"Did anyone see where they came from? Maybe we can get to the holding area."
Give me perception checks. If you want to get by the stage, you have to deal with the lizardman first.
Yep, two different lizardmen. One for sale, and one guarding the place. The lizardman guardian is the one you have to get past.
[dice=Perception]d20+10
Since your perception is based on hearing, you hear both lizardmen and the Ennin seller of flesh. However, you can't find a way past the stage.
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
A way past the guardian eludes you.
Perception: 1d20 + 3 - 2 ⇒ (4) + 3 - 2 = 5
The sights of the dark market keeps you away from your goal.
Unable to see any way past the guard, Lizbit shrugs and stows her glaive on Handsome's armor and commanding the feline to stay. She approaches the guard lizardman, hands clasped behind her back. "Excuse me? Are you in charge here?"
"No," he hisses.
"Waiting around out here is boring!" She pouts. "Where can we go to see what else is for sale? I wanna buy a girl." Lizbit stands on her toes, conspicuously looking around the guard. "I'm not gonna stand around out here for hours with a purse full of gold if I don't even know if you have any cute ones on offer." She drops down to the flats of her feet, crosses her arms over her chest, and frowns expectantly at the guard, mimicking a spoiled woman who is used to getting what she wants.
The nobleman steps forward, looking put-upon. "Lizbit, darling. Why must you act this way at every slave auction, for Lothian's Sake! You there, brute. Is there was way we can see the slaves before they are upon the stage? Would a gold coin help in this endeavor?" Argennon leans in conspiratorially.
Lizbit grabs Aregenon's arm and stomps her foot."Sweetie, make him be reasonable!" She whines pathetically.
The lizardman contemplates your offer.
He takes your coin and allows you backstage.
Lizbit squeals with glee and runs off backstage. "Tell the servants to hurry up!" She calls back over her shoulder to sweetie.
"This way." Argennon called imperiously behind him at the two humans and halfling.
Alright, those who can see. You see several beings in chains, an equal amount of males and females. Some with their shirts torn, some with pants that are torn. Some are naked, some are not. Various races: elves, humans, litorians, and lizardmen. The total slaves to be sold is thirty. One of them, a girl, resembles the description of the girl that was taken. The back room has very little light however, but Lizbet's perception check was enough to point her out.
Argennon was not ready to see this level of evil and depravity. Various faces of fear and anger rose to either meet the Dallimothan noble or attempt to hide from it.
"Everyone! Please be quiet. If you do as we ask, you will all escape, understand."
"Aye." they all say.
Argennon looks to those that have joined him in his mission.
"Gentlemen. Lady. I don't know anyway out of this except fighting our way out. But I am open to suggestions."
"If we intend to take them all out of here, I think we will have to fight. I know a trick that may give us some cover."
Tony nodded at Argenon's plan, but broke into a cold sweat at the formidable task of getting back out with these children.
As a desperate long chance, he looked for possible secret exits, hidden panels, trap doors under rugs, etc. out of here.
Tony, your perception of looking for possible secret exits, hidden panels, and trap doors have proved to be fruitless. Looks like the only way out is through the purveyor of slaves and that lizard man guard.
The lizard man guard hisses, "Are you through looking at the merchandise, yet?"
"Yes. Thank you. We've seen all we need to. You've been most helpful."
Argennon immediately fires an arcane projectile into the lizardman's chest.
Someone screams as the lizard man is hit by the magic missile and falls backward. It's a high pitched scream, as if a woman was screaming. Roll initiative.
Lizardman's (Natriss) initative:
Lizbit shakes her head solemnly as hostilities break out. Shelyn asks her followers to seek peaceful solutions first, but she would be lying if she claimed to take no joy in slaying slavers.
Are we missing someone?
Okay, lets just continue, and forget our missing man. You four will have to overpower the lizard man. Block Initiative:
Runt first, then Tony, and then both Lizbet and Argenon. After that, the lizard man has block.
"Do not falter in your courage! Shelyn stands with you!" Lizbit shouts, calling upon blessings of her diety to bolster the party.
"Do not falter in your courage! Shelyn stands with you!" Lizbit shouts, calling upon blessings of her diety to bolster the party.
Act on the PC's initiative. I think it's easier that way for Play-by-Post.
In the complete silence of an apex hunter, Handsome pounces on the lizard man before he can recover from the magical attack.
Handsome's pounce has the lizard man down during his turn. He's down, struggling to get handsome off. He's currently down in a supine position.
With the lizardman down, Argennon quickly checks if the coast is clear to move the would-be slaves out.
You have the whole Dark Market in an uproar. You just took down the "Guardian" of the place. People are gathering up their coins and merchandise, and looking for a way out. It's chaos.
"Alright everyone! Single file! In pairs! Up the stairs and out!" Argennon directs the thirty where to go.
"I'm still alive," says the lizard man.
Argennon looks over the talkative lizardman pointing his glowing index finger at the reptilian's chest.
Tony slipped a dagger into his hand and stood over the lizard man, but could not bring himself to just stab the guy while he was down.
Nevertheless he readied an action to do a nonlethal strike with the pommel of the dagger IF the lizardman tried to fight back.
for a possible nonlethal, bludgeoning and precision damage.
Adding to Argenon's Intimidation, Tony pointed to the lizard man and said "Yeah!" while nodding agreement.
So add +2 to Argenon's roll.
Lets see if you intimidate a level 8 fighter:
7 does not beat a DC of 18. You can say that he's intimidated.
Nevertheless he readied an action to do a nonlethal strike with the pommel of the dagger IF the lizardman tried to fight back.
[dice=nonlethal dagger sneak attack]1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 - 4 = 1 for a possible 1d4 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (2) + 2 + (5) = 9 nonlethal, bludgeoning and precision damage.
Oh, since you rolled a natural 1, you drop your dagger on the Lizard Man's front.
"Tiny, let's get these people to safety. These fellows seem to have the guards under control."
Runt makes a circling motion with his right hand, but Tiny is distracted by the fight with the Lizard Man and all of the screaming.
"Ok, then, let's just escort them." Runt puts his hand on the dog's neck and the two of them move protectively beside the escaping enslaved people.
His hands slippery with sweat, Tony's dagger slipped amusingly out of his hands, flip over and over to land on the Lizard man.
"Sorry! Sorry..." He said, leaning down and snatching it up again.
Nope, out of initiative. You guys surprised me, but then Latriss (the lizardman) wasn't built well.
Well, there are a few things you can do to the lizard man. You can tie him up, put him in chains, or do something else that is embarrassing.
Handsome crouched over his prey. Lizbit walks up to her companion's side, patting his flank and drawing her glaive from his armor. She spins the weapon in her hand, placing the blade against the prone guards neck. "How do we get out of here without being seen. Speak quickly!"
"There is a secret door that leads to a passage way. My masters use it all the time," he says.