Riverside 20: Another day, another disaster

[Rebonack]

[A Totally Normal Chapel Not Filled With Deranged Cultists]

There's a pout in reply.

And then the voice comes again. Utterly different, but unmistakably the same. How it could have known that the vigilante had blocked it isn't clear, but it seems to be able to circumvent the defense.

The mental tug is absent this time.

"This is a place of peace, friend. Why do you wish to harm Hadarahel's disciples?"

It doesn't show itself, though.

"We merely desire to bring beauty to a ruined, ugly world. To spread Hadarahel's good news, that there is a better way. Does that threaten you?"

The voice falls to a whisper, as if right beside his ear.

"Do you fear a world where violence is banished?"

Whatever is speaking remains illusive. Standing around and threatening it doesn't appear to be working.

[Arkhosia]

[White Rose Health Clinic]


The woman straightens in surprise, clearly not expecting the gesture - but chooses to accept it soon after.

"Wow, uh, usually that's my job," Caelynn attempts to joke, although her voice is entirely goodnatured and sympathetic. She awkwardly shifts her arm to pat the angel on the back.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[White Rose Health Clinic]

"You weren't expecting this." Ithuriel chuckles, her body shaking slightly as she draws the hug out for what is probably an uncomfortably long period of time. "S'clear. I'm sorry."

[Shadowcaller]

[Descending into Darkness - Archera & KABAL]

The mutant leader shakes his head. "You don't understand, they control..." His whole body suddenly twitches as if in pain, making him drop the gun which thankfully had its safety on. "Go! Leave now!" Blood starts to slowly trail out of his nose.

The other mutants and even the nearby rats all shiver just as the leader starts twitching as if they could feel a fraction of his pain. As if spurred on by this the rest of the mutants now turns off the safties on their guns. Looking ready to fire at will should they not obey their leaders orders.

---

Not-Irena gives Shunt a stare and just seem to fade away in a shroud of shadows. Disappearing out of sight...

[Tracking Rats - Karl and Shunt]

This is the point where Shunt and Karl will see one another. Karl looking through the window of the building and Shunt sneaking closer to it.
The two players can probably describe one another's characters.
Though Karl does have a few skeletons behind him so that's something that might look concerning.

[Tracking Rats - Ruby and Fade]

The rock does not break as Fade catches it. But as he throws it back at the creature it suddenly emits a loud shriek and skitters off. It's camoflague making it difficult to see as it starts to climb up the cave wall like the gigantic spider it partially resemble.
The other creature seem to have a similar idea and retreats back into it's cave as Ruby starts firing. Neither of them appear too eager to fight anymore once the two managed to break free from the web so easily.

[Tracking Rats - Amalungak, Tarim & MERC]

To note, the 'tank' is the entire room. It's essentially a large pool that takes up most of the space here. It's possible to walk around it's edges but it would take a bit of extra time.

The MERC group all stare in confusion at the rats as they seemingly retreat. "What the world?" One of them comments with a confused expression.
Tarim observes the sitaution in silence. Having no comments to this particular behavior.
However, as Holly and Amalungak are observing the rats, one of the trolls in the back of the group suddenly speaks up. "Ey, mon'? The'be... noises coming." She gestures at one of the side passages just outside the tank (from the direction they came from).
They won't need to walk back to the entrance to hear it though as whatever is making the sound most be moving pretty fast.

It sounds a lot like rats. A lot of rats.

In fact, it might just be the same swarm of rats that they're watching leave the pool going around the pool through a side passage and back here.

[Earl of Purple]

Descending into Darkness- Archera & Flicker

Flicker's going to try grabbing Archera and lifting her before zipping back the way they came. Flicker's got no super-strength, but she can't teleport anything she can't lift. If it works, Archera will find the process quite disconcerting- it doesn't feel like she's moving and the things she sees keeps changing.

Descending into Darkness- Karl & Spewer (I got the name wrong in my last post; apologies for that.)

