Lyrysa, watching the way the others went and listening intently, turns to Drogan. "My only concern is that if things go against us, we may have been able to use him as a bargaining chip. Regardless, it matters not now, and we move to make our escape. The others did indeed follow Orodreth. They have not called for aid yet, hopefully they hadn't blundered into a trap of some form."
Randu holds his action, ready to fire IF Orodreth's attempt to hold the man fast.
Rushing forth from the doorway the guard is surprised by Tykk's attack and the prisoner manages to wound him deeply in his sword arm. Orodreth's response is swift and he manages to grapple the guard before he can react. Realizing his plight the man nods, accepting Orodreth's offer. As he looks up he sees Randu in the portal ready to fire his bow.
Your prisoner is white from fear as Drogan is done feasting. He doesn't say much but eagerly drinks when offered and almost apathetic cooperate.
Randu looks down at the man and nods quietly, then jerks his head behind him to suggest they bring the fellow on up to join the other.
Yes. He has 1 Chainshirt, 1 Heavy steel shield, 1 longsword, 1 Leather club, 1 longbow with 20 arrows.
Randu strips the man of his goods as they push him up to join the other, "You're wiser than some, I'll give you that. We had two up here... one was helpful, the other not so much. Guess which one lived?"
Once the fellow is helpless, Randu helps himself to those same items. "At this rate," He tells Drogan and Lyrysa,"Most of us maybe outfitted before we get to the armory."
Orodreth takes the guard back upstairs to be chained and gagged. He sees the dead guard but says nothing about it, only softly shaking his head, A waste.
"We should have free reign of this building now. What should we do about the three sleepers? I think all those who don't fight us should be chained up here. There is plenty of room. Except for Blackerly and the warden."
Orodreth nods and hands the captured guard over to Randu to take upstairs, keeping a sword to his back until they reached the stairs, then returns and whispers to Tykk, "There is bound to be a kitchen somewhere in here, perhaps we should have a couple days food prepared for the journey to the house, also there are the sleeping guards, maybe I should check on them."
Ah, another prisoner. So the disguise worked? I assume you guys made a deal with this man since he is not dead. Let us chain and gag him then. I will give him some water, he should survive.
Drogan will provided water and help chain and gag the new guard.
So where is Orodreth and Tykk? Randu, could you grab them please. I feel it would be safer to talk of further plan up here.
"Agreed, we wouldn't want the others to move too far too quickly. If they should run into trouble, we may not be able to assist them." Lyrysa looks to the new prisoner. "Though now may be a good time to confirm what we've been told of the prison's defenses, right Drogan? After all, if we were given false information it would render you agreement with our gagged friend here invalid. Perhaps you'd like to question him as well?"
That seems reasonable.
He looks to the new prisoner.
So your wounded, it would just be awful if you didn't make it. So your friend here gave us the password to the gate. He said there are ten of you then the Sergent, and then the Warden is this correct? There are only two of you on the walls? Three of you are asleep here in the keep, and three are playing poker with the Sergent at the gatehouse, is this correct? Is there anything else you could tell us that adds value to your life?
"Hmm, they will be helpless while they sleep, I could easily make them stay unconscious, they would wake knowing nothing of what occurred." Orodreth hoped for as little blood spill as possible before facing Blackerly. But then the others might wake from the noise. Best to stay silent as Tykk had advised. He removed the shield from his arm, it was hindering his usual movement. A blade to the throat would have to do. Leaving the shield against the wall where the guard had stood at his post and unsheathing his longsword, Orodreth took a good look at the room he was in.
Ah, another prisoner. So the disguise worked? I assume you guys made a deal with this man since he is not dead. Let us chain and gag him then. I will give him some water, he should survive.
"Actually, this fellow recognized Orodreth, or at least realized he was 'one of the prisoners'. He was subdued before he could cry out, and he wisely surrendered," Randu smirks a bit.
Drogan will provided water and help chain and gag the new guard.
