Rosaleen didn't have much on her to examine the bodies and she had no desire to touch them. She knew how to make the bodies melt so that they would never be found but the thought of touching something dead that had been in the sewers made her stomach clench.
She approached the corpses that Kita was already searching and poked one with her cudgel in an attempt to be helpful and turn it over. "This is not what I signed up for at all."
The alchemist looked around suspiciously at their surroundings. "Can we call this 'problem solved' or do we have to follow the sewer path some more? I don't see any more rats and if it wasn't the rats that killed these two then I don't particularly want to find out what did."
Rosaleen looked around the area as well as at what was found on the bodies to see if she could determine if there was anything interesting about their deaths or who they were in life.
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The half-submerged corpse is held in place by one of its hands, which is caught in the junction between a rusty chain and a corroded metal plate hanging above the inlet pipe. The cause of death appears to be a host of small bites covering the body and the individual died no more than a few hours ago. A cursory search reveals a small pouch with a mix of coins (5gp total).
As you examine the corpse, the partially hollowed-out upper half of the body tears free at the waterline, trailing viscera behind it. It bobs its way down the sluggish current of the filth river.
The other corpse had fallen atop a pile of refuse and was acting as a grisly island for the devil rats consuming its flesh. The wounds are similar to the other body. No valuables are found on this body.
"We should get...what we can...of these two out of here." Nevitash says as he looks for a way to do that.
Rosaleen motioned at the torso floating down what passed for a river in the sewer. "I don't think there's much left of that one to carry out. If you guys are insistent on taking them out of here then we should go back for a stretcher or blanket or something to help."
She tried to decide if spending time in the sewers with corpses or in the streets with drunks was more desirable. She glanced around and wondered out loud, "How'd they even get down here? Or what were they doing down here? I don't see any evidence of them living down here." Her nose wrinkled, "Not that anyone would want to live down here."
"I will go get something to put them on...and maybe a shovel." Nevitash says as he turns to return to the basement and look for something to put them in and something to use to do it other then his hands.
Inpreturbed by the sight, after all he'd seen rats feast on the fallen before, he closes for a closer look.
Are these two being disposed of here or died here is the question. It could be a body drop location... or they're left here to be eaten alive by way of torture or punishment.
He sets about looking for tracks (in this area? Are you mad?) or other clues.
12
15
Stat sig has the sets you need. If not, I'll add it
Kita's is 14 - it's in the header.
Muhammed stops, angling his head as if trying to make something out.
He takes off his helm, moving his head gently as if trying to home in on something.
He puts his fingers close to his lips, heeding the filth caking his gauntlet then points silently in the direction of the voices.
Voices, he whispers.
Kita didn't hear anything, but trusted that the Knight had keener ears than she did. For a moment, she clutched her holy pendant and prayed for guidance, that she could move through the swampy tunnels silently. Then she held up one finger to tell the others to hold, and tried to tiptoe towards where Mohammed had pointed.
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With no more noise than a vapor of fog, Kita moves down the slippery path towards the sounds of conversation. The path ahead opens into a wide junction where four tunnels meet. The quivering expanse of open sewage is crisscrossed by a haphazard network of damp, slime-covered walkways and corroded pieces of machinery that now serve as impromptu supports. A medium-sized boat bobs gently in the sluggish waters, tied off to the central mass of the makeshift dock.
Five rough-looking men converse among themselves as they pick their way carefully along the beams or poke listlessly at floating chunks of debris with long, hooked poles. A clattering steam engine chugs away in one corner, connected to a series of sputtering gas lamps that cast the room in a smoky orange glow.
Nevitash follows along behind Kita far enough that he can see her, but hopefully not be heard by those further on.
Erryll, never really pleased when his friend goes into stealth-mode, was ready to light the tunnels up like a midwinter pine tree. He really hated non-magical sneakery.
Curiosity winning over disgust at their present surroundings, Rosaleen follows along with the others. She's surprised to see a bunch of men with a boat and other equipment down here in the sewers. What were they doing down here? It almost seemed like they were looking for something. Did they kill those other two men?
Kita snuck back to the others and reported on what she saw. "What's the play? Go in shootin', or try talkin' first?"
"I am not sure why we would kill them, but we should probably find out what they are doing down here." Nevitash said. I doubt its anything honest."
