Yetta was indeed well trained and moreover learned never to announce your intent.. she too takes a step to the side, though times her move so that she can distract their badly outnumbered opponent while Alasha'an strikes at him, then gets into position to do the same for her father, as much to keep away from the reckless swings of the Sentinel who is ostensibly their ally, thrusting her chisel at Rao Chang to keep his attention, if nothing else.

Hamin grins and steps into the gap vacated by Alasha’an to takes  best advantage of Yetta’s movement.  Then he rains a series of blows, from his heavy pick  and light hammer, onto the beleaguered sentinel.

-------------

06:50, Today: Hamin Carmine rolled 20 using 1d20+13.  Pick 1 w Flank - .
06:52, Today: Hamin Carmine rolled 5 using 1d6+4.  Dam p1.

06:50, Today: Hamin Carmine rolled 14 using 1d20+13.  Hammer 1 w flank.
06:52, Today: Hamin Carmine rolled 7 using 1d4+4.  dam h1.

06:51, Today: Hamin Carmine rolled 25 using 1d20+8.  Pick 2 w Flank.
06:52, Today: Hamin Carmine rolled 9 using 1d6+4.  dam p2.

6:51, Today: Hamin Carmine rolled 11 using 1d20+8.  Hammer 2 w Flank.
06:52, Today: Hamin Carmine rolled 7 using 1d4+4.  dam h2.

Which, I suspect, was hardly worth it.

After the frustration of being captured and imprisoned, battle comes as something of a release, even with but what poor tools and makeshift weapons as you've been able to gather.

Alasha'an and Yetta distract Rao Chang, the Elf managing to stick her dagger into his vitals, allowing Hamin and Brugar to rush in, raining down blow after blow upon the Sentinel's Abbot.  The one-eyed warrior's blows are precise, calculated, while those of the Dwarf are less so, but equally effective.

As you step back, Rao Chang collapses to the floor, already dead, though this does not stop the beast-Sentinel, your ally, from continuing to kick and punch the corpse, leaving it battered and bloodied, as he finally straightens and howls in triumph, struggling to bring himself back under control.

Now you are done, you have a moment to check on your surroundings.  Somewhat fittingly, you find yourselves in what must be a training hall, where your guards did hone their fighting skills.  There are several weapons racks such as monks might use, though not what you are used to, and ten wooden fighting dummies that show many signs of repair.  The shuttered windows open up to afford a view of the courtyard outside, now littered with the bodies that the beast-Sentinel left in his wake.

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

Brugar bends down to begin searching the body to find the key to the locked door of the strong room. He will start with checking whether it might be on a cord around Rao Chang's neck.

As Brugar starts searching the Body, Hamin stands guard.  He doesn't trust the werewolf as far as he could throw the beast, even though they are 'packmates'.

The beast-Sentinel regains control, his features becoming human once more as the man masters the beast within.  Indeed, it seems that with his transformation his wounds have healed somewhat for he now seems much stronger than he did but moments ago.

"Thank you ... brother," he smiles, noting Hamin's interest and inclining his head.  While his manner remains imperious, he does seem genuinely grateful.

"That ... fool who took my place would have left me down their to rot, but now I have my vengeance and my freedom."  He looks around the room and out into the courtyard.  "This was once mine to command ... but there is naught for me here now - I am undoubtedly as much a wanted man as any of you or the other scum who were sent here."

"I appreciate your assistance ... but I suggest you do not linger here long.  Sooner or later the Dark Elves will come and they'll not be pleased with what they find."

Brugar's search of the body does not take long - it seems the Sentinel's leader lived almost a simple an existence as those he led, though he does have leather bracers upon his wrists, what seems to be a bear's claw on a leather thong about his neck, a simple rope belt around his waist ... and, much to the Dwarf's satisfaction, a ring of keys in his pocket.

"You're welcome." Hamin replies automatically, although his eyes are drawn to Brugar's search of the corpse. "Dark Elves? Eh?  I don't suppose there is a portal, or such like, that gets us out of here?" he asks the sentinel while he is still feeling a bit grateful.  "Although, ideally, we would like to have a 'discussion' with the mage who trapped us in the pit, before we leave."

Brugar passes the items to Yetta and Alasha'an as he removes them from Rao Chang's body then stands up with a very satisfied grin visible through his beard when he finds the keys.

"First things first, longshanks. We get our gear back!" he reminds Hamin.

"Oh, I am not going anywhere just yet.  And not before we have 'spoken' to a few more of the residents down here." Hamin replies, and it is clear from the  way he says 'Spoken' that the conversation will involve steel and probably a lot of blood.  "But it always good to have an idea of where the exits are, for when we do want to use them."

Yetta, meanwhile, steps back a little, watching Hamin.  "Right, well, it's been a lot of fun working together, hasn't it?" she asks, looking away from her father and stepping up to the Sentinel.  "But now that the prey has been dealt with, I still need a bite."  She holds her little chisel low and ready, tilting her head.  "Have I proven myself enough, or do you need something more personal?"

