From outside the warhouse doors come the sound of at least a dozen pairs of feet coming to a halt. There is a pause and then an imperious female voice rings out: "Whoever you are we outnumber you several times over. Surrender and there may - may - be a chance you will let live."


There is the unmistakable sound of swords and other weapons being drawn out there.

Vithrain quirks an eyebrow at the sound of the voice, but knows that time has run out. Slipping down through the trapdoor he throws the handful of straw into the air and gently closes the hatch before dropping into the filthy water and following his kin and friends.

"Be safe, Tarrian." he whispers.

*whispers* "Let's move on..."

Tarrian shakes her head at Vithrain.  "Go.  No arguing."  He reluctantly closes the trap door.  The last he sees of her is a smile.

Once the trap door is closed she covers it properly, heaping the scattered straw back over it.  At the door she hears a fellow woman warrior shouting threats.  "We're coming out!"  Tarrian shouts back, saying what she thinks Mannath would say.  "Don't hurt us!  We surrender!"

It's a lie, of course.  The moment she feels the trapdoor exit is disguised, Tarrian bolts for the hole in the wall.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:33, Wed 11 Sept 2013.

Tarrian reaches the alleyway just seconds before the warehouse doors are smashed open. You hear a cry of "There! They're going through the hole!" behind you but by this point you are already running...

Moments later you reach a crossroads. To the south the alley continues - glancing down you can make out ships rigging so it must open out into the docks. To the the north it curves round a corner out of sight. In front of you a door stands, slightly ajar... a pungent smell emenates from within.

The sound of footsteps behind you is getting very loud...

As Vithrain finally splashes down you hear the crack of doors being opened and muffled voices and footfalls overhead.


After a few moments the majority of voices fade away... though you do hear an occassional creak of footsteps suggesting the warehouse has not been left deserted.

On Chadda's suggestion you turn south following the breeze which sadly does nothing to alleviate the smell.

"the sooner we'll be out the better!"

In reply to The Handmaiden (msg # 214):

"Agreed, lets go. Elstarir, can you find the quickest route out of this stinking place?"

Holding his breath as much as he could the young Elf lead the way south towards the breeze and hopefully fresh air. His elf vision giving him all the sight he needed and every now and then he whispered back for the group to step in certain places to miss any trip hazards.

The going is very hard and slow even if the distance involved is not great. The filthy water swirling amongst your legs is very cold and the overpowering stench lingers despite any hopes you might get used to it in time. Of course without the excellent eyesight of the Elves you would be in even worse trouble, blind and lost on top of everything else. The sewer tunnels are very old, at least two centuries old and in places the brickwork is crumbling with age making your footwork treachorous.

At intervals Elstarir or Vithrain spot irregular graffiti symbols along the sides of the tunnels. Some are completely illegible due to age or grime but when described to him Mannath can identify a few of them as thieve's cant markings to delineate territory. One sign over a narrow side tunnel is the marking of the followers of Mirala, the silver tongued and impetuous demigoddess who is said to look over rogues and bards across Titan.

OOC: Elstarir, Vithrain and Chadda take a temporary -1 penalty to your SKILL from general nausea from the sewers. Mannath, in your career you have spent all too much time hiding in sewers in the northern cities and while you don't like them you've adapted better than the others; don't take a penalty.

Eventually you find yourselves moving towards a source of light. In the distance you can hear the sound of the sea and you realise this tunnel opens out into the port, thus explaining the salty breeze in the air. Unfortunatly for you several large, furry forms occupy the rest of the tunnel between you and open air: in the flickering light you find yourselves looking at four GIANT RATS. They look back at you, saliva dribbling off their yellow incisors and hunger glimmering in their beady eyes...

---

OOC: There are four GIANT RATS. Assuming you wish to get through them you will have to fight them!

GIANT RAT #1
SKILL: 6
STAMINA: 5

Claw/Bite: 2 2 3 3 3 3
Armour: 0 0 0 0 0 0

GIANT RAT #2
SKILL: 5
STAMINA: 4

Claw/Bite: 2 2 3 3 3 3
Armour: 0 0 0 0 0 0

GIANT RAT #3
SKILL: 5
STAMINA: 4

Claw/Bite: 2 2 3 3 3 3
Armour: 0 0 0 0 0 0

GIANT RAT #4
SKILL: 5
STAMINA: 4

Claw/Bite: 2 2 3 3 3 3
Armour: 0 0 0 0 0 0

The Handmaiden swiftly throws one of her knives to the first giant rat!

Giant rat #1
21:10, Today: The Handmaiden rolled 5 using 2d6.
Attack strength: 5+6=11

The Handmaiden
21:10, Today: The Handmaiden rolled 10 using 2d6.
Attack strength: 5+1+10-1=15
Damage roll:
21:11, Today: The Handmaiden rolled 6 using 1d6.

2 damages dealt to Giant rat #1

It's a good hit!
This message was last edited by the player at 20:19, Sun 22 Sept 2013.

While the stench was powerful, the smell of the sewers reminded Mannath of home. He had spent much of his childhood hiding in such places as he moved around the city, evading the watch and pilfering from stores and private houses, while avoiding the attention of rival gangs.

When he spotted the rats in the gloom he reacted quickly, whipping out a throwing knife and flinging it down the tunnel. It hit the furthest of the beasts, slicing through its dirty flesh. As soon as the knife left his hand he reached for his sword and drew it, preparing for the creatures to rush them.

