Gimlet moves to the leader with his down in an attitude of defeat.
Then erupts.
As a response to Blackerly's offer Gimlet eviscerate the guard closest to him. Cursing under his breath the sergeant closes in on Gimlet, trying to pierce him with his sword, but fails. The other guard pales at the slaughter and moves to the latter in the centre of the room and begins to crawl up to the upper floor.
"Blackerly, I can't be caged! Join us!!"
Gimlet will attack Blackerly if he doesn't comply.
The first claw rakes Blackerly across the face, he weaves back avoiding the other and Gimlet's jaws. "Dirty bastards," he spits at you.
"You can't stop us."
While missing the really important parts, Tin's dagger cuts the inner thigh of the sergeant drawing yet another string of curses from his lips.
The unsportsmanlike attack causes the sergeant to spin and slam the pommel into her temple.
Gimlet's vicious retaliation draw the last breath from the sergeant's lips and he falls to the ground.
Looking around Gimlet stands alone in the room both Tin and Slevin lie on the ground along a few guards and the sergeant.
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Seeing stars, gasping for breath, not sure exactly what is happening all she knows is PAIN! Fighting to keep consciousness, a whispered entreaty to her patron of choice, and Tin releases a Cure Light Wounds from her arsenal of spells. A brief shudder goes from head to toe.
Rolling over, she catches sight of the lizardman Gimlet as he loots the bodies and attempts a happy-go-lucky grimace. A crawl to Slevin, to repeat a healing spell.
Slevin discovers that Asmodeus does provide bountiful healing as the stench of sulfur and brimstone permeates his air passages.
Gimlet picks up Tin and sets her on her feet as she heals herself.
He bandages Slevin as best he can with the cloaks of the guards.
He rifles through the fallens' possession starting with the boss."We don't have much time!", he hisses to Tin.
In an experienced pace Gimlet manages to search the 3 corpses. All are wearing chain shirts. Shields and longswords lie besides them. Their tunic are torn and bloody. A careful search of their pockets reveals two small keys from the guards and a key ring from the sergeant. The sergeants also carry 30 gp. By the chairs stand two longbows and quivers. An inspection of Blackerly's sword reveals that it is master worked.
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Come on Slevin. Not yet time to die. We still have guards to kill. Seeing the wounds still present on his body, Mother Tin clucks her tongue at him.
I need some armor and decent weapons as we all do. Yeah the other guards should be here right soon.
She takes a long look at Blakerly and casts Disguise Self to appear as a bloody but victorious Blackerly.
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If time allows, she'll try to strip then don a chainshirt, a sword and claim the keys as part of the Blackerly disguise. Armor is needed.
Also, she'll pull the potion off the veil and offer it to Slevin. She suspects but does not know if it is Cure light wounds.
Slevin awakens glad to see that the others have managed to win the day.With a wan smile he takes the potion from Tin and drinks it, picking up a longsword and standing guard while Tin strips down and dons armor and gear, an appreciative glance passing across his dark eyes.
"Yes we need to continue out of here," He responds, shouldering a longbow and quiver.
In large size, Gimlet dons a chain shirt, grabs a sword, and moves out.
All the stuff he can carry.
Chaining to a try copy of the sergeant Tin discovers a small flask as she removes the chain shirt.
Two short bursts can be heard through the thick stone walls.
I do not agree. I may have made a poor job of describing the distances, but they are actually quite far away. From the window you would have to walk more than 60 ft. to reach the kennel.
The lizardman now leads the group disguised as a guard as best he can.
"Let's get out of here fast!!"
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"A straight out run?" Blackerly looks at the ladder and escape hatch where the other guard escaped. "But they'll be expecting that and there of those murder holes in the room we just left. I'd like to clear out that second floor and wreak a little more havoc. Vote?"
Blackerly straightens out his chainmail and swishes the sword around, clearly a pretender.
Gimlet moves back to the barred gate. He tries to unbar it and move the wooden pole.
The lizard form enables Gimlet extreme leverage.
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Blackerly salutes the lizardman turns and head to the ladder, ascending for a quick look. If she sees a soldier about to fire upon the lizardman from below. Blackerly smiles deviously and puts a finger to his lips and finishes his ascent.
Approaching with anticipation for what is about to happen below, Blackery sheathes his sword. Holding up his fingers 4..3..2.. She stabs the guard with her dagger, hopefully from a flank position.
