IC: Double Dragon Way of the Wicked

[Saidoro]

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Branderscar Prison. An inescapable prison standing guard over the worst monsters of Talingarde, keeping the common person safe from the horrors of every other society.
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. Both 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.
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Zylus was the first. Taken all the way from the fortress of Balentyne on the watch wall, he has had many opportunities to experience the tender affection the soldiers of Talingarde hold for those who would desert the Watch Wall and let the beastly hordes south. At Branderscar you are to be held until your execution by hanging, and the soldiers have taken no precautions in holding their much hated and terribly intimidating prisoner. You are accompanied by no less that four guards at all times while out of your cell, the two behind you keeping their swords drawn and ready. Not that this has stopped you from noticing the same incompetence you saw at Balentyne. The walls and corridors hold only a fraction of the soldiers that they should and a disgusting number of those that are there are clearly drunk, poorly trained or simply incompetent. It is quite fortunate that the man branding you was not among them.
You are placed in a small, stone cell, stripped of your weapons and your armor and dressed in only what tattered rags as might leave the guards with no fears of what you might be hiding. You are placed in what is intended to be a communal cell, your arms secured to the wall above by manacles, and your legs clapped in heavy iron cuffs attached to a long chain on the floor alongside several identical sets of cuffs.

Kyoni came second, making the shorter trip north from the capital of Matharyn. The guards had apparently been instructed in dealing with magic users, throughout the trip your hands were carefully bound and you were constantly gagged. No risks were taken in transporting you to the place of your beheading. That discipline seemed to disintegrate almost immediately after you were handed off to the guards of Branderscar, who would be overseeing that beheading. After being taken into the prison the cloth bindings on your hands were loosened in search of contraband and were tied back in place rather more poorly. Your gag was removed for the same purpose and its replacement was neglected entirely.
After the search, you are given scant rags to wear and are walked to a communal cell by a pair of guards. Your hands are manacled to the wall next to a large, fair man who seems to have been treated much as you have. Your legs are secured in heavy iron cuffs secured to a common chain. With no further words spoken, your guards turn and leave, a single man left behind to watch the corridor outside of your cell.

Despite any of your warden's failings, 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 afterwhat each of you has done?

Bluff checks, please. Success against DC 20 indicates that you managed to keep get a hand free without being noticed while being manacled. Escape is, of course, impossible, but perhaps you can take some last revenge against your captors.

[QuidEst]

Infernal was, by necessity, a descriptive language. It was the parlance of devils, after all, the lord of whom claimed to have penned the very contract of creation itself. It allowed equally for both absolute clarity of statement and subtle ambiguity. And yet Kyoni found that it lacked words to describe how abjectly she had failed. For a Rakshasa, death was not the end, but merely the beginning. They would be reincarnated, rising or falling in power in accordance with their success in the previous life. Naturally, death remained a considerable stumbling block to one's plans, but it was a brief setback compared to a very long life. For a Rakshasa to have their soul caught, however, and shut off from the wheel of reincarnation? Lifetimes of work would crumble away as contingencies for self-heirdom would expire. Any Rakshasa eventually freed from such ignominy would surely be reincarnated as a lowly Raktavana, nothing more than a serpent. What then was the fate awaiting one who, when freed, was caught not even a fortnight later and sentenced to death? Kyoni felt sick just thinking about it.

Still, she wasn't dead yet. Appearances were important, especially with the weighing of her life's work imminent. Losing her composure would only strip away more of what little excess vitality her soul still had. She had eaten the ritual meal, so it wasn't hopeless. She took a long, slow breath and held it for a while before letting it go, then looked up. Hmm. At least the company wasn't bad looking. "Well, there's bleed-all else to do, so might I persuade you to introduce yourself? I'm Kyoni Vasad," she said, flashing him a quick smile that she didn't really feel. Conversation certainly beat worrying about the encroaching execution, so she could fake the niceties.

[TheEmperor]

There is a certain elegance to the Celestial language, being accepted by scholars as a natural product of it being a language spoken by the most holy of beings. It's words are meant to flow like a moutain stream passing a peaceful village, to represent the cloudy and airy ecstasy of an angelic life. It's script is considered a linguist's dream, composed of graceful curves and flickering points of light. It was intended as a language of the heavens, and as a transmitter of the most holy of intents. What it was not intended for was the consistent blasphemy that was being muttered by the white blonde haired man in tattered robes, sitting and drowning in his humiliation and loss in a jail cell, his hands hastily bound together in an attempt to keep him from escaping his inevitable fate.

