"Hey Nari are you okay you seem even more nervous than normal? Don't worry like I said just a bunch of stuffy old men more Jureeoooww What was that for????" Merle's once more haughty tone is interrupted by Seph who getting tired of it nips her on one of her ears and glares at her.
Nari smiles a little at Seph. "I don't like visiting wizards," she said in a near-whisper. "Brings back bad memories."
Isaac pulls up the hood on his freshly mended cloak and squints into the rain.
"Aye, cutter, easy enough to find. Now that you've been through the Hive, we can knock around in a real den of cross-traders and knights of the post. We should palaver now on a plan, though: split up into smaller groups and park our ears in the soup kitchens while some of us go peering into the Clerk's Ward or stick together?"
He ponders for a second, rolling a cigarette under the folds of his cloak.
"Do we want to take the door-to-door salesman approach like here or try our luck as second story men? His kip might be a different story from the Society."
Nari smiles a little at Seph. "I don't like visiting wizards," she said in a near-whisper. "Brings back bad memories."
Justin Smirks as the felines engage in a mutual staring contest.
"That's okay Nari," The wizard says with a quick smile for the tense elf. "I'm sure there are people that you know that would make ME nervous too."
Isaac pulls up the hood on his freshly mended cloak and squints into the rain.
"Aye, cutter, easy enough to find. Now that you've been through the Hive, we can knock around in a real den of cross-traders and knights of the post. We should palaver now on a plan, though: split up into smaller groups and park our ears in the soup kitchens while some of us go peering into the Clerk's Ward or stick together?"He ponders for a second, rolling a cigarette under the folds of his cloak.
"Do we want to take the door-to-door salesman approach like here or try our luck as second story men? His kip might be a different story from the Society."
"Splitting up might not be a bad idea. I have a feeling that time isn't on our side here. As far as checking out Eli's 'Kip'. Why don't we try both approaches? We'll ask nicely, and if we run into trouble, we'll just let ourselves in and not bother the nice landlord with pesky details." Justin says, his eyes flashing from under his hood. HE is almost bouncing on his toes, obviously eager to find another piece of the puzzle.
"How you wanna handle the askin'?"
Drazek looks over at the harpy as she glances a the rain with resignation.
"You flyin or walkin'?"
"Flying I guess. I want to get out of this rain as soon as possible and don't want to slow us down by walking."
"As Justin says, we can ask first and if that fails, then we can always break in. I can fly up there and with other magic users in the party I doubt that we'll have aproblem getting someone else up there with me."
Drazek nods and in a single swift movement whips the dark coak off his shoulders, the movement fluid as the material fans out coming to drape itself around Bethany's shoulders. On her frame the shadowy material reaches just above her talons.
"Walk a spell," he speaks without so much as a shift in his conversational tone. He cuts his long stride to match hers.
"If we're bustin' in, don't wanna be none too conspicuous,"he pauses "....or too memorable."
He grins, " Trust me sugar, ain't too many men would forget seein' you all soakin' wet."
Looking ahead he calls to Justin, embracing the falling rain wihile the masge hunches his shoulders against the wet and cold.
"What'ya think Case? One more to do the talkin' and the rest a y'all thake the Hive?"
Isaac idly blows smoke from his nostrils, using one hand to shield the end of his cigarette from the rain.
"Tis a canny idea, keeping a low profile. Clerk's Ward is lousy with Hardheads. Best if Bethany or Justin rattle their boneboxes; you're more Clerk's Ward material than Drazek or me. Karrin, Nari, you're both familiar faces to the sods at the soup kitchens, eh? Probably best to head up that leg of things. I can show these bashers the way and see if I can still pull off a bit o' cross trading, unless you'd prefer me in the Hive. Merle, Seph? What're ye up for?"
"What about this killer?" Karrin asks, "maybe someone should be looking into him, her, or it as well. I got a feeling that this is all somehow connected."
"What about this killer?" Karrin asks, "maybe someone should be looking into him, her, or it as well. I got a feeling that this is all somehow connected."
"That's why it's smart to split up. The chant you've found is this killer just stalks the Hive, so while some of us are turning over Eliath's kip the rest of us will be rattling our boneboxes to the sods in the soup kitchens and the other Hiver spots for chant on Eliath and the killer. Not going to hear much about it in the Clerk's Ward. Ya twig to that?"
Merle, Seph? What're ye up for?"
Merle and Seph break off from there glaring contest to answer Isaac "I guess we'll go with Karrin and Nari."
