"Thank you for your kindness, sir." Lina looked towards the others, speaking to no one in particular. "If it's all the same, I'll take watch now."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"I would be happy to take you up on your offer. This is not a night to be wandering alone back home." Garrett says and then adds, "What do you know of the cause for this riot?"
A look of worry crosses the priestess' face. "The passing of King Eodred seems to have caused the city to become undone. Many people seem to feel his wife should not become ruler of Korvosa. Sadly, they are taking a violent approach to displaying their distrust of Queen Ileosa."
”Grumpy? Oh no, I am just charming you with my witty, amusingly detached banter.”
The priestess' lips twitch in amusement. "Considered me charmed and amused. I fear we will have need of your wit in the days to come."
She blinks once or twice and then says, "Oh, I beg your pardon. I haven't introduced myself. I'm Jenelyn Trover, Artist of Shelyn. I instruct in many forms of art here at the Sanctuary if any of you would ever care to grow your own talents." Jenelyn smiles pleasantly at those following her.
She guides those wish to retire to their choice of 2 rooms which each hold enough for 3 or 4 people to sleep comfortably. She makes certain there are enough blankets and water for any desired ablutions before returning to the common area if no one has any further questions for her.
"Thank you for your kindness, sir." Lina looked towards the others, speaking to no one in particular. "If it's all the same, I'll take watch now."
Brother Theolan nods and gestures for Lina to join him outside. "I'll stick with you for now while the crowds are larger. Hopefully as it gets darker, we'll see less activity, and I'll give up my post for someone more handy in a tussle. Chances are those who come lurking after dark won't be fooled by my bluster and we'll have need of true skill." He glances inside at the children worriedly.
Turning back to Lina, the older man smiles with a wink, "But don't you worry, I'll still do whatever I can to keep these little ones and your friends as safe as I can."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
After the silence drags on for a moment too long, Audria looks up at Theolan.
"E-eliana is back safe, right? Sh-she and Trinia a-are safe," she asks as a sudden, icy dread fills her belly.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Brother Theolan gives Audria a concerned smile and places a consoling hand on her shoulder.
"Audira, listen to my words. Breathe, alright. Just breathe," the priest begins. "Eliana was likely still at the party for her performance when all of this started. The party is at a noble house. The noble quarters are probably the safest places to be right now short of the Hellknight garrisons or Castle Korvosa. OK? Relax. I'm sure The Eternal Rose will keep our little Eliana safe."
He pats Audria's arm a few times. "As for Trinia, I haven't seen her today, but I'm sure she's safe at home in her flat. You shouldn't worry so. For tonight, you just need to rest, OK?"
Theolan gives her shoulder a squeeze. "I'm going to be right outside with your new friend here guarding the Sanctuary. I kindly request you rest your mind and soul tonight."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
It's difficult to say the night passed uneventfully, because eventful it was. Others seeking refuge from the tumultuous rioting and gangs of angry, nigh rebellious citizens came to the Sanctuary. Brother Theolan turned no one away, but made it clear that protecting everyone was the duty of all.
Soon a small force of refuges and homeless and street rats who had all received charity from the Sanctuary had amassed in and around the temple giving most of the rabble forces pause at the sheer amount of resistance it would take to plunder or vandalize the place. Besides it is the Sanctuary of Shelyn...
"You know, if we did something to that place, we may never find love again *gulp*."
"Yeah, I heard anyone messing with The Eternal Maiden will be in a bad way with Desna and Sarenrae. I ain't here for that. This about a usurping queen, not a goddess."
"Look at all them. That's just too much work."
And many other such excuses for avoiding the divine ire one might obtain from destroying a place devoted purely to beauty and the love of all.
The following morning is tumultuous as the temple hallways are crowded and the common areas full of many refuges and clergy trying to help create some order. The remaining party members may be surprised to see that some rudimentary barricades have begun to sprout up around the Sanctuary, blocking the streets and alleys leading to it while residents and shop owners in the immediate vicinity joining forces with the Sanctuary for mutual protection. Stockpiles of some supplies are trickling in, and some members of the clergy are helping setup lines for distributing food, clothing, and blankets to those refugees who were not able to gather anything or lost their homes during the riots. A triage station for injured and sick has been established in the storefront across the street.
