Beren accepts the coin and stows it quickly in his pack. "You are more than generous field marshall," he says with a slight bow.
He then hurries out the door trying to keep up with his longer legged companions.
Sun Fei nods towards the back, indicating that they should head around to the cattle pen first and approach from that direction.
Inros nods in agreement, and draws his longsword.
Thelix follows his stalwart companions to the rear of the building with an eager gleam in his eye. Ah! another chance to prove myself to the Lord in Iron.
|
Beren, Yselle and Sarastal are ready to take their leave of the field marshal but she halts them and gives them a few items that may help out in the upcoming days, an obsidian wand and a crystalline vial of some kind of substance and a glass tube of an oily substance. She tells you she does not know what they are of what they do but hopefully they will be of service to you. She also gives the descriptions of each of the men and woman you are to help capture Vancaskerkin. She wishes you luck again and goes about her business.
Inros, Thelix and Sun make their way to the back of the shop, once there they see that the only doors to get into the place are front door (facing north) and the double doors leading into the shed, which are visible from the road. Acting like they know where they are going and thinking that they have the law on their side now. Quietly they try the door and find that it is locked…….
The group of Beren, Yselle and Sarastal head out to the address on the sheet keeping to the side streets and waiting out as large gangs or squad of Hellknights go by. It does not take you to long to get there though, Your on Stirge St. heading directly east and can see the shop just up ahead. The street is quiet but people are still moving about, rushing to their distinations. Its a small two story building up on your right. No one is around it or coming out of or going into the All the World's Meat store. From your vantage point you can see a sign hanging from the enterance with an image of a fat smiling cow, the door to the place is closed(The front of the shop faces north, a window with a empty display case has a sign on it with writing, on the west side of the building is a large empty cattle pen which hugs the building and inside the pen double doors leading into the building can be seen. At the south end of the pen is a wheel barrow next to a small roofed shed with a wagon full of straw in it. You can smell the stink of manure, mud and animal coming from the whole place. The shed has double doors which open to the alley on the west side. At the back of the building you see three people trying the door but finding it locked it looks like......
Sarastal cautiously creeps up to the party at the back door. They don't look like deserters to me...
"Hey!" she hisses, "are you the people who gave Gerdrenn Lamm his just deserts?" She ducks behind a tree and gets ready to run in case they're just run-of-the-mill looters.
Yselle is far less cautious as she walks right up to the trio. "Thelix, Inros and Sun, I presume. The field marshal sent us to help you out."
Beren approaches the three, crossbow drawn but lowered, shield slung over back. He stops at a distance of 20 ft from the three working the door. After Sarastal hails them he adds, "If you be the companions we are looking for, field marschall croft sent us to aid you on this mission. If not, You'd better step away from that door and submit to the judgement of the Lawkeeper."
"And you are?" Sun Fei replies skeptically. Whether or not they were 'backup' she didn't like being at a disadvantage.
When the dusky young woman introduces herself, she does not bow or curtsy. She stands erect and plants her hands on her hips.
"I am Yselle, professional acquirer."
"Go away and leave us alone". "We don't need anymore companions that run away at the first sight of blood". Thelix growls. "The Lord in Iron is all that I need to protect me".
"Oh, so you would disobey the field marshal?"
Beren steps forward to get a better look at his new 'companions', unlimbering his mace as he comes. "I'll not be called a coward by a youngling like yerself. I've been fighting low-lifes on these streets since before you sprouted yer first whisker. Now are we gonna sit here and argue so everyone in the meat market knows were here or are we going to plan a way to work together and take these rebel guards down."
"My name is Sarastal. A woman named Zellara asked us to settle a score with Lamm, but it looks like you beat us to it. Now Marshal Kroft sent us to back you up with the deserters."
She bows sardonically. "I may not be much with a sword, but I know a magical trick or two."
Thelix stares at the threatening dwarf, knowing he has nothing to fear from one such as he. He is armored in his faith. "Just stay out of my way, and there won't be a problem".
"Dwarf's right, we are too exposed here. I believe them." says Sun Fei looking at Sarastal in particular. "Lets do what we came to do."
"We don't know who or what is in there, so we can use all the help we can get. If the Field Marshall sent them, I for one trust them."
"Then let us get about the business of finding this Vancaskerkin fella. Have you had any luck with this door?" Beren equips his shield as he talks.
"Well, no luck at all. The door is locked. Anyone of you able to open a door quietly?"
Yselle smiles slyly and holds up a thin metal rod.
"Allow me."
|
|
After all of the banter dies down and people on the street start to move on pausing to see what all of the fuss is about behind the meat shop. Yselle bends down to start taking care of business, checking the lock out she finds its an easy one tripping the tumblers she hears the click with a sense of satisfaction. Openng the door slightly she peeks in and finds this to be a storage shed. Items used for holding and slaughtering cattle, pigs, goats and lambs can be seen by her. The others behind her wait for her go ahead. There are double doors on the other side of the shed which go into the building proper, they are closed as is the doors on the north wall that lead outside into the cattle pen. She sees no one is inside of the shed but its hard to tell with the only light source in the shed coming from behind her from the outside.
"One moment," says the dusky young woman.
From her pack she quickly takes out a small lantern, fills it with lamp oil and lights it. At the doorway's threshold she holds the illuminated lamp out in front of her.
Sarastal coughs quietly and mutters, "Humans...always trying to light up perfectly good shadows."
She draws her crossbow and holds it awkwardly, as if she were unsure which direction to point it in.
