( Burr is waiting for the Lady's response.)

(Free action)

”Izek” looks up and speaks directly to Lady Bauer, saying, “Daggerford.  Sir Rowan Caskbow.  The River Shining Tavern.  A werewolf hunt, for the Lords of Waterdeep.  Boy, how that went awry… Trust me!  How would I know of these things!  This is all but a ruse, for your freedom, if you won’t blow it!”

Lady Bauer looks sharply from Zefla, to Burr, then back to 'Izek,' her eyes narrowing... then she releases the magic of her spell without completing the casting, shimmers of energy dissipating harmlessly into the air around her.  

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, again," she says through gritted teeth to Zefla.  Behind their backs, she gestures toward both of the guards, the moves a hand to her temple and wiggles her fingers, seeming to try to communicate something to Zefla via hand signals.  

Then, to the guards, she says, "These strangers are no threat to you or me, or to this town, but we mustn't be discovered.  You have to help all of us out of this building, most expeditiously.  If we are discovered, all of us, including the two of you, will be in terrible trouble."

Persuasion:  8

The guards look torn, clearly moved to help Tourmaline, but they don't lower their weapons.  "We're sorry, Madame.  We will see you to safety, but we cannot let these interlopers roam the prison, or co-opt the face of our captain for unknown ends.  They must surrender."

Downstairs, Mastiff-Soren waits patiently outside the front door of the jail.  His keen senses notice an orange glow on the pavement, moments before a mob of 20 townfolk appear, carrying torches and batons.  They stop at the far end of the cul de sac of manor homes, gawking in horror at the spectral bear hovering in the air outside the jail.  

At that moment, the front door opens.  A guard begins to step outside, looking back toward the stairs and muttering under his breath, "Alright, alright.  Don't bite my head off, for Pietro's sake...".

He freezes in his tracks when he turns to look outside.  His gaze lurching from the unexpected mastiff, to the torch-wielding mob, to the hovering ghost-bear.

Round Two!

1. Downstairs Guards
2. Soren
3. 'Izek'
4. Zefla
5. Upstairs Guards
6. Burr
7. Lady Bauer

"Gods be good!  There is a monster out there!" cries the guard at the front door.  He backpedals and tries to shut the door. 

Inside, Soren can see another frightened looking guard - the same one who belt/collared him earlier - peeking down the hall from the rear of the house.  "See?  Told you so."

[If Soren tries to force his way inside, he can attempt an athletics or acrobatics check against DC 4. ]

Mastiff-Soren's Athletics at advantage thanks to Bramble's spirit totem aura:  18

Guessing that Giles is up to something, but still puzzled and concerned about the conversation he hears upstairs (is that Lady Bauer's voice??), Soren also notices for the second time that the downstairs guards seem afraid of the skeletal, spectral Bear floating behind him.

He decides to lean into it.  Mastiff-Soren yelps as if in terror and half-barges, half-scrambles through the gap in the front door as if desperately trying to escape Bramble.  The spectral, skeletal spirit bear lumbers menacingly after him, then locks his eyes on the closest guard.

As the pooch scrambles past, down the downstairs hallway, (taking the disengage action to avoid any guard AoO), Bramble now ignores Mastiff-Soren and begins to advance implacably toward the downstairs guards along the hallway, skeletal eyes locked on them (bonus action).

(Aiming to scare them into exiting the building so he has time to circle back and tell his companions about Ireena, not to mention the angry mob outside).

Soren bursts inside and Bramble lumbers harmlessly but menacingly after.

Upstairs, the guards are still surrounding Tourmaline and demanding that 'Izek', Zefla and Burr disarm and surrender.

1. Downstairs Guards
2. Soren
3. 'Izek'
4. Zefla
5. Upstairs Guards
6. Burr
7. Lady Bauer

Faux Izek stares at the guards as if they are idiots.  “You still don’t get it, do you.  Fine.  Leave it to me to clear the path and speed the way.”  He takes a quick mock bow toward Lady Bauer, then turns, starting to walk down the hall, bringing forth a loud voice, “If you cretins aren’t gone and headed to the western gate to stand guard by the time I get down there, I’m gonna make mincemeat out of ya!  And if there’s some sort of “monster” outside, your job is to go investigate it!  Fight it if needs be!  All will not be bloody well if I come down there and you’re still cowering in here…..”. He starts to stomp down the hall to the top of the stairs.  

