Wilaml shakes his head, he had been trying to avoid a fall and missed the fight entirely. Seeing that Talon was injured he moved towards him and raised his hands. "Hold still."
As he laid his hand on Talons wound, it suddenly began to stitch it self shut but Wil grimaced as his powers seemed weaker then before. Most of the time he was able to heal a lot easier, but this time he found it difficult to focus the healing energy he had been graced with. "I will try again later Talon, once we get a little further perhaps I will be able to focus better..."
Spider offers to take point while Talon is injured. To the river it is.
Wilaml nods to the Spider and bows his head apologetically to Talon. He'd get his chance to heal his companion soon, but he wouldn't waste his gift until the gods felt merciful enough not to make it more then a paltry attempt at stitching. This is a warning, one I should heed but I cannot. I am sworn to the task. For honor. For my people. Gods forgive me.
Wilaml was focused as he followed at the rear of the group and kept his wits about him, he'd not be made a fool of again...
At the mention of 'River' Suny develops a definite skip in her step (^_^), even given that the group is slouching along within the sewers...and possible other giant rats...
After a 300' trek single file the tunnel reaches a four way intersection as it intersects an east/west tunnel. Talon determines the way straight and the way left is more well traveled than the other two. It is difficult to tell more in the inches of water that make tracking hard. Also the river is roughly straight and somewhat left, so the incresed activity seem to correspond to heading to the river.
Decaying piles of flotsam and jetsam seem to abound in the water channel. Light is what you provide. Spider has a hooded lantern with a fancy shutter to control the light.
Spider offers Talon a healing potion, "I trade my shinies for these at the old gypsy in town."
Seltyn keeps a light spell on Flam's banner.
Drink up, Talon! Things might get rough.
Suny giggles softly as Wilaml moves past her. "Here, if'n yer havin' problems with lightin' an' stuff? I c'n help out a little." And so saying she conjures a small floating orb of light to bob along, though she lowers the brightness as much as possible and shifts its hue to the darkest she can.
She glances over her shoulder and looks back the way they've come.
Lead on, Spider.
Spider shrugs as Talon slips the potion in his pack.
He takes a left at the junction and continues about 200'. The air gets quite damp. Perception and initiative for everyone and stealth for Talon.
As the damp increases the skip in Suny's step also gets more notable. Though not enough for her bare feet to make much noise upon the wet stone floor. (^_^)
Percep:
Wilaml smiled and nodded in thanks to Ain't for providing him some light. Down in the sewers he was having a hard time seeing, the moonlight didn't penetrate here and some areas were pitch black to him. Despite his mistrust of mages, he kept his opinions to himself. "I am not used to crawling in the underbelly of a city, you have my thanks Lady Suny."
He pressed on alongside the others, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Suny was behind him and that nothing was following them. Sadly though he was only able to see her most of the time. The darkness was causing him to become more and more tense. The only relief he had was being able to see her, so long as she was close he could hopefully protect them.
He grimaced as the damp creepers into his armor, between the padding and all the belts. It made his skin crawl and the perspiration on his forehead to slowly roll down his face. Damn this darkness, I can't see a thing...
At Talon's comment Suny just tilts her head....A quizzical/puzzled look upon her face at some aspect of what he's said.
*Skipy. skipy, skip* (^_^)
Spider and Talon continue down the passageway. Elven and human eyes fail to detect a clever ambush. Two crossbow bolts come from across the channel of water at Talon. Only Spider seems to see the source, then two rats leap at Suny and Wil. One slips off Wil's armor, the other sinks it teeth into Suny. It attempts to grab Suny with claws, but misses. A high-pitched keening scream echoes down the tunnels.
Grapple
Init rats/unknown/Spider
Suny, light it up across the channel!
init;
One shot at the rat that bit Suny.
Suny more 'Eeeks' at the big, furry thing scrabbling and gnawing on herself.
She swats at it with her fists, seeming to have completely forgotten about the sword in her hand.
"Ooooowwwwie!" Are her most coherent sounds.
Spider sees the rats have everyone pinned and rushes through the group to get to Suny at the end. Both rats bite futilely at his chain shirt.
AoOs versus Spider
The rats attack again, Suny/Seltyn this time. - damage to Suny
With nowhere to move, Talon calmly fires, but the rat was already distracted by Spider. His hit greatly injures the huge rat. Seltyn finishes it off with a well placed force bolt. Suny takes some damage, but heals with a well-placed spell.
Suny, send your dancing lights out ahead, so we can see who's shooting at us.
Suny's dancing orb flares brighter and drifts off in the direction Seltyn has called for.
She clubs at the large rodent of impossible size as it continues to gnaw upon her.
"Some one fergot t'clean th' bilges!" She hollers.
And she continues to flail ineffectually at said rodent. :P
Seltyn will fire another missile at the one he's already hurt, and draw his sword.
Wil lashes out after the rat ran into his shield and slide harmlessly off his breastplate. His swordstrike went poorly and his strike sparked against the stone wall, temporarily lighting up his surroundings and eerily brightening the eyes of the attacking rats. When the crossbow bolts flew out of the darkness and injure Talon, grimacing Wil attempts to move closer. Taking a five foot step towards Talon and preparing to heal him if he got the chance.