So where is Orodreth and Tykk? Randu, could you grab them please. I feel it would be safer to talk of further plan up here.
The noble born man hears the word 'please' and nods, manners, after all, matter, "I'm sure what those two are up to down there. One of us had to bring this fellow up, and so I did. I'll head down and pass on your request. I think you're right, of course. There are times to hunt like the cougar, and then times to hunt like wolves. This is a wolf time."
With that, Randu headed back down the steps as quietly as he could to rejoin Tykk and Orodreth
Still a little shaken from the sudden attack the guard hasn't recovered fully before he is shaken once again. "Yes, yes, it's true," he stammers and continues: "They're sleeping downstairs." He looks pleadingly first at Drogan, then Lyrysa looking for mercy, hoping to survive. At Randu's words the guard quickly remarks: "But we all know each other here..." the words fading as he realizes he isn't helping himself.
----
Looking around nothing in the hall stands out to Orodreth. Straight ahead are the two heavy double doors. On his left side is two doors and one on the right.
Thinking the double doors most likely led to the outside Orodreth picked the left door closest to him instead. Looking to see if Tykk was nearby, he then inspected the door before opening.
If it is unlocked he opens it.
If it is locked his curiosity is alerted and he pulls out his lockpick tools and unlocks the door as quietly as possible.
Orodreth siliently moves to the door not making a sound. He warily tries the lock and the door opens. The room is silent, two torches lights the room. There is not much in the room, a single desk covered in papers and a few chairs. There are two other doors in the room. As Orodreth quickly searches the the desk he finds a full map of Branderscar with the positions of the guards marked. The others papers seems to be orders, requisitions and accounts.
After taking a quick look at the map and feeling good about himself for such a find he folds it up and rejoins Tykk, now with Randu in the hall. He tells them what he found in the office among the many formal documents and heads back upstairs to show the others. "I have found..." his voice falters at the mess in the cell, perhaps the meeting room outside would be better for planning the rest of their escape. "I have found a map. Perhaps we should discuss this away from the guards ears. There is a table in the other room I can spread the map out on aswell." Orodreth goes to the room where the first thought of escape had been implanted in his head. Thanks to Tiadora they now had a very good chance at getting out of here alive. Spreading the map out on the table he shows them the likely positions of the rest of the guard and where he assumes the three sleeping guards are, directly below the cells.
"I think we should take several days worth of food from the kitchen downstairs. Anything that is locked I can open given a couple minutes so we should also visit the armoury and get fully armed, perhaps find anything personal items they may have kept. Have the new prisoners told us anything new?"
Orodreth also asks Grumblejack if he knows anything about Branderscar that will aid their escape.
The great ogre reluctantly leaves the guards behind but follows you without protesting. Once inside the room he smiles as if he remembers something. "Grumblejack not know anything more than little 'uns, ask the food if you want to know more." he answers.
"Fine, let's get food enough to supply ourselves," Randu states, "We can choose survival and ignore immediate revenge, but we risk enemies at our back. If we go for revenge, we end up biting off more than we can chew. An interesting conundrum either way."
Well done Orodreth, well done indeed. Guard positions to boot. I'm still in disbelief so few guard this place. So it seems we have four guards on the walls as well as the warden in his tower and Blackerly and the others playing poker. I guess we finish in here supplying ourselves. We need to do something with the three that are asleep. I would hate to get caught with them at our back because we leave them. So lets start with them and getting supplies then we can discuss the rest. We should make haste though, as it would be nice to catch the Sergent and his boys still at their poker table with their pants down so to speak.
"The sack we had full of clothes should hold a good amount of food. Ok shall we split up then to get this all done quickly?" Orodreth looks around at everyone. Drogan at least agrees with making the most of their time while uncontested here. If everyone else agrees he suggests another plan.
Two of them take the swords they have and take care of the three guards.
Two of them take the third sword and a dagger and secure food for their journey.
One of them and the ogre break into the armoury.
