This is bad...
Median draws her short sword and attacks Thug Bruno to the southwest of her position.
And she whiffs, practically falling into Bruno's embrace rather than attacking him. She must still be in shock from all of this.
Tish quits rubbing her eyes as the voice in the distance—a voice that sounds suspiciously like Owl's—rings out. But only moments later, the pitch of the voice changes and Tish chalks it up to the ambush having wreaked havoc on more than just her sense of sight. Feeling much more vulnerable than she cares for, Laetitia focuses her psychic prowess inward, becoming temporarily desensitized to pain.
No words. No preamble. Just pain. Pain and blood.
The man who attacked her finds his blow halted by the large wooden shield Kali wields. She blinks as her vision clears then snarls at the man, revealing her sharp fangs.
"Hope they paid you well," she growls before shoving the weapon aside and beginning her assault.
Median attacks Bruno again (the thug to the SW of me on the map) with her short sword.
Irian grunts in pain as the missile flies into him, the successful attack twisting his aim so that he has poor form as he swings heavily at the man beside him.
Laetitia's magic works quickly, the euphoric sensation of it dulling the pain before she truly even feels it. "Was that supposed to hurt?" she taunts, and, once her vision is restored, the enchantress gives the man before her a baleful glare that promises imminent pain. And when Lia's blade finds a chink in the tough's armour, Laetitia psychically excites all the little damaged nerve endings at the wound site, exacerbating the man's pain.
Not much caring for the close quarters nature of the fight, Tish bides her time until her allies can create some breathing room by using her psionic gifts to make herself a more difficult target.
"Slaughter these idiots and get to secure locations afterward. I've spared the children."
Owl is more than a little confused hearing his own internal voice from an external source. And it was something he was positive he would never say unless disguised as...That son of a b!#%&. Someone was disguised as him wasn't he? Or at least mimicking his voice. But who and to what end?
Those thoughts take a back seat to pain. Pain from multiple sources and still, Owl could not see them. He was only just blinking the spots from his eyes when he sees a man come at him from the left. Instinctively, he spins away back out the door Neither wound was mortal but he was certain he wouldn't hold up to another, bleeding out as he was.
Kali's retaliation attack falls short as her assailant moves back at the last second. Median has better luck, and her short sword draws a spray of blood as her victim yells in anger, though he still stands. Lia is similar, her quick bladework finding the flaw in the thug's defenses and piercing through, wounding but not killing. Laetitia's preparation helps keep her in the fight, and she continues to lay the groundwork out for the long-term fight. Owl makes a quick retreat to restore himself as the ambush laid heavily into him.
The Men on the second level draw another dagger, and then move to come down the stairs to join the others.
The four already on the ground floor continue their assault on the closest combatant. They doubt such a small man like Owl could do anything dangerous, so they leave him for now.
Irian growls at the close call as he barely gets his shield up in time to block his attacker's heavy swing. Calming himself, the skilled warrior remembers his training and squares himself before swing down powerfully at the man in front of him.
Kali hisses in pain as the dagger draws blood. Her temper begins to flair as she struggles to hit the man in front of her again. Fortunately, he seemed to be having about as much luck as she was.
Median attacks Bruno again.
After deftly sidestepping the blade that was thrust at her, Tish winks at her would-be assailant and suddenly there are two of her sharing the same space. "My turn," they say in unison, leveling twin crossbows at the man's midsection before firing two quarrels at him, one illusory and one very real.
Well, their sufficiently distracted I assume, Owl thinks as the ruffians move in. But that voice before, it sounded like him and then it didn't. And he said something children. This was a distraction. Whoever that was was going to lead the children to safety and blame it on him. And Owl was definitely not going to let that happen. "Which room did he enter?" Owl asks. One of his companions at least must not have been blinded. Once they answer he withdraws around to the side of the house they indicate. There had to be another way in. And two could play the disguise game.
Irian's blow completely overwhelms one of the thugs who collapses, dead. Kali and Median both try their hand at attacking back, but the close quarter's ambush is still rattling their response and they both are blocked.Laetitia tries to put a bolt through the thug bearing down on her, but her bolt just misses, and she finds herself open for an attack. Lia's attack connects, and its clear the man is wounded, but seeing how they still outnumber you, he smiles and presses on. Owl makes a retreat, determined to protect his name.
