# The Night Watchers of Ptolus



## IndyPendant (Feb 15, 2007)

(Herein records the adventures of the Night Watchers of Ptolus, provided for your entertainment!  The campaign starts at 1st level, with five players and an NPC.  We play every Saturday morning from 5:00am PST to roughly 10:00am.  Meet the characters!)

*The Night Watchers*
Nicholas Klein
Male Human Paladin of Gaen
At first glance, Nicholas looks like just another hard-ass paladin, with a seemingly permanent frown on his face.  In fact, if one looks beyond his stern visage, one could probably notice the pain in his eyes, pain of a past tragedy he doesn't speak of but which continues to haunt him.  He is clean shaven, with blond hair and brown eyes, and is in exceptionally good shape physically.  When he walks, it is no-nonsense but with a sense of grace, as though he is competent but doesn't need to show it.  The only Night Watcher not native to Ptolus, he is not actually a citizen of Ptolus, although his honourary status as a member of the City Watch, as well as his status within the powerful Church of Gaen, affords him special consideration that brings his status roughly up to that of a normal citzen's.

Zetrin Pentrit
Male Human Wizard
Zetrin appears much like what he is: a human, middle-class tradesman. He is the assistant to Henry Barson, owner of The Hidden Tome in the guildsman district. The Watch occasionally comes to him for odd bit of information and Zetrin is generally the mediator between the two. He is clean shaven and typically wears a white button-down shirt and vest, breeches, and when going out, a tan overcoat. He appears to be doing well for himself, but a tradesman nonetheless. His light brown hair falls to either side of his face, yet is cut short enough to remain out of his bright eyes and joyful complexion. His blue eyes appear to almost look through you as he studies your face with a smile. A light pack is swung around his back and a crossbow dangles from his side, attached to his belt.

Dante
Male Human Bard (NPC)
Dante is a handsome, relatively short man, 5'10", and skinny.  His face is all sharp angles, his blue eyes bright and twinkling, almost always grinning.  His loose, black hair is cut short and brushed rakishly to favour one side.  He is always dressed immaculately in bright colours, but otherwise seems to keep up with the latest fashions, and takes great pains to cultivate a carefree mein.  He favours the bow and light armour.

Xath Valunus
Male Human Scout
The Valunus family is well known in the guard. Elden Valunus is a long serving, high ranking, well known and well respected Captain of the guard. He is known for having a firm, no-nonsense attitude, although their are rumours of him losing his edge and starting to drink too frequently of late. His eldest son, Odar, is a fast-rising star in the guard, tall and blond, with striking good lucks and a powerful build, great things are expected of him.  He has just been commissioned as a Lieutenant in the guard, at a markedly young age, and their are rumours that the Knights of the Pale are keeping an eye on his progress. As far as Xath goes, you have not heard too much directly concerning him. The youngest of a family of three, you have crossed paths occasionally with him in Oldtown.  He is still quite young, and has on a number of occasions gotten himself into trouble as of late, but word is that he has been shielded by his father to date. The opinions of Xath very, from being overall a good kid that has simply gotten into trouble as all youth of an age do, to resentment in some corners towards the rumoured favouritism that has been shown towards him.

Eran Tolun
Male Human Urban Ranger (keeping regular SRD Tracking instead of the UA variant)
Eran's a rather tall and good-looking man in about his late twenties. Blonde hair, blue eyes, with the rugged appearance of an outdoorsman. Often he could be seen walking the streets of Ptolus half dressed in his Watch uniform and longsword, "patrolling" the city on his days off. Many of the residents know him by sight and consider him a part of the city as much as clotheslines and cobblestones. Though he had been with the Watch since his early years, Eran neither sought nor was granted any promotion through the ranks. However, he had gained a de facto respect from many Watchmen which suddenly became the only thing which saved him from imprisonment for his crimes.  Eran is a friendly sort of guy, if not the brightest Watchman.  He seems to know everybody.  Eran is a middle-aged widower with two estranged kids, that recently got kicked out of the Watch for killing a Pale Dog who had too many connections to be brought to justice.

