The Cow Hammer Boys - Surprise Round - concluded
23 Karralo*
23 Parns*
18 Durriken
18 Arianna
16 Fingers
12 Corso
6 Gyllan*
As the man squeezes into the hallway, looking for his friends, the party decides the ruse is up. Striking quickly, Durriken hits Parns standing in the doorway with a solid blow, surprising the man, but not dropping him.
Arianna turns to her magic again, her slumber hex dropping the man in this tracks.
Fingers, surprised also by the sudden turn, stabs at the now-sleeping man with his drawn rapier drawing blood with a minor wound and stirring the man who was deep asleep.
Corso takes advantage of the surprised Parns and slips behind him, setting up a flank attack next round.
Last, Gyllan unleashes a mighty blow at the waking man on the floor, the greatsword ripping through armor, flesh, and bone and ending the man who slumps back to the floor again.
End of Surprise Round
The Cow Hammer Boys - Round 1
23 Parns
18 Durriken
18 Arianna
16 Fingers
12 Corso
6 Gyllan
Regaining his wits quickly after the surprise attack, Parns steps back into the row of hooks where meat usually hangs (only the last one has a carcass there now) and stabs at Corso, shouting curses as he fights. But his foot slips in the bloody straw, and his attack stumbles before it begins.
Durriken steps in and attacks, pressing the man further.
Seeing the meat locker is an awkward space for a fight, and confident that Corso and Durriken can deal with the remaining foe, Gyllan moves down the hallway and pauses at the bottom of the stairs. He peers around the corner and looks and listens up the stairs, keeping his body hidden behind the wall.
The Cow Hammer Boys - Round 1 - continued
Durriken swings dual weapons at the remaining bad guy, but neither swing makes contact with the former soldier.
Arianna moves forward, tapping Gyllan on the shoulder, giving the young man a bit of magical inspiration.
The Cow Hammer Boys - Round 1 - continued
The Varisian witch grasps Gyllan's shoulder, imparting some type of arcane warm glow which focuses the ranger's vision and adds strength to his muscles.
Behind her, Fingers backs into the hallway, rapier at the ready, just in case anyone comes in the front door.
The Cow Hammer Boys - Round 1- concluded
Corso dips low and thrusts his blade up under a side of beef and into the wounded Parns. The angle and the ferocity of the attack surprise the target, and he cannot get his defense up in time to prevent the sword from striking him in the belly, and driving into his vital organs. With a grunt, he falls to the floor, dead.
End of Combat
Seeing the meat locker is an awkward space for a fight, and confident that Corso and Durriken can deal with the remaining foe, Gyllan moves down the hallway and pauses at the bottom of the stairs. He peers around the corner and looks and listens up the stairs, keeping his body hidden behind the wall.
[dice=Perception]1d20+8
Looking up the stairs, Gyllan sees lamps lit, and hears footsteps up there from time to time. From his vantage here, he can't see specific people or count numbers, but it doesn't sounds like a crowd.
Gyllan gestures to Fingers to stand by the bottom of the stairs and keep an eye and ear out for anyone coming down. He then moves down the hall to stand by Corso as he opens the door.
Fingers takes the position at the base of the stairs, as Gyllan and Corso push open the double doors into B4.
The floor of this grim chamber is strewn with blood-stained straw, and the reek of slaughter is almost overpowering. The rooms itself is a killing floor. A metal track affixed to the ceiling dangles meat hooks here and there. allowing the hooks and their gory loads to be moved easily from the northwest where a large hammer sits on the floor amid a permanent bloodstain. To the south, a bloodstained grill covers a wide hole in the floor. Just north of the grill sit tow large vats of water; one boiling and one cold. Two large butcher blocks stand to the east next to a barrel of salt, and in the southeastern corner sits a reeking vat of cast-off meat and bones.
The killing floor seems to be devoid of enemies at the present.
Gyllan grimaces at the disgusting smell and appearance of the slaughtering-room, then waves at his companions in the hall to follow and moves into the room. He gestures to Corso to join him by the next door , then moves to the door and opens it.
Arianna's stomach churns at the sight and smell of the room, but follows along none the less.
The set of double doors here, opens into a foul-smelling animal holding area. There are actually two pens here, each defined with a wooden fence and with gates (not doors) set into them. Inside each pen is a long water trough and heaps of filthy hay. The floor here is nothing but hard-packed earth.
The northern pen is occupied by a pair of large, angry pigs. They squeal and snarl when they see and smell you. They are obviously undernoursished and are looking for a meal.
"Agreed," Gyllan replies to Corso. "Let's keep moving, get this lower floor checked out before we visit upstairs." He steps to the double doors on the west side of the slaughtering-room and opens them.
The double doors here are really more like sliding barn doors as well. Opening them reveals a cart inside a fenced area. There is a tarp drawon over the cargo area of the cart.
The area to the north is a corral/cattle pen with two gates. The exterior compound gate is found to the west. No cattle are left in the pen tonight, and no sign of human traffic recently.
After a quick look around, Gyllan says, "Right, then. Upstairs. Maybe we can still catch them by surprise." He then takes a deep breath of the fresh, outside air and heads back through the slaughtering room and to the base of the stairs. Once the party is all assembled there, he moves as quietly as he's able up the stairs, his blade held in front of him.
