the six of you confidently step to the door, a tremendous roar whips your heads towards the north side of the prison. From its deep rumbling tones, you believe it to be Jack, but even with the roar's volume, making the words out is difficult.

Your cover my have just been irreparably blown by this display. Maya tries the door to usher you all inside but turns pale when it does not budge. She fumbles quickly with her ring of keys trying each one. The sound of the crickets seems as quiet as death as you try to listen for the sound of guards approaching or the sound of the warden inside. With a small show of relief on her face Maya throws the door open when one of the keys proves successful. Her hand whips her strange contraption from its holster at her hip before she nods towards the tower interior.

As always you are entitled to Perception checks, though in this case I ask for up to three: one to understand Jack's shout, one to listen for any potential threats, and one to survey the room before you as you rush inside.

[Amazo]

Each of you tries to make sense of this flurry of sensory information as quickly as possible. There's no room for mistakes here with all of your lives on the line.

The adrenaline pumping in Gnash's ears makes focusing on each individual occurrence difficult. The moment blurs together in his mind, but the sound of a bugle after Jack's roar breaks him from his reverie.

Firost's senses fiercely hone in on signs of danger. When he was doing shakedowns before, this is the exact moment where someone getting the drop on you would mean everything you've done was in vain. He discerns the sounds of a bugle sounding to the north, dogs barking and growling, heavy footfalls fading away, and the scrap of furniture somewhere up above.

Atoli can hear the call of a bugle to the north following Jack's indiscernible roar. Peering into the room to scan for anything significant, Atoli sees that the entire floor seems to be a makeshift museum dedicated to the history of Branderscar Prison and the accomplishments of its wardens. Her eyes are drawn to a tapestry much more ornate and elaborate than the rest commemorating when Branderscar Prison was first opened after being repurposed from an abandoned castle. Given the sheer size of the thing and the incredible effort put into its majestic appearance, Atoli is certain that it is the most important item in the room, whether for misappropriation or desecration to send a message. She also spots a few bookshelves at the landing of the spiral staircase in the middle of the room.

The exuberant defiance of Jack's roar draws Thradure's attention. He may have found an individual as keen on mastering the course of their life as himself. Thradure manages to make out a guttural, "WE SHALL LIVE!" amidst Jack's cries, further lending credence to his theory.

[Amazo]

With your new information in mind, you proceed swiftly into the tower's first floor. The room around you is rudimentarily lit with a single torch marking the base of the spiral staircase at the room's center. With just that basic lighting, you can make out that the room's four walls and even some of the ceiling have been overtaken by plaques, medals, framed papers, tapestries, and at least two trophy cases where the wall has simply run out of room. Although you cannot read precisely what is written or depicted on each of these pieces, the whole affair seems almost masturbatory in its self-congratulation. Given the shambles of the prison's actual state as well as it's less-than-legal undertakings, the pride and adulation you sense in this room might leave some of you almost nauseated and the rest struggling not to scoff heartily out loud. If you look around the room for any further exits, the staircase seems to be your only recourse aside from the door you just closed behind yourselves.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli walks closer to the tapestry, examining it.

Detect magic. Appraise [roll0]

[Ellowryn]

Well, if there is one thing this wizard isn't, its humble. Thrad moves around the room examing the various items and guessing at their worth. If we had some sort of extradimensional space item we might be able to use this stuff to help with our severance package.

Search check of room, Perception [roll0]
Appraise check of the stuff i find/see [roll1]

[Amazo]

Thradure takes a quick stroll about the room, taking in the sights as he does. His eyes have no trouble reading the memorabilia in the darkness, but what he finds is disheartening. Most of the items plastered to the wall have a person's name written on them. Medals of honor dedicated to one particular colonel, diplomas for research on arcane theory, letters of thanks from various nobles for the prison's service, and other things of that nature. While the collection is no doubt impressive, it would be difficult to find a market for any one of these items save for perhaps a thieves' guild for having accurate signatures on hand to forge. At the end of his circular path, Thradure meets Atoli still peering upon the same tapestry that caught her attention since entering the room though now with the glowing blue eyes you have become accustomed to. As you both gaze upon it, you reach similar conclusions based on its history.

