"On your feet, everyone! Press the attack!" Hames shouts.
(Inspiring Command [Standard], all allies within 30 ft. gain a +2 insight bonus on attack rolls, AC, combat maneuver defense, and skill checks for 1 round.)
"Take their attention off of Gabriela, Simeon!"
(Combat Advice, Simeon gains a +2 competence bonus on his next attack roll against one of the mercs.)
Moving his way up, Simeon rattles his spear against the cobblestones. "OI! COME ON IF YOU'RE HARD ENOUGH!" Drawing their attention towards him he sends a spate of nervousness through them, striking out with his spear at the weakest, sending him almost to his knees.
Ignoring Gabriela's request, Dieuwer aims a straight blow at the most wounded bodyguard. He deftly clefs off most of a thigh, sending the man to the ground and unconsciousness.
Their morale wavering, the blackjacks try for a final volley of blows, aiming for Dieuwer.
Missing terribly, they stop. One keeps his eyes darting between Simeon and Dieuwer as the leader looks around, before putting a hand on the shoulder of his comrade. "STAND DOWN!" He throws his axe to the ground, his friend his club. "We give, we give!" They put their hands around their backs and fall into a crouch.
Still prone beneath them, the liveried-servant winces. "mm-hmm. Mmm." He looks nervously around you all.
Simeon comes to a stop, breathing rapidly and clearly ready to keep fighting if the guards prove to be bluffing. Still, when it becomes evident they're done, he straightens and glares at the two surviving Blackjacks.
"Crouch ain't good enough, my friends. Lie face down, hands behind your backs."
Standing over them, spear held at the ready, he growls at his most menacing, "Why are three of you guarding this servant? Why he so important? How many more of your mercs are there back at the house? Your boss expecting trouble?"
They do so. "It's our job, he's his accountant, six, I dunno not particlarly? We've been on contract for months."
Dieuwer stares coldly at the guards, analyzing every world for possible falsehoods or omissions.
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"Relatively small crew then, that's good." Gabriela says as she lifts the accountant to his feet. "Still, an interesting recent investment for the lord. Expecting trouble lately?" She leads the man to Hames, though not the most intimidating of the group, undoubtedly the most thorough. "We'll be needing the layout of the building, to start, also interested in any other odd recent expenses.". She leaves the note-taking to Simeon, whose efficient, practical manner might agree with the skilled servant's nature as an accountant.
Dieuwer detects little more than sincere self-interest.
The servant coughs for a little attention. "The layout, other information? Of course. One thousand gold pieces, and my life, in return. Or you receive nothing." Recovered a little, he seems quite sure.
Simeon grins and cracks his knuckles, stepping in closer.
"Oh good. I thought this was going too easy. I hope you really have some backbone, and make extracting this information fun."
He looks over at Gabriela. "Let's take him back to the warehouse? The one we cleaned up after last week's... mess? I think I've still got my tools and a cage of rats there that'll suit just nice. The rats should be nice and hungry by now."
He smiles warmly at the servant and ruffles his hair. "Come on then. I bet you're not too attached to the lining of your stomach."
Hames follows Gabriela and Simeon's lead. Stepping forward, he gently pushes Simeon away from the accountant, who he gives a word of warning. "Be reasonable, sir. I can only control my friend for so long. You don't even want to know what he did with the last few people he got his hands on."
Then he adds as an afterthought, "I heard your employer is interested in the arts?"
He gulps nervously, but maintains a steady gaze. "You wish traitorous information on my employer, yes? The kind that will mean I cannot return to him? Then I require a thousand gold pieces to establish a new life and a new work. A-and!" He raises a finger dramatically. "You may not threaten me with death. I have regularly played my death insurance, the Patriarch will ensure me a happy afterlife- provided I do not break covenant at the end of it." He focuses on Simeon, clearly to him the person in charge.
Hames gives Simeon as small nod
Simeon grins. "Death insurance? Well how about this. I won't kill you. You'll wish I did. I'll tear out your tongue, poke out your eyes, burn out your ears, and slit your nose. Maybe break your back for good measure. Then I'll drop you off in the town square and see where the fates take you. Strong man like you should take years to die, suffering even as you would in the dark, unable to communicate or experience the world beyond blind, painful fumblings."
