The recoil shocked Gorosk's arms as his staff clapped the earth beneath them all, the sizable, wounded beast that angrily shrilled having dodged after taking the onslaught leveled at it. Of the axe, the sword, and the staff that sought to beat it into a furred pulp, only the sword fell upon it directly in the chaos. Hounded and besieged from all sides, it sprung back only for de Brey to heft his axe in both hands and swing a reverse blow with all the force in him. Whereas the beard of Vah'lux's weapon missed in this sense, de Brey's did not, and it sunk itself deep into the grey rat's throat - the creature's cry immediately went silent as the soldier pulled back, shoving the beast off with the face of his shield, smearing its blood across the livery in doing so.

One of the creatures felled, the elf jabbed her dagger at one of the smaller vermin at the flank but the rats were elusive. The focused assault had proven rewarding whee it landed but now with the point of the prisoners' thrust over, the rats swarmed back. The surviving grey monstrosity lunged at the paladin and almost threatened to bust his weakened leg beneath him and drag him to the ground, spared by the presence of the hunched giantess who loomed over and threatened to intervene, sending the counterattack recoiling. Another rat dove in from the side, teeth grazing the man's armor menacingly, and the last trading swipes of its sickly limbs and pointed claws at the elf who sidestepped them with wild grace.

The chaos was growing, as was the noise from the men's shouts on, first spurred forth by Beaumont then de Brey. Only now was the tide holding, one of the worst of the [i]dire rats[/i] slipping away into a sickly red death where it laid on the ground. It was, to the absent minded prayer of Gorosk, just as the orc-monk had hoped; that things could have been far worse yet dared not there. At least not yet, for as they scurried back, shrill and sporting, the next attack was soon.

[hider=Effects]
Quentin de Brey scores a critical threat on the injured grey [i]dire rat[/i] but does not confirm. He deals 8 points of slashing damage with his axe and slays it despite this. Tracan attempts to stab one of the small rats on the side with her dagger but misses. One small rat and the remaining large rat attack Beaumont but both fail, as does the one fighting Tracan fail to hit her. It is now to [@Lord Wyron] in initiative order.[/hider]
[@BangoSkank][@Hellion][@Lord Wyron][@TyrannosaursRex]