Cliodhna receives a short mental update on the happenings in the tower. Once it be evident that the Crew is returning to the ground floor, Aylar will join Devin in positioning for the ambush. If Argy offers some garlic pepper, he will take a handful, thinking to repeat his lead-in with holy water; that being said, if Grog'tial attempts to sprinkle some on the stairs, he will quietly redirect him to do it on the entrance door instead in order to close off an escape route.

(Upon ambush's end he would clarify that rats have a very good sense of smell and leaving it in the open there could risk them sensing a trap and not scurry right into Crew's waiting weaponry)

Once vampires are in the room, he will open with the garlic throw, then use his stake and cutlass as necessary. If any vampire attempts to flee down the stairs or in direction towards ranged Crew and away from the fray, he will use himself as a repelling beacon in order to kite them right back into a vulnerable position.

When it comes to exploring the lower floors, once Devin moves to take point, Aylar will give him the keys he got from Mighty, then will fall back as spotter support by means magical or otherwise.

Mission 5 - Turn 6
*Turn Ends 11:59PM UTC, 24 October 2024.*

(roll dice*5) In the port town a new brawl has broken out as the Saucy Siren twins whisper in certain drunk ears about what another man supposedly said about them, then urge their chosen champions on with cheers and pouts. Natali sighs as she pushes a beardless fellow away and into the new fray while thinking of the handsome dwarf with the luscious beard. The Port Guards sigh in relief as the last goose is finally captured and wrapped in a blanket. They turn around to see a wagon load of rum and ale careen around the corner and crash into a lamppost as a wild-eyed team of mules break free and charge off down the street. They look at each other and grab some unbroken bottles of rum as they turn to follow the mules. The Harbor Guard has beaten the fire back, but is now contending with fleet footed looters in this poorer section of the harbor.

(roll dice) Cliodhna mindspeaks Aylar that the glow from the fire in the east harbor is fading now, but there are still shouts and the sound of fighting in the port proper. The Ship remains at dock and they have seen no apparent movement towards them or the prison from the Harbor Watch Tower or the town itself. There has also been no movement on deck aboard the fluyt since they arrived, although Sensei reports from the Crow's Nest he sees a single guard seemingly asleep. A few bats are heading towards the carver team, but she has seen Zephyr take off successfully. The glamour remains intact. (Glamour lasts 9 turns, 4 turns remaining.)

Kyp - Harbor Chain: (roll dice*5) You attempt to shoot the round ball the skeleton is carrying with the ghostly musket. You do exceedingly well. *Success* You see a small spectral missile whoosh through the water and impact the round ball. For a very brief moment you think nothing happened, then there is an shock wave of energy as the ball explodes, sending you, Finn, Pearl and Mort all careening backwards in the water. You feel slightly drained, but otherwise seem unhurt. Your friends all seem somewhat stunned, but soon fine. The skeleton and zombies are completely obliterated and their weapons are barely pieces of scrap. Only three Golden Skull Coins slowly sink towards the bottom of the Harbor seafloor.

On the Ship Cliodhna, Cap'n Rummyfangs and Sensei see a sudden bubbling of the surface of the water, then all aboard Ship feel the rocking of several waves before things become more normal again. Luckily there was very little sound and the disturbances in the Port itself are enough to cover for it as the Naval Harbor walls help contain both the sound and resultant waves. Cliodhna notes the faint undead presence she had picked up on just previously is now gone. No need to bother Aylar as the Wards would have worked, but now she reaches out mentally to Kyp to check if he's okay.

*Kyp, be ye and Finn and Pearl alright? What happened?*

(Um, Kyp, maybe you should know what a strange new weapon does before you use it? LOL!)
-----

Team 2/Prison Team - Aylar, Argy, Grog'tial, Baldbeard, Karnstein, Devin:
In order of initiative: Devin, Karnstein, Aylar, Grog'tial, Baldbeard, Argy

Devin: (roll dice*11) If offered, you refuse the garlic pepper in favor of having weapons in both hands and being able to hopefully sneak around the guards later. (per PM) The cat hides successfully, but reports the rats stop halfway up the stairs to the ground floor, as if consulting. As you signal this to the others the cat tells you that one has changed to human form and is reaching for the door handle, but has stopped to listen. Too late you look around and realize that they would have felt the release from their sire as the Contessa was slain and now might hear the heartbeats of the Crew as you all wait in anticipation of the ambush.

