Raqisat nods his head in recognition when Aubrey glances over at him, acting oblivious to the connotation. 

     "Aeka.  Ankey faa rir na welcome," he adds looking over to the Halflings and then goes back to acting indifferent about it all.

"Eskil?" the two halflings say in unison.  "That is interesting," says the woman.  "We know him well... Eskil is our son.  How strange that we all should meet like this..."

The two chime in with questions about your time with Eskil.  They inform you he is working with them remotely, studying illness and disease via historical records back in Bardstown and coordinating with local druids for charity and medicinal donations.  

Raqisat and Cosette, they all seem to be sharing stories of some other halfling you've never met.  

[There's no need to actually roleplay chatting about Eskil, but yes, these are his parents.]

With the catching up out of the way, talk turns back to Amnifortis.  They have little actionable intelligence on the aberrations but are able to point out locations on the map.  They show the area where the Burned Knights are camped on your map.  They also show where their own encampment is north of the city, where the 'survivors' have their camp on the bridge inside the city, and where expeditions from the faiths have established basecamps at the temple mount.

Upon hearing Eskil is their son, Aubrey breaks out in a bright smile, commenting on the resemblence between father and son while also praising Eskil's work with the plague.
He then studies and listens closely as Esmeralda and Merkil shares what they know about positionings of the different factions around the ruined city. Unless there are more questions to be put forward to the helpful halflings he would then stand up and bow to them. "Again, I admire your selfless work with helping those who have been struck by this horrible plague. Thank you for your help, we obviously won't take on every threat in the city but we hope to make this area a bit safer at least before returning north. Now we shall trouble you no more but if you need to contact us just keep a look out here and you will likely see the Empress pass daily at least." The young noble says with a polite smile.

When Costette is finished with the linen and everyone is ready to return aboard the Empress, Aubrey would tell Captain Neck to take the Empress to the north bridge where the team intends to investigate the camp there a bit closer.

Grugga steps forward when he learns that these are Eskil's parents and shares a story about the time that the group, including Eskil, brought low a lake hydra. Eskil was the only one who had brought flames, which the hydra was deathly afraid of, and he may have saved the mission. After reminiscing with them, Grugga thanks the pair for taking care of the plague victims and wishes them safety and success.

Afterward, on the boat, Grugga plans with the group. "So, this camp apparently belongs to the descendants of the survivor of the breach! If these people have been living here their whole lives, they will surely be a great source of information for... well, for our entire mission! But, by the sounds of it, they may not be friendly - or if they are, it's a ruse. You heard what the Shoresides said about them taking sick Dwarves? Maybe they do have a cure... but if they do, why did the Dwarves never return? Or at least send a letter?"

"We had best be careful with them. They could be unimaginably knowledgeable on the area, but they also might have some strange motives..." Grugga looks at Leelan, recalling what he said about these things called "old gods"

"Yes, I'm afraid we must expect them to have nefarious purposes with inviting the dwarves, it wouldn't make sense for a dwarf to find a cure there and then not share this with the others at the plague camp. If we can interview one of these survivors though I agree it could likely be very helpful to our mission here." Aubrey says as the team is back together in the common room of the Empress. "I suppose they might try to lure us with them but I would prefer to have Furvus follow anyone we meet back to their camp to see what we're up against before we consider going there. Getting one back on the Empress for questioning would be good too of course." He finishes, looking around at the others for more thoughts on how to deal with these survivors. 

     "The tent people," Raqisat inquires as things seem to be wrapping out, raising his voice a bit rather than approaching.  "Mixed group of people or mostly human or...?"  It likely wouldn't matter but one never knows.

     "Good to see the empire doing so much to help," Raqisat quips as the group reboards after meeting the Halflings.  "They'll be great stewarts of Amnifortis if they can wrest it away from it's current residents..."  

     "It's not unheard of for insular societies to enforce that upon new members in order for them to be accepted into the fold," Raqisat points out later as Grugga warns of the dangers the residents of the tent village on the bridge may pose.  "They're generally not the healthiest societies but it does not make them inherently evil, either.  We should be wary, yes.  But also open minded."  He says it not as a rebuke but as a reminder.  

As the group gathers back onto the boat, Leelan chimes in on the conversation.

"Raqisat has a point. We should approach them with caution. I’m not sure how they’ve managed to survive in an abberation-infested ruin, but if we could befriend them, their tactics could prove useful in our expedition. I feel It might be in our interest to pay a visit to the faith expedition camps. They may be able to inform us about our enemy, the burned knights."

