As Dorn pushes past the dazed half-orc and charges into the room, the door on the opposite wall hastily closes. The dwarf notices as he passes that the room is in disarray, half-ransacked, half-vandalized, as if the half-orcs had been looting anything of value and spitefully destroying everything else.
Rolling his eyes again, "Seriously? I'll just open the door ya know." Dorn opens the door and prepares to give chase.
Alicia takes a slightly-wide arc, tumbling behind the last half-orc in the open and stabbing him in the back with her rapier.
Alicia runs the dazed half-orc through.
Skyreaver, deprived of a target, ruffles his feathers disconsolately.
As the half-orc falls, Marikel nods to Alicia and races off after Dorn and the fleeing half-orc.
Marikel clanks hurriedly through the first room, arriving next to the final half-orc.
Vhailor follows more cautiously, keeping his casting-fingers ready against the approach of more enemies.
The half-orc swings his battleaxe at Marikel as he edges toward the other door, but the blow rattles off the priest's shield.
Skyreaver lands as the half-orc falls, fluffing up his feathers and picking at something underneath one of them.
Dorn moves in heads over to block the door saying, "I dare ya ta hit me!" as he moves right by the half-orc and around.
The dwarf moves around to block the door, exposing himself to an opportunistic blow by the half-orc as he does so, but Dorn deflects the battleaxe with his shield as he passes. His strike in return is more accurate, knocking the half-orc into unconsciousness.
Alicia huffs, resheathing her rapier but leaving her crossbow in-hand. "I'll go warn the guys at the gate." Without waiting for permission, she jogs back up toward the gate.
Vhailor moves up and prods the fallen orcs with the butt end of his staff a couple of times to make sure they aren't moving... before bending down to rifle through the creature's pockets. "Worth seeing if they've anything on them that might give us an idea of where and what?"
Sheathing his weapon, "Good idea, lad. I'll help ya." Dorn proceeds to do exactly that, aiding the gnome in going through the belongings of the fallen enemies.
Marikel stabilises the unconscious half-orc before dragging the body outside to join the others. He then checks the patrol member at the well.
Alicia jogs back to the guards at the Upper Gates.
-----------------------
Vhailor and Dorn set to the task of searching the fallen half-orcs. They find a healthy supply of javelins, other serviceable weapons, three shields, and eight vials of liquid. The female half-orc has the best weapon: a well-made battleaxe. These weapons could surely do some good in the hands of the defenders of Trunau, if the Twisted Nail should break through the palisade.
-----------------------
Marikel notes four sacks half-filled with items that were dropped inside the building as the half-orcs were looting what appealed to them and vandalizing the rest. He stabilizes the half-orc that Dorn dropped before returning to the Patrolman slumped against the well.
A blood trail on the road indicates that the man likely dragged himself from inside The Killin' Ground before succumbing to his wounds. A quick examination by the priest reveals that the Patrolman is gravely wounded but clinging to life. If he is carried to shelter, there's no reason for him to die today.
"Jackpot!" the dwarf exclaims as he starts grabbing the weapons and shields. "Looks like these blasted half-orcs will outfit this town better than the town will, me friend," he says to the gnome, giving a wink as he grins wryly.
Once he gathers all the weapons and shields, "Alright, I'm gonna take these over to the army and see if they can use some of this stuff."
As Alicia arrives back at the gate, she calls out, "Half-orcs have slipped in and destroyed The Killin' Ground! And they've set the Inner Quarter's three trees on fire!"
"What?" one Patrolman at the gate asks blankly.
The other calls up to the pair at the ballista overlooking the cliff. "Have they reached the palisade yet?"
"Nope," one calls back down. "I think I can see the Chief Defender's party engaging them on the flank; they're slowing them down!"
"It's impossible," the first replies to Alicia. "The Twisted Nail haven't even gotten here yet. How could they have gotten inside? And if there's something going on in the Inner Quarter, why didn't Arlo sound the alarm?"
Marikel calls the others around and murmurs a prayer to Iomedae and a burst of positive energy washes over their group and the patrol member but excludes the half orcs.
After coaxing the patrol member to consciousness Marikel speaks to him.
"It's okay. You're safe. Only a few minutes have passed. What happened?"
"Well, we found a Patrolman bloodied and slumped over by the well. Could that be Arlo? Anyway, my bet is that the half-orcs dug a tunnel in the flophouse and slipped in from outside through that."
"The f--?" The startled Patrolman starts to move out of the gatehouse but stops himself with an effort. "We can't leave our posts. We've got to stay here until the defenses fall back or until we're relieved. Can you handle it? Get word to the Longhouse, or get help from the Patrolmen at the Lower Gates?"