Brugar is keen to reclaim his armour and weapons (if indeed they do lie beyond the locked door), but Hamin and Yetta still have questions for the Sentinel.

"No," he tells the one-eyed warrior, his revenge and new-found freedom making him almost genial, "the only way out of here is on foot.  Our masters might occasionally use magics to spare themselves the effort of that journey, but lacking such abilities the rest of us must walk.

"You have yet to extract payment for debts incurred ?" he chuckles.  "By all means - I care not for any down there.  Slay them all if that is your pleasure.  Beware the Shadowmaster, though ... he is not so feeble as he seems."

Yetta's persistence surprises the Sentinel, however.  "Most view it as an affliction ... but when your blood rises to the call of the moon and you see the world through the senses of the beast and feel the fear of your prey, it is something truly beautiful."

"By all means, I have what I wanted now, and if that is your wish ..."

He holds out his hand to Yetta.

The dwarf is a bit slow to catch on but when he finally realises what Yetta and the sentinel are talking about he can’t help but stare.

“Well Ah’ll be ...  Brugared!” he mutters.

He is too stunned to do anything else but just stare at the three of them.

Alasha'an is equally stunned, but not so reticent as the Dwarf, and Brugar's mutterings impel her to give voice to her objections.

"I'm not one to talk.. but you cannot do this," the elf tells Yetta grimly. "Bad enough he's infected, but we'll deal with that once we're free and gone."

"Tell her," Alasha'an glares at Hamin. "It's a bad idea.." she prompts him.

Hamin deliberately turns his back on the sentinel, and gives all of his attention to his daughter.

" ...  And feel the fear of your prey ...  The peasant who can't run fast enough to stop you ripping the heart and stomach out of them, rending that human flesh to sate the bestial hunger that lurks inside of you.  The lack of control, perhaps when you need it most."  The distaste on Hamin's face is clear.  "There are those that this evil comes to, those who have no choice in the matter.  Those who are taken by the dark gods as their tools.  Those I can feel sympathy for and some sorrow.

However, those who choose to follow that path are a different matter.  Wilfully embracing the dark paths, knowing that they will kill for pleasure, knowing they will feed on the flesh of their own kind, their own flesh and blood if they are truly cursed.  Those people don't deserve any sympathy.  They are the people that I have spent a lifetime opposing, the people who destroyed my city, our people and the whole of the world we were born into.  The ones who took hope from the world.

They are the reason I followed you back into this new dark world, the reason we lost Saffaris and the others in the cold wastes of the north.  The reason for venturing into the citadel of the dead who wouldn't die.  They are the ones responsible for the hatred, war and subjugation in Talhamnoduin,  and the very reason we ventured into the gardens and eventually into this hell-hole.

They are what we ..." and he indicates Brugar and Alash'an "have fought to over come for as long as we have known each other, and we finished up travelling through time to continue the battle.  If you choose to join with the 'pack' you will be one of them, you will no longer be one of 'us' - and you will no longer be my daughter."

There is catch in his throat as he adds, "Eventually, I might have to kill you ..."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:19, Sat 27 Apr 2019.

Yetta's resolve holds as Brugar and Alasha'an speak, just giving the sentinel something of a, what's taking so long? Look.  But when Hamin speaks up, she winces, then spins to face him.

"Exactly!" she shouts, the beginnings of tears shining in her eyes.  She blinks those back, calming herself very, very slightly, her expression changing to more of a glare.  "You think I want the power?  I want to join the pack?" she asks, incredulously.  "You have it already!  And if we find a cure, great, it'll work for us both.  But if we don't, if you're trapped on that dark road... I'm not letting you go alone."  She shakes her head and stamps her foot, determined.

"You weren't supposed to come here.  I'm not losing you to this world again.  I--"  Her voice cracks, and she closes her eyes.  "I'm sorry.  I can't kill you.  I can't.  But I can stay with you, whether you want me or not."

Hamin goes almost white as he hears Yetta's reasoning, and an unusual type of stillness comes over him.   "No Yetta.   There is no certainty that the cure will ever work on a given person, and it is kill or cure.  If the 'cure' doesn't work for me, and for some reason it doesn't kill me, then these two will have to." he says  glancing briefly at Brugar and Alasha'an.  "I will have become a pawn of the dark gods, much like our ally here." and this time he absent-mindedly indicates the almost forgotten sentinel behind him, "They are my friends and won't let me fall to that sort of defeat.  Out of friendship and love, Brugar and Alasha'an will do me the service of not allowing me to fall to that sort of defeat that befell Melzakre.  Please don't take that chance.

If I fall, you must take my place and help release the consorts, or else the world will remain in darkness.  I have tasted that once, back when Kalibar sank into the greyness. Now, since I followed you out into this new age, we have the chance to avenge that defeat and bring the light back to the world.  Already the darkness is starting to lift.  We can succeed and we WILL succeed.  But only if we all work together and are prepared to make sacrifices.  Yours might be the hardest of all of us, but be strong. If you have to, you kill me, rather than letting me become a beast that ravages the countryside, a scourge of the countryside, a creature of the dark gods and the night.  Keep your soul and help me keep mine."

