Fairly certain that the guard won't be able to react in time, Dante simply chooses to try and clobber him with a fist. He never really learned how to use bigger weapons like the longsword, you see.
As he lunges in, he just says, "Sorry."
Balam keeps a mild look on his face even as he cuts the guard with a sure blow from his blade. The blade cuts the guard squarely on the arm.
Fairly certain that the guard won't be able to react in time, Dante simply chooses to try and clobber him with a fist. He never really learned how to use bigger weapons like the longsword, you see. As he lunges in, he just says, "Sorry." His fist punches the guard's armor, but the impact doesn't go through.
"Aaagh, what are you two doing?" he says as you attack him. Turning to face you, his eyes widen. "Wait, you're two of the prisoners! You just came through twenty minutes ago! What have you done with Adam and Jonas?"
The dog begins barking and growling loudly.
The rest of the escaping prisoners hear the guard's cry of alarm and the dog's barking, and know that Balam and Dante have failed to kill him with the first blow.
Guard - 14/22
Geborah grabs Grumblejack's forearm.
"Hear that shouting and barking? Those are the last living things between you and a life far away from this place. Don't waste this opportunity the god Asmodeus has given you...go squash them!"
She heads for the gatehouse, giving Grumblejack a friendly push in the right direction if he needs it.
Geborah grabs Grumblejack's forearm. "Hear that shouting and barking? Those are the last living things between you and a life far away from this place. Don't waste this opportunity the god Asmodeus has given you...go squash them!" Geborah casts Guidance on Grumblejack. She heads for the gatehouse, giving Grumblejack a friendly push in the right direction if he needs it.
Dante moves into flanking with Balam on the guard, to better aid his ability to hit.
Balam swings his sword at the guard again.
Grumblejack lumbers his way into the guard post. Seeing the barking dog he says, "Doggy go night, night." He then swings a meaty fist at the dog.
The dog whimpers as Grumblejack hits it, but quickly begins to growl.
The guard's eyes widen as he sees Grumblejack. "Are you people insane? You let that thing out!? He'll kill us all."
The dog runs up to try and bite Grumblejack and drag him down, but is unable to find purchase on Grumblejack's skin.
Geborah
Dante
Balam
Guard Dog
Wraith
Tatienne
Jezabel
Guard
Guard - 6/22
Guard Dog - 13/20
"No sir, he'll kill you to get out. He likes us!" Wraith says loudly into the room.
With little room in the guard post, Tatienne sheaths her sword and draws her longbow. It is a little nonchalant, perhaps, but she trusts the others to finish the guard and his mutt soon.
Jezabel hurries forward and peeks into the guard post. Then she casts a spell at the guard.
"No sir, he'll kill you to get out. He likes us!" Wraith says loudly into the room.
"That true." Grumblejack says in response with a nod as he avoids the barking dog.
With little room in the guard post, Tatienne sheaths her sword and draws her longbow. It is a little nonchalant, perhaps, but she trusts the others to finish the guard and his mutt soon.
Jezabel hurries forward and peeks into the guard post. Then she casts a spell at the guard. His eyes glaze over and, though he isn't helpless, he doesn't appear to be mentally ready to attack either.
Guard - 6/22
Guard Dog - 13/20
Seeing a brief opening under Grumblejack's arm, Geborah directs her burning glare at the guard from outside the guardhouse.
With grim determination, Balam strikes at the guard again.
Seeing a brief opening under Grumblejack's arm, Geborah directs her burning glare at the guard from outside the guardhouse. Unfortunately, the confusion of melee causes her to miss her desired target
Dante attempts to punch the guard flanked between him and Balam.
His fist hits hard enough that the guard feels it through his armor, although it certainly doesn't bring him down.
With grim determination, Balam strikes at the guard again. Thanks to Dante's flank, his sword strikes true, dropping the guard like a stone.
Grumblejack grunts as the dog tries to bite him, then says, "Bad dog." He swings another fist at it.
The dog gets smacked by Grumblejack's next hit with a yelp, then whimpers and flees to cower and hide under the desk, whining pathetically. Grumblejack nods and says, "Stay."
With the guard post neutralized, all you need to do is lower the portcullis - easily done - and you are free. There is nothing standing between you and freedom. You have a map of the surrounding area that shows the quickest path through the moors, and surely you have some time before your escape will be discovered. Freedom is right there.
Of course, there is still the armory back there, with whatever its contents are. Blackerly said he had gold, which might be in his quarters back there, as well. There are guards, too - can you be sure that you will survive another fight? What is it that you choose to do - escape, or leave Branderscar a mausoleum of dead Mitran guards?
Jezabel smiles at the portcullis is raised.
"Shall we?" she asks with a wide grin.
