Zethyris shifts uncomfortably as the snow begins to fall. It feels like they've been in there too long. I'll give them a couple minutes more, but if there's no signal by then we'll go.
To Jediah and the rest: "... but if we kill them all who is going to fight for us in the front line against Irrisen? I still say we should kill Margrave and maybe his highest ranking officers, but give the rest a chance to redeem themselves."
To the people outside:
To the folk inside, "So much for honor among thieves. It's a shame for this Margrave that he didn't want to seize an opportunity to rise to some level of legitamacy."
"In our outrage at this treatment, let's not forget that we have a very simple mission here - retrieve the information for which we came. And ideally the bearer of that informatin. We're not here to conquer, punish, or even to recruit. If we're in the dungeon, and determined to get out, then we're closer to our objective than we were in the courtyard."
To the woman in the corridor, "We are Savol's folk. He is alive, and he is near." Isham summons an element of arcane power into his voice, casting Sow Thought (DC 12), "We are trustworthy folk who can improve your lot."
"Is this where all of the prisoners are? Is there another dungeon?"
"I hope you're as good as you say you are, I'll try and get the key, otherwise the enchantment on this door won't let you out. On one condition, I get Margraves head... And the creep's hands. Just give me some time, no one else here will help, to them you're a big fat sack of coins."
"We have no use for the Margrave's head or hands. You're welcome to whatever satisfaction you can derive from them."
Works for me. Just point us to where the Margrave bunks. Jediah looks at the others. Should we wait until nightfall? for them to rest.
Rutilux nods, "While we're certainly not going to kill anyone in their sleep, the fight might end quicker if we can get the element of surprise while they're disarmed."
"May we ask you who you are and why you are willing to do this? How do you know Savol?"
Julian makes his way for the back entrance, searching for a way in.
Okay, that's enough waiting.
Zethyris heads around to the rear entrance to meet up with Julian.
"If we wait till after dark then all of his raiders and most of his lieutennants would have returned, no its best to get you out while everyones busy.Fifteen years ago a silly little girl had a crush on a young warrior that was visiting her fathers hold. That silly little girl did something stupid one night by going to the river and that young warrior saved her from a skrag but was dragged under the water himself. He never resurfaced and the next thaw they found the corpse of the skrag with the warriors helm in its stomach." the last trails off as she moves away from the door.
As the two of you move back towards the hidden cave Rolf pointed out, being careful to crunch as little snow as possible as well as moving inside each others footprints, you almost stumble onto a pair of men. Dropping low, hoping to blend into the uneven ground your rouse appear successful as the men's eyes pass right over you. There is just over forty feet of open ground between where the two of you crouch and the closest man, the second man is twenty feet farther away resting amidst the rocks spilled out across the caves entrance. The two of you know that moving any closer is almost guaranteed to alert them to your presence.
A thought occurs to Rutilux I wonder how our liege feels for her? Assuming he knows her fate.
Friends in strange places. Well, we best not look this gift horse in the mouth.
I am pretty sure some of us would kill those bastards in their sleep!
"Is she gone? . . . Hey was that Shade? . . . Ana can you tell if there is actually an enchantment on this place?"
Thovald looked around at his new prison cell. "It seems we can't keep ourselves out of jail no matter where we go. And, we find ourselves no closer to Mantubo. We should have asked her if he is even here . . . Dang it!"
We can beta the info out of the scum that locked us up.
"Okay, just two. We should be able to take them... front one first?" Zethyris whispers to Julian. He slowly pulls out his bow and nocks an arrow, staying hidden until Julian is ready.
Julian shoots twice at the nearest man. "Throw down your weapon or my boys light you up, too,"
"Yes, Thorvald, we should have, but no point in beating ourselves up about it as they say. Despite my earlier ire, Gentlemen, and ladies, I'm thinking perhaps these bandits aren't ALL bad, and the common rank and file among them should be spared if possible. Even if they don't join the Kodiakborne's army, they would likely have more honorable lives than serving a hospitality violating thug." Rutilux confides.
Isham steps forward and rattles the door.
"Hopefully the young lady will return shortly with the key."
Internally, Isham is grappling with himself, 'What is this discussion about Savol having died? The lady sounds credible - no reason for her to lie to us in the circumstance. Perhaps a misunderstanding buried in time. There's certainly a story underneath it all somewhere.'
Could it be - the Savol we know is a conman - who took the place of a dead man? Some of us have known him for much longer than I do - I wonder how many of the Thanes are in on this.
There are too many 'ifs' here. Yes Savol could be an imposter, but perhaps only his helm was swallowed and he was unable to return. Jediah shrugs. Whoever this Savol is or is not, he has gained my loyalty.
As Julian looses, Zethyris pops up and fires as well.
The sound of shuffling can be heard farther in the cave.
Julian dives into snow to hide.
The cavalier cocks his head, "That's probably just who we'd suspect it is."