Hamin isn't good with words, and even now they are not well put together -  but his desperation and fears are clear to see.

"Please ...."

The elf's usual devils-may-care expression falls away as father and daughter plead with each other.. and she'll not force herself into that, but the Sentinel is a different matter.  Alasha'an nods grimly to Brugar as she turns to the Sentinel

"With respect, she says quietly to beastman. "You even try to bite her and I'll kill you myself.  Remember they locked me down there with you and with good reason.  I'm no wolf, but something worse than you once sunk its teeth into me and you don't want any part of that."

From the doorway, Ayas looks on, ready to aid his friends with his gift if needs be.

"You might want to stay back," he tells Varl. "Or run."

Brugar sighs ... and watches the Sentinel, ready to fight if it becomes necessary.

"I think you mistake me," the Sentinel turns his attention from the emotional discourse between father and daughter to address Alasha'an's threats. His manner remains cold, neither belligerent nor placatory.

"I am no rabid creature, swayed by the passions of blood as are Rhiannon's get. To do as this woman wishes or not matters nothing to me.  In this life one is either predator or prey, and that is not something I can gift, it is either in you or not."

"Nor do I follow the whims of the Dark Gods.  I do what I must to get by in this world.  I am master of myself and the beast within."

He looks to the skies, though it is certain his gaze can penetrate the mists no more than yours can, before looking to Hamin.

"The wolf that is in you.  It will rise with the call of the moon two nights from now.  When the change comes you will have no control over it and will feed even on the flesh of your friends or your own daughter. Thereafter, if your will is strong, you might resist the change, master it, though it will be hard, if not impossible at first.  In time you will learn to control it, to change when you choose, not when the rising moon demands it."

Yetta stares back into Hamin's eyes, head tilted back, trembling.  Finally, her shoulders drop.  "We had better beat it, then," she says, finally.

She gives the Sentinel a sideways look, and then turns more towards him, a slight grin twitching at the corners of her mouth.  "I'd say sorry for pulling you into this, but... you don't get pulled anywhere, do you?  So, thank you.  You've been as true an ally as we could have hoped for here."  There's certainly a bit of irony in that.  "And... for what you've told us, you have my gratitude, at least.  If we ever meet again, I hope it's not as enemies."

"That may be so." Hamin responds to the sentinel as he recovers his composure. "Although as you imply, you are particularly strong willed.  However, you also imply there are not surities of that in others.  If  I only have two days before I need to face that threat, then we must deal with this place quickly before I either face that challenge to my will power, or the challenges that are sure to come as I rid myself of the 'gift' passed to me by one of Rhiannon's pets.  So thank you for your help and guidance so far, but excuse us if we go to collect that which was taken from us.  I hope you manage to get out of here in on e piece."

With a curt nod towards the sentinel, he turns to the rest of the party, and asks, "Ready?".

Brugar watches the scene unfold and finally smiles when it ends peacefully.

He nods to the sentinel too and tells him, "Thank ye. Ah reckon as Ah be glad we be not enemies today an' all!"

Then he looks at Hamin.

"Aye, we be ready. Let's go."

With a nod to the sentinel, Hain leads the way back to the tower.

The Sentinel accepts both Yetta's decision and your thanks with good grace.

"If not for you I'd still be languishing in that cell, so I must thank you in turn.  If our paths do cross again, I will look to you as allies provided your goals and mind are not in conflict.  Though I do not hope for such a meeting for I fear chaos and destruction follow in your footsteps."

Staring down at the bodies at his feet for a moment of contemplation, the Sentinel turns to leave, though pauses for a moment, looking back to you.

"My name is Vaden Kiang, should you ever have cause to know it.  I wish you luck, whatever path you now tread."

This said, the Sentinel turns once more and walks away, soon to be lost in the mists.

With the key now in your possession, you make your way back to where Varl and Ayas await you.  Ever cautious, you check the door to the vault carefully, but when you find no evidence of traps, soon have it open.  Perhaps somewhat surprisingly your gear is intact and unpilfered.  Ayas in particular is pleased to recover both his pack and his gleaming staff fashioned from polished silver and capped with a simple gemstone.

No longer collared, the Adept is most keen to make use of the magics so long denied to him ... as well as your own possessions(some of which cause Ayas to raise his brows in surprise as his spell sweeps over them), he identifies the following items that radiate magic - a black iron greatsword with a hilt guard formed into the shape of jagged bat-like wings, three small black beads, a woolen cloak, a plain trumpet, a weighty tome, and a simple necklace, little more than a series of beads on a string with the ends tied.

Brugar and Varl seem equally adept at sniffing out gold, for the pair manage to find six heavy sacks, with, so the Dwarf reckons, about a thousand coins in each.