Valice
Female Half-elf Spirit Shaman*
Valice is fidgety, with an eerie stare and awkward mannerisms. She is quiet, sometimes unnervingly so, but when she does talk she is impressively well spoken. She has long, tangled black hair and strange, sea-green eyes. Her skin is pale in contrast to her flushed lips and cheeks. She is tall and extremely thin to the point of frailty. Valice, beyond her oddities, is generally considered a kind and caring person, to the degree that she can convey it. She is generous in her donations to the church, is never known to say an untoward word, and is known to feed the stray animals in her section of town. This gentleness inspires most to ignore her strange habits and monotonously routine existence.  Valice's personification in the spirit world is that of a vulture.  She lives in a small house down Song Row, making her living by recording deaths and plotting graves in the city's sprawling Necropolis.
( * : The Spirit Shaman from Complete Divine is so laughably lame-ass that I was somewhat tempted to ban it outright.  Rather than do that, however, I enhanced it with a few changes in keeping with the concept the player wanted for Valice.  Primarily I granted her the SNA series as bonus Retrieved spells, the Conjurer's Rapid Summoning ability from Unearthed Arcana, and the AE Greenbond's Infuse With Life ability.)


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## IndyPendant (Feb 15, 2007)

*Session 01: Of Sewers and Ratlings, Pt 1*

In Ptolus, there are over 20 words for 'rain', and today that word is 'misting'. The air is thick and heavy, with tiny drops that seem to hover in the air, seeking out openings in your clothing to gather and run in droplets down your skin. At least the grey, low-hanging clouds obscure the constant, looming presence of the Spire today; Although it is only early afternoon, you walk in constant twilight, and if you squint you can almost pretend the Spire is just another hill. Still, both the rain and the Spire are constants; most residents barely even notice them.

And this is the South Market. The newly-paved streets are thick with people, travelling singly and in groups, talking and silent, animated and grim--but always moving. Most of them are on foot and carrying their purchases, though there a few carriages scattered here and there. The smells, both pleasant and foul, waft intermittently on the laden wind.  The South Market is a place people come to when they need to get something specific, usually from a skilled craftsperson. Its known for its safety; the townsfolk tend to watch their own purses and purchases more than the people around them, since the worst criminals are usually a cutpurse or a con artist.

Which is why it is so surprising to hear the screaming.

Like hounds following a scent, you almost instinctively begin to converge on the sound, some charging forward, some cautiously scouting.  The Delvers are immediately identifiable; they're the only ones dressed for trouble, and they're the only ones actually hurrying towards it once it becomes revealed.  There are a number of people pointing and whispering to each other, fear on their faces. There are sounds of a scuffle froming from an alleyway, clean but almost pitch dark in the cloud-enshrouded twilight. One word keeps coming through the babble: _ratlings_.

Eran is the first to arrive--but the others are not far behind.  He pushes to the front of the throng, subconsciously declaring his affiliation to the City Watch.  "What's the meaning 'a this, then?"

Nicholas had just been paying for a cup of tea from a street vendor to warm himself against the rain when the screams reached his ears. Stifling a curse, he turned and ran towards the direction of the screams, one hand slipping to his sword scabbard and easing it out several inches in case it would be needed.  He spots the other City Watchman ahead of him and follows after him, pushing his way through the swiftly gathering crowd.  "Out of the way, I'm a City Watch! Clear the way!"

Xath had been observing Darrel--a childhood 'friend' he did some...questionable activities with a while back--accept a small package from some sort of cloaked figure, nod once, say something, and disappear into the streets.  Darrel was a real prick when Xath knew him; Xath dropped him because he insisted on excessive cruelty and destruction.  Now Darrel has probably gotten into drugrunning.  Xath watched them leave the market before moving his way towards the front of the crowd, wiggling and weaving his way through the crowd to get a better look.  He stands on his toes, then moves his head to one side, then the other, trying to get a better view.

Valice peers out the window of the carriage she had hired, more than mildly surprised. _No rest for the weary,_ she thought to herself, glancing back at the unadorned casket she had laden the small buggy with earlier.  She taps silently on the shoulder of the driver sitting ahead of her and directs him to proceed down the lane the sound is most apparent from.  Armed men rush past her meandering cart, and, recognising them as Delvers, she resolves to disembark and investigate on foot.  She brushes her dark hair from her eyes, squinting suspiciously as she hears the whispers of the throng.  _Ratlings?_  She is distracted from her musings by the sudden push and shove of several figures making their way toward the fray.

