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As the party heads out, Gau pulls on his hood. He stays roughly with the others, but his pace doesn't synchronize with theirs. He ducks in and out of sight, hugging the walls for some slight measure of cover from the rain, and ducking under and behind obstacles instead of walking in the open. He doesn't give his name, but glances at those who do, seeming to observe them rather than meeting them. Why so many?, he thinks, I could get it on my own. Must be more to it.

Idrig notices their shadow tagging along, dipping in and out of cover as they proceed. "Maybe he can be the one to nab it," the dwarf suggests, motioning toward the strange boy. "Can't imagine it'd be his first time."

"Ciraco," Ciraco says, adding to the brief introductions. He raises an eyebrow as Nyx summons a necklace out of thin air. "Nice trick," he remarks.

"I'd reckon so," Ciraco agrees with Idrig. "We appear to have the makings of a plan. A thief and a temporary forgery. If that doesn't work there are six of us, we could probably just take the necklace, I doubt the shop owner would be able to stop us."

Luca watches in amazement as Nyx manages to conjure a small necklace out of thing air. "Where'd you learn a trick like that?" After a few more minutes of walking, you finally arrive at the Piazza Vittoria, the heart of the city. Ordinarily, it's found to be bustling with tourists, vendors, and street performers. Tonight, however, it's all but vacant. Music and laughter emits from the brightly-lit taverns and casino that define the plaza, though most storefronts remain dark. This makes the search easy, though, and within a moment, you've spotted the jewelry store, still seemingly open.

As you step inside, you see a woman, likely in her early 40s, closely examining a jeweled ring. Seeming to notice your presence, she sets the ring down and passes her eyes over each of you, particularly upon Nyx. "Well you sure are a colorful crowd. Is the traveling circus in town?" she says with a light chuckle, her accent noticeably Gleiosian. "Welcome to Zaffo. What can I do for you this evening, my lovelies?"

"At school," Nyx replies nonchalantly, unaware of the general lack of magic academies in most other parts of Voreld.

As they enter the shop Nyx takes a moment to marvel at the various jewels and baubles on display. Wow, so much all in one place. This woman must really make a killing. She starts to become uneasy when the woman fixes her gaze on the girl, not sure what to make of the extra attention. Has she seen me before? Do I have some makeup left on my face? She waits for someone else to speak first, not entirely sure how to handle the situation at hand.

"Just browsing for now," Idrig mumbles, separating from the others to casually search for the necklace.

"Something like that," Ciraco says in reference to the curcus remark, looking at his current companions. "We're just browsing for now, like the dwarf said," he says walking up to the counter. "We're looking for one particular item if you'd be able to help with that?" He asks.

The woman frowns as Nyx's face grows uneasy, though it returns to a smile as Ciraco poses a question. "Oh my! Heart set on the perfect piece for that special someone?" she asks, her eyes lighting up as she lays her hands upon her chest. "What kind of piece are you hoping to find?"

Idrig

[SHOW]

As you browse, you spot a wide variety of extraordinary necklaces, likely with high price tags to match. However, you do not see any that resemble the description Gina had given.

Idrig ignores the woman's question, satisfied with Ciraco or Nyx doing the talking for now while he looks at the remainder of the jewelry. Could be a good place to hit for a heist, the dwarf considers. Not typically my forte, but if things go south and I'm pressed for coin...

Mechanics

[SHOW]

What else this lady got?

Idrig & Anyone else who browses

[SHOW]

The store features an inverted L-shaped glass counter with built-in display cases, as well as a free-standing display case in the center of the room. Small mirrors dot the room, presumably so customers may model such jewelry on themselves.

The individual case is filled with an assortment of various earrings and brooches, many of which are gold or silver and contain gleaming gemstones or pearls. The earrings' shapes also vary, from simple studs to intricate dangling jewels. The broaches too differ, with some containing crafted figurines. One particular piece stands out: a sapphire and diamond brooch shaped like a butterfly.

At the shorter end on the counter, you find what seems to be dozens of rings in all shapes and sizes, though nearly all boast an oversized gemstone as if meant to proclaim wealth. Many seem geared more towards the elite women who visit the city, though there is a smaller selection of larger rings for men.

