Grugga shakes his head. "Damnit." He sounds unsurprised that the sewer folk are turning against them.

He smiles at Cosette's bold song and wonders how the sewerfolk on the other side of the door look right now. Grugga sees that Raqisat and Rohuzar have the door well in hand and he turns his attention to looking for another possible plan.

He gives a concerted effort to looking for a secret escape from their current dead-end. "We're in a sewer... Sewers don't usually have random, dead-end storerooms." He murmurs as he climbs onto a box and traces his hands along the ceiling, then along the walls. "I wonder if another passage was paved over at some point... Aubrey, can Furvus see anything above, below, or around us?"

Investigation looking for a secret passage out: 19

Cosette nods in appreciation to Rohuzar joining her rhythm, and keeping it while she turns to address the others for a moment.

“Boys. Boys.” Cosette looks to Aubrey and Raqisat. “No need teh lose hope. Even if we don’t get an audience, at minimum we can further divide ‘em an’ continue to pound on their psyche while we review our options. More of a split in their ranks means less resisting us, right?” Then she pats her nose and points to Grugga searching their walls. He was thinking on par with her. This is why she was reviewing her maps and asked Aubrey to have Furvus scout what could be on the other side before she started drumming. “Even if there be no ‘secret passage’, we can make one.” She winks to Grugga. They could always burrow their way through to the next area. “We can bang around all day to the beat, haunting ‘em all along.” She gives Rohuzar an appreciative clap on the shoulder as he kept banging with his axe. “An’ it never hurts teh prepare ourselves defensively should they rush our entrance” Her eyes fall over Raq. “So, b’fore ya get too comfortable,” She playfully bats her lashes. “We should position the crates as a shield fer cover.” Cosette motions in a line by the door.

(Essentially 3 ‘points’:
1. Should we not succeed at persuading our way to an audience/a truce, then hoping to further drive a divide in their ranks. Maybe reduce the number of attackers should fighting inevitably occur?
2. Team efforts to investigate what’s on the other side of the walls of the storage room for an alternative escape. If no secret passage, then suggesting breaking/digging our way through.
3. In the mean time, move the crates to create a shield/barrier/cover should the door be breached, and/or we eventually decide to try to fight our way out the front.)

     Raqisat adopts a more or less bemused attitude and is more than willing to help whatever plan or attempt is in the making.  A barricade to hide behind for those non-melee combatants may be of use but mostly he thinks when push comes to shove it is going to be us breaking down or forcing the door and moving out, not the ratters moving in.  

     "Sewers need to be maintained.  Maintenance people need storage rooms," he offers to Grugga.  "Not that you are wrong.  This may have been something else before it was turned into a makeshift storage and prison by them...  But it may not have been anything connected to pipes or tunnels we could fit through.  I does have a door so I doubt it was a runoff pool or anything."

     Still, the door proved stubborn in his attempt at it so no reason not to build a fortress and search for other, perhaps easier ways out.

[Some Maps...]

The room you're currently in and the hall outside.  The hall immediately outside your door is empty.  There are 8 sewerfolk in the larger hall reinforcing the door and constructing barricades in the hall to provide cover.

The nearby tunnel network...

The BLACK dots are tunnels leading down, deeper underground.  

The RED dot is the main entrance (note: this doesn't immediately lead outside... it leads to the maze of tunnels that eventually lead back to the river.)

The BLUE dot is the blocked staircase leading up from the large gymnasium area.

The GREEN dots are ladders leading up to wine cellars.

The PURPLE dot leads back to the area where you accessed the lower tunnels, fought the Death Kiss and found the old tomb.

The odd shaped room with the water in the middle is where the baby crocodiles were reared.

Some of these passages slope up or down, though I'm not sure how to display that on the maps or if it would even be relevant.  Most of these tunnels are dry-ish, with the sewerfolk having blocked off storm drains to divert water into other passages and keep their warrens neat and dry.

Observing the sewerfolk through Furvus' eyes, Aubrey sees them stop and listen to Cosette's song.  

They talk nervously among themselves.  While none make any move to let him out, all agree that if it comes to violence, they should take care to spare the one who took the blood oath.  None of them are sure which one that is, exactly, so they agree to do their best, but that sometimes accidents happen that are totally no one's fault.  One of them is dispatched to advise Elton and the others that the strangers are up, active, and seemingly aware they've been imprisoned.  That leaves 7 out in the outer hall at the moment.  These 7 go back to work reinforcing the barricades, with greater urgency and with nervous glances at the door.

Grugga, you are only able to locate the same three shafts that Raqisat explored.  Two are near the ceiling, and one is near the floor.  They are just big enough that you can entertain the idea of a medium-sized person wiggling through, but it would be a claustrophobically tight fit and would be all but impossible in armor.

[Assuming Furvus pulls double duty and also scouts these passages...]

The two shafts near the ceiling extend out and then slope upward.  They end at storm drains 20'+ above you.  They have been capped off to prevent water from draining into this room.

The shaft near the floor goes straight, apparently passing under a narrow hallway to your right, then making a right turn and entering the rectangular room at the end of the outer hall.  This room is full of dozens, perhaps hundreds of rats [regular size rats, not giant].

Raqisat struggles to get the leverage necessary to lift the beam on the otherside.

Rohuzar makes slow, methodical progress with his rhythmic chopping.  Given another few minutes, he should be able to make a hole large enough to get an arm through and lift the beam.  That will give you access to the narrow hall.

Grugga watches as Rohuzar chops to the rhythm. "It sounds like now's our chance. We nearly match their numbers and it sounds like we're much better fighters than them, the way they tell it." Grugga stops inspecting the walls and makes sure his armor is all strapped up tightly and that he has all his tools.

