{226It's a beautiful evening to watch people beat each other into bloody pulps. There's a good line up tonight at the Underground Arena. Harvey the Bloody Terminator is first up, facing down Cortez, the Flail. They face off in the sand pit, angled drain at the ready to receive tribute. The crowd is a big one, as befits two titans of the underground fight scene, cheering and drinking and having a damn good time!

It's a beautiful evening to watch people beat each other into bloody pulps. There's a good line up tonight at the Underground Arena. Harvey the Bloody Terminator is first up, facing down Cortez, the Flail. They face off in the sand pit, angled drain at the ready to receive tribute. The crowd is a big one, as befits two titans of the underground fight scene, cheering and drinking and having a damn good time!

Silvio is not in his usual finery. The smarter and more perceptive among the crowd might still pick him out for a noble, based on his bearing, and lack of facial dirt and fleas. He is here for the fun though, and the show, which, of course, he's most pleased involves nice, bulging arms, hearty grunts, sweat...all things Silvio can appreciate. Dark eyes peer from within his cloak which conceals his shiny, raven locks, and he wears an amused smile as he follows the action on the floor.

It isnt his usual place to be by any stretch, but sometimes, why not since one can learn even from brawling and it's nice to just be among the crowd and such. Graham is here in the crowd watching towards the sand pit where the two will be fighting. He seems calm and interested in the match to come.

Walking through the underground arena amidst the crowd, a huge man lumbers through those gathered. Jeffeth Bayweather makes his way through the crowd with his squire right behind him. As they walk through the big man has his wrist wedged in between the pommel of his blade, murmuring softly to the woman that walks right at his side.

"They're not rites to Gloria, they're not duels." The large man is rumbling to Coraline. "Things like this is why we need more presence down here." The Knight of Solace pauses in the crowd. The two knights are down in the Lowers as part of their mission to bring the Lowers closer to the Faith. Jeffeth looks over the crowd with a light frown. "Again, watch your pockets, keep your eyes open."

Following Jeffeth, Cora listens carefully to his words. Keeping her eyes open and her wits about her, her hand emulates Jeffeth's. "Yes sir." She says softly, thankful she didn't bring anything of much value with her. Still she does keep an eye on her pockets all the same.

Looking in, of, and the part of the element Theodoric makes way easily through the crowded room to the edge of the elevated section. A look of interest and excitment on his face at the entertainment that abounds.

Blows don't start testing and courtly here; they start with brutal punishment for all the perceived wrongs heaped upon the opponents in their lifetime. Big meaty fists swing and the crowd cheers. Blood spills and they cry for more. This promises to be a hell of a show. And the pickpockets and petty thieves move amongst the patrons of such a fine establishment, looking for their next mark, keeping an eye out for the adventuring, slumming silks, especially.

Coraline checked perception at difficulty 15, rolling 9 lower.

Theodoric checked perception at difficulty 15, rolling 1 lower.

Graham checked perception at difficulty 15, rolling 1 higher.

Jeffeth checked perception + legerdemain at difficulty 15, rolling 5 higher.

Silvio checked perception at difficulty 15, rolling 22 higher.

Graham watches the first few well solid punches thrown by the two. He does notice the difference between the normal sort of sparring he watches and this, though he feels a slight tug at his pocket and scoots aside of the man who surely just bumped him by accident.. right... right? He looks back up to the match when the other moves off once more.

Silvio turns his head, keeps his cloak close, and is mindful when there are others pressed up against him. He /also/ gives anyone that gets too handsy with him a highly flirty look, which he's found to be a deterant against touching him again for most folks. He ends up fairly near to Graham in the crowd. Ooo, shiny armor, he likes. There's a fleeting grin greeting, then his attention floats back to the brutal bout.

When someone gets a little too close, the big man just frowns over, shaking his head sternly at the man. Jeffeth is then looking down at Coraline with a sort of 'see?' expression on his features. The big man holds his large arms over his massive chest. "Now, we should probably head out." The big knight rumbles eyeing the exit. Though his brow arches as his gaze lands on Silvio in the crowd. "Is that Prince Silvio?" The knight then starts making his way through the crowd towards Silvio, motioning for Coraline to follow.

