Hisao shrugs We have no hurry, can meet Grandmother after meet Duke. If Grandmother say Witch too strong then can plan ambush later.
"Somehow I doubt the Witch would stoop to actually meeting with her underlings if she didn't have to. She probably has people for that."
Duke and Grandmother can shed light on these mysteries
The Royal Gaurdsmen of Reims close in on The Lusty Fools, having learnt through careful questioning and even resorting to consultation of a diviner in Folkestone, that their quarry has journeyed to London....
They spur their steeds, warhorses bought at a premium from Baron Folkestone's stables, up the road to London....
The ninja of the Yellow Reeds clan also draw nearer each hour to their prey, their renegade brother, Hisao, also known as Hamid of Persia....
The ninja also spur their steeds, warhorses stolen in the dark of night from Baron Folkestone's stable....
Hehehe!! ;)
With a plan more or less agreed upon, The Lusty Fools decide to use Catrina as an introduction to Grandmother. Catrina, for her part, seems both greatly relieved that the party didn't decide to just kill her like the others, and also very nervous about being responsible for bringing this band of ruthless slayers and vigilantes straight to Grandmother's snout....
I.... I can take you to Grandmother's parlor, sires.... Not a worry 'bout that!.... Just.... Just be peacable and....ah, courteous-like.... And we should find her straight away with no problems, sires.... promises Catrina....
Catrina leads the company to another warehouse further west along the quay of the River Thames, the one indicated on her list of secret entrances to The Warrens. Here, another score or so of wererats were lounging about, tossing dice, gnawing on the bones of a pig, telling each other jokes or tales, and otherwise passing the time.
Catrina assures them not to be concerned that she was herding five non-wererats into the lair of their beloved Grandmother, and quickly and tensely leads The Lusty Fools to a trap-door in the back of the warehouse, which opens onto a stairway descending into darkness....
Right this way, lads.... murmurs Catrina as scores of beady eyes watch the party pass through the narrow maze of aisles between stacks of crates and barrels.
Two shift into dire rat shape and run ahead.
The rest wait until you are out of eyesight or earshot to do whatever they do next....
The trapdoor is already open, as two forerunners opened it to dash off into The Warrens and warn the rest of wereratdom-under-London of the imminent appearance in their midst of interlopers, led by a hostage....
Alphonse' fingers twitch, but he stops himself from grabbing the hilt of his weapon.
At the very least, having Catrina leading them keeps the rest of the wererat clan from attacking The Lusty Fools as they march down a narrow stairway that zigs and zags deeper beneath the dirty streets of London, into the maze-like Underworld of The Warrens....
The passageways are about 5 feet wide, and make numerous seemingly unnecessary turns as they meander from wererat-filled chamber to wererat-filled chamber.....
Eerie wererat pipe music can be heard echoing in and out of earshot as the teenaged wererat girl leads the companions through a mind-scrambling labyrinth of similar tunnels worn smooth by generations of rat-paws....
Been here many years your people Hisao observes
Paddy walks casually beside Catrina, keeping his wits about him as he walks.
Remember, lass. We want this to be peaceful. There might be a way for your people to live in harmony with the city. It will take some work I reckon, but may just pay out in the end.
Just as savvy and careful as his mate, Paddy, Iommi-Tyr Magnusson looks studiously around as we Lusty Fools continue onward, trying to find discernable markers in this labyrinth so as to not get lost, trying to find any ambushes laid ahead, trying to see if Catrina is nervous or confident....
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EDIT:
There are a few tense encounters along the way with groups of armed wererat guards in hybrid form, but Catrina is able to convince them to let her lead The Lusty Fools on to Grandmother's parlor....
After nearly an hour of navigating the labyrinthine tunnels and dens known as The Warrens, the party arrives at Grandmother's parlor....
Grandmother is a gray-furred, pot-bellied wererat, currently in hybrid form, clad in a threadbare gown and bonnet, nibbling on a hunk of cheese and reclining on a moth-eaten divan when the party enters her parlor....
As Catrina enters leading a band of dangerous-looking, armed and armored adventurers, Grandmother nearly chokes on a mouthful of cheese....
*COUGH!!*.... *COUGH!!*.... What in the.... Um, Catrina, my dear.... Who are these.... Um, visitors?
She sits up on the divan.... A group of six armed Wererats in hybrid form close rank in a semicircle in front of her, wicked-looking short swords drawn....
Please, Grandmother, forgive our intrusion! I.... I had no choice.... These people would have killed me if I didn't agree to lead them to you for a peaceful meeting! They are deadly slayers, and have already killed at least a score of our kin in the warehouse on Fishmonger Street! They only wish to speak with you about The Witch of Eye.... She is their true enemy.... They wish to find a way for us to continue to live down here in The Warrens, so long as we promise not to prey on the humans of London-Town!
