Demitri waits for everyone to be ready as he slowly and carefully opens the door.
You shift and re-arrange positions, until Demitri pulls open the west door. Immediately, the snarling, gnashing snout of a large, mean-looking dog breaks through the gap, attacking Demitri. Ready for such, Demitri easily avoids the snapping jaws.
As Seren's light sheds into the new room, you see a large open warehouse room. The floor is slick with seawater, bits of seaweed, and fish blood--the air is thick with the accompanying scent. Wooden catwalks to the north and south overlook the depressed workfloor, which sits just above the waterline. An open bay in the south allows direct access to the sloppy, muddy water, while to the northeast stands an immense ten-foot-tall wooden vat, its sides caked and waterproofed with tar. Inside is a foul-looking mixture of chum, seawater and who knows whats else. Chutes from the room to the west empty into this vat.
To the east are stacked many barrels and crates, each marked in paint with a fish. Nearly two dozen small hammocks hang from under the catwalks, each with its own ratty blanket and pillow; most are currently occupied. Sleepy and suspicious eyes peer from these shadows.
Seren whispers, "Damn it, they're waking up ... move quickly. Can we put some more to sleep?"
He'll hold action until there's a clear path into the room, allowing the bigger guys to beat on the dog.
Melianthe moves to the doorway. "I can't see in, and I'd rather put the dog to sleep and free the Lambs--they can't run well when sleeping," she hisses.
Demitri looks around to see if he recognizes one of the Lambs.
However, it is too dark for him to see much beyond the angry dog at his feet. He tries to remove the dog as a threat without killing it.
If he drops the dog, he walks to M13. If not, he stays put.
Absinthe understands Demitri's plan, and immediately backs him up, striking at the top with the intent of knocking it out, rather than killing it.
Seeing the dog problem is well in hand, but that the Lambs are swiftly waking up, Rosa smiles and lifts her finger to her lips before opening the bag to reveal her sweets.
With a blunted attack, Demitri easily clonks the guard dog over the head. With a whimper, it slumps over.
Rosa presents her candy, but the children stay put. A ragged looking boy steps forward, "You ain' s'pose to be 'ere. Git out, now!"
"And you are, master Gnome?" Absinthe asks as she sinuously steps past Demitri. Her left hoof clicks against the floor, and in the gloom, Absinthe's eyes turn white and luminous like the moon. "A grown man, sleeping among these little ones and dressing up like one of them? Not so nice, that... One wonders whether you might be the watchdog -- or the jackal in the flock."
"That's a gnome? It doesn't matter what kind of dog he is, he is not going to have a chance to warn him." Demitri steps into the room and attempts to repeat his actions last turn.
But he misses wildly. "Get the real children out of here. I'll handle this one."
Seren, confused, just stands there, mouth hanging open shining his light directly at the speaker.
Sagang abandons the desk that was holding the other door closed and moves out into the larger room.
Hearing Absinthe pronounce the speaker a gnome Sagang looks closer.
Unable to pierce his disguise Sagang commands Go back to bed boy. as he looks around.
"Not a boy," Absinthe insists. "This is an adult Gnome. One is certain."
Rather than trusting her eyes, which she knows can decieve her, she tries to rely on what she's learned of Lamm and his various cohorts.
Melianthe doesn't appear to do anything as she looks at the 'child'. "A gnome? You're up late."
Absinthe points out the gnome, and he ignores her query... until Demitri starts forward and Melianthe steps in to use her hex. He shakes off the slumber and screams, in a voice big for his size, "Kill 'em, or Bloo'll chew yer nads off!" Several of the boys emerge reluctantly from below, wielding dirks. Just as many remain hidden.
As if on command, both western doors open. One with a low bark as a gnarled brute of a mutt comes loping in. The dog's very presence livens the step of the intimidated Lambs, and you can plainly see fear in their eyes.
Following Bloo come a few of Lamm's thugs, wielding clubs, blades and a lantern. "They're here! Intruders!" the lead calls. From the nearer door emerges a one-eyed half-orc holding a rusty flail, giggling to himself.