-----------------------------------
After coaxing the patrol member to consciousness Marikel speaks to him.
"It's okay. You're safe. Only a few minutes have passed. What happened?"
"H..h..half-orcs!" the Patrolman comes to with a start, wide eyes staring. "From the Howling Hound. Turned on us. Waited in the Killin' Ground and started attacking the last stragglers headed for the Longhouse. Rabus Clarenston, he's in there." He raises a hand with effort and points toward the tavern. "Don't know if they killed him. Was trying to warn the Upper Quarter. If the Twisted Nail break the palisade, the defenders will be caught between them and the damned half-orcs! They'll never make it to the Longhouse!"
Dorn stops and gathers around to be healed by Marikel. "Thanks, lad." Nodding, he just about starts off before the patrolman starts to relate what he knows. Sighing in frustration, "Blast! Blasted half-orcs!" Looking up at the cleric, "What should we do, lad? Should I go ahead and take all these weapons and shields to the army?"
"Yeah," Ali says with a curt nod. She adds, "And don't trust Sawyer." With a glance in the direction of the Longhouse, she jogs back down toward the rest of the party.
Marikel looks from the Patrolman to Dorn. He helps the Patrolman to rise, and addresses him. "Go and warn the Upper Quarter. We'll clear up here and get these weapons to the front. How many half-orcs were there? We've taken out seven. You might want to take a prisoner back with you for questioning. Try her."
Marikel waves a hand at the chatty half-orc stabbed by Alicia.
"Before you do though," Marikel looks for Alicia's return, "did you see where the half-orcs came from, or are you just assuming it was from the Howling Hound. If they've got a tunnel, we haven't time to look in the wrong place."
The young Patrolman shakes his head emphatically. "No, sir. I recognized them. They're the boarders from the Howling Hound." He looks down at the fallen female indignantly. "I bought her a drink last week!" With a bit of a stagger due to the remains of his wounds, he shoulders the dead weight with determination. "I don't know: how many boarders you think that place can hold? Maybe twenty? I haven't seen the fellow who runs it either. Listen, Padre, check on Rabus, will you?" With a final nod toward the Killin' Ground, he heads up the hill toward the gate, where he passes Alicia heading back down.
Vhailor looks at the oversized weapons on the ground, then at his staff and indignant passenger before frowning "Maybe it's best if I keep a lookout while you carry the weapons?" and offering a gamely smile.
Marikel starts divesting the bodies of quick to remove articles.
"It's to help the troops," he glares before Alicia can say anything.
He proceeds to update her on the patrolman's revelations as he grabs a last few items, then heads for the Killin' Ground.
Vhailor looks at the oversized weapons on the ground, then at his staff and indignant passenger before frowning "Maybe it's best if I keep a lookout while you carry the weapons?" and offering a gamely smile.
"No worries, friend, I got 'em." Dorn gladly carries any weapons that need carrying.
The priest crosses the road and ducks inside the Killin' Ground, which appears to have lived up to its name. Nearly a dozen bodies are strewn across the floor, some lying where they fell, others clearly having been dragged into the tavern from outside.
Alicia gives Marikel a cheeky grin, then follows after him into the Killin' Ground, crossbow in hand.
Vhailor looks to the bodies and offers a sand-throated gulp... before steeling form and figure and following after.
Marikel pauses at the sight before him and shakes his head ever so slightly. But he moves quickly inside, sword drawn and alert for survivors or attackers.
The party moves into the tavern, their caution vying with their concern for the fallen townsfolk. Three half-filled tankards stand on the counter, which is puddled and sticky with some of Rabus Clarenston's best.
Clarenston himself is lying behind the counter, battered and bloody. When Marikel checks the barkeep, however, he finds that the man, like the Patrolman, is badly wounded but still alive. As a matter of fact, only three of the ambushed citizens are dead. Either the half-orcs weren't thorough enough to finish their victims off ... or they were left alive intentionally for the enjoyment of the Twisted Nail when the orcs reached the Inner Quarter.
Following the healer - and Skyreaver following behind him but at a far more leisurely pace - the dwarf shakes his head in despair at the horrible scene. Even so, the dwarf starts out and checks to see if any still breathe.
After it becomes apparent there are no more half-orcs in the tavern, Alicia takes up a position at the front door of the tavern. Hand crossbow in hand, she keeps an eye out on the street outside.
"Miss Alicia, stay near."
Marikel places himself among the wounded and prays to Iomedae once more, being sure to include Alicia.
