Scattering the papers in the Grand Hall the white haired girl walks into the keep's courtyard, carrying a sack of food in one hand and her other arm wrapped around an uncorked barrel of flammable liquid, making a trail leading back to the Grand Hall.

Quote from Mehmen >>

Only once the last of them are over it did he linger to make sure the fire got started, and Kethra would be able to safely make it to their exit point on the road to who knew where at this point.

Kethra drops the bag of food and waves to Xanranzan, revealing that she had completely stuffed her sleeves with crumpled papers, "So it's just going to be the two of us enjoying the fireworks, huh?"

Directing Xanranzan to lower the food down by the rope Mr. Tyde had set up, Kethra will set the barrel down in the weapon room by the wooden spears. Then working together with Xanranzan, she'll ask for his help to spread out the papers, arrows and crossbow bolts around the room so that the fire would easily spread throughout the room with their very flammable sheets and fletchings. Then when they're all done, Kethra takes one of the torches she found earlier and hands it to Xanranzan.

"Oh master of ceremonies, would you do the honors?" Kethra does a curtsy with her cloak and directs his attention to the oil trail on the ground.

(In case I don't react in time: Once the fire is lit, Kethra will escape to the other side of the keep using the rope after Xanranzan safely makes it down.)

As the group as well as the cultists’ kitchen staff climb down from the walls, a massive conflagration consumes the keep.  You can hear faint shouts of alarm within as you hurry away from the walls.

Xanranzan answers to Kethra is only a smile, polite bow, then a casual flare to it, see the oil lit before the two have to scamper over the walls. When the two eventually catch up to the others Xanranzan breathelessly says, "Don't know bout ya'll. As tired as some folks are, let's put as muuuuch distance as we can away from those fools before stopping off ya? Ya? Aight, double time, folks double time!" At that cheery sounding note, Xan jogs to the front of the group with food bag in hand to at least lead the initial rush away from the keep. At least until either exhaustion forced their hands, or the fire was but a distant glow over the horizon.

At which point, he'll look to Rubin, hoping the more shadowy figured was at least a better woodsman than the others. Because between the Blacksmith Apprentice, the Wizardly guy, Ex-Slave, and the gaggle of groupies, he didn't have much hope in the others. Well, except in the Half-Orc, who had been rather reticent to chime in it fill since their escape.

Tyde keeps pace with the others as they make their escape away from the Keep.

"Once we're close enough to a civilized town we can direct our refugees to safety."

Now with her hood up, Kethra keeps pace with Mr. Tyde, keeping her voice quiet so the party can hear but the two newcomers won't.

"We don't even know if these two are refugees...can we question them before we keep going? I want to hear them speak and be sure they won't be calling out to the rest of the cult--or even any of the other sellswords Grimjaw hired--when we set up camp for the night."

One of the refugees speaks up.

"If you please, miss, we’ve no desire to go back.  We were captured with a caravan by those brigands, and forced to work as servants.  No desire to return to that, I can assure you."

If necessarry, Insight roll if the refugee is telling the truth: 22

As far as you know, he’s being truthful.

Surprised to have this person interrupt a private conversation, Kethra stops, stares the refugee in the eyes, trying to search their motives. After a moment, she gives the refugee a slight smile. "I guess you're alright...how long have you been serving this keep, and where are you from? And are you capable of defending yourself?"

To Mr. Tyde, she asks, "So, where did you want to go next?"

"We won't force you to go anywhere you don't wish." Rubin speaks up. "Do you know of a safe place we can rest for a bit though?"

He shrugs.

"I’m from Womford.  Been captured fer . . .a month or so?  I’m not from these parts, can’t help ye there."

Kethra raises an eyebrow at the man.

"Well, that's really strange. We captured one of those 'brigands' who was hired to defend the keep and he said that they were recruiting mercenaries in Womford...just what is going on in that town?"

She thinks for a moment, gives Xanranzan a nudge and starts chatting up to cheer him up for running ahead by himself, only for everyone else to hang back and chat.

"Come to think of it we never asked where you came from, are you also from Womford? Mr. Tyde was thinking of going to Womford if we couldn't find this keep, you know. It actually might do us some good, because it'll actually cheer up Rubin a bit. You see, Rubin doesn't really talk so much unless we hit up a tavern."

