The conscious 'guards' move over to the sheriff.
"Our mates going to be fine?" one asks Laetitia.
Irian let out a hushed 'whoof' as the small woman's elbow jabs at him, his brow furrowing as he followed her obediently out the door. When they make it out the door, he whirled on the woman, about to demand what she was about, when she explained herself.
Knowing that splitting the party was always a great idea, the warrior proceeded to help Kalisuel out of her armor. Knowing how all the straps and buckles worked helped speed things along. It wasn't a time for levity, so the fighter withheld the lewd whistle he had been contemplating.
Tish gives a cold-eyed look down at the unconscious bodies littering the staircase. Then, seeming content to let the thugs stew in their anxiety, she walks over to pull one of her crossbow bolts out of the eastern wall. Spotting a deep crack in the shaft, she lets it clatter to the floor and retrieves a second from where it lays next to the door. Finding it in serviceable condition, Tish slips it back into the quiver before finally turning on curious henchman. "For now," she answers evenly.
"You all won't be so lucky next time."
Tish looks incredulous at Kali's explanation and in spite of being asked not to argue, she does just that. "What?! Why?" she asks, exasperated. "We have them outnumbered and three of them are still unconscious. If you're so sure that's Owl, then let's just go back in there and put them down." She looks from Kali to Irian, and from Irian to Median, seeking their input. Surely she couldn't be the only one to think things were becoming needlessly complicated.
If that is Owl, which does explain some things, then that's great that he got us out of that trap.
What I do not know is why you want to walk back into the trap. To me, the best idea seems like us getting the crap out of here, and Owl turning around and getting out of there too, before they realize that he isn't the Sheriff. You going in without armor and without backup, and trying to do something sneaky seems (no offense) sort of insane.
Another problem is that we have no idea what the trap was. It appears that they were not trying to kill us, which is what I thought at first, so there is something else going on here, but I don't know what... and if that part of the trap hasn't sprung, then why let it?
Even if something does need to be done that requires stealth, then maybe someone a little bit more talented in that area should do it?
Maybe you should tell us more of what you intend so that we understand what we are all getting ourselves into?
Median also walks far enough out the door that the healing can't reach any of the bad guys and channels a couple of times, just in case they *do* have to go back in.
and then, since that didn't bring her up to full, she tops it off:
"Those are the ones we know about. Owl's got them busy and the sooner we get the sheriff, the sooner we can catch them. Besides there's one guy in there with a bunch of children. You may not care about them, but I do, so shut it and get going," Kali snaps as she begins to buckle her sword belt back around her and throws her shield over her shoulder. Without another word, she begins to climb up as quietly as she can, going for a second story window.
Median remembers what the fake-Owl said about the children being a "living witness" and how he was going to protect them. They were likely just fine, but Kali had a point that someone should make sure.
She hopes that Kali at least knows how to climb, and runs off to get the sheriff, alone, after telling the group (sans Owl and Kali) where she is going. She can't do much more here anyway, being all out of healing spells, and only having one channel left. Then the people who could fight would still be here, and telling the Sheriff was probably a good idea, in case the man was trying to blame something on Owl and whittle away the group.
As Tish points out the extreme advantage they had just gained and likely relinquished the warrior nods his head eagerly in agreement. He was still seething at Owl abandoning them during the fight to play his games. He didn't care much for plans that split them up or called for Kali to sneak back in and potentially go up against a known spell caster one on one. As the Cleric and tiefling bicker, the warrior reached out to gently grab Median's arm.
"I'm not sure we're any more in the right here than those thugs, at this time. At least that's how it will probably look to the Sheriff. If the man was going to do something to the children, he's had plenty of time. Let's finish this, subdue them, then seek the Sheriff when the dust settles." The warrior glances at the others, trying to gauge whether they intended to go back in and finish off the thugs or proceed to plan B.
Before leaving, Median responds to Irian.
If you think you can do it, go for it. It's a better idea than running away as I suggested, and someone needs to support Kali even in her recklessness, and remind her that people love her even when she argues with them. Just remember you are walking back into a trap, and keep your eyes open. I seriously don't think that I could be of any assistance anyway, I'm sorry. That's why it is a better idea for me to go. I'm fairly incompetent without spells. And since we can't walk away now, we might need the sheriff's help to extract us from the situation.
I agree that it is going to look wrong to the sheriff, which is another reason that I need to find her. She needs to know that someone was impersonating Owl before he gets caught up in whatever is going on here. It seems like whoever was targeting the carnival is now targeting us, and we can't afford to let them do that. We can't solve this if we are locked up.
