The dirty water in the vat beside Keildrithe erupts as a bedraggled and half drowned human looking woman bursts upwards, gasping for air. As she does so, Keildrithe swings his longsword at her, but the blade is turned by her wet leather armour.
[/ooc]
Keildrithe curses as the rat-woman's emergence from the vat startles him, resulting in a weak blow. He finaly gets used to the stink of the room, and, taking advantage of his wet foe's state of momentary disorientation, strikes her again with his father's long sword. This time, the blade cuts through the woman's armour.
Laithe-wolf lets out an involuntary yip as the ratman's blade scores another cut into his side. He readies another attack, but then see's creature falter and fall from Alton's well-timed attack behind it.
Figuring Alton can handle any life left in the creature, he quickly spins and runs at the ratman Pharris faces, charging in at it's exposed back.
The woman standing up in the vat gasps in surprised horror as Keildrithe’s ancestral longsword slices through her armour and deeply into the flesh of her torso, encountering none of the strange resistance that the others reported on attacking the rat-men.
Blood drips from her open mouth, then she slumps down into the pool, the reddening water closing over her.
The burly wererat up on the walkway gives out an enraged bellow and redoubles his attacks against Pharris, shrugging off the minor wound inflicted by Laithe.
His lip curls in a superior half smile/half-snarl from seeing the effect of his magical missiles, but the smirk is quickly replaced by concern as he sees the rat-men desperately redouble their efforts and wound his companions.
He lunges for and snatches up his crossbow and raises it to the catwalk, just in time to see Alton and Laithe's opponent slump to the rickety deck. He swiftly turns and aims at the slimmer rat-man facing Pharris. He takes a calming breath, releases half of it, and slowly and calmly squeezes the trigger,...
;P
Nicolai’s bolt flies straight towards the rat-man’s head … but at the last instant before hitting him in the temple, the creature lunges at Pharris, and the bolt merely gashes his furred cheek.
This one now bleeds from several small wounds and scratches, but he appears to have a bit of fight left in him.
The woman steps around the corner so that the beast is flanked. Then she launches a set attack aimed at taking away the creatures balance before the blade slices upwards between its legs.
"I am death."
"Last chance to surrender. Take it."
Pharris’ height and grace enables her to undertake feats with the two handed sword that most could not attempt. The sword comes down, around, then back up. The force of the swing is enough that it should have left the rat-man unable to ever father a litter again … as it is the creature’s strange resistance to weapons dulls the force of the attack, but still makes him screech in pain and fear.
“Enough! I yield, I yield,” he shrieks, speaking Atuscan that is hard to understand through the heavy accent and the mouth that is more rodent than mans. He puts his blade up and looks around, eyes darting frantically.
“I will put my sword down,” he tells Pharris, spitting blood. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know. Just let me go! Let me get out of here. I’ll tell you, just ask quickly!”
Nicholai blinks at the rat-man's cries.
"No way. It can't be that easy." He mutters to Keildrithe, and Alton and Laithe via the message spell.
"Where are the demons?" He calls suddenly. When the others look at him, he looks around at the mess, the bodies of bleeding and burnt rats, and smiles wryly.
"I think it's safe to say that we've lost the element of surprise. Tell us where we can find the devil-kin, and if there is a way to take them by surprise, and as far as I am concerned, you may leave."
Nicholai stops smiling, his gaze turns piercing, bridging the gap from him to the ratman.
"If I ever see you again, I make no other guarantee." He says with suave, debonair menace, his boot kicking a still-smoldering rat-corpse for emphasis.
Pharris can certainly attempt to assist in an Intimidate check, and/or Laithe-wolf is probably in a good position to do so too.
Laithe-wolf watches the ratman cautiously, trying to guage the sincerity of the offer, and trying to follow the ratman's darting eyes. On cue with Nicolai's threat, Laithe-wolf let's a low growl escape his throat, trying to make it as menacing as possible.
"Sword hilt first, I am the demonslayer Rashas and you may leave to reach the sewers if you tell me everything as you promised!"
She pats the greatsword with one hand, "or Impdrinker will eat your soul!"
Sensing that his companions are well in control of the last remaining ratman, Keildrithe cautiously walks towards the door through which the rats fled. He puts his back to the wall beside the door frame, then peers around the edge into the darkness beyond, sword held up in a high guard, just in case...
Kajetan finally fixes his crossbow, just in time for the battle to end.
"Typical," he smiles wryly.
"Maybe this will help?" he mutters over Pharris's shoulder.
He attempts to discretely cast Charm Person on the ratman,
While the group threatens the rat-man, the kobolds move cautiously into the chamber. Almost immediately, Lumbie sits down against a wall, wheezing, whilst Raspit starts hissing and coughing. Chupo stands stoically, watching over the Devil-Box.
