Looks like he wouldn't be getting that 25 gold anytime soon. Tal's brow furrowed and he pipped up, "Does your offer mean 100 gold for each of us or would we have to split it?" By his reckoning if they had to split 100 gold among the 5 of them it would be 5 gold less than what they initially came for. Tal was sorry the chap was mauled horrendously in the street but math was math, and every coin counts. Then again if they found the man's coin purse in the sewers that might change things.
"A monster hunt......my father would be oh so proud" Shaw says with a heavy sarcastic sigh, "I am in if you are Razz, I'll be letting you lead the way however. I am also not a fan of sewers, wetness and me don't get along." Shaw bends down over Irven and inspects the body. While looking he mutters "By Platinum's Grace......if I didn't need this gold to get to Whitestone".
The sergeant appears perplexed by the elf's introduction. "I appreciate your aid, Ser Veldan. All of you," Sergeant Talley says, sighing with relief. "We can only offer your entire party 100 gold. Funding from the Council has not been as copious as it has been since the Cinderking, but we pay our dues to those who earn them. I can get a map of the sewers for you if you will give me some time, and-"
"No need for that," Officer Maravall grunts, coming back from an inspection of the alley, "our attackers left a trail." He points out a series of bloody footprints leading to a manhole at the end of the alley. Most of them are small, three-toed claws, but what really catches your attention are some much bigger, four-clawed prints. "Some kind of beasts, could be. Looks like you can get started now."
"I suppose my partner is right... the sooner we can get to the bottom of this the better," Talley says, shaking her head as her glance returns to the slaughtered craftsman. "We'll clean things up here. If you can stop whatever is down there or at least figure out what it is, you would be helping us immensely. The sewers were made with easy access for workers in mind. Most of the passages are wide, but it has been raining quite a bit, so it will be pretty wet. There are all kinds of critters down there, but I'm sure you can all handle yourselves. Gods watch over you, friends."
"This change is not for the better, my Lady," Krenak said with a frown as he looked upon the body of his almost patron. He closed his eyes and whispered a small prayer over the body before turning to the guards. "Indeed, such mayhem as this cannot continue. Have you any further information? 'Tis the culprit man or beast? You say that the poor man here was robbed upon death, were any of the earlier bodies robbed as well?"
"There have only recently been attacks on wealthier people. This Irven fellow and a ship captain from Issylra. Both torn apart, both missing valuables. I fear these attacks will continue if nothing is done. Rumors are starting to spread that someone or something is stalking the streets near sewer entrances and that the Arms are doing nothing about it. With your help, we can restore people's faith in our institution in such an uncertain time."
"No time like the present." Shaw exclaims willing the excitement into him. His skin begins to redden and his hair begins to blaze while a small flame is produced in his hand. "I can light the way in the sewers, but I'll let one of you choose which way we go," he motions towards his fellow adventurers. "Let's get down there before we are soaked through waiting in the rain."
"Hmm. Man and beast may both be right." Veldan mused, hand rubbing his chin as he followed the multiple sets of footprints that disappeared into the open manhole. Peering into the underground corridor, the half elf hums to himself before flicking his wrist and calling his Familiar from pocket space.
In a poof of arcane energy, a plump and regal-looking owl appeared on Veldan's shoulder. He scratches the owl under the neck.
"Twilight's eyes can see further than most in that dark. If my suspicions are correct, we'll need to be careful for trickery below."
Tal groaned but followed begrudgingly, it seems everyone had made up their minds. Rather than look a coward and have no money to show for it he pressed onward. Who knows, maybe this was just the adventure he was looking for when he left Syngorn...although he didn't expect to be stomping through the for lack of a better term latrine under the city. Gods if his parents could see him now, Tal shuddered at the thought.
As his companions readied themselves for the coming venture, Krenak said another prayer before walking to the hole. "May we find fortune in the coming changes in our lives," he whispered fervently, "and misfortune to those that would bar our path. Come, friends, let us end these murders before more occur!"
Razz goes towards the sewers entrance with the rest of the party. Cracking his neck, he says to no one in particular, "Monster hunting eh? Sounds fun! Hope it can put up a fight." Laughing to himself, as the party goed on their way.
Razz tries to guess what the creature is, using his knowledge of beasts and nature, using the footprints and wounds inflicted as reference.
