For the record, the loading dock door is open, and you earlier saw some of Lamm's Lambs bring out fish.
Silvio moves towards the front door to jam the lock, which he does without too much of an issue, but as the telltale 'click' makes itself heard, so does the loud barking of an alerted dog...
Staryth, though not as fleet, follows the Shoanti's lead and tries to keep pace.
Staryth actually smiles at that, "Not everyone can keep pace with a speedy cricket like yourself but I'll try."
Sera follows the group into the loading bay, her armor not a hindrance to her speed as she easily keeps up with the mighty Shoanti.
"Stupid dog," mutters Silvio under his breath. He tucks his thieves' tools away and draws his sword, doing his best to keep up with the charging group.
Nicolai proceeds into the room, following the initial rush of people. Once inside he glances around, hoping to get a glimpse of Lamm.
Perception:
The door to the upper workfloor is wide open, allowing you to see inside. Four young boys, in ages varying between eight and twelve. Three of them are in shock from the dog's sudden barking, while the fourth has just flung the door on the east side of the room open, but is now looking back at you.
The stink in the upper workfloor, a mixture of fish and sweat, is enough to make the eyes water. To the east, a large wooden trough holds a hideous mound of half-rancid fish, seaweed, and brine. Filthy seawater and fish blood stain the floor around this trough. A pair of wooden chutes lead from this trough through holes in the northern wall into a larger room to the east. To the west, a desk and chair sit in one corner while a tall cabinet sits in the other.
Through the open door on the east side of the room, the party can see a chair and the edge of a desk, most likely the fishery's front room. The echoes of loud barking make it clear that the dog is presently in that room.
Perception check:
Nicolai rushes into the room, years of pent up anger released in an instant, and grabs the first boy he sees "Where is Lamm? Tell me, boy. We are here to kill him. Tell me where he is and then get out of here."
Intimidate check:
.
"We're here to rescue you, kids. Just keep out of the way!" . As his words spill out, he realizes Nicolai is trying a different tactic, which seems to diminish the overall effectiveness of both.
"If you stay close by, I will ask Abadar to bless this endevour!"
The boy Nicolai grabs by the collar, a young lad of perhaps nine, edges back out of the wizard's grasp, holding a pitchfork in his shaky hands. He seems somewhat intimidated, but his demeanor indicates that he's far more afraid of the consequences of spilling the beans.
Ruke moves in behind the group, approaching the boys and giving them a sly wink as if on some shared secret, "Don't worry lads, there is only one head that needs roll today, and that is Lamm's. You lot are free to show heels. No harm shall come to you this day, or I'm not a Brightonspinner!"
He then turns to the group, ready to face whatever lies ahead.
As Ruke turns to the group he does a double take and notices the child who isn't a child, "Ho there! Fancy that, a wonderseeker playing as a child. And who might you be? Looking for a bit of excitement to put some pink in that skin in a fishery? Surely there are better places to find your fun!"
The 'orphan child' steps out of the way and lets Krojun through.
A single desk sits in the middle of this room, a moldy chair pushed
up against the far side. A small pile of ratty furs and straw is heaped
under the table. A big angry mutt leaps out from atop the pile, barking and snapping, and attempts to bite Krojun's leg.
The leather of Krojun's hide leggings is more than enough to stop the dog's teeth short of flesh, however, and the dog merely snarls angrily.
Behind him, Krojun can heal the clatter of a pitchfork falling to the ground, but before he has a chance to react, the orphan, now clearly revealed as being a gnome in disguise, draws a jagged, worn out kukri and leaps for his back.
"What are you waiting for, you little s**@s! Attack them! Do you know what Gaedrenn will do to you if we let these idiots in?!"
Though they appear very reluctant to do so, especially after Ruke's encouragements, the three boys grab their pitchforks and prepare for combat.
"You wouldn't want to hurt a poor man with just one arm, would you?" Silvio charges toward the gnome, doing his best to dodge the childrens' pitchforks despite moving at full speed. .
"Otherwise he might have to hurt you back!" Silvio stabs at the gnome while he's distracted with Krojun, but hesitates at the last second - it was so hard to stab someone who looked like a child!
Sera brandishes her holy symbol and incants a few words of power. For a brief moment, the sound of money jingling can be heard as a nimbus of light pulses out from the woman, enveloping her comrades with its warm glow.
