The spheres Aldous had called into being indeed served their purpose, further delaying the Guards coming after them. Clearly, they were not keen on risking exposure to the violent elemental powers. Behind all the prisoners, Aldous and Varuzhan make it into the chamber with the exit, and Varuzhan manages to bar the Door. However, considering the size and weight of the doors, it's likely the safety measure would not hold out long against a dedicated effort to breach the door - at least without someone pushing back.
Boros once again throws off the mental command, instead continuing to fire his Gun at Besker. A decent hit, but not enough to stop the man. As he attempts to rouse the former prisoners into acting, Miranda starts to rush away from the warehouse, stopping just short of the guard line blocking her way. She had still moved far enough forward that both of the roof guards had decided to fire bolts at her.
One of the bolts found the Tiefling, causing her to turn around again before breaching the perimeter - and just in time to catch Besker casting...something - she quickly attacks, but unfortunately the glancing blow did not stop Besker from completing his spell.
Shouting at the people downstairs, both you and the prisoners:"We meant to bring you justice! Fairness. Safety. Now all you will find is death!" - he almost spits the word, and a good number of people in the crowd suddenly burst into flames, some of them sinking to the floor there and then.
The prisoner crowd seems panicked by this new development, and very ready to try their luck with the spears of the guards - almost simultaneously to the firey assault, Lily manages to expose 3 previously invisible people...which, she is certain, where plants sent to follow them. Considering they would glow for the next 6 minutes, that would be difficult for them...
Lily looks over all of the people who just burst into flames at the inquisitor's spell, eyes narrowing. She wasn't capable of healing all of them, but maybe she could at least help a little...
"Aqua." She intones, swirling a single finger in the air and then presses her finger forward against nothing, permeating the air with water, which comes cascading down on as much of the crowd as she can reach.
Suddenly very aware of just how hurt he is, Aldous touches one of the crossbow wounds and thinks of the cleansing light of Saranae. For a second the hallway fills with brightness like a thousand suns, and then it is gone, and the barrister's wounds are staunched.
Hurrying out the door, Aldous takes a quick look around the situation and freezes, pushing his glasses up his nose in an agitated and worried gesture. "B$!!#!+s..."
Miranda tries to quickly stomps out the fire before it manages to burn too much. Her clothes are partially singed but the tiefling herself looks angry with a hint of worry; not about the fire though.
"Hey! Throw your burning clothes up at the roof or into the warehouse! If they want to burn down the city they should remember they are in it!" she calls the prisoners to action, even though she doesn't manage to follow her own advice.
Instead she lines up another shot towards the pesky inquisitor and cautiously advance to the right, keeping an eye at the still soldiers.
"The guards have been blocked off!" declares Varuzhan, before seeing the apparently vast array of guards that somehow arrived here. "No, that's not possible--" before seeing how the others were focused on a particular enemy of note. Moving closer, Varuzhan speaks a single word of power!
Boros fires a third shot from his weapon, which goes well wide of the mark. Though a fragment of hot lead from the bullet does cut a furrow across the man's exposed skin, it's a neglible wound, and Boros growls angrily as his weapon is reloaded. "Damnation, what does it take for this bastard to die already," he snarls to no one in particular.
The air was heavy all night, even before you set out for the daring rescue you knew a storm was coming. As Lily desperately attempts to cover as many of the spell victims as possible in her divinely-made downpour, SOME god or goddess seems to listen. Moments after she starts calling water into being, it starts to rain.
Some of the rescued look to Lily, some whispering a short prayer. Most of them don't understand the inner workings of magic, but they understand enough to interpret Lily as the origin of the rain.
As Aldous moves outside, feeling a bit better, he suddenly tenses up again. On the ground near the entrance is Kaylee, her clothes burning, with Maray attempting to smolder the flames, and Susan next to them - burning herself and trying to pat the fires out.
Varuzhan, storming out, quickly identifies the source of most of the trouble, and throws a spell at Besker.
His eyes glace over, and Boros takes his chance and pulls the trigger. A solid hit in his left shoulder almost jerks Besker off his feet.