And Cora, who apparently wouldn't notice if a theif introduced themselves as such and informed her she was about to be stolen from, apparently misses the sneaky hands who take the limited amount in her pockets. Being motioned on, in particular that Jeffeth recognized anyone here, Cora follows doing her best to keep an eye out even still. She wonders why of the nobility, much less royalty, would come see this without being on duty. She shakes her head at the pure violence, no finesse.

As if struck by something unpleasent Theodoric begins patting himself down, hands sorting through his many pockets, a personal inventory taken, a look of minor irritation shifting on his face to instead a sardonic smirk, he mutters, "Must have balls of steel, lifting off me." He peers through the crowd, checking faces and looking for usual suspects.

Coraline checked perception at difficulty 20, rolling 4 higher.

Silvio checked perception at difficulty 20, rolling 15 higher.

Theodoric checked perception at difficulty 20, rolling 10 lower.

Graham checked perception at difficulty 20, rolling 18 lower.

Jeffeth checked perception at difficulty 20, rolling 9 lower.

Harvey the Bloody takes a punishing blow from Cortez, and in a spray of crimson and teeth, he goes down on the sand hard, sending a spray of it up beneath his beefy body. It's a very good distraction for the people here, those without such refined tastes as courtly Gloria-laden battle.

Silvio tilts his head and furrows his brows. He notices Jeffeth heading for him, and the girl beside him, but there's something else that he's listening for. Once the big man is closer, he says over the din, "I hear some sort of rumbling sound!" he warns to Jeffeth. "And...a squeal?" He listens again for the sound, but the crunch of body and bones does make it difficult.

Jeffeth checked intellect at difficulty 15, rolling 6 higher.

As he nears Silvio the big man starts to go into a bow, but stops at Silvio's words. Frowning lightly Jeffeth looks around. Instinctively he starts to gesture towards the combatants just lighting each other up. As if to explain the sound. But after a moment, his hand drops. Silvio is smart enough to know if a grumblesqueal was coming from the fighters. So instead the big knight slowly turns, narrowing his eyes slightly as if to locat the deep rumble-squeal.

Cora nods, now looking around with a frown, "I hear it too, hell I almost feel it." She says softly, her eyes now looking for a direction. "It is too low to hear where it is coming from."

Graham is distracted this time it seems by the fight to notice any of the extra going's on's though he does look around trying to keep an eye out on those here as well as the crowd as well as now noticing others that he does recongize here at the same time.

Theodoric grows less and less satisfied as each minute passes, his posture now changed, his overcoat now closed and his eyes narrowed on the wide assembly, focused on the task he started previously without apparent result.

It's enough warning to get weapons ready. But only just enough. There's the space of a heartbeat between warning and sudden doom as a rat the size of a large dog bursts through the chest cavity of Cortez, gnawing his way to his own bloody victory, taking the crown from the recently crowned King of the Underground.

The swarm follows. There's at least 30 of them, dire rats with bright red eyes and giant front teeth, sewage-slimed fur, frenzied and completely indiscriminate in who they'll take a bite from.

Coraline wields a slender ember-hued rubicund longsword.

Graham wields Stone's Blade, a rubicund longsword.

Jeffeth wields Silverfall, a diamondplate longsword.

Silvio wields Small steel hidden blade.

Jeffeth has rolled a critical success!
Jeffeth checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 86 higher.

Coraline checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 18 higher.

Graham checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 6 lower.

Silvio checked strength + small wpn at difficulty 10, rolling 3 higher.

Theodoric checked strength + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 10 higher.

Graham takes minor damage.

