Way of the Wicked: Knot of Thorns [IC]

[lostsole31]

There are no magic auras.

Now, the party already spent 3 minutes in the sergeant's office. So, how much time are you wanting to spend looking in the storeroom?

Also, is Ved going to continue looking through the desk and perusing documents?

[Ahus]

Nothing of any consequence comes without risk. There is quite plainly a staircase in the warden's tower. The entrance to which is largely obstructed from the front by the building. We will have to risk exiting through the kitchen door then trying to sneak along the back of the building. Ved states as he continues to peruse the documents on the Desk. Once Bile opens the door Ved will look up from the desk long enough to remind the group that "I still want to find that Branding Iron, please keep an eye out for it. We are running out of places that they could have kept it."

[bcool999]

Amadeus searches the storeroom. He keeps silent on their plans for escape, what will be will be and if worse comes to worse Amadeus will try and cut his way free of this prison one body at a time.

[lostsole31]

It will take both sets of folks - Ved at the desk, and Amadeus, Bile, and Leonidas in the storeroom - the full end of the 10 minutes to account for everything they find.

Spoiler: Ved

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It takes some doing, but Ved is able to piece together physical evidence that Sergeant Tomas Blackerley is stealing from the prison! This is one of the reasons that the storeroom supplies are much more sparse than they should be.

Spoiler: Amadeus, Bile, Leonidas

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You will need to bring (or make) a light here.

Supplies for the prison are stored here. There are 200 torches, ten lanterns, two 10 gallon kegs of lantern oil, six spare guard uniforms, dozen signal horns, twenty 50’ lengths of rope and two barrels labeled ‘emergency rations’.

The emergency rations barrels contain maggoty old iron rations that has gotten wet, moldered and not been replaced. They could still be eaten by the brave or the desperate
(each barrel contains 100 days of ‘food’) but there might be a chance of getting sick if doing so.

Hanging in a special rack is also to be found several brands with the runic 'F' symbol and a specially made brazier for heating them. The PCs immediately recognize these items as the brands that marked them.

This storeroom is very sparsely supplied and could hold much more but is surprisingly sparse.

[Blackhawk101]

Leonidas will cast light on his bow as he searches the storeroom.

[lostsole31]

Leonidas' bow glows for the perfect amount of time (as it lasts 10 minutes).

Both groups .... now what?

[Ahus]

Hey everyone, I found some somewhat interesting information on Blackerly. Apparently, he's been skimming a sizable portion of the prison's budget for himself. i don't know how much we care but I have enough information here to condemn him to a lengthy prison sentence. I mean, if we don't kill him, that is. I'd personally rather just skin him alive and tan and wear his pudgey little hands as gloves, but I suppose if he somehow escapes we can totally have the Knights of the Alerion hunting him down on our behalf." Ved says looking up from the notes on the desk for the first time in several minutes. After a brief pause, he asks, "Did you find anything useful in the store room."

[BuckGodot]

Donovan looks back at Ved and everyone can see that he is thinking... Hard... Like really hard...


"Wait... Do you think... That with that information, we could buy pardons for all of us?"

[bcool999]

Amadeus

Responding first to the struggling Donovan, Amadeus rolls up his sleeve to show the F branded onto his arm before saying, "Do you see this Donny? This brand here means Forsaken. We could have dirt on the King himself and it would send no pardons our way." turning to Ved Amadeus continues, "Besides more evidence of skimping on the budget, we found torches and lanterns for light if we want, and gallons of lantern oil if we wish to start a large fire. We also found some guard uniforms, signal horns, a thousand feet of rope in 50 foot bundles, and rations that are as like to empty your gut as fill it."

Amadues adds almost as an afterthought, "Oh and your oh so precious brands are there if you want them. Complete with brazier."

[Ahus]

"I agree, we will get no pardon or reduction in sentence, we had to kill a bunch of guards to get this information so even if they commuted our original sentence they would just get us for the guards. But like I said if Blackerly lives through our escape we can get some more revenge, or possibly trade it to him in exchange for something. I don't particularly care that he's a thief, heck this escape would have gone a lot worse to this point if he wasn't.

Some of us could put on the spare uniforms. It might make the guards hesitate to shoot us if only for a second." Ved responds to Donovan and Amadeus.

Taking the Brands and pointing to the final door Ved says"These will be very handy... We have one more room to search."

[lostsole31]

So, what now ... and how?

