As You Command IC

[Dusk Raven]

As the procession begins to leave, Maiabel emerges from her hiding spot and begins to discreetly pursue after... only to notice the bodies of the elf guards that the group had killed earlier. Making a snap decision, she does her best to drag the bodies into the hole in the floor, depositing them there before continuing on her discreet pursuit.

Spoiler

Show

Hide check: (1d20+16)[27]
Move Silently check: (1d20+16)[29]

[Darius Vibrtrar]

Sharkan continues to move with a hand on his lord. He allows the procession to be led to the pits.

[JbeJ275]

You all emerge from the house into the streets of the city once more, Cypher and Sharkan playing the part of elven guards, Lamorak being led forth looking as though he’s been manacled and Maiabell following from rooftops and side streets, having slipped up and out of a window mere seconds before elves burst into the room she’s just left. Of all of you it’s Maiabell who has the best chance to see what’s going on as a whole. The initial patrol meets with another consisting of further elves, golhunds and astral constructs. A hood is brought out and placed over Lamorak’s head as they continue in deeper into the city and his shield, pipe and javelins are taken with another reaching to take Mala’kharn from Sharkan.

The head towards the walls that separate the inner city from the undercity, and for a second you think you’re headed up, to the heights of the central city which would put another set of even more formidable walls between you and freedom. Instead they reach the base of these walls and head inside them.

Here Miabell realises she can’t realistically continue following them any further in her current manner. The entryway has no possible cover to hide behind while she sneaks through, leaving her stuck on an exterior rooftop to make her plan.

Inside the floor is tiled stone covered with intricate abstract patterns in red, rather than the hard packed dirt of the under-city. Soon you pass through a checkpoint where Lamorak’s weapon and shield is taken in some other direction. Cypher is told his house will receive gold matching the price form such weapons, minus the cost to replace Golhunds, with them looking particularly excited about Mala’kharn. They also remove Lamorak’s a hackles and remind him with similar ones, though these boat and extra large link halfway between the hands which has some runic symbol on it.

Here most of the guards following Lamorak return to other duties, tracking the other ‘killers loose in the city’ but the initial two stay with you. You’re taken to a chamber, empty besides a platform, with a single iron rod sticking up through the middle attaching it to a similarly sized platform above. That second platform is being held by what initially looks like a set of chains, overlapping and wrapping around each other rather than clearly being a single sequence of links. However when it starts moving you can clearly see it’s a group of chain golems, holding each other. They remove Lamorak’s hood and lower him down, first to a semi circular chamber of white stone, with lead lining all the walls apart from some small apertures, and a runic circle filling much of the semicircle. Then the platform continues being lowered to a dark room below, lit only by a single flickering magical light entirely insufficient to fill what soon is revealed to be a very large cave. Perhaps one or two dozen men and half elves are down there, mostly staying still on the ground far below. After perhaps two minutes of lowering you the platform stops, and starts tilting sideways until you either step out or are unceremoniously poured out.

Cypher and Sharkan are lead elsewhere, and the guards you initially met with finally depart with you being taken aside and interviewed about your encounter with the criminals, and told you’ll receive your fee for his armour and other items once he’s been. “Asked and told” they say this as if it’s obvious and well known what it means. In a circumstance that seems beneficial to your ruse they seem unsurprised by Sharkan ensuring his head is always covered, and several elves with similar covering can be seen making their way through the base.

[MrAbdiel]

Lamorak permits the weapons and armor to be taken from him. His reluctant mentor's lessons echo quietly in the recesses of his blackened mind: when you become the weapon, no man can deny you your weapon. In a plain grey gambeson, denuded of obvious spikes, the ropey strength of Lamorak is plain to onlookers; pale skin and short hair cut in a utilitarian style that might be best described as resentful chic. His eyes sweep over his fellow inmates. These are his tools, now; the golems, and the jailers, his obstacles. Stepping off the tilting stone, he tests a theory, and attempts to arrest the speed of the short descend with a Featherfall spell. Regardless of whether it's a hard step or a soft one, he will immediately look over the other incarceratees.

"My time here is short. Which of you intends to lay down and die in this place; and which of you would give anything to walk free another day?"

Spoiler: I'm not trapped in here with you... You're trapped in here with me.

Show

The Featherfall is to test if the new shackles are magic cancelling, or just... shock cuffs, or something.

[Dusk Raven]

Well, that was that. Maiabel has little hope of sneaking or bluffing her way past the guards at this point, so there's little to do except hope that Sharkan and Cypher have things well in hand for her master.

