Scene 2 - The Averndale Adventurers' Guild

[Day 2]

It is not the sun’s rise over the horizon that starts the day; for many hours the sky will merely glow blue, leaving the city in dim light. By the time the adventurers are awakened, many workers move in the streets. As laborers of many varieties set out in teams for their long shifts, bosses mount up on horses, and lord over them much like a rancher over cattle.

You each are awakened by whatever means you planned, and have time to get ready.

Traversing the city was simple enough. The Mayor’s Manor sits above the city, carved into the cliffside that was cut out to form Fort Avern. In order to get there, citizens must pass through the inner wall of Averndale, through the fort, and out a second gate that controls access to the hillside. Approaching the fortress gate you are waved forward and your destination, and person, checked. As long as no one has an obvious weapon or is asking strange the Soldiers guarding the gate, which are different from the City Watch, will allow you through.

Ushered through the fort the party sees a series of water-powered lifts that are used to ascend and descend the cliff. A man there is waiting for you and tells you he will guide you the rest of the way, and after an elevator ride and a stroll down and beautiful and luxuriously manicured roadway and garden-side, the party will reach the Mayor’s Manor as the first rays of the sun reach over the eastern mountain range. The lovely gardens and singing birds contrast starkly with the dower-looking, overworked servants.


Before long you are in the office of the Mayor of the City of Averndale. He is introduced by his attendant as, "Lord Cicero Mond the Fourth, Mayor of Averndale." The Mayor sits nearly completely still behind an expensive desk, taking you in with his light blue eyes. He breathes in, and waves the butler over. "Nesmond, use the guest perfume." The man steps deftly over to a tray of flowers and sprinkles a fragrant oil of them before placing them between you and the Mayor.

"Interesting collection you are… very well. As most of you are new to Averndale, I will say this plainly. We are not a vacation spot… we are an essential industrial epicenter and I will not tolerate anything interfering with its smooth operation. As such, you adventurers are here to work… Welcome to the newest chapter of the kingdom’s illustrious Adventurer’s Guild. Take pride, in being among the first to join our Guild. You will be the foundation of a more prosperous future."

He pauses for you to take it all in.

The response of silence was exactly what the Mayor hoped to hear. To him, it was acceptance and affirmation in one beautiful lack of sound. The smallest edge of his smile came out, and the Lord leaned back to give them all a second look. "Excellent. If we all understand then I will not insult your intelligence with further platitudes. There are many things that need doing in Averndale, but something has come up that requires specialists."

The Mayor explains the mission. " The Mining Guild reports they have a missing miner and strange sounds in the coal mine inside the walls. This mine has been secured for hundreds of years, so now we need to reassure the citizens that everything is fine... sort this out and I'll have something more substantial for you."

The Mayor motions the Bulter Nesmond to bring the contracts and sets them out in from of the adventurers. "Sign these and everything will be official." The contracts are for the Averndale Adventurers' Guild, and details 'salvage rights' of 40% to the city, and give you permission to keep your weapons and armor in town.

He IS using this as means to control you, but that is not unexpected. You are agreeing to play by his rule rather than be freelancing fools-for-hire or murder-hobos.

The document does not seem to enforce anything strange upon the party, separate from the King's Law, it outlines the authority being granted and its limits. The document is pretty standard for the Kingdom, as is the 40% cut to the City. Without it recovered treasures brought in by adventurers might as well be stolen goods, in the sight of merchants and lords. This will allow you to sell items in town, and carry your weapons without harassment by the City Watch. The military has authority over the fort, and your permits are limited by their authority.

"Salvage" is all coin and loot, anything you find out in the region since it all technically belongs to the Lord.

"Your side professions do not interest me at this time." That's a No.

Nesmond doesn't seem to have opinions, he stands as still as he can, waiting for his master's command. He would have no authority to dispense funds.

Pointing to the line where Sadur may leave his mark, Nesmond offers the quill and shows how the Half-orc may just leave an X for his signature. The Mayor raises an eyebrow at the remark from the largest of the supposed adventurers. He measures his response, his volume not rising loud as he might with a less intimidating sort.
"... Then, you fix it."

To Jasper's question, he nods. "Carry my seal with you. By the end of the day the Watch Captains and the Fort Commander will be made aware of you're positions." You each will be given a wooden hand-size plack with the Seal of the Mayor showing a position of limited authority.