Yselle looks at Sarastal and her crossbow. She steps away from the shack and shutters her lamp.
"You lead then," she says, her tone ungentle. "I'm not going in with that thing aimed at my back. You barely know how to hold it."
Sarastal meekly whispers: "I'll keep my mouth shut, just don't make me go in first, please..."
"Let those of us that know our way around a weapon lead the way," Beren says as he motions for Sun Fei and Moody toward the door. "If the room appears empty, we should go in quitely but ready for action." Beren raises his shield and pushes the door open slowly, crossing the threshhold and checking behind the door to his left.
Yselle seems astonished by the elf girl's reaction. She shakes her head and gets behind Beren, rapier drawn.
With all the steel drawn by others, Inros decides to sheath his sword and nock an arrow in his bow.
"What is it with you people?" hisses Yselle. "If you're going to shoot, make sure no one's in the way!"
Yselle moves to the very back of the group.
|
|
The dwarf leads the way into the shed checking behind the door and then the rest of the the room. He sees no threats and slowly moves into the shed, looks around again, waves the rest of the group to follow then crosses to the doors that lead into the building. Giving it a quick check he figures this one is locked also. The rest of the group is now in the shed, its a bit tight but you all fit. The major light source is still from outside. The door seems a bit old but is well made and cared for. The smell in the shed is almost barable with the door to the outside open...
Yselle eyes the inner doors suspiciously. She silently motions for the party to step back.
"What is it with you people?" hisses Yselle. "If you're going to shoot, make sure no one's in the way!"
"Trust me," whispers Inros, "I am much better with my bow than my sword."
Sarastal keeps her mouth shut and her crossbow pointedly away from Yselle as she follows in the back.
Sun Fei watches as Yselle works to find anything hidden in the shed. She keeps her eyes open on the building.
|
|
Again Yselle checks the door and then the lock itself and finds no dangers. The door is locked and after a bit of work she clicks the lock mechanism to the open position. Pushing open the door a bit she find the room in complete darkness. The light behind her is not enough to see 5 feet into the room. It seems to be a large room though. The smell from the room almost makes her stomach revolt, this mornings breakfast can be tasted on the back of her tongue. The rest of the group coughs and gags a little from the smell too.
Beren looks through the slightly open door hoping his darkvision will see something that the others cannot.
If he sees nothing, he suggests that they enter quitely.
If he does see someone, he relays that to his companions and prepares to burst into room and take them by surprise.
"Ugh!" groans the thief. She covers her mouth and face and tries not to throw up.
Sarastal hisses, "Yselle, are you all right? What's in there?"
Sun Fei focuses her concentration, feeling the calmness that her sword brings to her hand and steps into the room to find the source of the scent.
If there is space, Inros looks into the room, keeping an eye out for Sun's safety. Otherwise, I will take a position behind the dwarf.
Yselle stumbles to the back of the group, brushing past Sarastal.
"Go in. Beren saw nothing."
Thelix enters the room with the others Greatsword in hand, head swiveling looking for something to chop.
Beren enters the room and makes his way cautiously across the room. He is moving towards any doors that would seem to lead toeard the front of the store.
|
|
The floor of this grim chamber is strewn with blood-stained
straw, and the reek of slaughter is almost overpowering. The
room itself is a killing floor. A metal track affixed to the ceiling
dangles meat hooks here and there, allowing the hooks and
their gory loads to be moved easily from the northwest where
a large hammer sits on the floor amid a permanent bloodstain.
To the south, a bloodstained grill covers a wide hole in the
floor. Just north of the grill sit two large vats of water; one
boiling and one cold. Two large butcher blocks stand to the
east next to barrels of salt, and in the southeast corner sits a
reeking vat of cast-off meat and bones.
Its very dark in this room, no windows to bring light in except for the faint light coming from behind your group and the small fire that keeps the water boiling in the one vat. Movement can be seen now as shapes move out of the darkness. Beren can see human men heading towards them with weapons draw moving in quick. Thelix and Beren are blocking the doorway for the rest of the group and Thelix is having a hard time making out the incoming men but he can sence them as Beren tone tightens up as if trouble is near by.
Thelix enters the dark room his eyes adjusting to the darkness, and senses movement all around him.
Greatsword he holds ready looking to lash out at any threatening creatures. "Fell the sting of Gorum's wrath he shouts as he lunges at one of the approaching enemies.
Beren steps forward 10 feet toward the attackers, he digs his heels in and attacks the first man to reach him with his mace. While doing this he tells the others "two men, coming from the shadows, make ready your defenses."
Yselle draws her rapier and bounds backward to give her comrades more room to maneuver.
|
|
The shadows move in quickly to attack, Thelix can see two figures with swords out coming at him. They lash out hoping surprise is on their side. A clang can be heard as the first attack gets caught up in something hanging down from the ceiling but the other figure does not have that problem, he cuts Thelix across the forarm drawing blood(3 hps dam). Other figure are in the room also Beren finds out quickly, one pops up from behind one of large vats and takes a shot from its crossbow Beren can see. It sails in just missing off to the side of him. It thuds into the wall next to Sarastal who is still in the shed. The last shadow dances in trying to catch the dwarf off guard and does drawing blood along the shoulder of the dwarf(8 hps dam). Thelix now angry lashes out at his attackers wanting to draw blood of his own. His wound hampers him a little though messing up his swing making his attack off by a little. Beren having taken a grave wound swings his mace in retaliation, it falls short of the mark, his wound causing problems with his attack. The rest of the group in the shed moves up to help their friends or new comrads.....