Zetrin hears the screams and can't help himself from following with the delvers... he stays close to the back of the crowd as he approaches and watches, asking a nearby person what happened.

"Ratlings!" "A throng of them!" "There were thirty. I counted!" "Took Alyce and Shaune! Just took them! Bruice went in after them, and--" At that moment from the alleyway there's a coarse male yell of rage, the meaty sound of something hard meeting flesh--and then silence from the darkness.  The crowd holds its breath. Like any other crowd, they seem entertained, horrified, and riveted, all at once.

Zetrin , upon hearing the sound, attempts to make his way closer to the front, finding it difficult to push past.  Valice taps on the shoulder of a young man trying to get a view on his tiptoes.  "What is amiss?"  Xath: "I'm not sure. Did you see anything?"  Valice: "I've only just arrived." Cutting the dialog short, she makes her way further into the crowd, toward it's center.  Xath pushes through the crowd, bumping into a woman and causing her packages to go flying, moving towards the alleyway.

Eran's face hardens as he listens to the account, and the more vivid tale coming from the alleyway.  Nicholas: "If there's still any people in there... come on. Let's go."  Eran, recognizing the cut of Watch cloth regardless of attire, Eran nods to his fellows and advances cautiously, sword drawn.  Chittering ensues after a few moments from the alleyway. Moments later, a single ratling, obviously terrified, sidles into vague view.

Nicholas quickly draws his sword and levels it at the ratling.  "Hold, or we shall attack!"  Valice simply crosses her arms and watches silently.  Zetrin makes it to the front of the crowd, eyes widened and watching the scene.  The ratling spies the crowd and for a moment looks to bolt. Then its eyes focus on Eran and Nicholas, and it gives the universal gesture of its hand slapping its armpit, that arm raised and middle finger extended.  Then it bolts.

Eran grunts.  Nicholas: "Alright, if that's the way it is..."  He slips his shield onto his arm, then begins cautiously walking into the alleyway.  "Follow me."  Eran gestures after Nicholas.  "You heard 'im."  Xath runs to catch up to the pair, drawing an arrow from his quiver and setting it to his bow string.  Valice seems content to wait at the alley's mouth.  Zetrin stays at the border of the crowd as well, letting the Watch take care of their business. He continues to stay and peer down the ally, curious to see what will happen, his fingers twitching.

Eran spies his own son in amongst the crowd, watching.  He shies away from the vision of his own flesh and blood, concentrating on the ordeal at hand.  As they approach the alley, there's another broken scream, "BRUICE!!! No, not Shaune!" A young voice screams "Mommy! Aaieee!" in pain.  Nicholas starts running down the alleyway, abandoning caution to try and save the people quickly.  Xath moves in a low crouch along the left hand side of the alleyway, trying to approach unseen.

Nicholas and Eran hurry into the alleyway, to see a woman kneeling beside the unmoving body of a man, her hand to her bleeding head, sobbing and trying to crawl towards the open grate beside her.  Eran ignores the wounded, determining the Ratling's escape route.  Xath comes up to a stop beside Nicholas and Eran, his eyes scanning his surroundings.  Nicholas: "Ma'am, where did they go? The sewer?"  The woman looks up at Nicholas, dazed and uncomprehending. "My _baby_..." she whispers.

As the cries from the alley echo out into the square, Valice draws a small dagger and likewise proceeds into it's maw.  Zetrin pauses, looking back and forth, not sure to follow the others down the ally, but finally slowly starts after them and with much caution.  He looks upon the others, overhearing their conversation from about 15 ft away.  Valice approaches the injured woman and the fallen man.

Nicholas: "They took your child?! Where did they go?"  Eran gestures.  "Where else?"  The foul stench rising from the hole the heavy metal grate covered attests to its function.  Xath takes a knee and looks down into the sewer, listening for any movement in its depths.  Nicholas: "If they're in the sewers, tracking them is not going to be easy, especially if they're ratlings."  Eran scratches his beard, considering.  _Ratlings in the sewer's more a Delver's job....but they don't usually grab citizens, neither._   "Not gonna be a problem," he notes. "We gonna do this, or what?"

Nicholas: "Alright. I've got a lantern, do either of you have a light source?"  Xath shakes his head.  Nicholasputs his shield away, then takes out his hooded lantern and lights it.  "Right.  I'll go first.  Watch my back."  Eran: "Uh-huh."

