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"Hold on," Nyx responds, now more forcefully. "I have an idea, and it won't reveal our presence or leave any traces just give me a moment." Focusing on the fragment, she mentally takes in the shape of the key on the wall and forms a replica of it in the hand reaching for it. Once she is sure it has the object, she dissolves her fragment and turns back to the others.

"Ok, that should help. They should be able to escape on their own now, but we should still come back to check after we meet up with the others." So quick to simply leave someone to be tortured or killed. I don't like this guy.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Minor Creation to conjure a copy of the key into the hand of the person I can see. Once they have it and have unlocked themselves, dissolve the Shaped Consciousness fragment.

Confused, Idrig stares at Nyx. "What exactly did you do?" he asks in a cautious demeanor. The dwarf begins to step back down the alley, toward the main street.

As they walk, Nyx grabs Idrig's hand and holds it out in front of him. She then performs the same conjuration again, placing an identical copy of the key from the basement in the palm of his hand. "That," she says, smirking at him as they walk.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Minor Creation again

A wide grin grows on Idrig's face. "That," he says, nodding. "...is how you do it." The dwarf spins the key in his hand, inspecting its physical materials. "Impressive. Brass alloy, seems. You... made this? From nothing?" I wonder what else she can form into existence. This is crucial for my studies.

"Yes," Nyx responds, as the key vanishes from his hand. "And it doesn't last long, so there won't be a record of it ever having existed should anyone decide to snoop around," she continues with a smirk.

Idrig frowns as the key blinks out of existence from his grasp. "Peculiar. Matter, certainly, but permanent? Hardly." He shrugs to himself, fascinated with the means of implementing illusory copies of reagents into a recipe.

As they near the main avenue once again, the dwarf turns to Nyx and Luca. "What do you suppose we should do now? Wait for those two to return, or go after them?"

Nyx & Idrig

[SHOW]

"I suppose we can wait," Luca says with a shrug. "Who's to say where those two wandered off to?"

As you're about to turn back onto the main street, you hear quick footsteps and ragged breaths grow louder behind you. In an instant, a woman attempts to shove past you, though she loses her footing and collapses before you. She wears a long dress, befitting one of wealth, though it appears torn and dirty.

Her wrists are bruised, and you notice her arms are covered in strange scratch marks. She grits her teeth as she looks up towards you, squinting in the bright afternoon sun. She attempts to stand, but her legs fail her. Once more, she looks up towards you, terror in her eyes, though no words pass her lips.

Ciraco & Narciso

[SHOW]

With both waitresses occupied, you scurry up the ladder, unseen. You find it fairly easy to stand upon the roof, its gradual angle making for easy footwork. From atop the building, you're offered a wide view of the entire street below, as well as some surrounding alleys. In the alley nearest to you, you spot your companions crowded around a downed woman, although you're unable to make out their conversation.

As you survey the view, your eyes come face to face with a nest of twig and stick. In a flurry of feathers, a pair of crows returns to the home, clearly unhappy with such unwelcome visitors. They begin to caw angrily at you, swooping in closely and attempting to divebomb you. Though the roof is hardly steep, your balance begins to wane as the crows harass you.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Roll acrobatics

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Acrobatics: 12(1d20) +5 = 17

"Ah, you must be our associate. Good to see you've freed yourself and, in doing so, helped us achieve the requirements of our employer. Luca, be a good lad and escort this poor woman home, would you?" The dwarf turns away from her disheveled appearance. "The quicker she is off these streets and back at the estate, the safer it is for her, for us, and for the task at hand."

Idrig turns back now to study the woman, especially her clothing. A disguise of some sort? Clearly not the trappings of someone set on infiltration.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Acrobatics: 10(1d20) +9 = 19

Nyx's eyes widen as the woman rushes towards them. She watches in horror as the injured lady collapses to the ground at her feet. She is worse off than I thought! It is good she made it out. "Are we sure she is even the person we were looking for?" she asks, turning to Idrig. "It could just be another injured person. These streets are not exactly safe."

Nyx & Idrig

[SHOW]

Her eyes appear to ease up as Idrig speaks, though her lips still fall silent. However, she's able to muster a weak nod. She attempts to stand, but winces in pain and collapses back to the ground.

As she falls over, you catch sight of her legs, previously concealed by the ragged dress's fabric. Like her arms, you notice scratches wounding her flesh. More peculiarly, you notice bite marks. Humanoid bite marks. Through her pain, she manages to look up at you once again. This time, a faint whisper is uttered. "C-clowns"

Luca observes, mouth agape. "She needs safety. And a doctor. Help me lift her up."