[Receive: Mayor's Seal (weightless and pocketsized)]

Indeed, Xarakas had it right. Seems the Mayor has given you everything he thinks you need. You know where to go and solve the issue of the mine, presumably so they can reopen it and get back to work. The Watch-House where you can pick up your gear, is on the way. Now that everyone has signed and has received a Seal.

"Very good. Now, excuse me I am very busy as tomorrow is Market Day."

Ready here!

Good to go

Ps I genuinely laughed at "Its only a flesh wound"

Full sunlight has finally reached the valley as you emerge from the manor house. The birds sing, the insects swoop and buzz about and while descending from the cliffside your get the first good look at the old city. Averndale has seen better days, but in its decline, the remaining residents hold fast to life and strive for success. Hope and greed may clash at times, but here in this remote region, there is plenty of room for growth and change, and people who have the drive to rebuild its glory.

At the Watchmens’ House, your weapons returned. The only thing that was not returned was the articles of purple from Xarakas. The daytime Watch Captain hands them over and offers her genuine thanks for coming to Averndale. Pointing you off in the right direction, the party heads to the mining entrances, on the Northeast side of town. [Location: Coal Mines of Averndale; Time: Morning]

The Mine Foreman is waiting there for you. A pale man with dark hair and eyes, the Foreman guides you to the entrance and down into the mine, handing you each a candle-lantern to use for light if desired.

"The first thing to know is Contain Your Flame. We do our best to keep sites clean but coaldust gets everywhere, and the last thing any of us need is a fire down there…. Okay so here is the entrance to Shaft number 7." He stops at a junction in the mine and points passed two soldiers standing guard to make sure no one else went down that shaft until the matter of their missing miner was investigated. "... We searched for our man yesterday morning and only found his lunch-box. We have not seen any sign of a collapse. Man’s name is Darol… is there anything else I can tell you to help?"

"He is a human, blonde hair, brown eyes, about yay tall. Should be in overalls and had his own lantern. Good man… good miner. He was scheduled only for Shaft 7, there are a few forks however they should not link to any other tunnels. It is a stable shaft, just don’t go breaking the posts."

With the gloom ahead your remaining guide, the Foreman and the soldiers watched with slight trepidation, as the adventurers moved down the slope into Shaft 7. The main tunnel has several shallow branching tunnels that are easily checked and cleared. The descent was too difficult to retain a sense of measurement and the sounds of the rest of the active miners above had become a murmuring before falling away entirely, leaving the party in a claustrophobic silence.

As the main shaft reaches a markedly sharper slope, the party first sees a lunchbox set on a short and level cut in the wall, where a miner's lunchbox sits, knocked over and emptied of its contents. You all hear a sound.

[roll Perception DC 15]

The sound is like something metal tapping, or scratching, faintly against a stone. It was only a moment of silence that you heard it at all, and then it stops.

Sixty feet ahead of you there is a sharp incline with a ten-foot ladder there for use and seemed like the obvious path. However, with Jasper’s superior light source as aid, the mage and some others perhaps, notice a gap in the rock above them as they walked. It is just out of reach and is hard to see unless you stop in one spot to look.

Jasper and Leon return with the light and the ladder and set it up easily enough, but before you decide who is going first the group all here the sound again, and clank or hollow metal echoing out from the crawlspace.

The crawlspace looks solid and is cleared of rumble. You can see down the tunnel about 30 feet, opening into some sort of chamber.

Leon's a go.

The silence of the otherwise still mineshaft echoes back your own shuffling footsteps as one by one you climb the ladder and crawl into the smaller tunnel. The air changes immediately, a muffled heat and an odor that is hard to place and not altogether unpleasant, grow into perception as you move forward toward the chamber.

Sadur in front sees it first. The miner is lying on the floor of the chamber on the fall side about 15 feet from him. The half-orc's darkvision lacks color, but allows him to the darkness as if but the shadows, where the obscured light does not shine, while Leon's vision is limited by the range of the light behind them.

Yes. Thanks. Sadur, not spotting anything in there will certainly move to grab the prone man and carry him back out to the larger tunnel, hoping that the rest of the team will give him way.

Sadur moves forward to collect the man, opening the view a little more for Leon. There seemed to be enough room for them to turn about if they desired, but the corners of the tunnel would need to be checked to see if it really was a dead end.

Before that, the miner attempts to stir again, weakly shaking and clanking the metal thermos against the stone, a pathetic flailing that seemed to be frantic as the half-orc sees the abject fear in the man's eyes. He was pale and his lips chapped, his clothes and skin rolled in dirt and dust of coal.

