You've been ambushed! [Boss Hayes Event]

[Boss Hayes]

You run for the door, but it's too late: a dozen vermin pour in and you find the only way out blocked. It's a standoff.

As the dust settles, you hear a chink, chink, chink sound. None other than Boss Hayes slithers into the room, a ring of *some* of the remaining keys is wrapped about his tail. "Well, well, well. Did y'all really think I didn't know what was goin' on? I saw the boards gettin' unlocked same as you! But I'm here to remind you lot who's in charge here. Get 'em gang; bring me their tails on a platter!"

With a laugh, Boss Hayes backs away and out the door. The vermin charge in; they're bent on taking the keys you've found back!

---------
OOC Narrator: Boss Hayes has gotten away from the conflict but is still ruling the forum. You'll need to either act fast and escape, or find a way to fight your way through the vermin if you wan to protect those keys. There are a dozen vermin, all armed well with an assortment of melee weapons. Be creative, fight fair - no Godmoding, as they say - and don't be afraid to @ call for help from other forum members if you want it!

(former / disgraced) forum staff will RP play as the vermin

[Verdauga]

Verdauga Dumbo jolted when he saw the vermin. "@Booklover, @Cornflower MM @lass of something much ! Here!" He gazed at the approaching vermin, weighing the risk of dashing for the door.

[Captain Tammo]

Two lizards with pole spears give each other a nod and close in on @Verdauga and @Booklover . After feigning the first couple of strikes, each one of them commit to a lunge. The spears are coming in fast!

Whilst this is happening, some of the remaining vermin start closing in as well. An especially large lizard hangs at the back. There's something shiny in its belt...

[Verdauga]

Verdauga eged back from the spearpoints; running for the doors seemed riskier now. "There!" he uselessly called, pointing at the tall lizard in the back.

[Cornflower MM]

Cornflower blinked at the chaos of vermin, quickly finding Book and Dumbo in the crowd, but her eyes zeroed in on the lizard in the back. "Could be a key," she muttered to herself, glancing between the forumers and the large lizard. She was torn - On one hand, she wanted to help, but on the other, the quicker they could get the key and get out of there....

Corn bit her lip - The lizards weren't really stabbing at Book and Dumbo (Verd?) yet, and she was flying under the vermin radar so far, so she started to scoot along, back to the wall, to get the key.

[shisteer of nothing much]

Teer backed away for a few seconds as she saw the vermin closing in, her mind racing as she considered the possible solutions to the problem at paw. There were to options: Fight or flee. The vermin seemed to know what the were doing with their weapons, but, at the same time, her scales usually came into play when threatened by metal. They wouldn't stop things completely but there were only a dozen opposing beasts and she should survive. If she didn't, it would be for a good cause anyway.
Her decision was made when she saw a couple of lizards attacking Verdauga/Dumbo and Booklover. With a roar, Teer flung herself into the fray, lashing out at a lizard with her tail while she aimed a swift bite at another lizard. Nobeast tried to kill her friends without consequences.

[Captain Tammo]

The two lizards by @verdauga /Dumbo and @Booklover stood no chance beneath the fury of @shisteer of nothing much. Spear hafts broken in half, the lizards now defended themselves with half-lengthed staves.

Two more lizards rushed in to aid their attacked friends. So far, none of the monitors seemed to notice @Cornflower MM at the edge of the melee.

Hiiissssssssssss! said(?) the big lizard at the back of the fray. Swinging their spear wildly and without looking, it urged the others forward and stamped its feet in frustration.

[Cornflower MM]

Teer seemed to be doing well, Corn noted, and she inwardly breathed a sigh of relief as she moved around the outside of the brawl. If only I had my frying pan, she thought wistfully, picking up the pace. It wasn't too much further to go before she got close enough to the big lizard to dash in and hopefully grab the key and not get hurt.

[Verdauga]

After suddenly being aided by Shisteer, Verdauga/Dumbo grabbed his cleaver, and brandished it at the lizards.
"Get back! Get back or I'll send you to hellgates!" he shouted at the beasts, swinging the knife wildly between the two.
OOC: I would so teleport now but I think that would be powerplaying.

[shisteer of nothing much]

Teer laughed mirthlessly, snapping at another lizard's head.
"I'll send 'em to Hellgates even if they do get back." Teer told her husband, pushing forward into the vermin ranks. The light of battle was in her eyes and nothing would stop her now.

[lass of something much]

Lass stood, not knowing what to do, then with a sigh, she joined the fight.
Brandishing her sword, Lass stabbed at the vermin, slashing and hacking viciously, as the bloodwrath took over.

[Captain Tammo]

Between the four of them, Dumbo/Verdauga, Booklover, 'Teer and Lass managed to keep a surprising number of the vermin at bay. The big monitor in the back, seeing this, urged the full set of reinforcements in with another angry hiss. The defenders were now outnumbered a little over 2-to-1, with new fighters on the scene. It was bound to get messy unless something happened. Quick!

OOC: that's a negative on teleportation, Dumbo! But as for defending, you can strategize how you please. Maybe there are objects in the environment around you? Or maybe you just need to buy time for a certain unseen individual to make her move...

[shisteer of nothing much]

Teer let out a grim chuckle as the attacking vermin were reinforced, kicking out at one of the new lizards with a back leg while swinging her tail at the head of another. So focused on the new arrivals of the party, she failed to see the low thrust of a spear from the side and winced as it pierced her scales, digging in to her side and lodging itself there.
Gritting her teeth, Teer jerked the spear out and used it to wallop the lizard responsible on the head a few times before returning to the fight in front, this time with a weapon.

[Captain Tammo]

The recently-thwacked lizard dizzily stumbled about trying to keep its balance. It was remarkable that it wasn't dead! Any skull of a reasonable thickness would have surely given under the barrage...

[Verdauga]

DumboVerdauga started chopping into the spears and scales of the lizards in front of him, casting glances at Cornflower off to the side. Grabbing Teer and Lass, he pulled them off to the other side, yelling, "HEY! WE GOT CUSTARD OVER HERE! JUST TRY TO TAKE IT!" at the lizards. If he could turn their attention far enough away, Corn would have a clear shot.

OOC: Yeah, I figured as much on the teleportation. Sorry Teer and Lass, 'cause that was kinda powerplaying.