Merle, Seph? What're ye up for?"Merle and Seph break off from there glaring contest to answer Isaac "I guess we'll go with Karrin and Nari."
"We should hurry. It's getting close to one of the busy times at the soup kitchen. There will be more people to talk to the sooner we get there," Nari pipes up before shrinking back into silence.
"We should hurry. It's getting close to one of the busy times at the soup kitchen. There will be more people to talk to the sooner we get there," Nari pipes up before shrinking back into silence.Merle, Seph? What're ye up for?"Merle and Seph break off from there glaring contest to answer Isaac "I guess we'll go with Karrin and Nari."
"Okay lead the way then."
"Better let me lead," Karrin says, "and keep your ears open, I'm bad for missing things and stuff."
Bethany looks quizically at Drazek as he offers her his coat, but accepts it nonetheless. "That one definately bears some watching," she thinks to herself.
The group sets out along Smith Street together deeper into Swordhold, heading in the general direction of the Great Foundry. The rain acquires a sulphuric smell as the water washes the Cage Fog straight out of the sky and onto their heads.
Smith Street, as its name implies, hosts a number of smithies and an equal number of bub houses. The party passes the Black Sails Tavern, one of the more memorable Lower Ward establishments in that it is fashioned out of an ancient galleon, one with a black sail still hanging soaked in the acidy rain. The party also passes the Harmonium's Lower Ward garrison, it's frowning tower keep seeming to squint and ask passersby their business.
At the dregs of Smith Street hard by the Foundry District is a watering hole Issac has visited once or thrice, the Red Pony. A boisterous workers' pub, it is stocked at all hours of the day with drinking Godsmen and unaffiliated laborers. Even at this early hour of Afterpeak the sound of a piano and raucous off-key singing can be heard from inside.
The Great Foundry emerges out of the gloom, its tall brick chimneys belching forth yellow-brown smoke and pale ash as it has for centuries. Soot-smeared dripping urchins run splashing through the maze of worker tenements that surround the compound, poking sticks into rubbish, looking for metal scraps to sell the junkmen. The junkmen themselves push their handcarts piled with scrap metals towards the foundry's huge gates, hoping to earn a Lady or two from their day's scrounging.
Heading out to Gear Street, the group passes the Hands of Time clockshop. Always a treat, and the unofficial beginning demarcation to the wonders of the Gear Run District, this shop is surmounted by an intricate clocktower that is literally constructed of grears, pullies and other clokwork bits. It shifts and recombines in an intricate dance, striking the hour faithfully. The large windows of the shop are filled with clocks, astrolabes and compasses of all shapes and sizes. A Modron is busy applying oil to the delicate clockwork gears of the window items as the group passes.
Passing through the many mechanical wonders of the Gear Run District, the party turns onto the Alley of Dangerous Angles and enters Hellgate. They pass Caritas, the tavern looking quiet at this hour. Bethany feels a bit queasy as half-remebered scenes of last night flash before her eyes.
Hellgate looks much like one would imagine Dis to be, all rusty metal and clanging hammers. Fiends and tieflings swarm the streets, not in as great numbers as they will in later hours, but still in a decent crowd. Shops dedicated to fiendish persuits or specializing in fiendish arms and armor line the road.
Hellgate gives way to Gramercy Street and the Ditch. The ancient span known as the Zaddfum Trestle swims out of the hissing rain. The greenish waters of the Ditch heave and swell with the downpour, its surface churned by the many sewer outflow pipes gushing raw effluvient into the rancid waters. Hiver children scamper the Ditch's crumbling steep sides searching for washed-up treasures or the occasional fiendish snail or crab.
Crossing the sooty bridge, the group arrives in the Hive Ward and the beginning of the Madhouse District. The Gatehouse is a fog-wrapped shape several blocks over. The Clerk's Ward lies on the other side of the Hive, a mere hours' walk away ...
Justin arcs an eyebrow as Drazek gives his cloak to Bethany, but (wisely?) says nothing. Though he does nod in agreement with the warlock's observation that the harpy's curvy and wet figure would be hard to forget.
As the group marches as quickly as they can through the smoggy air of the foundries that the dirty rain seems to be able to do nothing about, Justin starts talking in a hushed voice almost as soon as they are out of earshot of the Library door.
"I expected to be disappointed, but we actually learned a lot from that little visit." Justin declares from under the safety of his hooded coat.
