Shahk, these rats are quite unusual, and it isn't that their mouths seem to open far wider than what can be considered normal. It is also a strange energy you sense from them. It is completely unnatural. 

Skabb, however, is possibly getting excited by this sensation. He feels it too.

The rats move first, as quick and deadly as they are. The one in the NW corner goes for Brand, seemingly unafraid of the large bull. As the rat approaches, Brand can see it's eyes flashing a golden color. Its maw opens and attempts to bite the mighty warrior. It leaps up to attack, but misses completely!

The rat in the SE corner does a small wiggle before it launches at Skabb. It's mouth latches around Skabb's armor for a moment, before Skabb is able to throw it off. Small indents are left where the rat had just bitten him before.

Next up:

Shahk
Brand
Skritch
Skabb 
Jiron

((We're past the 24 hour mark. Brand, you're up to hurt some rats. Shahk, get in when you can.))

(Bonus Action to activate Soul Knives. Discussed with DM previously to allow them to shape around current weapons since the Psionic nature is still relatively foreign and simply intuitive. Soul Knife Attack via Scimitar: 6)

As the rat lunges, Brand kicks out a hoof and stops the vermin's momentum. Following through with a roar, the bull sweeps his scimitar at the rat, atvleast hoping to gain some breathing room. From behind, Shahk may have seen a slight shimmer, like the air around a bonfire, follow the bull's weapon. Then again, it could have just been the dim lighting and speed of the swing...

(First time getting to debut Brand in combat and I can see there's a lot of Action economy required. Two weapons, a parry option, psychic disciplines, and the standard Bonus Action material. What to use each turn...)

Seeing the minotaur lunge for the giant rat, Skrich dashes alongside his new friend to get behind the rancid smelling toothy beast, muttering curses at it the whole way. Positioning himself near its back in time for the rat to dodge Brand’s attack, Skrich tries to plunge his dagger into his foe.

Move: Around behind the giant rat attacking Brand

Bonus Action: Cast Hex on the giant rat. (Choosing disadvantage on Dex rolls.)

Action: Attack giant rat with Dagger 25 Damage 5 piercing and 6 necrotic.

Charging straight into the SE rat, shield high and ready to block, he tries to push it off to the left with one quick blow and swipe at it with his axe. He tries his best to strike mortal blow on the strange rat but does his best not to strike its face. "Fascinating." His inner voice echoes through his head, a calm, smooth and deep voice intrigued by the rodents. "Don´t  completely mutilate them Brand. I want to study one", Skabb shouts as he swipes at the rat.

Action: Hitting SE rat 17 --- Dmg 5

Movement: Moving to the right of the giant SE rat.

(added the wrong bonus at my dmg roll. Wrote +6 on accident)

Jiron, seeing Skabb injured by his rat, raises his Thundercannon to assist his newfound friend. Time seems to slow down so slow to a crawl. Jiron can hear his heartbeat as he lines the barrel up so the two notches in the top of it merge in his view. He pulls back the small metal hammer and rests his finger on the trigger. Crack!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ringing fills the hobgoblins and the smell of sulfur infiltrates his nostrils as time returns to normal. "Really need to make some earplugs for when I shoot this thing," the gunman mutters as he unlatches his weapon and replaces the strange lead object.

Action-attack Attack: 16 Damage: 8

Bonus Action-Reload

Bullets-39/40

HP-10/10

((I'm pretty sure Shahk is lost in a daze this round/combat since ChooChoo hasn't logged in in the last four days. LaRue should hopefully be posting a recap and the rat's next turn sometime today, then I vote Brand and the rest of us continue the initiative order as last round until Choo pops in and takes his action.))

(Sounds good to me. This low/inexperienced, there aren't many tricks we can employ, so I'm assuming it'll be some form of melee/ranged attack)

Without any sort of months long interruption, the combat continues! This time, Shahk seems to have disappeared, but no one seems to remember him. Almost as if he didn't feel too good and vanished without a trace.

Brand's attack is unable to connect, but this isn't due to the rat's nimble qualities. Brand and Skritch hear the disgusting sound of bones cracking as the rat lowers to the ground unnaturally fast, ducking under Brand's attack in a way that even the seasoned minotaur couldn't foresee. It was a disturbing sight as the creature's body inflated back to full size with a shriek.