"The eastern sky grows pale," notes Geborah. "The next shift of guards may be waking already, and any visitors will soon be on the road to the prison. And I am eager to meet our benefactors. I would be gone."
"But perhaps our paths do not continue together." She studies her companions' faces, searching for clues to their thoughts. "From here, I can lead us to the sanctum of the ones who helped us escape. I believe our best opportunities lie with them. If any of you disagree, now is the time to separate...I haven't told you where we will go, so you don't know anything that would compromise the rest of us if you are captured."
"If you choose to follow, you are setting your foot on a path you must not leave until the end. But I swear in the Prince of Laws' name, you who tread that path I will do all I can to counsel, guide, protect, and sustain. Our destiny shall be glorious, and we shall succeed or fail as one. Will you come...please?"
Jezabel turns to look at the child before her, pontificating as if she were grown. She stares at her for a long moment and then bursts out laughing.
Eventually she stops and wipes a tear from her eye. Smiling widely she gestures at the way forward.
"Very well, child. Lead on!"
No harm in letting the girl pretend she's grown for another day.
"If your going fine, I don't like owing debts to people. Giving some aid to an escape is at least worth a talk. So lead the way, but keep your preaching to yourself and Balam. I'm not one for listening to others speak about their beliefs...Or sharing mine." Wraith smirks at the girls attempt at leading the group.
Jeza laughing just proved he wasn't the only one finding it amusing.
Man I hate leaving potential loot, but she is right in that we are not at our best...maybe later after some rest and I get the chance to build a squad of undeath. I'll send them here for a little raid. Wraith thinks to himself.
Dante has no idea what the girl could possibly be talking about. Guide, protect, and sustain? Dante already had had a father. But he has no wish to be alone in this new world of being a fugitive, and these men and women seemed competent if a little unhinged. Dante would need to have an escape plan ready if it came to it. And some way to get papers that would allow him on board a Mitran transport ship to the continent.
For now though, he just nods.
Balam cleans and sheathes his blade. "We should make haste. We are finally free of this place."
Geborah turns to Grumblejack. "You don't have to go off on your own. Come with us--you'll be with people who appreciate who you are and what you can do."
"You help Grumblejack escape from cell and not leave Grumblejack behind. Grumblejack follow you to safe place," the Ogre says.
The group, having decided to escape while you had the chance, makes their way through the moor. Thanks to the map from the Warden's office, you have a direct route to take and should have no difficulties navigating the path. Even better, the swampy, brackish area is filled with shallow brine pools and streams that will make tracking you difficult. Unfortunately, it comes with its own drawbacks - specifically, the mosquitoes and other insects that buzz about you, making the trip through the moors quite difficult.
After about half an hour, you spot what looks to be a massive toad, hiding in one of the pools. It is watching the group, and something tells you it isn't feeling friendly...
Tatienne sighs as they walk through the moor, slapping her neck as a mosquito bites into her. The worst part of archaeology, she thinks, stepping into a murky pool, is always that the condition of the site is behind your control. It seems being a fugitive is no different.
Shifting uncomfortably in her chain shirt, the relic hunter wipes the sweat from her brow and continues on.
Wraith for the most part ignores the situation in the moor, having had to hide in similar situations made it that his annoyance quickly faded.
After slogging some distance through the marsh, Geborah calls for a break. She walks a little more than thirty feet in advance of the group and lifts the unholy star of Asmodeus over her head. Silver light pulses from the Archstar, the negative energy searing insects from the air.
Geborah smirks as the others catch up. "We can catch our breath here for a few minutes, until the vermin return."
"Tatienne, you said you'd tell us more about Cheliax and House Thrune when we had more time. Do you have some stories to distract us as we march?"
Walking along with the rest of the group, Dante's nose twitches with irritation. He flicks the mosquitos off of him when they land, and he ponders. When they stop, he just has to say: "Where are we going, and why?"
As they stop, he looks along the side of the road. "We'll want to be careful over there," he says, pointing out the toad.
Balam grips his sword, and readies himself for an attack. "That toad does not look happy."
The toad, realizing it's been seen, lets out a loud croak and bursts from its concealment, opening it's massive mouth wide to viciously chomp down on the surprised FireSkorn, trapping the ratfolk in its mouth. FireSkorn screams, and you hear the sound of his bones snapping as the toad's powerful jaws snap about him. Your fellow escapee falls limp in the toad's mouth. Now that you can properly see it, the toad is as wide as Grumblejack, with a thick, heavily scarred hide from where the weapons of others have tried to slay the beast. That it still stands is a testament to its toughness and cunning.
[spoiler=Knowledge (local) DC 12]
There are stories of a toad that lurks in the moors near the town of Varyston known as Lashtongue, a cunning, vicious predator who hunts the moors. His skin is said to be toxic to the touch, and he can swallow a man whole. He lurks in the pools and waterways of the moor, ambushing and swallowing his prey before fleeing to his lair. People fear to cross the moors at night because of this vicious creature.
