Brok shoots at a dire rat before they close.
(deadly aim)
Brok's shot flies wide of its mark, impacting upon the doorframe.
The rats, maddened by starvation, crowd the doorway and eagerly try to devour the fetchling...
...one of the rats manage to nick the fetchling's flesh.
Praetor's spell snatches one of the rats...
...which ceases its attempts to attack.
Ranufufus smiles eagerly at the thought of living flesh, even if it be the rat variety, and surges to attack...
Arlok moves up and begins slaughtering the rats with his glaive excited there is now more food.
"Nraah!" Keil snarls at the rodent before shaking it off, "No meat on these Godling." The fetchling slashes his blades down upon the starving pest slashing red icor across the floor.
From beneath his mask, Keil's yellow eyes twinkle viciously as the shadowy man steps back to admit more muscle into the fray.
Brok aims this time, but not very carefully.
(deadly aim, precise shot)
Arlok easily decapitates one of the rats while Vargrenz takes a defensive position behind the others.
Ranulfus' arrival on the scene has a devastating impact on the rats as the stench washes over them... As the ghast feeds upon the fresh corpses of the slain rats the other rats immediately break from the fray fleeing from the undead horror, one of them falling to Keil's blade.
Brok attempts to skewer another rat but his shot goes wide.
Grezzor takes another freezing shot at the closest rat - "Mindless, foolish critters" - he smiles as Ranulfus makes short work of them.
Grezzor fails to connect with his magical frost ray, joining Brok in a lesson of futility.
The rest of the rats flee the undead abomination cowering against the wall apparently unable to escape this room.
Arlok collects what they killed and lets the undead thingy continue to slaughter the rest.
If Ghastie seems to have it covered, Brok will hold his fire and stop wasting arrows.
After the confrontation becomes one sided, Grezzor focuses his attention in the corridor with the remaining doors, to make sure they have not drawn unwanted attention.
With the rat's slaughter almost assured, the fetchling's glowing eyes take on a frenzied gaze. Keil presses on with his attack, slashing any of the rodents he can get close to and sending bits of flesh flying onto walls and ceiling.
As Ranulfus continues to go after the remaining rats, they squeal loudly in terror as they try to escape, two of them falling quickly to Keil's blades.
Grezzor, taking a position guarding the corridor from any surprises, notes someone at the very edge of his vision is moving towards the party rather quickly from the western corridor...
"Someone is coming. And FAST!" - the wizard warns the others, retreating a tad.
Brok heeds Grezzor's warning and readies an arrow to shoot at whomeever shows up.
He's panicky, so he just shoots anything that shows up.
(deadly aim)
"Draw it to the end of the hall." The shadowy man's raspy voice exhorts over that of the godlin's, counseling the others to entice the new arrival past the door. Turning back to the carnage unfolding within the room, Keil signals the ghast with a wave of one of his swords, "Ranulfus, an entree approaches. Those morsels can wait." Sliding to the other side of the doorway, Keil prepares to ambush the new comer as it passes.
Arlok turns and ready's his glaive.
"Arlok no share food."
Grey walked forward with the group, keeping the Ghast in sight. "Enough. Let the other rats run." he said to the Ghast. At Keil's words, the with doctor made ready to put whatever it was to sleep.
As the rest of you hastily prepare for the arrival of the newcomer, it does not take long to discern his nature...a tall broad shouldered human nearly rivaling Arlok in size and bulk, dressed in little more than hides and a loincloth...not to mention his intent...which judging by the large club raised up is to pound someone into a bloody pulp.
He charges at the nearest target who happens to be Vargrenz...
;
...While few enemies ares able to penetrate the duergar's defenses, Vargrenz finds one who can...driving past his defenses by virtue of sheer brutal strength, crushing bone and sinew painfully.
Taking note of the brute attacking Vargrenz, Grezzor decides to delay his actions again, waiting for Vargrenz and Arlok.
Arlok steps forward to engage and help Varg.
(deadly aim)
Grey gestured towards the brute.
Grezzor's freezing ray easily strikes the human's arm, causing a ptch of frostbite to appear there . Brok's arrow draws blood and Arlok returns the favor as well, his own return stroke digging deep into the man's side...followed by Keil's blade. .
Praetor gestures to the man, sending his wave of eldritch magic towards him...which washes over him without any effect!
Vargrenz manages to barely grab the large human in his arms.
The large man, unaccustomed to being grabbed, attempts to break free...
Grey glared from behind his mask. He snapped his hand forward like he was cracking a whip.
"Brok, Tanglefoot bag."
"Woohoo!!!! Get 'em Vargrenz!!!" Brok chirps as he looses another arrow at the madman.
(deadly aim)
With the big men otherwise engaged, Keil slips in for another strike. Shifting in the shadowy man gleefully finds another soft spot and sends both of his blades plunging into the clubbed attacker's side.
"Puny human."
Praetor wraps the spectral rope around the prone man's neck, while Keil and Brok further wound the savage man. Arlok puts the finishing touches upon the man with a devastating blow sending the barbarian sprawling.
You all look for any signs of reinforcements, but whoever this man is, he seemed to be alone.
Sheathing his swords, the shadowy man reaches into the folds of his tattered cloak to retrieve his rope. Kicking the man's weapon free from his hand, Keil begins to bind the savage tightly in preparation for interrogation. Only once the fetchling is satisfied that the bonds of his handy work are secure does he begin the process of stabilizing this combatant, "He may yet be of use to us."
Brok is puzzled by why Keil wants to nurse dinner back to health, but to each his own.
He searches the barbarian for valuables.
The goblin takes advantage to search the unconscious form of the man, and quickly discovers he is carrying little of value. His hide armor and loincloth are both filthy and infested with fleas, while the rat tooth necklace he wears is basically worthless. Of more interest is the iron key discovered in a pouch and, of course, his weapon...a finely crafted greatclub.
Brok to Grezzor: "Check key and club to see if magic?"
"How would he have survived in here?" - Grezzor puzzles when he notices the man has no gear, or provisions of any kind - "Perhaps he has a camp somewhere in the complex.."
Brok to Grezzor: "Check key and club to see if magic?"
His thoughts interrupted, the goblin pauses mid sentence to dedicate himself to this task - "Yes" - he replies, summoning Arcane Magic to analyze the retrieved items.
The key looks like a typical key, designed to fit a door lock, though the club does indeed radiate magic. Further examination reveals it seems to be suited to help guide the wielder's hand and also increase the force of the blow.
Grezzor informs his companions of the magical properties of the greatclub - "Quite a strong enchantment on that one"
Grey staunched the barbarian's bleeding. "I do not think we should let him live."
The shadowy man nods in agreement with Grezzor's immediate questions, "A start."
Keil snickers, "Live? Heh, only long enough to tell us what we need to know."
"Arlok take magic stick." He reaches out to receive the club from whoever was examining it.
"Arlok happy, human taste better than rat. Arlok let Keil talk with food first. Now where we go?"
Praetor is able to stanch the bleeding of the flea-ridden barbarian, though he is still unconscious.