Jeffeth's eyes widen slightly as Cortez's body is ripped apart by a giant rat. The behemoth turns to face the rats, eyes widening. "Weapons." He states firmly. "Prince Silvio. Stay between us." Jeffeth bellows, motioning with his free hand to Coraline as his blade is being drawn in a flash. Silverfall is out and gleaming in the dim light of the fighting pit, as Jeffeth steps forward to deal with two of the approaching threats.

In one swing, the big knight decapitates a pair of the rats who charged at him in an extremely convenient formation. Two down. Jeffeth bares his teeth. "Cora. We carve a way to the door, get these people out of here!"

Coraline checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 21 higher.

Theodoric checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 2 higher.

Jeffeth checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 18 higher.

Silvio is totally wearing a gladius, but he doesn't draw it, instead managing to pull from the pretty weapon a smaller one, made from glinting steel, when it appears as if disgusting rats are trying to attack the crowd! There's NO WAY he can press his way out of here in time to flee this horrid scene of carnage, but he /absolutely/ tries to use the larger, armored bodies around him as something of a shield from the onslaught. Specifically, he uses Graham. The pretty noble half-shelters behind the man, and when the rat comes barrelling out of the arena towards him, he lets out a yelp and juts his steel blade in a flash towards the horrid thing. "AHHH, it got on me!" UGH! He looks absolutely disgusted at the rat-blood-goo currently on his dagger and hand.

"Yes sir," Cora says grimly as her own weapon comes out quickly, one dire rat coming at one fleeing fight patron's head. Shoving the man sideways, Cora slams her sword through the creatures head before flinging it off, using the motion to spin and slam the blad into the eye of another. With the immediate rodents killed she tries to move through the rush of people to find the next furry target.

Silvio is totally wearing a gladius, but he doesn't draw it, instead managing to pull from the pretty weapon a smaller one, made from glinting steel, when it appears as if disgusting rats are trying to attack the crowd! There's NO WAY he can press his way out of here in time to flee this horrid scene of carnage, but he /absolutely/ tries to use the larger, armored bodies around him as something of a shield from the onslaught. Specifically, he uses Graham, then when Jeffeth calls to him, he tries to dart over there near the knight. When the rat comes barrelling out of the arena towards him, he lets out a yelp and juts his steel blade in a flash towards the horrid thing. "AHHH, it got on me!" UGH! He looks absolutely disgusted at the rat-blood-goo currently on his dagger and hand.

It seems that being taken by surprise isnt helpful, when trying to defend one's self against giant rats. Graham swipes at the two closest rats who are surprisingly fast, and missing the next rat manages to take a nip from him it isnt a horrible wound or anything but sucks. "Gah.." he calls though refocuses on the task at hand.. enough to take another swipe as they move trying to protect not only himself but those who dont have a way of doing so.

Theodoric takes a step back, clearly not expecting a rat-ruption, reaching into his pocket his hand emerges now wearing a steel and red colored knuckle duster on his right hand. He looks at a rat which has come within striking distance, looks at his hand, and a shrug later finds him smacking his fist into the side of the dog sized critter until it stops any motion. His expression is non-plussed, and his fist covered in rat hair. "Blasted abyss!" he shouts, attempting his tactical withdraw toward the exit.

Silvio checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 17 lower.

Silvio takes minor damage.

The dire rats have come to fight and they're not messing around. Feral claws and teeth tear into unsuspecting unresisting flesh. Most of these commoners did not come prepared for a fight, but to watch one. When the tables are turned? It becomes pandemonium. Thankfully, they have some protection. Jeffeth and Coraline each take down two of the sewage creatures, while Silvio and Theodoric manage to dispatch one each. But there are still SO MANY and they wreak havoc on the patrons and the fighters alike. Silvio and Graham are not quite so lucky as the other three, taking claws where claws are completely unwelcome.

Silvio has rolled a critical success!
Silvio checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 7 higher.

Coraline checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 19 higher.

Graham checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 9 higher.

Jeffeth checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 9 higher.

Theodoric checked strength + brawl at difficulty 10, rolling 38 higher.

