Like Muziel and Penelope, Cimri isn't about to stand by without backing up her friend either. While she normally prefers to use her sap for her neighbors, this Hobgoblin isn't one of those. "Looks like it's time to test this thing out on more than paintings," she says, drawing the masterwork dagger that she was gifted from Razelago after the tannery job.
Upon Sister Ismene's heated command, the guards snap-to and begin winching Longacre's north gate open while those on both sides make themselves ready for a fight. As it's clear to Zaggar that he won't be getting just the one-on-one duel he wanted, he draws a wooden shield to help fend off the larger melee. The slight distraction of doing so, however, ensures that he misses out on some critical reaction timing.
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Electricity crackles in Muziel's hands even as the guards begin to open the gate. He watches with amusement as the hobgoblin fumbles with his things. "Oh look, you have a shield." mocks Muziel. "Too bad that won't help!" He fires without hesitation, straight at the enemy!
;
The Hobgoblin grits its jagged teeth and convulses slightly as the electrical energy courses through him, leaving a whiff of some incredibly unpleasant burnt flesh behind. Cimri rushes forward with her new dagger for the first time, looking to take advantage of opening the convulsions should leave, but Zaggar proves to be well trained and manages to overcome the pain to bring his shield up in time to block her as she slices for his throat. Meanwhile, despite everything, his eyes remain fixed on Sister Ismene with an intense, hateful glare.
Penelope, with an eager grin, rushes toward the other side of their prey, trying to slice the bugger in the leg
Sister Ismene holds back, oblivious to the others eagerly rushing in as she stares down her foe. "Hey, save some for me!" Charging after the others, she cartwheels around Cimri to the hobgoblin's undefended flank, twirling her three-section staff and lashing out with a punishing blow.
The Hobgoblin reels from the punishing assault on all sides, bloodied and still angry even as Penelope slices open his leg and Sister Ismene lands a blow that splits the skin on his forehead, showing the bloody and cracked skull beneath. Still, Zaggar's resolve is surprisingly strong and he lashes out with a powerful swing trying to slice through both Sister Iseme and Penelope at the same time, and temporarily ignoring Cimri for her lack of effectiveness. The blood flowing freely down his face however seems to be interfering with his depth perception, however, and he curses as the blow comes nowhere near landing home, but makes no plea for quarter or surrender despite his overwhelming wounds.
The guards finish fully opening the gate and, with a glance between themselves, decide that the Archbaron's new agents have got things solidly under control and remain by the winch waiting to close the gate again when the business at hand is concluded.
Muziel is rather stunned as the hobgoblin takes a blow from Ismene directly to the head without trouble. "Well, gotta give him some credit for persistence."
;
;
Even as Muziel compliments Zaggar's persistence, his second, supremely well-placed shot, proves too much for the wounded Hobgoblin's nervous system to handle. The smell of cooking Hobgoblin flesh once again fill the vicinity as the convulsing form collapses into a bloody and bleeding heap.
"No kidding," says Cimri, bending down and feeling the unconscious warrior's chest. "Stupid bastard's even still kicking now," she adds. "You want to do the honors of finishing him off, Is? Or do you want to take him prisoner and make it slow?"
Tough is right Penelope agrees, actually more than a little disappointed it is already over. She sheathes her sword, and looks to Ismene We do own the jail now, and he did seem to know something about the glorious something-anothers. Your choice though.
"Ha! Did you see that last shot? That was fun! I really did mean what I said, wouldn't mind giving a hobgoblin a closer study once we're done here." He also waits to see what Wrath wanted to do.
Should the opportunity arise, he will confiscate and inventory the hobgoblin's valuables.
Sister Ismene growls at Zaggar's convulsing body. "That was for Isger!" Drawing her leg back, she kicks him in the side for good measure. "And that was for calling me a man!" Snarfing as she inhales through her nose, she hawks a loogie on the downed hobgoblin. She gives her sansetuskon a couple more twirls before catching it as it folds in on itself, stowing it back in her robes. "Lust is right, he could have info we need. And I want to know what the Duke of Remesiana thinks he's doing hiring gobbo stooges. Throw the green-skinned bastard in the clink."
"We've been on the job for only a couple hours and that place will already be full up," says Cimri, chuckling, as she helps to transport the unconscious and ransacked Zaggar to the remaining empty cell. "I guess that means we're doing something right, eh?"
Great at our jobs, yes! Best lawmen in town! She turns to the guards Any of you have a cart or anything? He looks heavy
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Once their new friend is locked safely away, Ismene sighs contentedly. "I had no idea how cathartic beating up hobgoblins can be. So much better than those stupid breathing exercises. I'll have to send word back to the monastery." As she wipes her palms off on her robes, her stomach gets to growling something fierce. "I almost forgot we were in the middle ordering lunch. Round of drinks on me!"
"That's what I'm talkin' about! Maybe we can get Nikolai to sing a song about smacking around hobgoblins?" Although he's not sure they'll hear it, Muziel sends a message on the wind to Nikolai, Koliah, and "Darla" to where they were located back in the tavern.