"At the very least, the doorman told us that it was 2 weeks ago when Eli was last seen, which if I recall correctly, fits in with when he disappeared. Talesar verified that Eli was top at what he did, and was well-known for being able to ferret out obscure information."
Justin turns and grins at the others bemused expressions. "But what is REALLY interesting is what he didn't say. While it IS possible, or even probable, for the library to not know what every single member is working on, I'm willing to bet that they keep close track of who looks at what books, and that they have a pretty good idea of what any one member is working on. And Talesar took no time to think when he responded that Elias had no known enemies. But, he pondered a bit before responding to my question about someone wanting the same information as Eli, or wanting to keep it a secret. Granted, I'm a suspicious b@$$tard, but still,..." The wet mage smirks from under his hood.
"But last, and not least, once again the most interesting tidbit came from GEmnesto, the doorman. He said that when Eli was last at the library, he was only there for 2 hours." Justin gives the group a look. "IN the world of research, 2 hours isn't even a drop in the bucket. Certainly not enough time to ferret out 'Obscure Darks', I don't care HOW good you are. So on his last visit, Eli wasn't there to look for information, he was there to verify it! And almost immediately after he found what he wanted, he disappeared, and turned up loony and supposedly dead in the Hive." Justin looks just a little smug, and ridiculous with water dripping off the end of his nose where it sticks out from under his hood.
"So what we're looking for is what the information was that Eli found, and where he went when he left the library. I have a feeling that it's ALL connected, and that there's more to this mystery place than just being located on some un-pleasant, deity-forsaken plane!" Justin declares with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
"On that note, I surmise that we won't find any, obvious, information in his dwelling, as I'm guessing whatever it was has already been taken. Although I still hold out hope for information on his last-known whereabouts from his landlord or neighbors."
Isaac finishes his cigarette and throws the end into a puddle.
"So, if this is all wrapped up together with a bow in a neat little package, why are all these other barmies hitting the blinds? Do you think they all have something to do with this place?"
The half-elf throws a sour glance into the cloudy brown "sky".
"You're a trig cutter and all, Justin, but I think we're in danger of having too many theories. We can't go throwing everything together in a big pile, like smelting scrap into iron. What darks he was ferreting out may have been important, may not have been, we won't know until we find some evidence. More important: Toranna said he was put in the dead book eight days ago. Two weeks ago was the last time he was seen, at the Society. We have a week of time to fill in between his last visit and turning up in a Collector's wagon. We should still check his kip, I'd wager, but we should flag down a Collector on the way and find out how many of these unmarked bodies they've been finding. It's possible Eliath went mad and hit the blinds simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, since he weren't a top shelf wizard."
"Well, here's where we go our separate ways. Meet at the Rose when we're through or someplace else?"
Justin frowns as his theoretical balloon is popped by Isaac's fundamental realism. HE purses his lips thoughtfully, and then gives a self-depreciating smirk as he nods.
"Well, your right about one thing. There is always a danger of creating a theory before you actually have all the facts. That's always a danger of any investigation. I didn't mean to imply that finding the answers will be easy or simple, but I DO suspect that most if not all of our questions are all interrelated. But we won't know until we actually GET the answers,..." He shrugs noncommittally.
"The Rose is good for me, unless there's a place we can gather that's closer to here, and then go back together?"
Bethany moves over to stand with Isaac and Drazek and looks at Justin like his head is about to explode.
"So does that mean you're coming with us, or going with them?" She indicates Karrin's group. "You seem to think we won't find anything useful at Eliath's... err... kip was it?"
"I still say there's a gate to some twisted place in the hive," Karrin says absent mindfully, "if Justin's theory is correct then he went there to find the door. I think perhaps something slipped through."
Karrin suddenly realizes that they've stopped and she glances about at her surroundings.
"So do we walk? Cuz there are gangs and stuff and it could be dangerous. But we could flag down a carriage or something and ride over or something . . ."
"I still say there's a gate to some twisted place in the hive," Karrin says absent mindfully, "if Justin's theory is correct then he went there to find the door. I think perhaps something slipped through."
Karrin suddenly realizes that they've stopped and she glances about at her surroundings.
"So do we walk? Cuz there are gangs and stuff and it could be dangerous. But we could flag down a carriage or something and ride over or something . . ."
"Wouldn't riding in a carriage make us more of a target than walking? Maybe it works different here, but where I'm from noting attracts attacks from the desperate like displays of wealth."
Nari's crystal is glowing as she speaks, and when she finishes she gives a little eep and tries in vain to make herself invisibile.