Skritch, having witness the way in which this particular rattie was able to dodge such an overwhelming attack from his minotaur acquaintance, found himself better prepared! Skritch's blade rends through the beast's skull, which had tried to deflate again. With downward motion, the dagger pierced and annihilated the rat instantly.

Intrigued by these strange, wyrd rats, Skabb opts to strike at the rat from the side. With a hop, he manages to best the rat which screams in agony as the axe swipes and cuts the rat open. It wails, it's guts spilling out onto the floor, but it doesn't seem dead! It writhes and looks up at Skabb and its jaw unhinges further.

Jiron, possibly motivated by complete disgust, shoots the last remaining rat in the head, thus ending the combat as the rat's head drops to the ground, matter spilling from the small gunshot.

After Battle Report:

• Everyone gets a whooping... 13 exp. 
• You only seemed to kill 2 of the 5 rats you were told about.
• A medicine check of 15 will let you salvage the rat bodies for further and later inspection. Reminder: Medicine is an intelligence skill! Use your int mod and any other modifiers when rolling.
  
  

Now with the rats dead, allow me to re-describe the room:

It smells in here. It smells like rot, like death, and that isn't just from the rats you've already killed. It just doesn't feel right in here. You wonder for a moment if you should look over the barrels and check every corner of the room, because this goblin fellow might not pay you in full for only half a job done. 

Those of you who wander to the painting, the painting is dreary. Mostly painted in blues and dark grays, it seems to depict a harbor during a storm. 

Jiron, from your previous roll, you see the painting is skewed, and when you take a closer look, you can see this painting hides a door.

((Last I checked we were set to milestone advancement, so I don't have a place to update xp. I just figure we'll be level 2 when you want us to be.))

Not caring in the least about dead things that don't have pockets to hold interesting trinkets, Skritch wanders over to the barrels and cautiously looks in to see if there are any other rats to be found.

Perception: 11

Investigation: 5

((Skritch is still not very good at this, even with whole months a brief few seconds to get it right.))

(We probably are milestone. I have probably forgotten! In any case, this definitely feels like no experience cause its just rats hahaha)

Skritch finds no other rats, but there are a lot of rat droppings along the edges of the room which tell you there should be more. 

You investigate a couple of barrels, but give up after finding one that almost makes you retch your last meal up. It was filled with what you can only assume is rotten cheese. There are maggots squirming all around before you place the lid back onto the barrel. You've heard some people like them as rotten as possible, but it's stench makes you feel queasy. 

Skabb sits down by the rat, noticing the fine bullet hole left by Jirons thundercannon. "Interesting "weapon you've got the Jiron." He points to the hole, right between the rats eyes. "Now lets see here..." He picks up both the rats and tosses them by the door the party entered through. "I suggest we check them out whenever we have killed the others, these rats are not regular pests and we best get rid of them most hastily." As Skabb finishes the last word a small notion tickles him in the back of his head, almost like its coming from direction of the picture on the wall. Skabb turns on the heel after dropping the rats off and heads towards the picture. 

"What exquisite art in such a deplorable basement." 

If Jiron is standing beside him and notices the door behind Skabb wouldn't care about it. He is busy examining the painting. 

Skabb, this painting calls to you and you find it fascinating. You sense such strangeness emanating from it, and a part of you wonders how difficult it would be to steal this artwork. The answer is: it's a large painting, so probably at least medium.

(I wish I could find the painting I am thinking of for this because it looks crazy as heck.)

Brand will start to move anything not nailed down, "Let's just kill these things and be done with it."

Skabb lets the fascination get the better of him and lifts the painting of the wall. "Never mind my share of the reward, I will ask the goblin if i can have this masterpiece instead!" He is so fixated on the painting that he doesn't notice the door behind it as he pulls it off and heads towards the exit. He sets the painting gingerly down on the ground right by the rats and blows some dust off. He turns around towards the party and looks back at the painting. "Extraordinary.." he mumbles to himself before turning around again. 

Strength check: (in case the painting is heavy) 20

Skabb removes the painting quite easily and admires it wholly. Everyone notices there is a door to the south now. The bottom corner of the door has been heavily chewed and there is somewhat of a cat-sized hole there.

Brand and anyone else who is trying, find no trace of other rats... in this room.

Skritch scurries over to the door, inspecting it briefly before trying to open it, hoping it isn't locked.

Investigation: 11

((Skritch is the worst investigator!))

Skritch inspects the door and becomes quite certain, with the full power of his bird brain, that the door opens via pushing!