Standing by, Trinity continues to observe the securing process taking place in the adjacent room.
Hookshanks peers at the man behind him "Geri? Geri, is that you? My how you have grown in the past few years. Always knew Lamm should have beaten you to death. Too bad, really, it's come to bite him in the ass."
"He tried. And he failed," Gerinel replies. He lets Hei-wa usher him back inside and then assists with the hog-tying of the two goons. "Three for three so far," he comments.
"Ya but we made a lot of racket. I hope it didn't alert anyone else that we are hear."
"Desna's smiled on us so far," Gerinel says with a smile of his own. "These three made our lives Hell, but it isn't time for them to head there...not yet anyway."
Yelena sighs when Hookshanks refuses to answer her questions. It's pretty obvious by now they'd prefer not to murder anyone, and it's probably also pretty obvious they would never let him go no matter what he said. That leaves no real motivation for him to answer. Still, she'd been hoping he would make their lives a little bit easier.
Ah well.
She moves back into the room with Tawni and Giggles. "Let's get them all in the same room but as far apart from each other as possible. With their hands tied behind their backs and them facing the wall it'll be easy to see any attempts at freeing themselves." She pokes her head through the open doorway to see if the eastern room would make a better 'cell' than the ones they've already seen.
Hookshanks looks at Yelena as you can visibly see the gears in his mind working "I'll tell you what you want to know, but we need to come to some sort of understanding. I tell you where you can find Lamm and you let me walk free. As proof of my sincerity I'll tell you the children are asleep on the fishery's main floor. Now, do we have a deal?"
As you listen to Hookshanks try and cut a deal you hear the sound of a creaking board coming from outside the building.
Yelena looks into the side room to find a pair of bunk beds against the far wall, two of which seem to have been recently slept in. A boarded up window is between the two beds.
Hei-wa says with finality, "No deal. I do have a counter-offer..." His voice trails off as he fires a hard look at the door and dock beyond, then he cat-foots to the doorway, sliding past Trinity to confront whoever is outside.
Dammit, of course this is in disrepair too... Here goes nothing... The sound of an armored gauntlet gently taps against the outside of the door three times. Hey! You don't know me, but that little runt knows where my son is! Thrashed a fence, Solomon - Isaac Solomon, to tell me where this jerk hides himself. Figure we can help each other on this. I'm Odver - can you let me in before the watch wanders by and does their job this one time?!?
"Let him in but stand ready. This could be a set up." Trinity states with trepidation in her voice.
Gerinel nods and does as Trinity asks, opening the door and sizing Trask up when he does.
"Chelish...Not surprised, Gaedren's always been an equal-opportunity scumbag, taking and breaking no matter what your blood is."
He stands aside to allow Odver in, but watching him with a wary eye, especially when he notices the dog.
Trinity prepares her whip, winding it tight and holding it firm in her hand. "What do you mean when you say help each other? Did you have something specific in mind Mr. Odvar? If that is your name." She asks in a very skeptical tone.
Hookshanks looks at Yelena as you can visibly see the gears in his mind working "I'll tell you what you want to know, but we need to come to some sort of understanding. I tell you where you can find Lamm and you let me walk free. As proof of my sincerity I'll tell you the children are asleep on the fishery's main floor. Now, do we have a deal?"
"Thank you." Yelena means it. The children are actually here. Victor is here. Her impulse is to immediately rush to the fishery floor and see for herself, but no. They have to be careful. They still don't know where Lamm is, and there's no guarantee these are the only thugs here either.
She shifts impatiently from foot to foot while they finish tying everyone up. Just when she thinks they might be ready to move on there's a knock on the door. Wait, son?
"Are you looking for someone too?" Yelena is clearly less suspicious of the new arrival than the other members of the group. "Lamm took my brother, it's why I'm here. Did I hear you say your son is missing?"
Odver slides into the room, resting his ransuer out of reach. He obviously has the look of someone who's worked with his hands for his whole life, and the shoulders to match a lifetime of labor. His hair cut short, more out of convenience than any particular style, and a few days of stubble grown in. He nods at Yelena, and holds his hands up in a non-threatening way, as non-threatening as a man with a spiked gauntlet on his right hand can....