Spewer is a tall man. He's got a black greatcoat on and dark trousers, with a hood and gasmask over his head. The gasmask has had the mouthpiece and filter cut away, revealing his mouth and chin. He's unarmed, or seems to be, but could be hiding weapons under that greatcoat. It hangs open, and underneath he's wearing a dark yellow boiler suit.

The skeletons are a concern, Karl maybe not. Spewer's not going to move, knowing he's been spotted. He'll put his hands on his hips. "Hey. You looking for rats, or leading them?" Spewer should really tell him about the bomb, but... He might know about it already.

[Morty]

[Tracking Rats - Amalungak, Tarim & MERC]

"What in the- why are they coming back?" Amalugnak asks, incredulous. This doesn't bode particularly well. "We might have walked into a trap here. Or we're being herded."

[5a Violista]

[Tracking Rats - Amalungak, Tarim & MERC]

It's unfortunate that Holly already started to make her way around the tank, because she wanted to get close or catch some of the rats. By the sound of the rat-stampede, she would have had better luck staying in the back of the group instead of going out first. Seems she only made it part of the way around.

"What are they doing?" she calls back. She can hear them, but she assumes the others, being closer, have a better idea of what's going on back there and will be able to respond first.

She actually grabs her shotgun, but keeps it aiming at the pool-tank because if she aims at where the rats are coming from, she'll just hit everybody else.

[Gullara]

[Descending into Darkness - Archera & KABAL]

The mutant leader shakes his head. "You don't understand, they control..." His whole body suddenly twitches as if in pain, making him drop the gun which thankfully had its safety on. "Go! Leave now!" Blood starts to slowly trail out of his nose.

The other mutants and even the nearby rats all shiver just as the leader starts twitching as if they could feel a fraction of his pain. As if spurred on by this the rest of the mutants now turns off the safties on their guns. Looking ready to fire at will should they not obey their leaders orders.

---

Not-Irena gives Shunt a stare and just seem to fade away in a shroud of shadows. Disappearing out of sight...

Descending into Darkness- Archera & Flicker

Flicker's going to try grabbing Archera and lifting her before zipping back the way they came. Flicker's got no super-strength, but she can't teleport anything she can't lift. If it works, Archera will find the process quite disconcerting- it doesn't feel like she's moving and the things she sees keeps changing.

Descending into Darkness- Karl & Spewer (I got the name wrong in my last post; apologies for that.)

Spewer is a tall man. He's got a black greatcoat on and dark trousers, with a hood and gasmask over his head. The gasmask has had the mouthpiece and filter cut away, revealing his mouth and chin. He's unarmed, or seems to be, but could be hiding weapons under that greatcoat. It hangs open, and underneath he's wearing a dark yellow boiler suit.

The skeletons are a concern, Karl maybe not. Spewer's not going to move, knowing he's been spotted. He'll put his hands on his hips. "Hey. You looking for rats, or leading them?" Spewer should really tell him about the bomb, but... He might know about it already.

((I forgot to mention the upcoming water details with SC, but I confirmed it was fine.))

[Descending into Darkness - Archera & Flicker]

Archera realizes she's been given the slightest of openings. They practice gun safety! Suddenly high speed streams of water surge from where she'd been creeping it along the edges of the tunnel. She aims at the gun hands of each of the ratty people in order to knock them loose.

She points her arm toward the group at about the moment Flicker tries to grab her. "Hey!" She's thrown a bit off balance and a small object shoots from her bracer a bit high. Before Flicker can really wonder what that is, and before Archera can be properly grabbed, she vanishes in a puff of purple flame and black smoke.

Her projectile had made an impact on the ceiling of the tunnel and burst with a small flame. In an instant Archera is where the flame appeared and falls to the ground. She hits hard, but recovers somewhat in a small roll followed by sweeping the leg of the nearest rat-person.

