Varinder slips into the room with barely a noise, and leaps up onto a side table, pulling and hurling a dagger as he does. The dagger flies straight at the only remaining alert ratling.
Alas, his dagger throw is not as expertly done as his leap, and it merely thuds into the wall and falls to the floor in a clatter.
While Klassalka barely misses with her attack, Ulfric and Ramul hammer blows into one of the ratlings, nearly hacking it to pieces. Somehow, it still stands after the battering, though now bloodied, stunned, and blinded. It still has its voice, though, and it cries out in pain.
The rat atop the table snarls in anger and points at Ceerio, seemingly the cause of his minions' distress. He utters a few words...sounding quite a bit like gibberish, and a swarm of rats suddenly appears about Ceerio, like a whirlwind of fur, teeth, and claw.
Though her grip was not completely steady, Campus sends her long spear forward to poke at the magic user's robes. Then she steps 5 feet back to give others room.
Seeing Ceerio take damage, Ramul shakes his head. Their new companion is skilled, but also a bit rash. There are already too many melee members of the party as it is.
Ramul takes a moment to gather power from the air around him, creating a loud display in the process. He needs to give Klassalka an opening. Hopefully, with most of the ratlings dazed, this particular move will prove to be elementary.
Sadly, he's unable to hit the creature, much less move it.
Cerio is horrified by the magic that seeps out of him. It permeates his pores, seems to fill his eyeballs, and makes him want to vomit.
And then there are the rats. Hundreds of rats that claw and skitter all over him, scratching and biting and causing him horrible pain.
"Aaahhhh!" He shrieks, fleeing from the room and out into the hall.
He knew he'd regret trying to help.
The lead rat hisses as Campus's spear drives a hole into one of its tiny arms. It refocuses and glares at the priest.
Ulfric swings at the creature in front of him.
Ulfric cuts into, and cleanly through the ratling in front of him. The tiny figure falls to the floor, gasping out its final breaths as its blood gushes freely out and onto the floor.
Varinder takes a step to the side and forward once Ceerio rushes past, and hurls another blade - this time at one of the stunned ratlings.
This blade sticks in the stunned figure, forcing it to gasp in silent pain and grasp its arm, tightly holding in the flowing blood.
Klassalka moves her tail on a diagonal path forward to the other side of the room (eating AoOs if needed- rage on so AC 20) to get a good stab at the leader, No hiding behind flunkies!
Klassalka charges across the room, taking advantage of the stunned nature of the ratlings, who cannot even wildly swat at her as she dashes past. Having trudged through the rat swarm that had chased Ceerio from the room, she picks up a fair share of the feral little biters.
Her attack, though brave and powerful, misses the tiny ratling as it dashes about. The blade seems to slide through some sort of shimmering shield about the little beast as it is deflected aside.
The little creature snarls in anger and retreats a step from the enranged merfolk. He stands atop the desk to look over his stunned fellows as he squeaks out the words to a spell. Immediately, two darts of green energy flash from his outstretched hand - both slamming into his assailant.
As part of her 'don't hide behind the flunkies' campaign, Klassalka's next chop is aimed at the ratling between Ulric and the mage.
Two pale, watery eyes peek out from behind the doorway as Cerio braves a glance inside. He can tell the rats he's blinded are recovering from the his chromatic barrage. And beyond, the sinister one with the magic.
The room is crowded, and he's leery to risk a shot through. Maybe from above, he thinks, focusing on the air above the caster. Cerio's temples throb and a minor stormcloud appears over its head, swirling into a darekend vortex that spins down upon it.
The ratling casts off the effects of Ceerio's spell with no effect. Though Ceerio is sure that the magic-user's darts were a fairly normal incantation, the holes in his memory can't seem to pinpoint it.
Gripping it's cold black iron, she lifts her spear and thrusts it at the evil mage with wild but accurate ferocity.
With no clear way to get to the spellcaster, Ramul chooses to swing again at the ratling close by.
Campus lashes out at the spellcaster and drives her spear into the little creature's shoulder, eliciting a nearly comical squeak of pain. The ratling grits its sharp little teeth and narrows its tiny eyes at Campus as it calls into being two more magical darts to fire at its newest assailant.
Ulfric slashes at the creature hurt by Klassalka.