Grugga nods at the wise points that Aubrey, Raqisat, and Leelan make. "Yes. They would make excellent guides to the city. Perhaps a gift of food would get us on their good side."

After the meeting with the halfling druids, the party relaxes back about the Golden Empress while making plans for the evening’s expedition.

[Any interested may take a short rest.]

Then Aubrey gives the order to Captain Neck and she raises anchor and powers up the ship.  At half speed, the Golden Empress makes her way into Amnifortis. 

Passing the city walls, you behold the spectacle of the ancient city.  Immediately the surroundings change significantly.  Outside the walls, the river had been surrounded by natural banks, with the occasional dilapidated or collapsing seawall.  Inside the city proper, the river flows through a channel of stone.  Roads line either bank, and there are stone steps leading down to boat launches and small docks at sea level. 

Also, the rampant looting and repatriation of building materials so evident outside the city is muted here.  Within site of the river, glass windows and other easily accessible materials are likewise gone, but there has been no wholesale deconstruction of the buildings themselves.  The riverside neighborhoods inside Amnifortis look much like they would have a century ago, absent upkeep, paint, and of course all of the citizens.

Along the eastern bank, the remains of the Dawn Borough are almost entirely low (1 or 2 story) stone buildings.  Several blocks east of the river, a single stone tower rises above the rest of the district.

To the west, the expanse of the Old City is laid out before you.  Construction here varies widely.  There are blocks of tall brick rowhouses, several stories tall.  Other blocks are mixed stone or joisted masonry, while a few wooden buildings linger, their roofs rotten away by the elements.  All throughout this district, the steeples of shrines, old bell towers, and towering fortified structures pierce the sky.

There are no people here.  But there are some signs of habitation.  A few of the sea level docking platforms along the river have campfire rings that show ages of consistent use, perhaps from sailors or travelers passing through on the way to the sea.  And from the bridge, Captain Neck points out an old shop or tavern building surrounded by sandbags and crude wooden walls.  It looks like someone… years ago based on the weathering of the wood… tried to barricade this location or defend it from some assault. 

It isn’t long before you come upon the Upper Bridge.  From below it is impossible to see, but this is where Furvus spotted the tents and makeshift camp.  Captain Neck slows the ship as the crew awaits further instruction.

     "It may be best to not get too close to the bridge?" Raqisat speculates.  "Depending how open they are to outsiders they could just rain down on us with rocks and debris and whatnot?"

     Raqisat looks around almost as if surprised he spoke aloud but upon seeing Aubrey he says "Perhaps we should pull up to one of the sturdier looking docks and disembark there?  We could take the stairs up and approach on foot rather than bring the ship too close to the bridge?"

"I doubt there will be an ambush waiting for us at the bridge but I will of course send Furvus to ascertain. I agree it is a good idea to go ashore before we reach it though." The young noble, standing calmly at the bow, turns and nods to Raqisat. "Captain Neck, could you find us a suitable spot to disembark please?" He then turns and calls up to the captain. He then calls Furvus from it's weird pocket plane and sends it in ethereal form to scout out the bridge and its surroundings again before returning to scout out the area at which the team will eventually go ashore.

Furvus perception: 9

Rohuzar is apt to help find a safe place to disembark as is natural from his days gone by

Perception 13 

(Big thanks once again to you great players and DM for moving things along beautifully with lots of good reads <3 Apologies in advance for my catch up RP fluff, especially if it ends up a bit lengthy/redundant :3)

Earlier

Cosette was content hanging back to work on the laundry while the group discovers a connection. She'd continue to hum but more quietly to fade into the background while they reminisce about time with the halfling's son. Small plane of existence, isn't it? It brought a warm smile to her face to hear these stories and tales.

Now that the laundry was clean, sorted and piled, Cosette was satisfied with her work. Her melody would come to conclusion as the talk would return to Amnifortis in time for her to shift gears. She'd actively listen while slowly strolling along the rivers edge. Ears twitch from time to time, absentmindedly combing through the sand occasionally picking up pebbles and/or shells as she does.

Then as they conclude and prepare to board the Golden Empress, Cos kicks into a little trot "All aboard!" and jumps up onto Raqisat's back for a piggy back. She decided she wanted to be carried after a job well done.

Now

Cosette continues to cling to her companion as colleagues converse of cure and camps, recalling core particulars to consider. Common room conversation completed, Captain and crew cross into Amnifortis. Calm and collected. Cos considers not climbing down. Caught in constant awe over cool construction conditions, Cosette concludes keeping close for context and connections.

