One bump, misstep, or muttered curse can be safely ignored within the courtyard. But Alaria, Alec, and Zayva are bumping into each other and stumbling over raised stones, making quite a racket.
"Alright, I definitely heard something over there. 'Ere! 'Oos there? Show yeself!" you hear a guard's voice coming from nearby. The rope is still extending from the floor to the window from Alec's ring, as well.
Deciding that there isn't another viable option, Beldrek climbs up and attempts to make his way up the tower by way of the zip line.
"Show myself! Ha! How about not!" She looks at Alec and nods. " He knows what to do."
After she nods, she vanishes, climbing into the window and finding cover.
Beldrek, you are crouched nicely behind a large statue of a drow wizard. Alec falls to the ground harmlessly when he dismisses the rope halfway up - it was the only way they'd be able to hide in time. The two drop to the ground and rush for cover, Alaria using a ninja trick to make it seem easy.
The guards are growing closer. Within the next 30 or so seconds they'll be within range to make additional checks to detect you, with bonuses. You also hear the sniffing of animals.
Yes, you get a view of them coming down the path between irregular rows of statues.
Looking out the window and seeing his fellow slaves about to be discovered, Muhoro uses his innate ability to create a shadowy figure at the other end of the courtyard, complete with sounds of someone trying to be stealthy and failing.
"There! An intruder! STOP RIGHT THERE, CRIMINAL SCUM!" a guard atop the outer wall shouts. The two slave guards, mere feet away from where the tieflings crouch hiding, turn and begin running off in the direction of the other end of the courtyard. You have bought the other tieflings some time.
Zayva had laid there on the ground waiting to even think about moving till the guards went away, or well far enough away to feel safe moving. When she felt it was safe, she carefully got up and moved towards the window. Pointing upward at the window, she whispered the command word, "Choan." The moment she landed, she said "Choan" again to release it.
Muhoro helps everyone get in the window while the guards are off chasing shadows.
"There! An intruder! STOP RIGHT THERE, CRIMINAL SCUM!" a guard atop the outer wall shouts. The two slave guards, mere feet away from where the tieflings crouch hiding, turn and begin running off in the direction of the other end of the courtyard. You have bought the other tieflings some time.
From where Beldrek is at, which of the guards can he see? And where are they at or moving to?
Beldrek, you can see several guards spaced at various points along far walls, and two slave guards making their way through the courtyard toward the minor image Muhoro made. The slave guards have some sort of quadripedal animal with them, but you can't tell exactly what it is from your angle.
You're standing in a dark storeroom with barrels and crates all around, and a stone tile floor. You still hear the shouting of guards outside, but inside, all is still.
"Thanks." Zayva gave a small relieved smile when Muhoro helped her inside. "I'm not that good at sneaking. Obviously."
'Yes, trip and fall flat on your face. Very stealthy.' She berated herself and her klutzy stealthing.
She looked around some, looking at the barrels and crates. She was careful where the placed her feet. "So where to from here?"
Siri, relieved everyone is up, moves out of hiding, "We need to establish where the portal is. We could capture someone and interrogate them, or we can move through the place killing as we go searching. Given the fact we will almost certainly raise the alarm, if it is not already raised I favour beginning to fight while we still have some element of surprise."
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Alec takes a minute to consider some options. "Disguises would come in handy, methinks. If we captured some slaves, we could get information and whatever this House uses for identification. Should make things easier for the less stealthy of us. Since it's essentially the six of us against the entire House, I think we should take this slowly and carefully so we don't get overwhelmed by guards."
"I think it unlikely we can disguise ourselves effectively. I have no talent for it and six arms - I will not assume my true form. At best we might pass as new slaves, but we would hardly be moving around unaccompanied in that event. I am willing to bet that we can kill guards faster than they can reach us in the chaos, and if we begin to get overwhelmed we make for a window and use the rings. We can scan with detect magic as we move - a portal must put out a great deal of magic."
Alaria looks disdainfully at Siri's blood lust. Sure its quicker, but that doesn't mean its the most effective way. I know how to kill quietly, but how many of these people do as well? She just shakes her head.
As she mentions using detect magic, Muhoro's antenna perk up. He casts the spell, slowly turning as he does so, to see if he can get any reading as to where the portal might lie.
Nothing in this room appears to be significantly magical, Muhoro. You know the limits of your scan, however - the trail could still be out there in the Noble House somewhere.