Meet in the armory once each task is complete and get equipped before leaving the building.
"What do you guys think? We could stick together but then everything takes more time and half of us will be standing around."
If the others accept the plan Orodreth volunteers for the break in since he has the tools for it and he doesn't feel like slaying guards in their sleep.
Grumblejack here can smash down any door I can't open also.
"Splitting up does seem the most expedient option. I shall aid in gathering provisions. If no one finds harm in it, I would prefer to arm myself with one of the bows over a dagger, given our options. Don't forget we also must deal with the hounds, as well as the guards patrolling the walls. Avoid windows if possible, and hopefully we'll find a treat to keep the dogs otherwise occupied."
Orodreth offers the 50ft of rope from the veil for tying up the other three guards if they decide not to kill them as an option.
This all sounds well and good. I can go to deal with the sleeping guards with another. I do not need a weapon so this will arm another in case they run into anything unexpected. We won't need the rope for this. So who will come with me and who will go with Lyrysa?
"What is the purpose of killing the guards? Why not neutralize them a more peaceful way?" Orodreth asks to try and get an understanding of Drogan's ways.
"Do what you must. I merely meant you could knock them out easily enough before they even woke, then lock them with the others, gagged and chained to stop them making unwanted noise." He decides not to bother himself with the fate of a few guards.
Orodreth looked at the others, that left Randu to go with Lyrysa. "Are we ready then? Meet in the great hall here when we are all done."
"I suppose that means Randu will come with me."
Lyrysa listens to Tykk's explanation to Orodreth, then relates another side, "There are many circumstances, Orodreth, where I would agree with you. I would much rather turn their minds and beliefs, make them loyal either by words or by other less desirable methods if they choose to resist. But every good master knows sometimes you keep the dogs around to be tamed and trained, or sometimes you must put them down for the good of the rest of the animals. In this case, we don't have the kennels to hold all of them." Lyrysa turns to the cells for a moment, staring at them through the walls. "At least not one we can defend. No, for now it's better to deal with them in such a manner that our survivor in the other room will have a story to relate, one in which they know to fear us. Particularly if we are opposed."
"I suppose that means Randu will come with me."
Randu gives an almost boyish smile at that, "There are worse fates for either of us, I imagine. Now that I'm armed, steel and spell should work well together."
Lyrysa listens to Tykk's explanation to Orodreth, then relates another side, "There are many circumstances, Orodreth, where I would agree with you. I would much rather turn their minds and beliefs, make them loyal either by words or by other less desirable methods if they choose to resist. But every good master knows sometimes you keep the dogs around to be tamed and trained, or sometimes you must put them down for the good of the rest of the animals. In this case, we don't have the kennels to hold all of them." Lyrysa turns to the cells for a moment, staring at them through the walls. "At least not one we can defend. No, for now it's better to deal with them in such a manner that our survivor in the other room will have a story to relate, one in which they know to fear us. Particularly if we are opposed."
Something Lyrsa says intrigues Randu, "Can you really do that, change someone's beliefs? Can you make it last forever?"
It is simple Orodreth, these people took from me. These zealous, riteous worshipers of Mitra
He spits after saying its name.
The Fallen as they choose to call him will see this kingdom fall, and if I am the instrament that he uses, then all the better. I will avenge those brothers that they killed out of hate, out of not worshiping their god. You may have a soft spot for these men, but not I. I am pre destined, Asmodeous incarnate the other priest said. Asmodeous has claimed my soul and acts through me. All will bow, or all will fall.
After the plan has been agreed upon everyone set out for their assignment. I silence the six escapees makes there way down the stairs to the main hall. Everything seems quiet as you split up.
The silent thief and the not so silent ogre sneak to the far end of the great hall where a single door to their left separates them from the armoury. At first thinking this will be as routine as the cell doors Orodreth doesn't focus on the task. The door however is of a different opinion and resists his attempts to open it.
