Silas suddenly smacks himself in the face. Looking sheepish he admits, "I my excitement I uh got my sums wrong. No way Michael is getting here tonight. Probably wont see him till the day after tomorrow. Question is what to do in the mean time. I uh think we should take Bloodeye out of the equation, and what better time than now?"
"You ain't the only one itching, Silas. So don't blame yourself for a miscount. And yeah, I think taking him out now might be smart."
Silas looks at Lucanor and asks, "Luc you know the rough layout of that place right? In particular where the girls quarters are. I suggest we get them out quietly and then Bloodeye gets to meet his maker..."
"Safety for the innocent first. Sounds good. Layout as best I recall was..." He gives a brief description of the floorplan to the others, and then gets ready to scout ahead unless anyone has more to add.
When the heroes are getting close to the town walls, Jaxom will cloak Hecktor and himself in invisibility charms, knowing that magic was the only sure stealth for them.
The party stealthily makes it to the Rouge Lady, which is lit up inside and boisterous sounds are coming from it.
The Rouge Lady is a ramshackle place with no windows and only two doors (that are visible). One door in the front which is guarded by a bouncer, and another at the rear facing the river. The rear door is locked, and rumor has it that many a lumberjack who failed to pay his bill was knifed and thrown in the river from this door.
Gilmork walks around the Rouge Lady stealthily and inspects the back door more closely for its craftsmanship durability and traps.
If he doesn't find anything on the door he inspects it with a detect Magic to see if it's magically reinforced or not.
Before he heads off to scout, Silas touches Luc on the shoulder and whispers, "Seems the party is in full swing over there. Extracting the girls might be tricky unless we wait. I can think of a couple of ways this might go down, but I have the kernel of an idea. The gavel sounds pretty unstable, I maybe able to sweet talk some of the guards into reporting to some random place in town as a 'test of loyalty'... Something to think on."
"Well, invisibility spells don't last forever and we're pretty heavy reliant on them, Silas. How long do you think sweet talking them will take?"
Gilmork finds the rear door bolted shut, but untrapped and definitely not magical.
Silas shrugs nonchalantly and with a twinkle in his eye tells Lucanor, "Five, maybe six minutes, I'm either dead or they're on a wild goose chase. I'll be the bearer of unwelcome news, need to look the part first mind. Oh and once they're out you need to go in and secure the girls pronto."
Silas then walks over to Hecktor and asks, "Can I borrow that regulator uniform we captured in that eagle knight ruse? Thanks! Shame there isn't one that fits you..."
Silas puts it on, there's several holes where Gilmork's arrows had struck, crudely patched. It also itches. Silas tries to ignore that while he puts a wig on, and in the dark the transformation into a Regulator sergeant is quite convincing. In the dark at least... Looking far calmer than he feels Silas thinks, 'I can't believe I'm about to do this, talk kicking the hive. I think I'll need to add a certain something to this, they're gonna be mad. Need to make sure this disguise sticks.'
Silas quietly whistles a catchy tune and tells Luc, "Time for me to break a leg."
He then circles round to the south a bit and walks back north, as if he'd been coming from the Kreed manor.
Bold as brass, like he was supposed to be there, Silas walks straight up to up to the guard on the door and looks ever so slightly apologetic - underlined with insouciance as if he has bad news to deliver but was going to enjoy it. Adopting a coarse accent, he smirks, "Evening, pretty lively in there tonight." He shakes his head ruefully, "Ahh they're not gonna like this. Look get your boss. No not Bloodeye, just who ever is on duty. The word is there may be traitors among the guests."
Silas smirks a bit evilly at the man, the sort of thing expected of regulators. Looking him directly in the eye, Silas puffs himself up and says, "You heard the boss man the other day. The town is beset by traitors. Word is there's some among your guests." He puts his hand up to forestall the man's indignant reply. "The guests are to report to the Tribunal and wait there for further orders. This is a test of loyalty." He looks the man directly in the eye, "You are loyal right?" There is a slight pause, "Oh and before you get any funny ideas about tossing me in the river, there's a bunch of them trolls ready to come here. If I don't report back in ten, they're going to drag all the traitors out of the place. But you're a good loyal man a'int ya? Don't worry we don't need you, or Bloodeye or any of girls. Just the guests, out by the Tribunal. Now if you want to show what a good loyal man you are, you'll see to it the guest are where they're meant to me. Capish?"
