Viv pulls the strings out of her imaginary puppet as she rushes to the bottom of the ladder, ready to steady the pair as they descend. “I thought you had this Tyril? Don’t be shy to ask for help next time.” 

Quendar looks around the tunnel they find themselves in.

"With the noise I just made and the clamor going on back there at the grate we should have attracted attention by now but there appears to be no one coming to challenge us," Quendar says. "I think we can risk a little light to help everyone navigate that cesspool behind us a little better."

He quickly rubs a thumb against the crystal in his signet ring and then whispers "Goleuadau dawnsio," to himself as his hand folds into a fist.

Four glowing orbs appear in the tunnel, one whisks down to the 5' from the entrance grate, then the others space themselves 10' apart until the fourth is near Qendar and Anthix.

(Casts: Dancing Lights  )

OOC: Looks like school blocked dndbeyond... hmmm wonder which teacher caused that...

Tyril stifles a yelp as he falls below to the two woman waiting for him, arms spread out he becomes acutely aware of where each of his body parts are and freezes for a moment before titling his head back looking at Vivian and Morgana, “This is probably the best fall I’ve ever had” He couldn’t help but grin at his own comment.

OOC: Seems a couple of posts got lost in the sauce as if were during the outage and then appeared. I will get through all of them but if I've missed yours speak up.

Viv still needs to give an athletics to help but Grace but as everyone went on ahead I'll say Grace got into the sewer with the aid of Viv and her unseen servant that then disappears.

Morgana attempts to help Tyril but the halfling lands on her and she barely keeps them both from falling back into the waste! The grate to the sewer remains ajar in the street above.

Anthix lurks forward pass the smuggler's stores into the next curve is just another curve 15ft ahead.

Pulling out her flute, Vivi plays a whimsical melody as an imaginary grate covers the entrance to the sewer. “That might last us a minute, but we’d better get moving to keep up with the others. Somebody is bound to find that soon.” She saunters down the sewers, keeping a very slow pace as she waits for her unseen companion to keep up.

Morgana uses some of Tyril's momentum to swing him down in a much more controlled... and less messy... landing spot. She drops to the floor next to him.

"While I'm sure you could have stuck the landing... it's much easier to sneak around if you aren't completely covered in filth. Boots can be wiped off." She sniffs the air, a disgusted look on her face. She faces him and Vivi. "Come, let's catch up before Anthix and Quendar find themselves in trouble."

Tyril slowly sits up and groans softly at his... landing. He stands up and looks over himself and sniffs the air and sighs.

”Why is it that every time I go to the... Nevermind...” he sighs and begins to follow closely behind as he pulls his dark vision spectacles over his eyes and follows the women deeper into the tunnel.

Grace sticks by tbe middle of the party as Anthix and Quendar scout ahead. Quendar paused by the first curve and Anthix is ahead, not visible the the bulk of the party, another 15ft ahead of the dark elf.

"I've always wondered what these were used for," Grace says gesturing at the rotting wooden doors closed and chained over the smuggler's stores. "There's two on my map," she says patting the place the map is inside her pocket. "Plenty of passages have been blocked up over the years but there's hundreds of these passages turned sewers all over the New City and Merchant's Ward. This use to be the old walled castle you see well until the merchant's council took over Zozobra. My grandad was alive then. He told me all the stories about how those adventures discovered what broke the Spell Weave and how another group fought back the Darkness and ended the wasting sickness," she adds. "There's been a Cinderglow in Zozobra since the ages of High Mages," she says proudly. "Cinderglow...my maiden name," she adds quieting down realizing her nerves again are making her babble as everyone else stays silent.

OOC: Anthix is ahead 30ft from the group, Quendar is 15ft ahead near the locked smuggler's stores. What's the plan? What's the walking order. The sewer is barely wide enough for two creatures to walk abreast quickly but it can be done.

Perception rolls, please.

If there’s no objection from the others, Quendar will keep the Dancing Lights moving with the party so they can see in finer detail and Grace can see at all.

