Nodding to Ayako, Sebastian wrenches open the door.
Knowing the dog is sure to bound into the room as soon as Sebastian opens the door, Nadya readies herself to shift her glare upon it as soon as she can see the dog.
Ayako stands back and spins her sling. One of the other thugs is awake and is no doubt coming!
Sebastian swings open the door and Nadya hits Bloo with her evil eye. Bloo whimpers briefly but the instilled doubt does not remove its aggression.
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.
There's currently no sign of the other thug, but those that heard him have little doubt that he's nearby. Thanks to Col, Giggles is unconscious and not able to participate in this combat.
Col rushes past the dog, taking up position behind it and thrusts with his rapier at its hind quarters.
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Nadya almost feels bad for the dog, but knowing that it's howls almost surely herald the arrival of Lamm and his cronies, she figures that it would be best to take it down as quickly as possible. She continues to stare it down, willing it to move slower as it tries to dodge Col and Sebastian.
Col easily slips behind the dog before it even realizes what is happening and stabs it in the vitals silencing it immediately. A wretched looking gnome still in his nightclothes swings open the south door and shouts.
”Bloo! I don’t know who you bastards are but you are going to suffer for this! Yargin, you son of a gnoll, get your ass up! We have intruders!”
A second voice that must be Yargin replies, "Unbelievable. That Giggles is so useless. I'll be right there."
Hookshanks shakes off most of the effect of Nadya's evil eye and takes a swing at Col with a wicked looking kukri but Col easily sidesteps.
Col can see past Hookshanks into the room beyond. A pair of bunk beds sits against the far wall of this room to either side of a boarded-over window.
Col swings at the foul gnome slicing high and takes a step to the side.
Nadya shifts her gaze to the gnome, "Should have stayed in bed."
Having lost all hope of either an ambush or a fair fight, Sebastian dives into the room for a piece of the action. "Can't let you have all the fun!"
With a vicious stab, Sebastian pushes his blade through cloth and gnomeflesh, grimacing as he wrenches it back out.
Ayako darts into the room and holds, unable to get a good shot in.
Hookshanks shakes under Nadya's gaze but it matter little for a second later, Sebastian skewers the evil gnome and he collapses to the floor in a pool of his own blood.
Meanwhile, Yargin, a perpetually sour-faced man with short blond hair, appears in the doorway pointing a wand at Sebastian. The wand fires an orb of acid that goes high and sizzles as it melts a small hole in the north wall.
Col stands his ground and stabs at the figure in the doorway. His swing goes wide hitting the door jam. Col shouts to the villian, You must be Yargrin, surrender or die.
"They just keep coming. Will Lamm be next?" Seeing that the new arrival seems to prefer using a wand that he has to activate, Nadya turns her glare on him, willing it to be more difficult for him to use.
Sebastian flicks the gore from his blade as a ball of acid singes the top of his head as it flies past. "Nice trick," he growls, lunging forward with his rapier. "Here's one of mine."
Yargin's wand goes flying out of his hand.
"Curse you dandy! You won't take me alive."
Yargin steps backwards into the barracks (provoking from Sebastian) and pulls a vial of acid out of his pocket which he promptly tosses in Sebastian's direction.
The acid scores a direct hit, burning Sebastian for 5 acid damage and splashing Col for 1 acid damage.
Ouch, that looked bad. Nsdya worries that Yargin might have more acid up his sleeve and figures she'd better help Col and Sebastian. She glares at Yargin again.
Ayako darts in next to Sebastion and extends her hand, whispering sweet words under her breath. Small dark tendrils slip out and wash away acid burns.
Sebastian slashes out at his retreating foe.
Stepping up for another strike, he's stopped in his tracks by the flask of acid. He screams out in pain as the acid burns through his shirt, sizzling on his skin. Gritting his teeth through the pain, he advances on Yargrin with murderous intent. With a snarl of malice, Sebastian plunges his blade into the other man, skewering him against the wall. Teeth clenched, he leans forward, whispering in Yargrin's ear. "Your wish is my command!"
Sebastian's first swing hits the doorframe as Yargin retreats into the room but his follow up thrust fatally wounds the man and he drops, dying on the floor.
Once Yargin is defeated, the Old Fishery becomes deathly quiet.
His enemy slain, Sebastian collapses against the wall next to him. He grimaces as he begins peeling the cloth away from his blistered skin. Beneath, his chest is puckered and raw. He cries out in more pain as Ayako's magic heals his flesh, bringing his sleeve up to chew on the leather to muffle the sound. He shudders, his eyes rolling up into the back of his head for a moment while the magic heals him. It lasts only a few moments, but leaves him panting for breath. Looking down at his wound, the blisters are gone and the skin has grown back. But something, either the wound or the magic, leaves its mark; his repaired flesh is mottled and discolored in splotches where the acid burned him. He looks up at Ayako, confusion and fear in his eyes. "What are...?" Realizing that the answer may be worse than the question, he trails off. Pushing his back against the wall, he slowly stands back up. "Thank you," he says, avoiding Ayako's gaze.
The sudden quiet is like a scream in Nadya's mind after the chaos of the last few minutes. She listens, fully expecting to hear the sounds of another wave of Lamm's men, rallying to the defense, but so far there seems to be no further danger. She glances over at Ayako healing the horrible acid burns inflicted on Sebastian, then enters the room herself, thinking it to be safer in case someone enters from one of the doors deeper in the Fishery. "I don't hear anyone. Should we keep pressing on while we have surprise on our side or stop and do something about these bodies?"
So do we wish to revive Giggles and show him what will happen if he doesn't play nice?Ayako nods to the bodies. We still don't know where Lamm is. Ayako will search the men for any keys. That wand he was using was rather interesting.
