Man must have been asleep. Or has an odd sense of what is useful.
Beyond thinking this, Ivy makes no remarks to the previously silent man's remark, and chooses instead to ask, "Never been keen on magic. What can that do besides look pretty?"
Maena sighs, "Save your posturing. If we're to do this, I imagine we'll have to work together.. And that will include trusting each other. You can soothe your ego when we're out of here. "
She turns and says, "To be honest, I'm not completely certain... But, it's is strong transmutation magic, and I can't imagine that these useful items stitched onto it are coincidental. I think it holds two blades and a number of other useful items."
Alicia's eyes light up, then cloud with disappointment. "That's all fine and dandy. I can use a blade as well as anyone here, I'd imagine. That doesn't solve our current immobilized situation. Got anything in there for that?" Alicia smiles bitterly. Things like this always ended up like that for her. Everyone planned ahead, their brilliant minds working out 2nd, 3rd, and 4th contingencies. And yet often they forgot to plan out the initial segment of the task at hand.
Maena rolls her eyes, "Clearly. It would be a lot of trouble to go through to not provide for that."
Maena pauses, then continues, "From everything I've seen and been told, it will take us working together to get out of here. So, I propose an alliance - we all pledge to work together and not simply look after ourselves - at least until we can get to meet our new benefactors."
She looks back at Alicia, "I just thought I'd make sure we were all agreed to this before one of us frees themselves and potentially abandons the others."
Alicia locks eyes with the woman and nods solemnly. For this second chance on life she would gladly work with them all, however she could. "Get me out of these chains, and you will never find a more staunch ally." She smirks, her blond brow arching. "Until we meet our new benefactors, at least."
Ivy rolls her eyes at the blonde warrior's comment, and at the tiefling's response. Too early to be fighting among each other over triffles. And as if someone would not think of solution to locks before thinking of solution to guards.
"Even with advantages, suicidal to attempt escape alone. Death only thing coming if wait too long. I will provide my services until we meet with your friends, but if do not like terms provided by potential employers I reserve right to walk at that point."
Ivy smiles, her partial fangs showing for a moment.
The gnome's normal affections seem to cease, as a cool calculating look appears in her eyes. "Agreed Maena. I propose we all swear oaths and agree that the rest are bound to kill an oathbreaker before all other tasks. And it should be until we meet this benefactor, but not beyond."
Having listened, Lukasz gave a slight smile as he whispered "I am all for contracts. Heck, my life revolved around them. But a verbal deal is only as good as how the words are interpreted, and interpretations can vary. Just know that a betrayal will likely result in recapture, which would lead to likely death. If someone here doesn't dispose of the betrayer first. I aim to get out of here, if possible and working together seems the best way to do that. Unfortunately, anything that I can do to help execute an escape requires the movement of my hands..." Rattling his chains slightly for emphasis, he continued by whispering "...which are bound at the moment."
"Agreed. We have nothing to gain and everything to lose by betrayal. This talk of oaths is a waste of time. If you have a way to free us, then do so, so we can facilitate our escape!" Alicia looks around at the others as she speaks, settling her gaze on Maena.
Moriarti shrugs at Maena, then, responding to Lukasz, "Written deals are similarly open to interpretation and are only as good as your ability to protect legitimate copies. That said, we're clearly in agreement that, regardless of any personal predilections, cooperation is in all our best interests... assuming we all wish to survive outside a prison cell."
Maena says, "Then we're agreed. I have the means, but not the skill... woven into the veil, here, is a set of lockpicks. Sadly, only one set, so it would be best if they went to the one most skilled in that regard."
Alicia shakes her head sullenly. Her skills lay in weapons and brute strength, not finesse. She looks hopefully at the others. While she did not like laying her trust on these men and women (after all, only the worst of the worst went to Branderscar), they were her ticket out of here. And once they were unchained, she would likely earn her second chance at life very shortly, even with a group of shoddy guards.
"I do not. Never expected to get captured. Always thought would die 'on job' if not of old age." Ivy looks to the others, hoping that one of them was better prepared for the "unlocking of cuffs and shackles" stage of the escape.
