Rytara glances at the love letter before tossing it aside, but pocketing the ring. She tosses the bag of coins to Daimon and the lute to Tearyn. Looks like it is worth something. If it breaks, no loss. If we can keep it in one piece, whatever we can get for it might make out future a little longer.
Once the chests have been quickly read gone through, she stands up.
Lets check the south door. There was the smell of a fire from above that room. Perhaps someone is preparing an early breakfast. I think that we could all use a bite to eat after the last few days.
Rytara glances at Grumblejack. Especially you big boy.
Daimon will pocket the ring and coin pouch. He leaves the lute, thinking it will be to recognizable to anyone familiar with the guard and won't be easily hidden.
Assuming Tearyn will want the short sword Daimon will hand it to her.
"Lets move" Daimon says
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Having unlocked the chest, Tearyn waves others over to help in the search then follows Daimon's lead donning a guard uniform, though she doesn't wear armor under it.
"Ahh, a real weapon," Tearyn says in a stage whisper while grabbing the short sword. "Let me know if you see another or shortbow." Looking over the gear she points out the lute and saphire ring as well saying, "Those look to be valuable, we should take such with us as we'll need to fence them for quick cash upon getting out of here." What a beautiful ring...
Tearyn easily picks 4 out of the 6 locks, but needs to try a second time on the other 2.
Chest 1: A change of peasant clothes.
Chest 2: Ink, quill and a personal journal that reveals that this week’s password is “Hesterfield”, the Warden’s home town. Also it documents the details of Blackerly’s illicit gambling sessions including that there is a game on this night.
Chest 3: A small coin pouch with gold in miscellaneous coinage.
Chest 4: A map of the nearby town of Varyston including the Old Moor road.
Chest 5: A traveller’s outfit, a finely made pipe (5 gp) with a good supply (1 lb.) of high quality shag tobacco (2 gp)
Chest 6: A small bottle with a hand written note “In case of trouble – Love, Mom!”
With talk of food and Rytara calling him out, Grumblejack moves with her while Tearyn and Daimon are taking care of the chests.
You open up the door to the kitchen. A fireplace is currently in use cooking some soup and making some bread. There is an extremely large man surpassed only by Grumblejack in size holding a knife and shaken visibly, he is standing in front of a woman who is cowering behind him.
"D-d-don't g-g-get any f-farther, I'I'm w-warning you!"
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Rytara simply stands there and smiles at the man.
Tell you what. You tell us everything you know about the castle, and we might let you and the ugly thing behind you live. If not, I will let my friend here eat you both.
Rytara pauses for a moment: Oh, and drop the knife before you cut yourself.
Rytara looks at Grumblejack and then back to the kitchen.
come to think of it, if you want to avoid dying while being consumed, you may wish to find something for my friend here. He tells me that the guards have not been feeding him well.
The man drops the knife instantly and shows Grumblejack the pantry
The man says he doesn't know much as he comes here for the cooking when it gets near dark and usually makes a couple trips at night for wood for cooking
He tells you that they have told him the password to pass in and out of the gate is “Hesterfield”.
Grabbing the other sack of coins he combines it with the first. As an additional curiosity he takes the bottle. Daimon will take a step back and scan the bottle as well as the contents of the chests that have been piled on the beds for anything remaining that might be magic (3 rounds - 18 second).
If it's magic he will pocket it, regardless if he is able to identify it, if it's not magic he will pile it with the rest of the stuff that is being left behind.
After the Detect Magic scan he will go with Grumblejack and Rytara to the kitchens.
Daimon, it is magic though you are unable to tell what it is.
Rytara looks to Grumblejack:
Eat a little to regain your strength. But not too much. . . And don't eat the rations, we may need them once the deceased have been consumed.
She pauses as she notices the cloak. And lets take the cloak. It looks like it should fit you.
She then looks at the cook. Hesterfield . . . hmmm . . . what is this the password for? The gate? The gatehouse? The guardhouse? And make sure that you tell us the correct answer. For if we get trapped in here, the ogre is going to run out of food quite quickly and a plump woman like that would probably taste quite good to a hungry ogre.
She waits for an answer before continuing.
And, do you have a large sack or backpack? You must have something to carry your supplies in.
If anyone else has any questions, please ask them. Once we are done asking.
Ok Grumblejack. Lets knock these two out. No reason to kill them yet, the meat might spoil.