The longer portion of the counter, where the shopkeeper stands behind, is split between bracelets and necklaces. Unlike the earring and ring displays, all of the necklaces and bracelets are extraordinarily ornate with intricate designs and an excessive amount of gems. Though none of them match the description given by Gina, the fancier are likely worth a small fortune each.

One thing you notice is that a majority of the jewelry contains sapphires and rubies, leading you to believe her stock is highly specialized.

Narciso, unfortunately, knows very little about jewelry. He knows enough of what the necklace looks like to be able to identify it if placed in front of him, but he lets his party search for the necklace and speak to the lady behind the counter. Instead, he spends their time here slowly walking around the room, pretending to glance at jewelry while he memorizes the place in his head, wishing he could get in the back rooms to look for another way out for completion's sake.

"She's certainly special. And yes, we're very set on this one item. I don't think anything else would suffice," Ciraco replies, leaning in closer against the counter. "We're looking for a gold necklace with rubies and diamonds. We heard that someone might have brought it in recently. Would you know anything about that?"

Nyx becomes less unnerved once the woman turns her attention to Ciraco, instead moving to focus on the jewels in the shop. As the man does the talking, she genuinely browses the shop's collection for fun. Her eyes light up at the sight of the butterfly brooch, and she tries it on in one of the mirrors. Hopefully one of them finds the lady's necklace soon. I may have to snag something for myself as well.

The woman grins as Nyx tries on the butterfly brooch, shouting out to her, "That brooch suits you! The sapphires complement those pretty eyes of yours!"

The shopkeeper's eyes widen and her chipper spirit grows more serious as Ciraco makes mention of the necklace in question. "Ah, yes, I know of the necklace you speak of. Unfortunately it is not here," she remarks, resting her elbows upon the counter as her eyes watch the door. "But you're correct it was brought here. You'll have to look elsewhere for it." She seems to grow nervous. paying more mind to the store's entrance than her "customers," as if expecting someone to arrive at any moment. "I really shouldn't say more. I quite rather enjoy my safety."

Narciso half listens to the conversation and when she finishes he turns back towards the counter and strides forward quickly. Normally he wouldn't be so forward, but they need that necklace, and sometimes you have to do things you don't like to get what you need.

He leans forward and plants a hand firmly on the table. "You're going to tell us where to look, right?" He smirked softly. "You wouldn't want anything bad to happen, would you?"

[sblock=Mechanics]Intimidation to get the information: 17(1d20) +1 = 18[/sblock]

The woman's eyes narrow upon the young man as he speaks, seeming to threaten her. "You've got some nerve speaking to me like that," she remarks, before she sighs and adds, "but you're right." Glancing over the entire group once more, she says, "If you're after that necklace, you're not circus performers. I can tell that much. So then maybe we could help each other out. I tell you where it is, and you help get a scumbag off the streets."

She gazes towards the door once more, likely a precaution learned from years in this crime-infested city, where saying the wrong things can earn certain death. Finally, she draws the group close to the counter and lowers her voice. "A man named Alfonso Costa brought it in. Hulking man, lost an eye, runs with the Barones. They call him the Cyclops. I knew it was stolen. Told him I'm not a fence and to find someone else, so he left, after a few choice words." Her hushed tone is shaky and nervous, though it seems to grow more confident as she continues to divulge her information.

"The Cyclops... I've heard of him," Luca remarks. "Big, mean, and ugly."

"I've heard he and he lackeys hang around the Colosseum on their downtime, but I can't say where exactly. I swear, that's all I know."

Narciso nods and gives her a polite bow. "I normally wouldn't have been so direct, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do." He holds a hand over his heart and attempts to make eye contact. "I swear we will take him down, and in return for the ever so helpful information, I personally will pay you back... I just need to get paid first." He smiles light heartedly, any threatening tone that was previously in his voice now gone. "You have my thanks."

Hearing the tale of the 'Cyclops', Nyx is a bit uneasy. We came here to steal a necklace, not hunt down a dangerous criminal, she thinks as the woman tells her tale. She is about to ask more questions when she hears Narciso chime in, agreeing to help.

"Wait, hold on," Nyx butts in, not necessarily opposed to helping out, but also not one to simply jump at the occasion unprepared. "Is there more you can tell us about this big scary guy? Or how many lackeys does he have? If not you, is there someone else we could ask?" Why would he not ask more before volunteering us?

