Jessibel examines the situation, trying to think outside the proverbial box. The Hellknights give her pause, as she's never dared fight against a foe so well armored. The dottari aren't likely to be total pushovers, either.
"Perhaps I could speak to the prisoner from a safe distance with a message spell," she whispers to her friends. "Find out who he is...what his alleged crime was...and if he has any friends who might help us break him out--that sort of stuff."
"Mmh. Shame that stage was not burned down a few hours ago." The Raven glares at Nyxra. Presumably. His masked face is swiveled in her direction, at any rate. "I do believe Hellknights can detect magic or deception or something like that, dearest Magpie. The time to act has passed."
"Another look after curfew might show us something different. But as it stands it's too well guarded."
Whatever speeches happened - announcements and declarations of crimes, as is normal - must have occurred before the Ravens arrived on the scene.
"That lad there's a member of the Hellknights. Just goes to show ya they don't care about each other. Only the law." A nearby middle-aged woman mutters darkly.
"Shush. You want to join him?" Her friend replies.
"Mmh. Shame that stage was not burned down a few hours ago."
"Indeed. The man could use some company." Nyxra glares right back at Raven. "A pity they couldn't find anyone suicidal enough to volunteer."
Aisling loojks around, hleplessly. Doing anything now would be really stupid, espcially as they haven't prepared for it. Not wanting to watch any more, she turns around and walks away fast.
Once thy are off the street and back to somewhere they won't be overheard, she moves to stop the argument between Raven and Nyxra. "I would love nothing more than put an end to what they are doing. Come up with a plan - one that will acutlay work, I mean - and I promise I will be at the front of the line to join in."
"Not everything can be solved with warrants and affidavits, lady Eagle. Sometimes you just need to take action when an opportunity presents itself, before things get worse. You may not like improvisation, but I am quite good at that sort of thing. You may think everything can be solved through the law, but the law..." He locks goggles with Lemma, but looks away quickly and mutters "The law does not help everyone."
"If he's Order of the Torrent, like that old woman suggested, we'll have to get him out if we want the deal with Sabinus to go through."
As they're squabbling, the Ravens (bar Lemma) notice a familiar figure in the crowd - Setrona is, apparently, already here, her weathered features hard. She hasn't noticed the rebels yet, but is only ten or so feet from their position.
Jessibel frowns at her mentor's words, having generally believed herself that most Hellknights were nothing more than big, dumb warriors wearing scary, nigh-impenetrable plate mail armor. She plumbs the depths of her memory, trying to recall anything more about the order.
The bard breaks off from the others to intercept Setrona, giving the woman a quick nod and smile to wordlessly let her know that she and her friends indeed found her cousin.
"Any idea who that is in the doghouse?" she asks in a whisper to the small(er) woman.
After telling the man to simply whisper his replies....
"What's your name?"
"What crime are you accused of?"
"Are you indeed a Hellknight? Which order?"
"How badly are you wounded?"
* "Do you have any allies in the city who might aid in a rescue attempt?"
* Jessi'd only ask this question if it's pretty obvious the prisoner is a 'good guy' or one of Octavio's Hellknights.
"Not everything can be solved with warrants and affidavits, lady Eagle. Sometimes you just need to take action when an opportunity presents itself, before things get worse. You may not like improvisation, but I am quite good at that sort of thing. You may think everything can be solved through the law, but the law..." He locks goggles with Lemma, but looks away quickly and mutters "The law does not help everyone."
A good laywyer doesn't show her exasperation when leading someone (judge, jury, whoever) to the conclusion she wants them to reach. So Aisling does her best not to roll her eyes. "Yes, Raven. I'm agreeing with you that smoetimes the law isn't going to get us where we want. So PLEASE take 'yes' for an answerr and put that energy into coming up with an idea that might work."
They have an obsession with burning any writings they deem dangerous to "law and order" as well as any means to mass produce such literature - printing presses are a favorite target for destruction. Ideas, they say, are dangerous - implicitly, any ideas that they don't think, or indeed, any ideas at all. Best if no one has any thoughts that might endanger the pursuit of their perfect order.
