As the group exit the room, Indio leans close to the nearest guard and stage whispers, "Trust me pal, you don't want to go in there for a good while. She wasn't too thrilled to see us, and I wouldn't want anyone else to suffer the consequences see?"
As Idril exits, she looks around.
"Very well, we have this one. Where are the rest of the Armigers?" She asked with arrogant officiousness.
Stricia frowns as she carries/drags the unconscious prisoner trying to give nothing away.
Bastargrae exists with the others, more concerned with adjusting his uniform than playing along.
The guards look wide-eyed at Indio.. “We never do... ” “Never’ve seen anyone come outta there not lookin’ like her.” pointing at the tortured prisoner...
With a nod to Idril, they fish through their keys again and begin unlocking three more cell doors. They are a little rough yanking the manacled prisoners from their cells, but hand them over without question. The prisoners scowl, and one spits at Erodel’s feet.
The best part is of course that I said nothing that was not the truth.
Remembering something, Indio seeks to meet the eyes of one of the Armigers, trying to capture the gaze, then quickly looking down on Idril's blade, hoping they might realize what is going on and not cause problems.
Oh,do calm down. We can make this less painstaking without your dramatics. Bastargrae commented on the prisoner's reactions.
He helped steer the new additions along, tapping their legs with his sheathed sword and with a smarmy grin.
The armiger follows Indio's eyes, and sees the blade. There is a split-second reaction before he stifles his expression. After a few seconds, he gives Indio the slightest nod, then falls in line.
You all make your way out of the cells, past the second set of guards, and through the receiving room to the front door.
You exit the Holding House.. it is late evening.
"Hmm, we may not be in the best position at this moment, but we should also not waste time.
Either way, we require some place out of sight to see to some adjustment of clothing..."
Plus, we need a quite area to explain to our new "friends".
Again meeting the eye of the armiger from before, Indio surreptitiously taps a finger against his lips, signaling for no questions yet.
The captain knows our faces. She will not be.. pleased when this is discovered. Stricia worries. But yes let not waste time.
"Right. Back to base then." Stated Idril officiously.
Glancing at her teammates she communicates secretly; Unless there is someplace else we should go?
Hmm, we cannot go back to base like this, at least not in this state. Someone will see and remember, however, there IS a place people avoid, where we could take the Armigers for now, get them clothes and smuggle them out of the city in a day or two.
The old Pathfinder lodge...
Nodding to himself, Indio motions for the others to follow him.
"There is a place..."
Idril nodded imperiously at Indio's suggestion and barked the appropriate commands to get everyone moving.
The streets are empty here as curfew draws upon you. You travel a few blocks before a "pssst" catches you from an alley. The man Octavio had sent to watch over you, Boabdil, beckons.
"Let's get them back to the shrine... they will be protected from divination there."
He meets eyes with the rescued armigers, and nods a greeting to each with a warm smile. He then looks back to you.
"Seems things went smoothly.. yes? Shall we go?"
Let us get this over with quickly. Stricia says They will find out quickly enough.
Idril nodded agreement.
Glancing back over her shoulder, she tries to see if they were being followed.
Boabdil gets to the other end of the alley, before turning to look back.
"I came by way of the sewers... Should we return that way, or do you think your disguises will get us past the guards at Rust Gate?"
"I would caution taking any unnecessary risks at this point.
The sewers might be a lot less palatable, but they are the safer option.
The sewers it is."
I am good with that as well.
Boabdil leads you to a nearby sewer grate from where he'd entered the area.
As he reaches for it, there is a blur and clang as a bladed polearm embeds in the grate. From above and behind you... on the edge of a two story rooftop - maybe fifty feet from your position, you see a figure hunching down in the dim moonlight. Long slightly curved horns, slender spikes protrude about its shoulders like a demonic mane, and a writhing beard. It is difficult to determine its color in this light, but its skin is dark.
"What have we here? Dottari moving to skulk in the sewers?"
Idril stood up and took a step in the creatures direction.
"Since you seem curious, know that I am Aerie Rastigar, a lieutenant in Special Services to his Lordship Paracount Thrune.
"Now, we are on an important mission that cannot wait on the idle curiosity of a nameless creature." She said in a warning tone.
Yanking the bladed polearm from the grate , she contemptuously cast it on the ground in front of her.
"Open the grate." She said quickly over her shoulder.
Turing back to the creature, she fixed him with a cold eye.
"And we all know what curiosity did to the cat, or whatever thing it is you are." She said with a sneer, much more intimidatingly as she rested her hand on her sword.
The devil throws back his head and heartily laughs. He disappears and reappears next to Idril, and fetches his glaive.
His jocular expression turns to an intense scowl as he leans forward with hot rancid breath.
“Don’t let me stop you, lieutenant.”
He disappears.
A suddenly sweating Idril turned to the others.
"Well... a devil. Don't see those every day..." She said, twitching a little.
"Let's get that gate open and get the @#$$&& out of here." She hissed intently.
Stricia is more than glad to hustle the 'prisoners' down the sewers. To outwit one of those is an act of legend.. she mutters as they descend into what is hopefully the safety of the sewers. The influence of Cheliax seems to be deepening on Kintargo.
Indio frowns, looking unusually pensive.
"If those creatures are prowling the night, I fear for any curfew breakers, no matter how innocent the reason might be."
You enter the sewers and make your way to the same exit grate west of the Rust Gate and Ravounel Road. Not long after, you reach the shrine of Saint Senex.
Within the first chamber, Octavio comes to greet you. Following behind is another.. a pale skinned man with dark hair and eyes. At his side is a very large bird creature of varying blue plumage.
