Night's Plutonian Shore - Chapter 1: Rats in a Cage [Midnight]

[Starman]

Obviously they are sloppy enough to fall half-asleep on guard duty, but are there other signs of sloppiness or internal animosity?

The orcs and goblins have been more disciplined since the legate, Voldrun, has joined the group. You get the sense that he is recently risen to his status. He seems anxious and almost naive.

There is also some tension between the orcs and goblins. The orcs tend to push the goblins around and you have all caught harsh glares directed at the orcs from the smaller creatures when they are sure the orcs are not watching. Scaalix has mumbled a few choice words about the orcs while in earshot of Gunter.

The only ones that seem to be treated differently are in your cage. The woman has been treated somewhat less harshly. The crazy man has drawn the attention of the legate who, along with his hawk, have come by the wagon several times and just stared at him.

The orc, Kryt, has also been treated differently. The three orcs regularly come by and rattle the cage near him, or reach through and hit him, or just snarl at him and call him derogatory names.

At night he tests the bars for weaknesses while the others sleep.

You definitely get the sense that with enough effort the bars of the cage could be bent or ripped from their place. Fine craftsmanship does not describe this cage.

_______

The woman leans forward and scoops a tiny handful of the sludge into her hand. Grimacing, she puts in her mouth. With a concentrated effort she manages to swallow, though she wretches doing it. Looking into her eyes, they seem vacant as if she has given up on life.

The crazy man doesn't seem to notice the food. He rocks back and forth slightly mumbling. "...orb...Phaedra...light..."

The orcs and goblins are preparing to bed down. After some arguing, two goblins, one of them Scaalix, are apparently on first watch. The orcs are quickly asleep, snoring loudly in the shade of the trees.

Voldrun's hawk has been flying over the trees ever since the caravan has stopped. It returns, perching on the legate's shoulder and it almost seems to be talking to him. Suddenly, he stands up. "I investigate strange thing. No mistakes while I gone!" he says to the two goblins before mounting his horse and riding into the trees and disappearing from sight. As soon as Voldrun is gone, Scaalix's partner snorts and grabs a waterskin.

"Ale!" he shouts. Scaalix smacks him upside the head and looks into the trees. When it seems that the legate did not hear them or did not care, they both begin drinking.

 

[Guest 11456]

Kryt Skullbash : Orc Fighter

You definitely get the sense that with enough effort the bars of the cage could be bent or ripped from their place. Fine craftsmanship does not describe this cage.
_______

"Ale!" he shouts. Scaalix smacks him upside the head and looks into the trees. When it seems that the legate did not hear them or did not care, they both begin drinking.

Kryt waits a moment after the goblins begin drinking, then he moves to the opposite side of the cage from them and begins working on the bars. Realizing that he may have little time, he tries to bend the bars enough to allow one of the little people to squeeze through. Then perhaps they could pilfer the keys and open the door.

 

[Walking Dad]

As Craig realizes the orcs plan, he stays ready to squeeze through the bars and rescue the others. Perhaps it was good they don't feed us much he thinks.

 

[Unkabear]

Taellis ghosted up to the Orc and with a nod of respect reaches in to grab at the bars and offer what assitance he could to the bending or breaking of the cage. "Let us work together and we may stand a better chance." He said in what he assumed was terrible Orcish. Buy he immediatly afterward began putting all of his might into the effort.

 

[Starman]

The mighty orc's muscles bulge, straining against the iron bars. With the elf assisting, the bars slowly start to bend. With a little more effort, their should be a gap wide enough for a small person to slip through. Unfortunately, the bars creak drawing the attention of a man in the next wagon forward in the caravan.

"Hey, what are you doing? Do you want to get us killed?" a gaunt Erenlander says in a harsh whisper.

Just as he says that, Taellis and Craig both spot something out of the corner of their eyes. Looking up, they see a small red streak in the sky. It seems to be moving toward the caravan at a high rate of speed. The elf also hears a faint, but high-pitched whine.

The goblins at this point do not seem to have noticed anything.

[sblock=OOC]
Strength Checks

• Taellis - 9+1=10
• Kryt - 14+6+2 (Aid Another from Taellis)=22

Spot Checks

• Taellis - 18+7-2 (misc. mod for distracted)=23
• Kryt - 4-1-2(misc. mod for distracted)=1
• Gunter - 14-1=13
• Craig - 11+4=15
• Sangrin - 2+6=8

Listen Checks

• Taellis - 17+7-2(misc. mod for distracted)=24
• Kryt - 16-1-2(misc. mod for distracted)=13
• Gunter - 3-1=2
• Craig - 7+4=11
• Sangrin - 9+3=12

[/sblock]

 

[Guest 11456]

Kryt Skullbash : Orc Fighter

Kryt shrugs off the comment from the Erenlander and continues to work on the bars as he nods to Taellis. He wishes to open a spot as quickly as possible. They must get the upper hand before the legate returns.

 

[Walking Dad]

Craig stays ready to squirm through the opening.

 

[Unkabear]

Taellis continues to struggle against the bars with the Orc recognizing that he was thier best bet, or at least his best bet to getting out of here. He found a strange feeling within himself, one that he thought that he would never feel. He did not in fact feel like killing this particular Orc.

 

[Starman]

Kryt groans as the iron bars slowly start bending outward. With the help of the snow elf, the orc opens them enough for Craig to slip through. The halfling finds himself on the side of the wagons opposite the goblins and orcs. Everyone in the party with the exception of Kryt is now aware of the bright red line in the sky streaking in from the north-northeast. It resembles nothing so much as a ball of fire and also seems to be the source of the high-pitch whine you hear. Whatever it is, it is going to be here very soon.

As the halfling hits the ground and quickly looks around, the Erenlander in the cage in front of you again calls out, this time a little more loudly. "Fools! They're going to slaughter us all. Just cooperate and we might live." His tone is desperate and pleading. A few other prisoners have heard him, whispers and mutters begin spreading throughout the cages.

The strange man sitting in your cage giggles quietly. "It's here," he says. "The end..." He trails off in quiet laughter. The woman sits forward, a nervous look on her face. She looks toward the goblins and then back at the goblins and then toward the orc and halfling, "I think--" she starts, but stops as the harsh sound of a goblin, Scaalix, hollars out.

"What wrong with you? Shut up or I beat you and kill you!"

[sblock=OOC]
I attached a rough (okay, very rough) sketch of the campsite. North is approximately toward the top of the page.

Strength Checks

• Kryt - 8+6+2 (Aid Another from Taellis) = 16
• Taellis - 19+1 = 20

Spot Checks

• Kryt - 10-1-2 (distracted) = 7
• Gunter - 4-1 = 3
• Sangring - 7+6 = 13

Listen Checks

• Kryt - 14-1-2 (distracted) = 11
• Gunter - 17-1 = 16
• Sangrin - 14+3 = 17
• Craig - 8+4 = 12

[/sblock]

 

[Walking Dad]

Craig

Craig starts immediatly to search the surroundings. Does he find any keys or something to improvise a weapon? He tries to move stealthy to not alert the orcs and goblins. If he doesn't find anything, he will move toward the supply wagon.