Seren sets the lantern down on the door threshold and draws his shortbow skulking forward to the spot north of Rosa, using the floor of the catwalk to hide his approach.
EDIT: or not ...
Rosa smiles widely at the cheerful half-orc. Time to sow some dissent in the ranks... She waits to see if her spell settles over the simpleton before saying "You know, it might be fun to clonk your gnome friend on the skull there. Just saying..."
Melianthe looks at the half-orc, inclining her head slightly.
"Lambs...We will take care of Bloo. We are here to rescue you."
"Little ones," Absinthe says to the children facing her. "Look upon this one." She slowly spreads her arms, her rapier glinting, her eyes a-glow. "You do not wish to raise hand against such a one," she says, her voice somehow dark. "But one will bathe you in the blood of your oppressors, if you so wish. If instead, you choose to oppose this one, she will bathe you instead in her darkness. Stand aside, little ones, and be little lambs no more."
Sagang rages(Controlled Rage, strength boost only) and moves to N11 protecting Absinth and lashes out at the adjacent enemy.
Seren stumbles forward, trying to stay hidden on the catwalk, but not making a difficult spot.
The gnome gestures with a hook-bladed dagger, a kukri actually, and the boys start moving to intercept the group on the catwalk. Demitri moves right through them, and they make little attempt to stop him. The gnome slashes his kukri as nears, but with poor aim. Demitri slashes down his longsword and nearly cleaves the gnome in two.
The gnome's quick demise affects the children, bolstered by Bloo's barking and Absinthe's words... they quickly back to the shadowy corners.
Rosa's words bring the giggling half-orc to a halt, and though he doesn't attack his friends, he gives her a drooling smile and giggle.
Melianthe moves as far along the catwalk as she is able.
She wrinkles her nose slightly at the thug across from her. "Ill fortunes may fall upon you, Redsleeves."
Melianthe moves along the catwalk following Demtri, and wiggles a minor hex at one of the thugs. He shakes his head, looking somewhat confused.
Segang notices the half-orc still making hostile motions, and swiftly carves him down with his longsword. The half-orc makes one last, gurgling giggle as he collapses in a spray of blood.
The thugs continue to rush into the room, despite their losses. One rounds the corner by Segang, slashing down a notched broadsword. Sengang dodges out of the way, and it sinks deep into the wooden railing.
Bloo charges straight at Demitri, snapping at his shins. One of the thugs, a wiery, swarthy fellow with a hooked dagger moves up and stabs, but the blade deflects off of Demitri's armor.
A woman follows them in, hurling a dart at Melianthe, but it flies high over her head and sinks into the wall. Lastly, another man walks in the north-west door, sour-faced with short, blonde hair. He wears expensive clothes, but they are years out of fashion. He curses as he sees the situation, then hurls a flask of towards Segang and Absinthe. It breaks against the wall, spraying them each with acidic liquid.
Surrounded, Demitri lashes out at the man with the hooked dagger. "One threat at a time. Just hold the line and don't let them get to the others."
"She's too far--take her out!" Melianthe's eyes blaze red as she dares a glance at the dart thrower and heads down the stairs.
She glares at the thug with the little curved blade, her face a mask of terrible beauty and wrath. "Kneel, or I shall char--your--bones from the inside!"
Sagang continues his controlled rage, allowing the anger of being sprayed by acid to be channeled into his weapon.
HP: 8/8
AC:14
Seren fires an arrow at the dart thrower.
"Move, dear one," Absinthe chymes at one of the children in her way.
As soon as the child scoots, the tiefling rushes forward, rapier leading the way. "Death calls," she sings as she slashes at the thug trying to fight Demitri. "Your punishment beckons."
Even while she shakes her target's blood from her blade, Absinthe's weird, moon-coloured eyes fix on the man who hurled the acid. "Does one have the pleasure of addressing the coward and tormentor of children known as Lamm?" she calls out to him.