The door opens. You are fast off the mark, but the first vampire immediate turns to mist and moves behind Count Karnstein before you can strike. *Miss* The second vampire darts in as a rat, but scurries by you before also becoming mist and heading for Grog'tial on the stairs. The cat warns you the third vampire is also in mist form. After it passes you pull the door closed, hopefully cutting off both noise and escape (per PM) while watching for opportunity.

One of the vampires seeks to escape as a bat, but Count Karnstein intercepts it and bats it away from the door out. Argy uses her pan to stun the bat, sending it into a wall where he reforms back into a vampire. You take the opportunity while he is still stunned and throw your silver dagger. (Roll+Luck) *Success* Your goddess blessed silver dagger hits his heart. The vampire goes to ash, dropping a runed dagger to the floor.

Once the enemies are dispatched, you retrieve your silvered dagger and instruct the cat to once again scout below. Taking the keys Aylar hands you, you quietly open the door and take point sneaking down the stairs. Your rapier and feather detect no more undead. The cat reports no traps and you find none as well. You signal no traps and no undead back to those following you. The cat also reports the guard that was by the wooden door has moved to stand by the table where the two guards are playing cards. The two prisoners are sleeping. Sticking to the shadows you silently approach the iron door and stealthily try the keys. *Fail/Success* The second key works. You step back and signal to the those behind you that there are three guards distracted playing cards, two prisoners sleeping and the door is now unlocked.

Count Karnstein: (roll dice*6) You sheathe the saber while breathing heavily, suddenly feeling completely sober. The rage has passed and you feel a sense of melancholy as emotions of relief, anger, regret, horror and satisfaction battle it out inside you. A bit numb, you think maybe she shouldn't have left you back then, or not chosen you to begin with. You sense an adjustment within you, even as you quickly help place the beds to block the windows. There is a renewed strength and speed to your movements. You leave the room teary-eyed, with reddened face and panting from the overwhelming presence of dreaded garlic in the air, or so you tell yourself. Once outside the room you take a few moments to lean against the wall, collecting yourself and taking some deep shuddering breaths to every other heavy beat of your own heart before announcing, to anybody or nobody around, that you are perfectly well.

Waving away the offer of taking any garlic pepper (GM assumes), you take up position next to the door to the downstairs, preparing for the ambush. You notice Devin signalling there are three, first in rat form, then one becomes human form. Devin is signalling again as the door is suddenly pulled open and the vampire turns to mist, eluding Devin's strike to reappear behind you. Before it can seize you, you have whirled and side-stepped, bringing up your saber to strike. *Success* Your saber gashes a deep cut across the vampire's jaw, face and takes off an ear, but doesn't decapitate. He turns to mist and attempts to escape, only to run into Aylar's brightness. The vampire changes into a bat instead and heads for the door. You swiftly move into his path and manage to strike the bat sending it tumbling back across the room.

After the fighting is over, you follow Devin downstairs very carefully, staying behind cover or in shadows. You position yourself where you see Devin's signal once he has the iron barred door unlocked.

Aylar: (roll dice*5) You give a brief mental update to Cliodhna and receive one back in return. You have less than half the time until your glamour on the Ship fades. You join Devin and the Count in positioning for the ambush, taking a handful of garlic pepper from Argy's grinder.

