Cassiel moves in front of the door as Velius enters, ready to come to his aid if things escalate.
As Velius approaches the nest, and leans down to examine it closer, he comes face to snot with an old grizzled cur. A faint tag can be seen around its neck as it starts to growl, then bark.
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Alessio begs the pardon of Velius and Katrina as he squeezes past them to peer into the doorway. Once he can poke his head around the corner he squints at the cur and says something unintelligible under his breath.
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The dog's barking increases in ferocity as Velius calls back for food. Sensing an opportunity, the small animal lunges forward to snap at Velius's right calf. However, the cur overcompensates for the monk and ends up catching nothing but air.
However a high pitched shout can be heard coming from the Northern door, accompanied with someone pounding on the door. "DAMMIT YARGIN! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO KEEP BLOO QUIET! If you don't shut him up, I'll do it myself!"
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Very much not wanting to hurt the animal, despite its attempt to bite him. Velius does his best to relax the creature. He uses the dog's name he heard someone shout. Down Bloo! Relax! Grabbing some trail rations from his pack he tries to bribe the dog, unless someone happens to have something tastier.
Cassiel doesn't quite understand why Velius doesn't just put the mongrel down, but opts to help him with the task anyway.
"Easy there, boy. Easy..." He steps into the room and holds his hands out in a placating manner.
rolls his eyes at the circus in the next room and positions himself next to the blocked door and prepares to cast color spray should anyone force the door open.
Alessio begs the pardon of Velius and Katrina as he squeezes past them to peer into the doorway. Once he can poke his head around the corner he squints at the cur and says something unintelligible under his breath.
The dog's barking increases in ferocity as Velius calls back for food. Sensing an opportunity, the small animal lunges forward to snap at Velius's right calf. However, the cur overcompensates for the monk and ends up catching nothing but air.
However a high pitched shout can be heard coming from the Northern door, accompanied with someone pounding on the door. "DAMMIT YARGIN! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO KEEP BLOO QUIET! If you don't shut him up, I'll do it myself!"
Cassiel doesn't quite understand why Velius doesn't just put the mongrel down, but opts to help him with the task anyway. "Easy there, boy. Easy..." He steps into the room and holds his hands out in a placating manner.
Very much not wanting to hurt the animal, despite its attempt to bite him. Velius does his best to relax the creature. He uses the dog's name he heard someone shout. Down Bloo! Relax! Grabbing some trail rations from his pack he tries to bribe the dog, unless someone happens to have something tastier.
Emanuel rolls his eyes at the circus in the next room and positions himself next to the blocked door and prepares to cast color spray should anyone force the door open.
Katrina makes her way carefully past Alessio and Cassiel towards the sound of the barking dog and away from the banging on the door. "Whoa boy, easy there. No need to be alarmed.' She said holding her hand out in a calm manner trying to calm the beast.
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Alessio's disdain for wild animals dissuades him from attempting to treat with the dog. Instead he waits to see the outcome of his companions' efforts.
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Snarling and growling, Bloo takes another lunge at Velius, obviously not calming down. In fact, it appears that all attempts at kindness only agitate the dog more.
The pounding from the other room abruptly stops just as quickly as it has started.
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Cassiel sighs and swings his scimitar at the mangy beast. "And we barely even got to know each other..."
Alessio's disdain for wild animals dissuades him from attempting to treat with the dog. Instead he waits to see the outcome of his companions' efforts.
Snarling and growling, Bloo takes another lunge at Velius, obviously not calming down. In fact, it appears that all attempts at kindness only agitate the dog more.
The pounding from the other room abruptly stops just as quickly as it has started.
Cassiel sighs and swings his scimitar at the mangy beast. "And we barely even got to know each other..."
Sighing at the dog's reaction, Velius lets loose with a flurry of attacks.
Upon seeing their efforts to calm the dog having failed Katrina let out a soft sigh moving five feet to her left calling upon Sarenrae's divine fire. Extending her free hand she finished her prayer sending a bolt of fire towards the dog in front of Velius.