[Shadowcaller]

[Tracking Rats - Amalungak, Tarim & MERC]

Tarim maintains a grim silence while the MERC members scramble to get ready for whatever potentially hostile action the rats would take. Aiming whatever weapons they had at the entrance.
"No' sure- By da' spirits!"

The rats simply swarm into the entrance with such fevor that the mercenaries only get off one shot each. They're pressing themselves inside the tank room almost like a liquid that is trying to sweep into the group standing by the entrance.
Anyone standing near the "pool" of the room might be knocked down into it by the wave of rats and the rest will find that the pests are suddenly openly attacking them. Their sharp teeth cutting through cloth, armor and flesh.
Holly might notice that the rats standing by the other exit are still unmoving however. Now seemingly observing them rather than the other rats.

[Descending into Darkness - Archera & Flicker]

Of course they practice it. They don't want to accidentally have the guns go off.
However, that's exactly what happens as the beams of water knocks the guns out of their hands. Two of them accidentally fires off shots that goes riocheting around the tunnel. Having a low, but not insignigicant, chance of hitting either Spewer or Archera.

The mutants shouts and curse as they look around to find their fallen weapons. Only their leader remaining quiet as he spends less energy on words and more on actually getting his weapon back.
As Archera appears in a puff of smoke and knocks one of the other mutants off their feet he already have his hands on it but haven't gotten into a position to fire yet.
It will take a few more moments before the other two can get theirs, paying more attention to Archera and her movements than their own weapons.

[Arkhosia]

[White Rose Health Clinic]

"Hey, there's no need to apologize," Caelynn insists. "I'm here to help folks however I can, no matter how different their problem turns out to be. And besides, maybe getting to talk about it in the open might have helped?" She looks at the angel curiously, as if studying Ithuriel's expression would provide a clear reveal of whether or not it was true.

[5a Violista]

[Tracking Rats - Amalungak, Tarim & MERC]

Because Holly had started to go around the tank, she's not one of the ones pushed into it by the mass of rats. Rather, many of them start biting her.
She's starting to get really glad she made that neurotoxin in her flesh. Sure, there's enough rats around that she's still getting bitten dozens of times, but it's pretty helpful at preventing the third or fourth bite from a rat by paralyzing them - or, if they manage to bite her quickly enough, suffocating them by making it so they can't use the muscles necessary to breathe. And if their bites ever actually do get deep enough to do damage, she could just cause the wound to stitch together.

She fires her shotgun at a mass of still-living rats, making sure to aim away from all the other people. She reloads.

What can she do? she wonders. She was thinking about making an infectious disease that would kill them. She could use the previous one she made - the one that makes them produce radio signals - as a template, but in this situation if she rushes it then it could easily jump to a person or it could spread through the sewage and sanitation and then jump to people later. Maybe instead she could create something like what she's doing with the neurotoxin? Make the ones that bite her go into heat so they go after each other, and then have it spread like an STD... Maybe she could start something in the paralyzed rats, instead.
Regardless, doing anything like this will require a bit more thinking and planning because she doesn't want any collateral damage.

She fires another shotgun blast and then crouches to pick up a rat that just bit her. Come on, think, girl. What's the best way to stop them?

[Morty]

[Xar'Cha Residence]

A guest has arrived, late in the evening. The west wind brought the crying of birds and the rustle of leaves. The distant wail of a dying beast. Something stops by Ilpholin's door, asking to be let in. It has no shape beyond a faint bloom of smoke in the air, but the nymph will know intuitively that her son's father has come to visit.

[Earl of Purple]

Descending Into Darkness- Flicker & Archera

As the heroine disappears, Flicker pauses in shock. She has a quick glance around before she uses her power to zip back over to where she left her gun and scoops it up. She'll then look around, holding the revolver-shotgun ready as she tries to find where Archera went. She might be a villain, not a hero, but that's mainly because in Skyside the difference between a vigilante and a mercenary is thin. She's not willing to leave an ally alone, though she's also not willing to die for them either.

