View source for Am I the Baddie?? pt3

The good news is that Bannon's efforts seem to've caused a considerable pause inside the gaol. 
 
There's no answer for a time as the men inside, who are defintiely asnd understandably reluctant to put themselves in a vulnerable position while they're at least temporarily safe, are talking amongst each other. No doubt they know how bad their situation actually is, what, with the only thing standing between them and a storming of their position are these negotiations and the fact that the revolutionary townsfolks aren't ready to torch a place that has their relatives inside of it.

Davienne turns to look at the crowd of people and then back at those who have been negotiating. "Maybe if we get the people to back off some, they'll be more willing to open things up and let folks out?" She suggests.

Bina nods to Davienne. "A wise idea." She turns and moves around the edge of their small group and talks to the croud. "Please! People. Lets all back up so that the guards inside won't be so nervious? Then those with loved ones inside should move to the fore and others just here to make sure freedom is granted should move back abit? We're not going anywhere until this is taken care of."

Burai stands sideways, not facing the crowd or the gaol - the better to turn his head back and forth and scowl at both. "Are they listening?" he says in a lowered voice. "I don't think they're listening."

Shilde shakes her head slowly as she alternates glances between the crowds and the door. Her scowl of late seems to have become a permanent fixture. "I be thinking I can get the door open," she says, keeping her voice low, not wishing it to carry to the crowd. "But it won't be closing after. If I do.. do ye think we can keep them out?"

Bannon regards the structure of the prison, the edge of his lips curled up as he mutters, "Oh, they're listening..." He grits his teeth, then looks around, "Now is the time to make them a promise of safety. Let them negotiate a way through the crowd and home safely." He adds, looking back towards the prison, "They don't get paid enough for this."

"...they sure don't," remarks the Baron, proudly. 
 
He's cheap, okay? Putting jewelled skulls on your sword requires sacrifices elsewhere. He may have had some self-recognition about being the bad guy, but saving money is still important. 
 
"Okay. We have a counter offer," says one one of the guards.  r 

"We're going to release some of the prisoners if you can clear everyone back. WE don't want to get charged when we open the door. Think you can get the crowd back far enough?" 
 
The crowd woiuld definitely like to charge.

"Give us a few minutes," Davienne calls out to the guards before turning to the others. "What I wouldn't give for a bard right now..." She says with a sigh. "I am not a diplomat, folks. I'm just a simple ranger who likes collecting mushrooms in the forest," Her nose wrinkles as she looks at the crowd. Clearing her throat she says loudly, "WHO WANTS TO SEE THEIR LOVED ONES?" A pause for some answers probably. "THEN BACK UP SO WE CAN RETRIEVE THEM WITHOUT ANYONE GETTING HURT!"

"Aw fer.." Shilde barely, BARELY, restrains herself from slapping a palm over her face as she turns to face the door fully. "Here's me counter-counter-offer. Ye get yerselves into one of yer cells for protection before we bring the door down?" To the others, "They might not get paid enough.. but they didna have to take this job, either. And now they're bargaining the prisoners as if they own 'em. Ye know what that is."

Burai makes a noise that's something between a grunt and a noise of approval at Davienne's diplomacy. Shouting is the kind of negotiation he's most accustomed to. "I'm not sure that is a bargain," he looks at Shilde and then looks back in the direction of the guards' voices. "They're not really asking for anything, other than to not be rushed..."

Bina steps up to the bound former lord and sighs. "You're not helping." And then back to the crouds. "Listen up! They don't feel safe right? You're all angrey and have a right to be that way. But the closer you are to the door the less likely they are to open up and the longer we all get to stand here like we have all night. Now /PLEASE MOVE BACK TEN STEPS/! So we can get them all out of there!" She then marches over to the closest window and look through the tiny slit. Her fingers are working as if she's stretching them out of cramps and she mutters before she speaks clearly at one of the guards inside. "My friend. Yes.. you." She smiles. "I've spoken to the croud. I think they're moving back now. Could you open the door please?"

GAME: Davienne rolls diplomacy: (16)+0: 16

GAME: Bannon rolls Diplomacy: (12)+11: 23

GAME: Sabina rolls diplomacy: (1)+13: 14 (EPIC FAIL)

GAME: Sabina rolls diplomacy: (1)+13: 14 (EPIC FAIL)

GAME: Sabina rolls diplomacy: (5)+13: 18

"What! It's true!" 
 