This tapestry is actually rather well-known in Talingarde. Facsimiles of it are made and hung in courthouses and guardhouses around the nation as a reminder of Talingarde's ultimate and swift justice. Selling the original to some public office like that must be quite a unique opportunity. Atoli believes it would fetch no less than 237 gp at least! Thrad's estimate is a far more conservative 150 gp accounting for trying to sell the piece quickly and cheaply so as to avoid too much scrutiny into its acquisition. Alas for all its fine craftsmanship, there is no magic woven into the threads of the thing. The tapestry itself bears three crests on it. The first is a crenelation against a red background, the second depicts the same crenelation reduced to rubble against white, while the third is the crest of Talingarde, a yellow sun against a dark blue left half and white right half. Embroidered beneath the apparently transitioning crests are two mottoes: "From the Rubble, Justice," and "His Judgment Cometh and Right Soon." Finally, the peak that the tapestry comes to at its base depicts a landscape of the prison overlooking the mainland with an oversized sun casting rays on both it and the capital city of Matharyn.

Thrad may flippantly consider stealing all of the metallic objects to melt down into raw gold to sell to a mint, but that would likely necessitate the routing of the entire guard force at the prison to prevent being accosted with a large jingling sack slung over his shoulder. Still, the 25 gp the group could potentially receive per pound of the stuff might make that option palatable.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli takes one of the daggers the group has and rips the tapestry apart, tearing it to shreds and arrange them into an unholy symbol on the floor.

[Kingzfall]

Gnash sees little use in all the awards and such that decorate the wall.

He smirks alittle as Atoli destroys the tapestry but says nothing.

Gnash instead heads to the base and prepares to ascend.
He listens carefully, hoping that the events on the bottom floor haven't alerted the towers occupants.

Listen to hear any movement and such on the stairs.
[roll0]

[TomPliss]

Same as Gnash, Firost is more focused on the potential danger than on the scenery.

[roll0]

[Amazo]

Gnash and Firost take points on either sides of the stairs and strain their sense to detect danger. Firost hears the familiar sound of wood scraping on stone coming from up above, but this is the first time Gnash has heard the sound echoing down to them. The scraping continues briefly before stopping. Rather than a hushed silence retaking the room, Atoli's work tearing apart the tapestry reverberates around the floor. The ornament is quite large, but after a few determined minutes she manages to elicit a crude skull-adorned insect from the cloth. Fortunately, after tearing off the thin strips to create the outline of her symbol, relatively large swaths of the cloth could be left almost unworked to form the wings. An image often rendered in stone, wood, or silver or painted with oils of yellow, red, and black now lays before you assembled from blue, gold, and white. As a parting insult, Atoli leaves the mangled remains of each of the three crests ruined in the eyes and mouth of the skull shape.

During those busy few minutes, Gnash and Firost do not hear any more sounds from above, but they do overhear the sound of approaching dogs. They seem to have entered the prison or been muzzled as they currently cannot be heard.

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20081007003910/pathfinder/images/d/da/Urgathoa_symbol.jpg

[Kingzfall]

Gnash whispers over to Firost, "And she calls me a showoff. Anyway, we best get going. "

I motion for the rest of the group to follow.

[Ellowryn]

Thrad sighs as he looks at Atoli's handiwork, then consoles himself with the fact that carrying it out to sell would have probably been more problematic than it was worth. Seeing Gnash motion to come along, he nods and follows.

[bcool999]

Ash strolls the room as well for a moment, such petty accolades to gloat over... though I would be curious in those arcane thesis papers if I could get my hands on them rather than the papers praising the work.

He nods at the orc's whispered suggestion and prepares himself to cast as soon as he sees the wizard.

