As the four of you skulk in the shadows of the large rows of shelving, crates, and pallets, the voices gain clarity as you finally begin to zero in on their location.  Eventually you find yourselves peaking through a row of large shelves heavily burdened by crates to see an area where there is a modest amount of floor space uncluttered by freight containers and goods.  Instead there were five figures occupying the space.  Two men in unassuming attire standing over a gnome female who sat limply in the chair, remaining in place by the sole merit of the ropes that bound her to it.  A portion of her violet locks of hair was matted and wet looking.  A fourth man with a metallic collar around his neck stood off to the side, his expression vacant and unaware while a fifth lay still bound to a chair that was upon its side within a puddle of crimson liquid that was most certainly blood.<br/><br/><em>”And I’m telling you that you hit her too fucking hard!”</em>One of the thugs berated the other.<br/><br/><em>”Well, she wasn’t talking even when we killed her friend in front of her.”</em><br/><br/><em>”She’s certainly running her mouth now, isn’t she?”</em>The first man said in a tone dripping with sarcasm.<em>”We were sent to figure out what she knows <strong>before</strong> killing her.  Rook is going to filet us alive if we fuck this up.</em><br/><br/><em>”I didn’t kill her.  See, she’s still breathing.”</em><br/><br/><em>”That’s not exactly a little bump to the noggin, now is it?  It’s not like any of us have the magical capabilities to mend a wound like this either.”</em>The first man swore an oath under his breath.<em>”Fuck it; just put it on her and we’ll take her to Rook to see if this mess is still salvageable.”</em><br/><br/>With a gruff grunt of acknowledgment, the second man strode to a little wooden box that was set on top of a nearby crate and withdrew a metal collar similar to what was on the other man standing idly nearby.  Although such an item was relatively rare outside of the southern cities, you all would have been able to identify it as a discipline collar.  A magical devise that puts the wearer at the mercy of the individual who puts it on them.  Praise from the master would bring about fits of intense ecstasy while scolding sends them into a fit of absolute aguish.  It is through this extreme of sensation that the wearer is forced to obey commands or suffer in intense agony until the body can no longer endure it and their heart gives out.  Once on, only the individual who put it on her can remove the collar; anybody else who tries will kill the wearer in the attempt.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body">You have to make a decision to intervene now to prevent them from enslaving the bound woman or to let them carry on with their deed and see if they will lead you to this mysterious Rook person.<br/><br/>If you wish to intervene, let me know and I will put up the combat map.  As it stands now, you have around ten feet to get around shelving unit before another thirty to close with the others.<br/></div></div>