Devin misses his strike as the first vampire changes to mist and reappears behind Count. The second rat scurries past and also changes to mist, heading for Grog'tial on the stairs behind you. The third misted vampire is heading for Argy, also behind you. You spin, opening with tossing the handful of garlic pepper through the air into the gaseous forms of the vampires just before they each rematerialize. Both vampires stagger back and you use yourself as a repelling beacon kiting them away from Grog'tial. *Success* One vampire lashes out at you swiftly. *Vampire Fail* (Loan: Book of Dancing) You agilely dodge away as he turns to mist again, but the other one staggers back and Captain Baldbeard clubs him in the back, sending him stumbling forward. You take the opening while he is off balance and stab your stake forward. *Success* You drive the stake right through his heart then behead him with your cutlass. The vampire turns to dust, dropping a pewter ring that looks like a wolf's head with small rubies for eyes.

Once all the vampires are slain, you give the keys Mighty gave you to Devin as he takes point going below and fall back as spotter support. You are able to see Devin's signal once he has used the key to unlock the door.

Grog'tial: (roll dice*7) With Count Karnstein's help the beds are placed to block the window slits. You grab the Bloodstone Ring and hiss at Count Karnstein to be quieter at the Count's announcement that he is actually well. Seeing the ambush being set up and Devin's signals, you take up a position in a darker curve almost halfway up the stairway with a commanding view of the ground floor room. You pat your pocket, ready to reach in and throw garlic pepper at any vampire that turns to mist near enough to you and ask Argy to share her pepper grinder with Aylar and Devin and maybe grind some on the ground at the top of the stairs?

As the door is suddenly opened, the first vampire turns to mist, causing Devin to miss. He reappears behind the Count, but you have no shot. The second scurries through the door as a rat, then turns to mist and immediately heads for you! You grab for your garlic pepper, just as Aylar spins and throws his own handful into the air in a wide arc between you, Argy and himself. You throw your own as well, catching the vampire from both sides with the garlic pepper. You see the vampire rematerialize and stagger away, as Aylar uses himself as a bright repelling force to herd the vampires away from the stairs and back into the room. You see Captain Baldbeard and Captain Aylar manage to dispose of one of the vampires between them, but the second one has once again turned to mist and heads for the ceiling. You wait for the opportunity. As it rematerializes, clinging to the ceiling you see it is spiderclimb clinging with its back turned to you. You fire both bolts, one right after the other, just as you have practiced. *Success* The first bolt pierces the heart, the second just tacks the gruesome skeleton to the ceiling as some macabre trophy.

Once the vampires are slain, you quickly take the mirror and use one half to scout the guard captain's office. You find no hidden secrets, but you do find a box of various teas, a hand crossbow with silver fittings and four silver tipped hand-bolts, a small golden key, transfer orders for five prisoners and a log book which states another prisoner was transferred along with three more figureheads to the Man O' War ship that departed hours earlier. The prisoner was a half-elf girl, the carver's granddaughter.

Captain Baldbeard: (roll dice *3) You take your healing potion and feel your ribs getting better, but still sore. You use Argy's pepper grinder on your cudgel as Grog'tial and Count Karnstein put beds to block the window slits. You head downstairs to back up the others setting up an ambush. You see Devin signalling there are three rat vampires coming up the stairs. The three vampires turn to mist and scatter around the room. One appears near Argy, then staggers backwards from the garlic pepper Captain Aylar throws and the bright light Aylar is using to repel it. You step forward and cudgel the staggering vampire hard in the back. *Success* Your cudgel sends the vampire stumbling right into Aylar's stake. The vampire turns to dust as Captain Aylar beheads him, dropping a pewter ring that looks like a wolf's head with small rubies for eyes. All the garlic pepper being thrown around has bothered your sensitive nostrils. Your beard is coated with it, dulling your smell and prompting you to want to sneeze.

Argy: (Argy is currently on vacation, but PM'd the GM her intentions.)
(roll dice*4) Seeing that the chests are locked and it would take too much time to bang through them with your pan you once again miss Mighty and his handy crab claw. You head downstairs, ready to back up your Crew mateys. You hear Grog'tial ask you to share your grinder with Aylar and Devin. Aylar accepts a handful, but Devin shakes his head at you. When Grog'tial also suggests maybe grinding some on the stairs, Captain Aylar quietly redirects you to do it on the entrance door instead in order to close off an escape route.