To nobody in particular, Besker shouts: "Your time will come!" He starts to cast something, only for another arrow from Miranda to graze him - but not throwing off his concentration.
With that, he vanishes from sight.
The two guards up top start firing at will - even as some of the panicked prisoners rush at the guards blocking the street, the illusions shortly fizzling away into nothing but a fine vapor.
Most of the prisoners, however, seem to look to the group for guidance - some may not know WHERE they are, and prefer not to flee blindly, others may know, but hope you have a plan that goes beyond the prison break.
"We should take advantage of the rain's blessings. They won't be able to follow scent trails as we've discussed. They also won't be able to use any of their plants or any of the known enemies to trace us... if they've leveraged more unknowns, we can't deal with those. We should lead these people to safety, and quickly." Lily suggests to the others.
Gun still held at the ready, Boros keeps a watchful eye on the roof above, waiting to deal with any further attempts to end their escape. His focus leaves him to give Lily a distracted nod of agreement. "Indeed, I'm all for leavin' here right quickly myself. By rights, we should all be in a cage, or back in one for most o' us, and I'm not minded to further press whatever luck is lettin' us call this s##%show a victory." The soldier then spares a quick glance at the nearby forms outlined in eye-catching light. "And does anyone know what that's about? Didn't really have time to spare before to say anythin', but I'm pretty sure that's not somethin' folks around here do normally, glowin' like that."
"I agree; away quickly and those that aren't clearly Thrune thugs can follow. We'll figure out if there's some other foul business later!" Miranda agrees, sounding a bit more hopeful then she really felt. But anything to get away. And to do the right thing - they'd need others to stick up against Thrune with them!
"Let's do it like this; I'll race a head while the enchantment lasts and make sure we don't bump into anyone. You wave over everyone real quick and we'll all make our way towards the nearest exit? Which ... uh ... It's going to be the sewers again isn't it?" Miranda shuddered. She still remembered the sickness she had come down with the last time they took a trip down bellow. Bleh! But sure beats getting tortured by the inquisition ...
Varuzhan nods in agreement with the others, steps forward as the illusions hemming in the crowd dissipate. Escape was at hand, and he was going to try and lead the prisoners to it. Even if he was about to make himself a target. "The way to freedom is through unity! Stay together, or face torture and death when the forces of Thrune arrest you again, one by one!"
His speech is hardly inspiring, but it had the benefit of being true.
He charges forward into the rain, and toward their intended path of escape in the sewers.
As the rain picks up, growing stronger and stronger, the 2 remaining crossbowman on the roof take aim at the figure addressing the crowd, but the weather and armor on their target makes one arrow whizz way overhead Varuzhan, while the other shatters on his shoulder plate. If anything, it lent more impact to his speech.
Meanwhile, the glowing agents are very much aware of being revealed, and attempt to climb back up onto the warehouse. With some angry shouts, at first one or two of the former prisoners rush at them, pulling them down before they can escape.
The mob that quickly forms near the wall hides details, but you are reasonably certain that all 3 agent's demise is imminent unless you stop it.
A prisoner with stab wounds, wielding a bloodied stabbing implement himself, answers Boros as he comes closer: "Aye, you have it right! Whole city is a sh!tsh0w these days, but that stunt takes the cake! Fancy thunderbox ya got there, by the way - I take it you're the leader here? Name's Jack, Lucky Jack, until they got me. If you need something done, just let me know!"
Lily meanwhile urged to take advantage of the rains blessing. Indeed, it would hide their scent and trail, and the timing was almost perfect. Of course, heavy rain would also make the path through the sewers more perilous, but on the whole, the positive aspects won out.
Miranda saw things the same way, especially considering it had only just started raining. Not planning to telegraph their plan to the snipers on the roof, she and Varuzhan started leading people along the street, then down a side road.
It became painfully clear that there were several old, wounded, or otherwise incapacitated(including a man with only one leg) that would slow down the whole group - not only with their movement speed and constitution, but also because minor obstacles would become almost unsurpassable ordeals to them without help.