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They know were inside now, the dog's barking altered them!
With that thought, Alessio sprints into the room and winds his way between Katrina and Velius. When he is close enough to the dog, he swipes at it with his walking stick. It is apparent to all that his attack is unpracticed, at best.
Attack
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Yelping in pain as Alessio lands a solid blow, Bloo's snarling increases in intensity as blood starts to drip from his wound. Lashing out at Alessio, Bloo's teeth dig into the young witch's upper thigh causing a massive amount of pain.
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Cassiel cringes as the dog bites a chunk out of Alessio's leg. It wasn't enough for the dog to embarrass them all by dodging each of their blows (except from the one man here who looked like he's seen the least amount of physical combat), but he went and landed a nasty blow on the most vulnerable target of them in the room.
He swings again, this time not planning on missing.
They know were inside now, the dog's barking altered them!
With that thought, Alessio sprints into the room and winds his way between Katrina and Velius. When he is close enough to the dog, he swipes at it with his walking stick. It is apparent to all that his attack is unpracticed, at best.
However surprising everyone, Alessio manages to land a solid blow, which Bloo is only too happy to pay back with interest as the cur embeds his teeth into Alessio's thigh.
Cassiel cringes as the dog bites a chunk out of Alessio's leg. It wasn't enough for the dog to embarrass them all by dodging each of their blows (except from the one man here who looked like he's seen the least amount of physical combat), but he went and landed a nasty blow on the most vulnerable target of them in the room.
Cassiel swings again, this time connecting and nearly decapitating Bloo. Bloo immediately collapses into his nest, quickly staining the straw with his blood.
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Cassiel sighs. "Damn dog..."
He looks over at Alessio's bleeding leg. "Need something for that, Alessio?" He asks as he readies his bloodied scimitar and looks at the door he's standing before.
Alessio writhes on the floor holding his leg where he was mauled. His curses vary from one language to another, intermixed with more than a bit of whining. However, he manages to steel himself and assume a sitting position.
"I need to stop the bleeding" he says in response to Cassiel's query.
What a time not to have taken a healing spell! he thinks. And all those wasted on miscreants over the years! The irony is salt on the wound.
Cassiel nods and briefly looks at his feet.
...ask a stupid f!#@ing question...
"Katrina, I think this is your thing." He nods at his fellow priestess. "I can't do that yet..."
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Katrina moved over to take a look at the wound and nodded to the questions. "Yes I believe that I can." She said as she pulled at the holy symbol at her neck. With a softly uttered prayer she held the holy symbol out and released the burst of positive energy given from her goddess. "The dawn brings new light."
Saeranrae's blessing brings a strange tingling, not altogether unpleasant, but still surprising, to Alessio's wound. With a grimace, he climbs to his feet and stares down at his bloodstained pant leg, a frown betraying his thoughts toward his appearance.
With the briefest of sounds to clear his throat and regain his composure he addresses Katrina. "I am most grateful to you; I feared that the filth animal had torn open a large blood vessel and that I would expire on this vile floor. Thank you again. And let us be about bringing justice to our foul enemy."
Cassiel readies his scimitar and opens the north door.
"Get ready--since they know we're here, they'll likely have had time to set up a trap for us."
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As Cassiel opens the door, a putrid wave of smell created by fish and sweat is nearly enough to make the eyes water. To the east, a large wooden trough holds a hideous mound of half-rancid fish, seaweed, and brine. Filthy seawater and fish blood stains the floor around this trough. A pair of wooden chutes lead from this through through holes in the northern wall into a larger room to the east. To the west, a desk and a chair sit in one corner while a tall cabinet sits in the other.
More importantly, however, the room is filled with roughly a dozen young children are in the room with pitchforks. Most are trying to feed fish into the chutes, however four children block your access into the room, looking like they have set up an ambush.
