Suny gives Wil a fierce hug to show she's not cross or upset with him at all. Then listens intently as this new Clerc details what the found things are worth for being returned, still with her arms around Wil. (^_~)
Wil presents the items and coins they had found so far in the hope that some of it would be what the department had been looking for. "We've also found a chainshirt but what was the one you were looking for? was it made of a special material and what sort of abilities did it have?" He felt he knew the answer already but felt it best to dig a little deeper before heading back and prying it from their friends hands. Besides untaxed rewards was an especially good boon for their group and could be quickly converted into items that were just as useful as the ones they had to return.
"The shirt supposedly is half-weight. The ring is just listed as a thieves' ring. The dagger a muggers' dagger, whatever that means. Should I have one of the Swirling Shadows come down? I think they claim these items."
"You realize that this will really help my job statistics. I can find some more lost items for you to find if you want to."
I know they are speaking the same tongue I am, but I feel as if I no longer understand the language.
Looking at Suny's confusion Azlain chuckles behind his mask.
At least I'm not the only one who is lost.
Walking and watching, Azlain continues to keep his mouth closed and his eyes open.
Wil seems like the sort who would not try to take advantage of another's ignorance. It is a wonder he has survived so long. Things must certainly be different in this age. Interesting.
Wil does realize that this office does not do much business. The desire to make sure lost items are returned to those that lose them is not strong in this city. Most rewards seem to be about 20% of the retail value and 40% of the sell value of the items.
Wil grimaced at the inefficiencies of the city, this office was a prime example of mankind's inadequacies in respect to law and order. He had little choice though as any run in with the law would not only bring shame to his house, the foxes and elven kind in general but would bring the swift and brutal eyes of the government down on them as well. Best to tread lightly. "No, the swirling shadow is unneeded right now. We will return once we have all the items in our possession and together, best not to trade them in in separate pieces. Please prepare a scroll of missing items and I will return here once we find more of them. For Now let us peruse the coinage we have here and see if at least that can be fulfilled while you prepare that scroll."
As the clerk does his work, Wil returns Suny's hug and picks the items back up off the table.
Suny transfers her hugging to Azlain ass Wil goes about his 'Human' business...
"Um...so does this mean we is goin' back t'th' other shop?" She asks quietly.
Azlain freezes and blinks in surprise, totally unsure of what to do about being "hugged".
The clerk smiles at Wil and brings out a fresh sheaf of papers, "Thank you Wil, you have made my job much more exciting. When I brief my superiors they will see that this office still provides service and value. Would you believe there are those who feel the Department of Lost Items is becoming irrelevant?"
The clerk prepares for Will the list of lost items for his area. As Wil leaves, the clerk is furiously writing.
The alchemist fires and potions of CLW can be purchases for 120% of list price (there is the tax). The wand will have to be ordered from the lady.
At the Clerc's words Suny steps forwards,
Here! You tell them folks whut's disparagin' yerself an' yer station that without this place bein' here I would never have hooked up with me mates. If'n they try an' give ye stick, you just send 'em in my general direction an' I'll be givin' 'em a right 'What for', y'hear?" She says sternly, fiercely and sincerely, before giving the fellow a polite nod and hurrying to catch up with Azlain and Wil again.
"Th' nerve o' some folks! Sayin' some one in't no use..." She grouses and mumbles to herself...her voice trailing off into rather colourful Elvish terms...As she walks along with Wil and Azlain back to the previous shop.
Wil shrugs at the clerk as he accepts the scroll. "I am all for helping others but I could understand why people don't visit this office. The rewards for finding these powerful and important items pales in comparison to the items themselves. Greed wins out and people keep what they found. Perhaps you can suggest to your superiors that if people want these items returned they should offer a greater reward. Especially since where we are fighting we've suffered losses and sadly there is nothing to replace that loss. Good Day to you and yours."
He turned and returned to the Magic Shoppe so that they could make there order.
Wil returns to the sanctuary with Azalain and Suny. Potions were purchased and a Cure Light Wounds wand ordered for 900gp. The group is now together and compare notes.
