Tik hears the commotion above and frets visibly, but waits for his stouter companions to act before he settles on whether or not to climb up.
Fidget hears Nat's call and scurries as quickly as she can toward the commotion upstairs. "I'm coming up there!" she squeaks, huffing and puffing as she starts to climb up the ladder. "Soon!" Fidget's tiny arms and legs only carry her so far, and she sighs in frustration at her slow pace.
Ruarc hustles over and begins climbing the ladder.
Tik watches as Ruarc and Fidget start up the ladder he edges a bit closer and extending a small, soft, pink finger toward Ruarc saying, "Would you like a hand to rise to the challenge, dearie? Heeheheehehehe," before beginning a singsongy chant.
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The rats swarm towards Nat, surrounding him. They all bite at him, screeching loudly. Two of the rats' sets of long dirty teeth sink into the summoner's flesh, tearing it painfully.
Muttering harsh Brevic curses, Nat sidesteps against the far wall and lashes out with his Falchion, calling down the ladder "Crusaders, I could use some help here!"
Ruarc hustles over and begins climbing the ladder.
Fidget hears Nat's call and scurries as quickly as she can toward the commotion upstairs. "I'm coming up there!" she squeaks, huffing and puffing as she starts to climb up the ladder. "Soon!" Fidget's tiny arms and legs only carry her so far, and she sighs in frustration at her slow pace.
Tik watches as Ruarc and Fidget start up the ladder he edges a bit closer and extending a small, soft, pink finger toward Ruarc saying, "Would you like a hand to rise to the challenge, dearie? Heeheheehehehe," before beginning a singsongy chant.
Valeria moves to the side of the ladder, waiting her turn to ascend.
The mongrels do something down by the other door.
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The rats hop about, squeaking loudly. Two of them lunge for Nat again, with their long, yellowed teeth. One of them sinks its teeth deep into the half-elf's ankle.
Ruarc finishes climbing the ladder and moves out of the way, weathering three attacks from the rats on his armor.
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Miss, Hit
Tikneser finishes casting his spell and then awaits his turn to climb up, should there be room.
Valeria quickly climbs the ladder behind Ruarc, and tries her best to slip into a corner with her bow.
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Fidget scoots up the ladder behind Ruarc and stops just at the top. "I promise I'll be there soon!" she shouts up to Nat.
Tik stays right behind Fidget, getting as close as he can.
The rats hop about, squeaking loudly. Two of them lunge for Nat again, with their long, yellowed teeth. One of them sinks its teeth deep into the half-elf's ankle.
Ruarc finishes climbing the ladder and moves out of the way, weathering three attacks from the rats on his armor.
Tikneser finishes casting his spell and then awaits his turn to climb up, should there be room. As his spell completes, Ruarc grows to massive size, shunting one of the rats onto the top of the ladder.
Valeria quickly climbs the ladder behind Ruarc, and tries her best to slip into a corner with her bow. The rats are off balance from Ruarc's presence and let her pass unharmed.
Fidget scoots up the ladder behind Ruarc and stops just at the top. "I promise I'll be there soon!" she shouts up to Nat.
Stepping back a pace, Nat hesitates then quickly reaches out to scrawl a quick, crude rune on the wall with his fingertip. With a puff of smoke, a man of rock appears and begins pummeling a rat. It dies quickly.
Tik stays right behind Fidget, getting as close as he can.
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The two rats turn on the giant now standing with one foot having smashed their nest with a couple of angry shrieks. They jump at Ruarc, yellow teeth-filled jaws spread wide.
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Missx2
With the rats surrounded by Nat, Bart, and Ruarc, Valeria wheels around and readies a shot down the hall should the mongrelmen attempt to push the attack and hit the group from both sides.
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Torn between the rats and the mongrelmen at the other end of the corridor, Nat hesitates before pressing his palm against the wall a second time, shooting a glance over past Valeria waiting for any activity. Following his commands, the earth elemental smashes at one of the rats trapped between it and the gigantic demon. "Ruarc, when the rats are done, we need you on the front line here!"
Ruarc destroys the final rat with a practiced blow from his now massive sword. The rat falls in two pieces onto Fidget and Tik below. “Heh,” the dark warrior chuckles.
Tik follows Fidget up the ladder as soon as the cost is clear. He cranes his neck toward the mongrel men down the hall and twitches his whiskers at one, willing a cloud of malaise upon him.
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"YUCK!" Fidget shrieks as the rat parts fall onto her head and shoulders. "Nasty nasty!" She shudders, then makes her way up the rest of the ladder and stands on one of the dead rats. "Yuck! More of them!" She forces her gaze away from the rat parts and brushes the gunk off her head and shoulders. But, as soon as she diverts her attention from the rats, she catches sight of Ruarc standing totally massive directly to her right. "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screams, in utter terror at the enormous tiefling. "WHAT HAPPENED?" she cries. "HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET YOU OUT OF HERE?" She starts to panic, then wills herself to stop looking at him. She breathes sharply and quickly, her eyes bugging out of her head and staring wildly around the room. She sees that Nat looks quite injured, and decides to help him. "Hey, Nat! I'm gonna heal you in a bit! You might feel a little poke!" she calls out. The gnome squeezes her fists and starts stamping her feet, shaking her high ponytail back and forth with all her might. Suddenly, a shimmering ray of pale blue light explodes out or her chest and lands squarely on Nat's upper back.
Ruarc raises one eyebrow at Fidget. "It's but a spell, the effects will wear off after some minutes."
"It's but a spell, the effects will wear off after some minutes."
"WHY WOULD YOU WANNA DO THAT?" Fidget demands, her voice high-pitched and urgent. "You're going to get squished!"
