Dragons of Autumn-DL III-Pax Tharkas

[wxdruid]

In one prison there were 34 women from Solace, Gateway and Haven. In the other prison there were 60 women from the Northlands. In the last prison were 45 young women with no children. Most of these freed women are hiding out in the cellar store room.

[Toliudar]

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Cool, thanks!

Wait. Most of the women are hiding out? What are the others doing?

[wxdruid]

You have a few of them with you so the group will blend in a little better.

The older children gather closer to Pearl as Tygerlilly continues to make her rounds. She's having a good old time and she doesn't look like she's going to be slowing down anytime soon. The younger children are dragging her closer to the dragon and they're giggling and it seems they are daring her to touch the sleeping red dragon. Tygerlilly looks back briefly, but Pearl looks busy and she's very curious to see what a red dragon feels like, who know? She wants to know.

Maritta is watching Pearl and nervously waiting.

((need to know what you will say and a diplomacy check))

[Philistine]

Gneiss hustles over to interpose himself between Tygerlilly and the children on the one hand and the sleeping dragon on the other. He waves to beckon them closer; once he's gathered as many as he thinks will come, he speaks in a whisper. "Is everybody ready to leave here, and go back to your families? Yes? Good. Now remember - if you wake up the dragon, the dragon won't let you go. Tygerlilly," Gneiss turns to address the kender directly. "I know you wouldn't want to wake up that dragon, so that these kids could never see their families again. Right? So I need you to help out here. Find a quiet game to play, over on the far side of the room from the dragon. We'll be ready to go soon."

[Philistine]

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Maybe this one will show up correctly. Also... gulp!

Diplomacy: (1d20+3)[7]

Let's see how much worse Gneiss can make this.

[wxdruid]

um, er, Tygerlilly gives Gneiss that dreaded look, one full of mischief. I don't know, the dragon hasn't woken up yet, why would touching it make it wake up? The children gathered around look at Gneiss, he's short, he's a dwarf, are dwarves fun? They have a lot of experience with gully dwarves in here. After all, they do the cooking (if you call it cooking)? Sometimes they come in here, and they always smell. A few of the children lean close, sniffing, well, he doesn't smell that bad and he's not carrying any rats. Should they believe him? They're not really sure, they already love Tygerlilly and she doesn't seem that convinced that Gneiss is right about not touching the dragon and she really really really wants to touch the dragon. She starts inching around as the children squeeze in around Gneiss, touching him, poking him...testing to see what kind of dwarf he really is.

[Toliudar]

Pearl gestures for the kids to gather close and speaks as softly as she can.

"Listen. We're going on a special adventure, and we need all of your help. You've been so brave, being here away from your parents, and now we want to get you back together with your mothers and fathers. I want the older kids to each pair up with a little one, and keep them safe and with the rest of us. We're going to go through some hallways, and then to a special place where a lot of the mothers are waiting for you.

It's very, very important that, once we start to move, we all stay as quiet as we can. It's like what we're doing is a special secret. If any of the goblins or the dragon-men come by, I want all of you to get back against the walls. Don't run away. That's very important. Just stay where you are, make yourself small, and my friends and I will come help."

She nodded, glancing over at the dragon's sleeping form and thanking Mishakal for small miracles.

"All right. Find a partner, and let's go."

She turned to her colleagues and lowers her voice further.

"At this point, our disguises won't help us if we're spotted, since the women wouldn't have permission to travel with the children either. You can stow the cloaks for now, but keep them - we might need them later. Gneiss, Maritta and Lagri, I want you in the lead. Bryce and Tygerlily in the back. Hector, Kalrin, Eben and I distributed in the middle. Gneiss, want the shortest route back to the escape tunnels, understand? Our goal is to get these kids to the tunnels without any guards raising an alarm. Which means taking any opposition out quickly, without letting anyone escape. Clear? Comments?"

Spoiler

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Diplomacy (1d20+15)[22].

So sorry for the delay.

[SilentNight]

Kalrin beckons to Tigerlilly, "Come along little one, there's still more of the fortress to explore, who knows what they've got lying around." he then takes his place in the group once everyone starts moving.

[wxdruid]

Tygerlilly suddenly stops in place, hand outstretched, she quickly yanks it back as first Pearl calls her name, then Kalrin. She looks back at them, they don't say anything about not touching the dragon and she was so involved with her task that she didn't hear a thing Pearl said. The children around Gneiss are poking, prodding and pulling on his beard (provided he doesn't stop them) and giggling a little.