"ATTACK! Otherwise Lamm will skin us for sure!" shouts the tallest looking boy in the room, as he brandishes a kukri and attempts to rile up the other three orphans who look hesitant.
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Cassiel's jaw nearly drops at the sight of the children. Some of them were nothing but skin and bones--evidently, starvation is one of the incentives Lamm uses to train pickpockets. He narrows his eyes at the supposed leader of the children, noting that his voice sounded like the one who told them to quiet Bloo down. He's much older than the kids here--likely one of Lamm's lackeys.
"Oh, Lamm will get his today, kids. You mark my words--all the fruits of his evil have come back to bite him in the ass. We're here to help you--you don't have to be afraid of him any longer." He says, trying to get through to the children. At least they hesitated--it was the only shot he had...
Alessio waits to see how the children react to Cassiel's exhortation before he acts. All the same, he quietly breathes an incantation and surreptitiously makes complex arcane movements with his fingers as we waits.
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At the sound of Cassiel's words, the children up front start to sniffle and tear up. You all notice that their grips on their pitchforks loosen, and while they aren't quiet ready to put down their weapons, they do not appear to be hostile to you. For a moment, the slurry is quiet, until one of the kids near the vats chucks a mixture of brine, fishguts, and seaweed in the older kid's face. "That's for my brother, Hookshanks! You monster!" The force of the blow knocks of the black wig that the boy was wearing, revealing bright purple hair.
Hookshanks, effectively blind for the round curses like a pirate as the remaining orphans watch with wide eyes, and shock.
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[ooc]Hookshanks is blind for a round. What will you all do?
Seeing that Velius has handled the boy, he decides to hold his magic for other threats. If the other children make any offensive moves, he will cast the spell to put them aslumber*, though.
*I am not really sure if this is a real word
Cassiel's jaw nearly drops at the sight of the children. Some of them were nothing but skin and bones--evidently, starvation is one of the incentives Lamm uses to train pickpockets. He narrows his eyes at the supposed leader of the children, noting that his voice sounded like the one who told them to quiet Bloo down. He's much older than the kids here--likely one of Lamm's lackeys.
"Oh, Lamm will get his today, kids. You mark my words--all the fruits of his evil have come back to bite him in the ass. We're here to help you--you don't have to be afraid of him any longer." He says, trying to get through to the children. At least they hesitated--it was the only shot he had.
Alessio waits to see how the children react to Cassiel's exhortation before he acts. All the same, he quietly breathes an incantation and surreptitiously makes complex arcane movements with his fingers as we waits.
Nodding at Cassiel's words Velius stands alert watching the children. "I was one of you once. I escaped, now look at me today."
At the sound of Cassiel's words, the children up front start to sniffle and tear up. You all notice that their grips on their pitchforks loosen, and while they aren't quiet ready to put down their weapons, they do not appear to be hostile to you. For a moment, the slurry is quiet, until one of the kids near the vats chucks a mixture of brine, fishguts, and seaweed in the older kid's face. "That's for my brother, Hookshanks! You monster!" The force of the blow knocks of the black wig that the boy was wearing, revealing bright purple hair.
Hookshanks, effectively blind for the round curses like a pirate as the remaining orphans watch with wide eyes, and shock.
Moving past Cassiel and the other boys with a polite "Excuse me. I'll grab him, and we can properly tie him up." On reaching the boy, Velius grapples him.
Seeing that Velius has handled the boy, he decides to hold his magic for other threats. If the other children make any offensive moves, he will cast the spell to put them aslumber, though.
Katrina upon reaching the room will look in to see the situation mostly under control already with the monk heading to take care of the oldest boy. She will wait in the back assessing each of the children looking for anything she might be able to do to help them before setting them free.
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The blind gnome flails about in Velius's grasp, unwilling to give up, just yet. Cursing up a storm as the goop drips away from his eyes, Hookshanks attempts to blindly stab his oppressor. However, due to the chaos that the room is in, instead of stabbing Velius in the stomach, Hookshanks manages to miss everyone.
