Mic expresses that she could surely take more then one prisoner but relents to taking the 3rd as suggested.
"I could lead a group of three to take two prisoners. We might want to scout out the sewers as a fast and discrete escape."
"Scouting the sewers sounds like a smart plan, lets do that first, we can get the armigers out tomorrow or the next day, but knowing where to disapear first is important. We should stash some workers clothing or something as well, maybe some extra weapons on the sewer path to help them blend in and protect themselves. All this planning makes me hungry we should eat and then go sewer spelunking!"
Having some spare weapons and armor handy definitely sounds like a good idea. With all of us and the rescued prisoners, we should be able to handle most patrols if we have to. If we can move them out through the sewers, that would be great, otherwise we could try to get a wagon big enough to fit everyone and just high-tail it to a suitable safehouse while we figure out how to get them out of the city.
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Setrona asks curiously. "All this sewer business is just in case something goes wrong? I mean you have the transfer documents and going to get the uniforms so even if you end up fighting in the Holding house, most patroles shouldn't be a big problem to avoid with those items on hand?" she is intrigued by the plans you are making, but her bash nature thinks it's to much "just in case" for her liking.
Logan sniffed and looked faintly ill when the idea of venturing into the sewers was brought up, "Surely we don't need to go down there? If we pull this off right we can walk out of there no questions asked. We'll I'm sure there will be some questions but we have the writ. We just need to look the part when delivering it. I don't look like a guardsman but I'm sure most of us could look like one if we 'obtain' some uniforms..."
"I think that Mic and Logan can go at the same time as one of the other groups if they are not confident in pulling off the lie and support Mirabella or I. Otherwise we should get some rest get those uniforms as soon as curfew is over and proceed with the plan."
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Having scouted the Holding House and crafted the necessary documents to get the prisoners transfer you set on the task of collecting fitting uniforms for walk the part. In previous places where the original members had altercations with the Dottari you find uniforms that requires a loving hand to not look like you have been hacked up and some of them needs a little refitting done to work for smaller races and diffences in sizes.
She asked quietly while adjusting the last few pieces of the uniform she was going to where. She was also practicing her dour face.
"I mean I guess its silly keeping it a secret and Mic already knows sort of, but im not from around here really. I moved here almost thirty four years ago from Ustalav. I am also not human... well kinda human, mostly i think. My mom was human, so was my dad... well originally at least... uh..."
She paused wrinkling her nose. It was always hard to explain to folks who didnt know Ustalav... I mean really know and understand it.
"Ustalav is a dark place right, all sorts of nasty monsters and things, werewolves, vampires, ghosts, fel spirits... and the Bais family has battled those things for hundreds of years. Thats not the point i think sorry i get on tangents.... My parents were hunters, my mom had to stop for a bit when she got pregnant with me. My dad though, well they were tracking this evil vampire and he ...he."
Again she frowned setting down the uniform and fidgiting with her hat for a moment. It was clear she was stalling for time and taking her time to make sure she had the words right.
"He got turned by the vampire he was chasing. He came to see and turn my mom, right before she gave birth to me, and well the long and short of it, she killed him, but not before he tried to turn her, that dark energy is in me and Positive energy hurts me. Like really really bad. No offense Bicksy I dont want to get hurt, then have you use your magics and make it worse trying to heal me by accident. Maybe we could test it first? You know give it a trial run?"
Bicks listens attentively without rushing waits and gives a considered response.
"I don't want to hurt you, nor do I want you to live in fear that I might. But, I also would hate to see you die if I could help it. Revolution is a dangerous business as you know. I have met my share of travellers from Galt who can attest to this."
Bicks thinks for a moment and tries to be sensitive about his words
"Thank for telling me about your aversion. I would have hated to try to save you and instead kill you."
Bicks furrows his brow. Explaining magic can be hard.
"The link I create between you and me is in not positive energy or negative, it is a link. Think of it like friendship, when someone hurts your friend you are hurt but seeing that some feels hurt when you have been hurt lets you know they are there for you, which makes the experience easier. That's all this is, we shake hands, high five whatever you like, and a bond is created. When you get hurt some of that pain is sent to me we share the burden."
Bicks looks directly at Canacha,
"Don't rush this decision. I am reasonably confident it will work but I want your trust first."
Trying to take a lighter tone.
"As for being an outsider don't worry. I come from a place so full of insane monsters, and faeries my ancestors gave up immortality to come here."
Bicks looks at the uniforms and when alone says, "How does this look?
At that moment his clothing changes to look like the uniforms but fit for his size.
I understand why it must be...painful... for you to talk about your ancestry. And I'm sure you've encountered plenty of people who were quick to judge and distrust you because of it. Thank you for sharing your story.
Once the uniforms are retrieved, Mirabella lays them out and uses prestidigitation to clean them of dried blood and dirt. Then she retrieves her scroll of mending and studies it carefully before reciting the incantation on the parchment.
