Duty Session 204: Obligatory Rat Cellar

Yeowang isn't exactly a new player, because everyone's been stuck in the game for some time now, but she's been working, or trying to work, on her martial arts skills, but she's probably new to players because she'd been grinding newbie content, trying to work out how to use her real life martial arts skills in game. Sadly, it seems the game doesn't allow her to do some of what she does in real life, so after some time trying to push it, she's accepted the limitation and resolved to move on and join the main thrust of the game. She's elected to start with one of the traditional new player quests, the rat cellar, and has put out a notice that she's doing so, hoping to attract some adventurers to the effort. She's hoping specifically for one of them, but she's not even sure if he's in the game.

In any event, she's here in this shop, nodding gravely to the shopkeeper, who's complaining about rats in his basement. "Yes, we'll take care of things," she assures him.

    Giganpor had decided to go back to basics, and well... rat killing was the best way to do it! Even though he's probably a bit higher on the level thing, he was there with his hammer-axe spear and custom buckler. The giant's current demeanor was a bit silent more than anything, as he seemed more there to give himself something to do than just being there for the duty and to help out.

    After all, what better way to get back to doing stuff than doing some rat killing that he hadn't done in a long, long while? Rats were a problem all around, always are. Kill the rats!

    Merek walks along and with the party to deal with the cellar rats. The man wears the potion belt about the waist while he nods to the party, taking a moment to adjust both of his gloves. "Alright, we should be able to assist."

For once Vertina isn't just out to beat stuff up. She's here as a concerned business operator herself, and the last thing she needs is rats finding their way into the tavern's cellars. And the fiery dragon woman would rather get right to the source of the problem, whatever it may be this time, and beat the living crap out of that.

    Miyako has dealt with rat nests a time or two before, so she's not unfamiliar with the general theme. "No need to worry, sir." She lazes by the entrance while the others get set up and ready to go in, pausing to produce her naginata from inventory.

Well Vertina might not be here to beat stuff up, but Syx is, though he's not sure why /rats/, "I've literally suplexed giant monsters, why am I fighting rats?" He asks, looking a bit down at the moment since he'd rather punch something dangerous.

Miho had a guildie who needed help so here she was, still rats? It's always big old rats. This has to be from some of the wsstern developers, right? That's just a thing there with RPGs. Then again this wasn't a game anylonger now was it? She didn't know Yowang too well but hey this was a way to change it.

"So rats huh? Then again like goblins we'll never seem to get rid of them no matter how hard we try."

Yeowang is pleased that so many Guildies have joined her on this quest. "Welcome, all," she says, gaze sweeping over the assembled adventurers, and she will lead the way down into the cellar of the shop. She says aside to Syx, "This is to aid the merchants of the city, so the food and things we buy from them are not full of plague." She nods to Miho, and says, "If you like, you can think of the rats as just like goblins, just a bit less inclined to inventive cruelty. Otherwise, they're not very different." She's resolutely unarmed, leading the way into the dusty cellar, which seems mainly used for storage of mold. There is chittering, but it seems to come from the walls.

    Merek takes one of the potions from the belt which he then will throw along upon the mold, looking to watch the chemical take care of that as well.

    Miyako shakes her head softly as she sees the mess, and steps up to the wall, wrinkling her nose. "You owe me the cost of the bath-house when this is over," she announces, before taking her naginata and sweeping away a section of vine.

"And to keep the rats from spreading farther," Vertina adds in. "They have this habit of sneaking into things that are shipped out of places, too." She follows Yeowang down into the cellar, but then stops and emits a gagging growling noise. "Ugh, it's already thick in the air down here." She takes the unusual looking jar off her belt, and uses one of the claws of her gauntlet to scrap some mold off a crate into the jar. Puts the cap on, shakes it around a bit, then takes the cap back off and drinks it. "Ah!" Returns the jar to her belt. "Now I can breath mold free again!" After that finding a way through the rest of the ruined wares isn't all that hard, since she can breath and thus think clearly.

    Giganpor, meanwhile, goes on the other end of the room from the crazy alchemist types, starting to move crates by hand. He ends up getting some mold and having to pull a towel from his inventory as he shakes his head, "This is just annoying."

