And now for something completely different......(DM: Argent) [Random Character Generation]

Rowena looks at Iroona, "you think we should go that way then, towards the light? If everyone else agrees then as there is light I will take lead unless someone would rather, but if it darkens then someone with light is going to need to stick close to me as my maul takes two hands and I cannot carry a torch and wield it effectively!"

Iroona looks at Slate's Lighted shield pointedly. "Maybe Slate should go first?"

Rowena shrugs, "whatever works, does that sound good to you, Slate, take the lead and get first call on any plunder. Or a mage can just put a light my maul and I don't have worry rushing in the dark, either will work."

Slate

"I'm fine taking the lead..." Slate moves towards the direction Iroona is pointed, "...besides a first share of that plunder means I can treat someone special to an extra ale when we get back" she then winks at Iroona and heads down the hall.

Rowena laughs, "now that is the spirit Slate," and follows close behind.

As you all stand there deciding where to go you hear frantic cries coming from behind the crude wooden cage door to the south.  The voices are hoarse and weak but you can clearly understand them speaking Common

"Help!"

"Hey who's out there? save us!"

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease......"

Slate

Slate follows the sounds of the voices, her shield at the ready in case it's a trap. "Who's there" she calls out to the voices.

A row of rough-hewn sapling trunks forms a crude but serviceable barrier across the mouth of this small cave. A door locked with an iron padlock secures the room. Inside, you see two filthy prisoners dressed in tattered rags, crowding close to the door.

“Thank Yondalla!” one cries out. “We’re rescued!”

"I am Geradil and this is Courana....please let us out"

Von shudders. We shouldn’t. They might be hostile.

Iroona steps up to look, peeking around Slate. "Hostile? They can barely stand up. Here, I can open that." There is a popping noise and she is holding the jagged, dark sword you saw before, summoned out of nowhere. She starts whacking on the padlock with it, though she's not very strong so the whole operation is a little loosey-goosey.

Action: Attack padlock with Shatterspike (already rolling double damage for auto critical vs objects): 5 to hit, for 13 bludgeoning damage

Repeat until stopped or padlock is done for.

Slate

Slate smiles a deep white toothed smile as she watches Iroona begin to pound away at the lock, "That'a girl!" she says very content with the situation.

One mighty swing from the Unstoppable Iroona is enough to shatter the door open!

The two humans emerge from their cell

"Thank you so much for releasing us. We both come from a small settlement a few miles from Blasingdell, and the orcs have held us captive for almost a month because our families could not afford the ransom the orcs wanted.  Are the orcs dead?" the one called Courana says looking around.

Rowena just stands back and watches with a look of amusement, rather impressed with Iroona thinking the scholarly wench is tougher than she looks.

Iroona lets the sword go and it pops back out of existence. "We have dispatched two orcs, well four, counting the sentries. How many are there?"

"Only four? maybe the other raiding party is still outside then....." Geradil says "we must go quickly before they get back!"

Rowena scowls at them and asks, "we've killed four of them, so how many orcs have you both seen running about the place or your best guess?" Turning to the others, "what next? Direct these two to the exit, if we do that then they would risk running into a raiding party on their out which would alert the orcs or do we take them with us deeper into the lair?"

At the mention of taking them along Courana blanches

"Oh no, we can't possibly go with you deeper in to the lair, we need to get home to our families, so they know we are ok."

Iroona believes them. But just in case: Insight! 10

You genuinely can tell she is scared - and both of them do not look like fighters of any sort, especially not after a month of captivity.

You Don't need to fight to be hostile. Von points at Rowena. Want your stick back?