Kwoon, who's been awkwardly silent, agrees to stay in the hallway. "Yes..." he mumbles absently.
A round table sits in this room, surrounded by four wooden chairs. A stack of cards sits on the tabletop. A cabinet to the southwest hangs open, a tangle of dirty clothes and blankets within. Four thin bedrolls lie rolled up against the north wall.
Mavor, Baer and Denario find nothing of interest in this room, and proceed to the next door.
A single large desk stands in the eastern part of this large office, transformed into a makeshift bed by a bedroll and several blankets and pillows. A table and three chairs sit to the west; several papers lie strewn over the table’s surface and a chamberpot sits under it. One of the papers is pinned to the tabletop by an exquisite silver dagger.
A man, who fits the description of Verik Vancaskerkin that Cressida gave you, is just reaching out to the chamberpot. He curses when the three party members enter the room. "Seriously? Always when I need to... ugh..."
The man quickly takes his bow from his back and aims it in Mavor's direction, ready to release an arrow. When he speaks again, he does so with a commanding voice: "If anyone takes one step closer to me, I'll shoot one of you. State who you are, how you reached this floor, and what you want."
Intimidate
Baer's nostrils flare angrily.
"Cressida wants to talk to you. We can do it the easy way, or the hard way. One way has you less hurt, but we don't want to hurt you. We'd rather stay calm," Baer threatens.
"Your friends won't be able to help you...in fact, you keeping calm is a great way to keep them from getting hurt. Why don't you tell us why Cressida would want to talk to you while you put that bow away."
Mavor looks on from behind the heavy shield he now carries with him, as Baer makes her anger known.
Good to see she honours her orcish blood. Her anger will suit her well I think.
"You should listen to the lady Verik. Though she has put things mildly actually. Your colleagues are in no condition to come and help you, some are tied up and unconscious, one or two might have some more serious injuries as they refused to go down. Now don't be like them okay?"
Mavor grins then raises the shield higher in front of him.
"Though if you wanna try and fight come and get it."
Denario keeps a straight face, but inside he'd be grinning.
"I've little to add to what these two have said. But...you're welcome to try."
Behind his back, he lets his sheathe slide his deck into his hand.
Verik swallows, and stares blankly at the people who've appeared in the door opening. He does, however, not lower his bow. "How...?"
His knees begin to shake, as does his voice when he continues to talk. Verik's eyes are those of a trapped animal. "Don't. Come. Closer. I want you to leave. Now."
"Aww look at that. He's scared and still wants to fight. Now come with me or I'll have to hit you with this thing."
Mavor approaches Verik with the shield up, if he fires the bow, he'll swing at Verik with his sap.
"I can attempt to daze him, you can then knock him down and bind him."
Baer moves in to join Mavor in combat.
Baer will club him a bit with her staff, getting him ready for Mavor's sap.
to hit;
damage.
Verik releases his arrow when Mavor moves forward, but the arrow hits the ceiling. Mavor then tries to hi Verik with his sap, but the scared ex-guard dodges as he scream in panic: "Get away from me! Ahh!"
Downstairs, the shop's door to the hallway swings open. "What's going on upstairs?!" the man that was behind the counter yells upstairs, then notices Kwoon. "What the heck?! Who are you?!"
The other man from the shop is standing next to the other, and starts yelling at the customers. "Run away! Thieves!"
It doesn't take long before all customers have disappeared from the shop, which is something that's obviously also noticed by Allyph.
Turn progression - round 1:
Denario
Baldrago
Malder
Kwoon
Baer
Allyph
Verik
Mavor
Denario dazes Verik. Baer then moves up to Verik, and hits him with her staff.
Meanwhile, downstairs, the man named Malder takes his loaded light crossbow and shoots a bolt at Kwoon.
Malder's bolt hits the flat-footed monk, after which the man named Baldrago moves over to attack Kwoon with a slash of his longsword.
Kwoon uses the opportunity to trip Baldrago, but the latter's attack doesn't stop. Even from his prone position Baldrago manages to deal a massive wound to Kwoon.
