This be my accountin of the situation that unfolded this verry night below the city streets of the Crossings.


Twas about the Anlas of Hodierna's Blessing, and the sun had yet ta break free of the horizon.  I was contemplatin takin a rest, as a long night of huntin had strained me nerves.  

Then, an odd thing did break me thoughts...

You faint intrusion into your minds that comes as a single word, "Apple."   As quickly as it comes, it is gone.

I was verry confused, so I began sendin me thoughts out ta the folk back in the Crossings.  It turns out they were just as confused as meself.  Then, again...

You faint intrusion into your minds that comes as a single word, "Apple."   As quickly as it comes, it is gone.

Several people reported seein some odd rats admist the city.  Twas mighty strange so I made my return as quickly as I could.  Arrivin in the city I found several adventurers guardin the gate, sayin rats had arrived and stolen some apples.  How odd..

Then again,,

You feel a faint intrusion into your minds that comes as a single word, "CHOMPER!"   As quickly as it comes, it is gone.


Apple?  Chomper?  It be soundin more like a kid than anythin.  Gatherin a group of adventurers, we headed inta the sewers ta see what might be found.

[Sewer]
A thick coating of dingy scum clings to a wrought-iron gate fixed into the wall, preventing further passage west.  The low hiss of moving water echoes in the distance.  You also see a mud-caked earthen ballista with a small granite boulder on it and a mud-caked earthen ballista with a small granite boulder on it.
Also in the room: Battle Grace Solarryis, Night Caster Uss, Mean Old Hag Seteria, and Father Koryn.

We heard a voice several times in the sewer talkin about this Chomper.  We'd no idea what it be meanin.  Sola thought she caught a glimpse of someone down there, a boy with the face of a rat!

You hear the sound of water being displaced as something large seems to be making its way down one of the tunnels.

As we heard this odd noise we quickly prepared fer the worse...

A blue-belly crocodile just arrived.

At first we be thinkin, oh, his is nae anythin ta be worried about...  then it quickly advanced on us and tore open Sola without thinkin twice.  I tried ta cast down an explosion of lightnin - but it was too hard ta hit!

Seteria nearly fell as it bore down on her arms and removed them with glee.  Durn croc was starvin apparently.  

I dragged Sete ta safety, and began engagin the croc on me own terms.  It was too low inta the water fer me ballistaes ta target, and so I relied on lashes of aether ta cut past its scaley hide.  Uss and Koryn struggled ta land spells and blows on it - but in the end we were successful in destroyin this menace ta the city.  Or so we been thinkin...


You hear crying echo through the tunnels.

You hear a sobbing child-like voice echo through the tunnels, "Sun walkers killed Chomper... do not let them see you, else they kill you too.  Flee."

Things began gettin kinda confusin fer us.  We kinda had some idea what be happenin, but we'd no idea that Chomper was some poor soul's pet.  It be makin me heart twinge so much I was wantin ta go get a new one fer the poor voice trailin down the sewer tunnels.


You hear a loud echo through the tunnels of many tiny feet splashing through water.  The echo comes from all directions yet none.

And yet, the durn thing be remainin dangerous - ta us or at least ta any "Sundwellers who might be accidentally comin down here.  We had ta get to the bottom of it.

You hear a sobbing child-like voice echo through the tunnels, "Wait for sun to go ..  then do what ...."

You hear a sobbing child-like voice echo through the tunnels, "Go way dwellers of sun.. no belong here. kill chomper, kill others. "

We tried ta explain ourselves, but it didna work so well.

You hear a sobbing child-like voice echo through the tunnels, "Why kill Chomper? Sun walkers bad.. Sun walkers go to sun, leave likes of us in darkness.

You hear a sobbing child-like voice echo through the tunnels, "You come to chompers home, home of darkness.  Chomper do what Chomper does when threat.  Sun walkers go."


We got separated from Seteria, as she had ta heal her wounds up.  While we explored the depths of the sewers we were startled ta hear..

