(000B) Down Under!

[terrymixon]

Des "rewards" ratman #3 with is attention and gives him the axe.

[terrymixon]

Turn 2

At the end of the turn, Des and Eodrien are side by side at the bottom of the stairs. The Mouseman is behind them. Darien, Magdal, Jameson and Kazan are still on the platform at the top of the stairs. Kate is on the basement floor charging a Ratman with a rolling pin. One Ratman is dead, one is injured, and none of you are hurt yet.

YOUR TURN!

OOG: I presume that Eodrien is to Des' left, since she stepped up to Mouseman's off hand, and most people are right handed.

Eodrien steps over her late opponent's body and issues a diagonal chopping attack to the nearest ratman, while ensuring that she stays out of Des' way as she moves.

Des appreciates not having to thread the needle with his axe swings and grins at her as he attacks the ratmen.

[ateno]

Darian throws a second dart at the bowman.

If he downs the ratman, he will adjust the grip on his staff too hold it like a spear.

If he does not take down the ratman he will move his body sideways to the bowman to make a smaller target.

Then:
He presses his leg against Kazan.

"Good boy, stay."

Darian

[Darithe]

Magdal grins, "I hope that's not the only reason you wear pants," thinking with mountain folk it may well be the case. She watches him go and says, " Stop distracting me! "

Noting Darian's deadly dart throwing skills she says, "Remind me not to play darts with you when we go back upstairs." She then aims her shortbow at the # 5 rat, thinking they sure do grow them big here.

[terrymixon]

Magdal grins, "I hope that's not the only reason you wear pants," thinking with mountain folk it may well be the case. She watches him go and says, " Stop distracting me! "

Noting Darian's deadly dart throwing skills she says, "Remind me not to play darts with you when we go back upstairs." She then aims her shortbow at the # 5 rat, thinking they sure do grow them big here.

"Well, not the only reason," he said when he swung his axe.

[NJWilliam]

Jameson

Jameson heads to the floor by way of the block and tackle kf one remains available, otherwise he will head down the stairs.

If he has a clear shot he will throw his dagger at a ratman and draw his second.

[Eris]

Turn 3
----
At the beginning of the turn, Des and Eodrien are side by side at the bottom of the stairs. The Mouseman is behind them. Darien, Magdal, Jameson and Kazan are still on the platform at the top of the stairs. Kate is on the basement floor charging Ratman 4 with a rolling pin. One Ratman is dead, one is injured, and none of you are hurt yet.
----

Jameson , seeing what Kate did, heads to the floor by way of the block and tackle on the other side of the platform. He grabs the rope and puts his feet on the block and by adjusting his grip lowers himself to the floor [5]...too fast!

Jameson stumbles as he lands [18], but he isn't hurt and regains his balance! He has a clear shot at Ratman 5 and throws his dagger at him [4], but the dagger sails past the creature.

Ratman 5 decides to attack Jameson and moves toward him with his wicked looking sword. His strike [3] completely misses the thief and the two are now face to face and in melee combat with neither having a clear advantage.

Eodrien , on the left, steps over her late opponent's body and issues a diagonal chopping attack to Ratman 2 [6], but her axe whizzes past her opponent as he steps back.

Ratman 2 makes an off-balanced stab[13] at Eodrien, but his sword deflects off her armor doing her no harm.

OOC: As an aside, the rolls so far have been total crap for everyone with the one exception that Jameson made his Dex check after landing hard.

Kate swings her rolling pin at Ratman 4's [17,2] head. It connects and the creature stumbles back looking completely disoriented! The disoriented Rat can't counter attack at Kate who winds up for another swing!

Des "rewards" ratman #3 with is attention [19,6] and gives him the axe, taking his head clean off!

Darian throws a second dart at the bowman, Ratman 6 [13,1], who falls and doesn't get up. Darian adjusts the grip on his staff to hold it like a spear. Then: He presses his leg against Kazan. "Good boy, stay."

