Col follows Sebastian's lead and leaps down into the cesspool, grabbing Ayako's rope with one hand and swinging down safely to the floor. His boots splash in the bloody gore as he lands; A brittle bone crunches under one of his feet. Unfettered by the carnage, he strikes out as the creature dragging Nadya and pierces its shell. It emits a high pitched scream and profusely bleeds a white ooze, a testament to the damage inflicted upon it.
Ayako's leg creaks in protest as she contemplates leaping down. She also knows she will need to lend her aid to tend the wounds of Nadya and the others, so she moves to the rope and starts down.
Ayako has no problem climbing down the rope and lands easily next to Col.
Sebastian attacks the reefclaw grappling him. He aims for the creature's eye but the frenzied creature shifts so that the strike pierces a less vulnerable area.
The injured reefclaw dragging Nadya, gives up is quarry under the assault of the party and starts to flee for safety.
The reefclaw grappling Sebastian squeezes down hard with its claw, nearly breaking Sebastian's leg with the pressure. The remaining reefclaw teams up against Sebastian as well, viewing him as the bigger threat and slicing through his other leg.
Sebastian screams in pain as he's assailed by the vise-like claws. The poison seeps through his body, weakening him, and the claws keep him pinned to his position. He thrusts his rapier at the creature in front of him, hoping to pierce through its thick carapace.
Sebastian stabs again and this time skewers the reefclaw grabbing him right in the brain, slaying it. Its body begins to spasm horrifically in a death frenzy and claws swing in Col's direction. Luckily for him, they both fall short.
Verik fires at the one remaining reefclaw but this time the attack bounces harmlessly off one of its spines.
Col steps up and swings his rapier at the remaining creature. "Get Nadya out of here," he yells to his companions.
Ayako 5'steps into Col's square and touches Nadya
Long tendrils slip out from under Ayako's fingernails and begin tucking Nadya's innards back into her.
Nadya's breathing grows more regular as Ayako's eerie connection begins knitting her back together.
Col gets the remaining reefclaw's attention by stabbing it in the side.
The first reefclaw vanishes into the darkness of the eastern tunnel. The final one turns on Col and attacks, but Col manages to keep it at bay with his rapier.
"Sebatian, Ayako see if you can get Nadya to safety," he suggests as he swings his rapier at the reef claw.
Right away!
No longer held in place by the hellish crustaceans, Sebastian wraps an arm around Nadya's waist and, with Ayako's help, begins hauling the unconscious woman out of the pit.
As Col lands a critical strike against the reefclaw, Sebastian and Ayako hoist Nadya up into the air and Verik reaches down and pulls her up safely onto the ledge.
"Good work. But be careful. There is still one reefclaw remaining." Verik points at the reefclaw still attacking Col.
The final reefclaw, severely injured but with no escape route, desperately lashes out, and grabs onto Col's attacking arm.
I'll let him think I didn't notice the rope go up, Col assures himself as he attacks the remaining reefclaw.
Hmm...I think he is going to attempt to make us a self-solving problem.
"Ayako, help Nadya! We'll handle the reefclaw." Sebastian lunges forward at the last reefclaw, skewering it on his rapier.
Sebastian slays the final reefclaw with his forward lunge and sidesteps out of the way of its death frenzy.
Verik aims his bow down at the party and says, "Well now, I'm glad you're all okay and all, but I assume we now need to go back to the unfortunate business of you trying to arrest me. You see, I really don't mean you any harm but I do need to take precautions on the count of you attacking me just moments ago. If you would just see reason and agree to go back to Cressida and explain that I'm doing good work here, we can forget this whole mess."
Just a momment, I never got the chance to see if they were dumping bodies down here. Ayako pokes around.
Hm..What is this? Ayako picks up something.
Ayako lifts a human skull above her head.
Verik's jaw drops when he sees it. "My gods, what have I done? You were right all along. I didn't want to believe it. I am such a fool." A moment later, the rope drops back down the pit and you are able to climb up. Verik is on his knees; his bow is on the ground beside him. You can see tears welling in his eyes. He does not struggle if you bind him.
Verik's Equipment if you want to search him:
Masterwork chainmail
Masterwork spear
Masterwork composite longbow (+2 Strength)
+1 Arrows
Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds
Ayako quickly gets a piece of twine and tied off Sebastion's harm and proceeds to...suck.
SLURRRPPPPPPPP! PTUI!
Col searches and ties up Verik. When he finishes that task he removes a vial from his pouch and drinks it.
Sebastian accepts treatment from Ayako as Col apprehends Verik. "You seem a decent fellow, Vancaskerkin. It would be a shame to kill you."