Keildrithe edges over to the door, peering around the corner. He can see some dully glowing coals in a fireplace at the far side of the room, but most of the rest of the room is in darkness, and he can make out little from this vantage; there appears to be a table, some chairs, some stacked crates and barrels … he can’t see any other exits or enemies.
Laithe:
Whether it’s the intimidation or Kajetan’s subtle spell, the rat-creature suddenly flips his sword around and hands it hilt first to Pharris. “It wasn’t our idea to attack you,” he says quickly, whiskered nose twitching. “It was them. You might think we are monsters – maybe we are – but they are evil, pure and simple. We should never have let Muddletude talk us into helping them, but … anyway, they can fly and become invisible. Who knows where they might be! But they usually - ”
Suddenly, there is a flash, and two green glowing darts of force streak down from somewhere in the shadows amongst the exposed beams and rafters supporting the roof, zooming unerringly to strike the rat-man in the middle of the back. He gasps and slumps to the walkway. A weird, high pitched giggle echoes out of the darkness above.
Spot: 1d20+3=19, Listen: 1d20+4=24
"Aw for the love of Arton!" Nicholai cries in exasperation.
"Can anyone see it? Where did it go?" Nicholai whispers to Keildrithe, Laithe & Arton via the message spell as he crouches low, scanning the room trying to find the culprit himself.
The Karand sees little but the glowing embers in the next chamber, but does not trust his senses... after all, two of the giant rats fled into that room. The sinister, high pitched laughter startles him, and turns his attention back towards the ceiling of the chamber in which the party are scattered. He scans the room, but is distracted by the voice of Nicolai in his mind. "For the love of who???, he responds incredulously, hostility evident in his unspoken voice. Getting back to the sorcerer's original question via the message spell, he adds, "I can't see them at all." Then, aloud, he calls discretely to the knockers: "Lumbie, Raspit, Chupo -- stay close! The devils are in this room!"
Keildrithe shuts the door to the room behind him, then steps in front of it and stands put, swinging his sword in a sweeping arc.
Pharris stares at the smoking body as she drops the rapier.
"Can we use the box now?" Kajetan calls out as he scans the area for the assassin.
Spot and Listen check. (1d20+1=5, 1d20+1=2)
"I can't see it at all, tell me if you can, I only need an area!" he cries in frustration.
There is no ceiling as such; the rickety walkways that most of the group are up on are about fifteen feet above the stone floor; the primary beams of the roof structure (“ceiling level”) are about fifteen feet above that, with a series of smaller rafters and purlins in the darkened roof-space above. The roof is peaked, the ceiling space is low, mostly, at the edges of the chamber, and up to about fifteen feet high near the centre.
There are doors at G4/5 and L/M8 at the upper (and lower) levels; there is also a shorter, narrow door at L/M10 at the upper level.
Alton, Keildrithe, Laithe:
No one can visually make out the source of the laughter in the mostly dark chamber (with only the south-western corner of the walkway well illuminated by Nicolai’s spell) and the cavernous nature of the room makes the sound bounce and echo.
The Karand sees little but the glowing embers in the next chamber, but does not trust his senses... after all, two of the giant rats fled into that room. The sinister, high pitched laughter startles him, and turns his attention back towards the ceiling of the chamber in which the party are scattered. He scans the room, but is distracted by the voice of Nicolai in his mind. "For the love of who???, he responds incredulously, hostility evident in his unspoken voice. Getting back to the sorcerer's original question via the message spell, he adds, "I can't see them at all." Then, aloud, he calls discretely to the knockers: "Lumbie, Raspit, Chupo -- stay close! The devils are in this room!"
Keildrithe shuts the door to the room behind him, then steps in front of it and stands put, swinging his sword in a sweeping arc.
Alton starts slightly, a predatory smile twisting his features as he recognizes the laugh. 'The reckoning is at hand for you, little demon.' he says softly, searching the dark rafter with his eyes.
A dreadful realization dawns on Keildrithe, and his thoughts are conveyed via the message spell to Nicolai, Laithe and Alton. "I recognize its laughter... it's the same devil that possessed the goblins and killed Jirkin in the Valley of the Snails -- and if my ears aren't betraying me, I'd swear that it's lurking in the shadows beyond the rafters. Let's kill this little bastard once and for all!" Keildrithe follows the wall until he is again standing beside the knockers. He then whispers to their unlikely allies: "Raspit, what's the best way to deal with this thing? Can the box be used multiple times, or must we catch the devils all at once?"
A dreadful realization dawns on Keildrithe, and his thoughts are conveyed via the message spell to Nicolai, Laithe and Alton. "I recognize its laughter... it's the same devil that possessed the goblins and killed Jirkin in the Valley of the Snails -- and if my ears aren't betraying me, I'd swear that it's lurking in the shadows beyond the rafters. Let's kill this little bastard once and for all!" Keildrithe follows the wall until he is again standing beside the knockers. He then whispers to their unlikely allies: "Raspit, what's the best way to deal with this thing? Can the box be used multiple times, or must we catch the devils all at once?"
