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Tkaara moves over next to Etna and also looks at the map.
Problem with running is that any guards here and here - pointing at the dots on top of the gatehouse and the guard station at the end of the causeway - likely have longbows and will turn some of us - she nods her head at Etna and Hecate - especially those without armor, into pincushions.
She then points to the round thing in the back.
It looks like this is a tower of some sort. Didn't one of the guards mention that the Warden stays holed up in his tower? Turning a quizzical eye to the others for confirmation.
I say we cut the head off this prison. Blackerly, may the slimes soul rot in Hell, is down. If we eliminate the Warden, then there will be nobody in command, which should make a search party that much slower to follow us.
She then traces her finger around the prison building.
Perhaps we can sneak around the building and enter the Warden's tower from here. Pointing at the door. Then we take him out and that should put us on the wall. Once up there, we make out way around with two or three of us garbed in guard's clothes pretending to be guards with messages from Blackerly. This should let us get close and hopefully get some surprise blows in.
Still unconscious, Felrin works his mouth curiously around the unusual flavor in his mouth, then shakes his head and shoulders spasmodically a moment. As his movements settle down, his face seems to change slightly, the cheekbones thickening and his nose widening, as if trying to guard against any future strikes like the one that laid him low. The long, shallow cut on his face narrows and partially closes up under the effects of the potion, and his eyes slowly open.
"Better? This is better?" he responds to Hecate, "I feel awful. But thanks for bringing me back, all the same." He rolls onto his side, his eyes falling on the badly-damaged body of Blackerly. "Well, that answers one question. Glad that bastard's dead. But what is up with his skin? Why does he look...scaly?" His curiosity piqued, Felrin hauls himself to his hands and knees, groaning slightly, and crawls the few feet to where the dead sergeant lies. He takes a careful look at the man's skin before turning to the rest of the group and asking, "Anyone have any idea why the sergeant of the guard has skin like a lizard?"
Exhausted by his recent effort, Felrin then leans back to sit against the wall and catch his breath. He murmurs some words, his eyes tightly closed, then lays a hand on his chest. A reddish, pulsating light emanates from his hand and passes into his body, and the damage done by the flat of Blackerly's sword seems to heal itself completely, though the strange, thick cheekbones remain.
Energized, he pushes against the wall and regains his feet, then moves over to join the discussion around the map. After studying it a moment, he says, "First things first, we check out what's across the hall, looks like a kitchen and barracks on the map. After that, I'm for leaving this place as fast as possible. Best thing we could do is steal some horses and ride hell-for-leather out the front gate, we'd be gone before they could arrange to chase us. Failing that, it'd be good to take out a few guards on the way, so their pursuit party is smaller. But I don't think we need to make a point of visiting every red dot on that map, there's too many things could go wrong, and we've already used a lot of healing magic to get this far."
Prison Map from Blackerly's Ofice
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Current Location: Branderscar Prison: Sergeant's Office, Date: Oathday, Erastus 25th,(Summer) 4714 Time: 2:46 am (Day:One)
Coming back into the office the coins jingling in his pockets Grumblejack casually walks over to the door in the north wall and opens it if he can.
"Perhaps the product of some unfortunate parentage," Erevan quips with a shrug when Felrin mentions the late Sergeant's skin condition, though whether he means it as a jest regarding some lizard in Blackerly's family tree or he suggests ancestors not unlike the tiefling's is not readily apparent. He then turns to look at the map, listening to the various suggestions regarding their escape.
"I think taking care of the Warden before taking our leave of this charming little place is a good idea," he finally says. "Not only will we be leaving what guards remain here after our departure leaderless, but we may find information and resources in his place of residence that may make our escape a little easier." He pauses, then adds with a crooked little smile, "And there is always the little matter of thanking him for his... hospitality."
"Other than that, checking the barracks and kitchen for supplies and thinning the herd, as it were, are certainly valid points." He then pokes at the strongbox from Blackerly's room with the blunt end of his spear. "And this is yet another thing of interest. Felrin, those lockpicks of yours should do the trick, yes?" Noticing the keys the ogre retrieved from the Sergeant's body and threw to the floor, he proceeds to pick them up, moving towards the strongbox and beginning to try them out. "Or perhaps one of these..."
"Well, that answers one question. Glad that bastard's dead. But what is up with his skin? Why does he look...scaly?" His curiosity piqued, Felrin hauls himself to his hands and knees, groaning slightly, and crawls the few feet to where the dead sergeant lies. He takes a careful look at the man's skin before turning to the rest of the group and asking, "Anyone have any idea why the sergeant of the guard has skin like a lizard?"
