Kael manages a weak grin despite the impending danger.
"I believe that's our cue, ladies and gentlemen," he says, indicating the pounding on the door. "Now, if you would all be so kind as to make your way into the kitchen, it's about to become rather foggy in here."
Sarien grins and nods as he passes by Kael and hurries into the kitchen. "What now?" he asks.
Janiven moves quickly to a back ground-level cupboard, sweeping aside several large pots and pans and revealing a trapdoor set in the floor. With a grunt, she pulls the door open, revealing a tunnel leading away into darkness. Go, Morosino - lead them. Freya, please follow Morosino, he will not lead you astray. Each of you, follow behind - I will bring up the rear. Go! She begins to pull shelving units and cupboards down in front of the doorway, blocking the path back into the common room. Before the opening is completely blocked, the front door begins to groan. It can't be long now before the Hellknights gain entrance.
Morosino descends into the tunnel.
Tao assists Janiven with the makeshift blockade. As soon as Freya, Sarien, Kael, and Rauno make their way from the kitchen, he will follow.
Sarien doesn't waste a moment. He gestures Freya ahead and then follows immediately after, moving quickly and quietly into the tunnel below.
Just before the trap door slams shut, Rauno, Tao, and Janiven clearly make out the sound of the front door giving way, followed by a shouted By all the God's codpieces, did they set the place on fire? coming from one of the Hellknights. Janiven chuckles at Kael's ingenuity. After the door is closed, Rauno utters a few arcane words and a faint blue glow suddenly flashes around the outline of the door, visible even in the darkness.
Already, you prove yourselves to be worthy allies. I knew I gathered the right group, Janiven exclaims softly. Please, follow the tunnel down. We'll see about a light once we get down there.
The tunnel ends at a crude wooden door; Morosino fumbles with the latch for a few seconds before finding the latch and getting the thing open. As soon as the door is open, the unmistakable stench of raw sewage rises to greet you. There is a small stone landing just beyond the door, large enough to fit everyone, but only barely. A large plank of lightly damp wood stands beside the door; as Janiven emerges from the portal she quickly closes the door behind her and bars it shut.
That'll hold them for a few minutes. Morosino, have you found the mark?
Morosino is squinting into the dim light, looking up at some pipes that run along the ceiling. Sorry, Miss Janiven, I can't see without some kind of light, he says.
Janiven cracks a sunrod, illuminating the area. Tao, I know that you can see without this, but we would travel too slowly without the rest of us being able to see, she states. There! See that symbol of Iomedae on the pipe? She points to a chalked drawing of the symbol of Iomedae, Goddes of Valor and Virtue, turned on it's side so that the point of the sword points to the left. That is the symbol that will lead to our safehouse. Arael and I scouted the way a few months ago should this very situation ever arise. I hoped never to need this escape route, now I only hope that the months and the moisture have not served to erode our guideposts. On we go, quickly! The knights will only be thwarted by our precautions for a short time. They may even send patrols into the tunnels ahead of us, if they can guess our route. We must hurry.
Tao accepts the scented scarf and wraps it around his nose and mouth. "Unless anyone objects, I can take the lead?"
Freya accepts the scented scarf with a shrug. "Let's hope they don't send hounds after us; all they'll have to do is follow the one thing down here that doesn't smell disgusting," she comments, but she seems to be doing so only for the sake of being disagreeable. "I'll follow the big guy," she says, moving to follow Tao.
Sarien pulls his hood down over his head, hiding his face in shadow once again. "No, thank you. I'm used to unpleasant smells, and I'd rather not have an odor following me about."
"I suppose I can take the rear. Ordinarily I'd prefer to scout ahead but given such narrow confines I'd rather not be trapped in front if I can help it." Sarien draws a star knife and holds it in his right hand, ready for easy use. He looked warily into the darkness behind him. "Though I could well be trapped back here. Oh well. As Janiven suggests, I believe we should move quickly."
The party moves off down the hallway in the direction indicated by the marker, making decent time. This hallway continues for approximately 3 minute's worth of travel. It reaches a 4-way junction, which features a runoff pool filled with waste, slightly higher ceilings (6') and wider walkways (a full 5'). Janiven raises the sunrod to inspect the pipes, and finds what she is looking for - a small chalked symbol similar to the one back the hallway. Left, she says, tersely.
After about another minute and a half, Janiven calls a halt. She seems to be looking for something along the wall.
Freya indicates a section of wall next to Kael. "That what you're looking for? You have something hidden back there?"
"I can't see anything from back here. What's the hold-up?" Sarien whispers as he nervously eyes the darkness leading back the way they've come.
Kael steps to the side to clear a way for his companions. "Allow me to get out of your way" he says politely.
Once he is clear, he turns to Janiven. "I think it goes without saying that you've been this way before, m'lady. Where exactly are you leading us?"
Tao, seeing nothing, continues forward a few feet to watch the sewer passage up ahead.
Janiven gives a relieved sigh as Rauno moves the loose bricks aside.
Good, they’re still here. I stashed a small cache of healing potions here a few weeks ago in the event of an emergency just like this one. We won’t have time to stop and rest as long as the Hellknights are after us. Here, everybody take a few of these.