Klassalka slams her blade into the ratling, cutting it nearly in half. Ulfric slashes at it as well, but the ratling is falling aside, and his blade whistles by. Ramul finishes the creature with a blast, nearly turning it into an unrecognizable pile of damaged ratling.
Varinder curses at his ineffectual nature, seeing no way to get close or to sneak around and flank an enemy. He stands, dagger at the ready, and watches.
Ignoring the piercing pain, Campus glares back at the ratling with a ferociousness that almost made the thing reconsider a number of choices it had made in its little life. With the birthmark of Caden on her forehead gleaming, Campus leaps up and slams her long spear once again into the ratling mage's shoulder.
Ramul summons his blade once more. The battle seems to be going well so far. The kineticist only hopes it continues in their favor.
Klassalka tails forward once more and slashes at the boss rat!
(5-foot step between Ratling and boss, attack the magic user)
Ulfric steps into the space vacated by Klassalka and slashes at a stunned ratling
He cuts deeply into the little figure's torso. It still stands, but seems barely coherant as blood loss begins to affect its mind.
How is it still standing?
Campus keeps an eye on the blinded ratlings
Cerio mutters and rolls up his sleeves, drawing another mote down from the darkness above.
Blows from Campus and Klassalka rain down on the little creature, cracking bone and splitting skin even through skin apparently hardened by arcane means. Then, the chill of Ceerio's magic flows through its bones. The little beast lets out a shrill squeal, and pleads in Taldane.
I'll tell you his secrets! Whatever you want! He waves his one, still usable hand in the air as an ineffectual barroer to future attacks. His summoned swarm, now having not received his concentration, disperses.
Verminous lies, I've no doubt!
Klassalka holds her sword back and ready, in case of further attack but not immediately striking.
Campus backs up and tries to spear the hurt and stunned ratling.
Campus skewers the little creature, impaling it through as if it were a tasty treat. The creature gurgles out its last breaths, not even having the strength to cry.
The lead ratling's eyes widen even further, if possible, and it reiterates. Whatever you want!
"Whose secrets? Who's behind this? Tell's how t'escape this place, or wind up in a stew!" Cerio realizes that in the excitement he'd dropped his rats. No matter, the place is obviously infested.
The Tatterman! There's no escape, save through him, and you can't beat him with your simple steel. He waits in your dreams, crawls up your spine and infests, then leaps out when you think you're safe.
The ratling looks at his last remaining ally, who seems to be awaking from his stunned stupor, only to find himself in an impossible situation.
Campus grunts at the ratling's words, but only raises her spear and slams it into the waking ratling. Blood squirts as it writhes, pinned. Campus turns her eyes, blazing.
You are an evil creature. Do you serve this Tatterman?
Ramul listens to the lead ratling's words. The kineticist doesn't think for a second that the thing can be trusted, but even false information could prove useful... eventually.
Despite the ratling's request to be spared, Ramul has no intention of letting the thing walk away. Once it's told them everything it knows, Ramul plans to end its miserable existence.
Campus's words strengthened his resolve. The thing is evil, so it needs to be put down.
"If simple steel won't beat him, what will?" Ramul asks.
The last of the ratling minions squirms under Campus's spear, slowly bleeding out as it writhes in pain. The leader doesn't fail to note the situation, and nervously continues. No! No, Ratch doesn't serve him...came here when the earth fell and opened up a cave, but then it fell again and we were stranded. He points to the hole in the ground. See! Dead end. I sent out the little ones to find another way back home.
The creature's eyes widen as it focuses on Ramul. No steel can hurt what's in your head...I don't know what can.
Speak plainly. Campus growls, weary of vague hints and seeming riddles.
"We's doomed! Doomed!" Wails Cerio, panicking. "Can't run from night haints! We gotta sleep sometime, and when we do that tatter critter's gon' find us and skin us!"
"But I ain't goin' without a fight. Not Cerio, no. You tell that tatter man he's got his work cut out for'm 'afore he gets the best 'o Cerio. And--and his posse!"
Cerio keeps back, waiting to see whether they'll spear the last ratling. He doesn't care either way.
All we've learned is that there is an entity--the Tatterman--who should be feared, and may be responsible for the madness that has taken us. Is there more to learn?