Both Brother Theolan and Jenelyn are present attempting to organize the chaos. They appear very tired and its possible neither has slept.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Abella wakes feeling refreshed for the first time in recent memory. She accomplished exactly what she set out to do. Justice prevails or some such. Also, she supposedly has a destiny now, thanks to the not-quite-departed Harrower. Never had one of those before—a destiny, that is. She and Cainabeth were never important enough for anything but survival. It feels nice to know that some force in the universe appreciates her and her profound—if unpublished—contributions to thanergetic theory. That is really all she wants: to be appreciated for the genius she believes herself to be.
She takes a leisurely stroll about the place, getting a read on the vibe and the scene. If there is any food offered by her hosts, she accepts some. If it isn’t offered, she takes some. Discretely, of course. Satisfied, she then seeks out her new comrades. ”Morning, darlings. I was thinking today would be a good day to take that little ‘royal’ bauble we found to the guard and see about a reward. Beth is one of them, so I have a bit of an in, you could say.” As far as Abella is concerned, Cainabeth is not *actually* gone at the moment, but spiritually stuck in a queue in the Boneyard until such a time as Abella is able to fix her. So it makes no sense to think of her on terms of “was;” she simply “is” someplace different at the moment.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Audria stares at Brother Theolan for a long moment before clenching her jaw and nodding. Tears shimmer in her eyes, but they don't fall. She walks inside as a group of men, artisans taking shelter in the temple with their families, came out to keep an eye on everything with the priest.
"Is the little miss a'right," a burly half-orc carpenter asks Theolan as she closes the door.
Her thoughts blaze like lightning in her worry and fatigue clouded mind. The stench of blood is too much and she runs for the baths in the areas of the temple reserved for acolytes and clergy. She scrubs at her hands and her skin until her skin is pink and starting to become raw. She can still smell the blood. Giggles' blood, Lamm's blood, Eliana's blood, the blood of the children that had not come to the temple, Triana's blood, it is all she can smell. Theolan had told her that her friends were likely safe, but what if they aren't? What if this is punishment for her part in the deaths of Lamm and his lackey? What if? What if? It all swirled in her mind as she tried to scrub the stench of blood away.
A soft weight lands on her cold, wet shoulder and something painfully nips at her ear. Her hand slaps over the abused lobe as the weight flits off her shoulder and lands somewhere else.
"Stop it!"
The voice is as stern as Audria has ever heard from Talanaliel. The little thrush glares at her, her eyes sparking with silver divine fire. The young woman stands and stares in the cold room, the only sound the dripping of cold water onto the floor. She looked down and saw blood mixing with the water, her blood. She'd scrubbed the skin from her knuckles without realizing it. Her mind goes blank as she realizes what she has done.
"Stop it," Talanaliel says again, this time her voice gentle, soothing. "You're hurting yourself for nothing. You're tired, I can feel it. It's time for bed."
Audria nods dumbly as she goes to dry off. It takes a few minutes for the bleeding to stop, but thankfully she hadn't done too much damage to her hands. Once she has cleaned the mess from her bath and scrubbing, and she is dry and clothed in a fresh nightgown, she carries her gear up to her room. Tired as she is, she can't sleep.
Instead, she turns to cleaning up the armor as best she can. Doing the maintenance that Bartholomew had taught her when he was teaching her to defend herself takes on the air of a ritual. Plain as it is, it is still the work of a craftsman, and still needed respect. Her thoughts slow as the motions of the work take on a steady, hypnotic rhythm. She barely remembers finishing. She doesn't remember getting up and climbing into her bed at all.
Sleep takes her, thankfully free of dreams of the horrors that could befall the innocent and her friends on this riotous night.
===
The next morning, Audria comes down the stairs with Talanaliel on her shoulder. She has no appetite and her worry had returned ten-fold when she saw that Eliana had not returned. She seeks Brother Theolan out, wanting to not add to his worries by disappearing without an explanation.
