Haedrik flinches as Karista hammers a vicious blow into the old man. He looks at Karista with a witty barb half-formed, but lets the matter die as he sees the wildness in her demeanor. He takes a step back and whispers to Verronax as he cuts in front of him, "I'd rather take my chances with the rabid gator."
Verronax leans over to get a clear shot around Haedrik, and whispering a prayer to Abadar, looses a crossbow bolt at the gator.
Attack roll (point blank, precise shot, divine favor) (1d20+4=22); Damage (1d8+2=5)
With Lamm down, the fight rapidly turns against the alligator. Haedrik turns to face Gobblegut, slashing the beast along its flank with his rapier as it flails for purchase on the wooden floor. Verronax fires over Haedriks shoulders, Abadar's wisdom guiding the bolt to lodge itself into Gobblegut's leg. Taemin backs away from the beast, carefully evading the snapping jaws. The sudden influx of pain seems to have more fully enraged the gator: while his thrashing and snapping becomes more violent, it has also become more pronounced and exagerrated, making him easier to dodge.
As Taemin and Gobblegut's blood mingles in the water, another dark shape slides under the divider. It is a mottled shark.
Taemin, Haedrik, Verronax
Hoping these won't become famous last words, Verronax says, "Well, unlike the alligator, at least sharks can't come up out of the water."
He reloads his crossbow and takes aim at the thrashing alligator.
Attack (1d20+3=22); Damage (1d8+1=8)
Critical confirm (1d20+3=17); Damage (1d8+1=4)
The alligator eventually stops thrashing under a bombardment of singing steel and flying bolts. Taemin hefts Lamm into the water: something of a groan escapes Lamm's lips as he is lifted and the air is forced from his lungs. This is of little matter, however, because a short time later he is floating face-down alongside the mangled remains of the gator. The shark fastens itself to the gator, thrashing side to side to tear pieces of the beast away.
"Stay here," Taras admonishes the children, putting a comforting hand on the older boy's shoulder for a moment. He then crosses the road back toward the fishery, hearing the muffled clunks and shouts of combat. As he approaches the fishery, tilts his head curiously at the splashing and squats to see the alligator thrashing around and snapping at things up inside the structure.
With little else to do but watch with hopeful worry, Taras powerlessly sat down and waited.
...Soon enough, the obese corpse of old Lamm tumbled out into the water below, setting off the frenzy of the shark haunting the water.
"Taemin!" Taras calls, hoping the sound will travel easily over the water and under the fishery. "Verronax! Haedrik! Find the other children and get out here!"
Taras worriedly looks over his shoulder at the huddled cluster of orphans and the bleak, false-sunset glow on the horizon. The alarm bells clang on from the castle.
"Hurry!"
"How badly are you hurt, comrade? I can pray for healing from Abadar, but it will take some time. Can you hold until we're in a safer place?"
Taemin smiles softly, "I can hold, the greatest wounds are beneath my skin, and now begin to heal." He glances around, then comments, "Haedrik, perhaps those rags?", pointing to Lamm's small habitat in the corner.
Karista exhales a long breath and gives Lamm's floating body a good hard stare. She shakes herself from her reverie in a moment and her lip curls in distaste as her companions root through the wretch's belongings. Of course...if someone is going to benefit from the plunder - it might as well be her. She kisses the hilt of her falchion, and sheathes it, then begins idly toeing through Lamm's knick-knacks.
Haedrik, Lamm's clothes are filthy and ratty (and of course, now waterlogged). He coughs weakly when you haul him out of the water. His pockets contain nothing but a keyring. Of course, that's something in itself. A fine, sharp dagger is tucked into a sheath on his belt, as is a smaller leather sheath containing nine small crossbow bolts.
Karista, the junk scattered about Lamm's floor is mostly worthless. Some of it might be worth something secondhand, but likely not as more than scrap. His hand crossbow lies where he fell, however.
Now that things have calmed down somewhat, and you have time to look around, you notice that there are two sets of rusty manacles chained to the ceiling, over the water. The chain for both sets is strung over to Lamm's junkpile, implying that the manacles can be raised and lowered.
In addition to the door to the east (through which you entered), there is a door to the north.
If no one objects, Verronax will claim the hand crossbow and bolts.
"We still need to deal with him," Verronax says, gesturing to Lamm's body. "I doubt the Korvosan Guard will be of use - they've been less than helpful with my inquiries thus far. And now that I'm here, I find myself wanting to be judge, jury, and executioner less and less. At least until he's had time to answer some questions."
Verronax goes over to the chains and brings the manacles closer. "Perhaps we can put him here for now, while we find this elven boy and any others held here against their will."
Taemin:
Taemin drags a strongbox out of the room and leaves it for the others.
With a deep breath, he returns to the room to make a brief but thorough search for anything important, flipping the bed, and carefully opening the hat box. If nothing else important is found, he will return with the statue and press it into Haedrik's hands without comment.