A muscle in Tish's jaw jumps sporadically as she stares down the tiefling, her severely arched eyebrow a silent challenge, as if to say Who do you think you're talking to? It takes a few moments for the enchantress to swallow back the venomous barbs she very much wants to let fly but knows there's a better time for. Her eyes flick over to Irian as the warrior voices his opinion, and is pleasantly surprised to find that it's one she can get behind. "I'm glad someone still has some sense about them," she comments, a touch snidely.
Tish then listens to Median's parting words, making a few exaggerated sounds of distaste as the priestess mentions love and support. Once Median leaves, Tish looks between Irian and Lia and folds her arms, the picture of impatience. "It's time to decide. It might already be too late. Any moment, those men in there are going to wake up and there's no telling if they're fool enough to fall for the same trick twice."
She shrugs. "I'm partial to letting their half-cocked schemes play out myself. If only so I can say 'I told you so' later."
Irian folded his arms over his chest and sighed. It likely was too late...the thugs were probably already up and active, and the short-lived advantage was lost. Nothing to do now but do as Tish suggested and wait to see how things played out. The warrior watched Median's form recede in the distance, wondering how the Sheriff would react to all of this.
It is a bit, but eventually, the 'downed' combatants from Laetitia's color spray get back to their feet, angry, but relatively fine.
"What's going on?" one asks.
"Business as usual..." the other responds.
A nasty grin spreads across the two 'guards' who went to stand by the sheriff, both attacking her savagely with their blades.
"No Witnesses! he bellows, and all the enemies ready their weapons.
Sonuva–!
Kali manages to keep the curse from her lips as she climbs to a window and tries to open it.
Um... since Median is off to get the real sheriff, not sure it applies, but in case it does:
"I guess that's our cue..." Tish remarks, although she seems to be in no great hurry to rejoin the fray as evidenced by the languorous way she pushes off the wall of the house. As Lia moves to re-enter the manse, Tish momentarily intercepts the Northerner with a hand on her arm to offer suggestions both mundane and magical. "Try to stay on your feet this time."
The smile in the goon's eye is enough to tell Owl what is about to happen. It is not, however, enough time for him to react. He avoids the first dagger through reflex but the other finds a hole in his defense. And only his armor stops it from going deep enough to cause severe internal damage. He doesn't hesitate to flee.
Initiative Order: Median, Lia, Kalisuel, Enemy, Laetitia, Irian, Owl.
Neither thugs notice the slight ripples as they strike at Owl who begins moving to the door.
Kali finds the window is locked. You can either smash through the glass taking damage as you enter, or attempt strength to pull the window so hard you break the lock.
Median is still on her way to find the sheriff. I suppose she walks further towards her office.
Kali sets her feet and begins to on the window with as much strength as she muster.
Kali pulls on the window, but the lock of wealthy man is used to such things, and remains in place. It seems the drapes are closed, so no one sees your attempts from the inside, but you hear sounds of combat coming from downstairs again.
Lia successfully dazes an opponent, momentarily distracting his mind with all the whoring and drinking he plans on doing after getting his cut.
"Sheriff's pissed me off since the day we met. Going to enjoy killing her." one thug growls with a smile.
Median continues, running to find the sheriff.
Kali unlimbers her shield and grabs the centered grip. With a twist of her body, she smashes the edge of it into the glass and rakes the empty frame to knock away the shards.
As the treacherous thugs turn on the sheriff and recommence the hostilities, Irian yells out for the departing cleric. "MEDIAN!" He hoped his strong voice carried out to her. In the mean time, with Kali busy upstairs, the warrior knew he had to whittle down the number of opponents they were facing or the group would be hacked down again, and this time for good.
Getting his shield back up in front of him, Irian scowled at the two brutes directly in front of him, then brought his sword across in a brutal backhand, hopefully teaching them a short-lived message about betrayal and its consequences.
"I'll see you lot hanged for this," the 'Sheriff' says. Angry as he might be it didn't dampen the fear of almost getting gutted and the disgust at their apparent lack of subtly. The goons of the man upstairs would have just ruined his entire ruse. Stupid minions. Escaping the to the safety of numbers, Owl takes up his bow and fires back.
For once content not to be in the spotlight, Tish remains in the relative safety of the entryway. Her mini crossbow remains holstered in the hopes that the thugs would overlook her in favour of her more combative allies so long as she made no hostile overtures. Of course, her entire scheme is predicated on the presumption that these men have already forgotten that she's proven herself a woman perfectly capable of inflicting harm with but a thought and an arch glance. But Tish was never one to give people much credit anyway.
With the strength that could rend steel at times, Kali smashes the window and rolls into the room to the sounds of screaming children. She sees a young boy and girl, huddled in terror as the man who masqueraded as Owl waves a rapier at you.
"Don't worry children, I'll defend you till my dying breath. Back you demon!"
Irian cuts one thug down in a single strike, and moves to cut down another, but the second thug barely manages to parry, almost being thrown back from Irian's attack.
