"I may be able to loosen the rivets, so that one of you can remove our obstacle," the pixie casually mentions, hovering over the sewer grate.
"But even if I do, you three might have some trouble fitting down there," he looks from Alderthane, to Zissaren and finally to Arathalia, "though you seem quite... flexible."
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"Well now," Al speaks dryly, leaning heavily on his gnarled walking stick, "this poses a problem don't it. Let's have a look see."
Speaking a short prayer, he holds the stick towards the grating, and a bright light begins to emanate from it's tip to illuminate the sewers below. Leaning forward, the old man tries to estimate how much of a drop is beneath the grating.
Perhaps nine or ten feet.
'I wonder what else will come out of this sewer if we destroy this grate?'
Leaf muses while firing a beam of pure light at the object in question
'I believe I can carve through this, given enough time'
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The beam slowly carves away the iron. In fact, much slower than you expected. While your beams are flashing, pedestrians on the street look terrified by your actions. You estimate that you'll need an hour to burn through the grating. If other warlocks assist you, it would go faster, but only you and Jack can pass through the opening.
"Splendid! Once we're in, we can find another entrance for the larger members of the team. Unless of course, they have some means to make themselves smaller?"
"Not smaller lad," Al answers Jack's comment, "But ah reckon I can get myself down there, and maybe one of the others too. Not so sure about the return journey mind you."
Leaf turns of the torches and addresses the party
'This is foolishness. Is there no order in this city, no planning, no maps of the sewer system? Something is getting out of the sewer, and taking children into it...oh forget it. I am not good at reasoning.
What if those of you with better contacts spent the hour trying to find a bigger entrance while the Lizard-Man checks the river for an outflow? If Luff cannot open this grate in a more subtle manner, I will spend the hour burning my way in and asking any civil authorities who show up to lend me a hand'
Arathalia smiles at the old man's comment, obviously taking the compliment.
She reaches into her pack and withdraws a vial of acid which she proceeds to poir along the bolts of the grate.
"Now, now - hold yer horses, lass." Al spurts as Arathalia moves to apply the acid, "There's no need to be wastin' that until we're sure ye need to. Not to be mentioning whatever trouble havin' an open sewergrate is liable to be causin'."
"Yon firefly is right," he says, waving his hand towards Leaf, "there must be a larger entrance hereabouts. It's just a matter of findin' it."
"Very well," Luff chimes, "I shall question those that call this area their home in order to discern the location of an alternative entrance to the sewers. When my investigations are complete I will meet you back here."
He looks over to Jack with a tilted head, "is this grate near location your sources said the sugar smell was located?"
"Very well," Luff chimes, "I shall question those that call this area their home in order to discern the location of an alternative entrance to the sewers. When my investigations are complete I will meet you back here."
He looks over to Jack with a tilted head, "is this grate near location your sources said the sugar smell was located?"
"My sources said it lead here, into the sewers. They were unable to find any alternative passages or discern the trail beyond that."
DM
"Hmm..." the pixie muses as he begins to beat his wings faster, slowly gaining altitude, "if the trail leads here, I wonder how the girl was taken past the grates."
Luff then flies off to find a large group of people to question regarding nearby sewer entrances.
** spoiler omitted **
Leaf teleports into the sewer. After looking around, he quickly carves a shallow marker in the wall. As an afterthought he places three continual flames - two in the muck of the sewer, and a third on a floating bit of detritus.
'Hope that helps' he tinkles, after popping back city-side
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Leaf teleports into the sewer. After looking around, 1d20+2 he quickly carves a shallow marker in the wall. As an afterthought he places three continual flames - two in the muck of the sewer, and a third on a floating bit of detritus.
'Hope that helps' he tinkles, after popping back city-side
"Well, I guess we've got the time..."
Leaf pops back into the sewer for a thorough look
Zissaren heads off in the general direction of the river, looking around for any other lizardmen. If there is a sewer outlet nearby they'll know about it.
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"Well, I guess we've got the time..."
Leaf pops back into the sewer for a thorough look
First thing you notice is that the sewers are deep beneath the streets. Twenty feet or more. The second thing is that the water doesn't stink. Sure, it's muddy - but there is no sign of human refuse and other things commonly associated with sewers. Alongside the walls are walkways wide enough for a grown human to comfortably walk, and the walls are very well made.
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Zissaren heads off in the general direction of the river, looking around for any other lizardmen. If there is a sewer outlet nearby they'll know about it.
When you approach the riverside, you see that most of your folk work as dockhands. Most of them are stronger than humans, so they work on emptying the barges of their cargo and loading the empty ones.
Zissaren approaches the nearest lizardman who isn't in the process of loading or unloading a barge and calls out to him in the lizardman tongue.
"Is the river alright for swimming here cousin? Any dirt pipes nearby?"
After some time, the pixie returns and sets down on the ground near the grating.
"It would seem that the nearest entrance to the sewers large enough for us all is to the south of the docks... shall we go?"
After some time, the pixie returns and sets down on the ground near the grating.
"It would seem that the nearest entrance to the sewers large enough for us all is to the south of the docks... shall we go?"
"Friends, this is not a sewer" Leaf animatedly explains his discovery and his conclusion
"I am concerned the sewers and the area this grate leads to are not contiguous. Perhaps we should enter this way?"I am sorry to be like this. I feel I am putting up obstacles to moving forward over and over again. This does not make me feel well as I know time is of the essence. Perhaps Luff and I could scout while the rest of you prepared to enter? If we encounter overwhelming force, Luff would likely be able to escape and bring word,given his invisibility and my...visibility."
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Zissaren approaches the nearest lizardman who isn't in the process of loading or unloading a barge and calls out to him in the lizardman tongue.
"Is the river alright for swimming here cousin? Any dirt pipes nearby?"
