Cats runs up to jab the Eye only to see it already punctured and blown and dead.
"Ah, cattlespot," Cats says as he goes to return the longspear he borrowed. When he returns, he gives a good look to what Brother and Mariner hath wrought: freedom and more exploration.
"Nice work Brother, Mariner! Nice work, Watchmen!" Cats smiles and looks in. "Do we wish to explore more now? Or wait for the morrow?"
Cats is neutral on the idea, happy to do whatever.
|
THANK DESNA! And Thank you to Mariner! You big lug! great work. I saw you swinging that pole and clearing off large chunks of it. That was impressive. A perfect show of teamwork! As Cat's said, Mariner did great work. I don't take any credit. the Mariner was epic.
Mariner -- Keep up the good work and Desna will keep you healthy and on your feet.
He then moves towards the sanctuary. Looking to say a couple parting words to Captain York and Lady Winter. When he sees them, We cleared out the Evil Eye. The doorway is open, so you may want to take some desks in the Entry Hall and build another barricade. We will explore and see you in a few hours.
BB then returns to the Entry Hall.
speaking softly and to himself.
Thank you Desna for that win.
Leaning to look into the opened path, Must be the innards of the eye. "Let see what the eye was hidin'..." the Mariner takes the first steps into the hall.
Cats moves into the next room, bow drawn. He is immediately intrigued by the front doors (south on map) and goes to look though them (if window) or see if they are trapped/locked.
Perception
"What the cat is behind this door, huh, Fearless?"
Fearless leans over. "I don't see any Cat's? Why would a cat be out in that acid rain?" He shakes his head and walks back to riffling through the many drawers.
A search of the Admissions Hall and the desks within finds nothing useful.
The strong wooden front doors are swollen in their frame and resist being opened.
|
|
BB does move towards the windows to see what is outside (since this is the entry/admissions hall, I'd assume the doors lead outside), but hems and haws. He knows that the true destination is in the opposite direction.
While it might be entertaining to explore outside, realistically, we need to head North towards the kitchens. Food is our most basic of needs and we really won't last long if we just try to leave now.
BB grimaces at what he sees through the window and mutters to himself -- first things first.
He moves to the northern doors and puts his hands on them.
Brother Butterfly takes a minute to delve the space beyond the northern doors...
|
|
BB stays there for a while, until the rest of the party seems to draw near. He looks and focuses to see if he detects any movement.
He puts his fingers to his lips signaling for others to be silent.
Trying to best determine "if" the coast is clear, and when would be a good time to describe the Library room.
Sagging shelves, held together by dust and an extensive system of rolling ladders, ring a library of husky, dull looking tomes. At the room’s center broods a heavily worn table surrounded by uncomfortable chairs. A chandelier of iron vines dangles above.
Cats leaves the doors outside alone and moves to help BButterfly on the north doors.
"Safe in there, is it?" Cats asks. "Lemme see if I can cat these doors open." Cats examines the doors, and then will open them if they are not too dangerous.
Perception
Looking carefully, Brother Butterfly notices that several of the lower shelves have had their contents scattered across the floor in a way that does not seem to be caused by the earthquake. Something else has disturbed them.
Checking the doors, Cats feels they are safe to open, and does so. Inside is a library as described by Brother Butterfly. Sagging shelves, held together by dust and an extensive system of rolling ladders, ring a library of husky, dull looking tomes. At the room’s center broods a heavily worn table surrounded by uncomfortable chairs. A chandelier of iron vines dangles above. However, one thing his sight is incapable of perceiving is the smell - the scents of leather and old paper pervade the high-ceilinged space, but so does a distinct bestial musk.
"It smells fragrant in here." comments the Twin as he approaches the doorway, smelling the deep, primal scent. "Perhaps there is another creature you can bash to death in here." he says, certain now that the bloodlust of Mariner and Brother Butterfly exceeds his own.
The Twin and the Snake will gaze into the room, trying to determine what may have caused the ruckus in the library.
If there is no apparent danger, then the Twin blesses the Snake with some magical armor and the pair slowly creeps inside, dagger and fangs at the ready.
As the Twinkies move in and The Twin reveals his perception of a threat, Cats hides himself against the entry.
Stealth
"Yeah, go cat it out," Cats whispers, certain that he is being understood.