An attack on some of the minds here would probably work better than steel anyway... Ulfric thinks as he glances at his companions.
Ulfric waits patiently for Ratch to answer Campus.
Ratch speaks the truth, and yes, you know it now. But Ratch can do more...I can guide you through - I know some of the dangers in this place!
The little fellow seems eager to help.
Campus stares at Ratch intently.
Bind his hands behind his back. Search him. Then, Gag him. ugly business, dealing with the sentient evil.
Ratch stands perfectly still, his eyes never leaving Campus's. He allows himself to be bound, never offering any resistance.
Finish searching him. He may have a secret or two hidden about him.
I do not trust this Ratch, not at all.
I would not let Ratch lead me anywhere. He would betray us in an instant. I propose that we either kill him now, or haul him back to camp, let them decide how to obtain information from it. Ramul, what say you?
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At Campus's words, Ramul considers the group's options. They could kill him or take him back to camp, as Campus suggested, or they could take him with them. The half-elf doesn't particularly care for any of those options. They all have their advantages and disadvantages.
There's one thing Ramul keeps coming back to. The thing is evil.
Sighing, Ramul walks over to where Ratch has been bound. The kineticist stares at the ratling for a few moments before nodding to himself.
Addressing Ratch, Ramul says, "May Pharasma show you mercy in her boneyard."
Then he summons his kinetic blade and strikes down the evil creature.
Once the deed is done, something inside Ramul breaks and the last blade he summoned shatters. The earth he had once summoned so easily fails to come to him anymore. Had he been wrong to kill Ratch?
Perhaps it was just time for a change as Ramul finds his earth abilities replaced with the power of air.
What... what just happened?
It's something Ramul doubts he could explain, but he's grateful the elements haven't abandoned him entirely. In time, he might yet come to appreciate his new air abilities.
For now, he removes the now quite heavy shield from his back and offers it to Campus, Klassalka, or Ulfric as he has no need for it anymore.
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Ratch anxiously watches the cold face of Ramul as he approaches, with no obvious blade in hand. Perhaps it was that one little detail that kept the ratling in place, where his brethren would have went running or pleading. Ratch's eyes darted back and forth at the summoned blade, as if expecting one of Ramul's companions to halt the blow. But, that help never came. Though bound and injured, the little beast still took two powerful strikes to fell, and a look of pure disbelief was on its face the entire time.
The pall of death is heavy in the room, and the stink of ratling corpses does nothing to better the atmosphere. After a few silent moments, a light trickle of Ratch's blood begins to drip down the hole he had came from, adding a pattering noise as if counting moments ticking off of a clock.
Cerio hides behind the doorway and peers inside, watching Ramul's summoned blade shatter. The elf is clearly upset, so Cerio thinks it best to remain on his good side. "Ya did the right thing," he offers. "These little devils ain't up t'naught but mischief. Th'only one's who'll get us outta here's us." He considers the broken blade fragments. "So what'll ya do now your weapon broke?"
Cerio examines Ratch's body for anything useful, but leaves the ratling where he lay. He'd lost his appetite for rat stew. He looks back out into the hallways. "So, where to now?"
Campus steps back as Ramul steps forward. Ramul lifts his blade and Campus nods in understanding. In a world with evil, there are hard choices. She was greatful he made it. She could tell that choice changed him, changed him beyond whatever happened to his magical blade. She put a hand on his back in understanding, then pulls out from her bag a flask of ceremonial beer, and two small cups. She pours, one, says a prayer to Cayden, pours another to offer to Ramul. Cayden's blessing.
On Ratch's person are a brooch and a cloak that show an aura of magic. Though, of course, the cloak would be have to be stretched quite a bit to be used by anyone larger than a gnome.
I've no idea about the cloak, but I believe the brooch can protect a person from a mage's magic missile.
Cerio simply shrugs. "Beats me..."
Ramul takes the cup from Campus with a smile. "Thank you, Campus. And may Milani's favor be with you." He hands it back to her after he's downed the beer.
Despite his changes, Ramul is still wholly unsuited to identifying the magical items, so he lets others handle that. Instead, he takes a few moments to play around with his new abilities. He's a bit shocked, quite literally, when a jolt of electricity passes between his hands.
That's definitely new...