Horgus looks between the diminutive Callen and the hulking Kevin, the sighs and takes the coffee Kevin offers. Sipping it, he reaches out and snatches the cheese from Callen's hand. "Fine. But if you get yourselves killed, I am going to be very upset!" He bites the cheese, wiggles his nose at it's funk, then wanders off to the hearth.
Amelia likely has to spend most of her time as an audio book for aravashnial, and as a custodian to keep his curiosity from angering or upsetting folk. Likely more than once she has had to push him away from a place despite his protests. She will however glance over everything, wondering if these people had magic down here.
"... H-Hopefully there aren't actually a hundred there like he said..." Missy worried to herself as she mentioned a bit on her breakfast, making sure she had everything ready for the trip ahead. It was going to be dangerous, and she really didn't want to survive the fall only to die here. She had to know what happened to her family.
Joska rubs the back of her neck while she considers Chief Sull's words. She's tired, and she had hoped for better news.
That's maybe three times the number of them I was expecting to hear. If they are also well led and determined, and it sounds like the outcasts are at least determined, this will be something we must be very careful and precise about.
They will know the area, while we don't. If they have leaders who can coordinate they may be able to use side tunnels to flank or surround us. We will have to watch our backs at all times. Careful and quiet as possible it will be then. No prisoners, nobody escaping from skirmishes so there is no communication among them about our movement if it's within our ability to prevent it. We may have to consider victory to be getting through at all rather than beating them.
Joska does takes the opportunity to swim. Aside from needing a cleaning off, the water will be relaxing and the activity will take her mind off tomorrow at least somewhat. She hopes she will be able to sleep enough during the night to come.
She removes her armor, boots, and trousers. Her undershirt, which is just long enough, stays on until she jumps into the water. The cold of it raises goosebumps all over her and makes her catch her breath with the shock of the temperature change. When Joska comes up to the surface, she pulls off the shirt and throws into onto the land as well. She stays in the deeper water where she can dive under more easily as she swims. Joska treats the time as a meditative exercise.
"Okay, first we are going to learn the basics."
She then will proceed to speak the very basics of elven tradespeech. "Hi", "Thank You", "Too Much", "More", and "Less" are some of the first ones taught on the way to the shores. It is clear Giri has studied language and is intelligent. For Nicolette's part, there is no hesitation over the people who live here; be it their demonspawn heritage or appearance, and like a sister, laughs with her in amiability and joy.
As they get to the water, she will begin to strip down and set her things on a nearby rock in a nice neat pile along with the blanket and soap on top. Giri will see her many implements used for surgery and medical procedures, as well as healing potions. As the medic didn't pack multiple changes of clothes for the fall into the depths of Kenabres or the following path through the tunnels, she doesn't hesitate to strip down if their host doesn't mind. Each culture may have different views on the body than fey do. In any case, she relinquishes control of such things to their host and rushes forward appropriately dressed (or not at all) into the bracing waters and jumps in without hesitation. Some may call her crazy, but she's having fun, and for her, such opportunities to enjoy herself maybe come along once every few years.
As everyone gets in, she will continue to teach the girl, as well as everyone else, elven in repetitive practice. She will laugh at some funny errors, but for the most part is a good teacher. Eventually, some splashing may occur at some point, as it can't be helped, and dependent on how long the swim is that he intends to do, some harmless flirting with Callen. Nicolette also admires the might of Joska and makes such things known before Nicolette swings the conversation over to her bracelet.
"I noticed that lovely bracelet of yours. Um, a bat medallion with gems in place of the eyes. Did you know bats are my favorite animal? I've always loved them. We used to have a bat box near out home for a time and if you brought food for them, they would actually kind of crawl on you with their little wings to get it. Does that hold any symbolism?"