I assume in the text above that you take ten in your first attempt. Feel free to roll now.
It is a sight for sore eyes as you see the nimble thief and the clumsy ogre make their way down the hall, but you have other assignments than standing here amusing yourselfs. You head through the door to the right and enter a large room with wooden table benches properly the mess hall a rather unremarkable room save the save banner on the eastern wall. It is blue and white split down the middle where a yellow star with a blue castle combines the two halves. As you devide turning respectably left and right Tykk and Randu manages to kick a bench each. Drogan and Lyrysa not doing much better.
Guards +10
Servants +5
Orodreth tries to open all doors to rooms 12, 13 and 15 and takes a look around.
Drogan looks among his companions
I guess none of us are assassins. So what we lack in stealth we need to make up for in speed let us hurry and get to the guards.
Randu frowns, "My time imprisoned seems to have softened my skills. I find that offensive." Randu nods to Lyrysa and takes the lead on the way to the kitchen
Remembering his almost forgotten skills Randu moves quietly towards the barracks followed closely by Drogan. At the door he pauses to listen, but here no sound from the other side. Slowly he tries to open the door and without a sound it slides open. As expected 3 guards are sleeping in the beds in front and to the left of you.
New stealth check please and a little plan on how you want to kill the three since you are only two.
The lock not only resists Orodreth's attempts to open it. It mocks him refusing to give in until Grumblejack rumbles: "Need me to give it a whack little 'un?" then it springs open. The light from the great hall illuminates part of the armoury. While you are not able to see everything in detail, weapons and armour are placed on wooden shelves along the walls, save a pile on the floor in the far end of the room. Grumblejack has a little smile on his lips as he walks determinately towards the pile, he makes some noise as he shifts through the pile. Triumphantly he pulls a longsword, which in his hands looks like a short sword. Giant: "They kept you." he says. As you try to leave for the others rooms he stops just outside the armory and insists: "I want to hurt little 'uns, where are they?
"I'm not faring much better." Lyrysa readies the bow taken from the guards as she follows behind Randu.
The first attempt must have exorcised the crippling effects of the prison chains because now Randu glides along the floor to the door to the kitchen. A few steps behind Lyrysa is ready with her bow.
As Randu put his ear to the door he hear hushed voices: "Did you hear that Gregor. I think the guards are drunk again, they are stumping round out there." a young female voice says laughing.
"There are at least two in there," Randu whispers to Lyrysa, "A woman and a man. They think the guards are drunk again. Do you want to use a spell, or shall we go in and kill quickly? I prefer not to kill women..it's a sentimentality I have, but it maybe required."
Lyrysa seethes inside, "These are neither guards on the map nor dogs in the kennel. Wait..."
A disconcerting thought, she quietly ushers back to Randu, "If they were to the guards objectively, they themselves are not. It's possible our friend omitted a couple, though it could be the warden and a lady friend he was unaware of. This could prove deadly if that is the case. If it's indeed the warden, I will attempt to cloud his mind, dispatch him quickly for he may well resist it's effects."
Getting frustrated at the door he is about to let Grumblejack open it. He decides to try one more time though and amazingly it opens. He is about to go for a torch or rip off the lantern patch when he realised he could see just fine. Though where the light fell off everything else faded to black and white. He hadn't realised this and wondered how it was he could see in the dark. Unconsciously he rubbed his neck and noticed the bumps there again. Did something bite me? Is that why I feel so frail also? Recently he had felt like his life was being drained away from him. He had first felt it the morning before he was caught, earlier this week. On waking up that day he felt weaker somehow, but had never guessed why. He had a feeling it was now to do with the bite marks but pushed it out of his mind. He would NOT die.
He searches the room and equips himself, putting the longbow and and longsword down he searches the pile after Grumblejack to see if his weapons had been confiscated here.
Rapier
Belt pouch
Dagger x2
Short sword
Short bow
20 more arrows
"Patience good ogre. Come help me search these other rooms first. There may be someone inside the main quarters. Them you can fight." Orodreth searches the other room before going into the main chamber. He opens the door and looks around.