Turn progression - round 1:
Denario
Baldrago - Prone & Sickened
Malder
Kwoon 6/19HP
Baer
Allyph
Verik -5HP & Dazed
Mavor
Mavor tries to hit Verik on the head again with his sap, hoping he can connect this time.
"Hold still you maggot! Baer! Take another swing at him so he stays more compliant"
Round 2
Denario conjures an orb of acid and lobs it an Verik.
When Allyph sees the customers run out of the shop Allyph casts vanish on herself. She then moves inside the shop, hoping both Malder and Baldrago won't notice.
Mavor swings his sap at Verik, but misses. Allyph casts vanish and moves into the shop unnoticed.
"Don't expect I won't hit back!" Kwoon attempts to kick the sickened Baldrago twice.
Due to Baldrago's prone state one kick hits, but it doesn't do a lot of damage.
An orb of acid flies over Mavor's shoulder and hits Verik in his face. "Ahhh!" the already scared man screams, snapping out of his dazed condition. "What are you doing to my face?!"
Baldrago tries to stand up from his prone position.
Kwoon tries to trip Baldrago the moment the latter stands up, but fails. The sickened Baldrago then attacks Kwoon again, and Kwoon attempt to trip Baldrago once more with the redirect ability.
Baldrago is tripped again, and as a result his sword misses Kwoon. The sickened condition is prolonged.
Malder reloads his crossbow, and hits Kwoon when he releases the new bolt. Kwoon then attempts to kick Baldrago again.
Kwoon hits Baldrago once, this time dealing a decent amount of damage. "You messed with the wrong monk!"
Turn progression - round 2:
Denario
Baldrago -7HP & Prone & Sickened
Malder
Kwoon 5/19HP
Baer
Allyph
Verik -7HP
Mavor
Allyph pops up from invisibility, and shoots a ray of electricity at Malder.
After her attack Allyph quickly moves out of the shop.
Round 2
Baer spins her staff in two hands, gaining confidence in measure. The staff itself seems to respond and dance, almost as if enchanted.
to hit;
damage;
to hit;
damage.
"We would prefer *not* to hurt you, but we have little remorse for those who foolishly resist," Baer snarls, her temper growing.
Allyph nearly electrocutes and drops Malder, then moves out of the shop. Malder's not exactly sure what just happened. "There was a...! Where did she...?! What...?!"
"I won't surrender!" Verik declares, refinding his courage. He then receives two hits from Baer's staff, and his courage is immediately gone. "Please stop hurting me!"
Desperate to escape, Verik drops his bow and takes his spear. He looks like he's about to stab Baer with it, but then drops the spear as well.
"I surrender," Verik declares, and sinks to his knees. "There's no way I can beat you..."
Turn progression - round 2:
Denario
Baldrago -7HP & Prone & Sickened
Malder -9HP
Kwoon 5/19HP
Baer
Allyph
Verik -20HP
Mavor
"I heard some ruckuss downstairs, i'm headed for the stairs."
Denario moves to the top of the stairs.
Readied daze for any unknown faces coming up.
Mavor looks around at Baer, then quickly gets his silk rope from his pack and approaches Verik to bind his hands together.
"If you hold still you won't be harmed anymore, but if you do resist you'll get a hit from this."
"Baer, Denario! I think I heard shouting from downstairs, Kwoon might need some help. I can handle him and be down as soon as he's bound."
Baer sneers as Verik surrenders.
"Good choice. Now tell your men to back down, and we'll go without them being hurt. In fact, maybe that will live to take care of the shop until Cressida is done talking to you," Baer suggests helpfully.
She moves down the stairs to help Kwoon.
"Your man Verik is coming with us," Baer says. "He's coming down now. I suggest you stand down." Baer twirls her staff menacingly.
Mavor ties Verik, who does no longer resist, up.
--- Round 3 ---
Denario moves to the top of the stairs, ready to daze whoever comes in sight.
