Seltyiel strikes, slicing the guard's lower back. The guard can barely stand.
As Morthos heads toward the western door, he pulls out the veil and makes his way to Demian first so as to hand it to him.
Taking advantage of Seltyiel's distraction, Barnabas strikes:
Just a glancing hit is enough to cause the guard to fall, Barnabus' tentacle grabs the dying guard and with the other's help he is removed back upstairs. The alarm has not been sounded and you have some breathing room to plan your next move. The entire cell floor is yours.
Veil (daggers x2, silver holy symbol of Asmodeus, bullseye lantern, rope 50ft., spell component pouch, set of common clothes x6, MW Thieves' Tools, Window (permanent once used), Potion, 100gp)
Manacles (improvised weapons with club damage) x12
metal chain 50ft.
Signal Horn
Jailer's Keyring (cell doors and manacles)
Bullseye Lantern x2
Leather Club (nonlethal) x2
Longsword x2
Chainshirt x2
Heavy Steel Shield x2
Talinguarde Soldier's Outfit x2
Personal Locker Key x2
Morthos hands the veil to Demian and then heads towards the door of the walled cell with Eowithe. There is a small barred window now showing the creature awake and looking at you. "Hear yelling, what happen out there?" It is intelligent enough to talk to you.
Demian takes the veil and rushes into the next area to find that the guards have been taken care of. He pauses and looks at the stair crew, "Well...It seems that drastic situations are not necessary. Glad to see you all are competent after all."
Damian then stashes the veil and looks over the nearby dead body. He reaches into the pouches and pulls out a lone key. "Hmm..."
Thereafter he opens the door to the side room and begins looking around in there.
In the guardroom next to the stairs, Demian finds a chimney filled with smoke. There is a fire lit in the fireplace on the ground floor. The chimney goes up to the roof. It wouldn't be too hard to climb down or up but you must hold your breath to avoid inhaling the smoke.
In the meeting room where Eowithe met Tiadora, there is only a table and chairs with an unlit torch in a sconce at each end of the room. This was the room in which you held down and branded and forced to drink the magic-sapping tincture.
Closer inspection reveals that terrible things have happened in this room – telltale bloodstains in the corners and the faint odor of burning flesh. This is also an interrogation room, though they try to remove the evidence when it is necessary to use the room for a regular meeting.
Eowithe blinks a bit in surprise as the large creature speaks, "Oh, we're breaking out....care to help?"
Morthos tries every single one of the guard's keys upon the cell's lock. Finding the proper one, he opens the door and peers within. "Oh nothing of importance. Just removing a few loose ends is all; but enough of that. We are prisoners along with you but we have managed to free ourselves with some unknown help. And I believe that you would like to be free of your chains and escape these walls with us. You could then get your revenge upon these fools who put you in these chains." He then holds the keys up to show him. "So what I'm now going to do is release you. Do you have a name? I am called Morthos." He then moves very carefully and calmly toward the beast, keys raised out in front, and proceeds to unlock his chains barring any objections.
"Grumblejack. Ogre." The creature points to itself. Ogre's aren't known for such intelligence. Perhaps that is how he has even managed to survive for so long this far south into Talinguarde. Until he was captured and brought here that is. "You need help? What you give Grumblejack? I hungry. Blueshirts not feed Grumblejack." He looks at Eowithe, "You look tasty." He lets out a deep laugh that sounds more like a frog croaking.
Sarela sets about stripping the guards of their equipment, her eyes lingering on one of the bows. "I'm familiar with the longswords, but I find them difficult to use. I'd prefer to take a bow, at least for now, unless we find ourselves a nice scimitar." She looks at the wound she took from the guard. "It might also be helpful for staying alive."
"Grumblejack. Ogre." The creature points to itself. Ogre's aren't known for such intelligence. Perhaps that is how he has even managed to survive for so long this far south into Talinguarde. Until he was captured and brought here that is. "You need help? What you give Grumblejack? I hungry. Blueshirts not feed Grumblejack." He looks at Eowithe, "You look tasty." He lets out a deep laugh that sounds more like a frog croaking.
Eowithe laughs back at Grumblejack, "So I've been told before...I am Eowithe..whatever food we find is yours. Do you agree to help? You'll be escaping as well..."
You know, the Blueshirts we encountered are probably still fresh. We could certainly afford a couple minutes so you can... Recoup your strengths. - said the living painting, not really worried the ogre would have a predilection for eating ink.