Well, there is one thing she can do. Careful to avoid patrols on the way, she makes her way back to the hut where their troubles began, and to the passageway underneath it. She'll travel along it until she meets someone, hopefully someone familiar - and hopefully they haven't enacted their plan to collapse the tunnel yet.

[JbeJ275]

In the Pit

The featherfall kicks in normally ensuring Lamorak glides smoothly to the ground before making his pronouncement. The pronouncement itself though is underwhelming.

An older human speaks up saying. "I give you four points for presentation, three points for eagerness and another for smoothness. But no points for originality leaves you stuck at eight out of ten."

A half elf next to him speaks up as well. "Rare to see new blood end up in here. Can't imagine you'll be joining me, Alick and the crew as long termers, but if your sponsors buying anyone who asks for it they're welcome to get me out of here. Doesn't mean I'll plan on staying long with her either though."

Another form, this one further from the light speaks up as well. "What did you do to end up down here anyway?"

At the Hut

After retracing her steps, Maiabell emerges once more around the back of the house, after slinking through a nearby alleyway and breaking into an empty building that backs onto the same alleyway that they were previously fighting in Maiabell takes in the sight of two elven guards with dogs watching the building again, with another elven form moving about inside. That elf has seemingly having discovered the hole going down from the bed but is not yet raising the alarm for whatever reason.

Across the alley and a few buildings down another building is occupied, apparently by a pair of humans, they're not watching through the window but instead seem to have taken to watching the elven guards there with a small spyglass protruding through a gap in the flimsy walls of the building they dwell in. You watch as one hands the spyglass to another and spot they both have a tin charm on a piece of leather tied around the wrist. It's the same symbol the woman in the underground chamber wore as an amulet.

Then as you go to make your way forward, and leave this building to descend into a covered area across they alley from where you are now, the force of your jump requires a slight readjustment at the last minute. That sends your chain shirt just catching onto the windowsill for a half second, long enough to make it shake just enough for both the humans and the elven guards to turn and focus their attention towards it.

[MrAbdiel]

"What I did, was that I killed a patrol of guards, and their hounds. They came snooping and threatening at a moment that displeased me; now they are dead. But I am here because I elected to come and see this 'pit' rather than kill the second batch of guards. It occurs to me that incompetent rulers often incarcerate men and women who they can imagine have no uses except to be contained. I wanted to see what kind of people these vaunted elven masters fear, and despise."

He cranes his gaze across the prisoners, lingering on the elder, the half elf, and the shadowed one who have spoken to him.

"You are right to say I will not be a long termer. But listen now - aid me, and I will remember you. Is this a slave pen, or a place for storing hostages before they are recovered at price? And what is the purpose of these?" He raises his manacles, which, it turns out, do not block his limited magics.

[JbeJ275]

The shadowed figure gives a low chuckle, at your claim to have killed several of the guards, though the rest of the men give appraising looks, trying to check you over for the possibility of deceit. They seem to have not yet decided whether or not they believe you.

The older human is the first to answer your question. "It's both buddy, the guards here don't much care why someone wants to buy you out of here, just that they're willing to dump enough gold in to buy you out. Suppose you'll be pricey though, anyone show up one of their guards in an open fight, rather than slitting their throat or setting fire to their bed, and they most often just kill you. Elvenfolk can't lose a fair fight you see, that going round would get them scared. As is it's gonna be a high price to get you out if anyone wants you, and a long time before it makes sense for the showmen to buy your contract. Gets cheaper as you stay down here longer, and as you give up more secrets or lose track of the outside. When in the day was it you got down here anyway? I like to try and follow it.

He never gets to the second part of your question, prompting the half elf to pick up the slack. "The Manacles aren't nothing too special magically, though they're tougher to pick than the guards normal ones, even if you got tools, they ain't gonna kill you by themselves. The chain golems they got in the roof are programmed to grab them, and they'll get pulled right back towards the chains, makes it easy for the beasts to grab on and stops you fending them off. Old Sagan here will talk your ear off about how it all works when he's in a mood to. He says with a nod towards the elder figure. "They do something with the shaft on the platform as well, get it to break in two and reform around it, keep you in place for interrogation or auction.

[MrAbdiel]

"Who says elves cannot be overcome in a fair fight? Elves, I suspect; and they are the ones who provide the definition of fair. Perhaps it's only fair if both participants are permitted to study the art of the sword uninterrupted for a hundred years? The world belongs to those who see opportunity and seize it; who overcome and adapt quickly. The day will come when the last elven kingdoms exist in terrariums, as a source of historical curiosity. And... it was coming towards noon, as I recall."

