Now that he had both guards, Casius says, "The gags shouldn't be necessary, I don't think. We're all perfectly happy to quiet down after a couple questions get answered. Could you tell me what time of day it is?"
Both guards look at each other and shrug, "it's high noon"
"I see. Tell me, will you shortly be relieved to go eat the mid-day meal? For that matter, are we fed a mid-day meal?"
"We already ate, and I don't see how it's any concern of yours."
"It is not, and I must apologize for asking. You see, I am an agent of King Markadian, and he suspects the Warden of this place to possibly be dabbling in diabolic worship. No one was to be told of this, but I cannot operate alone in this instance. I can tell you two would never be involved in such activity. One of these are likely his co-conspirators. Would you mind unshackling me and leaving me alone with them? I will extract the necessary information. I assure you, you will be rewarded."
Venn's eyes go wide as he stares at Casius before hissing, "Traitor! Markadian lapdog! I swear, if I get out of here, I'll kill you first!"
Neither guard seems to know how to react to Casius's declaration of espionage, but when Venn starts shouting the first guard seems to become much more hesitant and suspicious while the second seems more determined and reaches for his keys.
What neither guard realizes is that all the while a rat Scurries across the floor and starting to climb up the 2nd guards pant leg. As he reaches for the keys the rat leaps, trying to take the keys, but instead knocking them out of the guards hand.
Taldran, taking advantage of all the confusion, kicks the silver pentagram under his foot across the floor.
As the keys clatter to the ground both guards look down, they both see the silver pentagram between them.
"Quickly free us brother!" Taldran calls.
Both guards –both being good Mitran men– naturally assumed it is the other who is the Asmodean, but it is the second guard who has his club drawn whereas the first only has gags. The exchanges is short and quick. The second guard lunges at the first lifting his club for a downward swing, the first guard follows the club and lifts the gags up to try and block the swing. It is in vain however, as all he had done was change the area of impact from the top of his helmed head to the front of his temple, not being able to lift the gags fast enough to perry the blow. Leaving him to fall to an unconscious heap on the ground.
Casius quickly reacts to the strange turn of events before saying, "Damn. This conspiracy is deeper than I thought. Hurry, man, and free me! I need to question these devil worshippers quickly. The kingdom itself may be at stake!"
Baolo's expression shows confusion and uncertainty as Casius spoke. Is Casius really some secret inquisitor? Is all this talk just him trying to get in their good graces so he can drill them for information? As the scene plays out, the big man continues to ask questions to himself, with each question drawing the man's face tighter and tighter until suddenly, the man falls calm. If Casius was indeed working for the Crown, then he will be added to the list once Baolo was free. "Ask your worst you buttkissin' Mitra. I ain't got nothin' to hide about any devil worshippin' business. I may have killed a few blokes, but it weren't no horned beasts whisperin' in my ear that made me done it."
Venn's gaze flickers between Casius and the remaining guard, watching for an opportunity. I can't do much, but turning this place into the darkest night might give us some needed confusion at just the right moment.
The guard seems too shocked to have heard Casius for a moment before looking around the floor, finding the keys and the silver pentagram. Picking them both up off of the floor without saying anything he quickly unlocks the shackles on Casius's wrist and ankles.
Venn watches the guard unlock Casius, and an idea springs to mind. He starts speaking in Infernal, eyes rolling into the back of his head, his body shivering and convulsing as though possessed... Or what he thinks a prison guard would think a possession looks like.
Casius stands and says, "Thank you. Now, we should remove the uniform and weapons of good Mitran soldiers from this traitor, and chain him up." He goes to do so as Venn starts having convulsions and speaking in a tongue Casius doesn't know. "Mitra's Light, this isn't good. Listen, leave me the keys - I'll chain the traitor up and start questioning that one over there," Casius indicates Taldran from where he is, "and you go stand outside the cell block. Make it look like everything is okay and there are no problems. We don't want any other of their co-conspirators to walk in here."
