Jens stumbles forward with Tats, mighty shoulders slumped, head bowed. When shoved forward, he stumbles, pretending to nearly fall. He mumbles a few wordless sounds, disgusted at himself for pretending to be so helpless and weak, but willing to go through with the ruse.
After a few seconds, and loosely wrapping some string around Iolana's hands. Heinrick brings Iolana around the corner, and follows along behind Tats.
Lady forgive this ruse
Here is the other one.
Iolana struggles within her bonds as Heinrick brings her along as she plays the part of his captive.
As the bulk of the group comes around the bend, both Mongrelmen snap to a defensive position, and then are curious, looking at you all with suspicion. They become agitated when Heinrick comes with Iolana, but she does a good enough job selling her bit that only one of the Mongrelmen goes through the wood screen covering the opening...
As the Mongrelman goes through the wooden screen, Tats feels a moment of uncertainty. Then, shoving Jens forward, she walks over to the remaining Mongrelman, talking as she goes. "Brother, issss the other going to get the chief, or one of our new alliesss? I would like to talk with one of them about our enemiesss; they ssseem to be getting more aggresssive with what isss happening on the sssurface." Her hand tenses, and she calls to mind a spell, ready to act should the Mongrelman, or anyone else, say something she doesn't like.
Heinrick lightly pushes Iolana behind the mongrelman, but hangs onto the end of the string so it unwraps from her hands.
"How surface dwellers get under surface? How dem come from Neatholm. How YOU come from Neatholm? You wait here, we get."
Tats pauses, momentarily unsure of herself. "Well, Tats? Is it that unaware of the earthquake, or is something else going on? Do you think you can keep lying to it, or is it time to fight? Your call."
"W-we...didn't the bossss tell you we were leaving? After the earthquake, he wanted sssomeone to sssee if Neatholm wasss desstroyed. It isssn't, but we found thessse sssurface-dwellersss inssstead. Maybe our new alliesss would like them." As she speaks, she shoves Jens closer to the creature and slides her bony tail off his wrists, reaching for her sword.
Seeing Tatyana reaching for her sword, Heinrick puts his hand on the hilt of his.
With her hands now free, Iolana draws her mace and begins to advance on the guard with a vicious look on her face.
As Iolana advances with her mace out, the Mongrelman lets out a hooting cry, which really lacks any conviction, but is still loud enough to be heard. The creature darts his head around from the wood screen back to the group, clearly looking for a way out.
"Y-you stay back, no come here. We open door and let loose dragon. You no want to be eaten, you no want to be here. You go..." The last bit comes out as more of a question, or plea than a command. The creature looks like he knows they will win, but also knows he's in the way of 4 adventurers before he can get help.
"Then we'll fight a dragon," Jens rumbles, clearly tired of the creature's simpering. Drawing himself to his full height, he steps around the screen, lashing at the creature not with a blade, but with the heavy, splintered shield strapped to his arm.
The creature scrambles back away from the shield strike, narrowly avoiding it.
***********Combat Round 1***************
Init: Tats, MM, Iolana, Jens, Heinrick
Tats starts worrying a bit. "And what if they do have a dragon, Tats? Then you all die because you couldn't lie well enough.' She pushes the thought from her mind and decides to save her magic for when it's more needed. Instead, she draws her rapier and lunges forward, unfortunately tripping and missing the creature, stabbing the air instead.
The mongrelman swings his club with a two-handed wild swing, missing her completely and smashing into the barricade.
Init: Tats, MM, Iolana, Jens, Heinrick
Grabbing her whip as she moves, Iolana then flicks it out in an attempt to trip the mongrel man.
Drawing his blade as he closes in on the mongrel man, Heinrick attempts to ensure it doesn't get a chance to run.
Sidestepping around the mongrelman, Jens places his not-inconsiderable bulk in front of the door, a living wall of steel and muscle. Drawing the warhammer from the temple, he keeps his shield high enough to protect his torso, swinging the old weapon around in a short, hard arc.
**********Combat Round 1************
Jens stabs forward with his longsword, and the Mongrelman dodges frantically to the side, and manages to barely hop over Iolana's whip, which licks at its heels, only to jump right into the blow being dealt by Heinrick, which bites deep into its neck, and the traitor falls to the ground in a gout of blood.
Tats blinks a few times, shocked at the speed of combat. "Did he ssssay sssomethink about a dragon? We sshould be ready in cassse he wasss not lyink" Keeping her sword in hand, Tats starts looking for a way through the barrier.