Syx considers his options for a moment as he looks at the walls, tapping on them a few times here and there, "How much property damage are we allowed to do before we fail the objective?" He wonders aloud, although it seems he doesn't really concern himself with the answer.

He takes a step back, and then does a side-hop forward, delivering a picture perfect superkick to the wall in order to shatter it and reveal their path forward.

Miho says "Don't worry I know how it goes. At least rats have a purpose in the grand scheme of things." Her tail swishes a bit before she now gets to work and will start moving things as needed. She seems rather direct and to the point. Also pretty strong for someone of her size too. "It's always a pain when things get musty...like that."

Yeowang nods gravely to Miyako, and says, "A bath would be pleasant after this. A /very hot/ bath." She looks over as Giganpor cleans the mold off himself more than the walls, but smirks as Vertina and Merek seem to have potions that can take care of that. If only we all did. Hearing the chittering from beyond the walls, though, clues her in to start in with a dagger, prying out some of the old masonry behind where Miyako cleared away the vines to maybe get at where the rats are hiding. Unfortunately, she just finds earth behind the stone bricks. Miho and Syx, however, have chosen the right spot, revealing the path forward. "Well done," she says. "I'm not sure if there is a damage limit. Perhaps the owner is compensated? Or perhaps getting rid of the rats is simply worth it?"

A long, crude passageway is revealed, with tunnels splitting off along the way, forking, then twisting around and rejoining. It definitely seems like a rat warren here, with passages leading who-knows-where. "This is certainly more than I expected to find in a shop's basement," she admits frankly.

Miho says "Given these rats can get big enough to attack people? I might just be that too. I heard some crazy stuff about a few of these rat warrens. Though one sticks out. A server at Hifumi's place used to in one of these dungeons. Things have a lot better for her now." She notes with a bit of a girn but this time they got to start figuring out where the rats are. She'll take a moment and get on the hunt there' even a moment she'll bend over to sniff and she gets an idea "I think they are this way."

Vertina stops at the division of the various tunnels. Turns her head to look down one way, and then another way, and blows some smoke out her nostrils with a snort. "It'll take too long to search them all... unless..." She pauses, and then smirks. Puts her hands together, a visible shimmer to her aura flickering as she does a series of rapid hand gestures to help her focus. Tail flicks for balance, one foot shifts back for support. "MIRAGE PHASE!" And then she's off!

In several directions at once?!

Or at least that's how most people will see it, when really she's just moving with such a burst of speed that the afterimages are all moving in different directions as the speed warps light around her focused aura. While the real Vertina eventually finds some evidence of unusually large rodents down one of the tunnels, and dashes back to the intersection to get peoples' attention. "Hey! Down here!"

    Miyako takes one look down the corridor, at the many branches and splits visible, and shrugs. "Well, worst comes to worst, there's always the left-hand rule," she says, referencing the old Egyptian labyrinth-solvers' standby. Then she walks casually down the hall and ... takes the second right, disappearing down that hall until she hears Vertina's shout and turns back.

    Your *other* left, girl.

    Giganpor shifted to his Were-Fang form, still armored as he looks around. His gaze goes to the floor, then near the walls before he's heading the way that Vertina just pointed out. And sniffing a bit. "Definitely that way."

    Giganpor sneezes after a moment, "... freaking mold."

    Merek nods a bit while he tries to begin and navigate along the path. He doesn't manage to find anything.

Now Syx knows a thing or two about hunting things down. He once had to hunt down The Butcher Barbarian through six different arenas over the course of two months. Sure that was an ongoing plotline, but he had to learn a bit about hunting in order to make it look right.

He takes a knee near one of the markings on the ground, and rubs his finger through it, "This way. Come on." He makes a motion for the others in the group to follow him. If they trust him.

Yeowang nods, follows Miho as she leads the way through the maze of twisty passages that all seem similar, which Syx, Vertina and Giganpor luckily confirm is correct. Which is perfect, because she's clueless as to the right way. She'll follow them, dragging Merek along as well. "This way." Fortunately, Miyako doesn't wind up too far off track before rejoining the group as well.