"All right, cutters, let's get to it. If you feel like we're not getting enough exercise we can take the long way to Eliath's kip, but the most direct route is right through the welcoming, homey Hive Ward with its Collectors, brainsnatchers, barmies, spivs, coney catchers and knights of the post. If we keep our brainboxes out of our arses we can make the Clerk's in a quarter of the time. Hive's not a friendly place, even during Peak, but what's going to scare some top-shelf bashers like us, eh?"
Isaac pulls back his hood to let his keen almost-elven eyes and ears have full reign in the sprawling slums ahead, despite the weather.
Perception check: 1d20+11=14, 16 for sight and sound checks.
"I say we just walk to the soup kitchen I mean we have any trouble you just bash there head in with you're axe Karrin."
Nari's eyes glow briefly as they set out.
"Why the hell not? 'Sides, I plan to be the one doin' the scarin'."
Drazek seems to make the subtlest of shifts, his stride taking on the deadly grace of a predator, his wet hair draping over his unnatural eyes, shadows seeming to reach out slightly as he passes.
He generates a notable aura of menace.
"I say we just walk to the soup kitchen I mean we have any trouble you just bash there head in with you're axe Karrin."
"That's bad for business you know," Karrin says, eager to share her knowledge of mercenary code, "killing and beating people civs, I mean you'd think that's what we're being paid for, but when we beat up civilians the heardheads get angry. They don't like people taking the law into their own hands. If we start getting a reputation for beating up civs we might get investigated it'll make business that much harder. Also gangs hold grudges and aren't bound to any sort of code or standard. The might try to avenge any bert we splat just because it gives them a bad rep. Then we might get sucked into some kind of gang war or something. Gangs are stupid though, lots of times they can't be scared off, and then the only way to deal with them it to run them out. A lot of times gangs aren't powerful enough to attract the ire of any big powerful patrons so then we got to take care of them Pro bono or something. That means we got to do it for free or find someone who's willing to hire for cheap . . . it's real complicated. Best to obey the laws and try to stay out of trouble."
"It's alright, Merle. We should be fine. I'll be able to sense anyone closing in on us with the intent of doing harm. Axe bashing really is more of a last resort."
"Aye, Karrin, I tumble to that. 'A watched back holds no room for a chiv' and all. Just keep in mind the hardheads only tend to show when you least want to see 'em: we're just about on our own in the Hive."
Isaac smiles, a twinkle of mischief in his eye.
"Here's a right bit o' fun fer you cutters on our walk: I'll buy a round for every hardhead you spot while in the Hive. Gehenna stingers included."
JUstin smirks at Isaac's offer.
"WOrks for me, it's your silver. Er, Stingers." He shrugs with a wry look.
"Oh, I'm definitely going with Isaac. I want to check out Eli's flop for myself. IF my suspicions are correct, we won't find much. But sometimes the absence of something can tell you almost as much as the presence of something can."
"Alright, Lead on MacDuffs! Like you said, anybody brain-drained enough pick a fight with an obviously competent and capable group, gets what they're asking for." He looks up at the sky from under his hood.
"And it's not getting any drier out here,..." MUtters with a wry grin.
Gehenna stingers included."
Bethany gives Isaac a scathing look before bidding the others good luck and following Isaac.
[
"That's bad for business you know," Karrin says, eager to share her knowledge of mercenary code, "killing and beating people civs,........
"That's not really what I meant Karrin I meant if anyone attacked us not just jumping random people in the street and I doubt the hardheads would have any problem with us defending ourselves against street thugs"
... Hive's not a friendly place, even during Peak, but what's going to scare some top-shelf bashers like us, eh?"
Isaac pulls back his hood to let his keen almost-elven eyes and ears have full reign in the sprawling slums ahead, despite the weather.
Bidding goodbye to their other members, Issac leads his bunch into the belly of the beast. The streets are thankfully quieter than they would usually be in the Hive, with the downpour, even the hardcases and Spiregod barmies are seeking shelter from the stinging rain.
The crooked twisting roads narrow as the tenements crowd the street. The tops of the rickrty structures almost touch at their tops six stories above the road, making dim tunnels where whatever scant light the peak has brought to the Hive is even further obscured.
