The last thing any of you remember before waking up with a splitting headache is ordering a drink in the Pressgang Pub. Sure it's located in the seediest of the seedy parts of town and has beggars that will as soon as knife you as look at you, but the ale is good and cheap and the dragon wings are to die for. You find yourselves blindfolded and tided at the wrists and ankles. The rough rope is sure to leave marks and the smell of death that is ever pervasive in this what you can only assume to be a cold, stone room from the feeling of the floor has surely permeated your clothing. Strangely, you feel that you are not alone as you hear others breathing and shuffling around as you wake up, and it appears that you are not gagged.
Nestis's eyes flick open, making out only the greys of cloth.
Body parts intact, if a little dented. Blindfolded. Tied up. Not gagged. Whisper, assess the situation further.
A smooth, if slightly concerned whisper exits his lips.
"Hello!? Anyone else from the Pressgang Pub here? I'm Nestis, Nestis Tassi! I played for a while!"
"Damn suns of beeches! I'll cut your throats and piss in your eyes! Let me outta here!" came a deep, gruff voice.
You all hear a gruff curse coming from nearby in answer to the minstrel's question, followed by a strange feminine voice that is at once melodious and gravelly asking, apparently, if the man cursing is Donald. Strangely enough, those of you that examine your belongings find that you have everything that you had on you at the Pressgang Pub. Indeed, those of you with keen senses of smell find not the expected bouquet of vomit, urine, and cheap alcohol, but the scent of sage and lemon wafting gently into your nose.
It's all here, even the weapons and magical gear. This *is* strange.
*sniff*
This is bizarre. Being able to see in pitch darkness is only so useful. My view is currently occupued by folds of cloth.
Cautiously, Nestis tries to move his wrists towards his face to remove the blindfold.
Oh, no. Not again, thinks Teegor when he awakes. Pressgang Pub. Bad drink.
"Nestis? Mark?" A deep pathetic sounding baritone asks the room.
The bugbear starts working the ropes using his small claws and strength.
Teegor? Excellent.
Nestis' voice is now more audible. It is silken smooth, the voice of a man who is used to winning people over.
"Teegor, it's me, Nestis. Are you also bound? Free yourself then myself, and Mark if he's here."
Teegor grunts positively to Nestis's requests in his normal docile tone. And, he increases his focus to free himself.
"Cut me free you stupid Tw@# and I'll throat punch you!"
Unfortunately for both Teegor and Nilelane, the ones who tied these ropes knew their business. Neither makes much headway against their bonds.
"The softskins are awake," a voice that sounds at once silky smooth and like a growl says.
"Always with the noise with them. Not too bright to announce they are awake," anther replies.
"It hardly matters, the Chef will wish to inspect them soon."
The man who swears like a sailor begins trying to get free.
Ah, Mark's awake. Wait, that voice...
Does Nestis recognise the accents or speech patterns of the pair of speakers?
Nestis resumes whispering as he intensifies his efforts to let loose:
"Our captors are listening. A 'chef' is coming to inspect us! Get free quickly!"
Teegor continues to work his bonds slowly bending his body to its limit, almost like an animal stuck in a trap.
You find yourself in a room with Teegor, Nestis, Mark, and the decaying corpse of an elven woman. If the color of the skin is anything to go by, she's been dead for some time. The room itself is hewn from stone with a stout looking wooden door with iron bands being the only way in or out. A small oil lamp hangs from the ceiling and casts some light from its small, orange flame. The wooden shelves on the walls are bare save a few chipped and cracked bowls and plates.
Teegor and Nestis struggle against their bonds to no avail as Nestis hisses his warning. It seems you may have less time than you think as you can all hear something happening outside of the room.
They sound reptilian, but you don't recognize them. You are fairly sure they aren't Yuan-ti at least.
Relief. These will probably just kill me, if they don't give me an opportunity to escape. Yuan-ti would surely not have left this much equipment on captives.
Sensing that a grim fate draws close, Nestis makes another effort to free himself!
You free yourself of your bonds and take in the room around you as you lower the blindfold. The room is hewn from stone with a stout wooden door banded with iron. The wooden shelves are empty save for a few chipped and cracked plates and bowls. You see Teegor and Mark on the floor still struggling, as well as what appears to be the badly decayed corpse of an elf judging from the color of her skin. You also see another free of his bonds taking stock as well. He seems... wait, is that Corso?
You free yourself of your bonds and take in the room around you as you lower the blindfold. The room is hewn from stone with a stout wooden door banded with iron. The wooden shelves are empty save for a few chipped and cracked plates and bowls. You see a bugbear and a human on the floor still struggling. You also see two men already free taking in the room.
The sounds of whatever is going on get louder. You can catch what sounds like a conversation, but the words are too muffled to make out.
An undead? It does not appear to be immediately hostile. But I am glad that I am loose.
Nestis moves swiftly to Mark's side, drawing his dagger.
"Mark, hold still! I'll cut your bonds!"
As Nestis begins to cut the bonds around Mark's wrists, he briefly turns his head to face the undead before resuming his work.
"You there! If you wish to escape, help me to free the others!"
Movement.
"Mark, hold still! I'll cut your bonds!"
"You there! If you wish to escape, help me to free the others!"
Teegor keeps tugging at his bonds.
Mark gestures, and a small floating hand removes his blindfold. He then incants further to teleport slightly ahead of his chair
Mark finds himself in a room hewn from stone with a stout wooden door with iron bands. The wooden shelves hold only a few chipped and cracked bowls and plates. Nestis, Corso, and what looks to be a long dead elven zpmbie stand free of their bonds while Teegor continues to struggle with his.
You continue to struggle with the rope tying your hands together, but it's really tight. You hear movement around you, the shuffle of boots on stone and the sounds of Mark, Nestis, Corso, and a woman you have never heard before.
When the bindings holding Teegor's hands together, the bugbear tears off his blindfold and works to undo the binding's of his feet.
"I think she's one of the prisoners! Now, let's get ready to strike them down!", hisses Nestis.
He then incants and disappears!
The rather boisterous man incants a few words of power and is suddenly standing where he was bound but a moment before, rubbing his wrists.
He then looks to free the nearest tied up person.
Before Mark can assist Teegor, the commotion arrives at the door.
A booming, basso voice begins to bellow just before its owner slams into the jammed door. The door thumps twice more as someone attempts to open it.
"Oooow. By swoot. By boor, boor swoot!"
"Ssssyssssrass' Scales! They've jammed the door."
"B-but the Chef is waiting! He will grow impatient soon then it'll be all of our heads!"
"Maybe they think they are too good for us, the stupid softskins."
"Silence! Or I'll make you their lackeys! Now help me with this door!"
Mark chuckles, then ignores the guy trying to get through a stuck door. He continues to help free Teegor.
Nestis cocks his head, listening. Not that anyone can see him do this.
"They're arguing but it sounds more like having us work than be eaten...it's bizarre to overhear. I suggest that we immobilise or stun them when they enter, not kill. If nothing else, living captives can tell us information or be hostages."
"Or we could, you know, snap their necks like twigs." the rather large-looking and well built man appears to be angry about the situation he finds himself in.
The door barely shudders as what sounds like 800 lbs of beef slams into it.
"Ooooooow! By dose! I dink you broke by dose!"