The place our pathfinders lead us to, as the sound of rats grows louder, is something to boggle the senses. It's ... paved with rats, it seems. Live, stinking, squeaking, biting rats. There is a way out on the far side of the chamber, but how to get there? Fighting this many rats, they'd clear the Tower before we got done. There must be some other way?

"Don't worry, I've got just the thing for this." Vertina pulls a large flask out of her inventory, pops the cork out of the top with her thumb, and chugs the entire thing down. Why, one might ask? Simple enough.

Alcohol is rather flammable.

The Salamander brewer is thus using it like fuel to amplify her fire breath, so she can just huff and buff and burn her way through! Charred rat stinks even worse than live festering rats do, but at least it helps clear a way quickly through the sheer numbers.

    Giganpor looks at the writhing mass of rats, then shrugs, "I think I'll avoid the smell of singed fur."

    He brings his weapon up, flipping it to the hammer end before striking the ground, "ROCK CRADLE!"

    The modification of the spell sends the rock pillars along the very center of the room towards their destination. A safe path for the others to get through if the rats can't crawl over the thing. That it crushed a few rats on the way probably helps.

Giganpor hefts his weapon afterwards, putting it over his shoulder as he walks along the path.

"Hell yeah, now this is what I'm talking about!"

Syx takes a couple of steps back, and then rushes forward, charging headlong into the rats, punching and kicking with enough force to literally send waves of rats flying with each strike, as he puts the force behind them to kick up a shockwave. He'll clear a path one way or another.

    Merek lifts up a hand while he begins to cast fire into the nest while he nods a bit to the party. It begins swinging along upon each of them while he takes a moment to draw his twin weapons.

Miho likely should have just sert things on fire, sh really should have but that doesn't help now. She would take a moment as she attempt to channel an earth based sword art. It however doesn't go very well for her thankfully others are doing far better than she is.

    Miyako stops in place when she sees the veritable carpet of rats. "Oh, /gross/," she mutters, and pauses to think for just a moment. She stabs the butt of her naginata's haft into the dirt at her feet, sending a wave of earth out into the mass of rats... but the squeaking creatures simply ride the wave or climb over it. Useless. "Freakin' rats...."

Yeowang looks pleased as Merek and Vertina clear the way of rats, Vertina with her flaming breath and Merek with his flaming ... hand? "That's very useful," she observes. For her own part, a fitfully burning torch will have to serve in the same role. It's not hugely useful, but every bit helps in clearing a path for the party to use. Miyako's earthen wave, alas, is just ridden out by the surf rats. Giganpor's thundering hammerblow strikes much harder, and creates an aisle with low, but solid, walls of stone so the rats can't reoccupy the walkway as we dash across. Syx is able to squash the rats that remain, killing some outright, kicking others over the stone barrier enthusiastically.

Making our way onward past the chamber carpeted in rats, we find ourselves in a room the smaller rats eschew. Bits of colored cloth on the floor seem like tribute to the rat at the center of the scraps. It has spikes aloong its spine, and a misasma comes from its eyes and mouth. It sits up, foaming at the mouth at the intruding party's interruption.

    Miyako pauses as she enters the room, taking in the pile of fabric, the suddenly spiky giant rat... and hmms. "Well," she muses, "Let's see if this works."

    She begins inscribing familiar glowing runes in the air with a fingertip, holding her naginata loosely in the other hand. After scribing several, she completes the spell with the call of

            PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!

    The spell-runes circle about the room and fall upon the cloth that festoons the creature. A grey gleam, metallic in sheen, climbs up each strand, until the rat-monster is completely surrounded in the suddenly immobile fabric.

    "There you go. One gift-wrapped rat."

And they find their way into a horder's wet dream. "This doesn't seem like much of a rat place..." Cue the beast getting up from the pile and flaring it's spines. "... Nevermind! I got it!" Vertina as usual is not afraid to be the first one leaping into the actual fight! She charges forward, starting to whip up fire as she does, and leaps towards the strange rat. "RAGNA-urk!" And gets slapped out of the air before she can finish executing the move, instead slamming comically into one of the walls. ".. Ow.."