Silvio checked strength + small wpn at difficulty 10, rolling 12 higher.

Coraline checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 29 higher.

Theodoric checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 17 higher.

Silvio checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 7 higher.

Jeffeth checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 36 higher.

Jeffeth is trying to scramble now, moving towards the exit and trying to stand tall amidst the chaos. One huge hand briefly grabbing at Silvio's shoulder. Even as he's yelling about the rat getting on him. "Stay between us!" The big knight bellows, swinging his blade distractedly at another approaching, snarling beast. Sending the one skittering, the big man posts up, putting his back to Coraline and Silvio. Expecting Coraline to go back to back with him. He thrusts his blade down into the head of another approaching creature, a bit off the mark, but on the mark enough to kill the blasted thing. "Yell out your name if you get taken to the ground." He bellows to his two nearest cohorts.

Graham checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 27 higher.

The young Stonewood is better prepared this time. The young man's sword swipes one rat in half and stabs down upon another. Graham looks to those fighting the swarm "Help those who cant fight out.. get behind us and get to saftey." He calls to those, it's likely not something that is needed given where they are but still all the same.

Now noting where Jeffeth is and how he is positioned even amidst the chaos, Cora indeed does position herself to his back. Ducking as one of the creatures goes high and sliding the tip of her blade along the corrated artery of the one going for her knees, Cora dispatches that one before grabbing the back of the neck of the one heading for the unprotected back of another and slicing it's neck. Blood only noticable on her tabard as her armor blends in nicely with the gore.

"Yes'sir," Cora adds to Jeffeth's instructions.

Feeling the rush of rat-bashing and the panic all around him Theodoric dodges one rat-tattack, pushing a probably not so innocent bystander into the path of another. he leaps through the air on to the back of a slimey vermin, rolling around on the ground the two do an interpretive dance involving many punches to the face until this creature is also dead. The man rises, grinning madly, his wardrobe badly in need of cleaning.

Silvio doesn't yelp this time...perhaps he only does that when its not serious. The moment he's actually bleeding from claw marks, and looking at the ripped sleeve of his shirt, he draws in a cold, deep breath and stabs at the rat with brutal efficiency, backing up from the other vile and dangerous creatures, still replaying the moment when one burst from the skin of the man in his traumatized mind. At the pull to his shoulder, he backs up obediently to be in a terribly desirous place, between Jeffeth and Cora, just not how he imagined it two nights ago when he was having a private moment. Way less rats. Way less screaming death. Some of the splatters from Cora's kill dot his face and he squints his eyes. "You are brilliant!"

It's a blood bath all around them. Screams, bites, claws, opportunistic looting and pickpocketing; the best parts of humanity are on full display. A good number of patrons manage to escape, though, thanks to the defenders piling up dire rate carcasses. The smell starts to become overwhelming, but now there are only looming, frenzied beasts left.

Theodoric checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 13 higher.

Silvio checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 16 higher.

Coraline checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 2 higher.

Jeffeth checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 7 higher.

Graham has rolled a critical success!
Graham checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 34 higher.

Coraline checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 28 higher.

Jeffeth checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 17 higher.

Graham checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 34 higher.

Silvio checked perception at difficulty 15, rolling 9 higher.

Theodoric checked perception at difficulty 15, rolling 18 higher.

Giant Rats why did this happen again oh well, was not on his mind this night to say the least. Graham seems to remain focus depsite the smell of dead rat piling up. He is careful to let none of them by out into the streets. The young man takes a step back to corner two more his sword swiping in a long arch, and two more rats join the dead brigade.

Two more rats run up to get impaled by Silverfall. The trio of combatants bundled tightly together statcking up the giant rat corpses around them. The big man retrieves his blade from the stomach of one of the last of the rats. Holding the blade low, Jeffeth looks around at the scene, frowning lightly. "Everyone, get out of here, get word to the iron guard immediately!" The big knight bellows out to the people, before looking to Coraline and Silvio. "You alright?"