Ciraco & Narciso

[SHOW]

With ease, you manage to maintain balance, even as the crow continues to assault your space. While the vantage point is largely perfect, the possibility remains that the crow will blow your cover come nightfall. From the restaurant below, you overhear one of the waitresses groaning. "Gods! No wonder we don't have any customers with the noise that thing makes. I'm about ready to strangle that bird myself, and throw its nest into the alley."

"You'd hurt a defenseless bird?" you hear the other waitress say.

"Defenseless? Those things attack you! Ugh, whatever, it'll be gone tomorrow."

"The Buffones did this to you?" Idrig asks, his interest piqued. "Their stomping ground is halfway across the city. I don't follow..."

At Luca's demand, the dwarf frowns and sighs. He lowers himself and helps lift the injured woman to her feet. "Nyx, we need a plan. This complicates things."

Nyx's eyes widen and her face goes a bit pale at the woman's words. Did they find out about me? Is this payback for leaving? How could they... She starts to tremble a little, the excitement and joy she'd felt in the last few days seeming so bitter now knowing that it might have caused such suffering for others.

"Uh," she begins, not really sure what to say. "We move her, yeah. Somewhere safe. And hidden. But where?" She turns to Luca, hoping he might know a place.

Not a bad view, Ciraco thinks to himself as he admires the vista.

"That bird could cause us problems tonight too. Perhaps we should try and remove the nest now. Can you see it anywhere? " Ciraco says as he looks around the rooftop for the bird's nest.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Perception: 3(1d20) +12 = 15

Nyx & Idrig

[SHOW]

"The villa would be the safest, but getting her there may draw too many eyes," Luca says, his eyes shifting between the street and the injured woman. "Someplace public could be safe for a time. The Clowns wouldn't dare try anything in public. Doubt they've paid off the guards enough."

"Or," he pauses. "Are either of you familiar with the Teiros underground? The old tunnels and sewers beneath the city. There could be an entrance somewhere close."

Ciraco

[SHOW]

After searching the rooftop, you locate the nest tucked near the building's chimney. It's comprised of twigs and straw, as well as scraps of paper and playing cards. Nestled within, you spot four small teal eggs, likely what the bothersome crow was intent on protecting.

Ciraco chuckles seeing the playing cards in the nest. "Sorry little ones, it looks like you've been dealt a bad hand," he says to the eggs, as he bends down and picks the nest up before throwing it off the roof on to the street below.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Does the dwarf know anything about the underground?

Streetwise: 18(1d20) +8 = 26

"No," Nyx says, intrigued. She turns to Idrig, figuring that if any of them do it would be him.

Idrig

[SHOW]

You recall learning of the Teiros underground from a local you met shortly after arriving to the city. After having asked about flora and fauna unique to the city, the man spoke of the undisturbed life living in the abandoned tunnels beneath the city.

He explained that the city was once a military outpost, and had tunnels beneath for tactical and defensive purposes. However, a devastating earthquake eras prior had collapsed many, but some remained intact. The city's sewer systems incorporated the existing tunnels, creating a subterranean labyrinth.

You recall he pointed out a narrow stairway with an iron gate at its base at the end of an alleyway, about waist-height for a human, but nearing shoulder-height for a typical dwarf. He claimed it was one such entrance. Additionally, he made mention of older buildings often having hidden entrances in their cellars.

Ciraco & Narciso

[SHOW]

As the nest begins its plummet towards the ground, the crow dives into the alleyway, a futile effort to save its children. It does not return, however, and the rooftop is finally silent. From your perch, you catch sight of the clock tower. It is still a couple hours until sunset, though a black cluster of clouds appears to be approaching from the west.

OOC

[SHOW]

What do now? Try and find the others? Scout out other locations? Have more drinks?

"Well that makes this roof a good spot for tonight. I wonder if we can see anywhere else from up here that would be useful," Ciraco says to Narcisco as he takes a step back from the edge. He looks around to see if any more of the buildings in the area would be useful to scout out in preparation for tonight.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Perception to look for more places to scout: 18(1d20) +12 = 30

"Could be," Idrig agrees. "Let's hope it's not severed from the network due to decay or quake damage."