After some contemplating, he recognizes the smaller prints to me those of Kobolds, but what the bigger prints could be, he can't tell.
'....at least it'll be interesting' Razz thinks to himself before informing the rest of the group, "Just to let you guys know, I think we might have some kobolds down there", Razz takes a second glance at the bigger prints, "...the buggers also got a friend from the looks of it."
"Really, the little cousins?" Krenak said sadly. "Truly, they need to find a better path in life, to raise themselves up from the squalor into which they limit themselves."
"As I suspected!" Veldan declared, whirling to face the others with a beaming smile, the fey-conjured owl bristling and giving a hoot of protest at the sudden movement. "The buggers simply cannot resist the glint of coins and jewelry. I can hardly blame them!" Raising both hands, Veldan snaps both sets of fingers and, with a flash, four Dancing Lights appear in a circle, orbs of soft light gently rotating.
"Nevertheless, they're crafty little things by all account. If they've made Emon's sewers their home, it's quite likely they've laid a few traps as well. I'll light our way in!" Wagging his finger's like a conductor's wand, the four globes begin to float their way down the manhole, positioning themselves around the area where the ladder would drop them.
"Er, perhaps one of the thicker ones should go in first?" Veldan suggests as casually as he can. He was not allowing himself to die from a trap in a sewer, not on his first day in Emon!
Shrugging, Razz steps over the open manhole, bringing his other leg under him he drops straight down. As he lands in a low squat he unsheathes his sword and looks around, checking his surroundings.
The first thing that hits you about the sewers is, naturally, the smell. It gives off an odor of excrement, urine, and garbage and it also feels surprisingly warm. The manhole ladder leads down to the side of a walkway carved from the earth beneath the city. On your left, a waterway flows east toward the Ozmit Sea and is filled nearly to the brim with water carrying all kinds of waste at a surprisingly fast pace; you make a note not to fall in. The trickle of rainwater coming down drains to fill this space fills your ears, and it looks like this sewer tunnel goes on quite a ways west and east. There are bridges that connect to walkways on the other side of you, and thanks to the wizard's light spell, you all can make out the faint trail of blood left behind by the assailants. It goes on for about a twenty feet before turning right at a water junction.
With the 'all clear' sounded, Krenak was next to jump. Landing with a thud, he looked around warily as he drew out his halbard. "This stench is not pleasant," he muttered with a sinus-clearing sneeze. Looking down the opposite way from Razz. "Come let us make haste. The path before us is clear for the moment, but I feel that this shant last."
Well he certainly couldn't allow himself to be shown up.
"Let your superiors know to have no fear, Sergeant. Justice will be mete for poor Irving, that is a promise. Hah!" Veldan declared with both verbal and somatic flourish before boldly leaping through the hole after the barbarian. Flapping its wings, Twilight remained midair while its master plunged underground, then steadily lowered its way after.
Legs crossed, arms raised and eyes closed, the stance Veldan landed was not unlike the stance at the end of a choreographed dance. Relaxing, one hand stayed up as a perch for Twilight to land on. Eyes still closed, Veldan turned his head left and right, smoothing his hair with a hand as the owl stared at him. After a moment, it was obvious- he was using his familiar to check his hair.
"There-!" He gave a sigh of relief, then turned to face Razz, eyes shut as the owl swiveled to look at the barbarian pair. "Ah, excellent. You're already on point. Onward! Twilight shall be our eyes." He assured as the Dancing Lights closed in to better illuminate their immediate surroundings.
Tal, seemingly one of the last to go in had to psych himself up for what he was about to do. 'Is there air down there?' Razz goes first. 'What if I faint at the smell?' Krenek goes in. 'Oh gods, what if I die down there?!' As Veldan jumps in Tal becomes indignant, he would not be left behind for this and quickly goes to the rungs of the ladder and climbs down.
Wincing at the acrid smell he almost feels sick, luckily if he ever were to vomit he could hide it well down here. He sees The three who came before him and follows their lead, keeping an eye out for anymore tracks or weird things down here he holds an arrow in his offhand should he need to shoot at anything weird down here.
Shaw looks down the manhole that his companions have jumped down. "Here goes nothing..." he says to no one in particular. With flame in hand you drops himself down.