Once they are unconscious, I will have Grumblejack take them upstairs and lock them into his old cell bound and gagged.
The man explains, "When I go out at night in my cloak to get more wood I take the wheelbarrow and head out and chop wood. Once you cross the bridge to the mainland you need to give them the password or else the portcullis won't open"
Rytara looks at him again:
What is your name and what is your wife's name?
"Gregor and Irena" pointing to himself and his wife respectively.
Rytara casts Detect Magic and scans the room while searching to see whether there is anything else of value to be found.
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Tearyn takes the time to eat some bread, dipping it in the soup hungrily. Then turning to her new companions she says:
"Daimon, you carry the ring... I.. do not wish to touch it. However, as we are all in this together, I suggest we all take oathes to each other. To share equally all goods gained while we travel together and to aid each other fully in pursuit of our joint goal of escape. Working together with trust and order will surely give us all a chance of success. I will swear this to our Dark Lord if all of you do as well, and ask us that he bind us to the oath. That should allow us to work together with the trust necessary to survive. Agreed?"
Daimon ponders it over.
To put this much trust in someone I just met. Yet what choice do I have. Prehaps Asmodeus has set us on this path together. I must trust that is the case
I agree. Under the ever watchful eyes of our lord Asmodeus let it be so. Know that my trust is not given easilly but I feel that we have been put together for a reason.
Rytara listens to the unarmored one:
Interesting. The Dark Lord is the master of contracts. But must I comply?
Rytara. I agree. May the Dark Lord grant us the strength to overcome these foes.
Aevry comes in behind he rest in peasant garb, a cloth wrap covering his telltale hair. He helps himself to some bread and soup quickly.
"I want nothing more than our Dark Lord to receive the praise and respect He is due. As long as you work to actively re-estabish His temple in these lands, I shall aid you. Betray his cause and I will show no mercy. While we are on the topic of mercy and lack thereof...I do believe I have found Blackerly's quarters across the hall."
Rytara nods at the angelic monk as he arrives.
Then we are together. Lets take these two up to the cells above and bind and gag them. They are harmless and we are not here to slaughter innocents. There will be enough time for that later if necessary.
After grabbing the iron rations, she then heads over to the Sergeant's office to see if there is anything interesting to be found.
Perception:
Just throw him in the damn pantry while unconscious. We can't be slowed down and I will not have us backtrack for a mere cowardly cook. If you can't do this then I will kill him myself and be done with it.
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The star-shaped scar on Tearyn's cheek seems to ripple as she pronounces: "In the name of Asmodeus, I hold you to the contract as we have agreed. All gains shall be shared among us and we shall aid eachother fully until our mutual freedom is gained."
If any breaks this pact made in the name of the dark one, all efforts for my own gain will be second to destroying them.
She then nods to Daimon. "The pantry should do... we must make haste, every minute is a chance for us to be discovered."
With that she turns to Aevry. "Let us see what you have found..." With that, Tearyn follows Aevry to Blackerly's quarters to quickly search - first for traps, then for items to aid them in their escape.
Aevry pummels the peasants with his fists to knock them out and drags them into the pantry.
I wonder how many cowards like this will join the church once it returns. Well we have a place for cowards...and the ambitious..
He joins the others in office across the hall and quietly indicates the locked door to the north. He whispers softly to the others, "I didn't hear any noise behind either of the doors." Aevry pauses and ponders a moment before continuing."Perhaps we should extract a promise of conversion in exchange for their lives when we spare these peasants. It seems like a wasted opportunity."
Rytara glances over at Aevry: I like your enthusiasm for the Dark Lord. However, I doubt that any deity, especially the eternally ignorant Mitra, would hold a pesant to such an agreement if coerced under duress. No, the tool to convert those whose hearts are elsewhere is through diplomacy and trickery. Make them believe that wish to serve the First.
Rytara continues to search around the office.
If this is the Sergeant's office, then I have no doubt that something will be found herein to help us. The question is what.
Rytara then looks back to the open door into the main hall.
Also, someone should keep watch on the door out of this accursed prison. We do not want replacement guards or those who have lost their weeks wages to the Sergeant to return and find a pile of bloody corpses where their fellow guards had been sleeping earlier.
Grumblejack volunteers to watch the doors, with an eager look on his face (as well as some food after he stuffed his face)
Rifling through the mess of papers you find a complete map of the prison including all the guard posts.