Nicholas walks to the sewer grate and takes a look inside with the lantern.  He sees a crude ladder leading down into darkness. The bottom is beyond the range of his light.  The chittering from below can be heard by all now, as it instantly rises in volume in excited reaction to the light.  Xath looks up at Eran, a wide grin splitting his face. "This should be interesting.  We need to get moving if we're going to catch them. They're probably making good time now."

Zetrin continues to turn the situation over in his mind. He seems to want to follow the others, but not sure if he should. He looks upon Valice looking over the woman and kneels beside her.  "Is he....? Is she ok?"  Valice lays a hand on the woman's forehead, murmuring to herself. "Did you survive him?" She asks, guesturing to the prone body with her free arm.  A quick examination tells her the man is alive, but badly wounded.  The woman has only suffered mild damage; she is more dazed than hurt.  She puts both her hands on the man's chest in a businesslike fashion. She whispers something inarticulate to herself, willing the energy of the spirits in the people and objects around her to revitalize him.  She manages to heal the worst of the man's wounds, although he does not awaken. The woman reaches out almost absently and takes his hand, tears running down her face.

Nicholas hands his lantern to Eran. "Eran, hold this on the ladder for me so I can keep my sword handy."  Eran grunts in apparent agreement.  Xath: "It sounds like they're not moving.  Strange...just like they're rustling about."

As soon as Nicholas starts down the ladder, they all hear the ratlings begin to flee, chittering to each other excitedly.  Eran scowls.  "'Ey...this is a trap if I ever saw one," he throws back in muted tones to his companions du jour.  Nicholas listens to the fleeing ratlings and climbs down as fast as he can.  "But if there's a child down there, we don't have much of a choice."  Xath: "Well, there's only one way to find out."

There is a snort of the sort of pure scorn that only a teenager can manage at Nicholas' words.  A young human in black robes has limped into the alley behind a trio of brave commoners carrying improvised weapons.  His gaze is focussed on Eran, a mild sneer looking like it's had a long home on his face.  Zetrin stands and moves to the side, watching the commoners approach.  Recognizing the sound, Eran looks up to see the youth, and appears briefly torn between climbing into the sewer and questioning him.  Something seems to pass between the robed lad and Eran. He snarls in sudden anger, "No Dad, I didn't have anything to do with this. And f--- you too. Go get your jollies playing the hero. You always do."  Eran mutters to himself.  _Ain't got time to screw with whining kids._  He drops down the ladder as quickly as possible.

The commoners, once they take stock of the situation, lower their weapons mostly in relief at not having to use them.  One tentatively asks "Is 'e...is 'e dead?"  Valice: "He is yet with the living, and shall remain. He merely slumbers."  Zetrin seems happy to hear Valice's words, as are the men, before being startled by the robed youth's rudeness.  "That is good ne--'ey now, someone needs to learn some respect!"

Nicholas stands nervously on the narrow ledge of a large pipe of sewage. It is very dark in here until Eran follows him. Gradually he can see that the sewage today is somewhat high--looks at least knee deep, and thick. And the _stench_!  Nicholas grimaces at the smell and the thought of what the sewage is doing to his pants and armor greaves, but says nothing.  The tunnel is ten feet wide in general, rounded, and with narrow 2-foot raised ledges on either side that are more or less free of sewage.  The ratlings may have seemed to be milling about when Nicholas started down--but if so, they aren't anymore.  He can hear them receding rapidly.  Xath coughs a few times, looking to be at the point of vomitting, before closing his eyes and regaining his composure.  He looks to Nicholas and Eran. "You know, they usually leave the stench out when they describe things like this."  Eran smiles faintly, Xath's words recalling a romanticized novel he had once been shown about the life of a City Watchman.

Valice, ignoring the willful youth, looks back to the mouth of the alley distractedly. She ought to send her charge on it's way.  "You," she says, fixing her peircing gaze on one of the townspeople. "I bid you tell the carriage in the lane yonder to go about it's business."  The man looks startled for a moment, before automatically touching his finger to the brim of his hat. "Yes ma'am!"  Grimacing faintly, she then kneels next to the grate, trying to make out the descending figures.  Zetrin approaches the grate, following her.

