To Stool,

<Watching for the drow and shift change. Are you ready to move quickly Stool?>

She relays whatever she sees to Galingal.

Thom would've went over to Lia with Galingal and assisted him with cutting that horrific feeding tube from her mouth.

Then to Thom's surprise, when Lia starts what he thinks seems like ogling over Galingal, he thinks to himself (which might now be heard by everyone, not sure?!) <oh GODS are ye both serious? save it for after we escape yeah?>

Thom sees lo struggle with her manacles and collar and says to her "Don't worry. We'll get them off soon, yeah?"

Once everyone is finished trying to escape from what they can escape from, Thom would listen intently to the thoughts that Lia, Stena and the others are asking Sarith and more importantly his responses. 

Thom would think to the others <yeah, not really keen on jumping down on to those spiderwebs.>

He'd nod his head at Galingal when he mentions securing the guard outpost should be the first thing we do, and his eyes widen a bit when he speaks of being able to cross the bridge in the blink of an eye. <wow>

After a pause in the thinking, Thom will think to everyone <I mean, it might all depend on what kind of distraction Jorlan's talking about here, yeah?>

<Heck, we might just have to hit those webs after all.>

So, Thom agrees with the plan to take out guard outposts if needed, then potentially get to the armory, then across the bridge to the waterfall. Basically agreeing with Sarith's plan. But it all depends on how this 'distraction' goes. 

<oh, we need to find a way to get all of these shackles off all of us too, yeah? Guards may have a key.>

(Speaking of keys, @JadePT, did lo give the key to the cell to Thom? I looked back and it seems she was talking about it but I don't think it was clear. Did she, or does she still have it? Thanks!)

<Yep! Didn't you see me sprint over here?>, Stool says proudly to Stena.

((It was at best a casual stroll by even your pace.))

<Sorry, I was distracted. Quite impressive.>

Stena tries to catch Lex's eye and give a significant glance towards Stool.

She checks on the twins,

<Are you two okay? Ready to go?>

((If they still have their shackles and stuff she'll offer to help them.))

Turvy mutters something to Topsy, who responds to Stena.

<We tried, but they're too tight. we're too bruised up to try again today.>

Lex looks up from where she and Buppido are attempting to get free, and nods.

Buppido DEX: 8
Buppido STR: 18

Lex STR: 14
Lex STR: 15

They both manage to get free of the manacles.

((ArtymisMoon hasn't posted in a week or so, hopefully will be able to return soon, but I don't know when. Until they do, I'll be making moves for Lex, but won't be attempting to RP her dialog, as I don't feel it's my place to do so. She'd already expressed a willingness to carry Stool, particularly if a pack of some sort can be found, so she'd agree with Stena's silent assessement.))

((Lia also offered her short tail-whip to Lex too, just so you can keep track of items/weapons. Hands free will help with that, so that’s cool)).

Also - Thom asked lo to try the key on his manacles and collar, I'm not sure if that happened, but Thom would for sure try the key now on his remaining collar (if it has a lock?) just to make sure that the key isn't just for the door. 

((The 'chained heart' is for the collar, the lock is for the manacles. The 1 is a 'cooldown' on attempts to break or wriggle free. You can try again tomorrow if you're still restrained.))

Completely free: 
• Sarith
• Shuushar
• Stool
((Good to have an 'S' name that isn't Stena, I guess!))

Free of manacles, but not collar:
• Buppido
• Derendil
• Galingal
• Jimjar
• Lex
• Ront
• Thom
((Not restrained, but have disadvantage on Stealth checks.))

Restrained by both manacles and collar:
• Eldeth
• Io
• Lia
• Stena
• Topsy
• Turvy
((Restrained, disadvantage on Stealth checks.))

(OOC Is the restrained true restrained? ie 0 movement? Or maybe just slow movement?)

((Restrained in all aspects except movement.))

<Oo, look Stena, one of them is leaving!>

Sure enough, the drow wearing black studded leather and carrying a shield has departed the guardpost and is headed across the softly swaying rope bridge. The elite warrior has left, the two remaining are the regular drow guards. A few moments later, and the elite is out of view to the left, and the two remaining are mostly looking in his direction and seem irritated. Perhaps at being kept overly long at their shift while those off duty are enjoying roast meat?

You'd have noted it before, but the swaying of the rope bridge doesn't hamper the drow's movement across it.

((Have we traversed these bridges too? How have all the prisoners found the swaying?))

((Yes, you've crossed these bridges to go anywhere in the complex other than to the quaggoth pens, they would be considered difficult terrain to any non-drow.))

