"I say we take his offer," Rylia says.

Brother Coltinar adds, "MMMM.....I have my concerns, but we should get going.  We're going to the Ashblack district in the upper cogs, correct?  I'm ready let's go."

Arr chimes in, "Best to have a guide here and we are a strong group should something go wrong. "

Paladin looks to see where this ride is

"OK, then - that's a quorum." Bryn walks over to Leo, drops some coins on the table to pay for his drink, and says to the young driver, "Alright, Leo, you're hired. We're going to the Cannith Forgehold in Ashblack. We're ready when you are!"

“And if you dear to cross us, I will personally turn you into ash.” Braxiel says, without even looking at the boy. 

• //--- DM to moving on I roll Braxiel Intimidation roll in the log 4---//

Leo looks at Braxiel and gives a slight smile nodding slightly and then turns to Bryn "Grazie for-e the cooffee, my friend-a! I am ready-a. Let´s go!"
Leo leads you on the way. You turn to the right and after a few minutes of walking, you reach the deck where you notice that the skycoach, while not as modern or sleek as the ones you might have seen in the upper parts of the city, appears to be well-maintained. 

With a friendly smile, Leo gestures toward the interior of the skycoach and point to a small shelve where you can have refreshing water and some small bags peanuts. The interior is designed to seat ten people reasonably comfortable, and you find the seating arrangements to be accommodating. "Please, make-a yourselves comfortable. He shares a hint of enthusiasm in his voice as he continues, "I'll be taking-a the best and safest routes for-e our-e journey. With a bit of luck-a, we should arrive-a in the Ashblack district of the Upper Cogs in about-a 30 to 40 minutes." Leo leans in a bit, his tone curious, "By the way, have-a any of you-a ventured into the Cogs before-a? No hard-a feelings if you don't want to share-a. I know some-a folks down-n here-a appreciate description." He chuckles as he prepares to initiate the lift-off procedure.

//---DM for those with history check higher then 12---//
You catch a glimpse of the light shadow of House Orien emblem underneath a poorly painted area.

//--- DM The deck is few meters from the Lightning Rail Line toward to Boldrey´s Hearth. Let me know who´s in the right and who´s in the left side of the ship---//

The view of the deck is something like this

(Rylia History check: 14)

Rylia looks excited as she approaches the skycoach. "This looks fun," she says as she hurries in to find a spot, grabbing Bryn's hands to make sure he follows right after her. She chooses the closest spot to Leo that she can.  (Not sure if that would be left or right.) 

"Don't think I've been to the Cogs before. Mostly kept to the lower city though.  And haven't been in Sharn all that long. It's such a great place!" She speaks in a fast, excited tone, hardly seeming to pause at all. "Feel free to point out any interesting landmarks. I'd love to hear about them. Do you know any cool spots in the Cogs? Sometimes the best places have the most unassuming exteriors."

Unconsciously, Arr mind their weight when entering the sky coach and settle some place where they don't offset the balance too much, perhaps quite centric, if possible or, even better in a place where they can counterbalance Paladin's weight. 

Bryn follows Rylia into the skycoach, settling in next to her and sharing her enthusiasm about exploring a new are in the city.  

Brother Coltinar - Will look to keep a balance inside the coach with the others.  He is not particularly concerned about the side other than balance.

OOC - Visions of a cab ride in the Fifth Element show comes to mind.  LOL

Brother Coltinar History:  5

"Wow this is fantastic and what an experience too.  I can't say I've ever been to the Upper Cogs or not very often.  The memory is a bit hazy these days.  Give us the run down on what you can until we get to where we're going, please."

"Let's get everyone in here.. familiars too if need be."

"Say, if we need to spend time in the upper cogs and for some reason need to get a ride to the lower city is there a way to contact you for a ride again?  In case the other coaches are busy again.  We might be gone some time too possibly."

Brother Coltinar looks about to take in the visual sights or auditory ones as well.  He will focus on not letting any unsettled driving upset his belly too.

Rylia's excitement is contagious as she practically pulls Bryn along with her onto the skycoach. She takes a seat on the right side of the coach, closest to Leo, and positions herself at an angle that allows her to have a clear view of the interior of the Lower City. "Who knows, maybe we can even spot our apartment tower from here," she remarks to Bryn with a grin.

Arr settles on the opposite side of the young couple, strategically positioning themselves to balance the weight. This arrangement allows Paladin, who enters shortly thereafter, to sit beside Bryn, helping to evenly distribute the weight within. Meanwhile, Coltinar takes a seat on the left, directly across from Arr. He glances to the right and catches sight of a lightning rail train approaching in the distance.

Shortly after, Braxiel enters the skycoach and finds his seat next to Coltinar, completing the arrangement. As everyone settles in, Leo's voice echoes through the cabin, "Is everyone ready-a? Good, we're about to take off!"

With a gentle hummm, the skycoach begins to ascend, slowly lifting off the ground. As it does, the view outside starts to shifts, and the sprawling cityscape of Sharn comes into view."

As everyone still accommodates into the skycoach and Leo's voice resonates through the cabin, Coltinar remains engrossed in observing the approaching lightning rail train. His eyes track the distant metal behemoth wrapped in light and energy that makes it float at its speeds without even touching the tracks — "a marvel of modern transportation", he thinks.

As the skycoach gains altitude, Bryn and Arr are captivated by the view of the Tower Terminal, a significant landmark in their lives, that gradually diminishes in size. Bryn remembers those days not far when he pickpocketed there attempting to make some money. Arr are experiencing a mixture of confused memories and feelings. The cityscape stretches out below, a vibrant mosaic of activity and life.

