The large mastiff and his neighboring mutt sit quietly and pant attentively in Pip’s direction. The remaining mutt is still threatening Ruina, and seems unaffected by Pip’s words.
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Pip coos soothingly to the two magicked dogs, hoping his friends can manage the third.
"'Scuse me." As Nerris's bomb blast echoes from the ceiling and the singed dog looks around, panicking, Alex pushes his way through Pip and Sara and...
...trips over his cape as he tries to kick the dog away. "Godsdammit!"
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Indra mutters a curse under her breath. "Quit screwing around with the dogs. We have more important matters to deal with." She pulls open the secret door to look inside.
Sighing, Orrias moves to join the mess with the dogs, strafing wide to avoid the mutt unaffected by Pip's charms. Feinting towards it to try and give Alexite and opening, the elf struggles to be distracting, but not so threatening that the other two dogs shake off the magic ensnaring them.
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Round 2
"Ruina, stay," Sara says as she carefully moves around Alexite to flank the pup with her own trusty hound. Once on the other side she attacks the dog with the flat of her blade, more to give it a start than to actually harm it.
Ruina seeing Sara's caution with her attack, mimics her care can nips at the stray's flesh, not biting to deeply or cause serious harm, simply to assert dominance in a more aggressive manor than before. She aims more for the legs to attempt to pin the stay beneath her weight.
The explosion of the bomb, the bite of the wolf, and the threat of all the encroaching big folk quickly drive the smaller mutt to fear, and without the support of the larger mastiff it the smaller mutt turns and dashes for the cracked door.
Indra looks into an old workroom that houses numerous old slaughterhouse tools, veterinary equipment, and woodworking tools, all of which are covered with a thick layer of dust through which strange tracks and patterns have been traced. Heavy mallets, crumbling ropes, and tools for restraining animals hang from pegs in the walls or rest atop leaning tables.
To the southwest, a trap door sits ajar, propped open by a block of wood, and leading down into darkness. A fetid smell rises from the opening.
Rexus approaches, and looks down the trapdoor. ”Not the most inviting, but I believe that what we seek is down there. Do any of you have experience with such environs?”
Alexite manages to right himself, tugging his cloak back around so that it's on straight. "Damn dogs."
He follows the other over to the trapdoor Indra has uncovered. "Ugh. Smells like the latrines at the Tooth and Nail. Which we should go to tonight, by the by." He scratches his head and sighs. "I don't have much experience, but I'm willing to drop in there...someone needs to go first. Anyone got a light? I got some tindertwigs but nothing to light with them."
Indra hesitates for a moment and mutters something about her imagination getting the better of her. SHE's never had trouble seeing in the dark and has never quite understood how others have trouble with it. The smell, on the other hand, is not inviting at all. "Be careful with flame. This whole place seems like one big tindertwig. This better not ruin my boots," she grumbles as she moves forward.
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Nerris awkwardly shifts while she waits for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. After waiting a while she confirms what she all ready knew. She can't see in the darkness. "I'm a little embarrassed to say this but I can't see in the dark," she says while chuckling a bit.
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Sara grabs a pebble and focuses on it for a moment. Soon it begins to shine with a bright light. "Here, good enough?" she asks and tosses the lit pebble to Alexite.
Alexite catches the pebble, examining it with a wary eye before nodding. "Fine by me." He stows his dagger so that he's got the pebble in one hand and his sword in the other, then glances at Indra.
"So who goes first? Do you go first? I go first?"
Indra waves her arm in a sweeping motion to Alex, as if to say, "After you."
"I truly loathe sewers," the elf sighs as he follows the others, swinging the door closed--though ensuring it doesn't lock or latch--and waits quietly while Alexite takes the lead.
Alexite descends 15 feet down the shaft on a creaky (but sturdy) ladder. The eye-watering stench of urine and feces fills the large room that you enter. Nests made of chewed crates and barrels line the walls, while rusty knives and hooks cover the tabletops.
As they descend the ladder, Indra wraps her cloak around the lower half of her face in an attempt to breathe easier. Still, she finds her gorge rising, threatening to overpower her. "It's clearly <cough> not a place that <cough> anyone would suspect to look for another living creature." She nudges Alex towards the door. "I'm not sure anything is worth this. Move quickly."
Pip walks back from the cracked door, where he stood to shoo away the fleeing dogs, and catches up with his big new friends.
As soon as the trapdoor is thrown open, the odor strikes him like a mallet as he jogs over.
"Woof. And here I thought we left all the refuse back in the park. Smells like we'll be fighting dirty no matter what our morals. Fortunately, I know a handy trick."
Pip doffs his well-woven robe and hangs it from the cleanest looking peg he can spot. Down to the more simple shirt and breeches he wore beneath, he unloops his sling and dangles it from his left hand. His right hand's fingers wiggle like a spider's legs teasing the cord, putting on the best show of his magic that he can.
"The sewers, an abattoir, and Old Barzai's bedchambers. Just because they smell just as foul as the rules that govern them, that doesn't mean the rest of us can't be fair."
The slip invokes some manner of magic upon his sling, then wraps it loosely around his neck like a scarf. He walks over closer to Nerris and Sara.
