Absence of Empathy IC

[Irrealist]

Arfondt

"I could levitate them, but I'd rather save my spells for problems that can be less easily solved by mundane means." Arfondt turns to the rest of the group. "Don't you think we should try to attract the attention of whoever it is that is down here? They might be in a predicament similar to ours."

[PolkaBear]

Below

Ulf tugs on the line connecting him to Crennick, who reluctantly steps closer. The dwarf uses the slack to switch places with Arfondt; then he carefully scoops up a mound of the vermin with the broad blade of the shovel. He skillfully minimizes the noisy scrape of the metal blade against the stone. Then carefully, carefully he swings the blade out over the water. His torso is now twisted, which makes nervous work such as this more difficult; so he adjusts the placement of his feet so that he has better leverage on the shovel's haft.

Unfortunately, the smooth wooden haft twists in his hands as his attention is focused on his feet; and the mass of rats slides as one into the water with a splashing PLOP!

The sudden drop awakens the rats, who don't seem to be too happy with their drenching.

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I treated the rolls for which I had asked as an unordered set; that's why the plan didn't fail until the last step of lowering them gently into the water.

We're in combat again. Use the same initiative order as before; but pick it up right after Ulf's turn.

The order in which you stand upon the ledge is Erwin, Sir Kylen, Kayte, Rach, .Ulf, Arfondt, Crennick.

The rats are now swimming in the water, occupying the squares adjacent to Ulf and Rach.

The shaft is next to Rach.

If you need more clarification, ask for it OOC.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Chaim looks disheartened for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and massaging his throat.

"Squeak, squeak, squick, tss tss, teeew, squeak..." he calls out, and looks around for an answer.

Crawlers and climbers, survivors of all places, will any of yas be willin teh speak with the big guy? E's got some yummy treats you bet and will share'm for some information, eh? Swear by the crevice in the wall I won't do nothin'.

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Casting Speak With Animals again and speaking in Rat

[PolkaBear]

Above

You hear a squeaking from a nearby gutter that you translate as:

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"Tasty stuff? Where?"

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Chaim kneels down by a weed growing out of a crack out of the way of main traffic. He runs his hand down its stems soothingly, humming. Fruit immediately begin to bud on it and grow rapidly into small berries. Chaim plucks them and holds it near the pipe to be smelt.

"Iffin you can get yourself to thinkin'," Chaim says in Rat, "and answer me what I wanna know, I givem you these berries here, you bet."

-=-=-=-=-=-

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Casting Goodberry...

...and that should be the last of my 1st level spells for the day.

[PolkaBear]

Above

The rat sniffs the air and squeaks again:

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Sweet berries? Good eats? Give them to me. What you know?

You seem to have a deal.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Chaim tosses up one of the berries.

"Seen anyone go in that place earlier?" he says, pointing to the entrance to the sewer. "This day, not long ago."

[PolkaBear]

Above

The rat says nothing, but takes a quick bite out of the berry. He seems determined to finish it before answering. Nevertheless, he only gets half way before seeming to lose his appetite. You see his whiskers twitch, as if the voracious vermin had never experienced such an occurrence.

He resumes squeaking:

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You give the rest? Yes? I not here before; not see door. But I know that people down below. Some not use place." His nose twitch indicates the entrance. "Others not need place. Use other place. Nearer to their need. You give sweet goods now? Yes?"

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Chaim's brow furrows as he tries to understand the creature's simple speech. Hesitantly he responds, "I gave you big sweet, so answer me some more big answers before I give another. There is another way to get to the big people below? One big enough for me?"

[PolkaBear]

Above

The rat eyes Chaim up and down then squeaks again:

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"Too big for near holes. Others use small hole. Not know where other others come. Some holes collapsed that I cannot open. Others open, so maybe you open."

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Chaim rolls another berry to the rat.

"Show me?" he requests, though it is as much a command as a question.

[The Glyphstone]

Kylen

The paladin fidgets silently, noticing the rats starting to awaken.

[tgva8889]

Kayte Mursai
AC: 13
HP: 41/41

Darn it. Moving her hands quickly and decisively, she throws red-colored dust into the air and points at the rats, speaking "Light," in the ancient dragon's tongue. The dust streams forward in a colorful burst of light, engulfing as much of the rat swarm as possible, hopefully having some sort of detrimental effect on them. "If anyone can attack them without falling in the water, now would be a good time!"

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Cast color spray, using the component that she slipped out of Arfondt's component pouch. DC 14.

[PolkaBear]

Above

The rat squeaks a response:

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"Too far. Down deep. Hungry again." He seems to have forgotten the half-eaten berry between his forepaws.

Below

The display of whirling colors lights up the tunnel, playing off the water and the walls. The evidently takes the rats by surprise, as th motion of the swarm suddenly ceases and they sink below the surface of the water.

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Sheesh. That was quick. Again. I'll dole out XP awards again soon.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Chaim

"I will make it worth your while to show me..." Chaim responds, handing out another berry. "These special berries, keep you from being hungered for days."

[PolkaBear]

Below

You all wait tensely and silently to see if the creatures return to the surface. In the moment of stillness, several of you continue to hear the hushed voices from the shaft.

It sounds like someone just said murder.