Alicia quickly grows tired of waiting, the perplexed expressions on her companions' faces telling her all she needs to know of their chances of picking the locks.
Her shoulder muscles cord as she starts straining, the tendons and veins in her arms and neck bunching up and turning an ugly purple as she exerts every ounce of force she can. All it would take was one weak link, one soft spot in the metal! A grunting sound of effort can be heard as she tries to maintain silence.
Ivy decides to see if she can squeeze her hands through her binds.
Not possessing strength for the feat that Alucia was attempting, Lukasz glanced to the others to see if anyone else had the skill to finagle locks. Not seeing any positive acknowledgement, he looked back to Maena and whispered, "Looks like those are no use for this group. Anything else your benefactor provided in that veil which we might be able to use?"
Alicia strains against the shackles mightily, but the bonds hold fast. Still, the chains do look rather old. She might be able to break them if she pulls hard enough, but the sound that would make would surely bring the guards.
The only thing Ivy receives for her troubles are chafed wrists. The cuffs were too tight. She'd need some sort of lubricant to help slip the bonds.
The silk veil that Maena holds has a number of patches:
- a pair of daggers
- a bullseye lantern
- a coil of rope
- a sack full of unknown items
- a set of thieves tools
- a window
- a bottle of liquid
- a pile of gold pieces
- a thorny pentagram hanging from a cord
"Any brighter ideas?" Alicia hisses out, frustrated. Spying Ivy and thinking she has the right idea, the warrior woman starts to generate saliva in her mouth, working up a generous amount before applying it to her right wrist. She then starts trying to pull her hand through the manacle.
Maena suggests, "We could start a fire with the lantern. I can't imagine they'd let us die here and not provide the show if righteousness our executions would generate. "
"How about that bottle of fluid? Think we might be lucky enough for it to be acid?" Alicia doesn't look hopeful as she wishes she could rub her raw wrist.
"Smell before applying. Might be acid, might be poison, might be seductive perfume... might be oil for lantern. Oil might help with getting wrists through manacles. Does lantern have any in it?"
Ivy's face becomes grim.
"Alternative is breaking thumb off hand. Not pleasant. Makes less capable in combat. Decreases chance of sucess later in escape, but better than sitting in chains until headsman arrives."
After several minutes of wriggling, and two dislocated thumbs, Professor Moriarti is able to slip the cuffs of his bonds. With a muffled grunt, he pops his thumbs back into their sockets.
Ivy smiles at the human as he frees himself from his confinement.
"Well done. Momentary pain worth freedom." She whispers to the man, keeping her voice even lower than previously. Doubtful I can do the same, sad to say. Not without help, mine are just on too tightly to manuver without loosening or lubricant.
Now was the moment of truth. Alicia keeps her icy eyes on the limber man, waiting to see what he does.
Maena says, "So, then, do you think you can overpower a guard on your own, with a blade and gain some keys? Or is this not really an improvement?"
The slender man considers the tiefling's question a moment.
"No, I doubt that I would be able to overpower one physically..." he says shaking his head. "I may have an idea though."
There are no decent hiding spots available. The cell is nothing but iron bars and hard stone.
He takes a good look around their cell. "Nevermind... that won't do. What else is in the veil?"
Maena says, "Take a look...", and gently tosses the veil to the free man. She then suggests, "And you can pretend you're still chained? Hiding in plain sight is often the best approach."
"Yes, but we'll need a bit more than fancy words to convince a guard to help without something to hold over his head," Moriarti responds as he examines the patch with the sack on it.
Alicia eyes the scrawny man with much doubt. He seemed rather incapable of overpowering a prison guard, even a lazy one. She leans forward, trying to peer over his shoulder at the veil. Perhaps there was something in there that could spring them all.
The patch on the veil looks like it can be peeled off.
Whispering, Lukasz says, "Anything in there that could free my hands? I have abilities to both harm and charm, but I need my hands free to do so."
"Have plan. Have person next to fake illness. Pretend shackled. Stab in neck if only guard. Wait until playing cards to try. More likely to be drinking and unwilling to come in numbers."
Ivy shrugs.
"Other plan is break thumbs and apply oil. Can someone set after free?"