The vampires come through as a mist, knowing somehow the ambush was there. The first vampire tangles with Count Karnstein, the second heads for Grog'tial and the third comes for you. Captain Aylar flings his garlic pepper through the air and both vampires stagger back. He and Captain Baldbeard take one down and Grog'tial shoots another, nailing it to the ceiling. The third has become a bat and Count has sent it tumbling through the air. You swing your dented pan. *Success* Your pan stuns the bat, which is flung against the wall where it turns back into its vampire form. A moment later Devin's silver dagger has turned it to ash. Dropped in the ash is a dagger with red runes on the blade.

You sneak after Captain Aylar going downstairs. You quickly check over the storage area as everyone waits for Devin to try the keys. You find 4 regular and 4 hardened crossbow bolts you take for Grog'tial, a package with 6 bandages, and 2 fire weapon oils which you stuff in your pack.

(Loot available: ground floor; a pewter wolf head ring with ruby eyes, a dagger with red runes on the blade. Captain's office; a box of various teas, a hand crossbow with silver fittings and four silver tipped hand-bolts, a small golden key, transfer orders for five prisoners and a log book.)

-----
Prison, Ground floor: Captain Baldbeard, Grog'tial
Prison, Storage level below ground: Argy
(on stairs down) Aylar, Count Karnstein
Prison, 1st Prison level below ground: Devin.

(Carver team continued below ...)

... Mission 5, Turn 6 continued (Prison team action above).
*Turn Ends 11:59PM UTC, 24 October 2024.*

Team 1/Carver Team - Bellandra, BenKii, Gilius, Durik:
In order of initiative: Bellandra, Gilius, BenKii, Durik.

Bellandra: (roll dice*5) You hold the carver as Gilius heals him some. After seeing the carver and Zephyr safely off you return to the workshop where Durik opens the three crates the carver told you about. Inside each is a carved Owl Gargoyle that looks very realistic. You look at the carved Owl Gargoyles and pick one up. You hear Gilius bless them and then their eyes open. They are not exactly shipkin, but as you try to communicate with the one you carry, you hear and feel a protective spirit responding to you. *HOOllo. Whooo are yooou?* The Owl Gargoyle tells you that the carver made them in secret at night, sacrificing his sleep to do so while he wasn't watched or compelled to do the Beckett human's bidding. Once awakened, they are meant to be the watchers, guardians and messengers for the carver's wooden children, the shipkin, his granddaughter, and their allies. Suddenly you see the other two Owl Gargoyles glide out of the workshop door and turn east. The Owl in your arms tells you they sense a coming threat and that he will stay and watch over you and the team as he senses you are one of the carver's wooden children too.

You take a last look around the house, but there is nothing more of interest. The carver lived a simple life and this was only a temporary place for holding him. You thank the others for their help, but it is time to go now. "Fair companions, I thank ye for yer help here with the carver. If it pleases ye, I would well like to try to rescue me kin on that fluyt still. But tis be yer choice as well as mine." You hear Captain BenKii agree and warn about the incoming enemies. "Captain BenKii, careful with the bracelets, they meant nothing good for the carver, neither will they for us methinks, aside from information mayhap."

You proceed to the bushes and with Gilius' help make your way to the warehouse by the docked fluyt under cover. You keep your weapons ready as you try to use your senses to gently assess the condition of your kin the fluyt. *Success* (perfect roll!) As the Owl Gargoyle you spoke to settles into a tree overhead, you sense four of your kin aboard the fluyt. The one which is the fluyt's figurehead, the carving of a human woman turning into a swan, with feathers and a swan's wings is still not fully awakened. There are three trapped below deck in shipping crates, two can communicate with you and the third is yet unawakened. They are able to tell you they hear three drunk voices near them. On the main deck you see a single snoozing half-orc guard sitting at the bottom of the quarterdeck stairs. There are no lights in the captain's cabin.

