Chapter 5 - Showdown at Vanderboren Manor

Standing outside Vanderboren manor, Saris said, "This broad's getting a little heavy, I think we need to stash her somewhere. If we're going to go in and fight, I should probably not be hauling an extra person with me. I'm not saying that I couldn't…but, well, you know."

"Yeah, yeah, let's just bind her to that tree over there. We can 'catch up' with her later," muttered Idae, "there's bigger fish to fry. Lavinia and Kora are in danger! I'm thinkin' I'll use these new slippers to climb up towards Lavinia's room to peek in that way while you guys make your way in through the front door. Deal? Just give me a minute and then do your thing."

Opening the door and marching in, Viselys stood in the grand atrium of Vanderboren manor and immediately noticed that things looked messed and muddied. The culprits undoubtedly before him, as three bullywug hunters stood guard in the atrium.

BLUORP!!! (That's the sound I imagine a bullywug makes.)

The bullywugs yelled out as they began to attack with their wooden clubs. Viselys charged up the stairs to keep the sentry at the top from alerting potential others in the manor. He made quick work of the mercenary while Ornrik and Saris dispatched the two on the floor below.

Meanwhile, Idae crawled along the outside wall up to the second floor where he peered into Lavinia's room, expecting to find trouble. Surprisingly, there was no one in the room, save for a dead bullywug on the floor. Muddy, bloodied footprints marred the carpets, and a webbed bloody hand-print was upon the wall by the lone door leaving out of the bedroom. "I wonder who killed that one," Idae muttered to himself as he climbed into the room.

Viselys continued up the next flight of stairs, looking to reunite with Idae as quickly as possible. Hearing someone rustling about outside of the room, Idae took up a position to ambush anyone attempting to come in. Just then Viselys flung the door open, and stepped in to survey the situation.

"Oi! Be careful! I was about to make steak and kidney pie out of you," Idae warned. "I'm not sure who did that," indicating the dead bullywug on the floor, "but it weren't me, and I don't know where Lavinia is."

Hearing the commotion from down the hall, another bullywug started yelping out a warning. Viselys stepped back into the hallway as Saris and Ornrik hurried up the steps to join the inevitable fray. Viselys started barking out orders. Inspired and emboldened by his words, Saris, Ornrik, and Idae pressed forward with an extra sense of fervor.

Overheard, from inside of the master bedroom, was some shouting in a much deeper voice. "What is the meaning of this? You said Vanthus would be coming…you know what we do with ones who cheat us? Let me show you…"

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Ornrik retrieved a pinch of powdered iron from his belt pouch and began muttering some arcane words to himself as he reached out towards Saris. Doubling in size, Saris blew past the bullywug guard at the door and into the master bedroom, where he saw another bullywug guard, a large half-orc that matched the description of Javell's first mate, a small water elemental, and a pale, sickly looking bullywug that cries out, "BLOURP!!! AAAGGGHHH!!! DAGON DEMANDS BLOOD," as he raced forward and plunged his spear into Tolin (one of the Jade Ravens).

Even more disturbing in the room was the fact that Lavinia, Tolin, Zan (another of the Jade Ravens), and an unconscious Kora are bound and kept as prisoners.

Out in the hallway, Idae looked to Ornrik, "You can make me disappear, no?"

Wrily smiling to himself, Ornrik replied, "Aye," as he pulls a scroll from his backpack.

Viselys and Saris were quickly into the fray. Viselys battled his way through the room towards Lavinia as fast as he could. Saris proved to be quite a threat, keeping Drevoraz occupied single-handedly while Viselys moved toward Lavinia, parting the waters of the elemental with one fell swing of his trusty blade. Idae began to quietly, and invisibly, move through the room to gather Kora and pull her to safety.

The pale bullywug seeing that Drevoraz looked badly beaten, made his way across the room to provide some healing for the half-orc. Saris quickly struck out at Drevoraz again, negating his new-found health. Idae hid Kora behind the bed, where he discovered a stash of weapons that must've belonged to the Jade Ravens. Viselys cut Zan and Lavinia free from their bindings as Drevoraz lashed out at Saris, striking him down. "Give me a weapon," Lavina demands of Viselys with a previously unseen anger in her eyes. Only having a shortbow to offer, he quickly handed it over to her.

Seeing Saris fall unconscious before the mighty half orc, Ornrik worked his way amongst the fray to provide some much-needing healing, which prevented Saris from bleeding to death.

Idae, still invisible sneaked behind Drevoraz, who had turned his attention to Ornrik. Two well-placed strikes later and Drevoraz crumbled to the ground, but not before he struck Ornrik, leaving him unconscious.

Only Bua Gorg, the bullywug Dagon-fanatic remained in the room as a threat. "BLOOD FOR DAGON!" he cried out as he fought to the death, which came quickly afterward when Idae tripped him to the ground with his bolas, and Viselys promptly finished him off.

Idae poured a potion of healing into Ornrik's mouth. "I'm not sure he's ok," Idae nervously sputtered.

Lavinia, dropping the shortbow, rushed to Ornrik's side and gave him a quick look over. "He's OK, but he needs some more healing, and there are many of those things downstairs. I think we're in trouble."

(Cue the dramatic music.)

Continue to Chapter 6...

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