Condescending to answer such a trivial question is, as far as he is concerned, the height of magnanimity. He regards the half-elf briefly as he details the manacles. Not magic binders as much as a marked token for the golems, then. Interesting. "Now I know that some of you remain here a very long time. How quickly do they process new arrivals? And, for that matter, how many are down here? The security seems.. overwrought."

[Waistcoatwill]

Cypher attempts to identify any possible locations within the guard complex to lay low or steal further uniforms before they leave.

His trained eyes assess each member of the guard with an obscured face, attempting to discern if there anyone of his assumed rank is similarly covered.

Spoiler: Rolls

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Spot for hiding place finding (1d20+11)[21]
Sense motive to see if he could get away with covering his face with a captain's uniform (1d20+11)[21]

[Dusk Raven]

Thinking quickly, Maiabel looks around for a spot to hide. She quickly comes up with a plan - hide, then ambush the guards when they approach.

Spoiler: Rolls and Actions

Show

Hide: (1d20+16)[31]
Move Silently: (1d20+16)[33]

Going to try and find a good spot to hide, say around a corner that the guards might approach. Then, I'll wait until the guards get close, then strike.

[Darius Vibrtrar]

Out of his element. Cypher remains silent and sticks with Cypher, following his lead.

[JbeJ275]

The Pit

"You get twenty one of us who're in the landing cave, then in the other passageway areas another forty-six. So yeah, Sixty eight of us here now, counting yourself. New arrivals are sat in here to stew for twenty four hours at first, gives the richest of the sponsors time to buy you out, or pay your death price and get your skull out of here, if you got secrets someone rich enough doesn't want shared. The human comes out with this, giving you a dark look at the words death price. "But I'm guessing you're not planning on waiting that long. Else they'll take you upstairs and a whole bunch of them all stare into your mind at once, try and pluck out every thought and prompt you to reveal who you work for. Whether you'll be fodder for the shows, useful kept by them or a worthy fella to sell elsewhere."

The Half elf then picks up after this. "As for this whole place being over-wrought put that down to how old it is. This city has been here a long time, and very complicated things were built that fell apart and required re-placing with less intricate things. Or that slight damage led the whole system to degrade just enough they could no longer use it properly but not enough that they wanted to change it entirely. We think that's what happened here, was some inassimilable hidden fortress, or cleverly designed prison with intricate safeguards. Now it's an overwrought pit to throw people into."

The shadowy figure eventually speaks to you, in a low rasping voice. "Who are you to come down and ask this anyway? No landsman here was fed like you were. You some Beastclan prince who tried to be a little too clever or what?"

The Watchhouse

There are, areas where uniforms and weapons seem to be put aside. As well as toilets, or backrooms that seem disused or used only for maintenance you spy that might be acceptable locations to hide in. The issue is you're catching this only as you're on your way to the interrogation room, and in there they seem to want a full recounting of the events that led to this.

Cypher and Sharkan find them both being looked at expectedly as they're asked several questions.

Spoiler: Elven

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"So, Captin Marikoth if you could give in your own words an explanation as to what led to the Golhunds you'd been equipped with departing the point of contact at speed an unaccompanied. Most observers, believed they were in acting in recall mode and that another figure then chased them down out of the alley, seemingly uninjured and unpursued by you. Do you have any details on these escapees that might better explain what occurred there?"

Cypher does notice there are several elven forms with their faces covered, some of which seem to be intensely respected but none of which are in positions of direct command as a guard captain would be.

Above the Alley

You're hidden for perhaps three minutes in the rafters as the guards assemble a team to head into this building. Eventually you see the door breached by another astral construct, looking very similar to the one from earlier, with a single elven guard following behind it and looing back and forth through the room, a delicate looking elven whistle held by his mouth as his other hand plays over a wand. They're delaying for a few seconds before the elf begins casting a spell, remaining in a narrow corridor and behind the astral construct as he does so.

[Waistcoatwill]

Cypher pauses a moment to get the measure of the officers debriefing them and replies in Elven.

A dreadful rackets and foul miasma alerted us to a disturbance at the dwelling. Inside were the brute and his accomplices. It was not immediately clear what their purpose was, but the brute was clearly the greatest threat. He openly tried to assault us and we couldn't let that stand. I am loath to say that he was formidable and took all of our combined skill to contain.