Silvio is successful at basically hiding and moving towards the further safety, though he does not try to press past his protectors. Still brandishing the weapon in case any of these opportunistic thieves try to rob him while he's bleeding and looking out for rats. "I shall be eternally grateful for this, you know! I feel it again!! There's MORE!!" He yells it well enough for anyone nearby to hear that. Alarm reaches the tone in his voice, which is unusual for the well-composed man's usual manner.

Sword flashing scarlet in the ambiant light as Cora first stabs one of the beasts in the heart from behind, pulling the sword from the corpse to dispatch another by beheading, the decapitated head flying through the air and likely landing on some poor fool. "M'fine sir," Cora's attention mostly on the surroundings, her gaze purely professional in this situation. Seeing no further beasts to dispatch at hand she remains where she is at the ready.

Theodoric vigorously brushes himself off, flinging bits of goo every which way with little succcess, he stops mid brush, having made his way closer to the fighters at a somewhat casual pace as they dispatch the remaining rats. "What is that noise?" he asks, he is still smiling, a deep look of excitement behind his brown eyes.

Coraline is overheard praising Monique.

Mommy and daddy are here and they're not happy to see their slaughtered babies. Two absolutely enormous dire rats, the size of small horses, trundle their way up from the sewers, giant whiskers twitching, red eyes rolling with fury.

Coraline checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 19 higher.

Jeffeth checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 28 higher.

Graham checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 2 lower.

Theodoric checked strength + brawl at difficulty 40, rolling 13 lower.

Silvio checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 20 lower.

Theodoric takes moderate damage.

Silvio takes moderate damage.

Graham takes minor damage.

Graham turns in time to see the two new rather large threats appear. He swipes his sword at them trying to keep them back at least from the last to escape. It unfortunately gives them a chance to land another wound to him.. though not bad still he winces before gripping his sword tightly ready to attack the rats again.

As the horse-sized rats start their rampage, Jeffeth's eyes widen. Gripping his blade the big man casts a solem gaze over to Coraline, giving a tight nod, the big knight leaps forward, swinging Silverfall into the flank of the Mama rat. Pushing his blade into the side, Jeffeth uses both hands to drive the blade in further, but despite the grievous wound, the rat is still attacking his fellows. Throwing his foot up to the rat's side, Jeffeth retrieves his embedded blave with a jerk, holding his blade up in two hands, the big man quickly moves to try and put himself in the way of the rats and the others.

Monique is overheard praising Simone for: Best Sister Ever.

Theodoric wastes no time, he charges the parental pair. Fist raised, look determined, the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object. The resulting failure comes in the form of Theodoric meekly punching something the size of a horse in the side and being bitten into on his exposed side, he rages, a loud growling shout emerging from his lips, his face inches from the rats giant eye. The small man frees himself from its jaws stumbling backward, a smarter man might reconsider his approach.

As Jeffeth nods goes for Mama rat, Cora nods back and goes for Papa rat, reaching high she aims for his eyes trying to blind the thing so that it can't be as effective in it's attacks. She manages to get part of one eye and slides along the length of the neck. It is wounded pretty badly but clearly not enough to stop it.

Monique is overheard praising Percephon.

Monique is overheard praising Marius.

Monique is overheard praising Alessandro.

Monique is overheard praising Margret.

Monique is overheard praising Jeffeth.

Silvio is only using his dagger for defense at this point, trying to stay between the others and away from the rats. Though he gets wounded, this time a claw against his left leg, he tries to make himself smaller yet, watching alertly to the ones doing the damage, for if they fall, he's going to need to run pretty damn fast. He doesn't dare to make himself an easy target by running right now. Likely unnoticed in the battle is a hitched sound from his voice, a few stuttering gasps as putrid-riddled pain lights up his sensitive skin. "KILL THEM!!" He tries to sound encouraging.

Mom and dad are wounded. It slows them. They also make these terrible screaming noises that pierce the ears and rend the senses. None of it is pretty. But at least they're slower, right?

