Elric nods to Khuridoth deactivates his ArmCannon since he can call it forth with a moment's notice but he does keep the option of having it activated under his cloak for a surprise if needed. The Warforged Battle Smith glances around as he follows the rest of the group in his attempt to appear to be the group's silent enforcer while keeping alert to what goes on around the group.

Rush continues to keep his intimidating appearance while sticking next to Elric as the Canine Steel Defender growls when appropriate for the group's cover.

  "Right, time to get this show on the road then." It's in a place with paved streets, it counts more literally than usual.

  Should there be no requests otherwise from others, assuming the next stop is Slaves R Us, Joe starts out with "I heard you can handle sales by the wagonload.  We intend to make that quite literal if your prices are right."

  OOC: <squirrel>"The term is vivisection, BLARGH"</squirrel>

Eren's face twists in disgust at Jarred.  It's too late for the squirrel, but it torments the fairy's nature to have to stay in hiding while the poor creature suffers.  But he remains vigilant.

Kitau nods in agreement with Khuridoth.  And though she doesn't want to admit it, she had no clue that that thing was a weapon until that loud noise happened.  So there's that.

When negotiations start, she hardens herself for the conversation, trying to keep the rage against these monsters down until the time is right.  Lots of practice with that.

The man shrugs and says, "We do. What would you like from us, sir? You got the coin, we can probably secure the goods."

Khuridoth has his arms folded to both look intimidating and non-threatening at the same time. After all, his hands are not on his weapons.

The guards in the room look bored like they've heard this conversation a thousand times before and have little to no interest. But the group is still dangerous looking, so they are ready to draw weapons at a moments notice. Albeit in a "sigh, if I have to" way that betrays they don't expect danger at all.

Meanwhile, as Erin is forced to listen to the heartwrenching screams of the squirrel, he sees another fairy approaching Jarred from behind. He is dressed in armor made out of acorn parts (after all, that has proven to be so hard even biggenses have a hard time crushing it) and has a thumbtack in his hands. He is setting the thumbtack on the spot Jarred is sitting, just shy of Jarred's butt so all Jarred would have to do is sit up again and he will get stabbed.

Elric remains silent and still with Rush by his side. Rush grows somewhat at the implication that they might not have the money as if such a comment was an insult to the steel skinned canine. Elric softly speaks as Rush growls, “Rush, he is just doing his job... he did not intend to insult us by suggesting that the group lack funds, nor is he impeding us... yet.”

The metal canine then growls out slowly, “So don't eat him if he continues to insult us?”

Elric shakes his head, and answers bluntly, “Not without my permission. And I have only given permission to eat those who attack us or imped the group's purpose for being here... And remember, no eating the cargo on our way back. I don't want that deducted from my wages.” As Elric gently rubs the top of Rush' head with his large right hand...which unknown to the guard, is ready to be transformed into its Mixed-Use gun form at a moment's notice.

Rush growls softly “Understood.”. Rush looks to the guard as if begging him to imped the group so the metal canine can pounce into action as Rush imitates the expression of a hungry wolf, at least as much as his metallic body can.

Elric figures it is best to not reveal to the guards that Rush actually doesn't eat... but he figures they don't need to realize that fact.

  The universal expression of 'This is my henchperson day, but you understand' is put to (maybe) good use here, as Joe continues on.  "Right, we've got a job where qualified employees cost too much and would take too long.  What we need is a wagonload of an untrained workforce in a hurry to help us find every last trap in a kobold ****hole our boss has taken a liking to. Why, it's a job so easy a kid could do it at least once. Isn't that nice?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:25, Wed 12 Feb 2020.

Kitau was tense already, but now the cracks are showing.  Nose flaring, brow furrowing deeper, fists clenching tighter, veins in eyes turning red.  She's sure to not make eye contact with the guards lest they take it as a threat, but she's already planning out how to cut them down at the knees at the drop of a hat.

Meanwhile, Erin is torn.  On the one hand, this newcomer is putting the whole operation in jeopardy.  On the other, he really wanted to at least this much to Jarred himself and sooo can't blame the fairy.  He considers the possible outcomes.  Jarred blames the guards, the prank works in favor of the team.  Jarred suspects a prankster and searches.  Finds Erin.  Combat makes the plan fall apart.  Finds the newcomer.  Eren has to decide whether to attack Jarred to keep him from catching them.  Or maybe...  Eren assassinates Jarred with a very well-placed blade in an artery and another in his voice box.  Guards never hear a scream for help.  Too risky.  Too likely to end in disaster.

