As to Eries, you get the idea that she's heard of you from someone and is trying to suss out whether what she heard was true.
Eries swallows slightly. "Thank you," she says softly. "I would not see anyone--human or wererat--come to harm because of Girrigz's vile worldview. He's a true lycanthrope, born with his abilities, not cursed. He's always hated the way we live, hiding from the rest of the city in the sewers, and when he was younger he often spoke about rising up to claim our 'rightful place.' Last year, though, he became much more...committed. He was shot twice by a member of the Guard--with silver bolts. I don't know, but I suspect that he was attacking a surface-dweller when it happened. There were always rumors that he was trying to swell our ranks by spreading the curse...regardless, he became much more vocal, and his hatred much more personal. No one's listened to him before now, but with the attacks...well, he's attracted a number of sympathizers. Mostly young, mostly true wererats like himself, and mostly hot-headed. Not many, I don't think--no more than ten--but they could certainly do some real damage should they attempt an actual war on the city."
She hesitates before adding, "The others are mostly young and misguided, but Girrigz...his hatred runs deep. Very deep. I do not know if he will ever surrender."
Korriban nods at Eries. "A wererat that's born with his abilities? Can't say that I've heard of that before." He listens as she explains the backstory of Girrigz. When she's finished, Korriban says, "Well, wanting to live without hiding I can get behind. However, such a thing would require some negotiation and time. It doesn't really help if you want to kill everyone on the surface. I think that this is just a case of people getting riled up without putting much thought into it. Mostly, they're just running on emotion. Shouldn't be too hard to talk the young ones down. The problems would be if the talks go south or Girrigz himself." He smiles at Eries. "Don't worry, Eries. We'll help the wererats get on the right path."
He then thinks about something and asks, "Hey, Eries. You've been giving me some odd looks. Something wrong?"
Selawyn seems slightly opposed to Korriban's optimism. "Look, I won't promise that this won't turn ugly because I can't, but if it does turn out that way I'll try to keep the casualties to a minimum, but If Girrigz is trying to start up a war I can't promise that I'll be too kind to him. Rabble-rousing is not something we need currently especially not if this Girrigz has tried to infect people just to gain supporters for his cause."
"Such a waste of talent ...perhaps he can be more properly ...aimed."
Eries nods to Selawyn and Teodor. "It'll be hard, it's true. I don't hold you responsible for anything that happens if Girrigz attacks you." She glances around at the rest of you. "If you're all ready, I'm happy to lead you to the place that Girrigz and his followers are holed up."
To Korriban's last comment, she just averts her eyes and says, privately and under her breath to him, "Look, I'm just trying to avoid a catastrophe here...I'll work with whoever it takes, but my folk don't like 'dangerous sex criminals' any more than yours. Now I don't know how many of these people know about that, so unless you want to open up about it I'd back off!"
Selawyn seems suddenly shocked at Eries last comment. "Wait what!" She looks around the table. "Someone explain... Now!"
The comment about Korriban came out of the blue and Lantressa gave him a curious look. She heard Selawyn's startled out cry and demand with some trepidation but so far Selawyn had shown she was willing to at least get the facts before acting. She looked at the man and asked, "Yes, do tell Korriban."
Korriban is shocked by the last comment. "Wha-What?! What?!" His eyes then narrow and he grits his teeth as he looks at everyone. "Where did you hear that crock of bullsh*t from?! I'm not a sex criminal! I've never been a sex criminal! I hate sex criminals! If I did meet one, I'd stab him in the bits! I'm! Not! A sex criminal!" He looks around at everyone. "You've got to believe me! My mother would have my head if I turned out that way!"
He then says, "What I want to know is who is the... the b***ha** c**kadillo who told you this?!"
Eries, looking rather taken aback by your vehemence, just points wordlessly at Teodor.
Korriban slowly turns to Teodor. "Teo? Why? Why did you say that? And why shouldn't I kick your ass?"
Teodor smiles. "As the Lord's Protector of Korvosa and its people, I have the solemn duty to protect all, human or wererat or even halfling. We've all seen your ways. Besides, it's practically a crime a walking smirk with such lovely hair remains a virgin. As to your second question, you won't because you can't."
There's a brief silence as this response is digested, after which Eries mutters, "I suppose I was warned...'very helpful' and 'b*+~!!& crazy' were both phrases I heard used..."
