After Gern went into the room to take on the crocodile, Alandra pointed at Gearden and screamed: "Get him!"
Channeling the icy spirit of the Lady of Graves, a bolt of ice shot from her fingertip straight at Lamm.
Icicle ranged touch attack (1d20+2=13)
Cold damage (1d6+1=3)
"Avenging Angels? Perhaps not, perhaps not. Why not think of us as Agents of Death then you despicable bastard. For make no mistake, there's is nothing here for you but Death this night Geadren Lamm,the Gods know you've earned it 10,000 times over. Any last requests, anything left to say before I spit your black heart on the tip of my father's sword you #%@$^/!"?
As he says all this Zalen circles the room, rapier in hand, moving away from the Croc yet closer to Lamm. He is trying to distract Lamm with his words yet at the same time is being very watchful of Lamm's movements for any tricks he may have up his sleeve (so to speak)
Bluff?=10
Perception=18
Jillian fired the prepared bolt from her crossbow, but overcome with rage, her bolt went flying into the darkness.
Mastering her urge to charge across the room (and no doubt into the waiting maw of the crocodile) in her sudden urge to claw the skin off the old man's face, Kat took a quick breath and remembered her training. Quickly then she began to weave and whirl her fingers about in the air, calling forth the abjuration magicks that she had seemed to have such a knack for. She furtively glanced amongst the companions left by her to see which would be least likely to swing at her head for attempting to offer them the protective touch...
Ayedah's blood began to boil when she finally saw the hateful man they all sought. The urge to beat the old man to death and the need to get the information she needed screamed at each other in her mind, and the sight of the manacles and the realization of what they were for did not help.
Seeing Gern charging the huge crocodile decided her course of action. He would probably need help, and any animal that had been used in such a way was too dangerous to let live. With a growl she charged, swinging away at the beast.
As the group unloaded their first wave of assaults on the dirty old man, he merely chuckled, especially when some hardly-visible shimmer in the air around him altered the flight of their projectiles ever-so-slightly. "I knew you'd be coming. I was prepared."
He grasped a crossbow from one of the piles of discarded pickings, and unloaded it against Katryala, but the bolt only embedded itself in the wall behind the young wizardess. Old age was probably not doing his eyesight any good, either.
Zalen's careful inventory of Lamm and the room hit a tiny snag. There was a whole lot of things in this room that either could be thrown to some effect, or else was even a weapon. They had found the first crossbow earlier, the hard way. He saw several more. If Lamm was allowed to rove freely all over the room, he'd never have to actually close on them.
The crocodile snapped at Gern viciously, but only managed to break off a small corner of his shield with it's maw. It seemed angry enough, but Gaedren was furious. "I've fed you for how many years, useless beast! Devour them already. Like you don't know the tast, bah! What've i made you vicious for?"
Jillian moved behind the nasty croc, in line the Gern. She pulled out her rapier, ready to strike from behind.
Gern ignored the noise and voices around him, focusing his anger into a tight ball of controlled rage. This was channelled to the edge of his axe. A trick his father had taught him as a boy.
Looking down at the reptillian beast, he swung a quick and brutal overhand chop into its side, cleaving through the tough hide and drawing a great gout of blood.
"Your next Lamm, this thing isn't more than a walking carpet bag now"
Alandra fires another icicle, moving if necessary to get a clean shot.
Ranged touch attack (1d20+2=4)
Gearden is too quick, and It misses wide.
Seeing Gern's blow land and realizing that Lamm was now a legitimate threat with that crossbow, Ayedah was tempted to break from combat with the alligator to run the old man down. She fought the urge long enough to stand her ground and make sure the beast was finished. Ayedah raised her earthbreaker above and behind her head in both hands, gritted her teeth, and brought it straight down towards the alligator.
Zalen calls out "Everything in here is a Weapon! Cut him off, don't give him room to move!"
As he does this he picks up whatever closest handy thing to throw lies about and throws it at Lamm, all the while moving quickly but carefully to (hopefully??) be able to engage him in melee next round
Attack ranged=17 (minus any penalties if it's something he's not familiar with or even a weapon?)
Dam=??
PS where Is Lamm exactly?