Erin sneaks to the chair to remove the tack, makes eye contact with the newcommer, and nudges his head toward cover to indicate that they should confer quietly behind cover.

The fairy looks very confused, but follows Erin, giving him a benefit of the doubt. He barely waits to be out of hearing range before angrily whispering with tears in his eyes, "That squirrel needs help. What gives?"

Meanwhile, the business man says, "Ah. I see... well at the moment, we have a small group. Twenty-two; eight men, eight women, six children. Men are 15 gold a piece. Women are 10 gold a piece. Children are 5 gold a piece. So if you're sure you want all of them, that would be 230 gold. We don't have bulk discounts."

Khuridoth manages to keep a straight face. And his dwarven physique is solid as stone, so nobody really sees his muscles tensing. But inside, he is quite angry.

The guards do seem slightly nervous about Rush. Good thing because he is distracting them from potentially noticing how aggro Kitau is.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:27, Wed 12 Feb 2020.

Elric remains silent as the businessman talks while Rush still has an 'I want to eat you' look on its metallic face. Elric glares at the guards and businessman while waiting, as he looks like he is starting to get annoyed with the delay...and glances to Khuridoth and Joe as he speaks up, “While I'll get paid either way make sure that the cargo isn't already at death's door. It would be kind of difficult to complete the job for our boss if they all die of hunger, disease, thirst, or previously sustained wounds before we even reach our destination. If they are wanting to be paid for merchandise unseen, it would indicate that their product is of inferior stock and useless to us... that is if it even really exists. Why waste money on something that is possibly too damaged to even walk twenty feet before keeling over dead? That is the problem with fleshy races... so fragile..and we shouldn't have to waste time nursing them back to health just to complete the boss' task for us. If they continue to delay us or try to get us to buy the product without even confirming its existence and condition...and thus its claimed value, are they volunteering to become Rush's next snack?” Elric sounds like he is starting to get annoyed with just standing around but isn't to the point where he'll give permission for Rush to 'eat' just yet.

Rush makes a sound that is halfway between a growl and a chuckle, “Tasty ... flesh.” as Rush looks between the guards and businessman as if trying to decide which one to eat first if he is given permission to eat them.

  Oh no, Elric is trying to shop like they want a lasting purchase instead of 'Haha throw the peasant at the room full of traps' disposable people.  Joe can't even be mad due to his own twisty straw logic about 'Standards > Morals'.

  "Oh my gods, we talked about this.  Today it doesn't matter if they have a limp or filth fever, we're here to clear out their stock.  Even if I do appreciate your eye for quality merchandise."

  He shrugs apologetically to the guards "Still, we are on a schedule.  How about I make it a nice round 250 and you can get yourselves a couple wine bottles to celebrate what good salesmen you are, if you help us get everything loaded within the hour." Free booze, AND  a 'rush' job they can still drag their feet on. Hopefully that gets through any bruised egos.

Kitau figures Elric was trying to be authentic by initiating a haggle to lower the price.  But Joe's approach is probably for the best.  The promise of extra pay for making things happen sooner is strong incentive to overlook anything suspicious.  She quietly takes out a strip of jerky and offers it to Rush.

Eren returns the look with an enraged look of his own. (( http://static3.wikia.nocookie...._kill_the_Titans.png ))

"Don't you think I know that?  But there's children upstairs, and my best friend in the other room, who'll all die if we try to rescue the squirrel.  Go watch over her.  The gnome with marigold hair.  She and her team are tricking these killers into handing over the prisoners."

While the guards are getting slightly nervous by Elric's threats, the salesman seems to be getting angered. He was considering upping the price, but Joe appeases the businessman. Money covers most offenses. "250 it is. Bring the merch out for our customers."

Khuridoth is quiet, doing the silent intimidation thing like Kitau.

Just as the fairy Erin was talking to is about to take off to watch over Kitau, some guard calls out, "Jarred! Jarred! Get the merch! All of it! We got a bulk buy."

He sighs and gets up to enter the building and its elevator.

The fairy quickly swoops in to help the squirrel. "I'll care for the squirrel since the jerk left."

