Muhoro waits to see who else decides to 'zipline' down to the ground. He will wait until everyone else has gone, before doing so himself.
As you rush down the rope attached to your ring, weightless and accelerating down the line with no sound but the rushing of the wind through your armor, you see the drow city of Chaulnazeen rising up to surround you. The brief, unpleasant comparison of the stalagmites to teeth rising to swallow you rises to your minds, but you dismiss it. Around you, you see several buildings, all of lesser height to the tower you're swooshing outward from.
You notice during your descent that the city is largely dark, with fewer glittering lights in windows than a normal human cityscape might. The darkvision of the drow means that normal everyday darkness is largely irrelevant to their daily lives, so the only torches or light sources of other kinds are for their slaves of lesser races.
Before you know it, the zipline trip is over, and you stand in an alleyway across the street north from House Feyril. You didn't notice anyone noting your travel downward, luckily. The alleyway is clear from refuse or the poor, though there is a manhole - or drowhole, perhaps. Apparently, Chaulnazeen has a sewer system.
"Hmmm, there is a room full of some sort of alchemy, up there, see? On the east side with the open window? Worth noting," then her eyes tunr to the sewer grate, and she wrinkles her nose,
"I suppose there must be a way into this House Feyril from the sewers, that would be unpleasant, but probably more effective than a frontal assault. Are we in agreement?"
Before waiting for a reply she chants, "Scepscigam," weaving her upper pair of arms lazily and squinting down at the drowhole cover.
No magic detected on the manhole cover itself. You do see a mundane lock, recessed into the ground somewhat to keep the ground flush.
"Anyone know there way around a lock?"
Muhoro lands next to the others, looking around as he frees his tetsubo.
Perception:
He is a little uncomfortable with the idea of climbing around a Drow sewer, but the demoness seems to know her stuff, and for the time being, he is willing to follow. He makes his way to Zayva and stand by her. Having no skill whatsoever with such things as locks, he waits for someone else to step up.
As Zayva had descended, she had used her wings to help her steady and control herself. They may not be good for actually flying but they could help guide her.
Landing, she wrinkled her nose some hearing that they were likely heading into the sewers. It was not a pleasing thought, but she understood the logic and could agree with it. Zayva was sure that the sewers would not be the most pleasant experience but it was likely the safer route given their options. "Best to be as unseen as long possible."
"As for locks, not me." She shook her head no in response to Siri's question about locks. She did give Muhoro a small smile as he moved to stand near her.
You can take 10 or 20 on all not-time-sensitive skills whenever you aren't in a stressful situation as long as people are willing to dedicate the time involved (for a take 20 at least). It's a relatively simple lock, merely meant to keep vandals and lesser races from the sewer network - child's play for a tiefling operative.
I don't know what kind of sadistic bastard you think I am, but 25/27 is just fine for picking a damn public utilities lock. :P
Alaria stays behind Alec, watching him open the lock, and pats his back when he does.
You recall that Doctor Seung pointed you in the direction of the northern edge of the city, in the agricultural districts. Based on the distance you were able to judge, it would take almost an hour by foot to reach there. You could zipline from rooftop to rooftop as an alternate option.
Foot and wheeled traffic also goes past your alleyway occasionally. Might a savage society like the drow's have taxi service? These thoughts flicker through your mind. :)
Beldrek lands with no issue, or much effort for that matter. Closing the line he looks over at the others who have gathered at the manhole cover.
"Above is better. Sewers smell and are filthy. Not as effective." the giant tiefling states.
"Then do we walk? or zipline?" She hadn't really wanted to go into the sewer in the first place.
Siri frowns,
"We would need to get up into a tower to zipline would we not? I suggest we "walk", infiltrating one of these places for mere ascent would seem foolish."
With that she begins to slide her way to the north, because slither is such an ugly word. As she moves out of the alley she adopts the imperious attitude of her mother once more, hoping that confidence may save them the need for confrontation.
Zayva moved to follow, walking meant they got to see more of the town. It was nice to be out of the lab.
Muhoro falls in step with the others. He worries that such a unique group of creatures might cause difficulties for them and that perhaps they should travel in smaller groups, but then again, that has its own dangers as well. He feels too exposed moving in this manner.
"Perhaps we should break up into smaller groups so as not to be as conspicuous?"
"I would not recommend such a course, we would be easier prey, and we have no way to designate a meeting point since we do not know precisely where we are going. Together we will have a chance of putting off the casual sadist, alone we might not be so lucky, and my experience has taught me the drow are a society of sadists..."
Muhoro shrugs his shoulders, understanding Siri's logic, but still fearing they will draw to much unwanted attention. He is not a stealthy individual, and if it comes down to sneaking, well he could only do what he can do.