Valice can clearly see the three others in the torchlight, moving out of her range of view.  Nicholas: "Come on. If those ratlings get too far away, we could lose them. I'm sure they've got plenty of hiding places in a stinkhole like this."  "I'll find 'em," Eran notes confidently.  They quickly find that they cannot move fast enough on the ledges; the ratlings are rapidly widening the distance.  They're faced with a choice: either clamber off the ledges and push through the filthy liquid in the middle, or follow as best they can far more slowly on the ledges.  Eran drops into the water without hestitation, leading by example.  Xath jumps in a split second after Eran, accidently spraying some drops across the group in his eagerness.  Nicholas briefly eyes the sludge with a look of distaste, then sighs and steps down into the muck.

Gathering her cloak about her, Valice too descends the ladder, covering her mouth with a bit of cloth to ward off the smell.  Zetrin , seeing the frail priest decend down the latter, decides to follow close behind.  Just before Zetrin disappears into the darkness beneath the ground, the woman calls out brokenly, "Please, delvers. Please. Bring my daughter back to me." Her gaze is almost mad with worry, fear, and pain.  Zetrin gives the woman an awkward smile to attempt to calm her nerves before disappearing from view.  He calls down to Valice "Do you have a light?"

The other three push ahead, slogging through the muck. The ratlings remain ever ahead, although you do sometimes catch tantalyzing glimpses of the foul creatures as dim moving shapes ahead.  Xath: "I must say, it is nice not to be a halfling down here.  I'm sure it tastes worst then it smells."  Eran stifles a mad urge to laugh, failing to glare at Xath.  Nicholas: "If there was one, he'd be riding on your shoulders."

By the time Valice and Zetrin reach the bottom of the ladder, the others are long gone--although they can be heard clearly, slogging through the muck ahead.  Before descending into the sludge, Valice tucks her cloak into her belt.  Valice and Zetrin stand in profound darkness.  Zetrin touchs his robe, muttering a few words before a point shines like a torch from his vest. "Lets continue."  He cringes as he steps into the sewage to attempt to catch up.  Valice follows silently, large eyes reflecting the light eerily.

The chase goes on for minutes, the occasional terrified call of the child leading them on like a siren song, the ratlings always ahead of them, neither gaining nor losing ground--except for the one time they tried to stop to rest.  They quickly abandoned that idea when the ratling didn't stop.  Xath looks back as a few objects float by him in the muck.  "You know, people sure throw wierd things down here."

Thoroughly covered from the chest down in sewage, the three in the lead finally enter a connector of two sewage tunnels--a rough octagon around 30 feet wide.  And that's when things go belly up--for both groups.


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## IndyPendant (Feb 15, 2007)

*Session 01: Of Sewers and Ratlings, Pt 2*

The three in front hear a clanging clatter as the rusted and fragile looking portcullis behind them clatters down to splash into the sewage, spraying them even more--and blocking the path they just came from.  Nicholas: "What the... is it an ambush?"  Eran makes a rapid scan of the area, not looking backwards, and also saving the _I Told You So_ for later.  Xath scans the area as well, moving to the left.

And then, sure enough, the ratlings pour out of the other tunnels.  The ratlings gather around them all silently; they are dressed in filthy rags and wield crude weapons.  One however stands out: obviously female from the double-row of nipples exposed in her pure white, somehow _clean_, fur.  There is a big brute of a ratling beside that pink-eyed albino; it is holding an unconscious young girl.  There are nearly a dozen of the ratlings, and they stand there in their groups, chittering amongst each other.  Eran's brow furrows as he tries to understand the incomprehensible language. _Are they gonna attack us, or what?_  Xath points towards the girl and then motions his hand towards himself.

The albino ratling points with the rapier she holds in one hand--and a well-made rapier it is, too! "We need two. For glory sacrifice holy Rat God. You choose, we give child."  Eran sighs, wishing he had a bow. _Great..._  Xath takes a step to the left, so that he has a clear view, slowly knocking an arrow to his bow pointing downwards at his side.  "One moment....we will choose."  Xath says under his breath to the group "So....any ideas."

