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"Hey! Dog-face, you break it you buy it, and you don't look like you can buy s*~*" snarls Iago. "Boss gets paid, then you can roast him. Meantime, look at your friend for fleas if you get hungry."
Iago takes note of the halfling's efforts. "That's innovative." Locking eyes with the halfling, he nods, and goes up to his "Boss". "So the halfling is escaping. To be honest, I'm starting to seriously dislike the mutts. Do we mind letting that happen? I we don't you or I should talk to her."
Gima stops fiddling with her collar and looks open mouthed at Numair. The rest of the trip passes mostly uneventfully the gnoll arrive at cave with a watchtower and wall surrounding the entrance. "This is fort stonejaw where you lot will train to be better slaves. If you don't like the training we will have you for dinner" The lead gnoll speak breaking into another barking laugh at his joke. He shouts to the gnoll in the watch tower who replies excitedly in gnoll
You are escorted in to a cave with your box. "I let chief know we have visitors he may want to trade later if you want some fresh slaves."
He returns shortly "Chief see you tonight. Wanna join us in the barracks for some games"
The barracks is the building just in side the compound. You are in a cave with another level above you on which lounge a couple of hyenas. There are now 2 hyenas in the courtyard outside as well
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Taking advantage of some alone time with Numair, Iago quietly states: "If gnolls are nocturnal, maybe we should pay them a visit. In force. And see how they feel about a little more iron in their diet." He unlimbers his greatsword and begins sharpening it, leaning up against a wall in the process. "Just a thought Boss."
A couple more detailed descriptions as you came in
A wall of ochre bricks bristles at its base with sharp stakes, barring entrance to a deep round hollow in the red rocky cliff. The wall curves at a small watchtower with a leather tent roof. Beyond the wall, the cliff rises over a hundred feet, its lower reaches dotted with shallow caves.
And the room you are in
A stone dais painted with a hyena-like face occupies the center of this round chamber. A wide, eight-foot-high ledge runs around the perimeter of the room with a crude ladder to the east connecting the floor and elevated area. To the south, an iron portcullis hangs over the entrance to the caves. Several shallow caves with wooden gates and floors covered in straw open into this room from the north. A door to the east and a door with a barred grille to the west lead to other parts of the stronghold. A shattered wooden box and several dozen scraps of sodden, torn paper lie scattered across the floor.
Through the door to the east you get a glimpse of what looks to be an opulent dining room. It is to this room that the lead gnoll went to see the chief given the time he took to come back you think there is a bit more to the complex beyond
Hargur asks again "So wine and dice" he waves a bottle of wine "Or inspecting the merchandise" he says with a leery wink as he indicates the grilled door to the west
Ok recap. You have been escorted slaves and slavers into the circular room with a stone dias by Hargur the gnoll who picked you up in Okeno. He has gon through the room to the west which you briefly saw to be some kind of noble house lookalike and after 5 minutes or so he came back and told the slavers the chief will see them later. With bottle of wine in hand he invited Iago and Numair back to the baracks to drink and play dice as they wait for the chief. However believing they wish to fully inspect the merchandise he has left them to it. You are alone with just two huge Hyenas for company
The door east is not locked the one west is not locked from this side . The Alavert have the keys to your slave collars. Gima probably has the skills for any other locks. The hyenas sniff suspiciously at Tomrens casting.
Iago or Numair to use their keys (Alavert is a typo for slavers) or a disable device check like Gima is going to do.
Initative
As Bravo and Riceak move towards the box of gear the Hyeandon to the South west begins to choke on a bone. The one to the south east however takes an interest in the group round the box and attempts a nibble at Bravo Reaching all the way to the ground from his high ledge
As the creature bites into unarmoured gnome it twists its head attempting to trip him
But Bravo twists away and stays on his feet
Party to act
*Loosely based on the casting spells without arcane bond item for wizards but with an easier check. This is not mentioned in the scenario just my gut feel on how it should work. Failing the concentration check will unshrink the holy symbol
please ignore the hyenadon choking to death he is not in this tier
Tomren's fist barely misses the huge beast
The hyena tries to play catch with the big red ball and immediately regrets it
Bold to act
Iago
Riceak
Hyenadon (-11)
Numair
Bravo
Galant
Tomren
Iago finishes the beast quickly. The swift combat over before the hyenas in the courtyard beyond get wind of what is happening. Gima removes the collars from the three slaves that came with you and you have opportunity to unpack and gear up from the chest. With both Hyenadons dead you can explore this bit of the cave at your leisure. Options our west, east examine scraps of papers and other stuff scattered on the floor that the hyenadons have been poking around in. Two dead Hyenadon bodies and three stable areas.
