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"Breaking the window would doubtless create noise and draw attention. I suppose we could jam the doors to trap ourselves in here; that would buy us some time but they'd know where we went.
Distracting, tricking, or overcoming one guard, and trapping the rest in the break room, sounds easier.
Maybe Krima has an idea."
Zefiro speaks up, [b]"I do hate to interrupt, but I'm not sure I, or any of my compatriots, are in any position to do something as physical as climbing. We can run, if need be, but we won't be able to do something more strenuous than that." Looking him and the Bellflower agents over you see even his mustache is drooping in a tired fashion, though that could just be because he hasn't been able to trim it in some time.
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"We would have to tie a rope to you and haul you up. Qiote's wolf, as well; I doubt he is going to be climbing ropes any time soon. As for the noise, there are two stout stone walls between the window and anyone who might be on guard duty. I feel that it would be our best chance to escape with a large head start before anyone realized we were gone."
"Sneaking out through the front door through some combinatin of disguising you as guards and making you invisible is riskier, but we could also go that route. With some luck, that could work just as well or better."
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Vindlér looks up suspiciously at the window. "Yer idea's got some potential, Marcus, but I'm afraid it's not just these poor chaps that'll struggle with the climb. I'm no climber myself. I'd much rather keep my feet on the ground. How many of those guard tabards do we have? If we keep our heads down, we might have a chance of getting out the front door without any of these fool guards knowing any better."
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"I think we're all in agreement then? We can sneak everyone out the front door while the guard is distracted. One of us should walk up to the guard first to tell him he's relieved for 30min and inform him there's more drinks to be had in the breakroom. If he falls for it, we just walk out with everyone half a minute later. If not, that person at least gets the jump on that guard and can start grappling to cover his mouth while the rest of us assist in knocking him down and covering the whole thing with obscuring mist. Everyone ok with this?"
You begin putting your plan into action and fill Krima in on her role. She nods and takes you back to the breakroom and keeps all of the off duty guards distracted just as Thrick finishes his rabbit stew, allowing you to grab additional tabards from the store room. Explaining that she's off to grab Straven to the other guards she leads you back to the prison, where the four prisoners don their new garb.
She leads the group back through the prison proper and along the corridor. You make it to the entrance where Krima informs Straven, "Thrick just finished his stew, the new guys and myself will watch the entrance while you go grab a bite." Straven grunts and walks away allowing Krima to bid you farewell.
The door shuts behind you and you stare out in the street. You can easily see the festivities going on all around you, unfortunately they are a fair distance from the prison which appears to have forbidden vendors or festival goers from using the street it sits on. Some wild flailing draws your attention down the thoroughfare. Mere yards away are the interrogator and his minions, slightly distracted by Tamrin, walking slightly behind them and chattering.
You have a few short moments before the interrogator turns and spots the prisoners, allowing Tamrin to fade into invisibility, but causing the man to call for help. "Guards! An escape attempt! After them!" The chase is on...
The Open Street
There is not much here that will aid you in your escape, you can only hope the confusion left back at the prison will allow you to get enough of a head start to avoid confrontation. You seem to be in luck, for though the interrogator hounds your trail very few guards take notice of his cries for help, giving you precious moments of respite.
Free Meal
Before you lies a group of Asmodean priests distributing free food to pedestrians. Large orderly lines block your way, though it doesn't take much effort to force your way through. Guards begin to notice and stream in from other parts of the city as horns and bells sound the alarm.
Parade
Your travels through the city find you bursting into the main street of Ostenso, right in the way of the parade! Floats, banners, and dancers move around you and across your path, some shooting you dirty looks for interrupting their celebrations.
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Unable to come up with anything more effective that Berato's mist spell, Vindlér just does his best to keep up with the longer-legged members of the group.
As they come across the meal line, Vindlér tries to wrest one of the trays away from a burly looking priest, but he unfortunately grabbed for the butter tray, and his hands slip right off of it.
Vindlér's orb of acid arcs through the air toward one of the nearest float's wheels, but his luck fails him as the orb sails between the spokes rather than hitting them.
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No crowds? Anthys wishes he had a bag of marbles or something. Well, maybe he can create a crowd.
"Hooray for Cheliax! Free gold for loyal citizens!"
Anthys shouts this and he throws a handful of gold coins into the street (15 gp).
Anthys also tries to throw a tray of food into the crowd. He just manages to succeed, thanks to Marcus.
"That's the worst float I've ever seen!"
Anthys hurls a javelin to express his displeasure.
Anthys is having a great time running through the streets of Cheliax causing chaos. Iomedae might not quite approve, but he chalks it up to the halfling blood in his family tree.
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First Minute: scroll of obscuring mist, as stated by GM Fez
Second Minute: request food then throw it to hungry spectators!
Third Minute: moment of greatness + bless --> +1 to hit for everyone which increases to +2 to hit for one attack [both spells have a 2min duration]; also Touch of Good before each PC's attempt: +1 sacred bonus on attack rolls, skill checks, ability checks, and saving throws for 1 round. You can use this ability 6 times a day.
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Marcus runs alongside Anthys as quickly as he can through the empty streets. When the group approaches the bread line and Vindler grasps at a slippery tray, Marcus reaches out and gives it a solid tap to send it flying into the crowd.
As Marcus approaches the float, he whips out a dagger and throws it at a wheel in an attempt to jam the mechanism and halt the parade.