Thank you or this. My son has been missing for four years, me and Tomas have been looking everywhere, every beershop and pesh den we could find for Jamis. I finally found a fence who told me where to find this scumbag he nods at the gnome before continuing, and discovered you lot here already. Everything I do is to find my son, the guard can't or won't help, since I lost Lissa, this is all I know... I lost my smithy. But I need to find Lamm, if you are headed the same way and of a like mind, no reason we shouldn't do this together.... I'm Odver Trask, used to own a smithy in Old Korvosa, but that feels like a lifetime ago... he says, emotion thick in his voice, a heavy blend of anger and sorrow.
Odver's story tugs at Gerinel's heartstrings.
"I'd never let another kid suffer the way I did under Lamm's foul hand, whether they Chelish or a fellow Traveler. Desna smiles on you this night, Odver Trask. Gerinel is my name, and you've found an ally in me."
He extends his hand to let Tomas sniff him, and offers him a scratch behind the ears if he allows.
Trinity listens quietly as Odver explains his peril. Eventually she concludes that even if the man meant harm, he is too outnumbered to try anything. At some point during the explanation, she rolls up her whip and fastens it to her belt. "Most of us are somewhat unacquainted with one another, but we have similar cause. One more sword can't hert, but trust is a two-way road that takes time to develop. Hopefully we develop some as we put an end to this nightmare. With a little luck, we might find your son along the way."
"I'm Yelena Stanescu. If Hookshanks is telling the truth, we might find your son and my brother on the main fishery floor." Yelena never thought she'd be grateful Victor was missing for only a year. Four years. Four years and he never stopped looking. Not for the first time she feels a wave of anger over how quickly Adrian and Titia had given up hope.
"Let's get going." She glances at the three tied-up thugs, then at Tawni, (who's conscious but clearly hanging on by a thread.) "Tawni, perhaps you could stay here and keep an eye on them? Make sure they don't free themselves while we continue searching."
As the party interrogates the new comer Tawni carefully ties up Giggles and Hookshanks, who offers no resistance. Removing some of their items he finds three vial labeled in Orcish on Giggles. He holds them up for the others "Can anybody read this?" he asks.
They are vials of Cure Light Wounds potions
Also, on Giggles he finds a suit of Chainmail, a Composite Longbow, 20 19 arrows, a heavy mace, and a pouch with 90 gold pieces in it. Testing the longbow he finds that he cannot pull it, the draw is simply too much for him.
Looking over Hookshanks he finds a suit of Leather armor , A finely wrought Kukri , an unused Disguise kit, an iron key , and a belt pouch containing 10 gold pieces.
Hei-wa maintains his watchful silence of the latest victim of Lamm’s treachery and notes the name - Trask. He turns his attention to the bound gnome. ”Here’s my counter-offer…” Noting the team’s seeming preference for leaving these men alive, he wraps a practiced arm around the gnome’s neck and applies pressure, cutting off the gnome’s air supply while simultaneously compressing the arteries, denying blood to his brain. He’ll be dizzy in 30 seconds and unconscious in less than a minute unless he understands exactly what’s happening and knows the counter-technique.
Once the little thief slumps into unconsciousness, Hei-wa pokes his face to make sure he isn’t faking and then gently releases him.
He nods and moves to the southwest door to listen at it before attempting to open it.
Gerinel shakes his head at Tawni's question.
"Never could read Giggles' scrawling, and I'm still figuring out the magic Desna's gifted me, so I couldn't tell you how they work based on that. Yelena, you understand that stuff better, mind taking a look?"
Trinity looks firmly at Hei-wa. "Please don't kill the gnome. We may need him at some point."
Hei-wa's glance shifts from the door to Trinity to the gnome and back again. He says quietly. "He is alive. I suspect that is a mistake - leaving breath in any of them. I won't be surprised if turning them over to the Watch is the same as freeing them. But I understand your hesitancy to kill and I will respect it, for now."
"There is little doubt these idiots deserve to die, but I have witnessed too much death in my lifetime and firmly believe we should avoid murdering people if given the choice. The watch may turn a blind eye, or perhaps they won't. I believe we should give them the opportunity to fail before judging the process. I can tell you, from firsthand experience, that justice can be harsh under the right circumstances."