"I am not sure why we would kill them, but we should probably find out what they are doing down here." Nevitash said. I doubt its anything honest."
The religious knight gives a grunt and a nod.
Kita nodded, and moved forward, less stealthily this time. Holding her cudgel but not her pistol, she stepped into the "intersection" and said, "Hey fellas! Didja get lost? Ain't no party down here, all the action is topside."
Rosaleen whispered loudly after Kita as she moved forward, "They seem to be looking for something or someone from the other tunnels as they search the garbage."
She then readied her cudgel expecting the men to not take kindly to being questioned.
Mohammed keeps the same appropriate distance as Nevitash.
Nevitash follows along behind Kita and waits to see how the men react to her.
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The men in the room all turn to see who it is calling out to them.
"What are you doing down here sweetie? Oi..who else is here with you??"
As the rest of the party moves out of the gloom of the tunnel into the bright gas lights of the collection pool, the gaftsmen seem to begin to move closer together while keeping an eye on the new visitors.
"Come on in...let's see who you are!"
Kita kept moving forward, her expression friendly. "Oh, we were just helping a nice old lady clear some rats out of her basement. Mighty big rats - they'd dug right through the wall of her house! Then we heard voices. Couldn't imagine who was down here, so we thought we'd check it out. WHat's your story?"
"You're ratcatchers?" Nevitash asks as he looks over the group.
Nevitash eyes the men.
The hour of day was not lost on Rosaleen. These men were keeping refuse under control at this hour? Catching rats at this hour? Anyone down in the sewers in the middle of the night couldn't possibly be up to anything good, at least as far as she was concerned.
Her eyes narrowed as she studied the scene and tried to figure out why they were really down here.
Clearly, to the Mohammed's mind, these men were criminals doing shady things... before the war? That would have been worthy of execution, preferably by burning. Now? Post war and after the demons? What else could be expected?
He waited for his companions to politely disengage. After all, he was unsure of criminal protocols but neither side needed to fight the other at this point.
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You watch the men and suddenly realize that they seem to be waiting for the party to get closer to them. You also see that most of them have their hands hidden in their jackets, or in pockets. Just as you are about to say something, you see one of the men in the back open his coat to reveal a pistol.
You have initiative (Surprise round)
Kita continues to stroll forward, keeping her hand casually near her holster, holding the cudgel loosely in her off hand. "Wow, there ain't any rats around here, good job! Saw some nasty ones back behind us - we should team up and finish the blighters off."
"They are attacking" Nevitash calls out to his allies and then strikes out at the one he can reach.
Kita drew her borrowed pistol before the "Rat catchers" could react. She stepped forward so that the others could get in closer, then aimed at the nearest ne'er-do-well. However, her foot slipped on the slick wood, and her bullet went astray. She quickly loaded another shot into the pistol.
Kita drew her borrowed pistol before the "Rat catchers" could react. She stepped forward so that the others could get in closer, then aimed at the nearest ne'er-do-well. However, her foot slipped on the slick wood, and her bullet went astray. She quickly loaded another shot into the pistol.
[dice=pistol]1d20+5
Nevitash follows up with a second swing and yells, "We are with the watch...surrender now!"
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Nevitash swings his baton at the same thug, and this time hears a resounding 'CRACK' as the weapon connects with the man's skull. The brigand is thrown back and lands with a splash in the fetid pool.
An arcane bolt flies from the open palm of Erryll, as he attempts to take out another of the 'rat catchers'.
Attack:
Damage:
The fellow is staggered, but not out of the fight....yet!
The knight wades in.
Your sins have found you out! To the bar of judgement with you!
for
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The goon Mohammed attempts to strike weaves out of the way of his truncheon and pulls a pistol out to fire upon the holy man.
Attack-Mohammed: MISS
Damage:
The other thugs also open up with a volley of pistol fire at the party.
Attack-Nevitash: HIT
Damage:
Attack-Erryll: MISS
Damage:
Attack-Kita: HIT
Damage:
Attack-Rosaleen: HIT
Damage:
Rosaleen was in no hurry to start inelegantly beating the hoodlums with her stick; however, before she could react to the situation a bullet tore through her abdomen.
She let out a grunt of pain before her knees buckled and she doubled over in pain.