Tyranny in Phlan (DM Lerus)

“Sounds like a taller ask to me,” Villonah says. “These guys just betrayed the entire city and they are winning. Do you think they are the regretful type?”

Villonah then agrees to let Utar take the lead, and approves of Doozey’s magical guidance.

“Perhaps I could conjure up a more substantial illusion to further the impact. It will not have sound, but I can choose it's form and animate it however I want. As long as it is not excessively large.”

(OOC Could Neya conjure a Tear of Virulence being shoved into the street from our back alley and then mime them being smashed in the face before slumping to the floor? Assuming it's a yes, I'll continue:)

Utar ruffles his hair and smears whatever grime and blood is already on him over his armour and face then swiftly follows Neya's projected image into the square, swinging Bonecounter ruthlessly towards it to mime a bloody end to the imaginary Tear. Stepping over the twitching body and into the courtyard, Utar spots the two guards and locks his eyes on them before beginning to rhythmically thump Bonecounter against the edge of his shield as he walks towards the guards. "FRESH MEAT FOR THE GRINDER! COME FEED THE GRINDER!"

Intimidation - 8 plus 4 for Doozey's guidance. 

Advantage: 19

Raist takes a step back following Doozey's cantrip, and this duo lets the other half of CRAP take the lead on this planned deceit.

Utar and Neya work out a violent illusion, and the human puts it in to effect, adding a bit of realistic sound to the main feature, albeit with a slight delay. 

A disheveled Utar steps forward to act his role in this pantomime performance. At first, it looks like one of the guards is distracted by the squelching sound not matching the timing of "the Grinder's" blow, but the second Tear of Virulence warrior chalks it up to magic and begins shivering in place. This is enough for the first guy to take a step back, drop the bow he had been holding, turn 180-degrees, and begin running away. The other guard then screams loudly and follows his companion.

The courtyard is now empty to the best of CRAP's knowledge, and the door leading into an up the interior of the Stojanow Gate proper is unguarded. 

"Well, can't say I quite expected that sorta performance, but beggars can't be choosers." Said Doozey after having following Utar only once the screams of panicked guards begin to grow distant. "Right then! Let's get going. Won't be too too long 'fer more Tears or worse heads back this way. If our luck yet holds, ol' boy will be alone to boot." Biscuit lets out a hearty "Boof!" in agreement, before bounding off with Doozey on his back towards the interior of Stojanow Gate. 

(OOC: As a note, in case any want to advise/lean towards going a stealth approach, Doozey would still have conc. active on Pass Without Trace.)

(@Ori: Was your casting of Pass without Trace done without the need for concentration, perhaps through a feature? If not, then its concentration would have been terminated by the casting of Guidance on Utar.)

With the bulk of its defenders now spread across town, be it in pursuit of the remaining Knights of the Black Fist, or searching for the released captives, or even just running away from the quickly forming urban legend of "the Grinder", the Stojanow Gate is more or less unguarded.

Doozey gathers the party's attention, reminding everyone that time is not on their side, even if luck seems to be. CRAP makes it for the entrance into the gate's structure itself and moves quickly once inside. Whatever planning and effort CRAP may have done in order to stealthily enter the Stojanow Gate are, in the end, mostly for naught. There doesn’t seem to be anyone inside at first look. CRAP is easily able to sneak in.

After wandering empty corridor after empty corridor, and more flights of stairs than they can count, Neya, Utar, Sebastian, Raist, Villonah, Biscuit, and Doozey come to an iron-bound door set with a small grate at eye level. Peeking inside, Villonah sees a number of bored-looking guards and reports on her finding to the rest of the team. She adds: "Beyond them, from a small side room, flickering lamplight reveals the shadow of a man within."

Then, without the need for Villonah to report on it, you all hear a voice speak from the other side of the door: “How long are we supposed to stay here, Spernik?” The person asking the question seems to be stifling a yawn. “Until I say you can leave,” a voice calls out from the side room. You recognize that as the voice of Spernik, the false Mantor's Library scribe who turned out to be a Cult member, and later (now) turned out to be some sort of mastermind in charge of the logistics of the Cult's invasion of Phlan.

Both Biscuit's and Doozey's ears perk up at the name, before a feral smile plays at the edge of their lips in hearing the response. "Alright. Time to get this show on the road." The halfling whispered to the others preparing his weapons. If there'd been room to do so, both he and Biscuit would then make their way closer to the door to try and quietly try and open it. But if neither seem possible or practical given the circumstances, he'd look to Neya, and then using his a hand and his head gestures as if to say 'You teleporting in and opening the door?' For if the door was barred/locked in some way, then short of an incredible ruse, the group hadn't many options beyond plan B & E. 

Neya nods. She rides shadows just beyond the door while trying to make as little noise as possible.

Stealth: 20 (20)

edit roll

(@Ori: Unfortunately, CRAP would be going up some steps in single-file as they approach the door.)

Doozey smiles in a feral manner as he hears the name of his target beyond the door. When the halfing makes his intention clear by prepping his weapon, Villonah let's him and the rest of CRAP do the honors, moving back to the end of the single-file approach. Neya gets the nod to move to the front instead, making sure her own steps are as quiet as possible. She hears no reaction from within the room, making her confident that her approach is unexpected should she choose to barge in.

When Doozey mentions the possibility of the door being locked, Neya gives it the slightest of tests. She confirms that the door is indeed locked.

(@CRAP: The ball is on your court. Are you barging in, trying to finesse your way in by unlocking the door, or opening the communication channels through the door first? Or something else?)

Doozey frowned a touch but hadn't seemed all too surprised at the turn of events. In fact, his gaze immediately went to the open view point in the door, and a curt couple of gestures from Neya to the opening, he further emphasized her slipping inside and opening the way. He then turns to the others and whispers, "Worse comes to worse, we bust it down and join her quick as a whip crack. But, we need as much of a jump on them as possible, least he magic himself away somehow." 

As Doozey uses a few extra seconds to observe and plan, CRAP hears the guards on the other side of the door continue to speak:

Voice 1: "Is it me or is the next shift late?"

Voice 2: "We barely put this new Order in place and the slobs are already dragging their feet." 

Voice 1:"Ha! Ain't that the truth."

Voice 3: "I'm sure they'll be here soon. Just shut up and play."

Voice 4: "Yeah! Put your coin where your loud mouth is. Are you betting or not?"