Good idea as always, Gorgeous.
Briefly comparing my rather makeshift bag to the guard's backpacks, I transfer my gear to a real bag. I also don the set of peasant's clothes over my rags giving me a more decent appearance that isn't emblazoned with the prison's symbol.
For the remaining 13 lockers. First round of attempts takes me about a minute and a half.
Two guards upstairs, two downstairs, three sleeping, seventeen remaining not including Blackerly and the Warden.
*Empty; this newly hired guard hasn’t stocked his chest yet.
*A change of peasant clothes.
*Ink, quill and a personal journal that reveals this week’s password “Hesterfield” – the Warden’s home town – and the details of Blackerly’s illicit gambling sessions including exactly when the next game will be.
*A small coin pouch with 1d6 gold in miscellaneous coinage.
*A bottle of fine whiskey (smoky, peaty with just a hint of sweetness) without label worth 25 gp.
*A bottle of absolute rot gut without label worth 5 gp.
*A silver holy symbol of Mitra (worth 25 gp) and a Mitran holy book (worth 5 gp).
*Hidden under peasant garb are two decks of cards (one regular, one marked) and bag of 12 gp worth of mixed coinage.
*A surprisingly well written love letter ending in a proposal of marriage to someone named ‘Michelle’ and a sapphire engagement ring worth 100 gp.
*A large collection of letters from home. Perhaps they are poignant but they are also worthless.
*A small supply of absolutely delicious cookies carefully wrapped in wax paper labeled ‘From Lil.’
*A collection of cheap, tawdry, crudely printed books (the so-called “penny dreadfuls”) about dashing heroes, daring do and amply bosomed damsels prone to fainting and outdoor bathing (no resale value).
*A traveller’s outfit, a finely made pipe (5 gp) with a good supply (1 lb.) of high quality shag tobacco (2 gp).
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Avyanna grabs her self two of the backpacks, and begins heading for the kitchen, telling the servants to sit down on a bed. She stops to talk to Wade.
"He may be a prisoner, but he is also an ogre. So far the most he has done was act as a blockade just now. We have managed to take out everything else on our own. He is also still drugged and poisoned, so any healing is pointless unless we cure him first. Otherwise we can just patch him up and let him sleep it off."
She glances at the surviving guard.
"So much for the 'no survivors' idea. Fine, let them live, but they aren't getting out un-scarred. Now I'm going to go and pack anything and everything in the kitchen I can find. I would suggest moving back into the office, and moving everything that could be useful in there as well. Having everything in one place will make it easier to see our resources."
She walks into the kitchen, placing the empty packs on the counter and begins emptying cupboards, draws, and anything else that looks like it would be used for storing things placing everything on the counter-tops.
Jackpot! apparently the password for this week is "Hesterfield". Also booze, some sort of letters to home, and some loose change.
I pocket the tobacco and the rotgut with the idea that they might break down into some useful chemicals later. I also pocket the cookies but not before I begin to hastily eat one of them.
Hey Gorgeous, this might fit you. I toss her the sapphire wedding ring with nary a thought about hidden meaning in the gesture.
I snag one of the penny dreadfuls. For research purposes of course.
The rest of the contents i sort into things that look like they might be worth something for the others to look over. I offer each of them a cookie as well.
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Avyanna is delighted with the ring and slips it on without hesitation before accepting a cookie. By this stage she has now completely forgiven Fletch and thinks he has excellent judgement. Of course referring to giving her the ring and not someone else.
"We might want to keep the pipe, tobacco and whiskey for bribery purposes. I'd like the quill, ink and journal, just for personal use, and there might be something gossip worthy in there, though I doubt it. The books would make good tinder' she chuckles lightly looking at the two men who pocketed one each, before taking one for herselfor otherwise. cards for boredom. I'm packing the letter, in case we happen to meet Michelle."
How´s that? Gorgeous is making lunch boxes. Nice. I hope she´s a good cook. There wasn´t any poison around here, was there?
So next you want to subdue 17 guards somehow and brand them? I´m totally fine with you guys acting as a blockade between me and those other ruffians, but i doubt i can send them all off into dreamland. Perhaps it would be better simply escape from here. Maybe start a fire as a distraction.
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How´s that? Gorgeous is making lunch boxes. Nice. I hope she´s a good cook. There wasn´t any poison around here, was there?
So next you want to subdue 17 guards somehow and brand them? I´m totally fine with you guys acting as a blockade between me and those other ruffians, but i doubt i can send them all off into dreamland. Perhaps it would be better simply escape from here. Maybe start a fire as a distraction.
Avyanna calls out from the kitchen.
