Akiki does listen to Goffred, though her expression is still angry. He does make sense. She nods a bit and swivels her head to look up towards the ceiling, and creeps towards the two listening there to listen as well.
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Sure that the noises from above could only be Hookshanks and Giggles, Nostrum quickly tries to silence his companions. Although sign language failed them before, Nostrum has time on his side: years of "Chelaxian Charades" played for drunken sailors in bars at Gaedran's instruction. Nostrum shudders from the memory of a thousand mimings of "The Imp and the Noble's Daughter", then attempts to warn his allies.
Two. Voices. Above. Unaware.
The lawyer's statements worry Raijinn. He didn't really plan on taking care of a bunch of children when this is all over. He didn't really plan on anything when this is all over. The truth is, he hadn't even been sure he'd live through it.
He'd been so full of hate and revenge that his vision was clouded. Sure, he'd have killed Gaedren, but what would have happened to the children? He hadn't even really thought of it before, and he was ashamed of himself for that.
Hearing the steps on the floorboards above, , plus hearing the muffled voices, Raijinn continues sneaking as quietly as possible. .
There are several moments of tense whispering as the group tries to plan their attack on-the-fly. Hearing the current residents of the fishery upstairs spurs them to a bit of action, and Raijinn creeps up the walkway towards the entrances into the fishery proper.
Talk of activity above silences the Lamms, who attempt to either scurry back into bed or find a corner to hide in.
Halfway up the ramp to the catwalks, Raijinn steps on a stair that snaps under him. He's able to regain his footing on the next stair, but the sound brings everyone in the room to a tense halt. They wait, silently for a response. Just as it seems its been more than enough time, the door in the center of the western wall opens to reveal a sour-faced blonde human man, wearing his pajamas, with a permanent scowl on his face. "...Show you myself that there's..nothing..to worry about", he finishes before paling at the surprising sight of a pack of armed assailants in the room. Over his shoulder is another imposing humanoid, a half-orc shouldering on some studded leather armor.
Akiki had slunk back against a wall towards the cover of shadow between the hammocks and other fixtures in the room. She's going to creep as carefully as she can around to get behind them once they fully come into the room to deal with the intruders.
Thaven smiles at the Snape-impersonator and fires an arrow at the armed Half-orc, as he seems the worse of the pair.
"Just like on the range," breathes Fredo, dropping to one knee and raising his crossbow to his shoulder. He scowls down the channel at the sallow-faced blond man, drawing a bead between his pale eyes. "Tell us where to find Lamm, thug," he says, the weapon vibrating just a little from his speech, "or we will show you something to worry about."
No longer having a need to stealth, Raijinn races up the rest of the stairs and readies his weapon. He positions himself at the top of the stairs, halfway between the sides, effectively blocking it.
Since they are in their pajamas, and look at least relatively unarmed, he will give them one chance to leave here alive.
"Tell us where Gaedren Lamm is" he booms, "And you may yet live through this night. If you insist on being in my way, I have no problem hacking you into tiny pieces."
Thaven-24
Lamms-17
Raijinn-16
Thugs-16
Akiki-14
Goffred-5
Nostrum-5
Always quick on the uptake, Thaven quickly assesses the situation as the door opened, and looses an arrow at the larger threat, right past the reedy-looking man, who blinks in surprise. The arrow takes the half-orc in the arm as he finishes pulling on his armor, inciting a bellow of rage that turns into maniacal laughter. "Hahaha! Arrow like needle through thread, patch me up." The Lamms make themselves as small as possible, which, all things considered, is not that difficult. The angry half-orc seizes a large and heavy-looking flail, and snarls. Raijinn dashes up the stairs and across the catwalk, brandishing his strange weapon and his threats. Squeaky noises accompany his footsteps as he moves along the damp wood. As Raijinn nears the pair of men, the reedy looking man shrieks, ducks behind the half-orc, cries of "Hookshanks! Intruders!" reaching the party from further inside the house. The half-orc sniggers at Raijinn as he gets closer, and raises his flail. Ready for the opening, however, Raijinn strikes, slicing the half-orc horizontally in the belly. Blood pours from the wound as the half-orc brings his flail down on Raijinn's shoulder. Distracted by the pain of his wounds however, the blow lacks force. Akiki sidles under the catwalk along the wall, trying to remain unseen. She stumbles on some stray chum, making some noise. Luckily, no one is looking for her. Goffred is a little surprised by the reedy-looking man running away, so he takes a moment to act, but when he does, he catches the man in the back of the thigh with a crossbow bolt, causing him to shriek in pain. Nostrum waves his hand and incants a quick spell, (interrupting his Lord's song) causing oil to spread all over the half-orc's weapon. Holding tightly, however, the half-orc merely laughs and makes an inappropriate reference to holding a slick rod.