[NeoSeraphi]

"So sorry if you feel like I wasted it," Atoli comments, glancing at Thradure. "I was imprisoned for worshipping someone other than the 'right' god. I wanted to make sure that these guards understand there are more faiths than theirs in the world, and they can't suppress this faith with simple imprisonment or executions." She stands up and walks over to stand next to Gnash as they leave the room.

[Amazo]

Your steps upstairs are incredibly trepidatious. You almost hold your breathe with each step in preparation for the first inevitable blow you'll land on the warden. As you train your eyes on the tight twist of the spiraling steps, you anticipate what might be just around the bend. Those tense moments pass as you reach a landing on the second floor. Unlike the beaky lit first, you have no difficulty seeing around this room. Like before the walls are also completely covered, but this time bookcases are crammed full around the floor. Other than a few desks and chairs, the room seems devoid of anything of note. No warden. The scraping from earlier may have been the warden holing himself up on the third floor.

[Amazo]

You feel that you have dallied long enough from your goal. You are here to take down the warden and reclaim what was stolen from you. Nothing else will distract you from him now. You immediately turn your backs on the library, continuing your ascent up the spiral staircase. Remembering the map, you know the tower only has three floors and judging from about how far you think you've gone, there isn't much of the tower left to climb up.

As you suspect, the tight spirals of steps give way to another landing relatively quickly this time. Instead of the open layouts of the previous floors, you have been let out into a small hall with a door to the left and right and a torch in front of you. The map told you that the right should contain his office, but the left ought to house his personal quarters as well as his laboratory and study. Even with a quick glance at the door, you can see that the knob is barely attached to the frame. The wood of the door seems to have warped and curled on both the top and bottom halves. Still, the grain of the door's wood is visible to you now as something seems to be wedging the bottom half of the door back into its original shape.

This great wizard that repelled the hordes, this master strategist who could lead an army to terrifying feats seems to have been caught completely unawares and is barricading a disrepaired door between himself and his would-be assailants. It would be funny if it weren't so pitiful...

[Amazo]

Firost puts his shoulder to the door to free it from its unnatural curvature. With a modicum of force, the handle frees itself from the frame. Then comes the shoving of the barriers behind the door. Even this proves no match for the powerful man pushing the weight. After all, what great amount could a feeble wizard have moved into place by himself? With the door half-opened, Firost kicks it open the rest of the way to face the man inside with weapons drawn.

Inside, you can see the thin, old man leaning against a table supporting an alchemy lab. He looks up at the sky to utter a few choice curses under his breath before returning his gaze to all of you. The telltale gestures of one hand as he looks down to his waist and frantically grabs for a reagent from the pouch strapped there makes his intent clear. He doesn't want to negotiate. He is going to defend himself first and foremost.


No surprise rounds this time, I think.
Maya: [roll0]
Warden:[roll1]

[Kingzfall]

Gnash see's the Warden reaching for his reagent pouch. Alarms start going off in his mind.
He hefts his new hammer and charges the warden.

Attack[roll0]
Crit[roll1]
Dmg[roll2]
Crit [roll3]

[Amazo]

Gnash is unprepared for his club to clang against an invisible force just above the warden's body, but his momentum is enough to penetrate the unseen barrier and connect with the man. To his credit, he staggers only momentarily before trying to continue with his spell, leaning against alchemist's lab behind him to create as much space between him and the orc in front of him as possible. He jostles the table just enough to send a small pile of books and a dusty rag scattering off the edge to the floor below.

The blood now trickling down the man's lip glints as panic turns to practiced wartime stratagem on the rest of his visage. His eyes narrow to the orc before him, and his countenance takes on a sugary pleading tone as he incants his spell.


Warden Defensive Casting DC 17: [roll0]
Gnash, make a DC 17 Will save, please, but you do get an attack of opportunity first.