------------------
Nicolette drew close to the fire to sleep that night. The warmth of the meeting hall was far more appealing than what she imagined she'd have to sleep in during the time of the fall into the crack. She sleeps more securely than she has ever since her mother left as a little girl. In her youth she was either afraid of her father or the roaming cultists outside the tents near the frontlines. As an adult, being trained, she never had much of a safe space to find security. And certainly not on the battlefield could she find rest. Here, amongst such honorable people, amid the protected walls in the center of a lake, she finally lets her guard down. For added security, she would have found a spot between Joska and Callen.
The others begin to wake up, but she does not stir at the sounds of the fire being kicked back up. It is only when Lann speaks do her eyes flutter open. She lets out a yawn and rises sleepily to see what is going on. A hand cups her forehead as she listens with intensity in her tired gaze. She hangs on each word, speaking to how groggy she is feeling. Seeing Kevin make coffee, she smiles.
"I'm the same," the tired elf replies, slowly coming to consciousness. "I was going to have to use my mess kit to make mine, so thank you. If you need more grounds, I have some on me."
With that, she will rise from her bedroll and look to Horgus as he makes his normal outbursts. There is a sly smile upon her face at the group's rebuke. She's too tired to care to say anything. After she has had her coffee (even as she's drinking it), Nicolette will become more talkative.
"That is a lot of enemies. The only way I can see this working is with some infiltration, taking out scouts, and finding a safe way through. There is no chance against those numbers. Let us hope that they just aren't there..."
Nicolette will hand some cheese back to Callen and will break some bread.
"Does anyone want some honey for their bread?"
She will pull some out and set it near the fire so it gets warm. Afterward, spreading it on her slice of bread. She does eat a little cheese, but packages some of it for lunch mostly later in the day.
Callen suddenly realizes it is he and three ladies on the swimming trip, and as they start to disrobe, he turns to avert his eyes until he hears the splashes of three entering the water. He will turn back and follow them in, finding a bit of relaxation in the moment. He smiles as Nicolette and Giri play, and nods to Joska as she calmly swims out a little deeper. 'We each need a release in this moment, I hope the others back at the hall are finding it by the hearth.' His thought is interrupted as Nicolette splashes him, and he can't help but laugh at her playful nature amidst the day's darkness. He also blushes, or would if his pallid flesh allowed it, as the he can't help but notice the physique of the playful half-elf. As they eventually gather their things and head back to the hall, he smiles at the three of others, "After today's events, I needed that. May it be a cleansing touch for a fresh start tomorrow."
Callen bites his tongue as Horgus grabs the cheese from his hand and hustles away. When Nicolette replaces it moments later, he smiles and nods to her. Keeping his voice low, "Despite his blustering, I think he may be a decent man. Though certainly not a man of war, and so his reactions can be expected. And thank you, for the cheese. I will take a spot of honey, of you'd spare it." he will smear some honey on the bread, then crumble the cheese atop it.
Eating it, he listens to Nicolette raise her concerns. "Aye, let's hope they have followed their demonic masters topside. We will have to move fast once we reach the outpost. We will be coming back to get our charges, we should leave anything not necessary for battle."
Meraati happily takes the opportunity of a swim, before a long trek.
A set of spare underclothing ready in her pack, she dresses down to er current underclothing.
Seeking a higher place, she takes a running jump.
, probably a somewhat decent flip for a jump.
The cold didn't bother her that much. And the brief respite was welcome.
When she was done, she sat back on the higher spot, and took to singing a song about the little merits of life to be enjoyed.
The next morning,
Does anyone want some honey for their bread?
"Yes please. It's one of the best things for bread."
"That said, would anyone like some tea?"
As for Callen's presence, her worst feature is always on display anyway absent her helmet, and she misses having her helmet at present. Joska has become so used to looks of pity, or others working desperately to avoid looking at her face directly, that she hardly even considers the possibility of anyone wanting to look at her anymore. That's one thing she's found better about being in Mendev compared to Korvosa, the looks of hatred she'd sometimes encountered in Korvosa are absent, even if other reactions are still then same. People in Mendev don't know what her face means.
