Veldrin surveys the room one last time, also looking for anything potentially magickal
"I say its time to go get the rest of our belongings, and then get out of here."
Gurwen nods at the Drow's suggestion. "I'd very much like My bow back. This piece of junk is no substitute." She smiled at everyone, except the ogre, and stood surprisingly close to the Drow, waiting on the others.
The Cloaked Aasimar nods in agreement.
Vincent, satisfied with his look through, picked up the discarded picture when no one was looking. He felt that the little kindness she had offered was at least repayable by returning the picture to her and perhaps a small stipend at some point to help with her immediate future. He shook the thoughts from his head and smirked a bit "Ah, I do so like the idea of reclaiming my goods...but it doesn't hurt to possibly burn this place to the grown releasing people along the way". He skittered his way out back into the hall and began to sneak his way down the hallway looking into the cells along the way for someone that he wouldn't want to burn to possibly let out.
Vincent did stop shortly as he started to exit the room "Hey....was there a lamp by chance in that lovely scarf...maybe a spark maker too?" he asked out of curiosity.
Gurwen rolls her eyes at the Tiefling. "Listen, Vincent, I like you, but we dont have time for these other people and I need that bow back. We want to get a head start on escaping before someone comes to check on the damned. Why should we care about them, eh? They are lowly criminals, while we are obviously superior, considering we have made it out. We do not have time for them, let them hang." Her face was strait, not flinching at all in concern for the fates of the other prisoners. She had a goal, she was going to make it happen, and she wasn't going to let a few people stand in her way. So be it if they died.
"as for 'torches' I don't know. Give me a day, and my bow. We wont need torches anymore."
As the rest of the party begins to head out, Vritra moves to follow. Overhearing the speech between Vincent and Gurwen, he glances at them both. "Plythu can still be klael" The plan made some modicum of sense, spending time freeing prisoners meant that they would have more trouble escaping, but the unintended consequences of having them on their side would be to their benefit, however little the prisoners could provide.
"Distractions are klael"
Klael - Useful
Veldrin flashes one of this more charming smiles at Gurwen "The lady requests her bow, then by all means, I suggest we go and get it for her."
With that, he follows Vincent out into the hallways, motioning for his charmed friend to lead the way.
Gurwen decided to just ignore Vritra. He wasn't very bright so not worth it and she knew better than to say anything more, just when she was making frenimies. She smiles and nods at Veldrin. "Let us. I will be more useful than I already am after I get it back."
"Why yes, there is" Reached for the veil again, before he paused. "Though they will likely find it more insulting that we escaped and they did not. They could then wallow in their humiliation." Still he removed the bullseye lantern and handed it and any lantern-use related items. (like oil and flint and steel if it's in there)
He looked to Gurwen and Veldrin, "Yes, I happen to have a few things I would like back."
Veldrin scans the room, eyes attuned to the arcane. His eyes stop when they alight on the Ogre, Grumblejack. A faint magical aura shimmers around him, extraplanar in origin. You study him intently trying to discern the source, but it appears HE is the source. It seems... similar to Daemonic conjuration spells, but doesn't seem to be something drawing HIM to the world, but HIM drawing it from elsewhere. Oi, what are ya lookin' at guvnah? I got some brain matter on me cheek?
As you all move down the hallway, a man grasps through the bars at Gurwen, grabbing the hem of her prison attire. You... I remember you. The King's parade all those long years ago... a man's voice calls out, somewhat coarse and deep, his accent remarkably obviously familiar to the Elven maiden as she freezes. Looking into the cell, you see the only prisoner on this block apart from your group, a ragged-looking middle-aged man with shaggy, unkempt hair a filthy grey color and an eyepatch which does not cover the long scar running down his face. His cold blue eye, the eye of a guiltless man, looks the Elf up and down. Yes, I'm certain it's you. How interesting that you ended up here, to die or work yourself to death, for crimes against our 'fair nation'. Don't tell me you've forgotten me, dove? I do hope I'm not that forgettable.
"Not at all my good friend, just noticed something interesting about your heritage."
A glare followed Gurwen as she began walking away from him. Vritra ground his teeth as she stepped away, no small amount of anger set to boil by the elf. Without speaking, Vritra turned back to the dead, then set it upon himself to find the keys to the prison block.
Gurwen was awestruck. "I...Im sorry... Why are you here, sir?" She was still trying to discern exactly who this man was. She remembered that day, but there were many men. Could this be the man that she was able to stop before the others took her mothers life?