Baldrago tries to get back on his feet, provoking an attack from Kwoon.
Kwoon's kick hits the man, but doesn't do a lot of damage. Baldrago then turns around and moves puts his half-electrocuted ally. "Run away!"
Malder agrees with Baldrago's assessment of the situation, and takes a double move to get out of the shop.
Baer's words arrive to late, and Kwoon chases after Baldrago. When Kwoon tries to trip Baldrago, he fails.
Turn progression - round 3:
Denario
Baldrago -8HP
Malder -9HP
Kwoon 5/19HP
Baer
Allyph
Verik -20HP & Tied up
Mavor
Allyph tries to zap Malder, but hits a bird instead. She then takes a step toward the door opening, and draws her rapier as the bird lands in front of her feet.
Oh no! Not again!
Denario moves down the stairs, following Baer and readies another daze.
Mavor hears the commotion and drops the shield he's carrying with him.
"You be good and stay here." He tells Verik.
He then swings his greataxe on his shoulder and runs down the stairs past Denario and Baer to the front of the shop. As he comes across the counter he decides to jump it as he has a little too much speed to suddenly halt.
He turns and stumbles towards the door with a final few hurried paces and semi-blocks the exit of the shop.
Denario sees Mavor rush by.
"Wow Baer, it's as if a mother-in-law is chasing him."
Baer huffs, debates chasing the man, then relents.
"Let them go. We don't need them; we got our primary target. No need to kill more, Mavor..." Baer says as Mavor rushes back in what she assumes is orcish battlelust.
Baer goes back upstairs to keep an eye on Verik.
Mavor jumps over the counter and blocks Baldrago's escape. Baldrago drops his weapons and moves his hands up in the air. "I surrender! Please spare my life!"
Malder tries to move into an alley so he can escape, but Allyph zaps him and he drops unconscious.
Allyph sheaths her rapier, then drags Malder inside the shop. She strips Malder of his gear, and offers Mavor her silk rope so he can tie Baldrago up.
"Looks like we're done here. Let's interrogate them before we report to Cressida?"
At the mention of interrogating Allyph begins to remove Malder's gear and puts it on a pile.
Baer, once the sounds of combat die down downstairs,
will begin a thorough search of Verik's quarters.
"Anything you want to say to me, Verik?"
Mavor looks up at Allyph and smiles a toothy grin.
"Thanks, so there's the last one. Seems we've got them all now, good work Allyph. The rope will hold I reckon, but now we have 3 captives to show Cressida, must be better than just Verik I presume."
Mavor accepts the rope and procedes to bind Malder and Baldrago's hands together.
"So now tell me," he begins, "What was all the secrecy of this shop about hmm? You're captured now, but we'd like you to talk as well. Why are you running this shop? If you don't want to talk I'm sure one of us can be more convincing, just ask the girl here, she's far more than meets the eye and knows her way around a spell or two designed for more painful interrogation."
"No denying that. Then again, we could have you hold your head back and keep dropping acid on it if you prefer to be stubborn."
Denario goes to a window to see if nobody was attracted by the sounds of clashing.
Baldrago snorts and laughs when Mavor tries to bluff. Denario's aid doesn't impress him either. "Yeah right, she doesn't look like she's dangerous! I bet Malder just tripped and hit his head."
Allyph finds chainmail, a heavy steel shield, a longsword, a light crossbow with 10 bolts, and 20 gp one Malder.
"What is it you want to know.?" Verik asks Baer hesitantly. He quickly looks away from her, still scared she may hurt him again.
Denario doesn't see anyone that may be attracted by the sounds of battle, but there are some people who look like commoners approaching the shop.
No dangerous, huh? I'll show you dangerous!
Allyph looks like she's about to jump Baldrago when she realizes more customers may come in at any moment. She quickly moves over to the door and locks it, then proceeds to drag the unconscious Malder into the hallway.
"Guys, there are what appears to be customers headed this way."
Baer, once the sounds of combat die down downstairs, will begin a thorough search of Verik's quarters.