[Reinholdt]

[Xarcha Residence]

The door AI HALlelujah doesn't much like the idea of letting in strange smoke. But its opinion is overridden. Mister Squiggles is just inside to greet the King in Rags with a friendly chitter, as well as lead him to Ilpholin. Well... Perhaps. The lack of a shape does give the spider some pause. And the King could certainly just go by the mechanically encased spider to meet her on his own. He probably doesn't need help finding his way to the nymph or her child.

[Morty]

[Xarcha Residence]

Once inside, the smoke does coalesce into the King in Rags' most familiar form, with a rat's skull and antlers. He doesn't say a word to Mr. Squiggles, but he does follow the spider to where Ilpholin and her child are.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[White Rose Health Clinic]

"It was kind of forward of me though." Ithuriel mutters, shuffling back slightly, suddenly aware of her rather inappropriate behaviour.

Well, not the worst thing she could've done. But still.

"I don't know. I've just felt kind of unstable since? Distracted. Like...almost like I want to do something stupid."

[Shadowcaller]

[Tracking Rats - Amalungak, Tarim & MERC]

What does Holly's blood look like if it has neurotoxins in it?
However, toxins usually have to be injected (as opposed to poisons which are ingested) and the rats aren't trying to eat her, they're simply biting. They of course come in contact with a lot of the blood and accidentally swallow it. So depending on how strong it is, it will likely still paralyze and eventually suffocate the rats depending on the level of contact they have with it.

Either way, the rats will suffer from attacking her yet keeps attacking even as they die.

The same goes for the rats attacking the others. The rats ignoring the death tool and injuries they take and just keep on biting. Noit that the mercenaries are inflicting them as much damage as they could though. While they expertly can wield close-ranged weapons they're not that experienced with fighting swarms and just swing around and occasionally try to shoot the rodents. Some even sneaking up from behind as the swarm coming up from the pool now turns to attack the group from two sides at once.
Tarim on the other hand seem to be able to kill the rats at touch and the rats also seem unable to pierce his more mediveal-style armor as opposed to the "bulletproof leather armors" the mercenaries are all wearing.

But as two mercenaries get knocked down into the pool under the wave of incoming rats, it's as if Amalungak is in the eye of the storm. While the rats clamber on him to get to the others, not a single one of them attacks. Instead, he will hear the same voices as before when he listened into the orders the rats were given.
Though is not as much as words as information in the form of images and sensations.
He has piqued an idea of a king (or queen) some kind of sovereign interest. He will be granted he sees himself before a throne with many but also just one seat at the same time and he sees himself leaving the throne behind to what seems to be a tunnel out into a white light that conveys the meaning of outside and above. As he can't help but to focus that he's unharmed in this vision, that also seems important.

[5a Violista]

[Tracking Rats - Amalungak, Tarim & MERC]

It's venoms that have to be injected; the only defining trait of a toxin is that it's biological and not manufactured.
Her bite wounds pull themselves back together, but not too much...she's still just supposed to be a half-elf and if her injuries healed completely, people would probably find that odd.

She has to bite her lower lip to help ignore the pain from being bitten over and over by the mass of rats.

Staring at the rat she grabbed and holding it tight, Holly tries to decide what to do with it. She doesn't know any diseases that make rats exhibit cannibalism or any chemicals that would cause extreme territorialism.

She fires another shotgun blast, even though it's honestly probably as futile as what anyone else is doing.

The previous disease she spread among them only worked because the rats would eat the laced food and would eat each other. The ones here, however, seem focused on only attacking.

One of Holly's finger lengthens into a point, and she stabs it into the rat she's holding, feeling around for the spinal cord. "What's the best way to kill you guys?" she asks the rat, but it comes out strange because she's still biting her lip.

With her free hand, she reloads her shotgun again.