Hecate gets the giggles; she can't help it. Maybe it's just the nervous tension from the fight with the sergeant, maybe it's relief from the feeling that they might, just might, be about to do what no one else has ever managed and escape from Branderscar Prison. For whatever reason, she finds the idea of Felrin - of all people - questioning someone else's appearance to be absolutely hilarious.
Gasping, spluttering, shaking with mirth, she tries to explain to her companions - "Sorry ... it's just... you... he..." – but can only shake her head helplessly: if no one else gets it, she's not going to be able to explain.
Grumblejack tries the northern door but finds it locked and will not allow him to enter.
Erevan picks up Blackerly's keyring that Grumblejack had discarded on the floor and tries the keys on the strongbox until he finds the correct one. Inside the strongbox is a case of rotgut whiskey (a dozen bottles) and 1,235 gp. It takes only a moment to realize this is a larcenously huge amount of money to be possessed by a common sergeant.
Prison Map from Blackerly's Office
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Current Location: Branderscar Prison: Sergeant's Office, Date: Oathday, Erastus 25th,(Summer) 4714 Time: 2:46 am (Day:One)
Finding the door locked, Grumblejack is again frustrated, but when he sees the strongbox get opened he turns his attention to the table forgetting about the door entirely.
"Can Grumblejack have gold?"
He then picks up a bottle out of the strongbox and sniffs it and then smiles "Oh yeah" as he cracks the top open.
Yes Grumblejack now has only one thing on his mind. Gold and Booze, I think it is what got him caught in the first place.
"Now, now, Grumblejack," Erevan says pleasantly enough as he looks up at the taller ogre, "we are all in this together. We live or die together. We share whatever nice little things we find together. We have no inclination to steal from each other and I am sure you agree with me, yes? Your help has been invaluable and it will continue to be so, I am certain. Without you, the pretty lady with the silver hair might have been in more trouble than she could handle." He pauses as a smile appears on his face. "Let us have this talk of the spoils and their division among us when we are far from this place. Besides, we may find more gold and more nice things as we make our way out of this prison, thus more treasure to share between us when time and circumstances allow it."
His smile widens ever so slightly. "Unless you are offering to carry it, considering how strong you are when compared to us smaller folk? If that is the case, I do apologise for any assumptions on my part." He then gestures to the bottles of whiskey. "And if carrying it and not taking it is what you meant, then let my apology be complemented with an offer: You may have the alcohol, though I would ask that you be patient and wait until we are safely away from here before having a drink or two. We have better chances surviving with you sober rather than... well, not sober."
"Let us not forget", says the Doctor as he strolls back in, "one of the guards mentioned that the warden is a wizard. I do not know about the rest of you, but I have no intention of leaving a mage of unknown power at my back. I intend on infiltrating his tower and neutralizing that threat before we try to make good our final escape." He looks to Hecate. "And who knows, Fraulein, what manner of arcane knowledge the man might have secreted away up there?"
Grumblejack looks at Erevan confused at his words. He frowns, scratches his head and then puts the stopper back on the bottle of whiskey and puts it back in its place within the strongbox. Then he closes the lid on the strongbox sets down his boneclub on top of the box and tries to lift it.
"Box not heavy, Grumblejack got this."
Felrin is struck by Hecate's laughter, as it seems so profoundly out of place in this place of punishment - but it is welcome all the same. He smiles widely, his teeth somehow looking more fiercely pointed than they did back in the cell, and laughs quietly, "I can see why you might find my question funny, Hecate. But knowing me a little - though more than any have known me in decades, truthfully - you expect me to perhaps look a little unusual at times. But why the sergeant of a place meant to impose the laws of Mitra on its residents would look like he might have blood nearly as exotic as mine is a mystery to me. Not to mention the money, drink and gambling we've found here. It makes me wonder if the whole Mitran apple is really rotten at its core."
Turning to join the broader conversation again, he says, "Nice job, Erevan, keeping our big friend here from drinking down all of Blackerly's moonshine. A drunken ogre would not be much of a help in getting out of here quietly."
Glancing quickly at the map, he comments to the doctor, "It seems enough of you want to go to the warden's tower that we should head there next, as much as I would like to leave this place as quickly as possible. Let's check this one last door in here, then head across the hall. It looks from the map like the kitchen has a garden door that will let us get outside and to the tower without too much exposure."
He then collects Blackerly's keys from Erevan and tries them on the door on the northern wall of the office, returning them when he's done.
Felrin borrows Blackerly's keys from Erevan before finding the correct one to unlock the north door and then returns the keys to Erevan before opening the door.
