"Maybe if we wait a little, zey just fall asleep by zemselves?" Lu suggested, only half in jest. She squinted at the palisade and wondered how stingy they were with guards. "Maybe we should just try some song and dance and see if zey let us in willingly? I'm not sure how many other guards zey have... Fighting zrough all of zem doesn't sound fun."
"Peaceful worked out good for us that far. I still think a sob story and some gold might work out. If not, Chaia can show them something that may change their mind.", Janus lets his hands mimick an explosion.
Saeri grinned slightly. "Works for me." she said, mentally reviewing her available spells and trying to come up with the optimal strategy.
“If it were only a question of reliably producing an explosion,” Chaïa mused, “wild magic would be less alarming, in some ways.”
Without a beat, she continued, backtracking and weighing the possibilities of Janus’ original plan, “That’s as likely a sort of peaceful as anything that springs to mind right now. It’s just a question of whether they have one of my people in there. Although I suppose one of us could have been adopted.”
"What's ze worst zat could happen? Let's try!"
"*Ahem*" Lu walks up to the guards with her companions in tow. She had spent more energy then she cared to admit at bringing forth her sympathetic side and thus looked quite pitiful (hopefully). Naturally that meant she was on point. "E-excuse me? I *eh* we would like to visit our brother in the barracks... I-I have some coins to pay the fare! I promise!"
But it really didn't seem like she was very good at selling this whole meek act ...
"*Ahem*" Lu walks up to the guards with her companions in tow. She had spent more energy then she cared to admit at bringing forth her sympathetic side and thus looked quite pitiful (hopefully). Naturally that meant she was on point. "E-excuse me? I *eh* we would like to visit our brother in the barracks... I-I have some coins to pay the fare! I promise!"
[dice=Bluff!]1d20+8
But it really didn't seem like she was very good at selling this whole meek act ...
The guards laughed.
"No visits here, unless you're a coinlass down on your luck," one said, crudely leering at Lu.
"Waaah..?" Lu looks startled, then sighs. Her shoulders slump and she tugs on one of the strings to her tunic. "W-will we be able to visit then? Can we go inside first, before *glup* you know...?"
Don'tstabthemyetdon'stabthemyetdon'tstabthemyetdon'tstabthemyetdon'tstabthe myetdon'tstabthemyetdon'tstabthemyetdon'tstabthemyet... With a bit of luck they'd take her reddening cheeks as shame and embarrassment. She kept her eyes downcast, looking at their belts and weapons, because she didn't not trust them to look meek.
Don't zap them yet, don't zap them yet, don't zap them yet...
“Surely you wouldn’t be so cruel!” Chaïa cried, sweeping in in an attempt to salvage the situation. “We’ve come so far to find dear Fulvia’s brother! We know, his debts… but their old parents! And me an orphan! We don’t have much gold to spare, but what we have-”
She reached for one of the numerous pouches on her robes, trying to place herself so that she could hit both guards with her enchantment if necessary, still hoping that quick words would be enough.
Her attitude wobbled between pathos and, as she tried to defend Lu’s honour, gallantry, but somehow, and even as she also made up an alias for the swordswoman on the spot, it struck about the right note of desperation. She wondered if they would end up fending off or flirting with every living man in Daggerford – and maybe some dead ones, like that silly boy ghost. A series of aliases was beginning to look like a very good idea. I beg your pardon? You must be thinking of some other adorable elven priestess / cute human warrior/witch/healer. As the case may be.
Ohmytheydeliveragreatperformance...don't grin, don't grin, don't grin...
The guards looked at one another and shared a leer.
"Well now, we're merciful sorts. Suppose you each make it worth our while..."
Saeri sidled up to one of them and bent in close to whisper in his ear. "Would you like to know what the cards have in store for you?" she whispered as compellingly as she could, flicking a card through her fingers in a dizzying display of practice. "Let's be honest, this isn't exactly the heart of civilization, and what's life without something to make it a bit more... exciting?"
[dice=Profession (Fortune-Teller)]1d20 + 6
Saeri sidled up to one of them and bent in close to whisper in his ear. "Would you like to know what the cards have in store for you?" she whispered as compellingly as she could, flicking a card through her fingers in a dizzying display of practice. "Let's be honest, this isn't exactly the heart of civilization, and what's life without something to make it a bit more... exciting?"