"I want to find the children that didn't come here last night," she tells him without any preamble.
By the time the sweat has cooled on her body under the light blanket, the dreams are nothing but a half-remembered jumble, but one thing is decided: she needs a blackjack. And there is more she must do before meeting up with the others again. It is not time to put off the mask for good just yet. She begins to get out of bed and pauses.
Outside the glass on her windowsill, a tiny screech owl perches, watchful and silent. By the time she registers what it is and looks up again it is gone, and she cannot tell if the white crescent mark she thought she saw on its breast was really there, or just the product of her imagination.
Her armor, boots and guisarme, when she steps noiselessly down the stairs to collect them from the kitchen, are clean and sitting on the bench beside the door. She gathers them, a hunk of yesterday's loaf, and a pair of apricots, and with a twinge of guilt leaves a near-twin of the note she left yesterday in their place before padding upstairs again to exit through her window.
Dear Junie —
Please do not be worried, or let Mamma become agitated and risk suffering a relapse. I have gone only to settle some remaining obligations from last night. The woman who helped me find him is not repaid for her kindness, nor those who helped me take him out of there, nor are all the others like him yet returned to their own people. I know I need not tell you to take the greatest care of I. at this time. Board up what you can, and let none see the house is occupied or answer to any knock until you hear mine after dark. I will be full careful, and always remain,
Your very affectionate,
L.
===
Several hours after dawn on Desnus 9, a single cloaked and bird-masked figure with a hooked spear turns a corner, puts away the weapon, and slowly and openly approaches the makeshift barricades surrounding the round pavilion that mark the front of the Temple of Shelyn. She picks her way through the wrack zone of unfortunates who seem to have washed up here due to the rioting, until she is able to at least find Abella awake and talking to Lina and Garrett.
"...a good day to take that little ‘royal’ bauble we found to the guard and see about a reward. Beth is one of them, so I have a bit of an in, you could say."
"Fine. But first— the head," Shrike says without preamble or announcing herself. It is not a question. Abella had claimed the hatbox for carrying to Zellara's, and no one had been especially eager to take it from her. "There a churchyard here?"
Lina leaned hard against the wall, using her quarterstaff to help prop herself up as the night wore on. As much as she wanted to look imposing, she could only assume she looked like another of the downtrodden that walked the streets looking for aid. The truth was she wasn't far off. At least she could offer the priest her eyes as they stood guard, and her companions some much needed rest.
As the night wore on, she felt her eye lids getting heavy, but she refused to head inside. More than not wanting to leave the priest, she didn't want to sleep. She knew her dreams would be plagued by headless fortune tellers, starved children, and bloody floors.
The night passed mostly without incident, but every time a new mob showed up, she found herself grasping her quarterstaff tighter and trying to puff her self up a little more.
Once the sun had risen, she nodded to Brother Theolan and headed inside. She needed to wash up and find some food. Her eyes darted around the room, taking in all the destitute faces and the muted voices. Finally she locked in on Abella and approached her and the others. She stood silent, not able to find any words and simply forced herself to eat smell bites of the hard bread left out.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
The halfling arrived at the sanctuary on a riding dog moving quickly and nimbly through the occasional street urchin or refugee around the sanctuary. He stared at every child for a good moment as he took the dog right into the temple sanctuary itself. After dismounting carefully from his dog he tucked his riding gloves into his belt and began to carefully look into the face of every male boy in the room.
The halfling is dressed in colorful blue and orange traveling clothes with a beret. He cups his hands and yells "Master Binford! Master Binford!"
He headed into the interior of the sanctuary to look for himself. "Is it true, is it true, are some Lamms here?!"
Brother Theolan smiles and nods tiredly at Audria's announcement.
"I'm not surprised. Given what you and Eliana experienced in the past, I imagine finding any lost Lambs will be of great importance to you."
He looks around at the semi-organized chaos. "Don't worry about us. The local community is really coming together. Praise be to Shelyn! It's heart-warming to see, but I'd rather the times didn't call for it."
