About an hour after Balassar leaves, you are bored, waiting, keeping watch. The side alley is dark, but a little light makes it in from the street where torches are illuminating the space even at this time of night, or time of morning. It's not yet dawn, nowhere near it; the quietest time of night, where it appears no-one else is up and awake. A Crownsguard patrol passed by thirty minutes ago; you noticed that one of the pair was not wearing the Crownsguard uniform, but they seemed to be working and patrolling together.
Everything goes dark. Complete blackness surrounds you, and you see nothing. You are not unconscious, nor do you hear anything, but it's as though you've been suddenly struck blind.
Very much so. You've seen many drow, even those with little other magical talent, make use of it. You can make an additional arcana check to see if you know more.
Silent swears loudly, staggers to his feet, makes to draw his blade and tries moving in the direction he thinks the prisoners were seated, yelling, This is not a road I'd advise going down!
Silent, you don't know anything more than I mentioned above.
You are seated close to the prisoners, and as you move towards them, you can feel they are both still where they were, both still restrained. They don't appear to have moved or done anything.
Roll initiative please. Just Silent, for the moment.
A voice calls out, in accented common that you suspect marks a Xhorhasian speaker, low enough for you to hear: Drop your weapons, and you will live. We have no wish to kill today.
You hear footsteps; stealthy, but clearly audible. Someone fumbles at the carriage door further from you, closer to the prisoners. It opens. There's definitely someone close to you.
Slow your roll, mate. Take one more step toward your convict friends and I'll put a greatsword through their necks. Ain't nobody said we needed to deliver 'em in one piece. So why don't you dispel your magic tricks and let's negotiate like men?
Silent will continue moving until he can touch at least one of the prisoners. If possible, he will then Ready an Attack with his greatsword against the first creature (aside from the prisoners) he perceives moving into his melee range. If he can't Ready an Attack in this way, he'll take the Dodge action.
Silent, you do find one of the prisoners; they are where you left them, and have not been released.
There is complete silence. An uneasy silence. You hear no movement. No sign that any of the newcomers, or the other prisoner, is making a move. Though it's hard to be certain.
Silent is up again. You can attempt to persuade or intimidate further, and make the appropriate check, or do something else.
Would you look at that, someone ain't so talkative anymore, eh? Funny how this sword tends to shut fools up.Maneuvering by touch, Silent angles the edge of his greatsword towards the neck of the prisoner he's closest to. Drop the spell. Now. Ain't asking again.
(Chained for sure. Gagged, I'd like to think Silent would have had the wherewithal to gag them after it became clear they wouldn't be conversing, but you can make a call on that)
As the silence stretches, Silent groans. Ah, nine hells. Well, guess you can tell. I ain't near cold-blooded enough to chop heads off folk in chains who ain't wronged me. So like I said... let's negotiate.He lowers his sword from the neck of the prisoner but now holds it across his body in a guarded stance. You ain't done me no harm yet. Yet. So what d'you want and how are you gonna make it worth my while? If I let you make off with these lot it'll be my head on the line and I'd rather risk a fight with you lot than with my employers. Gonna need something good in return for that trouble, you understand?
The darkness vanishes, and the dim light of the city night returns. Silent is inside the carriage, so doesn't have a clear view of what is outside, but he can see at least four drow, two on each side, wearing dark, insect-like armour that is very familiar to you; soldiers or assassins of the Bright Queen would wear such armour, and it's astonishing to you that they would be present in Zadash.
We are taking our own back, one says in common. Do not interfere if you wish to live.
Switching to Xhorhasian Elvish, Silent says, Good. Now we understand each other. You see my blade, you hear my tongue. Once we may have been brothers in arms. Now we find ourselves... here.
I need answers if we're to do this peacefully. I need to know how you came to this city without notice, how these soldiers found themselves in a prison wagon, where you intend to go. My loyalties are to the people of Wildemount, Dynasty and Empire be damned. If you intend to put this city or any other to the sword... I cannot allow you to leave this place. And conversely... if there is aid I can offer under good conscience, you shall have it. But I am no lackey to be ordered around under threat of violence. You do not wish to fight a man with nothing to lose backed into a corner.
There's a long pause, and then you get a response from one of the masked figures, in the same language:
These are soldiers of the Dynasty. Not high ranking. Their superiors have been taken by the Empire for questioning and are beyond our reach. We will recover these two if we can, so that they do not die here, so far from home. You should understand this, I think. We have no orders other than to retrieve them and leave; that I can promise to you. But I will not share with you military secrets.
There's no response from the prisoners.
About an hour after Balassar leaves, you are bored, waiting, keeping watch. The side alley is dark, but a little light makes it in from the street where torches are illuminating the space even at this time of night, or time of morning. It's not yet dawn, nowhere near it; the quietest time of night, where it appears no-one else is up and awake. A Crownsguard patrol passed by thirty minutes ago; you noticed that one of the pair was not wearing the Crownsguard uniform, but they seemed to be working and patrolling together.
