"Forgive me for repeating myself, but you did not think this one through, either, did you?"
Ran steps slightly closer, drawing his Spear in one swift motion during the step, and covering the entrance as well as possible, while forcing the man to actually move closer if he meant to hurt him.
Magnimar - Underbridge -
The thug charges at but not past Ran.
Ran's spear clunks off of the armor the man wears beneath his tattered rags, he exchanges with Ran but misses badly with his morningstar as Ran steps back.
At the same time, a crossbow twang can be heard from within the hovel, whoever is in there is at the doorway firing out from the darkness!
The bolt though does strike Granite in the shoulder imbedding itself deeply.
Raged Attack vs. Granite - - Damage .
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Ikit will try to find some better cover so that he himself can cover his larger companions with fire support. And hopefully get some sneak attacks in there too!
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Zhai draws her blade and steps up beside the door, so she has cover from inside, but she can reach the thug in the doorway, at whom she slashes at with her blade. While she is willing to injure and draw blood, she will try not to kill him.
Stepping on the mans side opposite of Zhai, Ran stabs at the man once more. He had been willing to handle this like a sparring match...but when Granite took the crossbow bolt to the shoulder, playtime was over, and he had only one word for his adversary:"Yield!"
Magnimar - Underbridge -
Ikit scrambles to the left of the doorway the foes losing track of him as they are dealing with more direct threats.
Zhai gives Ran's foe a wide berth as she heads to the doorway and the attacker dwelling just within, her blade though catches the doorway leaving the crossbow wielding foe untouched.
Granite seems unfazed by the shot and steps to Ran giving the half-elf an opportunity to flank the foe.
His Cestus and Rapier combo flash lightning fast.
Cestus
Rapier
Not connecting but distracting the Thug enough that Ran scores a hit! But the stubborn opponent does not yield. The strike took something out of him as he damn near drops his weapon utilizing a slow clumsy and high strike.
Meanwhile, Zhai's opponent drops his crossbow and draws a mace swinging it at the woman's head. He connects and Zhai's head hurts like hell after the stinging blow.
Melee Attack vs. Zhai - - Damage
Zhai rolls with the blow in a spin, swinging her blade behind her mid-spin, hoping to surprise them with the strike.
"Then fall!", Ran responds as his spear flashes forward again.
Regularily, he may have attempted to knock his opponent out, but his allies did not seem to fare too well, and their enemies had proven their willingness to use lethal force.
Ikit takes his chance to go help Zhai. The bundle of clothing darts from it's hiding spot, and almost presses his pistol right into the back of her attacker before a loud KRAKOOOM fills the area
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Grunting as the first crossbow bolt almost takes him out, Granite switches to a defensive stance as he attempts to harry their foe.
Magnimar - Underbridge -
Zhai's strike once more misses the figure in the doorway who steps back to avoid the strike.
A barely perceptible flash next to her is accompanied by a flash bang from within the room! Somehow, Ikit rolled in and is next to the inner guard. The little creatures weapon explodes injuring the man and making Zhai's ears ring with the sound. The bad news, if there was any chance those inside did not know you were here, they know now!
The quick glance that Zhai gets of the room as the gun flares reveals what was suspected, this room will not lead inside of the building.
Granite's flank allows him to score a soft hit which is followed up by Ran skewering the Thug!
Though injured, the thug inside continues to fight swinging his mace this time at Ikit
Thus HP = 12/18
Melee Attack vs. Ikit - - Damage
the Ratfolk though is too nimble for the man to score a hit on.
Ran, realizing they are moving into the building, with close quarters unsuited to his spear he withdrew from the man outside, retrieves the shield from his back as he rushes inside:"Yield, or share his fate", Ran presents the bloodied spear, ready to draw the Gladius at his side.
Flinching slightly at the loudness of his companion's weapon, Granite hurried forward. There were already too many people inside, so he instead took cover behind a wall separating them, keeping an eye out for anybody who might choose to investigate the commotion.
"If possible, we may wish not to kill him...." As he spoke, he closed his eyes briefly, placing his free hand on his chest. As he concentrated, several of his wounds began to close up.