If they acquiesce, Silas will make his excuses by smirking and saying, "Nice to see such loyalty, I'd best go call off the trolls a'int I?" He'll then head back towards the Kreed manor but will cut out East before taking a long circle back to the Rouge Lady. With any luck the others will already be inside by then.
The man, kinda stunned by Silas' appearance, blinks rapidly and goes inside. A moment later, Kabran Bloodeye himself appears
You want all the Guests out now? he says suspiciously Tell that Tuskless Pig Kreed that he's making profits hard with all this craziness...Trolls don't pay.
Silas blinks twice at Bloodeye and in a voice that's part conciliatory, part iron, he replies, "I hear ya it's rough, but loyalty is the only coin the boss man values these days. I was told you and yours where loyal enough, in theory. Of course it's easy to say you're loyal, when the times are good. Now you and your patrons get to prove it..." He then slaps him on the back painfully hard in a mock conciliatory way and puts his arm around his shoulder and whispers, "If you're thinking on complaining, we can go right now to Kreed but I uh.. I'm not sure that would be healthy, for either of us. You know how he is..." He lets go and in a normal volume asks, "So what's it to be Mr Kabran?"
Hecktor is wandering in thoughts, about the situation, about the cute barmaid in Almas.
Who knows, maybe i'll ask her to marry me some day, after some matters are settled.
Bloodeye grunts and wheezes from his missing nose. He spits a wad of bloody phlegm on the ground Fine. You tell Kreed this was never in the deal. and he whirls back into the tavern
and the sounds of men being roughly shoved around begins
Silas nods once, "I'd best be off and let em know the trolls ain't needed." He hopes to get a glimpse past the door to spot how many guard are on duty but that proves impossible.
He then heads off back the way he came, initially towards the Kreed manor but he cuts east away from the hollow once he's gone halfway, and circles back to where the others are.
In the gloom, he grins at Lucanor and Hecktor, "D'ya hear that? I got bloodeye to kick his patrons out! Luc this is your show, how do you want to proceed?"
"Damn fine work. Priority is keeping the working girls safe, but I'm not sure smuggling them out helps into the open street will necessarily keep them much safer..." Lucanor admits, "I think we best move fast though. Soon as folks arrive at the 'tribunal', folks will know something is up. I suggest those that can move quiet move in on the 'first wave' as it were, strike the man from surprise...and then the second wave breaks in quick. Bloodeye needs to be target one, but if we can get some spells or summons to bedevil the muscle there besides him, it would help buy us time for our main objective."
Silas nods at Lucanor's plan, "Right well it sounds like I'm in your second wave. I need a moment to get this horribly itchy uniform off anyway." He starts removing the disguise and says, "I can district people out of combat, but once it's started they'll never fall for it. Still I reckon the twins can help level the field a bit, that and Hecktor's Scythe..."
Silas will wait for the scouting party to go ahead and he'll follow either when they've given the OK. Rolls in advance:
"A good idea Lucanor, but i'd suggest i join the second wave. Even invisible, a full-plate has a certain sound to it, which makes close proximity stealth tricky."
He smiles as Silas mentions his scythe.
"Well, if you've worked with these tools as long as i have, it becomes second nature. Same like you and your disguises, am i right? ;)
"Will we use the front door then? We might lose the element of surprise if we do. I could get us in through the back door perhaps. It didn't look as sturdy a door as that door of that lord we tried to enter. I think I could takethis one out with magic."
"I am ready for the battle, whether we go in the front or unlock the back." Jaxom says -- not exactly bored but with the tone that he was ready for the more strategic party members to sound the charge.
Having seen first hand the devastation caused by that scythe, Silas grimaces slightly but manages a grin, "We'll there'll be guards to cut down like corn tonight... Anyway I think it's time, God's speed!"
Silas waits for the first wave to go.