Krek glaced at the weirding woman's arm move toward him; he'd never been one too turn down a lady's hand, but in a time like this, he had his reservations. Nonetheless, he felt oddly safe after the touch, and focused himself on the battle.
Drawing his sword, Krek dashed into the fray, approaching his opponent with a grin on his face; it was the first time he'd get to put his combat skills to use for a purpose other than training.
Katryala whipped out her sling, and the bullet she propelled half across the room hit Lamm on the shoulder, an unpleasant but hardly fatal hit. The man cursed "You'll have to do better than that, you arrogant children" as he made his way and finally arrived on the overflowing tables. When Zalen joined in the "fun" of throwing his accumulated treasures around, the old men let out a gasp. The old, blunt knife he had grasped send a bloody cut to his back. Through the stumps of rotting teeth, he hissed as his pet took Gern's powerful strike, and tossed something into the direction of Ayadeh, whose missile had missed him again.
Unfortunately (for him), whatever he had thrown was lost in the rivers water as his throw fell several feet short of its intended target.
Jillian and Gern began to pincer the wounded crocodile, but despite the hearty hit of the dwarf, it still had quite a bit of fight left. ITs vicelike jaws began to close down mercilessly on Gern's leg, and the hearty dwarf could feel the teeth grinding on the bone . The crokodile would not let go...
Feeling the flesh and bone of his leg taking damage from the great reptile, Gern screamed in pain and hatred. The axe in his hand once again went high and fell true on the cretures skull, splitting bone with a mighty crack. The beast dropped limp to the ground and the dwarf desperately tried to wrench his leg from its mouth. The wound was massive and the dwarf was in obvious pain. Blood was gushing from the wound.
"Damnit you skinny turd!"
Alandra was getting frustrated as Lamm kept moving around, making himself a difficult target. But she kept shooting icicles at him, and this time she got lucky and struck true:
Jillian strikes the croc from behind, hopefully catching it off guard, while it snacks on Gerns leg.
Katryala moved around the water towards the fray, looking for a clear opening to unleash her last spell on Lamm without catching any of her companions in the wash of flame...
"Old man, before this night is through, I will eat your heart in the marketplace!"
Gern, through the pain of his leg being crushed by the crocodile, still managed to embed his axe into its skull, where it stuck. The animal let go of his leg, spasmed, and tried to return to the river home.. but its feet failed it already. Alandra's Icicle and Katryala's mad rush to avenge herself with a handful of flame sealed Gaedren Lamm's fate just moments later.
The tyrannical monster shrieked in pain as the flames washed over him, a shriek turning to cackling, mirthless laughter. "Should have run when i had the chance..." he mumbled before collapsing squarely on the table, scattering "pickings" of his little Lambs all around.
Was this really it?
"Damn it! You died too quickly you worthless scum!" Zalen swore at the old shriveled corpse. In frustration he will stab his rapier into the place in Lamm's chest where a normal human's heart would be. "I swore I'd spit your blackened heart on my father's sword so There!"
Still hardly believing Lamm is really dead Zalen will still be on guard with his rapier in hand. But his natural instincts will start to kick in as his eyes begin to widen slightly with the sight of all Lamm's treasure strewn about 'I wonder how much is Here??'
Perception=22
Appraise=12
Ayedah started towards Gern to check on his leg when she heard Lamm's scream, turning in time to see him collapse across the room. Her blood ran cold at the sight. "No!" she screamed as she bolted around the pool, making her way to the fallen man as quickly as possible.
Lamm's eyes opened, and a brief flicker of recognition seemed to run through them for just a moment. Hardly audible, he whispered, "Why.... would... i tell you... animal" before Zaelen ended his miserable life for good.
Alandra saw Lamm drop and Zalen run over and raise his rapier.
"Don't kill him yet!" she yelled as she ran over to where Lamm lay. Too late, as she watched Zalen's rapier plunge into his heart.
"Damn you!" she screamed at Zalen. "I wanted to do that!"
Then she looked at Lamm's corpse and said quietly "Now you will meet my Lady, and she will send you to the Hell where you belong."
Felled next to him without use of his own hands, Krek was greatly upset. I almost had a chance at him myself! After the mild rage had left him, he decided it was probably for the better anyway; his sword was large, and the area was small - the other people might be hurt, even if they did ruin his opportunity.