Idrig scowls at Narciso's words. Some career criminal he is. Fresh-face offering to pay somebody he just threatened? He laughs quietly to himself.

"Cyclops, hm? Which eye was it?"

[sblock=Mechanics]Insight check to see if lady knows more than she lets on: 1(1d20) +1 = 2 ok[/sblock]

"Well that's one way to get information," Ciraco says, as Narcisco's attempt at threatening the shop keeper works.

"Where we can find him is the main thing if you know that? Or where to start looking," he adds to Nyx's questions.

The woman glares at Narciso uneasily following his outburst, remarking, "Uh, right then" as her eyes dart to the others. "I'm afraid I don't know much. I've just heard he runs with the Barone crowd."

"I can be of help there," Luca interjects as the woman fails to provide any answers. "He's run with the Barone family for years. He does a lot of their dirty work. Murders, beating, that sort of thing. He has a handful of men under him, so I've heard, but there's only so much merit in hearsay."

At the dwarf's comment, she flashes a smirk and replies, "Do you really care? But if you must know, it's his left." Turning her attention towards the former-mercenary, she remarks, "Perhaps pull the cotton out of your ears and you'd have heard. Near the Colosseum is his stomping ground."

With a heavy sigh, she adds, "Regardless, if you're going after him, be careful. And if you run into trouble, leave my name out of it."

[sblock=Idrig]From what you can tell, the woman is not concealing any additional information and her words seem truthful to you.[/sblock]

Nyx frowns as they are unable to glean any other useful information about this man, apart from the vague description of a 'handful' of men. This task just keeps getting more and more dangerous. What have I gotten myself into? she thinks, as she waits to see what the others do.

"You'd be surprised the amount of one-eyed troublemakers this town has," Idrig says to the woman's comment. "Left. Good." If we need to sneak up on this Cyclops, we will do so on his right.

"It sounds like the Colosseum is our best bet," he offers to the others, growing bored of inspecting the jewelry he can't afford to steal at this moment.

"A handful on men under him? He sounds quite promiscuous," Ciraco says with a smirk in reply to Luca.

"Yes it does," he says, agreeing with Idrig. "He sounds like the sort of person who'll seek us out if we head there and ask around. So either we'll find him or he'll find us."

"Aye, let's be off then," Luca remarks as the group has a developing plan of action. Turning to the shopkeeper, he adds, "Thank you, you've been a great help."

With a warm smile, the woman replies, "Of course. Anything to make our streets safer. Just be careful." With a destination in mind, the group soon finds itself within the rain-drenched Piazza once more. Though the downpour has remained constant, you can tell the storm has grown more intense. Nearly every few moments, the sky is lit up like daylight with the flashes of lightning, and ear-shattering thunder follows after.

After a short walk, you find yourselves in the smaller plaza, Piazzetta Lira, the city's premiere theatre district. Much like the larger plaza, you find it largely devoid of life. Though the warm glow of the buildings seems ever-inviting on such a night, your eyes instead look towards to the Colosseum in the distance. Your gaze is interrupted as a man steps in front of you.

From his attire, you gather that he's a member of the Legion. Given your proximity to Fort Aradamus, it seems likely he's on patrol duty. He glares at the group before him before saying, "What's a lot like you doing out on a night like this? Are you looking for trouble or looking to cause it?" At his last words, he furrows his brow. A moment after, a smirk forms upon his face and he adds, "Not that I care either way, long as you keep the Legion out of it. I'm no city guard."

Is this what Cru'un would be like if the Magi were less strict? I suppose there are upsides and downsides to everything, Nyx thinks as the Legionnaire makes his ambivalence towards the city's woes clear. "You mean you don't love walking in the rain?" she asks the man playfully, hoping that a jovial attitude - as faked as it may be for her at this point in her life - will keep his curiosity at bay.

Narciso glances at Nyx before looking back up at the seemingly Legion-dressed individual. "Neither, sir. Just out for a stroll with the lads, yeah? I don't think we'd be doin' anything that needs attention from them." He smiled brightly and nodded, trying to add on to what she said.

Idrig pulls his cloak tighter as the rain patters down in heavy drops around him. A perfect night for scheming, he notes, the lack of people on the streets almost unnerving him.

As the Legionnaire bars their way, the dwarf lets the two others speak their reasons. Right. Not a city guard. So kindly fuck off, then. He glares at the man. We don't need Legion presence on this job. Let's hope he doesn't ask for coin.