Grumblejack looks askance at the ebony-skinned elf, "What part? I know ya can't be talkin' about me looks!" he says sarcastically, posing in a vain manner.
Vritra looks upon the guards corpses and finds a wrought iron skeleton key, same as the one obtained earlier.
The man stands up and holds the bars, leaning in to be as close to Gurwen's face, "So, you don't remember? Let me refresh your memory." He pulls his eyepatch up, revealing a jagged wounds where there was once an eye. "You gave me this years ago, dove. The boss got me and the boys together to mug your mother. You panicked and put that icicle in my eye, while the rest of 'em snuffed her out. A damn shame, she was quite a looker that one! The years between then and now have proven kinder to me than that cluster f&ck of a job, present circumstances notwithstanding. Tell you what, dove, you let me out and I'll help you escape. I'll then give you the names of the crew that day and we'll part ways. How's that sound?"
Knowing he probably had something different in mind than parting ways, she smiled, with the grace only a murderer could achieve. "Okay. I get you out, you tell me who, we walk away. Sounds fair." She smirked then turned her head, not taking her eyes off of the man, to the group. "This one will help us. Can someone get him out?" She kept her bow at her side, ready for anything funny. He would die, either way. Just a matter of when.
Vincent watched the two carefully, already having been ready to try and light the man on fire. He gave the elf a quizzical look after she had been quite so adamant about leaving them all to rot. None the less, he pulled the picks out and went to work since he was close enough.
The man chuckles, "You know, you're far more pragmatic than I had you pegged for. What can I say though, I'm an eternal optimist!" After his cell is opened, he nods to Vincent, "Seems your friend there is good with picks, perhaps even as good as me. Impressive. Now, shall we go? I believe I left some impressionable young ladies waiting for me when they put me in irons!" he says with a chuckle.
Veldrin nods to Grumblejack "In a way, yes. I noticed you have been blessed by the powers of the lower planes. You are quite the remarkable fellow" He says with a genuine smile.
To the now freed man, who seemed to be set on antagonizing Gurwen, he says "I'll make a deal with you. You help us escape, and you are free to go, or further aid us as you please." His red eyes catch the light, and gleam a sinister glow "Step outta line, even think to harm or hinder any of my companions, and I'll let Sir Grumblejack here have his way with you. I believe he has taken a liking to us, and would be most unhappy if anything untoward were to befall us."
Once Veldrin finishes speaking, The Cloaked One locks eyes with the newcomer.
Gurwen looked at Veldren, the only one who had her trust ironically, for now. "Very good. He now has two people to trust in this group." She raises her eyebrows and looks directly at Veldren when she says "trust".
Grumblejack bellows another laugh, "Lower Planes? You talkin' about me junk? Now that's jus' rude!" Though the unnaturally merry Ogre was clearly jesting about the last part, it seems he has no clue what the Lower Planes are. Unsurprising, perhaps, due to his race's hidebound nature.
The one-eyed bandit puffs himself up, assuming an arrogant pose, "Trust? Please dove, this is a business venture. It's only reasonable we both cooperate to get what we want. So don't bring 'trust' into this, it's a naughty word used by charlatans and Mitrans, which are about the same thing, eh? Well, let's go skip our merry arses out of here then, Davin's got some ladies waiting on him!"
Veldrin grins at the Orge's joke "No my friend. When we leave here, I shall enlighten you. Let's just say that for now, you got some really wicked blood running through your veins, that makes you even more special than you already are."
Jaq just watched the interactions with amusement. He wanted his war razor. Had he remembered to mention to them... that they only had three days? He mentally shrugged, letting Veldrin's guard buddy lead the way to their supplies, keeping his eyes out for anything interesting along the way, along with stick a nice little reminder of his Lady's love every so often when the whim hit him, though marking Mitra tending to kick in that whim. He'd keep an eye on this new guy. He seemed to think he was a lady's man. 'Perhaps, I should introduce him to Deirdre... Now that would be funny.'
She flipped her hair and hmphed. "Sounds logical. Off we go then, dont dilly dally."
There seemed to be enough people watching the new guy so Vincent was quick to dismiss him in his mind and scurried forwards looking into the cells as he made his way along the hallway. He held up cautiously as he came upon the door and pressed his ear to it to listen while his hand slipped into the pouch to scoop up the two vials needed to make his next bomb.