Everything goes dark. Complete blackness surrounds you, and you see nothing. You are not unconscious, nor do you hear anything, but it's as though you've been suddenly struck blind.
(OOC: Does this seem like a magical effect that Silent might have seen before, possibly in Xhorhas?)
Very much so. You've seen many drow, even those with little other magical talent, make use of it. You can make an additional arcana check to see if you know more.
Silent swears loudly, staggers to his feet, makes to draw his blade and tries moving in the direction he thinks the prisoners were seated, yelling, This is not a road I'd advise going down!
Arcana 10
Silent, you don't know anything more than I mentioned above.
You are seated close to the prisoners, and as you move towards them, you can feel they are both still where they were, both still restrained. They don't appear to have moved or done anything.
Roll initiative please. Just Silent, for the moment.
Initiative 10
15 15 21
A voice calls out, in accented common that you suspect marks a Xhorhasian speaker, low enough for you to hear: Drop your weapons, and you will live. We have no wish to kill today.
You hear footsteps; stealthy, but clearly audible. Someone fumbles at the carriage door further from you, closer to the prisoners. It opens. There's definitely someone close to you.
Silent is up. You are still in total darkness.
Slow your roll, mate. Take one more step toward your convict friends and I'll put a greatsword through their necks. Ain't nobody said we needed to deliver 'em in one piece. So why don't you dispel your magic tricks and let's negotiate like men?
Silent will continue moving until he can touch at least one of the prisoners. If possible, he will then Ready an Attack with his greatsword against the first creature (aside from the prisoners) he perceives moving into his melee range. If he can't Ready an Attack in this way, he'll take the Dodge action.
Silent, you do find one of the prisoners; they are where you left them, and have not been released.
There is complete silence. An uneasy silence. You hear no movement. No sign that any of the newcomers, or the other prisoner, is making a move. Though it's hard to be certain.
Silent is up again. You can attempt to persuade or intimidate further, and make the appropriate check, or do something else.
Would you look at that, someone ain't so talkative anymore, eh? Funny how this sword tends to shut fools up. Maneuvering by touch, Silent angles the edge of his greatsword towards the neck of the prisoner he's closest to. Drop the spell. Now. Ain't asking again.
Intimidation 8
(We haven't mentioned it in a while, but I'm assuming the prisoners are still gagged and chained up, as they have been for the rest of the journey?)
(Chained for sure. Gagged, I'd like to think Silent would have had the wherewithal to gag them after it became clear they wouldn't be conversing, but you can make a call on that)
Gagged, I think
Silent, there's no response. No sign of movement. The spell does not drop.
Silent is up.
As the silence stretches, Silent groans. Ah, nine hells. Well, guess you can tell. I ain't near cold-blooded enough to chop heads off folk in chains who ain't wronged me. So like I said... let's negotiate. He lowers his sword from the neck of the prisoner but now holds it across his body in a guarded stance. You ain't done me no harm yet. Yet. So what d'you want and how are you gonna make it worth my while? If I let you make off with these lot it'll be my head on the line and I'd rather risk a fight with you lot than with my employers. Gonna need something good in return for that trouble, you understand?
Persuasion 13
The silence stretches on...
The darkness vanishes, and the dim light of the city night returns. Silent is inside the carriage, so doesn't have a clear view of what is outside, but he can see at least four drow, two on each side, wearing dark, insect-like armour that is very familiar to you; soldiers or assassins of the Bright Queen would wear such armour, and it's astonishing to you that they would be present in Zadash.
We are taking our own back, one says in common. Do not interfere if you wish to live.
Switching to Xhorhasian Elvish, Silent says, Good. Now we understand each other. You see my blade, you hear my tongue. Once we may have been brothers in arms. Now we find ourselves... here.
I need answers if we're to do this peacefully. I need to know how you came to this city without notice, how these soldiers found themselves in a prison wagon, where you intend to go. My loyalties are to the people of Wildemount, Dynasty and Empire be damned. If you intend to put this city or any other to the sword... I cannot allow you to leave this place. And conversely... if there is aid I can offer under good conscience, you shall have it. But I am no lackey to be ordered around under threat of violence. You do not wish to fight a man with nothing to lose backed into a corner.
There's a long pause, and then you get a response from one of the masked figures, in the same language:
These are soldiers of the Dynasty. Not high ranking. Their superiors have been taken by the Empire for questioning and are beyond our reach. We will recover these two if we can, so that they do not die here, so far from home. You should understand this, I think. We have no orders other than to retrieve them and leave; that I can promise to you. But I will not share with you military secrets.
Does Silent think they're being honest? In case it's needed, Insight 18
It's a bit hard to tell, but there's no obvious deception.