While he waits for the others to catch up, Quendar listens at the locked rotting smuggler’s stores door, also looking for any gaps in the rotting wood to see through to the other side.

Perception: 23  

Tyril is the last to arrive as he listens to Grace Cinderglow nervous speech. It was strange to see a mannerism so similar to his own in another person. 

“Fear not Mrs. Cinderglow, regardless of what happens remember the plan. Good men are hard to find in this city... Rarer is a woman who stays loyal to her husband.” Tyril touches her arm gently as he scans the tunnels for any sinns of danger. “I will make sure nothing sneaks up on us.”

OOC: Tyril will guard the rear, drawing a Rapier and dagger.

Perception: 9

Anthix continues to creep ahead of the group keeping ears and eyes open for any sound or movements, each time coming to a bend crouching down and ever so slowly peering around the bend to make sure no one was waiting on the other side. 

OOC: Anthix is in the front! 

Perception: 19

4 (Perception) Astrid presses forward with the rest of the motley crew, just ahead of the halflings, ready for whatever they might find ahead. She hopes. Acquisitions are always exciting, and she is eager to get her hands on this spectacular emerald. Surely a gem like this has a history..?

History, of course, is kind of her thing, and her ears perk up as Grace recounts her story of the old city. Astrid has read of it, but new details could often come to light in second, and even third-hand accounts. Cinderglow. Interesting.

”Remember, I have this lamp, if it is needed.”

Perception 21

Vivi walks just ahead of Tyril, keeping a slow pace as she waits for her invisible puppet to keep up. “Tyril, meet my stage hand. You are getting a small insight into how many of my tricks are created, so I do hope everybody can keep some discretion.”

She sighs as her eyes dart around the tunnel, “How are those goggles doing for you? I’ve never liked the dark, I can see well enough but it’s stripped of all colour, dull as anything...” As Quendar sends a globe of light over her, she smiles before noticing who cast it.

Quendar listens at the door it's silent but the dripping of water echoing inside.

Ahead...

Anthix comes to a larger area now 90ft ahead of the main and 70ft from Quendar. The section has seen repairs. It's a junction of two sewers but one is completely bricked up and the other side is a smuggler store. It's door is metal with a heavy lock. It looks like it's been recently opened the way the debris from the sewer has been cleaned away from the door!

Anthix slowly moves over to the metal door, looking it over for any traps or tripwire and testing it to see if it was locked possibly. Curious about what might be hiding inside.

Investigation: 7

"Given the state of this lock and condition of the door I would suspect the only chance there's something of value inside this store room is if it was forgotten year ago," Quendar says as the others catch up. "Is it worth the noise that would be made to see if there is anything beyond soiled and moldy linens in here?"

He looks down the tunnel to see if he can see Anthix, but all he sees is the curve and nothing further.

"Haste when we exit may be a priority. If we are to examine this room it should be now but in light of what our task is I suggest we keep moving."

OOC: who's Ilshin? Secret name Quendar?

Anthix you can tell the door is magically trapped discovering runes on the door itself however you do not know what they mean. (Arcane check if proficient or wait for a magic user). The door is locked as well as you noticed with the weighty padlock.

OOC: 2 separate thieves tool check deactivate the trap and to unlock it.

Shrugs slightly not wanting to risk it, knowing much better then to mess with the arcane, especially when it's hiding something. Continues to head up though the sewer, checking as I go making sure the path is safe for the rest of our group. Occasionally looking back to make sure they are still in toe following.

Perception: 11

Anthix moves forward passed the smuggler store and stops at a walled in sewer. There's a crude ladder hanging down and another heavy grate above him to exit. There's a symbol painted near the ladder:

It's slightly dingy but it's clear.

Roll a history check to know what it means.

Astrid pauses momentarily at the door Anthix had been examining, but upon seeing the glyphs, also opts to keep on moving. Good to know our access man can keep his eye on the prize, not take unnecessary risks before we’re even inside. It was hard for her to pass by the runes, but she knows they could be wards of some kind, in themselves.

The red hand, however is impossible to ignore...

(History: 22)