Hamin takes the tools offered and nods at Yetta's comments.  Then heads towards the wall behind the lone guard away from the main entrance.

OOC - Directly to the right on the map.

"Aye, Ah've never seen nor 'eard of ought like it afore neither," Brugar agrees.

Then he follows Hamin over toward the wall.

"What be that beast called?" he asks aloud.

The three men who stood with Karl follow you as you retreat to the east side of the cavern.

"They call it a Delver," one of the three tells Brugar.  "I think it more like a demon, coming forth from whatever dark hell in which it makes its abode, to torment us !"

Though you all watch warily, the creature, demon or no, seems content to munch upon the broken rock, at least for as long as it takes for the Sentinel ran off to return with another man, assumedly the Golos that was called for.

The man seems much like any other prisoner, sullen, worn ... nodding his understanding of whatever instructions the guards give him.  Though when one touches his hand to the collar on his neck, causing it to fall away, he gasps as if struck, almost falling.

On command, Golos holds out his hand to accept what seems to be a crystal of some kind, nothing more than a piece of quartz, but from the way he cradles it, precious beyond measure.

The man approaches the creature, the nearby prisoners backing away further, as if expecting the Delver to be incensed by such temerity ... but it ignores him, even as he raises the stone ...

"Dunatis !" Golos cries out, with broken voice, holding the crystal high.  "Hear your servant ... guide this child of the earth back to your hearth !"

The creature looks up ... then begins to slowly slide back down into the hole from whence it came.

And as it departs, Golos weeps.

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

"A priest of Dunatis." Hamin exclaims quietly, "I wonder if he can call those things as well as dismiss them ....  So where do they keep Golos?" He asks the three that are with them.

"Dunatis be the Soul of the Stone, the Rock of Ages. His priests be the Rocks of Dunatis. Be like Golos be one of them Rocks an' that crystal be 'is 'oly symbol. Ah've 'eard the name delver spoken afore but never knew aught about 'em. 'tis a day to be learnin' new things, it seems like," Brugar responded quietly to those closest to him.

"Golos labours in the workshop above," one of the nearby prisoners informs you. "The Sentinels do not trust what the rock itself might one day yield to his hands if they had him down here with the rest of us !"

Indeed your guards are swift to close on the priest, prising the stone from his grasp before fastening the iron collar back around his neck.  Golos does not struggle, but though his tears cease, his shoulders slump in defeat and anguish as they lead him away, while the others abjure you to return to your work.

"And that stone?  Any idea where they keep that?" Hamin asks softly as he returns to his pit ....
This message was last edited by the player at 20:03, Sun 12 Aug 2018.

If there happens to be a convenient rock nearby that might offer a hiding place for a pick or other tool, and if he thinks he can do it without being observed by one of the sentinels or the other prisoners they don't trust yet, Brugar will casually let one of the picks he collected slide out of sight in that hidey hole. But if he doesn't think he can get away with it he won't risk it this time before heading back to the pit where he was previously digging.

Once back at work he will be keenly searching for any sign of another crystal like the one Golos used.

"Saw them taking things into one of the building up top," one of the prisoners tells Hamin, eyeing the Sentinels warily.  "Not that I had anything on me worth their while."

The Dwarf can see nowhere that he might hide any tools ... indeed, it seems your guards are most diligent in that regard, already organising prisoners to descend into the large hold that the Delver left behind it to retrieve the picks and shovels that fell in there ... and the bodies too, though that seems almost an afterthought, much like a clerk might wish to balance a book of account, though he cared little for each individual entry therein.

Nor do the shafts seem eager to yield up anything other than the ubiquitous black rock.

At length, Ayas arrives with others from the forges to assist in loading the fruits of your labours into the mining carts to take the raw ore to be processed ...

As you haul the buckets over to the mining carts, the Elf takes the opportunity to speak with you, though he keeps his voice low, almost as wary of the other prisoners as he is of the Sentinels.