"Friends," Marikel addresses the fallen as they come round, "we've been betrayed, but there's still time to fix things. Precious minutes have passed since you were attacked. Those of you who can, help the others to the Longhouse, for healing and to let them know what's happened. We've already dispatched seven of your attackers. Mister Clarenston, tell us more about what happened. And did anyone see a boy run past beforehand?"
Marikel's invocation is enough to get about half the townsfolk on their feet again; those who are ambulatory willingly shoulder the burden of carrying those still badly wounded as far as the Longhouse.
Rabus Clarenston shakes his head as if to jog a fuzzy memory. "Folk were coming in for a last drink, like, before the siege. I always do good business when folk are facing the prospect of a spell of enforced sobriety. The half-orcs from the Howling Hound popped in. Weren't nothing unusual about that; they'd been good steady customers, and I thought the better of them for sticking around with the Twisted Nail coming instead of running like rats from a burning barn. I guess they were waiting until they were the most of the folk in here; then they took us by surprise. After that," he looks around at the assembled victims in his establishmet, "they must have waited at the door, ambushed people as they walked in, or else gone out looking for lone people to overpower. Miz Oleson there, she don't make a habit of drinking in here, I'll tell you straight."
No one seems to have seen Zechariah Landon.
Alicia glances back at Marikel. "I think we need to pay the flophouse another visit," she says.
Vhailor nods idly in response to Alicia's words, though giving indication of being easily swayed either left or right depending upon the cut of Marikel's jib.
Marikel thinks for a second, then also nods at Alicia's suggestion.
He turns back to the crowd.
"Did anyone see how many there were? Or which way they went? They may come back with more victims."
To quell any concern he adds, "Miss Alicia here has notified the upper gate."
Marikel gestures to her. "What did they say?"
"Did anyone see how many there were? Or which way they went? They may come back with more victims."
Marikel's question inspires only blank stares and shaking heads from most of the victims, who had been attacked and disabled almost before they knew what happened.
"I'd say there was -- what would you say, Tom? a dozen of them in here when they turned on us?" Clarenston consults one of the other men. "Don't know if that was all of them or if there was another group of them turning coats somewhere else."
"I was attacked coming through the Lower Gate," Miz Oleson, a prim-faced but formidable-looking middle-aged woman puts in firmly. "Should have been Patrol there. I reckon those vagrants bushwhacked the guard there first so they'd have free rein on those of us headed up from the Lower Quarter."
Alicia scowls and glances at Marikel. "Said they couldn't abandon their post, and asked me to either tell the Longhouse or take care of it. Maybe we should check the Lower Gate first."
Marikel strides to the door.
"Dorn. Arm these that want weapons. Lower Gate. Let's go. "
Vhailor girds his loins and grimly... well at least a grimly as a gnome is able... sets to follow Marikel.
Nodding, "Aye aye, Captain." Turning to the group, "Alright now, any of you lot want a weapon then you've come to the right place. And the best part about 'em... they're only half price!" he says, glancing around at them all to see their expressions before, "HA! I'm only kiddin'! Take what ya need, lads and lasses. Come one come all!"
"Padre!" Clarenston takes a few steps after Marikel. "I know you don't hold with liquid courage," he begins a bit awkwardly, "but I reckon you might find a use for these before the day's done." He hands the priest three small bottles. "Just a little pick-me-up. They'll put a dying man back on his feet and keep him fighting, though they pack a hell of a wallop on the back end."
Marikel is about to bark at the dwarf when Rabus distracts him. Marikel frowns and glares skeptically at the proferred bottles a moment before his expression softens.
"Thanks Mr Rabus. I reckon we'll need all the help we can get."
Marikel stows the items carefully, returns his glare to Dorn, and head off.
Alicia leads the way toward the Lower Gate, hand crossbow at the ready.
Dorn distributes weapons to those who want them, and Clarenston ushers the townsfolk carrying the wounded out the back door of his tavern to make their way up the hill to the Longhouse.
The party exits by the front door. Now that they are up close to the burning trees, without the distraction of immediate combat, they can see that the flames lick along the boughs almost sluggishly, with a sickly greenish glow at their base. In addition to the thin smudge rising up in the sky, which they saw from the Upper Quarter, a heavier smoke seems to roll off the burning branches and across the road in a thick cloud which reeks of ashes and sulphur, making it difficult to make out the area around the Lower Gate on the far side of the fire.
At the sight of the burning trees, "Blast it all! Out of me way!" The dwarf then moves as near as he can to the trees and begins to create water over and over again, dropping gallons of it everywhere he sees even the smallest hint of a spark.