2 Upstairs (17)
2 Grand Hallway (8)
2 On top of Gathouse (3d)
2 roaming the walls with bullseye lantern.
2 Guardhouse across the bridge
The door to the west of this room is unlocked but the room to the north is locked.
Rytara looks at the map.
So, we have taken out three guards. One was missing from his post, likely gambling. That leaves the two on the gatehouse, the two across the causeway at the guardhouse and the two patrolling the walls with the lantern.
Rytara looks back at the map. And we have three more rooms in the prison which do not appear to be guard rooms. Possible more barracks? Storage? Place to rest? My choice is to search these three quickly for anything of use or value and then get the guards on the walls. After the guards on the walls, we can either enter the Warden's tower and try to catch him while asleep, or attempt to get the guards on top of the gatehouse.
Rytara pauses for a moment: Also, we have to worry about the dogs. We will likely have to kill them as that will keep them from being able to track us easily.
This is too easy
"Wow, we are very close to the exit already. Here's my plan:"
"There are four of us and we have dispatched many guards already. We can wear the tabards."
"Grumblejack acts as our prisoner. Lets say he confessed and has given information on where an ambush has been staged and will show us the remains left behind. Their loved ones able to get closure or something. If the dogs go crazy we can blame it on our large ogre friend with no one any wiser. We know the code for the gate, two separate sources confirm it so it should be reliable."
"If all goes well we can leave right this moment. No more fighting and risk bringing the warden and his goons. We just walk out."
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Looking at the map, Tearyn nodds.
The alternative to Daimon's plan is to kill everyone, increasing risk with each encounter. If the Warden comes for us with a few goons, it will likely be the end. And if the alarm is sounded, they will never let us across the bridge. Better to risk the deception now then be trapped.
"Daimon is right, we must risk the deception now. If the alarm is sounded they will never let us across the bridge, even if we kill every guard in the prison. His deception is as good as any I can think of and in the dark of night they likely can't tell one guard from another. I say we follow his plan."
Aevry shakes his head and speaks quietly.
"I would rather all within the prison be dead or disabled. That will give us more time to get away. Also, I would enjoy much personal satisfaction from placing the same brand on Blackerly and the Warden as we bear. Give me some ink and parchment and I could leave a convincing looking sentence or confession in the Guardhouse. Perhap of them helping us escape. If nothing else it would cause confusion. As far as the dogs go we can shoot them from range for all I care. I want our escape to serve as a warning to the followers of Mitra and the nobles of Talingarde. Also if our deception does not go well, we would face all of the remaining guards at once. That is not a risk I want to take."
He points to the Western door.
"That appears to be Blackerly's bedroom, let us pay him a visit and then resume this discussion afterwards."
"I want Blackerly as much as you"
Daimon pauses and trembles with joy thinking of Blackerly beneath his sword, begging for life. Daimon might even grant it if Blackerly swore a bloodoath to Asmodeus. Blackerly may be close already without knowing it - he clearly enjoys inflicting pain and fire with the brand.
"Blackerly will not be alone - We will not find him sleeping in his bed, he will be with other guards gambling. It's not worth the risk when we can leave now. We have a plan and we will find support from others after we escape. Vengeance will come my friend."
When talked about being a prisoner, Grumblejack shakes his head, "They would never let me leave and even if somehow they would, Blackerly was always part of anything involving me as well as almost every guard they could muster. No one would buy it without having Blackerly ordering them."
This is a slovenly-kept bed chamber. There is a bed, a small table and wardrobe.
Rytara listens to Daimon and Tearyn and then to Aevry and Grumblejack. Once Grumblejack has finished, she responds.
While I appreciate deception as much as the next, I think that walking a devil touched ogre out of the prison in the middle of night is going to be a tall tale to spin. Why didn't we summon the Sergeant when he began to confess? Why didn't we summon the Warden? Why were we speaking with the prisoner in the first place? We are guards not investigators. And most importantly, Who is guarding the rest of the prisoners?
She stops for a moment while looking at a board in the top corner of the room which has begun to show signs of rotting from its years in holding up the ceiling.
Turning back to the others.
We take out the guards with the lantern on the wall. If possible, we then scale the gatehouse and eliminate those guards on the room. If the gamblers have not been alerted at that point, we move back to the Warden's tower and eliminate him.