Your party steps out of the alleyway into Chaulnazeen proper. House Feyril, your master's House, appears to be situated in a relatively quiet uppercrust residential district. All around you are drow - universally haughty and imperious, they go about their business with devilish single-mindedness. You see many of the nobles' eyes widen as you walk down the sidewalk together, but they glance down to your slave collars and reassure themselves with little nods before hurrying past you.
Your path takes you through a busy bazaar. Letting Beldrek lead the way causes all but the most intimidating of the bazaar's patrons to give you a wide berth - you see wicked-looking halfling cutpurses on the edges of the crowd, drow merchants shouting for attention, drow nobles with brutish half-orc bodyguards making their way through the crowd, and duergar shouldering people out of the way. Overall, it is a busy, hostile, dangerous-feeling experience - but to all of you, this level of activity is especially shocking, because this is the first time since being captured that you were able to move about more or less freely. You see a sign indicating that market hours are from 0600 to 2300 hours, with another sign attached beneath - CURFEW IN EFFECT.
When you reach the far end of the bazaar, you arrive at a large roundabout where carriage traffic is routed. The road splits 4 ways - Miggra Street, Tallstone Terrace, Benezia Avenue, and a fourth, unofficial-looking sign that reads To: The Crawl in scrawled letters.
|
Slightly miffed at the waste of his time, Alec relocks the sewer grate and follows the others. As they walk through the market square, he makes note of the hours of operation. may need to come back here later...
At the roundabout, Alec looks at each path but has no idea which way to go. Picking one at random, he points toward Tallstone Terrace and looks inquiringly at the others. "This way, right?"
"Any idea where that sign references?" Zayva asked as she pointed at the fourth unofficial-looking sign. "Did... they say which way to go earlier? I can't... remember..." She looks puzzled for a moment, while inwardly frustrated with herself. 'Names >.<'
"If I remember correctly, we want to go north to the edge of the agricultural sector."
Survival to tell 'north':
"I believe that this way is north"
Muhoro is pointing toward the Crawl.
Siri shrugs, which is more emphatic than with most people,
"This Crawl seems to be the obvious choice, while it sounds ominous everywhere here is fraught with risk, we may as well take the straightest course."
The streets of Chaulnazeen are...cosmopolitan, to say the least. Lesser imps, naga, duergar, humans, and of course drow all wander the streets amongst each other daily. Despite this, your group is markedly unusual. As you debate which way to go, some of you happen to notice that there are a few pockets of people in the bazaar around you that seem to be discussing you and glancing your way. You feel eyes on you from multiple directions.
"We need to keep moving. Now! We do not want to become embroiled in a street altercation. This is what I feared...we draw too much attention!"
"Then let's go that way." Zayva fiddled with her collar subconsciously as she motioned towards the crawl. All the eyes on her made her nervous. "The sooner we move, the less attention we attract."
As you stand in the roundabout, deliberating, three large winged shadows streak across the street on which you stand. Overhead, difficult to make out in the gloom, fly three oxen-sized bats, bearing drow riders. You see commoners and lesser drow nobility alike look up at the sky fearfully as the shadows pass over, but they pass quickly. The normal activity of the market resumes. Suddenly, you glance over at one of the groups of drow that you saw looking at you earlier to note that they're gone. No sign of them remains.
"We move." Beldrek states and heads towards the crawl. He moves at a steady gait.
Siri slithers hurriedly into the Crawl knuckles whitened around the hilts of her small arsenal of weaponry. But then pauses for a moment sketching something in the air with her fingertips and chanting, "Foria Romra"
Alaria nods at the talk of advancing. She lets go of Alec and gets to business, looking for any signs of trouble. "Its too quiet... Always be alert. Always be suspicious."
The road leading to the Crawl is dark, and smells bad. All the buildings around you show the signs of warfare - there are burn marks on the storefronts, broken glass and refuse in the street, and hollow-eyed people everywhere. You see no drow. Instead, there are humans everywhere, dark-eyed individuals who glance at you out of the corners of their eyes. Your feet sweep away garbage as you walk and the stink is oppressive.
No cutpurses or thugs bother you on your travels - why would they? There are far easier victims everywhere in Chaulnazeen. People give you a wide berth and stay as far away from your group as possible as you pass by. Some of you hear whispering as you walk past some of the fearful groups and can catch a few words here and there - "Slave troops..." "merciless...poor bastards..." "don't let them see you looking!"
Your group walks past a small restaurant under an overhang that is producing a smell that - thankfully - overcomes the ambient stink somewhat. It smells like chicken korma, and there's a small line of grubby humanoids - looks like two humans and a duergar - waiting in line. A sign above reads Bill Rothe's. You spy several small food kiosks between the bazaar and your destination - Tall Tony's, Orcswill, and one bar, the Kicking Dwarf, so noted by the sign out in front with a painted dwarf being hung from a noose. The dwarf's legs are on hinges and swing back and forth slowly as your group walks by. The food stalls, with the exception of the bar, are universally tiny, kept by one or two owners, and surrounded by beggars asking customers for a bite of their food.
