Episode 7: Iron Door, revisited

[drpete]

Unfortunately, it seems that this area has really become quite infested with rats. The "orc room" is totally crawling with them. Opening this door produces nasty hissing from a large number of giant rats. The large areas of the room seem to be littered with bedding, and there's a big mound in the northwestern corner of the room.

[Zorroroaster]

Torgyr closes the Orc room door as quickly as he did the guard room. He hangs his head a moment in mock sorrow.

"Damn, this place has gone to hell pretty fast. So, our choice is more rats or less rats. Let's go with less rats."

He moves back to the guard room and gets ready.

"Someone bigger than me wanna breach this door? Perhaps I should toss a flask in and fry them. Might be faster than stomping them individually."

[barkman]

"Coordinated firings might drive them somewhere we can deal with them, or get them mad enough that we are in danger. Patrolling for rats may be a good job for that other group"

[Zorroroaster]

True, but we've got to get past them one way or another. Unless you want to go the longer way around. That might work too.

[Stirling]

heard a story of a pied piper who blew a tune on a fancy flute, all the rats followed him....Bro Galen charmed the kobold, could he not try to charm a 'rat swarm' and lead them out of the Dwimmermount, the wolves on the mountain side can hunt them.

[drpete]

heard a story of a pied piper who blew a tune on a fancy flute, all the rats followed him....Bro Galen charmed the kobold, could he not try to charm a 'rat swarm' and lead them out of the Dwimmermount, the wolves on the mountain side can hunt them.

That was Climent that charmed the kobold...

[kalstone]

Solaine says, "Let's just clear them out of here. If we leave them, they'll just breed more. I think burning them with oil is the best way to go about it."

[Zorroroaster]

Torgyr unhooks a flask of military oil from his belt. He nods to Ranulf on the door and lights it.

"Fire in the hole."

Torgyr will time the lighting and throwing of the oil with Ranulf opening and then closing the door again. The idea is to burn them out, not to release flaming rats in our direction!

[drpete]

Torgyr lights the Flask of oil. Ranulf opens the door. Torgyr tosses the oil in quickly, and it splashes harmlessly against the wall. The rats do not seem to react much before Ranulf quickly closes the door.

[Zorroroaster]

"Right, then. Plan B?"

[kalstone]

Could we tell if the oil was ineffective because Torgyr didn't toss it accurately enough or because the rats were too spread out? If Torgyr just missed, we could try it again.

[drpete]

Torgyr just missed. I rolled a 2 for the attack, so in his rush not to be swarmed by the rats, he kinda messed up the throw (and his the wall instead of the rats.

[kalstone]

Solaine says, "Let's give it another try."

[Zorroroaster]

Torgyr eyeballs his supply of oil.

"I have plenty. Lemme give it another go."

He pulls another flask from his belt and prepares it, nodding to Ranulf when ready.

[drpete]

Torgyr tosses another flask into the room, and oil splashes on a group of the rats gnawing on some hideous chunk of meat in the corner. Ranulf slams the door shut, and you hear a flurry of activity in the room. A rat bangs against the door, but you hold it shut. Some claws scratch at the door for a moment. Then you hear nothing. The smell of cooked meat and burned hair reaches your nose. All is quiet.

[Zorroroaster]

"I love the smell of charred rat in the morning. Smells like...victory. Shall we take a peek?"

Torgyr draws his axe, motions to the others to draw closer and nods to Ranulf to breach the door.

[barkman]

Randolpho readies his crossbow.

[drpete]

The group readies themselves, and opens the door. In the corner where Torgyr had thrown the oil, they see 3 dead, burned rat corpses. The other rats are nowhere to be seen. They seem to have fled the room.

[Zorroroaster]

Torgyr waves his hand as if clearing the air of smoke or fumes.

"I guess we'll be fighting these things right to the Iron Door."

He moves toward the door and leans in, listening for sounds on the other side.

[drpete]

All is quiet out the door, though you feel like you can hear scurrying within the walls.