Krojun's attack finds its target, scoring a severe blow in the dog's back and neck. The hound keeps barking mad, and begins frothing at the mouth, a hideous mix of blood and foam. The dog is bleeding out at a rapid pace, but this does not seem to hinder its fury.
Meanwhile, Silvio strikes at the gnome, but, even with Abadar's help, he misses the small target completely.
Meanwhile, the three orphans move towards the party, and attempt to strike using their pitchforks.
The orphans attacking Sera and Nicolai each score a slight hit, but, being children, do not manage to inflict particularly grave wounds.
Krojun's second strike cleanly severes the dog's rear from its front, leaving both ends twitchy, bloody mess on the ground.
Staryth moves forward, and from the angle he has behind Sera that she's being attacked by a child. Shelyn forgive me. He shoves the blunt end of the pole arm at the boy. "Sorry lad, I'd rather die than kill you, but I can't let you butcher someone else either. That sort of action you don't want on your conscience."
The attack misses the boy entirely and he, in turn, fails to even notice Staryth.
Ruke grimaces to himself at the words of the gnome and watches as the combat starts boiling into chaos, the young boys clearly driven by their fear of what will befall them if they do not comply with their orders.
Ruke belts out over the din of combat, "Hey, have I ever told you all about the time the family was in Sandpoint? Let me tell you, there were dogs there too! But they got all chopped up by these nasty little buggers with watermelon heads! I suggest a watermelon head treatment for our wonderseeker friend here. Chop chop little gnome, the axe comes for you!"
Ruke then deftly moves and ducks through the lines of combat to get inside the room through the mass of bodies hanging around at the front door. "You all take up far to much space! Make a hole, make a hole!"
Round # 2
Initiative: 19
Hit points: 8/10
Condition:
"I don't want to hurt you, boy, but I will if you force me." Nicolai will use his staff to sweep the legs out from underneath the child.
Trip attempt:
The orphans watch, startled, as the party pours into the room, but do not attack in reaction.
The lamb agilely leaps over Nicolai's staff and strikes in response.
Off-balance from his jump, he misses entirely.
Finding himself flanked, the gnome seems to be looking for a way out. On one side, Krojun. On the other side, the rest of the party. Choosing what he believes to be the path of least resistance, he strikes at Krojun once more.
This time, without the advantage of surprise, his attack is far less successful, though he does manage to score a gash on Krojun's left thigh.
"Let me through! I'll kill you if you don't let me through!"
Ruke deftly steps away from the boy with the pitchfork and moves in near the gnome, setting up an opportunity for the large barbarian to use his position to his advantage. Ruke unsheathes his scimitar and brandishes it at the gnome, "Now you've went and made my big friend very mad, and I assure you that you will be regretting it soon!"
With those words he takes a low swipe at the gnome's feet, attempting to throw him off balance...
;
;
Silvio strikes deeply, just missing a vital organ. "That's gonna hurt!"
After being stabbed with a pitchfork, Sera focuses on the child at hand, thinking about how to fell him without killing him. Pulling out her morning star, she clubs the boy with the haft.
Silvio's dueling sword scores a deep blow in the gnome's neck, just barely missing his jugular. The gnome yelps in pain, turning to face Silvio with fury in his eyes.
The haft of Sera's morningstar bounces off the boy's skull and, for a moment, he sees stars floating about, looking rather dazed. Then, looking at Sera's weapon, then at the gnome engaged in battle, and finally, back at Sera, the orphan drops to the ground and attempts to crawl between her legs and Staryth's, clearly fleeing.
The other two orphans, seeing the third flee, look more hesistant than ever, but the gnome's presence is enough to scare them into cooperating.
The first one, clearly unused to combat, smacks himself in the face with the haft of his pitchfork, suddenly looking rather dizzy.
The second one misses the agile Ruke entirely.
Sera lets the boy go, calling after him ”If you need help, go to the Temple, you will be safer there.”
Round # 3
Initiative: 19
Hit points: 8/10
Armor class: 16*; T: 12; FF: 14*
Condition:*Mage armor, Bless, Inspire courage
Nicolai short hafts his quarterstaff and punches it at the boys gut, hoping to knock the wind out of him.
Attack roll (nonlethal):