You hear a sobbing child-like voice echo through the tunnels, "The female may be food of the little ones, take her away."

Durn they must've gotten Sete.  So we quickly raced back up ta find her...



[The Crossing, Dodgers' Row]
Feet tread the cobbled streets here, booted feet, sandaled feet, armored feet, rag-wrapped feet, all thumping against the pavement and reverberating off the closely-spaced, rundown buildings.  In the slimy gutter, along the west curb, a pile of dry straw has been heaped up against a sewer grating.  You also see a heavy earthen ballista with a small granite boulder on it, a frosty blue panther who is sitting, and a rickety wooden fence.
Also here: Scavenger Ilistan who is kneeling, Battle Grace Solarryis, Inspector Bosil, Night Caster Uss, and an unconscious Mean Old Hag Seteria who is lying down.

By now several others had joined our party and were just as concerned.  Sete had been assaulted by the lad, and put inta a deep sleep.  Apparently he intended ta sleep her whilst the rats nibbled her flesh from her bones.  Nae a pleasent thought.

Pedrig arrived an was able ta give us additional guidance and the support of the Paladin's guild.  So, we all went back inta the sewers..


[Sewer]
A thick coating of dingy scum clings to a wrought-iron gate fixed into the wall, preventing further passage west.  The low hiss of moving water echoes in the distance.
Also in the room: Inspector Bosil, Scavenger Ilistan, Knight Pedrig, Night Caster Uss, and Battle Grace Solarryis.





You belt out, "Ye be havin me word.  If ye show yerself and speak with us a moment, we shall leave ye be."

You hear a child-like voice echo through the tunnels, "Leave if me show myself? Leave darkness and little ones?"

Pedrig yells, "We will leave you in peace if you will meet with us and give us the same promise to have peace with us."

About this time Uss thought it might be a good idea ta preten ta be sick, so as ta make the boy want ta heal him - and show himself.  Unfortunately it nae worked out so well, and Uss just ended up gettin all wet methinks.



You see Azaratu, a diseased Human.
He has slightly pointed ears, twitching clear colored eyes and a pointy nose which seems to give him a rat-like appearance.  He has thinning auburn hair and blue-veined skin covered in open oozing sore with an emaciated build.
He is fairly young for a Human.
He is in good shape.

He is wearing some lice-infested beggar's rags and some faded and torn trousers with patches on the knees.

Azaratu fidgets nervously.


A boy revealed himself ta us who was most definately infected with some foul type of disease.  


Azaratu says, "Touch me no."

Seteria quietly says, "you have the power to heal yourself child"
Solarryis says, "how did you come to be down here"
 
You hear the voice of Azaratu say, "Alays in darkness."

Pedrig asks Azaratu, "Will you share your name?"


We then began givin the poor boy food and some clothin, hopin mebbe ta improve the quality of his life down in this dark place.

Uss says to Azaratu, "your little ones carry an illness to us"

Azaratu says, "Me take from little ones."
Azaratu says, "Chompers and little ones."

Uss says, "Chomper killed my mate"

Azaratu says, "Chomper hungry."

Uss asks, "are they meant to kill the living?"

Azaratu says, "Chomper eats."
Azaratu says, "Chomper likes little ones."
Azaratu says, "Little ones slow, Chompers eat."

Uss says to Azaratu, "aye, but shes...not a little one, she's a kaldar"
Azaratu says, "She slow, chomper eat."
Azaratu says, "Everything that moves is chompers food."

Seteria says to Azaratu, "you are quite an accomplished empath, with training you could be greater then great"

Azaratu says, "Not empath, I am me."
Seteria quietly says, "seek me out if you so wish sometime"


Pedrig quietly says, "Mayhaps Annael would like to meet him."

Seteria quietly says, "you have an empathic ability"
Seteria nods to Azaratu.

Azaratu says, "You sun walkers."