He looks directly into Audria eyes and leans close. "I'll keep a look out for Eliana and tell her you're out following your path. Hopefully she won't worry as much about you as you do about her, or else you'll be chasing each other all over this city."
Lina struggles with her tiredness, but keeps herself awake by continuing to keep busy with small actions like eating the hard bread.
Realizing how rude she is being, Audria blushes and finds herself having some trouble meeting Brother Theolan's gaze until he leans down to look her in the eyes.
"Th-thank you Brother Theolan," she stammers. "You might have to lock her in our room."
She manages a smile for the first time since getting the card from Zellara.
Audria rushes over to the halfling after hearing him ask about Lamm's Lambs.
"There are," she says as she sits on her heels. "Can you describe the boy you're looking for? Some of them are probably still asleep after last night."
Garrett comes from the privy to see what is going on. "Yeah, did he have some of your family as well?" Garret asks as he tries to remember any halflings among the kids.
Pip catches his breath, stopping for the first time in a while to gather his thoughts.
"I lost young Master Binford. A human boy 12 years old, brown hair, brown eyes, chipped tooth on his bottom left, and always tugs at his collar. He had a fancy signet ring I am sure was taken with him."
Pip walks up to Garret. "Nice to meet you. They call me Pip. I wanted to get that bastard that held him. I guess I am a little late to get my revenge."
Pip then notices the larger woman and tries to keep his calm. He executes a bow and sweeps off his beret in a flourish. "Pippip Ooray at your service -- master dogrider, fencer, educator, and teller of tales. These poor street people, I never knew Korvosa had gotten this bad. Tell me you got this Lamm!!"
Abella is a little perturbed nobody is taking her up on her suggestion to go look for a reward, but they will come around.
She spots the newcomer speaking with Audria and Garrett and strides over, hearing the conversation turning to Lamm. She tosses out a self-satisfied grin as she waves. ”It was actually *I* who got him.” She pats the pommel of her thornblade. ”It was a team effort of course, but I got the ‘blow of mercy,’ as the poets say.” She holds out her hand. ”Abella Tribastarion. Under-appreciated genius in the field of thanergy, commonly known as negative energy.”
Audria, who's only large when compared to halflings, gnomes, and other little folk, tries to recall if she saw a boy like that among those that were in the fishery or the group that Talanaliel lead to the temple.
"She did," Audria confirms when Abella makes her entrance and claims Lamm as her kill. "I was a little closer to it than I would have liked to be."
Despite what should be wonderful news, Audria looks more troubled by the reminder of what happened than glad to be rid of the wretched man.
Shrike cocks her head slowly and after a moment follows Abella when she abruptly stops talking about either reward or head and walks over to the dog-riding halfling who has been calling loudly for a "Master Binford." A servant looking for his masters' lost son, no doubt.
Although it was probably his own alligator's teeth that caused the life to leave Lamm's body in the end, he had been well on his way thanks to Abella's thornblade when he entered the water. She folds her arms in a way not intended to be intimidating and does not quibble.
"There were more kids. Some ran."
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
The description provided by the personable Pippip Ooray doesn't immediately bring any recognition. One of the Lamm's running around the Sanctuary has stopped nearby eavesdropping and gasps at Pippip's description.
"Chip! You're talking about Chip!" the young girl bursts out She has straw-colored hair and a scar on her right cheek that is a straight line seemingly underlining her bright blue eye. She blinks it and its unemphasized twin rapidly while looking at Pip. "H-he's with Sally and Moss at the Street Hole. Some of the other kids were too hurt from beatings and stuff..." Tears begin to well up in her eyes. "We have a-a hidey-hole...they went there. They couldn't make it all the way to the Sanctuary last night."
She looks earnestly between the group, tears leaking from her eyes now. "They were going to come today once everyone had time to rest, but the city's all crazy now...I'm so scared for them!"
She hiccups and then does her best to explain the location is some streets over from the wharf where the Old Fishery is to the west.