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Perception to tell if there are any older buildings around here, including the one we were just at: 2(1d20) +1 = 3

Idrig

[SHOW]

The building you were just at seems quite old, though you're unsure if it's truly age or simply lack of care that has led to its condition. Perhaps a second pair of eyes may help, were you to relay your findings.

"Keep your eyes out for any older buildings that would have cellars. It could be a way into the underground." He hooks a thumb behind him, toward the building they sprung the woman from. "Worst case scenario, we check back there."

"Any idea where other such buildings might be? And should we not check that building now?" she asks, looking towards the two men for answers. We can't spend a lot of time just wandering around, least of all with an injured woman.

"I suppose we can," Idrig says. "I was hesitant to stick around the makeshift prison for longer than necessary, but let's rule it out."

Helping lift the woman to her feet, the dwarf turns and heads back to the older building. Once near he steps in the front door to investigate his surroundings once more. Any ways down?

Nyx follows the man, confident that there must not be anyone else in the basement if the woman was able to escape so easily. However, not wanting to take any risks she once more sends her fragment to scout ahead.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Shaped Consciousness move to last space it was before I disbanded it, then move in more.

Ciraco

[SHOW]

Further down the street, you notice a small plaza tucked between a pair of ornate buildings. The plaza is slightly below street level, though not dramatically so. A marbled staircase descends the center, leading to a rotunda in its center. Flanking the staircase are sculpted hedges, concealing much of the plaza below.

Additionally, in the alleyway directly across from your rooftop, you notice what you recognize as a sewer grate, though its gateway is likely locked. It is at the end of the alleyway, though the path appears to veer toward the left as well.

Finally, you spot a warehouse nearby. Its large doors are open, its laborers carrying boxes in and out. A stack of large crates sits to the right of the door, likely awaiting loading onto a cart.

Nyx & Idrig

[SHOW]

Looking back into the building's foyer, you notice the rightmost door is now fully opened, revealing the disarrayed office within. Against the room's right wall, you can just barely make out the stairway descending into the cellar. A faint red glow seems to emit from below.

Nyx

[SHOW]

In an instant, your shadowy simulacrum reappears and shuffles into the dreary building. As your creation descends the stairs, you're immediately taken aback by the sudden changes to the room. While only one sconce was dimly lit before, now all the room's sconces burn an eerie pinkish-red, spreading red light across the room.

Straight ahead, you notice the chains the captive woman had been prisoner to. Beyond that, near the far wall, you notice a strange grate in the floor.

Mostly peculiar, you can see a group of masks scattered around the floor. They appear to be carnival masks, though their appearances are monstrous rather than silly. Faces of the undead, the hellish, and other horrific beasts stare up at the ceiling, though their eyes seem to stare directly at you.

"Anything?" Idrig asks, his patience being tested. He palms a bolt, ready to draw and fire his crossbow at the first sign of danger.

"There's a sewer grate over there. It could provide us with a way in. Let's go find the others to check it out," Ciraco says to Narcisco as he turns to head back to the ladder and down onto the terrace.

One there he throws the coins for his drink onto the the table and makes his way back to street level to find the rest of the group.

Narciso stood there with Ciraco, looking down at the street below. "So we're uh... we're pretty high up, eh?" He looked over at Ciraco. "What exactly are we looking for again?"

Nyx's eyes widen at the sight, and in a panic she dispels her fragment once more. "We can't go that way," she says, quickly moving towards the door, motioning for the others to follow. "There is something very strange about that room, but I don't think a gang is involved in it. It seemed unnatural."

"Unnatural?" Idrig repeats, his eyes now bright with sudden interest. "What does that mean? What sort of unnatural?" He grips a bolt tighter. We absolutely must go investigate now, no matter what the magician thinks.

Lowering her voice some, she looks to Idrig, fear still in her eyes. "Ok, it was dark before, like almost completely black. Now it's all lit up, but not any normal light strange reddish light all over. That was weird enough, but there are these creepy masks just all over the place. Not clown masks or anything, they look like some sorts of monsters. Someone must have come in since we left, since it wasn't like that just a little bit ago," she continues, still moving towards the exit.

Idrig squints his eyes at Nyx, trying to discern meaning from her words. He turns to the injured woman, holding her chin up to peer straight into her eyes. "Tell me. Does any of that bear any meaning? About your captors? Can you tell us anything?"