The man, a disgraced paladin of Mitra, continuously glanced at his naked arm, which was left unshrouded by the cloth they'd given him. The brand on his forearm was quite visible, and served to be a constant reminder of the baleful events of the near past. And, of course, of the the sheer incompetence of his captors, which only added to the shame. The man who'd branded him had been bumped into by one of the guards, causing the brand to slip a bit as he pressed the hot metal into the fallen paladin's skin, and dragging it across his skin to make it look ragged. Disgraced was he, but disgraceful more so was the hypocrisy and truth of his own home.

His consistent muttering had stopped the second the guards had gone and brought another prisoner in, a lady of considerable beauty perhaps, but definitely defiled by dirt due to the conditions in which everyone was treated in Branderscar. He did not say anything to her as she collected her bearings, but instead set his mind to trying to figure out what he'd done wrong.

All he'd done was attempted to make it better. To bring true order and law to those raggedy assed bastards that were defending his homeland, and bring an end to the corrupt sods that were running his home. To praise Mitra, of all things, was his crime!

He tightened his fists, his nails digging into his palm as his memories brought up even more fury. Assault after assault against the banner of Mitra did he imagine, but just as quickly as these visions did he see did he stop, berating himself for having fallen to heresy. Somehow, he was at fault... wasn't he?

He was brought out of his own emotional dilemmas by a voice, a question posed by the woman he now shared his cell with. He looked up at her, to see her smiling without much meaning at him for a moment, before a slight bit of sobriety returned. Likely for a formal introduction.

He paused for a moment, before his gritty voice spoke up, speaking for the first time in what was probably weeks. "There isn't, is there?" he said, followed by a quick sigh. He then spoke up again, letting his voice clear up a bit more, now clearly letting out a sentence. "I am Zylus, Zylus Stormkindle. A name from before, I hold no longer. What crime brings you here, lady?"

[QuidEst]

Kyoni shrugged, her chains rattling a bit. "Just as well. Stormkindle? Just because you had a blowhard air mage as one of your ancestors doesn't mean you should be stuck with his epithet." She considered him for a moment, running her eyes over him appraisingly. "If I were you, I think I'd settle on something like Alban Fulsi or Alban Fulgo, depending on my mood. Fulsi under present circumstances, I should think," she concluded, nodding in satisfaction. "Solid, not without pride, but also not so boastful as to suggest any particular need to puff oneself up. And it's not like any relatives would object at this point." She paused, as if considering again, and then added as an afterthought, "Oh, I'm here for killing a man and eating him." It didn't sound like any particularly notable incident, just a matter of routine, and she brushed it aside. "Which isn't true, of course. It's been a long time since I could eat a whole man. Mostly it was his heart and liver. What about you? Why you're in here, I mean."

[TheEmperor]

Zylus leaned back just a tad bit, finally taking the time to look the lady in front of him in the eye. Her nonchalant suggestions for him to take upon himself a new name seemed irritating and quite frankly, downright offensive. But he did not say anything to interrupt her. He simply sat and listening, only to jerk slightly as Kyoni mentioned what she was in the cell for. Slowly, his eyebrows descended upon his brow like eagles upon it's prey, in a most unneeded shower of drama.

He stayed silent for a few moments, realizing that the fact that he was in the same cage as this woman only went to show how his superiors deigned his crimes. An overreaction by them for sure... How many others were dumped in such situations without a proper trial?

He focused back on the current situation, taking the time to blow off a strand of his blonde hair from his eyes, and then spoke back to Kyoni "Changing my name is definitely out of the question. In any case, I am in here for the..." he paused, before saying in a sarcastic voice "the heinous crime of enforcing law and order."

He then added, "I am a fallen of Mitra, and a man ho fell off her path."