Held bonus action : 

Zefla stares in confusion at Bauer's distain at her, isn't she happy they have come to her rescue?  Sure wasn't easy!  Unsure what the hand signals mean, she asks her telepathically, What are you trying to say?  And why are you angry with me?  We're here to rescue you!

After she responds, Zefla will turn to the guards, "Listen to her, you are outnumbered and we are not dropping our weapons." 

Persuasion if needed: 3 (hopefully not!)

She then follows 'Izek' out the door, noting Bauer's statement of needing to leave the building.  If she has another action, she'll dodge in case the guards try and stab her in the back.

Zefla:

[Granting help to Lady Bauer's Persuation check thanks to the support actions of 'Izek' and Zefla...]

Persuasion:  24

The guards stammer, still not sure what is going on.  

"So... you're just trying to help the Lady escape?"

"... Very well.  We will help you get her out of here and then discharge her into your care, provided she is willing.  Let's go."

They don't put down their spears, and still look gravely untrusting of Burr, Zefla, and particularly 'Izek,' but they no longer seem interested in fighting.  

Downstairs, the two guards flee before the encroaching horror that is Bramble, the Creeping Teddy, Eater of Souls.  They exit out the backdoor, slamming it shut behind them.

[For the moment, we are out of initiative.]

The party reunited with Soren-Mastiff on the ground floor, with Lady Bauer and two 'friendly' guards at her side.  

Burr grunts, satisfied, " Right. Let's bloody move then!"

He takes the lead down the stairs in case any guards down there are still in an arguing mood.

Right after he sees Burr or the others coming down the stairs, Mastiff-Soren reverts to half-elven Soren, the muscular canine form shifting like dappled light through the trees back into humanoid shape.  Bramble floats after the downstairs guards menacingly, but stops before reaching the back door.

He steps close, voice quiet (ideally not allowing the upstairs guards to hear) "Did I hear Lady Bauer upstairs?  I found Ireena's location in the Baron's den.  The Baron keeps at least two mastiffs and they mistook me for one, leading me upstairs in the man-den before I escaped.  I scented Ireena through a firmly-shut door opposite where the Baron and Izek were conversing (and where the other mastiffs also were).  There were many other strange scents...  The downstairs guards here in the jail-den have fled from Bramble for the moment, but there is a mob of townsfolk arriving just outside the grounds."

Zefla's face changes as the realization dawns on her with Lady Bauer's words.  She looks to the two guards and wonders how long they will be charmed.  While milling over her words of getting out of this crazy town, they run into Soren.

Happy to see that he was alright as his continued separation from them were starting to needle her.  She almost continues her way down but his words make her stop.  "Yes, she is behind us and we're leaving.  But... there is a mob out there?  Who are they after?"

Giles smiles at Soren, “Izek” standing before him.  “Hullo there doggy….” He chuckles to himself.  “Right.  So, I think we are going to need to change tactics at this point.  I think we need to light some torches, eh?  Where’s a good pitchfork when you need one?”  He turns to the two guards, saying “You might want to consider getting out of those uniforms.”  And to Lady Bauer, as he lets his Izek appearance go, he says “You may also wish to change your appearance, my dear, or…. Can you do that yourself?”  Seeing evidence of her ability to charm others, Giles implies wondering if she can disguise herself as well…

" Myself and Soren can fetch Ireena and we all escape together?", Burr said hopefully.

" And theres a badly abused prisoner downstairs as well."

Soren is at a loss (not sophisticated enough to consider that perhaps Giles wishes to blend in with the mob).

"Light some torches, not-Father?  I think there is already enough light for Burr to see and the rest of us have darkvision.  I do not know what the mob wants, Zefla.  There may be twenty of them.  Perhaps they are upset that with the attacks on the Cathedral and now the gate, the Baron is not keeping the town safe and that 'all is not well.'  Or perhaps they have discovered the fate or fiendish proclivities of our recent dinner host?  I do not know."

He turns to the big man.  "I am glad you mentioned the other person we seek, Burr.  She is upstairs in the Baron's manor, but I doubt the two of us can free her alone.  The door she is behind may require Zefla's skills to unlock, and not-Father's trickery to even reach, with all the guards present.  And Izek, ah... the real Izek, and the Baron are in the opposite room with two mastiffs.  Though perhaps the confusion and chaos with the mob might..."

