"Imedren! You go high, I'll go low!" Uruuna shouts, her good fortune rubbing off on her husband. She bashes the thug in the kneecap!
Imedren felt a moment of inspiration and he ran planted his feet.
"Right."
but his attack still came up short.
Dramm lets out a yell of pain as the knife sinks into his side. The cut is deep, and he stumbles. Fear plays across his face as he sees the stain spread through his shirt. He slashes again, hoping to take advantage of Uruuna's bash to the thug's knees.
Dramm's swing seems to be fueled by desperation. The knife bites harder this time. Even as he pulls the bloody blade away, his resolve begins to crumble. His eyes search hurriedly for a safe retreat.
Another rock, another swing. Bog aims for the Brute's head!
The thug shouts and curses as Uruuna bashes him. He dodges the rest of your attacks and swings on the halfling, but she blocks his knife with her shield. Anophth disarms the other man, who spends precious seconds scrambling to recover his weapon. "Hey! Cut that s&+~ out!"
Seeing no safe way out without the thug taking another stab at him, Dramm commits to the fight. He begins to edge his way around the thug to flank him before lunging at the thug's side while he is distracted by Uruuna.
This time, Dramm's hand is more steady.
Deciding that hitting their foe is too difficult, Imedren tries for a new tactic and decides to disarm their foe instead.
Stepping to the side once their enemy is engaged with someone else, he pulls his staff down low and then jerks it up right into the Rude Boy's hand holding the knife.
As the man is bent over scrambling for his weapon, Anophth runs after him. Quick! Quick! Pick it up! Help your friend! They're ganging up on him!
Anophth then "stumbles" and bumps into the thug, attempting to knock him to the ground. Oh, I'm so sorry!
This doesn't seem to be working out so well for us, Anophth says to the thug, still pretending he's on their side, Maybe we should run?
Uruuna swings her club again, but she comes up short--no pun intended.
Relax, concentrate, breath you imbecile. He's only a few yards away!
Another shot lobbed at the Boys.
Dramm drives his dagger into the thug's side. As he shouts in pain, TaBog hurls another sling bullet. What at first seemed like it would be a glancing blow strikes the man right between the eyes as he dodges back from Uruuna's attack. He groans and falls to the ground, lying still.
Anophth trips the other Rude Boy once more, knocking him down. Imedren rushes forward and knocks the thug's knife away with his staff. Clearly outmatched, the man raises his hands in surrender. "Alright, you win!"
Breathing fast, Imedren looked down at the man with wild darting eyes. He felt elation at being alive and something else. Something he wasn't quite sure if he liked yet but for the moment he licked his lips and nodded.
"Yeah, that's right. You're going to tell us some things right now. You were approached by two men to help guard this house before? Who were they? What interest did they have in this house? Are they cultists? Did you know this used to be a house of cultists? Have they been bringing people here? Have you seen a priest named Gregory?!"
He almost kept going with his questions but caught himself and gave the thug the chance to answer his questions.
"Cripes, slow down, will ya?" the thug grunts, struggling to keep up with Imedren's string of questions. "We was hired by some posh nobs to keep people away from this place. Don't know who they were, but they wore fancy suits beneath their cloaks. May have been cultists--didn't think to ask 'em. We haven't seen 'em since they hired us, but there's this weird thing that comes and goes from this house. Sometimes it brings people back with it. We're smart enough to keep our distance from it. Couldn't tell ya if this Gregory fella was one of its prizes."
Yeah, well, maybe if you went to church more often, you'd know who Father Gregory is! Anophth admonished. That's a demon worshipper in there you're protecting. You know what demons do to people? You know how to summon them? Blood sacrifice. That's what you're protecting. Blood sacrifice. How would you like the Grey Cloaks to know what you're doing here, huh?
He pauses.
Tell you what. You come inside with us and help us get Father Gregory
and the rest of those people out of there, and I'll give you and your friend that fae charm for free. I've even got some fae healing magic to help your friend out.
The man's eyes bulge. "Nuh uh! No way I'm going into that accursed place!"
Tabog taps the two men on their respective shoulders and nods his head away from the man, motioning them to take a step.
"I'm not a fan of that idea, it would only take a second for him to turn on us if he's that afraid of whatever is in there. Espesially if things look to be in its favor... Perhaps we tie him up and deal with him after?
Maybe I can send the boy to run for the brown cloaks, or what's her name specifically...? They can assist when they get here or, worst case, finish off whatever we start. I'm kinda grasping for an better plan right now..."
He chuckles nervously while wearing a fake smile that hides his nerves... Poorly.