"The river isss fine for ssswiming. There is sssewage ssspil just sssouth of here, but there isss no dirty thingssss in it. The watersss are clean. Magicksss."
"Mayhaps you're right," the old man says to the floating light, "but perhaps this is a sewer, with some means of keepin' it clean - I once visited a city tha' kept its sewers clean by the use o' gelatinous cubes. Pristine they where!"
"Mayhaps you're right," the old man says to the floating light, "but perhaps this is a sewer, with some means of keepin' it clean - I once visited a city tha' kept its sewers clean by the use o' gelatinous cubes. Pristine they where!"
"Oh good, I was feeling myself paralyzed with indecision."
"Aye, would seem yer not the only one," Al remarks.
"Come on then," he says as he begins to walk in the direction of the docks, "there's no point in hanging around here - hopefully findin' our way back to this point through the tunnels should'na take too long."
"Well, the lights and the sigil I carved should help. Likely get us ambushed too, but I suppose that is going to happen when you are a paragon of good."
Zissaren nods thanks to the lizardman and dives off the dock into the cool river water. He surfaces and begins swimming south, trying to spot the sewer outlet as he enjoys the feel of the water on his scales.
Aehrick stands on the docks, arms crossed and eyes squinting against the bright sun. He waits for the halfling to arrive, hoping that the little servant's tale about an audience with his master had been more than just hollow promises or a con to get into Aehrick's thinning coin purse. The cleric had taken into account that the pale demihuman was being less-than-honest but in this strange city, so far removed from the people and politics he was more familiar with, Aehrick found himself grasping at straws.
Still, he might be over-thinking things-- the halfling could still show-- but considering the passage of time it seemed doubtful. There was one advantage to the meeting place being the docks, however. If all else failed he could pursue work as a stevedore and earn some money to make sure he doesn't starve to death before he gets back home.
Zissaren swims leisurely over to the cliff face and studies the wet rock wall for a few seconds, noting any likely looking foot and hand holds on the slippery surface. Apparently satisfied that there is a remote chance he could scale the cliff, Zissaren reaches up for his first handhold and attempts to reach the tunnel mouth.
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Zissaren swims leisurely over to the cliff face and studies the wet rock wall for a few seconds, noting any likely looking foot and hand holds on the slippery surface. Apparently satisfied that there is a remote chance he could scale the cliff, Zissaren reaches up for his first handhold and attempts to reach the tunnel mouth.
You struggle a bit to find a foothold, but your claws are of help in climbing. After a minute or so, you reach the tunnel.
Zissaren takes a firm grip on the iron bars blocking the entrance to the sewer and braces his feet against the edge of the tunnel. Hanging onto the bars he forms an image of the iron door that kept him imprisoned for so long and the red mist drops over his vision. With a bestial grunt he attempts to bend the rusted metal out of his way
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Zissaren takes a firm grip on the iron bars blocking the entrance to the sewer and braces his feet against the edge of the tunnel. Hanging onto the bars he forms an image of the iron door that kept him imprisoned for so long and the red mist drops over his vision. With a bestial grunt he attempts to bend the rusted metal out of his way
The bars break and you loose your foothold, plunging into the river and taking the whole grating with you.
Zissaren was not expecting his attempt to have quite the effect it did and in his surprise makes no real effort to get out of the way of the grating as he tumbles with it into the river.
"And that, dear friends, is why stealth is a better rule than strength. Let's get into the sewers quickly before the local dock workers decide to call for the Authorities, eh?" Jack quickly jumps into the water, looks distasteful and begins moving toward the sewers.
Aehrick turns to spot the source of the noise. Noting the assembled group he wonders idly how he managed to miss their arrival on the docks-- then narrows his eyes when Leaf flits into view. He mutters a quiet oath under his breath ("As luck would have it...") and starts across the damp planking.
"Archon," he calls once he's close enough to need not shout.
Al moves forward, looking apprehensively at the climb he begins to raise his hands to cast a spell, but lowers them at the shout from the stranger. Looking between Leaf and the man who called out, he waits patiently.
The badger at his side however, darts around his ankles excitedly before rushing off to splash into the river.
The pixie flaps his wings energetically to carry himself up towards the now open sewer outlet, disappearing from sight as he does so. Once he reaches the tunnel, he perches himself in the opening to await the others, glancing curiously into the darkness.
Speak Celestial?
at the sound of the voice calling 'Archon', Leaf launches into a staccato chant
'Whoa! Now that takes me back to the beach! What do you need, stranger?'
Leaf whisks closer to the human:
'Stranger?'
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The pixie flaps his wings energetically to carry himself up towards the now open sewer outlet, disappearing from sight as he does so. Once he reaches the tunnel, he perches himself in the opening to await the others, glancing curiously into the darkness.
As you stand betwixt and between, not inside the tunnel, not outside it, not under the earth, not in the air... you start to feel strange. Like you are becoming lighter than you are. Lighter than air.
As you stand betwixt and between, not inside the tunnel, not outside it, not under the earth, not in the air... you start to feel strange. Like you are becoming lighter than you are. Lighter than air.
Luff sways back slightly at the odd sensation, reaching out to the side of the tunnel to steady himself.
** spoiler omitted **
at the sound of the voice calling 'Archon', Leaf launches into a staccato chant
'Whoa! Now that takes me back to the beach! What do you need, stranger?'
Leaf whisks closer to the human:
'Stranger?'
Aehrick lifts his open palms towards Leaf in a peaceable manner, resisting the urge to take a step back when the archon flies closer. He responds in kind, uttering clumsy words that begin to come easier as the cobwebs fall from that corner of his mind.
He glances past the archon to the rest of the group, nodding absently at Alderthane when he notes the older man.