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"At this point you should realize you can't win. Take us to her. Dying won't help her or your friends, but laying down your weapons just might."
Magnimar - Underbridge -
The thug moves to attack and Ran and Ikit strike first.
Ran Gladius - - Damage
Ikit Tailblade (flank) - - Damage
Both attacks miss despite the cramped quarters.
Zhai steps forward with a swing, striking between the attacks of her companions.
Still not really having a good way to get at their foe, Granite continues to keep a look out for more people, whether passerbys or more friends of Natalya.
Ikit will reload his weapon (AoO) and then tries to fire again at the man. Spending the grit he just got to get up close and deadly
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Magnimar - Underbridge -
Zhai also misses the luckiest thug in Underbridge...
He attacks Ran
Melee Attack vs. Ran- - Damage Thug 2/18 HP
but his mace just misses connecting.
Ikit connects with his shot and the thug staggers back still on his feet! The sound reverberates in the tiny space so loud in makes those inside ears' ring.
Granite, not having much else to do, continues to keep watch. He does, however, reach out and gives Zhai an encouraging pat on the back.
Zhai suddenly realizes something, "He's wasting our time. Granite, check around the back, see if you see or hear anything inside or escaping into the water below. Ran, since you can't ever do what I say, get out of the way...Now."
"Certainly, dear, he's all yours.", Ran replies, shifting in his position easily blocking the assault with his shield. As the thug lifts his arm for another clumsy attack, and is struck in the back by Zhai, his Gladius flashes forward almost simultaneously:"Unless he leaves himself open like that, of course..."
Magnimar - Underbridge -
Though occasionally at odds Zhai and Ran manage to meet ion the middle, of the Thug, and cut out any differences they may have. At leasst for the present moment.
Little ikit kicks the corpse for good measure. Inside his bundle of clothing you hear noises. You hope it's him reloading his weapon
"What now? Go on on?" he looks about the place
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"Ikit, help me check that wall for any secret doors to the rest of the building. Ran, check on Granite and see if there is anyway to approach the building from underneath. I'll whistle if I need you guys to come back quick." Zhai says as she moves quickly to the wall (the interior wall) to do a quick and then slower check of the wall, looking for any way through, be it a loose board, or a secret door, or anything really.
Wiping his Gladius clean on the Thugs clothing, Ran hurries to pick up his Spear again, then shakes his head at Zhai:"Underneath? As in Sewers? No. First, it's sewers, and there's a perfectly fine front entrance. Second, I'd rather try my luck with climbing up the side and entering through a window. Third, I don't think we have the time. These Thugs didn't just defend their homes - and I doubt they were alone."
"Anyone else think that guy was being unnecessarily loud when he told us to beat it? I suspect he may have been signaling others." Granite comments as he moves to drag the bandit outside of the hut to a less conspicuous location (AKA on top of his buddy in the shack). "And I would agree with Ran that it makes more sense to check the front door rather than trying to navigate the sewer system immediately." He turns to Ran, "Would you like to go check the front door with me while these two look for secrets?"
"Sure Granite, lets go take a look. If he was signaling, we may find they already opened up for us if we're lucky.", Ran nods to Granite, giving the Thug he just dragged in a light kick when talking about the signaling.
"In case you forgot, this is the front door. And they are already running. Clearly, they assume the worst. So unless you want to lose them, hurry up." Zhai speaks quickly and in a somewhat exasperated tone.
"I have not forgotten. Alas, this is an add-on shack. The front door is over to the south, and we'll check it out...checking below won't help much if we let them scatter from the main entrance would it?", Ran responds cooly, while walking out behind Granite.
Magnimar - Underbridge -
A quick search of the shack reveals that no hidden entrances exist.
Ran and Granite head out of the shack and to the front door, the Half-Elf and Human find the door locked.
Seeing the locked door, Granite murmurs to Ran. "Hmm, wait a tick, I'll go get Ikit."
He then jogs back to the shack and addresses the clothes pile. "Ikit, we could use your assistance with a lock, if you don't mind." Not wanting to leave his companion alone in most-likely hostile territory, he then moves back to the front door to rejoin Ran without waiting for a response from the smallest of his companions.