"Push past them and then where? Not where we came from, but perhaps the nearest fork... left-right-left? Or make for the wine cellars that Furvus found?"

     "The quickest way up and out into fresh air?" Raqisat suggests without really studying the map to see what that way would be.  "They will have an advantage underground wherever we go as this is their home and they know it far better than we do.  They may also have friends, family and pets seeded around.  Fresh air seems to be our best course..."

"Back the vay ve came. The city is still dangerous, and Ve don't know that other dangers may be around." Rohuzar says all this with a bit of heavy breathing as he keeps swinging. 

Aubrey steps up to the others by the door, ready to follow Rohuzar as the massive orc bursts through the feeble attempt to lock him up. "If we head back the way we came we would likely have to go through much resistance. That said I don't much mind fighting these treacherous sewerfolk, killing enough of them, that Elton in particular, might even make the Rat King decide to parlay a truce where we are allowed to explore the ruins without any further interference from them." The young noble says firmly. "It will likely take some time to bring down the next door leading out to the outer corridor where they have prepared their defenses but I'm confident we will be able to blast our way out of here." He adds, touching his talisman with a hint of eagerness to use it's powers. "When we reach the outer tunnel I will use the powers of my talisman to handle adversaries to our right while we make it to the left and towards where we entered the sewers."


Aubrey will continously let Furvus report on actvities in the outer corridor, also reporting on gear and preparations of the enemy.

Rohuzar damages the door enough to reach through and lift the beam.  Pushing the door open, you know have access to the narrow hallway.

Outside, the sewerfolk continue their work.  Three work on the left barricade, two on the right, and two brace barrels against the door and hammer wedges between the door and frame.

Aubrey continuously reports to his team about the siuation in the outer corridor, ready to follow Rohuzar forth towards the next door.

     Raqisat puts himself at the front of the escape watching for any tricks, traps or foes to attack and depending on shouts from those behind him on which was to head.

Cosette steps up to Rohuzar. "If I may," Reaching up, she places her hands against his back shoulders. With a deep hum, she sends reverberations through her palms and then pats on his back to their rhythm. With deep breaths he'd feel her share her magically augment their will together.

On Rohuzar & Cosette
Casting: Enhance Ability lvl 3 - Bear's Endurance: The target has advantage on Constitution checks. It also gains 7 temporary hit points

Then with a nod, Cos steps back to allow Raqisat to take his position up front with Rohuzar. She continues to fall back to allow Aubrey to go next as he was ready to act, eager to try out his spell. Cosette would then encourage Leelan to go next to position him in the middle. She'd then approach Grugga and takes a look at his palm, "They'll be more hesistant teh attack ya if yous look like ya shared blood with Elton. It was good of ya teh think ahead 'bout that." She'd smile.

On Grugga
Casting: Bardic Inspiration (1d8)

"I can cover the rear with one of yer buddies." Cos would wink.

Grugga smiles in appreciation of Cosette's compliment. "Excellent. I'll be in the middle, then. I can help up with my creations either up front or behind." Grugga packs up Zip and Zap so there are fewer "bodies" trying to cram through a small hallway. He awaits the second door coming down with a bit of nervous energy that he uses to tinker with a small invention that he can easily put away when it's go time.

Rohuzar slings his battle-axe and draws his silvered longsword. 

He takes a breath, assesses the defenses and starts moving towards the blockade with his shield raised. "You asked to share blood. Now you'll be sharing more than you bargained." Rohuzar starts jogging, then running. He's looking to create a hole, pushing past the barricades so Raqisat and the rest can get through behind him. 

Seeing his companions choose the hard way out, Leelan would follow Cosette encouragement. Apart from shooting his bow, he doesn’t feel like there is much he can contribute to this plan, so he attempts to stay out of his more competent friends.

[So here we go...

Rohuzar is launching an attack on the barricaded door.

Up until this point, the sewerfolk outside don't know you are preparing to try to break out.  For the first round, the sewerfolk will be surprised.  Additionally, since you have had time to prepare this attack, I will let the party select your initiative order.  I'll roll to see who goes first between the party and the sewer folk after the first round, but y'all can select the party's initiative in whatever order you think is most optimized, so long as Rohuzar is going first, as his attack on the door has started this.  Keep in mind, the tunnel you are in is only wide enough to go through single file.  If you can't break out quickly, it will become a bottleneck.

While you pick your initiative order, Rohuzar roll attacks on the door.  The to-hit doesn't matter (I doubt you're likely to miss a door) but we need to see how much damage you can do and if you have a chance of breaching it right away.

I'll also need a complete order in space... Assuming you're lined up, it looks like Rohuzar, Raqisat, Aubrey, Grugga, Leelan, Grugga's constructs, Cosette.  Is that right? ]

Rohuzar tries to murder a door with premeditated intent 

Attack: 28 Damage: 15 

Attack: 21 Damage: 9 

Grugga lines up behind Aubrey with his longsword drawn. He can't shake the feeling that this could have gone better - these people were strange, but killing them was going to be different than killing cultists. He shakes his head and suppresses the thought so he can worry about it later instead of now. He looks over his shoulder and gives a thumbs up to Leelan and Cosette, then looks back ahead.

*Chop* *Chop* *Crack*

Grugga prepares to pour out of the door and begin the attack.

     Whips at the ready, Raqisat is prepared to follow Rohuzar in a rush.  The swords would usually be his first choice with such stakes but he thinks he may need the reach the whips allow if they get stuck in a hallway battle…