"We're hauling the hobgoblin to jail. Has intel on the Glorious Reclamation. If you want to get that out of him, now's your chance!"
Figured someone should watch him. Bring something back to me,would ya? Penelope finds a chair and settles down for a bit.
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The guards just kind of shrug at the request for a cart, ultimately leaving the prisoner transport to the more inconvenient method of carrying. Stripped of all his gear, though, he's easy enough for the strong ladies to carry. Riley watches your arrival with a sullen silence from his position in the stocks, while Caggan and the barmaid in the other cell are still quite firmly unconscious.
"I'll never turn down a drink on someone else's dime," Cimri agrees. "Anything in particular you want, Lust? If their food is too frou-frou for ya, there's always the other barmaid." She chuckles at her joke, but it does sound like an uncomfortable sort of nervous laugh. "We should probably check in with Razelago at some point when we're done with eating, too," she adds. "I'm sure he'll be interested to know how things went."
Kolaiah had enjoyed watching his companions manhandle the subcreature. "Well done friends you pummeled the creature quite effectively."
Thanks, m'lord Penelope gives her best mock impression of a proper curtsy and then to Cimri Tempting, but it's a bit messy. Anything with meat will do, Sloth, and thanks.
Leaving Penelope alone with the prisoners (always a questionable course of action at best), Sister Ismene triumphantly leads the way back to the Arch and Lark. "Have no fear, the Sins are here!" she crows loudly to the room. "Sins - one, hobgoblins - zero!" Bellying up to the bar, she slaps down some coins. "Bring us drink! Something dark and dwarven! And food! Something with meat and potatoes. And a steak! A fresh one! Like, still bleeding."
The small gathering at the Arch and Lark pauses for the sudden and well-announced entry, but they quickly return to minding their own business and listening to the live entertainment. Madam Cembers from her position behind the bar doesn't say it with words, but her snooty expression and long-suffering sigh make it plain what she thinks of the noisy intrusion and complete lack of sophistication with respect to the food order. She disappears into the back room for a few moments before returning with several mugs with dark brown liquid and a tray.
"Some of the private reserve," she says as she slides the tray across the bar to Sister Ismene and gathers up the coins into her flowery apron. "The food will be out when it's prepared."
"Let me give you a hand with that," Cimri says, eagerly, eyeing the drinks as she takes the tray back to the group's table. "To a full jail and a full belly," she toasts jocularly before taking a long drink from one of the mugs. Her expression quickly sours, though. "I'm pretty sure at least a quarter of this is water," she suggests with a sigh, but nevertheless keeps drinking anyway.
Sister Ismene ignores Madam Cembers and her attitude, too exhilarated from the fight with the hobgoblin to give a damn. At Cimri's suggestion, Ismene takes a swig of the drink herself. "Only a quarter? This really must be the good stuff." She shakes her head lamely at the mug of 'private reserve'. "How long d'you think we're gonna have to put up with this place?"
Muziel raises his glass to join Cimri's toast, then drinks deeply of the watered ale. "Oh, it's not that bad, goes down smoother really. Though what I wouldn't give for some of that great food we had from Razelago." He daydreams about the food (at the Ash House, of all places) before the actual food arrives.
As the song finishes, Muziel calls out to Nikolai (assuming he's still here). "Say, you want to join us? We're celebrating Wrath here getting some major payback on some hobgoblin scum that didn't know when to move along. You should've been there! Would've made some fine inspiration for a ballad."
Once the festivities are over, Muziel suggests the party heads back to the jail, to see if Kels feels like talking now, and to see if there was any success extracting information about the Glorious Reclamation from the hobgoblin.
As the group finishes off its meal and round of drinks and prepares to return to the jail, Cimri goes back up to the bar and orders a steak to be cooked but wrapped up to go, on behalf of Penelope. Approaching the jail itself it's plain by the limp sagging that Caggan is yet still unconscious, with a lot of woundedness for his body to repair. Kels, conscious but sulking, sniffs the air as everyone gets close when the aroma of cooked meat Cimri is carrying reaches him.
"Please say that's for me," he says weakly as his stomach rumbles audibly.
"Oh damn, I forgot the vegetables!" Sister Ismene smiles sweetly at Riley (a terrifying sight in and of itself). "Thanks for reminding me." Setting down the food and drink, she rushes off to retrieve the rotting vegetables from her compost pile for the bard, practically skipping on her way.
Muziel walks up to Kels. "Hm . . . I kind of like having you in the pillory. Let's us see eye to eye, you know?" Muziel tiptoes a bit to try and get on the same level as Kels. "Don't worry, you're in for a treat when Wrath gets back. But you could save yourself some trouble if you just start talking . . ." Muziel waits to see if Kels is feeling a little more cooperative now.
Cimri just smirks at the bard as she walks past Kels and into the Jail to deliver Penelope's food while it's still pretty fresh. Kels slumps as much as he can in his predicament and groans.
"There's nothing more to tell," he practically sobs in frustration. "I got inspired by Allomar's sermon and, given the way things have been in this country, hope for a better future is all that keeps a lot of people going sometimes, ya know? I just play music. I don't know anything! Please don't let her throw stuff at me."