"I," The guard stammers, unsure of what to make of the entire situation. "Alright fine, here, but hurry."
Once the guard leaves the cell block, Casius finally allows himself a grin at the apparent success of his charms. Turning, he begins unlocking everyone's chains, starting with Venn. "Strip that guard and take his equipment - we need it. Once we're ready, I'll call the guard back in, and we'll take him out quickly and take his equipment. Are there any weapons in the veil?"
Though he had done his best to stay in the background during that brief interaction that Casius had with the guard, the big man's jaw dropped at seeing the guard had over his key and walk out of the cell block. So stunned was he that his slack-jawed look continue even after the man undid his chains and Baolo stood there rubbing his wrists. Upon hearing Casius' order though, Baolo springs to work, stripping down the guard and seeing what he had that they might be able to use before slipping one of the gags on the unconscious guard and chaining the helpless guard up.
The big man considered just killing the guard as he was, but a voice in the back of his mind convinced him that it was best to get equipped and deal with the guard standing outside before doing anything to the helpless guard.
Casius took the veil from Taldran after he was released and, after careful examination, peels at the two dagger-shaped patches. Both come off in his hands, giving them two daggers. "The daggers are at least something."
The tiefling scowls at the choice of armament. "I'm better with a bow. I can use a sword, but better that the big guys take them for now. Armor, too. I'll take a dagger for now, though, if nobody else wants it... Actually, which of you blokes can see in darkness? I can blind the guards, but won't do much good if it blinds you, too."
He then notices Baolo chaining the guard up to the wall. "Why are you bothering? Let's just kill him."
As you strip the guard of his equipment and remove the items from the veil you realize that the guard who left the cell took the silver pentagram with him.
The rest of your inventory is as follows.
The guard:
• Chain shirt
• Heavy steel shield
• Longsword
• Leather club
• Longbow with 20 arrows
• A key
The veil:
• 2 daggers, Masterwork
• Bullseye lantern (full, lit and shuttered)
• Hempen rope (50-foot coil)
• Sack full of needed spell components (worth less than a 1 gp)
and common clothes in the PCs sizes
• Thieves Tools, Masterwork
• Window (2 ft. by 4 ft., up to 2 ft. deep)
• Potion of cure light wounds
• 100 gold pieces
When he sees the bow and arrows, Venn perks up. "On the other hand... unless someone else can make better use of them, I think I'll take those." Beyond that, he agrees quickly disposing of the other guard (before the Mitran gets any bright ideas) is the next most immediate course of action.
After he frees the others, Casius grabs the unconscious guard and hauls him over to a set of chains. "We need to chain him up temporarily to maintain the ruse - we can kill him after we take out the other."
Venn grunts in acknowledgment. "Alright. Though the fact we're all out of our chains might slip the ruse, too. You and the big guy should go to the door, big guy hiding. I can find some shadows and do the same. Bring the guard back in, close the door, kill him quick."
Unless there is an objection, Venn takes the longbow and arrows and finds himself a spot offering concealment.
"How's this," he asks from a not-so-shadowy corner.
"Can you cloak yourself in darkness a bit better?"
As the others strategize, Baolo stripped off his own prision rags and took the unconscious guard's clothing as his own. Indeed, the big man was not one for coming up with expert strategy. Instead, after he adjusted the more practical clothing he took from the guard on his body, Baolo slipped on the chain shirt and took up the sword and shield. Feeling the weight of the long sword, the killer muttered, "Ain't my kinda blade, but it'll do fer now."
"Baolo, take a hiding position near the door, pressed against the wall with the door. That will keep you out of sight. Venn, once you're better hidden, I'll call the guard in." Casius holds one of the daggers in hand, although he intends to use a much different weapon on the guard.
Venn curses to himself in infernal. Aloud, he blames the clumsy attempt on the poor accommodations, "Every muscle aches from those chains." Regardless, he adjusts his position and posture slightly, hoping to find a better place of concealment.