    Merek nods a bit while he begins to use the Frost Shock upon that rat, while making things a little bit easier for all of the party.

Now despite mostly being a physical fighter, Syx is still quite skilled at magic, particularly fire type. He's of course a salamander so naturally he's going to have some fire skills. Though he has a tendency to channel his flames through his punches and kicks.

He does the same now, putting up a wall of flames using a spinning kick in order to deflect the incoming attacks while the others move in on the creature.

    Giganpor, not really wanting to try that miasma, decides to let someone else charge forward. Instead, he subtley boosts the magic of the others while magicing the fabric around the rat thing's feet to try to trip it into the attacks. The main sign he's doing it is his shield giving off a glow as he guides fabric after fabric to wrap up the rat thing's feet, and muzzle it. That miasma can't be healthy!

Miho get an idea about this rat it's got fabriac she's got an idea and she will attempt to turn some of said fabric against it. This goes badly, this goes so badly Miho ends up tangled in a ball of rotton horrible fabric. She's not happy about this and may need help to get her free of it.

Yeowang joins the fight against the rat thing, but physical blows don't seem to do much to the creature. Vertina's magic does nothing much, either as she slumps against one of the walls from that savage interrupt, catching her breath. Miyako and Giganpor's magic, on the other hand, wraps it up like a present, with Syx lighting a bonfire underneath it. Miho has taken some of the cloth as well, but her magic goes awry, and she winds up tangled like a kitten in yarn. Yeowang uses one of the strange techniques the game has provided her with, alternately freezing the creature with a kick, and then shattering the ice with a follow-up blow, the combination softening it up considerably. Merek's magic does something similar, though without needing to kick the stuffing out of it.

This rat defeated, Yeowang helps Miho out of the tangled cloth. The party continues on, luckily not getting lost. It's not much farther to a rough circular room filled with refuse. Smaller rats scurry among the reeking garbage. Sitting atop the pile of trash like an ancient king is a yellow-scaled kobold on a throne of broken armor pieces. The Kobold calls out to the rats, it seems, and together, rats and kobold attack.

    Merek looks to all of the enmies while he takes a moment to take what looks like an alchemist potion. The man throws the potion and it begins to explode, while he nods a bit to the party!

    Giganpor huhs as he looks at the pile of discarded armor. "Shame I have to do this."

    The hammer-axe spear is raised, then brought down on the discarded armor pile as he steps closer. Numerous rats end up stuck, or worse trapped in the armor as Giganpor bangs on it a few times. The armor literally seems to melt and change into one big mound as he goes. By the time he's done, the Kobold might as well be solo with a few rats as the Were-Lion comments, "Riddle of Steel. I do apologize for this, whoever wore such armor before." He bows his head slightly, then looks at the Kobold, "You were saying?"

Vertina doesn't stay down for long, but by the time she's gotten off the wall, off the floor, and caught her breath the fabric horder rat is dealt with by the others. Hey, team effort. And stuff like that. No ill will, she just gets hupping after the rest of the group to catch up. Onward to the next section!

"-Another horder hell-?" Vertina is briefly agast by that. Though at least this one is scraps of armor and weapons and a bit more interesting. Still disgusting though, especially seeing the state the stuff is in, and the rats swarming around it, and the filthy little... wait a minute. "That's not a rat, that's a kobold!" Thank you Miss Obvious. She snarls and points a finger at the little fiend. "You know how hard it is to find decent materials these days? Yet you've been spending your little vermin up to take it all! But now you've pilfered your last piece of player posessions!"

Vertina clenches her fists, which brings the sharp claws on the back of her battle gloves to full bear. Takes a moment to laugh at Giganpor's handiwork. "Yeah! You really HAMMERED That point home!"

And then she starts ripping through the other rats still scrambling about the room trying to attack. But the Direclaw Cestus are designed after the claws of predators and have little trouble tearing up rodents into little glimmering bits of pixels.