"Your cards ain't what interests us...maybe after."
Under the continued leer of the guards, Chaïa didn’t need to force a blush.
“Wait!” she squeaked, both her hands dipping to the pockets and pouches of her robes. After a moment of fumbling, her hands rose up again, one closed around a small fistful of gold coins, and the other – well, there was certainly something that glittered yellow there, but also a bit of red and blue and…
Lu starts to reach for the belt of one of the men as meekly as possible. How do I even do this 'meekly'? Bleh! Luckily it seemed as if she didn't have to figure that out; she could see some rainbow colours at the corner of her eye!
“Wait!” Chaia squeaked, both her hands dipping to the pockets and pouches of her robes. After a moment of fumbling, her hands rose up again, one closed around a small fistful of gold coins, and the other – well, there was certainly something that glittered yellow there, but also a bit of red and blue and as she spoke a few words brilliant light shattered the dark. The riot of colors consumed the two gate guards, who collapsed under her magical assault.
“Now that’s what I call worth my while!” Chaïa gloated , a gleeful grin brightening her features.
Quickly turning to the others, she asked, “Do we have any rope left? Otherwise… just how snug do gentlemen wear their trousers these days?”
"Awesome job, Chaia, but not sure we have the time to bind and gag them with their belts and socks", Janus says as he hits one of the men with the flat of his blade. "Best to make sure they stay out cold, then worry about tying them up."
"Yes - awesome! And I like your idea Janus. Heh." Lu draws her sap and starts boinking the other guard over the head. With her non-violent hand she digs around a bit in her pockets for a small bottle. After uncorking it with her teeth she starts to pour the spirits and talking in a mock voice. "Pf-es boos U proomise! Sum smokin' really just appeared and was reeeeeeely in tu us! Reeeely! Noooo bossss we weren'tt drinkin' on our shiiiift noooo."
The two guards were soon thoroughly abused and more unconscious than usual, as well as tied up with their own belts, pants, and other oddments. The closed gate of the Ironeater Mines loomed before Yellowknife's explorers.
"Alright, let's go!" Saeri said, heading inside - but only behind those who were better-suited to stand between her and things that wanted to split her open like a holiday bird being carved up.
Chaïa had to stifle a giggle at Lu’s impersonation of the disconsolate guards, now spirits-sodden on top of everything else. Losing no time, she gave the gate an experimental push and looked to see if it was particularly carefully secured. As she checked for locks or the like, she considered whether she ought to gird herself in her mage armour as well, before deciding to wait at least until she saw what was on the other side of the gate, and if it seemed like a good idea to press on into the mine proper.
While arranging the unconscious and partly unclad guards in a implicating position hidden from inmediate view of anyone coming to the gate, Janus searched them for Keys, taking possession of one set if he finds any.
"Well, shall we?", he extended an invitation to the ladies as he attempted to open the gate and head inside.
"Why yes we shall!" Lu grins and follows Janus inside. I mean, it would be a shame to waste those spirits all for naught!
"Why yes we shall!" Lu grins and follows Janus inside. I mean, it would be a shame to waste those spirits all for naught!
Janus found keys on the guards not a moment too soon, as a group of four more rounded the corner of the stockade just as the explorers opened the gate and let themselves in. Hay then been a few breaths slower, they'd have been seen.
Instead they stole safely away within the Ironeater compound. Within they found a crude blockhouse, its door shut with heavy chains, a smaller building that looked like some kind of office, and a mine shaft marked out from the dark by nothing more than a large, well packed mound of earth to one side. The unwary might well blunder into it and make a speedy descent.
"Sheesh, at least put up a fence." Saeri muttered under her breath, less than impressed by the setup. Dead workers slowed operations, reduced morale, and decreased profits. A bare minimum effort to protect workers was better for the greedy.
She also kept a look out for any sign of other guards.
"Well, what now? The office, or the mine?", Janus turned to Lu and Chaia. Certainly the blockhouse containing workers could offer quite a bit of information regarding the mine operation, but he rather wanted to interact with as few people as possible while they were breaking and entering.
