The elf's hand goes to his pocket, reaching for his wand, but he reconsiders and instead unshoulders his heavy crossbow and plucks a bolt from the case at his hip, slotting it into place.

"Let us hope we run out of rats before I run out of missiles!" Aurion wishes fervently.

Cogwitz's blades rise and fall methodically as he dispatches two of the rodents that snooze before him, electing to let sleeping rats die.

While Aurion struggles to load his crossbow, Brindle looses yet more glowing balls of mystical energy from his wand, his wise choice of victims adding another three corpses to the pile.

Your resident Orc, the first of his kind known to certain devote followers of Dauros, waits, ah, hungrily for the serried ranks of rats to attack.  The roar he lets loose as he stubs his toe betokens far more anger than pain, but his second attempt is heartfelt and another rat pays the price, even as another darts forwards to take its place.

As battle rages, or at least rumbles along in a rather cross manner, Tesseryn and Leisha ignore the sounds of slaughter behind them and set to investigating the chamber.   With chivalry as his guide and conscience, and being slower to choose than his companion, the Paladin turns his attention to the badly rotted and well-chewed corpse, leaving Leisha pokes around the rather extensive nest.

Both are disappointed.  The orc's only possession is his nasty and ragged tunic, little better than a moldy sack, really, which would only be valuable to another dead orc lacking even that raiment, while Leisha discovers only droppings and fleas, both of which are in rather an abundant supply, but still insufficient to allow one to corner the market in such luxuries.

The rats harry Wrukaog and Cogwitz, but fail to sink their teeth into anything tender.

Meanwhile, just around the corner of the tunnel, in the darkness, raised voices can be heard, and cries of pain, and the clash of arms.

And chittering.  Always chittering, as the numbers of rats show no sign of abating ...

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

"Oh, no, not at all," Leisha answers, sifting idly through the detritus with her sword blade.  "That's actually an interesting question, considering.  Hm."  She sighs.  "These rats are terrible hosts.  I almost feel we should--"

"Oh, say!"  Turning, she steps back to Brindle, pulling a pair of flasks out of her pack and offering them to him.  "Maybe one of you would like to splash some oil over the hallway?  We could set it aflame and hold them back for a few moments, at least, perhaps even redirect their attention more to what I presume are our friends from town," she suggests.

Tesseryn leaves the Orc and turns his attention to the mannikin.  "It was your choice then?" he asks dubiously.

Brindle accepts the flasks of oil fro Leisha and hurls one down the tunnel to smash ten feet in front of Wrukaog (i.e. 2 squares west, 1 square south from Wrukaog)

OOC: If someone else wants to take the other flask of oil from him to throw it, go ahead.

Brindle rolled 21 using 1d20+10.  Throw flask of oil at rats.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:32, Mon 03 July 2017.

Cogwitz grabs the other flask and tosses it in the square next to the one Brindle tossed his at.  After he tossed it, he said, All we need is a light now and the rats will have major issues.

17:46, Today: Cogwitz rolled 27 using 1d20+9.  toss flask next to Brindles .

The Orc satisfies himself with stamping on the pile of rats in front of him, if there won't be any coming at him for the moment.

"I am going to regret this.."  Aurion can see that it's up to him now.

Muttering the words of a familiar spell the elf eases his way around Wrukaog and steps over the pile of rats, trying not to get splattered as they and the orc have their moment.  Standing on the edge of the pool of oil, he points his finger at it and whispers something, sending a tiny spark of flame flying towards it.

"This had better work - I'm allergic to rat bites!"

Tesseryn tries to distract either Leisha or himself from the unpleasant nature of their task as he continues to press the young woman about her sojourn with the Steelfist Clan while poking about the mannequin which proves to be only slightly less unpleasant that the corpse, its burlap and reed form much chewed and battered, though there is about ten feet of frayed rope wrapped about it which seems to be in marginally better condition.

Leisha, however, is otherwise occupied, calling out suggestions to the rest of the party as she hurriedly retrieves two flasks of oil from her handy pack.  Brindle takes them from her, throwing one with considerable accuracy down the tunnel, while Cogwitz grabs the other flask from him, pitching it with even more skill than his kinsman to land it nearby, both flasks shattering and covering the floor with a thin coating of oil.

As Wrukaog squashes another two sleeping rats beneath his feet, Aurion manages to worm his way past the big Orc to stand at the edge of the oil, mouthing the words to a spell.  The rat nearby tries to take a bite out of the Elf, but its jaws merely snap shut on the fine material of his robe.

Though undoubtedly not impressed by this, Aurion completes his spell, sending a spark of flame towards the oil, igniting it with a comforting whoosh.  The sleeping and dead rats caught therein begin to char nicely, while those beyond cower back.

The one nearby, however has nowhere to go.  Mad with fear it turns to bite at Cogwitz, but the Halfing easily avoids its teeth.

Though the noise of the flames and the squeals of the rats on the other side are rather loud, still you can make out the shouts from the Constable's men somewhere in the darkness ...

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ... there is one rat just in front of Cogwitz, but the flaming oil has earned you a round's grace  :>
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:48, Wed 05 July 2017.

"An amulet.  Mitra's Eye."  Tesseryn mutters to himself as he searches the rat nest room, this time around the walls...

Smiling cheerfully at the success of her plan, Leisha turns back.  "An amulet?" she asks, paying more attention to Tesseryn than she might have seemed to be.  She will start checking the walls also, starting at the mannequin and moving in the opposite direction from the paladin.  "What are we looking for?  And yes, it was -- I thought, what better way to learn the language?  In hindsight, I might answer, `at a University - preferably one with a prestigious banquet room'.  But at the time, it seemed clever, and it did work."