Gilius: (roll dice*9) As Bellandra carries the carver past you, you concentrate and feel the unnatural energies that has sickened his body and spirit. You stop Bellandra briefly to lay your hands upon the frail old man, using your pendant and powers to attempt to heal and purify him. You are able to partially, but you sense that this has been ongoing in the carver for a long time and you and Aeshma will have to treat him again once aboard the Ship. For now, however, you have been able to relieve some of his suffering and purified and aligned him closer to his nature. (You have healed and purified the carver by 37%. It's a very tough thing to heal. Good work!) "Yer days o' captivity be o'er. Now, get some rest aboard the ship an' let us do our part, jolly man!"

You check the three wooden crates. You don't see or sense any traps, but it will take more strength or two people to open them. You still sense a sleeping nature energy, so still that it wouldn't trigger most magical sensors, except a Druid, Nature Witch or forest gnome or fey. Once Durik returns and opens the crates and you see the Owl Gargoyles, you try to commune with them as Bellandra picks one up. As you bless them, their stone hearts respond to you and begin to beat. The Owl Gargoyles open their eyes, which begin to glow amber as they blink at you and a stone skin grows over their carved wooden feathers. You sense that they are protectors and mean you no harm. Instead, the Owl Gargoyles suddenly become alert and two of them take off and immediately turn towards C52. The third seems to be communicating with Bellandra, before it takes off from her arms and glides silently out of the workshop to a nearby tree.

Looking inside one crate you grab the runed carving axe left there and examine it with interest. The runes are unfamiliar to you, but they look Fey and you sense it has also now been blessed. You bring it with you.

Exiting the building, you check on the bats and see the two Owls in a silent aerial battle with two of the bats. The third is coming your way, but the third Owl is watching and springs from the tree to intercept. You use your staff and Druidic influence (which you realize has been growing since you helped the Dragon Turtle) to encourage the bushes and trees to cover the team as you make your way back toward the Ship and the fluyt. Once the team arrives and are hiding by the warehouse there, with a clear path to the dock, only one sleeping guard on the fluyt deck and the disturbance still distracting the Port, you turn around and run like hell toward the prison tower to join with team 2 ASAP.

Captain BenKii: (roll dice*4) You pick up the magical bracelets carefully with your gloves and place them in your hat. As you pick up your potato and shove it onto your musket, you disturb something else in the vampire dust. Looking closer you see a ring of black metal in the shape of a bat with spread wings and ruby eyes. You take the ring and pocket it.

Shortly after Bellandra and Durik return to the workshop you see two stone Owl Gargoyles fly from the workshop door and turn towards the east. They seem to be going after the bats coming from C52. Another Owl flys out and takes up a position in the tree above you. "Gents, I think we be done here," you say. "I be hearing a lot o' flapping and screeching cummin' from that ole' building thar (C52). We best be runnin' back to our ship under the cover o' trees. Last one thar be buying the rum."

You use the cover of the trees and bushes to make your way back towards the Ship with the team. Once you are in hiding at the edge of the warehouse, you can hear the disturbance still going on at the Port to the east. The Ship in its disguised state is docked crosswise behind the fluyt ship. Looking at the fluyt ship, you can see a big guard slumped up against the quarterdeck stairs, possibly sleeping? Bellandra's face is beautiful and serious. She seems to be concentrating, perhaps trying to do whatever it is she does to contact her kin?

Durik: (roll dice*3) You go with Bellandra back to the workshop and use your strength to try to break open the crates. *Success* All the crates come open. Looking inside you see large carved owls, big like great horned owls, only these look slightly like gargoyles you have seen on some very old buildings. Gilius blesses them and Bellandra picks one up. Suddenly the Owls all open their eyes and look around. Two of the Owls fly out the door toward the east and the other flies into the tree over Captain BenKii like a lookout. Gilius grabs the runed axe left at the bottom of one crate, then encourages the bushes and trees to hide the team as everybody heads back towards the dock and the Ship. You are all hiding at the edge of the warehouse. Once there you are able to see the Ship at the end of the dock. On the other ship, the fluyt, you spot a half-orc who looks like he is asleep on watch while sitting at the bottom of the quarterdeck stairs. Gilius takes off running towards the prison.