Above

The rat greedily pushes the second berry back toward his hindpaw, where his tail curls protectively around it.

He pauses and looks at you as if considering.

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"You are too big for holes I know. You open collapsed holes, only way for you. I not open, not able."

"And ways I know only down here. I stay from open ways up there. If you down here, I show you. Not show you up there." Because of the limited nature of Rat, you cannot distinguish whether he means that he cannot show you or will not show you.

"Other Berry for mate? Other berry for spawn?"

Ferah stands watching your exchange with her arms folded and a bemused expression on her face. She appears that she has something to say, but is waiting to speak until you are finished.

[tgva8889]

Kayte Mursai

Murder? Kayte checks her ears again, making sure she can actually hear the people speaking. Whispering rather quietly, Kayte says, "Anyone else hear that? If they said what I think they said, I definitely don't want to go down there and meet them."

[PolkaBear]

Below

"What are you talking about?" Crennick retorts. "Rats don't talk! And nobody was suggestin' that we take a swim to go after them."

[Mr the Geoff]

Ulf

Ulf whispers just as quietly "You may not want to meet them, but if they heard the racket we've been making and decide they want witnesses out of the way, I am not sure I want them behind me either"

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Chaim sighs inwardly. It is a rat afterall. He tosses another berry but keeps the last with him. He glances up wryly at Ferah and raises an eyebrow slightly as he sees her look.

[PolkaBear]

Above

The rat snatches the other berry as well. He watches Chaim carefully, apparently hoping that the last one is headed his way as well.

Ferah's mouth quirks in a smile. "I presume there was something being accomplished with that exchange?"

Below

"They're just rats, for crying out loud! And they seem to be dead! So what are you talking about?"

Erwin pulls on Crennick's sleeve and speaks in a low, controlled tone. "If you'd shut up for a minute we might be able to tell you. Remember those voices the, uh, Sir Kylen heard a minute ago? Well, they're still there. And they're talking about murder. So unless you want to add your name to the black list, I'd suggest you restrain yourself."

Crennick ducks his shoulders and peers around him, a mortified expression on his face. "Where?" he whispers. Erwin indicates the shaft.

"On the other hand," Erwin continues, "if they can get in, we can get out. As long as they don't know we're here, maybe we can find the entrance they used." He shrugs. "It's just a thought."

[Irrealist]

"Well, are you sure you didn't mishear what they said? Or maybe they were talking about something entirely different. We don't have anything to hide, so I think we should act that way and just talk to them. At least then we know what we are facing."

[The Glyphstone]

Kylen

"Very true. If they are, like us, peaceful and merely visiting this tunnels, than we can find a way out together. And if they come with nefarious intent, then it is our duty as noble-minded citizens to put a stop to whatever they are doing, or mean to do."

His mind made up, at least, Sir Kylen shoulders his sword again and heads for the shaft.

[PolkaBear]

Below

Erwin mumbles to himself as he prepares to follow the warrior. "Nobility comes in several flavors. I'm not so sure I like the taste of this dish, though."

[The Vorpal Tribble]

"Only that I've learned not to bother haggling with rats." Chaim says dryly. "I don't expect you to fully believe all I say, but it did tell me there are people below, though whether the rescuers or those washed away, or both, can' say."

He wipes a hand over his face again and closes his eyes into the sunlight.

"I'm out of options." he says with a hint of angry frustration at himself.

[Mr the Geoff]

Ulf Ironbeard

Ulf steps in front of Sir Kylen, attempting to stop him going into the shaft "That's as may be, but you still need a point man who can see where he's going, I can see down here, and I don;t need to bend double just to get in"

(If Kylen lets him) Ulf unties himself from the rope, takes out his pick as a nod to self defense, and carefully makes his way down the shaft.

[The Glyphstone]

No fool in the face of logic, the paladin steps back and lets Ulf go down the shaft first.

[tgva8889]

Kayte Mursai

Moving to go down after Ulf, Kayte says to Kylen, "I mean no offense, good sir, but I think it might be much better if a more convincing face went down, if you know what I mean." She does a short curtsy to him in her work robes before she goes down ahead of him, directly after Ulf. As they go down, she takes the time to whisper the words she learned from the book to herself, in order to maintain her focus on the goal at hand.

[Irrealist]

Arfondt

Arfondt crouches down and strains his eyes to see what is going on in the tunnel.

[PolkaBear]

Above

A crease appears between Ferah's finely manicured eyebrows. "Oh, I believe you, though I could never do what you do. Did the rat not know who it was? Perhaps we can find out anyway. Follow me."

She sets off at a brisk pace, not bothering to look back to see if Chaim was following. Long John whickers and nods, eying his master for direction.

Below

The shaft extends back ten yards before widening slightly. The place is rank with rot, filth, and the smell of rodents living in close proximity. There is a pile of scraps and junk off to the left that apparently served as a nest; but if the colony supports any rats who were not part of the swarm, they are not in the area at the moment.

Ulf, Kayte, and Sir Kylen are in the shaft. Erwin stands back to allow Arfondt a good view of the the crawlers' hinderparts. Between the rats and the rumors of murder, Crennick seems reluctant to climb in after the others.

Thus far, the crawlers can detect no change in the voices, which echo off the stone walls from a distance farther down the shaft.