Let's just let them go. Give the other guard a healing potion; tell them to come back tomorrow. Either we'll be done with this whole mess, or we'll be trapped right along with Father Gregory. Calling the guards may get us arrested as well.
"We shouldn't let 'em go." Dramm says flatly and without lowering his voice. "They're dangerous. Could bring more thugs. Might break free and attack us again. We should kill them and be done with it."
Dramm winces as he checks the wound in his side. He kneels to pick up one of the long knives, examining it as he speaks. "I might be biased. Still a bad idea to leave them here. Wouldn't waste healing on them anyway. We should call the guards after we leave." Dramm stands back up and begins to approach the surviving thug menacingly.
"Don't like demons. Don't like people that help them." His voice is still the same, even monotone as he raises the knife. "Dangerous kinds of people. Too risky Better to be rid of him."
Imedren's eyes widened as he realized what Dramm meant to do. He knew he had been resolved earlier but now it was different.
"No, wait!" he said, holding out his staff to bar Dramm's way.
"Don't be an idiot, how could we possibly explain what just happened to the Brown Cloaks if there's no one left alive to speak to? Besides, you were about to take on a huge karmic debt as you became just like them by killing someone who has surrendered and was now unarmed.
He knows what he did, he admitted it to us. Letting this man live works out much better, not only for us now, but for the city overall."
Anophth was frozen in shock as Dramm was about to commit murder in cold blood. Yeah just stood there watching, unable to move or react. Thankfully, Imedren stopped him.
Yeah. Yeah! You can't just go bout killing people! That's why we're here in the first place! Some mysterious person was going around and making people disappear, possibly killing them!
And you! Anophth points at the guard, you were helping that mysterious person! If you don't want to be a part of it, that's fine, but then you better give yourself up to the law. Thems the choices - the law or the house, which is it?
The thug takes a look at the ominous Moore House behind him and shudders. "Ugh. I'll take my chances with the Brown Cloaks."
Feeling more confident now, Anophth says, Bog, can you send Nut? Someone get the rope. Let's tie these two up.
Nut, can you find Sergeant Alyse? Tell her we've found the missing people and they're at the Moore House. Tell her the Rude Boys have been helping with the kidnaps and two of them are here for her.
Nutmeg gives Anophth a little salute. "You can count on me!" The young boy scurries of in search of Sergeant Alyse.
He's a good lad.
Dramm looks confused at Imedren's sudden outburst of assertiveness, the first he's seen from the man. It's enough to halt him. As Imedren and Anophth quickly attempt to reason with Dramm, he doesn't resist the firm push of the staff forcing his knife away.
"... Doesn't make much sense. We hang criminals for a reason. Better than letting them run free." He mutters. "I'd be surprised if the Brown Cloaks care to investigate the death of the same thugs that used to threaten them. And they're still dangerous to us tied up." His eyes pass between the entire group, taking in their reactions. After several seconds, he finally seems to come to a conclusion. He still appears perplexed as he slides the long knife back into the sheath he took off the unconscious thug.
"Karma or not, this invites a lot of trouble too." Dramm sighs as he watches Nutmeg scamper away. He begins rifling through the pockets of the unconscious guard. "Alright. We do it your way. It was my fault we were caught, after all. Maybe this one has something useful. Might have to pay for stitching at the church later for the wound."
After a moment of searching, he suddenly stops and considers what he's doing. "Oh. Right, you helped. I'm supposed to split what we find. Do you want anything?" You notice that when he asks, he looks to Uruura and Anophth first.
Dramm doesn't find anything of value on either man beside their knives.
Dramm looks disappointed when he comes up with nothing. Still, he holds out the second knife for anyone to take. "Well that's unfortunate. This is all they have to share. Anyone want it?"
Having concluded helping tie up the thugs, Dramm looks to the house. "I... would prefer to be near the back when we go in." There is slight shake of concern in his voice as he holds his side. The bleeding has stopped, but he is clearly being gentle with his movements.
Uruuna checks the strap on her shield. "Are we ready to go in?"
"With grace now Nutmeg, out of sight out of mind." He hugs his son before the boy runs off down the street and out of sight. "I'll take the knife, this sling will be even more useless indoors."
He turns and shakes his head, not believing this is the conversation to be had right now.
To kill or not to kill? A pretty simple question, let the lawmen enforce the law...
"So eager to kill a helpless being but not willing to help protect your allies, are you some kind of politician?" Bog laughs at his own joke with hardy, working man's laugh. He spins the knife delicately in his hand and readies himself, nodding at Uruuna.
You head into the decrepit Moore House, entering the kitchen via the back door. As you make your way through the filthy room, squeaking and scurrying announces the arrival of...
