Moving the shield strapped to her back to her left arm, Elise nods as she considers the two-prong attack. "It is the best solution to keeping the children safe."
Considering the assault a second, Elise adds "I can best serve by helping deal with the guards; while my heart pulls me towards the children, logic and even my recent fortune would suggest that I can of better service by addressing Lamm's henchmen."
Stepping out in-front, Elise prepares to knock down the door and lead the charge against the guards. With a quick look back, the young warrior nods in a manner that asks ready when you are.
Pacing impatiently, glancing toward the building like some manner of wild cat, Nic is startled when Paulus draws her from her reverie. She looks back at the Sarenrite, raising one eyebrow incredulously, before sighing. "Guess I owe you a favour already," she mutters. "Fine, then." Offering no further words, she moves into position with Rhasuel and Calcedon.
Paulus smiles and nods his thanks to Nic, offering another smile to Elise and a pat on the shoulder to Zev as well before heading to the side door with Mercy and Annabelle. Paulus dons his shield, pulling his holy symbol out and holding it in his off hand before drawing his mace. He normally prefers the scimitar, but the mace would be less likely to scare the children and less likely to cause a death.
Drawing her bow and nocking an arrow, Anna nods toward the others.
"You may have that of me, Paulus."
"You have my thanks, my lady Annabelle." Paulus will line up behind Mercy outside door 1, breathing deeply, calming himself before the storm.
@Dorian: Sadly, you can not find a perch nearby that offers a good shot at any of the windows, much less into them.
Mercy readies her shield, draws her scimitar and sets her jaw.
She whispers a short prayer as Paulus draws near:
"I am Mercy. I will be the bulwark of the children. I will be the spark in the darkness. I will be the redeemer to those unrepentant. I am Mercy."
|
Rhasuel takes his long spear from his back and lowers the tip so that he can enter without stabbing the frame. Hearing her prayer, he says one of his own.
I am Vengence. I will be the Blade that Marches. I will be the Vision of the End. I will be the Doom that Darkens the Heart. I am Vengence.
He brings to mind a battlecry he studied years ago. A rousing admonishment to battle and violence. He prepares to chant it as soon as they contact the door.
Cal accepted the crowbar after realizing that the half-orc was holding it out to him. He didn't really know how long it had been held out to him since he was a little distracted. He tried to smooth things over. "Ah, thanks Zeverin. This will help. With this many people I thought something could be used as a battering ram. I suppose no one just has them lying around." He laughed at his own shortsightedness, and his laugh was a bit contagious for those who could catch such things.
"I'll take the left side and try to go at it while you are in between swings. Just don't cut off any more of my fingers."
As you burst through the door, you find a large room that is two stories tall. The floor here 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 allow access to the western part of the fishery, while the floor here is only five feet above the river below. An open bay to the south allows direct access to the sloppy, muddy water, while to the northwest 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 what else. 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. Over two dozen orphans are here, most not more than 8 or 9 years old. Most of them were asleep, or on their way to it, when the door was ripped from its hinges. Three of them are near the crates. A girl that looks familiar to Annabelle is crying and the other two are trying to calm her down.
Two half-orcs, a man, and a young boy are playing cards when the doors are battered down. A mangy cur growls to the right of the door. They look up in surprise, unable to believe what is happening for a few precious seconds.
The door burst open and Dorian sees his first target, Giggles.
the doors barely his the ground when an arrow slices through air at the Half-Orc
Paulus breathes deeply, emotions threatening to overwhelm him as he sees the mass of children in the cramped quarters. He smiles tremulously, moving inside, thinking of what might calm these children who had to have endured such cruelty for their short lives. He grips his holy symbol tightly, asking his Goddess for her blessing, then lets her use him as a conduit for the healing energy of the sun, curing the small, aggravating wounds he is sure the children have from their time here.
"Children, be not afraid. We are here to free you from this foul place!"