Once the casting is done, the set of uniforms look almost brand new. Mirabella smiles, clearly feeling a bit proud of her contribution to the mission. There you go...good as new! In fact, they look almost too new. We may want to wrinkle and smudge them a bit before use. So, now that's taken care of, what's left to sort out before we begin?
"As long as I don't have to say much we'll be fine I'm sure." said Logan to Bicks. He wanted to help but he knew his limitations, now if a sharp tongue was required, Logan had a feeling he'd be able to contribute just fine. That was one thing he'd inherited in full measure from his mother for sure.
Canacha waited patiently for Bicks to let her know the linking thingy was done, (and did whatever was needed for for Bicks to make the link thingy)
"So like I just have to be hurt right?"
She asked suddenly drawing out her dagger and stabbing herself in the thigh!
Making a face she drew out one of her specially marked potions (the one with the cute pink heart painted on it) just in case the healing went another way.
"Oh no worries guys, we have this in the bag, We are going to march in, present the orders get the prisoners and march out. I'll do the talking, but if hear me call out "Mint!" The covers blown, the gig's up, and we are fighting our way out."
Maybe Bicks and I should wait outside with a wagon, since we’re the ones who look least like dottari? Then, you just march the prisoners out, load everyone on board and off we go! We can have some spare weapons and armor ready in case we get stopped. Did we figure out where to take them?
"I can do some of the talking. I'm better than some of our party anyway. I'll walk in in uniform, and hand over the prisoner transfer papers. We'll wait for them to bring them up, and we'll move out of there. At least I pray it works like that."
She responds to Mirabella's question. "I believe the plan was to go to the Livery. We cleared it out not long ago, and there's a basement we can hide in there. After we make it there, we can figure out how to get out of the city. I like the idea of spare weapons and armor a lot. Those men and women are fighters, and they could be helpful if we get in trouble."
"See. Nothing to it."
Then Bicks steps away and lays hand on himself.
"Easy as pie."
"I will go where I'm told. If I need to explain my presence I will. Just tell me where you want me to be. Gnome Dottari are common where I am from but I guess they are less common here. Gnomes get by pretty well in Cheliax so my presence should not be too alarming."
If gnome dottari are common, I will change my appearance to gnome as well.
"I can be an adequate diplomat as well," Jack says after Lena speaks. "I'm not a good liar, though...and am only a decent bluffer in card games."
Bicks looks to the leaders Canacha, Jack, Lena, and Mic, "We will act at your discretion, but we should make our move my guess is this place is not fun for civilians."
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You arrive at the holding house dressed nicely in your uniforms and with the documents ready to pass inspection. As you learnt from you previous casing of the building the single door is the main entrance for anyone except prisoners. You enter the door and comes into a room that serves as a combination lounge for the guards and a place to meet
with visitors to the Holding House. It’s this room that visitors to the Holding House must enter.
Two guards sits here playing dice to pass the time, when they see you enter one of them stands up and directs his attention to you. "“State your business, unless you seek accommodations for the night."
At the back Logan swallowed and tried to look bored, as if he'd been here before and seen it all but in reality he nervously hoping somebody would know what to say. These folks he'd fallen in with where supposed to be the best so he'd be ok, he just had to a little faith...
In his most assertive and matter-of-fact voice, "Prisoner, transport. We are here to pick up these scum."
He hands over the paperwork.
"Want to get'em in lock-up ASAP, you know."
"Dottari Duncloak" gives a swift, authoritative nod to back up Bicks' statement.
She had been waiting for Lena to speak but nodded along with Jack to Bicks play.She did her best to appear rigid and boring.
With that then Bicks speaks up as above.
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"Than you need to talk with the Warden, I'll show you to her office. " the guard says getting up and walking over to the door on the eastwall, knocking and asking for premission to enter. When he gets premission from inside he opens the door. "Ma'am another set transferorders has arrived." he says bowing before showing you inside and quickly closing the door behind him, Canacha notices he looks relived as he closed the door.
Before you stands a decently beautiful woman, lean of statue in a formfitting breastplate, clearly a member of the Church of Asmodeus. She looks over all of you with a piercing gaze which is quite unnerving. "My, my, what a lovely gathering we have here, I suspect none of you are here to keep me company after curfew. I would personally interogate you if that was the case, we have such lovely facilities here for that kind of talk." she says leaning forward a bit with her eyes lingering on Jack before continueing. "So who has send you on this little errand and where are you taking my prisoners before we are finished questioning them?"
"Got the orders in writing the last name was Jhaltero if I'm remembering correctly. They are to be logged at the House of Truth and Clarity."
