Karlan rushes in as well.
Alana stays to the back, peering over the shoulders of the others as they rush in.
I follow the group in prepared to begin a snappy tune about disemboweling large fat two legged monsters.
Harry smashes the door open and storms in - he's greeted by a cannonade of colourful fist-sized building bricks
Two ogre children (not older than three or four) hide behind a a large bed and it seems like they still have enough ammunition to keep their assault up!
Reflex
harry is too quick for such antics, and continues to rush the Ogre children...
Acrobatics
As he travels, he draws his sap.
Winter has no problems overcoming the obstacle and clubbing the children to unconsciousness!
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When Alana see's what it is that they are facing, and watches Harry's quick response, she cannot help but to cringe but she does not turn away. Instead she does her best to be alert for any other threats.
Harry binds them quickly and matter-of-factly.
As an afterthought he half turns, "Reckon they have a chance, or is it a more permanent solution Sir Karlan?" Harrys hand drifts back towards his axe as he waits for a reply. "Perhaps they can be 'saved'..."
Marek looks at the ogrish children with thinly-veiled disgust. He looks at Sir Karlan, willing to play the role required of him and say the words no one can.
They will grow up to hunt, slay and devour humans despite anything we could hope to accomplish. They have probably done so already. This threat can be ended before it claims more lives.
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"Reckon there would have been a queue a mile long who would have happily bashed both our heads in with a rock when we were born would have also claimed the same thing, reckon everyone gets a chance to prove 'emselves, though I reckon its on Sir Karlan to make the call on it. I take no pleasure in it, but what must be done must be done, I'm just asking if it needs to be...we were ready to give that Shaman the chance to surrender and answer to her crimes, seems funny to execute some we don't even know if they're guilty."
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Karlan frowns at Marek's comments.
"They're not animals. It'd probably be more merciful to simply deal with them now while we can afford to make it painless. But, Harry has a point and I doubt Celestra would like it very much if we just slaughtered the orphans we were very much the cause of. So we're just going to have to do with them as we would have done with the mother. Talk with them. It wouldn't be the first batch of monsters or villains we've let go with the full knowledge of there fate should they spit in the eye of mercy. No one can control the circumstances of their birth but we can give them the opportunity to choose how to go from there."
Celestra stays at Alana's side and frequently peers behind herself to see if anything comes sneaking up behind.
"Right you are Sir Karlan, and I do believe Miss Zomesco wouldn't approve none either. Reckon it might be up to cooler and wiser heads than us to work out the way"
"Never mind Marek, plenty more big fish around no doubt, plenty of bloody minded retribution to mete out before our time here is done, so we can spare these minnows a gutting"
Harry makes sure the bonds are tight, very little care given for comfort, all he cares about is them being hog tied and tightly bound.
"Indeed, I have a soft spot for orphans of any sort, but let's see how lost these children have become growing up under this roof. If they do not listen to reason then we may not have a choice."
Turning to the ogre children once they are bound, Celestra remarks, "You will much prefer your freedom as a true ogre than living a nasty home life under this roof! Now you will have a chance to make a better life for yourselves! I suggest you use this opportunity well. What do you think of that?"
"CElestra I'm not much of a healer but I don't think they can hear you while unconscious."
"That aside, love, perhaps we should give them some time to come to terms with having their family slaughtered before we try to act as their saviors. This was the only family, the only home they knew and we just violently took it away. I do not think it is very likely they are going to warm right up to us."
"No one can control the circumstances of their birth but we can give them the opportunity to choose how to go from there."
Marek finds himself nodding affirmingly with Karlan's speech, much for his surprise. Looking away, he appears to analyze the situation, deep in thought during much of the conversation. His eyes focus again as he returns his gaze to the group.
There are other, hostile ogres in the house, and for each minute the risk of them grouping up grows large. Let us vanquish those before talking to the... children.
The unconscious ogre children hear Celestra's word echoe in their dreams but it will take at least an hour until they are able to answer...
The last room on this level of the house (I'll post the new map for the coming levels) contains a large dining room which stinks of putrefying flesh. Eight wooden chairs with grinning bleached skulls crowning their backs circle a monstrous four-foot-high oak dining table covered with a crude tablecloth made from human skin. The centrepiece of the dining table - a rotting human head, its stringy red hair thankfully draped over its mutilated face - serves as a gathering place for a host of buzzing, bloated flies.
behind the table is a large trapdoor leading down into the basement of the house.
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Harry hurriedly checks the trapdoor
Perception
"Down here Sir Karlan, stand back while I open this door"
After ensuring the others are well back, Harry opens the trapdoor and prepares for what horrors might await him down below... there were a few less salubrious taverns in Riddleport that had cellars used for very dirty and bloody business, Harry wonders if this might be a trip into the 'unfortunately familiar'.
