Downstairs:
"Parns!", the man yells, bringing his spear around to graze Haedrik across the cheek.
Verronax steps forward into the doorway, raising his crossbow. His bolt goes wide of Vancaskerkin, lodging itself firmly into the rear wall.
Haedrik responds to the cut across his face back focusing on defense, but still manages to strike back harder, thanks to Taras's magical guidance, punching a series of neat holes in Vancaskerkin's chainmail with the point of his rapier.
Upstairs:
The guard in the chair begins to rise and draw his sword. Taemin leaps forward, but the man deflects his strike with a forearm. Taemin is left standing on the table.
Initiative (1d20+2=4)
Verronax drops his crossbow and steps to the left of Haedrik, raising his halberd. He shoves the polearm between the guardsman's leg, trying to trip him.
5-ft. step; Trip attack (CMB) (1d20+2=21)
Haedrik shouts back at Taras, "So how did talking work out?" He laughs and lunges back at his foe.
Attack Roll = 1d20+6 (+1 for V's spell) = 17 (roll # 4385; I forgot to figure V's spell into the roll, so have added it on)
Damage Roll = 1d6+2 = 6 (roll #4386)
Strides around the table with a grunt of approval to Taemin, and attempts to slap the exguard's hand away from the hilt of his sword with my weapon [non-lethal]. Growling, "We just want to talk to you, not kill you but if that becomes necessary, do you really think you will have a chance against both of us?" with a tilt of my head towards Taemin. Stay in guarded stance for his decision.
"We're here to talk some sense into Vancaskerkin."
To Haedrik - "Talking got me in the door anyhow. Remember we want him alive."
Ross: I'm not sure where we are in combat right now, but it looks like Vankerskin is under control. Taras is going to take a round to completely disarm the man who is unconscious, for the moment Taras will hang on to any weapons.
Upstairs: Karista steps forward to engage the Guardsman, but cannot connect. His sword now drawn, he attempts to strike back as his assailants, but likewise cannot connect as he fumbles backward over his chair. Taemin takes advantage of his uneasy footing to crack him solidly across the jag, staggering the man.
Downstairs: Haedrik and Vancaskerkin exchange blows and blood: elegant flicks of Haedrik's rapier leaving numerous superficial cuts and gashes across Vancaskerkin's arms and abdomen. Vancaskerkin's response is a heavy spearpoint through Haedrik's shoulder. He again calls down the hallway. "Parns!" A response follows: "We're comin' boss!"
Verronax steps forward, putting an end to the duel by putting Vancaskerkin on the floor, yanking Vancaskerkin's feet from under him whilst he was distracted with Haedrik.
Taras slips around behind the fighting men and works to disarm the twitching ex-guardsman.
Ok, Taras is switching priorities. He's going to angle to be able to cast color spray at as many opponents as possible, including hitting Vankerskin again if possible without getting Haedrik.
While talking to the guard and staying in a guarded stance, attempt to listen for sounds of actions below, to get an rough idea as to what else is going on.
Verronax stoops to pick up his crossbow and tried to reload it before Vancaskerkin's reinforcements arrive.
"Haedrik, how are you? Do you need healing now, or can you wait until we've secured the building?"
"Put down the blade and we can speak. This does not have to dissolve into yet more Chaos!" Taemin blurts out with a hint of anguish.
"I'm fine."
Haedrik lowers his blade towards the fallen guard. "Can't say the same for our boy here though."
Two men bust through the rear door of the storefront. One is slightly heavyset and wields a stout hammer of the sort used to kill livestock, while the other is pale, thin, and wields a Guard-issue longsword of the same variety Taras took off the other guard. "Hry! Get away from the-", the hammer-wielding man begins to yell, but he is cut off by Taras's second color spray, which reduces both men to twitching on the floor. (It doesn't exactly seem to do Vancaskerkin much good either.)
Upstairs: The man drops his sword to the floor and raises his hands.
"Well done, Taras. And Haedrik. Shall we go back and make sure no one else is waiting for us?"
Verronax steps up to the door and peers through, hand on the trigger of his crossbow.
