Way of the Wicked (Inactive)

Game Master Aku Warashi

Didn't realize the tools were masterwork, so that becomes a take 10 (+8+2=20) (anyway taking 20 is to do it over and over against until I succeed and if the locks are simple then I would succeed in unlocking them on the first try.)

Just to be clear, When you say the one near the door, you mean the one on the map near the main entrance, am I correct? He is also the one with the signal horn and keys and will come by to give us water. Where is Roger, the mean one?

As he works on unlocking the cell Zerik stops, "Wait, pretend to remain shackled. That will not cause alarm. When the guard comes to give the girl water we can subdue him. Are any of you skilled in the magic that can put one to sleep or stun them? That will help with the other guard." he whispers.

After being unshackled Marsella clenches and unclenches her fists, and something within her arms too large to be veins throbs in response, then fades from sight.

"You think he's really coming back with water?" It takes considerable force of will for Marsella to sit still and pretend to be chained.

Yes and No. The one near the entrance is the guard posted, the "kind" one that primissed you guys water. Rodger was the one in the other shift. they change every 8 hours. Inside that room, there's another guard, the one with the keys and sgnal horn. I will update the map so it's easy to see.

Rubbing her wrists to restore circulation, Adanna looks at her comrades and whispers "I think he will, but we can't wait too long or else the new guard shift will come. And I may be able to disable a guard, but only one and only for but a short moment. And he needs to be fairly close, probably within our cell."

"I can kill the one inside the cell easy enough. It is if one stands outside with the horn keeping watch that we need to worry about. Though I think he will come alone to give water since he is not allowed to do that and if you keep Gods pray for that."

-Posted with Wayfinder

"I won't mind taking this two guards down but I do have a question. Why is there a window on the veil? If all the patches turn into useful stuff. What can we do with a window?" asks Eric.

Eric takes one of the dagger patches and hides the dagger beneath him quickly before going back to pretending to be shackled.

Is there any way to view into the cell room from the guardroom? i.e. Is the person in the guardroom relying solely on hearing or is there an open slot or something similar that is being used from one room to another? Trying to determine if the guard in the guardroom can be directly targeted by spells or whether we would have to get into the guardroom to affect him.

The door is open, the two guard spend almost the entire time chatting, thus, they are not really paying attention to you. There's no slot to the other room ,just the door. He can be directly targeted, but if you are using something that need bypass AC, he gets cover bonus. You could not hear what they were talking, but you are sure if you get within range, you can target the second guard with a spell.

Seren hardly registers that she has been released from her shackles, leaving her arms within the unlocked manacles. She looks over at her fellow conspirators.

"Sleeping guards, wake up, and that can cause issues. If we're going to do this, I prefer to do it with the best chance of success, dead guards can't blow horns." Seren whispers. well... most dead guards can't blow horns...*internal giggle*..

"I should be able to distract both guards. Well... let them distract themselves, they don't seem like the strongest willed of creatures. If I can get closer, I can send one of the guards into a rampage against his brethren. It should distract them and give us the time we need to get close to them."

"We hopefully shouldn't have issues disposing of them from there, we are the forsaken after all."

Seren then looks at Eric with a disparaging look. "Windows are usually holes in walls... much easier to crawl through a hole in a wall then bang your head against the wall until it breaks."

Adanna turns to Seren and whispers, "The only concern about that is if the one with the horn decides to flee and get others instead of fighting his brother-in-arms. It seems to me that if we can disable the one with the horn, no matter how we do it, then we are safe to take out the other one as long as we do it quickly. And I think it is obvious that the best time to try and overwhelm them is when both have come to us."

Damn, why can't they both just come over now. My patience is wearing thin and I'd almost be willing to take to screaming just to get this started... but patience is needed. The time will come. Rushing leads to mistakes... she thinks to herself as she takes deep breaths to keep calm.

Lysa smiles as her shackles are unlocked, though she does not yet remove them. "I can bring the guards to us easily enough. Be quiet for a few moments."

Is everyone presently pretending to still be shackled? If not, I'll wait until they are. If so...

The young woman takes a second to clear her throat, then begins to sing a hauntingly beautiful elven ballad, loudly enough to carry to the other side of the room.

Not using bardic performance just yet... Just something to get their attention - they did say to keep quiet or they'd have to gag us.

Before Sozia starts singing Zerik whispers, "Adanna, when the guard comes to give water, if the other one with the horn doesn't come with him, hypnotize him and get him to call the other guard over to mock us, anything to get him to come into the cell without suspicion. When the one with the horn comes in, Seren use your magic to make him attack the first guard. Regardless we kill the one with the horn first one he is within range, then the other guard."