"These Ogres really do have a disgusting sense of decor! You would think they could just live and let others live in peace. Instead everything has to revolve around death and destruction! Let's see what comes next!"
After some moments of consideration and cautious probing Harry is sure that there are no further traps and opens the trapdoor. Stairs lead down into the yawning darkness of the basement...
Karlan strides up and prepares for the worst.
Ailetha looks at Celestra: You did not spend much time in Cheliax I assume. Their sense of decor is not much better.
Ailetha then follows the others down into the darkness below.
"You did not spend much time in Cheliax I assume. Their sense of decor is not much better."
"Don't get me wrong, Ailetha, I do love travel. But honestly, I have no desire to visit Cheliax! Their ways seems just a little too imposing for my tastes! But as for decor, they couldn't possibly decorate their homes with rotting heads and corpses could they?"
Ailetha looks back at the cleric: I am sure they have some. Probably not rotting, but when you are a devil worshipper, lets just say that the iconography and art tend to be less than appealing to those not proponents of bondage and pain.
Ailetha looks from Celestra to Alana: And I do not mean the bondage and pain some enjoy. More the bondage and pain involving being chained in a fire for all eternity with pleasure being just on the periphery of your vision, yet forever beyond your grasp.
Alana cocks an eyebrow, "I quite understood what you meant, thank you."
Alana looks around, allowing her eyes adjust to the change in light.
Celestra approaches Alana and whispers, "I am not sure what Ailetha means by bondage that people enjoy, but she clearly has a warped sense of enjoyment if she thinks that is some kind of fun! I only hope to break all of the chains that bind me and grow to enjoy a greater sense of freedom than I have ever known!"
KArlan signals for them to hush while the pit-o-doom is being opened.
As the trapdoor is open Marek stands back, his legs buckling beneath him.
A little boy is thrown into a dark pit, where he stays for days without food or water. Suddenly a column of light as the door is opened. A misshapen creature with overalls sew from his people's clothes is seen through the opening. He tosses down a dog pup, which the boy hold onto defensively.
Ya only eat wat'ja kill, boy! Gobble it down, there ya go, ya nice and plump, propirly fatten'd up befor Mamma's birdday.
It would be almost two days later when the hunger took control of the boy. As the tears rolled down his face carving paths through the dirt his soft hands wringled the pup's neck. He knew then and there he would never be the same.
Marek steadies himself using the macabre table as support. His hand goes to the blade on his hips, the cold metal providing some measure of comfort. The sharp sound of a blade cutting air is heard as he unsheates the scimitar and a few quick arcane mutterings are said as he waves about his newly-acquired wand. The silvery blade glistens with scarlet veins as the vampiric spell takes a hold and awaits to be unleashed.
I am prepared, he says, as much to the group as to himself.
Alana nods to Karlan when he shushes them, and so only responds to Celestra with a twinkle in her eye and a smile. When she sees Marek waver, her weight shifts towards him and she lands a hand on Celestra's arm but she does not otherwise move. Instead she watches him for a moment to be sure he has regained his footing and is alright to continue on.
"Be careful, Marek! I am certain this battle is not over yet. Watch your footing and take your time."
Celestra looks back to Alana with a warm smile and lightening of her heart as Alana places a hand on her arm.
The stairs lead down into a narrow corridor with a wooden door on the right, left and ahead.
From the right door you can hear the sound of hammering.
"Would you like the honour this time Sir Karlan, they don't seem to do much surrendring to me"
Sry, metal
"Sounds like a smithy." KArlan mutters as he goes down the stairs shield in front of him.
You place yourself between the three doors. Karlan's assumption seems to be true, it indeed sounds like a smithy.
"I should not underestimate these creatures. I did not expect Ogres to be so craftworthy to smith weapons. I am curious to see what they are making. Well, perhaps we can at least take them by surprise."
Evil is not always stupid. Evil creatures are usually either very strong or crafty. These ogres, unlike most ogres, are apparently both.
Let us take care, an ogre with a giant greatsword could make mincemeat of us in short order if we are too hasty in our planning.
"We won't surprise them by standing around having a chat"
Wait-by now Karlan has just descended the stairs, not opened the door?!
Karlan will enter the door the banging seems to be coming from.
The door isn't locked and as Karlan opens it he looks right into the red eyes of an ungly member of the Graul family.
The ogre is using a large hammer to bring a deformed bear trap back in shape. He snarls, but does not attack at once - there's a glint of intelligence in his evil eyes.
And who are you? he asks and stops hammering.
After a quick look around, you are sure that this room is some kind of workshop, lots of repaired weapons and armours line the walls and in one corner there is a large pile of various kinds of traps.