"The break tonight," Ayas seems both excited at the prospect yet uncertain as to whether it has any hope of success, and nervous at what retribution your jailers will excact if it does not, "they're going to stage a riot during the evening meal as a distraction while some of them go below to free the old warden from solitary confinement - seems he's the key to it all."

The man that has been working the mineshaft with Brugar speaks up at the news Ayas brings, much to the Elf's chagrin.

"As like they'll get themselves and a lot of us slaughtered !"

Though dirt-streaked and weary, his eyes burn with a sudden fire as he eyes the large hole to the south of the chamber.

"I'm weighing up my chances down there.  Perhaps the trail that horror has left in its wake might lead out of here ..."

Looking around nervously, to see if any of your guards are watching, he continues to carry and load the stone, though his gaze keeps drifting over the to hole, considering.

"Ye can try it if'n ye like, mate," Brugar whispers to his co-worker. "It be gone far enough for the guards to send prisoners in to fetch out tools an' bodies, at least. Dunno how far away it would 'ave gone but if'n ye gotta roll the dice sometime that might be as good a bet as any. As for me, Ah ain't goin' nowhere with this 'ere collar 'round me neck."

"But down that hole might just be far enough away from whatever drives the magic of the collars." Hamin murmurs as he heads back towards the mining pits.

The Elf shakes his head.  "I'm told the magic lies upon the collars themselves," he tells Hamin. "If the Sentinels are not nearby then they could not use them to bring us down.. but still should we try to remove them then they would be activated."

"I believe that is another reason for the conspirators wanting to free the old warden - the cells below supress the effects of magic - down there those of them that wear the collars might be able to remove them.  So too, your friend is down there ... so we think, at least."

"This hole.. if I were you I'd wait until the break was underway then try to get down here and try it, while our guards are occupied," he tells the other man who is working with you.  "Myself, I'm hopeful of riding the cage to the surface, but if all else fails then I'd chance following that creature's path."

"Well, in that case, it might just be better to  slip into the lower levels without being seen." Hamin muses, "If everyone else is charging down there and keeping the guards occupied, we might be able to slip through undetected." He glances across at his daughter, guessing that she  has a better chance of guiding them through that process than he or Brugar has.

"Or if we can get through the door quietly before the event, we might be able to sneak part way there, and then slip behind the guards as they rush to deal with the general insurgence."   Hamin doesn't much like using  a bunch of hapless slaves as a distraction, but sometimes one has to use the only resources one has at one's disposal.

"As like the Sentinels will take down anyone with a collar first," the other man muses.  "Aye, you need to keep away from them else you'll be caught up in that, whether you're intending to sneak away or no - they'll not care."

"It is unlikely that the hole would have breached the lower level," Ayas adds, trying to dissuade any from false hope.  "Those cells lie somewhere beneath the forges," he inclines his head back towards the tunnel from whence he entered the mining cavern.

"I've not much faculty with locks myself," he admits, "but I can sneak out a piece of wire which we might be able to use.  Or perhaps we might prevail upon one of our fellows to assist us.  It should not be too much to hope that someone is in here for theft, common or otherwise !"

Belatedly the elf realises his excitement has gotten the better of him and looks around, hoping nobody notices his unwhispered words.

Brugar just grunts when Ayas mentions looking for a lockpick.

"Don't look at me. Ah be renowned for breakin' stuff, not breakin' an' enterin'!" he growls softly.

When his mining buddy warns that the collars will be a prime focus for the Sentinels' attention he growls again.

"Reckon as Ah might want to find meself a scarf. It do be a bit chilly down 'ere," he mutters.

The long day of sweat and toil wears on.

Ayas returns to his work in the forge, though you see him infrequently throughout the day as he returns to help shift the rocks you mine, and you are able to exchange a few words.

At the last, as fatigue grips you and aching muscles and pangs of hunger leave you hoping your work is done, the Elf brings the blessed news that this is the last load for the day.  However ...

"The die is cast," the elf looks both excited and scared. "Varl and I will go up soon to collect the meals for the prisoners below.. once we're down there, the other prisoners will riot - some willingly, the rest because they'll have no choice other than to defend themselves."