Confident they have a good plan Zerik holds the dagger in a way such that it isn't visible to anyone who approaches. While he waits for the guard to arrive he focuses his listening on the reinforced cell, trying to figure out what manner of creature might be in there, only to be interrupted by Sozia's singing.

Yes we all are pretending to be shackled. Sorry I saw you post only once I submitted mine so I did a quick edit to try and make it work.

Zerik, to be fair, you wouldn't know if I can hypnotize or not. So far I've listed my usefulness as distracting, looking pitiful, and the ability to maybe disable a guard for a brief time if he comes close (the character has been very careful about what she reveals of her abilities). That said, I'll roll with it and we'll see where everything goes. : )

Also, yes, pretending to be shackled.

Adanna, realizing that things are moving, will lower her head and whisper a quick mantra under her breath...

Casting guidance in case I need to make a skill check

"The one with the horn, huh? Got it," says Eric while doing his best to pretend he is still manacled.

My bad, should not confuse ooc info with ic knowledge. If you like you can just pretend I didn't say it, it's too late for me to edit it out. Sorry for forcing your hand, especially if you don't want to reveal something about your character.

"Always in your service Asmodeus." Seren whispers under her breath. She looks up, finally checking her manacles, to ensure she can make a quick escape when it become necessary and twitches her fingers in preparation of spell-casting.

Cast Guidance on myself.

@Zerik, It's not a big deal. I just assume you're talking about her 16 Charisma, Sexiness racial feature, and ranks in bluff/diplomacy. : )

Though I do make no guarantee that I'll actually cast the spell, if I/she thinks something would be better.

Short after Lyza starts to sing, both guards come near the cell.

One of the guards is carrying the horn, and the other is carrying a jar.
"Miss, I've told you before, you can't sing, or talk. I brought eu guys water. I will give you a bit and then I will need to gag you. Nothing personal Miss, 'Tis was just my orders." Said the one with the jar.

"I don' like it Kennie. Why can't we just gag then e be don with it?" Said the other with the horn.

"They are to die, there's no need to be more cruel Bryn, 'Tis is not the Mistra way." He then from a little sack the is carrying produces a little bowl and says "Help me with this, It will be faster if you help. and Open the door."

Assuming any of you guys don't do anything yet.

The other sigh and open the door, get the bowl, fill it with water and go in Lyza direction. The other one with the jar, walks to Marsella and knelling besides her he whisper "Sorry miss it took so long..." and turn the jar slowly in your mouth.

I'll update map, you all guys have one stantard action as surprise round. After it is combat initiative.

Once the guards get close and start feeding the prisoners water, Adanna turns to one of the them and starts to whisper to him in a lilting, soothing voice, "It's ok Bryn, I know you're tired. Why don't you just rest your eyes for a bit. It'll be ok..."

I'm using my slumber hex on the one with the horn. DC 14 will save or fall asleep for one round (including falling prone). If he is taken out before I get a chance, I'll target it on the other one instead.

Bryn Will: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (13) - 1 = 12 x DC 14

The guard falls sleep, letting go of the bowl and falling to the ground.

If both guards are still alive when it comes to my turn (suprise round). Cast Murderous Command on Byrn if he is awoken by anyone. Else Murdeous Command on Kennie. DC 16 - Will save else The target attacks its nearest ally on its next turn with a melee weapon or natural weapon.

"We are not your enemy, your friend has been conspiring against you." Seren urges, willing the one guard to turn on its compatriot.

Are you using the command now in Kennie, during your surprise action, or you will do nothing and just act in your normal initiative?

Murderous Command During Surprise round. pre-amble was in case someone decides to strike out at Byrn during the Surprise round before it's my turn to go, i.e. if Zerek or Marsella manage to wake up Byrn due to damage (or something else) before my turn in initiative.

Yep, that initiative roll looks about right for me... I'll be keeping myself out of the fight proper, though I'll move over and swipe the horn from Bryn while he's asleep.

First things first, Marsella has a good long drink of water. Some color immediately returns to her skin tone as she gulps it down.

Will that eat up my surprise round, or do we jump into action after that. Also, you say Kennie is kneeling to pour the water, does that make him (and thus us) prone?

You don't loose your surprise round, but yeah, in every description you guys used, you were sited down. So you guys are prone.

Surprise round will be standing up, any damage done to Kennie will be nonlethal as Marsella reciprocates his kindness. The +2 to hit below assumes flanks with Zerik, subtract it if non-applicable

After drinking as much as she can, Marsella sighs in relief and stands up.

"Thanks for the drink" She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, whatever moisture remained there appears to be quickly absorbed.
"I'm feeling better already!"

Zerik removes himself from the shackles bringing the dagger at the ready in his sword hand. He strikes Kennie with the hilt of the dagger on his head.