The older children around Pearl nod and quietly gather up siblings and toddlers. This is something the older ones have been hoping for, while they love the red dragon nursemaid, they love their parents more and have missed them terribly.

Tygerlilly pops in a quick touch, might as well, everyone else is busy, then hops on over to Kalrin and yanks on his robes a little as if to say she's here, Let's go exploring? Where are we going? Somewhere else more exciting?

Maritta and the women with her, work with the children, quietly getting them in a line, holding hands, gathering up the little ones and carrying the ones that can't walk very fast. They're extremely nervous about this next step, will they make it down the stairs before someone spots them? Will they escape this horrible place?

Soon enough, or it seems like forever to Tygerlilly, she's the impatient one, everyone is in line, ready to go, the others have taken their spots, it's up to Gneiss to lead the motley group out of the dragon's lair.

((make move silently checks))

[Toliudar]

Pearl: (1d20-5)[12]

[SilentNight]

Kalrin
Move Silently:(1d20+3)[8]

[Philistine]

Frowning, Gneiss spends several minutes trying to gently swat small, tugging hands away from his beard until the expedition begins to look more organized again. He moves up to the front with a sigh of relief, and sets off into the complex once again.

Spoiler

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Move Silently: (1d20+8)[14](22)

[GrassyGnoll]

Lagri moves silently.

(1d20+3)[10]

[wxdruid]

Most of the children follow Gneiss readily, Pearl has impressed them that it's time to leave and they want their parents. Gneiss leads the way with Maritta close behind him and Lagri, a few children behind, the older ones are very curious about the warrior. They've never really seen anyone like him, but they're also a bit afraid of him. Bryce heaves a sigh, ready to be out of here and Tygerlilly joins him in the back, waiting for the people in front to leave. She'd rather be with Kalrin, but, you, know, she'll have the last look at the dragon and that makes up for it.

Almost all of the children have passed through the doors and into the long hallway when one confused six year old calls out, Goodbye, Auntie Dragon! There's a sudden confusion among the children as they look back to see the dragon opening her one good eye. Tygerlilly is fascinated as she follows the children's looks and the dragon is awake!

((what will you do? There are about 25 children left in the room with the dragon. Hector, Kalrin, Pearl, Eben can hear the child as he says goodbye and the reply, Bryce and Tygerlilly are in the rear. Gneiss in the front is already passing through the doors on the far end of the tunnel and shepherding the children into the larger room. Maritta is busy helping him and Lagri is?))

Flamestrike opens her one good eye and the few remaining at the rear, see her pupil dilate to activate her darkvision. Goodbye, little one, and suddenly she raises her head. Maritta? Where are you taking the children? Maritta?!?

((several choices, fight? get Maritta to respond? try to negotiate? something else? Sorry I haven't posted, been stressed at work and then extremely tired))

[SilentNight]

Kalrin, reacting quickly, casts an illusion over the children, extending into the hall. "Quickly now little ones, and quietly, there will be treats for all if you don't making a sound."

((Major Image of an identical group of children over the first, configured in such a way that the children can leave unnoticed. The illusionary group will continue to talk to the dragon.))

[Toliudar]

Pearl notes Kalrin's subtle attempt, and smiles. Brilliant. The mage had wit, subtlety and power. They were blessed to have him in the team. She gestured the others to rush ahead through the doorway. She murmurs to Bryce as they dash out.

"If this doesn't work, then conversation with one of us might keep her busy while the rest of you keep going. The dragon won't be able to follow into the narrower tunnels. I'll join you if I can."

Pearl hangs back outside the doorway, drawing Tally and offering up a quiet prayer to Mishakal as the others continue outside.

[Philistine]

Gneiss looks back over his shoulder, wide-eyed, at the sound of the child's farewell. He pauses by the door, ushering the children to keep passing through as Kalrin's illusion springs into being. Good start. Great, even. But the dragon is going to expect something more. He looks over to Maritta. "You don't have to go back in there, but you need to answer," he hisses. "Tell it something. Tell it, ah... the children... need baths. And... you've got to take them all at once because the water won't stay warm long enough to get them in shifts."

[GrassyGnoll]

Lagri stood at the door's awning, grasping the haft of his polearm in a loose wrist. With the other hand he pulls his side of the doorway shut.

"Ven ze vyrm breaf, slay before she can breaf twise."

[Equip. Close 1/2 door.]