You ask, "Why are ye a dark dweller?"
Azaratu says, "Me belong in dark."


Seteria quietly says, "perhaps some day I can bring Annael to you"
Seteria nods to Azaratu.

Azaratu says, "Always here."

Seteria quietly says, "for now.. I must take my leave"

Azaratu says, "Little ones and chompers are family."
Azaratu fidgets nervously.
Azaratu says, "No leave darkness."

Jermayan asks, "how did you manage to befriend chomper?"
Azaratu shakes his head.
Jermayan says, "I'm surprised he didn't eat you."
Azaratu says, "Fixed tail."
Jermayan says, "wow very talented."

Azaratu says, "Chomper no try to eat no more."
Jermayan whispers to your group, "Hey no matter what language you speak the healing language works in all ways."


You say to Azaratu, "Perhaps ye could come and see the sun-side?  It is nae that bad.  It even be dark fer half of the time."
You say, "Alright, alright."
Azaratu says, "No go to sun, no ..."
You say, "Ye don't have ta go."

Azaratu says, "Alway say no to Sun, no belong to sun.  Belong to darkness, stay in darkness."


Pedrig asks Azaratu, "Were you born here, stranger... do you not ever remember the sun?"

Uss quietly asks Azaratu, "the sun hurts you?"
Azaratu says, "No stay long enough to see if sun hurts more."

Pedrig asks Azaratu, "Do you remember your mother?"
Azaratu nods.
Azaratu says, "She tell me no go to sun, always darkness."

Solarryis asks, "who was she?"
Azaratu says, "She is she."

Solarryis asks Azaratu, "do you remember her name?"
Azaratu says, "Gone.."
Azaratu says, "Mom."

Solarryis asks, "what about your father?"
Azaratu asks, "Father?"
Azaratu peers quizzically at Solarryis.
Solarryis nods.
Azaratu asks, "What father?"
Azaratu twitches.

Pedrig says to Solarryis, "Evidently he never knew his father.  Mayhaps his mother brought him here to hide him away."


Pedrig asks Azaratu, "Did your mother tell you why you must always stay in the darkness?"


Azaratu says, "Say belong here, say Ratboy stay in darkness.  Darkness is for likes of me."
Pedrig asks, "She called you Ratboy?"
Azaratu says, "Thats name."

Pedrig says to Azaratu, "You are now a man, whatever you were in your youth.  It is for you to chart your own course."

Azaratu says, "Say part little one part other."

Azaratu says, "Little ones nice, like little ones."
Azaratu nods.
Azaratu fidgets nervously.

Pedrig says to Azaratu, "Was she kind to you?  Surely you deserve kindness, but you cannot find it down here."
Ilistan gazes at Azaratu in admiration.
Azaratu says, "Say feed to chompers at times, show how to swim in water."
Azaratu says, "Dunk much times."
Azaratu says, "Good to hold breath good."
Azaratu nods.

You ask Azaratu, "Was yer mother a dark dweller?"
Azaratu says, "She walk in sun and in darkness."

Solarryis says, "so if she could walk in the sun then you should as well"

Azaratu shakes his head.
Azaratu says, "Sun burn, sun not for me."
Azaratu shivers.

Jermayan says, "No, it doesn't burn."
Jermayan shakes his head.

Azaratu says, "No say things like that, no go to sun. Sun burn.."
Azaratu begins to weep softly.
Azaratu splashes east, moving through the still water.


We tried a bit more ta coax the lad inta conversin, but it wouldna be.  I had ta go get some healin, as everyone around the boy contracted flesh rot.  Me limbs disintigrated in mere roisaen before me eyes.  Twas terrible. 

Just be warned that the sewers are nae a safe place anymore, and be on the lookout fer Chompers.

Mebbe we can be diggin up some information as ta the boy's lineage.  If not, well then mebbe the leaders of our guilds can be givin us instruction.  Until then, this be my accountin, as Frost Lord Renwulf of the city of the Crossings.