[Reinholdt]

[Xar'cha Residence]

Well Mister Squiggles still greets him politely nonetheless. Even if the spider admittedly is not very fond of the King in Rags. Not fond of him at all.

The King will be led to the training room where Ilpholin is hard at work twisting and stabbing and kicking a variety of inanimate objects, including choking one with her hair. Hair that actually looks a little frazzled. Ilpholin's hair is never frazzled. The King probably doesn't know that though. She appears in her core Phyrexian form without any extra skin or eye modifications.

Nearby is Nalhrae in a baby swing, though it's not actively swinging at the moment. Nalhrae is watching his mom passively, with his foot in his mouth as if trying to chew it. His attention does change to Mister Squiggles and the King when they enter, but the foot remains firmly nibbled upon.

Ilpholin stops when they enter and uses a towel to wipe some sweat off. Something she has an abundance of based on her white exercise shirt. She figures it's far too late to worry about being presentable though and if the King in Rags wanted that, he would have called first. The nymph steps over to him, towel taking position around her neck. "Your liege," She says, not pretending he's hers. "I didn't take you one for house calls. You have another job offer already?"

[Morty]

[Tracking Rats - Amalungak, Tarim & MERC]

Amalungak closes his eyes and surrenders to the vision. It's not the first one he's got by far. The invitation is clear enough and looks like an opportunity to do what he was sent here to do. He sets out quickly in the direction the rats are headed to, leaving the others behind. They've served their purpose by leading him here.

[Xar'cha Residence]

The King's eyes look down at the child. The ancient mind is pensive, though it would be a lie to say any paternal affection stirs in it. Such feelings are entirely alien to it. But he does not see Nalhrae as merely a payment rendered, as he expected to. Instead, he sees great potential and the monumental shift in the paradigm that his birth represents. Laws all fey had thought immutable were swept aside.

He then looks at Ilpholin, though of course it's difficult to tell what he is looking at, since the movements of his skull and pale glow in his eyes are minimal at best. He is indeed entirely unconcerned with her presentability.

"Not yet. But soon, perhaps. There is much to be done, especially now that the Singer in Dimmed Crystal joined me again. I wished to see the child I helped bring about. Doing it appears to have done much to sway the Singer."

[Gullara]

[Descending into Darkness - Archera & Flicker]

Of course they practice it. They don't want to accidentally have the guns go off.
However, that's exactly what happens as the beams of water knocks the guns out of their hands. Two of them accidentally fires off shots that goes riocheting around the tunnel. Having a low, but not insignigicant, chance of hitting either Spewer or Archera.

The mutants shouts and curse as they look around to find their fallen weapons. Only their leader remaining quiet as he spends less energy on words and more on actually getting his weapon back.
As Archera appears in a puff of smoke and knocks one of the other mutants off their feet he already have his hands on it but haven't gotten into a position to fire yet.
It will take a few more moments before the other two can get theirs, paying more attention to Archera and her movements than their own weapons.

Descending Into Darkness- Flicker & Archera

As the heroine disappears, Flicker pauses in shock. She has a quick glance around before she uses her power to zip back over to where she left her gun and scoops it up. She'll then look around, holding the revolver-shotgun ready as she tries to find where Archera went. She might be a villain, not a hero, but that's mainly because in Skyside the difference between a vigilante and a mercenary is thin. She's not willing to leave an ally alone, though she's also not willing to die for them either.

[Descending into Darkness - Archera & Flicker]

Flicker won't have to wonder too long about where Archera went. They weren't yet out of sight of the mutants when she vanished, and the commotion they're making now is hard to miss.

Archera continues her turning motion after the sweep, and the water she just wielded follows her movement. It surges, attempting to push the guns and sweep them toward Flicker. Achera uses the motion to get to her feet. She looks for the person closest to grabbing their gun and plant a shoving kick at center mass.