There is one man in the watch I trust, and if Lamm's removed from his seat of power, then his run of bribes and blackmail may free others up to do the right thing. We can drop a note. Sergeant Raxor is a good man, and one we could turn this scoundrel over to, and maybe he'll see justice some day. Otherwise I'm sure this Hookshanks will just turn up in another gang, or by way of more violence in our city. Testing the bow, That's got good draw weight to it. Might come in handy soon if you don't mind? I prefer a smaller bow, but for tonight wouldn't be bad to have in the arsenal.
Yelena takes the vials from Tawni, uncorks one, and gives it a quick sniff. "They're healing potions. About as powerful as the spells Trinity and I cast earlier. I think we should each hold onto one since we don't fight up close and are less likely to get hurt, then maybe Hei-wa holds the last one?"
She opens her mouth to protest when Hei-wa grabs Hookshanks by the neck, then notes the position of his hands and stops herself. He's probably right that knocking Hookshanks out cold is a better idea than leaving him conscious, even if Tawni stays behind. "I appreciate your understanding. I've never killed anyone before, and killing these people now, even if they deserve it...it would change me, and I don't think for the better." She wraps her arms around herself, (hissing slightly as she inadvertently brushes against the cut on her arm). "Once we've rescued the children, the guard will have definitive proof of what Lamm's been doing. None of them will be able to slip away from justice this time."
Trinity positions herself ten to fifteen feet from the door and prepares herself for when Hei-we opens it.
Hei-wa takes and places the potion bottle in his bandolier with a nod of thanks.
Trinity also accepts a potion and slides it into her bag.
Odver grabs his ransuer, and takes up position behind Hei-wa ready to strike should something emerge.
Hookshanks struggles to break free of Hei-wa's chokehold to no avail. His attempts grow more and more feeble as the Monk applies more and more pressure until, finally, the Gnome falls unconscious.
Tawni agrees to stay behind and watch over the prisoners "I'm dead on my feet and I'd feel a lot more sure of myself if I could use one of those potions."
As Hei-wa prepares to open the door Giggles awakes and tries to break out of his bonds but Tawni knows his business and the half orc cannot get enough leverage to bust free. Giggles smile fades from his face as he launches into a profanity laced tirade calling into doubt the legitimacy of everyone's parents marriage and some Oedipal ideas about your mothers.
The Tian offers up his potion for Tawni's use. Given the swashbuckler's worn appearance, Hei-wa isn't confident that he could handle the half-orc or any of his friends showing up.
He glares at Giggles' efforts and insults then stands, announcing quietly to his allies, "I'm not going to kill him... but he clearly only learns the hard way."
He moves swiftly over to the half-orc and delivers a set of flat-punches to Giggles' sternum, briefly disrupting the rhythm of his heart. Then prepares to put him in a sleeper hold if necessary.
Odver watches impassively as Hei-wa pummels the half-orc into submission again before directing his attention back to the door he's covering. Considering for a moment what these newfound allies bring to offer, maybe I should buy a sap? Seems a split bunch between violence and non-violence...
Standing ready, Trinity begins to voice a complaint about beating the half orc, but then refrains as she considers the process. (Hei-wa might be right about this guy. Knocking him out as well might be better for everyone.)
"For my part, I like to think I understand where to be merciful and when to send a soul to its final slumber. I've been on the road long enough to know sometimes a caravan has to fight to protect itself. I've no love for any of these scumbags, they made my childhood a living hell. But in sparing them we've proven we're better than them, better than Gaedren. And I can't help but take a small amount of smug satisfaction from that," Gerinel says.
He nods appreciatively as he accepts one of the potions, then his expression sours when Giggles wakes up.
"I barely got to KNOW my mother...OR my father for that matter, you overgrown twelve-year-old!" he retorts, just before Hei-wa goes to work on him.
"Thank you," he says as the half-orc goes unconscious. "He was always one of the worst. Just would NEVER shut up unless Gaedren yelled at him, and even that never lasted long."
Yelena shifts impatiently from side to side. She can acknowledge the benefit of knocking both Hookshanks and Giggles unconscious, but with Victor being so close any delay is maddening. "Are we ready to continue?"