You spy a curiosity through this district as well - in the streetlamps, which are only common in the ghettos of Chaulnazeen, drow having no need for them - are affixed strangely glowing stones, protected by steel cages. They pulse softly with a soft red light, casting the street below in a ruddy lens. Your travel from the bazaar to the Crawl's entrance takes about twenty minutes, and you witness muggings in progress as you pass through.
The main street you're following reaches a tunnel. The rock here rises above street level and the street goes beneath it, like a knitting needle through cloth, traveling even deeper belowground - like a miniature underground city beneath the underground city. The sign above the archway reads "Welcome to the Crawl Hell," and another sign beneath it reads, in smaller text, "you can always go deeper".
Ensuring that the moment is covered by her body Siri pulls a tiny piece of copper wire from her spell component puch and weaves it between her fingertips while chanting, "Llacecnerefnoc," and casually pointing at her companions,
Then covering her mouth with a hand she whispers, and all of the group except Beldrek, who she judges the least subtle, hear her as if her lips are pressed against their ear.
"I believe we have a tail on the rooftops. Going into the tunnel may force their hand, it may be what they are waiting for, but I think we have few better options. We could simply let them know they have been seen, that might be enough to drive them off."
Alaria thinks for a second."A tail... I don't think they should be allowed to just leave... That would give the people he is working for knowledge we are aware of them... Even a little knowledge goes a long way. Death is the only way to silence him."
She shakes her head at Siri. She puts both hands in front of her discreetly, left up, right down, then switches their positions, the left down the right up. She mimics shooting a small bow and makes a "thwump" sound.
"That seems more plausible, I'm not sure how I would get close enough to seduce them Alaria, and I have no skill for ranged combat," Siri whispers, moving for the tunnel still.
As you all pass under the rock archway, the first thing that strikes you is how much more cramped it is down here. The Crawl seems an apt name for an area where the "roof" is only two stories up. Most of the buildings here in the Crawl are abandoned - at least by official owners. You see squatters everywhere, homeless people living on the streets and gazing at you with dark eyes. The crush of people all around you is suffocating. You can only move half speed normally. If you try to move faster it is a DC 15 Reflex check or you will become entangled.
Not five minutes after you enter the Crawl you spy a small halfling's corpse, lying in an alley you're walking past and being chewed on by a goblin dog. You see a few weak-looking people eyeing the halfling's body, seeming to consider whether it's worth trying to fight the dog off for a meal.
Suddenly a figure in a ridiculous cape and top hat sweeps in front of Beldrek, blocking his path. Sweeping his cane low and doffing his hat, the man bows to you, exposing the balding pate of a human male in his thirties. He stands up quickly, replacing the hat on his head and gesturing at a small building off to the right with his cane. Loudly, he cries, "Come, travelers and newcomers! I know every sorry sod who lives in the Crawl and I KNOW I've never seen one of your size before! Come to" his voice briefly lowers for effect before resuming its original volume "furtive Jack's for all your magical needs! I got potions! I got wands!" As Beldrek is about to shove him aside and move past, the man says in a quieter voice, "And YOU lot are being followed. A dangerous situation to be sure. Come with me - I'm a friend." and he stands back again, spreading his arms theatrically. "Come one, come all!" he cries, gesturing at his modest shop with his cane. Or at least, you assume it's his shop. There's not even a sign out front, just a painting of a wand next to the door. The people on the streets around you universally ignore him.
Muhoro moves towards the halfling corpse, waving his tetsubo to try and chase off the goblin dog.
"Away creature. This is not a meal for you. Away!"
When the man makes a sudden appearance in front of Beldrek he stops and glares at him. "So?" Beldrek sighs and moves to follow.
"I don't understand people. I really don't."
While she didn't see a tail, didn't mean there wasn't one. She also didn't like this talk of killing, scrunching her nose some. Before sighing some giving in. "If it must be done."
Entering The Crawl, Zayva saw more people at one time than she ever had before. 'So many people...' When she saw the body of some sort of small creature, 'Is that a child?' It saddened her to see the poor little one dead, not that there was much she could do once one died. Before that was different. It distracted her, so when the figure appeared in front of Beldrek, it caught her off guard.
Something about this person seemed off to her, 'Why is he so friendly?' She wasn't sure if they should follow him or not.
"I think accepting aide here, however well meaning would be foolish. The risks appear to outweigh the benefits to me, for all we know this encounter could have been engineered by our tag along."
Muhoro moves towards the halfling corpse, waving his tetsubo to try and chase off the goblin dog.
"Away creature. This is not a meal for you. Away!"
You scare off the goblin dog from its meal, though it growls at you in a threatening voice before scampering off down the alley. You spy some hungry Chaulnazeen citizens eyeing the body.
Everyone else: did you wait while Muhoro went off to do this? If you continued on, it will take a DC15 perception check to find your friends in the crowd.