A few hours in the pillory has really shaken his confidence, and he's not as convincing as he had been in concealing the fact that he's still trying to hold something back.
.
Muziel wonders if Kels is actually telling the truth. Too bad there wasn't a way to know for sure - there were so few pillories in this place.
Instead, Muziel shrugs, knowing Kels was going to meet some vegetables. "Sorry, I've got lots of important matters to deal with. I guess I'll know where to find you when I'm done!" He sniggers at his own joke and heads to find the hobgoblin instead, to see if he's awake and more helpful.
Kels groans again as the Gnome leaves, but gives up trying to protest his innocence or plea for release as both efforts keep falling on deaf ears. Inside the jail, Muziel finds Zaggar still splayed out, unconscious and stripped, in one of the two cells in the back exactly where he'd been left, right down to the position he's laying in. If the force of his subdual is any indication, he's not likely to regain consciousness without outside intervention today.
Food!!! It has been very boring. Penelope relates the absolutely nothing that is going on.
I'm the king of sense motive!
"Eh, alright. I guess everyone's out cold and Kels isn't talking. When you're done with that food, wanna report back to Razelago? I mean, if he isn't already watching."
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"Well, didn't you say you had a thing that could force someone out of unconsciousness without having to go through the bother of healing them?" Cimri asks Muziel. "I gotta say, I wouldn't have liked the idea of telling Razelago that we've got nothing even before I found out that he's some weird half-baby devil thing." She looks around sheepishly. "No offense meant if you're listening, Razelago, but you gotta know that's creepy as Hell."
"Hey, if you're listening Razelago, I think you look pretty cool! I'd totally go for some wings if I could." Muziel means every word of what he says.
"Anyway, I handed out the fancy Wand of Infernal Healing to Lust here. Turns out there's more to her than meets the eye." The gnome turns to Penelope. "Did you want to give it a try?"
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She smiles broadly at Greed All sorts of hidden talents, me. Someday I'll have to show you one or two others. With a wink, she fishes the stick out of her boot, waves it around at the hobgoblin, makes up fake magic words, followed by a Get up, asshat
The infernal energies from the wand course through the Hobgoblin's body, causing the wounds he suffered to begin to close themselves over the next minute. The effect is not enough to completely restore the original vigor, but there is definitely enough healing to restore Zaggar of Vulture Crag to consciousness. He sits up from the floor of the cell with an irritated growl.
"I assumed your cowardly friend was going to kill me," he spits with a sneer. "What's the matter? He didn't have the stomach for it?"
She laughs Are you still upset we didn't take you on one by one? Poor baby she teases maliciously. My friend decided your information was worth your life... though I'm sure she'd be happy to change her mind if you aren't willing.
"Information? What?" Zaggar looks confused for a moment before a look of dawning comprehension crosses his face. "Oh, I get it now. You people don't understand the concept of a duel because you're morons." He sighs and chuckles lightly. "Let me say this slowly. Even if I were inclined to provide dirt on the Duke of Remesiana in exchange for my life, I was on my way to work for him when this all went down. The last time I worked for him was several years ago, so even if you try torturing me, any information I might have on the guy would be woefully out of date. Here's a freebie, though. The guy pays well, and understands that when you want an elite fighting force you build yourself a unit of Hobgoblins."
After so kindly providing Riley Kels with a green salad of composting vegetables, Sister Ismene joins her friends in the jail. Overhearing the last exchange, her glee from the salad is diminished by the sound of the hobgoblin's voice.
"Hobgoblins only want a duel when they're outnumbered. It's a different story when they're burning down your village, isn't it, Warpig?"
"How much does a good group of hobgoblins cost would you say?"
Ah, good question, that and why he want you all in the first place.
"We also like duels when there's a personal vendetta to be worked out," Zaggar points out, eyeing Sister Ismene with a snaggly sneer. "You've clearly got some anger problems to work out, man. Me? I just follow orders and get paid, village or no village. You pink-skins won the war, so all your grousing over casualties just sounds like poor sportsmanship to me. If we'd won there's be a lot less complaining about it, I tell you."
He shrugs at the other questions. "I never was any good at math. I'd guess we cost a small fortune, all gathered together. That's not really my problem, though. As long as I get paid what I'm due, the logistics don't interest me. As for why we'd be wanted? Cheliax is facing an armed rebellion. Or insurrection. Or civil war. I dunno what they'll call it, when all is said and done, but when the Queen inevitably deploys the army, having a personal force in reserve just might make the difference between the Duke's territory standing or falling. And, like I said before, Hobgoblins make the best mercenaries, if you can afford us."
When there is an appropriate space in the discussion, Muziel jumps in. "What's happening with the Glorious Reclamation? You mentioned having to travel around the Reclamation - what places are in rebel hands? And who's this Angel Knight that's supposedly coming to liberate them?"
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Kolaiah nods, "I must say I rather like this hobgoblin. It's a shame you lot decided to kick his a$$, he could have been useful. Now he is likely so jaded against us as to make the relationship irreparable."