So we best take advantage of this and get cracking.
"Ana what is the magic on the door? Can you tell?"
"I am hoping that this bandit king practices Weregild. Ha! More than that I hope Savol will be willing to pay it."
"Weregild? Isn't that some sort of ransoming practice?" Rutilux asks, not quite sure
Yes it is, but I don't want the bandit scum getting any of Savol's money so let us bust out.
Ana casts detect magic and starts looking for the aura that Thorvald is talking about.
"Blast, he's alerted them!" Zethyris drops his bow and rushes the remaining bandit, aiming to impale the brigand on his rapier.
Zethyris rushes forward completely catching the bandit of guard as his slim blade slides quickly and flawlessly through his armour, between two ribs and punches a hole through his back. The man collapses to the snow with red bubbles appearing from the wound. Turning towards the opening Zethyris catches sight of two shadows cast by a fire deeper inside before a heavy set thug carrying a thick banded mace and lanky man with a spear step out from around a bend. A the same time Julian scrambles partway up the slope and hides behind one of the larger rocks used to block the way to the cave entrance.
Zethyris steps back, warily eyeing the pair of thugs.
Rutilux paces a bit inside, taking a deep breath as he waits.
Likewise, Julian will pop up from cover and fire at the second one in range. He focuses his ki to fire again in an instant.
Let us bust down this door. Thorvald time to engage in door abuse.
"Hold a moment Jediah. Ana is checking the door. You heard what that woman said right? She said, "I'll try and get the key, otherwise the enchantment on this door won't let you out." Before we burn ourselves to cinders or something we need to see what she was talking about."
"If you are pacing that way because you feel like you led us astray down here you can stop. We are within the walls of our foe's camp and fortune has shown us a possible way out. Plus we have allies outside the walls as well. We are not as bad off as you might think. We just need to plan our next move. How much bigger do you think this camp is? How many warriors. If we can learn more about this place we can break out, find our imprisoned prize and then break free, Yes?"
The door is indeed enchanted with several layers of magic, most notably necromantic but also transmutation and enchantment as well.
After several more minutes of waiting the woman reappears. "Today's your lucky day, two fools are attacking the rear entrance, causing enough trouble that I was able to snag the key and we can probably be gone before they know what happened."
Several clocks later the heavy door swings open revealing the woman that was standing up on the balcony when you first arrived, tall and slim with just enough curves to make Ana instantly jealous compounded by the fact that her outfit leaves much of her chest exposed. Before anyone can step out you hear from behind her, "Hey, what the hell do ya think your doin?" as a large man steps up to her she turns around,
"me?" as she sways towards him, "I was just trying to talk to them. I know I'm not supposed to but I'm sure I could find a way to convince you not tell, right?" as her hand slips behind her and his eyes slip down below her face, her hand pauses for a second on the hilt of a dagger before gripping a leather bag. The next moment he's on the ground and she's walking back swinging a sap on one finger while leaning her other hand on her hip. "Men, always thinking with their head and never their brain." pausing to look at the men in the group, "Well, stop glaring and start moving."
Wow! Oops I mean I wasn't looking at your brains! I was um. Ah s!%! look away before you get caught.
"Well forget what I said earlier I guess we are on the move. I am not sure what we should call you, but thank you for freeing us. Is there a man named Mantubo that languishes in one of your prison cells. Savol sent us here to get him."
Jediah walks out behind Thorvald, hoping Julian with Zethyris will leave them some to kill.
The door is indeed enchanted with several layers of magic, most notably necromantic but also transmutation and enchantment as well.
After several more minutes of waiting the woman reappears. "Today's your lucky day, two fools are attacking the rear entrance, causing enough trouble that I was able to snag the key and we can probably be gone before they know what happened."
Rutilux smiles, "That would be our friends. We best go assist them."
Rutilux keeps his eyes properly placed and is a gentleman. Though the 'head and not their brain' comment has him confused for a moment, and when he figures it out (five seconds later) he does color slightly.
"Yes, she's right, let's get a move on." He follows Thorvald and Jediah
"M'Lady, is there a window hereabouts?"
To Rutilux, "Can Herald give the lads an update on our status? I don't know that full assault is best right now - perhaps they can keep up a distraction for a few moments while we do our business here."
Several clocks later the heavy door swings open revealing the woman that was standing up on the balcony when you first arrived, tall and slim with just enough curves to make Ana instantly jealous compounded by the fact that her outfit leaves much of her chest exposed.
"Thank you." Ana says, with very deliberate politeness, her arms crossed, as she eyes the other woman thoroughly.
Wow! Oops I mean I wasn't looking at your brains! I was um. Ah s@%~ look away before you get caught.
"M'Lady, is there a window hereabouts?"
'M'lady' - seriously?
Ana rolls her eyes."Will you stop acting like you are at a royal court, already?" she hisses at Isham, while following everyone else outside.