Having never learned to swim Matam and Tamat will hide in the shadows near the door to see and ambush any bad guys drawn to the noise.
Confound it all, there's that fool.
Walden adjusts his spectacles and squints into the water below the boardwalk. And I believe he's found himself in a bit of trouble![dice=knowledge nature, if its relavent]1d20+8
fierce temperament, jigsaw sharks are capable of living in freshwater as well as salt water, and often swim far up rivers or into the depths of the Mushfens in search of food.
Typically they scavenge but will target any straggler foolish enough to fall in the water near them.
As you scurry along the boardwalk, you hear it creak - even under your light frame.
"Ah Iomedae, protect me," the paladin cries as the planking underneath his feet gives way, sending him splashing into the river below. Weighed down by his armor, gear and weapons, Galen struggles mightily once in the water, he sputters and chokes as he swallows some water, trying to regain the surface. He turns his head this way and that, looking about in the water for a purchase, some way to leverage himself back to the slippery dock.
[dice=Swim]1d20-2
[dice=Perception]1d20
As you splash in the water, you notice you're not alone. Moving towards you - maybe 30 feet away - is a jigsaw shark (definitely a carnivore!).
Having never learned to swim Matam and Tamat will hide in the shadows near the door to see and ambush any bad guys drawn to the noise.
From where you are, you heard a noise but you've no way of telling from which direction, how close etc. For all you know, your colleagues may have broken in somewhere else in the building - or have been discovered.
Galen sees the ominous dorsal fin of a shark in the water heading his way. He calls to his dockside allies:"There's a shark in here, hurry with a rope someone." Galen tries to swim for the nearby shore while waiting for someone to throw down a lifeline, struggling with his armor's weight the whole time.
"What on ...? Oh, drat." Eltanin was trying to keep up with Gwernach at the moment of the fatal crack/splash. It's fairly obvious what happened, but it's not necessarily easy to see the consequence. (quietly to Matam)"Try to keep the door pulled to, but watch your back."
[dice=Swim]1d20-2
The shark closes on Galen quickly. The paladin struggles to keep afloat but manages to tread water - albeit he makes no progress back to dry land.
The waterlogged armor must be heavier than it looks.
[dice=Initiative]1d20+2
You see the whole episode in slow-motion, capturing every detail. Galen is struggling to keep above water, let alone swim back to dry land, the shark is closing in fast and you hear the boardwalk creak under the gnome's feet.
Galen draws his sword and swims for the shore as fast as he can (which isn't very fast) and as the shark closes, he launches an attack at the toothy fish trying to fend it off.
"Professor, step back, very very carefully!" Eltanin didn't come in full pack, but there are some things she jolly well did bring - a coil of rope being one of them. She hands one end to Gwernach. "Would you mind bracing yourself on something, please?" Then carefully moves to throw the other end to Galen without stepping onto that miserable boardwalk itself. "Master Galen, heads up!"
Eltanin throws the rope which lands next to Galen so he can grab it.
Gwernach takes the end of Eltanin's rope with this free hand and moves in a little closer to Galen. He puts his battleaxe down then wraps the rope around the back of his waist. Using the pillar to brace himself, he prepares to haul the waterlogged paladin to safety.
Seeing the lifeline splash right on top of him, Galen grabs the rope and kicks for all his might to avoid the teeth of the shark. He looks back frantically hoping to see the man-eater has given up the chase.
Galen grabs the rope as Gwernach secures the other end around himself.
For the remainder of the group in the building, only seconds have elapsed, so there is no cause for alarm yet.
The shark takes a bite at Galen but his movement has clearly affectyed its aim and it's teeth clamp shut on thin air.
Galen is quickly brought onto dry land and the group dust themselves down before rejoinign the rest of the party outside the fishery - by the door they've just opened.
As yet, all of the children seem to be still asleep.
AS soon as his feet touch dry land again, Galen drops to his knees and begins thanking the Inheritor for her protection of him. After a few moments of devotion, he stands again patting the rest of you on the back.
"Before that interlude we were headed inside to find Lamm. Let us continue, by all means!"
The three of you lead the way and the remainder of the group keep look-out outside the building for the present.
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.
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. Each hammock contains a small child – all of whom appear asleep.
[ooc]It's a repeat I know, but it seems like weeks since I described the room[/oo]
Seeing the other two arrive, Wil mutters, "Good, you're here... Galen, why are you all wet? You didn't slip and fall in the drink, did you?"
"Do you want to look for your sisters, or do you want to start with Lamm, wherever he might be?"
With Galen safely back on shore, Gwernach wraps up Eltanin's rope and retrieves his battle axe. He hands the rope back to her as he makes his way towards the loading docks and the open door.
Battle axe in hand, Gwernach steps in behind Matam. His face contorts in repulsion to the stench which greets his oversized nose. The dwarf's keen eyes scan the room, finding the small hammocks under the catwalks. Signalling Galen and Wilthorn to move on, he quietly adds, Think ya should go check lads...
Galen just raises his eyes to heaven when asked about his wet clothes.
Seeing the children, sleeping in the hammocks, Galen whispers to the others:"Let's wake these children and get them out of here. Evacuating the innocents should be precedent over taking our revenge."
Matam is fine with that reasoning. He scans the hammocks for an older girl child. Girls, are usually more responsible than boys. She can help us keep them organized on their way out.