"Is that the best you got?" Giggles chuckles before spitting a gob of blood at Hei-wa's feet "My Mother hit me harder than that when I was a whelp. But it figures that you'd only hit a man when he's tied up. What's the matter, too afraid to face me one on one? Untie me and let's go." Giggles taunts the Tian man.
Hei-wa doesn't bite at Giggles' bait, seeming unperturbed. He applies a chokehold and starts pressing into the half-orc's neck. "If you were any sort of man - or had a shred of honor - I'd consider it."
Giggles manages to break free of Hei-wa's chokehold, buying himself a couple of seconds of precious air before the Monk manages to close off his airway and the half-orc collapses, unconscious.
With Giggles taken care of, Tawni begins to drag the uncoscious thugs into the side room where he stands watch.
As Hei-wa opens the southern door he is almost overwhelmed by the smell, a mixture of fish and sweat, the stink is enough to make his eyes water. To the east, a large wooden trough holds a hideous mound of half-rancid fish, seaweed, and brine. Filthy river water and fish blood stain the floor around this trough. A pair of wooden chutes lead from this trough through holes in the eastern wall into a larger room beyond. To the west, a desk and chair sit in one corner while a tall cabinet sits in the other.
Through an open doorway you can see a flight of stairs descending into the darkness beyond.
Mmmmm, a lovely smell indeed, what else shall we discover today?Odver asks, creeping forward into the next chamber. He's not as light on his feet as Hei-wa, but for a blacksmith, he moves pretty well indeed.
Yelena coughs as she enters the room, regretting her decision to use Titia's scarf to bind Yargin's wounds. She could use it now to mask the smell. "Oh gods, how does anyone stand this?"
She moves to stand as far away from the trough as possible, eyes watering. To distract herself she searches the desk for any paperwork that might serve as evidence for Lamm's crimes.
Trinity didn't react much to the bad smell. She had experienced many unpleasant smells during her youth and, over time, belt a tolerance to it. Being a bit cautious, she moved into the room with her whip in hand. Once on the other side of the door, she quickly began inspecting of the area.
Covering his mouth and nose with his scarf to keep gagging to a minimum, Hei-wa slinks to the door on the north wall to listen.
As everyone begins to enter and disperse around the room you can hear the sound of nails scratching on wood, followed by the deep bark of a large dog coming up the stairs behind the open door.
Moments later a large mastiff, who some will recognize as Bloo, Yargin Balko's dog, bursts into the room. Growling and baring his teeth he moves to attack Hei-wa.
[u]Initiative:[/u]
Pretty sure the fierce dog is not going to give him a friendly lick, Hei-wa’s foot lashes out in a set of hasty kicks.
Stunning Fist (1):
Effects:
x = none
Trinity takes a step back when she sees the dog rush into the room. After uncurling her whip, she cracks it forward in order to discourage the dog from Bitting Hei-wa.
Sorry boy, you better back off! Odver gets behind Hei-wa and growls at the dog, trying not to really hurt it unless absolutely necessary. Poor boy doesn't know any better, try not to hurt it!
Gerinel follows the others into the room and flinches a little at the sound of the dog.
Hei-Wa lashes his foot out at Bloo but the dog, used to years of abuse, dodges out of the way.
Odver approaches the animal and attempts to dissuade it from attacking and, although he doesn't recognize the words he definitely recognizes the tone, a moment of doubt can be seen in the dog's expression.
Trinity's whip snaps the air next to Bloo, causing the dog to flinch at the last second as it's jaws snap shut on thin air.
Gerinel, memories of Bloo and his time with the Lamm's coming flooding back as he hesitates as he enters the room and sees the mutt for the first time in years.
Back turned to the trough, (and consequently the door), it takes Yelena several seconds to realize the dog has arrived. She doesn't necessarily agree that the mastiff is a "poor boy," but if Odver wants to try and avoid hurting him she'll do her best to help. "Did anyone bring any food with them? Maybe he's just..." The dog snaps at Hei-wa's foot, missing it by inches. "...Hungry."
Uncertain what else to do, she tries to talk in a soothing tone. "You don't really want to hurt us, do you boy?"