"Vankerskin, drop the the spear and surrender your men are all down. We're not going to kill you unless we have to."
To Haedrik and Taemin: "We don't have much time, we need to disarm this crew and get them tied up in a hurry. My spell only stuns them for a short time. Haedrik, can you take care of Vankerskin?"
Either way Taras returns to disarming and securing the first guy he put down.
Taemin hops down from the table and kicks the sword to a corner, "You have chosen.. wisely. Come let us resolve this."
Haedrik will go about securing Vancaskerin with rope.
Alright. I think it's safe to say that everyone downstairs is secured and that the fellow upstairs won't be giving any more trouble.
"Perhaps we should search the place for any deserters that might still be hiding, and for any clues about why they struck out on their own. Meanwhile, I shall pray to Abadar to guide us in our interrogation of Vancaskerkin, is someone else can stay behind to guard the prisoners."
"I definitely think we should search the place thoroughly before we do any questioning. He was saying something about Vimanda (sp?) before he clammed up. We need to find out what we can. Clearly there is more to this little operation that just giving meat to the poor."
Taras sets about securing the front door and takes a look out the window to see if the b/e job Haedrick did attracted any attention. Then starts searching.
Perception for looking out the window = 21 then for searching the place = 17
Escort the guard upstairs down the rest of the group.
Karista and Taemin frog-march the upstairs guard downstairs. (I'm presuming you'll bind him with the others.) The hallway to the bottom of the stairs opens to the south into a less-than-clean killing floor.
Perception for looking out the window = 21 then for searching the place = 17
Outside, some people are milling about and trying to have a look, but it seems that in the wake of the riots no one wants to make it their problem.
For searching the place, you don't find anything particularly noteworthy in the front room.
Taemin notes Taras' investigation and returns upstairs to begin looking around there.
The upstairs room is mostly barren: The table and chairs, along with some empty wine jugs. A tattered harrow deck sits on the table. There is also a closed door, to the south.
"Ok, I say we see what this place has to offer. When I was talking with Vankerskin here he let slip that someone named Vimanda was involved, It's quite clear there is more here than what casual inspection reveals."
Taras bolts the front door if possible, casts detect magic on the prisoners and removes any valuable items. Then moves down the hall towards the first door.
Taemin pockets the well used Harrow Deck and tries the south door, preparing to continue his steady search.
Taras: A weak magic aura radiates from one of Vancaskerkin's pockets. You don't detect any other magic.
The guards and Vancaskerkin start to come around, twisting in their bonds, only to find they have been confined by your rope, their own belts, etc. They look less than pleased.
Taemin: South room description
After the guard is tied up with the rest of them, I follow Taemin back upstairs and let the others figure out what to do with the prisoners.
The bound guards downstairs are glaring, but they haven't said much yet (outside of the expected cursing.)
Karista, you can open the above spoiler if you haven't already.
And the map has been updated.
Before I forget Taras removed whatever magic is in Vankerskins pocket and removes any other valuables from him and the rest of the group.
"We gonna search the rest of this place guys?"
Then Taras goes to the first door downstairs and opens it, entering the room if it's clear.
Before I forget Taras removed whatever magic is in Vankerskins pocket and removes any other valuables from him and the rest of the group.
Rooting around in Vancaskerkin's pockets to find the source of the magic aura, you find a potion vial. It's a guard-issue healing potion, bearing the seal of the Bank of Abadar.
By the frst door do you mean the open double doors to the south, or the closed one to the east?
Eastern room description:
Straw litters the floor, scattered to catch what drips from the meat hooks affixed to the walls and ceiling on metal rods. To the north is a low blood-stained table and two barrels of salt, while to the south, a pair of double doors stands. An iron bar extends through a narrow hole at the top of the doors; the bar runs along the ceiling for five feet before ending at a vertical pole running floor to ceiling.
Only a handful of cuts hang from the hooks, all are fairly fresh, likely just butchered. However, in the back hang two older cuts of an odd shape.
"Eww... meat."
