Chapter 6: Escape from the Prison World - Dark Beginnings

[Rukellian]

"Aye, let us search," says Deceidon to the others in the throne room.

The group has common consensus; they must find the king and make sure he is safe before they continue any farther! Hal agrees with this course of action and takes the lead as he walks the familiar halls of the castle towards the king's quarters. "This way. If he thought his life in danger and could not handle the situation alone, our king would most likely use his escape tunnel."

After a few minutes of running, you quickly reach the king's private quarters. Hal holds out a hand and slowly draws his sword. He motions towards the room's entrance, the door has been broken through, through brute force it seems. He exchanges a quick glance with the others, a look of grave concern.

[onlyme]

Whitsell, still in pain but understanding completely the look of concern, holds tight to his sword as he follows the group into the chamber.
He looks around for any sign of secondary exits. (open window, etc.

He asks Hal,
CAptn, do you know if a secret exit from here? lets hope he was able to use it.

[MonkeyWrench]

Rand will continue to make his way to the stage, hoping to help Elethil rescue Matkinsei and fend off Fenrin...

I'm personally just kind of waiting on an action from Elethil so I can figure out which spell to cast.

[Zhym]

Sorry about that—I was on vacation when the update was posted and forgot that there's been a post.

How far is Elethil from Fenrin? Is he within melee distance?

For now, however:
Elethil knows he needs to get Matkinsai free. He puts his back into toppling the gallows. If he can angle the structure to fall toward Fenrin, so much the better...

[Grognardsw]

Deceidon follows Hal and the others through the broken door. His bow is nocked.

[Rukellian]

Hal bolts into the room with his sword drawn, Whitsell following behind quickly after. Deceidon follows up with an arrow notched as Flynn brings up the rear in case of ambush. The group finds the room in a chaotic state. The furniture within is smashed apart and tossed all over the place, as if a fight occurred with a bull and a group of men. Curtains torn, glass shattered, blood stains... but no bodies. A window is found, offering a view of the city below, however, it does not appear to be open, only cracked. Behind a large canopy bed, a statue is found against wall. It appears to have been moved and revealed an entrance in the wall, previously concealed. The blood trail follows into the entrance. Captain Hal nods towards the entrance, his previous statement confirmed. "It looks like the king and his personal guard had quite the fight here." He kneels down and wipes his finger across one of the blood stains on the ground. After a brief examination, he nods his head and says to the others, "the blood is not old, this fight could have very well happened within the day, the last few hours, minutes even."

[Rukellian]

Sorry about that—I was on vacation when the update was posted and forgot that there's been a post.

How far is Elethil from Fenrin? Is he within melee distance?

For now, however:
Elethil knows he needs to get Matkinsai free. He puts his back into toppling the gallows. If he can angle the structure to fall toward Fenrin, so much the better...

Elethil gives one last heave and pushes the gallows even further. The rest of its weight finishes the job as it starts to topple over. It is at this time that Fenrin's ring flashes a brilliant light within the vicinity. With immediate results, the fog in the current area around Fenrin, the gallows and Elethil are lifted. Elethil's invisibility is dispelled and he can be seen by those close by as plain as day, or night considering what time it is. The gallows fall and create the noise of splintering wood. It does not hit Fenrin but falls close enough to stagger him. He is forced to regain his footing on the now slanted platform. He looks angry to say the least, but upon his face is a most evil smile. He looks directly at Elethil with widened, and somewhat crazed, eyes as he says in a icy voice. "So the elf lives! Not for long, hehehe!" Fenrin rubs his axe with the palm of his other hand and mutters a word. The axe starts to glow a bluish-purple glow.

Rand has not been noticed yet. Matkinsai now lays on the slanted platform, just feet away from the hole exposed underneath the wooding. He is bound and cannot speak or move. Elethil is a few steps away from entering melee range with Fenrin, if he so chooses. The fact that Fenrin is carrying an axe and is preparing to use it is a bit unnerving, considering that you know he is a mage...

[Zhym]

How long would it take Elethil to unbind Matkinsai?

I'm thinking that Elethil should do what he does best here—bash heads—but let's see what his options are.

[onlyme]

Whitsell moves toward the unconcealed exit.
Capt'n do you any knowledge of how this opens, or shall we use brute force?

[Grognardsw]

Deceidon, who has yet to see the outside since his return to his home world, opens the window to the outside and looks at the sights below, around and beyond the castle.

[Rukellian]

How long would it take Elethil to unbind Matkinsai?

I'm thinking that Elethil should do what he does best here—bash heads—but let's see what his options are.

With a blade in hand, Elethil can unbind Matkinsai in one action.

[Rukellian]

Whitsell moves toward the unconcealed exit.
Capt'n do you any knowledge of how this opens, or shall we use brute force?

