Session 15

## Synopsis

Christine and Cedric execute a daring plan to save their friends.

## Plot

Fortunately, Lyanna and Cedric do not murder Christine. Christine explains her failure, while Lyanna and Cedric explain the whole thing with the Green Hand in the basement. Christine is surprised to hear that Delkona left so soon, and is somewhat concerned for their well-being. Lyanna thinks that Christine's plan was a good one, but she didn't have the necessary tools to enact it. She then bids a farewell to the two, telling them that she will be in contact when she has a plan.

Cedric and Christine then spend the remaining time planning out their escape from the city. They plan on stealing a boat in order to carry the four of them (Vicora and Draven included) away on the tides, and discuss where exactly they should go. Gantar overhears them speaking, and offers to go with them. He claims that he used to fisherman in his youth, and knows enough about ships to steer one. The three concur on this plan, and wait for Lyanna to contact them with any new information.

As the days stretch on by, Cedric comes particularly warm towards Gantar, appreciative towards his loyalty towards them even while being tortured and his kindness. He eventually discovers that the reason he hasn't been evicted from this area like the rest of the drow is due to an event that occurred earlier in the ongoing independence movement. A group of drunken elvish soldiers forcibly entered his inn and raped his daughter, which led to her later killing herself over the shame. The soldiers, guilty for their actions, allowed him to stay in his home, though he has long since entered into a depression. He sees no reason to stay in this city. Cedric comforts him, and the two share a tender heartwarming moment with one another.

After several weeks of hearing nothing from nervous, the two start to get nervous. They gather as many rations and supplies that they can get their hands on, filling a couple of barrels with the materials and arming Gantar and Christine with crossbows. Christine takes some time to go outside the city and practice training with her newfound magic abilities, eventually coming to the capacity of casting some very minor spells. They worry about what could be happening to their friends, and are anxious to break them out. Finally, Lyanna finds her way into the inn one morning, and outlines them a possible plan: there is a cave along the shoreline outside the city that leads to the dungeons. They will have to go during low tide, because the cave becomes flooded at any other moment of the day. She recommends acting as soon as possible, because there are rumors of the terrible conditions associated with the prison. The rest of the party agrees, and they concur to go there that very same night. Lyanna informs them that she regrets that she cannot go with them, as such an act would reflect poorly upon the Citadel. Besides, she has completed her mission, and must return back to the Citadel to relay the information she has gathered about the situation in Kydell.

Christine and Cedric go to make their move, arriving at the piers near sundown. Gantar finds them a ship that he knows how to pilot, and they plan to steal it. They tell Gantar to hide near the cargo on the docks, while Christine makes a distraction. She approaches a group of sailors and strikes up a thrilling conversation about their past travels. Meanwhile, Cedric sneaks over to the ship and boards it. He starts unloosening the ropes and ties that Gantar told him to, but unfortunately, he is not alone. A sailor aboard the ship approaches him and asks him accusingly what he is doing. Cedric panics and knocks the man out cold. Also unfortunately for Cedric, he accidentally untied the anchor as well, and the ship begins drifitng away from port. And quickly. He is forced to leap back onto the dock before it drifts away too far, and it sails out towards the open ocean.

Christine looks over in exasperation as Cedric fails their plan, and she tries to formulate a different plan on the fly. By a random stroke of luck, Cedric happens to find a boat right next to the previous one that *is exactly the same boat*. This time, however, there is nobody on, and he unlaces the right ropes. He gives the signal to Christine, and she dismisses herself from the situation. She and Gantar sneak over to the ship, and it leaves the port, with nobody managing to spot them in a stroke of immensely good fortune. A patch of fog seeps into their path, covering their journey over to the cliffside. Just like Lyanna said, the cave is there waiting for them.

Gantar agrees to stay with the ship and have it ready for them to leave at a moment's notice. Cedric and Christine leap over the side of the boat, and unfortunately, Cedric has to leave behind his armor once again. As he lands in the water, he loses grasp of his shield, and it seems to be lost forever. With that loss, the two head over to the cave, and prepare themselves for combat.

They travel through the tunnel and arrive at a pond. Lurching out of it is a crocodile, which viciously attacks them. Christine pulls out her crossbow and misses again and again, while Cedric grapples with it. Christine even manages to hit Cedric a couple of times, further angering him. They then notice a second crocodile in the water, and Christine, in her frustration at her uselessness, sprints over and electrocutes the pond, deep frying the beast. Cedric eventually manages to wrestle the crocodile under his control. He rides it over to the door at the back of the cave, and the two prepare themselves to open the door.

