Quinn
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Quinn had been using his cutlass and kept it out.
The odd man leapt forward with weapon raised. "You match taunts with taunts well enough. Let's see how you match steel!" As the man closed with Quinn he did not account for the two nearby women fighting like tigers. Steadily the three hedged him in, though Rose made a bad lunge during the battle and was rapped on the side of her head with the bottom of the man's axe haft. She lay stunned and tried to recover. Quinn and Vera fought on, their combined skills eventually felling their foe, but not before he was able to strike Quinn twice for bloody damage (-8 hps to Quinn).
Vera helped Rose back up, and the group took the stairs to the arena. Inside they saw a bloodied Hilmdyn and exhausted Edvan standing near a wounded bear that was now about to maul an injured and shocked Liar Mukang. The lever to the arena portcullis separating the group was against the tunnel wall, which Quinn pulled to open...
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Everyone Else
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"HA! We want gold little man! You speak as if we are like his slaves, but you do not know us. We know of Liar's treachery, but we also know of his rewards!" Thus saying, the mercenaries began to draw swords and approach the group but something odd suddenly happened...
A surging crowd of chained and collared bodies suddenly erupted with blood curdling shrieks up from the lower levels. Quinn had succeeded in setting enough enslaved warriors free, and many in turn were decent men who protected their fellow captive women in Mukang's dark fortress. Now the decent of the women and men fought side by side one another in a bid for freedom, and those with lesser bravery had taken heart and joined them as their success seemed to grow. The words of Rovan took hold of the others in the main hall, and the tide of bodies suddenly through themselves upon the better armed and trained mercenaries. But even those experienced in war could do only so much against a tide of those enraged. Years of released anguish matched its might against steel and desperation.
Mukang said in shock as Lola tightened her grip, "This! This is unforgiveable! He threw his head backwards and in an attempt to break Lola's grip, but was stabbed badly twice before he could slip away. He tried to cast a spell, but Rovan also moved forward and struck him, driving him over the edge of the pit where he landed screaming in front of the brown bear.
The bear had been wounded quite badly by Rexor, Edvan, and Hilmdyn although Rexor finally fell to claw and fang. Hilmdyn also took a bad swipe, but Liar had fallen in front of the bear and now provided a welcome distraction. Behind them, Edvan and Hilmdyn heard the portcullis raise...
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Quinn, Rose, and Vera appeared in the pit and shouted for Hilmdyn and Edvan to escape. Not looking twice, the two joined Quinn before pulling the lever to the pit and locking the Lord and Bear inside. They were joined by a dozen yipping kobolds who took point and attacked a solitary guard unlucky enough to be fleeing in their direction. The lead kobold said to Edvan as they all ran into the main hall and joined Lola and Rovan, "You not lie, funny man. You kept your bargain, now we keep ours. We cut our way out, yes?"
The entire fortress seemed to be engaged in hand to hand fighting now, with melee fought every ten or so feet. As for Liar Mukang, he seemed to be unsuccessfully trying to talk down a bear and use parts of Rexor as bait to distract.