Clearing her throat, she glances around. "Well, if that's all there is to that...should I show you where to go?"
"But of course! Now ...if you don't mind, I'd like to know more about this rabble-rouser. I do so love rousing a good rabble! Charismatic leaders that care for the common man or lycanthrope are in short supply. Perhaps we can convince him to focus on a common foe ... those who would trample us all in their lust for power."
Teodor smiles. "As the Lord's Protector of Korvosa and its people, I have the solemn duty to protect all, human or wererat or even halfling. We've all seen your ways. Besides, it's practically a crime a walking smirk with such lovely hair remains a virgin. As to your second question, you won't because you can't."
Korriban frowns. "Just because I'm a flirt and a more charismatic person doesn't mean I'm a danger to anyone. I do thank you for complimenting my hair." He runs a hand through his ponytail. "One of the things I take really good care of. Call it a personal vice. As to your second comment, don't underestimate me. I'm a lot tougher than I was when we first met."
Korriban nods at Eries. "Show us the way!" He then says to her, "Sorry about my outburst earlier. I'm not mad at either one of you. It just caught me by surprise and I didn't like the insinuation. I shouldn't have got worked up like I did."
When Teodor brings up possibly recruiting Girrigz, Korriban is a bit skeptical. "Yeah and after he's done with them, he'll come after us. Remember, this guy wants to kill all of the surface dwellers in Korvosa." He turns to Eries. "Although, if you have any more information, like possible tactics or weaknesses we can exploit, that would be helpful."
"I hope he can be shown we have more in common and that the rich and royal are our true foes. Everything dies, but not until the Lord is ready."
Eries spreads her hands helplessly. "I don't know Girrigz personally; I'm afraid I can't tell you much more than what I have. The man's a zealot, and a brute; if you can change his mind, you're a better rat than I. And I've never been into his gang's den, though I know where it is. Follow, if you'd see it--I can take you there now." She gives the four of you a few moments to ready yourselves, then sets out, leading you to a loose manhole leading into the sewers in a narrow back-alley.
Eries leads the four of you down the manhole and into the noxious stink of the sewers. Although you all try to stay as dry and as clean as possible, it soon become clear that it's going to be impossible to avoid any contact with the filth; there's simply too much of it, and the sewers are too poorly maintained. In some places, it rises up over the small ledges designed for workers on the edges of the flow. In others, you see entire tunnels apparently caved in, and now leaking filth slowly from between slimy, moldering bricks. Eries slogs ahead grimly, apparently unfazed by the filth.
After about an hour, Eries pauses and gestures ahead of you. Through the disgustingly visible haze of noxious sewer reek, the flow of unmentionable slop through the sewer tunnel's filth-slick channel unexpectedly forks. Most continues on its expected path, but a small stream diverts off through a wide cleft in the moldy masonry wall to your left. The man-sized crack cuts deep into the rock behind the wall, and wisps of thin white smoke issue forth.
Eries turns to you, and says in a low voice. "That, ahead, is the entrance to your camp. This is where I leave you--no way I want to stay and get mixed up in...whatever happens." She looks...sad, but resolute. "I will come back to your home tomorrow. Have no doubt that I'll have heard what happened...good luck!"
Quietly, she retreats upstream.
Korriban is really freaked out about all the grime, filth, and stink of the sewers. He tries to be as careful as possible. On the way, Korriban applies his vial of silversheen on his rapier, giving it the qualities of silver.
When Eries shows them the entrance and leaves them, Korriban decides to do his thing. He crouches down and sneaks forward. He keeps an eye out for danger and any traps.
Lantressa listened to the conversation and nodded in agreement, "Yes, let's get this over with now." She seemed to consider something then and asked, "What can you tell me about lycanthropy, didn't someone mention it was possible to be both born or not born to it? What kind of precautions should be taken against contracting? Who all can contract it?"
As they entered the sewers Lantressa found herself gagging at the stench in very short order. She quickly took out a scarf and cast a quick spell on it giving it a pleasant scent, and then wrapped it around her nose and mouth to help with the odors as they traveled. She herself wasn't overly worried about light and never bothered to take precautions to provide it.
Before Korriban sneaks off to the entrance, he takes his bandana off and ties it over his mouth and nose to block off the smell.