[Amazo]

The spell fizzles in the wizard's hands. His fingers grasp for it as if it were something tangible and precious slipping away from him. His betrays none of the disappointment implied by that though as he hurriedly shuffles away and continues to straighten a newly drawn scroll.

Maya seems confident about the battles progress, quipping, "Finally a field test on someone that's earned it!" With a quick grace, Maya barrels into the room and takes the first corner to her right as her own. En route, she draws her contraption from her hip before taking a knee at the corner and steadying her aim. Once she feels she has drawn a bead on the man, the rest of you are buffeted by a flash of fire and a crack of thunder emanating from the alchemist in the corner.

The top of one of the vials behind Richter bursts from some unseen impact. The liquid sloshes around the remaining glassware before settling. Just as well: who knows what that stuff is... Meanwhile, Maya silently fumes as her fingers fumble to reset her contraption.


Attack Roll: [roll0] vs. touch AC
Confirmation: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Critical Damage: [roll3]

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli took a breath and aimed her finger carefully at the wizard's chest, firing a ray of necrotic energy. The wizard's skin starts to rot

[Ellowryn]

Well, if nothing else he is a better spellcaster to me, and without the use of my most powerful magic we wont stand a chance, Thrad thinks, that is if we just let him sit back and cast spells however he wants As a grin spreads across his face, as he readies his magic for when the wardens defenses are lowest.

Readying an action to interrupt the wardens spellcasting with Acid Splash
Stats if he tires to cast or use a scroll/wand/etc...
Touch Attack [roll0]
Crit Confirm [roll1]
Damage [roll2], + [roll3] if a confirmed crit.

[TomPliss]

Firost moves forward, dagger drawn, and slash it at the warden.


Attack roll [roll0], damage roll : [roll1]
crit confirm roll [roll2], damage roll : [roll3]

[bcool999]

Expending some of his arcane energy, Ash once more summons a beast from the hells. This time a dog (not quite a hell-hound) appears next to the wizard, prepared to lash out at him at the merest suggestion of spellcasting.

Spending a point from my arcane reservoir to summon a fiendish dog on the other side of the wizard from us (to prevent 5ft stepping and casting) who will ready an attack against the wizard if he starts to cast.

I will go ahead and have the dog smite good on the wizard. (+1 damage if the wizard is good aligned)
Dog Attack (if triggered): [roll0] +2 if he gets flanking with someone else attacking the wizard.
Dog Damage: [roll1] (+1 extra if the wizard is good)
Dog HP 7/7
Dog AC 13, 12 touch.

[Amazo]

Whatever is on the wizard's scroll can only be to your detriment. Gnash, Ash's newly bound servant, and Thradure each try fiercely to put a stop to Richter's muttered reading off the scroll, but each of your attempts interferes with the others. As the cacophony of steel, snarling, and sizzling begins to die down, the wizard takes a simple step away from the huddled combatants before him to complete his spell. As the scroll turns to ash in his hands, the warden himself fades from sight with a cackle. In an instant, he has disappeared entirely.

Those of you with training may attempt a Spellcraft check to identify the spell cast from the scroll.

[Ellowryn]

Not what i wanted to happen, Thrad angrily thinks to himself, now what have we allowed him to do?

Spllcraft check [roll0]

[Amazo]

You have identified the spell as being invisibility. He must still be in the room, though he is likely to stay quiet to hide himself.

[Kingzfall]

Spellcraft [roll0]

[Kingzfall]

If the DM will let me, i want to use my Possessed trait to have the entity attempt a spellcraft check.

It's usually for knowledge, but i figured spellcraft should be in the same grouping. I'll let the DM decide.

[roll0]

just in case.

edit- nm. Gnash is swinging at air.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Well, it would seem the arcane caster has fled, as thin wimpy wizards tend to do. Not that I blame him. Facing the magic of a god must be truly terrifying for you arcane charlatans." She nods to Ash and Thradure.