Moriarti is about to peel off the patch with the sack when he hesitates.
"Actually... Lukasz was it?" he looks the man over. "You were a barrister, correct? Perhaps you and I might convince a guard that one of our... stronger associates is a bad fit for our cell. They'd have to undo the bindings to move one of us."
"Your plan has a flaw. That they actually care if we hurt or kill one another. Perhaps they might...or perhaps not. Start pulling patches off there, man! You won't know if there is anything good for getting these manacles off unless you check!" Alicia's husky voice is desperate and impatient, her eyes darting to the guard door and back again several times during her short speech.
"Actually, in order to maintain this illusion of control and authority they can't just let things happen in Branderscar that they don't plan, so they have reason to care; it's irrelevant, though, because physical safety is hardly the only reason to separate prisoners. And unless you are certain we can put patches back or that you can conceal anything we've removed and aren't ready to use by the time a guard checks on us, I believe most of the patches demonstrate their utility plenty by bearing images." Moriarti says flatly before turning back to Lukasz. Then as an afterthought he adds, "Patience is a useful tool. You ought to exercise some. We aren't likely to get more than one shot at this, you know."
"So, how should we go about having a cellmate removed? Unless anyone is... supernaturally convincing, that seems like our best bet since it seems safe, at this point, to assume none of us know anything about picking locks."
He does, however, remove one of the daggers from the veil and take his time hiding it on his person.
Maena says, "Assuming the guards are weak-willed, I can likely make one drop the key, but not forget that he's done so... There's little to be gained... But if I compel him to approach me... Or to freeze in front of you... could you slip the key from him without him noticing?"
Alicia grits her teeth at the planning of Maena and Moriarty, her muscles cording as her frustration makes itself evident. She whispers fiercely to Maena, "So that's it? You would wager upon that weakling overpowering the guard or slipping the key from the guard, without even knowing what might prove useful from the veil?" This last she addresses to them all.
"You're right, we aren't likely to get more than one opportunity...the course you suggests just doesn't seem sound enough. We need to get the rest of us free. BEFORE guards come."
Maena says without looking, "If you've a way to do that, then let's hear it. Unless you think your acerbic tone is enough to cut through the chains, I'm thinking we likely need a key... like the one the guards likely carry."
She fixes her eyes on the other woman, "The veil had lockpicks, the assumption being one of us knew how to use them. There's a limited number of items here, and other than the blades, no duplication. I'm thinking the bag is likely a spell component pouch, so one of us might use magic. It's almost certainly not a set of keys and crowbars.... because if it was, why bother with the picks?"
"We aren't sure what is in there...we can make suppositions only. And what, pray tell, is the use of keeping everything hidden in the veil if your clever little plan fails? At least we'll still have all that useful stuff whenever they lock his ass back up!" The warrior makes a sound of disgust, dropping her eyes to the ground in front of her, fuming. Just because she didn't have a better idea didn't mean she wouldn't sulk anyway.
"Enough. Infighting not helpful, keep silent if not throwing out ideas. See about liquid please. Might be possible to pull our hands out like you did with proper lubrication."
Ivy glares at Alicia. Going to be trouble that one. Humans. How I hate them.
One of the guards shouts from the other room. 'Ey, you scum! Quit yer yappin'." After waiting to see if the guards come and investigate for several agonizing moments, the pounding in your chest eventually subsides.
Once he is convinced the guards have relaxed again, Moriarti quietly removes the bottle of unidentified liquid. He examines it carefully, smelling and, if necessary, tasting it to determine its properties.
"Well? Liquid useful in current circumstances or more baggage?"
Ivy asks after a few moments of the man examining the vial.
"We're in luck. The bottle contains a powerful acid. I doubt there's enough to free more than one of us... it may be more prudent to release the bindings on all of our feet instead." he responds quietly.
Realizing that they were all in a tough spot if they couldn't get free, Lukasz tries to keep focused as he whispered, "Even if we can get our feet free, we won't be any further along to freeing ourselves. It will take some time, but I have a simple spell that works as a week acid. It can probably melt the weaker linking in our manacles...but as I said, I need my hands free to do such. But look through the veil to see if we can free more than just one person with what we have."