Tasha laughs at the man as she draws her blade. "Oh, little boy, if you're going to try to intimidate someone, you should learn to do it correctly," she says with a wide smile to display her pointed black, teeth.
"And I may give you more than just a lesson if you don't tell me where the sheriff is at."
She redirects to point her blade at one of the other figures. "Do you know?" she snaps.
Without waiting for a response, she moves to direct the tip of her weapon towards another one.
"Maybe you?"
Grelda uses Tasha’s swagger as a distraction to creep up on the thugs from the side. She moves in and doffs her turban, revealing her braided hair. The braids lengthen and writhe like snakes as they whip out around one of the thug’s legs, yanking him hard to the ground. ”Stay down,” the half-orc commands.
Tom strikes out with his whip to trip the next guy.
"Smarten up boys, it'll be easier to listen without the bumps on your head"
{A} Tom produces 2 knives and a healing potion and begins to juggle them.
"What do you think? Invite us to talk over drinks? Or keep getting beaten by circus folk?"
Álainn may be small, but there's nothing wrong with her eyes and she has her bow ready nearly as swiftly as Tasha's rapier. She watches the thugs with a cold eye, before firing a pair of arrows. One strikes precisely in the thugs knee - causing a scream of pain!
EDIT:
Tom's knife sinks deep into the belly of one of the men, who groans and falls to the floor, blood pooling beneath him. Alainn aims for the knee but catches the second thug in the groin, piercing a vital spot! He whimpers softly before collapsing as well! Grelda's foe takes a bad fall, his back audibly cracking as he hits the porch.
Tasha's intimidating tactics work wonders, the wounded man getting to his feet before he and his other companion flee into the Mad Mug, leaving their incapacitated allies behind. "Help! Pruana!" they shout.
Following the frightened men inside the tavern, you can see The Mad Mug’s common room has six tables and a long wooden bar. Narrow lattice windows provide natural light and a view of the porch out front. A half-orc tends the bar, while about a half dozen patrons look up with bemusement at the terrified gang members.
A burly dwarven woman sits at the bar, accompanied by a goat. She scowls as the Muggers run up to her and gets to her feet. "Normally I don't like to save stupid people from their own mistakes," she says, "but I also don't appreciate ye bloodying me boys. I'm Pruana Two-Punch, and this me goat, Violet. Give me a good reason why I shouldn't knock yer lights out!"
Ruinë prepares to engage in the "battle" with the Muggers, but is fortunate enough to not be required to engage. When they get to the next room to see Pruana, she leans and whispers to Tom "Well at least she's two-punch and not one-punch, should it come down to that."
She stands alongside Tasha and says "Thank you for being gracious enough to grant us an audience, Pruana Two-Punch. We have a couple of quick questions and we'll be out of the way so you can continue your revelry. If you can help answer our questions and point us in the right direction, I'd be willing to see to the injuries of your boys."
She turns to Tasha and motions for her to take the lead on the questioning.
Grelda puts her turban back on when she enters the tavern. She stands behind Tasha, her fingers moving as she tugs on invisible strings. "The stars align to guide you," she murmurs.
Tom begins juggling 2 sisters(knives) and a mug of ale from the bar {A} Juggle and goes into a
"You know, everyone loves when the circus comes to town. Everyone loves a good show. Why-oh-why-oh would you deny a troupe of HUMBLE performers hospitality?" Tom looks over at one of the lackys, balances the knives (blade on knuckle) in one hand, and drinks the ale with the other. "Be a gem and fetch a table and chairs for our two ringleaders to have a conversation."
While Tom's juggling doesn't have the fascinating effect he'd hope for, his harsh command gets the attention of one of the lesser Muggers, who scurries off to secure a table for Tasha and Pruana. The dwarf looks at him with a scowl. Violet the goat bleats.
Tasha slips her blade back underneath her long coat and removes her hat. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Pruana. We took no pleasure in bloodying your boys. However, they were extremely rude and it's one thing I will not abide."
"Thank you," she says to the Mug that offers her a chair. She sits down and folds her long legs to the side. Leaning forward, she fixes her dark eyes upon the dwarf.
"Now, it's come to our attention that the sheriff has recently vanished." She snaps her finger as if to emphasize the almost mystical speed of his departure. "Just like that. I'll grant you, that as circus performers, our normal relationship with local authority figures is ... tenuous at the best of times. We still appreciate the order that they can bring to a situation. They can also stand as the last barrier before chaos."
She looks around the room to be sure her words are being heard.
"And if yesterday in our camp is any indication, chaos, indeed, is what's in store for this town. And that's not good for business; Ours, yours, or anyone else's for that matter. So any assistance that you can offer as the to location of said authority figure would be appreciated."
Pruana grunts and crosses her arms over her chest. ”Can’t say that I’ve missed the sheriff as of yet. She was always harassing me and me boys. But her disappearance ain’t my doing, which means troubles are afoot. Mayhaps it has to do with that little halfling witch we saw sneaking around town after dark. Tell ya what. I like ya. Pay me 10 gp, and I’ll tell ye where she went.”