Gimlet manages to lift the log and swing the doors open. Before him winds the road towards the bridge, stone raises on both sides of the road as it is cut out of the rock.
Tin scales the latter and after opening the hatch finds herself on a floor above. No one stands there and no arrow slits can be seen. On the other side of the room is another hatch properly leading to a room below. Two stairs lead to the floor above, one right close to her and one in the other side of the room.
Both of you once again hear the chilling sound of two short blows in a horn.
"They'll be on us any moment, we can either walk out the door now and try to hide, or throw the doors wide, let them race out trying to find us and raise some hell in here while most of their forces are outside. Any thoughts?"
Gimlet throws the doors wide and returns to the group.
"We should make the bridge as quickly as possible. How about we keep the guard charade up and rush to the bridge?"
He looks at Tin and Slevin.
"We could hide here, but I think we should be getting out of here as quickly as possible, not risking getting cornered like rats."
"I think we can play the part of a guard squad hunting escaped prisoners."
Gimlet runs for the bridge in his guard attire.
4x30' at run.
Slevin joins the others as they race through the exit.
As you sprint into the night shouts can be heard from the roof of the gate house behind you. "Holt who goes there!" Your path ahead is a stone road cut into the rocky foundation of the island. Arrows whistle behind you hitting the rocks. You reach the bridge connect you to the mainland. A quick glance over your shoulder identifies lights heading quickly in your direction. The sounds of horns can be heard once again, two short bursts repeated. At the end of the bridge you spot a stone house.
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"We just have to keep ahead of the arrows. A final obstacle, awaits." Blackery's feminine voice whispers for a moment,Enhanced diplomacy upon Slevin as he passes. Then Blackerly resumes his run. He does not move like a typical soldier but perhaps that is due to his injuries. He trots to the stone house.
"We need to get in the guardhouse quickly!"
The flight continues and your pursuers are being out distanced. The land approaches quickly and the guard house grows larger. Once you close in you realise to your horror that the building lies beside the bridge, which is blocked by a portcullis. No door can be seen on this side.
"Tin, you go first to climb around so I can grab you if you fall."
Aiding to climb
Slevin nimbly follows effortlessly navigating around the portcullis.
"Grab me if I start to slip."
Gimlet uses his natural claws to aid him as he climbs.
"Last one to town is a Dawnflower Dervish!!"
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With a wink and flourish of her sword, she beckons Gimlet onward. "I'd like to see this from a distant vantage point, preferable consumed by fire but escapees can't be choosers." A last look at the pursuing guards, the closed guardhouse door and Gimlet quickly disappearing into the night, she throws caution to the wind and leaves it all behind with a loping pace that catches her up to her peers.
When sufficient distance or a turn in the road puts them out of sight, she reminds them of their destination. " Cross the moors, look for a two-story bldg. with a lantern in upper window. We can stay on the road a bit but risk meeting persons and pursuit. The marsh will be more direct but slower and will hamper those searching for us. Plus I'd like to wash the stink of Blackerly off of me."
"The Marsh. I can cover our tracks, better and it'll be more difficult for those damned dogs to track us." Slevin says decisively
While your climb circumvents the portcullis without any trouble it slows you down just enough for the guard to catch up and they fire their bows at you. Tin's guise prevents the guards from shooting at her but Gimlet is hit. The noise rouses the guards from the guard house and one of them open the door to see what is happening. "Sergeant, what is happening?" he asks.
"I'm hit. Let's keep going."
Along with the others Slevin breaks into a run.
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A bit of retcon for the guard opening the door.
Seeing the lizardman stick his landing and pierced by the arrow, she knows time is short.
Blackerly heaves and puffs alongside the wall, looks at the guard then points his sword at the escaping lizardman. In the wheezyist deepest voice manageable, "Lizard thief, *wheeze* secure gate* holds up his sword and resumes the chase.
Blackerly runs directly behind the escaping lizard, taking an occasional swipe at its backside. Tin is banking on a reluctance to fire upon the former Sergeant Blackerly and provide some cover for Gimlet.
Gimlet has studied the lizardfolk somewhat and decides to sow some misinformation as he runs, speaking in a hissing voice:
"I, Slither, of the Redband Tribe declare a blood war on all the drylanders in this fortress. I will be back with more warriors."