The three children with pitchforks, having frozen when Kester through the slop at the gnome overseerer, suddenly spring into action. They surround Hookshanks, and attempt to skewer him, all while shouting out oaths of revenge for others that have fallen at the twisted gnome's hands. However, due to their size, the kids are unable to land any sort of substantial blow to the captive gnome.
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"Can I offer some assistance in subduing that miscreant?" Alessio asks while holding his walking stick in an aggressive manner.
Cassiel smirks as Velius put the gnome in a chinlock and starts beating him down. The children trying to stab the gnome cause his smirk to disappear, turning into a look of concern.
"Kids, it's okay--Velius does indeed have this under control. Calm down!" He holds his hands out and steps carefully into the room, standing next to Velius. He didn't give a damn whether or not the kids stabbed the gnome (whatever he did to the kid's brother, odds are the little s**t deserved it, and then some)--he was more concerned about the kids stabbing Velius by accident.
The blind gnome flails about in Velius's grasp, unwilling to give up, just yet. Cursing up a storm as the goop drips away from his eyes, Hookshanks attempts to blindly stab his oppressor. However, due to the chaos that the room is in, instead of stabbing Velius in the stomach, Hookshanks manages to miss everyone.
Cassiel smirks as Velius put the gnome in a chinlock and starts beating him down. The children trying to stab the gnome cause his smirk to disappear, turning into a look of concern.
"Kids, it's okay--Velius does indeed have this under control. Calm down!" He holds his hands out and steps carefully into the room, standing next to Velius. He didn't give a damn whether or not the kids stabbed the gnome (whatever he did to the kid's brother, odds are the little s**t deserved it, and then some)--he was more concerned about the kids stabbing Velius by accident.
The three children with pitchforks, having frozen when Kester through the slop at the gnome overseerer, suddenly spring into action. They surround Hookshanks, and attempt to skewer him, all while shouting out oaths of revenge for others that have fallen at the twisted gnome's hands. However, due to their size, the kids are unable to land any sort of substantial blow to the captive gnome.
"Can I offer some assistance in subduing that miscreant?" Alessio asks while holding his walking stick in an aggressive manner.
Velius holds onto the gnome tighter in an attempt to maintain his grapple, while sending a vicious knee into the gnome's body. "Hey! Stop trying to stab him! I have this under control!" Velius said, worried that the children were going to end up stabbing him. Velius feels that his damage did some good, but the gnome continues to struggle in his grasp.
Katrina, meanwhile attempts to make her way through the children to see if any are injured. She finds that while most could use a few days of rest from the grueling work and a good meal, the kids are in good health.
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Katrina sighed with a mixture of relief and exasperation as the children began to attack the grappled gnome. At least they were healthy she thought to herself before adding her much softer voice to the fray attempting to calm the children down. "Easy children. I know how you feel but right now you need to entrust the fighting to those more skilled. Please put aside your pitchforks."
Cassiel moves to help Velius pin the gnome.
...and unfortunately, due to the children in the way, can't seem to get into a good enough position to help.
"Is there any rope here to bind him with?" Alessio asks the children as he points to the gnome.
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Hookshanks, now able to see, squirms in Velius's hold, before trying to stab at the blond ulfen. However, due to Velius' height and weight, he winds up missing and dropping his kukri to the ground in the struggle.
The rowdy kids seem to ignore Cassiel, cries to stand down. However when Katrina speaks to them, they reluctantly agree. "We were just trying to help..." They explain looking very guilty and embarrassed, while they move back to the rest of the group, allowing the adults to handle the situation.
Upon hearing Alessio's question, a small girl looks at the nobleman with a mix of wonder and fear, "No, but Mr. Giggles might have some. He's through there." the girl say as she points a small stubby finger at the door in C 11. At the mention of Mr. Giggles, the other orphans flinch.
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Hookshanks will be free on Velius' turn as a natural one will automatically fail the grapple check.