"God's speed huh? Heh...rather may fortune smile upon us, it favors the bold didn't it?"
Hecktor shoves his skull-shaped battle-mask over his face.
"I would suggest that, given a first strike is made, the 2n strike comes from another entrance, provided there is another. Flanking them by surprise might just work to our advantage."
Gilmork will sneak to the backside again, hopefully taking Lucanor with him.
He sidles close to the door and casts a spell.
Gilmork hopes this could bring the door down to woodpulp and mold and the two or perhaps more of them can enter unheard through the back.
Lucanor keeps up with Gilmork and guards the man's back while he softens a door
With his heart in his throat, Silas watches the scouts go. He whispers, "The waiting is always the worst part. My nerves can't stand it. Maybe you are right Hecktor, there's supposed to be back entrance by the stream. It will be locked. Neither you nor I are any good at opening something like that quietly. Still I doubt stealth will be needed for long."
Gilmork and Lucanor open the rear door to see a dimly lit kitchen area.
They hear some movement and chairs scraping from beyond the kitchens doors into what presumably is the tavern proper.
Silas considers, 'They must know we're here, still perhaps we can surprise them with a simultaneous attack.'
Silas puts a finger to his lips and points at the door. He then checks to see if the door is locked, but he waits until he can hear some sounds of Gilmork and Lucanor's entrance before opening it.
Hecktor nods, his hands firmly on his scythe.
Gilmork shuffles into the kitchen slowly and stealthily, almost without a sound and peers slowly into the tavern proper, opening the door slightly to peer inside.
He looks back to Lucanor and motions to him. "Two, maybe three men at the east part of the room. Should we check the other room first or let the others know we initiate combat?"
"I want Bloodeye in our sights first if we can find him."Let's check the other room firstHe says moving closer to it unseen. He looks over the doors for traps and the like, though he doubts they'd do that to major doors.
Jaxom follows after Hecktor.
Luc stealthily opens and checks both doors. One opens into a large pantry, the other into a liquor storage area with a set of stairs no doubt leading to the cellar.
Gilmork walks up to Lucanor and lays a hand on his shoulder.
"Unless we want to head down into the cellar with the two of us, Bloodeye might be still here. I think we should group up now and catch those thugs of his off-guard."
Silas shifts uncomfortably thinking, 'Waiting for the battle is always the worst part.'
Although it didn't really need to be said he whispered to Hecktor and Jaxom, "Door is unlocked. Get ready, we attack when they do." Meaning Gilmork and Lucanor of cause.
Nodding to Gilmork, Lucanor slips towards the room with the men ready to kill one of Redeye's thugs.
Gilmork goes towards the door as well and readies an action to cast a spell when Lucanor will engage.
"Whenever you're ready Lucanor. I'll try to get a few to be easily dispatched."
Jaxom will begin summoning .
Surprise Round
Gilmork casts Sound Burst on three of the thugs sitting at tables..
Lucanor moves forward into the room.
Jaxom begins summoning some elementals
Silas inspires Courage
Round 1
Silas
Bodyguards draw their weapons and prepare to defend Bloodeye, they have potions in their hands also...
Muscle are all stunned except Blue who stands and draws his weapon
Ladies scramble for cover!
Bloodeye does some things that no one can see because he isn't in the main room.
Lucanor
Hecktor
Gilmork
Jaxom
Finally the wait was over! A reckoning years in the making just moments away and all the fears all the nagging doubts, well there was no time anymore for that!
With a spring in his step, Silas steps inside and in his best stage voice booms, "Well now look-e here, what a sorry bunch of drug dealers, pimps and murderers. Y'all under arrest for treason, anyone who resists will be executed on the spot. Do I make myself perfectly clear? Come on Lads lets get em, for the vale! For Andoran!"
Round 1
Silas casts Good Hope and moves into the room.
Bodyguards draw their weapons and prepare to defend Bloodeye, they have potions in their hands also...
Muscle are all stunned except Blue who stands and draws his weapon
Ladies scramble for cover!
Bloodeye does some things that no one can see because he isn't in the main room.
Lucanor
Hecktor
Gilmork
Jaxom