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The guard watched in detached disbelief as the manacle swung around to connect with his chin. There was a sickening crack as blood and spittle flew in a corona around the guard's face. As though his skeleton had suddenly and violently been ripped from his body, the guard collapsed lifelessly to the floor.
Cain looks back over at the remaining guard while pointing at his newest victim, whispering in a malevolent, singsongy voice, "This little piggy went to heaven…"
"Gloat later. The key! Find the key!" He hissed, assuming the hulking brute had been too stupid to miss his previous advice. Now he just had to hope he'd listen now.
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Unwilling to drop his club to free up his longsword, the remaining guard presses the attack.
Guard Bob, attack, Cain:
Guard Bob, damage, Cain
Guard Bob scores a blow against Cain which the brute seems to shrug off. With Cain between the guard and freedom, he throws his club to one side and throws himself on his knees.
"Mercy, please, mercy!" he sobs, curling up into a ball.
COMBAT ENDS!
Price smiles at her compatriot. Such a handy man to have around. She looks at the fetal jailor. "Mercy has its price. Take the gag from that woman's mouth first, then be a dear and help us get some of these chains off, then your future will look brighter."
Cain, wanting nothing more than to paint the cell's walls with the remaining guards blood, steps over and relieves the man of his weapons. He starts with the club and the sword, then pats the man down for any hidden weapons.
Once he has all the weapons, he steps back with a growl, "You heard the lady." He keeps an eye on the guard, then goes to loot the dead guard's body.
Haruk smiles at the carnage his fellow prisoner caused "Nicely done. And without needing my aid either. Quickly now, free the rest of us and I shall fill you in on what my visitor told me."
Elis excitedly perks up once the second guard throws his weapon down and surrenders. At starts to babble more till Price speaks of ungaging her. She looks to her left and gives a nod in agreement.
Gideon cannot help but to smirk as the hapless guard is beaten to a bloody pulp. That the other was brought to his knees only sweetened the sentiment. He had figured that Cain would take the initiative in trying to get out, but he had not anticipated that it would be so... easy.
Looking at his own manacles, Gideon decides to give breaking them another go.
Gritting his teeth in annoyance, he mutters some obscenity as the iron fails to yield to his pull.
Alexite tugged ineffectually on his chains as he inwardly cheered at their impending freedom.
"Lets move it, old boy." Alexite said to the guard, jangling his chains a little. "Do as you're told, and I promise no-one is going to hurt you."
Hurt? No. Kill? Oh yes. Ten times yes.
Bluff DC:16 <- secret 'free me' message.
Price spots the not-so-subtle look that passes from the man she's begun to think of as the hustler to Cain. She almost smiles at his naivete.
"Then go pick them up and unchain us, understand?" He said, his voice that of someone calming s skittish animal.
"Just do what we ask, and no-one gets hurt. If you don't, I'll pay a visit to your pretty young wife and your beautiful child one night. I'll introduce them to our large angry friend right there. Do we understand each other?" He asked, flashing that hungry smile at the sobbing guard. "Obey our instructions, and you get to go home to your family."
So many times in the past, Alexite had observed that the average person would take the coward's route if you offered it, just like he was offering now.
As everyone is freed from their shackles, Cain looks around at the looted equipment. Then he looks over at Gideon, "Hey, big guy. You know what to do with a sword? If so, wanna make yerself useful and take the armor and a sword?"
As the group of allies-of-opportunity arm themselves, Cain looks over at the rest of them. "So what do we do now? Our piggy Bob here can tell us what's waitin' for us out there, on this level and on the others. Other than that, anyone got any ideas?" His eyes end on Price; he's used to letting her make the plans.
Haruk gets up and streches, his tattoos rippling as he does so. Far from being an overly physical type, he is nonetheless in decent shape. He pauses, thinking about the walk back to this cell "Bob right?, pleasure meeting you. My name's Haruk, listen my friends and I need to get out of here, and we could use your help. First thing is we need you to take us to that other prisoner down here. Then, your going to tell us the best way out of here. Think you can manage that?"
Once that's done, he turns to his friends and fills them in on his meeting. He then looks over the veil much more thoroughly.
"Now that is much better." Elis stretches her arms and legs, as well as stretching her jaw now that that disgusting rag has been removed. "As for the barbaric tools there," she points to the gear off of the guards, "I am sure I will be fine without any of it."
A pleased expression creeps onto Gideon's face as he steps away from the wall, rubbing his wrists with callused hands. He could not have dreamed that things would go so well. Hearing Cain's question, he smirks, giving him a nod. "Why, certainly.
Tearing off what remains of the pathetic excuse of a shirt covering his body, Gideon quickly slips on the chain shirt, before claiming one of the longswords. He decides to leave the shields in place for the time being. Weighing the sword in his hand, he frowns a bit as he gives a small flourish, being more used to larger armaments. No matter - he was in no position to be picky. This will work just fine.