An old woman speaks up when the sewer entrance is reached:"Listen, I appreciate what you have done for us, but we put you all at risk. There is a Barber shop nearby where I worked all my life. I know where the backup key is hidden...let the old and sickly come with me, I'll hide them there until morning and we'll take our chances then!"
Rushing into the open, Aldous blinks; even in the rain, the sunlight is almost blinding compared to the dark cell block he'd been locked in. He could only imagine the other prisoners were equally disoriented.
Running to the mob of newly freed prisoners beating the newly minted, imposter prisoners, Aldous takes a quick note of the imposters' appearances. "Take them with us! Vengeance is not more important than the information they have!" Casting a quick glance to the roof, Aldous barks another order, his voice high with adrenaline.
"You make yourselves targets. Get yourselves to safety and then we can decide their fates!"
Turning his attention to the old woman, Aldous dithers, but eventually nods. It seemed like as good a plan as possible given the circumstances; he'd let the others object if they had any better ideas.
Blinking as being singled out as the leader, Boros doesn't correct the wounded man. Instead, he looks him over with a critical eye, gauging the extent of his injuries. "Well for the moment, we need to get gone. Are ya goin' to bleed out while we do that then?" As he speaks, Boros tucks the indicated pistol into its holster, and makes certain that the protective rainflap is down as well, though left loosely tied. No need to risk his precious powder getting soaked, and the thought has him reflexively running a quick spot inspection of his kit just to be sure.
The trip through the streets is a tense one for the soldier, who has both of his blades out and ready, though concealed from casual view under his cloak. Nothing of consequence happens, to his relief, and he stands watchfully by the entrance to the sewers that leads to their eventual goal. Eying the old woman when she speaks up, he looks over the ragged prisoners she's talking about hiding. "Are ya sure about that? Mornin' isn't goin' to make movin' that lot any easier than right now. Never mind that the rain'll likely have passed by then, and leave ya to make your passage with not even that bit o' cover." Another thought occurs to him then, and he raises it as well. "And if yer caught in this barber's place, won't that get them hauled in to answer some hard questions as well? I don't know who that bastard on the roof with the spells was, but I'm pretty sure he was the one in charge, and he didn't strike me as the sort to accept a denial o' guilt without really diggin' deep first. Ya really want that barber to get that sort o' treatment?"
Varuzhan understood what the old woman was doing. And he admired it. It was the sort of thing that would normally have happened with his people. He didn't expect to see it in humans, though. And it wasn't something he was going to accept. Not yet, anyway.
"You are wise to make this offer. It is said that the Phoenix is not afraid of death, because it knows that after it dies, it will rise stronger. You, my lady, offer to strengthen us with your sacrifice." He looks around to the others as he speaks his cryptic words. "Yet if the ashes of the Phoenix are scattered, can it truly rise again? Or will it have saved its body but lost its heart? No. We're sticking together, not leaving anyone behind as a sacrifice. Those who are of able body should help those who are infirm. We can do this. There's no reason to think they'll easily find us down in the sewers."
Lily really didn't have anything to add to the exchanges; it seemed perfectly sensible to get all of the older folks to a nearby shelter to spread out from there - truth be told, she'd thought about going with them, prior to Varuzhan telling them no. Between the two arguments against, she really doesn't have much voice, though she does turn to Boros; "Do you feel that our hideout will fair better than the barber shop? How many can we hold, compared to it? I wish to help as many as I can, but telling them that their friends will be at risk if they choose to hide or go there seems... unfair."
Boros's insistence that they not go to a place they felt was safe had made the young woman wonder if they'd freed these people at all. That, coupled with the inquisitor's urgings from above left a pit in the center of the aasimar's stomach... perhaps Boros wanted them to fail?
