Hearing the scuffle, Sebastian rushes in to try to quiet the ruckus. He takes a wild swing at the guard to no effect.
Col berates himself, "Fool you let his words get the better of you. He punches at the man with the guard of his rapier.
Nadya-bot will eye evil Malder.
The confused guard spins unsure of what exactly is happening. When he turns from Ayako, she lands a solid kick up between his legs and Col hits him square in the jaw, twisting him back around.
Malder turns again and attempts to strangle Col with his bare hands but he has become so completely entangled in his loose pants that he flops forward in an awkward embrace before sliding off Col harmlessly. He begins to pant heavily from injury and exhaustion but still has a little fight left in him.
Nadya stays back and watches as Ayako, Col, and Sebastian wrap up Malder, figuring she can help to tie him up once he is unconscious.
Col lashes out again with the guard of his rapier.
Ayako finds herself wishing she had taken those self-defense lessons when offered by a visiting paladin.
Ayako socks Malder in the back of the head and he falls face first unconscious on the ground in front of her.
The side of the butchery is relatively quiet aside from the occasional shuffling of the skittish cow.
Ayako gives thanks to the Cow God. We should hide him under the straw after tying him up. Don't want to have passerby see him. Ayako will assist restraining him.
With the guard safely dispatched, Sebastian gives Col a quizzical look. "Is that what you call a sneak attack?"
"It certainly got things done." Nadya observes walking back to everyone else. "I don't have any rope, but I can help tie him up if any of the rest of you do. Otherwise, I suggest we keep moving to see if we can find Vancaskerkin after burying this one in the straw."
The unconscious guard is unable to protest as you bind him. It takes your combined efforts to lift the dead weight of the heavy man and heave him up into the cart. While lifting the straw to bury the man underneath, you discover some rope and a large empty burlap sack. Dried blood stains coat the interior of the sack.
He also has 20 gp in his pocket.
Ayako examines the blood.
After rumaging through the man's pockets, she hands over the gold. Perhaps we should invest in saps and clubs for the future.
Ayako examines the blood.
It appears that this sack has been used more than once. The age of the blood stains is not consistent. The most recent ones can't be more than a day or two old. You can't tell if the blood is animal or human but the size of the sack definitely could hold either.
Col moves to the double doors to the east and presses his ear against the wood.
"Looks like whatever they've been up to, its a lot more lucrative than guard duty." Nadya stays back from Col and waits for the doors to be opened.
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This blood could be anything, the sack is large enough for animal or person.
Col moves to the double doors to the east and presses his ear against the wood.
You hear two people hammering and cleaving meat while having a conversation.
Parns, "Karralo, we got another request for the "night's special cut". It's your turn to go out tonight. Take Malder with you. I know he enjoys these evening runs. Just make sure you bring that dumb cow in before you go. Baldrago and I will get to work on it while you're out."
Karralo, "Parns, you know I don't want to be a part of that. Just let me work on the cow."
Parns, "That's exactly why you should go out, you little chicken s$!$. You need to toughen up if you are going to stay in this business."
Karralo, "F@*@ you, Parns! If you keep pushing me, I'm going to tell Verik about you're little side business."
Parns, "If you even think about it, you'll be the next slab on my butcher's block."
Karralo, "I'm going to get some fresh air. I can't stand being in the same room as you anymore."
Parns, "You'll come back, p#$@~. And bring that stupid cow in when you do."
You hear footsteps heading in your direction.
Nadya holds up two fingers, then three and makes a questioning look. The she holds up one finger and makes a motion with her fingers like a man walking. She backs away from the doors and gets ready for the man to open them up.
Col whispers, "Get ready someone's coming this way with more in the room." He moves behind the wagon to try to hide.
Ayakp preps her sling and crouches beside Col
After a few moments, a thin, jittery man with sallow complexion opens one of the eastern doors a crack, the rusted hinges groaning loudly, and sidesteps out, slamming the door behind him with a bang. Dust and cobwebs rain down within the shed from the jolt, a testament to the building's age and neglect.
Once Karralo is outside, Nadya unleashes her evil eye upon him. Karralo splays his arms out wide and plasters his back again the doors in fear. One hand begins to slowly inch towards the sword at his belt.
He asks inquisitively, "Who...who are you?"
Nadya eyes Karralo darkly. "We have been sent by Field Marshal Cressida Kroft. Drop your sword belt and surrender now or things are not going to go well for you."
Surrender and you can see we are not unreasonable.
"Listen. I don't want any trouble." He raises both hands above his head. "I knew the Guard would come for us eventually. But I'm not going back there. I'll hang for desertion. What do you want? Maybe we can work something out."