The cowardly accomplices were clearly trying to flee the scene. We deemed them no great threat to the city, but I sent the Golhunds to block ant potential escape. How like the humans to fail to understand an outflanking manoeuvre when they see it.

As stated, we were containing the greater threat and did not witness the escape of the lesser miscreants. We had trusted our colleagues to be able to contain them, regrettably they failed where we succeeded.

The noxious smoke may be the key. An incompetent attempt to set fires and deprive is of workers perhaps? Whatever it was, we interceded in time to disrupt it. With the speed the male human fled I'm sure the cowards are slinking back to their own hovels as fast as they are able.

Spoiler: Actions

Show

Sense motive to try and tailor the answer to something that will prevent he and Sharkan getting reprimanded but not draw attention to those of the group not in custody.
(1d20+11)[17]

Bluff boosted with cunning Insight (4/5 IP remaining).
(1d20+7)[22]

[MrAbdiel]

Lamorak nods, at this information divulged at his command. The men here were spirit-broken; and there were endless uses for such. The lurker in the shadows was know - who might he be, if a prisoner, really, at all? The Lord Protector took a note that all his prisons, as they bloat in the future, should include spies... even if this one does not.

"Who am I? I am an agent of a greater throne than those occupied by the jousting houses of this realm. One that is destined to swallow them all up, in its sprawling shadow; whose chains do not fall arbitrarily, but on the traitor and the maniac alone. I have come here seeking one who might be of use to my house; one that knows the secrets of chemicals and fire. But if I do not find such a chemist who will offer loyalty in exchange for freedom, I will find one elsewhere. And one day, when I return to this place, I will draw from this pit all who have been unjustly cast down; and cast down all those who once did such casting."

Twenty four hours, they said.

Well. He shouldn't need more than half of that. With a final imperious glance over his varied interlocutors, he makes his way away from the central mechanism, settles cross legged on the ground with the shackles in his lap, and with the posture of a carved bodhisattva, he closes his eyes and marshalls his power.

"If any of you should like to beg favor, now is the time that most may most profit."

[JbeJ275]

The Watchhouse

After some further questions, asking for clarification which you seamlessly and swiftly provide, the interrogators release you from interview and show you to a small room, with a few carefully carved wooden chairs, and a small plate of slightly stale pastries. They instruct you to stay there until they've talked to the other responders and conducted a more thorough search of the scene but do not set a guard to watch you, it is in many ways a welcome relief, as Sharkan's hastily applied disguise was on the verge of slipping, and you now have some chance to communicate with each other. You think you're less deep in the facility than the interrogation room was, but do not have much of a sense for its overall layout quite yet.

The Pit

"Heh, you might just be the real deal huh. Well I tell you what." Replies the older human. "One of the kids in here, they had him working on mixing up the alchemicals for the Golhunds and the Gravies, dirty work there, preserving flesh enough to stop it rotting but let it still fight, damn fine was this kid too, he saw beyond the instructions and figured out how it worked. Hell, I got wind of that and helped him use his best talents, mess up the flesh to include alchemical that degraded the controls, tripled the chances of one of them going on a rampage. Even rigged a bunch of Golhunds to rampage in a warehouse once, they tore the damn thing down before anyone could stop them from what I hear. Now the kid doesn't talk much, but I could persuade him to go out with you if you like, kid's got no stimulation down here, he's gonna go mad. So I can pick him out and send him with you, and you'll just owe me a favour huh how about that? Course if you got a ticket our of here without magic being slung every which way I'll cash that favour in right now, but I can't exactly sprint for the exits these days."

[Darius Vibrtrar]

Sharkan, now out from under the constant gaze turns to Cypher.

"I cannot understand these....elves."

The Word elves is said with warrented disgust.

"If we can assertain where the Lords equipment was taken, we can loot the entire fortress of its wealth and take its lavishness for ourselves."

[Waistcoatwill]

Cypher's face begins to remould back to his human features as alter self comes to an end. He faces away from the door just in case.

I have been unable to find a suitable ruse to continue using common. However, I may be able to locate the Lord Protector's panoply if they haven't yet warded it from divination. I may also need to acquire the uniforms of three lower ranking guards. None of the captains seem to hide their faces the way some lower ranks do.

He pulls out a forked twig and begins to focus.

Spoiler: Action

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Arcane Dilettante - Locate Object, focusing on Lamorak's mighty blade. 3/5 IP remaining.

[JbeJ275]

Spoiler: Cypher

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You feel it mostly to what was the right of the base as you entered it and slightly deeper into the base and below you.