Brindle takes advantage of the brief halt in the battle against the rats to join Tesseryn and Leisha in searching the rat nest cave. But he focusses his attention on the roof of the cave, checking it from every angle.

Cogwitz lunges at the last rat slicing his blades across to kill it.  With the flames behind it, it is plenty afraid and falls to his blades.

17:01, Today: Cogwitz rolled 23,5,15,5 using d20+11,d3+3,d20+11,d3+3.  kill last rat.

Much to Aurion's relief, Cogwitz is able to speedily dispatch the rat that threatens the pair, while Wrukaog stomps the last of the sleeping rats that has not already been slain or consumed by fire, as the Elf retreats back to the relative safety of the rear ranks, reading his crossbow once more.

Meanwhile Tesseryn, Leisha and Brindle hurriedly search the cave with the rats nest, hoping to find some hidden way out ... but their hopes are dashed, even as the flames from the oil begin to die down.

Some comfort, however, may be taken from the shouts and screams from the darkness beyond, where it seems the Constable's men are not faring so well as you in the battle with the rodents.

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ... oil fire will be gone by the start of the next round  :>

"Seems the globbin' rats don't like those buub-prakh constables any more than I do," Wrukaog grins at Cogwitz, nodding approvingly at the halfling's bloodied weapons.

"Ready to carve up some more?" Rats, constables.. the orc is easy either way.

Brindle nods agreement to Wrukaog's suggestion.

"Yes, as soon as the fire dies down let's push forward and fight our way out of these tunnels."

As soon as the fire starts to die down enough for the fighters to push through Brindle will move up beside Aurion and fire another quartet of magic missiles from his wand to kill the two closest rats to give the fighters more space to push forward into.

OOC: Brindle rolled 4,3,3,2 using d4+1,d4+1,d4+1,d4+1.  Magic missile damage on 2 rats.

When he meets Leisha halfway around the wall, Tesseryn returns to the entrance, shrugging off any frustration at the rat nest's lack of holy artefacts.  "You speak Orcish then?" he asks, gesturing towards the battle where Wrukoag had conceivably just insulted the sheriff's men in that tongue.

Cogwitz looked up to the big orc and smiled a large grin as he held up his twin blades.  I am ready if you are!  I am afraid the blood is drying on my blades and we can't have that.

The flames flicker and go out, and from the darkness the rats advance ...

Only to be fried by Brindle and then slashed and stomped by Cogwitz and Wrukaog who, urged on by the Halfling, push forwards.  As the rats come on the front ranks are blasted by magic fire from Brindle's wand, and then stopped in their tracks by steel and, ah, feet, big feet that are not so much booted as wrapped about in strips of leather, as another pair fall.

Aurion manages to get a shot off from his crossbow, but struggling to see past the big Orc, the Elf's bolt disappears into the darkness.  You hear a faint chink as it bounces off the wall of the tunnel.

Casually bringing up the rear, and somewhat disappointed that they've been unable to find any other way out, Tesseryn and Leisha continue to discuss the Orcish tongue.

At the pointy end of the proceedings, the seemingly endless supply of rats continue the attack.  It's possible they're defending their nest, little realising that cause is lost.  Or maybe they just don't like you.  Either way, they too are doomed to disappointment as they fail to so much as scratch the Orc or Halfling.

And from the sounds of it (the lack of screams and last words is a clue) the Constable and his cronies also fare quite well this round.  Indeed you begin to ponder what each of you might say to the other should you manage to meet in the middle of combat.

Though such idle speculation is cut off as a voice, squeaky and slurred but very accusatory, rings out from the darkness ...

"Wha .. .whas youse doin ?!!  Youse kiln ma chil'ren !!  I'll kills youse all !!!"

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

"Mm-hm," Leisha confirms.  "With a little bit of an accent, I think, but it's an interesting language.  [Language unknown: Ble thuvenmen ck alou onees, foroerect chon weserehe.]  It tends to be very.. to the point.  Fewer adjectives than Common, but more-- oh, dear," she interrupts herself, when the squeaky voice cuts through the darkness.  "That doesn't sound good.  Lycanthrope, would you suppose?"

Brindle can't see the squeaker yet so he blasts another couple of rats in front of Wrukaog and Cogwitz with his wand of magic missiles to help them move forward again .

OOC: Brindle rolled 4,3,2,2 using d4+1,d4+1,d4+1,d4+1.  Magic missile damage on 2 rats.

Cogwitz looks up to his new friend Wrukaog and says, did you hear that?  I think something a lot bigger is coming this way.  They probably can't see us and were commenting about the constable and his men.  Should we let that play out?

"Yes," Tesseryn agrees, "Lycanthrope seems likely.  Wererat probably.  If they happen to be the ones who stole the amulet, Mitra's Eye, and have that relic upon their persons still, then I would not wish it to fall into the Sheriff's hands.  But letting it play out, as Cogwitz suggested, would seem a reasonable course of action."  He moves along the passage to stand beside his silver simulacrum.

The elf doesn't care for Leisha's supposition, though he does reluctatnly concur.. but he does not share Cogwitz's optimism.

"I know not if the creature can see in the dark," Aurion remarks as he struggles to wind his crossbow, "but I am certain that our light will suffice to draw its notice!"

"Good," the big orc grunts as he moves forwards to stamp on another rat, lip quirking at Leisha's attempt at his native tongue. "Let it see us and rush to the attack. My axe grows thirsty."