Soren trails off, beginning to realize what Giles' plan might be, though still looking uncertain.

Lady Bauer looks at Giles.  "I'm afraid I can't do that," is all she says in response to Giles' implication that she should disguise her appearance.  "If I could, it would have already saved me some trouble."  Looking at her, you can't help but notice the bruises on her face, and it looks like the tip was broken - no, sawed - off of one of her brow-horns.

"Now wait just a moment," says one of the guards.  "We are not going to abandon our uniforms.  We are still the sworn defenders of Vallaki and we..."

"Hold on," the other guard says from the window.  He has pulled back one of the heavy curtains and is looking outside.  Through the window bars you can all see the mob gathered outside.  Soren, they seem to have recovered their nerve, likely because the great ghost bear had disappeared.  Most stand in front of the Baron's house, while a few are moving closer to the front of the jail.  "Gods be good... the Baron isn't going to like this."

As the seconds tick by, the tension palpable, Giles smiles, he appears to truly be having fun.  In spite of it all, the danger, the fear, the uncertainty… he seems to relish it, and he starts to roll his lucky coin over his hand, faster and faster, then gripping it, mouth grinning.  “Okay, fine, then guards we will be….”  He turns to Zefla, Soren and Burr.  “We were conferring with the guards before, we helped and gave them information about the attack.  All we have tried to do is to help this town, dammit!  We can say that we heard and saw this mob coming and decided to help.  I think we need to go to that western gate, carry out our own orders… we can talk like we were conferring, Soren, can you use your special “buddy” to lead these people away?  Or at least distract them as we slip out of this door?  Any other ideas?  I wish that I could alter your appearance…” he says to Lady Bauer, “but apparently My Lady has only given me skills to alter my own appearance. I could disguise you, given enough time, time that we don’t have.”  

Giles starts to wave his hands over all of them, suggesting that he could help with their attempts to get away, proposing a casting of Pass Without Trace…. 

Still not receiving any answers to his enquiries about the two other prisoners....perhaps more....Burr was getting extremely antsy....

He looked toward Soren extremely aware that he might be about to commit a few more murders...

Lady Bauer looks ready to curse... then stops, an idea seemingly coming to her.  She moves to one of the covered windows in the jailhouse and pulls down the drapes.  She wraps it around her head in a makeshift shawl, revealing just her eyes.  Then has a coughing fit at the dest and mildew on the old fabric.  "Disgusting..." she mutters as she tucks her tail back into her pants.

"What are we supposed to say?" asks one of the guards.  "Izek will have our hides when he finds out about all this."

"Well, what about the rest of the guards?" the other says, gesturing at the empty downstairs.  "We haven't fled our post... not yet anyway.  We can say... we can say..." he repeats, groping for a way out of his predicament.

"Tell them I used devilish tricks and summoned a host of fell beasts to spirit me away.  Your masters already think me a demon... use that."

"But my lady... that will only drive them to fear you even more.  We want to help you...".

"And you have.  Now, I wish to help you in return.  Worry not about my reputation.  Speak all the evils you can imagine about me, and it should protect you from the wrath of your leaders.  Tell them I cursed their names.  Especially Izek.  Tell him I called him a feckless swine too wretched to be loved even by his pig of a mother."

As the guards consider her recommendations, she turns back to the rest of you.  "I'm following your lead.  My spells are all but exhausted."

Soren stares at Giles, not quite understanding, but does as he is told.  Keeping himself out of sight, he opens the front door and Bramble the incorporeal, skeletal Spirit Bear thunders (well, soundlessly thunders) through, slavering as only a hungry grizzly can.  A spectral, skeletal grizzly.

(Soren can move Bramble 60' every round, but the bear only lasts a minute, so he tries for as much intimidation out of him as he can before he vanishes).

"I know this primal Stealth magic you propose not-Father - and you used it a few days ago at the winery.  A wise choice, most likely.  But I am not clear.  You speak of the western gate.  Yet we still have Ireena to free from the manor, correct?  I know Burr will try to free her with or without us."

Soren speaks softly so the word "Ireena" at least is audible only to his companions.  Then something Burr mentioned nags at the druid.

"Did you say an abused prisoner, Burr?"  (Soren has not seen this prisoner).