[Leon passed with13]
In the front, whether entering or waiting at the entrance, Leon hears it before he sees it, and the movement of something that was pressed against the rock above them, hiding, but is provoked as the half-orc approaches the miner.

All others are caught by surprise as an insectoid creature of large size scurries down the wall towards Sadur, unfolding an array of mouthparts and forelimbs to grab at the intruders.

Giant insect.

Initiative

The critter is moving swiftly down the wall, too large to be stealthy but with the element of surprise upon its target, Sadur. Yet Leon is quicker! It is aware of you, and if you are to engage in melee, you must move forward into the chamber.

Leon moves towards the creature and to the side so as to give his comrades space to move. Thrusting with his rapier he hopes its enough to give everyone else and opening.

The rapier's tip is turned away by the beetle-like insect's carapace, as the creature commits to its attack, attempting to grapple Sadur.

Sadur, even caught by surprise is able to shake the beast off and free his stance.

Sadur and Leon are inside a chamber that is around 20x15ft in a slightly irregular shape. The light is still in the tunnel with Jasper, but there does not seem to be any other movement or creatures in the room. Sadur has enough room to maneuver and swings true with his Greataxe, cracking into the beast who shrieks in return. It did not enjoy that one bit but has a bit more life left in it.

[I need Xarakas's initiative before we go further.]

The beast shrieks with the combined assault, viewing Sadur as the most dangerous it attacks the half-orc again, this time using its forelimbs to batter the Barbarian... and fails to connect substantially.

Sure enough, the creature retracted in pain under the contact of the firebolt, and with the swing of Sadur's mighty ax the creature is bisected, spraying its innards out before slumping to the floor. You remain uninjured, though Leon and Sadur both are a bit messy with bug guts. As you recover and take stock, the miner seems to pass out in relief.

The man is suffering from severe exhaustion. There are multiple bruising across the body, and strange bruises on his face.

There is some abnormal wearing of the teeth, and while the trauma in the mouth is minor it is significantly concerning. Upon further inspection of the patient, you find a mass in the abdomen that could indicate a blockage in the intestine. You might consider the mundane reasons worth checking first, until you feel the mass wriggle beneath your palpation. This man was kept alive for use as an incubator.

The chamber here is closed off, but there is a collapsed tunnel that was filled with loose dirt and stones that was likely where the bug came from initially. These species will be a problem, regardless of what the Mayor would want.

After checking the area to remove the lost miner and down the ladder, returning to the shaft. He remains deadweight yet easy enough to move, since he does not have anything broken or bleeding. Returning to the surface the guards scurry to action getting the path out of the mine cleared and a stretcher called from a nearby office.

As the workmen take the miner, the nighttime Watch Captain step forward to speak with you, smiling and gesturing with awe. "You have done well! We were certain he was buried or fallen down a crevasse further in. The Mayor will be pleased, he is eager to get the shaft back open… isn’t that right Foreman?"

The Foreman nods exhaustedly. "Yes but the Commander has set his foot down… Adventurers, what happened, is the mine save fore workers?"

The Foreman is focused upon his man, "I am not sure off hand, we have some nasty native beasties, but I know someone who might be able to identify it. We will take him to the Temple, it is close and the Priestess can assist but we’ll need to call the Doctor... maybe someone can find Doctor Leam?" They start to move, taking Darol with them on the stretcher.

Your answers seem to displease the Watch-Captian, stating coldly, "If you are unsure the mine is safe, then the job is not completed."

Jasper, Sadur, and Xarakas take the next hour slowly walking the mine, searching for more holes or other possible signs of more insects. This mine is relatively simple, and by the time you reach the end of the last branch, you can be reasonably sure that you have not seen other disturbances in this area. Your knowledge regarding the creature or its burrowing abilities is limited, but you see no other bugs or holes and are unaware of any other missing miners. As you return to the number seven entrance, you'll note the Watch-Captain has left a guard in his place.


::Meanwhile::

Leon explains,
This man was attacked by some sort of an insect that is using him as a host for its maggot or maggots. If we can purge the maggot, I would expect a full recovery. However, if we cannot his death will be agonizing being consumed from the inside out.

Since we don’t have any idea on the gestation period, I can’t say for sure how much time he has. What I do know it that he has been gone for 2 days and already you can feel the things inside him. At this rate I would give him another 2 days at most, but in all honesty, it could be at any time. There is just so much we do not know.