"For one who talks much, you fight well," says Krek to the charismatic Rogue. "Maybe those searching eyes will spot something of value for you; Lamm has many things pass through his hands."
Krek looked down at the body, but no easiness flowed through him. His death did not seem .... done. Maybe it was because the children corrupted by Lamm would still bear his hate inside them for years. As Krek began thinking of his own time as one, however, an idea came to him.
"While you are collecting your trinkets, see if you can't find a rusty old shiv of the bastard's for me."
Krek forces a smile - likely unsettling on his fierce appearance - as he offers himself to the injured, doing his best to help.
Ayedah looked up at Zalen in shock, confusion and outrage in her eyes. The look on the hateful old man's face....he knew who she was talking about. She had come so close, and now...
She felt sickened and faint. She didn't know if she was going to retch in the pool or start striking whoever was closest to her as her mind raced, trying to find even a sliver of hope; the forboding words of Zellara haunted her, as if this loss had just confirmed them. Her eyes unfocused and she stood dull to the world until she remembered the voices heard above. "The others are getting away." she said quietly as she scooped up her hammer and ran back the way they came.
"The others are getting away!" she yelled more loudly, fully intending to apprehend at least one of them by herself if need be.
Jillian remains stunned. Finally her quest of vengeance is over, Lamm is dead. She had not prepared for this, what to do now? Should she return home, now? No, not yet. Let us see where the adventures bring me next she thinks, waiting for someone to take the initiative.
As the blood lust fades from him Zalen quickly has a strange mix of confusing and conflicting emotions surge through him...but chief among them is..disappointment. He had been dreaming and planing on this moment for so long..and now it was over. But his father was still dead with his reputation still slandered, the Candorian Trading Emporium was still in ruins and...and what? Exactly. Now what?
All of this raced through Zalen's head in mere moments...as he began to arise out of his own morbid thoughts Ayedah's words began to register on him and his emotions now changed to startlement. 'Oh no! What have I done! As he sees the terrible emotions rage across Ayedah's face he whispers "Ayedah..I...I didn't think, I forgot you...I'm so sorry!"
The big barbarian maid then takes off like a cheetah crying out something about the others. At first Zalen thinks she is talking about the children but then he gets it [i]'The children? Oh no! Wait! She means the other 'toughs'![i] and he begins to chase and call after her
"Ayedah! Wait! I'll help you! Please forgive me! I'll help you find your friend!"
Amazingly, thoughts of treasure are for the moment forgotten
Alandra hurried (carefully) after Ayedah and Zalen.
"Be careful!" she called out "Watch out for Jiggy!".
Mildly annoyed at the hurried exodus from the site, Krek looked around for his souvenir (the dagger) as well.
Krek and Katryala remained on the lower floor, together with Gern, whose mangled leg he just didn't really wish to put any strain to. The three of them found themselves overwhelmed with what they found here. The room was so full of clutter, it would probably take hours to just separate the worthwhile finds from the junk. Krek made one very worthwhile find, however, and very soon. The dagger he had a very personal memory off.. it was still on Lamm's person, hidden in a small leather pouch crammed into his boot. Sharper than he remembered it, too.
Meanwhile, the other half of the expedition raced back towards the upper floor as quickly as they dared without risking to "meet Jiggy". What they found was a scene of brutality. It seemed the warnings had been well placed... because the girl they had left tied up was nowhere to be found, but several fresh cuts on the faces of both the still-tied-up boy and the unconscious thug were garish souvenirs of her passing. Kro looked out of the one eye Dala had left him with in sheer panic... the gag in his mouth nearly chewed through.
More than content with his discovery, Krek was much more pleased with the series of events - happy almost. He tied the dagger to the waist of his pants, caring to glance down at it every so often.
As Gern was in no chance of death, he left to see how the children fared; they were the most difficult battle to win, after all - it had taken Krek a long time to overcome his bitterness.
Alandra looked at the poor mutilated boy then said to Zalen. "It looks like you didn't tie the other one up too good. She got away."
Even in her panic, Ayedah ground to a halt at the horrific sight before them. Scanning the room, taking in the carnage and still not quite able to believe it, she uttered breathlessly, "What happened here?"