[Toliudar]

Pearl glanced at the size of the dragon, and back at Lagri. Maybe they just made people tougher out on his island home. Or more stupid.

"We were able to kill a dragon once because we had the staff. I doubt we'll be so lucky this time."

[GrassyGnoll]

"Da, ze staff," Lagri nods, "It not ess-cape zis time.

[Toliudar]

Pearl tilts her head, wondering if there was a language that Lagri actually spoke, or if he simply assumed that other people's words were agreeing with his own interior monologue. Regardless, this was hardly the time to tease out the tangled threads of that tapestry.

[wxdruid]

Dragon Room: Kalrin rushes back through the corridor and stands just at the doorway to cast his spell. He hopes he's far enough in the shadows to escape notice as the new group of children appears over the previous group and they begin to chatter to the dragon. The dragon peers around at the new group, she huffs at the air, testing it, and mutters a little at the state of her hearing.

Corridor: Bryce gives Pearl a look of 'I wish and I agree'. He wants this to work, he'd rather not fight an old, enfeebled dragon.

Children's Playroom: Maritta just stares at Gneiss in shock at his suggestion. Tttttallkkk to ttthe drrragon??? Me? I can't say anything. In fact she seems fearful of even trying. It was one thing to go in while the dragon was asleep, but now?

The children keep filing past Gneiss and Maritta into the larger room, waiting to head out into the hallway. The smell of the soup pervades this room and some of the children are already investigating the soup pot.

Dragon Room: Back in the room with the dragon, Kalrin is pushing Tygerlilly through the door, past Lagri and down the hallway with the last of the children as the dragon settles back down, now that the children are still with her and she's tired. The gambit seems to have worked, the dragon is soothed by the sounds of children playing.

[Toliudar]

Pearl waves for Maritta and the others to keep going with the children, as quickly as possible.

[SilentNight]

Kalrin maintains concentration on the illusion, having one of the "children" ad an "Auntie dragon's sleeping, shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," while whey continue their game at a slightly reduced volume. Once the rest of the group is a safe distance away, he'll make the illusion exit out the far door and then rejoin them.

[Philistine]

Gneiss shakes his head, a little irritated. "Never mind now, looks like we got away with it. Come on, let's keep these kids moving." Gneiss turns and starts trying to chivvy the youngsters away from the soup pot.

[wxdruid]

The youngsters start complaining that they're hungry and it smells good and why can't they stop and get something to eat? They're easily distracted from the mission. Gneiss begins to think he'll have to explain everything all over again, but at least they escaped from the dragon.

Tygerlilly is busy pulling extra bowls and spoons from her knapsack and handing them around, she's distracted as well. Children are always so much fun. If anyone looks closely at the bowls and spoons, they're all stamped with the word "Trog". Obviously she got them from somewhere...

The last person out from the dragon's den, softly closes the doors and hurries back to rejoin the rest. Kalrin softly shuts the next set of doors and leans back against it, resting for a moment, relieved that it worked, for a moment there he had a doubt, but, the dragon is so old.

Bryce takes a moment to go to the doors to the outside and carefully peers out, only opening the door a crack. He doesn't spot anything unusual, but he can just pick out the sound of voices from around the corner. After closing the door, he reports his findings to Pearl.

((posted now that the forums are stable again))

[Philistine]

With a despairing look, Gneiss waves frantically to Pearl while pointing at where Tygerlilly is unpacking dishes. He backs away toward the outside door, which he quietly slips through and then pulls closed behind him. He listens carefully for a moment before peeking around the corner.

Spoiler

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Hide: (1d20+8)[9](17)
Move Silently: (1d20+8)[17](25)
Listen: (1d20+9)[9](18)
Spot: (1d20+9)[3](12)

[wxdruid]

Gneiss - extra silently and with great stealth, opens the door to the outside hallway. He pauses and listens as he quietly shuts the door again. ((rest in PM))

[Philistine]

Gneiss attempts to get a rough estimate of the number and type (draconian, goblinoid, human, ???) of guards ahead before slinking back to the main room with the others. There he'll describe the scene in the guardroom to Pearl. "Do you see another way to go besides through that room?" he asks quietly.

[wxdruid]

Gneiss reports back to Pearl, noting what he saw in the hallway.

Tygerlilly and the children are busy chowing down on the soup. Bad, good, or indifferent, they're hungry and it's here for the eating. They don't question how Tygerlilly came up with so many utensils. She's a Kender.

((waited for posting...no posting... Gneiss is getting a PM))