"What are we, thieves in the night? Breaking into a man's home ...not even trying to parlay?"
Eries spreads her hands helplessly in response to Lantressa's question. "Afraid there's not much help for that; the bite of a lycanthrope can spread the curse. Those who are of sound constitution have been known to resist it, and it can be dispelled by powerful magics, but...'don't get bitten' is about the best I can offer."
Korriban creeps forward and peers into the cleft in the wall, moving carefully. The flow of sewer continues into this room before flowing south out through another cleft in a wall. The chamber within is dank and moist; fat black mushrooms grow thickly clustered around the flow of sewage. The room is dimly lit; Korriban can see a flickering light coming from some chamber beyond, but there are no lights at all in this chamber.
He does, however, see three monstrous creatures--wererats, currently lounging about in their half-humanoid, half-rodent state--on the far side of the room. They don't seem to have noticed him, though one looks up and sniffs the air curiously, as though it thought it smelled something. Near their feet are a couple of rabid-looking rats the size of small dogs.
Korriban slinks off to report to the others.
He says to them, "It's gross down there. Mushrooms and everything. I see three wererats in half man, half rat form. There's also a couple of dog sized rats with them. Should we try diplomacy with these three?"
Lantressa nodded and said, "Yes, we should, we said we'd try to keep casualties to a minimum and we should keep our word on this one. Killing them without talking could only make this problem worse." She paused then and said, "Maybe you should let me speak to them, they might react better to me than to a human, after all, my kind are generally treated as badly as theirs is."
"Of course we should! This bloodthirst is unbecoming on you."
Korriban looks at Teodor. "It's not being bloodthirsty. I'm just taking precautions and trying to come up with a plan." Korriban looks at Lantressa and nods. "Alright then. Take the lead. Work your charms."
Lantressa walked around the corner carefully, she'd long since cast her standard protection spell so she knew she wasn't without some defense should this go badly. She pulled her hood down and flipped her cloak open to show her considerable charms as she walked forward. She walked boldly, her hips swaying and her movements speaking confidence in the right to be where she was at. She carried no weapons on her person, her claws always serving as well as any dagger, and made no effort to hide her fiendish appearance.
Lantressa makes her way into the cleft in the wall and steps into the cavern on the other side, body swaying sensually. The effect is slightly lessened by the stream of filth she's forced to step through, but she does her best... As she enters the cavern, the three wererats look up for their conversation, eyes wide.
"Oi! Yer not supposed t'be in 'ere!" the nearest one snarls, starting toward her. The others growl and draw short, wickedly curved swords.
Lantressa has seconds to act, or this could turn into serious violence!
Lantressa gave a startled gasp at the "sudden" appearance of the wererats, the fact they drew their blades and assumed a threatening stance. She looked at them with interest and said, "I'm sorry for intruding Sirs, I was looking for your leader, Girrigz. The word has reached the surface he desires waging war with the surface and that he could be found down here holding court and trying to gain followers. My friends and I wish to speak with him about this and try to reach an agreement. It's vital to avoid hostilities for at least as long as the plague is a threat to us both and any incursions to the surface risk bringing the plague down to your people, a plague that, as of yet, has no cure." She paused a moment and then continued in a pleading voice, "Will you please take us to speak with him so we can save as many people as we can?"
One of the wererats starts to look at Lantressa with interest, but its partner smacks it in the rump with the flat of its blade. "Don'tchu listen to 'er! 'Avoid 'ostilities?!' Girrigz'd have our 'eads fer that! Quick, grab 'er! An' someone set off the shrieker!"
With that, the wererats lunge forward!
As Lantressa responds to the wererats' assault, Selawyn and Korriban hear the shouts of the wererats from inside the cavern!
Initiative
Korriban, Lantressa, Selawyn<----
Wererats and dire rats
Teodor
Wererats: HP: 20 each | AC/T/FF: 19/14/15 | Fort +3 Ref +6 Will +3 | CMD 15 | SQ: evasion, DR 10/silver
Dire rats: HP: 5 each | AC/T/FF: 14/14/11 | Fort +3 Ref +5 Will +1 | CMD 12 (16 vs. trip)
Selawyn moves into the room while drawing her blade. "Cease and Desist or be slain!" She then takes a swing at the nearest wererat.
