XII. Flooded Quarry

[Storm11]

Not giving up on you yet, Kassel!

[dmw71]

Round 7
"Pull him back, Sparrow!" Ciar shouts, but the dark-skinned warrior didn't need any prompting. He was already reaching down to begin pulling the lifeless gnome back into the cave, doing his best to fight off the advancing rats, some of which begin targeting him. Sparrow successfully gets Kassal into the cave, and drags the rats along with him, making them targets for his awaiting companions. Ciar narrowly misses with his short sword, but does manage to cut through the corse hide of the nearest rat with is dagger. Grim climbs into the pile of loose supplies and sends his axe down at the rat with a powerful, but ill-aimed strike. Fulp, battling from the northern side of the doorway, attempts to squish the nearest rat with his walking stick but misses as the rodent scurries out of the way at the last instant.

Sylvan, hearing the commotion around him, rushes over to Kassal's while he produces the healing wand. Looking for any signs of life, and finding none, he lowers his head and returns the wand to his pack.

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Actions?


Rolls:
Initiative: Monsters [1d10] = 1, PCs [1d10] = 10

[AleBelly]

Sylvan is crestfallen at the death of the gnome. Still, there are enemies to face. "Friends, this enchantment will take awhile, but may pay off dividends later. If you choose to end the life of the rat I enchant...so be it."

With that, he pulls some dried food from his pack and mistletoe from his pouch and begins singing a lullaby to one of the rats in Druidic Cant. He will target the one furthest from the party.

[saalaria]

Grim resembles his name and continues to methodically chop at the rats.

[Alethan]

Ciar unsuccessfully tries to kill the rat in front of him.

[onlyme]

Fulp likewise slams his walking stick down, apparently trying to scare the cure little rodents.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sparrow has no time for tears.

He leaps the corner of the pile of kobold junk 8 and attempts an attack on the closest rat. r4

[dmw71]

Round 8
The pesky rats act first, with Ciar and Grim drawing the attention of one each, and Fulp struggling to fend off a pair. The halfling and dwarf escape unscathed, but Fulp once again falls victim to a light rat bite. Looking to extract his revenge, Fulp smashes down on the outermost rat, missing it, but managing to at least keep it in front of him.

Back near the entrance, Ciar wildly swings his short sword and notched dagger at his whiskered opponent, but the nimble creature proves to be too elusive and escapes harm. A few feet inside the cave, Grim once again swings wildly with his mighty dwarven axe, and curses angrily after doing so. Sparrow, looking to come to Fulp's aid, jumps into corner of the pile of kobold junk and swiftly eliminates the nearest rat by clubbing it to death, then sticking in his dagger for good measure.

Sylvan is crestfallen at the death of the gnome... then again as he witness Sparrow slice open the rat he had just begun casting a spell upon.



With only three rats remaining, the group looks to end the battle quickly and avoid further harm.

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Actions?


Rolls:
Initiative: Monsters [1d10] = 2, PCs [1d10] = 10

[saalaria]

Quickly? Ha! If only!

Grim spits at the rat in frustration before swinging again.

[Alethan]

Ciar slices at R2 with sword and dagger...

[onlyme]

Fulp smashes down on whichever one he can get a clean swat on without colliding with everyone else.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sorry again AB! Perhaps posting the specific number instead of "furthest away" etc. might eliminate future confusion? My bad!

Sparrow realizes his mistake a bit late as usual. He gets an idea that might make up for it.

He backs away from combat and stores his weapons. He pulls out the net that he brought to snare kobolds with and tosses it upon any rats that aren't already dead.

[dmw71]

Round 9
Grim spits at the rat in frustration as he swings his axe, hitting with his spittle, but missing with his blade. Next to him, Ciar continues his two weapon fighting style, slashing his rat with his short sword, heavily wounding it, and narrowly missing with what would have been a death blow with his notched dagger. Just north of Grim, Fulp smashes his walking stick down on the rat that has been attacking him, and isn't otherwise engaged in melee with anyone else, crushing its skull, killing it... moments before Sparrow covers its limp body with a net, eliciting a head shake in disbelief from Sylvan.

The two remaining rats, at least momentarily appear to consider a flight attempt, but press the attack. The first, against Ciar, regrets its decision to remain as it misses so badly with its bite that it draws another attack from Ciar, which the halfling is unable to capitalize on. The effort from the rat targeting Grim isn't much better.

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Actions?


Rolls:
Initiative: Monsters [1d10] = 6, PCs [1d10] = 2

[onlyme]

Fulp presses his attack on r3, hoping to catch the rat busy wiping spit.

[Alethan]

Ciar unsuccessfully swings at the rat with sword and dagger.

[saalaria]

"Little bastards! You think yer got 'im where yous be wanting and then 'e gets out the way." Take this..."

The Dwarf swings another mighty blow....

...And at long, long last hits something.

[AleBelly]

Seeing that his friends have the battle with the rats well in hand, Sylvan returns to trying to calm slaves c2 and c3, asking where they are from, how many kobolds dwell in the quarry and if there are any traps or secret doors in the area.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sparrow resolves to let the others finish off the rats.

As he folds his net back up, he again turns to the captive female and begins to softly sing her a soothing song to try to ease the tensions.

Dogmen aren't nice, Dogmen aren't good. They chain you up and smack you with wood. Your saviors are here to set you free. Before you know, you'll be as happy as me.

Hopefully his singing is better than his songwriting.

[Alethan]

Hopefully his singing is better than his songwriting.

Hopefully the captive doesn't impale herself on the nearest sharp object...

[dmw71]

Round 10
The rats, with their last ever actions, attempt to bite Ciar and Fulp, but fail to inflict any additional harm. Moments later, a cracking sound is heard as Fulp brings his walking stick down on the nearest rat with a powerful strike. Grim follows that up by slicing the last rat nearly in half as the dwarf takes out his recent frustrations over his recent inaccuracy on the last remaining rodent.

The threats cleared, Sparrow begins to sing a horribly off-tune song in the direction of the slave fastened to the northern wall, while Sylvan begins to question the two to the south, learning that they are Carlo and Sela Bellathi, husband and wife, and peddlers of religious charms. They were caught about two months ago while traveling east on the Verduran Highway, just having plied their wares in Belhaim. The slave to the north identifies herself as Bophre Malak, a farmhand at her family's dairy farm in Belhaim who went out for a walk one day a few months ago and was captured by the kobolds.

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Though brutalized, all three slaves appear to have been kept relatively healthy, but underfed. All three have spent all their time here in this cave, and have only seen the "well" room, the rats lair, with all the straw, and this cave.

"Please, let us go!" they plead, holding out their shackled arms, after sharing everything they know.


Actions?


Rolls:
Initiative: Monsters [1d10] = 3, PCs [1d10] = 5