Seeing Brother Butterfly and Cats slide into an obvious defensive posture Pinkie unsheathes his Rapier and slips a dagger into his other hand as he moves up to reinforce the holy mans side of the doorway.
Fearless looks about at Brother Butterfly and The twin begin to cast spells and get defensive at an empty room.
"First there are cats out in the acid rain now the smell of dead bodies have you on edge? Let's just get out of here while we have a chance" He shakes at the thought of another 'beast' within the room.
"The last beast nearly ripped my face off under the furnace."
The Mariner edges forward, looking back at Brother often to confirm if he was doing the right thing and going in the right direction. The blade of the bill in the lead, poised to jab at the first thing that moves or comes near.
The Twin's step inside, followed by the Mariner who trips over the serpents tail and nearly crashes to the ground before righting himself.
Briarstone’s library boasts an impressive collection. Four rolling ladders span the 8-foot-tall bookshelves here—one for each of the four contiguous sets of shelves. The ladders are attached to the shelf frames and roll easily along steel tracks.
Atop the bookshelves seem to be mounds of shredded paper, and the gleam of tiny eyes watching you. Squeaky voices call out in shrieks and chitters.
"More giants have arrived!"
"Call our friends. Drive them off!"
You see ratlike creatures with tiny human hands in place of front paws, and unnerving human faces with toothy mouths. (they are tiny sized creatures)
Ratlings are magical beasts.
The ratling is a hideous amalgamation of rat and human: a long-haired rodent with hand-like front paws and a face reminiscent of the face of a leering old man. Within the ratling's humanoid mouth are long, yellow incisors more akin to those one might find in the jaws of a rat.
Ratlings are carnivores. While they can subsist on grubs, other rodents, and carrion, they prefer living food and fresh blood, particularly that of humanoid children and elderly folk. They also have a sense for magic, and lurk around temples and universities searching for scraps of knowledge or overlooked books and scrolls to steal.
Ratlings associate with common rats and even mate with them, producing anything from large, aggressive rats (often with vestigial humanlike features or other sickening deformities) to infant ratlings to deformed rats. In a mixed litter, the infant ratling usually kills and eats its siblings, then arranges the dismembered and disemboweled corpses in semi-occult patterns.
You can ask 1 question.
If you roll 18 you get 2 questions.
If you roll 23 you get 3 questions.
INITIATIVE
INITIATIVE
Fearless (16/16)
The Twin (17/17)
Eidolon (11/11)
The Mariner (27/27)
Cats (17/17)
Pinkie (17/17)
Furry Creatures
Brother Butterfly (19/19)
Cats waits for others to move so he can pop out of hiding and pop a cat in a rat without hitting someone's/someserpent's fat head.
The Mariner recovers form the floor, slightly dizzy from a head rush. Looking around at the gleaming eye, He throws his back to the wall, expecting a rush. "It's a whole den of them!" -whatever they are.
>>
Pinkie gives Brother Butterflys cloak a little tug to get his attention and whispers "Hey big guy Evean says your in the wrong spot. I'm suppose to be in front of you.....See I told him....yes I know if he gets hurt there is no one to heal any of us.......I'm trying"
"They're Ratlings! Careful. They like fresh blood, though mainly from children and the elderly as they moves slower. They seem to be drawn to magic and like to also shred and eat magical scrolls and books."
Fearless explains the little bit that he knows of the creatures. Unbeknownst to himself his mind works at protecting him from any sort of danger as he draws his crossbow.
HP 16/16
AC 18
Spells 1st 1/2
Inspiration 3/3
Fearless knows that ratlings have magical abilities and can summon swarms of rats to aid them.
Cats still wonders why there are so many people in his way.
The Twin looks at the ratlings and moves in, gripping his dagger. "Snakes enjoy eating rats, I believe." he says to himself as the Snake nods in agreement, salivating at the thought of a fresh ratling.
"Stay near me, but feel free to eat one." he adds as the Snake hisses and readies to bite one when it approaches. The Twin imbues his dagger with minor power as he readies a strike as well.
---
Round 1, Init 7
Cats moves into the room, following the Twinkies. He fires once at the rat on the left.
to hit;
damage.
AC: 17 (dex + leather)
HP: 10/10
As the group readies for trouble the ratlings begin squeaking loudly, their voices sounding less like language and more like aggressive rats.