From her 'vantage point' atop Raqisat, Cosette would consider all concerns and apply them to the ancient structure and aged ruins before them. She'd study the structure to map it (or anything new), thinking about what section would be a strategic strong hold and what could be ambush locations. Should she be able to discern more through the party's combined preliminary investigations and her historical knowledge/experience, Cos would work to provide any suggestions to assist the Captain in locating a safe area to 'park' the ship.

Investigation: 4

Grugga watches the empty buildings go by in quiet contemplation. After minutes of silence, he makes a bucolic gesture to ward off evil. "It's dead. The whole city's dead. It's like looking into the eyes of a dead man..." He shivers suddenly and pulls his gaze away from the corpse of Amnifortis.

Turning his attention to the matter at hand, Grugga suggests that the only place he heard it was particularly unsafe to dock at was Fort Breitvasser. He points at one of the carve-aways in the stone canal that would have had boat launch on it a century before, and asks the captain if they'd be able to dock there long enough for the group to disembark.

Furvus flies up in his totally normal, not unusual at all manner of bird-like locomotion and reports the bridge camp is still deserted.  In the hot afternoon sun, all is still and quiet.

There is a docking platform immediately under the bridge, with stairs leading up to the bridge from below.  

There is another docking platform 2 city blocks upriver from the bridge, also with stairs.  You could disembark there, climb up and then follow the river road to the bridge. There is another docking platform further south but it is 6 blocks past the bridge and would be a longer walk back.  

There are no visible threats here at present.  

Rohuzar and Cosette, the thought of of a long walk through the city, even under the open sky along the river, makes you uneasy.  There are so many shadowed alleys... so many dark windows and open doorways along the route.  There are no obvious dangers, but in a way the entire environment feels threatening.  If the bridge camp is a trap, parking under it would be foolish.  But absent any actual evidence of a trap, parking as close as possible to your destination seems safest.

"Well, there is a semblance of life in it still I would say, but this makes our mission here all the more important Grugga. Imagine these streets being full of prosperous life one day, I'm sure it will happen, and we can help that future along." Aubrey says encouragingly to the artificer as they watch the ruins of this once great city.

The young noble raises his eyebrows slightly and then chuckles at the playfulness of the archaeologist, slightly distracted by her clinging to Raqisat's back as they speak.

Recieving report from his weird but reliable familiar that the bridge is is empty and quiet, Aubrey calls out to Captain Neck to let the team disembark immediately under the bridge to have an easy retreat if things get nasty. He then sends Furvus to circle the bridge area in ethereal form, checking nearby buildings for threats.

Furvus perception: 8

     Raqisat laughs as Cosette jumps upon his back and carries her wherever she directs.  There is some mock complaining and worries about his poor bones but it is obvious it is all in jest.  

     He is a bit dubious about their choice of docking but he keeps his thoughts to himself.  The captain had made the decision and so it shall be...  Besides, it may be best not to try to hide their approach since they do come in peace.

As they move further into the city, Leelan takes in the sights. The eerie silence is somewhat troubling, much like the absence of people. 

After readjusting his glasses, the gnome prepares to disembark.

"A bit odd that they should make encampements out in the open like this. I would have figured they would have found shelter in places hidden from abberations. Anyway, it might be worthwhile to get up a vantage point to better survey the city. One of these bell towers could do, don’t you think?"

Dutifully following at Raqisat's feet, weaving around at the occasional inconvenient time, Bruno pads along to keep close to Cosette. "Course I can appreciate a long walk on the beach," She breaks her silence, "But a long walk through this city, even under the open sky along the river, gives me the heebie jeebies." A shudder takes over Cos' body, peppering her skin with goosebumps. The entire environment feels threatening. Ears drooped, he whimpers and whines, tail just short of being tucked between his legs as the Golden Empress continues through the ruins. "There're so many shadowed alleys... so many dark windows an' open doorways along the route." She notes the points Rohuzar pointed out from her perch over Raq's shoulder. "If the bridge camp's a trap, parkin' under it would be silly. Without actual evidence of one, parkin' close, nice and snug, seems safest." Bruno meanders, eventually taking up a comfortable position on Rohuzar's feet.

     "Walk?" Raqisat playfully scoffs as he still carries Cosette upon his back but when she shudders he grows more serious.  

     "Hey now, shadowed alleys and open doorways are where we have fun," he reminds her in a soft and playful tone.  "Bruno here will guard our new ship and I shall guard you.  I assure you, your nice and snug is my number one priority!"  Raqisat gives her a grin and a wink but is inwardly a bit concerned, a worried Cosette is not something he has seen before.