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Looks like he wouldn't be getting that 25 gold anytime soon. Tal's brow furrowed and he pipped up, "Does your offer mean 100 gold for each of us or would we have to split it?" By his reckoning if they had to split 100 gold among the 5 of them it would be 5 gold less than what they initially came for. Tal was sorry the chap was mauled horrendously in the street but math was math, and every coin counts. Then again if they found the man's coin purse in the sewers that might change things.
"A monster hunt......my father would be oh so proud" Shaw says with a heavy sarcastic sigh, "I am in if you are Razz, I'll be letting you lead the way however. I am also not a fan of sewers, wetness and me don't get along." Shaw bends down over Irven and inspects the body. While looking he mutters "By Platinum's Grace......if I didn't need this gold to get to Whitestone".
The sergeant appears perplexed by the elf's introduction. "I appreciate your aid, Ser Veldan. All of you," Sergeant Talley says, sighing with relief. "We can only offer your entire party 100 gold. Funding from the Council has not been as copious as it has been since the Cinderking, but we pay our dues to those who earn them. I can get a map of the sewers for you if you will give me some time, and-"
"No need for that," Officer Maravall grunts, coming back from an inspection of the alley, "our attackers left a trail." He points out a series of bloody footprints leading to a manhole at the end of the alley. Most of them are small, three-toed claws, but what really catches your attention are some much bigger, four-clawed prints. "Some kind of beasts, could be. Looks like you can get started now."
"I suppose my partner is right... the sooner we can get to the bottom of this the better," Talley says, shaking her head as her glance returns to the slaughtered craftsman. "We'll clean things up here. If you can stop whatever is down there or at least figure out what it is, you would be helping us immensely. The sewers were made with easy access for workers in mind. Most of the passages are wide, but it has been raining quite a bit, so it will be pretty wet. There are all kinds of critters down there, but I'm sure you can all handle yourselves. Gods watch over you, friends."
"This change is not for the better, my Lady," Krenak said with a frown as he looked upon the body of his almost patron. He closed his eyes and whispered a small prayer over the body before turning to the guards. "Indeed, such mayhem as this cannot continue. Have you any further information? 'Tis the culprit man or beast? You say that the poor man here was robbed upon death, were any of the earlier bodies robbed as well?"
"There have only recently been attacks on wealthier people. This Irven fellow and a ship captain from Issylra. Both torn apart, both missing valuables. I fear these attacks will continue if nothing is done. Rumors are starting to spread that someone or something is stalking the streets near sewer entrances and that the Arms are doing nothing about it. With your help, we can restore people's faith in our institution in such an uncertain time."
"No time like the present." Shaw exclaims willing the excitement into him. His skin begins to redden and his hair begins to blaze while a small flame is produced in his hand. "I can light the way in the sewers, but I'll let one of you choose which way we go," he motions towards his fellow adventurers. "Let's get down there before we are soaked through waiting in the rain."
"Hmm. Man and beast may both be right." Veldan mused, hand rubbing his chin as he followed the multiple sets of footprints that disappeared into the open manhole. Peering into the underground corridor, the half elf hums to himself before flicking his wrist and calling his Familiar from pocket space.
In a poof of arcane energy, a plump and regal-looking owl appeared on Veldan's shoulder. He scratches the owl under the neck.
"Twilight's eyes can see further than most in that dark. If my suspicions are correct, we'll need to be careful for trickery below."
Tal groaned but followed begrudgingly, it seems everyone had made up their minds. Rather than look a coward and have no money to show for it he pressed onward. Who knows, maybe this was just the adventure he was looking for when he left Syngorn...although he didn't expect to be stomping through the for lack of a better term latrine under the city. Gods if his parents could see him now, Tal shuddered at the thought.
As his companions readied themselves for the coming venture, Krenak said another prayer before walking to the hole. "May we find fortune in the coming changes in our lives," he whispered fervently, "and misfortune to those that would bar our path. Come, friends, let us end these murders before more occur!"
Razz goes towards the sewers entrance with the rest of the party. Cracking his neck, he says to no one in particular, "Monster hunting eh? Sounds fun! Hope it can put up a fight." Laughing to himself, as the party goed on their way.
Razz tries to guess what the creature is, using his knowledge of beasts and nature, using the footprints and wounds inflicted as reference.
After some contemplating, he recognizes the smaller prints to me those of Kobolds, but what the bigger prints could be, he can't tell.