The "Sherrif" drives an arrow into the chest of an already wounded thug, who falls to the floor dead.
The thug attacked by Irian blinks, blinks, blinks. And stops in a daze.
Back upstairs, the former impersonator readies an action, remaining by the children's side.
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Hearing Irian call her, Median gets incredibly irritated, her positive outlook completely gone.
Aargh. Can't they make up their MINDS?
... After her uncharacteristic mental outburst, she realizes that she has started to let her faith slip. This wasn't about her. It was about helping people, and trusting that things would be fine... and joyful, even. She wasn't going to make a very good Cleric if she gave up every time things seemed merely impossible. That's what faith is. Believing in the happy ending, even when you are in chapter 5 and things seem pretty rough.
She says a quick prayer to Hathor, apologizing for her lapse, and asking her to speed her on her way to make the world better and happier, as Hathor wills.
She starts running back the other way with lightened steps, and more importantly, a lightened heart.
All things considered, Kali's situation was a mixed bag. She'd found the children, but the man was next to them where he could hurt them before she could get between them. Worse he was still playing his sick twisted game.
There was more to fighting than forms and steel, however.
"Oh, it's not like I haven't been called demon before," she says, putting as much venom into her voice as she could. "And what hope would you have against a demon with that toothpick you call a sword? Why don't you drop the act. We both know that you and your men are the real monsters here."
Laetitia momentarily lets her attention be drawn away from the fight by the commotion upstairs, taking her eyes off of the dumbfounded goon to glance at the ceiling, wishing she were able to see what was happening up there. It's evident by the sounds of shattering glass and screaming children that Kali's stealthy rescue attempt isn't going quite according to plan—subtle, that one—but there was no telling how poorly things might be going until they got past the "guards". With that in mind, and a ghost of a smirk on her lips, Tish focuses her mesmerising glare and her not inconsiderable mental might on the thug standing on the staircase.
Irian regained his balance after dropping the one thug and nearly gutting the second, squaring up and trying to get the timing of the movements of the remaining combatant in front of him as they wove their dance of death. The brute suddenly stopped as Irian swung at where he was going to be, the warrior frowning at the miss.
One would think the press of bodies would make for easy targets and one would be wrong. Archery was a subtle skill. Pick a weak point and exploit it ruthlessly. It appealed to Owl on a number of levels but his skill was with it was not as sharp as his tongue.
The roguish impersonator smirks at Kali's words, not falling for the bluff.
"See how it tries to make me leave your side children? Do not worry, there is more than one way to fell a beast."
And with that statement, he pulls out a flask of murky liquid and tosses it out at you.
Back downstairs, the remaining thugs spring into action as the party efforts to fend them off are brushed aside and met with steel and pain.
One thug recognizes the threat of the magic casters and attempts to bluster past Irian to get to Lia.
The dagger throwers head up the stairs and toss one last dagger.
Get to the weapons cache!
Irian swings at the man who tried foolishly to get past him to attack Lia, lip curled up in disdain and anger to be so brazenly ignored.
Kali doesn't feel pain or the heat. The biggest emotion she feels from seeing the fire engulf her is annoyance. She only had the one outfit. She steps out of the fire and swings for his neck.
"You claim to protect them, then set fire to their room. You call me a demon, then try to set me on fire. You are not very bright are you?"
Kali grins at him, a wide, predatory grin that sends shivers down people's spines.
"All you did was singe my clothes."
Median casts Hideous Laughter on the guy going up the stairs.
Thankfully Owl was paying attention when the thug on the stairs wound up for another throw. He could see the arc clearly and twisted away from the flying dagger. His retaliation followed, much faster than a dagger throw.
Laetitia slips her hand crossbow out of its holster and slides a bolt into place while the two remaining thugs beat a hasty retreat up the stairs. Despite her languorous movements, Tish has every intention of following after them and finishing things. But giving Irian a headstart to deal with any surprises the underhanded henchmen had in store for them seemed the smart thing to do at the moment. For her, at least.
Scowling, the man who realized setting fire to a tiefling was a terrible idea gets desperate. He picks up one kid and tosses him into the still burning flames, the young boy screaming as the flames eagerly embrace him. grabbing the girl, he drops his rapier, pulls out his dagger and opens the door in anticipation of fleeing.
Back in the main hall....
The thug trying to get up the stairs smiles and starts laughing maniacally. He falls to his knees and tumbles down the stairs gasping for air as he whoops and hollers laughter.
Owl and Lia both let off ranged attacks and Laetitia retreats momentarily to reload.
"S$*%! S&#$!" the non-laughing man yells in frustration. All by himself as the only able combatant, he abandons any thought of attack and runs up the stairs.
Median starts using the laughing guy as a dartboard.
She misses, shrugs, and pulls out another dart to try again.