The violinist drops the crowbar at the door when it swings in. He instantly recognizes Yargin and steps into the room. He doesn't have enough information to convict this man for the crimes he may have done to his family, but action needed to be taken before things went sour. If Lamm was in charge of this place, perhaps he could get the information out of him before anyone put his head on a pike.
"Your crimes are not unnoticed. The dead are screaming for justice." He makes a motion like a violin bow across his shield and an ear shattering screech echoes into the room.
With steely determination, Elise surges forward without a word into the room with sword and shield drawn. Ignoring the mutt, the Iomedaen moves forward and strikes at Hookshanks, seeing him as nothing more than an obstacle between her and Yargin, her true target.
Nicoletta leaps into the room, charging past the dog and towards the human man at the back of the table.
With Rhasuel's chant filling her ears, she stabs at the man, her rapier thrusting forward with lethal force.
Surprise Round:
Paulus sees the dim lighting conditions inside, and asks his Goddess for a small gift of her divine power, the end of his mace lighting up with Her divine radiance.
Surprise Round
Mercy bulls through the door, quickly side-stepping to the right to allow for others to follow.
Her orcish eyes narrow as she makes out the multitude of children crammed into the fetid chamber. The holy warrior pauses to eye the slurry tank with concern - mindful of both traps and possible threats;
:
With a look of determination, Annabelle moves into the room, eyes sweeping over the children and their deplorable conditions. Wincing inwardly at perhaps frightening them with their dramatic entrance,
"We will have you out of this place soon!". She gives them a confident smile to try and put them at ease.
As everyone rushes into the room, Zeverin follows suit. He takes advantage that he had his weapon out and ready and thatthe others went further in, and rushes the nearest person.
After the rush, everything continues on in chaos. He takes his weapon and recovers to swing again at whatever enemy is left standing after the onslaught.
In a flurry of steel the thugs are all cut down. The dog, unharmed and unfazed by the carnage bites at Elise, but the plates in her coat keep it from ripping a chunk out of her thigh.
As Mercy checks for traps or other things, the sounds of the others attacking can be heard. After a few brutal seconds, the only sounds are that of a dog bark and growling. Some of the younger kids cover their ears, terrified of the cur's baying.
The girl that'd been crying by the crates looks up at the two Sarenrites and the guard.
"I-is this a trick?" she asks hoarsely.
Other than rancid fish, Mercy sees nothing that could be a trap.
Lowering her bow slightly, she addresses the girl in soothing tones, "No, little one, we're not false. A brighter future awaits you if you come with us."
Keeping a wary eyes on the catwalks, Paulus winces at the sound of battle commencing in the other room. He is relieved shortly thereafter, as he hear's Rhasuel's stirring song come to an end of the bard's own accord.
Smiling at the little girl who spoke, he holds out his hand. "My friend speaks truly. We follow the Light. I know what terrors you have beheld, and that you have little trust left. That warm, healing energy came from the goddess Sarenrae, whom I serve. Would an evil man be able to do such a good thing?" At this point he addresses all the children, sweeping his eyes around the room. "Please, come with us, away from this cursed place."
He looks to Mercy, noticing her looking around with her keen eyes.
Calcedon notices the snapping wretch of a dog in the corner. Obviously abused and trained to be mean, the old mutt would do well to be put down. He drew his sword and took a swing at the mangy old thing.
With yelp and a gurgle, the dog goes down.
The sounds of the dog barking are cut off with a finality that can only come from death. Some of the children begin to whisper to each other, believing that they might finally be free from Lamm and his cronies.
The girl, the one that'd been crying breaks down once more and buries her face into Annabelle's shoulder.
One of the ones that was trying to comfort her, a boy only a few years younger looks up at Paulus.
"Are you going to save Alfsigr, mister?"
As he sees trust and belief growing on the faces of the group of orphans, Paulus smiles in elation. Thank you Goddess! His smile quickly fades at the boy's question, concern swiftly replacing his former grin as he glances at Annabelle, then Mercy.