However, their focus is abruptly diverted by a swift movement. Out of the corner of their eyes, both Bryn and Arr, as well as Coltinar, catch a fleeting shadow streaking across their field of vision. Bryn runs to the left side and Arr, forgetting the worry about balance, run following him. Their heads instinctively turn, their eyes tracing the path of this unexpected occurrence. And there, swiftly passing within their line of sight, is a plummeting figure.

Time appears to slow as they witness the body descending through the air, falling from the heights of Sharn. Details are challenging to discern from this distance, but they can make out the outline of a humanoid form. An elf or perhaps a half-elf— difficult to ascertain from this distance.

As Coltinar shifts his gaze from the lightning rail train back to down, and following his line of sight, he looks downward and spots the figure sprawled at the far end of the deck you just left. The realization hits him like a jolt: the figure had fallen from above.

Bryn mutters under his breath. "D@mn - there goes another one. Seems like people falling off of the upper city bridges is happening more often lately. It's getting harder to make it all this what with the many cross bridges, lifts, balconies, and supporting struts, but there is still plenty of open space." He goes back to his seat next to Rylia, clearly thinking this is not an uncommon event.

Rylia follows the movement inside the skycoach, but misses out on seeing the event outside. "Wait! What happened?"

Once she catches on to what Bryn said, she turns to Leo. "Surely people don't just fall to their deaths all the time! Right? Should we do something for him?"

Her excitement now seems turned to worry over this development. 

Brother Coltinar sighs if this appears to be a fatal situation saying, “May the light of Dol Arrah shine on their being.”

phone post.

Leo, having also witnessed the scene, lets out an exclamation of frustration under his breath, "Catso!" His expression carries a mix of sadness and resignation as he reflects on the dangers of falling within the labyrinthine heights of Sharn. With a solemn tone, he addresses the passengers, sharing a sobering insight into the reality of the city. "Unfortunately, falls like that-a happen-n more often-n than they should-a, bella segnorina… For various reasons," he responds to Rylia, his voice tinged with a hint of somber experience. “a misstep, a gust of wind, or worse. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a Feather Fall stone or be in the magically protected from falling areas of Upper City"

His eyes convey the weight of his words, acknowledging the harsh truth that even in a place of wonder and grandeur, tragedy can strike unexpectedly. He leans against a seat, his body language revealing a subtle sense of gravity as he continues, "Now, we only can pray for that soul. He says while slightly nodding to Coltinar. "Sharn is full-e of wonders, but it can-n also be-a unforgiving."

However, not wanting to dwell on the gloomy topic, Leo shifts his focus to alleviate the tension that has settled among the passengers. With a more cheerful tone, he adds, "But let's not let-a that cast a shadow-n over our-r journey-a." He gestures toward the expansive vista outside the ship, attempting to draw their attention to the world unfolding beyond.

As he settles back into his role as guide and driver, Leo offers a brief overview of the route they'll be taking, intertwining it with the knowledge of the areas' peculiarities. "We're going to make-a our-r way through Dura, skirting along the Gate of Gold," he explains, his voice taking on a contemplative tone. His gaze returns to the journey ahead, his expression determined. "We'll be skirting the edge-a of Dura, then-n heading down-n through Cliffside into Upper Cogs. It might be-a a bit longer-r, but it'll give-a us a chance to admire the beauty-a from a safe distance." He gives a reassuring smile, his focus back on guiding the ship through the labyrinthine paths of the city.

"com´on, Amelia, let´s fly, bella!” He says as you realize that he is talking to the ship".

"Lower Central, folks, it's got some real charm to it," Leo remarks with a warm smile. "You'll find a vibrant street market there, bustling with activity. People from all walks of life gather to trade goods, share stories, and experience the diversity of our city. It's a great place to soak in the local culture, and the food stalls will have you savoring flavors you've never imagined."

While the ship flies toward Dura, you look at the city below and see Tavicks Landing, Lower Central Plateau, and Northedge gradually receding into the distance. Here up, you realize the long wall rings the Central Plateau, almost isolating it, interrupted only by towers along its entire length, and inside this wall, structures rising higher and higher toward the tallest towers near the middle, creating a great artificial mountain at the heart of the city, which explains why it is mostly populated by the upper and middle classes, the city’s government, its wealthiest citizens, and its finest businesses.
Around, your eyes can make out inns, restaurants, taverns, and other essential services. Leo remarks that these services may not be exceptional in terms of quality or value, but they are fair and provided with goodwill. As you scan the towers, you notice the symbols belonging to House Orien, Sivis, Deneith, Lyrandar, and Vadalis.

"And of course you must try-a the best taverns in Sharn." Leo says excited. "First, we have-a the Broken Anvil Inn. It's a cozy little place nestled into the side-a of Mason's Tower. House Ghallanda runs the place, and you'll be-a greeted by Eranna. Oh! Io bisogno la pasta de Eranna!!!"  It's a great-a spot if you're looking for-e a warm meal and a place-a to rest your-e head."

"And you also have-a the Cracked Mirror. The food is nothing special-e but it is an intriguing place-e, which changes its look and theme every week-a, People says that the inn is a front-a for the Tyrants, you know-n... a group-e with its own secrets. But for-e me it is only a family of changelings that make us happy-a. You never-e know what you'll find there!"

Some notable buildings and towers in Tavick's Landing, Lower Central, and Lower Northedge

Soundtrack vibe

As Leo speaks, Rylia, Coltinar, Bryn and Braxiel look back and see two large animals flying in the same direction as you. From that distance it is not possible to tell what they are, although Bryn, Rylia and Coltinar, who were attentive in the race they saw two days ago, perceive by the shadow that they are not hippogriffs.

//--- DM Perception rolls in the game log---//