The soldier's attention shifts to Lily as he answers her. "We'll find the space. They chose to come with us rather than wait in their cells, so leavin' the lot to fend for themselves until they get picked up again isn't right. And because they escaped, they'll definitely get treated a lot harder than before. And at least one o' the reasons for that'll be servin' as an example to anyone else thinkin' o' doin' a runner if they get a chance at it." Thinking on the prison's commander, the way he spoke and acted in their brief exposure to him, Boros continues. "That fellow that tried to stop us, if I had to guess about his response? He'll prattle about how he's only tryin' to do what's best for the people, that their safety is worth a bit o' sacrifice and hardships, and that he doesn't like doin' what he does. He'll have these folks staked out, after their questionin' o' course, and a big audience rounded up to watch them die," he says while waving a sword-carrying hand at the subject of the discussion. His gaze never wavers from that of his anxious ally. "And don't for one minute think that he won't work matters around so that it's our fault they got caught and executed as well. Probably prattle about how we abandoned these people to serve as a distraction while we made our escape."
Miranda wasn't really sure what was going on, but it smelled like some sort of trouble. (Smelling and trouble - these old and injured people are going to need lots of medical attention after a trip trough the sewers ...) The next time they organized a prison break they should bring a cart or something! And distractions.
"...Right." Lily says after a moment of hesitation. The fact that Boros tended to almost always have all of the answers, and knew exactly how to phrase things to win others over wasn't particularly comforting. It was almost as if he'd already gone through all of the inevitabilities in his head and planned for them. The man's abilities to convince others of the right path would likely have been well-received only hours before, but now there were so many doubts and worries nipping at the woman's mind. "We should definitely save everyone, simply because it's the right thing to do... would that there were safer ways. We should keep moving."
When Aldous tells the mob that the agents could have valuable intelligence, they react surprisingly fast, pulling them up and shoving them in Aldous general direction - soon he finds himself face-to-face with the 3 agents, 2 of which are bloodied but conscious, 1...well, conscious would probably be an overstatement. Clearly, taking them somewhere, somehow, became Aldous task when he gave the command.
As you made your exit, more crossbow bolts came flying, focusing on the suspected leaders, even changing position to have a prolonged firing arc.
The loud man next to Boros laughs: "Sure hope I won't be bleedin' out. Would be a waste, gettin' that far and then kicking the bucket." He does grimace a bit, probably proof he is in pain, but ignores that
When Boros starts to discuss with the old lady, she seems taken aback a bit:"Why, in the morning, there is no curfew. I have no doubt Dottari will comb the area, but we can still try our luck, one by one. If the rain lasts, we have cover, if not, there will be more people. And that guy on the roof, he has ways to see into your head. That barber, he knows nothing of fugitives. Even the Asmodean lapdogs are not stupid enough to start incarcerating people with no charges against them. So the barber would be perfectly fine."
Then she turns to Varuzhan: "Look at that manhole. There's a ladder down. 10, 15 meters? Now look at Alfons over here. He's venerable. He's aflicted with arthritis. How long do you think it will take him down there? Say, good man, do you know how new Phoenix come into this world? The bird mates, and lies eggs. And then, it spends all his blaze and immortal fire on heating them, until from each egg, a new phoneix emerges. A selfish bird may live forever, but never procreate."
When some seem to insist on staying together, she counter-offers:"If we are coming with you, we are bringing up the rear. Nobody more fit should have to wait on us. You hear me?"
Miranda squirms in place, unsettled by their predicaments. Dammit! They had managed to break Aldous out of prison - why was this the hard part? But yes the lady was certainly right. If they had to help all the old and injured the Dottari would certainly run into them. Unless of course they had other things on their mind..?
"Okay! What if I try and distract the guards; make some ruckus somewhere off in another direction?" The tiefling tries her best to sound confident in her ability. But there were a cold lump in her stomach and it was only growing larger.
Boros sighs as sensible objections are raised to the matter of leaving folks behind. It sits ill with him to do so, but finally he shrugs and shakes his head. "If yer goin' to insist on bringin' up the tail, I suppose it's still better than just leavin' ya to fend for yerselves. Just so we finally get movin' already, I'm gettin' a powerful need to eat, sleep, and not be in this armor any more today." He then gives Miranda a glance. "Sound idea there, and while I'd rather we not split off in dribs and drabs, yer certainly the best choice for that sort o' mischief. Are ya sure that's what ya want to do then?"