Davin looks at Veldrin and walks past him, "Message well received. I'm a professional, friend, not some ignorant amateur." He continues and looks at the cloaked man. His stone cold face stared at Davin as passionless as a statue. Davin's eyes widen as he stops and stares at the man, his face white as a sheet, them quickly picks up speed and quickly walks past him.
Markus, still somewhat discomfited by this whole situation despite the spell firmly shackling his will, motions for everyone near the massive fireplace in the guardroom . "Ok, this is a bad idea... Um, everyone! I uh..." Miri walks forward and slaps him in the face, "Oh pull yourself together you ignorant lump! What Markus was trying to say I think is that we have two options. We can go down the stairs, where a fair contingent of guardsmen await or we can try climbing down the chimney into the kitchen. And no one crack any Winterfest jokes! The servants perpetually have a fire going in the kitchen chimney, which leads here as you can see. If one person were nimble enough, they could slowly go down, silence the servants one way or the other, and put out the fire so the rest of us can go down without getting burned. Gregor and Irena work tonight, and if we are to cross the bridge to escape, we need his green cloak to signal the guard on the other side so he can lower the drawbridge. Yes, a bridge AND a drawbridge, you heard right. Irena is a pretty young thing, but useless except as a hostage. Now the kitchen thing is just my opinion, but unless you want to have a go at four guards in a ten by twenty foot room, as well as run the risk of alerting Gregor and allowing him to flee, I would suggest the chimney. What say you?"
Vincent chucked a bit, a drop down a fireplace to take someone captive and kill the other...they only said the needed the cloak after all. He grinned a bit "I dont mind a little fire, I have been feeling a bit cold since being locked up, a chance to warm myself up doesnt come often." he said offering up himself as a canidate for the jumping into a live fire. "You did say we only need his cloak, right? And technically we dont need the girl either...though hostages can come in handy sometimes..." he said thoughtfully.
The Cloaked One speaks audibly for only the second time since his capture. His voice is pleasant and friendly - so much so as to be unsettling. "Would you like some assistance?" His hands take on a faintly dark tone, as if the surrounding light is being absorbed. "Two are better than one, after all...."
She taps her foot impatiently. "And how are we to get our weapons? Are they in the kitchen, too?" She grits her teeth.
"Yes. I happen to have a few items I'd like back. I believe, we all do." Jac looked at the others. He wanted his war razor.
Finally, Vritra finds a set of keys. Yanking them off a corpse, which collapses in a heap as the soulless object is pulled around. Rocking the keys gently, the corrupt Suli quickly speeds up his steps. The rest of the others had no doubt gotten ahead of him, and he would need to speed up the process. However, as he steps back and glances at the prison bars, he suddenly realizes the truth. No other prisoners seem to be here! The ogre was the only other prisoner besides them!
Vritra breaths calmly, trying to maintain calm as he stares at the iron bars. Then he turns, anger boiling within him at how he must look even more like a fool to the damn vivif vaecaesin!
He arrives, like a storm is following him. He holds his tongue, but glares at the new individual. Vritra's fists are already clenched, but he quickly accepts the new one. It would be a waste of rage to spend it on him.
"Ah yes, I do not believe our belongings will be found in the kitchens. Also, I am unsure if Sir Grumblejack will fit down the chimney. He will not be left behind"
Vincent thought for a moment before speaking up. "Perhaps...we should do a two fold assault then, one or two of us slip down the fireplace here to nab up the guy's special cloak...and possibly a hostage. While the others clear the path outside the kitchen and prevent the escape of said guy with special cloak...I believe his name was Gregor?" he said as his tail scratched between the horns on his head.
Miri chuckles a bit, "Ha! As big as THAT fireplace is?! I think he could squeeze down! If not, he could just wait until we give the signal and pincer attack the guards downstairs."
Grumblejack, true to his name at this moment, grumbles slightly, "Well, I ain't fittin' down that damn smokestack, that's for sure! I'll just keep me arse here until it's time to break someone's headball, savvy?"
Upon hearing objections about gear, Markus speaks up, "Both ways lead down. It's all about whether we charge in and possibly lose our way out of here if Gregor flees or take a more subtle approach at first. I don't want to die, so I vote chimney, even if it means agreeing with that traitorous harlot!" Markus points squarely at Miri.
