Result = 11 - 2 = 9, Success + raise.
Attempting to hide it with Lockpick Skill:
Result = 6+6+2-2 = 12
I think this is an opposed roll against their search or notice.
Arabella will talk with K'Don and learn the kinds of things she might say to the guard to improve his attitude toward her/us when he locks us up or lets us out or brings food and water.
Modifiers: +4 - 2
Result = 7, success if TN is 4.
It will also be important to find out if Connor can still use his powers. I don't think there is any reason he couldn't if he has gotten better at controlling them. Perhaps with some coaching we could get him able to knock out a guard. Since he uses the shout, it perhaps will be best to keep that in reserve in case we escape and need it to defeat enemies.
Over the week, you manage to "chat up" the Orc that brings you food, maybe partly by learning a few phrases in Orc from K'Don, and his attitude changes from mean and surly to just surly. :) But he does seem to be bringing you all a *bit* more food, enough that everyone's fatigue drops to -1 instead of -2 over the course of several days.
I'd mentioned before that Connor's powers aren't working either.
P.S. - forgot to mention, everyone's shackles stay on 24/7, even while you're working in the mines. So your Pace is like 2-3, and you can't run.
After a week passes, one day an Orc comes to your cell in-between work-shifts, points at Arabella and says with a thick accent "You. Come." He motions for everyone else to step away, then unlocks the door and takes her away.
Arabella is escorted upwards out of the mines (still in shackles) by two Orcs, into an area that looks more like a building. Once in the building, you see several rooms which contain pistols, swords, whips, and others which have racks of Orc-sized armor.
You are eventually led into a large, nicely-furnished "office". A female Dwarf behind a desk looks up and says "Welcome, my dear. Have a seat. Oh, where are my manners, let's make you more comfortable" and motions for the Orcs to take off your shackles. But the Orcs stand beside you, sword in one hand, pistol in the other, watching your every move (on Hold, technically).
She offers you some food and drink that's on the desk - and considering how hungry you are, it looks scrumptious! Drumsticks, fruit, and sweetbread, and she asks you if you would like water, ale, wine, or something stronger. (). Seeing your hesitation, she laughs and takes a bite and sip of everything. "I assure you it's not drugged, and you could be eating like this *every day* if you want to co-operate."
Getting more serious, she looks at you hard and says, "I need to know where you got those crystals for your goggles. I need more! The crystals we get from the mines are pathetic compared to yours, and even the best ones we can get are only a hundredth as powerful as yours are. Tell me where I can get more, and I can make life *much* more pleasant for you and your friends.
And, I've had some time to study those goggles, and I've figured out what they do. You are quite clever in your own way, and I could use someone like you to help me with my...'projects'. Let me show you."
She gets up from behind the desk, and with a nod to you and the Orcs, walks over to a door, unlocks it, and motions you to follow. When you get inside, you probably have to make a Spirit roll to *not* start drooling! The room is larger than the one you left, and is a scientist's dream lab! Every modern piece of scientific equipment of the era is there, along with some equipment, tools, and gadgets that only you would recognize as things that work with your crystal energy. Sitting in that area are your goggles.
Over in one corner, you see a pile of weapons, armor, and your stun gun.
She waves her hand, and says "Welcome to my lab - I am a scientist just like you, and we have both stumbled on a new source of energy in those crystals. Come work with me, and we can change the world! And this is just my *small*-equipment lab. Why, I'm building machines that..." she seems to catch herself, and just smiles.
She takes you back to the office, and says "I've let you have some time in the mines to let you know what the rest of your short life will be like for you and your friends if you don't tell me what I need to know. I'll give you another week down there to help make up your mind." And she motions to the Orcs to take you away, which they do after they re-shackle you. She refuses to listen to anything you say at this point.
Does K'Don recognize this "type" of orc or has he heard anything. It may not be relavent to the current situation, I would just like to round out what knowledge he has and more about the continent itself.