Naturally, all of this makes them excellent tools of oppression for House Thrune's use.
Jessibel retreats out of the crowd to cast her spell, before returning to join Setrona. The older woman looks up at her. "I don't know his name, I'm afraid, but he is definitely one of my cousin's armigers."
As Jessibel whispers to the armiger, he twitches slightly, stabbing himself on one of the nails. He barely seems to notice the pain, but his brow does furrow. A few members of the crowd jeer, but the others simply look disgusted.
"I do not know if I will be able to walk under my own power when I leave... but I will survive. No doubt that the Asmodeans will see to that."
Setrona whispers to Jessi. "What are you doing?"
Lemma keeps her eyes peeled for anyone who might pick up on what Jessi is doing, guards or crowd.
Jessi raises her index finger, asking Setrona to give her a little more time to speak with the prisoner.
Jessibel identifies herself only as "a concerned citizen" when the captive armiger asks who she is. As for the whole trust issue, she says that's for him to decide, though she hopes her line of questions earns her some.
The bard asks what manner of restraints are keeping him inside the doghouse and how many locks will need to be picked, if applicable. When Benjen vows to survive, Jessi replies,"Good. That's the key thing right now. I'll speak with you again soon, whenever I'm next able. Be strong!"
Jessi then explains the spell to Setrona before joining up with the others and making her report to them.
Nyxra's hand twitches as it inches towards her sword's hilt. It stops when Jessibel returns and reports in.
Setrona's brow furrows darkly, but she remains quiet.
"Hah. Well, if you say so." Benjen says in response to her claim. "I have no information they want that they do not already have. So all I need do is survive."
Setrona looks to be growing impatient with Jessibel's delay before the young bard returns to the others. She follows, looking between the group. "It seems that you have ideas. Why don't we head back to my little shop before we go into any details?"
With that, she heads off, leaving the Ravens to follow behind her. Once they are arrived at the Tooth and Nail, she unlocks the door and welcomes them in. "So, have you met with my cousin, then?"
"We have, yes", Lemma replies.
"I don't think he's excited about it, but he has agreed to cooperate with us when certain conditions are met. The biggest condition is finding a way to free the members of his order who are imprisoned."
"That's why the man in the doghoused man in the square is so interesting to us. He's one of them. We'll have to get him out of there somehow."
"We shall dig a tunnel under the platform and he will drop right into our laps."
"I'd advise against trying to break him out of the excruciation. They won't keep him there for too long, I think. It's meant to be a public demonstration of torture to keep the rest of us in line, so I imagine he won't be kept there all the time, especially after curfew." Setrona says thoughtfully. "Given the number of armigers and dottari there, it's a big risk to try to attack openly."
"So we ambush them when they are moving the prisoner and kidnap him. Nothing like a good heist to get the blood flowing. What were you able to find out, darling Magpie?"
Jessi repeats her conversations with the armiger, adding that the fellow didn't seem to trust her at first. She also adds that the Raven's latest plan has the advantage (Hopefully!) of removing the two guard dogs from the roster of enemies to overcome.
"Your idea of tunneling underneath the stage made me think of another option," the bard adds slowly, as though still formulating a plan in her mind. "There are lots of old sewer passages beneath our feet, from a time when the city suffered occasional flooding from the Yolubilis. We could drop into those for a spell so we'd be harder to track. If the dottari and Hellknights lack light sources, we might even be able to get a headstart on our escape."
"Of course, we might also run into something horrible that lurks below or trap ourselves in a dead-end if we don't do some reconnaissance beforehand...."
Lemma thinks for a couple of minutes before saying anything. She's not fully convinced yet a rescue of the man while he's being moved is the best idea, but there are some things about it to like.
"First we do need to know for sure that he would be traveling under lighter guard. That's only a guess right now. If it is true, rescuing him alone first could make things easier or harder afterward. I'm not sure which is more likely.
"It could be harder if the rescue is seen as a plot to help the Order of the Torrent members, not a hard connection to make with a little thought. Guards could be strengthened and everyone might be more alert, anticipating an attempt to free the rest of them."