Octavio's face brightens upon seeing his armigers.
"You've done it!"
Boabdil speaks up "They have... and without spilling blood in the streets. They've done well."
Indio smirks and runs a finger over his mustache.
"We ARE capable of more than simple brutality. I would hope this demonstration will bear that out."
Idril slumped against a wall and sighed relief at a successful production. Mission. Whatever...
She held out Lictor Octavio's mothers mithril shortsword.
"The sword was very helpful. Thank you." She said.
We've made an enemy in the prison guard captain however. The guards seemed shocked at the torture though, considering they will be getting into trouble, maybe we can recruit them?
The dark haired man at Octavio's side also lights up at seeing the other armigers. He goes over to greet them, shaking hands and slapping shoulders to welcome his fellows back. The big bird-like blue lizard thing likewise greets the returned would-be Hellknights, sniffing and nuzzling like a dog seeing a long lost friend.
The man nods at the heroes. "Thank you for this. Very impressive. And doing it without killing anyone," he shakes his head. "You Silver Ravens are certainly multi-talented."
Stricia, a tall, athletic, Vudrani woman with snow white hair, and russet skin, bows to Octavio. We are honoured to have saved your comrades from that vile place. With more successes like these, I am certain the people of Kintargo will feel more hope that their freedoms may return. My part was very small, I just stayed silent mostly.
The unkempt and briny seers begin to tend to the wounded, and lead the tortured and partially flensed armiger to Octavio's current bedchamber.
Octavio gestures toward the scattered crates - offering a place for you to sit near the driftwood statue of Saint Senex and the drowned man.
"As you remember, I mentioned I would divulge more information should you prove to be successful while showing some restraint."
"We were investigating rumors that Lord-Mayor Bainilus didn’t actually flee the city for Arcadia as the government claims. I believe she’s been imprisoned — or worse — by Barzillai Thrune. The situation escalated when I took offense, quite publicly, at our new lord-mayor’s recruitment of the Order of the Rack as additional guards. The man spins webs like a spider, though I can’t decipher his design yet. Whatever his reason, I’ve come to believe it bodes ill for all of Kintargo.”
"Have you questions before I continue?"
Idril shook her head and motioned for him to say on.
"Now my armigers are safe, we will leave Kintargo... for a time. Let Thrune believe we have all fled for good.. never to return. But we will.. we will return, and you can count on our aid when we do. There is a place which would serve you well as a hideout.. and base of operations."
“The Lucky Bones was, to the public, a gambling hall and opium den. In truth, the building was a front for a guild of thieves and abductors known as the Gray Spiders. When my order learned the Gray Spiders were involved in a kidnapping and slavery ring tied to the cult of Norgorber, we confronted them. They responded by assassinating Lictor Reya, our heroic founder. In turn, we brought the full might of the Order of the Torrent down on them, and when we were done, the Gray Spiders were no more.
But then Lictor Reya’s successor, Lictor Yehl, made the curious choice to seal the Lucky Bones rather than fully explore it. It was shortly
afterward that others in the order discovered that Yehl and some of his subordinates had sought to preserve the Gray Spiders’ ill-gotten gains for themselves and had planned to return to the complex to loot it. Yehl and the others were charged with corruption and expelled, and command of
the Torrent passed to Lictor Arcamo Hyrmagus, but no one ever followed up with the Lucky Bones. Lictor Arcamo was ashamed of the entire episode and forbade any of the rest of us from investigating it, and in time, it all mercifully slipped from memory.
But those chambers still exist below the ruined gambling hall—chambers that were never mapped or officially reported. For all intents and purposes, they do not exist. Sounds to me to be the perfect place for a rebellion to set up shop... provided someone first scouts the place out to ensure nothing unwanted has moved in!”
"Stay here for the night." Octavio gestures to the dark haired man at his side. "Tomorrow, Grimenio will lead you to the ruins and below, and will aid you directly until our return. He is neither armiger nor hellknight, but my faith in him equals a true member of the Order."
Indio rubs his face thoughtfully as he considers this little tidbit of information.
"Bones resting on yet older bones, the city is alive with many secrets..."
Idril looked intrigued.
"An old gambling hall and opium den. And unlooted? If untouched, that could be very helpful." She mused aloud eyes unfocused.
She looked around at the rest of her companions.
"For our cause. Of course." She said heatedly.
Nio nods at Lictor Octavio, inwardly stung at being labeled 'not an armiger,' but still determined to honor his not yet sworn vows, and turns to the Ravens. "A thieves' guild's cellars and dungeons are likely to be heavily secured, but from what I've heard about your exploits in the city so far I'm sure we'll be able to clear it out."
Can we also use this place if we need to really hide someone? It seems to have worked well for you for a long time. Stricia wants to know.
Perhaps we should rest before clearing this place out however, it has been a long day. The torturer had been VERY hard to subdue.
Octavio replies to Stricia "I do not believe they would turn you away if you were in dire need. However, I would not rely on their hospitality for as long as I have."
"Yes.. please rest." He bows and takes his leave for the back chamber.
Morning comes.. the Armigers and Lictor Octavio are packed and ready to leave.
Octavio nods to each of you "Best of luck to you.. thank you again. Hope to serve beside you soon. Contact my cousin if something dire comes up before our return.", and then shakes Nio's hand - with a few private words.
Akukho, also packed "That is where I am headed. Now that the kin of my Countess Setrona is safe, back to the Tooth and Nail for me. Take care." After a nod farewell, he scrambles up the exit.