[Zefir]

Descending into Darkness- Archera & Flicker

Flicker's going to try grabbing Archera and lifting her before zipping back the way they came. Flicker's got no super-strength, but she can't teleport anything she can't lift. If it works, Archera will find the process quite disconcerting- it doesn't feel like she's moving and the things she sees keeps changing.

Descending into Darkness- Karl & Spewer (I got the name wrong in my last post; apologies for that.)

Spewer is a tall man. He's got a black greatcoat on and dark trousers, with a hood and gasmask over his head. The gasmask has had the mouthpiece and filter cut away, revealing his mouth and chin. He's unarmed, or seems to be, but could be hiding weapons under that greatcoat. It hangs open, and underneath he's wearing a dark yellow boiler suit.

The skeletons are a concern, Karl maybe not. Spewer's not going to move, knowing he's been spotted. He'll put his hands on his hips. "Hey. You looking for rats, or leading them?" Spewer should really tell him about the bomb, but... He might know about it already.

Descending into Darkness- Karl & Spewer

Karl appears to be rather common, just wearing causual pants and a shirt like most beginner Level characters in rpg do. The sekelton are what they are animated skeletons, but they miss the dust or dirt a fresh raised dead would have so they appear more like onstructs if you take your time. They are armes with different sets of weapons, two spears, two sword and schield and two axe and shield. As Karl stops at the other mens sight two skeletons head forward to protect Kalr , thought there is no danger right now.

"Guess I can ask you the same, but if I would lead them I would be the one inside the building not sneaking outside."

[Tracking Rats - Ruby and Fade]

Fade makes no move in following, he knows nothing about the area and will get lost sooner then finding those attackers.

"It seems the rats aren't the only problem." he says. "Let's be more carefull now they might jump at us again any time."

[Recaiden]

[Tracking Rats - Ruby and Fade]

The rock does not break as Fade catches it. But as he throws it back at the creature it suddenly emits a loud shriek and skitters off. It's camoflague making it difficult to see as it starts to climb up the cave wall like the gigantic spider it partially resemble.
The other creature seem to have a similar idea and retreats back into it's cave as Ruby starts firing. Neither of them appear too eager to fight anymore once the two managed to break free from the web so easily.

Fade makes no move in following, he knows nothing about the area and will get lost sooner then finding those attackers.

"It seems the rats aren't the only problem." he says. "Let's be more carefull now they might jump at us again any time."

Ruby takes a moment to be sure they're gone and catch her breath.
"Wouldn't have expected to see something like that down here. Do you think they got whoever we're looking for?"
Maybe backing away from this particular cave entrance is called for.
"Or should we go back to the middle tunnel?"

[Zefir]

[Tracking Rats - Ruby and Fade]

Fade cleans himself drom the web and the dust the rock left on him while he speaks to Ruby.

"This area appears like a seperated world. Wesure will encounter more such things while we go on." he says in his usual voice.
"I don't think they got her. From what we know she might be from this place or has been here before. We should go to the center and search again. This way was only a trap."

[Recaiden]

"Okay. Middle tunnel."
Ruby turns and heads back the way they came, taking it slowly and watching out for any other traps.

[Zefir]

[Tracking Rats - Ruby and Fade]

Fade nods and goes off as well. He now is also more carefull and when they arrive back in the big tunnle he starts looking for clues. Maybe now they are able to track that person down who left the bagpack.

[Earl of Purple]

Descending into Darkness- Spewer, Karl & Irena

"I'm looking for rats. I've found a big, big tunnel. I've got companions exploring it now. Might be an idea for you to back off. There's bombs in the tunnel, and we don't know how they're triggered. I'm Spewer, from Skyside. I'm working with KABAL at the moment, but not exclusively." He's a mercenary under temporary contract, not a permanent employee of the Skyside-based mercenary and criminal organisation.

[Arkhosia]

[White Rose Health Clinic]

"Self-destructive behavior isn't uncommon in regards to trauma, from what I understand," Caelynn responds. "I've seen it before, certainly." She pauses. "What sort of 'something stupid' do you mean, if I may ask?"