Power Attack: 1d20 + 5 + 2 + 2 - 4 - 1 ⇒ (15) + 5 + 2 + 2 - 4 - 1 = 19
Damage: 1d4 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 6 + 2 = 11
Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15 Attack without disturbing the sleeping guard.

Non lethal damage with a lethal weapon. +2 on Attacks and Damage against Humans

If Kennie falls unconscious Zerik takes his longsword, quietly dropping the dagger as he does, and stands over the body of the sleeping guard.

Had to edit after I saw the post about being prone during surprise round.

Eric stands up for the surprise round, dagger in hand. He rushes the first available guard charging if possible.

"No loose ends!" half shouts Eric as he tries to drive the dagger deep into the closest guard.

Attack with Power Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
Damage: 1d4 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9 lethal

Kennie falls in the surprise hound to Marsella and Zerik furious atk.

Eric use his action to get up, and then prepares to charge the sleeping guard.

Surprise Round is over.

Order:

Zerik (26)
Adanna (20)
Bryn (19)
Marsella(11)
Seren (10)
Eric (8)
Kennie (6) - out of combat.
Lyza (2)

Zerik get the guard sword, droping his dagger and get up.

Adanna, seeing how well this is going over, is just going to take measures to make sure it stays going well. She stands and gingerly strolls over to the guard as he is starting to wake up, clicking her nails together as she walks.

Not much I can do. I can't slumber him again, so I'm just going to stand near him (not blocking Eric's charge) in case he provokes an AoO.

Seren casually gets up, releasing her arms from the manacles, and stretching out the kinks. "It would have been much easier to just watch them kill each other."

I'm for now assuming that all actions in surprise round basically happened at once, so I would still have tried to cast Murderous Command on kennie even though marsella and zerik would have just knocked him out moment before spell got off.

Move Action - Stand Up. Standard Action - Move towards entrance.

The guard had just woke up, still not undertanding what was happening when Eric, with a half shout and a change drove his dagger into him. It sunk deep, blood gushed from the wound. The guard shouted in pain but was still conscious.

We are just wating for Lyza action so we can move to Round 2

"...We could've had uniforms for the two of you." Marsella notes gingerly as Eric plays find-the-liver with Byrn.

The rest of this post assumes Byrn is dealt with by Marsella's turn, and no surprises.

Marsella will strip Kennie's uniform and clap the chains around his hands.

"It seems there's a job opening for one guard. Someone toss me their rags." Marsella will trade the uniform for rags, which she will use to gag Kennie.

Lysa extracts herself from her shackles, then kneels over and swipes her fingernails at the fallen guard's throat.

Attack: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2 (+2 for flanking)
Damage: 1d4 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1

Well, THAT was effective...

Round 2:

Order:

Zerik (26)
Adanna (20)
Bryn (19) (9dmg)
Marsella(11)
Seren (10)
Eric (8)
Kennie (6) - out of combat.
Lyza (2)

I need now Zerik and Adanna actions, the others will have to wait, since it could really get messy in the next moments...

Zerik smacks the guard on the head with the flat of his longsword.

Power Attack: 1d20 + 5 + 2 - 4 - 1 ⇒ (17) + 5 + 2 - 4 - 1 = 19
Damage: 1d8 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 9 + 2 = 13

"Lets try and avoid getting blood on these uniforms, we might need them. Slit their throats once we get what we need. That one, Kennie the other one called him, might prove useful alive. He can tell us the way out."

"This one is yours, Eric." says Zerik gesturing to the guard Erik stabbed.

"If anyone wants the dagger take it. he says pointedly.

Zerik starts to undress Kennie. He tosses his rags in the corner and dresses himself in Kennie's uniform and mail aware that time is of the essence. He deposits the longsword in the unconscious guard's sheath, now on the sword belt at his own waist. He checks the bow and counts the arrows.

"Anyone keen to check what's in the neighbouring cell?" he asks.

Well done! Very good. First battle and not a drop of blood!
Bryn falls to the sure and strong sword strike from Zerik. The mail is still usable, but it has lots of blood in it.
Combat ended

You guys have some hours to prepare. If no one comes here before the end of the shift, you reckon you have about 3 hours to do whatever you want to do.

With one guard bound and unconscious and the other dead, Lysa rises to her feet and stretches, surreptitiously rubbing the bruises on her wrists made by the shackles.

"In a moment," she replies to Zerik's question. "We should search the room first."

Lysa will begin searching the room for anything of use, including the other cells (apart from the big one of course).

I can also spend a few minutes using prestidigitation to clean the armor. The blood shouldn't be an issue.

