"Hmm, those holes are not too small. And something a child might want to investigate."
Sara walks up to one of the holes after congruence points them out and takes a look inside.
Tollard approaches the group casually, careful not to make any sudden moves or cause alarm. "Oy, I grew up not far herebouts," he says, allowing his accent to revert to its original state. He had made a conscious effort to suppress his native manner of speaking, but found that it came back quickly when called upon. "We two is just lookin' fer a man. Folks call him Four Fingers. Just lookin' to palaver a bit, but we's lookin' fer him just the same. A pair of silvers fer the trouble o' the cutter what's got the jink on his whereabouts."
Alyse gives Tollard a silent look of thanks, and stifles a grin at his accent while she waits for a response.
[]
Myriana dives into the throng, slipping effortlessly between a fat hobgoblin and some sort of cutter with what look to be octopus tentacles instead of hair. She hears a loud whoop as the bully boys abandon their rabbit victim and begin chasing after her
The crowd is thick, and opportunities to dodge through are slim
"Hmm, those holes are not too small. And something a child might want to investigate."
Sara walks up to one of the holes after congruence points them out and takes a look inside.
The hole looks worn smooth, as If something goes through it frequently.
Tollard approaches the group casually, careful not to make any sudden moves or cause alarm. "Oy, I grew up not far herebouts," he says, allowing his accent to revert to its original state. He had made a conscious effort to suppress his native manner of speaking, but found that it came back quickly when called upon. "We two is just lookin' fer a man. Folks call him Four Fingers. Just lookin' to palaver a bit, but we's lookin' fer him just the same. A pair of silvers fer the trouble o' the cutter what's got the jink on his whereabouts."
It was crowded in the street and it made her progress difficult but fortunately Myriana was nothing if not nimble and she managed to squeeze through the crowds, if only barely. She threaded between the hobgoblin and tentacle haired strangers, managing to avoid bumping either of them and causing a further panic. She called out to them in passing, "Sorry meow, just running from them." She gestured behind her to where the bullies were as she kept going.
"Hm, looks smooth, as if it has seen a lot of use
[dice=Diplomacy]1d20+8
[dice=Bluff]1d20+6
The group looks up warily. One man with goat-pupiled eyes scowls at Tollard
"Ain't no Four-Fingers here. Go check under the Lady's skirts*"
Cant:
Tsun rushes over. Just as he is about to stick his head inside, he hesitates and turns to the others. "Any chance you two can see in the dark?"
"Yeah, I can see in the dark just fine."
"We are able to see in the dark also."
"Then you two head in first. I don't need to run headlong into anything because I cannot see."
Congruence draws his amazingly well crafted blade. "Search Friend Tsun, our sword can glow if necessary. At your request, we can provide your required illumination."
The modron turns to the opening and then looks unsure for a moment. "We feel a... need to enter the tunnel first. We need to protect Search Friends from any danger. But Search Friend Sara is smaller and less..." Congruence shrugs as well as they are able, "...blocky. The rational choice is Search Friend Sara enters first."
The modron looks to Sara to see if she agrees.
Sara nods at Congruence.
"I can do that, no probs."
"Then head on in!" Tsun waves Sara forward.
Congruence speaks in an unusually serious tone, "Be careful, Sara."
Sara didn't spot anything untoward at the mouth. The tunnel twists a few meters in and nothing can be seen past that point.
Sara squirms inside the tunnel, the narrow confines bringing up a slight claustrophobia. The air smells damp and rank. There is a smell of urine and a faint odor of rot.
She travels down about 50 meters into this narrow tunnel. It suddenly widens into a large chamber. The chamber is a natural cave, but it has been worked extensively. The tunnel is about 20 meters up on its wall, and there is a set of pitons driven into the rock below, with splintery boards lashed to them in a crude ladder form.
