First combat round
Hearing the beginnings of a struggle inside, Ashrem kicks the back door open, shocking everyone inside. It wasn't locked, and wasn't well made; the Ebou Dari didn't have any trouble forcing the door.
Sirsei withdrew to a corner, ready to strike out with the Power the moment she was directly threatened.
Yuri was faster than the thugs, and stronger. His Warder's Sword flashed, and the man nearest to him was on a crumpled heap on the floor <Max damage; the thug is at -7 HPs, nearly dead>.
Shalimar wove saidar into a shield between her and Sirsei and the thugs <Harden Air>. Sirsei tried to catch what her friend was doing, but she had never been very good at working with Air <23 on her Weavesight check, but since she doesn't have Air affinity, she needed a 25>.
Thug 2 <Thug 1 is unable to act> headed for the back door; after seeing what Yuri did to Thug 1, he doesn't want to go through him to get to the door. But that means he has to go through Ash instead. But he stumbles in attempting to attack Ashrem <rolled a 1 to hit; house rule note -- critical fumbles draw an AoO>, leaving an opening for Ashrem to counterattack. Not very much of one, though; Ashrem couldn't get a clean strike.
The third thug moves to attack Tomas, not seeing much chance for him unless all the adventurers were dealt with. But he misses.
The beggar, though, forces his way out of the door. Pedron slashes at the beggar as he squeezes by (AoO), and misses -- the beggar was far quicker than he looked.
Another surprise joined the fight when a fourth thug slipped out from behind the stairway to stab at Yuri. He had more success than any of his collegues, scratching the Borderlander, but the wound wasn't very deep; Yuri had survived far worse <3 points of damage>.
But the room was not all that large, and Pedron stepped in to flank the thug with Yuri. Pedron's rapier connected solidly, and he joined the first thug bleeding on the floor <-3 hit points>.
Sirsei and Shalimar saw Lila weave saidar much as Shalimar had done, although drawing more the One Power than either of them could draw safely, encasing the thug attacking Tomas in Hardened Air. <Sirsei again failed her Weavesight check>. The men couldn't see the weave, but they could see the man stop moving in his tracks, unable to swing his sword.
Tomas wasn't about to ask how or why, but he wasn't going to bother fighting a man tied up with the One Power either; he ran across the room to help Ashrem <flanking>. His sword connected, though the man was still standing.