Anthys' scattering of the coins instantly draws a crowd of people, eager for free money and impeding the interrogator and his minions.
Qioté also asks for food to throw to the crowd, but the lines have already broken down too much to do so. Once everyone reaches the parade he sees his chance and synchronizes a throw with Marcus, knocking off the wheel of a float and causing it to crash to the ground.
Your group continues running through the streets, scaring pedestrians and trying to remember the fastest way to the docks. You continue in a southerly direction and see the harbor still some minutes travel away as you crest a hill. Coming up from the other side of the hill is a wagon loaded with supplies for the celebration, streamers, banners, utensils, and a small box nestled in some hay.
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As Anthys leaps up into the wagon and begins throwing supplies out into the crowd, Marcus quickly reaches over and disconnects the wagon from the beasts of burden pulling it. As Anthy's finishes throwing the last of the supplies overboard, Marcus gives it a shove to roll the wagon back down the hill towards their pursuers. "Watch out!"
Qioté lets Anthys and Marcus do their things before riding his wolf next to the horses flanks and has her snap her jaws panicking the horses, preparing to send them rocketing down the thoroughfare.
The group moves into action, Anthys and Vindlér throwing supplies every which way while Qioté panics the draft horses and Marcus pulls the wheels from the cart. Just before they burst down the street towards the oncoming guards Berato finds a lamp and smashes it on the cart, igniting the hay. As the cart reaches the guards the box on it explodes leaving a large trail of fireworks and smoke hanging in the air as festival goers cheer or scream, depending on distance, around you.
The guards finally begin mobilizing and coming together, but you have some lead on them. Continuing the mad rush you make it to a large intersection where a number of priests are conducting an Asmodean rite for the people, complete with faux temple.
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Vindlér charges right up to the mock temple and, presenting the golden key holy symbol of Abadar that hangs from a chain at his neck, calls out to the crowd, "Hear now the judgment of Abadar! Your rulers and high priests and governors have lied to you, good people! They are charlatans all, mocking the name of Law and Justice that they pretend to uphold. They twist truth, disregard righteousness, and oppress all who would seek the right path. I tell you now, this cannot stand! And so, I call down a curse upon this day and upon all here who have turned from the way of the upright!"
With those words, a wave of darkness, shot through with golden light, sweeps out over the crowd, instilling all present with a sense of dread.
The crowd of priests and people scatters and breaks, the priests trying to corral the people as they scatter, slowing the guards more and allowing you passage further towards the docks.
Ahead of you a large street-side band is playing Chelish anthems, Hail to the Queen, Our Savior, Asmodeus, Hellknight's March and others gracing their list. The guards are still behind you, but slowed incredibly by all of the destruction and distraction you've caused.
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Berato makes his best operatic attempt to shout the alternate (Andoran) lyrics of 'Hail to the Queen of the Bellis Fair - May She Ruminate Gloriously Into Glorious Milk Production'. It sounds awfully false, but it *might* just work in a comedic kind of way if Vindler or Quiote keep the beat by clapping their hands and slapping their thighs...
The running seems to be taking a toll on the party as most only barely stumble through the lines of people before slipping out the other side, giving the guards more time to mobilize.
The guards ahead have finally begun to hear about an escape attempt and started closing off the main streets. To your left is a bar with patrons still entering not paying attention to you called The Cloak and Stagger. Slipping inside there is a large open space in the middle of the floor where two men are boxing to the cheers and groans of their fellow citizens. There is a back exit that will lead to a side street, but you see more chances for mayhem here.
Qioté roughly pushes his wolf through the crowd of people, his mount snapping and flashing her fangs at the people around them.
Vindlér, Anthys, and Berato lead the way, shoving and pushing with saps, shields, and handles while Qioté cuts through the crowd like a shark through water on his wolf. Marcus follows along as a brawl begins, men and women pushing out the door to scatter, leading to fighting in the streets and shouts by guards to break it up. In all of the chaos you manage to slip out the back.
You burst out onto the docks and see the Queen Gale at the other end! The chase is almost over, one final effort will see you safe from the pursuing guards!
Everyone manages to sprint up the boarding ramp of the Queen Gale just as the ship pushes off the dock to reach the deeper waters of the harbor. Looking back you see the incredibly red-faced Interrogator shouting and shaking his fist in your direction, but it does not appear to be much cause for alarm.
The Queen Gale sails swiftly east. On the way, Zefiro thanks you profusely, inquiring as to the fate of his histories and how they managed to learn about his whereabouts. Once in Andoran, you reconvene with Zarta Dralneen and Venture-Captain Dennel Hamshanks for debriefing. Tamrin joins the discussion partway through, having escaped Ostenso on his own under the cover of the chaos you sowed.
He proudly recounts the Ostensons’ confusion, congratulating you on a job well done. Zarta Dralneen is unaware of her connection to the fallen House Davian. Showing her the annotated history that identifies her as a descendant of House Davian causes Zarta to drop her lascivious façade for a moment. She reads the document in poignant awe before earnestly thanking you for bringing this information to light. If asked about what this means, she acknowledges that her ability to claim her ancestral legacy and lands is stymied so long as House Thrune is in power. However, the personal significance of this news is considerable, and Zarta professes needing time to sort out her feelings on the matter.
Although the Grand Lodge harbors its suspicions of Ianareth Alazario, the Society can once again launch expeditions in Cheliax.