Lowering the blade, he turns to the others, watching as Haruk speaks to the guard. If something went awry, they would have to fell Bob quickly.
"Let me see what I can do about our big boy in the cell next to us." Speaking of the Ogre locked up besides them.
Elis moves towards the cell that Grumblejack is located in.
Price straps on the quiver and shoulders the bow before she taps Cain on the chest and pulls the blade he's carrying. With a swift hack, she chops an arm off of the dead guard and kicks it towards Elis. "The big boy in the cage might appreciate a gift... or a snack." She gives the other woman a wink and wipes the bloody blade on her own tattered clothing before handing it back to Cain. "Thanks."
Price looks around the room briefly, assessing what her fellow prisoners are doing, then liberates a club from the pile. "I'll return this in just a moment." She turns to Cain. "Let's button this stinking pit up like a virgin's knickers. Maybe we'll get you a few intimate moments with Porkersly." She waves the club in the direction of the interrogation room and the stairs. As an after-thought she looks over at Gideon, measuring the powerfully built warrior. "You look like you might enjoy a little payback... Want a piece of this action?"
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Guard Bob's eyes seem to glaze over as Haruk's spell takes hold. Wordlessly, he walks calmly down to the pegs which hold the keys for the other cells and selects one which is slightly larger than the rest. He walks back up to the group's cell and beyond, unlocking Grumblejack's cell before returning to Haruk.
"The quickest way out of the prison would be straight up the stairs, down the hallway and out the main door, but there are two of the lads up there at all times," Bob relays, "Likely to be some off-duty boys up in the barracks too."
"Main gatehouse is usually unlocked, but there's some lads there too. Eventually you'd get to the guard house on the mainland. Couple of boys there and a dog there. I hate dogs," Bob complains.
Grumblejack edges towards the now open door in his cell, regarding the group curiously.
"You not like other little 'un's,'" he says in poor Common, "Grumblejack thinks other little 'un's stupid for not killing Grumblejack yet."
Cain hefts the shield before giving Bob's sword a few test swings. With a grin to Gideon and Price, he nods, "Let's roll." He barks a laugh over his shoulder at the crew heading towards Grumblejack's cell, "If he gets violent, just shout." he finishes the thought in a voice pitched only for Gideon and Price, "... never gotten to kill an ogre before."
Hefting up the other shield and strapping it to his arm, Gideon gives Price a curt nod. "There's a few mementos I want to grab before getting out of this hellhole," he says bitterly, recalling the moment Blackerly branded him. He wanted nothing more than to return the favor. Following suit, he makes his way towards the stairs with the others, giving a half-assed attempt at silencing his footsteps.
Elis takes the guards arm offered by Price as she approaches the large creature known as Grumblejack. Speaking in Giant, "Hello big boy. I bring you a gift." Elis tosses the arm to be just in reach of the ogre. Then continuing in Giant, "I have an offer for you. Would you care to listen?"
Elis then asks Bob the Guard, "Do you have the keys to this poor ogre's chains?"
Price is a little crestfallen - she was looking forward to watching Cain and Gideon go to town on the sergeant.
Ah, well, it can't all be fun.
When they are well clear of the stairs, she whispers to the warriors. "I can keep watch here if you gentlemen want to see to it that our little sewing circle forms a plan and is ready to move out."
Cain shrugs as he leans his massive frame against the wall, running a thumb along a series of nicks in the big shields' edge. "Nah. They can handle that. I'll stick around in case there are any surprises." He looks back down to where the other group is dealign with the ogre, "They'll shout if they need us."
His impatience is obvious to Gideon and Price in the way he constantly messes with the shield, Sure as Hell wish they'd hurry, though.
Gideon nods solemnly, sharing in his companions' disappointment. Killing Blackerly had been at the top of his list of things to do after getting out of his cell.
"I'll go check on the others," he tells Price and Cain reluctantly, nudging his head towards the stairs, "I'll come back if I hear any screaming."
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Grumblejack looks at Elis with mistrust although he picks up the arm and sniffs it before crunching on the end of it noisily.
Grumblejack, Will save, Elis:
"Grumblejack will listen to little 'un," he says after some consideration, "Then Grumblejack crack heads of little 'uns who capture Grumblejack."
Price nods to Gideon. "Do come if you hear a struggle, but the screaming won't be from us... I wouldn't want you to miss out on the fun." Price turns her attention to the wrapped leather club. She examines it for a way to unwrap it.
Haruk informs the others of the items the veil posseses as well as recounting his conversation with the mysterious beauty. "Sounds like we have an unknown benefactor awaiting us upon our escape."