As the door opens to this unlit room it is obvious at first that this is indeed the prison stores. Numerous crates and barrels and containers litter the back wall of this chamber.
Prison Map from Blackerly's Office
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Current Location: Branderscar Prison: Sergeant's Office, Date: Oathday, Erastus 25th,(Summer) 4714 Time: 2:47 am (Day:One)
Entering the storage room, Etna scans quickly the labels, trying to pinpoint something useful.
Felrin steps into the storage room, joining Etna in scanning labels and looking to see if there's anything that could be useful in their escape.
Etna, Felrin and Tkaara quickly enter the storage room and begin taking a quick inventory of any items that might be usefull. They quickly compare notes on their searches and come up with the following list:
There are 200 torches, ten lanterns, two 10 gallon kegs of lantern oil, six spare guard uniforms, dozen signal horns, twenty 50’ lengths of rope and two barrels labeled ‘emergency rations’.
The emergency rations barrels contain maggoty old iron rations that has gotten wet, moldered and not been replaced. They could still be eaten by the brave or the desperate.
Hanging in a special rack is also to be found several brands with the runic F symbol and a specially made brazier for heating them. The group immediately recognize these items as the brands that marked them.
There is also a empty flask bearing the skull and crossbones emblem along with 2 blowdart guns. The flask is currently empty and there are no darts for the guns in sight.
This storeroom is very sparsely supplied and could hold much more but thanks to Sergeant Blackerly’s skimming, supplies at the prison are sparse.
Prison Map from Blackerly's Office
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Current Location: Branderscar Prison: Sergeant's Office, Date: Oathday, Erastus 25th,(Summer) 4714 Time: 2:48 am (Day:One)
Etna sighs at the storeroom contents "Well, it appears that our idea of using the drugs against the guards is out of the question. At least this rope may be useful...". Not without huffing, the ifrit takes one of the ropes.
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"Shall we go check the other rooms? As we said, it looks like there's a kitchen here: judging by the fireplace we've seen lit, there may be someone there, so it'll be best to thread with care.".
Hecate blanches as she spots the branding irons, her hand moving almost of its own accord to the scar on her arm.
She wanders round the room, taking everything in, lost in her own thoughts.
Finally: "If we want to distract as many guards as possible so we don't have to fight them all, why not torch the warden's tower? This oil would make quite a blaze." She indicates the two barrels in the room.
"I want his spellbooks first, of course, but the Doctor here is right: leaving a wizard at our backs is a poor escape." As long as they're not expecting me to duel with him one-on-one, she thinks to herself.
At Etna's remarks, Hecate frowns thoughtfully. "You're right, the drugs should be somewhere. If they aren't stored, maybe they're made here at the prison? Either that or the sergeant got lazy again and didn't order enough. Where would they be made? Let's try the kitchen."
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Tkaara nods at the other's comments.
Yes, lets keep moving as quickly as we can. We need to make sure that there is nobody behind us from here, and then get to the warden's tower so that he cannot lead a chase after us.
Having seen that there is nothing of value in the storeroom, and crinkling her nose at the almost rancid state of the emergency rations, she looks to Grumblejack and then to Felrin and Erevan.
Shall we see how many guards are sleeping in what appears to be a barracks of some sort?
She then moves out of the office, carefully looking both ways, before making her way across and listening at the door on the east side of the main hall.
Perception:
Erevan joins the silver-haired woman, taking care to move about as quietly as possible, or at least trying to. Still, he appears preoccupied, perhaps due to the matter of the Warden being a magic-user and the unpredictability of such a man, and he does not seem to pay as much attention to the task at hand.
Felrin collects a coil of rope from the supply room and drapes it across his chest, thinking it might come in handy at some point. ”Anyone who doesn’t have a guard uniform on, it might be a good idea to put one on. Will keep people guessing a little bit if we run into trouble. Though it might look a bit big on Hecate,” he concludes with a grin.
He then crosses the hall with Tkaara and joins her in listening at the door, waiting for the others to indicate they’re ready to explore further.
Hecate's attention keeps going back to the branding irons; her memory is blurry, but some fragments keep breaking through. She shivers.
Jumping when Felrin says her name, she stumbles slightly "Oh! Um, yes, a bit big, but the armour is the main problem: it interferes with my spellcasting."
She pauses, and shivers again. "Let's go. Those things creep me out." She follows the others back into the hall.
Etna nods after Hecate "Same here. I'm already out of practice, and an armor would only rise the possibility of me failing a spell.".
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Before following the others in the hall, Etna fills the drug flask and a couple of spare bottles she finds around with the lantern oil. "This will do nicely..." she says to herself, a spark in her eyes.