Some Orc legends and stories about the ancient "glory days" (thousands of years ago) talk about a race of Orcs that were larger and stronger than today, and how they conquered the entire world thru their massive strength and power, and ruled with an iron fist. These guys certainly *sound* like those stories, but whether they *are* those Orcs, or something else, is hard to tell.
It would be totally out of character if K'Don didn't try to make a break for it at some point. So...
At an appropriate time (before arabella gets invited to speak with the dwarf) while being taken to or from the mine, K'Don will bust the guard in the head with his chains and try to make a run for the hills.
K'Don, I will get back to you on that. Just roll your initial attack, and I'll describe what happens.
I'll say losing some fatigue gave you the confidence to try, so -1 for fatigue, -1 for "improvised weapon" (the chains) on your Fighting roll. For damage, do your Strength + d6 (plus another d6 if your Fighting roll gets any Raises).
Would you stop fighting on the first Wound, the second, the third, or keep on going until Incapacitation?
I'd suggest everyone sit tight about further discussion until Arabella has posted her replies to the Dwarf, as that will make a big difference in how future events go.
Success with one Raise
K'Don has a major trait of Overconfident so play it as it goes. He will fight until he sees it is hopeless to continue. i.e. if he is wounded and sees that he can still escape he will fight on. As soon as surrounded or sure he can't get away he will surrender.
Where's the +1 coming from? Don't forget to apply all bonuses and penalties to the d6 Wild Die as well.
And you double-dipped both the +1 and -2 on the Ace roll. It's best to save all penalties for when the Acing stops! :)
Ignoring the +1 (depending on where it came from), you rolled an 8+7-2=13 is still a Success with a Raise against their Parry.
So add another d6 to your Damage (which can Ace).
You are eventually led into a large, nicely-furnished "office". A female Dwarf behind a desk looks up and says "Welcome, my dear. Have a seat. Oh, where are my manners, let's make you more comfortable" and motions for the Orcs to take off your shackles. ...
She offers you some food and drink that's on the desk - and considering how hungry you are, it looks scrumptious! Drumsticks, fruit, and sweetbread, and she asks you if you would like water, ale, wine, or something stronger. ... Seeing your hesitation, she laughs and takes a bite and sip of everything. "I assure you it's not drugged, and you could be eating like this *every day* if you want to co-operate."
Result = 4 - 1 = 3, Arabella cannot disguise her desire to pounce on the food, however, she does restrain herself enough to have some conversation first.
Arabella eyes the food but does not immediately reach for anything. Once her shackles have been removed, she looks the dwarf in the eye and says, as politely as she can, "We have not been properly introduced. I am Emma. And you are ....?"
She will do what she can to draw information from her "host", chit-chatting as if at a party, asking where she's from, how she came to her present situation. If the dwarf plays along with this game, "Emma" will give inconsequential information about where she is from, where she learned about science, etc. She will work into the conversation that she fled her country because she had embezzled from powerful people, establishing, she hopes, that "Emma" is not a goody-two-shoes and hence might find it agreeable to work with another criminal mind.
If the dwarf plays along with this, "Emma" will begin to eat as the dwarf talks, helping herself to whatever alcohol is available (but only one glass). If the dwarf does not play along, "Emma" will eat as long as she is allowed to do so before giving any answer to the implied question of her cooperation.
Eventually, she says, "Thank you for the food. It is surprisingly good for such a remote location. It suggests you have staff who do something besides being ground into dust working the mine. I'd be happy to discuss cooperation, provided the others can be given tasks less grueling and food more appealing."
Getting more serious, she looks at you hard and says, "I need to know where you got those crystals for your goggles. I need more! The crystals we get from the mines are pathetic compared to yours, and even the best ones we can get are only a hundredth as powerful as yours are. Tell me where I can get more, and I can make life *much* more pleasant for you and your friends."