The Legionnaire emits a short laugh at Nyx's words, holding his hand out as to feel the rain and saying, "Right, don't you just find the monsoons so relaxing?" His smile returns to a straight face at the Talguta-born's uttering and he raises an eyebrow. "Well I'd certainly hope not," the man says plainly. "Where are you lot headed anyways? So that I might adjust my patrol accordingly. I'm sure we don't want to get in each other's way again."

"Wherever you're headed, we going the other direction," Ciraco says in reply to the Legionnaire.

"We'll happily keep out of your way," he adds, not watching the soldier to cause the group any addition issues.

"Very well," the Legionnaire says to Ciraco with a simple nod. "Democles guide you on whatever path you walk tonight." With these final words, he steps away, continuing his patrol around the fort's perimeter. Once more, the six of you are alone on the rain-washed street.

With no more interruptions, you continue towards the Colosseum, but a short distance away by now. "The Legion has somewhat of an agreement with the city's criminals, if you hadn't noticed," Luca remarks as the grand arena begins to come into view. "They've bigger things to worry about than a war in our own city, so they look the other way. Just keep them out of it is all they ask."

After a few more paces, you arrive at the Dorazzo Colosseum, the former gladiatorial ring-turned horse track. It's a large oval-shaped structure, its exterior made up of tiered arcades. The structure itself is ancient, though one could not tell by looking at it. As you ascend the steps, you come face-to-face with the entry gates, elaborate wrought iron bars that block entry. Given the hour, it should come as no surprise that the gates are locked. But for a moment, you hear boisterous laughter erupt from the halls within. It would seem the gates didn't stop someone from gaining entry.

"If it ever escalates to the level it did in Talguta then I'm sure they'll start taking an interest. It could be a bit late at that point though," Ciraco says in reply to Luca, thinking back on his experiences in Talguta.

"Breaking and entering in the Colosseum itself. If I had any money I'd bet that's the guys we're looking for," Ciraco says, hearing the laughter coming from inside the Colosseum.

"Talguta's a whole nother beast," Idrig adds, having lived there for several years himself. "I think this city would cede from the Republic before going that deep into lawlessness and gang control."

Hearing the laughter from within, the dwarf cocks an ear toward it. Cyclops.

[sblock=OOC]Is there a visible lock or way to open the gates from this side?[/sblock]

"Even if not directly tied to this city, it seems odd to ignore its hardships," Nyx says, on the subject of the Legionnaire's leniency. "One would think the legion would be the more strict force, and the city guard the more corrupt. But I suppose it is different everywhere you go." It is not like I care, so long as our... job is not interrupted.

She follows the others, before eventually reaching the massive structure of the Colosseum. She marvels briefly at the sheer scale of the structure, having not paid much attention to it when she first arrived in town, and never got the chance to after her predicament with the Buffones began. Hearing the laughter coming from within, however, she tries to listen in more closely to see if she can make anything out.

[sblock=Mechanics]Perception to see if I can hear anything being said from within: 22[/sblock]

"The threat of Imardin seems to loom across all of Forelle," Luca replies matter-of-factly to Nyx, well aware of the Archbishopric's ongoing warring in the western islands of the archipelago. "They can't afford to have their forces divided in such a way." He leans against the stonework on the structure, content with watching the others act.

Those who examine the gates discover that it is in fact three double-gates, side-by-side, with the middle wider than the outer two. All three gates possess keyholes in their centers, though the third gate's lock appears damaged. Likely due to the damage, the third gate is instead secured with a padlock and chains.

[sblock=Nyx]After the laughter ends, there's a brief respite of silence. After a moment, you hear a voice echo down the halls: "Can ye believe we finally got rid of that hunk o' junk? Only took a year."

After the voice speaks, you can make out another saying, "Ain't no piece o' junk. A fortune's what it is." Towards the end, the voice grows quieter until it's no longer audible, as if the speaker is walking further away.[/sblock]

Narciso shrugged, walking up and inspecting the three locks. He crouched and took an extended look at each of them before getting to the padlock. He examined it closer before starting to lightly chew on his lip and attempted to work his magic.