I think first we should search the bodies and these rooms. He considers for a moment and continues, Lets hold off on reviving the Half-Orc and see what we can find first
"What if Lamm heard us? We can't let him escape!"
Nadya nods, remembering the vision of the young woman in the alley. "Sebastian is right. He has to be here someplace and we can't let him escape. We should press on while we have the advantage. What if he is able to rally the urchins to his aid?"
Rather dubious help. I believe that once they see that we have disposed of his thugs, that they will be less inclined to help their tormentor.
The group opens the two nearby doors. The left one leads to a dark ten foot corridor that ends at another door. The right door bangs into the corner of a wooden desk in the room which prevents the door from opening more than a few inches. It opens enough to peer inside but not enough to squeeze through. Inside a wooden desk sits in one corner of this room. The table is heaped with dozens of slate boards covered with chalk scrawls, while to the east a cabinet slouches against the wall. To the south, a few moldy boards have been nailed over a door.
Left door then.
Sebastian bends down and wipes his blade on Yargrin's clothes. At Ayako's signal, he nods and takes the first steps into the darkness. Stopping at the door at the end of the hall, he listens for sounds beyond.
We're going to need a little light, we have already lost the element of surprise we might as well be able to see. As he begins to follow Sebastian.
It's hard to make out but you hear the faint sound of children stifling their tears somewhere beyond the eastern door.
"Would one of you like to have light on your weapon?" Nadya will cast light on either Sebastian or Col's weapon. If both decline, she'll cast on her own spell component pouch.
Ayako casts light on a coin.
I hear children, perhaps more stolen ones serving Lamm.
Ayako casts light on a coin and the group quietly eases the door open and peers inside.
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. Inside is a foul-looking mixture of chum, seawater, and who knows what else. 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.
The light spell does not reach the far corners of this large room but so can see dozens of small eyes peering out of the shadows at you with fear and confusion. A quick count indicates there are 26 orphans in all here. Even from the shadows, it is clear that most of the children are ridden with disease and malnourishment.
Stolen children and lives. Ayako whispers. Just like mother and I, used up and cast away.
Ayako makes shushing noises. Hush little ones. The cruel Giggles,Hookshanks and Yargin will trouble you no more. We are here to help you get away from Lamm.
Nadya looks around the room, her eyes dark with horror at how many children are packed in and the abhorrent conditions within. Her eyes settle on a little girl, trembling in one of the hammocks and she shudders with the deja vu from her own visions. "Ayako speaks the truth little ones. Giggles, Hookshanks, and Yargin are beaten. Now we come for Lamm. Do any of you know where he might lurk?"
There is a silver in it for whoever talks first Col adds. As he ponders a way to help these little ones.
One of the older girls approaches. The girl who appears to be in her teens was probably once beautiful. Now her ribs show through her torn shirt from starvation and one of her eyes is swollen shut from a recent beating. She is visibly trembling as she whispers to you.
"Please go. This is bad. This is really bad. Gaedren won't be happy. He'll punish us. If we run, he'll find us. If we help you, he'll know. Giggles already beat Kesker bad today and he sent another to the "playground". No one ever comes back from there. Please we don't want any more trouble. I'm a good girl. Gaedren gave me this because I'm a good girl."
She produces a sweet pastry from her pocket and holds it out but her hand is shaking so much that it drops to the floor. She then curls into a ball and buries her face between her knees and starts uncontrollably sobbing.
Ayako rolls her eyes at Col and kneels by the girl, making soothing sounds.
There there my sweet, Giggles will never beat Kesker or anyone again, we got him all tied up. Lamm is all alone and after tonight, all of you will be safe from him.
Ayako takes out a cloth and dampens it with water before sprinkling some light numbing herbs from her healing kit, dabbing it around the girl's swollen eye.
Retrieving the loaf of bread, Sebastian holds it out for Ayako. "It's not much," he says apologetically. He feels a twinge of guilt; there's no way that loaf would feed all of them, but soon they would be free. Pulling out his dagger, he hands it to Nadya. "It should make for a fine torch. I'll make sure Lamm sees the light."
Leaving Ayako to tend to the girl, Sebastian heads for the catwalk to search the rest of the fishery. Lamm's clock was ticking.
Walking around the catwalk gives Sebastian a better view of the immense vat that dominates the room. From up here he can see that it is filled with a foul combination of seawater, seaweed, fish, and a weak acid mixture. To his horror, the corpse of a child too far gone to save briefly bubbles up to the surface before submerging again into the churning slop. Besides the urchins hiding in their hammocks beneath the catwalks, there doesn't appear to be much else of use or worth in this room.
Ayako's healing touch soothes the poor girl and she looks up at her appreciatively. Her crying slows to a whimper. "My name is Tiora. Gaedren is probably in the underpier. That's where he spends most of his time. But I don't know how to get there. Children are sometimes lowered to Gaedren through the hole in the floor there," she points to the rectangular hole near the south end, "But no child that's gone down there has ever come back. Normally, when Giggles lowers a child down, Gaedren is waiting in a skiff but there is no boat there now. Also the cast away slurry we make attracts jigsaw sharks. You wouldn't want to swim around here."
The jigsaw shark is a breed common to the waters off Varisia’s southern coast, particularly the Mushfens. Known for their distinctive jagged markings, mottled hide, and 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.
Ayako pats Tiora's hand. We'll look around here for a way to find Lamm. Ayako looks at the others. Should we get them to a safer place like the Temple of Pharesma? We should finish our buisness here first though.
I agree with you Ayako we should tend to Lamm first and then help these children.
Sebastian exits to the outer walkway, searching for an access point. He holds the dagger above his head as he walks, watching for any signs of movement in case they've flushed Gaedren out of hiding.
Col follows the brash swordsman.