The Ratfolk began to realize that everything happening was connected to the Barrels falling from the sky. The Elite Rats steered clear of areas with Barrels, while the Brute Rats picked up rocks and chunks of ice to throw at them. Most of the missiles missed and struck other Ratfolk when they fell.
But one, thrown by someone unknown, hit a Barrel and smashed it open dozens of meters above the ground.
The spilling alcohol instantly turned to frosty mist and drifted down over a small part of the Rat Swarm.
The swarm grew restless. The Ratfolk's unusual nasal structure made them drunk after just a few seconds of breathing in the alcoholic mist. They swayed and shook their heads.
Whoosh—
A stray shot tore through the air. The moment it grazed the alcoholic mist, the air burst into flame. Expanding fire swallowed a broad swath of Ratfolk, setting their bodies ablaze and bursting their eyes.
The Ratfolk Priest looked up and watched several dark specks retreat after dropping their Barrels.
Then another black monster drifted in from behind. It was several times larger than the other specks, big enough that its long, rodlike outline was just visible.
It reached the skies above the Rat Tide and dropped Barrels faster and more densely than the "little creatures" before it.
Each Barrel worked like a short-lived Fire Wall Spell. Since the flames could not kill every Ratfolk outright, they drove the survivors into a frenzy, tying up the swarm even more effectively than Cannonballs or Fire Wall Spells.
The Ratfolk Priest rose from its palanquin and raised the Spine Staff high. Its shrill screech echoed over the Rat Tide.
A green tinge suddenly spread across the sky. As the priest's incantation rose to a piercing pitch, a stream of Fel Energy