There are a couple ways we can handle this. With the right antiparasitic herbs I may be able to make something that when combined with a simple laxative will purge the maggot. The key word here is the RIGHT herbs. I don’t know what we are dealing with and would have to make an educated guess.

The second option would be surgery. Given his already weakened state though, that just might kill him, but I still think that is his best chance.

Do you have an herbalist? We would first need to prepare a strong sedative. Like a calming tea but much more potent. The preparation will have to be just right, based on his weight and constitution. If it is not strong enough Davon will suffer needlessly and make the surgery even more difficult, too strong and it could stop his heart or breathing. With any luck the tea will also sedate the maggot inside. For this type of surgery, we would recommend you use a concentrated tincture of XYZ, that usually does the trick. If you have the herbs, I can help you with the preparation.

Once Davon is sedated, I will begin the operation. I will need your assistance to repair any damage that we come across. Bleeding is my biggest concern. With deep surgery there is an increased risk of nicking a vital vessel or organ. Normally we keep a strong healing draught at hand along with swabs. If there is an errant nick a quick dip and swab is all that is needed to affect a repair We call that a "DS". If I call for a DS you will know what I mean. For much more serious trauma, we prefer to have cleric on standby as well.

Once we are inside, I will need extra hands to hold open the wound so that I can determine exactly where the maggot gestates. I will remove it as quickly as possible, then begin closing up Davon. I will need your help there as well. As weak as he is, the less trauma he is left with the better. Use your blessing to knit the major wounds and I will stitch the rest. We will have to wary of infection. That kills more men than arrows. We will monitor his progress, watch for fever or any other changes.

Post operative care should be fairly straight forward. I recommend rest and clear broth for the next few days along with a strong parasitic purgative such as wyrmwood.

One other thing, I am without my full medical kit, unfortunately it was lost on my journey here. If you are able to procure XYZ, along with the sharpest knife or razor you can find I should be able to perform.

Sadur can find the Foreman who looks pleased to see the Half-orc and his companions. "Thank you for rescuing Darol. We'll pull that damned thing down and try to figure out if this is something more to worry about. If you don't see any other sign of digging, there's nothing for it. We may have to hire more guards, and that's going to increase overhead." He seems to see this as just another hazard in a dangerous business. "You caught it before a clutch was hatched. That thing sounds pretty nasty though." The Foreman glances to the Watchman who was standing by idly, bored and waiting for the party to just tell him that they were done. The foreman pats Sadur on the shoulder. "... Tell you what. Come and have a drink with me after the Bells, I'll buy you a round." He excuses himself and gets back to work.

The Watchman waits impatiently and speaks up when the Foreman leaves. "So... are you done? You should return to the Mayor quickly, said the Captain."

----

The necessary medical supplies are brought as quickly as possible, but with a full kit your task is made harder, as it is usually the doctor with certain specific tools like forceps and a scalpel, but at this point it is too late to go back and clamps and a small sharp knife must do. With practiced hands, the Matron went about her side of the work, watching Leon carefully and responding accordingly. She was an herbalist and possessed some medical training, and was a large help, along with a small team of acolytes who were there just to pass off clean water and cloth, and fetch components. You located the larva in the intestines a few feet below the stomach. A putrid slime has backfilled into his stomach and is slowly rotting as the mass has stopped his digestive track and he was constipated as well as dehydrated. He will have a long road to recovery after this, but first thing first.

Your medical training was not as fraudulent as your accreditation, and you find the best method of removing the larva, which had grown too large to be ejected from his throat. Surgery was what was needed. Darol was sedated into unconsciousness with a strong alcohol tincture and ground herbs and held down by acolytes. The Matron Priestess is stoic in her tasks, only scrunching her nose at the size of the mass in his intestines is revealed. Leon is able to clamp off and cut the intestines in two places and between his expert stitching and several castings of Cure Wounds from the Matron, the portion is removed and the intestine reattached.

Keeping focused, the excised portion and the incased larva is dropped into a metal bucket and clamped shut with a lid. They would deal with that later, first the exit plan. While Leon stitches the layers of tissue closed, an acolyte begins to position the throat with a stomach pump. It is not a common device, but one that will make clearing his stomach possible without further trauma. Leon might have started to wonder where the device had come from when he would notice a gentleman in a brown cloak and hat, standing just inside the room, watching with interest.