Nicholas eyes the ratlings and whispers back. "If we do nothing, they might just kill us all anyway."  Xath whispers, "We can allow the swap then make a break for it."  Nicholas: "But the portcullis is down... running may not be an option unless we can get it up."  There is a splash from behind the main group as two ratlings drop down from somewhere above them and on the other side of the portcullis.  The ratlings wriggle their filthy whiskers at them for a long moment, black eyes unreadable, and then turn and splash rapidly away through the sewage, back the way they came.  Nicholas: "Alright... here's the idea. Make the switch, get the girl back, then attack."

"Stop talk! Decide! Two must go naked, dip in holy waters," --she points with her rapier to the sewage in the middle of the room-- "come to me. Now!"  "Shoot her," Eran mutters, put on edge by the high squeaking mockery of language.  The albino ratling chitters something to her hulking brute of a companion.  The brute lifts the girl to its mouth, and before your horrified eyes takes a bite out of the girl's side!  He flings the girl's body as the albino continues chittering, and the girl lands akimbo with a splash into the sewage in the middle of the room, spraying fine droplets of blood as she arcs through the air. "You take too long."  The brute chews with every evidence of relish.

Valice and Zetrin meanwhile, almost trip as their legs strike something hidden in the sewage below them.  Valice reaches into the murky filth, unconcerned, hands questing for the foreign object, Zetrin looking to her as she digs through the sewage.  A quick examination reveals a rope or wire has been strung accross the tunnel, hidden below the water. And then the two of them hear the rattling of the portcullis faintly up ahead.

Valice stares forward blankly then, making note to watch her steps more carefully. She stands and steps over the rope, not bothering to try to pull the muck from her now-ruined clothing.  Zetrin makes a mental note of where the rope was and continues towards the clashing sound from up ahead, when they  suddenly discover themselves facing four ratlings of their own, who approach cautiously, chittering softly.

The four ratlings hesitate, perhaps in surprise at seeing them still standing.  Zetrin pulls out his crossbow "We don't wish to fight.  We only want the child back."  If the ratlings understand Zetrin, they don't show it. They just continue to advance, slowly and cautiously.  Zetrin attempts in several other languages, but the ratlings only continue to approach slowly...menacingly.  Zetrin opens fire, then Valice smiles grimly, and without addressing the creatures, brings her shortbow to bear.

Zetrin nicks one of the ratlings in the arm as they hurry forward.  Valice stops one of the ratlings in its tracks, who looks down at the arrow protruding from its chest, swaying slightly.  Zetrin then backs up, but Valice stands where she is.  Zetrin, visibly nervous of the approching creatures, fires again at the rat he wounded.  This bolt strikes the ratling in the chest--and goes right through it to strike the ratling behind it, if without force enough to damage it.  Zetrin gives a half smile, even as he backs up further.  The two remaining ratlings rush forward and attack Valice, who almost falters as their weapons easily pass her defenses.  

Within the octagonal intersection, the others attack immediately.  Xath angles forward and shoots at the brute, but his arrow goes wide.  Eran steps up to the relatively drier ground to his right, taking up a defensive posture and muttering about getting himself killed.  Nicholas moves to the right and up and attacks the nearest ratling, his voice choking.  "You..."  The albino ratling chitters something to her minions and then turns and heads away down the tunnel.  The brute finishes chewing, seems to consider for a moment, and then follows the albino out of the room.

Three ratlings each crowd around Nicolas and Xath, the two below each of them in the sewage assisting the one that clambers up onto the ledge to attack. The four at the far end hurry forward--two of them stopping to sniff the body of the girl, who is lying facedown in the sewage, red spreading slowly around her.  The ratlings work as a team, each helping distract their foe so one of their number can strike past their defenses.  Xath gets off one more shot that also misses before having to switch to his rapier.  Nicholas lays waste to the ratlings around him, who are unable to touch him.  Eran grits his teeth.  _The Captain's gonna have my liver for dinner if I don't try to save that girl._  He rushes the rat nearest the anonymous victim in a wild charge and maneuvers out from between two of the ratlings, attempting to avoid being surrounded.  He crouches into the filthy water and tends to the dying girl, pressing cloth into the still-bleeding wound...and taking no heed of the disease-ridden gouges he will undoubtedly take in doing so.  _This is some old horse s---._

Valice, gasping in pain, staggers backward a few steps before putting her hands upon her wounds and willing them to heal.  The ratlings step forward and Zetrin , shocked by the the preist unable to retreat, immeadiatly gets a look of fury on his face.  Zetrin slowly makes some gestures with his hands, suddenly thrusting them forward with a few words.  Glowing in the darkness, a dark blue bolt emerges from his hand, travels straight for one of the rats and strikes him in the chest.  The ratling Valice shot, in the rear, retreats out of the range of Zetrin's light.  The remaining two ratlings, seeing Valice almost healed and one of them severely wounded, almost bolt as well--until the sounds of more ratlings splash towards the battle...from both ahead of Valice and behind Zetrin.  Bolstered by the imminent arrival of their companions, the ratlings step forward and try to bite some more chunks out of her.