I check for obvious dangers in the room (Perception (1d20+3=20)). Then detect magic in the room. After that I move over to investigate the odd looking meat carefully avoiding getting meat juices on his cloak or stepping in puddles of liquids.
Follows Taemin to the doorway of the office, points to the paper pinned to the desk by the dagger. Whispers "That looks important, Taemin. Do you see anyone else?"
"Eww... meat."
I check for obvious dangers in the room (Perception (1d20+3=20)). Then detect magic in the room. After that I move over to investigate the odd looking meat carefully avoiding getting meat juices on his cloak or stepping in puddles of liquids.
Obvious dangers: You wouldn't want to trip into any of the meat hooks, and it might be wise to watch your head, but it doesn't look like anything is there to leap out at you.
Magic: You don't detect any.
Fresh cuts: Assorted beef and pork.
Odd cuts: You can't identify what animal the meat came from. However, you can rule out beef and pork.
"That looks important, Taemin. Do you see anyone else?"
"No.. something about this place leaves me uneasy though. Perhaps it is nothing," he says, finally proceeding into the room and carefully remove the dagger to lift the sheet and read it. While scanning through it he nods at the bow, "Quite a piece of work that looks to be."
Taemin:
"It appears to be a love letter and request for instructions to someone named Vimanda. Probably from Vancaskerkin I suppose." Taemin thinks a moment before passing over the note, "House Arkona... the others will likely want to see that."
Taemin pauses at each window to gaze outside, pondering bits of half remembered history.
I'm not sure who is up now... Taras is going to investigate the strange cuts... Maybe a heal check?
Haedrik remains near the prisoners, keeping an eye on them while the rest of the group searches about the place. He is trying to sense if the name Vimanda means anything else to him.
I'm not sure who is up now... Taras is going to investigate the strange cuts... Maybe a heal check?
You're off initiative, so there is no 'up.'
As far as the heal check, I already rolled the appropraite check. Taras didn't make it.
"It appears to be a love letter and request for instructions to someone named Vimanda. Probably from Vancaskerkin I suppose." Taemin thinks a moment before passing over the note, "House Arkona... the others will likely want to see that."
Taemin pauses at each window to gaze outside, pondering bits of half remembered history.
House Arkona is one of the major noble houses in Korvosa. Their primary source of income is a near monopoly on Vudran imports.
"No.. something about this place leaves me uneasy though. Perhaps it is nothing," he says, finally proceeding into the room and carefully remove the dagger to lift the sheet and read it. While scanning through it he nods at the bow, "Quite a piece of work that looks to be.""It appears to be a love letter and request for instructions to someone named Vimanda. Probably from Vancaskerkin I suppose." Taemin thinks a moment before passing over the note, "House Arkona... the others will likely want to see that."
Taemin pauses at each window to gaze outside, pondering bits of half remembered history.
"I wonder who the bowman was..err..is?" Eyes the bow and arrows thoughtfully.
After a moment, looks up from the bow, and studies Taemin's every movement. "What makes you so uneasy about this place? What threat do you sense, elf?" in a coarse whisper. Eyes flash around the room, my grip tightens on the hilt of my blade while taking the note with the other hand.
It's been a couple minutes, at most. It takes 10 minutes for him to prep, I think? I'm giving the other folks some time to check around.
"I wonder who the bowman was..err..is? What makes you so uneasy about this place? What threat do you sense, elf?"
"We may soon find out who the bowman is, in the mean time why don't you carry it - it seems to suit you," Taemin says, still pondering.
Reaching the last window he remarks, "As for this place...", and stops, turning about, "I am not yet prepared to formulate my concerns in words."
"We may soon find out who the bowman is, in the mean time why don't you carry it - it seems to suit you," Taemin says, still pondering.Reaching the last window he remarks, "As for this place...", and stops, turning about, "I am not yet prepared to formulate my concerns in words."
Folding up the note, while watching Taemin, I tuck it away. "Tis fine with me, elf." Reach down and sling the bow and arrows, "Maybe the others will have something to say about it. You ready to head downstairs?"
Taemin nods and turns to follow Karista downstairs.