Perhaps once order has become better restored? In the meantime, Audria's connections at the Sanctuary may be able to store the goods...or even put to use by the makeshift guards manning the carts and wagons and tables forming the makeshift barricades in respect to any weapons and armor among the loot.
"There a churchyard here?"
Thank you, Hunter. Everything else can wait.
Shrike gives her full attention to the scarred young girl. When she's done explaining the location of the Street Hole as best she can, the bird-masked elf nods once. "Sounds urgent. I'm going. Who else?"
The mask is still. From behind it she examines the gregarious new halfling, taking in the combination of brightly colored pastel clothes, steel-reinforced leather armor, and thin but deadly sword. The effect is oddly charming, a little like if one of those dyed almond-flour cookies wore a helmet.
Pip responds to the question from the back of his dog, as he had already mounted up as Shrike was looking at the young girl.
"Let's ride!!" Whoop Whoop" the halfling says with much enthusiasm.
"Don't worry. We'll find them," Audria reassures the little girl. "Tallyfeather here should be able to help us them."
The thrush puffs out her chest and exudes an air of confidence. Audria smiles and pulls the girl into a hug.
"It's okay, we're going to make sure everyone's safe."
As they leave the temple, Audria, decked out in armor and ready for trouble, turns to look at Talanaliel.
"Why didn't you tell me that not all of them made it last night," Audria asks, clearly upset.
"Because you would have rushed out and gotten yourself hurt or killed! I saw how your were acting, and I know you entirely too well," the thrush twitters back.
"Lets go. If the kids there are hurt they may need help considering how bad things are in the streets." Garrett says as he prepares to head out.
Pip puts his hand out to the other halfling as an offer to mount up with him.
”We can travel faster on Donnal.”
Abella follows the others along as slow as she can while still keeping up. She throws a wink to the thrush. ”Your bird is right, Canary. What is that, ‘discretion is the better part of valor.’ I believe that’s the saying?”
"I prefer run away and live another day...but yours works too" Lina offered meekly.
The group readily assembles with the goal of retrieving the lost Lambs without any need for discussion or argument. Perhaps a bond has formed over their foray into vigilante justice on behalf of Zellara and all others who have been adversely affected by Gaedran Lamm. Knowing there are still others hurt and in danger due to the man's evil drives the adventurers forward in need of decisive action and without pause.
The streets are deserted, yet despite other times when this happens such as large parades and holiday events, they are not silent. The yells of the various mobs and their clashes with opposing forces of justice seem to echo down the lengths of the alleys with an ebb and flow creating a dull roar which intensifies and recedes like waves crashing on a beach. The tension in the air feels tangible, every step requiring energy to move through the thickness of the air. Anxiety and tight muscles become familiar companions on this foray as every intersection potentially brings the group of Korvosan avengers into contact with hostile forces from either side of the citywide disturbance.
Two men with packs stuffed to burst erupt out of an alley up ahead and immediately flee at the sight of the group, eyes wide with worry and fear. They clutch their goods as they run as if their lives depend on their escape.
Soon enough following that, the group sees a small squad of Korvosan Guard who immediately ready their weapons upon seeing the party up the street. Their threat against the party is short-lived as the roar of rioters suddenly increases in volume, and a mob of possibly 20 appears from a side street up ahead. On seeing the smaller band of Guard they yell, "Down with the Usurper! Death to Ill-of-'Vosa! and surge forward brandishing battered weapons towards them. The squad's sergeant gives the command to retreat, and in almost no time at all, both groups have disappeared in the direction from which the squad had come.
Based on the description provided, the party is only a few streets away from the so-called "Street Hole."
Shrike keeps her crossbow out and her head and eyes turning constantly as they push through the tense atmosphere in the streets, always looking for threats. She notes the two looters with distant disapproval, but it seems their ken is already milled, and it would be a distraction to chase them. The appearance of the Guard makes her check and tense for a moment, but the arrival of the mob spares them from having to make any snap decisions.