Baer continues her search of Verik's quarters, now casting Detect Magic as she looks everywhere, including over Verik.
Take 20 Perception = 26.
Mavor helps Allyph move Malder back into the hallway and then forcefully lifts and shoves Baldrago after him.
"Heh, you might think so, but you know the saying: Never Judge a book by its cover. If she won't do it, my trusty friend the axe will. i can show you the results to your friend of that."
Mavor says as he pushes him along into the room where his decapotated colleague lies.
"See what will happen to you if you're not compliant to what we ask. Anything you want to tell me now?"
"Look, don't be stupid, just cooperate."
While searching the room Baer finds a silver dagger. It radiates magic.
On Verik's person or on the floor next of him Baer finds a potion of cure moderate wounds, masterwork chainmail, a masterwork spear, and a masterwork composite longbow (+2 Strength) with 19 +1 arrows.
"Okay, okay! I also work as a mercenary!" Malder yells, frightened by the sight of his headless colleague. "Verik doesn't even know!"
"Say Baer, mind if i have a look at that dagger?"
Baer jumps as Denario speaks to her. Her nostrils flare angrily as she tries to temp the shock of being frightened.
"Sorry, I did not see you there...I thought you were downstairs with the others rather than upstairs with me and Verik," Baer says, holding onto the dagger for a few more moments as she examines it and the other magics in the room.
Spellcraft (dagger)
Spellcraft (arrows)
She hands over the dagger to Denario, holding her tongue over what she thinks it might be so that her rightness or wrongness does not taint whatever conclusions Denario might reach.
She returns her attention to Verik.
"Why do you think Cressida would want to see you? Much more, why should she want to see you so much that she would ask us to bring you back?"
"A mercenary? That's not exactly illegal, I'm not interested in that." Mavor tells Malder as he somewhat leans on his greataxe and looks him in the eye.
"Marshall Kroft wants to talk to Verik, possibly about why he turned coat against the city guard and also his current business. Being a mercenary isn't that troubling, but stealing cattle is, or would you have me believe you've decently paid for every piece of meat you sell here? Talking from one thug to the other, I know when something is ill-gotten and this place smells of it. Now speak up man."
Sorry, I did not see you there...I thought you were downstairs with the others rather than upstairs with me and Verik,
"Well, with business done for downstairs, i figured looking how things were here would be more fun to see."
"Well, with business done for downstairs, i figured looking how things were here would be more fun to see."
Baer looks at Verik, waiting for him to speak.
"Come Verik, speak. I am training as a barrister. If there someone who can use the law to your advantage, it is me. Cressida has every right to ask us to get you, but I can help you if you only help me help you."
"Why do you think Cressida would want to see you? Much more, why should she want to see you so much that she would ask us to bring you back?" She repeats.
Baer identifies the arrows as +1 arrows. She's not able to identify exactly what the silver dagger does, even after Denario aids her.
"I was in the guard, but I deserted during the riots," Verik tells Baer. "My guess is she doesn't want any rogue guards complicating jurisdiction. I'll likely be hanged for treason..."
Verik speaks with his head down, looking as if he's resigned to his fate. "When the riots started, I was told," he starts, but doesn't finish that sentence.
"I mean, I realized food was quickly becoming a source of contention. Regular shipments of meat from outlying farms were cut off, and many people didn't have food. Which is why I gathered some friends, and we decided to do something about it."
------
"No, man, you... you don't get it... Verik just wanted to..." Malder starts sweating and shakes his head violently at Mavor's words.
Malder closes his eyes for a second and takes a deep breath. when he opens his eyes again he sighs. "I'll tell you... Verik convinced us to help give people food. Most of our meat is pork or beef... Verik doesn't know about the..."
There's another sigh from Malder, but some seconds later he finally finishes what he was about to tell: "He doesn't know about the people who wanted to help us, and... were bothersome... They helped us take care of our shortage, get it?"
"That is disgusting, sure people kill people for being bothersome, but to sell them as beef or pork? What kind of ass are you?"