Rattus Interuptus

What should have been an easy in-and-out assignment has turned into something vastly more life threatening.

The pay of twenty gold each for such a simple mission should have given them pause but still, the way Sir Briafadel had pitched it so casually had soothed away any ill feelings.

All had seemed peaceful at the tannery at first and even when they found the dead bodies of the workers, nothing felt threatening. It was only when they discovered the rat-catcher Hamlin's body hanging from the rafters and heard the creepy melody of those unnerving pan-pipes, that they realised something was horribly awry.

Swarms of disease-ridden rats rushed into the main two-story building, squeezing through the wide cracks between boards and under the ill-fitting doors. Worse though was to follow. The boar they'd encountered on the journey had been big for its breed but these giant rats were monstrous. At least the size of wild dogs and twice as vicious!

Trapped in the large, rickety, thatched building, the heavily armoured Fortu, the lithe elven Arowe and the terrified Rifkin were driven up into the upper mezzanine. Despite his fear, the vain Bard tried to inspire his friends with his heartening tunes, the armoured Fighter swept at the rats with his mighty sword and the flaxen haired archer fired multiple shots while hanging upside-down, halfway up the secured ladder.

Undeterred though, the rats pursued them, scampering up the wooden walls with ease and swarming over all three of them. In a panic Rifkin threw himself off the railless balcony, injuring himself in the fall but still able to flee out of the nearest door and back into the woods. Fortu and Arowe though, despite their revulsion, stood their ground and fought on, slowly grinding their opposition down. Arowe only gulping down his precious healing potion and leaping down, once assured that his human companion could handle the upper floor remainder on his own. Once again down on the floor he loosed many of his near namesake arrows at the nearest and largest of the dire rats. His path to freedom though, still blocked by hundreds of the remaining vile creatures.

The wild halfling Liga Burr and his massive riding dog chose a different tactic. As soon as they sensed the danger, as a team, they dashed out of the barn-like building in an attempt to draw the seething mass of rats away from the others. Unfortunately it was only partially successful, as the carpet of rats parted like water with only about half of them flowing after them.

Further disaster struck as, after opening up a slight lead, Mir Hurdur leapt a large pipe leading to the water only to land on magically sharped stones all alongside the riverbank. Hobbled and bleeding, the heavy dog managed to limp to one of the store building just in time for his rider to loose a few arrows into the eerie mist suddenly arisen around a small island in the stream and slam the door behind them.

Binding his loyal companions bloody paws, Liga Burr wonders who the musician hiding in the mist is but his musings are cut short by the more immediate scratching outside...