Assuming Erin continues to watch Jarred, he sees Jarred take the slaves and load them up on the elevator several at a time. 5, 6, 5, 6. When Jarred brings the first group, the salesman explains: "This here is Jarred. He captured the ones we have in stock. He's bringing them in small groups because we simply can't fit 22 people on the lift all at once. The whole process should be done in 10 or 15 minutes."

Jarred eyes Kitau and says, "Is the gnome up for trade or sale?"

The salesman says, "Just get the rest of the merch, Jarred."

Things seem to be going smoothly as the people are being loaded onto the wagon. Assuming everyone keeps to their part of the act, soon, every "slave" is no longer on the premises.

Elric remains silent but keeps a close eye on the merchandise both to make sure the count is correct and to see that they are all in decent health. When Jarred talks about wanting to acquire Kitau as a slave, Elric is tempted to shoot him in the face right then and there but holds off and instead says to the salesman when Jarred is in the process of retrieving the second group, “Jarred seems like a wildcard... how do you keep him under control so he doesn't screw up business?”

Rush continues to glance back and forth between the guards and the salesman, and Jarred when he's present.

  "Jarod, my dear friend supplying me in my hour of employee need... Even if she died, she would find a way to kill me if I so much as thought about it." First impressions, or Metagame knowledge? You make the call!

  At Elric's understandable critique, Joe shrugs.  "You aren't as used to having to tell yourself 'The results are still worth the headache', and I hope you never will be.  Of course, you and your bark bark friend save me from headaches."

  While he's sure Elric, Kitau, and even Bark Bark friend have done so already.  Joe also kept count in his head to make sure 'All of the slaves' was indeed, ALL of the slaves scouted in case Jarod decided to keep some for himself... And not act like he noticed such a difference if so.

  Save the hostages you've got now and not the hostages you wish you had, etc etc.  Either way, Joe is (probably) going to be getting his gold back real soon.

Kitau was just about to offer 100 gold for the guards to look the other way for just 5 seconds.*  But things move along without her having to say a word - just the way she likes it.  Still, with Jarred here, where's Eren?  No.  Better not to look.  Find him and your eyes'll give away his location.  Even just looking will raise suspicion.  Trust that he's doing his part.

Eren just nodded to the other fairy and kept to his mission of watching over Jarred from the shadows.  The comment about Kitau's being up for sale was... weird.  Was there a special request for a gnome from another customer?  More reason to take him alive.

*(( Gotta love 4e melee ranger.  Low level character unloading 5 attacks in 1 round is a thing.  With all kinds of ways to deal extra damage as icing on top.  n.n ))
This message was last edited by the player at 04:31, Fri 21 Feb 2020.

The team is able to see that was every slave accounted for. Erin himself can see it was every slave accounted for and now all safely on the wagon. None of the slaves had anything worse than bruises on them.

Khuridoth cracks his knuckles. "Well then. Shall we?"

He takes a swing at Jarred, knocking the surprised man out with one punch. Because dwarf punch to cowardly guy whose only claim to fame is how he tortures helpless people.

The rest of the people present are surprised and take an entire second to begin leaping into action.

The barely contained PCs who have been holding back like wound up rubber bands, however, are a different story.

(Enjoy describing your battle! The only people in the room are the desk clerk - who is just a commoner, the unconscious Jarred, and the two guards who amount to level 1 fighters.)

As Khuridoth takes out Jarred with a surprise sucker-punch, Elric transforms his ArmCannon into its Mixed-Use Gun Form as he says, “Rush, incapacitate the clerk. If he tries to run or scream... rip his throat out.”

As the closer of the two guards notices what is going on the Guard exclaims, "What the..." and is cut off as Elric fires a cartridge round into the man's face...which jerks what is left of the man's head back a moment before the now corpse falls to the floor.

Simultaneously, Rush charges the Desk Clerk and pounces at him gripping the man's throat with the Steel Defender's metallic teeth which for some reason doesn't impair Rush's ability to speak as the constructed canine growls, “Make a sound or move... and I eat your throat... cooperate with us and I won't kill you.”

OOC: Funny enough the Cartridge Barrel in a Mixed-Use Gun does 2d6+dex (3) damage which averages to 7+3=10 which is the expected hit points for the average level 1 fighter (unless they get a constitution bonus which I don't expect these guards to have and Rush's average attack damage is enough to take out the commoner desk clerk. This leaves one more guard left for the party to deal with before the desk clerk can be interrogated, and possibly handed over to the proper authorities or otherwise dealt with. Note that Rush has not claimed anything about what anyone ELSE will do to the desk clerk.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:44, Sat 22 Feb 2020.

