Cosette contently listens to the conversations as she strides along. With her companions asking all the appropriate questions, a smirk lingered on her lips. She was satisfied knowing her own curiosities and hunches were correct. "Welp, no matter how wild ya get Raq, I can put ya in yer place." She pokes him in his side with her finger, mimicking a swift jab of her rapier. Cos assures with a wink when she's met with a look. She had no intention of revealing her 'secrets' to the wererat's at this time. It was leverage for now.

     "Giving you a reason to tie me up once a month, what could be wrong with that?" Raqisat retorts with a smirk.

     "What is your name then?" Raqisat asks of the prisoner as he pushes up his sleeves.  "Bite me again.  A couple times.  Nice and deep, visible like, eh?"

     Raqisat turns his head to the others.  "We don't want to have to kill them all, and we don't want to be killed.  We make it obvious that we're ok having a link to the group...  Me...  But that we're going to also be independent and our own clan.  Not living in their confines or competing with them, we'll live in the outer world and use our influence there to either keep them hidden of make deals that allow them to continue."

     "This would work for both groups, no?" Raqisat asks, turning more to Aubrey now. "We would have allies and a protective nest to retreat to if we need it while exploring the city, they have us protecting their interests, keeping their secrets and, if need be, negotiating for their continued existence as it is.  Me being one of them but who works with you is the proof of concept or something...  You could sell this, couldn't you?"

While the group draws ever closer to the main wererat lair, Grugga warns his allies, "The false 'king' can cast magic. Spread out in the chamber lest we catch a nasty surprise fireball."

The Orc then reassures the wererat prisoner, "Don't worry, we won't tell him we know he can cast magic." He reaches out a hand to the "escorted" prisoner, who may or not be able to shake back at the moment, "I'm Grugga, by the way. What's your name?"

Pressing for more information, "You started as a group of exclusively Humans, then? And you're saying there are some still alive who were around during the breach? That was nearly 100 years ago... Most humans don't live that long on the surface..." He gives a look to Raqisat, that an extended lifespan is another benefit of this curse. "I would really like to speak to some of the survivors the Breach." He announces to his allies. "Most of the refugees from Amnifortis left before the Breach occurred, and even those who witnessed it firsthand didn't stick around the city. This is a unique opportunity to learn more about the Breach's aftermath, and that information may help us with our current mission."

"I would also like to read those books, if we can work out some sort of deal..." He says to the prisoner, wondering if their religion was connected to the shrine they found in the Death Kiss' "lair." "You should do your best to mediate peace. It's a shame what happened back there, but we're really quite friendly. Friendly and dangerous. Good friends and bad enemies."

Aubrey ponders the new information their prisoner provides the team with, and as there is mention of magic being wielded he quickly messages Furvus to hover ahead to study this alleged spell caster in order to find out more about what kind of threat he poses. "As long as you can reliably retain your free will and not turn full rat on the team Raqisat, I'm prepared to negotiate for you to be our peace offering to reach the agreement we seek with the survivors." The young noble calmly answers the anthroplogist with a polite smile. He then nods as he listens to the artificer. There was certainly much to learn in these ruins and he was particularly interested in learning more about this breach magic. Maybe he would even find some answers to the powers of his talisman here in ancient Amnifortis.

Furvus perception as it studies Nic the alleged magic wielder: 22

The man looks bewildered and frightened at Raqisat's reversal.  "N-now you want me to bite you?  He looks at the others for confirmation.  I'd... I'd have to transform.  Are... are you sure?"

As he waits for direction, he shakes his head at Grugga.  "We can live to an old age but it is still dangerous here in the city.  Old Scabbers was the only one of us left who was from 'before'.  He raised the crocs.  But you folk just killed him back there.  That leaves Elton and Remy as the oldest, but neither one of them was around for the Breach."  You are able to get out of him that, so far as he knows, the community has always been wererats, dating back to long before the Breach.

Aubrey:

"While Raqisat decides whether he would voluntarily subject himself to the curse of lycanthropy I can inform you that the rest of the clan is awaiting us at the next intersection and it doesn't look we're getting a warm welcome back I'm afraid." Aubrey explains and goes on to tell them the particulars of what he has witnessed. "We will just have to convince them that  fighting us is not in their best interest, won't we?" He turns and says to the wererat prisoner with an amused smile.

     "I already been bit," Raqisat points out, to himself as much as to anyone else.  "May as well jump in with both feet and act like it's my own decision, eh?"

     "Do it," Raqisat instructs the prisoner.  "Just... Do it carefully.  We're all a bit on edge here."

     Sleeves pushed up to reveal his forarms already, Raqisat takes a small step back so as to watch the process with a much more clinical and interested view than he would have otherwise.  This could be him come the next full moon.  Or he could be dead by the end of the day depending how the next encounter works out.  No sense worrying too much about it now.  Still, Raqisat couldn't help but regret it wasn't something fancier than a rat...  Couldn't they have stumbled upon a next of weretigers instead?

     "Perhaps the best way to convince them to talk instead of fight is to send him in first," Raqisat says to Aubrey, indicating the prisoner with a nod of his head.  Raqisat was happy to be distracted by planning instead of just waiting for the bites.  "He seems pretty convinced of how powerful foes we make.  Hopefully he thinks we could makes just as powerful allies."

Leelan stops and turns to Raqisat as he’s about to offer himself willingly to lycanthropy.

"Are you sure this is a wise decision? We know very little about this condition. The cost might not be worth the ‘benefits’. Wouldn’t you prefer to make an informed decision?"

"There's also this." Grugga holds out the scroll of invisibility ((I really need to learn how to link more than just spells...)) that the group received ages ago. "If this isn't going to turn out well anyway, we may as well get the drop on them... One person could take out that ballista thing they have and tear up the backlines."