"Harlot, Markus? How very unimaginative. There has only been fifteen people I've slept with recently, unless you count that statue I fondled a bit when we all went carousing, then it's sixteen you silly boy! I'd hardly say that counts as being a harlot, at least back in Varisia. But yes, you are correct, cowardly little worm you are, splitting up would be beneficial. A small team infiltrates the kitchen, the other team waits for the signal to mow down the sods at the bottom of the stairs. The fireplace team will need three people: someone who knows the place and two sneaks who are reasonably good climbers. Sounds good, yeah? I call dibs on the fireplace team!"
Veldrin grins at Miri's banter "You, my dear, are quite feisty. I like that"
He then pauses thinking "Ok, Miri, Vincent and our Cloaked friend can go down the fireplace and deal with the kitchen folk. The rest of us will move to the other side and attack from there. I believe we have enough numbers, and if not, I shall remedy that" The young Drow says confidently.
Gurwen nods. "Im with Veldrin, which means that Markus is, too. Wouldn't want to break our deal." She readies her bow and quiver and pats Veldrin on the back.
"Agreed"
Gurwen nods at the cloaked one. "Glad you agree Oscar!"
Vincent grinned a bit as it seemed that they enjoyed his plan. He thought for a bit "Does anyone have a smoke bomb....I've always wanted to play the role of a summoned demon....I hope they don't have soup boiling over the fire, I don't mind a nice dip in the fire from time to time...but soup just seeps into my scales and it takes days to get it out of all the ridges." he said as he started to get off topic. He meandered on over to the fireplace and looked at it with great interest.
Gurwen looks at Vincent sideways. "Unless someone had it hidden in their tush, honey, Im pretty sure none of us 'prisoners' have a smoke bomb. I do know, however, that when you douse a hot fire with water, it smokes up nice. Carry a container of water and pour it right before you jump down..." She rolls her eyes.
Vincent turned towards Gurwen with a happy look on his face that slowly went towards deep contemplation, then to a look of someone who was upset with themselves for not thinking of that himself. He rummaged in his bag and pulled out an empty vial that broke easily and looked hopefully at everyone. He shook it a bit "Anyone got a bit of water or wine?" He asked as he cast a look about the room to find something to smoke up the fireplace.
Well, at least they were doing well without him really needing to think about the plan. It seemed that they were splitting into two teams, so storming the area would be easier. As long as they could kill any guards as quickly as they could, it was unlikely that they could really raise an alarm.
Vritra walked over to Oscar, glancing at his only seeming compatriot, or at least the only one he really trusted at the moment. Silence seemed to almost help the other`s presence, but Vritra just wanted to get back to killing. It made more sense, and these guards had violated his ideas. So they would die.
At Veldrin's compliment, Miri takes a playful bow, "Aha, I try my best! I do take exception though; I much prefer the term 'spirited'!"
When mention is made of dousing the flames, Grumblejack speaks up, "Well, I don't think there's any up here, all. I could take a p!ss and hope for the best, yeah?"
Markus sighs, "No, that won't work, it's a rather big fire. You could try climbing very carefully, maybe? Or perhaps Miri can head down, act like tried to get something and fell, then get them to put it out so she can 'get down safely'? This is going so bad!"
Miri puts her right palm on her forehead, "Gods, here he goes again with the whining! Yes, I can if need be, though I'd rather throw you down the chimney, make it much more real!"
"Actually..." Jaq motioned towards the dead bodies. "I'd say we have plenty of liquid to use here. We have blood." Jaq grinned a sadistic look glinting from his eyes.
Gurwen looks at Jaq. "That. Is. Genius." She slaps him on the back.
Veldrin listens in as his companions try to decide how best to jump down the chimney. "Alternatively, I can shroud an object in shadows, and toss in down before you all, giving you some cover."
Vincent listened to the others and when Jaq offered up the idea of blood a sadistic grin popped back on his face. He might not be able to put out the fire but boy he could make smoke and a rank smell with blood being thrown into a fire. " That might do nicely, those unfamiliar with a devil's summoning will be hopefully fooled by the smoke and smell and buy us a little time and confusion, maybe even a decent lie and we could keep the man from running" he said as he walked over to one of the dead guards and grabbed a sword that was not taken and quickly and precisely cut the man's throat and filled an empty vial with the man's blood. He put the cork in it and curled up the vial in his tail before turning to his "team". "Do you mind if i slip down first and you guys follow a few seconds behind or so and I will throw them off guard and possibly turn out the fire" he said as he walked back towards the fireplace and crouched in front of it readying himself to climb inside.