She distributes three Cure Light Wounds potions to each of you (Three per person, not three among the whole group.), and nods briskly. Alright, then - off we go.
As the group approaches another 4-way intersection, the sound of bootsteps can clearly be heard distantly from behind, and more closely from the left-hand corridor.
Damn! Janiven hisses, shining the light up toward the pipes. The symbol points to the right. Morosino and I will try to draw them off. Quickly, now, across the channel, each of you, and Morosino and I will proceed straight with the light source. Once you get across, follow Tao - he can lead you in the darkness. Wait until the Hellknights pass by, then do as I've shown you, follow the signs! We'll meet up again if the Gods will it. Go!
Freya leaps across the raw sewage, landing neatly on the other side.
Sarien curses under his breath but does not say anything aloud. He simply follows Janiven's instructrions and jumps across after Freya, following Tao and the others as best he can.
Tao lifts himself out of the sewage with an angered look on his face. Regaining his composure he says, "Does anyone have a length of rope that isn't covered in filth? It might make it easier for me to lead you in the dark."
Freya smirks at the half-orc's misfortune (although if Janiven's already gone with the sunrod, Tao's probably the only one who can see it). "Sorry, Twinkletoes," she tells him, "but I don't intend on being pulled into the sewage with you. Once the Hellknights are past, I'll turn on my own 'light.'"
With a look of dissapointment, "I assure you Ms. Freya, this folly shall not be commonplace."
"Come now, Tao, everyone knows that it isn't how hard you jump that determines success," Kael says amicably, backing up to give himself some room, "It's the running start that counts!" And with that he sprints forward, taking a flying leap and landing nimbly next to the smelly half-orc.
As soon as Rauno is across, Janiven and Morosino bolt forward, taking the light with them. From the corridor to the left of where the group was, a few shouts can be heard.
Hey! There they are! That way!
The tunnel opposite the party begins to brighten as the footsteps grow closer. After a few seconds a group of three Hellknights makes their way up the hall and turns after Janiven and Morosino, nimbly jumping over the sewage trough and pursuing at top speed, which still seems to be rather slow. Thirty seconds later, the hallway the party just traversed brightens, and another group comes along, following Janiven and the first group. They also jump the sewage trough - one soldier slips and is pulled up by his comrades before they can continue. Eventually, they too are gone, and the sewer slips into blackness all around - Janiven's ruse seems to have worked.
"I was worried about them for a moment, but that group doesn't seem particularly capable. I think Janiven will be all right so long as she keeps her wits about her." Sarien whispers.
"Shall we be moving on? I have no rope with me this evening but a hand on the shoulder in front will do just as well, I suspect." Sarien reaches out and puts his hand on Kael's shoulder. At least, he hopes it's Kael. And his shoulder.
Everyone hears some muttered arcane syllables
Sarien looks away from the light, eyes squinted almost shut, trying not to be blinded by it but he was too late. His lips tighten a little in irritation but when he speaks his tone is calm and measured.
"Janiven said that it's leading us to her safehouse. I'm guessing she was clever enough not to hold the meeting there given that she had no way of controlling who might be followed. Hopefully it'll be relatively secure." He also hopes, but does not say, that Janiven's trust in the others was warranted.
"I just hope Janiven let her allies know we are coming. I'd hate to arrive at this 'safe house' and find out that it's not so safe."
"I suppose we should be on our way. I believe the last marker indicated we continue along this direction." Tao heads in the direction of the last marker being sure to look for additional markers along the way.
The group travels for about 10 minutes, encountering several right-angle turns in the tunnel, but no intersections. At the last of these right-angle turns, the group can make out what looks like a Tower Shield leaning up against the wall and blocking the path prior to the turn. The shield is about 35' ahead, at the edge of the dim light provided by Freya's spell.
"Well, that seems ... weird," Freya mutters, stopping in her tracks and narrowing her eyes to look for any details she's missing.
Tao approaches the shield with caution, paying close attention to it and the passage beyond.
As Tao edges closer to the shield, he can make out a wrought-iron gate set into the wall behind the shield. The gate is a little over half-open, the bottom of the door ending just above the top of the shield.
Sarien moves closer, still holding his star knife. He keeps Tao between himself and the shield and frowns as he sees the gate behind.
"This is definitely peculiar. I don't like having to pass through it, but if we have to..." Sarien leans a little closer to examine the scene more carefully.
Sarien stands upright again. "I see no sign of traps, but it appears as though this shield may have been here for a while. Or at least, it's in pretty bad shape. There's rust on it and the grip and straps are missing. Maybe someone just tossed it away down here and it ended up in this place over time. P'raps we should just continue on? Extra wary for danger, of course."
Tao makes his way up to the shield. Without touching it or the gate, he'll look through the doorway to the area beyond. After that, he will look up the sewer passage (60' darkvision) to get an idea of what lies ahead.
"Not sure what to make of the room behind this grate." Looking back at the group he adds, "I'll leave it up to you guys whether we check it out. Up ahead the sewer turns to the right and then continues on for as far as I can see."