Catrina wrings her paws nervously....
Grandmother looks at each of The Lusty Fools warily, noting their formidable appearances and the weapons they bare, particularly the green-glowing Green Thorne in Paddy's hand, the pearlescent-glowing Foereaper in Alphonse's hands, and the sleek and deadly-looking VenomFang held by Hisao (unless he is currently invisible, of course)....
Welcome to The Warrens, strangers.... I do hope you come in peace, now.... For I am deeply pained to hear that you have already murdered a score of my kin.... Tears well up in the great old wererat's gray eyes....
The six armed Wererats protecting Grandmother glower with beady, hate-filled eyes at The Lusty Fools, but there is a hint of another emotion.... probably fear....
Grandmother, I am Magnus Sverresson and indeed I was party to the retaliatory attack on the wererats you sent into London to wreck mayham and carnage.
Surely you knew that if you sent your family into London to terrorize the people up there, retribution would follow?...
But we spared Catrina when she surrendered because we are NOT violence-seeking murderers but rather peace-seekers. Under NO threat from us, Catrina agreed to answer why your clan has been attacking above the streets recently and she mentioned someone called "The Witch."
Well, if that person is the source of your recent brash actions, which have threatened your livelihood and safety, then we are interested in ridding London of the real menace -- The Witch.
We are here in peace -- for peace.
Pray tell us, to restore the peace between your clan and the people of London, has a Witch indeed come to you to incite this violence in London?
Tell us what you know of her, I respectfully request, so we can find her and rid London of her vile bewitchments.
Aye, what he said is true. That witch is merely using you and your kin as pawns in her plans. She has to be dealt with immediately.
"The Witch has no one's best interests at heart. She works with Conflagratious, who would see us all, the whole world burn in his infernal wyrm-fire."
"We are willing to leave you alone, so long as you harm no others. Even help the wererats who no longer live in your Warrens start a new life if they wish. Carina has expressed a desire to become a dancer, I'm sure some of her brothers and sisters have other aspirations as well."
"Help us help you, please."
Hisao pops into visibility and bows Honoured Grandmother. Apologies for killing your kin but.. your people are now acting as soldiers of an invading army. Is it not possible to end war and return to peace?
Grandmother seems to relax a little in response to Tyr's and his allies' peaceful appeals....
Forsooth, it was on the orders of The Witch of Eye that we have been wreaking havoc above.... She commands us in the name of Conflagratius, the dreaded fire dragon from Mercury, to sow discord amongst the townsfolk of London-Town.... Before she came to us with this decree, we only rarely came into conflict with the humans above, and survived by foraging and scavenging, only rarely stealing from our human neighbors, such that they hardly knew we existed.... Indeed, it was a more peaceful time.... Until the dragon came, and sent the Witch to command us....
Grandmother reflects sadly on the turn of events that has led her kin into violent conflict with the humans of London....
If we agree to help you, are you certain you can defeat the Witch? And even if you can....what about the fire dragon? Will he not destroy the town above with his deadly breath?
"I believe we can stop the Witch of Eye, and we plan to deal with Conflagratious as well."
"Truthfully, I doubt we are powerful enough as of yet. But also I doubt he will leave his mountain to torch London over so small a setback. If he wanted the town destroyed in this manner, he would have done so already."
"Based on how his minions have worked so far, in secrecy and with subterfuge and plots rather than overt attacks, I believe he wants to sow discord among the people of every civilized nation, and turn them against each other. Though the purpose is something I can only guess at."
How powerful is this Witch? Is there some way we could catch her unawares. Even most powerful of magic users is vulnerable to ambush.
Grandmother sighs in resignation.... Or perhaps relief?
It would be better for all if we could return to our old ways of quiet and peaceful scavenging.... The Warrens grow too crowded with those given the gift as it is.... You might try ambushing the Witch at Bolingbroke's manor.... We have a secret way in, if you would like to be shown....
One of Grandmother's bodyguards speaks up:
Bolingbroke be a witch as well, though not as great as The Witch of Eye.... Ye have been warned!
Good. It is a hard bit to swallow when you realize you've been used as a pawn in a ruse. Your helping us should ease the pain a bit. And it is good to know that Bolingbroke is a witch as well. We will do our best to rid the world of these two scourges. What say you, me boyos? Er...and you also Kiyu. If you could spare one of your....pack, is it? One to show us the way, would be great. Let's be off!
Paddy looks to Catrina.
Lass, if you should need anything, put word in at the inn for me. Try and live out your dreams.