Cats takes a shot with his bow, but the arrow sinks into the spine of an expensive looking book on the shelf below.
One of the ratlings, crouched upon a bookshelf near the Mariner, grabs a book from the shelf under it and hurls the tome down at him, then takes cover.
INITIATIVE
Brother Butterfly (19/19)
Fearless (16/16) mage armor
The Twin (17/17)
Eidolon (11/11) mage armor
The Mariner (27/27)
Cats (17/17) shield of faith
Pinkie (17/17)
Ratlings
Fearless' eyes go wide. "S%$#! S%@~! S!!#! I forgot to mention that they are each able to call out swarms of rats in the vicinity like some sort of Pied Piper. You have to stop them now!"
Fearless moves in behind the Twin and fires a bolt at the western most ratling as it chatters away.
HP 16/16
AC 18
Spells 1st 1/2
Inspiration 3/3
"I don't know." the Twin says as the ratlings don't attack, other than the hyper-aggressive Mariner.
"Why are we trying to kill them?" he asks.
|
|
BB sees that he will be needed in the midst of the room. But, first Pinkie needs some defense and for Desna to protect - especially if a bunch of rats are about to show up.
He touches Pinkie on the shoulder.
then he moves into the room and seeks some cover by moving under the table nearest the door.
Round 2, Init 7
Cats fires once at the rat on the left...and Cats pops an arrow into another book.
"Oh, another Arrow in the Cat book! Green Flumphs & Faun."
to hit;
damage.
AC: 17 (dex + leather)
HP: 10/10
"Anyone try telling them we just want to get to the other side and they can eat all the books they want?ask Pinkie
"No I don't speak Rat do you care to translate for me.....what do you mean useless....when before now have you ever needed to speak Rat......No That is part of the problem I don't remember "That time in the sewers".....what do you know you don't even remember my name and don't say its Pinkie."
The Mariner steps underneath the nearest ratling and takes a mighty swing across the top of the shelve with the polearm
>>
Butterfly moves for cover while The Twins ready to attack anything that comes close. Fearless and Cats takes shots at the ratlings. Cats kills another book, but Fearless' small bolt strikes the ratling to the west.
The creature flinches, but continues its ratlike chattering.
Across the library the Mariner swings his polearm up at the book-thrower, but the angle and cover from the edge of the bookshelf protects the ratling from injury.
Pinkie wonders if its too late to try diplomacy. A voice tells him, "Yup."
The ratling near the Mariner scampers away from the swinging weapon. The others finish their ratlike cries in a crescendo of squeals. The books begin rattling in the shelves. The sound of a hundred squeaking and squealing close in from all around. Suddenly, rats pour out from the shelves, swarming around The Mariner, The Twin, Cats, and Fearless! Dozens of sharp teeth tear at them, searching out soft flesh.
Swarm Traits: A swarm has no clear front or back and no discernable anatomy, so it is not subject to critical hits or flanking. A swarm made up of Tiny creatures takes half damage from slashing and piercing weapons. A swarm composed of Fine or Diminutive creatures is immune to all weapon damage. Reducing a swarm to 0 hit points or less causes it to break up, though damage taken until that point does not degrade its ability to attack or resist attack. Swarms are never staggered or reduced to a dying state by damage. Also, they cannot be tripped, grappled, or bull rushed, and they cannot grapple an opponent.
A swarm is immune to any spell or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate), with the exception of mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms) if the swarm has an Intelligence score and a hive mind. A swarm takes half again as much damage (+50%) from spells or effects that affect an area, such as splash weapons and many evocation spells.
(Trained skill only) If you roll 12 or higher check the "secret" spoiler below.
Rat swarms can cause the disease filth fever.
INITIATIVE
Brother Butterfly (19/19)
Fearless (14/16) mage armor
The Twin (13/17)
Eidolon (11/11) mage armor
The Mariner (26/27)
Cats (12/17) shield of faith
Pinkie (17/17)
Ratlings (orange -2)
Fearless swats at as many rats as he can, knocking them from his shoulder and chest. His little legs have a lot of difficulty as the rats bite at his bare feet as he wads through hundreds of the little critters in an attempt to reach a ladder to get above them.
"Get to the ladders!"