"That's a lot of coin. Coin that if we don't pay, you suffer more than we do. We'll just move along to the next town. We are doing this out of the kindness of our hearts you know."
Pruana sizes Tasha up, but ultimately backs down. ”Fine. We saw the witch heading out to the Lindell barn outside town. Maybe ye can find yer missing sheriff there,” she grumbles. ”Now, I’ve said all I care to, so scram!”
Uninterested in the leader's debate, Álainn wanders around the bar, observing the various situations and mentally cataloging her mental notes into a new case.
Alainn doesn’t notice anything unusual in the tavern.
"Thank you for your hospitality, then," Tasha says, rising from her seat and donning her tall hat. "We shall investigate the Lindell barn and see what we may see. In the mean time, I would recommend that your boys keep their eyes out. The witch has prepared ... surprises ... in town and I would hate for these lads to stumble upon one unprepared."
She bows to the dwarf and gestures for the others to follow her out.
True to her word, Ruinë words on treating wounds while Tasha talks. When she sees that she is finishes, she nods to her and says "Just a moment, I'm almost done." and finishes up her work on the injured man.
"There you are, keep this bandage on here to make sure it doesn't get infected." she instructs, rising to her feet and making her way out behind the others.
Once outside she asks "Did you find anything useful out, Tasha?"
"We're checking out the Lindell's barn. Pruana said she saw the witch there. I'm not sure if she's telling us the truth or just trying to get rid of us," Tasha says in reply to Ruinë's question. She turns to look at the good-hearted cleric. "If the later then we might have you stay back at camp while we return here to teach her a lesson in manners." One long-fingered hand reaches out to brush lightly against the woman's face. "It won't be a pleasant lesson and I'd rather you weren't here to witness it."
Ruinë frowns when Tasha explains what it is they intend to do. "Must you?" she asks, sincerity in her voice, closing her eyes and leaning into Tasha's light touch.
She draws two long breaths before opening her eyes again to look at the swashbuckler. "I understand the need for violence when it is justified, but..." She looks back to the building as if she could see through the walls. "I just patched that one up and surely they are going to stay out of our way now. Can't we just finish this business up and be on our way?"
"If she was lying to us then she might be concealing from us where the sheriff is being kept," Tasha says with a darkened glance at the tavern. "We said that we would find her and we'll do our best. If the only way to do that is through some carefully applied violence directed at some townie roustabouts, then ..." She shrugs and then smiles at the half-elf. "But you don't need to be a part of that and I'd rather you weren't." She shifts her hand and taps the half-elf's lips gently with an outstretched finger.
The tiefling turns and, with a swish of her tail, she begins taking long strides towards the outskirts of town.
"Come, we have a barn to investigate," she calls out to the others.
The Lindell brothers, Jano and Bindo, own a barn just outside of Abberton. The barn is two stories high with two entrances, both large double doors. The south entrance faces the road, and the north entrance faces a large, overgrown pasture that hasn’t held animals for months.
Alainn notices something suspicious about the overgrown scrub around the barn.
"Wait!" The gnome says sharply, throwing up one small hand. Once her companions have stopped she approaches slowly, to examine the unusual shrubbery.
As Alainn approaches the scrub, suddenly a massive plant emerges! The towering creature has two sets of tooth-edged leaves, each measuring 3 feet wide, at the end of 10-foot-long stalks.
The plant rushes at the gnome, its leaf clamping shut around her. It lifts her off the ground and swiftly swallows the investigator whole!
If the monster dies, a swallowed creature can be freed by creatures adjacent to the corpse if they spend a combined total of 3 actions cutting the monster open with a weapon or unarmed attack that deals piercing or slashing damage.
"Alainn!" Grelda cries as the gnome disappears down the plant's gullet. Her snake hisses in agitation. The half-orc chants and waves her hands in mystic patterns, sending a trio of magic missiles slamming into the creature!
Ruinë tries to remember if she knows anything about the gnome-eating plant as she chokes out a cry of "No!" when the gnome disappears entirely. "Tasha! Tom! Help her!"
She pulls out her crossbow and quickly fires it at the blank monster towards its base where she hopes the gnome is not before loading another bolt into it again.
"I don't want to stab Álainn," Tasha argues as she draws her blade and moves in close to the creature to hesitantly strikes at it.
Ruine's crossbow bolt thunks into the plant's stem, and Grelda's magic missiles scorch holes in its body. Tasha strides up and stabs it once with her rapier.
One of the leaves quickly snaps shut around the tiefling, hauling her off her feet as it grabs a hold!
"NOOO!!" Ruinë screams in panic, watching yet another member of their troupe about to be eaten.
Tom throws a knives and a lesser alchemist's fire at the plant in quick succession.
{A} Juggle 2 Knives and a healing potion.
Alainn pulls a knife as she tumbles into the creatures gullet and tries to cut her way out - to no avail.
Tom misses with the knife and the alchemists fire, but the liquid that splashes the plant burns it badly. It is weak against fire!
Alainn manages to cut her way out, emerging from the plant's stalk.