Valice tries to summon an ally, but cannot maintain her concentration in the face of the ratlings' threat.  They continue to wound her, bite by bite.  ...And two more ratlings come into view up ahead of her.  And there's still the sounds of more approaching Zetrin from behind.  Valice risks retreating and healing herself once more, while Zetrin continues to shoot.  As the two of them face the four ratlings, the splashing approaches from behind--and an arrow streaks over Zetrin's shoulder, to strike the ratling he wounded, felling it instantly!

The three surviving ratlings skitter to a stop, examine the situation...and as one, turn to flee back the way they came.  Valice turns to Zetrin. "Shall we pursue?"  Zetrin: "I think we will be lucky if we get out of here alive."  The splashing approaches from behind once more, and a human pushes past the two of you, a shortbow resting on one shoulder. His brightly-coloured clothing is stained with sewage, but he still somehow manages to look jaunty in his brightly glowing cap and leather. "Of course we shall pursue! A damsel is in distress!  Could you seriously consider any other action? Come!  The sounds of battle draw us forward!"  Valice stares blankly as Zetrin follows, crossbow ready.  She raises one hand to her head, checking for a fever.  "You see him too?" She mutters, finally following.  Zetrin manages a slight smile.

Eran scowls at the stubbornly unstaunched flow of blood.  _Too bad._  The ratlings by Eran take advantage of his distraction, wounding him slightly, forcing him to engage them or risk being killed.   He steps back and attempts to dispatch another beast, hoping to get another shot at the girl before it's too late.  Nicholas slays nearly every ratling he goes for, taking some attacks as he does so.  Xath trades many blows with his foes, neither managing to deal any actual damage.  In less than a minute however, most of the ratlings are dispatched by Nicholas and Eran, though they both suffer many wounds in the process.  Xath by contrast is unwounded and his sword unblooded by the end of the fight.  The remaining five ratlings, one severely wounded...have had enough.  As one, they withdraw and flee down the tunnels.

Eran watches them go with a sour look, turning his attention back to the girl.  "Good riddance."  Xath sheathes his sword, taking a wide swing with his foot at the water in frustration, before picking up his bow and moving to Eran's side to look down at the girl, frustration clearly marring his face.  Nicholas sheathes his sword and examines the bite marks on his arm and leg, grimacing at the thought of what the sludge would do to it. Then he moves over to check on the girl.  "Yes... let's get the girl out of here."  Three ratlings run right up to the portcullis. They take one look into the room--and flee back the way they came.

The girl still lives--but barely. She could die any moment.  "Gimme a hand," Eran says, stopping the others short. "I've done this before."  Nicholas: "Damn, she's in bad condition. Can you heal her?"  Xath looks anxiously to Eran, then back to the girl.   Eran: "I said gimme a hand, damnit!"  Xath kneels beside the girl, colour draining out of him as he tries to help Eran the best he can, turning away after he has placed his hands where Eran indicates.  Nicholas: "Here, let me. God, I hope we're not too late."

The strange man hurries through the muck, stopping only to put a couple of arrows into the wall above the badly wounded ratling still staggering away. "Dante's the name, bard extraordinaire, nick-of-time arrivals a specialty! And you?"  Zetrin looks at the man a bit oddly "My name's Zetrin... we must hurry.  Three watchmen are further down here. We don't know what kind of trouble they are in."  Valice doesn't respond, concentrating instead on seeking out signs of their one-time companions' passing.  They are startled by the three ratlings racing back towards them.  The ratlings skid to a halt, and two of them flee away again, even as one is brought down by two arrows and a bolt.  The two remaining ratlings are cornered up against the portcullis a minute or two later, as Zetrin, Valice, and their new companion approach.  Nicholas and Xath stand just to one side of Eran, who cradles the corpse of a young child in his arms.