There is some scurrying across the channel, and everyone notices that there are small and large holes dug into the side of this cylindrical tunnel across the channel. Some scurrying is evident and everyone sees two crossbows firing from the cover of two of these holes on the other side. You can barely make out faces in hoods that appear half-human and half-rat. Once again the ratmen are going for Talon. The giant rat is frustrated by Wil's armor and goes for Seltyn. Spider points to the covered hiding place, "Watch it, there they are.
Crossbows/rat
Grapple
Talon is aware and unsuccesfully dodge two crossbows (10 hp damage) and Seltyn is bit (6hp) and grappled. The rat seems more helpless in this position and easier to hit.
With their position revealed, the ratmen seem ready to scurry to find a new spot behind the tunnel wall. As Talon slumps the bannermaiden quickly grabs him and slaps an elven first aid kit on Talon stabilizing him and healing some wounds .
Spider looks at the situation.
"With Talon down, maybe we grab him and run now after we get that rat?"
Yes. Grab him and run! Seltyn says, though he's grappled.
This is too much for us!
Wil lashes out and easily slashes the rat that was grappling with Seltyn, but as Talon falls he raises his shield and holds fast while giving his foes a hard time at striking him. "Fall Back then I will buy you the time." His voice was filled with a firm resolve and unwavering in the face of their strange enemies. They will not penetrate my armor, they will not bring me low. Cowards!
Per Spider
Spider says, "Lay this rat out, we can't run with a rat the size of a large wolf hanging on."
Wil would have scolded the spider if he could but he was too preoccupied with hacking the spider off of Seltyn to give much of a damn as to what the man was saying. He was more then a little frustrated to be trapped in the center of what was quickly becoming a kill box and his heavy armor made it impossible for him to do more then slay anything nearby. "Fight back! For the love of your homeland give them a fight they will remember! They are just useless vermin and the crossbowman are cowards who don't know how to bathe!"
"Bugger givin' them a fight t'remember! I want t'be able t'be in'a position t'remember this one!" Suny calls back, even as she tries to deal with the many foes now assailing the group.
Though she strikes well, the cramped nature of the fight hampers her ability to actually do any damage.
per:
Get out of here, now! We're in way over our heads, here.
Concentration to use SLA:
Damage
Spider pull out a heavy crossbow and shoots at the big rat. He adjusts his aim at the last minute and a huge bolt carries it off Seltyn and into the darkness in pieces. "More rats coming, we running?"
Crossbowman at Suny
Two crossbowman fire at Suny and miss. Group is unengaged.
Wil moves to the fore and performs rear guard laying his hand on Talon as he passed.
"Seltyn help Flem drag talon, I will guard our backs while Suny and Spider lead us back. Now move." He performs a full defense and blocks the thin walkway, guarding against all comers as the others gather themselves. "Come you gits, afraid of the man in armor. Your mother should have taught you better you gutless layabouts..."
Suny wiggles amongst her companions until she's in the place people want her to be. She looks at 'Spider' and nods.
"I be all ready fer a change o' tack an' gettin' some distance on this mob..." She whispers.
Spider looks helplessly at his large crossbow and slings it and grabs a vial of bright liquid. He throws it at the ratmen he sees hiding in the wall.
The vial misses, but splashes the wall causing a huge fire wherever the bright liquid is exposed to air. Even the drops hitting the water somehow continue to the burn awhile. Spider rushes down the passage heading to the 4-way intersection. Two burning ratmen are visible through medium sized holes in the wall of the tunnel. The high pitched squeals of the ratment are piercing and echo eerily down the tunnel.
Will hears the churning of water in the channel -- two wolf sized rats are closing in the channel underwater.
Another missile, then, on whichever one I can see better. Pew!
I have 3 left...
The ratmen are injured and Seltyn hits them again. They return fire at Talon. Although he missed with both shots, the delicate hum of his bow mark him as the greater threat. They are distracted somewhat with being on fire.
Talon is hit for minimal damage and the ratmen retreat into the wall.
As Talon starts fighting back Wil gives a smile, as fire blossoms along the wall from the small vial Spider threw he gives a low whistle. Now were talking... The loud thump of Talon sliding to the floor from another set of crossbow bolts makes Wil grimace. And they expect to take trained soldiers, we can barely handle thieves and their pets in the sewers. This will be a lot of work.
He turns his back on the crossbow, a serious mistake in his line of work as he drops he kneels and sets his longsword down on the sewer walk way. As his blade clatters to the floor he pulls out a potion and places a hand against Talon's chest. As Talon groggily comes to he slaps him lightly and helps him to drink a potion. "Stay on your feet friend, consider this a practice run for our work in the Depot. Theres more vermin swimming in the water so keep your guard up everyone."
Suny brandishes her sword and awaits for the things to emerge from the water.
"Y'know...normally I'd be doin' this sort'a thing different, like..." She comments absently, the glowing flames being more than enough to illuminate any targets.
Spider sees the retreat is called off for now and calmly reloads his heavy crossbow. Wil feels left out of the action as two rats swim past him in the channel trying to get behind the group. Farther ahead in the tunnel he hears the splash of more wolf sized rats diving in the water.
There are no targets and jumping into the dark water to fight the rats has not been attempted yet.
Spider shouts, "I think they are trying to cut off our retreat."
Spider passes Suny a vial of glowing liquid similar to the one he threw. "Be careful with this, do not spill any on you."
I've got some spells ready, but they're 15' cones. If we can get these things bunched up, I can hit several at once. We can burn them with burning hands, or knock some out with color spray.
He waits for a clear target for another missile.