An Extermination Job: Day 3 Sidequest #1

Start

Prelude

The Party is recomended to visit Vincent's Parts and Repairs, a mechanical shop in the Central Stone district to open the Metal Cube. Upon entering the Shop, Vincent (with his back to the party) from behind the counter says "Ah, you're just in time! I was just about to shut Shop. Tell Desker that I've nearly got it ready for him, just putting some finishing touched onto it." He then turns around to see they are not who he thought they were and gives an apology before recognising the party, asking what they're here for.
They explain that they need this here metal cube opened and he asks for it. He gives it a look over and says "Hmm. This is interesting. How'd you get this?" after thier answer he goes "Uhuh. Do you know what this is? It's a Magnet Lock-Box. Tricky things, they are. When do you need it open by?" Do Not Accept any answer other than today, tommorow or as soon as possible.
If Marshall comes with the Party when they arrive, he charges 10 Shirks, 2 Nuts, A Button and 4 Bits (Nearly 100 Gold). If Marshall does not come with, he charges 7 Shirks, 1 Nut, 2 Buttons and 4 Bits (Nearly 80 Gold).
After listing the price, he looks at the party and says "Oor.... You could do me a favour and I'll do it for free." He waits for a response. "I'm having a bit of a rodent problem at the moment... You see, in my cellar, is my Spare Parts. They keep chewing them up. Now, I can't seem to catch them myself and they aren't eating the bait I put out for them. If you go down there and figure out where their comming from, and stop them; I'll open your Magnet Lock-Box. For Free. If you do a good enough Job, I'll even throw something in for y'all... I don't need you to do this tonight, mind. I don't want to Inconveniece Fools Gambit. In fact, I'd rather you did this... Maybe tommorow Morning? Would that work for you? I kind of need to shut shop and work on my backlog, plus there's the paperwork I need to get organised.
Vincent is Lying (kinda). He knows that the Rats are smart and that they're stealing his parts, not chewing them. He's not lying about the bait or not catching them though.

Introduction

As The Party wakes from thier sleep on Day 3, they decend from their Hotel Room to find the Warforged Standing in the Hotel Lobby, talking with the receptionist. As he sees The Party, he flags them down. He asks if they've had breakfast. He offers to pay for thier breakfast and will if they let him. When their done, he asks if they would kindly like to help him with His Rodent Problem. Ruby refuses, she claims to possess a dislike of Rats and to be having other things to do. She also takes Eugene. Leave the Party with the Choice of What to do. Pay the Fee or Do the Deed.
If/When the Party Agrees to go with Vincent, he takes them to his Shop.
He Unlocks the Door, with it's Frosted Glass Window and a Plak beneath that reads "Vincent's Parts & Repairs", opens it and guides The Party behind the Counter and into the messy back room. He Opens a solid wooden door, revealing a staircase, flicking a switch to illuminate the descent. Pause for a few moments. He Enters into the Cellar. As you descend yourselves, you find it to be a messy place. Well, not Messy but certainly cluttered. There are shelves lined with Boxes and strangely shaped metal chunks, a few of the chunks appear chewed on. There are several lights, one on each of the 4 walls. There are Boxes strewn around the floor. Lastly, there are several Sprung but empty mouse traps around the cellar. Vincent turns towards y'all and claps his hands together, producing a metalic ringing sound. "Here we are, My Parts Cellar. Any Questions?" Wait for a reply. "I'll leave it to you. If you need anything, I'll be Upstairs running the shop." He then walks back upstairs and you hear the door close behind you.
The 4 lights are securely screwed in and there is nothing wrong with them.
The Boxes on the Shelves are labelled with things like "Coils (Copper & Iron), Screws (All Sizes), Nuts (Not Edible), Bolts, Rivets, Levers, Springs (Sizes A1-F1), Ball Bearings (In barrels), etc". The Chewed parts are nonsensical in design, without being connected to the proper device, you have no clue how they'd work.
The Mouse Traps litter the Cellar in various places. Some on the floor, some on Shelves, some on Boxes. Almost all of them have been sprung and emptied of their bait. There is also a suprising lack of Mouse Droppings.
There are several boxes around the room. They list various names of various objects (presumably parts), none of which you understand. You do notice out of the corner of your eye however, that some of the Boxes appear to be covering something.
An Investigation Roll of 10 or higher reveals that one box in the farthest corner seems to be covering a hatch. The Lock has been Gnawed off.
A Strength Save (+2 For Jacobi for previous experience with Opening things) of 14 will open the Hatch. Marshall says that it'd lead to The Guts, beneath The City. He doesn't really want to go down there but, it's the only place where the Rodent's could have come from.

