Ella skewers another hole through the imposter, bright blood trickling down onto Urah's still form.
28 Imposter (Damage: 22)
20 Lunevi (Damage: 3)
17 Ella
16 Fate (Damage: 12)
10 Urah (Damage: 19, Unconscious)
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Grimacing when Urah falls, Lunevi huffs a deep breath, mutters something unintelligible to herself and steps forward to try and compensate for her fallen friend - they needed to end this quickly or he'd bleed out without care. She takes a quick step forward and does her best to smack the ever-loving life out of this criminal.
Luna manages to crack the man square in the nose, setting it to bleeding freely. "I'll remember that!" he snarls, whirling to flee into the room. He sheaths one blade and reaches for a coil of rope attached to the grappling hook embedding in the wall. "I'll fetch help, children!" he bellows at the two cowering innocents.
28 Imposter (Damage: 24)
20 Lunevi (Damage: 3)
17 Ella
16 Fate (Damage: 12)
10 Urah (Damage: 19, Unconscious)[/b]
The quarterstaff cracks against the wall sharply, failing to catch the fleeing dastard!
28 Imposter (Damage: 24)
20 Lunevi (Damage: 3)
17 Ella
16 Fate (Damage: 12)
10 Urah (Damage: 19, Unconscious)
"Fine! To the death it is!" he snarls as his escape is cut off. Whipping out his short sword once more, he slices the longsword at Ella in retaliation.
With deft ease, Ella slides the heavier blade off with a parry. The return stab comes in low, failing to find flesh as her target twists away. Fate's dart flies wide, sailing over Ella's head.
28 Imposter (Damage: 24)
20 Lunevi (Damage: 3)
17 Ella
16 Fate (Damage: 12)
10 Urah (Damage: 19, Unconscious)
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Lunevi, still decidedly unhappy with this fellow, gives him a good wallop in the unmentionables. She doesn't want to kill him. Just hurt him a little.
"Երեխաները երբեք չպետք է օգտագործվեն չափահասների շրջանում!" she scolds him. Satisfied that he's gotten the point, she turns to check on the children.
Taking several deep, calming breaths, she asks, "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"
Satisfied that they're okay, she tends to Urah, but she's a bit unhappy with the way things have gone. Her hands are still shaking.
These poor children - their family slaughtered and exposure to a brute! - she could only hope the townspeople were able to help them.
Which, haha, those rolls themselves are pretty comedic. >^<
Luna manages to connect with the man's head after all, as Ella's blade pierces his gut and doubles him over, before he crumples to the ground. The mansion falls quiet again, save for the sniffles and whimpers of the two children. As Luna speaks gently to them, all they can respond with is slow shakes and nods. They appear unharmed, true to the dastards plans.
Most of the ruffians carry ordinary short swords and daggers, garbed in padded and leather armors. The one of the two upstairs still carries an unused tanglefoot bag. The leader of the operation seems better equipped, with fine longsword and shortsword pair, as well as quality leather armor. Two potions are found on his belt.
Checking around the house leads to a gruesome discovery. Beyond the main doors at the top of the stairs, the master bedroom contains an oversized bed and dual wardrobes. Seated on the floor, a woman's corpse lays with arm and head draped over the matress. A man sits in the dresser chair, eyes closed as if in sleep, but the bloody wounds all over his chest show it to be an endless one. Each hold rapiers limply, appearing to have succumbed to the wounds of battle.
A pounding at the front door interrupts the search, heavy blows attempting to break down the heavy wood. "This is the sheriff! Lay down your weapons and surrender!" a familiar voice calls from beyond.
Ella is able to use the key found on the man who threw the initial flash powder at the party to open the door. Outside, Sheriff Feldane waits with a team of men wearing small pins identifying them as constables. The sheriff nods and steps inside while the constables move to guard the door and circle around the building. "One of the neighbors noticed a commotion going on and sent word." She looks over the bodies lain out on the foyer floor. "Seems you have it handled. What can you explain about this?"