-----
Hiding by warehouse near fluyt dock: Bellandra, Captain BenKii, Durik
Running to the Prison: Gilius

Captain Baldbeard picks up the pewter ring and pockets it. He uses his comb through his beard in an attempt to get rid off the strong garlic smell that is bothering his nose. He readies a stake in his off hand, and his cudgel in his dominant hand, and follow the group going downstairs, carefully, taking cues from the appearance of any enemy, or the initiative of any of his crewmates on how to deal with anything that they may come across.

Gilius keeps running toward the C69 tower. He tries to enter the building and assesses the situation.

Gilius can enter the prison at the beginning of this Turn. You enter the door to the smell of garlic pepper and see it and vampire dust scattered on the floor near the curving stairway up. Grog'tial is emerging from a room across the way, Captain Baldbeard is moving downstairs to the floor below, favoring his ribs which seem to be sore for him. Looking downstairs you see Argy stuffing loot in her pack is now sneaking through a room full of boxes and old stored items to the next curving stone stairs further down. You can barely see Captain Aylar and Count Karnstein in the shadows on those stairs. They seem to be sneaking quietly down, alert to enemies below. (roll dice) If you listen carefully you can hear voices of guards, one human and two half-orc you think. You do not see Devin, but the way Captain Aylar and Count Karnstein are acting, Devin must be further down and signaling to them. (roll dice) Your druid senses pick up an unnaturalness in several beings. It reminds you of what you felt with the carver. You doubt the others would be able to pick up on it or know how to deal with it and you judge it is a good thing you came.

Gilius enters the tower, sees Grog'tial, and immediately goes toward him cautiously observing the surroundings.

"Psst ! Grog'tial ! What be the situation here ?"

He sees the rest of the team downstairs. So he silently and cautiously goes down and gets close to Aylar.

"Aye aye, cap'n ! Carver secured t'the ship ! I came 'ere t'help. Bellandra, BenKii an' Durik be near th'ship. What's the matter 'ere ? What's grabbin' ye so long ? Any difficulties ? Need 'elp ?"

Devin stealthily checks the door area for traps then silently backs further up the stairs into shadows. He again checks the moonstone and feather for any indication of undead or magical enemies and will signal his findings to the others. If the cat can do so without being noticed, Devin sends the cat to scout the stairs and next level down with the same instructions as before.

He would then look to Aylar and Karnstein as the closest to him and touch his lute with a raised brow, a signal he is willing to try to Charm or Sleep the guards if they think it would be worth a try and are ready to fight if it doesn't work. He would prefer to have the cat's report on what lies further below, but he knows they are running short on time before Captain Jac pulls her crew away from the distractions at the port and the glamour fades to reveal the Ship.

*Ya, I just did something dumb but I lived and am mostly not hurt. I think the same goes the same for my friends I caused a bomb to blow up underwater to kill some undead people.*

Kyp apologizes to Mort and Pearl admitting that he was not aware of the consequences of that action, but it seems to worked out fine. Kyp goes quickly and gets the golden skull coins before heading to the ship.

Grog'tial grabs the box of teas, the hand-crossbow and bolts, the golden key, the transfer orders and the log book from the Captain's office. After reloading his crossbow with one regular and one armor piercing bolt, he leaves the office and swiftly tells Gilius about the large number of dispatched vampires, as well as the 5 remaining guards who're likely down below. He then collects the runed dagger and carefully leans a number of weapons from the drugged guards against the door leading outside, in such a way that they'll make a ruckus if that door is opened, and thus hopefully warn the prison team that they can expect company. That done, he heads downstairs as well.

Grog'tial will take up a position where he can have a clear shot without endangering fellow crew too much (maybe halfway up the stairs between the storage and prison floors, if Aylar and Karnstein have moved further down?) - he isn't expecting significant resistance from most of the guards, and expects the crew to handle them easily, but will shoot any target that presents itself, using the armor-piercing bolt if the guard in question wears heavy armor, though preferring to try for a head-shot with a regular bolt. He also wonders if the guard captain is around, and if he sleeps with the regular guards, or has a separate bed somewhere down below, making for a possible sixth enemy.
If the first prison floor is crowded to such a degree that he can't find any clear line to attack, Grog'tial will guard the stairs leading further down, intending to shoot anyone coming up.