[QuidEst]

Kyoni tried to bite back a smile as he answered, but couldn't help herself. "Oh my, but isn't that rich. You'll forgive me if I'm comforted that Mitra will be beheading one of their own alongside me. I'm petty like that." She stretched languidly in a manner that served as a distinct reminder of how poor a job the rags did of clothing her, arching her back before settling in to a more comfortable position, insofar as it was possible. "Well, do go on. I am curious to hear how it happened. I know I'd hardly be your first choice, but at least you'll get to tell your side of things to somebody." She smiled a little more warmly now.

[TheEmperor]

Zylus began to get worked up as he noticed the kitsune's smile, agitated by her aggravating smile and provoking words. The fact that she thought that his failures as a paladin was funny? That he failed his duty to Mitra, and had defaced his own parents and church? She had no right t-

It occurred to him that the woman in front of him was a criminal arrested for cannibalism. She could laugh at him in any way, and it wasn't going to affect him. Not that he had any honor left that she was going to be offending, not after what he'd done.

But still, he let slip his anger in his words. "Petty you are for sure, for you mock me despite your own failings as a person." He winced as she stretched, attempting to keep his gaze away from her. He then spoke again, with a sigh. "Yet I shall tell you. There's not much left to life, is there? Not any more, at least. Ah, what the blazes, here's my story, I have nothing to hide." And then he spoke. He spoke of everything. How he was trained, and sent to the Watch Wall. The details of how weak the men at the Wall were. And how he snapped, and attempted to force them all into discipline, using his own techniques, and how he bashed his commander's head in after the bugger tried to take back his command.

And then how he had to flee, under the delusion that the men who wanted to arrest him were acting on their operation. There wasn't much else to the story, except for his capture and discovery of his superiors finding him as nothing more than an annoyance and a criminal.

[QuidEst]

Kyoni shook her head adamantly. "Because. I mock you because I've failed, and there's not much left for me to do."

She listened as he related his story, doing a little better at keeping her expression neutral. When he finished, she nodded slowly. "Well done, then. You've put yourself in a deeper hole than mine. I'm not very religious- I'm sure that comes as no surprise. That's because my soul is in no jeopardy." Not technically true under the circumstances; she wasn't entirely sure that she wouldn't be subject to judgement after all. Still, confidence on that front couldn't hurt.

"You, however, aren't exempt. I don't suppose you've stopped to consider what this means? You're going to die. Somewhere, a ledger holds the date. And the only thing you know is that Mitra has personally decided that you personally are not worthy. So yes, I have every right to mock you. I trusted in my own strength, and it has fallen short. I am going to die, but I will be reborn. Having shown weakness, I will become weak. You leaned not on your own strength, but clung to the capricious mercy of a god, and have fallen short. You are going to die with the condemnation of the god you dedicated your life to. Who will intercede for your miserable soul then, when it cries out to Mitra, and Mitra answers only with silent condemnation?" She leaned her head back and laughed. "You should thank me! My mockery is the most pleasant thing that is going to happen to you for the rest of eternity."

[TheEmperor]

Fury began to boil up in Zylus's veins, as he listened to Kyoni's continuous mockery and insult, finally lashing out with rage-fueled words, saying "Then you know nothing! You are but mortal as I am, and no matter what you claim, you shall suffer the price you must pay for your crimes, as will I! It is not... It is not weakness to rely upon a greater being of light, but a sign to strength that one gives servitude to one such as Mitra!"

He leaned forward, bringing his hands forward and showcasing the fact that he had been able to keep his hands free. "We shall both be judged rightfully for our sins. And your insult will only serve to make it worse. I will thank you for nothing...."

"Nothing..."

[QuidEst]

Kyoni grinned wickedly, shaking her head again. "I am mortal, yet immortal. I am unjudged, and will pay no price. I have died and been reborn for centuries." She leaned forward, clearly enjoying herself. "And you know what? It is my sins that do it! Would I kill and eat a man for sport? Of course not- look where it got me! It was to re-secure my reincarnation after my failure. There is no lasting shame in weakness. In weakness, we serve those who are strong, that we may become stronger, just as you served your god. Your shame is in your failure, for your god has rejected you. The only strength to be had for you now is in serving yourself. Normally I'd suggest myself as an alternative, but…" she gave a dry laugh and rattled her chains. "It wouldn't do you much good at the moment. You can put what I say to the test. If you serve yourself with every bit of the with which devotion you served Mitra, you will find power. How much, I don't know."