Raijinn's Damage:
Attack roll:
Damage roll:
Goffred Attack:
Goffred Damage:
Reflex saving throw:
...I believe 10 damage is enough to drop the blonde.
Fredo scowls in disappointed disapproval. The two goons really should have known better than to reject his and Raijin's offers. He does not reload his crossbow, however, but lets it dangle as he gets up. The blonde having fallen, his task now is to help the others neutralize the half-orc before Hookshanks arrives. To that end, he scales the ramp, his eyes playing over the half-orc's frame, taking in his stance, his preferred cuts and parries with his flail, any detail that can aid his comrades. "He leaves himself open when he cuts to the right," murmurs Fredo, his voice rippling strangely through the magic that underlies the air, inaudible to the half-orc but perfectly clear to his fellows.
Akiki will spring out of hiding and stab with her dagger!
Akiki remains in the dark as much as she can, and shoots arrows!
The blonde man turns to run, shouting for someone, but then is taken straight in the back by Goffred's bolt. He takes a few steps, silent, and then topples to the floor.
Raijinn tries to ignore the pain in his shoulder as he slices at the half-orc again, taking Goffred's suggestion, he dodges an attack and slashes at the beast's right side.
Thaven sends another arrow at the half-orc, seeking to end his miserable cursing life.
Thaven-24
Lamms-17
Raijinn-16
Thugs-16
Akiki-14
Goffred-5
Nostrum-5
The half-orc starts as Thaven's second arrow lands itself in his gullet, but seems to just ignore it and continues to laugh-now more of a gurgle anyway-and continues his attack. Raijinn takes advantage of an open spot in his defenses to land a powerful diagonal slice on his torso, taking out a sizable chunk of flesh. Just then, a voice and the pattering of tiny feet can be heard from inside the house, "Children, you haven't been betraying your bud Hookshanks, have you?" and a blue-haired, wild-eyed gnome attempts to leap into the room from the catwalk. He catches his foot on the ends of the catwalk and falls into the room, landing heavily on the ground. Still, he takes a step towards Thaven and slashes with a kukri, but Thaven pulls his body out of the way. Above, on the catwalk, the half-orc makes a desperate, gurgling swing at Raijinn, but the tiefling does not even need to move out of the way as the weapon slips out of his grasp and falls to the floor. Akiki steps away from the wall to get a bead on the half-orc, above, and looses an arrow, but the arrow thuds into the wall beside the raging fighter. Goffred gestures, and a whisper spreads through the air, revealing a flaw in the half-orc's defenses. Nostrum, seemingly rageful at the half-orc's words, steps up onto the catwalk, and swings his massive axe with such force that it simply slices through his defenses and crushes the chest of the half-orc. Its last breath is a rattling snigger as it falls to the floor.
falling damage
Hookshanks attack
Hookshanks damage
Hookshanks intimidate
Giggles attack
Giggles damage
Giggles reflex
Akiki doesn't even hesitate before turning to fire at the gnome, too.
"Hmmm. Gnome." Thaven steps back and fires his bow at the gnome, instead!
"Yes, they have, Hookshanks," says Fredo, grabbing the catwalk's railing like he would a lectern. As far as he knows, all of Gaedren's thugs on this level are either dead or below him, so he feels safe enough to begin a harangue. "And they do not deserve punishment, but praise. You will not touch them. We will, however, touch you, and they might just touch you too." Cat, still among the kids, arches her back and hisses at the gnome.
Raijinn runs towards the edge of the catwalk and leaps off. Using the tattered remains of his wings to slightly adjust his angle, he aims straight for the gnome.