"I bought the crystals from a criminal in Trellak who had visited Keltica. He said he bought them from an orc who said they came from deep in the middle of Keltica." She shrugs at this comment. "I've heard similar rumors since I came here, but perhaps they actually came from your mine. Criminals don't usually give up accurate information on where they got their goods."
"The crystals I bought were the same as your crystals, flickering faintly when near anything living. My crystals are stronger because I discovered a way to nurture them, much as one nurtures a child. It is a difficult thing to describe, but involves a kind of communing with the crystal."
[After showing Arabella the lab,]
She takes you back to the office, and says "I've let you have some time in the mines to let you know what the rest of your short life will be like for you and your friends if you don't tell me what I need to know. I'll give you another week down there to help make up your mind." And she motions to the Orcs to take you away, which they do after they re-shackle you. She refuses to listen to anything you say at this point.
Arabella will try to pick up a spoon, fork, or knife, or some small tool from the lab and using slight of hand, slip it into hiding on her person.
Result = 5, success or TN for an opposed roll.
If still fatigued, subtract 1.
The +1 comes from my new edge.
That edge is Trademark weapon which I guess wouldn't apply since I'm not using my Bat'leth.
So, 17 against the Orc's Toughness+Armor. That was quite a blow, and the Orc drops. But the other Orcs are on you immediately (we won't roll for that), and grapple you into submission quickly. As one Orc is about to administer a killing blow (sword to your heart), another one speaks up. Only those who understand Orc would understand what's being said, but I assume K'Don will relate the exchange later.
"Hold! He is part Orc, would not any of us try to escape our captors, no matter the cost?"
"But anyone who attacks us must be killed, those are the rules!"
"We are our own masters down here, I say we should not kill one of our own, even if he is a half-breed."
"Then let us instead teach him a lesson that he will not soon forget!"
They pummel you with fists and rocks, leaving you a bloody mess barely able to move. As further punishment, you are required to finish out this work shift.
Arabella -
"Pardon me child, my name is Gerba."
She will not volunteer any information about herself, her history, or her setup here. If you wish to jabber on about yourself, she will ask questions (about yourself) and listen as you eat. Even if you weren't ravenous, the food and drink is delicious, very high quality!
=======================================================================
My crystals are stronger because I discovered a way to nurture them, much as one nurtures a child. It is a difficult thing to describe, but involves a kind of communing with the crystal."
Her eyes light up at this remark, and an expression of...pure greed and desire, dreams of power...passes across her face, and it takes a few seconds before she regains her composure. "I would give any...that is, I would be willing to move you and your friends into better 'quarters' with better food, and no mining duties, if you would show me how to do that. Child, you have no *idea* what those crystals can do! You *must* tell me how you do it!"
=======================================================================
Trying to palm something is actually Stealth, but you have a d4 in it as well, so we'll let the above roll stand. It's opposed by Notice.
= 7
(The Orcs would have gotten Notices too, but that's moot.)
As you try to palm the item, Gerba points at your hand and says, "Now, now, dearie, that's not very nice...altho I would have been disappointed if you hadn't tried, so you will not be punished...this time." From the tone in her voice, you *really* don't want to know what "punishment" would consist of.
=======================================================================
Arabella, do you recount everything that's happened to the rest of the group truthfully?
ALL - you can have some time to discuss the situation.
That is 1 success and 1 raise. Two wounds gone
6+5-2=9
That is another success and raise
Wound 3 Gone. It took 8 days to recover.
Arabella will tell the others. She also promises to do what she can to escape and to help the others escape or at least get help from the settlers. She encourages you all to do what you can to escape once everyone has been reassigned to easier jobs and better food and fatigue no longer makes everything harder.
Arabella will have to cooperate with Gerba but she will try to keep progress slow and watch for opportunities to sabotage things or take her out. She may have to pretend to share her twisted dreams for power in hopes of getting more leeway and trust. Stay strong.