Moving silently up the stairs, you cringe when one of the steps creaks every time someone steps on it. The sound isn't loud, but in the eerie quiet of the meat shop, it seems to be noisy as an explosion.
The stairs lead to small room. A round table sits in this room, surrounded by four wooden chairs. A stack of cards sits on the tabletop. A cabinet to the southwest hands open, a tangle of dirty clothes and blankets within. Four thin bedrolls lie rolled up against the north wall.
A door on the south wall hangs partially ajar.
Gyllan nods at Corso's words, then shrugs his shoulders, as if to say, We keep moving, not much choice. He then moves across the room, as quietly as he can manage, and peers through the opening of the door that stands ajar.
Verik Vancaskerkin - Dead or Alive - Surprise Round
A single large desk stands in the eastern part of this large office, transformed into a makeshift bed by a bedroll and several blankets and pillows. A table and three chairs sit to the west; several papers lie strewn over the table's surface and a chamberpot sits under it. One of the papers is pinned to the table by an exquisite silver dagger.
Sitting in one of the chairs is a handsome man in Korvosan Guard livery and armor and has obviously been drinking heavily, as evidenced by the litter of bottles on and around the table. A composite longbow sits in his lap.
"Doan come in here, Guardsman, I don't wanna kill ya. But if, ya set foot in this room, I'll let fly, an' I don't miss." he says sourly and a little slurred. "Jes' take them boys downstairs in and leave me be. Ya can say I was kilt, not far from 'a truth, anyhow."
Arianna rolls her eyes, thinking, Even as drunk as this fool is, he had to hear the fighting below...why is Corso even trying to play the infiltration card at this point?... as she waits for the inevetiable confrontation to begin.
Durriken waits behind Corso, shaking his head at Arianna. I hope he knows what he's doing.
Gyllan smiles disarmingly at the drunken Verik, hoping Corso's spell has the desired effect. "It's as he says, we're just interested in working with you. The boys downstairs didn't want us to disturb you, we had to rough 'em up a bit, but they'll be fine."
The man sees Corso casting and lets the arrow fly as a readied action. The shaft crosses the room quicker than a flash, and ricochets off the bard's armor narrowly averting a major wound.
"I told you to just let me be! I meant it!" he blinks off the charm effect leaping up from his chair and reaching for another arrow "One more try, and I don't pull the shot! Back downstairs with all of you!"
Verik Vancaskerkin - Round 1
23 Durriken
22 Verik
21 Arianna
19 Gyllan
19 Corso
10 Fingers
Seeing the arrow fly into the back wall, Durriken darts past Corso and tries to grab Verik.
Verik Vancaskerkin - Round 1 - continued
As Durriken rushes forward and grabs at the rogue soldier, Vancaskerkin dodges the other way, avoiding the grab. He fires a hip shot at the oncoming ranger, striking him squarely.
Gyllan moves around Verik's desk, getting just close enough to land a blow with his greatsword. He puts all he can into it, and he targets it carefully, to take advantage of his knowledge of the weaknesses of the human body, but the strike itself lacks conviction.
Arianna moves into the room, next to Durriken, touching the ranger on his shoulder.
Verik Vancaskerkin - Round 1 - concluded
The healing magic emanates from the witch, and infuses Durriken. He feels his wounds binding and finally, even last scratch is nearly made whole, healthy and hale.
Circling the desk, Gyllan gets a good shot at the undefended side of the defected warrior. The greatsword cuts Vancaskerkin deeply, causing a small groan in pain.
Corso begins his bardic performance, inspiring whoever friendly he is around.
Tossing his dagger at the guard captain, Fingers then draws his rapier, just in case this job needs his steel. The well-thrown blade, guided by the song of the bard, strikes the soldier causing a slight wound.
End of Round 1
Verik Vancaskerkin - Round 2
23 Durriken
22 Verik
21 Arianna
19 Gyllan
19 Corso
10 Fingers
[ooc]Since we keep the same order, Durriken up first, then dinner's party. Seems only fair to me.
Durriken draws his sword and axe, stepping in and striking at the man with the hilt and the blunt of his weapons. "Am I the only one that remembers they want him alive?!"
Verik Vancaskerkin - Round 2 - continued
Drawing his second weapoin, but trying use them to stun, rather than kill, the target, Durriken swings both weapons, but sure enough, they both fall wide of any damage to the foe.
The former soldier, spins away from the ranger's and grabs his longspear. Holding it as a melee weapon, Verik plunges it at Durriken, who shuffles out of the way.
Gyllan, glad of Durriken's reminder about taking Verik alive, takes a quick step to the right and swings the flat of his greatsword at the former guardsmen, hitting him hard.
Arianna reaches into her pouch to get a pinch of sand and begins chanting.
Verik Vancaskerkin - Round 2 - concluded
Arianna scatters sand, wishing the bad man would just fall asleep. This time her wishes are answered as the man, belligerent one moment, collapses in a heap the next.
Corso retrieves his rope and with the help of Fingers and Gyllan, the prize is all trussed up by the time he awakens.
End of Combat, I guess
"Nice work, Arianna. Always easier to take 'em down when they're already down," Gyllan says with a grin. He assists with getting Verik securely tied up, then searches the man carefully. Once that's done, he shakes him awake and says, "Let's get him back to Croft, but let's make him walk. No point in carrying him asleep."