"You have a good point, Miranda. We can't just run, we need to misdirect as well." He looks around at the assembled prisoners. "There are a lot of us folks here. Anyone here know a thing or two about misdirecting the enemy? If that means having a few of us split off and reconnecting back later, that would work."
"Only in a courtroom, I'm afraid," Aldous says, frowning. "I'll be of little use."
"I... do still have a bit of magic prepared for keeping up appearances." Lily says after a moment. "We had intended to use it on yourself and your prefered guests once we got a bit away to throw off scent trails, but now it seems significantly less useful, given that the rain and sewer will do that splendidly. Perhaps we should simply repurpose it to allowing Miranda and I to act as a rearguard?" she asks with a small shrug, looking back in the direction they've come from.
"I *want* to just go home and sleep. But strangely I can't sleep that well anymore with you-know-who screwing the city over ..." Miranda quips and sighs. Everything was so much better before the Thrune decided they needed to poke their nose in this beautiful city. Ah well. The tiefling in a poor mood. She had been crossbowed, rained on and was waiting for a scheduled appointment with the severs so it felt justified.
"I like L- *cough* your idea!" Miranda nodded at Lily.
At Varuzhans call for people capable of being stealthy and misdirecting the enemy, a handful of people reluctantly come forward, or seem do consider doing so - one, a man in his early 30's, that seems like he has seen a few military campaigns in his life judging by scars, fitness and overall bearing, speaks up:"I suppose some of us can. But if we're to circle back and join up again, we need to know where we are going. More so if we get separated or tailed and can't do so without risk. So IF we do that, you'll need to tell us a destination. Mind you, not the one you go to, in case we get caught. But something near where you'll pick us up, which is still a risk. That, and I'll be wanting a weapon. If I get cornered, I'm not going down without a fight."
Another adult man, a male teen, a female street urchin, and a middle-aged woman offer their help.
The others begin climbing down into the sewers, using two entrances into the system, when Boros insists on getting moving. The rain has become a full-fledged rainstorm at this point. There is very little visibility, and the wind picks up as well, making it necessary to talk loudly to understand each other, or shout out to address more than a handful of people.
Varuzhan offers the first speaker a sickle. "I mostly use it for harvesting plants and herbs. But it'll cut flesh just fine in a pinch. I can tell you a good meetup spot for after this is done."
Looking at the other recruits, they all seem fine, but Varuzhan sees something in the teenage girl that causes him some hesitation. "I've spent enough time in Redroof to know your type. You probably want to go it alone, because nobody ever gives you a second look anyway. If that's what you want, I can't stop you. Truth is, most of these folk wouldn't have paid attention to you in normal times. I'm one of them. But right now, right this moment, we all need you. And you can make a name for yourself. A name that'll get you off the streets. Whaddya say?"
For being a barrister, and one trained to see flaws in character and testimony, Aldous had little insight into the current situation. Pushing his glasses up on his nose and sights.
It looked like some motivation couldn't hurt! Now just to figure out how to give any. The tiefling couldn't muster much; not when she was soaking wet, singed and a bit crossbowed. But again; trying couldn't hurt right?
"Yeah! Let's do this!" she cheered half-heartedly. She winced a little when she heard herself and added. [b]"Not because it sounds good or safe; but because Kintago will just be Thrune's toy if no-one does anything and he's clearly some sort of insane toddler... Brr!"[/n]
When the volunteers for the diversion step forward, Boros gives them each a once-over, then frowns slightly. Something about the girl's willingness strikes him as off, but he can't figure out what it is. The reluctance in one of the two men, however, is obvious enough to him, and he shakes his head and steps over to have a few words the man. "Look, I can see yer not all too willin' for this, and I don't begrudge ya that. It's a dangerous task bein' asked o' ya, and havin' just got away with yer life from that prison, riskin' yerself like this probably seems a foolish choice. But consider, how many people in this city could have made a difference if they'd stepped up, chanced their comfort and safety when it mattered? Nothin' here is goin' to change for the better if everyone just sits and waits for someone else to handle the risky stuff for them."