Lyrysa seethes inside, "These are neither guards on the map nor dogs in the kennel. Wait..."
A disconcerting thought, she quietly ushers back to Randu, "If they were to the guards objectively, they themselves are not. It's possible our friend omitted a couple, though it could be the warden and a lady friend he was unaware of. This could prove deadly if that is the case. If it's indeed the warden, I will attempt to cloud his mind, dispatch him quickly for he may well resist it's effects."
"It could just be servants of some sort, let's try to intimidate them... if one tries to scream, use your magic to stop which ever if you can." With that, Randu opens the Kitchen door with his own bow pointing at the first person he sees.
"Do not move. Do not scream. Do not make a sound, or I WILL kill you and those with you."
Aware of his previous failure Tykk manages to execute his intent well and silently approaches the sleeping guards.
Let see the coup de grace then.
As the door glides open two shocked faces stare back at you. A young woman is standing by a cauldron stirring in it while an older large man is standing by a table cutting up an animal with a meat cleaver. They are both silent as they fully realize what is happening. "You're not guards," the young girl stammers as she drops her spoon into the cauldron.
A more thorough search of the room reveals a lot of supplies to equip future guards. You count six completes sets and well above 200 arrows. The pile does not contain your beloved items someone else must have them. Shifting through the pile you find another rapier, a short sword and a couple of daggers to replace your lost belongings.
Enthusiastically the ogre trots behind you into first Blackerly's office and excitingly awaits as you open the door to the storage room. His disappointment is obvious as the room only contains kegs of lantern oil, torches, rope, lanterns, uniforms, horns, the dreaded branding irons and a couple of barrels labelled emergency rations. "No little 'uns," he complains.
"Excellent," Orodreth says to himself when he finds replacement weapons. With a quick flourish to test them he tucks the daggers into his belt and the swords around his waist. The longsword the guards favoured was so not his type. He smiles, finally feeling comfortable again, though not out of this prison yet. He hears muffled noises, perhaps the others, and hopes they are accomplishing their goals as well as he. There would be plenty of armour and weapons here for all of them. He frowns as he is unable to acquire a shortbow, but decides against keeping a longbow. He would miss far too often to be bothered with it, best to stick to the shadows and not let his enemy see him. The disguise didn't seem to work as well as he hoped, everyone here knew each other.
Leaving the room and closing the door her goes back to the office and unlocks the door there. This room seems to be a storage room and is full of miscellaneous items of use. They might have use of this travelling to the house from the prison. He sets aside several items, stacking them to one side back in the office. "Just a storage room, but over there through that door, seems to be a bedroom from what I saw on the map. Not the warden's, he is in the tower. So it must be Blackerly's. What do you say we break in and destroy a few things. He might have valuables stashed away." He tried to give the Ogre something to do before he stormed off to find his own fun. Orodreth wanted Grumblejack to stay with just long enough for the others to get back, then the ogre could provide a distraction for them.
4 lanterns full of oil.
10 torches.
With nothing further in the storage room to interest him, he turned to leave. Regarding the brands with a frown he nevertheless left them and closed the door again, turning back to see how Grumblejack was coming with the last door.
As the door glides open two shocked faces stare back at you. A young woman is standing by a cauldron stirring in it while an older large man is standing by a table cutting up an animal with a meat cleaver. They are both silent as they fully realize what is happening. "You're not guards," the young girl stammers as she drops her spoon into the cauldron.
"Good eye, my dear, now, knowing that, you stay quiet and calm and you may live through this. I can be a charitable lord when I am not challenged," A side glance to the old man with the cleaver, "You'll want to put that down slowly and gently unless told otherwise. Don't scream, do cry alarm, either of you. Now, tell me who you are, and how you came to work here. You're clearly not guards either. So, how long is your shift, and how do you get in and out of here?"