He sneaks over to the cot of a likely looking girl. He puts his hand over her mouth to prevent her screaming, and wakes her up. He whispers quietly in her ear, "We are here to end Lamm and rescue those we can. Nod your head if you understand. I want you to help me wake up and calm the little ones so that they can get to safety. Nod your head if you understand. I'm going to take my hand away from your mouth. I don't want you to scream. If you scream, I won't hurt you, but it will alert Lamm. There will be a fight. Some of the little ones might get hurt in the crossfire. Nod your head if you understand."
With that he will release her.
Ellie stays well behind Gwernach, keeping lookout is about right, but she doesn't do well alone. It's not long before she quietly pads after the others; she's still nervous about the giggling half-orc, and the professor, however convivial he might be, just doesn't seem like much of a protector.
She can hear Matam and Galen's exchange, but sees nothing of Matam; her attention is focused on guarding the rear, and she cautiously takes one of her bombs from a bandolier. Before there is trouble, she will be as quiet as she can be. Once there is trouble, however, it's going to be loud.
Watching as Matam goes to wake the children, Galen stands at the door holding it open so the little ones can exit into the safety of the night.
His sword is drawn and his eyes are on the doors above, looking for any sign of discovery or trouble.
To Wilthorn he says:"Trouble, if there is any, will come from those doors above. Ready your bow, my friend, on one of them and prepare to fire if they open. I will wave these waifs into the night."
"Right." Wilthorn replies softly, before drawing his bow, and readying an arrows.
He sneaks over to the cot of a likely looking girl. He puts his hand over her mouth to prevent her screaming, and wakes her up. He whispers quietly in her ear, "We are here to end Lamm and rescue those we can. Nod your head if you understand. I want you to help me wake up and calm the little ones so that they can get to safety. Nod your head if you understand. I'm going to take my hand away from your mouth. I don't want you to scream. If you scream, I won't hurt you, but it will alert Lamm. There will be a fight. Some of the little ones might get hurt in the crossfire. Nod your head if you understand."
With that he will release her.
The girl nods and as you release her she doesn't scream. Instead she whispers to you, "We may be tough kids and we hate Gaedren, but the others fear him more than Asmodeus himself. They won't leave until he's dead - in case he comes and tracks them down."
The handsome young man sighs. "Very well. Fear is Lamm's greatest weapon, and the lambs arm him themselves. Try to keep them calm once the violence starts. Do you know if he has a secret way out of here? Where do his flunkies sleep?"
After this conversation, Matam will sneak back to Galen, "It seems we will have to kill Lamm first. They are too scared to flee."
Ellie overhears just enough of all this to realize that her attention is better paid inside rather than out. She switches the vial in her hand from a bomb to her mutagen and begins to edge her way inside.
The handsome young man sighs. "Very well. Fear is Lamm's greatest weapon, and the lambs arm him themselves. Try to keep them calm once the violence starts. Do you know if he has a secret way out of here? Where do his flunkies sleep?"
After this conversation, Matam will sneak back to Galen, "It seems we will have to kill Lamm first. They are too scared to flee."
The girl ignores a single tear that forces its way out of the corner of her left eye. "We stay almost the entire time in this room. We don't go anywhere else 'cept outside sometimes. Giggles tends to come in at night - I guess on watch to make sure we're stil here. People come and go from all of the doorways during the day. Sorry I can't help more."
As if on cue, a half-orc wanders in and for a split second, his inane giggling stops as he's taken by surprise at the sight of your group.
Matam pulls out his crossbow and releases a bolt at the half-orc.
The shadow was much closer to the half orc. It moves adjacent and rakes at him with a claw (power attacking).
If it hits, he only takes half damage due to Tamat's Shadowform.
Though dark, Wilthorn manages to spot the half-orc, and lets fly the arrow he readied.
Seeing the half-orc step out onto the catwalk, Gwernach smiles, Thi'sll only take a minute lads. Battle axe in hand, the dwarf eagerly moves towards the stairs...
Ellie takes instant action - she freezes in place as awful questions start going through her head - Is this where all my training was leading? Can I be a credit to my heritage? Will I ever see my family again? Is this the day I taste metal? - before downing the mutagen - tastier than I remember, where did that rose flavor come from? - then drawing a dagger.
Anyone watching Ellie will see her grow not taller but craggier, as if her bones and muscles alike were growing sharper under her skin. She is trying to move just inside, ready to support whichever of her companions might need it.
Matam fires a bolt at the now giggling half-orc but misses narrowly.
Gwernach meanwhile moves to close the gap between himself and the thug to melee range.
Eltanin swigs a rather nasty looking liquid and transforms in front of her eyes. Not so she is unrecognisable but enough to notice she has changed.
Giggles starts to run down the stairs at full speed.
Despite his pace, Wilthorn is able to tag the half-orc as he runs and the arrow hits him squarely in the chest, clearly inflicting a significant injury.
And then it was all over. Tamat's claws do sufficient damage to ensure the half-orc goes down and stays down.
Through the same door Giggles came through two new figures appear. The first you see is a sour-faced man with short blond hair expensive clothing (albeit two decades out of style). The second is a gnome.
Matam loads and fires his crossbow again, taking aim at the gnome.
Galen rushes across the fishery floor, mindful of the sloppy places, and follows the dwarf up the stairs to engage the descending half-orc, his longsword drawn and ready. "For my sister, and for all these innocents!" he cries as he advances.
Talc it Wilthorn! Frustration at not getting a chance to have a shot at the orc blood, Gwernach rushes up the rest of the stairs onto the catwalk.