The dagger throwing thugs move to finish you all off, though Irian gets an AoO as one position himself to start stabbing him.
The attacks come once again.
"That one's injured! Get her!" you hear one jeer, indicating Lia.
Irian swings his sword at the thug trying to join his friend in attacking the warrior, but the weapon gets caught in the ribs of the man he dropped just long enough to throw off the blow and earn the fighter a nasty wound on top of it.
The wounds were starting to pile up, but Irian kept calm, knowing the strategy had to be to continue to cull the herd. The warrior's eyes narrow as Owl withdraws from the combat, leaving the others to fend for themselves, but the burly man was too hard-pressed to worry about it.
Instead, he sets up for another swipe of his sword, taking care to aim a little better this time.
Damn it.
Median chooses to provoke an AOO from the thug next to her by casting one of the two spells she has left, trying to heal Lia:
Edit:
The blow was clumsy, but Kali felt a grim sense of satisfaction as she finally manages to connect.
Laetitia scowls at the thug that shatters her illusion before pressing his attack with a bloodthirsty smile. Her scowl only deepens as Lia's seeming retreat jostles her in the crowded foyer. However, the breathing room her allies' movements create is welcome, and the enchanting courtesan takes advantage of the opportunity to get away from the one harrying her and, turning her considerable psychic gifts against the men crowded on and around the stairs, attempts to shift the odds in her favour.
Owl looks up at the window to make sure it wasn't open and no one was attempting egress there. If not he continues on making his way around to the back of the house. Before coming around the corner, he retrieves a vial from a hidden packet in his vest. He downs the mixture with a shiver. Starting at his head, a new image shimmers in place over his body. In Owl's place now stood the sheriff herself, ready to crack down on the murder scene.
Median and Lia both try and leave to regroup, but each feels a sharp pain at the back of their head, both hit to be knocked out by non-lethal damage.
It seems there's a reason they want you alive, damaged greatly, but alive.
Owl downs his concoction, and within seconds as his skin seems to shudders as a new image covers his form.
The two by the door, whirl around and move to attack the psychic mage that took half their group out of commission.
Kali spins around and slashes at the thug just behind her. Teeth bared in a snarl as her temper begins to fray.
Median takes a 5 foot step, placing herself between the thugs and Lia, and flanking one of them. She attacks that one.
With his disguise on, Owl moves around the side of the building and confidently walks through the back door.
The glow of satisfaction Laetitia feels at the thump-thump-thump of unconscious bodies hitting the ground is cut short by the two thugs that remain standing. She had hoped that they would have had enough sense to run away once the odds were no longer in their favor. Alas... "Why do I always attract the persistent ones?" she laments, taking a step back and drawing a bolt as she goes. "You're so lucky you don't have to deal with that," she admits to Kali, just before she tries to shoot the rightmost thug in the thigh.
Irian's eyes widened in concern as Lia was struck down as she tried to retreat and regroup outside the entrance and as Median was stabbed fiercely by one of the other thugs. Then suddenly before him, there was a multi-colored flash and all three of the brutes on his side were suddenly on the floor unconscious.
Looking at Tish give a cocky smirk, the warrior is thankful for the timely effectiveness of the woman's talents, stepping towards the entrance to start working tactically on the remaining two enemies still in commission. The warrior gives Kali a nod towards the opposite side of the man to her right, trying to work him into a flanked position as he stabs at him with his sword.
Owl barely bothers with the doors as he storms through them all the way to the foyer. S/he comes around the stares already bellowing. "Alright. What's going on..." he pauses as he scans the scene as if seeing it for the first time. S/he draws his sword and orders, "Everyone stand down or your spending the night in the jail at a minimum. What the hell is going on?"
With the back group taken care of, Laetitia aims her attack at one still standing though she misses. Irian follows suit, his swing arcing wide and deflected easily.
Suddenly, Owl breaks onto the scene, but everyone (AND I MEAN EVERYONE) sees Sheriff Feldane. Her usual scowl and no-nonsense demeanor is spot on, and why wouldn't it be? It's Sheriff Feldane! (not really)
One of the thugs looks to another, and nods.
"Sheriff! These intruders killed the master of the house! We guards are barely holding our own, help us before they get to the children!"