The Guts & Street

The Guts

The Party Roams through The Guts until they encount Ratticus. Refer to Encounter Table.
Within The Guts: Compass needs do not point North, they point West-Northwest. Dark Vision Distance is Halved.

When Encoutering the Ratticus the Encounter goes as Such:
The Party walks down a pathway, one of them has to make a Dex save (of 15) or trip a wire. Failure results in a Spiked Metal log swinging into the Feet of whoever's standing in the back dealing 2D6 Piercing Damage and halving their movespeed. An Alarm goes off too.
2 Large Rats charge out of the Gloom before stopping in-front of The Party. A Black Rat and a White Rat. They are wearing tiny harnesses and have tiny spears. They pause as if unsure what to do. EVERYONE ROLL INITIATIVE.
The Rats spend their first 2 turns considering the Party. At least one of them has Initiative Priority. They Will not attack until Attacked. At the begining of thier third turn, The Pair will be Joined by 3 more Rats. A Guinea, A Brown and A Second White Rat. 2 of them (The Brown and Guinea) have Tiny Bows with Arrows. These rats attack. One of the Archers sounds a Tiny Horn, this causes the Black Rat to snap at them and snatch the Horn. But It's too late... Furious Squeaking can be heard in the Background alongside the occational Roar of an Engine. The Black Rat scolds the perpetrator. It turns to The Party and attempts to signal that they need to flee, to understand this they can make a Insight Check of (15), A WIS Check of (13) or a INT Check of (18).
1 Round of Combat after The Party recieves this Signal, on the Horn Blowers turn. A DELUEGE of Rats can be seen sprinting down the dark halls of The Guts Inside of thier swarming tide, the warm light of an engine can be occasionally, briefly seen.
During thier Flight, if the Party left when Instructed they get 2 Bonus Rounds to try and find an Exit. Each Player at the Begining of their turn may make a Perception Check (22) to find an exit, NPC's cannot make this Roll. Any character hit by The Spiked Log Trap must be Carried unless healed.
After the 2 Bonus Rounds (or if The Party did not recieve the warning), The Rodent Wave will catch up to them. The Rodent Wave is Comprised of 3 portions: The Loft, The Breach and The Bottom Feeders. Each part has it's own action and health. The Swarm will slowly move forward, catching up to The Party. It can be Pushed back with various methods, for example: Throwing something, A Melee Attack, Turning a Corner or Creating an Obstacle. Attemping one of these means a Character must roll 2D6. A 10 or Above is a Great Sucess. A 6-9 is a Mixed Sucess. A 2-5 is a Failure. An Item may be sacrificed to increase the level of the Roll's Outcome. The Corridor is 6 Tiles Long.
After 5 Rounds of this The Party bursts out of the Corridor and into a RIBS Train Station. From down the Track line a Second Tide, riding a makeshift vehicle, screams towards the Station. The Party has 1 Round until the Corridor Swarm Arrives and anouther Round after that until The Tunnel Swarm Arrives and the two Merge. A fire escape ladder can be seen leading to a manhole cover that presumably exits into the Street. A Dex Check of 12 gets a Character up, onto The Street.

Alternative Chase: If The Party activates the Train in The RIBS Train Station, proceed as

The Street

When the Party piles onto The Street they get the impression that they have escaped, that they can rethink and plan around what they've found out. Unfortunately a rumbling is heard beneath The Street, before a Geyser of Rats explodes out from the manhole cover. Bubbling up with them is the distinct gleam of Metal and the characteristic roar of an Engine. The Rats swarm in a pile as they begin to rapidly asemble the machine. A Leg here, An exhaust there. In a matter of seconds, they've assembled a full Broiler. Complete with several Port and Starboard Cannons. A Single, grey haired dark brown rat stands on the Aft of the vehicle, he wears a tiny navy captain hat, and squeaks out an "ATTACK THE INTRUDERS!". Everyone roll Initiative.

Endings

Ending 1: A Fade to Black for Rats

Requirements: The Party attacks and kills the scouting party. They then Attack and Destroy the Ratticus Broiler without attempting to make peace.

You stand there, as the Rats flee from their burning Broiler, you hear squeaks of pain, of fear. The Heat is awful. You smell a mixture of burning hair and flesh. There is no song as they flee, no triumph. In the end, when the burnt husk of the boiler is as cold as the earth it was hewn from.
You stand together as the distant, silent sound of machinery goes quiet. You feel as if a thousand lights deep beneath you were suddenly extinguished. As the dust settles beneath The City, a Silence of which it has never known is found. As if it has paused to mourn their loss.
The Vermin no longer sing to one another. They are scattered and afraid. They will never again find each other. And In this moment, as the Morning Sun rises above the distant skyline, you feel as if you have done something terribly, profoundly, wrong. As if it has faded to black for the Rats before their story could even truly begin. And that another Nail has been quietly pounded, into a Coffin.