They suddenly lurch it open, and are faced with a dark hallway. Iron bars jut into stone walls, and decrepit prisoners wallowing in their own filth in the corners of each cell. The duo are mortified at the conditions of the dungeon, and frantically begin searching for their friends. Cedric eventually comes across a dragonborn sitting in the corner, and assumes it to be Draven. He calls to him, and the figure comes over; Cedric promises to get him out of there, and then the figure answers in an extremely gruff non-Draven sounding voice that says that he's certainly not who Cedric is looking for. In frustration, Cedric begins to walk away, but the fellow offers information about a red dragonborn he's seen if they let him out. Cedric nods in frustration, and the figure tells him that they keep him in the room at the end of the hall, and he's in pretty rough shape. Cedric begins to head over to the door.

Meanwhile, Christine peers amongst the dozens of drow prisoners, attempting to spot Vicora from the shadowy masses. Luckily for her, she spies a prone and pregnant form, and calls over to her. Vicora stirs from her slumber, and notices Christine, quickly rushing over to the bars. She tearfully grasps the iron, shaking in fear and anticipation. Christine gets choked up, and promises that she will get her out quickly. She meets with Cedric on his way over to the door, and they bust it open.

They find a well-lit torture room filled with various brutal tools. In the center of it is a rack that Draven is strapped to, with Gramaes Flatfinger himself performing brutal operations. Draven is slumped over and bleeding from a dozen wounds, missing his left eye, several fingers and half of his tail. He's doing great. The two are so shocked by their discovery that they are unable to stop Flatfinger from yelping in terror and quickly scurrying out of the room. The two rush over to Draven, undoing his binds and carrying back into the dungeons. Christine notices a set of keys left on the table and grabs them, quickly ruffling through it to find the right key. As they pass the dragonborn, he clutches at the bars, yelling at them to let him go. He then offers to help them carry Draven, and they pause. Eventually, they decide to release him, and he quickly fulfills his end of the bargain, lifting up Draven easily through sheer might.

They manage to find the right keys to let Vicora out as well, and they quickly spirit themselves away from the location, with the sounds of clanking metal feet soon behind them. Vicora soon weakly collapses from fatigue, and they are forced to stall to help her up. The brief respite allows the party to get a better look at their new companion: a stooped and hunched over dragonborn, with a complexion completely covered in dirt, grime, and grease. He wears robes of scarlet red, which are similarly disgusting. Upon rising after helping to strap Vicora to the crocodile, they also notice that his spine has been terribly twisted, stunting his growth, and his face is all battered and smushed, as if it were caved in by something. Conventionally, he is extremely unattractive, and he smells terribly of general rot. He seems unperceptive of their perceptions however, as he looks at them expectantly to continue their escape.

The going is slow, however, and the sound of tramping feet behind them becomes ever louder. Cedric and Christine share a knowing look with one another, acknowledging that one of them might have to stay behind. The dragonborn seems to notice the look, and claims that he'll stay behind to buy them some time, and that he greatly appreciates them buying him some freedom. He hands Draven off to Cedric, who cradles him gently, and the party rounds a corner, leaving him behind to face the guards. They soon hear shouts and clangs of metal, followed by a strange *whoosh*ing sound, and a steady increase in temperature. They make their way out of the cave and towards the beach, where Gantar has the ship anchored a few dozen feet offshore. Upon seeing them, he quickly untethers a rope and tosses it to them, positioning himself on the side of the boat and offering a firm hand to help them onto the boat. Cedric shares a knowing look with the crocodile before bounding onto the ship, leaving it to slither off into the water.

As Gantar and Cedric loosen ropes and prepare the ship to sail, Christine loads a bolt on her crossbow and points it at the cave entrance, ready to fire at whomever crosses the threshold. The ship quickly drifts out to sea, as time passes agonizingly slowly. Of course, defying no expectations, she shoots at the first figure to come hobbling out: the dragonborn. She hits him firmly in the shoulder, as he looks over at her annoyed. She immediately feels bad, though her remorse is quickly replaced with panic as she sees a few armor-clad guardsmen come sprinting out of the entrance, their hairs singed, covered with scorchmarks, and looking rather worse for wear. The dragonborn wades slowly through the water, the soldiers hot on his tail. He looks back in surprise at them, seemingly not having noticed them, as Cedric tosses him a rope, which is not nearly long enough to reach him. A sudden *boom* sounds as the dragonborn is catapulted into the air, a massive fireball appearing below him, with everyone else just looking on in shock. He quickly drops ungracefully like a stone, his fall broken by the sail he lands in. He lands with a pronounced *thud* on the ship's deck, slowly rising with a grunt.

Lyanna
outlines a possible escape plan for the prisoners, say goodbye to Lyanna,
infiltrate the back entrance, Christine fails several times and gets pissed, Cedric
rides a crocodile, "rescue" Draven and Vicora, pick up new guy Gavros
and innkeeper comes with them, make daring escape on a boat to the sea, ends
with Cedric having deep conversations with Gavros on the ship(November 1st,
2 week time skip-November 14th)

David's Rating: 9.5