"Sounds good. Granite, got anything to help with a window? We can wait till the front door opens then crack a window to flank those inside. Of course, by now there is probably no one left inside."
"It's been, what, less than a minute since we arrived. I reckon if they mean to make a hasty exit, they'll still need some time to pack up. I hope."
Staying near the door, Ran only stepped away to see the other side of the building and see if there was activity at the boarded up windows.
Placing the shield on his back again, he used both hands to grip his spear once more:"But I agree that we should hurry. I fear the time for Subtlety has passed-"
As he waits for Ikit, Granite considers Zhai's question. "Hmm, yes, I have a few things..." He begins rifling through his overfull bag, pulling out a crowbar, a drill, and a saw. "If you would like to go in and flank them, you're welcome to borrow them in order to aid you while I watch the front door." He politely offers them to her.
"Yes yes. Ikit go see see about lock" one can hear rumbling and then jingling of metal objects. A set of tools appear from his person. You think. He then goes to work on the door
He seems to grumble.
"Two leg locks. Maybe Ikit try try again?" he turns to look at the group
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Magnimar - Underbridge -
As Ikit turns back the lock pops! Seems the lock was not as difficult to disarm as he had suspected.
"They wouldn't trap the main entrance would they?", Ran thinks aloud, less questioning Ikit and more stating it, but already in motion.
"Here goes nothing..."
Ran kicks open the door, then inmediately ducks and rolls forward, a motion made more impressive by the fact he manages to remain the grip on his spear as he does so. On his feet again, he is ready to move forward to engange any enemies that may be visible.
Magnimar - Underbridge -
The entire floor of this chamber has collapsed into the pool of water five feet below. The earthen walls of this flooded subcellar ooze with foul rivulets, and the smell is abominable.
Two oozing sewer pipes protrude through the east wall of this pit just above the level of the sewage.
Part of the ceiling above the entrance has collapsed, revealing an attic crawlspace above; a rickety ladder leads up from the water into the crawlspace.
A door stands in the far wall across the sludge pit. A wooden plank balanced between both doors makes a precarious bridge between the two doors.
By a bit of luck and a bit of skill Ran manages to shift and twist to land on the plank and not in the sludge below.
At first glance, no foes are about and with the condition of this room it is easy to see why!
Granite crinkles his nose in instinctive protest as the smell gets even worse. He takes one look at the rickety ladder and dismisses it. Perhaps someone as small as Ikit might be able to climb it, but he would almost certainly snap the thing in two and plummet into the foul liquid below.
As he waits for Ran to make his next move, he sticks his head to the side where Ikit and Zhai had headed and calls out softly, "Not sure you actually want to climb in that window; it's over a sewage pit." He then continues to scan the area for signs of more thugs approaching.
Zhai waited, poised to break in as soon as she heard fighting, but with Granite telling everyone she was there made it kind of pointless to wait. Despite Granite's assurances she wouldn't enter this way, she decides to break a board in anyway so she can get a different vantage point looking in. Turning to Ikit, "You can join them at the door, I just want a different view real quick."
Dismissing the ladder for now, Ran rushes further forward on the plank, trying the door on the other side - they had made it in, but this position was very vulnerable indeed...or very defensible for any who wanted to keep them out. Speed would be essential.
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Magnimar - Underbridge -
Zhai and Ikit manage to pop out a board. Zhai remains as Ikit heads over to the open door to stand beside Granite.
Zhai can see that the rickety ladder does indeed lead to an opening on the second floor. She does not see anyone up there, at least not yet.
Ran walks the plank and finds the door on the far side unlocked.
Zhai will wait till Ran opens the door, no real point crowding the others till they start across, but she starts planning how she might climb up that ladder once everyone else starts moving.
Ran opens the door and steps through. If he is attacked by someone in range, he wil retaliate, otherwise attempt to Intimidate the closest person he can see(if any).
If nobody is visible in the room, he will head on towards the next door.
Once Ran is through the door, Granite attempts to make his careful way across.
He scammers after Ran. Not wanting them to be too far apart in case he may need to help him out
"Yes yes. Follow!" he says quietly but excitedly
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