"Toad? Where?" Jezabel asks as Balam draws his sword.
The toad, realizing it's been seen, lets out a loud croak and bursts from its concealment, opening it's massive mouth wide to viciously chomp down on the surprised FireSkorn, trapping the ratfolk in its mouth. FireSkorn screams, and you hear the sound of his bones snapping as the toad's powerful jaws snap about him. Your fellow escapee falls limp in the toad's mouth. Now that you can properly see it, the toad is as wide as Grumblejack, with a thick, heavily scarred hide from where the weapons of others have tried to slay the beast. That it still stands is a testament to its toughness and cunning.
There are stories of a toad that lurks in the moors near the town of Varyston known as Lashtongue, a cunning, vicious predator who hunts the moors. His skin is said to be toxic to the touch, and he can swallow a man whole. He lurks in the pools and waterways of the moor, ambushing and swallowing his prey before fleeing to his lair. People fear to cross the moors at night because of this vicious creature.
"NO!" Furious at the loss of the useful rat creature, Geborah jets fire at the great toad.
Round One
Tatienne smiles at Geborah's request. "Well, Cheliax is quite simply, the greatest county in the world. It all began with this country named Taldor-"
The history lesson is cut off, however, by Dante's keen senses and FireSkorn's subsequent demise. Snarling, Taty charges the toad, bringing her longsword down at the creature.
As the rat-man is devoured, Jezabel remarks, "Oh, that giant frog."
Heavily wounded, and with little other options, Jezabel pulls out one of the leather wrapped clubs and throws it at the giant frog, singing happily the entire while.
Dante telekinetically lifts a rock into the air and hurls it at the toad before Balam can get into melee, and then waits for his allies to begin their engagement before considering his next move.
Dante telekinetically lifts a rock into the air and hurls it at the toad before Balam can get into melee, and then waits for his allies to begin their engagement before considering his next move. The rock hits the toad quite solidly in the head.
Balam charges at the toad, swinging his longsword.
Unfortunately, his longsword bounces off the thing's thick hide.
Tatienne smiles at Geborah's request. "Well, Cheliax is quite simply, the greatest county in the world. It all began with this country named Taldor-" The history lesson is cut off, however, by Dante's keen senses and FireSkorn's subsequent demise. Snarling, Taty charges the toad, bringing her longsword down at the creature. She finds her swing unable to penetrate the thing's thick hide, as well.
As the rat-man is devoured, Jezabel remarks, "Oh, that giant frog." Heavily wounded, and with little other options, Jezabel pulls out one of the leather wrapped clubs and throws it at the giant frog, singing happily the entire while. Her throw of the club misses, however, falling short.
"NO!" Furious at the loss of the useful rat creature, Geborah jets fire at the great toad. She is able to burn the beast quite fiercely. It does not look pleased.
The toad gulps, and swallows FireSkorn whole into its stomach. It then begins to hop away as quickly as it can into one of the many streams throughout the moor.
Lashtongue - 20/33
"Belial's blistered ballsack," swears Geborah. She hurls more flames at the toad's back as it lurches away.
Jezabel raises an eyebrow, then bursts out laughing.
She makes no move to further attack or follow the toad.
"Huh, well that sucks, Fireskorn would have made great material for my craft." Turning to the rest of them, "Shall we continue? I don't care to be stuck in a moor if a patrol comes around."
Wraith seems more upset at the the loss of material than the loss of the man.
As the toad-creature runs away, nobody elects to try and pursue it. Always a follower at heart, Dante decides to follow suit, but still silently disapproves. No honor among thieves, he supposes, so why should murderers, arsonists, and necromancers be different?
Again, he chooses to ask - "Where are we going? And why?"
"Over the hill and through the moor good sir. Though Geborah is being highly secretive about the final destination." Wrath decides to try and answer the man.
"Crazy..." Jezabel sings eerily. "Want to come aloooooong?"
"This is a conversation we can have after we stop that cursed toad."
Tatienne stops at the edge of the stream, and silently thanks The First that it wasn't her in the frog's gullet.
"He's gone," she says, sheathing her longsword, leaving it uclear whether she refers to the frog or FireSkorn. "Let's get onto our mystery benefactor."
"Its after, the toad is gone and has the advantage over us. I feel that I should inform you that I felt Skorn was not that interested in your benefactor. Now I could swing either way, but I try to pay back all debts, so I'll at least meet this person, call it even. Then decide what I want to do from there?"
Dante crosses his arms. "No, this is a conversation that we can have right now."
"You have bows," Geborah snaps between firebolts. "Use them!"
Dante sighs at Geborah's deflection, raises another rock into the air, and hurls it at the toad as it escapes into the moor.