This will leave the gambling guards and the dogs. I can attempt to befriend the dogs, but they will likely require a good blow or two from swords or Grumblejack. Once we are down to the gamblers, we will have a choice, run through the gatehouse and hope we can get past the guardhouse before the guards there raise an alarm, or move into the gatehouse and take down Blackerly and his gambling buddies. If I can get some items outside, then I have several spells which may help us.
With this, Rytara moves into the messy bedroom and begins to search.
Perception:
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Tearyn shakes her head and sighs. "Grumblejack knows them better than us. Perhaps you all are correct. Alright... they deserve proper retribution in any case.
I suppose if we kill them all, we'll find some way across the bridge... If not, we will die taking as many of them as we can with us.
With that Tearyn joins in the search of the room.
Inside the wardrobe is are some personal effects and clothes which are worthless. However, under Blackerly’s bed is an iron strong box which is locked
Aevry studies the map. "We could use the 'window' to make a hole in the wall on either side and try to take out the guards on the walls at range."
Not trapped, but you are unable to figure out how to unlock it without a key
Rytara looks at Avery:
How good are you with a bow at night? Could you take down two guards before they had a chance to blow their horn? As soon as that horn is blown, I assume we are going to have a pile of guards after us. Not what I would choose.
Rytara takes the map and points.
There are five towers. There are two guards making rounds back and forth with a bullseye lantern. She then points at what looks like the garden and the kennel. The dogs appear to be here and there is some garden of some sort over here.
Pausing for a moment. We should be able to see the lantern as the guards walk the walls. We wait until the guards are around the prison and on the wall above where the garden is. We then sneak out the front and go the opposite way climbing up behind the southwestern most tower. We wait there and surprise the guards when they exit that tower, hopefully taking them down quickly and quietly.
Once those two guards are down, we take their lantern and complete the round until we are back to the gatehouse. There we proceed as the guards did and surprise the two guards on top of the gatehouse. With luck, this will eliminate all guards except those gambling within.
We then decide, do we attack the Warden in his tower?, or do we attempt to take down the Sergeant and his gambling buddies?.
Oh well I knew it would be too easy. Perhaps if we left grumblejack behind...
Guess we will hunt down Blackerly. Not that I don't relish the thought
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Tearyn grumbles, "This lock is extremely formidable. Best if we return with the key if we find it, or return here and take it with us of we safely can.
Turning to Rytara she adds, "Lets break-up the poker game. They are less likely to be ready to sound alarms there, but they would probably respond if it sounded elsewhere. Also, they may be drunk... Either way I doubt the Warden will be there and I'd rather not try take the Sergeant and Warden at once."
Rytara nods hearing Tearyn: I agree with hitting the poker game. We are fairly sure that the Sergeant will be there and likely a few intoxicate guards, but we do not know how many. The problem is that there will assuredly be enough guards gambling to sound the alarm. Then we will have the archers on the roof and the wall shooting at us and probably the two at the guardhouse as well. If we take the guards on the walls and roof of the gatehouse first, then even if the gamblers manage to sound the alarm, we will not have worry about four guards with bows shooting at us.
As far as the Warden goes, he is a wild card. I assume he would respond to a call from the guards. And we know that he is a magician of some sort. The question is what type? If we get the guards on the walls and roof, we could infiltrate the Warden's tower before the gamblers. That way at worst we would have a minute or two of time from any alarm being sounded before any guards responded, if the guards who are gambling can even hear an alarm from the Warden's tower.
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Tearyn shakes her head. "You are the one who said we shouldn't leave anyone behind us and you were right. We should kill everyone in this Great Hall before heading outside to deal with walls and towers. If we do it without raising the alarm, we leave no one behind us and can use it as a defensible home base if needed. If we venture out before securing the Great Hall and the alarm sounds, we will be pinned in the open as sitting ducks."
"After clearing this building we should quickly head south to the Warden's tower and hopefully take him out before guards can come to his aid. From there we can take the walls and the front gate."
"For now, we work the Grand Hallway northwestern door, then work south and west clearing rooms until we are sure that there is no one hear to threaten us. Then I say it is the Warden's tower."
With that Tearyn heads over to listen at the northwestern door in the Grand Hallways.
Tearyn hears nothing behind that door, it is locked like the room in the office.