14:38, Today: Mannath rolled 2 using 1d6. Damage.
14:38, Today: Mannath rolled 8 using 2d6+4. Rat 4 attack score.
14:37, Today: Mannath rolled 17 using 2d6+7. Throw dagger at Rat 4.
14:36, Today: Mannath rolled 4 using 1d4. Select target.

Hit Rat 4 doing 1HP damage.

Vithrain, stuck at the back as he was, could not do much. He was also fairly tired and his magic was mostly gone. The best he could hope to do any time soon was act as backup and thrust his staff at the creatures to stop them getting close.

Seeing the rats rush towards them the elf archer brought up his already loaded bow and aimed at the front runner of the pack


OOC: 21:40, Today: Elstarir rolled 2 +1 for crack shot using 1d6. Damage. Total 3
21:40, Today: Elstarir rolled 14 using 2d6+8Missile attack  rat #2.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:42, Tue 01 Oct 2013.

The Handmaiden targets again the first giant rat!

Giant rat #1
23:15, Today: The Handmaiden rolled 6 using 2d6.
Attack strength: 6+6=12

The Handmaiden
23:15, Today: The Handmaiden rolled 11 using 2d6.
Attack strength: 5+1+11-1=16
Damage roll:
23:19, Today: The Handmaiden rolled 3 using 1d6.

1 damage dealt to Giant rat #1

Another hit!
The Giant Rat is definitely shaken!
This message was last edited by the player at 22:21, Tue 01 Oct 2013.

The sudden onslaught by the party hit the Giant Rats by surprise. Though none fell dead the beasts scattered in terror; far from the easy meal they considered you you bite back! Abrupty the rodents flee; a couple squeezing past you and the others retreating down side tunnels.

Moments later the only trace of them is the lingering stench of dank fur and some gnawed and thankfully unrecognisable bones jutting out of the mire. Before you lies the filth encrusted iron bars of a sluice gate opening out over the waters of the bay. Thankfully it is low tide or this would be under water. As it is only the gate stands between you and freedom from the sewers!

The Handmaiden looks around for her thrown knives.
Are they on the floor? Are they in disgusting conditions or not?
This message was last edited by the player at 22:23, Fri 04 Oct 2013.

OOC: Handmaiden Test vs. LUCK if you want to search for them in the filth encrusted darkness of the tunnel.

(Also in future try and restrict OOC questions to the OOC thread or PMs.)

Not seeing her knives visible, the Handmaiden doesn't waste time (and luck) looking for them in the filth: there are plenty, back at the Palace.

[OOC I modified my previous post, so that it's more obvious that it was an IC post]

Elstarir moved quickly up to the grate slinging his bow as he went. Grabbing it he tested to see if it would open

Mannath grinned in the darkness as the rats fled. Luckily they can't have been that hungry, or rats around here just weren't as nasty as back home.

He looked around briefly to see if his throwing knife was visible, but quickly concluded that it was probably at the bottom of the sewer. Considering it was given to him for free, and he had plenty left, he decided to leave it be and progress without it, rather than foul his arms searching for it.

He sheathed his sword and moved forward next to Elstarir. When he arrived he bean to inspect the iron sluice gate, looking for either a bolt that could be undone, or signs of rust and decay that might indicate that it could be forced open.

Vithrain notices the blocked drain end and thinks things through silently. The rats came from somewhere...they wouldn't have just been waiting in a dead end.

Using his keen vision Vithrain looks around for a hole in the tunnel walls they would have come through. Rats could squeeze through the smallest of hole, much smaller than their body size would indicate....
This message was last edited by the player at 09:27, Sat 05 Oct 2013.

The bars are rusted and perhaps someone like Tarrian might be able to break her way through the weak spots but as it is they are a little too thick for any of you in the tunnel to force your way through.  On the other the heavy lock could well fall victim to Mannath's talents...

Vithrain meanwhile has found side tunnels going off to both sides. Though filthy and in poor repair they are clearly man made, and built of the same brickwork as the main tunnel. The rat tunnels are about a meter high and rather less than that wide - you'd have to crawl if you wanted to follow them!

While exploring Vithrain caught sight of a slight metallic gleam in the muck, lying up one of the rat tunnels just out of reach.

---

OOC: To get pick the lock Mannath, roll a test vs Special Skill (SKILL + Lockpicks skill).

At each of the two tunnels Vithrain pokes his head just inside and takes a deep breath, trying to work out if the scent of rat is greater in either one.

In the second tunnel he sees a glint of something on the floor. Using his staff Vithrain first moves the shiny thing to the side of the tunnel, out of the filth a little more, and then he uses the staff to bring the object closer to himself until it is within arms reach.

Pulling a bit of scrap cloth from a pocket (usually used to wipe a dripping nose!) Vithrain carefully picks up the object using the cloth to stop the foetid muck from the tunnel getting on to his hand. He then looks closely at the item to see what it is.

Mannath inspected the gate. "These bars look a bit rusty." He gave them a shove with his shoulder, but nothing gave. He looked over at the Elves and the Handmaiden, guessing that they wouldn't have more joy. "Hmmm, not rusty enough... Mind you, this lock might be worth a go."

He delved into a pocket inside his tunic and pulled out a small leather pouch. Opening the pouch he inspected the contents for a moment, before selecting a couple of picks. He bent down in front of the lock and inserted the picks, before twisting and turning them with well-practiced expertise. Hopefully it would do the trick...

12:31, Today: Mannath rolled 7 using 2d6. Lockpick test, target 8.