A band called the Swirling Shadows lost one of their members and claimed he was wearing chain shirt, ring, and had a dagger. All were valuable property. They offered a 5000gp reward for the return of the missing items. There is a somewhat bureaucratic government at work here; many departments that often do not communicate with each other. (I avoid adding any political comparison or imply that this inspired by any real life governmental agencies.)
The magic shoppe can order many items. The Wand was ordered and should be ready in 3-7 days. All items in the city seem to be taxed at about 20% for the 'common good'.
Wil realizes the markets he visited with Spider before were somewhat shady, they probably didn't believe in paying taxes.
More sewer exploration or city exploration?
After his lengthy explanation Wil shows the group the parchment and the number of missing items that are written on it. "I understand that these rewards are paltry in comparison to the items themselves but the last thing we need is to run afoul of any of these groups. So for now let us finish this commission and once it is done we can claim our rightful rewards and return these items as well. Then not only will we earn a sizable reward for our time but we will be avoiding making enemies out of these unknowns. We can then turn our rewards around and make items that are ours and truly fit our band without hindrance from the Depots government or unjust suspicions from other businesses."
He looks to Seltyn then before continuing. "I understand humans more clearly then most as my family has had to deal with them for a number of years now. For now I suggest we press on and finish the commission and then deal with this matter afterwards. Seeing as you lead the band I leave it to you to decide."
Seltyn puts it up for all to consider. He's by no means lawful, but we're strangers in a strange land, right now. Good will may be better than immediate gain.
Wil has more or less promised a fair reckoning of items before we leave. That's fair. We want no ill will with the humans here. We've got a good thing going with the humans on the coast, thanks to Elorin's charm and our own honesty. We must maintain a good reputation here and now.
Whether or not the "Swirling Shadows" have any claim to the items remains to be seen. If they know what they are and what they do, they should be able to say so before we produce them. It's their word, uncontested, if we just hand it all over. There's no harm in ascertaining their veracity, now is there?
For all we know, they have no claim at all. If they do, we must agree and comply. We either go back to the ratfolk, or give it a few days, and make our kind respected here, and return to this point better-armed. What say you?
Wil nods with Seltyn's words before adding. "It is still my suggestion we use the items we have aquired for now until we complete the commission. I'd hate for us to lose what little advantage we have going down here. Besides that would give us time to figure out a way to make sure these groups aren't just lying about what was lost..."
Elorin greats everyone returning, warmly and some what relieved."I am glad to see you all returned with little incident. It has been relatively quiet down here for us."
"I feel we should return the items 'as soon as we can' " She says, making a point to emphasize the 'as soon as we can' in such a way that indicates that it does not mean right now and it does not mean unused."It would be remiss of us to do otherwise. Would it not?"She says with a cheeky smile and a wink, as she moves the armour on Talon so that it fits better.
Elorin has always tried to be honest and encourages others to do so, However she knows the value and difference that timing can make when it comes to honesty.
Wil nods to Elorin, smiling warmly as she seems to understand what he was trying to imply. "Indeed Lady Elorin. I'm glad that all were safe until our return as well. So shall we continue to push into the lair of the beast?"
"Yes lets finish what you have started here." Elorin eager to finish and be above ground again.
Returning to the net of the rat queen, the room is in chaos with wolf-size rat corpses everywhere. The massive dissected corpse of the queen fills the now blood red channel in the room. A wooden three level platform of ladders and platforms leads to street level at the back of the nest.
On the other side of the channel is a next of refuse that includes corpses of humanoids, tattered papers, and the years of discarded food husks, broken pottery and weapons, and tattered papers. This nest is five feet high, ten feet deep, and about fifty feet wide. It is soaked in somewhat rancid water and smells horrible.
Obvious exit to street level, and the sewer passage continues as a ten foot tunnel as before (half a five foot deep channel, half a slick stone covered in five inches of water.
Suny looks over the mess and cannot but help to emit an,
"Eeewwwww!" (>_<) At what the group sees...and smells....
"So...d'we go up? Or d'we go...um...that'a way?" She points first at the platforms and then at the tunnel.
"Seltyn be ready with your spells, I will lead as I can heal myself more quickly then the rest of you." With shield raised and his Longsword drawn Wil heads towards the tunnel in pursuit of their opponents. I plan to finish this, not for revenge but to remove the threat these ratmen pose to the population above.