He nods. "Then we'll just find another servant that's more biddable, like. Yes?"
The thin little man shivers and shuts his eyes reflexively, trying to take deep breaths and only partially succeeding.
"V-very well, five hundred gold, the bare minimum t-to leave this country, find myself a new l-life. I'll be well worth it I promise you, I h-have information and I'll be more valuable g-gone than dead. A-and little you can do will be as bad as w-hat the Patriarch will do after d-death or my m-master will do if I don't flee."
Hames touches Simeon on the shoulder, then looks back at the Accountant.
"All right, let's start with the nose slitting. Nothing gets the tongue going like a white blinding fire in the middle of your face that won't ever go away."
Simeon draws his knife. "Pin this idiot to the ground, will you?"
With the servant held down, Simeon will kneel and wedge the man's head between his knees so as to steadily cut his nose in twain. This he will do unless the man starts talking or the others refuse to hold him.
Dieuwer doesn't do anything to restrain the servant, finding the situation increasingly distasteful. "Enough with this nonsense! We have more important things to do than torment people over a few gold pieces. Just give the man his money and get this done with."
The accountant shuts his eyes and mouth and whimpers.
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As she begins to bear the servant to the ground (expecting Hame's assistance) Gabriela frowns for a moment at Dieuwer's dissent. "This is becoming a bit of a hassle." She agrees, turning her displeasure back to the lord's accountant. Still holding the man with one hand, Gabriela pulls a small pouch of gold from her belt. "Here's 100 gold. Give us the information we need, and it's yours, with the promise of no nose-cutting or finger-breaking. Your lord's displeasure and a means of escape are your own troubles. Better dealt with, I might add, being of sound mind and body."
Gabriela glances once more to Dieuwer, a silent promise to her companion that their own accounts would be settled later.
Hames helps, but says nothing as the group negotiates.
His nose slightl cut and tears beginning to well, the man takes the wealth and tries to draw himself up into something resembling a man.
"V-very well."
He describes the layout of the house, and the master's private study above; he describes a flame-trap on the door after hours.
He describes the routine of the guards, offering you an opportunity to ambush them and diminish their numbers.
He explains that Anders has a secret lover, Lady Antoinna, and how he will be using a secret entrance to sneak her into the theatre at the end of the week.
"Now that," says Simeon with a broad smile, "Is some excellent information. A secret lover, you say? My my! If we can locate that secret entrance ourselves, we'll be in ripping good shape. Do you know where said entrance is?"
He shakes his head, and proffers the Antoinna family's household address.
Simeon looks to his friends. "Problem is, what do we do with these men now? If we let them go, they're liable to run and spill the beans. I don't know if I trust 'em enough to just take their word, and it would be a pretty nasty business to just cut their throats and hide their bodies. Maybe we can leave them locked up somewhere till we're done?"
He looks to the Black Jacks. "Any suggestions so we don't have to kill you?"
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"We don't really have anyplace to put them.." Gabriela thinks aloud after handing the gold to the accountant. "I don't really know enough about this city. Or any other for that matter. Maybe we could put them in some crates at the docks? There's probably even more hired guards there though."
Turning back to the man, Gabriela leans in close. "You have your gold, and your life, take them as far from here as you can. Keep your mouth shut; don't make us have to come find you and send you to meet Lord Anders in Hell."
Spinning gracefully on her heel, Gabriela looks over the two conscious guards on the ground. "I'd just as soon give these two steel before needlessly parting with more gold on this confounded trip." She glares briefly at Hames and Dieuwer in turn, sighing heavily. "But I'd still rather not kill the men for doing an honest job." She turns back to the others, uncertain herself.
"We're Blackjacks. We're good enough that we get good conditions; we run rather than die. What's better than that?"
Wiping tears from his eyes, the accountant stands and flees.
"They'll be fine," says Hames, dismissively. "We have all the information we need. Now we just need to put it to action." The Cleric crosses his arms briefly, stroking his beard.
"We could gain entrance. Just say these Blackjacks here sent us. Or.. perhaps we could blackmail Anders with his lover, make him grant us an audience."
"Welp. I think the best answer is to kill them. Their friends are going to get it in the neck from us, and why wouldn't they run to them and give them a head's up?"