Magdal grins, "I hope that's not the only reason you wear pants," thinking with mountain folk it may well be the case. She watches him go and says, " Stop distracting me! "

Noting Darian's deadly dart throwing skills Magdal says, "Remind me not to play darts with you when we go back upstairs." She then aims her shortbow at the # 5 rat[20,6], thinking they sure do grow them big here, as her arrow hits her target in the throat dropping him like a sack of potatoes!

Suddenly, Jameson, who was thinking he was in for a real fight, finds himself standing in front of a rat with an arrow sticking out of his throat! The creature topples backwards as it's beady red eyes roll back in its head.

The Mouseman jumps up and over the railing to go to Kate's assistance. He thrusts his sword at Ratman 4 [20,6] who is unable to defend himself and falls dead at Kate's feet.

"Rouie!" shouts Kate, "I'd have killed him!" Then seeing the blood stains on Rouie's tunic as he pulls his sword from the dead rat, says, "You're hurt!"

Ratman 2, suddenly alone and facing two ax's stumbles backward and throws down his sword squeaking, "Don't kill me!", in a high pitched whine.



OOC: The rolls suddenly turned!

You hear the sounds of combat coming up the hole in the floor. There is fighting going on in the room below you.

YOUR TURN!

[Darithe]

Magdal takes no joy in the kill, other than that she has staved off the chance that her companions would have suffered injuries. She recalls a stray bit of verse she once read as she nocks another arrow in her shortbow, and descends the stairs to join the others below.

"...The sword is sharp, the spear is long,
The arrow is swift, the Gate is strong..."

"Our gate holds for now my friends," she says pointing her bow at the surrendering ratman, "Creature stay still if you wish to live. Now if one of you will be so kind as to bind him." Noting the sounds of battle below, "It seems we have another dance beckoning to us from below. Which of you shall lead?"

[ateno]

Darian beckons to Kazan to 'Follow'.

Speaks loud enough so all may hear. "Rouie, whats going on in the well?"

Darian heads over to the ratman and checks him for items he could escape with and begins to tie him up using the extra rope from the tackle.
Whispering to him in Goblin. "Do you speak Goblin?

Darian

[terrymixon]

Des leaves the prisoner to the others and looks to speedily and safely get a look below and rapidly join the defenders there.

[joertexas]

Des leaves the prisoner to the others and looks to speedily and safely get a look below and rapidly join the defenders there.

Eodrien follows him and also looks into the hole.

[NJWilliam]

Jameson

Jameson retrieves his dagger and looks for a means to climb down the hole.

[Eris]

Turn 4
----

At the beginning of the turn, All the Ratmen in the basement save one are dead. That one is on the floor begging for his life. Rouie, the Mouseman, has been wounded and he is standing with Kate. Magdal, Darian and Kazan are finally coming down the stairs to the basement floor.
----
Magdal takes no joy in the kill, other than that she has staved off the chance that her companions would have suffered injuries. She recalls a stray bit of verse she once read as she nocks another arrow in her shortbow, and descends the stairs to join the others below.

"...The sword is sharp, the spear is long,
The arrow is swift, the Gate is strong..."

"Our gate holds for now my friends," she says pointing her bow at the surrendering ratman, "Creature stay still if you wish to live. Now if one of you will be so kind as to bind him." Noting the sounds of battle below, "It seems we have another dance beckoning to us from below. Which of you shall lead?"

Darian beckons to Kazan to 'Follow', which the dog does, growling at the Ratman when he approaches the whining creature.

Speaks loud enough so all may hear. "Rouie, whats going on in the well?"

Rouie turns to Darian and says, "I am not sure, but I think it is the rest of my company come to rescue Kate and her family. I, and two of my men, rushed here to warn Kate's family. I sent a third of my troop to the Queen's Burrow to sound an alarm and my orders to my troop to come here with all haste."

Darian heads over to the ratman and checks him for items he could escape with. Darian takes a knife from the creature's belt. He then begins to tie him up using the extra rope from the tackle. Then the whispers to him in Goblin. "Do you speak Goblin?"

The ratman starts then replies in Goblin, "Yes, I do! Please don't kill me!"