[Waistcoatwill]

I feel it, not far from here but deeper into the base. I will need to turn invisible from this point forwards but can either lead you or report back with the exact location before recovering the items. What say you?

Cypher waits very briefly fir a response before turning invisible and sneaking out of the door.

Spoiler: Actions

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Move Silently (1d20+14)[19]
Search (1d20+11)[15]
Spot (1d20+7)[20]

As well as looking for Lamorak's gear, Cypher is looking for a stash of uniforms to raid.

Edit - Forgot to say casts invisibility as a standard action, also bonus action haste if Sharkan isn't coming.

[Darius Vibrtrar]

Sharkan regards what is said.

"While having one stay behind for when they return.... would be wise. I dont speak Elven, and the ruse will drop the moment they return. If they return and we are not here, the ruse will become endangered rather than drop, we can come up with a reason for leaving. I will join you."

Sharkan accepts the invisibility if Cypher is casting, otherwise casts his own invisiblity to go along with Cypher.

[MrAbdiel]

Spoiler: Previous: A Bid For Favor

Show

The Pit

"Heh, you might just be the real deal huh. Well I tell you what." Replies the older human. "One of the kids in here, they had him working on mixing up the alchemicals for the Golhunds and the Gravies, dirty work there, preserving flesh enough to stop it rotting but let it still fight, damn fine was this kid too, he saw beyond the instructions and figured out how it worked. Hell, I got wind of that and helped him use his best talents, mess up the flesh to include alchemicals that degraded the controls, tripled the chances of one of them going on a rampage. Even rigged a bunch of Golhunds to rampage in a warehouse once, they tore the damn thing down before anyone could stop them from what I hear. Now the kid doesn't talk much, but I could persuede him to go out with you if you like, kid's got no stimulation down here, he's gonna go mad. So I can pick him out and send him with you, and you'll just owe me a favour huh how about that? Course if you got a tciket our of here without magic being slung every which way I'll cash that favour in right now, but I can't exactly sprint for the exits these days."

A long pause.

Then Lamorak opens one eye, to gaze at the older man making his proposition.

"...Very well. Bring the kid here, to the main chamber. When I leave this place, I will take him with me. When I return, I empty all who are in this pit out of it; but your aid now, I shall remember. What is your name?"

[Dusk Raven]

Maiabel has few options at this point. She assumes they're casting some sort of detection spell, and so she moves... out of the building entirely, using her special abilities to cling to the wall as she leaves, so-as to not drop down the 20 feet to the bottom. Then, she races for the entrance to the building with the secret passage, drawing a blade as she does so.

Spoiler: Actions

Show

Swift Action: switch to Dance of the Spider stance, allowing me to walk on walls so long as I have a hand free.
Double move action: Move right up to the aforementioned building and its guard.

[JbeJ275]

The Watchhouse

Sharkan and Cypher proceed unseen throughout the base. They first happen upon a set of sleeping quarters on the same floor, and going through the lockers assemble a small pile of uniforms, they've to small a selection to have any that aren't ill fitting but they'll pass in a pinch.

As for the greater object of their search, they soon come to a staircase, which they follow down, and a passageway from there that brings them to a closed door, Cypher can read the label on it as "Place of Secondary Observation of Mystic and Cultural Rarities in Reclaimed Treasures". The door is one of many in a long corridor, and you can hear footsteps and faint speech in elvish beyond it. The door is locked, and is made of ironwood, with some metal security fixtures added.

The Pit

"Alright, I'll get Nichi. As for me, you can call me Davor."

With that Davor departs, leaving you alone with just more distant muttering from others to contend with. It's a brief quite, before Davor arrives once again, a slight and androgenous human accompanying him. He's likely not left his teens behind, and his hands seem to never stop fiddling in one way or another but he approaches you, taking the last few steps to you alone when Davor stops.

"So, you're going to get me out of here then I hear... and then I can work at Alchemy for you?"

The innocent hope and relief is something Lamorak has not heard in a long time, but seems entirely genuine from Nichi.

The Alley

The elven guard turns as Maiabell charges, going swiftly to strike and call out a spell. But will he be swift enough?

OOC: Roll initiative. On a 17 or higher you go first.

[Waistcoatwill]

Cypher

Cypher casts an eye over the door to see if it is obviously trapped or locked. He then expertly cups his ear to the part of the wood most likely to clearly transmit the vibrations from within.

