That sounds right well too me sir! Reginald says as he starts to head that way,
Tartarus walks around a bit in the warden's finery like a headless humanoid, and walks into the warden's office to look around in there, even using her "limbs" like tentacles to see inside any "drawers" or other tight spaces and undersides if things.
Augh keeps watch on the stairways
The door to the Warden's office is locked, but the monsters make quick work of the door. Inside, there isn't much space, as things are cramped by a desk on one side of the room and full alchemist's lab set up on the other side of the room.
A search of the desk turns up a well-made map of the surrounding area, showing the quickest way through the moors outside. It also shows the Old Moor Road, where the lady who released the monsters said there was a house they could go to possibly meet someone who would have a use for them. Within are also discovered two books. One, Reginald immediately recognizes as his spellbook. The other has Warden Richter's sigil on them - his spellbook.
Hanging on the wall is a somewhat blunted, nicked, rusty-looking elven curve blade.
Igoroskandrallanotly eyes the alchemists' lab, then sighs. "Would that we had an hour to wait while I brew a special concoction that would enhance my ability. Still, we must press on, I feel."
As the monsters go through the warden's office, Dahlia goes back downstairs to the library. She starts to stuff books into a sack, in order of preference:
2: The trashiest looking romance pulps
3: Prisoner Records
4: Financial Records
5: Inventory
6: Less trashy romance novels
Reginald sighs, relieved to find his spellbook, and picks up the wardens spellbook as well.
I'm positive this will be quite useful for me later.
"Ahhhh... She always comes home." The Captain sighs in his dusty voice as he takes his blade off the wall, dropping his borrowed blade to the ground.
"Toys and tools have little value for me. What knowledge lies in these tomes, arcane ones?"
Tartarus flows around the room, looking at stuff, creeping out from under furniture, etc. She pays extra attention to books.
Augghh just shake shis head at the fascination such things have.
Dahlia doesn't spot anything particularly valuable, but three titles jump out to Mei and Tartarus - Astra Mysterii, The Travels of Titus the Mendicant, and The Floralegium.
Dahlia begins stuffing books into her sack. There are no inventory records in the library - those were apparently kept exclusively in the Sergeant's office. There are, however, a great number of the so-called “penny
dreadfuls”. These poorly printed compilations of lurid tales range across the whole gamut of adventure genres. However, the one genre over-represented is bawdy tales featuring amply endowed young maidens in grave peril.
You realize that the guards have not yet attempted to re-take the Warden's tower. It seems they're waiting for you at the gates.
So are we trying to break out the front gate?
"That would allow us to wreak the most havoc, it seems.
Very well, time to storm the gates Augier is ready to go.
If Tartarus or Igor get into the Warden's clothes, they can look like him and we can have a 'hostage. that we can use to get out.
Igoroskandrallanotly shook his head. "If I had my full shapeshifting powers, I could, but some poison that was administered to me has limited my abilities in that regard. I hope it fades eventually, but until it does, I'm stuck with only one form I can take. I don't believe Tartarus can take on the Warden's exact appearance, although her ability to mimic a human shape is quite impressive. Perhaps with the right focus, she could develop the ability to do so."
That is where the Warden's clothing comes in. Make em look bloody faced and we could bluff our way past.
Let's get moving then. Either by blade or trickery. Augier is ready to head out.
Tartarus looks side to side at everyone, waiting, and waiting.
No more inputs, so she starts staggering and clutching her "stomach" like a nauseous drunk set of empty clothes heading for the door, and doing a really bad job of it, at least, it seems like maybe there should at least be knees in there somewhere, cause the whole noodle leg thing is obvious.
Augier gets to one side of Tartarus and hooks and arm under her's so it looks like he is supporting the 'warden'. Just don't let them geta close look at her.
Dahlia hands her bow and arrows to Mei, puts the hood of her cloak up to hide her snakes, and wraps a rope loosely around her hands a few times then hands the other end to Mei as well. In the blood splattered armor of a guard, she figures she might pass as one at a distance.
Reginald looks around, quite obviously, he won't be able to join in on the charade.
well, would you explain what exactly it is you would have me accomplish here?
Be one of the 'warden's' captors.
Igor perhaps?
"I'm not half bad myself, but I probably can't sell this on my own. And Reginald, you can hold my rope if you'd like. That would free Mei up for...scuttling."
Igoroskandrallanotly found a book of alchemical formulae, and mixed one of them up. He then shifted into his human form, stripped the Warden of what he was wearing to put over his armor - good that the clothing was already bloody from the Warden's death - and then held up the extract and said, "This will allow me to look similar to the Warden - I cannot impersonate him specifically, but from a distance and with blood on my face, it should work. Let's get into position. It will only last for 10 minutes."
Once they were ready to threaten the warden, the doppelganger drank his extract, and took on as close an appearance to the warden as he could.
The monsters make their way across the courtyard with ease. A quick look shows the gatehouse to be two stories high. Arrayed in front of it are three guards, along with three dogs. On the roof can be seen six more guards, along with however many are hidden by the arrow slits on the second floor. Behind the guards on the ground, the main doors out of the keep beckon. Though closed, they are all that stand between you and freedom. To the left, you notice a smaller door that allows access to the gatehouse.
reginald plays his part as best he can, sulking and cowering.
Open the gate or your warden dies!
Dahlia stumbles along behind them at the end of the rope with her hood up and a guard uniform on. She yells out "No! Please, let them through! They'll kill us!"
Igoroskandrallanotly calls out, "You fools, whoever betrayed us and freed them, they knew what they were doing! We cannot stand against them!"
Stepping forward atop the gatehouse, you see the Sergeant looking down at you, an opportunistic glint in his eye. One of the guards tries to get his attention, but Blackerly shoves him away. "So, beasts, you think that because you have captured the Warden we will stand aside and let you free to prey upon good and innocent Talirean citizens? Warden, I wish I could say your cowardice surprised me, but in truth, it does not. I always knew you were too weak for this position. It shall be I, Sergeant Tomas Blackerly, who stops these beasts from escaping. Perhaps I shall be Warden next. And as for you, medusa, it takes more than a hood to conceal your identity. Men, kill the monsters! The Warden is an unfortunate casualty!"
You see some raise their bows, but another yells, "We can't just kill the Warden! We've got to rescue him!"
"The Warden is a coward and a traitor!"
"You're the coward, Riley!"
The ruse appears to have divided the guards. They are now shouting at each other, arguing over whether or not to save or kill the Warden.
Igor does nothing, not wanting to give away the ruse quite yet.
Let's kill the ones on the ground! Augier gnashes his teeth.
Augier is bored CHARGGGEEE!!!!
Dahlia frowns and readies to bite at anything that gets close to her with a snake.
Reginald uses almost the last reserve of his magic to enlarge Mr. Unclean.
*BRAPPPPPPPPP!*