"On the other hand, if we rescue the single one, he might be able to tell us details about where they are held that makes the second jailbreak easier."
"Open manhole. Pull our guy in. Close manhole, maybe use some kind of spell to block it whilst we make our escape. Could not be easier."
Aisling thinks about what she saw. "Teh guards were mostly there to stop people rioting, once the crowd has gone I think the guards will probly leave too. Which makes it more likely that we'll succeed if we try to rescue him on the way back to wherever they're keeping him."
Lemma rolls her eyes.
"Have you ever actually removed a manhole cover with people nearby, much less right at the manhole? Or even removed a manhole cover at all?"
Nyxra waits as the others discuss their plan of rescue.
Setrona listens carefully to the plans. "How would you know where he was being taken if you're not sure where they're being held?" She asks, a frown furrowing her brow. "You need to know that to know where to try to set up an ambush from the sewers, if any are nearby on the way. And, as Lemma says, he might be under escort with just as significant a guard as he has now."
She looks to Lemma. "You also mentioned that rescuing his armigers was Octavio's 'main condition' for working with you. What were the others?"
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"Um... he demanded evidence we are not thugs just in this for the street fighting, so an example of us being subtle and willing to work within the law when possible."
Lemma continues, taking on a more sarcastic tone.
"He also wants to regularly inspect our fingernails to ensure they are well groomed, proof of nutritious, balanced diets, and a short essay from each of us on why rules build character."
"Those last three things were me joking. But I'd not be surprised if they crossed his mind."
"We can stalk them and find out what path they take. Figure out the best place for a kidnapping."
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Jessibel is daydreaming/vaguely planning as Setrona and Lemma have their conversation. Falling prey to a 'tiefling mind trick,' the bard is annoyed to find herself checking underneath her fingernails for dirt. She's also thinking that if Setrona doesn't bring them some food promptly, she's gonna hit the attached confectioner's shop soon--nutritious balanced diet be damned!
And if the essays prove to be a real thing, I'm sitting next to Aisling so I can copy off her!
"Your cousin suspects that his armigers are being held at the old Holding House," she tells Setrona, trying her acting chops at appearing pathetically hungry while doing so.
"Ooh--just thought of something!" the bard adds. "I could message Benjen again and get the names of his fellow armiger prisoners, if we opt to go the 'fake transfer orders' route. If Setrona's right and Benny will be moved tonight, I ought to do that right now. Anyone want to come with?"
The woman arches a brow at Lemma, a faint smile lingering about her lips. "That sounds like him. How do you plan to do that?"
Setrona looks confusedly at Jessi. "What do you mean- oh. You misunderstood. I meant that they'll be bringing him back to wherever he's being held this evening. If that's the Holding House, then that's probably where they'll be headed."
After a moment, she shakes her head. "If you rush this, it's gonna be riskier."
Lemma shrugs slightly at Setrona's question.
"It's hard to say before we've looked into things at all. First we need to watch the prisoner transfer from the square to the Holding House. We also need to stake out the Holding House to get some feel for the routine there. It would also be good if we could find someone who can tell us about the place's interior."
"What comes after that depends on what we find out."
And if the essays prove to be a real thing, I'm sitting next to Aisling so I can copy off her!
Aisling nods. "This is a big risk. We need as much infromation as we can get. What about asking the Fushi sisters to do soem scouting for us? They're a lot better at being stealthy than I am."
"It sounds as though you have the beginnings of a plan, then." Setrona says with a slight smile. "I'm more than happy to help you folks out, so don't be strangers. If you need a place to stay at night before going out after curfew, feel free to stay here. I'll make arrangements." She winks.
"If we kidnap one, we have to kidnap them all. At the same time. One Hellknight is freed, Thrune will lock down the others." The Raven takes a seat, leans it back on two legs, and begins fiddling with one of his daggers. "It would be difficult - nay! Near impossible!" He sounds rather pleased with the idea. "So many things to work out. So many things that could go wrong. Travel routes, guard numbers, schedules, and of course, finding the other Hellknights. This should be quite fun."