Skirting Goatswood, a maze of non-human tenements, the group gets a few hard stares from Xaos-wearing bariaur lounging under a bub-ouse's ripped canopy. The party rolls on until they reach the Gatehouse Night Market. The market is quiet at this hour, just a few vendors hawking food and rags. The shabby tents are surrounded by many boarding houses and bubber's roosts, some just a man with a keg and a few cheap clay mugs selling watered barley beer for two cups a Green.
Perception:
0
5
10
15
20
25
Nari's eyes glow briefly as they set out.
Naridre senses a lot of hostility in the air, but none of it seems to be directed in the party's direction
The group walks down Depression Avenue to Bedlam Run. The Gatehouse looms out of the rain, grey and solid. The rain hasn't made the lines any shorter for the food and care the Bleakers dispense. Black-clad factioners dole out black bread and gruel to the rag-dressed crowd.
Nari will approach one of the factioners.
"May I help?" she asks tentatively.
Nari will approach one of the factioners.
"May I help?" she asks tentatively.
Under a ripped bit of canvas a Bleaker doles out bowls of soup in hollowed out black round loaves. She's a githzeri, the odd vestigial nose, pointed ears, yellow-bronze skin and slitted eyes looking alien beneath her black hood. She shrugs
"If yeh want, cutter, grab a ladle an' start filling them loaves. "
Perception Check. (1d20=10)
As they walk along the street, Bethany notices a puddle up ahead and she screws her nose up, giving it a wide berth because of the severed hand floating in it.
Nari will approach one of the factioners.
"May I help?" she asks tentatively.Under a ripped bit of canvas a Bleaker doles out bowls of soup in hollowed out black round loaves. She's a githzeri, the odd vestigial nose, pointed ears, yellow-bronze skin and slitted eyes looking alien beneath her black hood. She shrugs
"If yeh want, cutter, grab a ladle an' start filling them loaves. "
Nari does as instructed and grabs a ladle. She works quickly and efficiently.
"Do you spend much time talking to the people who come here for help?" she asks shyly, "Or are there just so many that it isn't possible?"
"Do you spend much time talking to the people who come here for help?" she asks shyly, "Or are there just so many that it isn't possible?"
The Bleaker shrugs
"Some I gets to know, some just come and go. There are so many, that you despair of knowing or helping them all. I try to talk with those who wants to, sometimes a friendly word is as good as a bowl of soup in this place."
The githzeri looks sad, her emotion very similar in appearance to the human one, despite her alien visage.
The Bleaker shrugs"Some I gets to know, some just come and go. There are so many, that you despair of knowing or helping them all. I try to talk with those who wants to, sometimes a friendly word is as good as a bowl of soup in this place."
The githzeri looks sad, her emotion very similar in appearance to the human one, despite her alien visage.
"Sometimes a friendly word is worth more than a bowl of soup, no matter how hungry you are," she says with conviction. "I am sure that you are doing the best that you can and that there are many who appreciate it."
She keeps working as she talks, glad to be able to provide some small help, even if only for a little while.
Merle Unlike Naridre stands about with a rather blank expression on her face clearly not really sure what to do. Seph on the other hand trys to help out as best as his limited capabilities will allow.
Drazek looks at the puddle as they pass and shakes his head.
Isaac nods to an alley that an urchin just scampered down.
"Mark that.", he says quietly,"Keep your eyes open, try to act casual and be ready for trouble."
Drazek focuses fdr a moment as he makes an odd movement with his fingers. The air around him seems to flicker.
Justin meets the eyes of the vendors with a steely gaze, but a pleasant half-smile and nod. He raise an eyebrow as the harpy dodges a particularly unpleasant rainpuddle with a severed hand floating in it. He doesn't bother to try and identify the race of origin. He gives a smirk and a half-wave to an urchin watching them from an alleyway. At Justin's wave, the lad turns and disappears up the alleyway. Justin 'humphs' with an amused snort.
"Well, it's nice to know that some things don't change. No matter where you are or what civilization you live in. Kids will be kids." He smirks, and tugs his hood higher up to protect his face from the distinctly unpleasant tea-colored rain.
"Well, it's nice to know that some things don't change. No matter where you are or what civilization you live in. Kids will be kids." He smirks, and tugs his hood higher up to protect his face from the distinctly unpleasant tea-colored rain.
"So the coney-catchers on the Prime keep brats in their employ, too, eh? 'Wherever you go, there you are'."
Wary of Isaac's warning, Bethany loosens the coat from around her shoulders so that her wings are free in case of trouble. Her eyes take on a predatory gleam as she tenses herself, ready to throw off the coat at a moments notice and draw her Sabre.