Thaven-24
Lamms-17
Raijinn-16
Thugs-16
Akiki-14
Goffred-5
Nostrum-5
As the little crazy gnome crashes to the floor, two arrows fly past him on either side. Fired by Thaven and Akiki, they narrowly miss both him and a nearly-unfortunate Lamm behind him. He takes a swipe at Thaven, but mid-swing, he is interrupted by Raijinn nimbly dropping to the ground in front of him. Quick to react, the gnome ducks underneath the flash of black metal that follows. Cursing, the little humanoid takes a swipe at the tiefling in response, but is too taken aback to strike quickly and well. Goffred with his lawyerly wiles speaks from his pulpit, and in response three of the Lamms give a little roar, pick up daggers and a pitchfork, and swing at Hookshanks, but only one of them draws any blood, and it isn't much. A Lamm with a pitchfork misses Hookshanks entirely, jabbing at Raijinn, but fortunately is particularly inaccurate.
The ground shakes with Nostrum's unceremonious fall, one that would seem comical if not for the weight that his words carried. Trembling with fear, the gnome takes a few steps back, realizing he amount of trouble that he's in. "What's it gonna take to kill you guys?", he weakly mutters.
Hookshanks damage
Lamm 1 attack
Lamm 1 damage
Lamm 2 attack
Lamm 2 damage
Lamm 3 attack
Lamm 3 damage
Lamm 3 critical fail
"More than you've got. Surrender or be destroyed."
Akiki holds her next arrow despite her anger. She's perfectly still, arrow nocked by her ear, eyes focused on the gnome.
"Quite" says Fredo, then continues so that only his comrades can hear. "Especially if he keeps stabbing with that thing and leaving his head unguarded. You'd think he'd know better."
The little gnome trembles in his boots, clearly robbed of his will to fight. He falls to his hands and knees, and begs, "Please, no, don't kill me! I can tell you anything you want. Just let me go."
The Lamms seem confused by this. They've likely never seen the small humanoid in anything but a position of power, and to see him reduced to begging for his life must hold at least surprise for them. They stand, stunned, waiting for something to happen.
Hookshanks claims "I'm a prisoner of Gaedren, just like the rest of them here. He's got my family, I had no choice but to do what he says or he said he'd feed them to his alligator!"
Cat's back flattens and she retracts her claws, but Fredo doesn't buy the gnome's tale. "Please," he says sarcastically, his contempt for Hookshanks rippling across his empathic link with Cat, "That's not how Gaedren works. None of us who worked for Lamm ever heard of their families serving him. Akiki was never asked to serve for her sister's sake, nor I for my brother's. He's too much a coward to let anyone near him who might ever turn on him, anyone who's not a slave or a toady." He scowls and wrinkles his nose. "You did tip us off about the alligator, though. As thanks," he says, the corner of his mouth curling up ever so slightly, "your proposal will be heard. Not by me and my friends," he clarifies, "but by the people you wronged.
"What should we do with him?" Fredo asks the Lambs. He seems to relish greatly the idea of this impromptu tribunal.
Akiki keeps her arrow focused on the gnome without saying anything, though her lips are tight.
Thaven keeps an arrow nocked and targeted on the gnome-child. He doesn't say anything, but his right hand begins twitching. 'Damn! Now is not the time to get the shakes..'
|
|
Though he doesn't remember Hookshanks, Nostrum remembers his ilk: the depraved, the deranged and the dangerous folk who fell into Gaedren's employment. They were always less ambitious or intelligent than Gaedren, but often just as sadistic and cruel to his young captives.
"I know you, gnome. I have never met you nor suffered your abuse, but I know you... And I know you are lying through your teeth."
Nostrum pauses to make sure that he has Hookshanks full attention before continuing.
"And though I know you and what you deserve, I offer you the chance of a redemption you most definitely don't deserve" Nostrum pronounces, his voice again takes on a distinct singsong tone. "You may be true to your word, answer our questions in honesty and seek the forgiveness of these precious souls you have harmed. And some of them may even be gracious enough to forgive."
Nostrum steps closer so that the Lamms cannot hear.