At hearing Stool's thought that one of the drow guards is leaving, Galingal looks around at the group.

<This could be it.> Galingal thinks at the others. <Does anyone remember if there was going to be a distraction? And who has the key?>

He passes the dagger from one hand to the next, closing his eyes while he does so. Then he takes a deep breath and traces several of the scars on his arms and the tattoos on his chest and shoulders with the dagger, pressing down but not breaking the skin.

He opens his eyes, calm, and ready to move.

<If it's go time, how are we doing this? Some of us are still pretty chained up, and all *this* isn't going to be good for sneaking past some guards.>, Eldeth thinks, rattling her chains.

<Galingal, you said you can get there quick, you going to be able to keep those two from raising the alarm? I bet five gold you can drop one before his buddy has a chance to stand up. Any takers?>, muses Jimjar.

<I have this... I'm free of the manacles and can move well across the bridge.>, Sarith wedges loose a bit of rock and draws forth a crossbow bolt from where he normally sleeps. <The poison should still be effective.>

<Freed of my bonds, I am, but violence I still will not do.>, Shuushar remarks, his mental 'voice' much less gurgly and odd.

As you all are musing, Thom, you notice Sarith staring intently at you.

@Thom

Galingal looks at Jimjar and Sarith.

<Perhaps one without alarm.> Galingal thinks to the others. Then he takes a quick glance at the guard post across the bridge, judging the distance. <Whoever has the key opens unlocks the cell door quietly. I will slip out and then once out of this cell, I can get behind them unseen. Just. With luck I can fell one immediately, which would cause the other to turn. That would give Sarith a clear shot at the back of the second, silencing him before he knows what has happened.>

He takes a short mental pause.

<Then the rest come quickly across the bridge, we raid the armory and then head across the second bridge towards the waterfall. The closer we get to the waterfall, the less the noise from these chains will matter. But if my tools are over there, we might be able to all get out of collars and shackles before leaving the armory.>

He then looks at as many of them as he can quickly.

<Any other ideas?>

Lia had confirmed and shared that as soon as she stepped onto the bridge, she was able to use magic. 

The guard tower has doors, though they are not always closed, and aren't typically locked. They swing inward, and both are currently open. The doors have a slot at head height on a drow, and are constructed of the same fungal wood as is used in the rope bridges.

@Galingal

<Your idea is worth a shot elf. I don't have any better idea.>

When Galingal asks for any other ideas, Lia nods and beckons him away from the bars slightly, just a little out of view, so she can take her mask off again and speak. She takes it off and almost pukes again, but manages to hold it together.

In a voice that’s not been used for days, she croaks “My-k.. voice-k…”. She chokes and almost gags again. “If I can get… huh… to the bridge…”. She sighs, “I can <cough> affect them with my.. voice”. Right now it doesn’t seem very convincing. But her voice is coming back to her bit by bit.

“If they can hear me, I can hurt them… or… or I could heal you! Or…”. She thinks for a second, trying to compose the right thoughts together… As she thinks harder, her thoughts break through into Stool’s telepathic link, clearly, and powerfully <EMPOWER YOU!!!> she blurts out, not used to how this thought-speech works.

<I could empower you…> she ‘thinks’ again, getting used to it quickly.

<Just let me try….>

Lia hums, out loud, using her voice but only quietly. The sound comes from her voice… but also comes telepathically, through Stool. The sounds overlapping and layering.

The vibrations can be felt ever so slightly in Galingal’s chest, and ears, but mostly in his mind… and all at the same time. Then she starts to sing, only quietly, and slightly hitching out loud… but much more clearly, and louder, through the telepathic link. 

The song starts slightly grotesquely and haunting. Is it about Galingal’s mask? His scars? About running from here? It’s confused at first…

A little something like this…

But as she gets her voice back and begins to master singing through ‘thought’, she starts overlaying voice upon voice, creating and thinking up more and more complementary beats and melodies, overlapping, and layering…

Eventually finishing more like this…

A dozen voices ringing out in Galingal’s mind, all unified around the idea of getting the hell out of here. ((Galingal can take a D6 bardic inspiration dice)) 

Lia collapses to her hands and knees, exhausted from the effort. Overwhelmed slightly by being able to layer her voice and basically ‘think’ her song into existence. She seems to be both laughing and crying at the same time.

She stares at the floor almost unbelieving. Marvelling slightly at the possibilities.

Eventually she looks up at Stool, <You’re a very special little being… You know that don’t you?…>.

<I am? I like you too. You made ticklish thought sounds with your mouth flaps!>