Horgus looks on with alarm, "Dragon?! Are you out of your minds? You'll get us all killed!
He was probably saying that to try and scare us. Can we get past the door.
Heinrick cleans his blade off, and puts it away. He then gets his spear from the others.
"Good work, lad," Jens mutters appreciatively, clapping Heinrick heavily on the back. He shifts away from the door, rolling his shoulders. "Heard something hissing behind there. Some sort of lizard, sounded big." He makes to open the door, pausing for any objections, before trying to open it.
Knocked slightly off balance from Jen's back clap, Heinrick fakes a stumble.
In that case, lets take a second and not stand in front of the door.
Heinrick takes a second to move the non combatants out of line of the door, and into some cover.
When Jens opens the door, the group is greeted with The lingering smells of cooked meat and rank bodies hanging in the air. Ten bedrolls, each piled with coarse blankets and animal furs, surround a fire pit filled with glowing coals. Tanned hides hang stretched on the walls, each crudely painted with scenes of deformed humanoids hunting giant vermin in caves.
3 Mongrel men stand ready in the room, brandishing clubs. Of a more immediate concern though, is the pony sized lizard that stands among them. The lizard hisses menacingly as Jens opens the door.
***********Combat Round 1**************
Init Order: MM 2, Heinrick, Jens, Iolana, MM 4, Lizard, Tats, MM 3
The Traitor in front, waiting for the screen to be pushed aside, rushes forward to attack Jens with a two handed swing of its club. Jens reacts quickly and the blow rings loudly off his shield.
Heinrick shifts slightly north and drives his spear at the mongrel man that just attacked Jens hoping to distract it to allow Jens a better at hitting him.
only to hit the doorframe with his spear.
Realizing that they will have to fight through the next room, Iolana begins to dance, cracking her whip in the direction of the enemies and humming a martial tune before moving in behind Heinrick and Jens.
The mongrelman's club hits Jens' shield right on the boss, rebounding off with a metallic ringing sound tha sets the old man's teeth on edge. He strides into the room, keeping his shield up, freeing the doorway for his companions to move in. While he appreciates Heinrick's attempt to help, the young man's spear-point comes dangerously close to his own boot, and he makes a note to speak sternly with him about his aim.
That would have to wait, though. For now, he adjusts his grip on the warhammer, and swings it at the traitor before him. It's a solid blow, connecting right in the mongrelman's exposed side, breaking ribs as easily as twigs.
***********Combat Round 1**************
Init Order: MM 2, Heinrick, Jens, Iolana, MM 4, Lizard, Tats, MM 3
Jens' blow on the traitor is met with the whoosh of explosive air from the creature, who somehow retains his feet, but favors his side heavily. The lizard and Mongrelman from the back of the room advance on Jens, who now faces three combatants. The mongrelman takes a swing at Jens who ducks the blow, which manages to clip the adornments on his helm. The lizard lunges forward biting at Jens' calf, but the veteran warrior kicks the lizards toothy maw away.
*************Combat Round 2***************
Init Order: MM 2, Heinrick, Jens, Iolana, MM 4, Lizard, Tats, MM 3
The Mongrelman, favoring his side heavily, makes a swing at Jens, but misses badly as it can't get the momentum on the swing it needed.
Round 1
Tats rushes through the door after Jens, empowering her blade with arcane energy and giving the mongrelman in front of her a quick poke in the chest with her rapier. "I am with you, Jenssss!"
Round 2
Tats recklessly casts up a ball of lightning around her off-hand's claws, swinging first her blade, then her magic at the mongrelman.
Heinrick, seeing the door way getting blocked, pauses.
By the inheritor, grant us the strength to win through today.
Facing down three combatants isn't a new experience for Jens, though admittedly he was much younger when he was making a habit of such things. It's Tats he's more worried about, seeing an equal number holding her within their reach. Best to focus on one of them, he reasons, absent-mindedly kicking the lizard's maw away with a heavy boot. "Stay close, Tats!" he tells the tiefling, quickly taking stock of the enemy's positions. Keeping his shield up to block to his left, he swings the ancient warhammer at the mongrelman to his right. The lizard could wait; it'd have a tough time getting through leather likely older than it.
-Posted with Wayfinder
*********Combat Round 1 ************
Tatyana gracefully slips through the doorway and with a dazzling display of swordsmanship causes the Mongrelman to completely fumble through its defense. She thrusts forward, blade sinking deep into the creature's chest, the blade protruding from its back. The Traitor slumps to the ground, sliding off of the tiefling's blade.