Theodoric checked composure at difficulty 10, rolling 44 higher.

Jeffeth checked composure at difficulty 10, rolling 1 lower.

Graham checked composure at difficulty 10, rolling 5 lower.

Coraline checked composure at difficulty 10, rolling 4 lower.

Silvio checked composure at difficulty 10, rolling 3 higher.

Jeffeth takes minor damage.

Coraline takes minor damage.

Graham takes minor damage.

Theodoric checked dexterity + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 1 higher.

Silvio checked strength + small wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 16 higher.

Theodoric checked strength + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 7 higher.

Monique is overheard praising Coraline.

Not being a smarter man, Theodoric screams in response to the rats outburst, attempting some rat to rat communication. Failing to get through to them on a diplomatic level he rushes one again, this time the short man leaps into the air all of a few inches, hands clasped together above his head, bringing them solidly down into the softest parts of the rats available body making a decidedly satisfying if not disgusting impact, leaving it lifeless on the floor.

Silvio knows this is the end. That's how it is. He dies by rat. When he sees the brave fighters around him stagger from the sound the things make, he has just one chance to not be rat-snack, and with a yell born of passion and fury, desperation and possibly also a desire for any survivors to remember him well, he lunges from between Coraline and Jeffeth, like a surprise attack-fop. He manages, with no small helping of luck and guile, and stabs the mom rat right in the throat. His dark eyes widen with seeming shock that it stops trying to eat any of them at that point, and he jerks his blade back free, shaking, unsure just what happened...other than, he's still alive. His face is flushed with adrenaline.

Jeffeth checked willpower at difficulty 15, rolling 14 higher.

Monique is overheard praising Theodoric.

The sharp screeching has Jeffeth bringing his hands up to his ears, letting out a shot of his own just in time for mama rat to graze his side with her gross ass claws. THe big man lets out a grunt of pain, reeling backwards. It doesn't take long before Jeffeth is moving back in to fell the dark beast, blade coming up over his shoulder to hammer down at it until... The beast sags lifelessly against the ground.

The large knight staggers forward, glancing up at Silvio with an arched brow. Reachin out, Jeffeth places one hand on Silvio's shoulder. "You did well." Jeffeth rumbles, pushing away any sort of pain or grimace from his features by sheer force of will. His blade is sheathed as the immediate threat seems to be over. "Is everyone alright?"

Graham covers his ears at the screaching sound from the rats. Its gives them another small chance to attack though he'll need to be bandaged likely he's standing and not at all in bad shape all things considered. "I'm okay." He says looking down to his wounds, he seems.. careful not to let himself bleed too much which is perhaps.. odd..

That noise, that gods awful noise! Cora's world reels for a moment, just a brief moment, but it is enough. Papa rat takes that moment of opportunity to slice her off arm that went up to clap her ear, and rage, more at herself for allowing her atteniton to lapse than the beast meaning to make her a nibble, has her sword coming up and through the rest of it's neck. Of course before she had the chance to finish it all mortal combat style Theodoric had already pummelled it's squishy brain matter into goo and thus Cora's only closure is that she stabbed a very large rat corpse. Growling she pulls her sword out, flicks it clean and ignores the blood running down her arm, the only bit of red on her that belongs to her. Not trusting it to be over she keeps the weapon drawn and looks for more trouble.

One dire rat pummeled to death. One's throat slit open. And then all is silence. The only people left still alive are the five valiant fighters, covered in muck and gore, enjoying the dense scent of dead dire rat and sewers. The Underground Arena is going to need one hell of a clean up crew after this.

Out <O> is now unlocked.

Theodoric picks unwanted pieces of rat from him, making sure that they're not any part of him. He grunts in way of response to Jeffeth, the man is a bit twitchy, adrenalin still flowing through him. He saunters, stepping over carcases both animal, and person until he reaches the bar, knocking down several bottles of what must be unappealing vintages until he finds something a brown muddy color, opening it and drinking directly from the bottle.