"I meant that we have a habit of not killing them simply because they surrender. What kind of method is that? If they don't surrender before we start fighting them, then they have no right to beg for their life when they realize we are stronger. They would kill us, regardless, and we should return in kind. We only brand the ones that ome how still live. Like the guy upstairs.' she then sticks her head out of the door. "And I'm simply packing food as I find it, if it won't spill or squish or otherwise foul the bags. Meals are best eaten right after they are prepared anyway. And if I do find any poison, you'll be the first to know." she adds in the same fashion that Kana mentioned the poison before disappearing back into the kitchen to continue her work.
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wade walks over to her and says in a low voice "one instance does not a habit make, the first man had vital information with which he bought his life, the cleaners never attacked us and could potentially be of some small use, if they attack and don't have anything to bargain with, all they've bought with their surrender is a quick death, at least that's how I see it"
Did you ever consider that 17 men could very well overrun us? Two of them nearly killed the oger just now.
And i´ll not forget that about the poison gorgeous.
The woman nods to Avyanna, terrified of what she might do to her. How could this happen to her.
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Wade snaps his fingers in front of the women impatiently "come on now, infirmary, of other medical supplies, where is it, I'll let you in on a little secret, upstairs there is a guard that we let live, he's unconciois and doesn't have much blood but he's allive, look around you these guards aren't if we have information I can better confine my friends from killing you... Or worse"
She shrinks away from Wade and the man interrupts, "We don't have an infirmary here. There are a few bandages in that cupboard over there, everything else we get from the village when we need it."
Cole looks to the guard on his knees and then back to Avyanna. He steps up to the guard and puts a hand on his shoulder.
Avyanna, you jump to such conclusions. The man simply dropped his weapon and begged for his life. I asked him to get on his knees and witness what happens to those the do not wish to deal with Asmodeus. See no deal was offerd hear I just got the information I wanted. He then makes eye contact with the guard. Serve my master well dog. As rams his sword into the mans chest. It would be best for you not to make assumptions next time. You will find it best not to undermind me in the futer.
Coal approaches the servants after killing off the guard.
What is this password used for? Do you know how many guards are on the walls? Are you able to move about at night? Do they question you if you are seen outside?
The old man speaks, "It's the password to open the gate across the bridge. I sometimes go to the village in my green cloak there. If you were dressed in that they might mistake one of you for me. I don't know how many guards patrol the walls, I don't get told that information. If they see someone they will probably question you if they see you. All the guards on the wall have bullseye lanterns."
AH. That might get one of us out. It´s not enough. Too bad this is an island. Perhaps we should just sneak to the gatehouse, somehow overwhelm the guards there without raising an alarm and then sneak out the gate. We still have this window.
Kana shoots Wade a scandalized look.
Swimming? Are you serious? Do i look like a fish? That water stinks and is dirty anyway and who knows what lurks in there. What if they glimpse us and decide to rain arrows on us while we are swimming? Definately not a good idea.
The decision needs to be made if we are killing all or sneaking out, They are two very different plans. If killing all is the order then we should start with this tower on the west.
He points to the map he has layed out on the table.
If we are to sneak out then I think we use the window on the west tower of the gatehouse. We should be able to get up two level two from there and lock the door to the game. Then go up and take out the two at the top. This will let us advance withough being spoted to the bridge tower where we use the password. We will need to take the green cloak. So whats the plan then?
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"if we can get the ogre to fighting condition, I'd say we prepare for an escape, taking out the ones on the top then try to take the rest out, one group at a time, if we can't do that, I'd settle for getting him conscious and then leaving, by tomorrow I'll have more than enough magic to get everyone to peak condition, so long as there is a tomorrow
If Cole hadn't killed him I would have. After letting Declan sip of course. I'm still all for cleaning out the place.
Guess that's another reason to keep the servants alive then. Besides they can tell us about the nearby village. We are going to need fresh food and items eventually. Info on the town could come in handy.
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Avyanna come back out of the kitchen carrying the two backpacks stuff with as much as she could manage to fit in them.
"Hmm, I could probably make it out the gate with a decent disguise and by charming one of them. If the guise is believable, then it should make them fairly cooperative. Bullseye lanterns or not, they would still find it difficult to make us out from the walls.' she turns and addresses the man 'I don't believe I have gotten your names. Quite rude of me. I am Avyanna Maeve, though I'll spare you the details. The green cloak, where is it? And what can you tell us about the village?
And just because of personal curiousity'she borrows the map off Cole and points to area outside the servant's entrance/exit 'I understand that this is a garden, but what is this small circle near it? Also, over here, near the eastern wall, is there any reason why these two paths are as well worn as the one leading to the entrances of either side of the gate house?"