“Office first, just to see if anyone’s around who would kick up a fuss later?” Chaïa suggested. “If not, then we can stick our heads into the mine as such.”
She indicated the chained blockhouse with a dramatic gesture. “If that means what I think it means, and if we move quickly enough, we could try opening that up on the way out, see if anyone cares to join us. A bit more chaos mightn’t hurt, and it ought to liven up the day – er, night – of anyone kept locked up.”
Despite her light tone, there was an undercurrent of eagerness that revealed just how distasteful the wizard found the idea of such wretched conditions. She hurried over to the office, heading for a window to peek into for preference, but the door otherwise.
"Ze blockhouse zen." Lu replied in a muted tone and nodded. Since she wasn't sure how many more guards there were, she agreed that trying to not attract attention might be a good idea.
"My experience has always been that if you deal with the head, the rest of the body is easier." Saeri noted quietly, fully in favor of visiting the office first.
Chaia was able to find a dingy window and peer into the dark of the office. With only moonlight to aid her she couldn't see so much as she'd like, but it appeared to be a fairly simple affair cluttered with ledgers. The only thing that looked out of the ordinary was a heavy chest secured with multiple locks.
"Well-" Lu started as she squeezed herself up alongside Chaïa. "I don't zink zey keep ze ghosts locked up in a chest noh? Zat's probably for ze wages. Or ze overseer's personal stash of 'exciting' literature heh."
"Maybe just maybe if zey keep iron clad records we could figure out if zey paid someone for ze bodies. But zat would take until tomorrow; I'd say let's take a look at something else yeah?"
"One of these days I'll learn to undo locks en masse." Saeri muttered under her breath. "Shall we check the blockhouse?"
"Well-" Lu started as she squeezed herself up alongside Chaïa. "I don't zink zey keep ze ghosts locked up in a chest noh? Zat's probably for ze wages. Or ze overseer's personal stash of 'exciting' literature heh."
"Blockhouse last -", Janus whispered "We did not come here to steal, and ideally, we won't raise a ruckus before we're ready to leave. Visiting the slave workers would probably do just that..."
"Blockhouse last -", Janus whispered "We did not come here to steal, and ideally, we won't raise a ruckus before we're ready to leave. Visiting the slave workers would probably do just that..."
Chaïa slunk away from the window towards the mine proper. As much as the multiply-locked chest called to her curiosity, there would be time later for mischief, if the group was lucky. Still, though she nodded her agreement with Janus’ recommendation, Chaïa grinned at Saeri’s suggestion too. “A mass knock spell would be useful, wouldn’t it? Or even just the regular one. I’m afraid I’m confined to the old-fashioned way for the time being.”
Chaia's spell-light showed a steeply descending shaft with cart tracks down its middle. Wooden frames held the dirt and stone back at regular intervals. Most held sconces for torches, but all were presently emptly.
"So, at least zey don't work ze workers on all shifts. Zat's nice I suppose. *mhm* Unless zey have something else doing zat..." Lu muses and readies her sword. Just in case! She looks around to see if any of the mine carts were nearby. They probably couldn't ride them quietly anyway but the thought was exciting.
"Well, we'll probably hear it long before we see it." Saeri said softly, taking care to ensure her own voice wasn't too loud. "Time to follow the tracks, I suppose."
"Aye.", Janus agreed with both the ladies, taking a pepple in his closed hand and using a light cantrip to create a makeshift cone-shaped illumination.
If there's any noises not cause by the group, he'll cast Detect Undead.
"Aye.", Janus agreed with both the ladies, taking a pepple in his closed hand and using a light cantrip to create a makeshift cone-shaped illumination.
If there's any noises not cause by the group, he'll cast Detect Undead.
The explorers descended into the earth, following the tracks for some distance around corners, through switchbacks, and past several branches before they came to one that was heavily boarded up and marked with a crude sign: Forbidden!
Other than the blocked passage, they'd seen nothing out of the ordinary about the Ironeater mines.
“Does that really work?” Chaïa asked, hands on her hips as she examined the sign and tried to figure out how easy it would be to get past the barricade. “No ‘Danger!’ ‘Enter at own risk!’? Or are they confident tempting all passersby’s curiosity?”