Ciraco & Narciso

[SHOW]

With the waitresses none the wiser, you scurry back down the ladder and return to the street below. It takes little time to locate your companions, huddled in an alleyway adjacent to the cafe. There is a strange woman with them, dressed in a tattered gown and covered in scratch marks. As you approach, you hear her say, "Something... sinister." You can tell she's wincing in pain as her words fade.

Nyx & Idrig

[SHOW]

"This is unsettling, to say the least," Luca says as Nyx recounts what she saw. "But how did so much change in such a short time?"

The woman stares at each of you for a moment before narrowing her eyes. "B-Buffones. New leadership. Something... sinister." She winces in pain after speaking, but manages to maintain composure. As she finishes speaking, you notice Ciraco and Narciso approaching from the street.

"Good to see you two. We've found our woman on the inside," the dwarf says, nodding to her. "Broke her out. We need to extract her, and quickly. Too many eyes on the streets. The underground tunnels seem best. Found a possible entrance in there—" Idrig points to the building in front of them. "...But seems like something's up. Trouble? And clowns."

He takes a deep breath and sighs. "Did I miss anything?" he asks, turning to Luca and Nyx.

"Anywhere that might be useful for tonight," Ciraco says to Narcisco as the two make their way down to regroup with the others.

"Nicely done. How did you manage that so fast?" He asks, surprised to see the others have already recovered the woman. "The roof up there makes for a good vantage point and I spotted some other points of interest for tonight. We can go over our plan for that once we're back at the villa though," he explains. "If we need to get her off the street let's go," he adds as Idrig talks of the underground tunnels.

"I still think this is a bad idea," Nyx says, looking worried as the group mentions going into the basement of the building. "This place seems vary off. It could be a trap."

"I did spot a sewer grate nearby from up on the roof," Ciraco adds, seeing Nyx's concern. "That could be another option for getting her out of here."

"That's a better option," Idrig says. "Can you show us the way?"

"Follow me," Ciraco says with a smirk before setting off towards the sewer grate he had seen from the restaurant's roof.

Nyx smiles slightly as Ciraco offers an alternative to entering the basement, and follows after the man. As she walks she continues to look back at their freed prisoner, making sure she is alright.

Narciso quietly follows Cicero to the party, then to the grate.

"Lead the way," Luca says, gesturing forward as he helps the woman walk.

Exiting the alley, you find yourself back on the main avenue. As before, it is bustling with activity from all walks of life, though you feel an eerie stillness. Gazing downhill towards the expansive Forelle, you spot an approaching inky cloud, likely the source of the uneasiness within the air.

The group quickly crosses the street and wanders into an opposing alleyway with the grate Ciraco had described at its end. The grate is lower than street level, with a narrow staircase descending to it. The grate appears relatively sturdy, likely wrought iron. A small padlock is visible, keeping the doors locked shut. Unlike the grate, the lock does not appear particularly sturdy or complex.

Idrig slips out a small vial from one of his waist pouches. "Minor corrosive. Won't burn through the shackle, but it'll be easier to break." He shrugs, deftly popping the cork off with a thumb and pouring a few drops of the substance into the keyhole. "Or pick, I suppose."

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Aid Another on a STR check to break lock, or a Thievery check to pick it.

The attempter receives a +2 to their roll.

"I know a thing or two about locks," Ciraco says as he pulls out a dagger. He inserts the tip into the lock and uses it to manipulate the mechanism with the help of Idrig's substance.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Thievery Check: 6(1d20) +12 = 18

Aided by Idrig's alchemical solution, Ciraco has no trouble shimmying the padlock open. Within but a moment, the grate is unlatched and the path to the city's labyrinthine underground is open. You're able to see but a few steps before the tunnel is consumed by darkness.

"Nicely done. But it might be hard to get around in there if we can't see."

From what is visible inside, the walls are rough brick, curving upward in a narrow arc as the path gradually descends downward. There's an unlit sconce adjacent to the gate, the fixture slowly being overtaken by rust. Beyond that, the tunnel is bound by the abyss.

"Always come prepared," Idrig says, pulling a torch from his heavy rucksack. He reaches into a deep pocket and slips out what appears to be a strange, dense moonrock. With a rapid motion, he jerks the rock across the torch-end, creating sparks that immediately burst into flame. He smiles smugly and slips the moonrock back into a crevice of his coat. Warm light illuminates their surroundings.

"Let's get moving."

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Static Shock on my torch to light it. Then move me forward.

"Let's," Ciraco agrees as he follows the dwarf into the sewer, holding open the grate behind him for the others.