“HmMmm!!…”, says Lia, when Galingal gets the manacles off. She moves closer to him, and holds her wrists out a little towards him. She’s not pushing in front of anyone, but if manacles are coming off she wants to be there. If this brings her closer to Stool too, all the better.

She also looks over to Lex, and begs her, with her eyes, to get this ‘fluting’ mouth gag off her. Her eyes say ‘Uh! Come on come on comeon comeon!!’.

"FORK YES! Thanks, mate!" and he slaps tries to slap Galingal maybe a bit too hard? on his shoulder in thanks.

@Spider, so Thom's manacles that were holding his wrists together are now unlocked? Are all of the other locks unlocked, or just that connecting one? Or was it just one lock and now Thom is free? :D

Thom would've gotten his shard back from Galingal before he tried using the fish tooth. 

Thom goes near Stena and says with confidence "OK. I am ready. My mind is open. Let the communications begin."

((Both hands are free, but still have a collar and length of chain running to belt, and loose manacles clanking about.))

Assuming that no one WANTS to be left out, once Stool had everyone close, he puffs some spores.

<Hello new friends! I'm Stool! I'm hungry...>

It's odd for those of you not included previously, but you get thoughts that convey the meaning of his greeting, if not in literal words.

"IT SPEAKS?!?!" Io jumps backwards scared, then regains her holding and jumps back and runs to the one called Stoll
"IT SPEAKS!!! aaaaahhhhh" she said while pointing esctatically at the mushroom-like figure and looking around to make sure that everyone was seeing it

Galingal looks over quickly at Io's shouting.

<Think, don't shout.> Galingal thinks to Io via the spore connection. <We don't want to draw attention until we're out of here. Someone who can see should keep watch for the guard's shift change.>

While Galingal listens to what the group is to discuss, he notices the hands and shackles being moved in front of him. He reaches out and takes hold of the lock constraining Lia's wrists and tries the fish bone - hair clip combo again.

Thieves' Tools: 6  

<In addition to my amulet and tools, if we can capture a guard with the keys to these locks, that's going to make the escape a lot easier.> Galingal says, his words and grammar flowing much more smoothly through the spore talk.

(Are you kidding, a nat 20 and a nat 1 on the same roll?)

"Woah! We can all talk to each other?!"

<er, I mean, woah, we can all talk to each other!>

<damn Stena, feed it some broth or something yeah? What does it eat?>

<Hey. What do you eat?>

Thom is pretty excited about the fact that they can all communicate this way now. It takes the attention off the situation at hand for him for a moment.

<What's the range on this thing, Stena?>

Thom moves his arms around some more, relieved to be able to fully move his arms. He also puts the flint shard back in his loin cloth. 

As the spores take hold it's a bit of chaos and cacophony in your heads as everyone babbles over one another, the most you're able to make out is snippets of Ront eager to make the escape and kill someone, the Prince swearing vegneance on behalf of his noble lineage, Turvy muttering darkly, Buppido's good cheer, Topsy amazed by the ability to understand the surface folk, Shuushar musing on whether this is a newer, deeper way of connecting with the world, Jimjar's amusement and attempt to set a wager on something, and Sarith trying to convey information about the outpost's layout. Eldeth, used to it from being previously connected, isn't joining in the chaos.  

Eventually, it all calms down a bit and Thom's thoughts make it through the sudden silence (like trying to talk to someone at a party and the music stops and everyone goes quiet while you're still yelling).

<I eat food! What do you eat!>, Stool replies.

If Thom were to move about the chamber, he'd get a sense that the range is about 30 ft, at the far back end  you can't hear the others near the entrance.

Unfortunately the tooth snaps when Galingal attempts to turn the lock.

((At least the nat 20 was the second roll, so it would have been a nat 1 if it was just a straight roll anyway! Always kind of hurts a bit extra the other way around.))

Sarith responds to Galingal's comment about the keys, <They have little need to unlock our manacles, Shoor and Ilvara have the only keys to those, the guards on shift only have keys to the slave pen, which we already have. Do you have a set of picks and the like of your own? Some of your things may be in the armory above.>

<I am not going to wear these any longer!> , Ront bellows, straining against first his manacles, and then the iron collar. STR Check: 22 STR Check: 9

He snaps the manacles fairly easily, but only manages to choke himself in trying to get his fingers under the collar.

The Prince takes a cue from Ront, and strains against his own bindings. STR Check: 21 STR Check: 17

He likewise is able to get free of the manacles, but the collar, though he's able to bend it, is still affixed around his neck.

<Ah, verily that is much better! Noble wrists such as these are not meant for cold iron!>, he seems a bit bummed out when the noble wrists he holds up are furry quaggoth ones.

(haha! funny moment)

Thom is caught off guard <uhhhhh...... food. right, yeah, what else would you eat, yeah? ok, let's get you food once we're outta here, yeah?>

Thom is getting used to communicating this way and after he finds the range of it he says to everyone <distraction likely coming tonight, yeah? we best be ready to use that key>

Is Thom able to try a STR check to break the collar on his neck and then chains from belt? Or was that only because Ront and the prince are quaggoth (and quaggoth form)

((Anyone can try a STR or DEX to break or slip the manacles, but you only get one attempt. Anyone can try STR to break the collar (DEX not possible), but again, you only get one attempt.))

<Yay, food!>, cheers Stool.

Sarith's thoughts come through with some degree of amusement, <I believe any organic matter is potential food for the myconids. However, Thom and Stool raise a good point. If we escape, we'll need to stay fed. Most of the stores would be in the main hall, which is a long way to go without being noticed, I'd not want to get cornered in there and not be able to escape. Other option would be eating what we can find in the Underdark.>

((And that's all the restraints, right? Was there a belt? But we'd still have chains dangling, right?))

Thom's going to try and bend/break the collar enough to get it off him.

STR 3

From everyone else's viewpoint, it just looks like Thom is adjusting the collar to a more comfortable position.

Stena will sigh mentally towards Thom and his questions but will attempt to listen to Sarith, encouraging him to keep on his descriptions.

Seeing the orc and quaggoth break free she attempts to slip her manacles before attempting to break off the collar.

Dex check: 13

Strength check: 10

Stena struggles against her restraints to no avail.

Stena shakes her head and goes over to help Eldeth get out of her manacles and collar.

Stena holds the manacles, while Eldeth tries to compress her hand and yank it through the restraint. DEX: 17

Afterwards, the two dwarves attempt to wrench the collar open. STR 12

 No luck.

Stena will help Lex as well, if she requests it.

<Thom> Galingal thinks. <Can you try and pulls on these manacles while I try to slip out of them? Might be easier that way.>

Galingal then spits on his wrists to try and give them extra lubrication as he wriggles and pulls, twisting his shoulders as he does so.

Dex Check for Manacles w/ help from Thom: 22   

<Yes, I have tools> Galingal thinks in answer to Sarith. <At least I had them on me when I was captured. If they kept them, where would the guards hold our gear.>

After attempting to get the manacles off, he tries his collar too.

<Thom, one more time?>

Strength Check for Collar w/ help: 13  

<Yeah mate, for sure>

Galingal slips his lubed up hands from the manacles, and the collar creaks and bends slightly, but holds.