The Matron Priestess, finishing her part and stepping out of the way, assist Leon by taking his gloves once he stepped away from the patient, speaking softly to relay some information. "That is Doctor Leam... I think you've impressed him. You have impressed me as well. Thank you Doctor." She nods and moves away to handle the post-surgery orders. The patient is stable but has a lot of healing to do. Your job here is done. It seems Doctor Leam is waiting to speak with you.

The fellow medical specialist offers his hand, smiling with small bright blue eyes. His voice is chipper, the accent of someone who grew up in the capital far away from this city. "Yes yes! Quite an awesomely gruesome creature it must have been. I hear you were also part of the band of mercenaries who downed the Beast's parent, as well? A dashing young man of many talents? Averndale should be on Its guard, I say." The Doctor laughs, seeking to jest with the Physicker. "Speaking of... would you mind? I am a bit of an entomologist. Perhaps I can better identify the species if you wouldn't mind me taking charge of the larvae. Perhaps I can come up with something more concrete about its genus or species and the possible dangers a sighting might imply."

----

Sadur, Jasper, and presumably Xarakas would be able to spot the Temple of the Divines once their eyes adjusted back to the daylight that greeted them upon exiting the mine. The stone edifices of the pathways and the internal artworks were in reverence to the gods, either with joyous devotion or fearful adherence. Outfront several neophytes worked to clean the pathways and trim the hedges, they will greet you, and if asked you will be directed to meet up with Leon.

hook line, sinker, the pole and jumped into the boat.

One of the neophytes of the temple bows and then leads the party to Leon. You find him speaking with another gentleman, in a long coat and a brimmed hat with a leather bag at his side. He tips his hat to Leon.

"Very kind, Sir. Very Kind. Yes of course you will get my report as soon as I come up with something solid to aid you… Oh me? No no, I am an old hat. I came to bring some much-needed science to the hillfolk in my youth but these days I work in the city."

Turning to see the Party of Adventurers and for a moment attempting to size them up and determine their manner, also noticing the bug’s fluids upon the half-orc. "Oh my! And this must be your fellows. Quite a sight! Welcome to Averndale. You’ll have plenty more critters to smash, I bet. The monstrous spiders in the forests, the giant rats in the sewers, and those bloody backwoods savages causing trouble in the hills."

The Doctor, feeling dwarfed by the collected warriors, moved towards the exit as he spoke with somewhat nervous pleasantness, gesturing his variety of excitements with the empty hand. "... if you come across any more bugs, I am a collector of curiosities. Come by my office sometime, yes? I’ll leave you now… much to do! So much to do!" He will hurry off to collect the sample, and of to do some science!

The party again moves through the city, passing through the fort to ascend the hillside and reach the Mayor's Manor. This time, however, the Mayor is outside with Marcus, the nighttime Watch-Captain, as the group approaches.

"You see there, Marcus? I told you they would not terry." The Mayor turns, motioning the Watch-Captain to be dismissed, which Marcus does with a bit of a perturbance in his expression as he walks around the party and leaves. The Mayor on the other hand smiles brightly, in a way you were likely unsure he could manage. "Heroes! You've managed to find the worker, an outcome that not many were confident in. This certainly will fix the situation to everyone's satisfaction... speaking of... ah! Commander Hanson.

A stern-faced soldier with the markings of rank walks passed the Adventurers and turns so that he might look between the Mayor and these newcomers. He nods to the Mayor and then to the Party. "Lord Mund... adventurers... I am told Darol is returned. Good. Is this a new problem in the valley?"

"The creature is dead and the mine is clear... we can reopen that shaft." The mayor answered, but the Commander was not looking at him, he was waiting for the adventurers to answer, something the Mayor seemed to recognize with muted anger. Commander Hanson looks between the party members sizing them up and seeing which one of them would answer.

Hanson has the power over this situation, for some reason or another, considering the politics of the Fortress and the Town being entwined. The Commander stares sternly, looking for signs of deception from the Adventurers, trying to smooth talk the situation. He considers but then nods towards the party. "I thank you." A moment of genuine emotion from the Fort Commander, before his face hardens back into the shrewd look of a military officer, turning that attention to the Mayor.

The Mayor however was first to speak again, his look easy-going in spite of his tense a moment before. "You see? A bug problem, nothing more. This horrid wilderness reminds us again. Nothing that the City cannot handle, and now we have some specialists. The Averndale Adventurers' Guild is just getting started, Commander. And then you will have more troops to place on the road."