[BuckGodot]

Donovan will take a gaurd uniform and put it on. Any extra chance he might get to not get killed... Again...

[bcool999]

Amadeus

"Fine if you wish for us to disguise we shall give it a try." Amadeus says as he pulls out the guard uniform, "In the meanwhile, go search Blackerly's room for his ill gotten gains and hopefully an antidote for our big friend here. I feel a fight coming soon."

Spoiler: OOC

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Amadeus will do his best to disguise as a guard. +5 mod for his charisma. Disguise takes 10 minutes of work.

[Ahus]

"Well, I have no particular dog in the fight as to whether or not you try to disguise yourself. I only mentioned that it may prove beneficial to your prolonged longevity, then again..."
Ved replies to Amadeus, gabbing one of the uniforms for himself and donning it as quickly as possible. Ved then moves to the Door to Blackerly's quarters, asking the rest of the group "Ready?" Once he sees a couple of nods he will proceed to open the door and enter.

[lostsole31]

Surprise Round ...

There is a clattering of booted chainmail running across the stone floor as a man is heard shouting, "Die, Fiend!" as a longsword delivered with the momentum of a charge hits Ved in the head for 9, dropping the arcanist.

Begin Round One ...

R1T23: Leonidas, your mage armor still has a little over 20 minutes to go. You see the portly Sergeant Tomas Blackerley standing over a fallen Ved. What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Leonidas will smile grimly at the sight of the hated jailer. He will drop his trident as he loads an arrow and fires.

Spoiler

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to hit - (1d20+3)[12]
dam - (1d8)[8]

[lostsole31]

R1T23: Leonidas smiles grimly at the sight of the hated jailer. He drops his trident as he loads an arrow and fires, the arrow barely skimming off his target's chainmail.

R1T20: Donovan, what do you do? You were last changing clothes, so you don't have any weapons out and your shield is not readied.

[BuckGodot]

Donovan will try to summon forth the fires of hell once again...

Spoiler: Brand me? Brand YOU!

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Planar Detonation Attack: (1d20+2)[19]

Damage: (1d10+2)[10]

[lostsole31]

R1T20: Donovan tries to summon forth the fires of hell once again, and finds easy success as he lets forth a gout of flame that hits the corrupt sergeant in the left foot for 10 fire.

R1T19: Amadeus, what do you do?

[bcool999]

Amadeus

Seeing that the corrupt Sergeant had the gall to actually remain in the prison with them, Amadeus laughs. "Blackerly you roach!" Amadeus calls out as he moves towards the man readying his mace, "I sincerely appreciate how easy you made it to find you!"

With that Amadeus's eyes grow hard as he sends his mace in a terrible two handed blow at the Sergeant.

Spoiler: OOC

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I am assuming that Amadeus didn't have his shield readied all while preparing to don the guard outfit so I assume he isn't benefiting from the shield bonus.

Swift Action: Black Seraph Glare
Move action: Close into melee with Blackerly
Free action as a part of move with +1 bab: Draw Heavy Mace
Standard Action: Terrifying Blow at Blackerly using Martial Power for a -1 to hit +2 THP. Wielding the mace two handed.

Attack: (1d20+4)[12]
Damage: (1d8+6)[14]
If hit DC 16 will save or be frightened for 1 round.
If damaged, free action Intimidate to demoralize with a +4 profane bonus to the check.

[lostsole31]

R1T19: Seeing that the corrupt Sergeant had the gall to actually remain in the prison with them, Amadeus laughs. "Blackerly, you roach!" Amadeus calls out as he moves towards the man readying his mace, "I sincerely appreciate how easy you made it to find you!"

With that Amadeus's eyes grow hard as he sends his mace in a terrible two-handed blow at the Sergeant, who deflects it enough with his sword that it glances off the chainmail of his arm.

R1T17: Zepsus, you had a bow in hand previously as you were acting as internal overwatch and didn't futz with changing into a guard's uniform. What do you do?

[GM_Dave]

Zepsus looks on with little emotion, save a small sneer as he sees Ved's body.
He summons the eldritch once again, raising sword and shield. His opening attack is made carefully, but there is a wild strength just beneath the surface of the tiefling, as he calls back to the others,

"If things go south, do not crowd the door way, it only gives him the advantage."