He then moves away, trying to speak to his colleagues in a tone that the ogre wouldn't hear.
Looking at this chimney, I could get the rope and try to climb up... Or down. If we knot it, it will definitely make the work easy. - he finally said, approaching the wall - I don't really care about the smoke, and likely reaching the roof could give us an unexpected route.
While the other negotiate with the ogre, Barnabas starts stripping the corpses of their gear. To Seltyiel he says, "I don't know how many capable gutter runners we have, so the rooftops might prove to be an unnecessary risk. Still, having a better idea of the layout of this place would be useful."
"I think that together we are more than a match for these Mitran scum and everyone of them that falls only makes us stronger. Besides, I would like to have some words with Blackerly on our way out."
He holds up a guard uniform. "Anyone want to play dress up?"
Sarela frowns. "I'm fairly gifted at dressing up and pretending to be someone else, but I don't recall seeing any female guards - certainly these two aren't. I can give it a try, but they might see through it."
In the meeting room where Eowithe met Tiadora, there is only a table and chairs with an unlit torch in a sconce at each end of the room. This was the room in which you held down and branded and forced to drink the magic-sapping tincture.
You were all led in with a bag over your head, you went through several doors before the stairs leading up to where you were branded and then imprisoned. You do not know any of the layout besides the prison level you have explored.
He frowns when Eowithe doesn't seem scared of him. "Little girl want help, but not give Grumblejack anything. Grumblejack want. Live meat."
As Morthos frees him he walks over the Barnabus and the dead guards. "That not fresh. It dead! Better when you scream." He's really hungry anyway so brings his fist down to crush the guard's chest, ripping it open. "Heart is tasty."
Raising an eyebrow at the spectacle, Morthos can only shake his head at the ravenous beast.
"I think that together we are more than a match for these Mitran scum and everyone of them that falls only makes us stronger. Besides, I would like to have some words with Blackerly on our way out."
He holds up a guard uniform. "Anyone want to play dress up?"
Morthos turns his attention to Barnabas and heads in his direction. "A uniform, hm? Perfect. I will take it. And these weapons and armor will do quite nicely as well." Morthos then proceeds to armor and weapon himself up before placing the uniform over it. Straightening himself up proper, "There. That should do it. And I am in complete agreement...," he pauses, realizing he knows no one's name(except for Eowithe's) before continuing with, "in that we all, I believe, would like to have 'words' with Blackerly. He has much to answer for."
In the meeting room where Eowithe met Tiadora, there is only a table and chairs with an unlit torch in a sconce at each end of the room. This was the room in which you held down and branded and forced to drink the magic-sapping tincture.You were all led in with a bag over your head, you went through several doors before the stairs leading up to where you were branded and then imprisoned. You do not know any of the layout besides the prison level you have explored.
Barnabas steps out of the ogre's splatter radius. "They really can't get fresher than that, but I agree it's better when the blood still flows. Regardless, eat quickly, there is time to hear screams yet."
Turning away from the beast, he nods in approval at Morthos suiting up. "If we move quickly, we can catch most of them unawares. By the time they are able to sound the alarm, it will be too late."
Nodding, Morthos looks down and catches sight of the lanterns. "If we are going to fool these fools, then this might be of use." He reaches down and grabs one. "Being caught walking around in the dark without a light would assuredly invalidate the disguise. Regardless, the disguise will not succeed long anyway but no matter, I believe it will suffice for what we wish to accomplish." He then proceeds to find a way to light the lantern. Once that is done, he will sheathe his newly acquired sword and strap the shield to his left forearm.
"Oh my..," Demian breathes as the ogre enters the pre-stairs area. He steps into the doorway and watches the spectacle with interest.
"Aren't you a magnificent sight to behold there?" Demian says to Grumblejack. "I bet you can kill much better than anyone else here."
The guard's lanterns are lit. The lantern's have shutters also to hide the light if needed. A small tinderbox with some tindertwigs and flint and steel (used for lighting the lanterns) sits in a corner of the guard room, away from the chimney. The lanterns will burn for up to 6 hours on a pint of oil. Plenty for the occasional inspection of the cells during their shift. There is no spare oil up here, they wouldn't keep them lit for the whole time. Supplies would be kept somewhere though.
Grumblejack notices Demian observing him and stands to his full height with his shoulders back. "I crush all. You stay out of Grumblejack's way. You escape." He shoves the rest of whatever innard he had in his bloody hands into his mouth and crunches down.