She tried to listen for the sounds of whatever wrought this horror and the voices of the thugs heard earlier, as she moved to gently unbind the child.
Zalen, secure in his rope tying abilities, looks unconvinced that Alandra's comment is the accurate one, but he says "Maybe".
Before Ayedah has a chance to untie the boy he puts a hand on her shoulder and says quietly, only for her ears "Wait. We must take care with this one. I am the one who bound him, please allow me.
He moves to take the gag from the boy's mouth, moving slowly, being clear that he intends no harm. Right before he does so, he stops and says. "I am sorry boy, it was not my intention for you to come to harm. If you can assure me that you will remain calm and not try anything stupid, like trying to run away, I will free you." He will wait until a positive acknowledgment from the boy that he is coherent and understands, and his evaluation of that, before he proceeds to remove the gag
Sense Motive=20
If he is satisfied with the response he will remove the gag.
"Maybe you should take a look at that one" he says to Alandra indicating the older unconscious thug who may or may not be Kat's brother
"Maybe you should take a look at that one" he says to Alandra indicating the older unconscious thug who may or may not be Kat's brother"
"I can take care of both" she said, then closed her eyes for a few seconds to connect with Pharasma. Then a gentle wave seemed to wash over everybody present in the room and the conditions of both mutilated victims noticeably improved.
She waited over the one who might be Kat's brother to see if he regained conciousness.
Sense Motive, DC 10:
Alandra's healing energy flooded the room, and fresh, rosy skin began to cover the deep cuts the girl had left on her victims. New blood began to flush the pale face of the young thug, as well... he stirred. Maybe he would come to if given a little help.
Noticing the boys panic, Zalen decides not to untie him just yet. He will instead just remove the gag, hoping that Alandra's healing and his words will be able to calm the youth. "You are safe now boy, no more harm will come to you. What is your name. And what happened here?"
Diplomacy Check (to calm him??)=14
He will also be keeping an eye on Kat's maybe brother in case he wakes up and causes any trouble
Alandra knelt down by the still unconscious young thug and tried to wake him up, with Sliver drawn just in case.
Entering the room, Krek sees much of the group - and not as much of the youngsters as he expected. It didn't take him long to piece together the series of events, however. He knelt by the eyeless youth.
"You will be better with time." He knew it meant nothing to the child. It would have meant nothing to him.
He turned to the others.
"Have you found the girl?" Though Lamm was finished, his cruelty survived.
There was no trace of the girl to be found. She had probably bolted once she had finished her gruesome work. Yet under Zalen's care, the boy slowly came back from the panic that had gripped him, and Alandra successfully woke the youth from his unconsciousness.
"I'm Kro", the boy finally pieced together, his voice still shattered, more like a small kid than the half-man he was. "Dala... she's mad. Just started..." he sobbed, and it took a little while longer to calm him down. In time, he relayed the events. The girl, Dara, had slipped her bounds, and begun to carve the unconscious thug's face into pieces - but grown bored because he would not squirm or scream - and turned to him. Only when she had heard Lamm shouting on the lower level, she turned to flee.
The young man, previously called "Ein" by Ayen, came to, and froze immediately, when he saw Alandra close to his face. Slowly, he spread his arms, showing his palms. He was unarmed, and dared not say anything unless asked first. He looked rather frightened himself.
"Just stay down," Alandra told the young man "and I won't hurt you." She continued to kneel over him with the dagger, waiting for Katryala to come up from downstairs.
Seeing the boy Kro, calm down, but still not fully trusting him, Zalen says "I will free you from your bonds now boy. I urge to remain calm. You are not our prisoner anymore, but there are some here who may wish to ask you some questions...Both of you" He looks to the now conscious older thug 'Ein' as well. He cuts the boys bonds and sheathes his knife but keeps his hand near it still.
"I have a few myself. First all, know that that monster Geadren Lamm is dead and his madness and cruelty will plague this city no more. But we heard other voices. Who is on the ship? Who may still be here? Who and what do we need to look out for? And what secrets should we know about that Lamm kept here. Help us and it will go well for you. Do not and..." and he moves the hand on his knife slightly
Diplomacy=11
Bluff=10
Intimidate=12
Sense Motive=7
Listening intently, Krek focused his senses on the youths as they were questioned. Hopefully, news of Lamm's death would help them be truthful.