Involved as he is in what he's discussing, the soldier doesn't really notice Varuzhan's horribly ham-fisted effort at winning hearts and minds, and perhaps that's for the best. He's not the most socially adept himself--and occasionally aware of that detail when his nose gets suitably rubbed in his failure--but the strix's effort was so utterly bad that even he wouldn't have been able to restrain commenting on it. With his own attempt to brace up the unwilling made, Boros claps the man firmly on the shoulder, then turns to the other man. "Since I'm not from around here myself, no secret that what with that chatty goblin drippin' back at the prison runnin' off at the mouth like he was, I'm the last o' this group to ask about where's a fine spot to meet up. But I'll still thank ya for steppin' up and wish ya luck."
After that, the solider moves away to take up the rear of their procession as it gradually straggles down to the network of subsurface tunnels and passages that lead to their goal. He keeps a watchful eye on those who look like they'll have the most trouble moving around unassisted, but only intervenes when nobody else is in a position to do so.
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The candidates:
Man 1 is in(and always was).
Man 2 is in(mostly - mercenaries without payment lack some motivation even with a rousing speech).
Teenage Boy is not only in, he's all-in!
Teenage Girl is successfully intimidated by Varuzhan into not walking off alone.
Middle-Aged Woman is in.
Miranda and Lily watched as the last people of the Vanguard disappeared into the sewers, then decided to split off from the group. The heavy rain was indeed a gift, in that not only would all traces of their passing be washed away soon, but it also heavily limited visibility, making the task of finding them that much harder for their enemies.
But then, the Warehouse WAS on an area of Kintargo with only few streets leading in or out. Doubtless, those would soon be blocked, and then it was mostly a matter of time until the efforts were extended to the sewer tunnels. Unless, of course, the search parties were kept distracted, and kept busy chasing red herings.
Meanwhile, Varuzhans small group assembled in the tunnels underneath, moving ahead to make space for the others. Several of those tunnels would lead to the sea, in multiple directions - and simply going against the stream would not necessarily lead to a tunnel connecting to the rest of northern Kintargo. Still, it would probably be easy enough to get a general idea of where to go.
Behind, using both entrances, Aldous and the main group had assembled...Kaylee still was not feeling better, but Susan and her friend kept her stable between them.
Boros kept pacing back and forth at the sewer entrance meanwhile, waiting for the elderly and disabled under his care to make the way down into the sewers.
Perception Check (Take 10): 10 + 9 = 19
With time to spare on the effort, the pacing soldier keeps his senses tuned through the falling water, making as sure as he can that nothing shows up unexpectedly to hinder the escape still in progress. Surprisingly, Boros isn't at all concerned with the time that less capable prisoners are taking in making their way down below. He understood full well that extra time would be required for them when he insisted on their joining, and so is quite willing to wait for the last to reach the bottom before he too descends.
Between sweeps of the area, he makes periodic checks of his equipment, more to keep his hands busy than for any real need. "Damn, wish I'd thought to keep one of those scatterguns in my pack, even one of the smaller ones would be nice right about now," he thinks to himself in his native tongue. "I love my pistol, I do, but it's not the best weapon for this sort of detail. He then glances upward briefly before moping, futilely, at the water on his face. "Wish I had some of those fancy cartridges too, they'd be a damn sight better to use in this cow-piss weather than loose powder."
He takes a look at the progress being made in getting everyone down and out of immediate sight, does another sweep of the area, then resumes his pacing and musing. "This rebellion is awfully shoddy, I have to say. They're trying, I'll admit, but this is definitely not what I in mind when I signed on to support this. Can't really fade out and leave though, not with that crazy bastard's lackeys having themselves an armory full of Alkenstar's own weapons now. I know folks back home think others are too stupid to figure that stuff out, but it's not that hard really. Last thing the Inner Sea needs is an army of devil-slaves equipped like that, so no matter how this rebellion goes, I really have to try and make sure that those weapons are either reclaimed or destroyed before anyone starts messing about." The soldier sighs and wipes his hand down his face a second time, then decides to take his mind off of his current track and speak with some of the prisoners still above ground, waiting on their turn to descend. "Anyone having particular problems so far," he asks of the first he approaches, whose appearance he can't really make out fully between the lack of light and the heavy rain.
