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The Golden Key: From the Casebook of Nigel Spenser (Updated 9/16)
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<blockquote data-quote="Kid Charlemagne" data-source="post: 2819737" data-attributes="member: 93"><p>The rats poured out of the fissure like someone had turned on a spigot. There were perhaps two dozen of them, each as large as bull terrier, and they swarmed towards the investigators with no regard for their lives. Nigel shot one with his bow, which he then dropped as he drew out his Fir Bohlg hand axes. Orla and Sandor moved to either side of the fissure the rats were pouring out of, and began picking them off slowly.</p><p></p><p>Artimis skewered one rat, and lept over another to reach Nigel, who had been bitten multiple times. Soon, they had carved up the vermin thoroughly, and the squeaking noises had subsided, though not completely. Artimis reached inside his pack and pulled out a small lizard, which he lifted to the roof of the fissure. The lizard darted down into the darkness.</p><p></p><p>"What is that?" Sandor asked.</p><p></p><p>"Seth." Artimis replied. "A lizard for indoors, a hawk for outdoors. He'll scout out the rest of this noises."</p><p></p><p>"How much more of a menagerie do you have?" Orla asked.</p><p></p><p>Artimis didn't answer. After few moments, he started down the way the rats had come.</p><p></p><p>"I think its clear now," he said.</p><p></p><p>They made their way down the narrow fissure for the length of about a hundred feet, and the fissure opened into a larger, more finished chamber. Crates and boxes were stacked all about the room. Seth the lizard lept off a stack of boxes onto Artimis shoulder and crawled back into his pack.</p><p></p><p>Nigel cracked open one of the boxes. Inside were some packages of dried food, a tin of biscuits, and some bottles of cheap beer.</p><p></p><p>"Supplies," he said. "Food, and so on. Not sure for who, though."</p><p></p><p>Something stirred at the far end of the room. A couple of large, shambling shapes came into view. They were rat-like, but these were the size of a large dog or wolf. Their fur was spotty and sparse, with scaly skin underneath. Nigel pulled out his bow again, and nocked and arrow just as they came at them. Orla sidesteppd one and skewered it, enough of a blow to kill one of the terrier-rats. It kept coming. Sandor threw a knife, which bounced off the scaly hide of the other. Artimis threw a spell at the one on Orla, and it shrunk back from her and retreated. The other, seeing its ally fleeing, fled as well.</p><p></p><p>Orla pursued it down a hall at the other end of the chamber, only slowing when she realized no one was following her. The rat-thing, or another just like it, had stopped and turned to face her. She stopped, and challenged the creature.</p><p></p><p>"That's it" she said. "Just come a little closer!"</p><p></p><p>The rat-thing glared at her, it's beady red eyes glowing in the faint light.</p><p></p><p>"Mallo," it hissed at her. "Tu mallo!"</p><p></p><p>"What in the…?" Orla said, as she backed off, returning to the chamber where the others waited.</p><p></p><p>"It said something to me," she told them, bewildered. "I'm not really sure what it said to me, but it was definitely talking!"</p><p></p><p>"I think we should return to ze outside," Sandor said. "Talking rats as big as cattle, is not good thing."</p><p></p><p>"They weren't that big," Orla replied.</p><p></p><p>"He's right, though. I'm used up most of my magic," Artimis replied.</p><p></p><p>"Maybe we can find out some more about this Chenowith family," Orla said, hopefully.</p><p></p><p>Nigel reluctantly agreed. They made their way back up through the fissure to the ledge where they had fought the first wave of rats. Artimis stopped, and looked over the ledge down at the water below.</p><p></p><p>"Wait," he said. "I want to see what's down there."</p><p></p><p>He took a rope and handed one end to Nigel. He dropped the other end over the side of the ledge, thirty feet down to the water. He unfastened the collar that anchored his curious half-cape, and set it aside. Orla stared, and nudged Nigel.</p><p></p><p>"Are those… gills?" she asked.</p><p></p><p>Artimis pulled off his boots, and they could clearly see webbing between his toes, like an amphibious creature.