Nodding his head, Baolo moved into position, doing his best to keep his new armor from making too much noise. as his gripped his new blade low and too his side to keep the light from revealing it.
"Erm, Baolo, maybe try the other side of the doorway. That way, when I open it, you'll be blocked from sight and might be better able to get the drop on him."
Frowning, Baolo does as he is told. Though the killer doesn't understand what all the stealth was for. Better to rush in and take the guard by surprise that way, he thinks to himself as he does his best to keep the rattle of chain links from his shirt to a minimum.
Casius sighs - it appeared neither of these gentlemen was particularly subtle or stealthy. Moving to the door, he listens at it to see if it is still just the one guard out there, or if there are more.
Casius listens at the door but he can't hear anything.
Casius opens the door and tells the guard, "Come in, quickly. I need to show you something."
The tiefling feels the tension starting to take over. Breathe, Venn, breathe. Never a particularly religious type, he nonetheless figures this is as good a time as any to offer a quick (silent) prayer to Asmodeus. Um, if you're listening, thanks for this opportunity. I'll try to kill a lot of them before they get me. Amen? I guess. Damn, that was terrible, Venn.
He shakes his head and forces himself to focus, one hand on the bow, the other with an arrow notched to the string.
The guard steps in asking Casius what he sees but then he notices Baolo doing his best impression of "the serial killer behind you".
When the guard seems to notice Baolo, Venn hisses, hopefully loud enough to be heard by Casius and Baolo but not behind the outer room, "Close the door!", then snaps off a shot.
It's a grazing shot, at best.
As Venn D'or lets loose an arrow to fly it goes at an angle that would have been a gruesome wound had it been an inch higher, instead only grazing the underside of the guards chin.
Doing as suggested, the big man uses his shield to push the door close, if he is able to. Then, with a grin, he slashes out with his procured blade at the guard.
.
The guard cries out in pain as Baolo cuts clean through his left side, although the wound is clearly not fatal. In a panic he draws his own shield and sword out and manages to cut into Baolo's sword arm, but the wild draw causes him to avoid doing much real damage.
Casius sighs as Baolo is easily noticed and Venn's first arrow only grazes the guard. Stepping back from the guard, he fixes him with his gaze, then smiles and uses a more offensive trick than convincing others to do his bidding, overwhelming his senses with information.
Venn eyes the guard, watching his movements and looking for weaknesses, then lets loose with another arrow.
The guard hisses in pain from his wound when he hears the tightening of a bow. Turning just in time to dodge the point of an arrow that would have surely been the end of him as he gets caught in Casius's eyes, magic hitting and disorienting him, however he manages to raise his shield to block any oncoming attacks. A move that likely saved his life a second time if the two telltale thuds were any indication.
The tiefling snarls in infernal, pulls back on the bowstring again, and lets another arrow fly. The shot is only slightly better than his last. Damned shackles have driven my muscles into knots!
Casius focuses on a feeling of tiredness, of muscles worn out from a long day's work, and on how heavy that armor and sword and shield must be. He then steps up and reaches out to touch the guard.
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Not registering the pain from the guard's gazing attack, Baolo sneers as he brings his borrowed blade around once more, slashing out from what is now a flanking position and putting his full weight behind the blow as he does.
As the guard batters away whatever was on the other side of his shield the light from the hall reflected off of Baolo's blade, catching the guards attention and giving him just enough time to swing his shield and the block the blow with a perfect parry.
Or it would have been had he not so quickly forgotten the wound that was already caused by that blade. The sting of pain from the sudden movement cause him to flinch just before catching the blow, stoping Baolo from digging into his midsection but leaving him the perfect opportunity to thrust the blade into the guard's face.
His only mercy was how quick it was.
• Chain shirt
• Heavy steel shield
• Longsword
• Leather club
• Longbow with 20 arrows
• A key
• Unholy Symbol of Asmodeus (silver)