Status:
MM 2: Dead
MM 3: 0 damage
MM 4: 0 damage
Lizard: 0 damage
Iolana 17/18
Jens: 24/24
Tats: 19/19
Heinrick: 13/13
**********Combat Round 2************
Heinrick calls the blessing of Saenrae down, and a golden light suffuses the area, making his allies feel the uplifting prescence.
Jens again brandishes the warhammer with accuracy, slamming it into the mongrelman. The mongrel was able to turn with the blow better than the last one, and still appears ready to attack.
Tats thrusts with her rapier, but the mongrel, wise to the move, manages to slap the blade away. He is not quick enough to avoid her clawed hand, though, and his jaw clacks shut audibly as the electricity jolts through him. It recovers quickly however, and bashes Tats on the shoulder with its club.
The other mongrel attacks Jens, and again, the shield takes the blow with a resounding clang. The block leaves him open to the lizard, however, who manages to clamp onto Jens' leg, not letting go. [5pts of damage and grappled, as is the lizard]
Status:
MM 3: 5pts damage
MM 4: 7pts damage
MM 2: dead
Lizard: 0 damage, grappled
Iolana: 17/18
Jens: 19/24, grappled
Tats: 13/19
Heinrick: 13/13
Init Order: Heinrick, Jens, Iolana, MM 4, Lizard, Tats, MM 3
Heinrick seeing the lizard bite into Jens, attempts to entice it to let go by sticking his spear into it.
only to have his spear tip drive along the scaly hide not doing any damage.
Round 3
Tats groans as the club slams into her shoulder, reaching up with her free hand to hold it. With her main hand, she thrusts forward, trying to put the attacker down before he gets another blow like the first in.
"Bah! Get off, you blasted thing!" Jens growls, trying to shake the lizard off his leg, coming dangerously close to toppling sideways. Managing to keep balance, he strikes at the toothy beast with his hammer, hoping to stun it into dropping his leg.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Iolana steps behind Tats and begins to crack her whip at the mongrel man she is fighting, not trying to hit him, but to frighten him and ruin his focus.
Iolana shifts target to crack the whip at another of the mongrel men as she continues to perform.
******************Combat Round 3******************
Init Order: Heinrick, Jens, Iolana, MM 4, Lizard, Tats, MM 3
Iolana's display with the whip makes both Mongrelmen falter in their movements and attacks against the group. The Mongrelman to the north seems especially shaken.
Jens smacks the creature on the snout, causing the lizard to release its grasp on Jens leg.
Tats pokes another hole in the Mongrelman near her, but it steadfastly refuses to drop. It takes a swing at her, but barely manages to free its club from Tats' grasp.
The other Mongrel is too cowed by Iolana's display, and badly misses a swing at Jens.
Status:
MM 3 9 pts damage
MM 4 7 pts damage
Lizard Pending
Heinrick not seeing a clear avenue to either approach, nor attack, holds his action until MM 4 goes down.
At which point he will move into that area.
Frustrated by the mongrelman's tenacity, Tats thrusts forward once again.
Deciding she should try and conserve her ability to inspire for later, Iolana ceases her performance, but does begin to crack her whip at the lizard this time in an attempt to intimidate it as well.
Jens swings at the lizard again, hoping to put it down and clear some space for Heinrick to move.
-Posted with Wayfinder
**************Combat Round 4***************
Heinrick waits patiently at the back of the group, watching as Jens brings his hammer crashing down on the lizard again. The lizard hisses in rage sizing up its opponent for another bite, but lunges forward clumsily and closes its jaws on nothing but open air. Iolana cracks her whip over the creature's head, and it momentarily flinches, but seems unaffected otherwise. The Mongrelman also attempts to hit Jens, but misses badly, the club sailing through open air.
Tatyana then provides Heinrick the opening he wanted, by skewering the Mongrel in front of her before it can attack. As Heinrick moves up, the lizard snaps out biting the leg of the cleric and clamping its jaws around his leg ripping into the flesh.
Status:
MM 3 Dead
MM 4 9 damage demoralized
Jens 19/24
Heinrick 4/13 grappled
Iolana 17/18
Tats 13/19
Cont to round 5
Init Order: Jens, Iolana, MM 4, Lizard, Tats, Heinrick (adjusted)
In the hopes of taking the pressure off of her allies Iolana snaps her whip at the mongrel man's feet in an effort to trip him up.