"Finding out who or what is really behind this "project" should also be one of our goals. Personally, I'd like to close down this whole operation, not just escape."
"So it looks like we're gonna play along with this for a while. My escape attemp wasn't entirely to get away as it was to guage the response to my attempt. If we are to escape if will have to be through a well thought out plan"
To Arabella:"Your plan sounds good to keep progress slow. And for the name of all the gods, don't teach her how to do what you do. And I don't recommend that you dispatch the dwarf, but maybe capture and use her as a hostage to get out of here. We're also somewhere deep in the wilderness, getting back to WeMadeIt may be an ordeal in itself. I am confident that I can get us back safetly, but having some supplies would be a good idea."
"I think Gerba is the leader. She must have lieutenants who do her bidding. I could be wrong, but that is probably the best starting assumption. We'll all need to watch for cracks to exploit, like different levels of status among the Orc guards, sub leaders who might be convinced they should be in charge."
"Marko, what would it take to get you able to cast your spells again? I know you need your book, but might you recreate it if you had access to other resources. Do we know why Conner can't do his psionic things? Is there any sign that WindDancer is in the area? These can give us some things to work on. Hopefully, Gerba will let us all stay together so we can plot, but she's canny and smart. I probably won't stall her entirely or she will begin to punish you to get me to be productive."
Anybody want to discuss these developments and their ramifications in-character? It will take me a day or so before I can post again...
Heh - hadn't reloaded since I saw Arabella's "3:19 PM yesterday" post - keep it up! :)
Marko, you feel somehow like even if you had your spellbook, you wouldn't be able to cast spells - you sort of feel "fuzzy headed" when it comes to trying to access your power.
Connor is less articulate, just saying that he can't make it work (not that he really had it under that much control anyway...). And he still can't sense WindDancer.
True to her word, Gerba won't summon Arabella to talk to her again for a week, so y'all have plenty of game-time to talk things out.
"We're also somewhere deep in the wilderness, getting back to WeMadeIt! may be an ordeal in itself. I am confident that I can get us back safely, but having some supplies would be a good idea."
"It's possible we're not that deep. It seems they transported us part of the way, at least, in carts, and that it took about 2 weeks. That suggests there are roads to this area, which suggests there are reasons for the roads, like cities or fortifications. It might even be near Jewelston, since the orcs were evidently stirred up by the same developments."
Arabella, please make a Smarts roll to see how well you can fool Gerba with your stalling tactics, it will be opposed by Gerta's Smarts. You can spend *a* Bennie on this roll to re-roll if you like. So can she.
Also let me know if you attempt to palm anything else, your Stealth will be opposed by your Orc guards' Notice. You can spend *a* Bennie on this roll if you like. Gerta assigns the same 2 Orcs every day to accompany you everywhere and watch over your every move whenever you're not in your new "quarters" (still a cell, but in the building, not in the mines). Just so you know, that's 2 Notice rolls, each with a Wild die.
Due to the nature of PbP, as a balancing factor any Bennies you spend here will be subtracted from the 3 Bennies you'd get at the start of the next combat, whenever that is.
Still working on the next big post, probably tomorrow...
"It's not just my spellbook. I feel -- addled? I suppose. My thoughts scatter to the wind like dust in a -- a -- windy thing."
Marko sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"A big part of my magic comes from focus. And right now I can't."
He then stared thoughtfully at his shackles.
"I wonder if these have anything to do with it. Hmm. Conner, K'Don. Let me see your shackles so we can compare them."
-Posted with Wayfinder
"It's possible we're not that deep. It seems they transported us part of the way, at least, in carts, and that it took about 2 weeks. That suggests there are roads to this area, which suggests there are reasons for the roads, like cities or fortifications. It might even be near Jewelston, since the orcs were evidently stirred up by the same developments."
K'Don responds gruffly "That would be the best case senerio. I prefer to work from the opposite premise, we are deep in the wilderness with little in the way of supplies and a long way to civilization, unless you know something you haven't shared with us, this may be a better way to approach this situation, don't you agree?