The hole closes up, though, and the plant struggles to choke down Tasha, finally managing to do so on the second attempt. Its other leaf snatches up Alainn again!
Grelda tugs on the strands of fate to guide Ruine's aim
"NOOOO!" Ruinë screams as Tasha is also swallowed whole. Having been fighting back the urge to burn the damned thing, she screams as she lets herself lose control. Flames explode from her hands into the large plant creature that is eating her friends left and right.
Unable to do anything but stab, that's what Tasha does, over and over again. She struggles not to panic at the sensation of being held against her will.
Ruine's fire ray scorches the plant, then Tasha's rapier punctures the creature from the inside, a critical hit! The tiefling tumbles out as the creature slumps over, dead!
Investigating the brush near the plant's hiding spot reveals a pair of boots and a wide-brimmed hat with a tin star affixed to it. You also find a magic item--a savior spike.
"Looks like we know what happened to the sheriff." Alainn comments. "Tasha, can you lend me your blade skills?"
She directs the tiefling to start opening the plant's remnants, looking for evidence of the sheriff's demise inside it.
Ruinë runs towards the tiefling and roughly puts her hands on the swashbuckler's face as she looks at her left cheek and then her right cheek. "Are you alright!" she asks, chest heaving more from anxiety and worry than a lack of fitness.
As Tasha rolls free of the vicious plant, she shudders as she brushes tendrils from the inside of the thing off her shoulders and arms. Her near terror is palpable.
"I'm fine," Tasha replies to Ruinë's question. She gives the half-elf a quick hug to reassure her, but Ruinë can feel the tiefling shaking.
She takes a moment to steady her nerves before joining the rest of the group looking for any more signs of the sheriff. When they find the few pieces of evidence, her countenance falls.
"It looks like we might be a little late," she says in dismay.
"Definitely the sheriff." Alainn confirms. It doesn't take her skill and experience to deduce that. "I could use some patching Ruine. I have thread and alcohol in my pack." Being the shows resident vetenarian, Alainn always has the surgical basics close at hand. Thankfully they've been much less used ever since leaving Mistress Darklight's 'circus'.
Ruinë watches Tasha walk off and assumes she must be fine, but she knows she isn't fine. She lets it go for now and walks over to crouch down next to Álainn to take a look over the gnome.
Except instead of helping, she seemingly makes no progress as she stares at Tasha and pokes at prods at Álainn, poking holes in her skin without closing them. She absentmindedly says "Uhm. There you go." standing up to approach the injured swashbuckler.
"Are you sure you're okay? You don't look okay."
Alainn watches Ruine achieve precisely nothing before rolling her eyes and doing the job herself.
"Tasha, wait. Let me at least patch you up before you go on, hmmm?" she calls out hesitantly.
Still worried that Tasha is injured more than she's letting on, she's not able to focus. When she realizes she's nearly doing more harm than good, she blows out a breath loudly and focuses. "Alright, sit down right here for ten minutes please. Alright? I'll be quick."
"There we go! Feel better?" she asks, looking down at the tiefling with a proud grin.
"Ah, Milaya, with you I always feel better," Tasha says, cupping Ruinë's cheek. "We shouldn't linger, though. If the sheriff is truly gone then chaos won't be far behind."
She looks around at the others.
"Let us check on the Millers next," she calls out in a louder voice.
Grelda looks up from where she has been sitting cross-legged in communion with her familiar. ”How about we check this barn first? We did come all this way, after all. Perhaps the halfling is hiding something inside.”
This large, dark barn has a row of animal stalls along the west wall and three large cubicles for hay and food storage to the east. A table and chairs are tucked into the northwest corner of the barn, and the walls are covered with hooks and shelves for harnesses and other equipment useful for keeping animals. A loft twelve feet above the floor circles the barn’s perimeter. Two ladders provide access to the loft: one in the southwest corner of the barn, and one in the northeast.
You can hear high pitched laughter and see flames being lobbed back and forth near the loft. From the northernmost cow stall, a sullen voice calls out, ”Mistress Nemmia? Is that you?”
"She was tied up so we came in her stead. Why don't you come down here so we can talk face-to-face?" Tasha calls out.
The door to the stall opens and a pair of short and stout winge creatures emerge. Their gray bodies are coated with layers of dirt and filth. ”You’re not supposed to be here!” one shouts as they clench their fists.
From near the lofts, two more winge creatures swoop down towards you. These creatures have bright-orange skin, and wisps of flame flicker along their wings as they fiap through the air.
”Earth and fire mephits,” Grelda confirms.
Alainn examines the winged creatures closely before raising her bow and firing at them.
"Our halfling friend really had a thing for these creatures," Tasha says with a sigh as she draws her blade and moves to engage one of the earth beasties.
"Mephits are a favorite target for novice spellcasters to summon," Grelda explains, "both because they have several useful abilities and because they are relatively easy to command and manipulate. But they are prone to mischief if left alone for too long. Let us see how strong their willpower is."
The half-orc strides forward before Tasha reaches the mephits and casts a spell, sending a spray of dazzling colors washing over both earth mephits.