Des leaves the prisoner to the others and looks to speedily and safely get a look below and rapidly join the defenders there. Eodrien follows him and also looks into the hole.

Jameson retrieves his dagger and joins Des and Eodrien at the "hole" in the floor looking for a means to climb down.

They see that the hole is what remains of a secret door on the floor of the basement that leads down a flight of stone steps to a room below. The room below is very dimly lighted, you'll need torches, lanterns or other light sources to see down there. From the sounds, the fighting is tapering off, but without light you can't tell whether the Rats or the Mice won.

Kate standing over the tied Ratman grinds out, "I know you! You came here last week and I sold you a meat pie. Now you come back to kill us in our sleep? I should bash your brains out with this rolling pin, you...you...RAT!"

"No! No! Kate, warriors do not kill prisoners." says Rouie reaching out to stay her hand.

Kate replies hotly, "I'm not a warrior, I'm a baker and a cook! I'll kill this vermin, bake him in a pie and send to his Rat King!"

The prisoner on the floor is cowering with fear.



END OF COMBAT, for the moment, at least! You can go back to roleplaying, exploration, mode.

[joertexas]

Turn 4

They see that the hole is what remains of a secret door on the floor of the basement that leads down a flight of stone steps to a room below. The room below is very dimly lighted, you'll need torches, lanterns or other light sources to see down there. From the sounds, the fighting is tapering off, but without light you can't tell whether the Rats or the Mice won.

"We need a light here," Eodrien calls. "Quickly!"

[ateno]

Darian finishes tying him up and then hooks him to the block and tackle and raises him a couple feet off the floor.

""That should keep you from going anywhere while we check things out." Darian manhandles the head or the
Ratman around to check he cant chew his bonds.

Darian leaves Rouie to calm down Kate.

Then he attempts to retrieve his two darts off the Bowman, then start the lantern.

Darian

[Darithe]

Magdal listens to Kate a frown upon her face as she removes her arrow and slings the bow across shoulder. "He is no longer trouble to anyone, leave him be. We are not savages and don't killed unarmed prisoners." Like Darian, she will leave Rouie to deal with her as they apparently are well acquainted.

Also like Darian, she lights her lantern and holds it as close to the opening as she can, wondering how far a drop it is. "It can't be too long of a drop. Those ratmen aren't bigger than us and they had to get up somehow." She peers below, trying not to get in the way of Eodrien.

[NJWilliam]

Jameson

Jameson sheathes his dagger and taking a look at the stairs, ”What can the rat tell us about this path down? Is this the way he came?” Jameson will take a closer look at the hole to see if the mechanism is evident, and if there are any hints of a trap.

[Eris]

With the lighted lanterns, you can see stone steps leading from the hole in the floor of the basement to the floor of another room below. This sub-basement room appears to be about 30 feet square and you can see one exit out of the room into a darkened area beyond.

The room is occupied by about a score of creatures. You count 8 of the Ratmen on the ground, dead or dying, as well as 4 Mousemen. Two more Ratmen are being tied up by some of the green tuniced Mousemen. A few more Mousemen are scattered around the room examining the down Ratmen. A remaining 3 Mousemen are starting up the stone stairs toward you. They are holding spears.

Rouie, intrudes on your group and calls to the advancing creatures, "Stand down! These are friends! Kate's friends."

You can visibly see the advancing soldiers relax and lower their spears. One calls out, "We have the situation under control down here Captain."

Kate joins your group at the hole in the floor and says, "The Baron's law says we aren't to go down there. I've never broken that law. Instead, the Mousemen come up here to do business with us...secretly."

[terrymixon]

Des nods, walks back to the rat man he beheaded, cleans his axe off, puts it away, and gives him a search.

“Any idea why the attack? What’s going on?”

[joertexas]

Des nods, walks back to the rat man he beheaded, cleans his axe off, puts it away, and gives him a search.

“Any idea why the attack? What’s going on?”

Eodrien listens to the conversation as she cleans her axe before putting it away.