Venn isn't sure whether to be happy the big human killed the guard or enraged at how useless he'd been in dispatching the guard. He opts for neither. "Grab what you can." He then heads over to the door and listens at it to see if he hears anyone on the other side that might have been alerted by the struggle.
Casius begins stripping the guard of his belongings. "There are more arrows for you. Also, do you want the armor, or should I take it?"
Venn curls his lips as he looks at the armor, but then casts an appraising look at Casius.”I’d do better with leather, easier to sneak around in without the damned links clicking against each other, but I can wear it, though nobody will believe I’m a Guard with this handsome face. Up to you. You seem like a sorcerer or something. Can you even wear it?”
"I actually do know how to wear armor - although I wouldn't call myself a sorcerer. It's more...mind tricks. I focus, and I'm able to manipulate others' thoughts - make them more amenable to me, or overwhelm their senses. It isn't flashy with arcane words and gestures - it's entirely the mind and force of will." As he explains a bit about his abilities, he puts the armor on, although he keeps the dagger.
As the others go about figuring out their way forward, Baolo returns back to the cell where the unconscious guard was shackled. Blade in hand, he finishes the unconscious guard off, driving the tip of his blad into the neck. Even if the man were somehow to survive, it should be quite difficult for the man to make any kind of discernible noise.
Venn's eyes widen slightly in the shadows as Casius talks of powers by force of will. Tread carefully around this one, Venn. But he nods in acceptance. "Good. Perhaps if we have to run a bluff, you two can be guards escorting the lot of us somewhere. To wit, we should see about grabbing some manacles just for show if we can." He then lifts the key and goes about exploring the rest of the cell block to make sure there are no other prisoners who might be willing to join them. Baolo's dispatching of the surviving guard elicits a slight smile and certainly no objection.
Casius nods in approval of Baolo's finishing off of the guard. It wouldn't do to have him wake up and sound an alarm, after all. He smiles at Venn's suggestion of a bluff. "I've always been talented at lying to people - that gift is how I ended up here."
As Venn goes out to inspect the other cells to look for any other inmates he doesn't even have time to check one before a voice calls out to him. "You! how you little ’un get out?" The voice calls and Venn looks to see a great and mighty ogre staring directly at him... Well he would be great and mighty if it wasn't obvious that he was a prisoner just like the rest of you.
Venn's first reaction is to stop dead in his tracks and start to raise the longbow to fire. The reputation of ogres as brutal and mindless thugs means only one thing: threat. But then it registers. This one is speaking in Common and is jailed. Slowly, the tiefling lowers the bow, cocks his head to the side in curiosity and says, "My friend with powerful magic bewitched the guards' minds and convinced them to free us... and then we killed them. And what are you called, big 'un?"
So focused was he on watching for the arrival of any additional guards that Baolo's reaction to the ogre was much the same as Venn's. Turning on his heels, sword and shield at the ready the man took a defensive stance...a pose he held for a few moments longer, figuring that for a ogre, a few metal bars might not hold it back. following up on Venn's query, Baolo adds, "Aye, And what did these piss-ants do to capture the likes of you?"
Casius, donning the armor, whirls about and sees the ogre. Cautiously, he finished equipping himself, leaving the tabard on the floor, then walks over to Venn and says, "You look rather strong. How is it that you haven't already ripped those chains out of the wall and gone on a rampage killing guards?"
"Me Grumblejack. Grumblejack hunting little ’uns, one little ’un, than more little ’uns. But no kill me, bring me ’ere, stupid little ’uns." As Grumblejack talks it becomes more apparent that the cell he's in is reinforced, probably for stronger prisoners like him, as the bars are thicker then the rest of the cell block. He also has a runic F on his arm just like the rest of you, and he has clearly not been treated as he still has visible wounds, certainly from his capture and imprisonment.
Hmm... Not sure we can trust him... Venn makes sure he’s not within reach of the ogre’s cell, stepping back if necessary, then says, ”So, you kill little ‘uns, hmm? Would you kill us if we let you out, or would you work with us to kill the little ‘uns who locked us all up?”
Casius looks at Venn, then says, "As my friend says, we'd prefer not to be killed by you. But, if you're willing to help us kill the little 'uns who locked us all up, we'll let you out of there. Sound like a good deal?"
Interest piqued as the ogre told his simple story, Baolo raises his arm where the runic F was seared into his skin and adds, "Aye, we been marked same as you...but we ain't keen on becomin' your food or playtoys. What we are keen to do is find a way out of here, and maybe cause a bit of carnage on our way out."
"You mean you let Grumblejack out and help Grumblejack kill stupid little ’uns?" Grumblejack asks as his expression turns into a very toothy smile, "yes, YES! Let Grumblejack out!"
Venn studies the exuberant ogre for a moment, then looks back at the others. He doesn't say anything, but the arched brow and a shift of his eyes towards the ogre's cell door clearly conveys a question, perhaps seeking consensus before he frees the beast.