[TheEmperor]

To the fallen paladin, the words that Kyoni spouted seemed to make so much sense, and seemed to worm their way into his mind. He wanted... no, he needed to believe in the truth of what she was saying, but he couldn't. He had to resist her influences, lest he fall further than he already had!

Or was it no use? Once fallen, his soul was utterly damned, and there was no sliding scale to it. Perhaps... perhaps if he truly had no other choice, then he could attempt to salvage what he had left of his life?

He shook his head, obviously going through mental combat with himself over the decision. He leaned back to the wall, and then slid down it just slightly. His lips quivered, before he said "I need time. Time to think about this. Whatever magic you have sprayed upon me, woman, has worked it's way into my mind, and I shall give it thought. But I need time! Time we do not have. I, or we as you would..." He then whispered the rest of the sentence "must escape!"

[Saidoro]

Time passes. You aren't certain how much, but at least two changes of guard take place. Maybe more, it's hard to tell from your vantage point.

You here some commotion from the guard room outside the cells, and shortly thereafter a trio of guards enter your cell, the two behind holding a black-haired man in rags draped between them.
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The guard in the lead points to the manacles next to Zylus and the other two get to work chaining the man in place. The lead guard looks over the two of you and his eyes settle on Kyoni.
"You there. 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. Get 'er unchained. We wouldn’t want to keep the Lady waiting.”
The other two guards unchain Kyoni, pull her sharply to her feet and begin walking her towards the guard room.
Sense Motive check from Zylus and Knowledge(Planes) from Kyoni, please.

[QuidEst]

The guards came in, leaving another prisoner. Kyoni was waiting to begin enquiring after his own circumstances once the guards left again, but they addressed her instead. A visitor? She had only been free for a little while now, and very far from home. Had the reach of the other Rakshasas spread this far? Or maybe it was a visitor for Adraya. It seemed a little unlikely- the girl hadn't been much of a social butterfly. Still, it was better than sitting in here, so she obediently followed along with the guard. She made a note of his face after the rough treatment. If she needed to kill somebody and take their place to get out, it might as well be him.

[Saidoro]

Kyoni is escorted through the guard room, where a number of guards beyond those required to be on duty are milling about, making a poor show of not paying attention to whatever is going on in the interrogation room (20). The pair of guards holding her arms roughly shove Kyoni into the chair. In the room stands a hauntingly beautiful woman in an elegant black dress and soft silken veil. She looks as if she is headed to a funeral, and has clearly been weeping. What most draws your eyes, however, is the gem hanging in her necklace. You know the gem quite well, having spent quite a bit of time in it.
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"Oh, my dearest Adraya," 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. His behavior seems terribly familiar for some reason, but you can't seem to place it. "Of course, my lady. For you, 'tis no problem."
After the guards file out, the woman's demeanor immediately changes. She drops all pretense of grief and is immediately all business.
"Have you forgotten me, dearest? Call me Tiadora. We possess a mutual friend who would like to meet you. Unfortunately, our friend is unwilling to visit you in your present rather shabby accommodations so it seems you must escape. Now certainly, that has never been done before, but someone with experience in such things might manage, no?"
Tiadora brings her hand to the gem at her throat and smirks openly.
"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 off her silken veil and wipes away a few fake tears with it.
"Something to remember me by, dearest."
Zylus notices that the lead guard seems to be acting slightly strange, and gets the nagging feeling that he should be remembering something from his paladin training, but can't pin down what it is. His training does allow him to notice that the lead guard is actually higher ranked than the other guards in the prison.

[QuidEst]

After being seated roughly, Kyoni took a moment to look the woman over. She was good looking, and out of habit, Kyoni filed her face away for future reference in case she needed a disguise. The woman's necklace caught her eye almost at once. The visit was for Kyoni, then, whatever she might say. Quick to play along, Kyoni nodded tearful thanks for the visit.

The guard summarily dismissed, Kyoni listened to Tiadora earnestly. It had clearly been no small feat to obtain access to the prison, after all. "I will do my utmost to fulfill your expectations. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine," she said, bowing her head respectfully. Old Moor Road, looking for a single lantern in the second story. This would be it- her chance to redeem her pride. She kept her elation from showing, however, not knowing just how closely they were being observed.