All are silent.

Valice sights down her bow at one of the remaining ratlings. "Would that I could trade your place with her," she says before firing.  Dante takes one look at the situation and shoots as well.  Within moments, the cowering ratlings, drooling in their fear, are dead.  Dante rallies quickly.  "Well! At least those beasts won't plague the townsfolk again!"

Nicholas: _Another failure... you just can't seem to save anyone, can you?_  "No, you're wrong. Their leader got away, the girl died... we failed."  Dante: "...Oh. I'm sorry. Truly. Perhaps I didn't arrive in the nick of time, after all."  Eran stands, shaking his hands free of blood and wiping them on his mostly-clean leather breastplate, and making a note to get a potion of healing.  _That coulda been me. Prob'ly wish it had been, soon..._  Xath: "We should have done something...."  He shakes his head before slowly pulling himself up to his feet and slowly wiping his hands on the driest part of his clothing remaining.  Zetrin walks up to the porticullis and tries to figure out how to open it.  Valice kicks the bodies aside as she approaches the portcullis, testing the metal with her free hand.

The portcullis seems to simply need to be raised; it is rusty, however, and heavy. It takes two of you lifting to keep it up. Still, that's more than enough to let everyone out.  Eran carries the body through.  Xath looks fiercely towards the tunnel through which the albino fled, before quietly following Eran out of the room.  Dante goes to the ratlings, picks up the tail of one of them, and begins to saw at its base with his dagger.  He lifts the tail up, letting the body slide back down into the murk. "Gold, mate! 3 per tail. Courtesy of the Church of Lothian!"  Nicholas looks at Dante with a cold, hard stare before following after Eran. 

Zetrin looks around with a puzzled look on his face.  "So, do we know _why_ these Ratlings kidnapped this girl?"  Dante is still making an effort to lift everyone's spirits--but it is taking an obvious effort now. "Once we're out of this, I can clean us all up."   Nicholas: "They wanted a human sacrifice."  Zetrin looks even more puzzled. "I have never heard of Ratlings behaving light this... they are usually _never_ this organized..."  Nicholas shrugs. "I don't know much about them, so I really have no idea myself why they would do this."  Zetrin looks around the room for any other signs, like perhaps what God they were trying to appease.

While the others converse, Valice motions Eran over. "If you would speak to her mother, I will handle that." She getures to the forlorn body. "I am sure we can find a suitable place for her in the Necropolis."  Eran takes in the rather waifish Halfelf and adjusts his burden.  "Yeah, sure. Once we get out of here."

They exit the sewers to see four of the guard standing watch, with the child's mother and the fallen man, now at least conscious.  The guards are people Eran and Nicholas vaguely recognize, but they hold no familiarity, this not being their usual district.  Dante immediately casts a spell and begins cleaning the sewage off of everyone in turn, starting unobtrusively with Eran and the girl's body.  "I brought her back, like you asked," Eran mutters.  "Sir, ma'am... I'm sorry. We... we couldn't..." Nicholas can't finish what he is trying to say, and instead merely looks down with a tear leaking from one eye.  Xath quietly stands to the side.  The woman collapses in tears at the sight of her daughter. The man steps forward, his grief carving deep lines into his face, his voice cracked and raw. "Thank you for br--bringing her back."  Eran catches the poor woman's eye and nods tersely, deciding to leave out the details of what they saved the girl from.

One of the guardsmen takes them all aside and takes their statements as to what happened down below.  Afterwards, Dante says "I don't know about you all, but I could use a drink. Or ten. Want to come?" He holds a brace of rat tails, an irrepressible grin forcing its way to the fore. "I'm buying."  Xath perks up at the mention of a drink. "Sounds good to me."  Eran: "Yeah. A drink."  Valice: "I don't drink."  Dante doesn't miss a beat, still grinning. "Then come for the company. Or I could use guilt. I did, after all, save your life."  Valice thinks a moment, then nods tersely. "Guilt, then."  Dante eyes Valice for a moment. "...Right. Okay, whatever floats your boat. Off we go then, to the Ghostly Minstrel!

Nicholas follows along behind the others, reluctant to go off with Dante but wanting right now to drink himself into an alcoholic stupor and forget the feeling of failure he is in.


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