K'Don takes a good look around the area on the way to and from the mine to try and determine proximity to neighboring towns how much is the road traveled, is there traffic on it now etc. What does the civilian population consist of, or is this a military type garrison. Also, listening carefully to the guards conversations.
I guess K'Don notices anything worth noticing.
Result = 7
K'Don - the building is "on top of" the mine, so you never go outside to see anything. I see now I wasn't that clear about it when I wrote about Arabella's "trip". (And see my most recent previous post for what Arabella's rolling for.)
Marko - everybody's shackles looks about the same, rough, crude, beat-up.
Arabella - I'm not sure we're on the same page about "lockpicking" - you rolled lockpicking before when what you were really trying to do was palm an object to later use as a tool for lockpicking, and you just said you wouldn't make any more attempts at lockpicking, but you don't yet have anything to lockpick *with*. What I'm really asking is : do you attempt to *palm* anything for any reason? I'll assume the answer is still "no" for the reasons you just gave, but I wanted to make sure we were both talking about the same thing.
So first things first, you all spend another week in the mines.
K'Don, you get some good-natured ribbing from the guards about how your human side is keeping you from healing quickly, but they are a little less antagonistic towards you. Not really "friendly", but a grudging respect and perhaps fewer uses of the whip.
Then Gerba summons Arabella for another "talk", and Arabella says she's willing to co-operate. True to her word, she moves all of you up into the building. You're now all sharing a larger room with crude beds padded with straw, and a privvy in a separate small room. The windows are heavily barred, and the door is heavy metal with a heavy-duty lock.
It's still a prison cell, but not nearly as dark, wet, or smelly as before. And no one has to work in the mines. There's the ever-present bucket of foul-tasting water, and the food is noticeably better (but not as fine as what Arabella has had).
Arabella, any time you are out of the cell, you have your 2 Orc guards. Gerba will check in on you several times a day, asking pertinent intelligent questions about your work. She will "ask" you to have lunch with her every day (very fine food as before), and chat with you about scientific stuff. She's as informed as you are about science in general, and knows a lot about the crystals already. She does not give away any info about her plans yet.
After a few days, she pulls a box out of a locked cabinet in the lab - it is a 4"x4"x4" cube made of glass panes, held together by lead seams. Inside is a crystal that's the center of a mechanism that allows it to pivot in all 3 dimensions. She lays it down on the bench next to your goggles, and the crystal inside immediately points right towards them. She explains that this is a "compass" she made to help her find energized crystals, and it's how she found you in WeMadeIt.
After a week, she checks on the progress of your work. I've decided that if she loses by only 1-3 points, she's "suspicious" and will spend a Benny to re-roll.
= 5 so she's suspicious
= 6
So you win, but she's suspicious - there's nothing she can put her finger on, but she tells you to "hurry it up", or your friends are going back into the mines.
Arabella, make another Smarts roll to fool her for another week.
ALL - anybody want to discuss escape plans? Run ideas by me, I'll tell you the situation.
I thought I remembered reading that things like sleight of hand were handled by lockpick, but stealth makes sense too. That's the problem with such a small number of broad skills. It's a d4 for her either way.
As I say, she'll work with Gerba for now and I'll make decisions about more specific actions when I have more specifics about the situation, which I assume are coming.
Is she still being returned to wherever the group is staying for the night or does she have a separate cell? What are the others doing when Arbella is doing weird science stuff? If someone else is working where there are items that might be hidden and used for picking locks, let him know, although so long as we are all being treated well, it might not pay to risk it just yet.
If there are window I would like to relook as previously stated.
Outraged by their treatment (and perhaps a bit insulted that, as a nobleman, he wasn't the true target of their kidnapping), Alexander was horrified by the first real work he'd ever done, but angry enough to pull through it and look for any opportunity for escape that they might have.
