- Gwaihir - 

Gwaihir circles down so that he's only thirty to forty feet away from any one party member.

//  TheManyNamed, I defer to Aerin, Esvele will follow her in the initiative order.  //

 Aerin aims for the closest rat, her hands blazing with an Eldritch Blast

Attack: 20 Damage: 9

- Esvele - 

Esvele steps up a bit to provide cover for Aerin from the giant rats, but leaves a path clear for the charging Tovar. She raises her shield, it's emblem glowing.

A radiant light appears beneath a giant rat as it is bathed in a sacred flame!

//  DEX Save 13 or 3 radiant damage, targeting the rat Aerin aimed for, unless it's dead in which case the target would be the next closest. //

With a sound not unlike that of a meaty boulder smacking into the fray, Tovar cleaves his blade into GR 3, his charge taking him directly into the center of the rodent onslaught. 

With gler, he shouts, "Soon you will be my favorite kind of rat: dead!"

Attack: 9 Damage: 5

Darastrag spins his staff around his head and snaps it downward in a vicious arc towards the head of the rodent of unusual size closest to himself and N'ruel.

Quarterstaff chop on GR4: Attack: 24 Damage: 9

N'ruel swiftly glides between two of the giant rats (GR3 & 4). With both hands, the monk brings with staff around in a  arc in front of him attempting to take out the one his lizardman companion just attacked. 

Weapon Attack: 20 Damage: 6

With a wet crunch the staff connects to the temple of the rat (GR4). Seeing the rat fall heavily, N'ruel snaps his head around to spot his next target and with a quick flick of his foot finds the rib cage of the next rat (GR3).

Bonus action, Unarmed Attack: 21 Damage: 5

Snip

Radiant fire strikes down from the sky incinerating one of the giant rodents in a flash of brilliant light. The combined efforts of the ranger and monk make quick work of another vermin, beating the creature into a bloody pulp.

With gnashing teeth the vile rats lunge forward gnawing at flesh as their crimson eyes gleam with madness and hunger.

Con ST 21

- Gwaihir & Esvele - 

Esvele looks up at Gwaihir and then at GR3. Gwaihir immediately dives down entering melee with the giant rat and distracting it, thereby helping the inbound Esvele!

Esvele charges at GR3 raising her war hammer at the creature and swinging down with a booming blade!

The cry of a hawk is Aerin's warning that Esvele is attacking.  Her teeth barred, Aerin takes aim at the second giant rat (GR2).  In a surge of eldritch light, another eldritch blast is unleashed.

Attack: 10 Damage: 8

The rat screeches in fright but remains standing, untouched by her blast.  A tough and wily if wretched creature, Aerin acknowledges.

Battering back the scrabbling claws of the large rat, Tovar has the pleasure of witnessing Esveles booming blade smear the creature over a few feet of rock at a close distance. Blinking once in a moment of surprise, Tovar recovers, pivoting towards the remainin animal enjoying a taste of drow momentarily. With an uncharacteristically quiet demeanor, Tovar brings his blade down on the rodent's back.

Attack: 19 Damage: 7

As Tovar moves across to strike at the rat biting N'ruel, a low rumble of thunder emanates from Esvele's hammer. Trusting the drow to follow behind Tovar's slash with a finishing strike, Darastrag shuffles around and lashes out with his staff at the other rat!

Staff Strike at GR 3: 17 Damage: 5

Having received a bite from one giant rats, N'ruel closes his eyes to concentrate on pushing the poison out of his system. Feeling that the poison has not affected him he thrusts the end of his quarterstaff towards the maw that just bit down on him...

Staff (2h) Attack: 10 Damage: 5  
(Rolled wrong damage die, but doesn't matter)

The staff disappears into the mouth of the giant rat as the monk drives the rat back towards the side of the ravine. Having run out of room, he uses the wall to drive his staff into the back of the rat's head. He removes the staff and the rat hangs for just a moment before falling to the ground with a thud. 

Bonus, Unarmed Attack: 19 Damage: 6
(Bonus attack not needed)

The final rat,having been knocked back by a swift and violent blow from N'Ruel's staff, falls silently into the void and is swallowed by the darkness. A wet splattering sound follows moments later. With the final varmint slain all is silent on the outcropping as the party catches their breath as their shadows dance along the rocky walls cast by the glowing white light from the cleric.

The darkness creeping up from the depths of the ravine is almost palpable, the rocky switchback stairs descending into a black maw towards the crumbling courtyard, and possibly a goblin hideout according to Raster the village Elderman and the threatening graffiti above, Esvele saw as she peered through the eyes of her feathered friend.

Looking straight down into the gaping maw of the ravine made Aerin's stomach flip.  Oh my, that was quite the way down.  It had been bad when she'd looked from the top but she hadn't realized it was that deep and those stairs!  She didn't really mind heights but those stairs were an invitation to a broken neck.  Hadn't goblins heard of safety railings?  A terrible oversight, clearly!  Wiping her sweat moistened hands on her pants, she edged as close to the wall as possible.  She was only being cautious.  Really.

Having dispatched all of the rats, N'ruel turns to his lizardman companion. "Were you wanting to eat one of these?"

Noticing Aerin's unease as she approaches the edge of the ledge, N'ruel places a hand on her shoulder to steady her. "Hug the wall. Take your time." He moves past her and begins down the stairs. Once everyone else is ready to move on, N'ruel will take the lead. Utilizing his superior darkvision down the switch-back stairs, he keeps an eye and ear out for any more rats or other hidden threats.

Perception 10
(Passive Perception is 15, not sure if that negates or helps)

Darastrag's tongue flickers out and he chuffs out a bit of laughter. "I'll toss one in my sack - maybe it will come in handy for later. Let the others pass - I will bring up the rear." 

Perception: 24

- Esvele - 

"Well, then... That was unpleasant, but mercifully quick. Everyone all right?" Esvele says with a half smile. 

"Down the stairs then?" Esvele asks. As she steps in line, taking position ahead of Darastrag, she notes the Lizardfolk's action saying, "Please do clean it before you eat it - it looks diseased. I know your eyes have trouble in the dark like mine, so I'll stay close to you so we can both use the light from my shield."

She looks up at Gwaihir who tightens up his circles in the air, staying close to them.

 Taking N'ruel's advice gladly, Aerin sticks close to the wall as she falls into order with her companions.  The rough, unfinished feel of the stone wall helped to keep her mind on task.

Perception 12

Stealth 7

Sadly, while she managed to keep her footfalls relatively quiet, her preoccupation with ignoring the drop off limited her field of vision.