Before she tries to sleep, she does a thorough equipment check to ensure no repairs due to damage or wear and tear need to be taken care of. She does this religiously at the end of any day in which she has used her things. An equipment failure at the wrong time can be fatal.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Joska answers Meraati's offer of tea with an eager "Yes please."
As she has some breakfast, she joins Nicolette and Callen in chatting about the day ahead.
"Yes, we have to hope some number of the outcasts are elsewhere. We also must do whatever we can to keep them from gathering against us. Until we've been forced to make contact, we have to do everything we can to keep our presence unknown."
"Once they know we're there, we must use speed to keep them from being able to bring numbers against us at any particular location."
"And I pray Gorum's eyes are diverted from us to some other unfortunates elsewhere for a while."
A few mongrelfolk watch from a distance as Giri leads the those of you down to the water. Word has clearly spread through the settlement about the presence of uplanders, and there is some interest. None of the onlookers follow you to the water, however, and she reluctant privacy to relax as you desire. Whether a sense of youthful freedom, or perhaps the mindset of Neathholm's people, Giri exhibits no shyness about her physical form and strips down then jumps in. Even as she splashes around, she's excited to work on the basic elements of Elven Nicolette has provided her with. At Nicolette's question regarding her bracelet, she smiles, "Why this is a relic of my family's past. The bat was the heraldic symbol of my Ancestor's household back in Ustalav. It still is, I suppose, that's why we each carry it, father, Uri, and I."
[Spoiler=Amelia]
Aravashnial drinks in every detail you sure with him. He listens keenly to Giri's responses to Nicolette's many questions during dinner. He also repeatedly asks to ensure you are taking copious notes.
Though by no means common, during your investigations, you notice multiple magical signatures. The Chief carries several magic items, as does his seer. The bracelet Giri wears on her wrist is likewise magical. You also notice several [I]Continual Flames[/b] being used as light sources.
Once everyone has had their fill, Lann leads you out of the hall and back to the gate you first entered. Heading out of the town, you descend into the web of tunnels you have earlier traversed, but quickly turn upward on a different path. It grows very narrow, and at times the largest among you have difficulty making your way through.
Nearing an hour's time, Lann leads you through another intersection then pulls up short. Turning to you, he keeps his voice low, "Onward tunnel now does directly make for traitors' seat. Return I must - with collapsed ways, lost is sight and reprisal feared. Hope I do see unto you again. Upon you Iomedae's light be." He nods to you, then makes his way back toward Neathholm.
Once inside, and having asked Giri about her bracelet, it strikes her that the dwarf was once a member of the chief's house, or was eaten by the dwarf.
"Ustalav hmm? Anything else significant about it? Any old stories your father told you? Any history surrounding it? I like it," she nods affirmingly.
Once the girl answers, she then reveals what they already know.
"Was Uri...by chance...a dwarf?" she asks in a more serious tone. The half-elf looks to those in the group briefly to hear what she has to say. Clearly, this would be an awkward moment. To clarify her answer, she also asks, "And no one else wore it?"
-----------------------
It is hard to judge Lann for turning back. They had to clear the way it seems. She looks briefly to her companions and then forward.
"Callen," she whispers to the shorter halfling, "Should you wear the tabard and Meraati as well, you could say we prisoners were caught having fallen down from the above world. Then show the symbol of Baphomet. They may let you in, assuming they don't have a password." She looks over the group. "We can work to partially conceal your weapons, and stand in such a way that larger ones are hidden until they open the path to us. Then we strike?"
Nicolette is attempting tactics, but she's not done this sort of thing before. Her voice waivers and she is not confident in this at all. Her eyes rove to the more combat-capable of the group to see if her convoluted approach kind of works.
Joska answers Meraati's offer of tea with an eager "Yes please."
Meraati pours Joska some breakfast blend black tea.
" 'ere you go."
