Zornhau Forums

The remainder of the day passes uneventfully. That night however, your patience is rewarded. A few hours after midnight, when Venice is it's most quiet, you notice a large group of shadows congregating down the way.

The person you have on watch rouses the others. You see around a dozen men in total, who don't appear to be trying to keep themselves hidden. That march together down the dockyard towards your warehouse with a pair of lanterns held high. They are each wearing some kind of face covering like a mask or a handkerchief and carry clubs or short swords in their hands. Their clothes are generally typical and darkly colored and a few have steel cap helmets on. Three men stand out in particular; two have crossbows slung in their arms, and Rocco himself. Rocco is wearing a sallet helm with the visor lifted; his big bushy red beard and large physique identifying him in the crowd. He is wearing a steel breastplate and holds in his hands a polearm of some kind.

The group stops at the end of the loading dock, some 40 meters away, apparently making some final preparations before the assault.

Marco opens the window facing away from the bridge and thugs, and nimbly climbs up to the roof. He stays hidden in his observation point, more on east - assuming the crossbowmen might focus on the northwest window. He prepares his sling and waits, ready to attack or retreat.

The mob splits into two groups. A smaller group with the two crossbowmen and two thugs douse their lantern and take up position at the far end of the docks behind a stack of wooden crates. The larger group, led by Rocco, begin to move towards the bridge to the warehouse.

Marco winds up his sling and takes careful aim at the arm of one of the men setting up position with a crossbow. He releases the lead bullet and it whistles through the air to find it's mark. The man is struck in the hand and he jerks at the sudden pain. He drops the crossbow and drops to the ground behind the boxes. He shouts out "I'm hit! Ambush!"

After releasing the bullet and seeing the satisfying result, Marco doesn't risk taking a shot from the second crossbowman. He drops low to take cover and starts working his way back inside.

Karl takes his position on top of the stairs with his Zweihander. As he expected, there are too many of them to simply try to knock them down with wooden swords.

He takes a half-crouched stance. Somebody looking up at the stairs will probably notice him, but he does not want to be an easy target for ranged attacks.

Marco creeps back across the roof and lowers himself back into the third story window without any trouble.

The mob led by Rocco makes it to the barricaded door. The handle rattles and the door moves a few millimeters before jamming up against the pile of crates Karl had stacked in the way. You hear Rocco's booming voice cry out "This is your last chance! Give me my men and that charlatan doctor of yours... And the rest of you can go unharmed."

Across the other side of the loading area the crossbowmen scramble frantically. One of the assistants takes up the dropped crossbow and takes cover. The second assistant peaks his head out from around cover, trying to spot where the sling shot came from "I don't know, I can't see anything" he whispers. The uninjured crossbowman finishes setting up his firing position, aiming at the third story windows.

One of the thugs tries to lean out over the bridge to look into the small barred window where Ferran was waiting. As his comrades are shoving to get ready to break down the door he loses his balance and falls from the bridge. There is a loud splash when he lands in the water of the canal below. "Imbecile!" Rocco berates the man. "Swim around and come up the stairs." He orders.

Rocco picks three men and signals for them to charge the door together. "One, Two, Three!" They lower their shoulders and ram the door. The hinges give way and the crates holding it closed slide back a foot, enough for someone to be able to reach an arm inside. Waiting for just such an eventuality, Cirillo has an easy shot at the man in the front.

Across the way, the remaining crossbowman finishes setting up and taking a firing position over the second story windows.

Cirillo lets loose his crossbow bolt, piercing the thigh of the man in the front. He collapses in the doorway with a large pool of blood quickly pouring from his leg.

The group of seven thugs and Rocco come pouring in through the doorway.

Ferran is the first to respond, shouting "You're going down Rocco!" while he retreats up the stairs and flinging a dagger at the mans chest. It strikes his breastplate solidly but it is only enough to give Rocco a moment of hesitation.

Marco lets loose a lead shot from his sling, rupturing the knee of one of the advancing thugs. He tries to follow Ferran up the stairs but misplaces his footing and stumbles on the oil that was used to trap the staircase.

Cirillo follows up the staircase last. He takes Marco by the arm and helps his friend to the top of the staircase only moments before the swam of thugs fill the room.

At the top of the stairs is Karl, holding a second crossbow loaded and ready to hand to Cirillo.

When all four of you have made it back to the top of the staircase you see that Rambaldo and one of the other prisoners are standing up and looking towards you. Their mouths are gagged and their hands and feet are bound, but you can tell they are waiting for a good chance to try something.

Everything is still for a few moments and noone comes rushing up the stairs after you. You hear Rocco call outside "Crossbows! Move up to the doorway here. We have them boxed in."

The silence stretches on as you wait for the mob to charge up the stairs, but none come.

The two wounded men in the doorway are dragged out of the building by their comrades. The crossbowmen run across the courtyard to the entrance of the warehouse and await further orders. Rocco and the remaining 3 thugs take cover behind the crates that were used to barracade the door.

On the third floor, you ready your ambush for any who approach the bottom of the stairs.

Marco is waiting with his sling ready.

"Go back, you! You'll never get up here and no killing is necessary. Just go away."

Rocco yells up to you: "You let my men go, then we can talk about whether or not killing you is necessary."

You can heard the sound of the heavy wooden crates being shoved across the floor of the warehouse.

Rocco calls back. "I'm going to wait right here, until you change your mind. Half an hour should be more than enough." You can tell from the tone of his voice that he is enjoying himself greatly.