"Fancy a whiff? Should smell like peppermint. My friend Lorelei taught me this little trick. She's the only Shelynite I've ever known who specializes in leathercraft, and let me tell you, curing those hides so they're supple is some nasty smelling work. It's pretty easy magic, too. Anyone care for an air freshener of their own?"
Nerris looks at the sewers and shrugs. She's used to worst working in the office. She says,"I'm fine. This doesn't faze me at all."
When Sara comes down the ladder she looks up at Ruina. "Sorry girl, You could probably come down but I don't know how to get you back up." She said softly with only a whine from Ruina as a reply.
When Sara turns her attention to the room she notices the nests. "Something's been living here though," she says and looks around the room.
Alexite's nose wrinkles, but otherwise he bears the smell well enough. "Trust me, I'd like to get on with it too...Rexus! Nothing in this first room, you can come down. Any idea what we're looking for?" As Sara begins to search the surroundings he moves over to the door in the northwest corner to see if it's unlocked.
Orrias eagerly requests one of Pip's sweet-scent spells, pulling forth a slightly worn handkerchief which he ties around his mouth and a nose. When Alexite sends up the all-clear he starts down after them.
Alexite and Indra dismount the ladder, and Sara and Nerris come down next. As they reach the floor, the boxes and debris explode with activity, and four massive rats, almost perfectly silent until now, screech as they burst forth to attack!
The four ravenous rats charge each of those of you on the floor, trying to catch you before you can react! Sara manages to catch sight of her attacker before it can get to her, but not before she is surprised by the remaining rats.
"Why you filthy, little..." Indra draws her dagger and attempts to stab the rat that bit her.
Alexite jumps backward, startled, as the rat rushes him, then rolls his eye and stabs down at it with his sword.
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Indra swipes, but misses, and Alexite's sword clangs against the stone floor.
"Sounds like more trouble. Anyone surprised? Thought not."
Pip slides down the ladder.
Upon seeing the large rats - especially large to him - he uncurls his sling and fumbles through his bag for a shot.
Sara curses herself fornnot having the forethought to ready her bow when it was obviouse thag they were not alone.
Indra, Nerris, and Sara take bites in the shins from the rats. The bites are ragged and raw
Sara curses as one of the rats rushes her and takes a bite out of her shin. She scrambles away on instinct before taking a shot.
The rat snaps at Sara’s heels...
...but the bite goes wide. Unfortunately, even though the creature is a little off balance from his charge, so does Sara’s arrow.
The rats all regroup to press their attacks...
...and though only one gets through on Indra’s leg, the bite is a substantial wound!
Alexite growls, and stabs at the rat in front of him again. "Die already!"
With a grunt of satisfaction, he sidesteps his way through the crowd by the ladder to help Nerris.
Freakin rats!
Moving as quickly as he can, Orrias clambers down the ladder and turns to scan for rats, drawing his curveblade and cursing his lack of foresight in not bringing a weapon more suitable to such close-quarters work.
Nerris eyes grow wide as Indra falls. Ignoring the pain from her bite she maneuvers to try and help her newfound friend.
Satisfied that Indra isn't going to die for the time being she winces as she puts weight on her wounded leg. "That's going to become infected isn't it," she says heaving out a sigh.
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Nerris grows worried over her newfound friend's bite. Taking out her dagger she clumsily tries to aide Indra.
Satisfied with the results she says," After this is over let me look at your leg to ensure it isn't infected."
Orrias hits the ground and quickly readies his sword for the fight.
Pip lands and scoots to the side to get his sling ready to attack.
Nerris moves over to help Indra, preparing to swing at any rat that approaches and aid her friend in battle.
Indra cautiously retreats back along the wall.
Sara fires again at her target...
...and drives an arrow straight through the rat’s head! It collapses in a wet heap.
Alexite brings his sword to bear against the rat in front of him, but his swing is just barely off, and the small target dodges aside.
The hungry rats continue to press their attack, hoping for more food...
...and one manages a lucky strike against Orrias, biting through the elf’s boot to chew on his ankle!
Compared to Pip, these rodents of already unusual size are yet more massive in scale.
Nevertheless, the slip remains perhaps foolishly unafraid.
He attempts to deftly weave his way between their snapping maws to afford himself some distance.
Once he is away from their mangey, matted fur, he fishes a bullet from his belt pouch and loads it.
Pip begins to spin his fresh-scented sling, somewhat spreading the aroma of peppermint in the process, and prepares to select a target.
Shaking the varmint off his leg, Orrias' face twists in disgust and he brings his blade down.
Pip singles out the rat in the middle, and on the fourth rotation he looses the sling bullet.
Unfortunately, the stone bullet only leaves a small divot in the cellar floor beside the vermin and cracks apart.
Orrias scores a wicked gouge on the rat's flank, but it still threatens him with it's teeth!
Pip scrambles away before whipping a stone in the direction of the rats, but in his concern to not hit Orrias, it skips just wide of the mark.
"GETOFF!" Enraged, Alexite shakes the rat off his pants leg and brings his sword down in a rough, two-handed chop.
Alexite's mighty swing just barely hits, but does more than enough damage to knock the rat unconscious!
- YES
- NO
Final Tally
#2 = Dead!
#3 = Unconscious from NL damage, easily killed