...four rats of unusual size! They hiss angrily and move to attack!
As the rats are spotted Tabog's eyes got wide... much wider then the eyes of a human are capable. He brings himself to his full height, steps toward the vermin and hisses at them. He leans forward for an aggressive stance, he's out for blood!
Ah yes, our brave killer has to hide behind the little goblin. Of course!
Once inside, Anophth sees the giant rats. Guard rats, huh? Anyone got some food for them?
Fast Init, toss some food in front of one of the rats to see if it will take the food instead of attacking.
Dramm frowns at Bog and Anophth's words as they head toward the house.
"Well, I've already taken one stab wound. I don't know if I would survive any more blood loss. Though I don't see what any of that has to do with..." His brow furrows as he mutters. "Oh. Humor. They always said I was bad at that. Wait for me!" He catches up quickly enough as the group continues ahead.
Once inside, Dramm hangs back, clearly avoiding the swarm of rodents as the others fight first. He appears to be listening for any other sounds in the house. "Someone should have noticed this..."
Imedren was about to respond to Dramm when the man realized it was humor.
"Don't worry Dramm, we'll see to your wounds later."
As he moved inside the house and saw the rats, he readied his staff, "They look like they aren't going to wait!" he said sharply to Anophth and jabbed down at them.
Uruuna follows her husband, walloping a rat with her club!
Imedren and Uruuna make swift work of two rats. A third quails before Tabog, scurrying back into its hiding spot. The last one snatches the food from Anophth and runs off to consume its meal.
Listening intently, Dramm hears a sharp hissing sound from the deeper in the house, akin to a rattling intake of breath. Then all is silent.
Imedren breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that takes care of that. Now, let's take care of are real problem."
"Something deeper in. Alive. Breathing." Dramm points towards the rattle of breath that he heard deeper in the house.
He waits for the party to move forward, not willing to lead the way himself. For a few seconds, his eyes narrow suspiciously at TaBog as if evaluating him anew, but the expression soon vanishes. He begins peering into other rooms looking for the door that TaBog had described.
You move deeper into the house, and as you draw near the sitting room, the hooded figure Tabog spotted earlier lurches out into the hallway! Beneath its cloak is a ghastly figure wrapped in snug linens and wearing elaborate headgear fitted with lenses. Red eyes bulge obscenely, magnified by the lenses. The monster moves in a bizarre skittering dance as it slashes the air with its rusty scalpel!
Dramm's breath catches in his throat as the creature skitters into the hallway. He manages to maintain his composure, but his hands shake as he grips the long knife. He backs away from the flashing scalpel, preparing to defend himself while he waits for an opening provided by his allies.
Imedren faltered as the skittering monster came into view. He now understood how people were able to be taken away by this... thing.
"W- we may be in over our HEADS!" he said with a sudden rising tempo of his voice.
Anophth barely resists the urge to vomit at the sight of the creature.
His mind races to figure out what to do next. Then he remembers that incantation he grabbed from Father Gregory's room. He pulls it out and reads the words, denouncing the creature back to the void.
Tabog's eyes super focus on the monstrous man, he stills himself and readies his new found knife.
He strikes at it but falls short, not used to close combat.
Uruuna grits her teeth and swings on the monster but fails to hit.
The monster shrinks back a bit as Anophth denounces it. Imedren, Tabog, and Uruuna all attack the horrific thing but falter. Dramm backs away slowly.
The monster lets out a hissing growl and slashes at Tabog, the razor slicing into the ferren'a throat!
Imedren eyes tracked the movement as the creature struck Tabog.
No! he thought.
"I can't let you take the boys father away from him!"
He shakes his head again and then lunged forward with a driving motion, bringing his staff at the creature.
Dramm watches the group falter in the face of the terrible creature. He sees the blood streak from the tip of the scalpel. His eyes are searching and evaluating. Apparently, he chooses to stay in the end.
Dramm's grip on the knife tightens. He rushes forward, lowering his shoulder to drive the beast over...
Imedren smashes the creature's head with his staff, cracking its goggles. Dram charges forward, shoulder-checking the monster even as he drives his knife into its gut. It stumbles back but remains standing, putrid blood oozing out from between its linen wrappings.
Uruuna tries to press the attack, but she misses by a wide margin!
Seeing Uruuna miss in such a desperate moment makes the color drain from Dramm's face. He just hit the creature hard enough to make it stumble, he was now the closest, and his knife had drawn foul blood... of those that may have drawn its ire, Dramm was definitely near the top of the list.
"Kill it! Kill it or it'll kill me!" Dramm shouts. The creature stumbled with Dramm's shoulder check. Now he continues to drive forward, keeping the creature off balance.