Demian bows deeply to the ogre and replies, "As you wish Grumblejack." After righting himself he adds, "If you believe that I could be of use, please let me know."
Eowithe raises an eyebrow at the Ogre's uncouth eating style, "A robust appetite....now only to show us the strength to match it!" she says smiling.
With time to do so, Eowithe will don the other guards' armor, cinching it tight where it doesn't fit so well, "While I won't pass for any of these bastards, feels good to have a layer of steel between me and them..."
She rolls her shoulders to settle the armor, wincing a bit where it bites and chafes, looking back at the Ogre, "Our friend here is trying to pretend to be a guard...can you hold yourself back to make sure that his ruse has a chance? Because if you can't, I'll cut you down myself if you jeopardize our escape."
"Grumblejack not fooled. Not kill this Blueshirt." Grumblejack says in regards to Morthos dressed as a guard, then growls at the threat. "You think you crush Grumblejack? I am mightiest. Grumblejack crush all!"
Demian gives a little smirk and says, "My money's on Grumblejack."
"That is very good, Grumblejack. Yes, do not kill THIS blueshirt," he points to himself. "Now, I will see if I can lure some real 'blueshirts' up here so as to have them removed permanently. Unless any of you have a better plan. And while the 'chimney plan' the other recommended has potential, not all of us have the ability to climb such. Plus, I must confess, the potential to avenge myself against Blackerly is too good to pass up. His time is at an end. He just doesn't know it yet."
Demian shrugs with his hands to the sides, "In the end, I am at your mercy. For what it is worth though, I really like the chimney plan. While I'd love to see Blackerly witness the proof of his own innards, I don't value revenge above living. Living is...pretty neat I'd say."
"Well, I like my odds over the rooftops, but I'm less confident with this coterie in tow. I don't really want to end up pin cushioned with arrows."
"In close quarters we have the advantage."
Demian shrugs with his hands to the sides, "In the end, I am at your mercy. For what it is worth though, I really like the chimney plan. While I'd love to see Blackerly witness the proof of his own innards, I don't value revenge above living. Living is...pretty neat I'd say."
"But revenge is always best served to those who are deserving of it. And living is overrated," he states plainly. He then turns to Barnabas...
"Well, I like my odds over the rooftops, but I'm less confident with this coterie in tow. I don't really want to end up pin cushioned with arrows."
"In close quarters we have the advantage."
"With the beast on our side the advantage is ours. They will obviously be consumed with a certain 'target' more so than various other 'targets'," he says as carefully as he can.
Seltyiel climbs up the smoke-filled chimney with ease. Not needing to breathe has its advantages.
The top of the chimney is closed all around with slits for the smoke to escape (something like these). Daylight shines, marking the time as early afternoon.
From this hidden vantage point you get a good look all around at the layout of Branderscar. The building you are in is 2 stories high and not connected to the wall surrounding it. The wall has multiple towers, one of them larger than the others to your west, 3 stories tall. Past the wall the cliffs fall into the ocean. A dangerous drop into rocks and choppy water. The only road to and from the island is a stone bridge a few hundred feet past the large gatehouse building to the north.
The gatehouse and the large tower are not connected to the tops of the walls by doors, essentially splitting the wall walkway in two sections, west and east, requiring climbing, or a long walk via stairs and the ground to move from one section to the other.
View from the Chimney
With the knotted rope tied around one of the smoke slits, others can easily look too, though they must hold their breath.
Guards can be seen patrolling the west and east runs of the wall, 4 in each group as well as a canine accompanying them. Another 4 are also stationed on the roof of the gatehouse.
"Yes. You fool blueshirts. Grumblejack wait behind corner and when they come!" He emphasizes his words by one fist punching his other open palm.
Sarela says, "Climbing the chimney might provide us with a look at the prison, although I don't know if it's the path I'd want to take out." She takes a deep breath, then climbs the knotted rope, going up to take a look herself.
She looks over the fortress, then climbs back down. Emerging slightly soot-covered from the chimney, she says, "It's a nice, bright, sunny afternoon. There are two guard patrols on the walls - four guards each, plus what's probably some kind of guard dog. There are four more on the roof of the gatehouse. The building we're in doesn't connect to the walls, either. It looks like the walls drop off into the ocean surrounding Branderscar. A possible exit, but likely one fraught with danger. There is a stone bridge that connects Branderscar to the mainland. We would have to go through the gatehouse to get there. I don't think going over the roof when the sun is up is a good plan - too much chance we'll be seen. Best to wait for the next shift, ambush them, and get more weapons and armor. That stuff they gave us might wear off by then, and we'll have our full capabilities back. If nothing else, we'll take out a couple more guards and gain some resources."