She sighs inaudibly. A short, soft birdlike whistle comes from behind the mask to get the others' attention, and she jerks her head at the would-be thieves a short distance down the road from which the mob emerged. "They're milling the swag. Do we care?"
At the same time, she puts away the crossbow and takes out the guisarme again, making it plain that she does, indeed, care and intends to intervene shortly. A crossbow is an unavoidably lethal weapon, and she doesn't mean to kill anyone for thieving.
Pippip howled in glee to be off again on Donnal, his riding dog.
He began to orate in his tenor voice an original composition in iambic pentameter (fancy/old-time poetry beats)
'The Ride of the Avengers'
"The hobbit and his hero friends set out that day,
any slavers of children were sure to pay.
Riding and dodging looters through the crazy city streets,
thankfully they had a bard to lay down some beats..."
Abella spies the looters but makes no comment on it. A little destruction of property and redistribution of spoils has little to do with her. Shrike and the little bard both seem keen on doing something, though. ”Go where you go. I may follow.” This would be a good in with the guard at least.
Audria's eyes narrow as she spies the looters that Shrike had seen. Making sure her holy symbol is out, she looks to the others.
"I do." She answers Shrike's question with a certainty that was absent when going against Lamm. This is simple. There is a right and a wrong here that is easy to see, and the young woman takes in a deep breath before approaching the would-be thieves.
"Excuse me, but may I ask what you are doing here," she calls out to them, her voice loud and clear even over the din of the rioters not far away. Talanaliel sits on her shoulder, mirroring Audria's stern expression.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Three men and a woman turn sharply in response to Audria's call. They blink for a moment and then visibly relax after seeing the party.
The man at the door return his attention to the lock.
A greasy-haired man with a crooked nose (looks like a bad break that wasn't set properly before it healed), sneers at Audria. A wicked looking dagger hangs at his hip, and he holds a wrapped cudgel in a defensive position. His clothes match his hair making one wonder what he's been rolling around in to be so oily. As the party approaches there's no mistaking a sour sweat odor drops off of him and his companions.
"Oi, oi, little miss soldier. No worries here," he says gesturing towards his companion prying the door's lock with a rusty hatchet. "Dis me friend's shop...that's him there. He lost his keys in all this mess, and we're just here to protect him while he gets his goods out."
The woman takes a step forward, a heavy meat cleaver in the hand at her side. Her messy hair is bound up in a handkerchief and her dress is very worn and torn in places. An ill-fitting reinforced leather jerkin covers the upper portion, and a dirty apron hangs from underneath. The spots on it are dark and possibly blood stains. She addresses Lina and Shrike directly.
"Yous in charge of the kiddos 'ere?" she waves a hand at the young Audria, Abella, and two halflings astride the dog. "Is real cute she likes to play dress-up, but this be dreadful times fer a pretend patrol, isn't it? Yous going the wrong way fer the Sanctuary of Shelyn if that's where ye be bound. Yous should just turn around now, shouldn't ya? Go back the ways ya came."
Pippip slows his dog as he continues his narration and turns to back up the holy valkyrie:
"Arriving at the store, the small heroes were mistaken for boys
The dim fools would soon find out they weren't packing toys..."
Pip locks eyes with the woman with the cleaver and waves his hands and mumbles some arcane words.
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one humanoid creature
Duration 1 hour/level
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
DESCRIPTION
This charm makes a humanoid creature regard you as its trusted friend and ally (treat the target’s attitude as friendly). If the creature is currently being threatened or attacked by you or your allies, however, it receives a +5 bonus on its saving throw.
The spell does not enable you to control the charmed person as if it were an automaton, but it perceives your words and actions in the most favorable way. You can try to give the subject orders, but you must win an opposed Charisma check to convince it to do anything it wouldn’t ordinarily do. (Retries are not allowed.) An affected creature never obeys suicidal or obviously harmful orders, but it might be convinced that something very dangerous is worth doing. Any act by you or your apparent allies that threatens the charmed person breaks the spell. You must speak the person’s language to communicate your commands, or else be good at pantomiming.
"Join this crew, the pay is better."
