The creature stirs, though continues to flinch at the hammer strikes. It sniffs at the air before pausing for a moment... and launching itself with scrabbling hands at the crack that Love has opened in the door. As it does you can see that it's jaw is distended, overlarge and full of sharp teeth.
Cynara casts detect undead.
"What is it Love? What do you see?"
"Whatever it may look like, it's undead."
"Let's end it then."
Padrym continues his watch but prepares to assist at the door.
Khepri stops his hammering when he hears it is undead and checks out the creature trying to identify it.
The creature is a ghast, a powerful ghoul. Though judging by the flash of appearance it was also a were-rat.
"Woah!"
Love launches himself back from the door cushioning the periscope with his body as hr rolls to his feet.
"Dead rat. Dead angry rat."
"Rat? I thought the rats hadn't been in here. Should we kill it and see if we can find a clue? I can probably summon a weapon in there to attack it so we don't have to let it out."
"I'd think it is probably safe to stop hammering now, don't you agree? If we can attack it in there, that would be much safer than having to let it out here."
"That's a fine idea, Feigr, and if it survives that I can channel energy at it. It might be best to continue the hammering until it's put to rest, though. A lengthy period of silence is likely to bring with it inquisitive little rats, and I would rather see what's in here without interruption."
As Love rolls away from the door the portal slams shut again and you hear a furious scrabbling of claw on stone start up from within.
"I'm guessing this thing is the challenger to the rat-king's throne. Try not to smash it in too many pieces."
"I definitely think we should kill it, but we also need to use caution as not only does it have disease and can paralyze even elves" He looks at Cynara,"But also they stink causing issues when fighting them. Normally the hunt in groups which means there are probably more around unless that suit of armor killed them off"
Khepri looks at the door trying to figure out how to get it open, "If we can get this open, I will take the brunt of its attack. I have tried to fight undead so hopefully that will give me an advantage against it"
"What concerns me more is what turned the challenger into a ghast in the first place..."
Replacing the periscope in his magic pack Love pauses when he sees his spidersilk rope.
The canny dwarf looks up a glint in his dark eye.
"We were contracted to bring in the corpse. So we have to do that...Now technically ol' rat boy beyond the door is a corpse now. Nothing in the job says he can't still be kicking when we deliver. Might teach the Rat-king a little respect."
Khepri shakes his head, "Undead are an abomination and I have spent my whole life learning how to destroy them. I have no problem setting a trap to catch it, but it is far too dangerous to leave 'alive', so to speak. While I agree the Rat King could use a lesson, this is not one of those I can abide."
"Understood, and accepted. I just wanted to wipe the smirk off the rat-kings face when he had to do his own dirty work. Get ready and I'll open the door."
Love will open the door when directed and take cover behind once opened. Leaving this fight to the specialists.
Right before the door is opened, Khepri will use a lay on hands for another light nimbus. As the door is open he will charge in or move towards it to engage it in combat
"All right. Face to face it is." Feigr moves away from the door and readies an action to cast spiritual hammer as soon as the door is opened.
Khepri smites the evil wait time