With the start of hostilities, something Lantressa had tried to avoid, she made her way back out of the room to get some distance and then sent a beam of scorching heat at the wererat she could see. Unfortunately the distance caused the beam to just miss her foe and slam into the ground at his feet.
Korriban hears the begin of the attack and moves. He moves into the room, running past Selawyn, rapier in hand. He stops next to the wererat in the yellow rags. He stabs at it with his rapier.
Selawyn steps into the room, provoking gasps and squeals of outrage as the wererats see her armored form for the first time. She takes a powerful swing at the nearest foe, but he manages to duck beneath the blow! As Lantressa retreats past her, scorching a hole in the ground near the feet of another wererat, Korriban dashes/slides into the room and stabs his rapier into another wererat's shoulder. The creature howls in pain. "Silver! They bear silver blades!!"
The pet dire rats lurking in the cave launch themselves toward the intruders with hisses. One dashes madly at Selawyn, and she swings her guisarme to cut it in half before it even reaches her. Another darts between the wererats' legs, and Korriban manages to graze it with his blade. It keeps coming, though, and snaps at his feet. The young man nimbly steps out of its reach.
The wererat that Selawyn swung her blade at moves up to her with a snarl. "Wake the shrieker!" it hisses at the other two. It stabs at Selawyn's midriff with its sword, but the blow is deflected by her armor. With a snarl, it snaps its jaws at her, but she fends it off with the haft of her guisarme. The other two eye Korriban warily. Then, with a glance at each other, one darts around the dire rat snapping at Korriban's feet and scurries across the stream of filth. As it steps onto the dry surface on the other side, you hear an unearthly noise begin.
If you look closely, you can see one of the large, black mushrooms in the cluster to the south of the stream shaking violently. It's also producing a high-pitched wailing noise that echoes throughout the cavern!
The wererat who set it off--apparently just by darting near it--grins and swings his sword at Korriban, but Korriban parries the blow easily. It provides enough of a distraction for the remaining wererat to sneak into a flanking position, though, and launch an attack on Korriban's unprotected back! Taken by surprise, Korriban's caught by the edge of the jagged sword, and the wererat's snapping teeth sink into his shoulder for a moment, stinging like a needle!
Initiative
Korriban, Lantressa, Selawyn
Foes
Teodor<----
Wererats: HP: 20 each | AC/T/FF: 19/14/15 | Fort +3 Ref +6 Will +3 | CMD 15 | SQ: evasion, DR 10/silver
Dire rats: HP: 4 | AC/T/FF: 14/14/11 | Fort +3 Ref +5 Will +1 | CMD 12 (16 vs. trip)
"So be it. Destruction! Aheeheehee!" Teodor makes his way to the doorway but disappears, emerging from the opposite passageway behind the fray. He steps south out of the slime and draws his heavy flail, grinning.
Teodor's vanishing act nearly sends the wererats into a frenzy. "Another!" one hisses.
"Not to worry," the one that stabbed Korriban growls, "The others will be here soon..."
Glancing behind him, Teodor can see a larger chamber that looks like it holds a campfire or something about that size, just out of sight around the wall.
Initiative
Korriban, Lantressa, Selawyn<----
Foes
Teodor
Wererats: HP: Yellow 14, others 20 each | AC/T/FF: 19/14/15 | Fort +3 Ref +6 Will +3 | CMD 15 | SQ: evasion, DR 10/silver
Dire rat: HP: 4 | AC/T/FF: 14/14/11 | Fort +3 Ref +5 Will +1 | CMD 12 (16 vs. trip)
Korriban screams as the blade hits him and the sharp teeth sink into him. He looks at the one that bit him. "You bit me! You.. bit... me..." He looks at his wounded shoulder before looking at the two wererats. "Oh, no! Oh hell no! I'm not becoming one of you!" He moves back before stabbing at the yellow ragged one again.
He cringes as he hears the mushroom shrieking. "Hey! Would you mind turning that off?! It's not my type of music!"
Selawyn glares at the wererat in front of her defiantly taunting it. "Your death with be swift and meaningless fool." Before sliding her grip up close and attacking the wererat with her new reach.
But her blade goes wide.