'....at least it'll be interesting' Razz thinks to himself before informing the rest of the group, "Just to let you guys know, I think we might have some kobolds down there", Razz takes a second glance at the bigger prints, "...the buggers also got a friend from the looks of it."
"Really, the little cousins?" Krenak said sadly. "Truly, they need to find a better path in life, to raise themselves up from the squalor into which they limit themselves."
"As I suspected!" Veldan declared, whirling to face the others with a beaming smile, the fey-conjured owl bristling and giving a hoot of protest at the sudden movement. "The buggers simply cannot resist the glint of coins and jewelry. I can hardly blame them!" Raising both hands, Veldan snaps both sets of fingers and, with a flash, four Dancing Lights appear in a circle, orbs of soft light gently rotating.
"Nevertheless, they're crafty little things by all account. If they've made Emon's sewers their home, it's quite likely they've laid a few traps as well. I'll light our way in!" Wagging his finger's like a conductor's wand, the four globes begin to float their way down the manhole, positioning themselves around the area where the ladder would drop them.
"Er, perhaps one of the thicker ones should go in first?" Veldan suggests as casually as he can. He was not allowing himself to die from a trap in a sewer, not on his first day in Emon!
Shrugging, Razz steps over the open manhole, bringing his other leg under him he drops straight down. As he lands in a low squat he unsheathes his sword and looks around, checking his surroundings.
"I will lag behind if you don't mind." Shaw says as he steps behind Krenak.
The first thing that hits you about the sewers is, naturally, the smell. It gives off an odor of excrement, urine, and garbage and it also feels surprisingly warm. The manhole ladder leads down to the side of a walkway carved from the earth beneath the city. On your left, a waterway flows east toward the Ozmit Sea and is filled nearly to the brim with water carrying all kinds of waste at a surprisingly fast pace; you make a note not to fall in. The trickle of rainwater coming down drains to fill this space fills your ears, and it looks like this sewer tunnel goes on quite a ways west and east. There are bridges that connect to walkways on the other side of you, and thanks to the wizard's light spell, you all can make out the faint trail of blood left behind by the assailants. It goes on for about a twenty feet before turning right at a water junction.
Making note of his surroundings, but maintaining vigilance, Razz shouts up the manhole to everyone else, "All clear down here!"
With the 'all clear' sounded, Krenak was next to jump. Landing with a thud, he looked around warily as he drew out his halbard. "This stench is not pleasant," he muttered with a sinus-clearing sneeze. Looking down the opposite way from Razz. "Come let us make haste. The path before us is clear for the moment, but I feel that this shant last."
Well he certainly couldn't allow himself to be shown up.
"Let your superiors know to have no fear, Sergeant. Justice will be mete for poor Irving, that is a promise. Hah!" Veldan declared with both verbal and somatic flourish before boldly leaping through the hole after the barbarian. Flapping its wings, Twilight remained midair while its master plunged underground, then steadily lowered its way after.
Legs crossed, arms raised and eyes closed, the stance Veldan landed was not unlike the stance at the end of a choreographed dance. Relaxing, one hand stayed up as a perch for Twilight to land on. Eyes still closed, Veldan turned his head left and right, smoothing his hair with a hand as the owl stared at him. After a moment, it was obvious- he was using his familiar to check his hair.
"There-!" He gave a sigh of relief, then turned to face Razz, eyes shut as the owl swiveled to look at the barbarian pair. "Ah, excellent. You're already on point. Onward! Twilight shall be our eyes." He assured as the Dancing Lights closed in to better illuminate their immediate surroundings.
Tal, seemingly one of the last to go in had to psych himself up for what he was about to do. 'Is there air down there?' Razz goes first. 'What if I faint at the smell?' Krenek goes in. 'Oh gods, what if I die down there?!' As Veldan jumps in Tal becomes indignant, he would not be left behind for this and quickly goes to the rungs of the ladder and climbs down.
Wincing at the acrid smell he almost feels sick, luckily if he ever were to vomit he could hide it well down here. He sees The three who came before him and follows their lead, keeping an eye out for anymore tracks or weird things down here he holds an arrow in his offhand should he need to shoot at anything weird down here.
Shaw looks down the manhole that his companions have jumped down. "Here goes nothing..." he says to no one in particular. With flame in hand you drops himself down.