[sblock=Mechanics]Thievery on Padlock: 15(1d20) +6 = 21[/sblock]

[sblock=Narciso]Though your attempts at the lock are those of a fairly skilled man, they ultimately fail to be fruitful. The lock fails to open despite your best efforts. You gather that the padlock is top-of-the-line, even if just a temporary replacement.[/sblock]

Narciso lets out a sigh. "Damn it, it didn't work." He says under his breath before standing and kicking the ground, before looking around. "If no one else has any better ideas, I can keep trying, but we might be here for awhile. Thoughts?"

"We can bust the lock. Or scale to the second floor above," Idrig offers, not exactly liking either option. "If I had the time to prepare, I could brew an acidic substance that could likely weaken or even shatter the padlock." He grunts in annoyance. "Don't think we have an hour to kill, though."

"Hm," Nyx thinks. Looking around, she spots the opening to the next floor up and an idea hits her. "Let me try something." she says, before a shadowy visage in roughly her shape appears next to her. It slowly floats up to the next floor balcony and peers inside, survey the area.

[sblock=Mechanics]Minor Action: Shaped Consciousness

Move Action(s): move the conjuration as needed

I can see anything shadow thing can see. Anything interesting or useful up here? Rope? A key? People? etc I am looking with my special eyes.[/sblock]

"An hour might be a bit much," Ciraco says, agreeing with the dwarf, although he hangs back waiting to see what Nyx plans to do.

Idrig raises an eye at Nyx's parlour trick. There's more to her, it seems. I figured.

He taps his foot, impatiently. "There's probably another entrance. I doubt Cyclops and his band of vermin would take the care to lock up after themselves."

"Aye, a place like this is bound to have another way in," Luca replies, eyes fixated upon the shadowing doppelganger Nyx has managed to fabricate. "Unless you'd rather pick the lock all night," he adds as his eyes narrow upon Narciso.

[sblock=Nyx]The second-floor hall looks much like the first, with its ornate archways and a stairwell leading to the second tier's rows of seating. On the walls, you can see labeled placards with directional arrows, likely to help lost tourists find their way. You notice one labeled "Office" pointing towards the west end of the structure.

After a moment, your shadowy self hears footsteps approach and within a moment, a pair of rough-looking individuals appear. They don't notice the gloomy visage, with the darkness outside providing the perfect cloak. You can hear one say, "All's I'm sayin' is you gotta shut yer mouth sometimes. Ya near woke the horses on the way in."

You can see the other figure shrug it off, saying, "Doubt they're sleepin' much in this storm. 'Specially with how close they are to the water 'n all. Those waves near bout took Fredo."

They say no more as they continue walking, eventually out of view and earshot.[/sblock]

"They're upstairs now," Nyx replies. "And apparently they came in where there are horses, and near the water. I imagine we can probably do the same," she continues as she drops concentration and lets the shadowy visage of herself fade back into nothing. "Any ideas where that may be?"

"No," Idrig says, unfamiliar with this part of the city. "But I'm sure we could find out. Let's keep moving." The dwarf begins to circumnavigate the Colosseum, looking for any sort of sewer, side passage, or alternate route that might lead within.

At the comment, Narciso raised his hands in defeat and let them do their thing, finding something to lean against. "I'll take the hint." He shrugged and looked at the ground as he got lost in thought.

[sblock=Mechanics]Streetwise to see if Narciso knows other entrances: 16(1d20) +1 = 17[/sblock]

"Well one side of the arena is up against the coast, so I'd guess it's around there. " Ciraco says running through the city's geography in his head. "And horses would mean the stables probably."

"Lead on, then," Idrig says to Ciraco, considering it a lead.

[sblock=Narciso]During your time in Teiros, you've spent a good amount of time working the various docks that keep the city bustling and hustling. On some instances, you recall unloading a ship of horses and various other supplies at the docks north of the arena. As you recall, there was a structure of sorts built into the bluff the Colosseum rests upon, likely leading into its underbelly. From the docks, you recall a leftward path leading up to the arena's main boulevard.[/sblock]

Narciso held up his hand, remembering. "Wait. Wait, wait wait, WAIT. Stop." Narciso said just loud enough so his party can hear. "I've worked the docks, I've had to drop stuff off here, I think I can lead you guys to the other entrance." Narciso said, attempting to exude an aura of confidence. "Trust me. I know I'm new to this and I've... not had so much success previously but I've got this. I promise." He said and smiled brightly.