AVB - The Fallen One

[TheFallenOne]

With a mad grin, Sedrach goes in for the finish.

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Claw - (1d20+10)[11] (1d4+10)[13] Riposte - (1d6)[2]

Claw - (1d20+6)[17] (1d4+8)[12] Riposte - (1d6)[6]

Claw - (1d20+6)[19] (1d4+8)[10] Riposte - (1d6)[5]

Claw - (1d20+6)[19] (1d4+8)[9] Riposte - (1d6)[6]

Bite - (1d20+3)[9] (1d46+5)[14] Riposte - (1d6)[6]

[Rizban]

You rip him open. He falls to the ground dead and bloody.

Suddenly, the door at the end of the hall behind you flies open.

[TheFallenOne]

Sedrach grabs the sword of the fallen man; no time to properly loot, but bringing the prisoners he wants to free a weapon seems like a good idea. He turns, looking what is about to burst through the door. He could probably handle two men at once, but any more and he'd likely have to use his mobility advantage by blinking through walls. Probably too late for bluffing them into thinking he was the bad guy with the blood around my lips. Oh well, let's roll with it.

[Rizban]

You see two men, obviously not member of the Watch, prisoners by the look of them. They both appear unarmed, but the one in front suddenly summons two large owlbear skeletons.

[TheFallenOne]

"Oi, you!" he calls out, pointing the three arms not holding the sword at them. "Got a sense of irony on you? I went through three watch officers, none too happy to have met me, and they couldn't or wouldn't tell me where the cells are. If you do it will make my day."

[Rizban]

"Yeah, we're just on our way out of the cells. What's so important that you have to murder your way through guards to break into prison?"

[TheFallenOne]

"Guess once or twice of thrice, no make that Seven, as in Dragons of the Empire. Know where the spies are? Help me get them and I'll help you. You won't get past the walls on your own, but I came prepared." He blinks 10 feet to the left to demonstrate.

[Rizban]

"They must be in the lower prisons below where we were held. I'll let you through, then."

The Owlbear Skeletons stand down, and the two men back down the short flight of stairs to the prison levels.

[TheFallenOne]

"Good. One of you need a sword to whack watchmen?" Sedrach walks past the skeletons and down the stairs, offering the sword if one of the men desires it.

[Rizban]

The caster says, "Unnecessary for myself, though I am in dire need of my spellpouch and other confiscated equipment at some point. Need me to have the skeletons break down the door to the lower level?"

The other prisoner readily accepts. "Yeah, I need a good blade."

[TheFallenOne]

"Go ahead. I'll blink ahead and see if I can find my targets. Save your other spells for combat, we should have company soon. See you in a few." Sedrach walks next to the door and blinks on the other side, taking a look around the place.

[TheFallenOne]

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What language is used in the Empire of Seven Dragons? Common? Draconic?

I'm looking for an easy way to conclude someone isn't from there. Something common knowledge in the Empire, but more obscure here. Like every German, even the stupid ones, knows Stuttgart is in Baden Württemberg and München in Bayern, RTL is a TV channel and CSU a political party.

I don't want to end up doing all this for a dirty opportunist who just falsely claims to be one of the spies

[Rizban]

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That would be a Knowledge check.

The other side of the door is simple a stairway that curves around on itself as it descends. At the bottom, you find another hallway identical to the one above. There are four cells all along the same wall. Another set of iron bars prevents you from entering this hallway. At the far end is another set of stairs with yet another door.

Descending the stairs, you quickly loose sight of the men (and owlbear skeletons) you just met.

[TheFallenOne]

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shouldn't I know some basic things about the country I grew up in? At the very least what language is used`?

So at least three levels of cells. Sedrach blinks past the first set of bars, adressing the cells assuming they have a window. "Quick show of hands, who here is an alleged spy from the Empire of Seven Dragons? Don't be shy, I said 'alleged', you don't admit to anything just by speaking up."

[Rizban]

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Ah, right, forgot that was your home country.

They speak a dialect of Common that includes an abnormally high number of Draconic words. Most people cannot speak or read Draconic, but they understand enough of it to get the basic message when someone speaks Draconic to them in an attempt to be understood.

No one responds. It seems as if these four cells are completely empty.

[TheFallenOne]

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well I do have a reason for risking my life on this

He should probably allow the other two a chance to catch up, so Sedrach tries to work the locks on the two sets of iron bars. He then goes to the next level below.

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Guidance of the Avatar charge, Take 10 for an Open Lock of 35

If fail I blink past the bars and down into the third underground level

[Rizban]

You manage to open both locks and head deeper.

The next level is yet another clone of the last, except that this floor is completely unlit. Small traces of the flicking torches from above creep down the stairs but are quickly lost in the darkness below.

[TheFallenOne]

Sedrach activates one of his sunrods and tosses it into the middle of the hallway. He adresses the cells using the Common interspersed with Draconic words used in the Empire. "Hey there, anyone here? I'm looking for some guys or gals accused of being spies from the Empire of Seven Dragons."

[Rizban]

A lone hand reaches out of the cell. It looks rather emaciated, as if the person to whom it belongs has been starved for quite some time.

"Save... me..." The two words are in draconic.

[TheFallenOne]

Sedrach goes to work on the lock. "You one of them? Two quick questions then, how many more are there and in which District were you captured? And speak in the dialect please, not pure Draconic."

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Open Lock 35 again

[Rizban]

The lock refuses to open.

"Water..." In common this time.

[TheFallenOne]

Sedrach blinks inside the cells and offers the speaker his waterskin and one trail ration. "Fine, take a moment to recover. Same questions then."

[Rizban]

He drinks the water and tries to chew the trail rations, but the hard, dried rations are too difficult for him to do more than chew at feebly.

He coughs several times as he tries to speak, his voice obviously unused to speech.
"Yes, I'm from the Empire. Was amb...ambassador until the Empire abandoned me. Arrested for murder after I killed an assassin. Stupid. Real stupid."

[TheFallenOne]

"Oh, so you're not with the Empire anymore? And they tried to kill you? That's rough man."

[Rizban]

"I don't know who sent assassin. Was forsaken after arrest. Too much political trouble, they said."

[TheFallenOne]

"I see. And would you happen to know of any spies from the Empire who got arrested as well? I can help you, if I consider you useful..."

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if I know the rough date of when the arrests happened I mention it

[Rizban]

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You do not have that information.

"N..No. I've b..been in here I think... um... five years? They u..used t..to treat..t me w..well, but {HACK COUGH} they t..tend to forget a..about me n..n..now."

[TheFallenOne]

Well, he wasn't the price he came for, but if he found the spies he could just ask them what to do with the sad former ambassador... "Climb into my Bag of Holding, we're leaving this cell. Hophop." He holds the bag open and once the man is inside he blinks into the hallway again and works the lock to the fourth underground level.

[Rizban]

Seeing a chance to finally escape, the old man tenderly climbs into the bag. He, however, refuses to let go of the edge of the bag, leaving his fingers sticking out. From this position, he will get plenty of air and also be able to open the bag from within if necessary.

The lock on the next door refuses to open. It seems to have a much better lock than the other doors.

[TheFallenOne]

With a shrug, Sedrach blinks again and enters the fourth underground floor, lighting another sunrod.

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By Diablo I standards 1-4 should be stonework, 5-8 old catacombs, then mines and hell itself