</p><p></p><p>"Nigel," Orla said with a grin, "looks like you're not the only one with a secret."</p><p></p><p>Nigel smiled wanly.</p><p></p><p>"Some secrets are easier to hide than others," he replied, as Artimis dove off the ledge and into the water, with perfect form.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Kid Charlemagne, post: 2819737, member: 93"] The rats poured out of the fissure like someone had turned on a spigot. There were perhaps two dozen of them, each as large as bull terrier, and they swarmed towards the investigators with no regard for their lives. Nigel shot one with his bow, which he then dropped as he drew out his Fir Bohlg hand axes. Orla and Sandor moved to either side of the fissure the rats were pouring out of, and began picking them off slowly. Artimis skewered one rat, and lept over another to reach Nigel, who had been bitten multiple times. Soon, they had carved up the vermin thoroughly, and the squeaking noises had subsided, though not completely. Artimis reached inside his pack and pulled out a small lizard, which he lifted to the roof of the fissure. The lizard darted down into the darkness. "What is that?" Sandor asked. "Seth." Artimis replied. "A lizard for indoors, a hawk for outdoors. He'll scout out the rest of this noises." "How much more of a menagerie do you have?" Orla asked. Artimis didn't answer. After few moments, he started down the way the rats had come. "I think its clear now," he said. They made their way down the narrow fissure for the length of about a hundred feet, and the fissure opened into a larger, more finished chamber. Crates and boxes were stacked all about the room. Seth the lizard lept off a stack of boxes onto Artimis shoulder and crawled back into his pack. Nigel cracked open one of the boxes. Inside were some packages of dried food, a tin of biscuits, and some bottles of cheap beer. "Supplies," he said. "Food, and so on. Not sure for who, though." Something stirred at the far end of the room. A couple of large, shambling shapes came into view. They were rat-like, but these were the size of a large dog or wolf. Their fur was spotty and sparse, with scaly skin underneath. Nigel pulled out his bow again, and nocked and arrow just as they came at them. Orla sidesteppd one and skewered it, enough of a blow to kill one of the terrier-rats. It kept coming. Sandor threw a knife, which bounced off the scaly hide of the other. Artimis threw a spell at the one on Orla, and it shrunk back from her and retreated. The other, seeing its ally fleeing, fled as well. Orla pursued it down a hall at the other end of the chamber, only slowing when she realized no one was following her. The rat-thing, or another just like it, had stopped and turned to face her. She stopped, and challenged the creature. "That's it" she said. "Just come a little closer!" The rat-thing glared at her, it's beady red eyes glowing in the faint light. "Mallo," it hissed at her. "Tu mallo!" "What in the…?" Orla said, as she backed off, returning to the chamber where the others waited. "It said something to me," she told them, bewildered. "I'm not really sure what it said to me, but it was definitely talking!" "I think we should return to ze outside," Sandor said. "Talking rats as big as cattle, is not good thing." "They weren't that big," Orla replied. "He's right, though. I'm used up most of my magic," Artimis replied. "Maybe we can find out some more about this Chenowith family," Orla said, hopefully. Nigel reluctantly agreed. They made their way back up through the fissure to the ledge where they had fought the first wave of rats. Artimis stopped, and looked over the ledge down at the water below. "Wait," he said. "I want to see what's down there." He took a rope and handed one end to Nigel. He dropped the other end over the side of the ledge, thirty feet down to the water. He unfastened the collar that anchored his curious half-cape, and set it aside. Orla stared, and nudged Nigel. "Are those… gills?" she asked. Artimis pulled off his boots, and they could clearly see webbing between his toes, like an amphibious creature. "Nigel," Orla said with a grin, "looks like you're not the only one with a secret." Nigel smiled wanly. "Some secrets are easier to hide than others," he replied, as Artimis dove off the ledge and into the water, with perfect form. [/QUOTE]
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