[Gnrlshrimp]

[White Rose Health Clinic]

"I dunno. Just...something." Ithuriel sighs and leans back in her chair. "And I know I oughta know better, y'know?" Bloody hard to explain really, isn't it?

"I think- It's so hard to be hurt that I just...me or someone else, I want people to be hurt."

[Shadowcaller]

((I appologize for the delay here. Just never managed to get to this thread for reasons.

I will do a quick summary of events in each scene to get everyone back on track.))

[Tracking Rats - Ruby and Fade]

They've recently fought off two strange creatures that look like some mix between an occtupus and a spider. One of them have retreated back into the cave where they ambushed them while the other have disappeared somewhere in the cave hall they're currently in.

A river runs through the middle of the stone hall and on either side of it are a series of small caves. The creatures attempted to lure them into one of them using a human voice, causing Ruby to walk into a web.

Now they're leaving the cave hall to return to the fork in the tunnel that they ran into earlier.
However, as they're going back through the tunnel they can hear what sounds like hooves moving across the stone floor. It must be some heavy hooves as they can hear it quite well without seeing it's source.

But it won't take long before they can make out a huge hulking figure with their respective dark visions. The sound gives them some time to react before that occurs however.

Descending into Darkness- Karl & Spewer

Karl and his skeletons have found a warehouse he suspects might be connected to the rat invasion. However, as he approaches, he instead sees Spewer who have been investigating the rats too.
The armored person with mysterious shadow powers that Spewer and his fellow investigators found skulking around the sewers seems to have gone invisible. She doesn't appear even now as the two men are talking.

[Descending into Darkness - Archera & Flicker]

Archera and Flicker are fighting against a group of mutated people with various strange rat features.
The mutant grunts as Archera kicks them in the front center mass. Falling down to the hard stone floor with a thud. The others not finding theirs as they're swept away by the water.
Their leader however holds firm and fires a shot at Archera, or rather the position she was a moment ago. He curses and starts to aim for her again. However, as he spots Flicker he decides to shot at her instead as she wasn't moving. Firing off a single bullet aimed in her direction.

[Tracking Rats - Amalungak, Tarim & MERC]

Amalungak and the "holy" demon Tarim have joined forces with Holly and some MERC soldiers while investigating Riverside's rat problems down in the sewers.
They've tracked the rats into an abandoned well house where they found a huge swarm of rats that seemingly started to flee the moment they entered.
However, as they soon found out, the rats weren't fleeing but rather took a passage leading around the well-house to seemingly cut off their exit as they started to attack.

In the middle of the fight Amalungak got a vision from the entity (or entities) that controlled the rats, granting him safe passage to its realm as it seemingly wished to speak to him. He has taken the offer while the others are still fighting off the swarm.

Once Amulungak accepts the offer, the rats part way before him. Letting him exit without any resistance.
As the swarm parts around him he only needs to turn a corner before the presence of an pristine albino rat will likely catch his attention.
It stands up on it's hind legs and looks at him before turning around and running off deeper into the tunnels. If he follows it will run deep indeed...

Meanwhile, the MERCenaries are having trouble fighting the swarm. They weren't equipped to fight animals that never attacked before and certainly never in these numbers. They have nets and poison on them but against this many rats it won't them much good.
Tarim on the other hand is not having much trouble with the rats at all. The pests soon bursting into flames as he comes in contact with them.
Holly might not have as thick armor as Tarim, but she was standing further away when the swarm came swarming and have so far managed to hold them back. Her shotgun blast cripping or killing the forerunners but there's always more.
Her toxins will help ward them off but the MERC members don't have anything like that. But on the bright side, if she waits long enough she won't have to worry about collateral damage anymore.
"GET AWAY!" Tarim roars. "I CAN'T USE THE FLAMES WHILE YOU'RE IN MY PATH!"

The rat she's talking to doesn't answer Holly's question.