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"Quite far away, but than again the Jhaltero do like to practise there diabolisme rituals. I've got a fun ritual for a couple of you if you like to see it." She says winking at both Jack and Canacha, ignoring the smaller people for hitting on. "But let's finish our business first and talk about pleasures afterwards. Let me see the papers." she says pointing for Bicks to place them on her desk.
"Here you are."
"Right--business before pleasure," Jack echoes the warden's words, trying not to make eye contact with her. He also manages to keep from reacting to her words about the Jhaltero family and their alleged involvement in diabolism.
As he follows the guard to the cellblock, he thinks, So far, so good.
"I will need a reason to give the higher-ups as to the lack of availability. What do you want me to say?"
Somehow she kept amazing calm... though her eyes maybe squinted just a little when the beautiful woman eyed Jack. She was able to keep her mouth shut during it all, until of course they were about to leave.
"Sorry to interupt m'am I dont suppse we could...well I could see about those rituals say a few days from now?"
She gave her best winsome smile.
"I have a few days off shift then"
"What do you mean unavailible. We have orders, I dont like to break orders.... oh sorry sir."
She added nodding to Bicksy and letting him again take the lead. After all they had been going with it so far and it had worked. . .
Lena starts to usher the three prisoners out of the cells while Bicks asks about the fourth prisoner. Best to get them where they can move in case things get bad.
"Come on you. We've go orders." She mumbles.
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"I don't mean to interfere with your orders. She has been claimed by our... visitor. She's got her in the torture room. It's just over there... you're free to head in and show your transfers to her if you want, but I wouldn't recommend it." The guard responds pointing towards the large northeastern room, showing no interest to go near the room himself.
"How long do the sessions usually last?"
"Would you all like to take these brigands in, while I want for the end of the questioning or shall we come back once the city's work has been thoroughly completed?"
Logan tried hard not to stare at Canacha, 'Wait she's flirting with him?! Wow.' He was glad when the others changed the topic, and did his best to scowl at the prisoners like a good Dottri. He didn't like the sound of this visitor, perhaps they'd fooled the guards but whoever it was might not be so weak minded. Staying seemed uncommonly risky, yet what could they do?
Logan tried hard not to stare at Canacha, 'Wait she's flirting with him?! Wow.' He was glad when the others changed the topic, and did his best to scowl at the prisoners like a good Dottri. He didn't like the sound of this visitor, perhaps they'd fooled the guards but whoever it was might not be so weak minded. Staying seemed uncommonly risky, yet what could they do?
Waiting out front by the wagon, in the guise of a dour-looking gnome dottari, Mirabella watched anxiously as Lena leads out three of the four captives.
”Only three? Where is the last one?” she asks as she ushers the trio into the wagon.
When Lena explains the situation, she feels a hard knot form in the pit of her stomach. She had really hoped they could get away without any complications.
Turning to the three freed prisoners, she says softly: ”We’re getting you to safety...all of you. There are weapons and armor hidden in the bottom of the wagon. Wait here, and if you hear the alarm go up, make for the old livery.” as she loosens any bindings they may have.
Then she turns to Lena. ”We have to get everyone now. There is too much of a risk waiting, let alone coming back. Follow me.”
Doing her best to appear confident and irritated, she strides into the holding house and makes her way to where the others are assembled.
Alright, what’s the hold up?! If we don’t get all of these prisoners transfered before curfew, there will be hell to pay - litterally!
Bicks trying to help build the intensity of the situation and fill Mirabella in says, "You think your boss is tough I have a Jhaltero to answer to, everyone at the House of Truth and Clarity, and her."
Bicks points at Mirabella.
She had the sense to make an alarmed squeek when she 'saw' Mirabella come in and make her exclamation. She began to hurry towards the door the '4th' prisoner was in.
"Come on Bob. You heard the boss."
She said with some venom to Jack as she moved to open the door.
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As Canacha opens the door into the the torture room, she is met with a grisly sight a pale, pretty young woman with long brown hair has been affixed to one of two racks in the chamber. She’s clad in rags and covered with horrific wounds—her right arm is partially flensed, and her pinky finger is missing from her left hand. Before her stands her tormentor a pale woman clad in wire and leather, weeping tears of blood and impaled by dozens of long, thin lancets, clearly an outsider of some kind.
She turns at the sound of the door being opened and see Canacha she says "And who is this come to my court? Carriers of lies, each of you. I smell your falsehoods. Do you seek my aid in stripping them from you? I am but just started on this subject, so you will need to wait your turns, my hopefuls..." She quickly returns to her work alternating between torture and casting stabilize on the woman, whom you are certain are the armiger Hortense Lierre, the last one you came for.
A frown stole across Logan's features, as Canacha opened the door. What was going on in there? Following the redhead he rocked back on his heels as the grizzly tableau was revealed. 'What devilry was this?!' he thought as his gaze lingered on the outlandish torturer. With a sinking feeling he thought he knew what they where up against!