As Richter moves away from his previous target, the guard strikes out at him hitting him almost perfectly before Eat-in-shadow swallows him in darkness.
Kahmunash daze's the guard next to Tartarus.
The guard that attacked Mei is almost brought down by Fiain and Richter's attacks.
"The darkness is moving! They're everywhere!" With one guard dazed, the others in the darkness swing their weapons but hit nothing.
Agggh slashes again at the one north of him
The cook finally secured, Igoroskandrallanotly leaves the storage room, closing the door behind him, and heads to join the others in the armory.
The Captain swings again, spinning to the guard facing Tartarus as Me downs the guard he had just stabbed, revelling in the thrill of combat.
OR
Dahlia fires an arrow off at the weakest-looking one that is still up.
As Mei drops the guard in front of her, The Hound dashes around the room to attack the guard facing down Kruegar and Tartarus.
Kahmunash turns from the rest of the group, and moves up to the door on the "west" end of the hall, listening for any signs of commotion coming from that direction.
"Darkness shifting like a coat
While we're biting at your throat."
Eat-in-Shadow almost casually gets to slicing again , throwing improvised nursery rhymes off the top of his head.
Reginald merely looks around and notices the lack of room in the armory, and that the situation seems fairly well in hand.
He rests a hand on the fire giant in front of him.
come, let them wrap things up here, I fear we will soon be dealing with company. Let us see that they do no catch us unawares. he beckons him help him keep watch on the hallway and then turns to squeaks who reginald places on the tip of his finger to look directly at him my good squeaks, if you would can you run up through the upper levels tower and let me know whenever you bump into something moving or looking like any of the gentlemen we've been fighting. Worry or caution, would be a good emotion as a sign if you encounter any large groups especially ones that are moving quickly, send me fear emotions. Do you understand little one? Oh, and stay out of sight!
The ogre stares at the rodent, the mouse stares back with its unblinking beady black eyes for several seconds before scurrying off into the upper levels.
Tartarus blows a raspberry at the guard next to her, giving the Hound the perfect opening to strike. As the guard howls in pain and turns to face the hound, Tartarus then flings a blade of shadow at the guard.
Aggh looks for more humans to kill.
Mei finished off her target and Richter and Fiain flank and kill the soldier next to Tartarus. Aggghhh and Eat-in-shadow fail to take down their opponent and he flails his sword at them in the dark and curses.
Squeaks scurries off to explore.
Aggh keeps hacking at the remaining guard
Igoroskandrallanotly casually moves up to the remaining guard and attempts to finish him.
The guards all dead, the doppelganger moves into the room and looks about for a light crossbow, as well as possibly a dagger. He didn't generally use weapons, preferring to get close and use his claws if needed, but it was good to have them when you needed them. He picks up a few other weapons, but his grip seems clumsy around them, unsure. Despite knowing that, at one point, he knew how to use most common weapons, he was unable to remember how for many of them. A side effect of that thrice-cursed wizard's poison? He struggled to remember much of his life since his captivity at Versarius's hands. Hopefully, that knowledge would come back, now that he would no longer be dosed by the drug.
Aggghhh hacks the remaining guard down as he chokes on his own blood. The Armoury is yours.
Inside are a dozen or more spare sets of gear for guards: chain shirt, heavy steel shield, long sword and longbow. There is also a rack holding a dozen more leather-wrapped clubs. Further, there is also a stock pile of 100's of arrows and many quivers. All items (save for the arrows and the clubs) bear the mark of Talingarde somewhere on them, making them almost impossible for you to try and sell them.
There is also an assortment of weaponry that the guards have confiscated over the years. These weapons are jumbled together and obviously little cared for. They are also unmarked and thus resalable. That assortment includes: a shiv made from a women’s metal comb (treat as a dagger), a heavy mace, spear, quarterstaff, battle axe, rapier, great sword, trident and glaive as well as several other weapons large and small.
Aggh grins and claims the greatsword. At last a weapon fit for me. He also gets a dagger and lonbow and quiver of arrows.
The Hound growls in impatience.
"Arm yourselves quickly and let's keep moving. We already wasted enough time with the chef."
Grabbing a dagger and a light crossbow, Igoroskandrallanotly says, "Patience, Finn. We needed a delivery boy for the evidence against the Warden and Sergeant, and now we have one. That is hardly time wasted, and our mysterious benefactor will likely be pleased by the results. When we meet him after we have completed our escape, he will be pleased to see we are capable of more than just brute force. Our subtlety and forethought will make us appear far more valuable in his eyes than if he thinks of us as little more than thugs."
Picking up a brace of bolts to go with the crossbow, he continues, "You are correct, however, that we shouldn't dally. We must ensure none remain in this building, then see if we can cross the courtyard and get to that gatehouse on the other side without becoming pincushions for the guards' arrows."
I am set
The Captain reaches into the pile, pulling out a greatsword as well as one of the longbows and. 2 quivers of arrows.
"This is sufficient, for now."
The main prison building is completely under your control. The only remaining non-monster is the tied up cook locked in the storage room.
Though it has been some minutes since the servants escaped you have heard nothing from outside. Listening at the door doesn't reveal anything.
There are three exits to the outside.
The main exit opens to a large stone courtyard, holding the stable and dog kennel on the right side. The courtyard leads across to the Gatehouse, whose gates are the quickest way to freedom.