Callen listens to Nicolette's recommendation and thinks for a minute. Looking to the party he smirks slightly. "If there is only one way in, this might be the best course of action. Given yesterday's events and their allegiance, they likely are not expecting any attack. I have the two tabards we recovered from the bodies, and a third, my own. The blood stains were from the conflict and taking down these crusaders. Meraati, you seem to be skilled with words, perhaps you take the lead, and Joska you don one of the tabards as well. That would have three of us as cultists, able to enter armed, with the four of you as our prisoners. If nothing else, it may get us through the door at least. Meraati, you up for the challenge?"
Even as he looks to her for an answer, Callen kneels down and pulls the three tabards needed from his pack, offering one each to Joska and Meraati.
Meraati was listening as she sips from her hot tea.
"I will do my best at it. Per'aps my features would give us an advantage as well."
"I have nothing better to offer, and I don't see how we're risking anything more than we would with some other approach. Let's try it."
Joska takes one of the cultist tabards and puts it on.
After distributing the tabards, Callen produces a length of rope. "I am going to tie each of you together by the wrists. The knots will appear tight, but apply pressure from where your wrists meet and the knot will come free. As for weapons, I can help hide a dagger on each of you, to give you something immediate. Nicolette, your throwing needles seem to be out of sight. Perhaps Joska can carry a bundle with everyone's larger confiscated arms, that she can drop when trouble starts." After securing their wrists, he will set about stashing a dagger on each of them out of sight.
"Good idea," she responds, cheery that the blighted halfing took up the charge with her suggestion. "Don't forget to speak in their old-fashioned way. Keep it simple at first. Too much talking and they'll get suspicious...," she warns with a look of concern in her eyes. This very well could be the death of them. As she bends down, she will hold out her wrists for the shorter man to tie up. In her palms, she flashes two such needles.
"Ah, but if i speak in their bent way, they would know we have passed through their discarded village. I sort of doubt the fallen knights we found the bodies of, spoke their way."
"You could be right...but if they start talking in that old manner, be ready to speak in the heightened tongue of yon ancient days," she quietly jokes.
When she gets the tabard on and the bogus bindings are in place on the "prisoners", Joska collects a weapon from everyone who is bound. While she's doing so, something comes to mind.
"So what are the odds they have a password or signal they will be expecting from us as we approach them?" she asks ruefully.
* Sip....sip.....*
"True. Though i'd mostly expect other fallen knights, to label them such for convenience, to do such."
Your disguises on and the 'prisoners' restrained, your company heads down the tunnel. A quick twist leads into a mostly straight, upwardly inclined passage that runs for two hundred yards before a shallow bend to the right. Coming up to it, you get the sense of a wider space before emerging. Your torchlight flickers ahead, and you hear movement around the corner.
Cresting the passage, you enter an open chamber with a weaving nest of barricades before you. At the other side are a set of squat stone doors, with three twisted guardians standing in front of it. Like the residents of Neathholm, each is horribly mutated: standing the furthest forward is a large individual, at least seven feet tall, with a muscled, husky build, gray scaled skin, and a nobbed forehead. He holds a heavy mace in one hand, his other lengthening into a sharp claw. Next to him is a hunched, gangly limbed individual with patchwork flesh, holding a long spear. Behind the pair stands a third, in front of the doors, and enlarged lower jaw with tusks coming out and tufts of fur in random places, holding a crossbow. The large one growls, and the crossbow wielder takes aim as you enter.
The spear wielder snears, and it a gutteral howl shouts at you in a discordant tongue.
Putting on a more gruff voice, as far as is possible for a young lady, she replies. She would try hard to come across as a most evil member of fallen knights.
Meraati makes a short greet with a raised hand.
"You expect my horns to make the mask wearing simple?
But yes, the battle above is in full swing, the surfacers were caught completely unprepared. Their guardian dragon is dead, and many lay dead before they could start any kind of counter offensive."