Lantressa felt a bit of relief now that her friends were between her and the were rats giving her the ability to focus on her spells more. She noticed Teodor was about to end up in a precarious position and so sent another ray of searing heat into the room, this time at the rat Korriban was fighting in the hopes she could finish it off and free him to help Teo. Unfortunately her need to avoid hitting Korriban in the melee made her beam go wide and gouge a chunk from the wall near the rat's head instead.
Korriban's target barely deflects his blow, snarling in rage. Lantressa's ray blasts a hole in the cave wall but otherwise has no effect; Selawyn's close-quarters chop goes wide of the nimble wererat she's facing.
The strange mushroom continues to shriek, and now you hear other noises below it as well: a distant moan from the room beyond Teodor, and, more alarmingly, a chorus of squeaking, rustling noises--one that's growing louder by the second!
Suddenly, hundreds of rats come streaming through narrow cracks in the north wall of the cavern you're in. These creatures are ordinary rats, not their dire kin, but their sheer numbers make your flesh crawl and they look hungry and aggressive. They stream towards you in a wave of black-furred, red-eyed flesh!
The one remaining dire rat lunges at Korriban and manages to sink its teeth into a weak part in the leather of the young man's boot, its fangs sinking deep into Korriban's foot! Behind his back, the wererat that dodged Selawyn's blow manages to duck under her guard and stab its short sword into a gap in her armour, drawing blood and a gasp from the would-be Hellknight. She manages to fend off its snapping jaws as Korriban parries a blow from his own wererat, only to feel its teeth prick his hand.
Teodor, on the far side of the room, easily dodges the sword-blow and the snapping jaws of the (very startled) wererat he's just appeared next to. Just as the priest is enjoying the sight of the flailing wererat, he hears a voice behind him: "What?! C'mere!" Turning, he sees another startled wererat, which lunges at him with a sword...but slips and falls prone in the sewer filth, uttering a curse. In the light of the fire beyond, Teodor can see another wererat approaching with wide eyes. This one turns his head to the north and calls, "Go around! Go!"
Initiative
Korriban, Lantressa, Selawyn
Foes
Teodor<----
Wererats: HP: Yellow 14, others 20 each | AC/T/FF: 19/14/15 (black is prone, giving a -4 penalty to him) | Fort +3 Ref +6 Will +3 | CMD 15 | SQ: evasion, DR 10/silver
Dire rat: HP: 4 | AC/T/FF: 14/14/11 | Fort +3 Ref +5 Will +1 | CMD 12 (16 vs. trip)
Rat Swarm: HP: 16 | AC/T/FF: 14/14/12 | Fort +4 Ref +5 Will +2 | SQ: swarm traits (1/2 damage from slashing and piercing, +50% damage from area spells, immune to single-target spells)
Teodor giggles in delight. "Rat! So many friends!" He steps south out of the slime casts a shaman spell to make his flail magical, and swings at the prone wererat. His viper circles his neck leisurely. He doesn't even notice his skin toughening.
Selawyn grunts at the stab wound before shifting backwards and once again changing her grip on her weapon. Looking at the wererat and the swarm of rats approaching Selawyn grimaced and called upon the her inner reserve of strength to see herself through this fight. Instead of trying to cut the wererat since it was so damned quick Selwayn instead opted to try and cut it's legs out from underneath it to knock it down.
Teodor's flail swings around in a vicious arc, crunching into the downed wererat's ribs. It howls in pain, though it seems less affected than a normal man would be...perhaps because the weapon isn't silver. On the other side of the room, Selawyn carefully disengages from her foe and steps back, lashing out with her weapon to topple it to the floor before the advancing horde of rats!
Initiative
Korriban, Lantressa, Selawyn<----
Foes
Teodor
Wererats: HP: Yellow 14, Black 7, others 20 each | AC/T/FF: 19/14/15 (black and red are prone, giving a -4 penalty to them) | Fort +3 Ref +6 Will +3 | CMD 15 | SQ: evasion, DR 10/silver
Dire rat: HP: 4 | AC/T/FF: 14/14/11 | Fort +3 Ref +5 Will +1 | CMD 12 (16 vs. trip)
Rat Swarm: HP: 16 | AC/T/FF: 14/14/12 | Fort +4 Ref +5 Will +2 | SQ: swarm traits (1/2 damage from slashing and piercing, +50% damage from area spells, immune to single-target spells)