[Ellowryn]

Nah, he is still here, we are blocking the door and there is no other way out of here than opening and jumping out the window. Plus he cannot cast without revealing himself. As a matter of fact, gnash if you could please go over to his alchemical shelves and begin splashing them all over the room, eventually he will have to move and reveal himself or get hit with his own creations. Thrad remarks with a smile while making sure to be ready to throw some more acid at the wizard if he tries to do anything else.

Readying an action while standing in the doorway to cast acid splash at the wizard if he tries to cast anything else, also taking 20 on perception check (total of 20) to see if he can pinpoint where in the room the wizard is.
Attack for the readied action [roll0]
Crit Confirm [roll1]
Damage [roll2], if a confirmed crit [roll3]

[Kingzfall]

Where did he go!? Gnash askes out loud, but not directed at anyone in the party.
Gnash still pokes the air where the warden just stood.

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli backs out of the room. "Well if you'll excuse me, I just escaped execution so I'll not waste my freedom dying to your vandalism of hazardous toxins. By ally means, though, proceed." She watches from the doorway.

[bcool999]

Ash shakes his head at Thrad's suggestion, "We need not risk any alchemical mishaps trying to find the wizard, my hound will sniff him out. The old fool may hide the pathetic sight of himself, but not the fetid reek of his fear."

"Hound, track the one who disappeared and tear him to shreds."

While his hound searches, Ash prepares a cantrip of acid to hurl at the wizard.

Hound: Move Action: get the direction of the wizard.
Move Action2: move in that direction to get within 5ft of the wizard (which pinpoints his location as per scent ability)
Free Action: Growl and point at the wizard's square allowing allys to target said square.

Ash: Readied action upon finding the wizard's square via hound: Acid Splash.
Attack: [roll0] (Firing into melee penalty)
Miss chance from invisibility: [roll1] (51-100 is a potential hit)
Damage: [roll2]

[Amazo]

Maya wears her doubts for hitting anything plainly on her face, but trusts Ash and his hound enough to take the shot anyway.

The ringing of the projectile's impact somewhere behind Firost and Gnash intensifies her sour expression.

Attack: [roll0] for melee
Crit: [roll1]
Damage: [roll]1d6[/roll[
Crit Damage: [roll2]
Miss Chance:[roll3]

[TomPliss]

"He's here !"
Firost tries again to slash at the warden, knowing that, the harder the attack is, the best the success fells.

Attack roll [roll0], damage roll : [roll1]
crit confirm roll [roll2], damage roll : [roll3]
Miss Chance:[roll4]

"isn't he ?"

[Kingzfall]

Here?!

Gnash moves up next to Firost and swings

Move in an attack
Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Miss Chance [roll2]

[NeoSeraphi]

"Is that so?" Atoli asks, her unholy symbol glowing black. "In that case, everyone brace yourselves. He can't hide from the Goddess of Death!"

Channel Negative Energy-affects all creatures in a 30' burst with no attack roll so invisibility doesn't matter. [roll0] damage to the warden and all my teammates, Will 11 for half.

[Amazo]

The warden hides the sound of the pain he surely felt well. Though you cannot see him, the dog indicates that he is still in the same spot he was a moment earlier. He's been cornered and may be but a frail mage, but you may worry what other tricks he may have in his pack.


[roll0]

[bcool999]

Seeing that the hound still has the wizard cornered, Ash once again sends acid at his foe. This time, the dog also lends it's fangs to the struggle. "Give up Warden. Hiding only delay's your death there is no escaping this. Reveal yourself and your death shall be quick and painless."

Dog: Attack [roll0] +2 if flanking with someone.
Damage: [roll1] +1 if the warden is good
Miss chance: [roll2] 51-100 = didn't miss

Ash: Acid Splash Ranged Touch: [roll3] (firing into melee)
Damage: [roll4]
Miss chance: [roll5] 51-100 = didn't miss

[Ellowryn]

I would listen if i were you, as there are several people here that would be more than happy to wear your still warm entrails as jewelry. Thrad added with an even bigger grin. Despite what he said he was still ready to intercept the warden if he tried anything magical.