"However a split in the ground forced our unit to make a trek down here, back to our regiment above. Some were caught unprepared by natural hazards, fools."
"These chattle, are prisoners, we seek to escort and deliver to our regiment inquisitor up above. We suspect they hold key information on the resistance, that the inquisitor will gladly pull from them."
Sporting a particular mischievous, if sinister grin, she adds,
"When we no longer need them, would you like to take them off our hands?
Might be fun to toy with, before execution, yes?"
Joska picks up where Meraati leaves off. She keeps moving forward and prodding the bound along with her as she talks.
"Biz jarılğan jerden qulap kettik, olar da solay istedi, sol kezde qural -jabdıqtarınan ayırıldı. Qulağan adamdardıñ köpşiligi qaytıs boldı. Biz olardı jeñdik jäne olardı osında eki künge jwıq şerwge şığardıq. Biz tamaq pen demalwdı qalaymız."
"We fell through the crack and they did too, lost some of our gear during that. Most who fell died. We overpowered them and have been marching them here for almost two days. We want food and rest."
Callen tries his best to cruelly laugh at Meraati's words. He jerks the rope bindings, and gestures back at his comrades meliciously
"Look at these fools, ripe for the picking. We even captured a paladin of Sarenrae - oh, the fun we can have with him..."
Channeling her inner pain with her father, she tears up in an effort to seem like she's experienced something horrible.
"Please...let us go..." the medic whimpers with desperation. The sound of her voice, so practiced may make her companions wonder where such raw acting talent comes from. Unfortunately, Nicolette knows abuse all too well and just has to relive it.
Giri looks at you with confused expression on her face. "a dwarf? Heavens no. Don't be silly, Nicolette, we are humans. Umm, well, are... Descended... From humans? Not to say there aren't those with dwarven or Elven blood within Neathholm, But no, my family is of human stock. I guess that might not be apparent, given our nature." by the end of her words, it is clear Giri feels a little uncomfortable about the topic.
But after a few moments, she continues. "Stories? No, not so much. But he said the bat was the crest of our family in the time before, and that keeping it close would keep us safe. That the Vurasku bloodline was strong. I don't know of any others who would wear it, unless by chance you stumbled upon a distant relation."
She thinks for a second, seeming to have moved past the concerns of only moments before. "No, my brother looks much as My father or I. He is built like my father too, though not quite full grown yet. He left a few days ago, after a fight with my father. He felt we should go upland to swear our oaths, with the other crusaders, as our ancestors once did. He felt our blood bore the scars of our ancestors' service, and we should be proud of it, not hide down here. My father is older, and has seen the purges by the witch hunters in the past. He would not let my brother and his friends go up. So my brother left. That was 5 days ago."
She is clearly conflicted about the fight between her brother and father, and her words taper off and thought. As you were walking back up toward the Great Hall, she turns to Nicolette, "Why do you ask so much about my brother?"
The patchwork skinned guard listens carefully to Meraati's response. He seems to be taking a moment to consider her words, when Callen adds in his bemusement at the capture of a paladin. Nicolette's cries for help only seem to add to the ruse. Finally, he bursts out laughing and looks to the other two, who lower their weapons at his gesture.
"We had just been complaining that we were missing out on all the fun and slaughter top side. Oh, you have delivered us a boon on this day! I can only imagine what your mistress will do, drawing forth the demon hood from that pathetic paladin. It will be fun to watch him betray his God."
He nods towards the door, and the crossbow wielder bangs on its stone surface with the butt of his weapon in a 1-3-1 pattern. There is a brief metal on stone grinding noise before the door swings open. The silhouettes of two more of traitor underfolk are framed by the Amber torch light flickering forth from within. "Templars prisoners bring. Through they pass, we torture will watch."
