Lia looks again at the armour, and decides she’d need to get free, properly, from her restraints, before donning it…

Instead, she pulls the phosphorescent moss she found from her braided hair. She holds it for a few seconds and says a quick prayer, attempting to use it to cast light on itself. If it lights, she weaves it back in to her hair at the crown of her head. Then, using the better light, she searches through anything that looks like personal belongings, looking for anything that looks unique or irreplaceable…

Investigation check (?): 17 (+3 more for perception)

If this doesn’t take all of her time, she would pass more items down following Galingal’s instructions and priorities (or anything special that she found), or any requests.

((Stena would like some studded leather armor and a shortsword. If there is a dagger available she'll take one.))

Minute 3

(awesome about being able to wear the armor!)

Thom will don his studded leather armor and pick up his short sword and stick it somewhere in the armor. 

He would also take a second dagger. (Thom = studded leather, longbow, quiver with 20 arrows, dagger x 2, shortsword)

Thom will send to the Prince Derendil:

Thom sees the prince help Lia up into the armory, and he almost thinks something to her but decides against it as he remembers Stool can hear all comm's (right?). 

Thom will reposition at the other door, bow drawn and readied in case he sees hostiles. He would not shoot to blow the cover, but would shoot as a reaction IF the party is seen. 

He lets the others do the cutting of the ropes. Seems Lex would be perfect given the size of that sword he thinks to himself. 

Lex moves towards the bridge and calls telepathically across for somebody to send Stool over. Assuming he makes his way into the guard tower, she'll work on securing him to her chest with the sling. Once that's complete, she posts up by the bridge, ready to cut the ropes once everyone is over.

Stool slowly starts toddling his was over, when Jimjar hisses through the link, <I hear footsteps from the north! Drow, I think, Stool, either get to Lex or stop moving and get low!>

Stool scoots a bit faster. Stealth: 5

<Fork.>

Seeing Stool's decided lack of stealth, Lex attempts to creep across the bridge, scoop him up, and get back to the tower before anyone can take notice.

Stealth: 2

It's not much better than her trundling footsteps from earlier. In fact, it's much worse. She's still not used to how narrow the bridge is, or how it sways when she walks, and her foot catches on one of the planks. She has to scrabble for the railing to keep from falling, a hissed curse escaping her mouth. Lex stumbles the rest of the way to Stool and shoves him unceremoniously in the sling, mentally apologizing as she does so. She starts making her way back to the tower as fast as she can, shielding the myconid with her body as best as she can, any idea of stealth abandoned in favor of speed.

<Prince, get down, yeah?>

Thom then moves to the other door, pressed against the wall, peeking out to see if he can see what Jimjar hears and what he alerted us to.

He'd wince when he sees Lex's foot catch on one of the planks. 

Stool and Lex's antics on the bridge couldn't NOT be noticed by the drow.

Drow Insight: 12

He thinks something's a bit off, and hurries up the steps, beginning to pull his hand crossbow to bear, calling out in Undercommon. "Hey, where's your escort?"

<Thom. Now?>, asks Jimjar from where he's tucked against the wall in the slave pen.

((Lex and Thom, I'll probably need initiative from you, Io and Stena too if you're looking to jump in, Galingal and Lia are upstairs and noncombatants unless this drags on/escalates.))

<Sarith, you’re up…> thinks Lia.

<I'm not even half dressed! Fork... I'll try.> 

Sarith hobbles over to the doorway, keeping mostly out of view, but extending a hand to wave off the guard while he attempts to disguise his voice.

"Right here, it's all good..."

Deception: 2

Sarith gets a bit tangled up and stumbles, his head and shoulders falling through the doorway before he pulls back in.

<Fork.>

The guard's eyes go wide, and he whips up his crossbow to fire on the prisoners on the bridge.

Guard Initiative: 6

<Fork is right, yeah?>

Thom initiative: 17

Jimjar Initiative: 14

((Thom, go ahead with actions, since anything you do will be before the guard.))

Thom shuts his eyes for a split second to focus. He sends a nod over to Jimjar, and then quietly reaches back and pulls an arrow out of his quiver. He rests the tip of it on his knuckle and holds the other end with his hand as he pulls back on the bowstring. He holds his breath and releases the arrow, a series of actions he is most familiar with. He's aiming for the drow's throat.

Longbow: 14 Damage: 7

Shoot, if Thom is unseen, here's the other d20 12

So 18, that's better if you accept it!

Galingal hears all the thoughts and the mess of stealth and deception going on below and just shakes his head.

"The equipment passed down will have to do," Galingal says to Lia. 

With one 'ear' open to the thoughts of the others and what's going on, Galingal grabs the thieves' tools and goes over to Lia and works on the lock of her collar.

"Hold still," Galingal says. "Hold collar like this."

Galingal demonstrates how to hold the collar so he has easier access to the lock. They don't have much time and he needs all the help he can get.

Thieves' Tools w/advantage (if allowed) from Lia's help:  15  

((Are there any windows or slits in this top armoury tower? Any that face the bridges? Lia is not looking, she’s 100% focussed on helping Galingal with the locks. Just wondered if we would have noticed that?))

((To shoot, Thom will have to step out into the doorway, so he'd be seen and not be able to take advantage of being otherwise in cover before attacking.))

((Ront's been looking for an excuse. 10))

Thom looses an arrow that skitters off the drow's chain shirt and spins down into the webbing below.

Jimjar pushes the gate open and takes a shot from the top of the stairs.

Hand Crossbow Attack: 7 Damage: 8

The bolt flies over the drow's head into the darkness beyond.

<FORK!>

Ront pushes past Jimjar and drow, equipped with shield and shortsword.

Shortsword Attack: 13 Damage: 5

The blade clips the rock wall and misses badly.

<Fork it!>

The drow turns and runs back down the stairs, calling for support, Ront hacking at him as he goes.

 Shortsword Attack: 16 Damage: 9

He reaches the northern outpost and pounds on the door before spinning and sending a crossbow bolt up at Ront, which is quickly followed by a crossbow bolt from the other drow who has now emerged from the guardpost.

Hand Crossbow Attack: 10 Damage: 5
Hand Crossbow Attack: 21 Damage: 6

Ront manages to take both bolts off of his shield.

Thom > Jimjar > Ront > Drow

(oops, Lex you're in there somewhere, no one else has managed to hit so it likely won't change things overly much, but feel free to roll and take any actions you'd like.))

((Understood about being seen! Is the northern outpost that room right beside the quaggoth pen?))

DRAT. Come on, Thom Hayden. Focus. he thinks to himself. 

Thom reaches back and pulls out another arrow and looses it at whichever of the drow he has the best look at.

Longbow: 23 Damage: 7

((Nope, it's an enclosed room. And I don't think that picking locks is something that's really helped by a second set of hands, but the first roll got you there, so Galingal is able to spring Lia from her collar.))

Thom can't decide which drow to target, and in his indecision, ends up missing both.

((I'll pause the NPCs there to get Lex in the mix.))

 Jimjar > Ront > Drow > Thom >

Assuming she has Stool secured, Lex steadies herself on the railing and starts moving as quickly as she can towards the attacking drow. On the way, she hurls another glob of fire towards the nearest guard.

Initiative: 19

Attack: 11 Damage: 6