Baron Sharpton sighs as he's jerked by the Myrrish knight beside him again. Ser Rogort just shakes his head. "Silence, Baron. You're lucky that you've been taken alive after the stunt you pulled back there." 
 
The crowd glances at each other, murmurings amongst their number before they do start to back up a little. They want their loved ones more than they want to vent their rage. 
 
The rage will get vented, though. This is just putting a stopper in it long enough for you to perhapsa get the prisoners out before they torch it. That's about what it amounts to. 
 
The doors are opened, finally. 
 
"YTou may enter to collect them and get them out of here," says one of the jailers, looking terrified as he st ands in the gateway.

Bannon nods to Sabina, "Well done!" He then turns, hmming momentarily, "Alright. Grab the Baron. Let's go inside, stay together, and get these prisoners released." He turns looking back towards those gathered, "Thank you. We'll secure the release of your loved ones now, but you must remain peaceful. We'll be right out."

"C'mon Rocky," Shilde tells her dog, her hand rubbing his head briefly before giving it a gentle shove as she stomps after the others. "Good work," she adds grufly in addition to Bannon's praise, though she eyes the jailors in a less than friendly manner when and if they look her way.

Davienne looks relieved and leaves the Baron in the Knight's hands as she stalks towards the doorway. She just gives the terrified jailer a glower when she passes. Best to act like you know what you are doing even if you don't have a clue. Stalking through to where the cells are. Her eyes scan the place and she asks, "Where's the keys?"

Sabina's patience is wearing thin with the situation and it's starting to show to those that may know her. The mask helps keep things under wraps though and she keeps a smile on her face. "Thank you. Both." She says to her party memebers while lifting a hand to the cround to ask for a moment. 

She turns to the guard that appears to be in charge and nods. "The keys if you please. And I would sugjest for your own health and well being that you leave this place. It will likely fall pray to damamge just like the castle did. You not being here when it does would be a good thing, right? If you leave now with the rest of the prisoners. Unarmed and armored.. you could likely slip away."

There's good news! 
 
The good news is that the dungeons are definitely full of people and that the guardsmen are eager to hand you the keys whgen you arrive. 
 
They definitely want to get out of here, and most of them are trying to change out of thier uniforms into civilian clothe as suggested. 
 
The prisoners, of course, are roaring and yelling and quite happy to see that they're about to be freed. 
 
Most of them are in... decent shape. Sharpton may be awful, but he's not leaving people unfed. Underweight? Perhaps. Hard labor and rationing will do that, but there's no signs of abject starvation or torture, or black magics at least at a glance. Where DID that rumor come from in the first place, one wonders. 
 
Of course, that doesn't mean they don't want to choke the life from their captors when you let them out. Riots are hard to control.

Davienne turns in a slow circle and considers things. "All right folks! We are going to be letting you out one cell at a time. This way everyone can easily find their families outsides. Please move along and exit quickly!" She calls out into her section of the dungeon.

Shilde mutters, mostly to herself. "They'd be plenty safe in one of their own cells." Nope, she doesn't seem ready to let that one go. But.. instead, she positions herself and her trusty dog between the baron and his jailors and the prisoners as they are released.

Bina places a gentle hand on Shilde's shoulder briefly. "It's a sound idea but the mob outside wants this place to burn no doubt." She looks round at the inmates and shakes her head. "One at a time. Like Davienne said. Next cell opens after last person is out of sight and upstairs. Best bet?" She looks around to the others in question.

GAME: Davienne rolls diplomacy: (8)+0: 8

GAME: Bannon rolls Diplomacy: (13)+11: 24

GAME: Burai rolls diplomacy: (17)+0: 17

GAME: Shilde rolls diplomacy: (10)+0: 10

GAME: Sabina rolls diplomacy: (4)+13: 17

Burai nods in agreement at the instructions. "Leave this place, and rejoin your families." He points towards the entrance. "Don't stay here a moment longer than you have to. And don't come back. We'll make sure no one is ever imprisoned here again."