The two in the doorway step back with a laugh, and the Templars and prisoners are forwarded into the room. The chamber is sizable, 60 or more feet in length and perhaps half that in width. A single door sits in the northwest corner, well three doors are spread equally on the eastern wall. A half dozen of the twisted warriors occupy the chamber, passing the time with sharpening weapons, games of chance, and relaxation. As the prisoners enter, they all turn their attention upon you, laughing and jeering at the captured crusaders.
The one who opened the door afraid to enter points to the center door on the eastern wall. "to Wendaug do bring them, in refuse wallow they can."
That next morning, after waking, she would request of the group to have an audience with the chief before they go. There, they would deliver the necklace and tell how it was found. How it was found amid a pile of eaten bones. "Now that this information has come to light, we are certain this must be his..." Nicolette is used to bringing bad news, so she doesn't mind doing so now, but the fact that Giri lost her brother saddens her deeply. Looking to the young girl, Nicolette speaks in whispering voice, "I'm so sorry. If there was somehow we could have saved him, we would. The dwarf...he was killed and suffered a most painful death."
---------
Looking around, Nicolette waits for a signal to break free. "How could someone so righteous and interested in doing good now -desire- torture?" She now aims for the traitor. "Any second now..."
Callen enters into the outpost with the prisoners, drifting to the back of the chain as they do. Once through the door, he will casually look up and see if he can identify the means to close and secure it.
He calmly awaits to for Meraati, Joska, or one of the others to make a move, while thinking to himself. 'damn, we never discussed our plan once we were inside...'
Joska decides to say no more. Things seem to be going well, so more talk is likely to hurt rather than help the charade. She steps back as if to make room for those behind her to come through the door. Really she's positioning herself to more quickly deal with the two outcasts at her end of the room.
She considers making a move immediately, but decides it would be better to wait and see if the doors close first.
Kevin looks around the room and waits to see if anyone closes the door. As soon as it is closed he will free his hands and attack.
Chief Sull listens stoically as Nicolette recounts the discovery of the necklace and the conflict with the dwarf. As she speaks Giri bursts into tears and runs out of the chamber. Towards the end of it, a single tear escapes the chief's eye - it drips slowly down his plump face then disappears into the fabric of his collar. After some time in silence, he reaches out and takes the necklace. Looking down, he speaks slowly, "That final conversation between us crossed most angrily, my heart does break. Oathsworn of the Crusade he sought, yet opposed I did. Now changed all that has. Thanks of my kin I to you offer. Speak more shall we once no more traitors."
Chief Sull nods to you, then turns and slowly follows his daughter out of the chamber.
The traitor underfolk continue to laugh and jeer at the bound prisoners. Though each of the folk of Neathholm suffered from a variety of horrific mutations, it strikes each of you that these hear seem to have more feral, demonic mutations - horns, claws, scaled skin, and the like are common among them. One leans in especially close to Kevin, protruding a long, forked tongue from and overly-large, fanged mouth. He flicks it across the paladin's face, chuckling, "Fear from your skin leaks!"
Another moves over to the central door of the eastern wall and knocks on it, "Wendaug! Templars upland filth bring, door be opened!" A brief scuttle is heard beyond as the door starts to creak open. It seems to swing roughly, as though the hinges might be damaged or rusted.
Callen, you notice that a long, metal bar is mounted on the inside of the still closed stone door, a pivot joint at its base. If the left door were closed, it would only require pulling the lever down manually to lock it shut.
Joska curses silently to herself as the outcast she'd chosen as her target moves away, making things inconvenient. She slides over a little more to another then rounds on him, thrusting her shield at his face. She immediately follows with a quick slash at his torso under her shield.
Seeing none of the traitors close by accept the one beyond the door, Callen turns quickly and shoves the door closed, shouting, "Now!" before jumping up and pulling the lever down, hoping he has enough strength and weight to move it into place.
It occurs to Joska that the success of their ruse to this point might not have to end right now. While hopefully nobody will escape the room to spread word of their attack, if it does happen it might as well be confusing, possibly a knife in the back of the new alliance between the outcasts and cultists.