"All right! So; distractions." Something that would keep the guards busy a little while. Something that also preferably lead them to believe the escapees had already left in some completely different direction. "So - here's a quick idea..."
Idea - fake our escape in a completely different direction. This will be done by drawing/etching a fake magical portal rune on some warehouse wall, preferably one where going around it takes a lot of time, and add some spice via a brief Ghost Sound.
Step 1 - Identify Warehouse where this would be the most inconvenient. Know Geography/Local?
Step 2 - Draw/etch fake runes and so on. Know: Arcana/Spellcraft?
Step 3 - Ghost Sound to draw attention to it briefly. Stealth+Pass Without Trace to slip away?
Basically the goal is to create something that plausibly looks like a magical escape route, prompting the grunts to stand around scratching their heads while they fetches someone with Spellcraft to figure it out. And if they fail as well ... : )
A bit complicated, but why not!
"...So first we need to figure out an appropriate spot..."
"Stay with me," says Varuzhan to the recalcitrant girl. "We're going to make it somewhere safe, you'll see."
It's simple enough for the strix in disguise to get his bearings. He leaves some markings to show the way, indicating that the rear group should clear those markings as they go along.
"Alright, our mission is simple. Find the best path to safety, and take out anything that gets in our way." Varuzhan gives a high level description of their destination so others can be helpful, without giving up too much if they are caught.
"Go, go!" Aldous prods the group forward, his voice emphatic with urgency. And look for markings - chalk and the like - that will show us the way!
Boros, during his sweeps of the area, is interrupted in his thoughts, when suddenly, he finds himself 20 feet away from 2 figures half-hidden in the rain heading straight for the group, a person and a dog.
Instinctively readying himself to defend the rearguard against what must be a scout, he is somewhat surprised when the person carelessly comes closer, then stops - now only 10 feet away from Boros, but beyond sight range of the rest of the group, there's an elderly man with a wet-but-happy-looking wiener dog.
The man lifts his cap:"Gave me a scare there, fella. Enjoying a walk, too?", he asks, seemingly intending to proceed on what must be his usual route, which would bring him right to the last few people making their way into the sewers right now.
Varuzhan's group comes to a larger, cavernous opening. From various directions, rainwater is filling the central area, and the water is quite rough, draining through 2 opening along the southern wall, probably going to the river. The place is clearly designed to act as a buffer against heavy rainfall, to prevent clogging up of the sewer system from a too-high influx of water.
Crossing the body of water by swimming seems risky at best - albeit at the other side, you can make out some sort of maintainance bridge that could be swivelled over to connect to this area - once you made it over there.
Luckily, there also seems to be a way around this underground buffer pool. Maintainance tunnels, which are certainly longer, but less inmediately dangerous. Albeit at the one visible from the location, Varuzhan is almost certain he saw something emerge from the water and grab a rat.
Aldous follows with the large middle group, with no notable issues at the time being. With Varuzhans vanguard having left markings, Aldous has little difficulty navigating the place.
Realizing that the man isn't a threat--or at least, not the threat he'd initially supposed--Boros calms a bit and approaches with what he hopes is a friendly expression. "Aye, ya gave me a bit o' a start myself, I'll admit. And I'd not say 'enjoyin', not really." He rolls his eyes upward with an amused snort before continuing. "It's like a cow pissin' on a flat rock out here. I'm honestly surprised that anyone's minded to be out and about in this, especially a dog that's more body than leg and liable to have to swim through even a modest puddle rather than walk." Pointing the dog in question, Boros chuckles. "Though, it doesn't look like this one is too put out, I have to say. Which is odd, because every other dog I've ever seen would look out at this slop and not step a paw into it unless dragged. And the whole time whinin' and carryin' on like it was bein' hauled to its execution."
As he runs a line of patter at the old fellow, Boros is simultaneously thinking to himself, "Please, by all the Gods, be willing to stand and talk. I really don't want to have to do something I'll regret to you and your dog."