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"The adults inside have been slain, but the children were blessedly left alive and unharmed. However..." the shaman pauses, trying to decide on the best way to say the next part. "One of the murderers used magic of some kind to take my appearance. Even spoke to the children, ensuring they would remember who to blame. I assure you Sheriff, we played no part in the deaths of the homeowners. Indeed, we barely survived the night dealing with the thugs who did the deed."
With a sigh, "Unfortunately, I do not believe the now orphaned children will be able to support out version of events. They will testify to quite the opposite I would think."
A cruel and clever plan to be certain.
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"That may not be true," Lunevi pointed out. "They saw that there were two of you, so if nothing else, your testimony should hold."
Shaking her head at the pure evil that must have taken part in this plan, she asks, "We were hoping you might be able to tell us who these people are so we can track this problem to its root."
The sheriff rolls over the bodies of your assailants, checking for pulses. "Huh. Yes I can. These boys work the docks. Nice job leaving them breathing, it'll be a lot easier to get some answers that way." She rises and looks around. "Which one talked to the children? Might be the leader."
After being led up to the children's room, briefly pausing to close the master bedroom door, she calls for one of the constables to care for the two survivors. "Ah, about what I figured. Borvius Monchello, owner of Ilsurian Storage and Hauling. Everyone in the hall are his employees." She looks the party over and frowns.
"If he's behind this, may be more criminals hiding in his warehouse. You all look like hell, so I can offer this much. Me and the boys here can keep this murder quiet until the morning. That's time for you to recover enough to raid the business and get to the bottom of things. I've got Mistress Delisen under arrest, but I can let her go once you're ready so no one gets tipped off. What do you think?"
"I'm stretched thin as it is." A weary look passes over the sheriff's face. "I can't really afford to pull these constables away from keeping the town out of the campground and the carnies out of town. Someone has to keep guard against hotheads that can't wait for justice to be served, but if my people hear about more murders, we could have another mob, one I won't be able to stop. You're the only resource I have left at the moment."
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Lunevi grimaces, then rallies. "Okay," she acknowledges. "But we're gonna need some rest first." Nodding towards Fate, she added, "We should take the offer to get some sleep and see what this looks like in the morning. I'm sure we'll feel better about this then."
She rolled her shoulders and neck, expression pulling into one of definite discomfort.
The sheriff and her constables take the time to bind the unconscious murderers, giving the party time to investigate the rest of the house. Much of the house is in neat order, spare bedrooms storing extra furniture and closets holding spare clothes and linens.
However, a few rooms hold the specter of the horror committed this morning, as the servants quarters contains the bodies of an elderly couple. Bloody wounds match those inflicted on the other bodies, the man fallen across the woman as he attempted to shield her from the deadly blades.
The other disturbance can be found in a well appointed study, where a large desk is surrounded by bookshelves filled with tomes and trophies alongside elegant curios on display. Papers are scattered over the desk, drawers pulled open as the office was ransacked. A scroll tube with a scrimshaw cap depicting a turtleback ferryboat rests among the debris. Little else of interest can be found.
The scroll case does not radiate magic, nor show any obvious signs of traps. Within is a legal document, a last will and testament, signed by one Arhaneem Braeton. A brief skim of the formal language places all holdings in trust by the town council on behalf of the children, Summer and Martim.
Bringing the will to the sheriff brings a determined light to the woman's eye. "That's a fair enough arrangement. One of the neighbors is explaining things to the children, as much as can be anyhow." Scanning further down, she looks close at the bottom. "Looks to be Braeton's signature, clear enough. I see he kept his options open, to sell the business if it's declining in public hands. Hope it won't come to all of that."
Sheriff Feldane shakes her head. "Can't afford anything so fancy. If Sister Esrelda were still with us I'd cover her services for you, but I have no idea if the temple has anything I could even requisition for you." She considers a moment, looking around at the detained ruffians. "Anything they had on them is forfeit into my custody, so if there's something among that lot, you're welcome to commandeer it."