Spoiler: Actions

Show

Swift: Enhance my sword
Move: Walk to the door
Action: Trip Blackerley
(1D20+5)[25]

[lostsole31]

R1T17: Zepsus looks on with little emotion, save a small sneer as he sees Ved's body. He summons the eldritch once again, raising sword and shield. His opening attack is made carefully, but there is a wild strength just beneath the surface of the tiefling, as he calls back to the others, "If things go south, do not crowd the doorway, it only gives him the advantage." Meanwhile, Blackerly is taken off his feet and knocked onto his back through expert body positioning.

R1T12: Kel is just foolish enough to squeeze past the small part of the doorway that is open. Incredibly dangerous, but just as Zepsus made a textbook perfect legsweep, Kel likewise does a perfect jump past her two comrades, the little bit of doorway, and beyond, and even coming around a little more to try to get some flanking going (with Amadeus).

R1T11: Bile, what do you do?

[oyzar]

Seeing battle joined, the unholy cleric focuses his Ki once more to make his body one with the night, feeling his ki move through he's body, he's ready to spring into action. Bile tumbles into the room after Kel, trying to follow her athletic grace with his own fluid movements. The tiefling moves like a dancer, skipping around from one foot to the next while flowing from one position to the next in order to make himself more difficult to hit. He's hoping that the prone man will have a more difficult time striking him. Once past their jailer he pulls out his rapier and stabs down in a surprisingly swift set of movements.

Spoiler

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Swift: Body of the Night
[roll="acrobatics"]1d20+6[/spoile] 26 (from discord) to move N of Kel as I think I have enough movement for that in one action
standard: "Swift Current" - (1d20+4)[23] Body of night should hopefully apply as swift current makes him flat-footed.
"weapon damage" - (1d6)[6] "maneuver damage" - (1d6)[5] "body of night damage" - (1d6)[6]

If attacked, either from AoO or normally, he'll use flowing creek to try to dodge (1d20+6)[12]

[oyzar]

Spoiler: Critical rolls

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"crit roll" - (1d20)[15]
"Deadly Strike" - (1d6)[4]
"potential extra damage" - (2d6)[8]

[lostsole31]

R1T11: Seeing battle joined, the unholy cleric focuses his Ki once more to make his body one with the night, feeling his ki move through he's body, he's ready to spring into action. Bile tumbles into the room after Kel, trying to follow her athletic grace with his own fluid movements. The tiefling moves like a dancer, skipping around from one foot to the next while flowing from one position to the next in order to make himself more difficult to hit. He's hoping that the prone man will have a more difficult time striking him. Once past their jailer he pulls out his rapier and stabs down in a surprisingly swift set of movements. It is one of the most powerful moves Bile has ever made .... because he nails Blackerley into place .... thrusting his rapier into stone past the sergeant's body for 21!

R1T7: Ved, roll a stabilization check.

R1T6: Grumblejack moves in, taking a weak AOO attempt as he does so. As he moves, he hobbles along, saying, "Blackerley, you poisoned me," and as Grumblejack says this his posture becomes more erect and he no longer walks as one who might be suffering from an ailment, and his speech becomes a lot clearer and more focused, as something far more than the dumb brute he appears to be. "But it as it turns out, I am immune to poison, and I was only waiting for this chance. You prattling dolt, you are mine."

R1T4: Blackerley tries to extricate himself from Bile's rapier, but fails. Weakly, he says, "Now, wait a minute, guys. The rest of the boys are waiting by the gatehouse, looking to end you with a hail of arrows. You need me!"

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T23: Leonidas, bow is in hand, trident on the ground. Blackerley is prone and nailed to the ground by Bile's rapier. What do you do?

Donovan on deck, Amadeus in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

“You got ‘sumptin you can use to save your ass, Blackerly, it’s now or never!” says Leonidas wickedly as he picks up his trident and saunters up to the group.

[lostsole31]

Donovan, what do you do?

Then Amadeus...

[BuckGodot]

Donovan holds his action pending Blackerleys response...

[bcool999]

Amadeus

Amadeus coordinates with Kel to end Blackerly should he be in the midst of trapping them somehow. Drawing his shield to protect himself, Amadeus says, "Choose what may be your last words carefully Blackerly."

Spoiler: OOC

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Move action to aid another attack with Kel, +2 bonus from aid another if this roll succeeds: (1d20+5)[12] Recover Terrifying Blow.
Either way, Zeal activates giving everyone a +1 morale bonus to hit for one round.
Standard action will be used to draw Amadeus' shield.