"Surely we should free the other slaves first?" Asks Gima heading towards the barred grille to the west. The halfling has tucked her makeshift lockpicks in her belt
"Any weapons or armour in there for me? Asks Epanas looking at the crate. The Kellid woman looks eager to pay back some of the scars on her back
"No I wanted yo be a good slave pay off my debts so my family can live. the Burros will be demanding more money off them if they hear I've been freed" whimpers Talmen backing away from everybody. The Kellishite does not look like he is ready to embrace freedom again
With a successful DC 15 Intelligence, Linguistics, or Perception
check, Numair can piece together some information from a few scraps of paper. What’s most noteworthy are a few surviving signatures, including one by “—orn Desimire,” one by “M. Sloan,” and one from “Jacquo Dals—.”
You recall Ambrus Valsin saying of Muhlia al’Jakri "We believe she may have had a close connection to the Desimire brothers Aglorn and Tancred, both associated with the Consortium and slain during conflicts with the Society."
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"I don't necessarily agree with ya Gima. You see, we plan on fighting these things and I'm not sure that's safe for the lot of ya. I suppose we can at least get your bindings free, but I don't think it'd be wise for you to head out already."
He hears from the Kellid woman. "If youse the fighting type too, I wouldn't mind you joining us. I'd gear ya up but all my stuff is my size."
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Iago sighs. "Well then stay here" he states, exasperated to Talmen. "Or just wait here and when we're on our way back to Okeno, we'll stop on by the slaver's shop and let the guy know they didn't want you. You'll find another master and you can slave away all you want."
He approaches the set of doors to the left, shaking his head. "That'll be a first. "Oh please, let me not be free."
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Galant put his armor back and kisses his tankar. I was missing you my friend.
Then, once equiped, he turns to his comrades Time for FREEDOM! No one can be a slave! Let's show what Freedom is to these slavers !
He asks Tamen I understand your turmoil my friend. How much you own the Burros ? I can pay off your debt If needed. I will never accept that someone - because of money - freely become a slave.
Gima nods to Bravo "Well you seem to be the ones with all the gear running this hoe down. But I do want to give all the slaves a chance for freedom." She shakes her head at Talmen and opens the grille to the west.
The slave quarters beyond the grill consist of a single long room with several bunk beds against the back wall, a pair of buckets in the corner, and a heavy grilled door that can be barred from outside. Inside are three more slaves. One a Kelishite man wearing a pale linen scarf about his head and an excessively wide grin on his face which soon fades as he sees the well armed group and the discarded collars.He crosses his arm in warding gesture. "May the Suns fury pass us by" he mutters.
Meanwhile Talmen speaks to Iago and Galant. "No as a free man I gamble my life away. I will end up owing the Burros or their like even more money. A slave has no money to gamble it is the best way for me" He does seem oddly distracted and keeps trying to steal a glance at Tomrens spellbook
Epanas is a little disappointed "You only brought gear for yourselves not for any other slaves. What kind of breakout operation are you running. Can you at least lend me a knife to skin this scrawwny thing. I'd like a Hyena cloak. Can possibly make two from this"
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"Uhm, I have an idea Mr Gambler. How about you just don't gamble? Seems fairly easy" states Iago blithely before turning his attention to the old man. Let's focus on those who are worth it. "Hey there old man. Good news, the suns' fury has toned down a bit. Anything you can tell us that'll help us put a muzzle on the gnolls outside?"
"You sound just like Mika" Talmen mutters still staring at Tomrens spellbook as un obtrusively as he can manage
"I will not help you in the slightest. The suns fury never passes me by" says the old man who sits in his bed and shakes his head at the other two.
Some of these Slave seem uninspired at the possibility of breakout
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Galant who still hopes to convince Talmen asks Who's Mika?
He says to Epanas I have a spare weapon, a light mace I you want. May be Tomren has the possibility to protect you with a spell as an armor ?
Tomren ?
Please, we don't want to fight you. We just want to get all man the Right to Choose Freedom. Says Galant to the man who talk about the sun. We only want to drink to Freedom!