"He lost his keys," Shrike repeats, with flat contempt. "Well in that case."
She steps forward to stand in front of Audria, the guisarme held at the ready. Need a damned cosh. That one would do. "Maybe he should look again. At home."
"In charge? No, don't be silly. The bird's in charge" Lina said with a half-hearted shrug and backed away.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Abella is not particularly focused on reading the looters, tailors, whatever they are. She does not even particularly mind being called a “kiddo.” If anything, she finds it rather funny that anyone could see her pale, sleepy-eyed face and think “ah yes, a child.” ”Seems reasonable enough to me. You never know what kind of ruffians may be about at times like these.” She stretches and yawns. She then sees that the others appear to be less understanding. ”Oh, Butcherbird is a little unhappy. That cannot be good. And our new little Magpie there singing away.” She really wishes she has an apple or something to crunch on while she watches. Though if this goes south, she may need to be the responsible one and keep the others from going south themselves.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Talanaliel puffs up her tiny chest just a bit more at Lina's comment, and it takes all Audria has to not smile at the joke. Realizing that these ones are lying helps wonderfully in that regard.
"I am young, but that doesn't make me stupid. I know thugs looking for an easy score when I see them," she says, her voice cold as the swiftly departing winter. "Leave, go find place to wait this out and think about what kind of people you want to be remembered as."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The measured delivery of Pippip's bardsong washes over the woman in the dirty apron.
She clutches temple and her eyes blink groggily before regaining their focus, and an angry twist to her lips appears. "Oi, boys, the little man prattling on...he's magicking me!"
"Ah, now why you'd go and do that, eh?" The greasy man asks sadly. He pats his cudgel in his other hand. "Now I have to help all the children go to sleep. Lads!"
The other two men step away from the shop door. The man with the hatchet has an unfortunate face by any definition and appears as oily as the first man while the other actual looks much cleaner and has a look of concern on his face as he hesitantly raises a short sword in a competent fashion. Faceman turns his rusty hatchet around so the flat metal is forward and the blade turned away.
Rolls:
Battle Groups:
The only one of three who seem to find the armored maidens threatening is the reluctant man in the back. He's clearly having a conflict of conscious.
"Well, this took a dark turn." Garrett says as he tries to disappear into the shadows of the buildings.
"Let them come to me first before you dive in," Shrike mutters to the unexpectedly magical and clearly enthusiastic Pippip. She stalks forward slightly, in order to make herself the ruffians' prime target, but lets them close most of the distance before lashing out with the hooked end of the guisarme and yanking one unfortunate ankle-first to the ground.
”The bard tried to stop them with a magic spell,
now for some looters things wouldn’t end well.”
Pip draws steel, a fine rapier but small and puts some magic power in it.
He prepares to charge anyone as the half elf trips them hoping to catch them on the ground.
Realizing he didnt have the time to charge, Pippip drew steel and cast a quick cantrip at the cleaver woman trying to dominate her mind again.
"Seems your new friend is full of surprises," Talanaliel whispers as the thugs rush in.
"Let's hope they don't have tricks of their own," Audria mutters back as she steels her nerves for the coming fight.
Reluctant calls to the others, "Hey guys, let's just go. Getting into the, uh, into our shop," The lie seems to make him wince. "We can do that later. No need to be hurting some ki—...er, smaller folks over it. They think they're doing right."
He glances at Audria rather uncertainly, and despite seeming to know his way around the weapon in his hands, he makes no threatening moves.
On the other hand, the so-far mute and unfortunately-faced brute with the hatchet approaches only to be tripped up by the bird-faced vigilante. He tries to stand up, but Shrike's ready to trip him again.
He blocks the attempt with his hatchet and gives Shrike a nasty look as he gets back on his feet.
The woman groans and sways slightly, her eyes looking around for a moment, but not seeming to see where she is.
Abella performs a yawn. ”Yes, why don’t you go run along like the nice boy over there suggests.” She sends out a targeted rush of thanergetic waves towards the hatchetman, designed to elicit a primal fear response.
She draws her thornblade and leans it on her shoulder.