Suny, light the way well ahead with a dancing lights spell now and then. No need to walk into a trap.
Talon, be ready to fire, then retreat. We'll follow your lead. Move carefully, and spot the way. There may be a trail we can follow if we start finding twists and turns up ahead. We can be sure they're waiting for us.
Talon and Suny can skulk ahead, then signal us, followed by Wil and Azlain, then me, Flambeaux and Elorin.
Seltyn puts a light spell on Flambeaux's banner. Cool?
With Wil almost rushing ahead whilst Talon and Seltyn's words are hanging in the air, Elorin places her hand on Wil's shoulder, not stopping him but so he may hear her as she says quietly. "Do what you feel you have to Wil but make sure your heads in it, not just your heart. We need you at your best and your best, may be, making sure we are covered while quieter amongst us scout ahead for the danger and so you know exactly where your sword needs to be."
Wil grabs Talons arm and looks him dead in the eye as he answers lady Elorin. "My head is in this, there is no easy tactic here and last time we relied on stealth Talon nearly met his end in under a minute of engaging them. But if he wishes to try again I will stay put, this is by their design they know we are coming or else they are ignorant." He stood back and waved his blade at the opening. "Keep your shield up this time brother and with the dancing lights they'll know your there. Good Luck." He waits then to take his position in line.
Elorin turns to talon when she hears that he was nearly killed so quickly the last time for a moment to watch his reaction. Then she turned to Wil "Makes me glad it's you back here with us if talon is the one with talent for finding trouble. He finds it, we get rid of it. Whilst I wish there were no need for it, I look forward to fighting side by side with you."
Dancing lights has a huge range. Unless there are lit torches on the walls, we'll need light to see. The ratfolk don't need light at all.
Cast it way ahead, and light up what's in front of us. It'll give us good visual range.
Elf with low-light vision---------> dancing lights up to 130' ahead--------> lighting up ratfolk = no advantage for them.
Talon and Suny go first and move quietly, but don't get too far ahead. The light tells them we're coming, but we don't have to be right behind it. Perception checks at half movement, and don't get surprised! There could be traps.
Suny nods at the Dancing lights suggestion/order and proceeds to create small, bobbing globes of wane reddish light.
After moving about 200 feet past the 'nest', you see a ramp up into an alcove to the right out of the slippery stone. The ramp is dry and five feet wide and goes up for about ten feet into the larger room. The ten foot passage continues as before past the darkened room. From the lights a very solid wood door is recessed in the alcove. What appears to be a closed sliding 'peephole' is about eye level and roughly three by six inches.
The peephole is locked from the other side. Nothing is heard listening at the door.
Watching intently as Talon first signals a halt, then fiddles with something in the wall of the tunnel they are perusing, Suny sidles up to him and peers around the edge.
"Here, whut be ye fiddlin' with th' nob fer? There be a peepy hole in'a thing. D'ye think there be some one on'a t'other side?" She whispers her questions and observations to her colleague.
The door is solidly in place on the other side, but a spot for a latch key is about half way up the door. The latch key would a allow a bar or latch on the other side to be disengaged from this side.
Azlain looks around, using the flames of his new sword to illuminate the area.
Whispering to Talon he says "Haven't these rats proven to be clever and dangerous? THis seems like a good place for a classic trap-and-ambush. We should give Suny some room and let her take a good long look at the doors and walls."
Suny blinks...
"Um...do th' whut now?" She asks hesitantly, looking from Talon back to the door and back to Talon.
"I be more a 'Juggler' than a 'Jiggler', y'know..." She steps into the small space, pushing up gainst the lanky Ranger and bends down to peer into the small hole indicated by Talon.
"Hmmm...less see...." She brings one of the small floating orbs closer to herself and then sees if she can get the bouncing brightness to slip into the hole such that she can get a better look.
'Y'know..." She thinks out loud.
Wil hung back as requested he should while the others investigated the door. He kept a fair distance between himself and the others hoping to muffle his approach.
He did however keep an eye out and used the lights that everyone else was so amply providing, while keeping himself cloaked in shadow.
Suny is sure mage hand does not have the force required, there is also multiple ways to turn the key in the lock (four actually: left in the first groove, right in the first groove, left in the second groove, right in the second groove).