Laithe shares Keildrithe's incredulousness at the use of Arton's name at this time, but he is too busy scanning the rafters unsuccessfully to react with more than a slight scowl.
He quickly wills a change back into human form, and as Keildrithe identifies the creature, he whispers quietly utilising the message spell. "Aye, I think so. Cover all exits to the room so it cannot escape. Can we get any light up there?" The quiet determination and underlying anger in his voice is evident to those who hear the whispered words.
He makes a quick motion for Pharris to head round towards Kajetan to cover the upper door at G4/5 (upper). He then begins moving towards Alton, so that they might cover the two doors at L/M8 & L/M10. As he moves, he grasps at the arrow still lodged in his back, calling on Ehlonna's healing magic to help pull it free and close the worst of the wound.
Doing as bid by the druid wolf, Pharris moves around closer to the other door, as she goes she sheathes the greatsword. Then she stops a spends a while pulling the net free of her belt.
"I'll throw you guys the net to block off that exit. If you want? Then I can free my bow."
Kajetan will crouch ready with a pinch of ground mica in his hand, the words of a spell on his lips.
Alton stands still, carefully listening for any sound that may betray the hidden demon, or any sign of its foul little form … but from his vantage he does not get any further clues to its whereabouts.
Keildrithe edges carefully around the room to consult with Raspit. The little knocker is looking green around the gills, and keeps blowing air out through his nostrils. “Can be usssed ssseveral timesss,” he hisses. “But if too many, it sstopss working. And have to be quite clossse I think.” He hisses something else in his own language at Chupo, who turns and shuts the door and kicks Lumbie.
Nicholai looks around, straining to find the Imp.
"Light I can do." He mutters through the message spell, and the glowing coin floats upwards towards the rafters.
"You think this is the same creature? Then I pray that I am able to aid you in your vengeance! If we can mark it, I can hit it!" He hisses in reply, scanning the rafters. He purses his lips as he concentrates, looking for any telltale sign of the creature.
His hand clenches and in his grip comes once again the blue-white glow that heralds his mystic bolts.
Nicolai causes his slowly spinning light coin to move up and over towards the area where he thought he heard the laugh issue from. Peering carefully up into the shadowy ceiling space above … he still sees nothing.
Pharris strains to hear anything but her thoughts keep intruding. She grips the net tight.
Nicholai strains to hear a tell-tale sound that might reveal where the imp is at, but all he can hear is the thudding of his own heart.
Everyone tensely watches and listens for any further sign of their diminutive tormenter. The building groans, settling in the night; the creak of a rusty shutter hinge moving in the breeze outside; something scuttles across the floor in the adjacent room; somewhere nearby, water drips; distant sounds from the street and the town beyond … but nothing that is certainly the fiend.
"Let's get into a smaller room, we don't stand a chance out here. This imp has all the advantages! Come on."
Pharris doubles back around past the corner towards the upper level doors.
She forgets she is carrying the net until she stops.
Kajetan decides that he is vulnerable away from Pharris and follows her, but I can only move 40 feet as a double move.
"Let's get into a smaller room, we don't stand a chance out here. This imp has all the advantages! Come on."
Pharris doubles back around past the corner towards the upper level doors.
NIcholai nods, still scanning the room.
"Agreed. Get together, and let's get to a smaller space."
Listen: 1d20+3=14, Spot: 1d20+4=13
NIcholai Idly notes that Pharris does, indeed, have a perfect navel,... :P
Laithe nods in agreement to the suggestion to clear out of the large room, and makes his way to the narrow door on the upper levels. As he goes he does his best to listen again for any sign of the creature's where-abouts. Once there he takes up position waiting for the others to arrive and scanning intently for any sign of the imp.
Nicholai scans the area, looking for any sign of the creature.
He catches Keildrithe's eye and indicates Pharris with a nod of his head, whispering thru the message spell.
"Take the Box and the dragonlings upstairs, I'll follow."
Nicholai scans the area, looking for any sign of the creature.
He catches Keildrithe's eye and indicates Pharris with a nod of his head, whispering thru the message spell."Take the Box and the dragonlings upstairs, I'll follow."
"Raspit, Chupo, Lumbie... time to move," says the bard quietly to the knockers. "We're taking the box upstairs." He shows them the way to the nearest ladder, and helps them heave the box up to the next level.
Alton and Nicolai stand still where they are, watching and listening for any sign of the creature, but their senses fail them – nothing. Nicolai still readies himself to blast the thing with magic should he be able to see it.
Keildrithe begins herding the three kobolds towards a ladder, helping with the box as Raspit appears too ill to do much good.
Pharris dashes around the walkway, heading towards the narrow door.
Laithe stands still and listens, his senses probably sharper than all the others’ … and he hears something. A faint scraping sound, over by the door in the north wall, off the walkway.