Grumblejack will follow the others carrying the strongbox.
"You know Grumblejack not pack mule you know." he says under his breath.
Etna slings one of the ropes over her shoulder.
Tkaara looks over the equipment that Blackerly was wearing and notices that his uniform is different than the other guards, his clearly marking his position as sergeant. He is also wear a full suit of chainmail under his uniform and not just a chainshirt. The sword laying near the corpse is a longsword of masterwork quality. She then moves across the hall to the other door and listens at it carefully, the iron cold to her ear as she presses against it but she hears nothing. Almost to quiet she thinks to herself.
Erevan soon joins Tkaara in the hall at the door and tries his ear at the door but he also hears nothing.
Felrin collects a coil of rope and joins the others at the door, listening at it he to hears nothing of note.
A moment later Hecate joins the others gathering in the hall.
Etna gathers together three make shift flask of oil and meets the others in the hall, her hands full of the three flask.
Grumblejack walks out into the hall carrying the strongbox.
Prison Map from Blackerly's Office
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Current Location: Branderscar Prison: Sergeant's Office, Date: Oathday, Erastus 25th,(Summer) 4714 Time: 2:49 am (Day:One)
Grumblejack will set down the strongbox in the hall and finish strapping the shield to his back so it will be out of the way. He will then follow Tkaara like a puppy back into the other room and help her get the chainmail on. While he is helping he looks at Tkaara and says "So what you do when you free? You highwayman like Grumblejack? Why put you here? You sick? Have all that black smoke come from insde." he says as he points to Tkaara's chest.
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Tkaara shakes her head:
Not a highwayman. I asked people of power for favors. The Mitrans did not like how I asked.
When we get out, we must seek someone out who will help us avoid the Mitran inquisitors. We will take you with us.
Once she has the armor on, she will move back with the others and prepare for whatever is in the next room.
Not sure if it saves any time, a minute perhaps, but Tkaara would have started changing armor fairly quickly after Blackerly went down as she knows how to use it and that it is better protection.
When everyone is ready, and nobody has heard anything behind the door, we will open the door. I assume it will be Erevan and Felrin in first, followed by the Doctor and Grumblejack, with Tkaara and the ladies bringing up the rear.
Following the other, Etna makes sure that the bottles are well sealed. "May I, doctor?" she asks Ottokar, before putting the bottles in the clothes sack he's carrying, wrapping them in the garments to prevent them from breaking on the way. "I would carry them myself, but I'm afraid they would get in the way of my spellcasting. We'll all need to be at full strength to deal with the warden. Fortunately, the toll of old age makes people easier to deal with..." Etna trails off before finishing the sentence, biting her lip.
If even father, one of the most wise people to ever have walked Talingrade, was tricked, no doubt even this warden here has been victim of Blackerly's scheming: I bet he's been trying to make this place run, but drunkard guards and thieving snakes got in the way. A shame we'll have to get him out of the picture to escape...
Once everyone is ready, Felrin opens the door as quietly as he can, bracing himself for another surprise. He doesn't step through until he can see that there's no one waiting on the other side, then slowly peeks his head in before entering the room.
Hecate is curious about the bottle of whisky in the wardrobe. Why was it not in the strongbox, like the others?
She opens it and has a quick sniff, trying to tell what she can. Her introduction to alcohol and spirits was courtesy of her study partner, a half-elven noble; she had developed something of a palate in her time at the academy. Unsure of what she's smelling, she passes it to Ottakar. "What do you think of this, Herr Doktor?"
Grimacing slightly at the expectation of how foul a brew a man like Blackerly favored will probably smell, the Doctor takes the proferred flask and assaults his sensitive nose...
Felrin opens the door and looks around before stepping inside...
This large room is dark and has no light source currently lit, it has a few wooden tables and benches with an unlit lamp in the middle of each. It is here that the guards and guard sergeant look to take their meals. A banner emblazoned with the emblem of Branderscar prison hangs on the eastern wall. There is also a door in both the north and south walls of the room besides the one that you came in. Seeing everything is quiet Felrin steps inside the door.
Hecate stiffs the awful smelling rotgut whiskey that was taken from the wardrobe. It only has about three shots remaining, you appraise a full bottle to be worth about 5 gold per bottle, that would put the dozen bottles that Grumblejack is carrying at about a value of 60 gold total.
Hecate gives the bottle to the doctor and he takes a sniff as well, ahhh, not just rotgut whiskey. It seems that this bottle or at least what is left of it has been mixed with some sleep inducing herbs.