After discussion of the party's (limited) options, Jessibel returns to the outskirts of the doghousing area, discreetly casts message again, and whispers a few more questions for Benjen.
The prisoners are indeed being held at the holding house, but he has little enough information on its layout - there are a significant number of dottari guards, though he's not sure how many - he was taken through processing, which led directly into the cell block, so anything in the southern parts of the Holding House are unknown to him.
He's pretty sure there's an Asmodean presence there as well.
"Faking transfer papers would be less exciting than a jailbreak, but we have already done one of those." The Raven muses aloud, frowning beneath his mask. "And, if done correctly, a fake transfer to Egorian would not only attract less attention than a jailbreak, it could take Thrune several days to realize he has been had." His tone turns to one of amusement. "Between ourselves and the Fushi sisters, we would need to scout out the prison and see who the highest ranking Dottari is that is stationed there. It would be wise for one of us to impersonate an officer - one that outranks whomever is at the prison to discourage questioning our orders, but not someone of such high ranking as to attract attention. 'The traitorous Hellknights are to be transfered back to Egorian on Her Majesties orders!' The more I think about it, the more I like it. I do love theater."
"Forged documents?" Setrona asks, looking curious. "I know of someone who might be able to help you with those, if you can convince her to do so. Name's Ruba Fenquay. She runs a scrivener's shop over in Old Kintargo, but, well, you'll need some information for her."
After reporting what she learned from her second whispered interview with Benjen, Jessi stands around looking tired and out of good ideas.
"Alright, we have some ideas to work toward and we also have some ideas about what we'll need to know. If the sisters are good for this sort of thing, shall we get them busy with it now?"
Aisling thinks about it quickly. "We'd need the prisoner ID numbers, their names, and some knowledge of which dottari captains are not assigned close by to the Holding House, so as to best ensure that the deceit goes undiscovered. I'm not sure how to get that, but if we can do it we would wkla out of there and they would hold the doors open for us. Plus it would be a waya of showing Octarvio that we can act within the law when needed."
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"Weeell, forgery isn't actually within the law last I heard..."
Not that Lemma seems to really be concerned.
Some of the glassiness leaves Jessibel's eyes as Aisling speaks. "The dottari from the watch towers back near the Long Roads Coffeehouse are about as far from the Holding House as is possible," the bard points out. "I could have Amanda Juliac do some digging. Maybe I could also check in with my friend Carli and see if she has any info that might be of use to us before I cross the Bleakbridge."
Jessi giggles at Lemma's point. "We lose points for working outside the law but gain some back for being subtle."
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Aisling has to crack a smile at Lemma's comment. "True, but for the Thrunes the only REAL law is don't get caught. As long as you present the right forms and follow the rihgt procedures you can do what you like."
She puauses for a moment. "Don't, uh, tell my high priestes I said that."
"...wouldn't dream of it, Aisling." Nyxra cracks a ghost of a smile.
"You may have the others fooled, lady Eagle, but I knew you were a troublemaker from the start. It is always the priestess you least suspect. Setting a terrible example for young Magpie, you are."
Jessibel grins impishly at her mentor's words. "Actually, I think my mother and grandmother would be secretly thrilled if they heard that Lady Aisling was the worst influence I had amongst the new Silver Ravens!" she chuckles.
Setrona looks amused at Aisling's definition of Thrune law. "You're right. Now, my cousin would argue that that's not what the law is - or maybe, not what it should be. But it is what it is for now, and we'll have to do what we can for the time being."
"Now, I'm about to reopen the tavern. If any of you want to stick around - though you'll have to be more subtle than you are," she says to the Raven, "feel free. Might be that you can learn something from my regulars... and if you want to do some things over on this side of the Yolubilis, well... I'll keep a room open for you all."
Aisling looks more serious. "Law should be about justiece. Anyone who doesn't understand that needs to be reminded." As Setrone reopens the tavern, her stomach growls at her - how long has it been since she last ate? "I think we'd all plan better on a full stomach."