Simeon looks from one friend to the other. "But I think killing 'em would make you lot mighty uncomfortable, and we'd have to deal with the law if they found the bodies."
He leans in close to the Blackjacks. "So listen good. You're getting lucky today. You're not dying. But if you think about going back to your friends, the next time we see you we'll drop you just as easy, and I'll take my time with you 'cause you'll have really pissed me off and made this personal. Got it? Lie low for a couple of days, and then get back to your old life."
Simeon's words reduce them to jellied wrecks of men, barely able to mutter "yessir" before sprinting off.
Simeon straightens with a proud smile as the Blackjacks run off. "Well, looks like I haven't gone soft with old age." He pinches his gut. "Not yet, anyways. So! What shall we be? I say we knock off some more guards during the day, pay Antoinna a visit during the evening, and if we're still feeling in fine fettle pay the house a visit later tonight. Agreed?"
"How do you propose we go about the guard business?"
"Thing about visiting his lover is that unless we off her, she'll tell him we're snooping around. And there's no way she'll reveal the secret tunnel without inducements. So."
He rubs his chin. "How about we leave off visiting her till the morning of the show? And just break into his house tonight for now?"
Hames votes to go with Simeon's plan.
Dieuwer doesn't say anything, but since he's not complaining about it either he probably approves of Simeon's plan.
Evening crosses the sky, and the freshly bloodied group finds itself in front of Lord Anders' manor. The two-storey house has curtains drawn and windows closed; they see no signs of life.
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As they head back to the manor, Gabriela flicks Simeon lightly on his arm. "Well you're a real charmer, huh?" Laughing, she drapes an arm across the bigger man's shoulders. "Sounds to me like maybe you've hardened over the years - what happened to the sweet boy who used to play at being an orphan to weasel out the information he needed? No doubt the lady would tell Anders about some outsiders snooping about, but a cleverly disguised and seemingly innocent conversation shouldn't hurt."
As they approach the manor Gabriela slips into the shadows and keeps an eye out for the guards, bearing in mind the movements the accountant described.
"Any thoughts on how we should get in? Gotta watch out for the fire traps on the doors."
Pressing herself against a convenient corner, Gabriela does not spot any guards.
Simeon grins and drapes his arm over Gabriela's shoulders in turn as they walk down the street, smiling blithely at one at all.
"Alas, that young man with stars in his eyes got mugged by an ill fortune, which shoved his head deep into a barrel of mule's piss and taught him that if you want aught in this world, well, you gotta take it by the balls and pull as hard you can."
He nods in turn. "You seem perfectly set for an innocent conversation, like. Maybe we could dress you up as a courtesan, get you a fake letter of introduction, and have you pump this lady for secrets in the city, one sister to another, like."
Upon reaching the house, Simeon eyes the building with judicious speculation and then rubs his nose.
"There's something to be said for bluffing our way inside. Just knock on the door, tell 'em that the accountant sent us, that he was hurt real bad in a distant part of the city, demand our payment for services rendered, and then watch as the Blackjacks run off to save their mates. Leaving, incidentally, the house wide open for us to just walk into without a by-your-leave."
"Well, there's no signs of life and no guards on sight... If we're lucky the house could be empty, and we could just pick a lock or something and get in," Dieuwer suggests. "No bluffing necessary. Of course, we should knock on the door anyway, just to see if there's anyone to answer the door.
Hames chimes in after Dieuwer. "I'll do it!" He moves quickly towards the door (unless someone else in the party speaks an objection), knocking loudly on its wooden surface.
There's no response. He sees no lights under any windows.
Simeon cracks his knuckles. "A good ol' fashioned break in then. Let's see."
Some city guardsmen have a post across the street idly watching one side of the house; a quick question about directions to the nearest tavern is enough to get everyone around the other, quieter side of the house.
Simeon spots a receiving-room window designed to be opened by both sides, with a hefty lock on the outside.
Simeon looks at the rest of the group. "Anybody good with locks?"
"Oh, I'm great with them. As long as I have the key," Dieuwer snarks. "I would have expected that if any of us could pick a lock, it'd be you. Seems like we'll have to just break something or give up."
"I can give it a try, actually."
Hames approaches the lock on the window, reaching out and touching it, a surge of divine magic passing through his finger.