Dragon's Egg - Act V

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

I lift Cali with ease.

((If real me can, Baldy can.))

But I don't stand directly under the window so Cali can keep her head out of sight and listen first before peering in. I doubt the prisoner would be ready to cast a spell toward the window above him… if he is a caster. But then again, he's in a prison with nothing better to do.

((Listening attempt - 5% chance that roll would've done anything.))

 

[tbgg]

I also incline myself to see if I can hear anything through the window.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[tbgg]

Now that I can see the man claiming to be Conal fully, I study him again to see if I can detect the scarred man underneath.



I have the sneaking suspicion I'm still too far away to see clearly.

((Thanks to SP for allowing me to reroll the disguise check - not that it seems to have done much good...))


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[tbgg]

I ask Baldhart to let me down. Assuming she does, I tell her, "There's a man in a chair in one of the cells who's tied up and has a bag over his head. He is not moving and there are bloodstains on the bag. I can't tell if he's unconscious, asleep, or dead. The man who appears to be Conal is pacing and looks nervous. He is holding the dagger I took off of the scarred man right after I disabled him."

"Do you think it would be worth asking Tumi and Big Sam if any of that sounds like normal procedure? If the bound man really is the scarred man and Conal had to subdue him, once he got him under control, would there ever be a reason to put a bag over a prisoner's head? What would be the normal next thing to do?"

There's more I want to say, but gnaw my lip for now to keep myself quiet.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

"I don't know. On my mountain, we don't take prisoners. But nothing about this situation sounds normal. I don't see the harm in asking Sam and Tumi."

If there is only one exit to this place, I want to be near it. I give a serious look toward Tumi's window.



Nissa

I remove my backpack and ready my sword.

"I don't what's going on out there, but Baldy looks disturbed… and uncertain." I tell Burnbright, "Stay alert."

 

[tbgg]

I then tell Baldhart what I've been feeling all along: "My gut is telling me that Conal's in trouble, even though there's no real proof."

"Shall we head back? You're going to have to do the talking..." Falling back into my Sigrid role, I clasp Baldhart's hand in a childlike manner consistent with the persona I have adopted for Sigrid.

 

[Steerpike]

Back around the front of the guard house, Tumi and Big Sam are talking.

"You saw how his hand was all cut up," Tumi says. "Ever known Conal to give someone a beating like that?"

Big Sam shakes his head, slowly. "No. But I never known him to catch someone who tried to kill a bunch of kids, neither."

When Sigrid returns, Tumi looks over to her. "Find anything out?"

Liadan notes that the sounds of pacing inside the guard house have stopped. The rest of the town seems oblivious to the fact that anything strange is going on, probably because almost everyone is engaged in building the pallisade and paying little attention to what the party is doing in town.

At Tumi's house, Burnbright tenses just a bit when Nissa readies herself. "I'm ready to go help if she needs it," she says.

 

[tbgg]

I look up at Tumi and say amiably, "Bag." I don't know if he can tell there is more to 'Sigrid' than meets the eye, but I am not breaking out of character until my disguise ends.

I glance up at Baldhart. She was to speak of what we found.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

"The prisoner has a bag over his head. It's not clear whether he is dead or alive. I'm going to ask you men plainly: would Conal tie a man to a chair and beat him? I don't honestly care what he does to a man who would hurt children. I just want to know if you think Conal is really... himself."

 

[Steerpike]

Tumi looks confused at Cali's pronouncement of "bag," at least until Baldhart clarifies. Tumi says "Sounds a bit off...."

Big Sam nods slowly, his tiredness starting to fade even more, replaced by what appears to be concern, though not alarm. "Don't seem quite like him," he agrees. "I doubt he'd even do an orc that way, once he had 'im tied up and all."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

"I was afraid of that." I lower my voice and say, "I see two possibilities. One is that Conal's mind is being controlled by the prisoner. The other possibility is… worse. But I believe Conal to be a good man, so anything I would suggest would be to save him."

I have more than one idea in mind, but first I tell the others, "I'm open to hearing suggestions in addition to offering them."

I offer to hear others first, in part, to see if Tumi and Big Sam are open to taking action or attempting to speak to Conal or…

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

"The bag over the prisoner's head strikes me as suspicious. "Who's to say it isn't the real Conal in the chair, and the prisoner impersonating him to deceive us?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

"Yeah…" I admit to the men, "…that's what I mean by 'worse.' I hope I'm wrong. I'm no magic expert so I don't know if what I fear is even magically possible."

 

[tbgg]

I look at Baldhart with the most serious expression I can muster. "Both," I say gravely.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Steerpike]

Tumi looks over to Big Sam for guidance from the large man. For his part, Sam looks torn between his orders and the increasingly-likely possibility that something is wrong.

"I'll try to talk to him again," Sam says. He hammers hits fist against the door, but there is no reply. A second knocking leads to a muted shout from within, to the effect that no one may enter.

Sam turns and says, "This is all wrong, even considerin' the circumstances."

With a heaving sigh, Sam backs away from the door and turns his shoulder, clearly meaning to take a run at it. Tumi frowns.

"Ready?" Sam asks.

 

[tbgg]

I step out of the way, as the one thing I am sure of is that I can be of no use at all in bringing a door down.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

I give the door a good kick!

Baldhart:1D20+3+3+4 → 28(18 + 3 + 3 + 4)#str

 

[SeverinR]

Aliron moves quickly around to see how the door fairs under the kick and to offer an arrow if needed. He is also watching for reactions from other guards or townspeople.

Bressel stands ready for any aggression from inside or out.

 

[Steerpike]

The door slams open - bam! - a flurry of splinters from the door jamb scattering into the air. Everything is quiet for a moment, then scuffling from within. "Conal" moves just into the edge of view inside the guardhouse, just visible at an angle through the door, the light of lamps and scant daylight through the lone window providing only scant illuminate. He has the prisoner up on his feet, now, the long knife held to his throat. The prisoner seems almost limp, barely standing, and "Conal" yanks the bag free of the man's head. Beneath the bag is...Conal.

The two men are almost identical in appearance and stature, except that the one who has been under the bag is bloodied, bruised, and swollen, and his head hangs wearily. He is conscious, but just barely.

The other "Conal," the one with the knife, pushes the captive one step forward, knife still at his throat, and growls "That's close enough, all of you. Another step, and I cut this man's throat. Killing me won't bring him back."

He gestures sharply with the knife. "Back away from the entrance, everyone. I walk out of here and no one has to get hurt more than they already are."

Tumi's face pales slightly at the sight of the two of them, and Big Sam practically goggles. He takes a step back, then stops, looking at the party for guidance.

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

I stay where I am, looking in at Conal and the prisoner. My eyes narrow as the false-Conal speaks; then I meet his gaze with a calm look. Maybe I can persuade him to be peaceful.

"There's no need for that, sir. Just drop the knife, leave Conal be, and no one else needs to be harmed. Whatever your scruples with Conal or the townsfolk, we can talk this out like civilized people."