Spoiler: Actions

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Search
(1d20+11)[12]
Listen plus Cunning Knowledge 2/5IP remaining.(1d20+15)[33]

[MrAbdiel]

Lamorak's eye had closed when Nichi departed, then opened again at Davon's question. He opens both then, giving the boy a visual once over with his gunmetal gaze.

"I will, yes. I suggest you loiter closer to the main chamber. Tomorrow, I will leave this place. And if you do precisely as I tell you... you may also. We will see, in time, if your talent for chemicals merits the boon. But now is the time of patience; and waiting. Patience, boy." A closure of the eyes again, as the Lord Protector slips into grim rumination once more.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Sorry for the slow response here. I somehow lost track of the fact I was due to respond!

[Dusk Raven]

Moving as fast as she can, Maiabel closes the distance between her and the guard. As she moves, her form seems to become enveloped in shadows, cloaking her exact position. As she closes within range, she scans her opponent's defenses before lashing out at - hopefully - just the right moment.

Spoiler: Actions

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Swift Action: Enter Child of Shadow stance, granting me concealment against all melee and ranged attacks as long as I move at least 10 feet.
Move action: Move up to the guard.
Standard Action: Use Sapphire Nightmare Blade, which first requires a concentration check with the target's AC as the DC. (1d20+12)[29]
If the check succeeds, the target is flat-footed against my attack, and also takes an extra 1d6 points of damage. If the check fails, my attack is made with a -2 penalty and deals normal damage.
Attack Roll: (1d20+13)[23]
Damage: (1d6+9)[10] plus (3d6)[9] if the Concentration check was successful (sneak attack for being flat-footed plus maneuver bonus damage)

[JbeJ275]

Cypher and Sharkan

The door doesn't seem to be trapped, but is locked. As you put your ear close to the door you hear a few faint words in elvish make their way through the thick.

".... it's an ill match for mercenaries to bring with them to the city, and mercenary smart enough to hold such an artifact would know it's better sold and retired on then taken into a dangerous mission like this, perhaps it better fits a gift to a catspaw from a noble, but is a damn expensive one for a catspaw you don't trust absolutely, and there have still been no offers to reclaim or end them. Still, this blade bears no mark of authority to fit a noble blade from the Firstrule period, but the shape matches exactly and the runework is wondrously precise if no one bids too high I may... what of it then? It's well within my rights to describe it such... Oh please that would cost you more than I. Making note of the degradation on the hilt's runework is practically my civic duty."

"So I understand then it'll be filed as a relic? Not a weapon of magical provenance?"

"Indeed, and bring me the book. Magister Calivern's Studies of lost relics of the Firstrule, this may match some treasure within."

Lamorak

The other prisoners give suspicious looks at your promise, but proceed to leave you alone. It seems you'll be judged fiercely if you're breakout isn't immanent, and that's a poor situation to be in when imprisoned. For now though, you can only ruminate.

Maiabel

The guard sees heavily heavily wounded, but just hangs on to his focus and remains awake. He says words of necromantic power and lunges back towards you, his hands aglow with the effects of Vampiric Touch.

(1d20+5)[22] for (3d6)[15]

Though not blessed with too much quickness the elven guard still managaes to brush Maiabell's hand, the lightest touch drawing strength from her and into the mage.
Maiabell takes 15 damage.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Sorry for the delays everyone, IRL got really busy for a while there so I didn't have the energy for this. That said, IRL stuff is a little more under control now. :)

[Waistcoatwill]

Cypher

Cypher squeezes Sharkan's arm, leans in and whispers.

Two individuals, may recognise the Hollow Blade. Take them down quickly when I open the door.

Were he not already invisible, Cypher's form would begin to blur. The thrum of energy leaps to his feline companion as he begins to work on the door with his ornate selection of tools.

Spoiler: Actions

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Assuming that it takes an action, let me know if its linger than that.

Open lock plus Cunning Knowledge (1/5 IP remaining)
(1d20+23)[29]
Move Silently if necessary
(1d20+14)[30]
Forgot to include MW Thieves tools for an extra +2 on open lock.
Bonus action haste on Cypher and Sharkan, lasting for 7 rounds, 1/4 remaining.
If possible he'll open the door and move into the room when the door unlocks, or at the very least allow sharkan past.

[Darius Vibrtrar]

Sharkan takes note of what was said and prepares himself to move into the room and stun the closest foe with a stunning fist.

Spoiler: possible roles

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(1d20+10)[19] plus benefits of invisible
(1d10-1)[9] unarmed damage
DC 17 Fort save vs Stun for 1 round