"Siz bizdiñ maqsattarımızğa jetkilikti därejede qızmet ettiñiz, biraq endi sizge budan basqa payda joq! Krestşiler sizdi osı qaladağı barlıq adamdar sïyaqtı jïnaydı!"
She says this loudly enough for it to be easily heard by all in the room.
Having stayed quiet to avoid potentially breaking the ruse up until this point, Missy sprung into action. The bindings came off, but she didn't jump to attacking. Raising a hand upward, she spoke a small chant as a soft wave of green light pulsed from her. "May fortune favor the bold."
With the blessing upon the party, she took a more defensive stance and moved into the melee range of one of the brutes. More importantly, she moved closer to her allies to help them fight.
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As the mongrelman licks him Kevin frees his hands and then bites the creature!
Nicolette lets her needles fly at the two closest of the three to her (on her south side). It should come as a surprise as her hands are bound.
Amelia remained quiet, not wanting to foil their ploy. She had never been great at being sad or downtrodden. As the others kicked off the fighting, she undid her binds and cast a protective spell. A field of colored lights formed around her, bright and saturated at first, before slowly fading almost entirely from vision.
Meraati starts singing, from a calm pace, rising to a rhytm fit for action. This is done as the doors get closed as the sign for the surprise, before everyone springs into combat action.
Callen launches himself at the door, hitting it with his compact yet powerful body, slamming it shut. His cry to act leads both Meraati and Missy to call forth magical boons upon their companions, granting them skill in battle, while Amelia weaves her arcane talent, summoning a shimmering pale blue encasement around her form.
Joska is the first to strike, using her shield to distract the first mongrel. Missy's prayer and Meraati's uplifting words help steer the warrior's sword true, were she strikes a vicious blow against her foe.
Kevin snaps out of his bonds, grabbing the mongrel attempting to harass him and tears a large chunk from the traitor's face, causing the creature the reel back screaming.
Nicolette slips the bonds and snaps out with a flick of her wrists, launching two razor sharp blades at the mongrels approaching from the south, catching each of them unexpectedly!
Considering she had absolutely nothing else to do at this particular moment... She lunges at the mongrel Kevin tore a chunk out of from below, trying to drive her dagger up into his side.
Meraati's singing keeps up, and her eyes look at Wendaug.
"...and as the blades -strike- their flesh, -tear- their hopes,
we will de-feat them.
For we will -make- them scream, -cry- out loud, their courage will elope..."
A stern gaze is set upon that one.
The mongrel facing Joska, having been brutally struck by her longsword, draws a wicked blade and swings at her.
Kevin's faux lunges back, reeling from the pain of the bite. He hoists a spiked cudgel from his belt and swings at the paladin. At the same time, the longer who had been at knocking on the door into the next room swings around to attack Kevin from the other side, an axe in his hand.
The mongrel from the other side of the door lunges forward, a short stout blade thrusting at Meraati.
The two victims of Nicolette's flying blades both closing on her, one bearing a short spear and shield, the other a flail.
The furthest one back sees Callen slam the door shut and rushes to intercept him, hoping to allow his allies access. A large mace swings over his head down at the halfling.
Alone mongrel stands towards the back of the newly opened room, near a workbench of some kind. Her skin is darkly colored, and marred by chitinous plates. Several insectoid limbs protrude from her side, and as she turns to pick up a bow off the workbench two of those limbs draw arrows from her quiver. She quickly snaps the bow up with the arrows across the string, unleashing them in a flurry at Meraati and Amelia behind her.
Amelia lets out a loud gasp as she is struck by the arrow, and being her first time ever suffering such an injury Amelia panics a little. Instinctively she raises her hand and fires two bolts of energy, both striking the archer in her chest.
Before she Limps away, hopefully out of the archers sight.
If the insectoid mongrel is within 30ft, Meraati aims a glare at her as well for intimidation.