"Well let's vote unless there are any other plans? Capture and interrogate, disguise, or fight I think are the proffered options. I vote fight," Siri says, still feeling her heart pounding and thoroughly sick of being afraid.
To show her support of Alec, she steps closer to him, putting her backwards hand on his tail.
"I'm not that stealthy, and the others will likely face more harm. It'd be best if i go with them as support. I don't... want to get the stealthy group caught because I trip or something. I do like the idea. We could, pull most if not all the guards our way to make it even easier for the stealthy ones."
"I can create a distraction that should draw many of the guards away from the rest of you, if that is what you want."
He looks over to Zayva and Siri as he speaks.
"How would we coordinate? If one group finds the portal how would the other know? Why don't we just move with what stealth we can muster until we can no longer do so?" Siri suggests.
"Either works." Zayva gave a small smile. "Let's just, get this done. Maybe we can take our time heading back after?"
Siri nods, takes a deep breath, nods and opens the door, moving out into the corridor with the confident stance of someone who belongs,
"Very well I shall trust that you know your business and can plan for it better than I," she says nodding to Alec and Alaria, "Good luck, be safe... I don't want to loose anyone else."
Muhoro moves out into the hall behind Siri, his weapons at the ready.
"Why not let me go first. Perhaps I can draw off some of the guards, leaving it easier for you and Zayva."
Siri nods, "I'll need to be close behind though, I'm slower than the rest of you and I need to close so I can bring all of my weapons to bare."
Muhoro, Siri, and any others who follow find themselves in a hallway carved from dull black stone. Art hangs on the wall 8 feet across the hall from you, a depiction of a Darklands vista - a deep chasm, limned with glittering lights. To your left, you see two doors on your left and one on your right, and that the hallway curves to the right about 60 feet way.
To your right is one door on your right and one on your left, a stairwell, and the hallway curves around to the left about 40 feet away. It's a long hallway - you get the impression from your mental geometry that the entire stalagmite must have been hollowed out for this House. Voices can be heard coming from the first floor - the sounds floating up the stairwell. One of the voices sounds angry, authoritative - "What do you mean they didn't find anything? I saw the intruders myself! You'd best hope we catch whomever they and soon, or it won't just be my head on the block. So far it's just the two of us and the four lummoxes outside that know, but that won't lost long. Now get searching." the voice concludes its sentence acidly, and you hear rummaging around followed by footsteps running outside and a door slamming.
Siri taps Muhoro on the shoulder and points to the left hand door, moving forward to listen beside it.
Zayva quietly followed (or the attempt there of) trying her best to not be the klutz that got them caught. She tried to move to one of the other doors, (the one opposite of Siri) and listen there, wanting to help.
Muhoro waits as the two ladies move to listen at the doors. He tries to remain alert and ready for anything, but the tension of all this sneaking about is beginning to wear on him.
Siri, you hear nothing from beyond the door you're standing next to. Zayva, you hear pots and pans being moved about, as well as other kitchen noises.
Siri opens the door in front of her a crack and peers inside.
Alaria gestures silently to Alec, her face questioning.
Zayva turned towards the others and mouthed Kitchen before moving to the door on the other side of Siri, listening there as well. She didn't dare move closer to the stairs, thinking she'd make too much noise.
The tieflings are moving about unnoticed by all in the tower's corridor - no immediate threats present, except for the kitchen staff, possibly. Siri peeks inside the kitchen and sees a 4'7", heavyset duergar female - bald, like most members of her race - issuing orders to a staff of about 5 other slave cooks - 2 humans, an elf, and a halfling. She holds a meat tenderizer in one ham-fist, and she's standing on a rolling stool that she kicks around the kitchen with careless ease, banging off the kitchen cabinets. As you watch, she careens into a countertop where a side of rothe beef sits and uses her momentum to slam her hammer into it, tenderizing the meat quite effectively. The crash can be heard by all.
Siri eases back letting the door close as quietly as she can and if no alarm sounds points to the stairwell raising a brow and then pointing upwards.
The door closes silently. You don't hear any indication of the cooks hearing you.
Muhoro nods and moves to the stairs. He takes a few steps up, then stops to listen.
Perception:
Muhoro, you hear the wind upstairs. This tells you two things - that there are windows up ahead, likely large ones, and that the space upstairs is large enough for wind to pick up a little speed, even inside. You don't hear any other voices.