"Or, you can continue on the godless, mindless and hopeless path you have set for yourself. And whilst I believe in a loving and patience diety, I can guarantee you that my conscience will be entirely clean as I systematically remove each of your digits one-by-onee, before flaying the very flesh from your bones. It may be a short path, but I will make it an eternity...
The little gnome looks around suspiciously at the angry faces of the Lamms, who loom ever closer. The few that already snatched up weapons are joined by several more, armed with the pitchforks that they apparently use to stir fish.
He takes another step back, and begs "No, a-please, a-don't leave me to the mercy a-dese little s$&*s..they'd rip me apa-" but as Nostrum begins speaking, he seems to reconsider. He looks between the horde of children and the pack of angry, armed adults, and a mental struggle crosses his face as he chooses between the two evils.
"Where is my sister," Demands Akiki in the quiet, bow still at the ready, "The elf. Her name is Semelle. The children said she might have gotten dumped. Where do they go when you get rid of them?"
Trembling, he looks up from his prone position at Akiki, answering "The little pointy girl? She was a bit too rebellious for Gaedren's tastes. He usually feeds them to his crocodile..she wasn't taken too long ago, though, so she still might be down there...he likes to keep 'em around. Either way, she's down there, you've just gotta go down lower to fight her if he's done. Izzat enough? Can I get outta here yet?"
Trembling, he looks up from his prone position at Akiki, answering "The little pointy girl? She was a bit too rebellious for Gaedren's tastes. He usually feeds them to his crocodile..she wasn't taken too long ago, though, so she might still be down there...he likes to keep 'em around to hear 'em scream for a bit. Either way, she's down there, you've just gotta keep goin' down, maybe to the sea floor, to find her. Depending on whether he's done with her, of course.
Now, izzat enough? Can I go? I pr'mise that I won't bother you no more, eh?"
Raijinn waits to see Akiki's reaction. The gnome is not as much his concern as Gaedren himself.
Raijinn has something more immediate on his mind though, and he turns to Goffred. "How do you propose we take care of the children - who are now bloodthirsty - and go after Akiki's sister at the same time? We can't endanger them further by taking them with us, but I doubt it's safe here."
Alanna, the girl that had spoken to Akiki, steps up to Hookshanks, fishy pitchfork in hand, and shouts "Kill him! You think he would hesitate if he were us?"
The kids roar in response. Clearly, they want revenge for every wrongdoing done by Hookshanks onto them since their kidnapping, and unless you do something, it's only moments until they visit it.
"No, young lady," says Fredo thoughtfully, entirely sure the girl had never been addressed that way in her life. He approaches the matter of Hookshanks' fate the way he had seen the arbiters handle scores of arraignments. "I do not think he would. Which means he cannot be allowed to stay here unbound. Nor can we let him go free. He might come back to terrorize you, or he might take the time to plot all our demise. We could take him with us to see Gaedren, but he might turn on us if he sees an opportunity, or if his boss gets into his head again." Fredo leans forward, his elbow on the catwalk railing and his chin resting on the heel of his hand.
"If bonds can be made to hold him," he decides, "then we will bind him, knock him out, and leave him here while we visit Gaedren and when we go." While hitherto Fredo has been speaking to his companions and to the Lambs, he now turns his gaze upon Hookshanks. "Cat will remain here while we're looking for Gaedren. I can tell if she's ever worried, angry, or scared, and will thus know if you try to escape. She might even stop you herself; I found her after she'd killed an old tom twice her weight." Cat licks her paw, demure but clearly proud of herself. "You will have a chance to work your way free once we've dealt with Gaedren and taken the kids away from this place. It's more than you deserve.
"If bonds cannot be made to hold you, however," Fredo lets Hookshanks ponder the possibility for a moment, "then we will have no choice but to do as the young lady asks." Fredo raises his head from his hand and splays his fingers, palm down. Drawing on the magic underlying all creation, he summons minute viscid globs of acid from the fish tank and lets them drip from his fingers and onto the wooden railing. There they sizzle audibly. "I hope for your sake that someone's confident in their knots." The bit of railing, already fragile and pitted from age and rot, breaks off and drops to the ground. "I know I'm not."