As the plans are placed into effect, Bannon flashes a quick grin towards Sabina and turns to take off. He reachhes down, drawing the rapier from the scabbard at his side. Each bar to almost every cell gets a rap as he passes by, "Wake up, you sods! Count your blessings. Count your lucky stars. Reacquaint yourself with your chosen deity and extol their virtues to all who will listen, for today is the day that your deity has blessed you with the presence of Bannon Vayne. Here is how you will thank your deity! At the appointed time, you will exit your cell. You will proceed to the door. You will leave this prison and you will not do anything to deserve coming back here. No rioting. No murder. No dalliances with farm animals, married women, or both. Today is the day that will go down in history as the day you met Bannon Vayne. Don't make an appointment with my sword." The airman gnashes his teeth, slamming the pommel of the rapier into a cell door which creates quite a racket, "Do you understand me?!"

One by one, the prisoners start to leave. You hear vile curse words being thrown at the Baron when they pass him outside, as he's still at the doorway. The knight is standing with his blade in his hand, making clear that he will brook no assault on his charge, vile as he may be. 
 
Still, there are grateful reunions, and so far you haven't lost control of the situation, but each of you can sense that it's getting more and more dangerous the longer it goes on. The slow process is buying you time, as a cheer goes up with each prisoner released... 
 
..but not everyone inside is a prisoner of debt, of course, as the guards tell you. Some are thieves, one a man who threw his wife down a well, another was caught poaching, and the last was guilty of fraud, at least according to the guards. Who knows what's true at this point? 
 
Still, you're absolutely able to get most of the debtors out the door and warmly into the arms of the crowd, but what of these others?

Davienne eyes the poacher and asks, "Why were you poaching?" A very simple thing. Her voice is neutral and she stands with her arms down. Meaning to give the feeling she is willing to listen and isn't here to harm the man further. Really she is willing to let him go depending on the answer she receives. With the way things are going, people not being able to feed their families is likely. And if he was poaching because of that...well, he is as innocent as the rest of the debtors.

Shilde 'pfas' when Sabina explains the drawback to the dwarf's suggestion, but she lets out a long, slighly rumbling sigh as she nods her agreement. She does have her club in hand now, and she and her dog help herd the prisoners in the direction they are supposed to go. Once the debtors are gone and the few legitimiate, supposedly, prisoners remain, she asks, "And of them? Can't rightly be leaving them to burn either, I'm thinking."

Sabina says, "We're sort of running out of time. Now is the best chance we have to leave through the distracted croud." She looks to Sir Rogort and asks. "Can we take these men left over with us? Perhaps you could make sure their charges are just and handle it from there? Not to make more work on you but taking away problems might help us get out of here faster." She looks around the place. "Manacles anywhere? This is a jail after all.""

Bannon returns as people begin filing out, a frown settling on his face, "We might have room in the brig of the airship, but it would be a matter of the captain complying with us and allowing us onboard with the prisoners." He then looks towards the knight, tilting his head, "What do you think?"

Burai tilts his head to the side as he listens and tries to understand what's going on outside. How the crowd is reacting to the freed prisoners. Whether the Baron is going to be subjected to retaliation. His expression darkens. "Chains and manacles?...but we should be able to manage. He hasn't tried to resist or escape so far."

"I'm innocent," yells the man convicted of fraud, "The baron stole all my money and put me in here for fraud afterwards!" 
 
"Murder my wife? Bullshit. I did no such thing." 
 
"My family was hungry," answered the poacher. Totally. That's the ticket. 

Still, there's no way to be certain of their stories ,at least not without more information than you can glean from the moment. Manacled, you're able to march them outside in the hopes you're able to figure things out, as it won't be safe in the prison once you're out of there. 
 
With your group now enlargen ed with the prisoners, and the guards trying to escape into the crowd in normal clothing, things seem to be going well. 
 
..right up until the man convicted of fraud speaks. 
 
"I'm INNOCENT," he yelsl, "The baron had me deliver to him a wagon of PRISONERs for his FOUL DARK ARTS!" 
 
The baron gasps, looking shocked. "THSI MAN IS A LIAR..." 
 
The crowd rears in shock, yes, enraged. 
 
...primed to believe it. 
 
Oh no.