Finding none, he tried to keep up Connor's spirits and look for good lockpicking items, though he had little hope of palming them unnoticed.
= 10
Still waiting for Arabella to make another Smarts roll to fool Gerba for another week...or does "will work with her for now" mean you'll actually show her how to boost the energy in the crystals?
Marko, that made me LOL, literally! So while you're thinking about bending the wire in your glasses, you suddenly realize that *matter* must BEND *space*, which then makes the matter *move* in a certain way! So now you can build an atom bomb out of two coconuts, a potato, and a piece of copper and zinc... :)
More serious answers back to everyone once I know whether Arabella's stalling or giving Gerba the method...
Marko, one thing to think about : if you use your glasses frame for a lockpick, odds are good that you'd be at the "poor sight" penalty for some long time after that (until you can get back to "civilization"). It'd take a high Repair roll to put them back into a useable shape.
Marco, Fox, why did you roll 4d6 for a wild?
The way he does Aces is he first types :
{dice=Wild}d6{/dice}
And Previews it. If that result is a 6, then he *edits* the previous line to be :
{dice=Wild, with Ace}d6+d6{/dice}
And if the second result is a 6, well...rinse and repeat. Make sense?
So while Arabella is alone with the two guards, she will make nice with them as she did with the the cell guard.
Result = 4
Spend a Bennie to reroll.
Result = 5 plus 2 or 4 depending on whether the attractive edge applies from humans to orcs.
Result = 7
Has Arabella detected where Marko's spell book and/or fetish is/are located? Also, are there materials in the lab that she could use to construct some kind of booby-trap or make-shift chemical or explosive weapon, smoke screen, drug, etc. Does the lab mainly have mechanical tools and parts, or are there also chemicals, beakers, etc.? If she's allowed to work for stretches without Gerba's presence, let me know what kind of rolls she could make to improvise something for use at the opportune moment.
While Arabella plays patty cakes with Gerba, the rest of the group languishes in the cell and .........
Arabella suggests K'Don (and the others) work on convincing the other orcs that it is a shame they have to work for a dwarf when there are others more worthy of their devotion languishing in chains. Aren't orcs usually enemies of the dwarves? And yet these take orders from Gerba just because she is smart and knows how to coax magic from the crystals. Yet there is another who is smarter than Gerba who is being kept as a mere lab assistant and prevented from doing more powerful creations out of jealousy and petty predjudice. She goes on like this until you get the drift of what she's suggesting.
Arabella assures you she is doing what she can to find a way out of this mess. She suggests Marko keep his glasses intact for now. She's working on becoming friendly with her guards, so that they might not notice her sneaking something from the lab.
Being kept in a cell with nothing to do day after day begins to wear on K'Don's nerves (he is more surly than usual snapping at everyone etc). K'Don cannot cope with being cooped up all day and night with nothing to do. Since we are being fed better and everyone is no longer at a -1 for everything, K'Don will begin an exercise regiment. He will encourage the others to participate.
K'Don will do as Arabella instructs and try to gain the confidence of the guard orcs. Telling tales of his prowess and strength. He will also inquire as to K'Il Mato (the murderer of his parents).
He will try to get the orcs to let them go outside for some fresh air and exercise. He will ask Arabella to get the dwarf to let us do this.
If we get to go outside K'Don will examine the area very carefully, specifically: road and road usage, any smoke on the horizon, do we see the little dragon anywhere, number of orcs, fence, guards position and number etc.
Fever of 101 this morning, more tomorrow or maybe Monday...
so it's hard for us players to do anything except the few things we've mentioned: to try to locate a way to pick the locks or to influence the guards to change their attitude toward us. Once we get to a specific situation that we can interact with the setting, NPCs, etc. it's hard to know what else to try....we're mostly just treading water waiting for that specific situation to be described.
