^{I can hear them now, telling us to get in there} he whispered. He didn't think fire was a good idea, at least not until they got a better look at just what might actually burn.

"All I can hear down there is rats and running water." said Clay.  "It smells of decaying sewage so if Malus' rogue (who was not me by the way) wanted to get in, he came via the sewers.  I think they'd know.  They'd smell him.  Shall we get down there? Maybe Reevor will throw in a free bath when we finish."

The passageway is about 5 feet long and about level with the cellar floor but a little uneven from chiseled stone and mortar. It and debouches into what looks like a corridor on the other side. You can see a faint shimmer of water and a walking platform on the other side.

---

I'l just put this here in the IC thread.

 Pondering the situation and her companion's words, a look crosses Enigma's face.  "Hey..." She drums her fingers along her staff.  "If you're worried about gases and our torch, I could cause my staff to shed light instead.  What do you say?  It'll last..." She sniffs, grumbling at the smells.  "Oh.  I've timed it to an hour."

Clay grinned his lopsided, urchin grin and said, "Awesome, then we'd better get a move on.  Who's going first?"

I can't see well in the dark, but I'll go first the paladin said. It was what you did when you were a holy knight.

"I'll go second to cover him." Max replies right after.

Clay nodded."I'll go third if we're forced into single file, otherwise I'll go off to the side in the hope of surprising anything waiting to ambush us."

Malus stared into the dark and grimy hole from near the back of the group of friends. Even from here the smell was pungent and he wrinkled his nose. He looked down at his attire, slightly shook his head, then turned his gaze back to the hole. “Very well,” he said with a sigh, “I’ll follow along behind Clay.”

 Whispering a few magical words and holding her hand over the tip of her staff, which sports large beads of colored glass, Enigma invokes magical energies. "Necerta kaj belaj aferoj, mi preparas kun ĉi tiu sorĉo..."  In response, the staff sheds light.  Looking at her handiwork and smiling, she plants the butt on the ground.  "I'll stand in the middle, so that we've all got equal visibility."

Clay shuffles back to make room for enigma in front f him.

You crawl through the small passageway, having to stoop or go on your hands and knees. The opening looks like it's been done recently and it debouches into -you realize- a sewer. Someone have gathered a gangway of rough planks so you can make your way out onto the stone walkway without having to step into the foul sewer water.

To the east is a 5' wide canal of murky sewage, as far as you can see in the light from Enigma's staff.

The walkway continues south beside the canal and you can see another passage 15' feet to the south. The stone upon which you stand is dark and very slippery with years of built up slime.

---

Anyone that walks along the walkway will slip and fall into the murky water on a 1-in-6 every turn.

Feel free to ask questions if you need anything clarified.

Clay looks down and sighs.  "Does anybody have any ideas about getting rid of several decades' build up of slime?"

For his own part, he starts looking at the walls and wondering if there's any way he can climb the walls and move above the slimy thoroughfare.  If there is, he can provide a rpe as something to hold onto and help people with the not falling in business.

"Reevor said get the rats out of the cellars, right? They aren't in the cellars. I say we rebuild the stone wall to seal them out and that part of the job is done. Then report that someone intentionally opened the cellars to the sewers. A Thieves' Guild maybe?" Max intones, not caring for taking a bath in the sewage.

 "Hmm... Maybe we could use spikes and ropes to get past the slime?" Enigma looks at her staff, and then wrinkles her nose.  "This IS one situation where, maybe, a torch would come in handy...  Yeah, there definitely needs to be a work order put in to get the wall sealed back up.  Perhaps warding spells, as well?  Traps for the ones that get past the wards?"

There is nothing to hold on to, although if you move slowly (30') you don't have to roll to slip.

"Want me to lead the way? Maybe we'll find the miscreant that chiseled out the wall. Arrest them or kill them."

Clay smiles.  I'll move up to second place for this bit folks."

Max carefully and slowly walks up the slippery walkway, the smell was terrible! He'd have to bathe in lilac water to get the stench out of his nose! He held his sword at the ready and looked for anything out of place.

Clay followed behind with equal care and deliberation. Keeping his eyes and ears open as he did so.

Still near the hole leading back to the cellar, the magic-user cast a wistful glance back at the recess as if reconsidering his current circumstances. Though, if he chose to go back up to the bar, his friends would never let him hear the end of it. With slight shake of his head, he carefully picked his way along the walkway, following as the coterie moved along the noxious, burbling brook.

Niall will likely take up the rear, being as he will move extremely slow to avoid falling down, and to keep an eye and steady sword watching their back.

Marching order (front to back): Max, Clay, Enigma, Malus, Niall



As you slowly make your way down the slippery walkway, Enigmas staff suddenly go dark and what light remains come from Malus' flickering torch... you think. As Max reach the corridor to the east he can se a faint flickering light disappear right around another turn further down the corridor (not the side passage, really further down from what you can see by the map). He doesn't have time to reflect upon it though as suddenly he sees the glimmer of small eyes and a pack of four giant rats rushes towards you from 20 feet away.

---

Max, roll for surprise - on a 1 or 2 you're surprised and no one can act in the first round. The rats aren't surprised. Next, everyone declare if you're casting spells or moves. Otherwise, someone may roll for initiative. I rolled a 1, if it's equal roll again, otherwise you win.

Since your torch is in the back it's too dark to see anything in the side passage the rats are coming from but you can see fine on the walkway beside the canal.
This message was last updated by the GM at 21:35, Fri 15 Mar.

17:18, Today: Maximillian Yragerne rolled 2 using 1d6 with rolls of 2.  surprise. – 2 - SURPRISE!

17:20, Today: Maximillian Yragerne rolled 3 using 1d6 with rolls of 3.  initiative. – 3

Two of the rats jumps hungrily for Max's flesh and one of them hits (1 damage. Roll a d20, on a 1 there's a chance you'll contract a disease). The other two rats scurry around the corner past Max's legs and try to bite Clay but they both miss.

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Since you're surprised the rats got a free round.

Moving on to rond 2. Declare Spells or Movement first, then we'll use the initiative already rolled which you won.