Prison Map from Blackerly's Office
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Current Location: Branderscar Prison: Sergeant's Office, Date: Oathday, Erastus 25th,(Summer) 4714 Time: 2:51 am (Day:One)
"You were correct to suspect something amiss, Fraulein: this bottle has been dosed with sleeping draught. It may come in handy, though we would have to get someone to drink it for it to have any effect."
Felrin moves to the door on the northern wall and waits for the rest of the party to enter the room. As they're doing so, he listens carefully at the door. Once everyone is ready, he will quietly open the door and peer in, still cautious about boldly striding through doors in this place, after his unpleasant encounter with Blackerly's sword.
Hecate considers Ottakar's information, before moving out to join the others.
Erevan quietly joins Felrin and waits patiently as the tiefling begins slowly opening it, ready to use the spear in his grasp or the bow on his back on whoever greets them once they set foot inside the next room.
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As she moves into the room, Tkaara looks at Grumblejack and points to the south door.
I will watch this door, you follow the boys and make sure that any lil 'uns are crushed.
She then looks to the Doctor:
You want to wait here with me watching this door? If someone is in here, we do not want them awaking and running if there is noise from the north.
Move to Z15
After Felrin makes sure there's no one in the room, Etna follows him in the dark room.
Grumblejack picks back up the strongbox and moves into the room just back from Felrin and Erevan as not to disturb them sneaking around the door. He sets the strongbox down on one of the tables with a thud and removes his club from the top of the box.
"Grumblejack ready now."
As Felrin listens to the door he can hear the sounds of snoring from multiple occupants on the other side. Felrin quietly opens the door to peak inside.
There are multiple bunks inside with multiple guards sleeping in them, you can count at least a half dozen or so, the room is completely unlit except for a lantern on a small table which is currently off. There is also about a dozen locked chest around the room near the bunks.
Suddenly Grumblejack enters the room and sets the strongbox down with a loud thud.... the guard in the northeast corner mumbles something and rolls back over to sleep
Prison Map from Blackerly's Office
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Current Location: Branderscar Prison: Barracks, Date: Oathday, Erastus 25th,(Summer) 4714 Time: 2:52 am (Day:One)
An unpleasant smile steals across Felrin's face as he sees the sleeping guards, his bared teeth looking even more fang-like than a few minutes ago. He points at himself, then at Erevan, then into the bunk room, before making a slashing gesture across his throat and holding a finger to his lips. His message is perfectly clear: You, me, in there, kill them quietly.
Looking briefly over his shoulder, he holds up five fingers, then one, to indicate the number of guards, then mimes putting his hand up to his head like a pillow. Finally, he holds up a hand to indicate they should wait a moment.
Turning back to the door, he steps through, moving more quietly than a louse in a prisoner's rags, until he is standing near one of the sleeping guards. Once Erevan is in position, Felrin attempts to dispatch the guard as quietly as possible, using the tips of his claws and his great strength to quickly and neatly tear out the man's throat.
Erevan's only reply to Felrin's apparent plan is a sigh and a shrug of indifference before he quickly follows the tiefling into the room. Like his fiend-blooded companion, the golden-eyed man makes his way quietly to one of the occupied beds, one of those closest to the door. With little to no hesitation he lifts his spear and quickly brings it down upon the man's exposed throat, the blade's tip piercing flesh and bone and severing not only his windpipe, major blood vessels and spine, but almost his entire neck. The idea behind the choice of this specific target is, at least in theory, simple: make it impossible for the victim to cry out before breathing his last.
Erevan takes one brief look at the guard before removing the spear, having taken care to avoid using too much force for fear of it going through the bed and risking getting stuck. He then turns to look at Felrin again, his expression impassive.
Etna gasps when Grumblejack drops the box, avoiding to reprimand the ogre only to not wake the guards.
And I thought for a moment there that that mass of muscles was even remotely reliable! Idiotic, clumsy, corpse-eater...
Felrin and Erevan stealth into the room to their respective victims, quietly as if they were trained assassins with only one single purpose, one single mission. Once both men were in position, both men went into action. Trying to cover all trace of noise as both men targeted their victims throats, windpipes and vocal chords. Both attacks are successful and extremely quiet and none of the other guards make a peep.
Prison Map from Blackerly's Office
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Current Location: Branderscar Prison: Barracks, Date: Oathday, Erastus 25th,(Summer) 4714 Time: 2:52 am (Day:One)
Quiet as death, Erevan makes his way to the next slumbering man. Affording Felrin a glance to see whether the tiefling is also moving ahead with the dispatching of obstacles, the phrase an accurate way to describe how he sees what they are doing to these men, he then repeats what has proven to be a strike not only deadly but silent as well.