  Insert Skyrim jokes here, as Joe underhands a dart through the remaining guard's knee... Hey, that's not an arrow!

  "If you would like to look more like your co-worker, scream for help now." He comments, while already watching the remaining entrances to this room for attentive guards that might rush charge in.

OOC: Short person knocks out taller person.  So, the reverse of this: https://youtu.be/cIkagvA2ZqI?t=203 ( Sadly couldn't find the Dwarf from Lodoss Wars knocking anyone out. )

Khuridoth must have hit Jarred so hard, the lower half of his legs fell off.  Kitau's weapons aren't even drawn, so she couldn't have had anything to do with it, right?  She applies tourniquets to the legs to stop the bleeding since he was supposed to be taken alive.

Eren was dramatically leaping into action to help with the combat, but got splattered with blood and brains.  Sure, Eren hates being splattered with gore, but there's more important things to tend to than complaining right now.  He flies over to the wagon and says, "The Dwarf is a cleric.  Anyone need a cure?"

We rescued all the people!  One of them was dying and passed away while we were busy interrogating the villains.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:21, Mon 02 Mar 2020.

The slaves are confused and horrified at the sight of a fairy covered in blood and brain matter. So they just cower at the sight of him and one says, "We're fine, master... we weren't complaining!"

Meanwhile, back in the office, Khuridoth says, "Good work. We have our main prize. In fact, given how smoothly this worked out, I'm considering we not even bother with the rest of the complex. We'll bring Jarred to the authorities publicly for all to see and just as publicly, report where we just rescued some slaves."

He then looks at Kitau and adds, "Since he can fly, I think Erin would be best for keeping an eye on things here to make sure none of them get away before the authorities arrive."

The guard on the ground, of course, complies and makes no sound.

Elric glances around to try and figure out where other guards would show up as he is ready to fire his Mixed-Use Gun Armcannon at any other hostile forces who show up.

Rush growls at the 'captured' Desk Clerk to be interrogated as Elric asks, “If we aren't going to clear this place out, then when we hand Jarred over to the authorities we should also hand over the clerk and the remaining guard as well. But it would probably be a smart move to find out what else is going on here so that we should tell the authorities...otherwise, they could get a rude surprise. So who wants to get that information out of the desk clerk and remaining guard...since if they aren't going to talk... does that mean Rush gets some lunch after all?”

  "Can your multitalented pal Rush drive the cart farther to safety while we deal with this, Elric?" Obviously Erin would be too short to reach the pedals, duh.

  "Though yea, as practical as it would be to quite while we are ahead, there could be more to this... or, you know. Convenient paperwork they haven't had time to dispose of yet. But that's too convenient to happen."

Hearing his name mentioned, Eren returns to the group to hear what's being said.

"Eren hates missing out on important conversations."

Kitau helps herself to the keys to the wagon (that presumably had a lock to prevent the "slaves" from escaping) while listening to the others.

"Are the city guard corrupt?  I don't want them helping themselves to any loot here either way, traps or no traps."

She unlocks the wagon and addresses the prisoners.  "Those guys are heroes.  They just risked themselves to rescue you.  You're free to go.  But I want someone to volunteer to stick around so they can tell the city guard what you saw happen."

Khuridoth nods to what everyone is saying. "Yeah. I was honestly hoping to save needless risk. But you all are right. We can't afford to let this place alone or risk the guards looting important evidence and sitting on it. Let's get on with it then."

He looks at Elric. "We'll knock them out and tie them up so we can question them about details of their operation later. Since we already have numbers, patrols, and layout, we don't need to interrogate them for the immediate."

Most of the slaves run away the moment they are told they can, but one man stays behind. "I'll be your witness." he says with fearless resolve.

Elric nods to Khuridoth and then signals to Rush to knock out the Desk Clerk as he then proceeds to shift his Repeating Shot Mixed-Use Gun Armcannon back into a hand as he two-hands his +1 Warhammer to knock out the remaining guard with a blow to the back of the head.

Elric then says, “Let's tie them up and put them in the wagon. If you wish I can leave Rush here to guard the wagon and make sure they don't cause trouble if they wake back up. And that no one makes off with the Wagon itself.”
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 23:35, Tue 24 Mar 2020.