Ayako uses her last CLW on Nadya
It seems your 'co-worker's' opinion of you was correct, you were unknowing of the source of part of their meat, and no doubt they considered you a stooge that they could put all blame upon.
"You are right. I take full responsibility. I am a failed leader. The plan wasn't bad--people need to eat, after all. But it is unforgivable that I allowed murders to take place right under my nose. I should have been managing but instead I isolated myself. That's not what a leader does. I've just been so forlorn. But that's no excuse. If the Field Marshall sentences me to hang, I accept my fate." Verik moans.
Let us see if we can get you clemency, we are witnesses to what has happened here and as we said, she wants to speak with you about why you left.
He should hang for this, Col thinks. "I'll search the building, see what else is lying about." To Verik he says, "Is there anything I should be aware of like traps?"
The wand is enough to restore Nadya to the land of the living. She wakes, covered in filth, aching all over, and with a sense that Ayako's dark god has left her different than she was. But hearing Verik's surrender, she smiles "So we proved it didn't we? Thanks for getting me out of there."
"There are no traps. And it seems like you took out all of my employees. Upstairs is just my office. There's not much for you to find. I suppose now that we're being arrested, this place will simply fall back into ruin. The downtrodden Korvosans will need to find somewhere else to get their food. They may fall on hard times but at least they won't be eating other people. Oh the horror! I am nauseous just thinking about it." states Verik.
The horror, the horror. Ayako rolls her eyes at the melodrama and helps gather the senseless men and load them into the cart, making sure to pay thanks to the cow that watched over them.
"I guess we'll have a quick look around and then get you all back to the Citadel. Let's hope the riots haven't picked up again." Nadya also checks the arrows and potion to see if she can learn what they are.
Sebastian, still worse for the wear after the scuffle with the reefclaws, pulls out his Pharasmin healing potion. He cringes as he looks at it, swirling the black liquid gingerly. Taking a deep breath, he tosses it back and tries to keep the stuff down. "Blech. Black licorice. Must be what death tastes like."
Despite the potion's foulness, it proves effective and has Sebastian up on his feet in moments. Despite Verik's claims that there is nothing else to be found, Sebastian searches anyway. There might be more that was simply hidden from Verik by his underlings.
The front room, furthest north, is the shop front. A long counter runs over half the room's width, beyond which a door stands ajar. A low bench sits against the east wall, while to the north a marble-topped table displays cuts of meat before a wide, grimy window. A few flies crawl and circle in the air above the meat.
The final room on the first floor is holding pens. Two foul-smelling animal pens take up the majority of this room. Each pen is defined by a wooden fence set with a gate. Inside each is a long water trough and heaps of filthy hay. The northern pen houses a pair of large, perpetually hungry pigs. The floor here is hard-packed earth.
Upstairs, you first encounter a break room. A round table sits in this room, surrounded by four wooden chairs. A stack of cards sits on the tabletop. A cabinet to the southwest hangs open, a tangle of dirty clothes and blankets within. Four thin bedrolls lie rolled up against the north wall.
Beyond that, is the slaughterhouse office. A single large desk stands in the eastern part of this large office, transformed into a makeshift bed by a bedroll and several blankets and pillows. A table and three chairs sit to the west; several papers lie strewn over the table's surface and a chamberpot sits under it. One of the papers is pinned to the tabletop by an exquisite silver dagger.
Try the office first.
Col moves over tho the desk in the office and begins to search. "Someone go see about that dagger and note," he asks a little gruffly.
Back on her feet and eager to get back to the Citadel, Nadya helps to search the office.
Most of the papers strewn about the room are poorly managed accounting sheets detailing the business' operations. The sheet pinned by the dagger turns out to be a love letter to Verik, signed by someone named Vimanda. The dagger itself appears to be of masterwork quality and crafted of pure silver. It gives off a feint magical aura. You don't find anything else of note in this room.
Ayako is too deep in Commoonion with the cow and pigs to properly identify the dagger.
Once their cursory search of the place is over, Sebastian slips the note into Verik's pocket. "Vimanda won't be happy to hear about this, will she?"
Verik notices the letter and nods. "No. She won't. She convinced me to take control of the butchery but I haven't heard from her since. I was thinking about making the trek up to Old Korvosa to call on her, but I guess I will never get the chance now." Verik sobs.
"Perhaps. Perhaps not Verik. The Field Marshal may show you mercy." Nadya will also try to identify the dagger.
[ooc]Watching over, if you bring me the dagger that would be my attempt at identifying it[/ooc[
"We'll see. Treason is a serious offence. But I will cooperate." says Verik.
Stop giving the man false hope, he deserves to hang, Col thinks as he listens to the conversation and shanks his head.
Are we finished? We should head out if so.