The Commander for his part does not soften at the Mayor's speech, but finally relents and gives a simple nod, before turning on his heels and walking off. With nothing more to say. The Mayor beams that toothy smile again and claps his hands. "Welldone adventurers welldone. Since you are already filthy, let's get you on to that next task! I have another dirty job for you... Talk to the Works-Manager at the Guildhall. He will take you to your next job."

"Of course, you will get paid for your labors, but now is not the time." The Mayor heads back into the house, leaving the butler, Nesmond, behind to answer any questions.

Directions were easy. You have already seen the Guildhall of Averndale sitting just outside of the old fort walls - a separate structure from the Bunkhouse that Jasper slept in last night. The building is magnificent - a stone foundations and select hand-carved lumber, a deliberate display of the combined artisans' talents. With a clerk's help, you will find the works manager in his office, who after a moment of confusion will rise and greet the party. He is happy to receive them and eager to get them to the job, prattling on about how happy he was to hear from the Mayor and how important it is that you inspect the downflow.

Leading the partying into the hillside, through a gated tunnel entrance, and down a stairwell, the party enters the underground Works. It is faint at first, but the sickly smell of sewage builds to an afoul stench, as they stop to unlock and then pass through several iron gates. You are led to the sluice gates where the flow is controlled. He turns to explain, with a smudge of some sort of salve under his nose to block the smell - holding a small container in his hand.

"I need you to find out what's been trying to crawl out from the downpipe." He points out some scratch marks on some of the ironbar door leading to the maintenance path next to the sewer channel. A little investigation might turn up that there of purposeful scratches in and around the locking mechanism. "We ignored it at first, cause they weren't getting through but the workers have been complaining about animal noises, so we put went to put out some poison, but when we sent someone to place bait and he was savaged along the arm before the beast was chased away! Nearly torn his arm off with bites! Then the pipe backed up and we can't send anyone down there until the beasties are put down. So... we really appreciate you fellars work." The man walks to the gate, pulls out an iron key, and then waits for your cue. "Just tell me when you're ready and I'll open the gate."

The Works manager, let the comment slide by awkwardly and then looked at Sadur as if he had realized his mistake. "Oh yes. Their lantern was knocked into the soup and went out first and then he was attacked, so he didn't get a good look but he ran back to the gate and the other torches seemed to scare it away. I guess they don't like the light much. Teeth and claws, so maybe a feral dog... anything living down there here ought to be a nasty sort. But you have a good mile before you'll reach the river grating. We checked that on the outside already and they seemed fine."

The manager turns the rusted lock with his key and stands away. "I'll be right here. Can't let them escape, after all... so, try not to take too long."

Ahead of you is a sewer tunnel of mortared stone, a channel of sewage just below to rim of a walkway along one side of the tunnel.

The Manager looks down at his hand and, like he just realized what Leon was asking, offers the smelling-salve.
The hollow gloom echoes with each and every one of their footsteps as Sadur, in the lead, charged forward - wasting no more time. Unless you all hurry along he may leave you behind.

The lights behind you grow small and dim as if crushed slowly but surely by the weight of the darkness, the stench, or else the closeness of the ceiling overhead and the channel standing still, with your own light sources making the sewage appear so still that is surface looked solid and able to bare weight. This is an oppressive atmosphere, overwhelming and yet monotonous. It is easy to get distracted as you continue forward, passing a marker on the wall that measures 1/8th mile.

[seriously though, how fast are you trying to move down here?]

Good news Sadur... Poking the sewage does not make the smell worse. It does however make your javelin gross as all hell and drips with rancid juices, as well as proving that the surface was not solid at all. The small ripples bob the filth as you prod the feculent soup.

Slowing to a steady march [full move?], the echoes finally settle, allowing the party to hear more than the fiction from their own gear. The steps certain do echo far. Continuing forward there is a slow curve in the tunnel, when as you are passing, very suddenly you find that you have reached a dam in the channel, and the reason the sewage does not flow down.

It is impossible to tell of what it was constructed, due to the dam leaking and overflowing, but it was constructed, not just something jammed or clogged by chance.

The spell creates a rumbling through the tunnel, the sound loud and beyond ignoring for any nearby, rippling the sewage causing some additional spillage. Afterward only the disparate echo, and then nothing.