Kyoni took the veil, clutching it to her chest as if for some sentimental value. Whatever the true value of it was, it would certainly be more than sentiment. She didn't trust herself to speak any more at the moment, having so suddenly been offered hope.

[Saidoro]

Tiadora smirks smugly and takes a step closer, speaking in low tones.
"Given that they were able to drag you here at all, I felt a second gift might be in order. You will find him waiting in your cell. He is not aware that he is a gift, but I trust you can work around that."
Tiadora pulls Kyoni into a hug as she hears a door open behind her and the guards enter.
"No, I can’t bear to leave you!"
"I’m afraid it’s time, miss."
The guards pull you apart, being somewhat more gentle in your proximity to your visitor. Tiadora wipes tears from her eyes and addresses the lead guard from before.
"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," The Sergeant repeats, his voice almost mechanical. The watch sergeant seems to snap out of it and bows politely.
"A pleasure, madam."
You hear a telepathic voice echoing in your mind as you are lead away.
You have three days. Don’t disappoint me, dearest.
Kyoni is escorted back to her cell and reshackled. From the guard room you can hear a period of bustling, followed by light conversation of off-duty guards, presumably about their unexpected visitor, followed by a more typical relative silence.

[QuidEst]

Kyoni smirked as well, appreciating the 'gift' of a new cellmate. One pleasant hug and a tearful good-bye later, and she was back in her cell. She didn't say anything for a while, waiting for the noise to die down outside the cell. She fished the veil out again to get a better look at it before turning to the latest arrival, looking the dark-haired man over. "Well, welcome to Branderscar. I'm Kyoni Vasad. How'd you find yourself enjoying the hospitality of Mitra's own?" She smiled invitingly at him, although the chains meant there really wasn't much that could be done with that sort of invitation.

[TheEmperor]

The ex-paladin simply sat in his cell, unquestionably curious about the sudden "visit" that his cellmate had received, and while he noticed the guards were acting incredibly off, he attributed it to simple daftness... despite the feeling that there was something he ought to remember about such cases.

But he turned his attention to the fellow in front of him. There wasn't much conversation between them, but Zylus continued to glare at the fellow consistently from under his unkempt hair. A while later, he finally said "Well, I'll give it a go then. Tell, who- before he was cut off by the reentrance of Kyoni. He, of course, wanted to ask about the visitor she'd received, but instead he kept quiet, what with the fellow in front of him being entirely new to him. "Welcome back. Of course, I was about to ask a similar question to our new cellmate." he said instead, in a rather gruff manner.

[Saidoro]

The third prisoner is chained on the opposite side of Zylus from Kyoni, and seems to be trying to stay as far away from the both of them as his chains will allow. The man forces a small laugh at Kyoni's comment about hospitality, but it is abundantly clear that he shares none of his cellmates' nonchalance. After a moment he answers nervously.
"Conspiracy to defame the chosen of Mitra. I mean, I just made some papers, but that's what they said it was. And I don't even do jobs like that normally, but they didn't care, and it was just a few papers and I normally don't take jobs forging Church things but there was this woman and she was just so... She just wanted some papers and I knew it was a bad idea and I couldn't say no and then they knew somehow and-"
The man seems to realize he's babbling and closes his mouth for a long moment.
"And that's all it was, just papers. Not murder or anything."
He eyes Zylus's muscled arms and inches the slightest bit farther away from him.

[QuidEst]

Her 'gift', then. Kyoni considered the man's rambling speech and shook her head. "Now, that is a shame. Practically innocent, and locked up with somebody like me. Zylus here is another such unjustly imprisoned individual, and it does pain me so. I'm of half a mind to do something about it." Her benefactor had clearly arranged for this man to end up in prison with them, so he would be what they needed. And what they needed seemed to be a way out of their shackles. "Tell you what. We've got three days before they throw a big to-do and finish us off as an example. Except maybe you," she added to the man. "It might be a life in the salt mines. I don't know the specifics on how they do these things. I'm not going to be here for that. And if either of you are willing to throw your lot in with me, you won't be either. And if I'm wrong, well, you're hardly going to be any worse off."