"Good. Then we have an agreement. But, just so we're clear, betray us, and I'll use your mind for a plaything far worse than I used theirs."
He motions Venn, Baolo, and Lucia to stand ready, then went to open the ogre's cell and chains.
Grumblejack lets out a noise but it's hard to tell if it's a gruff or a snarl. "Fine Grumblejack listen to you, but Grumblejack still Grumblejack."
Baolo raises an eyebrow when Lucia mentions calling the ogre Tank...he was fine with letting the creature loose, they had something in common to fight for as it were. However, even the burly murderer wasn't brave enough to try any sort of teasing.
"I think I saw some keys around here. Let's see if one of them will get the door open," he says, fist giving the now dead guards a once over before moving into the next room to see what could be found.
Casisu holds up the keys to catch Baolo's attention, and says, "Of course, Grumblejack. I wouldn't have it any other way." He opens the cell door, then unlocks Grumblejack's chains.
"Now, Grumblejack, don't forget who let you out of your chains - and who put you in them in the first place. Now, how about you get some revenge?"
If the Mitrans had taught him nothing else -- even if it wasn't the lesson they'd intended -- it was to not judge others by appearances and stereotypes. And so, aside from an initial reaction of wanting to put an arrow through the ogre's warty face, Venn quickly adapts to the situation. "Welcome aboard, Grumblejack. We may well die trying to escape from here, but at least we'll get some revenge. Now... any thoughts on how we do that? What else does the Veil have? Or should I try sneaking out the door to find what we're facing?"
"I say we just move on. I ain't too sneaky myself and with the ogre here, this group won't be doing much sneaking at all...at least no successful like," Baolo grunts as he does a few additional test swings with his procured longsword. Then, the big man heads into the next room, certain that there was not likely to be anyone there...unless they were completely deaf that was. And in that case, it shouldn't be to difficult to dispatch them.
"Grumblejack is very sneaky," Grumblejack says, "quiet as death!"
Venn eyes the ogre doubtfully but says nothing. Better to keep my head than question his skill. Instead, he nods at Baolo and glances at Lucia and Casius. "One vote for the direct approach. Why don't you discuss and I'll scout outside that door. If I'm not back in a minute... well, then we're likely all dead."
With that, Venn takes one of the sets of keys and pads off towards the door. He'll stop the listen at the door to see if there's anyone who has come to wait outside and, if not, will pad as quietly as possible beyond.
(Listening at the door)
(Heading to Room 17 if check above suggests nobody is on the other side)
(Listening at the stairs)
Casius considered the veil, looking at the window. "There's a window here on the veil, along with a coil of rope. Perhaps we could use some combination of that to escape?"
Hearing Casius' thoughts, Baolo replies as he keeps an eye in the direction Venn begins to scout, "What good will a window frame do...I assume that's what pops out? Or do you think it'll create a window? If that's what it does...maybe good to keep that for now in case we need to breach a wall or the likes."
As Venn presses a ear against the wooden door it groans as old wood does right in his ear before he hears talking from the other side.
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"I heard something from the cell block."
"Your imagining things."
"Maybe but I want to check it out anyway. Besides, the others have been in there for too long, and grab the signal horn."
The tiefling curses his miserable luck as the door groans. He waves his arms frantically at the prisoners back in the room to alert them to the guards, then tries to find a place to hide and let the guards slip past.
Seeing Venn motion wildly, Baolo grips the hilt of his blade as he does his best to crouch low and out of sight. Mentally, the man was kicking himself for assuming no guards were in the next room.
Casius whips around as Venn motions wildly. Considering his options, he said to Grumblejack, "Now's your chance, Grumblejack. Get ready for them to come through the door."
He hid nearby, so that he could avoid notice and stop one of them from acting by scrambling his mind.
Using your wide variety of hiding options such as cell, cell, and cell, you all hide out of the oncoming guards view.
Except for Grumblejack who crouches next to Casius and puts his hands over his face forgetting how big he is which makes him easy to see from his cell door.
"Oh s*** the ogres free! Sound the alarm!"
You all hear the footsteps of one guard running out of the cell block.
Casius breaks from hiding, running towards the guards with a look of feigned panic on his face, hoping they would notice the equipment and not him with Grumblejack there. Once he had sight of the guard, he focused his stare on him to weaken his will, then sent a mental thrust to overwhelm his senses and stop him.
While he silently curses his luck, Venn finds his mindset shifting to that of a hunter. He focuses on the remaining guard, lifts his bow, and fires.
Casius and Lucia cast there magic spells on the guard ineffectively, a clearly much stronger willed man than the last, but see Venn's arrow fly straight into the guard piercing through his upper torso. The pain stuns the guard long enough for Grumblejack to charge and smash the guard to the ground with his bare hands. He is clearly unconscious if not dead, although with the arrow stuck through him there is little difference.