"The statue has already been moved it seems, hence our being able to see the hidden entryway in the wall. As to how it was triggered, who can say? I've known many a walled candle that could be pulled down or a book withdrawn from a shelf. Take your pick." Hal quickly does a cursory look over Whitsell's wound and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Are you truly alright to continue like this? Your arm, I've noticed it cannot hold a sword properly now."

Deceidon, who has yet to see the outside since his return to his home world, opens the window to the outside and looks at the sights below, around and beyond the castle.

Opening the window invites a cool breeze into the room. It is a refreshing feeling as Deceidon breathes in the fresh air, air not tainted by musty walls and corpses. Surveying the area, he immediately notices that the area is dark and the sky is illuminated by hundreds of twinkling lights. It is night time, no 'eversun' hanging above. The moon in the far off distance shines its light upon the myriad of buildings below. What really catches Deceidon's attention though is large grouping of light in what appears to be the market square. He can only guess that it is a large group of people carrying torches, but why it is shrouded by a strange fog is unknown to him. The fog seems to be localized only in the one area, no where else.

[onlyme]

Whitsell looks at his arm, knowing the captain is right.

Leave me behind for a moment to properly bandage it up. I will follow shortly. The king cannot wait for me to heal, so neither shall you.

[Zhym]

Whatever Fenrin is about to do, Elethil decides he'll have to bear the brunt or hope that Rand and the other mages can stop it. His job is to free Matkinsai. Which he does.

Initiative: [1d6] = 1

Or tries to do, anyway.

[tooleychris]

Feeling his wounds are bound as well as can be, but taking no chances, Flynn changes weapons to his bow.

[Grognardsw]

He can only guess that it is a large group of people carrying torches, but why it is shrouded by a strange fog is unknown to him. The fog seems to be localized only in the one area, no where else.

"That's a strange fog out there, around the gathering below," Deceidon points out.

(How many feet away is the fog? How many feet up is the window from the ground?)

[onlyme]

Whitsell says,
Then we must find the king and get out of here before it is over us.

[Rukellian]

He can only guess that it is a large group of people carrying torches, but why it is shrouded by a strange fog is unknown to him. The fog seems to be localized only in the one area, no where else.

"That's a strange fog out there, around the gathering below," Deceidon points out.

(How many feet away is the fog? How many feet up is the window from the ground?)

The castle is built high, the window you are peering from being about 100 meters from the ground, or roughly 109 yards/328 feet. The castle is the just north of the of the center of the city, about 2 miles distance/3520 yards away. The fog is drifting over the center of the city at that distance. There are no building close by to jump onto, the only structures within the castle's walls being an odd shed or stables for storage and horses.

The castle walls come up about 25 meters/ 82 feet/ 27 yards and are 40 meters/ 131 feet/ 48 yards from the castle in distance.

I apologize if these measurements were a bit unrealistic, but I have a horrible time estimating distances and measurements in my head, let alone judging it by sight.

[Grognardsw]

Deceidon, castle tower

"It seems far," says Deceidon, looking out the window. "Aye then, let's go through the hidden passageway and look for the King."

[Rukellian]

Whitsell looks at his arm, knowing the captain is right.

Leave me behind for a moment to properly bandage it up. I will follow shortly. The king cannot wait for me to heal, so neither shall you.

Captain Hal nods quickly in understanding as he motions for the others to follow him in. Whitsell is left alone in the room to finish his self-ministrations. The look on his face says he doesn't want any help.

After looking out of the window and gauging the distances of everything outside the castle, Deceidon decides that pursuing the king's trail through the escape route would be a more viable option at this point. He let's everyone know about the mysterious fog he spots with his hawk like vision and follows after Hal shortly afterwards. The guards accompanying Hal bring up the middle and Flynn covers the rear with his bow.

The passage stairs goes down for some distance, winding every now and then, the torches on the walls becoming fewer in number the lower you go, at least the ones that are still lit. The passage itself is constructed purely of stone and brick, the air musty and unused for some time. Multiple sets of footprints are easily found in the dust-lain steps as well as the occasional spurt of blood. Despite the dark and cramped conditions, Hal hurries the pace, fearing for his king's safety.

The stairs leads the group to a small chamber that may have once served as a personal dungeon. Cages are left open, chairs and racks are strewn about around the walls and corners, chains and ancient blood stains litter the place. You notice amongst the debris and features of the room two armored guards, the hollowed ones you fought earlier. They lay on the ground, motionless, and thoroughly beaten. The blood trail from earlier runs down a corridor on the other side the room, an open entrance marked with stone statues. "Rooms built from the kings of past. I pray that our king does not have a use for such things now."