She laughs, steals a glance over her shoulder and her voice drops to a whisper as she continues, "He's kind of quiet like that, but I for one, appreciate him all the same."

(An fyi, which people can clear me up if I'm off about it, is my original interpretation was to get some distance away from the keep. Good distance, before we start casually chatting/interrogating people. But, I guess we don't give as much of a care about pursuers, or its assume by everyone but me the whole talking bit came about because reached a safe enough distance. Because fire distraction aside, its probably not a good idea to be seen as distant figures from the keep... likely with at least a torch lit, if the moon isn't bright enough to see at least each other by)

If people had started truly lagging behind for convos, Xanranzan jogging slows to a more a fast paced walk. Although he shoots the occasional look back in concern either which way, every leery of pursuers. As a result, any nudging to start chatting is likely to be more one-side, as Xan can hardly do more than answer with brief response or perhaps a chuckle bit without paranoia having him sidetracked with looking elsewhere again.

It's only when talk turns to about an actual destination that he slows a bit more to let someone else take a point after saying, "Right. Probably gonna one have at least destination in mind. Unfortunately, I'm not exactly the Desserin Valley area, so, uh, I'll follow ya'll lead."

(OOC: I agree with this decision too! My vote is to head towards Womford because it's supposed to be close by, we can drop these refugees off to their families and find out what's going on with the cult recruitment there.)

"I think getting to a town is our first order, once we have time to rest up a bit." Rubin agrees. "Or is this town we are heading towards close enough we can reach there in a couple of hours?"

"Womford is supposed to be close so we'll head there first whether it's hours or days."

Tyde helps guide anyone lagging so they can indeed put at least some distance between themselves and the Keep.

"Then I guess that's where we're going. Lead on, boss man." Xanranzan says while pumping a fist near the end. "The sooner we get there the better. I'm used to walking for long periods of time 'n all, but my bulet's are already killing me." He jokes before picking up the pace again to better match whatever one the group decides to stick for the remainder of the journey. Throughout which he kept up a brave face. But for those who can see between the cracks, more than fatigue would dog his steps, and leave him half-distracted for most of the trip.

(I am trying to figure out how long we are going to be allowed to go before the exhaustion checks start coming from the DM. rubin is wishing to find a place to rest, unless the town is close by. If it is a half day, or more, away, then we need to rest closer to the keep than not. Not sure we want to risk exhaustion at this point, with possible reprisals maybe coming sooner or later.)

(Sorry, must have forgotten to hit post.  Should have made this clearer as I contradicted myself, the servant isn’t from Womford—his caravan was.  That’s on me.)

(To avoid exhaustion, you would have to rest before the town.)

Quote from Mehmen >>

Throughout which he kept up a brave face. But for those who can see between the cracks, more than fatigue would dog his steps, and leave him half-distracted for most of the trip.

The pale eyed girl will offer Xanranzan some food from their bounty at the Keep. But if he reaches for it, she pulls it away, takes a bite out of it, and sticks her tongue at him.

"So? When do you plan on answering my question, hmm? So are you going to tell me your story?"

After this, she'll grab Xanranzan a different, fresh loaf from the bag and apologetically gives it to him.

"Sorry," the little barbarian confesses as she devours her own morsel of food, "If why you're here is a secret, you can just tell me this a secret. I'll understand.

"And I'm not actually angry, it's more like I can't think straight when I'm hungry...I guess you can say I'm hangry! I want to stop and take a break but part of me also wants to keep moving because I'm also worried about the Water cult finding us out here!"

Kethra pulls her hood over her own face and screams a little into it.

Quote from DragonDenn >>

rubin is wishing to find a place to rest, unless the town is close by. If it is a half day, or more, away, then we need to rest closer to the keep than not. Not sure we want to risk exhaustion at this point, with possible reprisals maybe coming sooner or later.

"We just kicked down an angry hornets nest and killed their "queen". We slowed them down by smoking them out, but that won't last for long... Rubin! Can we trust you to find a hidden place to rest?"

(OOC: Sorry! I remembered reading that Womford was nearby, but I didn't realize we had to exhaust ourselves to do it. If Rubin needs to roll anything for camping, Kethra will offer to Help if he wants any help.)