The cave itself is large, and there is a stream of water that winds its way along the bottom of it. A few crude tents are pitched by a pool that flanks the stream, and there is a clanging sound coming from that area. The cave floor looks to be extensively farmed, with the native stone covered in rows of dark soil constrained by rock walls. Weird crops Sara doesn't recognize top these rows. Several forms in chains work the area. The cave itself is actually well lit. Somehow light penetrates a fissure in the roof of the cave. There is a bright spot at the apex that shines light down all across the cavern.
Taking in the sights, Sara doesnt know what to make of it. Unsure what to do and maybe a little bit scared alone, she quickly moves back trough the tunnel.
"Congruence, Tsun. The tunnel is safe. Its dark, but there is a cave at the end with tents and farming? Its light there. I figured I would come get you, because if whomever is down there has a habit of kidnapping girls, it would not be safe to snoop around all by my self."
Sara feels a lot more comfortable with Congruence again close by her side.
"The tunnel is a bit cramped at places. I'm sure Tsun can make it trough, but I am not so sure about Congruence."
It was crowded in the street and it made her progress difficult but fortunately Myriana was nothing if not nimble and she managed to squeeze through the crowds, if only barely. She threaded between the hobgoblin and tentacle haired strangers, managing to avoid bumping either of them and causing a further panic. She called out to them in passing, "Sorry meow, just running from them." She gestured behind her to where the bullies were as she kept going.
The crowds are thick, but Myriana weaves her way through them with the studied practice of a Bazaar resident. She makes her way towards the tall green cylinder with the legend "Tivuum's Antiquites" writ large on the side. This is one of the iconic buildings of the Market Ward, and the nucleus of one of the only regular non-stall building neighborhoods in the Great Bazaar. She reckons if she can lose herself in the brick-and-mortar shops than Zim and his bullyboys will lose interest.
The crowds are thickening, and Myriana is finding it tougher to navigate
"It sound like they are snatching slave labor. We need to deal with this. Now. If we give them half a chance they could disappear deeper into the tunnels with their captives."
Tsun backs out of the hole and finds the mother of the missing girl. He tells her to go and find the town guard and tell them that a score of kidnapped girls are in caves underneath the town. "Tell them to bring lanterns and spears! Quickly, we must save your daughter!"
Tsun figured the local woman would be able to convince the guard more capably than a stranger. He returns to Sara and Congruence. "Let's head down! None of us are sneaky, so we might as well head in yelling and screaming to scare them."
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Myriana found herself hindered by the dense crowds, she wanted to make more headway because things were going to be ugly if she was caught, but she knew to go to fast would get her caught. Knowing that she was far more agile than her pursuers Myriana kept her speed to a reasonable pace as she did her best to slip through the crowds towards the dubious safety of the Tivuum's Antiquities and the myriad hiding places the building it was a part of would give to her.
"Right. I suppose none of you cutters could use this here jink, then?" Tollard rattles four gold pieces in his hand.
Alyse is happy to let Tollard do the talking for now, a bit out of her depth talking in the dark to these wretched sods.
Sara is taken aback by Tsun's reaction. "I dont know. While I dont like slavery, maybe those people are working off a prison sentence or something? I did not want to go in further in case it was dangerous... But that's a bit of a rash conclusion I think..."
"It sound like they are snatching slave labor. We need to deal with this. Now. If we give them half a chance they could disappear deeper into the tunnels with their captives."
Tsun backs out of the hole and finds the mother of the missing girl. He tells her to go and find the town guard and tell them that a score of kidnapped girls are in caves underneath the town. "Tell them to bring lanterns and spears! Quickly, we must save your daughter!"
Tsun figured the local woman would be able to convince the guard more capably than a stranger. He returns to Sara and Congruence. "Let's head down! None of us are sneaky, so we might as well head in yelling and screaming to scare them."
Congruence steels themself to valiantly free these slaves and protect the innocent.
Sara is taken aback by Tsun's reaction. "I dont know. While I dont like slavery, maybe those people are working off a prison sentence or something? I did not want to go in further in case it was dangerous... But that's a bit of a rash conclusion I think..."
Then the modron stops and looks at Search Friend Sara and then the tunnel then Search Friend Tsun and back to the tunnel quizzically.