Beyond the dam the pathway has been smeared with dried filth. While the channel below is mostly emptied, it is unfortunate that it does nothing to disperse the smell, as passed this point the sewage has seemed to spill onto the walkway. It does however show signs of passage and even tracks.

[Party's Perception check successful! So you see the tracks.]

Little feet, long toes, and lots of scratches. The creature's, or creatures', type is not discernable but you can tell that at last some of these are standing upright. There seemed to be a concerted effort to build this dam and there has been very recent movement in and out of these scummy areas.

It is then that the sound comes, as if in response to Jasper, a cry of strained anger and a scuffling of sound, footsteps with claws scratching. Something is coming, Things... Many now with horrid growling grunts. They come. In darkness they come, unimpeded.

The scratches in sprint, they first come into view in the dim-light appearing like snarling dogs, their short hair and bald patches confusing in the dark, yet as the rush-in the Giant Rats are revealed. You all are ready for them and have the presence to pick your targets as they come in. Once within the illumination of torch or spell, the paints upon them mark them as pets. Some have come along the walkway, but more come in the channel below and may try to climb up to flank your group.

Rolls first, Results next.

Sadur skewers the first rat coming down the channel, yet more come. Jasper's spell coats the pathway down the tunnel ahead, as several rats charge towards Sadur, who stands ready. Four come straight for him, but three of them fall prone and go sliding in the Grease as the last bounds upon the backs of the others to snap at the Half-Orc. The rats below come scampering the sidewall As the other Rats lunge to attack, Leon and Xarakas take down one each, further thinning the wave of gnashing teeth. Yet many make it through, biteing and scratching at the party, and our now around and between the party with only Jasper free to move back the way they came.

Rolls first

Leon punctures another skull with graceful ease, as fur and flesh sear to the strikes of torch and spell between Xarakas and Jasper. The adventurers covering Sadur's back repel the rats that had squeezed into their lines and even frighten away the injured and the rats having trouble finding their footing, sending all but one of the remaining rats fleeing outright. The final one only snapping weakly at Sadur out of spite before trying to escape

It was a hell of a shot, another of the painted mutant rodent cut down, as the others flee into the deep darkness. The wet scamperings echo back until dissolving into the sounds of the tunnel, and the party is left alone... for now.

Moving forward to retrieve weapons, the party spots damage in the channel ahead. The stones have been broken and moved, and the area has been built up with pieces of wooden boards from elsewhere. It is an entrance, a tunnel for creatures smaller than yourselves. There is even been an attempt to push away the muck as if a broom was used.

Backing away at first, the party walks the half-mile back to the gate where the Works-Manager is there, waiting. With trepidation, he waits until you have all gathered right to the gate before unlocking it and letting you through, with wide birth. Reapplying some salve he stands back. "Is it? ... is it, done?"

"... Damn it all. A hole in the tunnel?" He was working out that he'll need to do a lot of work now, where as he hoped it would be taken care of by the party and he could just go home. "We'll have to send a team after you flush out the danger. Now, if I were you fellers, I would just rip that blockage out and see if that don't handle the issue. Then I can send some fresh water down the channel and clear out some of this mess." He was not the type to choose to crawl into unknown holes, which is the other obvious route. "Flood'em out? Or just drown em, like that." The man shrugs, carefree in his callousness.

Would like to get a grapple of some sort and some salve to help with demolishing that dam and I'm ready!

Having taken some time to prepare, the party heads back into the entrance to the Sewer works. The Manager comes with, again, eager to flush the mess and be done with it. He didn't care what was living there. They could keep living there for all he cared, but the pipes need to flow.

The party takes the tunnel again and in time comes to see the dam ahead, you approach to inspect it and come to a stop, Sadur gets a sense of predation from the darkness ahead, while Leon picks up on the shifting of small feet. An ambush from farther into the tunnel, beyond the light of a torch or the limit of darkvision, the twang of crossbow strings and wiz of bolts.

Sadur throwing the torch forward brings dim light into range of the entrance to the hole and two kobolds scream. Sadur and Leon may close most of the distance with their move, but will be 10' short of the archers' wow shriek with abject terror and brief regret from hitting the orcish barbarian.

In fear, the kobolds flee into the tunnel, made for their size, which will be difficult terrain for medium-sized creatures.

With Sadur next to the smaller tunnel entrance, he cannot see his quarry in the hole but can hear angry chittering and strange barking and hissing calls from deeper within. They are waiting for you to follow, it seems.