[TheEmperor]

Zylus shook his head as he heard the fellow's story, finding that his explanation of his jailing seemed to further reinforce his doubts about the "goodness" of his homeland's government. The man he was now sitting in a cell with hadn't even undergone a trial, to give him a chance to prove his innocence. Perhaps he was guilty, but without trial, what kind of judgement could they make for him?

When Kyoni spoke, he was quick to figure that something was up. The woman was implying something, that was for sure. Whatever kind of meeting she'd just had, it had changed the status quo, and perhaps in her favour. "... Go on. I cannot bring myself to trust you entirely, but if something has changed in your situation here, speak up."

[QuidEst]

"We'll see," Kyoni answered. "I'd like to hear if our new friend is interested first, though." She settled her eyes on him, smiling knowingly. This all did rather hinge on him being able and willing to do what she needed, but failing that, there were still a few alternatives. Much trickier, but still better than just going to the chopping block peacefully.

Also, should I just assume that inspecting the veil reveals what it has revealed in the numerous WotW games that have died, or did you want to do some unique stuff with it?

[Saidoro]

The man stares at Kyoni like she's mad.
"No one's ever escaped from Branderscar. I try to help you they'll just kill me."

[QuidEst]

Kyoni just shrugged, looking down at the veil in her hands. "And if you stay here, what are they going to do? People don't get sent to Branderscar to await a fair trial. Whatever you did, for whatever reason, is enough that somebody wants you gone." The veil had a number of... patches stitched on in an odd fashion. For the most part, the designs were not what one would usually put on a veil. In fact, they pictured a number of items that would be extremely useful in breaking out of prison. First... lock picks. "And what if I said..." she pulled at the patch and was suddenly holding a set of lockpicks in her hand. "... that we could be the first?" she finished, holding them out to him with a broad smile.

[TheEmperor]

As the two made the back and forth of escape, Zylus's concentration lay on the veil that lay in Kyoni's hands. It had been given to her, clearly, but by who? Was it the visitor? That much seemed obvious, but he had no way of totally verifying that. And of what significance was it? What was it that made the kitsune so utterly sure of their ability to escape?

His curiosity was quickly sated, when she pulled out a lockpick from it in a most dramatic fashion. This development certainly was in their favor, and he could already imagine the crap eating grin that she'd probably have on her face if they made it out. He hadn't known her long, but that was his first impression of her.

His first action was put a finger to his mouth, to quiet the man in case he wanted to make some noise of surprise, and then said "Ah, so we do have a chance. Who was that visitor?"

[Saidoro]

Edited out.

[QuidEst]

Kyoni shrugged. "She was acting on somebody's behalf. We are to meet our true benefactor once we're free, at which point we're likely to learn more. At the moment, I'm not terribly interested in looking gift horses in the mouth," she concluded.

[Saidoro]

The man's breath hissed out between his teeth.
"How did you-"
He trails off and stares at the tools in your hands for several seconds. This isn't the blank look of lost hope from before, he seems rather to be carefully weighing his options. He reaches out and takes the tools with trembling hands. Hands still trembling, he sets about trying to unshackle himself, hindered somewhat by the size of his shackles. He sets the picks to the task, scowls as something feels wrong removes them and then tries again. On this second attempt, his shaking hands fumble slightly and he drops one of the picks. It strikes the ground with a faint but clear tinkling sound.

A voice can be heard from the guard room, and Davis hurriedly stuffs the tools behind his body. A few moments later, one of the guards enters into the cell hallway, torch held high. A second guard watches from the door to the guard room. The first guard stops at the door to your cell, peers in and shouts.
"What's going on in here?"

[QuidEst]

Kyoni winced as the clinking sound echoed in the cell. It wasn't long before a guard showed up, looking in on them. Kyoni sighed. "Regrettably, confirming that the chains are as solid as they seem." She slumped a little. "Really, not even a little false hope? A rusted link to give us something to work towards in our final days?"

Bluff, using Rakshasa's Silver Tongue ability for +5: [roll0]

[Saidoro]

The guard sneers at Kyoni.
"You'd better keep quiet, witch, or I'll come in there and make you."
He stalks back to the guard room. You hear him mutter something under his breath and some laughter from the other guard.