"Umm, I am Gregor and this is Irena... My cloak is hanging up on the hook by the door there. The village is about an hours walk west." When she shows him the map, "That's our vegetable garden. That shrub there is Belladonna," he gulps, "We used it to sap the strength of the ogre upstairs." Then about the paths, "I don't know about the western gatehouse room. Never been in there. The other path leads to the dog kennels where the two hounds are kept."
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"I don't care about the gatehouse. I want to know what's going on on the eastern wall. By the look of it there is an entrance to this tower' she says pointing to the tower directly north west of the Wardens Tower 'And something worth wearing a path to in the middle of this wall." she points a little further up.
"And in regard to the sap, what do we use to negate the effects or to give him back his strength?"
"We don't have anything to restore his strength here. Why do you want that monster running around? He will heal over a weak, we usually gave him a dose once or twice a week."
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"You can't fault a creature it's nature. You eat cows. He eats people. Cows just aren't smart enough or strong enough to fight back. At least he gives them a chance to fight back. Not a good one, but better than a cow. Survival of the fittest.
And is there an entrance to the western tower or not. Make me repeat myself again and I'll cut off something. I was thinking an ear, but that really wouldn't help you hear me, only make me feel better."
The old man looks scared that you will do what you say and he hurries to answer, "I don't know. Maybe it's a way up onto the walls, we mostly stay here or serve the food for the morning. It's the two day servants that do most of the cleaning."
Good catch Avyanna I missed it at first look. There does appear to be a door on the western gatehouse tower. We may not have to use our window at all. The question still stands though as not everyone has voiced their opinion. Are we killing all or trying to sneak out?
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"Wait, there are more servants coming? When?"
"And we will probably do a bit of both. We just kill whoever we run into as quickly and quietly as possible. It's worked out fairly well so far, though perhaps with a bit more 'kill them after we put them to sleep' and less 'charge and hope we kill them before they alert others'"
"In the morning after the sun is up," the man keeps answering your questions freely, hoping that they will be left alive once this is all over."[/b]
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optamally I'd say the plan would be to secure an exit just in case we need it, then pick off the guards in the smallest group possible, perhaps starting with the archers on top, but with the ogre down, it may be best if we secured said exit and then used it, I will follow either of these two plans though I feel more confidant with either one with an ogre at my side
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"Having an ogre with us is hardly the best way to remain unseen. I like the idea of a large flesh wall between myself and my enemies more than anyone, but with Kana able to disguise herself as the highest ranking guard here after the Warden, my ability to fascinate, and our combined ability to render groups of people helpless within a few seconds I have no idea where this dependency on having an ogre with us comes from."
She looks over at the unconscious Grumblejack.
"He probably wouldn't even be able to fit through the doors leading into the wall and up to the watchtowers anyway. All we would need to do is enter this tower' she points to the eastern tower that appears to have an entrance of some sort 'wait and then ambush the patrols entering from each side. The only problem I see is that as soon as lights begin going out along the walls, the remaining guards would be put on alert. Figuring out how to keep the light moving up and down the wall won't be that hard, we'll just do after they're dead. But they patrol in pairs, so when the other guard sees that his partner isn't coming out of the tower, they might be suspicious."
She looks around the room in mild disgust.
"Though with the way this place is being kept, guards neglecting duties to drink or nap wouldn't surprise me."
Mh are you sure the guards don´t report back somewhere? Or meet at intersections while patroulling? Also, i can´t cast spells like that forever. I hate to admitt, but my arcane power is limited.
I walk to the servant's door and peek outside to see how many patrols are actually on the eastern wall.
The door is only slightly a jar so I am hoping any imminent failure at silence will not bring the entire garrison on our heads. Still something is better than nothing...
I assume the guard's torches are dead giveaways to their numbers, if not then my roll below.
Given our very limited healing resources and bad equipment i say fighting everyone here is something we should probably avoid. There is plenty of time and oportunity to take revenge once we ecaped. But first we have to actually escape. So far we are still trapped in this prison, only not in the cells anymore.
I know how to make dancing lights, what do you want with that?
As he looks out the crack in the door the hinges creak and the two guards on the wall, who just happen to be exiting the southern most tower right at that moment hear it. "That you Gregor?" Not seeing anyone exit the building they wait a moment, "Gregor?"
Whisper to Gregor: If you value your daughter's life, tell them everything's fine. Get them to leave.
I have my crossbow leveled at the daughter.
Cole places his hand over the girls mouth and puts the sword tip resting on her chest.
Go on Gregor answer and save your daughter.
The old man nods and calls out, "It's just me, everything is fine here. Just wanted to get a bit of fresh air."
Sensing something not quite right in the old man's voice the guard replies, "Are you not well? Do you need to go home?"