Grugga sounds sad suggesting this plan, but he sounds resigned that this will likely lead to violence, and they may as well have the upper hand.

((Replace spell with magicitem and otherwise it’s same format… just have items name right and it should work.))

     “I’m pretty sure it’s unwise,” Raqisat responds to Leelan with a bit of a smirk.  “But already been bit anyway so if there’s a chance no matter what then may as well play it up for our benefit, eh?”

Cos’ brow pops at Raq’s eagerness to be done right here and now. She had expected a larger audience and bigger performance.

Cosette would place a reassuring hand on Grugga’s shoulder and gives it a squeeze. She too would prefer a mutual understanding between them and the wererat colony. She genuinely cared not to drive them out of their home, only to explore it further. Sure it was for gain, albeit scientific, treasure or otherwise… But she’d obviously prefer it not be at the cost of genocide. Both parties could benefit from a proper agreement. “If ya need deft hands fer the job, I can be yer gal.” She offers to his suggestion. The light touch of a stealthy sleight of hand, she could do. “But if ya need tha brains, best be you my friend.” Cos was no engineer though. He was the man for the job if it needed that touch, of brain and tool. 

Rohuzar nods. 

"It's job for either Grugga or Leelan. I think Leelan. But let's allow chance to negotiate." 

Rohuzar frowns. "Aubrey... Can your familiar allow us to communicate from safety vith them?" 

Aubrey:

• You see 8 wererats total, including Nicodemus and Elton.
• You look at Nicodemus through Furvus' eyes.  You see his green cloak seems to have thickened and coiled around him, providing a leather armor-like protection.  This looks very much like he might be using mage armor.  Other than that, you don't see any sign of magic, but you do note he is not armed, unlike the rest of the wererats.
• You are near the intersection circled in black in the image on post #3176.  The wererats are clustered around the intersection immediately to the right on the map, approx. 300' away.  Most of the wererats were hiding to either side of the "T" intersection, with one prone in the middle of the hallway operating the giant crossbow.  The giant rats are scattered all around them.
• You could have Furvus mimic a message to them.  However, Furvus would have to emerge from the border ethereal for them to hear it.  Alternatively you could just holler down the hallway.  As long as you stay out of visual range, any ranged attack would be at disadvantage.

Meanwhile, the wererat captive, keeping his hands raised, undergoes the transformation.  Once he has shifted into his hybrid rat form, he opens is mouth and leans down toward Raqisat.  Slowly... slowly... eyes continuously darting from Aubrey to Cosette to Rohuzar, waiting for anyone to tell him to stop...

Grugga nods and tucks the scroll back into one of his many capacious pockets for now. He watches as the ratman carefully begins to bite down on Raqisat. "Don't worry, friend, this isn't some trick." Nevertheless, he looks at Raqisat uncertainly, as if to ask "are you sure?"

"Just a reminder that we don't have to confront them now... we could leave through the wine cellar and try again after tempers have subsided..."

If now is the time though, Grugga will suggest letting the prisoner go as a sign of goodwill. "He's not going to be a threat; we've seen how weak these weremen, if worse comes to worst. Better to show them we want to talk and maybe we can work something out."

The young noble watches the transformation of the sewerfolk with a mixture of fascination and disgust, he couldn't fathom why anyone would willingly be subjected to this curse unless it was the only way to save one's life, but he respected others to make their own decisions on this matter. He would definitely have to have a close eye on any changes in the anthropologist's behaviour, including entering his mind to make sure he could still be relied upon, it was imperative that the team members were all loyal to the expedition.

As the moment passes, Aubrey shares with the others the new information he has gathered. (See post above)

"Thank you for the demonstration, you can assume your human form now please. Call out ahead to your clan and convince them they should negotiate with us, and let's hope they don't respond by firing that ballista at you." He calmly says to the wererat prisoner.

     "Just do it already," Raqisat says with a bit of an annoyed grunt and pushes his arm into the awaiting maw.  If nothing else this should help any negotiations...  At best he'll get their resistances to damage and not become at squirmy and twitchy and weak as they are.  Raqisat figures they prey on the weak and then rely on the resistances rather than try to get stronger.  He himself has never been opposed to doing the work to get stronger...  Then again, the moon may laugh at the whole idea and nothing may come of it.  

     When the bite does come Raqisat grunts but does his best to have no further reaction, no matter the pain.

     "Yes.  Go.  Talk to them.  To Nicodermus and Elton mostly, but tell all of them of what we did to the others.  Tell them we don't want to have to do that to any more of you," Raqisat says to the prisoner before adding:  "To any more of us.  For I have shared the blood.  I am one of you.  And one of them.  Tell them I can walk in both worlds and ensure the continuation of both...."

The wererat gives a final 'thumb's up' with a pink paw to Raqisat and then bites him on the arm.  Raqisat takes 4 piercing damage.

He then reverts to human form and trots down the hallway, slowly at first, then bolting as fast as he can.  "Its me!" he shouts.  "Don't shoot!"

Though you can't see, you can hear bits and pieces of the conversation, as voices are raised and then lowered again to whispers.  From what you can hear, it does indeed sound like your prisoner is lobbying hard for some sort of negotiated peace, warning of the carnage you unleased on his brethren.  This goes on a couple of minutes without any formal response from the wererats.  

Is anyone doing anything while you await their response?

Leelan will attempt to pick up any part of the discussion he can while behind the cover.

(I realize there may be a disadvantage because of the distance)

Perception: 11

Aubrey taps into his weird familiar's senses, closely following the discussion up ahead, keeping the team updated as he does.
Perception: 14