The kitchen exit opens to a path that leads behind the prison building and towards the Warden's tower. There is also a garden on the right side of the prison building between it and the wall.
The Armoury hallway exit opens to the left side of the building with a path going towards the front and back of the building but also straight out to the wall.
You don't know what the remaining guards are up to, where they are stationed on the walls, or what Sergeant Blackerly's plan is.
Courtyard will be a deathtrap, try the path to warden's tower.
"Going to the wall is better. We don't want the guards raining arrows on us from above while we pass below in the garden."
The Captain pauses a moment, channelling dark energy in his fist before holding it against his chest, where it sinks in, infusing his bones with new vigour.
"Agreed, the high ground would be greatly preferable."
"The Warden is a wizard of some kind - he's the one who created the chains that bound us, according to the papers in the Sergeant's office. No doubt he will prove dangerous, and we should perhaps avoid him. I wish that woman had released us at night - it would be easier to sneak to the walls in the dark. Still, we can't go through the kitchen exit, since Dahlia lit a fire to delay intrusion from there. The Warden's Tower isn't a good option, at least for now. The armory exit may be our best hope - straight from there to a tower, and up onto the wall. Kahmunash, could you open the door and see if the coast is clear? Do you need any armor or weapons?"
Dahlia sorts through the piles of weapons, picking up the comb-shiv and examining it curiously before one of her snakes hisses and strikes at it. She shrugs and pockets the weapon before grabbing another quiver of arrows and a large shield.
"I like the idea of not being shot at like fish in a barrel. The wall it is."
Wall, then.
"Eat-in-Shadow can also climb easily."
The monster has been quiet in his come of penumbra during the discussion, needing no weapon or armor other than his own shifting.
"I can't hear anything at the door" "But I don't suppose one of your slightly more discreet gentlemen and ladies would be willing to take a peak as well? I don't have a great head shape for peering subtly through cracked doors"
No matter how long or hard you listen no one is able to hear anything through the thick doors. The only thing to do is to open it a little and peek out.
Deciding the hallway exit is best you all gather in the hallway. The other monsters have grabbed armour and weapons and some of them are forming their own groups and plans of escape.
Whoever opens the door to take a peek doesn't get long to do so before an arrow comes flying towards you and buries itself in the door with a thunk and a second chinks on the stone slightly to the left of the door. This exit is being watched! Likely all the others are too. No matter which way you go the wall will be manned with archers.
The door was open for long enough for you to see what lay ahead a bit better than a map can portray. To the left of the door the dirt path continues along the building and around behind it. To the right the same dirt path continues around the other corner towards the central courtyard. In front of you lies the wall. A 100ft. dash over flat, grass-covered, open ground through bright daylight to the closest tower in this part of the wall, entered through a stout looking door at its base. The top of the wall is 2 stories high, you could climb the outside or take the staircase inside to emerge inside the tower's 2nd of 3 stories.
Igoroskandrallanotly considers, then heads back to the store room to grab two lengths of rope. Returning, he hands one to Mei and one to Eat-in-Shadows, then says, ”Here’s the plan. We open the door, and those of you who are capable of it should darken the area around the door and the wall where the archers are if possible. Aaaaggghhh, you sprint to the door, and open it. Mei, Eat-in-Shadows, you follow, and if there's an area of darkness for you, climb up and tie off the ropes for the rest of us. Once the door is open and the ropes are tied off, the rest of us will cross and climb up the wall. We should be able to take the soldiers out, and then hold the high ground. This won’t be easy - I suggest that anyone who knows how to properly use a shield do so in order to improve their chances of making the crossing.”
Can anyone break the hinges on the door? That would make for a rather excellent shield as we move along, although it might also make for slow going.
Dahlia stows her bow for the moment and hefts her own shield into place.
After thinking a moment, she starts to hum a tune to herself as several of the snakes concentrate hard on the hinges.
I can run fast and will head for the door. I am strong enough to hold the door with the ogre perhaps.
Eat-in-Shadows takes the rope, tying one end into a loop. "It's a suitable plan. Darkness walks with me."
As soon as the orc moves to open the door, the shadow around the unseelie monstrosity coalesce and deepen to a deep blackness, eating away the light around.
"Unless anyone has a better plan, let's get ready to move"
Auggh puts his blade away and grabs the door. With a grunt, he lifts it up as a form of crude tower shield Go! He then charges forth.
The Captain holds position, satisfied with the plan.
"I'll be able to get there before Agh. He should follow me, but I may be able to break down the door before he gets there. Gives us two chances to get this right if they barred or locked it. No way I'd ever be able to climb a rope with the rest of you."
The roun
Assuming nobody points out a specific flaw in this plan, The Hound dashes off.
Aghh follows the doggo.
Dahlia moves with Aggghhh and shields herself as best as possible.
The door is removed from its hinges to make a sort of makeshift tower shield, protecting the wielder and those directly behind it.
Fiain charges across, as does Mei. Aggghhh and Dahlia are slower, taking time to keep themselves better protected.
As soon as you exit the doorway, arrows fly your way. You can see a number of guards at the top with arrows readied that they loose at you. Arrows fly at everyone, several hitting the door and others burying themselves in the dirt. Only Fiain is hit as he charges across.