When things seem to have calmed down somewhat, the third prisoner retrieves the lockpicks and sets to work again, his hands no longer shaking as he stares intently at the lock. A few moments later you hear a faint click and he is able to pull his hands from the shackles.

[QuidEst]

It was all Kyoni could do to keep herself from breathing a sigh of relief. She shrank back against the wall submissively, and waited until the guard left again. The new prisoner was able to get back to work, and Kyoni was careful to keep an eye out for the guards. At last, he managed to get himself free. "See if you can get us as well," she said quietly. "He's strong, and I've got magic."

[Saidoro]

The man nods and gets to work on the other three locks, starting with the common lock on the chains around your ankles.
"Alright. So, how are we actually getting out of here?"

[TheEmperor]

With the chains that had been binding him uptil this point removed, Zylus found that the stretch he was giving himself quite relaxing. As he rubbed his arms on the spot where the manacles had been, he said "Presumably we're expected to be able to take out those guards, which shouldn't be much of an issue. Any more than that, I'm not sure. Give me a moment, because I might be able to think of something..."


Now, I'll edit this if you allow the profession skill to be used the way I think is allowed, in that you can use it to speak about the specific profession. i.e. I use my Profession: Soldier to talk about what I know of military prison handling and it's structure. That's what I aim to do. Rolling for it, but I won't use it if you don't like the idea.

[roll0]

[QuidEst]

Kyoni smiled, reaching for the veil again. "You two take these-" she said, producing a pair of daggers from the veil. "- at least until we can get something a little better. I'll get by on my magic. Let's get the cell door unlocked first. Once we're free, I put the closest guards to sleep before they can sound the alarm. You two make sure they don't wake up, and I'll disguise myself as one of those guards. We'll see what we can do with you two… if we can, we'll just all walk out as guards. If not, then I'll be moving some prisoners."

[Saidoro]

The third prisoner nervously takes one of the daggers. He clearly isn't very comfortable with the thought of fighting the guards.

[TheEmperor]

Taking the dagger from the kitsune, and flipping it in order to gain a good idea of it's balance, Zylus was definitely not at ease. No matter how much he convinced himself of the guard's inability to fight or do their jobs, he was still going against servants of his goddess. Was he truly far gone? Was this a test he was failing? If so, then time had run out. The doubt in his mind had grown too great for him to ever serve his country properly ever again...

He looked over to the other fellow, and said "Do not fret, for if all goes well, no blood shall sully your hands, or yours to theirs."

[QuidEst]

"That might be a little optimistic. But really, there's nothing to lose at this point," Kyoni said with a shrug. "Already slated for execution, and if you were put in a cell with me, well, they don't think very highly of you. Well, if everybody's ready, shall we address the door and proceed?"

[Saidoro]

At Zylus's words the man seems to calm and at Kyoni's his resolve hardens.
"Right. No way it can get worse."
The man gets to work on the cell's door, and a few moments later it clicks open.

[QuidEst]

Kyoni slipped out, speaking in a low whisper. "I'll see if I can knock out the first guards we come across. It's not particularly quick magic, so I may need you to keep them from getting at me. It's our best shot at getting through here without raising an alarm." She began stalking down the hallway they'd seen the guard travel down.

[Saidoro]

Approaching the guard room, Kyoni can hear a conversation. It seems that the guards are more interested in talking than keeping alert.
"-clearly not worked a day in her life and she tries to break the chains in Branderscar-"
Sounds of subdued laughter drift into the cell block.
"Not like anyone with a brain in their head winds up here anyway, you have to be a special kind of fool to ruin your afterlife disobeying Mitra."
"Oh, don't give me that pious spiel, I've seen you at Blackerly's games."
"Ah, Mitra forgives a bit here and there, besides, man needs to do something to keep himself entertained on this rock. Mitra will-"
The sound of Kyoni's spell cuts off whatever the guard was about to say.
Saves:
Guard 1:[roll0]
Guard 2:[roll1]

Initiatives:
Guard 1:[roll2]
Guard 2:[roll3]
Davis:[roll4]
Kyoni:[roll5]
Zylus:[roll6]

[QuidEst]

Kyoni rounded the corner, beginning her casting while waving the others in front of her with her free hand.

[Saidoro]

The third prisoner advances next to the door to the guard room, dagger at the ready.