Still not well enough for extended replies, but I wasn't necessarily going to give you a specific "scene" in which you "make your break" - I've actually been hoping for more ideas from everyone that *I* could end up playing off of! As a DM, K'Don once gave us an apparently impenetrable fortress we had to get into, and had no idea beforehand how we were "supposed" to get in - he just waited until we thought of something that sounded like it would work, and ran with it! :)
And it's also obvious that Arabella and I aren't on the same page about how things are progressing with Gerta, I will try to talk with her player today so we're in sync.
It's looking like maybe Thursday or Friday before I can make really long posts and pull things together, so if anyone wants to suggest and/or discuss other ideas/plans/etc. of escape, feel free to do so now while I'm out. Don't necessarily stick to "game system" options, either (Persuasion, etc.)!
K'Don will work hard at trying to befriend a guard. Playing on of his own skill in battle, accomplishments, and victories. He will also tell of how his parents were slaughtered without honor and that he is on a quest to avenge his parents. He will try to get the guard to talk about where they are. How far to orc or human civilization. He will ask the guard why he follows this dispicable, disHonorable Dwarf (yuch, spit).
Discussion within the group, how are they doing. Does anyone join in his exercise program. Teach and learn from Alex some sword skills and tricks. Paying special attention to Connor, keep his spirits up. Keep trying to contact WindDancer. He is not very familiar with Connor's special ability, but will try to get the others to cultivate it. Discuss with Marko why he can't touch is power, suggesting that maybe it was in the food or water. Going as far as to switch food with him. (the water tastes not good) so maybe something is in the water.
[ooc]As I have actually been involved in sword and shield combat, once you learn the basics, the combat is frequently decided mainly by foot work. As such we can perform a great deal of practice without a sword.[ooc]
Not much time, but you do know the guards' routine, and Arabella has walked passed their bunkroom more than once. There is one captain of the guard that seems to take orders from Gerta and pass them on to the rest. I've been meaning to describe the daily routine to give you more options for ideas, but this ich (bronchitis, I'm thinking now) has just laid me out.
My idea was for you to think of ways/plans to trick them somehow, like Alex's "My friend is sick!" Think "TV tropes".
I just thought it might be fun for y'all to contribute to the creation of the story, but don't worry if y'all can't think of anything, all is not lost...
Yeah, that's exactly what I wanted to do a week ago, then got hit by the ich. All that's coming as soon as I can...
Take your time getting up to speed. The particulars that will mean the most to us will involve what sorts of things are in the rooms we inhabit (sleeping space and Gerta's lab), whether the guards who watch us are the same every day or do they rotate. Is Arabella with the others when she's not in the lab? Are the others required to do things as slaves or do they just stay in the room? Where is the lab with respect to the sleeping room and what is known about the other places in between. How many guards are typically within earshot of "our" guards? I'm still not clear what Gerta is expecting of Arabella initially. Any other aspects of the routine that might create opportunities, such as bathroom breaks, food delivery, shift changes for the guards, etc.
Simplest thing might be to write a "day in the life" describing the things we would observe in a typical day.
One thing that makes me hesitant to try anything without more information is knowing that the consequences for failure could be severe (at least as far as Arabella knows). So before she tries to smuggle out a lock-pick tool, she'll want to be confident the odds are in her favor. For all she (Arabella) knows, if Gerta catches her doing something to escape, she might just have one of the group killed or tortured. Arabella doesn't want that on her conscience.
Finally, I sent ZenFox42 a PM with some speculation on the mechanics of what can be developed with the crystals. There are things I'd like to know about whether weird science applications could be made into something that could be mass produced by people without the Arcane Background in Weird Science. PM me or talk to me about that privately if you want.
Get better soon.
Wow, I just tallied everything y'all have asked or thought up, and it's a lot! That's not a complaint. :)
First things first - K'Don, I would imagine that in a warrior culture like the Orcs, Intimidation might be a better way to "make friends". So please make an Intimidation roll for me, at -2 because you're a half-breed.