He keeps his roiling mind in check, asking just one question, "Where are they?" The only reason he is not running, is because he doesn't yet know which way to go. Looking at the child, he wills him silently to hurry with his answer, but knows that a demand or even a look of impatience might undo all he and the two ladies had just accomplished.
Nicoletta pulls a rag from one pocket, wiping the blood off her rapier. A lock of red hair falls into her face and she pushes it aside impatiently. "So. What are we doing with these?" she asks, jerking her head at the unconscious men.
Mercy nods in reply to Paulus, but remains alert for possible threats despite the sounds of battle abating in the nearby room.
The tall warrior smiles down at the group huddled round Annabelle;
"We are hear to save all those who can be children... Are there more of you?"
Calcedon wipes his blade on the dog's fur and takes a look at the men. Sighing at the necessary bloodshed, he saw that his quarry was yet breathing. He was almost disappointed about that, but he could be useful still.
"I have questions for Yargin, I'd prefer he didn't die yet. He's the only one besides Lamm who is old enough to explain to me what happened ten years ago."
He went over to the older man and saw that he wasn't in immediate danger. "I also won't waste my magic on him yet. I'd rather heal anyone else if things get more dicey as we go in. This went well, but we also don't have the element of surprise anymore."
The boy's eyes flick to the crates. "Below. Giggles always sends them below when-- when Papa Lamm is mad."
Mercy moves toward the crates;
"Please move toward the door children..."
She pauses to smile at the teary young girl, patting her head gently as she approaches;
"Fear not little sister... My friends and I will move these crates and bring all back from the dark. I promise."
Paulus is conflicted for a moment. He does not wish to abandon the children. In their present condition, they might flee as opposed to waiting around for their would-be saviors to return. Still, he had faced Lamm's wrath before, and age surely hadn't mellowed the man, likely. He moves to the crates, helping Mercy to shift them aside.
Dorian is pleased with the speed they took control of the upper levels. but still, there is no Lamm.
He makes his way to where the children are located. seeing that situation Dorian stows his bow and begins assisting with the children. he seems relieved that his fears were all for naught (at lest for now.)
he looks for the girl he spied earlier that appeared to have been singled out.
Seeing Dorian arrive, Paulus sighs in relief as he works at the crates. He was pretty sure of the outcome in the other room, but his arrival makes it certain.
"Is everything secured elsewhere in the house? Lamm is below, but I would not leave potential threats at our back."
Glancing about and talking stock of the children, Elise nods somewhat relieved "Not as of yet, but we have taken care of Lamm's henchmen. Regrettably, one died in the assault, but such casualties were always a risk in this venture."
Kneeling down to see the children, Elise removes her chain coif and warmly greets the children quietly before looking up at Paulus and Mercy "They appear to be alright, but are there any others in this godforsaken place? We'll need to move fast, Lamm is a snake, and he'll try and flee and we may never find him again."
Zev growls a little beneath his breath, "Leave the wounded. We don't have the luxury of time to ensure that they pull through. If he lives on his own, then fate was with him... until you choose to question him." He gives a little smirk.
"We also must make haste before the snake that is Lamm slips away again. We made quite a racket in the assault, we need to find him before he gets away. No time to go through the rooms unless it's someplace the man could be hiding. Hurry those kids out, and then we can get back to the task of removing the filth that is Lamm from this world."
A quick search finds nothing more interesting than a locked cabinet in the other front room. Messy figures and ledgers are heaped on a desk in the room to the back of where the thugs were playing cards.
Moving the crates reveals a hole that leads down to a walkway just above the surface of the water.
Elise's question is answered by the boy.
"Giggles sent Alfsigr down there after she got back, said something about not doing her share. There was a boy, Calib and another girl, Tami that were sent last night, but..." He trails off, unable to say what fate probably met them.
Nic follows Rhasuel, keeping her rapier in hand.