Perception DC 20:
Perception on weird cloud (DC20) (1d20+4=15)
"Probably something odd about it, but I can't put my finger on what."
Kenneth elbows Dannad . "You any good with locks?" he whispers.
"That's not smoke..." the big barbarian mutters, "More like birds... can't tell what sort."
"Not rodents then." Dagobert loses interest.
"Shut up about rats or you'll tied down for them to gnaw on you!" Vandis fumes.
"I can tell you're not interested in them, Vincent. What about this gate then - that might be more appealing."
"Am I good with locks, 'e says...."
Grinning, Dannad produces a rolled up felt pad held closed with a leather belt. After kneeling by the gate he unrolls the felt, revealing a kit of well maintained tools.
"Let's see...."
He looks intently at the lock before he begins picking up tools, the first thing he goes for being a small oil spritzer. Oiling up the cylinder to ease his job, he returns the oil to his kit and picks up a tool with an flattened, elongated L-shaped head. After sliding a torsion wrench into the cylinder he picks up a half-diamond pick and a medium hook with his left hand.
"Seems to me like this is a Bramah that's not seen so much as a lick of maintenance in a score o' years. They were a good lock in their time, and can still be pretty considerable now. Not as good as a Zoref or a Yale, but still better'n I would've expected. Now, that's considering it'd been maintained as it should have been."
He slides the hook in and begins to tease the pins one at a time to get them to their shear line, leaning close to listen to the lock while feeling the individual pins through the tools.
Listening closely, he hears a click after a couple of minutes of work.
"Can I pick a lock. Can ye tune a lute, Gil?"
Dannad puts his small hands into the demon's mouth and finds the lock to be extremely difficult. He barely manages to lift the last tumbler and avoid the deadly poison trap located inside. The gate swings open allowing easy access to the rest of the alley.
Peering down its length, you see a set of wooden double doors on the left hand side. Slightly further down you see that the alley takes a slight bend to the left. That is all you can see from the gate.
"Well done, Fred."
Dagobert heads through the gate, eyes bright at the prospect of new and exciting rats.
Vandis grabs Dagobert by the collar in his (by-now) familiar style, "Listen, dwarf. From here on out, don't use any names at all. Do you understand? You don't have to call us by your ridiculous aliases all the time. Or at all." he says with an air of finality.
"Enough talk," Kenneth says tersely, peering through the gloom.
Grime and mud suck at your boots. A foul green miasma hangs in the night air, swirling about your feet. Large rats, covered in boils and weeping sores, hiss and retreat deeper into the alley.
Vandis sneers at the rats.
"Time for action." he says.
Dagobert tuts at the sight of the miserable rodents. "I'm doubtful I can do much for them really. Put them out of their misery, maybe. I call that pitiful. Now then. Where next? I've a thing or to do say to this Beggar King when we meet."
He stays unobtrusively out of Vandis' long reach, having no mind to have his clothing pulled about again.
Wherever the miasma droplets pool on your skin or clothing, a dark stain is left in its place. Small holes also start to appear in any untreated cloth. It is very slow, however, and does not cause any discomfort other than a small itch
"Anyone got some light?" Vandis asks.
"I have a sunrod in my bag." Dagobert rootles furtively.
Kenneth, sensibly to his mind, stays behind Vandis for now.
From his vantage, Dagobert just sees more of the same. Foul smelling water flows past his feet and out the gate. The strange miasma seems to react with the alchemical components of the sunrod, causing it to flicker on and off. It still manages to remain lit and bright.
Those staying behind see nothing other than the shadows cast up ahead by Dagobert's sunrod.
Dannad packs up his tools fastidiously while keeping an eye half on his surroundings.
"I'm not good on heights," comments Dagobert realistically.
As you reach the bend in the alley you see several things of interest. The wall to the right of you is covered with jagged, rusty nails. At the end of the alley is a fountain where the miasma seems to be coming from. There is also another wooden door across from it on the left. There are also two sets of windows; one straight ahead, and another on the left. Both sets of windows are about 10-15 feet up.
"Oozing fountains. Very contaminating," whispers Dagobert.
Vandis smacks Dagobert on the back of the head.
"I know you're a foreigner, so I'm making allowances, but you're getting me a bit tense."
Perception DC 18:
Dannad keeps checking the alley behind them, trying to make sure no one's following them.
Dagobert:
Dagobert looks askance at the fountain, finding it even less appetising close too. He has a little think.
Dagobert:
Vandis tenses, and his eyes narrow at the anticipation of combat.
"Errm,"
Dagobert draws the group's attention to the fountain.
"I'm not a chap to cause needless alarm and despondency, but this fountain is very unpleasant. Well, obviously, really. But maybe more unpleasant than raw sewage is making it. The smell's putting me off a bit. Can one of you take a look?"
Just as Dagobert begins speaking, a handful of humans wearing leather armor and carrying large, weighted nets pop up on top of the ledge. They look as disheveled and unkempt as anyone in Smoke, though their eyes are alight with fervor.
"You ain't fences and you ain't beggars!" shouts one.
"Truss 'em up for the Beggar-King!" shouts another.
UPDATED MAP (Refresh browser to load updates)
Updated Hit Points