"Grumblejack not fooled. Not kill this Blueshirt." Grumblejack says in regards to Morthos dressed as a guard, then growls at the threat. "You think you crush Grumblejack? I am mightiest. Grumblejack crush all!"
Unimpressed with Grumblejack's boasting, Eowithe merely says, "We'll see...." but she's glad the brute has the intelligence to gather the gist of their plan.
If Demian spoke, Eowtihe gave no indication of hearing him.
Hearing the report from the chimney, she nods, "Yes, we must pick away at their strength here...for now they are unsuspecting of our new circumstances..."
Please give the rope three tugs if you need me to climb down. - Seltyiel says to Sarela, before the Aasimar climbs down - We might also climb down the rope to the first floor for some recon.
The construct stays up, keeping an eye on the patrols going around, waiting as his unlikely companions plan. While part of his instincts would be to consider if it would be better to try to escape and just leave the others behind, for the most part he is glad to have some muscle around him... And if these people are as capable as it seems, they could definitely prove useful on the long term as well.
Nodding at Sarela, "Agreed. Let us wait for the next shift. And it might prove beneficial for us to await nightfall as well. Without daylight, their archers will be at a great disadvantage. Patience is key here. We can ill afford to make a mistake," he says as he loses himself in thought a moment on past mistakes before mentally shaking himself free of his reverie. Focusing his attention back to the others, "Let us prepare."
"The only concern is what time the guard change occurs. If it's still daylight when it occurs, someone may get suspicious when the old guards don't come down shortly after being replaced. If that happens, we may need to move before then. Now, Morthos, Eowithe, hold still. Let's see if we can make you more convincing." Drawing on her costuming training, as well as using a bit of soot from the fireplace, Sarela tries to make the two of them look more like the guards they're replacing.
After feeding on the tastiest innards of both guards, Grumblejack decides to take a nap in his cell where he has dragged both corpses into. "Grumblejack don't need plan. Only crush!"
Eowithe and Morthos are disguised to replace the guards quite well. How closely those replacing them will know them and possibly see through the disguise remains to be seen. The bloody trails and mess on the floor will be easily visible as soon as someone with a lantern comes into the cell block and you don't really have anything to clean it up with.
Looking at the mess Barnabas says, "We'll never be able to bluff anyone once they see this mess. I don't think we'll get the guards all the way into the cell block. Maybe Grumblejack can wait in the there and the rest of us can rush out of the side room?"
Demian nods, agreeing with no one in particular, and then strolls into the meeting room and takes a seat.
"That will work. We'll need to cut off access to the stairs once we do, though." Sarela hands the signal horn to Eowithe. "Here. They might get suspicious if you don't have it. Once the new guards are up here, Demian, why don't you open the door? The rest of us can rush out and cut them off."
Nodding, "Agreed. We shall await our next targets and proceed from there. If possible, let us keep one alive for questioning."
No one comes to check on the guards as the hours pass. An occasional scouting of the chimney by Seltyiel shows the sun eventually going down. More than an hour later you finally hear the footsteps on the stairs and muted voices on their way up.
"Be ready, Eowithe, here they come. Follow my lead." Morthos awaits for the guards to arrive, his lantern hanging low so as to make it more difficult for them to make out his face. As soon as he sees them make it up the stairs, he calls out in a loud whisper while working to disguise his voice. "ABOUT TIME! YOU KNOW YOU'RE LATE?! COME ON! IT'S THE BEAST! I SWEAR I THINK THAT THING JUST BROKE HIMSELF LOOSE! WE'VE GOT TO GET HIM CHAINED BACK UP OR HE'S GOING TO BUST OUT AND KILL US ALL! NO WAY I'M GOING IN THERE BY MYSELF! AND DOUSE YOUR LANTERNS! YOU CAN JUST FOLLOW MINE! WE DON'T WANT HIM TO KNOW WE'RE COMING! LET'S GO!" He then waits for them to get about twenty feet away before turning and making his way toward Grumblejack's cell.
Eowithe waits on the other side of the door to the cells, hoping the real guards fall for Morthos' ruse...