With a shrug, Congruence says, "We are unfamiliar with situations such as this one. Perhaps we should ask them what their circumstances are?"
[dice=Acrobatics]1d20+7
[dice=Dex]1d20+3
Myriana finds an opening in the crowd and dives in. There is a crash behind her as one of her persuers misjudges a turn and piles into a pretzel cart.
The brick buildings of the Fastness rise up around her. A solid little neighborhood surrounded by the Great Bazaar, it is anchored by several large iconic buildings like the huge green cylinder of Tivuum's Antiquities, the Merling Fish Market, and the old Guild Parliment building. A thicket of smaller buildings cluster around these giants, alleyways twisting off in many directions between them
"Right. I suppose none of you cutters could use this here jink, then?" Tollard rattles four gold pieces in his hand.
[dice=Diplomacy, if needed]1d20+8
One of the ragged bystanders pipes up
"Oi! I know where he is! Give us the junk!"
Myriana knew better than to take the first hiding place she could find, that road led to disaster, so she continued in through the crowds and buildings before spotting a clothing store where she could hide. It wasn't a big place, or one that sold the best clothing, but it did have a lot of clothing. She slipped inside and worked at losing herself inside the place amidst all of the racks of garments.
The clothing store is stuffed with what seems to be half a city's worth of clothing. Myriana hides behind a rack of petticoated dresses. After a tense few minutes she ventures a look out a dingy window to the street. There is no sign of Zim or his minions
Tollard sizes up the volunteer to assess whether they actually know anything or if their just going to spin a tale for the coin. Although his eyes are dimmed, the oracle senses much.
Deciding that the coast is clear Myriana began to make her way back out to the streets. She kept a careful watch out for Zim and his goons as she does so. Her intention was to get back to the bunny person and make sure they were alright.
Alyse doesn't trust these sods, but she has no idea whether this one may actually know something.
[dice=Sense Motive]1d20+8
Tollard sizes up the volunteer to assess whether they actually know anything or if their just going to spin a tale for the coin. Although his eyes are dimmed, the oracle senses much.
Tollard feels like the cutter is on the square.
"Hand me the jink an' I'll even show you 'im."
Deciding that the coast is clear Myriana began to make her way back out to the streets. She kept a careful watch out for Zim and his goons as she does so. Her intention was to get back to the bunny person and make sure they were alright.
[dice=Perception]1d20+3
Myriana makes her way back without incident. She finds the small rabbitoid still curled up in the alleyway. He looks injured
"It sound like they are snatching slave labor. We need to deal with this. Now. If we give them half a chance they could disappear deeper into the tunnels with their captives."
Tsun backs out of the hole and finds the mother of the missing girl. He tells her to go and find the town guard and tell them that a score of kidnapped girls are in caves underneath the town. "Tell them to bring lanterns and spears! Quickly, we must save your daughter!"
Tsun figured the local woman would be able to convince the guard more capably than a stranger. He returns to Sara and Congruence. "Let's head down! None of us are sneaky, so we might as well head in yelling and screaming to scare them."
The woman nods and runs off
The tunnel that Sara found would be a bit tricky for either of them to attempt, but possible if the breathed in and didnt catch on anything
"Hoo boy. Here we go." Tsun blows all the air out of his lungs and tries to shimmy through.
Finding the bunny person still on the ground and seemingly unconscious Myriana knelt beside him. She reached out gently and touched his shoulder and asked, "Hey, are you all right? I lured your attackers off but we should get you out of here. I have a safe place we can go, somewhere they won''t be able to reach you, but we have to get there quickly."
Tollard looks warily at the ragged personage.
He hands over two of the gold coins. "Other two when we get there," he promises. "Lead on"
Congruence looks unsure, but after seeing Search Friend Tsun start wiggling into the tunnel, the modron gives it a try.
Sara pushes against Congruence frame, but no matter how she pushes, pulls or otherwise tries to maneuver the modron trough the tunnel, it doesnt work.