When Boros approaches the dog and starts talking, the man stops as well, searching in his mantle for something, then eventually producing a small bit of dried meat he feeds to the Dog as a treat: "Ha, little Odin here's a hunting dog. He's used to rain. And particularly happy if he gets to do his business outside like he's used to - he'd probably prefer a tree but we wouldn't want to run into any patrols during curfew, right buddy?", he scratches the Dogs ears before standing up again: "So, that's our reason for being out in the rain. What's a fella like you doing out here in the middle of the night, in that weather?"
He seems to tense up slightly, his knuckles showing white around the walking stick he carries, but does not seem to depend on except for convenience.
Boros manages to clue in to the older man's tension, and even has a pretty good idea of the reason behind it. Smiling slightly, he squats down and offers the dog his loosely-clenched right hand to sniff before, provided the dog doesn't object, giving the ears a good scratch. Not coincidentally, his position makes him less of an immediate threat to man and dog, which he hopes will settle the former down a bit. "Considerin' Barzillai's view on dogs, I don't think ya'd get very far on the wron' side o' the watch for givin' Odin here a walk when he needs it, curfew or not." Considering the question for a moment, he straightens up and cocks his head slightly to the left before looking over his shoulder. His eyes then return to the man and his expression grows serious. "And for myself, well, I'll give ya a measure o' honesty, since ya seem a good sort and it's no fault o' yers that we're both here now, well both o' us and Odin," he quickly corrects himself. "Short answer, which is the only one yer wantin', believe me on that, is nothin' ya want to be in a position to answer official questions about. Especially since I know the fellow likely to be doin' the askin', and you don't ever want to meet him in any situation, never mind an official one." Shrugging, Boros steps back a bit, still doing his best to present a friendly demeanor. "So, if yer up for listenin' to a stranger's well-meant advice tonight, maybe Odin's walk could be delayed just a bit if the pair o' ya are absolutely set on havin' it in this direction."
Urging the group forward, Aldous finds himself falling towards the back, casting a nearly unbroken glance backwards, convinced that Bester will make an unwelcome appearance at any second, along with a cadre of legbreakers...
"Okay, looks to me like we have two choices here--get that bridge set up so people can start crossing, or try the maintenance tunnel to the south where we might get into a fight. I think we gotta set that bridge up somehow. I think this is time I let you folks in on a secret. Please don't be alarmed."
Varuzhan takes off the magic of his hat of disguise to reveal his true form, a strix, wings and all. He gives it a moment to sink in.
"I'm going to fly over and take a look. I can also try to ferry some of you over so we can fix that bridge."
Varuzhan revealed his true form. Not everybody in his group seemed pleased, but if any of them had reservations about following a Strix, they were sensible enough to keep them to themselves.
Making the way across to the other side to take a first look is quite possible, albeit the air is damp and heavy and unpleasant to fly in. There is indeed a maintainance bridge that could be swivelled over and extended, to cross the ~40 feet-gap, but it's rusted in place - oil would probably help, or a great deal of strenght. As such, carrying over some of the lighter, wiry folks and trying raw force was certainly an option!
Meanwhile, upstairs, the elderly man does not relax, but seems slightly less tense:"Oh, I think Odin did his business there...and this weathers none to be out longer than necessary, in my age. I think we'll be heading home. Besides, if there's people in the area who are asking questions, I wouldn't want to have to tell them I have no answers for them." With a low whistle, he calls his dog back. The little guy inmediately rushes to the mans leg, following closely as he tips his head and walks off where he came from.
When Boros returns to his group, the last few members make their way downstairs.
Aldous falls back a bit, staying near the sewer entrances as long as possible, in case there's problems, or enforcers find them - but eventually, his entourage move forward, following V's signs. There is some commotion as the front of the group runs into the back of Varuzhans vanguard. One of the first to arrive manages to glance ahead at the room the Strix is working in, and returns to the group:"We should not stand still and wait. That's a rackety construction, rusted through. Looks like it will break apart if more than 2 people move over it. It will take much too long for all of us to pass that way. Lets go around!"