Ending 2: A New Rat Hope

Requirements: The Party doesn't attack (or kill,) the scouting party. They attempt to make peace during their fight with The Broiler and don't destroy it when they have the chance.

The Broiler, broken and more than a little battered settles to the floor. It's legs nearly give way as it does so. The Captain leans into a tube on the front deck and squeaks into it. He Raises his arms in defeat as he turns to you, bitter defeat in his eyes. Several doors on the various decks of the Broiler opens, and nearly 200 Rodents of various sizes march out solemnly. Many of them are Injured in various ways. The Captain holds up his small megaphone and says "You win. The Conditions of Our Surrender are thus.
My People are to go unharmed. Most do not Understand or speak Common. They have done nothing, except follow my orders. You have shown us Mercy in the past and I hope you will again.
I will become your Sole Prisoner. I will follow any Orders given to me by you, such as, if you wished: the taking of my own life.
If I were to be prudent and presumptuous, I would ask that you assist them in returning Home. Perhaps even granting them a small amount of rations to aid in the recovery of the wounded. If I was in any way Prudent, that is.
Lastly, I would request that our Vessel retain it's current markings as a Vessel of The Ratticus. She would not do well to be forced unto another side.
Those are my Only Demands. Do you agree, Combatants?". Several of the rats are squeaking amongst each other and several are starting to squeak at the captain, as if begging him to reconsider.
Wait for a respnse.
If Positive. "Ah, I see. Thank you, truly. You are merciful towards us. I cannot say if I would have done the same."
If Negative. "Ah. I suppose it was too much to ask for then. May we all find peace when we return to the hearts embrace." He Closes his eyes.
Whatever the decision, ask the player what they want from the Grey Rat Captain.
If the party agrees, ask where they hold The Grey Rat Captain whilest they escort the rest home.
The Broiler slowly, and roughly, lifts off the ground. Several of the Cannons fall off the vehicle, those that are left are pointed skyward. Much of the crew remains on the Vehicle, but some 30 Rodents walk with you as you descend through a nearby access hatch, luckily large enough for the Broiler. You watch as a (for the rodents) massive spotlight on the front of the broiler lights up, illuminating the path in front of you. You walk for ages. Silence in the main topic of conversation. That is to say, there is barely any. You see the badly wounded lined up on the aft deck of the Broiler, hearing the occasional squeak of pain from them. Short, brief conversations are had between the Sailors standing on the Decks of the Broiler, always ending when you get close. Occasionally, the Captain tries to talk with you. It never lasts long.
"You know, we only attacked you because we believed you to be Invaders. You came very close to our home."
"We've seen what measures your kinds will go through to get rid of The Savages."
"I have taken great pains to ensure that my Kin stay safe. We are so few and there is too much of this place to repair and maitain, that a single death is no minor loss."..."These halls border on endless. Everywhere things lie broken or breaking. We fight a war trying to maintain and fix as much as we can. Then there are the Savages, they are relentless and omnipresent. None of this is helped by any of the other things that dwell in the dark down here either. We are losing this War. Badly. Sometimes I wonder why The Heart even set us this task."
"We think that the Krag on The Surface helped us become different to The Savages. Made us... Smarter, somehow. I have seen that It doesn't do that for most. We were Lucky, I suppose."
The Conversation goes quiet for a long time. It does not resume until you enter the hall where you originally encountered The Scouts. "Here, you will see how close you came to our home." The Broiler marches forward and turns left. When you turn down the coridor, you see stockades, foritfying a set of large reinforced metal doors. They swing open on the Broilers approch. The Stockades are all but abandoned, only 2 Rats Man them. One of the pair stands by a lever and wears a look of concern. The other Glares at you.
Once inside, you see before you what once might have been a large storage room. The Ratticus have altered it into becoming a small town. The Shelves of the Shelving Units have small Rat Sized Buildings and tents built upon them. Mechanical parts lay about the floor almost everywhere. The room is illuminated by 4 small lightbulbs, though you can tell that there's meant to be 12. There are is a single large flame in the centre of the room, burning from what appears to be a gas powered Burner. What use could this Storage room have had for an Open Flame? There are very few Rats in the room. Those that are here are Too Young, Too Old, Sick, or Injured. You watch as The Broiler walks to the back of the room, and practically collapses to the floor. The Rodents then begin to unload their Injured. Now The Captain turns to you. "I am Ready." Is all he says.
Make it clear to the Party that they should probably help The Rats.
Marshall calls a team meeting, to suggest that they take this guy to meet with someone in a place of power and get these Rats some Help. Maybe The Lord Mayor? Teach them Common or get them supplies. Allow for a Debate amongst the party.
If party chooses to take the Grey Rat to The Lord Mayor and tell him, he will request being able to bring a delegate of his best people.
The Party then takes the Rats to City hall where they freak the receptionist (His name is George Reaver) out, and book an appointment with The Lord Mayor for tommorow (Thursday). The Captain thanks The Party and says that he'll stop the raids on Vincent's Shop and find an appropriate way to Thank them and Invites them to maybe come back to Their Den.