If there's no fighting yet (or if there is, afterward) Grog'tial will softly inform the others of the golden key in his possession, asking them to be on the lookout for a lock that'll fit it.

[Grog'tial grabs all applicable loot, makes certain the team won't be surprised by newly arriving enemies from the ground floor, and assists in any fight.]

Durik asked Bellandra:
"Bel, shuld we go on de fluut?
Me can make the sleeping orc more sleepy.
Maybe other guards won't notice during the ruckus."

A short old woman totters down the gangplank of the scruffy smuggler's ship (the Ship under glamour) helped by a waif of a cabin boy. In her hand she carries a bottle of what looks to be rum. The boy quietly helps her along the dock pier. As they make their way alongside the fluyt ship the boy looks up and subtly beckons towards the tree lined shadows by the warehouse, then brushes his lips with a finger before turning back to assist the old woman to sit on the fluyt's gangplank for a rest.

Count shrugs and waves his hand in a "be my guest" gesture in response to Devin's suggestion. If lute doesn't work on any or all guards, Count will lunge blade in hand to the nearest unaffected guard and silence him before alarm could be raised.

After guards are taken care off, he will search them for keys to open the cells.

He will ask prisoners how many more are there.

If there's more prisoners below, he will continue downstairs in the same manner as he came to this floor.

If there are enemies coming from below, he will fight them.

Devin will get the go-ahead signal on the Charm/Sleep suggestion - it be too risky to leave aware guards at Crew's back when moving further below. Aylar will likewise prepare to dash in and assist Devin and Count in melee if anything goes wrong, but will also move a bit back (if it would be necessary) to safely take a quiet report from Gilius (potentially using any music that Devin makes for masking) and let him know that only lower levels / prisoner retrieval is left, before returning back into position.

If all goes well he will assist in screening and exploration of the lowest floor (along with dispatching of any undead or living that might still be there), leaving the prisoners' assessment to those Crew more versed in healing.

Additional and updated actions for turn.
Door and cat as before.

Getting the go-ahead signal from Aylar and ready agreement from Count, Devin nods and signals a suggestion for someone above to bring down some of the drugged wine. Then Devin will attempt to Sleep the guards. It gives them the greater chance for success with the two half-orcs and quick results as long as nobody attacks the sleeping ones. It should also keep the sleeping prisoners asleep while they take care of whatever is further below.

- If it works and the cat was able to scout below; Devin would check in with the cat and relay information.
- If it works and the cat did not proceed before; Devin will send the cat to scout further.
- If it doesn't work and the cat did not proceed before; Devin will send the cat to dash and distract, then on to scout while he attempts to strike the furthest unaffected guard - knock out if possible but quick kill if not. He will leave the closest guards to Count and Aylar to not be in the way of Grog'tial's shooting or foul attacks by the others.

Once the guards are taken care of; if not done before, Devin will check in with the cat and relay any information.
- If enemies are coming from downstairs he will position himself in shadows and attempt to ambush. Priorities and attacks as upstairs.
- If all seems quiet/cat informs him there is no immediate danger of attack from downstairs; Devin would quietly signal for someone to dose the sleeping/knocked out guards with the drugged wine while he uses his senses to quickly and quietly scout the wooden door for traps, enemies and if it is locked before proceeding downstairs. If he hears or senses enemies he will signal the others and be ready. If not and the door is trapped or locked he will leave it until after the downstairs is clear. He will check the keys Aylar gave him only after knowing the downstairs is clear.

If all goes well and the team is moving below, Devin will either take point or assist as necessary with priorities and attacks as upstairs. Once the downstairs is clear, Devin will either return to further check the wooden door, or assist as needed with lock picking, disarming/removing traps or other.

[Devin checks for traps, instructs the cat and attempts to sleep the guards. Conditionals based on results and enemies. Devin will check the wooden door, proceed downstairs and take point or assist as needed.]