Ayedah had stood listening, at first just stunned by her confusion and horror at the scene and now shaken by the knowledge that a child was responsible. She knew if Lamm were alive before her now she couldn't stop herself from killing him right there without even thinking of asking what she sought to learn.
Zalen's mention of the voices from the ship brought her back to her sense.
"I'm checking outside." she said in a clipped voice as she ran back outside to once again check the surroundings. She wanted to stay and question Katryala's brother, but there were still other threats possibly nearby. Other people that might be able to provide answers. And then there was that insane girl...
Once outside, she glanced out onto the streets and looked back along the other boardwalk that led to the ship, trying to listen for any sounds in that direction.
Jillian follows Ayedah outside. She has learned never to leave a friend alone in an unknown place, no matter how safe it looks.
Ein bit his lips, and seemed as disinclined as Kro to answer any more questions... but held up for only heartbeats. "We cleared out a few nasty spiders from there, and the bigger boys sleep there. Its five of us... doubt they'll give you any trouble though. I mean, look at me." Now that he was talking, he did not seem so frightening... more like a young man who had run out of options all too soon.
Sense Motive DC 10:
Outside the fishery, the city was quite deserted now. The streets empty, not even a drunk or couple in sight. From the distance, a voice could be heard.
Listen DC 20, 15 for those outside:
After Alandra heard Ein speak, she saaid to him
"Ok, you can get up." then took a step back, but still kept looking at him with her dagger drawn. Then, without taking her eyes away from Ein, she asked Zalen
"Should we let them go?"
Hearing the news has no effect on Jillian for she has no knowledge of this prominent figure, but she will still inform those inside of the curfew: "A King has died, and we are told to remain in a 'home' until sunrise. I have no intention of staying here, but what happens is, of course, up to the group as a whole."
Zalen eyes Ket who seems conflicted with emotion and unable to speak. Not willing to interfere unless necessary it what must be a very difficult and personal matter for her, he ignores the 'Ein' situation as far as the possibility of her being her brother for the moment and concentrates on the matter at hand, namely their immediate safety and survival.
Zalen asks Jillian and Ayedah (if she's inside as well?) if they could tell from what direction the crier was coming-The side of the path to the ship or the side of the loading doors?
He turns to the group "I have no desire to remain here any more than the rest of you, yet if what Jill and Aye heard is true this is a serious situation indeed. Things have not been well in the court of late and the Kings death may bode trouble for us all, for the whole city. If there is a curfew, it is also likely being enforced. Which means guards, which I have no desire of meeting at the moment." He stops to think for a moment "I have no doubt that at least some of us" he nods at Jillian "may be able to escape their notice I do not know if others would be so successful. I would much prefer our deeds tonight, however much justified, remain unknown to the guard." He sighs "So, I think that none should leave here at the moment. At the very least not until they've passed. I say we lock the doors and take our 'guests' with us downstairs. Besides, I didn't quite finish getting a good look around down there" And he smiles as a glint of greed shines in his eyes
"But we all must agree to this. If one of us tries to run now and gets caught they'll be putting the rest of us in peril. So, again, I say we stay for now and decide our options later. What say you?"
"I want to look around downstairs some more too. I guess I'll stay here for now, but I have to be back in Gray by dawn, or Jemmy and Bunk are going to be in alot of trouble." Alandra said. She was worried about the two warriors who patrol the graveyard with her, since they were covering for her absence this night.
"I don't know what I'm going to do about that stupid curfew."
Ayedah was taken by surprise after going back with Jillian when the halfling informed the others of what she heard. Their king was dead? So much was happening this night, it almost seemed like a fever dream.
As the others spoke she found herself fixing a stern glare on the now conscious youth. She wanted answers from him, but Katryala's presence stayed her hand.
After Zalen finished suggesting they stay and Alandra voiced her wish to return downstairs, Ayedah spoke. "What about those on the ship, if they're still there? There was no sign of them or the girl you said escaped outside. I want to check downstairs too, to see if there is anything that can tell me what I need to know. But if those others are still here..."
She could not hold back any longer. "You!", she pointed at Ein, unable to restrain the force in her voice as well. "The others, how long have they worked for Lamm? How long have you been with him? Tell me!"