So the only real injury to Miho was her pride. Which shows for a while once she's finally free. The Smith seem to get her mind quickly on other things. She does however thank Yeowang. "Thanks I owe you one for that."

She will now look at the Kobold which soon attacks. This time Miho has a better idea she takes a deep breath and will just breath fire on the attacking rats. She may like this racial trait a bit too much...

"Nice alliteration," Miyako says, praising Vertina. "Sometimes some seasoned stalwarts must substitute suspicious synonyms to support such sanguine serenades."

    That said, she advances on the rats and kobold, the tip of her naginata flicking out to toss pieces of armor aside and remove the rats' shelter before slamming down to pierce the littler creatures, pick them up, and toss them aside as well.

"Too much talking, not enough hitting!" Syx chimes in, as the group seems to want to talk a lot to the kobold.

So he rushes in, aiming to start smacking the kobold around. And by that, what he'll really be doing is laying in kicks and punches with all the force behind them that he can muster.

When the chance presents itself, Syx is going to grab the kobold and chokeslam it. There's not enough targets that are small enough to pull that move off, so he's going to take advantage of it when he can.

The kobold charges, his rats with him, at least until Giganpor takes control of the throne of discarded armor plates. It grows and morphs, and swallows the rats one by one, grabbing up all of them that aren't incinerated by Miho's flaming breath or speared by Miyako. Where they wind up does not bear consideration. They are either crushed to death, or trapped to suffocate, and it's hard to say which one is worse. But they're rats, and would have eaten us, so fair's fair. Vertina's claws make short work of the remaining rats, and deal heavy blows to their kobold king. Yeowang is fighting him also, matching him blow for blow, sending him sprawling with a spinning back-kick that would have trashed her low boots if these things were made of flesh instead of pixels. This gives Syx just the opening he needs, forgoing his beatdown and grabbing the kobold in a chokehold, finishing it with one mighty convulsion of effort.

The remaining rats, there were one or two, curry back into their ratholes, and the kobold slumps lifeless, though he doesn't decay into pixels. But he lays there, until suddenly jerking into motion and darting towards one of the piles of garbage. The next moment, he's gone, his escape reveling that there was a hidden tunnel. A small, plain looking chest is left behind, though, containing an interesting underground herb.

Vertina holds up one of the plants from the chest and takes a sniff of it. "That's interesting." Drops it in her inventory. "Might have something to do with how that yellow runt was keeping the rats under his sway, too."

    Miyako nods and hmms. "Interesting," she muses, picking through the shards of armor for any identifying marks. Perhaps they'll be able to tell who the pieces belonged to....

With the fight over Miho seem to be in a better mood as the remainingf rats are done. She doesn't catch on to the Kobold being alive still until it fleets. Ugg the pathwayt out, knowing it would be gone by now she'll go to get the loot. "Well that went pretty well all things considered."

Yeowang looks over the herb she's found, and carefully sets it into her inventory. "That went well," she says to the group. "Thank you for helping with this, it really did turn out to be a group effort." She hrms at Vertina's conjecture about how the kobold was controlling the rats, but she knows too little about botany or monsters to offer an opinion. She nods to Miyako, and agrees with Miho. "Yes, I think so as well. I apologize for getting a slow start, I'm not entirely used to these quests, I think." On the other hand, she seemed right on top of the fighting. "I suppose we just head back now?" she asks, looking around for a path out. Newbie questions. "That shopkeeper will need fresh stonework in his cellar."

    Giganpor nods, "Usually that's how it goes." He looks to Miyako, "I wouldn't bother. Riddle of Steel unfortunately isn't that precise unless I've got time in the forge. I just wanted to keep the rat horde from multiplying."

Sighing as he picks up a bit of the herb, he looks at it and shrugs before stuffing it into his inventory and turning to go. "Thanks for having me along."

    "Might want to have someone collapse these tunnels, too, just in case," Miyako muses. "Or new stonework won't be all he'll need."

    She shrugs at Giganpor's words, and drops her examination of the shards to stand and rejoin the rest. "So," she asks casually, "Anyone up for lunch? I hear there's a place in town that does a decent burger."