Barely reaching the small ladder Fearless reaches a hand up to the first rung and begins to climb to the top of the shelves where he shakes a final rat loose from his pant leg.
"Those rats carry Filth Fever. Avoid their bites."
HP 16/16
AC 18
Spells 1st 1/2
Inspiration 3/3
Round 3, Init 7
Fort vs. Nauseated
Cats thinks to fire another another arrow, but the rats climbing all over him instead sends him scurrying out the door.
"Cat them off! Cat them off!"
AC: 17 (dex + leather)
HP: 12/17
|
|
Seeing the rats come out of the woodwork - literally!-- He is repulsed. Next to nothing could be more of a nightmare than to see filthy and vile vermin next to his perfectly clean clothes and body. Imagining how nasty his new red shoes will get, and lamenting how he just made a small supply of ammonia cleaning water. BB moves to the ladder area but and climbs to the top of the book case. Safe from the rats (well, until Fearless tells tBB they can CLIMB!). He needs to get out for the swarm of rats, not for the sake of avoiding wounds but for the sake of how badly this encounter will soil his clothes.
"Aw, rats...", the Mariner mutters as tiny little pink feet swarms around him. "Yah! YAHH!!!", instinctively he drops the polearm and grabs his shield as if that would help at all. Not knowing what else to do, he starts smashing the shield down flat on as many rats as possible.
>>
Fearless watches as several rats claw at the edges of the shelves. The little, furry, disease-laden demon spawn use each other to create a make-shift rodent pyramid to reach levels they shouldn't be able to reach.
"The little bastards can climb too!"
HP 15/16
AC 18
Spells 1st 1/2
Inspiration 3/3
Pinkie stands back from the door waiting to see if the rats continue to block his way
Brother Butterfly sends out a wave of healing energy then climbs up the a ladder to the top of one of the central book shelves. Fearless makes for the ladder to the eastern shelves.
Keeping his cool, the Twin slashes at the rats around him and retreats back into the admissions hall. His serpent scoops up a mouthful and slithers up the bookshelf next to Brother Butterfly.
The Mariner slams his shield into the rats, but they scatter away and avoid the attack. Grossed out by all rodents, Cats withdraws. Pinkie backs up as well.
The rats continue to swarm, scrambling up the bookshelves with ease!
INITIATIVE
Brother Butterfly (11/19)
Fearless (13/16) mage armor
The Twin (17/17)
Eidolon (10/11) mage armor
The Mariner (22/27)
Cats (13/17) shield of faith
Pinkie (17/17)
Ratlings (orange -2)
Swarms (red -11)
Seeing the doorway clear Pinkie makes a run for one of the ladders
The Snake feels the thousands of tiny teeth rending his flesh slightly and begins to gag, trying to vomit back up the whole rats stuck in his belly.
The Twin scowls and cuts at the rats attacking his eidolon. "Be gone, vermin! "
-Posted with Wayfinder
The rats are becoming harder and harder to shake free as Fearless is backed up against the wall. Looking across he decides to try and make a jump for it.
His feet clap against the wooden shelves and he leaps into the air, smacking down onto his knees on the other side of the bookshelves as he rolls onto his side, putting the rats a better distance away from him.
HP 14/16
AC 18
Spells 1st 1/2
Inspiration 2/3
|
|
With the rats climbing up the bookshelves at the exact time Fearless exclaims - The bastards can climb! - BB thinks to himself. "No S+!@!".
He is exasperated. Brother looks at the table five feet below and five feet away. Contemplating a jump down. His adroit mind calculates the odds and tell him that he might make it.
His head swivels to the Southwest corner of the room. Looking and trying to judge if he'd be better off making a running jump across the 10 feet gap to the bookshelf on the otherside. His mind tells him that he WON'T make that jump. He's just not that athletic.
His head and body start to move.
THEN, the rats are all over him. Crawling. Biting On him faster than he could have imagined. His perch of safety was nothing more than a fascade or a paper Bulette.
Instead of jumping, he just scrambles down the stairs - which are surprisingly clear of rats. He moves as fast as possible and gets to a position to heal everyone in his party. These rats are taxing everyone's health. It is up to him to protect and serve.
Round 4, Init 7
Cats moves up, shooting at the red swarm.
"Take cat, you dirty rats!"
to hit;
damage.
AC: 17 (dex + leather) +2 SoF
HP: 12/17