Taemin:
Haedrik, you find one of the keys on Lamm's keyring fits the manacles, and you use it to lock his wrists in. As Verronax applies Abadar's magic to the wretch, he exhales softly, relieved of a good deal of pain. However, he is still unconcious.
Ross:
Taemin returns from the room with a small hat box, buzzing with flies. "We have been setup," he says simply. Tilting the box slightly he shows the long-dead face of Zellara within, before dropping the box.
"Indeed we should heed Taras and be quick in our remaining search." He hefts the strongbox to his shoulders and makes his way around to the door and out to the trapdoor. He waits for another take the chest before climbing up the side and returning to the inside to assist the others up.
Taemin returns from the room with a small hat box, buzzing with flies. "We have been setup," he says simply. Tilting the box slightly he shows the long-dead face of Zellara within, before dropping the box.
"He kept her head?" Verronax looks again at Lamm, his face a grimace of disgust. "What kind of monster is he? And who was Zellara, then?"
Verronax picks up the dropped box and puts it in a sack. "She deserves a proper burial, at least."
"Taemin, any sign of any more children? What's back there?"
Taras nervously crosses the road again, lifting the wide sleeves of his robes and folding them up, buttoning top to bottom and making them less cumbersome in case of a need for quick movement. As he approaches the gaggle of children, he smiles reassuringly, gently ruffling hair here and there as he rejoins them.
As he stands in the middle of this crowd of children, he keeps keen eyes on the street, cautious still. This is a neighborhood that supported (or at least tolerated) the likes of Lamm, after all, and the children aren't safe until they're with their families again...
Unconsciously, Taras reaches into his shirt and lifts the small, purple glass butterfly pendant into view, idly toying with it in his fingers. He looks, in his robes and finely kept hair and fey, aristocratic features, like nothing less than a schoolmaster, with a patch of scandalously unkempt students surrounding him.
Ross:
"No, Haedrik, you are indeed not the only one. And as I said, I intend to give her - what's left of her, at any rate - a proper burial. Perhaps he is just a monster, truly beyond redemption. And even if he were to provide an explanation, it wouldn't bring Jacaranda back."
Verronax seems to almost be talking to himself. He pauses in thought for a moment. A shadow passes over his face, and his eyes and features harden.
"No. Karista is right. He brings nothing to the world. He is an enemy of humanity and civilization. He takes what he wants, and prospers on the backs of others, killing those who stand in his way. His guilt is clear, as is the Law, even if the Guard has chosen not to enforce it."
Verronax strides purposefully back to the chains and lowers Lamm to the floor. Standing behind him, Verronax unlimbers his crossbow and loads a bolt, his movements slow and ritualized. His eyes close and his lips move as he whispers a prayer to Abadar. Verronax opens his eyes and levels his crossbow at Lamm.
"Gaedren Lamm, you are guilty of horrendous crimes against the people and laws of Korvosa. You are a liar, a thief, a slaver, and a murderer. Your presence on the earthly plane shall be suffered no more. Your life is no longer your own. I proclaim you irredeemable. May your soul go to its just reward."
"So it is judged."
The shark, apparently saited on gator meat, has resubmerged, and while still swimming, is doing so much more lazily.
Taemin:
Taras:
"Karista, my dear, you mind leading the way up. I feel safer behind you; I am sure you understand." Haedrik smiles politely.
He also finally seems to notice the statuette pressed into his palm, he studies it and then slips it into his pack. "Reminds me of the Queen," he says just loud enough to be heard.
Karista whispers softly to herself in Shoanti as she grimly stares while Verronax executes Lamm. Gaedren's chest falls for the final time and Karista seems less harsh, almost contemplative for a moment...at least until she spits on his inert body. She turns to follow Taemin out, "Let's leave this rubbish heap."
Taemin helps everyone else back up through the trapdoor, and help heft Lamm's footlocker upstairs. With Haedrik still carrying the light, you are able to make a quick search of the rooms you have already explored. Map of upper level..
You find relatively little of value. In the room with the trapdoor, there are a number of small hammocks hung under the walkways. At a rough guess, there is one ratty hammock for each child. There are also a number of empty barrels and crates, painted with a fish symbol. The collossal vat that dominates the room is mostly empty, though the bottom is coated in a fishy, acrid residue. If you touch the goo lining the tank, it tingles lightly on the skin.
Searching the bodies yields a number of items. The acid thowing man still clutches a polished wooden wand in his hand. Three glass jars are thrust through leather bands on his belt. Next to them are tied two squishy, thin cloth pouches, and a stone marked with alchemical runes. He carries two keys, and a slightly rusted dagger. He is dressed in leather armor. A crude stamp on the armor reveals his name: Yargin Balko.
Haedrik
The half-orc possesses an iron flail and a small iron shield, and was dressed in leather armor.
The dog is still sleeping the sleep of the violently knocked out.
In the office, the desk is covered in slates, messily covered in accounting notes. The cabinet, unlocked with one of Yargin's keys, is filled with similar notes, only on parchment. Judging by the dates, the slates are transferred to scrolls every two weeks or so.