They then hold their ground and eagerly wait for the sheriff to come to their side.
Irian looks at the form of the Sheriff with irritation, already frustrated with recent events and the ambush. Lia lay unconscious on the ground, and Owl was nowhere in sight. And NOW the Sheriff seemed to want to do her job, abandoning the party's patroness to the mercies of the guards and townsfolk.
In a brisk growl the warrior barks out, "Sheriff! The trail of the REAL murderer led us here, and we were waylaid by these thugs! He went upstairs! The murderer that is! He can change his face, you know." The fighter waits for a reply from the Sheriff, but shows no inclination to back down. Indeed, he looks every bit ready to continue the violence that had paused.
Median channels positive energy, now that it looks like the battle is over.
<-- 30 foot radius, so heals everyone, including the bad guys.
let me know.
Owl smiled internally. He loved it when a ruse worked. And if I play my cards right I can trick them into implicating themselves. On the outside, Sheriff Feldane scowled at the lot of them. She looks at the thug that spoke. "I'll be the judge of that. Now stand down. All of you." She sweeps the room with an uncompromising gaze as she places herself between the two sides. She looks at the thugs. "The carnival hired these men and woman as private detectives to look into the murders surrounding the sphinx. So far," she says, scowling over her shoulder at the party, "they have been upstanding visitors. I find it extremely odd they'd be attacking a noble's house, killing its master, and causing a stink when their own client is about to be hanged."
She then turns to the party. "Odd but not impossible. And the evidence is against them. Put your weapons away. And miss," she says looking at Median, "I appreciate the healing but please refrain from casting anymore magic and keep your hands where I can see them." Subtly, and without looking at the thugs, "Sheriff Feldane" winks at her.
She turns back around to the thugs. "Watch them and nothing more. Not until I figure out what is going on. Where is your captain? I'd like him to explain."
Kali doesn't attack, but neither does she stand down. Her sword and shield are held defensively and she keeps a wary eye on the thugs.
"The door was opened when we arrived and they ambushed us as we entered to investigate. I will not be leaving myself open for them to attack," she says in a cold, hard voice. her eyes burned with anger, but she was at least in control of herself.
Median puts her weapon away *if* the other side does.
The 'guards' don't drop their weapons, but they do give each other a look. They try to shoulder past the party and start heading over to the sheriff. Their weapons are lowered, by like you all they haven't dropped them.
Median is fine with them moving away. She steps back to where she was before beside Lia. If Lia is back up, Median is content to stand by the door with her. If she isn't, she intends on healing her again, no matter what the weird winking sheriff says.
"I'll get your stories in a minute," the "Sheriff" says. "If you won't put them away then stand outside." He tries once again to get let someone know what was going on, this time winking at Kalisuel.
No, a wink wasn't working. Instead, Kali catches the ghost of a familiar smile from Feldane. No one else had such a smile. Which could only mean...
She turns back to the "guards", "Again, show me the body and where the hell is your captain? I have questions."
Irian stays put, looking at the Sheriff with a dark expression, but makes no move to stop the guards from passing. "Kind of hell bent on hanging the outsiders today, aren't we, Sheriff? Shouldn't you be back at the jail cell, keeping the rabid hordes from tearing apart your prisoner? And where is your accompaniment? Surely you didn't come out here alone..." Irian's eyes narrow suspiciously, having just seen the man they were after change his appearance not so long ago. The warrior glanced down at the unconscious thugs, wondering how long they would be out.
Kali elbows Irian in the ribs before sheathing her blade.
"Of course Sheriff Feldane, we'll wait outside," she says before guiding the others out the door.
Kali finds leads them away from the door and whispers to them urgently.
"Lia, Tish, go grab the Sheriff, tell her there's trouble here and to bring as many swords as she can grab. That was Owl in there and we need to hurry, though I'm sure he could cheat Asmodeus himself if he put his mind to it. No arguing, just go and do it! Irian, Median, help me out of this mail, I need to get back inside and the armor isn't going to make that a quick or silent affair. Listen to what's going on inside and help Owl if he needs it," she says quickly as she begins to take off the mail armor she wears. After a moment she swallows and looks to all of the others.
"And pray to whatever gods you follow that I don't screw this up."