Sebastian looks on as the pathetic man cowers against the door. It's no surprise he deserted; he clearly was never cut out for the Guard in the first place. "You don't have to hang," says Sebastian. "We have orders to bring in your leader, Verrik Vancaskerkin. Help us take him, and we'll let you go."
"We'd be willing to trade information for your freedom. You can start by telling us where Verik is and how many of you boys are in there."
"With pleasure," grins Karralo. "Including myself, there are five of us. Parns is in the back. Baldrago and Malder man the front end. Verik can be found upstairs. He hardly ever comes down at all, which is why Parns thinks he can boss the rest of us around. I wouldn't mind putting a cleaver through his smug grin."
Karralo's tone and change in demeanor reveal a sadistic side to the man that wasn't previously apparent.
Hmmm..well this is helpful. I say we give him a head start down the road before we head in.
"Hang on Ayako. What is the 'night's special cut' that my friend overheard you talking about? What exactly did you not want to be a part of? And why are you hiding it from Verik?"
"Well, you see, during our free time we've been taking to calling ourselves the Cow Hammer Boys and anyone knowing someone who needs a beating could ask for our "night's special cut" and for a price we'd guarantee that the mark would never bother our client again. Now I'm all for giving a beating where a beating's due, but the problems arose when Parns wanted us to start bringing victims back to the butcher's shop. You see, the rising tensions are keeping all but the most brave or desperate ranchers from delivering their livestock into the city. So we've needed to do some supplementing. Verik spends most of his time upstairs. Between you and me, I think he thinks Guard won't find him up there. We'll he's going to be in for a surprise, ain't he. Anyway, he believes the whole operation is on the up-and-up. He'd not be to pleased to hear what else we've been up to. I'm tempted to stick around just to see the look on his face when you tell him."
My, my my. A little unknowing cannibalism.
Nadya has to stifle an involuntary wretch as the taste of bile fills her mouth. She looks at Karralo incredulously, "So you knew about all of this and didn't try to stop Parns? You even...helped him?"
"Hey now. I said I didn't like it. I stuck around because the power felt good. I enjoyed deciding which families got to eat at night."
Probably unnecessary, but if you missed it before, Karralo's voice again takes on a cruel tone.
He certainly likes his cruelty, the rush of power over those in need. Kind of like an unambitous Lamm.
Col looks at the man with loathing and asks, "Anything besides your compatriots inside that we should be worried about."
Nadya shakes with frustration. A vision of herself starving, shivering, dying intrudes. We cannot just let this one go. She waits for Col to get his answer, but no longer has any intention of letting Karralo go free.
"There's nothing besides us five in there."
Ayako loooks at the others and shrugs, as if not being particulary concerned about the man's welfare.
"Karralo. I know my companions initially suggested it might be possible for you to go. That isn't going to work. We will bind you, but we're not going to hurt you unless you resist. The Field Marshal will hear of your cooperation in the capture of Verik, Parns and Baldrago."
Sebastian scowls at the man, pushing him roughly up against the wall so they can begin binding him. "If you're lucky, they'll hear your case on Ironbriar's day off."
"Yeah, you all seem like a right bunch of saints, you do. But that's just not going to work for me."
Karralo charges into Sebastian overrunning him and dashing into the cattle pen to escape. The thick mud sucks at his boots and the uneven ground slows his movement. "Give my regards to the Field Marshall, suckers! I won't be going back there if I can help it."
Karralo continues running.
Hiking up the hem of her dress, Nadya follows Karralo into the cattle pen. The look she now gives the thug could melt glass.
Ayako is outraged that the sanctum of the cow god is defiled and she sends a sling stone at the man.
With a curse Col runs after the villain.
As Karralo pushes past, Sebastian swings an arm at the man's head as he's sent sprawling to the ground.
Sebastian picks himself up from the ground and growls, now quite irate. Not one to be made a fool of, he joins the chase.
Ayako's sling bullet wizzes past Karralo's head but Sebastian lands a strong punch to the man's face before being bowled over. Karralo shivers under Nadya's hateful glare.
Karralo moves another ten feet then whips around bringing his crossbow to bear pointed directly at Sebastian but his aim is poor and the bolt flies by harmlessly.
"Leave me alone or someone is going to get hurt!"
Col watches as Karralo points his crossbow at Sebastian and fires wildly. He yells " Drop the crossbow" as he draws his dagger and throws it at the man.
Ayako shuffles up and sends another stone flying
"Yes, that's the idea!" Sebastian charges across the mud and throws his body at the man.