Adanna looks about things, smiling, before saying "Well, that went better than could be hoped. Good job everyone. Now to see to getting out of this bloody place."

Looking over at Zerik, "I don't mind taking a look, once this cell gets open, that is. I have to admit, I am curious what they could be so fearful of..." Adanna says before going over to the jug, lips pursed and licking her scab, to look for some remaining water.

Does it look like any tears in the uniforms are going to be an issue? I can repair them with mending, but it's 10 minutes to cast...

"What's the point of killing them? If we have to fall back here at least we could have a hostage. Do you even think, or are you scared of this one?" She indicates Kennie, who is unconscious chained and gagged. However, Marsella doesn't stop anyone from killing him if they try. Instead she slinks over quietly towards the fortified cell the others spoke of, trying to figure out what's in there.

Stealth is +6, and why yes, Marsella does have Cha 8 as well.

Zerik nods at Lysa. He puts the dagger and a club in his belt since none of the others seem to want it and takes one of the Longbows along with a full quarrel of 20 arrows. He follows her directions by first searching the guards and then the rest of the cell block leaving the secured cell for last.

-Posted with Wayfinder

You search the guards, you found in each of then:chain shirt, heavy steel shield, longsword, leather club,longbow with 20 arrows. Bryn has the keys to the cells, and Kennie has a small key, that don't seen to fit any keyholes you have seen so far.

Down the hall, the room that Bryn was is(room 17) a small guard room and the landing for the stairs from the first floor. It is lit by a sconce holding a torch. There are two doors – one leading the cellblock (room 18.) and the other connecting to the interrogation room (room 20.) Otherwise, this chamber is plain with little furnishings save for a small table and two chairs.
It has a fireplace almost comically large and has a chimney too.

The Interrogation room is plain and featureless save for a single stout wooden table and four chairs. Closer inspection reveal that terrible
things have happened in this room – telltale bloodstains in the corners and the faint odor of burning flesh.

In the security room, chained to the wall, you se an ogre. He is awaken but seens to be drugged.

Grumblejack grunts loudly.

"More little uns’ I see... I used to hunt little uns' in the moors, before the tin cans caught ol’ Grumblejack with his pants down."

The ogre licks his thick lips.

The ogre shakes his head. Dried blood covers the creature’s hide, evidence of the torture and abuse he has received during his incarcaration. Angry red lash marks are raked across his flesh and several large purple bruises cover his face and neck. He is obviously not in much shape for a fight.

The ogre cracks his knuckles one by one, each one sounding like a tree trunk rent in half.

"Grumblejack will not die in this stone box like a rat. Let me out."

The ogre says this very matter of factly...as if releasing him was a foregone conclusion.

This is his picture

"Well this could be interesting." he thinks to himself inspecting the ogre.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Eric's face lights up at the luck he and the others seem to keep finding.

"The moors you say, Grumblejack. We just so happen to be headed into the moors. Would you care to lead us through the moors? We need to reach a manor that can be found on the Old Moor Road. Help us get there, and you can be free of this place hunting more little uns' as you so put it. Or you can continue to join us as you see fit. What say you, Grumblejack?"

Not waiting long for an answer, Eric begins to don one of the chain shirts, a longsword, and the shield. He gives pause for the other items, even placing his dagger down for someone else to take. He will carry anything left-over.

"I think now is safe enough to tell you all that I know now. Tiadora told me that we have a mutual friend that wishes to meet us. We need to get to the outskirts of town and traverse the moors. From there we need to find a manor house on the Old Moor Road. There will be a lit lantern on the second floor. That is where he will meet us. We have about three days to get there. Though I expect leaving this prison is more than enough of a reason to make haste. This is all I know. Though our friend wishes to see all of us, I won't make protest to those wishing to be left to their own devices. Now, let's be off as soon as we are able. The longer we stay here, the less time we have before they find us."

Turning to the ogre before turning back to the others, Eric asks, "Is there anything we can do about our friend's condition?"

If any of you guys have, do a K:Nature for me.

"He isn't exactly inconspicuous. We'll have half the town following us if we have him with us. And now that he knows where we are going we can't really leave him alive. " he says as the knocks an arrow in the longbow aiming at the ogre's head.

-Posted with Wayfinder

"Well if the time comes, I'm sure Grumblejack would much like to exact his own revenge. That could always buy us more time and kill off a few guards at the same time. Why deny him the same pleasures I'm sure many of us seek?" says Eric as he steps in front of the bow.

Adanna goes over to examine the ogre, from a distance of course.

Knowledge (Nature): 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 7 + 1 = 10

Turning to Zerik, she says, "Now now, there's no need for that yet. We all want to escape, and with him helping we may have enough time left over to burn this place down."