"It's but a spell, the effects will wear off after some minutes.""WHY WOULD YOU WANNA DO THAT?" Fidget demands, her voice high-pitched and urgent. "You're going to get squished!"
"It was not my will which wove the enchantment. However, it's uses are self apparent. What better for smiting the servants of evil than a big damn sword?" Ruarc asks, waving the ten foot long blade of Justice about a bit in the cramped space.
Fidget ducks unnecessarily, as the humongous sword barely reaches four feet above her head. "Don't do that!" she squeaks.
The two rats turn on the giant now standing with one foot having smashed their nest with a couple of angry shrieks. They jump at Ruarc, yellow teeth-filled jaws spread wide. The rodents get nothing but mouthfuls of metal.
With the rats surrounded by Nat, Bart, and Ruarc, Valeria wheels around and readies a shot down the hall should the mongrelmen attempt to push the attack and hit the group from both sides.
Torn between the rats and the mongrelmen at the other end of the corridor, Nat hesitates before pressing his palm against the wall a second time, shooting a glance over past Valeria waiting for any activity. Following his commands, the earth elemental smashes at one of the rats trapped between it and the gigantic demon. "Ruarc, when the rats are done, we need you on the front line here!"
Ruarc destroys the final rat with a practiced blow from his now massive sword. The rat falls in two pieces onto Fidget and Tik below. “Heh,” the dark warrior chuckles.
Tik follows Fidget up the ladder as soon as the cost is clear. He cranes his neck toward the mongrel men down the hall and twitches his whiskers at one, willing a cloud of malaise upon him.
"YUCK!" Fidget shrieks as the rat parts fall onto her head and shoulders. "Nasty nasty!" She shudders, then makes her way up the rest of the ladder and stands on one of the dead rats. "Yuck! More of them!" She forces her gaze away from the rat parts and brushes the gunk off her head and shoulders. But, as soon as she diverts her attention from the rats, she catches sight of Ruarc standing totally massive directly to her right. "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screams, in utter terror at the enormous tiefling. "WHAT HAPPENED?" she cries. "HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET YOU OUT OF HERE?" She starts to panic, then wills herself to stop looking at him. She breathes sharply and quickly, her eyes bugging out of her head and staring wildly around the room. She sees that Nat looks quite injured, and decides to help him. "Hey, Nat! I'm gonna heal you in a bit! You might feel a little poke!" she calls out. The gnome squeezes her fists and starts stamping her feet, shaking her high ponytail back and forth with all her might. Suddenly, a shimmering ray of pale blue light explodes out or her chest and lands squarely on Nat's upper back.
Ruarc raises one eyebrow at Fidget. "It's but a spell, the effects will wear off after some minutes."
"WHY WOULD YOU WANNA DO THAT?" Fidget demands, her voice high-pitched and urgent. "You're going to get squished!"
"It was not my will which wove the enchantment. However, it's uses are self apparent. What better for smiting the servants of evil than a big damn sword?" Ruarc asks, waving the ten foot long blade of Justice about a bit in the cramped space.
Meanwhile, the mongrels continue to wait nervously at the end of the hall. They mutter to each other in their own language.
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Frustrated at his failure to curse the one mongrel, Tiknesr twitches his whiskers at the other. When his misfortune fails to effect the second one as well, Tik grinds his large yellow teeth in frustration. "Frippin' frackin' mother tucking sons of humans-- what are these things made of?"
"Demonic influence has warped them. Who knows in what ways they are protected by their tainted heritage..." Valeria mumbles in reply, not particularly intending to answer Tik but rather thinking aloud.
She continues to wait for a clear shot while the melee warriors prepare to advance.
Fidget grabs her holy symbol in her left hand and clutches it to her chest. She scrunches her nose in concentration and says a short prayer. A ball of bright light surges through the link between her and Nat. The light absorbs into him and he heals a little bit of the harm he has taken from the rats. Then, she follows him down the hallway toward the mongrelmen.
Frustrated at his failure to curse the one mongrel, Tiknesr twitches his whiskers at the other. When his misfortune fails to effect the second one as well, Tik grinds his large yellow teeth in frustration. "Frippin' frackin' mother tucking sons of humans-- what are these things made of?"
"Demonic influence has warped them. Who knows in what ways they are protected by their tainted heritage..." Valeria mumbles in reply, not particularly intending to answer Tik but rather thinking aloud.
She continues to wait for a clear shot while the melee warriors prepare to advance.
Gripping the hilt of his blade, Nat tilts his head and wordlessly directs his earth-man down the corridor to soak up the creatures' blows. Club blows rain down on the elemental shattering it.
Fidget grabs her holy symbol in her left hand and clutches it to her chest. She scrunches her nose in concentration and says a short prayer. A ball of bright light surges through the link between her and Nat. The light absorbs into him and he heals a little bit of the harm he has taken from the rats. Then, she follows him down the hallway toward the mongrelmen.
Ruarc moves up behind Valeria, but there's no space for his giant form in the tight passageways. He growls in frustration. "Make me small again rat, I can't fight like this!"
The two mongrels now have more targets and switch their clubbing to Nat. He parries both of their bludgeons with his falchion.
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Disappointed that his spell hadn't been more useful, Tik moves his hands around and mutters "Clickity Cluckity Bickity Broom / Next time I cast it, I hope there's more room"
When he's done, Ruarc is back to his normal size.
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Valeria suddenly feels a smoldering heat build up in her core, crawling through her veins and turning them a dark black that can be seen standing out in contrast to her tan skin. Her fingers harden and grow into sharp points, and the area around her eyes blacken and her eyes glow a deep red.
She drops her bow during the transformation and charges forward, lashing out at the Left most mongrel man as she roars in a terrifyingly inhuman voice.
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