"Hang back down here - make sure you're amongst the last group. When you hear the sounds of fighting, grab what tools you can to use as weapons and make your way down the open elevator shaft to meet up with us.  With you there, I can convince them to help free your companion. And after.. may the Mother help us!"

Ayas hurries off.

Brugar nods grimly to acknowledge that he has understood the instructions, at least.

He keeps working in his pit, swinging his pick in a steady rhythm and shows no sign of wanting to stop anytime soon. It should come as no surprise that he will be one of the last to leave the mine tonight.

Hamin looks across at Yetta and raises his eyebrows, but a thin smile plays across his lips as he descends into the pit.  "Oh, I am sure she will." Hamin mutters with some sincerity as Ayas leaves to continue with his own work.

As he works, Hamin checks the tools that are available to him, hoping to find something that suits his style.  "Ready for this?" Hamin asks his daughter.

Brugar's enthusiasm for his labours brings much muttering from the other prisoners and draws the puzzled attention of the nearby Sentinels.  While your guards are obviously suspicious of the Dwarf, they seem unwilling to chastise him for the prodigious effort he is making, choosing instead to berate your fellows.

Hamin at least is able to keep up - while the one-eyed warrior might lack Brugar's stamina, he is able to place the blows of his pick with more accuracy, and moreover to use the distraction to urge Yetta to hide a hammer and chisel when they are looking the other way, his daughter displaying equal nimbleness as the tools vanish from sight.

Between those, the heavy picks the two men currently grasp, and the light pick and heavy hammer that the Dwarf placed in a hole close nearby earlier on when the Delver broke through into the cavern, you feel as ready as you can be ...

... the faint rattle of chains indicates that the cage is returning for the last group of the day, just a dozen or so left now with two Sentinels, the three of you, the three men from Karl's group, including Brugar's workmate and another four surly louts.

You slowly, watchfully, begin to load up the rocks onto the waiting carts, waiting, waiting ...

An explosion from above shakes the cavern, and small rocks and dust shower down upon you as the sound of tearing metal reaches your ears.  Perhaps not quite the sound of riot that you had been expecting, but undoubtedly the jail break is on !

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ... you have Surprise

As soon as he hears the explosion, Hamin bends to retrieve the hammer  they had stashed earlier.  The Heavy pick in one hand, hammer in the other he makes his way swiftly towards the northern most guard, circling slightly to get as far around behind the guard as he can.  Silently he unleashes a series of blows with the unfamiliar weapons, hoping they hit true.  After all, if the other prisoners are correct, he will only get one chance ….

----
I made a right pig’s ear of those rolls in more ways than one …

21:09, Today: Hamin Carmine rolled 20 using 1d20+11.  Pick - Primary. Main attack with Pick
21:11, Today: Hamin Carmine rolled 10 using 1d6+4.  Pick Dam 1.
21:10, Today: Hamin Carmine rolled 24 using 1d20+11.  Hammer -first.
21:11, Today: Hamin Carmine rolled 7 using 1d4+4.  Hammer dam 1.

21:10, Today: Hamin Carmine rolled 10 using 1d20+6.  Pick - first. (actually 2nd attack)
21:11, Today: Hamin Carmine rolled 6 using 1d6+4.  pick dam 2.
21:10, Today: Hamin Carmine rolled 12 using 1d20+6.  hammer second.
21:11, Today: Hamin Carmine rolled 5 using 1d4+4.  hammer dam 2.

As soon as he realises that Hamin is on the move toward the northern sentinel, Brugar grips his heavy pick in both hands and charges straight at the western sentinel, striding across the corners of two pits on the way. With every step the rage grows inside him until he is wild-eyed and snarling in fury as he swings the pick at the sentinel.

OOC: Raging and charging, power attack 5 wielding heavy pick two-handed. 30ft move to NE corner of western sentinel. If he can't charge then subtract 2 from the attack roll.
Brugar Armbuster rolled 26 using 1d20+13.  To hit with pick, charging, raging, power attack 5.
Brugar Armbuster rolled 21 using 1d6+20.  Pick damage, 2-handed, raging, power attack.