The party is rewarded by The Ratticus and can choose what they tell Vincent.

Rewards

Ending 1:
Opened Magnet Lock-Box.
1 Pendulum, 3 Shirks & 2 Nuts. "From what you've told me, this was a more than a little bit of a simple Rodent Infestation. You've saved me a lot of trouble and a lot of money."
"A Pick of an Item of your choosing from My Shop".

Ending 2:
Opened Magnet Lock-Box.
Gnawed Bastiel Key.
300 Gold worth of Morkite (Asorted Scrap and Slag, amounting to 4Kg total)
The Pledge of The Ratticus.

Random Encounter Sheet

Party rolls a D12 each time they continue onward in The Guts. After each roll, the "Rat" portion of the block advances, it innitially starts at D12. When Rat is rolled, the sidequest continues.

Rodent Wave Portion Stats

The Loft

HP: 80
AC: 18
Swarm: See Page 339 of MM.
Each Turn, makes 1D4 Attacks with Bows. -1 to Hit. On Hit: Deals 2 Piercing Damage.

The Breach

HP: 100
AC: 15
Swarm: See Page 339 of MM.
At the Begining and End of it's Turn, it attempts to Move Itself, The Bottom Feeders and The Loft, forward 1 Tile.
Each Turn, makes a CHR Save to Heal an Ally for 2D6+5 HP. It's Charisma is a +3 Modifier.

The Bottom Feeders

HP: 100
AC: 16
Swarm: See Page 339 of MM.
Each Turn, attempts to make 2D4 Spear Attacks if Opponents are within 1.5 Meters (1 Square) of it. +1 to Hit. On Hit: Deals 2 Piercing Damage.

Ratticus Broiler Stats

Basic Stats

HP = 238
AC = 17
Movement Speed = 9 Meters
Allignment = Lawfull Neutral
Size = Large
Remember: THIS THING TALKS.

Roll Stats

STR = 20
DEX = 9
CON = 18
INT = 24
WIS = 15
CHR = 11

Actions

Starboard Cannon Fire: The Cannons on the Starboard side fire. Ranged Attack: +2 to Hit. Reach: 10 Meter Line. On Hit: 2D4+4 Bludgeoning Damage.
Port Cannon Fire: The Cannons on the Port side fire. Ranged Attack: +3 to Hit. Reach: 12 Meter Line. On Hit: 2D4+2 Bludgeoning Damage.
Forward Charge: The Broiler charges forward to slam into an opponent. This Creature moves forward it's movement speed. Any creatures in it's path must make a Dex Save of 17 or higher. On a Failure: They are hit for 3D6 Bludgeoning Damage. For Each creature hit, +2 damage is added subsequently.
Ignite: The Ratticus overclock the Broiler's Engine, increasing it's power but also generating a massive amount of heat. They deal an additional 2 Die of damage for each attack and move at double their base walking speed. Any creatures within 4 meters of this creature must make a Con save of 10 or higher, failing reduces their movement speed to half of their base movement speed. After this creature has spent 4 of their turns Ignited, they will enter a Death Spiral. While in Death Spiral; This creature is unable to perform attacks. At the end of their fith turn, this creature will detonate for 4d12+3 Fire damage in an 9ft radius, instantly dying.
Target Enemy: Mark a Single Opponent for 1D4 Turns.

Boarding Party: A Small band of 5 Ratticus leap off the Broiler and become seperate creatures within The Fight.

Bonus Actions

Surender: The Ratticus peacefully surrender and turn off the Broiler.
Evacuate: The Ratticus begin to Abandon the exploding Ship!
Repair Crews: The Ratticus send out a repair crew in an attempt to salvage some damage. Heals 2D8 HP.

Abilities

Excesive damage: When this Vehicle is brought down to only 50 health, it can no longer sustain itself and begins to rapidly breakdown. Each turn it takes 15 Damage.