Still taking 20 (total 20) on Perception in case he tries to sneak out, and readying an action to cast Acid Splash on him to interrupt any attempts to cast/use a scroll/whatever.
Attack roll [roll0]
Crit Confirm [roll1]
Damage [roll2], if a confirmed crit + [roll3]

[TomPliss]

Firost fails once again to hit the warden with his dagger: "Guys, are you really sure he's here ?"

Attack roll [roll0], damage roll : [roll1]
crit confirm roll [roll2], damage roll : [roll3]
Miss Chance: [roll4]

[Kingzfall]

"The dog says so. Trust his nose more than yours."

[roll0]
crit? [roll1]
[roll2]
Crit? [roll3]
Miss [roll4]

[Amazo]

Despite Gnash's words, some of you might still second guess the summoned beast. None of you manage to land a decisive strike once as far as you can tell. This futile hiding grating on you, it is actually some kind of relief for him to show himself again a few seconds later. His mutterings indicate he is casting a spell, but without being able to see him, you can't see where to attack him to stop him. Thradure tries another acid spell nonetheless, and it whizzes through his supposed location undeterred as well.

When Richter finally reappears, the confident look on his face shows he thinks he has already won, though it takes a moment for his spell to take hold. When it does, Ash, Thradure, Gnash, and Atoli feel a subtle pull of magic at their minds.

You're entitled to Spellcraft checks if you're trained in the skill. Otherwise, if I mentioned your character as being affected, please give me a Will save.

[Ellowryn]

This situation is beginning to get on my nerves! Thrad exclaims, as he braces himself for whats to come.

Spellcraft Check [roll0]
Will Save [roll1]
This fight would already be over if even half of our attacks had hit.... :smalleek:

[Amazo]

The spell is sleep
If you do not meet or exceed an 11 on your Will save, you fall asleep. If you make your save, feel free to describe yourself overcoming the spell's effects. If not, feel free to describe your failed struggle too!

[NeoSeraphi]

Atoli yawns and covers her mouth, fighting the urge to pass out.

[roll0]

[bcool999]

Ash blinks rapidly as the warden's spell washes over him. He makes and exaggerated yawning gesture before locking eyes with the warden. "Thank you for the offer Warden, but I believe I have infringed on your hospitality enough already. I shall find new lodgings before I lay down to sleep." Ash says with in a harsh snarl as he lashes out with arcane magic at his now visible foe.

Meanwhile, Ash's hound moves into position to harry the wizard along with one of Ash's allies and again nips at the warden.

Saved vs. Sleep so Ash if free to act.
Acid Splash: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Dog: 5ft. step to flank with someone if not already flanking with someone.
Bite!: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3] +1 if the warden is good aligned.

[Ellowryn]

Scraping the bottom of the barrel are we? Although i guess in your situation that spell was not a horrible idea, but as you can see it was less than effective.

Same as before, readying action to interrupt any spellcasting.
Attack [roll0]
Crit Confirm [roll1]
Damage [roll2], if a confirmed crit + [roll3]

[TomPliss]

Finally seeing the Warden, Firost attacks him with his dagger.


Attack roll [roll0], damage roll : [roll1]
crit confirm roll [roll2], damage roll : [roll3]

[NeoSeraphi]

Seeing the wizard reappear, Atoli raises her hand. "Parley! You are already injured, and we still have healing potions available. We can offer you one of these potions if you will call your guards off and allow us free passage out of this prison. You keep your life, and even manage to heal some of your wounds, and all you have to do in return is let us go. It's a very nice deal, considering we have you one foot in the grave already. What say you?"

I'm not sure if Intimidate or Diplomacy is more appropriate here. [roll0] <- Here's the roll if it's Diplomacy. If it's Intimidate, increase it by 1