Believe Galingal has the armor he got back in the prison and I think they picked up some clothes from that merchant from a million years ago too.

Stena picked up some armor later, from someone, and is wearing the clothes from that merchant, who is surely dead by now, ravaged by time.

(Kolose might have picked up some robes if there was anything he could salvage, but presumably, he's still wearing his heavy coat with finer, but damaged clothing underneath.)

Petmailer has a grim smile on his face as he looks up and takes whatever clothing is offered, attempting to hide himself as best that he can.  “If we see another way, or if I need to break off to hide, I may.  Hopefully we get lucky, someone who isn’t paying attention or had to much to drink last night is on duty.  I just don’t want to end up in their prison for the rest of my days, or affect any of you being able to get in..”

Stena, again, chooses to remain silent.

((So nothing that screams 'escaped prisoners, please enslave'. That's good at least.))

The tunnel your following eventually intersects with what is clearly a well traveled route, the floor paved in worked slabs on rock in places where dips and swales had been filled in, culverts diverting trickles and flows of water under the roadway from the cavern wall along the left to the right hand side of the wide roadway, where the Darklake itself looms again in the darkness of the vast cavern. 

Long before the Duergar city is visible, it is able to be heard and smelled, at first the low rumble and faint smell of acrid smoke, but as you grow closer, sharper clanging rings become distinct, as the air grows denser and thicker. A dull orange glow illuminates the edge of the 'lake in the distance, and as you round a bend in the cavern wall, you get your first glimpse of Gracklstugh in the distance. The roadway you're following takes an approach that brings it away from the edge of the Darklake, leading to a closed gate before you, stark and imposing against the dim light of the Underdark. Massive walls of blackened stone bear the marks of centuries of labor and soot, their jagged edges softened only by the faint orange glow of the distant forges. The air hums with the clang of metal and the low thrum of industry, a rhythm that seems to pulse through the stone itself. Duergar guards, pale and stern, watch from their posts, their eyes flickering with the faint, eerie light of the city beyond. A sense of order and tension hangs in the air, as if the city itself is a coiled spring, waiting to snap.

As you approach, the gates swing open with a low initial grumble, but the massive stone and iron slabs move smoothly, speaking to the craftsmanship that went into them. Out of the haze backlit by the reddish glow, a trio of creatures emerge, their silhouettes and legs spiderlike, perhaps sending a momentary thought of 'drider' through Petmailer's head before being dismissed. They move towards you along the roadway, eventually resolving into what some of you may know, and that Jimjar or the goblins could confirm is a steeder, each being ridden by a glowering duergar, the spider creatures laden down with cargo. The lead duergar glances over the party, but seemingly dismisses the lot of you, having more important business to attend to somewhere else.

The gates swing closed in the distance.

Stena tenses at the approach of the three, remembering spiders not that distantly in her past. She grits her teeth, gives the riders a cursory glance in return and keeps focused on the gate of the city.

Galingal watches the riders leave but then looks to see if there are any other pathways or roadways besides the main gate - a trail leading to a side door? A more open harbour area?

If they had a boat, there are docks that don't seem to have the same walls and guards, but the rest is the city extends deeper into the excavated wall of the cavern, it seems likely that this gate is where out of town traffic is being funneled.

"... With as traveled as these roads are, maybe their questions won't be too troubling," Kolose mutters hopefully. 

Not feeling like going for a swim, Galingal focuses back on the main gate and starts walking towards it, looking to see if there's any obvious protocol on signalling for entry or if he can spot any guards watching the approach. He walks straight and with purpose. He's a visitor, not someone lost and trying to stay ahead of Drow slavers.

Stena wouldn't have stopped, so probably is walking ahead of him, then alongside before noticing him as his long legs put him ahead of her.

She scowls at this, but is okay being middle of the party in this instance.

Gal, you notice as you're moving that the dim light reveals a change to Stena's appearance, perhaps accounting for the dismissive glances from the steeder riders... She has the complexion and garb of a duergar, while retaining the same stern look of disapproval. To the duergar on their mounts, she would look every bit the part of a duergar displeased to be tasked with escorting non-duergar into the city.

Galingal whispers to Stena as he walks along side her. "Is this new? You looking like a duergar?" Galingal asks. "Maybe you go first. Duergar leader."

Petmailer keeps his head down and his trap shut, not wanting to draw any attention, he walks casually yet with purpose, following closely behind the others.

Stena looks over at Galingal, scowl deepening,

"What? Aye don't look like one of them ye ashen, pointy-ear..."

She trails off as she notices the hand she was pointing at Galingal having duergar coloring.

She tries to rub it off on her shirt and notices her shirt has changed. She stops walking and looks back up at Galingal with angry confusion then, seeing the typically blank expression on the ash elf's face turns to the rest of the group and her eyes skim the group before falling on Kolose, and she says between gritted teeth,

"What did ye do to meh old man? This better be temporary, and ye and aye are going to have words later about it."

On that threat she turns and stomps back to the lead, in the proper mindset for negotiating entrance into the City of Blades, eyes glowing red in the darkness.

As Stena stomps her way to the gate, Neth gives Kolose a lopsided grin and assures him that it's fine, fingers stroking the dagger at his hip.

As you approach the well lit gates, they remain closed, the stone surfaces carved in intricate patterns. A slit in the nearby wall opens up, and a harsh voice growls out a demand in Dwarvish.

A dozen other arrow slits open up in the walls that funnel into the gates, and dark steel crossbow bolt tips point towards you.

There is a pounding of armored boots behind, and as you turn to look, a squad of six duergar appear out of thin air, shields up and swords leveled in your direction.

"Bruh! Totally forgot they can do that!", exclaims Yuk Yuk.

 One of the dwarves that had been invisibly trailing the party barks something at the goblin that Stena would be able to confirm the assumption based on context clues was indeed instructions for the goblin to shut up.

Stena gives the duergar around them a scornful look and answers,

 History for clan: 14

Performance for talking right: 12

Earlier, Kolose had been distracted, lost in his own thoughts if only to keep himself distracted. So when he's suddenly being accosted by someone that sounds like Stena, but not quite, he seems quite shocked.

He's probably just a very good actor.

---

At the inevitable ambush later, he tries to keep as calm as he can, but clearly fidgets a bit. He almost considers opening his book to quickly recant a comprehend languages spell, but luckily is not that distracted as to think it's a good idea to do it with so many crossbow bolts pointed at them.

Petmailer gathers his cloak around himself, tries to stand in a nonchalant manner, looking back and forth between the duergar and Stena, waiting to see how this plays out.