Erik Soong's Call of the Netherdeep

Niva'ele Farstrider is second guessing herself.  Not a familiar feeling.

She gazes on, hidden, with a sardonic smile as the bookish tiefling ambles away from the ones she'd been watching, wondering what his deal is.  Not that it really matters.  Her smile turns rueful, wishing she had her sister's graceful charm and verbal flair as she turns over in her head how best to approach.

Have I got a deal for you!  Nivi winces as she considers her possible opening words.  Tara would primly call it 'a less than auspicious start,' while Alend would have just laughed in that easy way of his and shaken his head.  Oh, stop shuffling your feet and bloody get on with it girl, Nivi tells herself.

The figure emerging from the shadows, perhaps a long stone's throw from the Crematorium, is slender and dressed in subdued, ash-dark leathers, almost the same color as the soot-gray owl on her shoulder.  Pretty rather than beautiful, her dark brown hair tied off pragmatically behind her shoulders shows traces of its original red at its roots to a perceptive observer.  Her gait is somehow both determined yet hesitant, a crossbow hanging at her back and rapier at her hip.  She slows as she nears, hands well away from her weapons out of habit, expressionless pale green eyes regarding the eclectic quintet.

After a pause perhaps just long enough to become awkward, Nivi opens her mouth.  Her high cheekbones might mark her as a noble daughter of some high-elven aristocratic house, yet strangely, her accent is that of a city's dark underbelly, carrying with it the clipped tones of Tal'Dorei.

"I'm Nivi, and there's demons in the sewers below the city," she begins quietly, without preamble.

"I know it, you know it, and the damn Aurora Watch know it too now, best guess.  Not that they got the stones to do jack about it.  And if you know who's working with the damn fiends down there," Nivi glances around the party as if she expects them to know, "then you know it's not good for anyone.  Gonna end a lot worse than a few dead sewer stragglers and some clogged pipes.  So."  She chews her lip, a nervous tell in an otherwise impassive face.

"Going down there.  Put a stop to it, maybe.  Die, more likely if I go solo.  But with a competent crew..."  Nivi pauses.  "Saw you down there, last night.  Well, four of you, not Tiny over here."  She gestures at Sky with her chin.  "Kept distance.  Followed your light.  Was gonna jump in if you got in a scrape with those ugly little imps and that bony horror.  No dice.  Maybe for the best.  But you want to run it back and come with me, or let me tag along, however you look at it, well..."  She draws a deep breath and exhales.  "We go together, take care of the problem, I know something you don't know."

Nivi tilts her head.  "It's about that slippery blond elf b!tch in the shitty hat.  The one you chased from the Ready Room last night, before the sewers."  She regards Frekor with respect.  "You're a better tracker than me.  Got unlucky to lose her.  I lost her too.  Shiv here."  She points at the owl on her shoulder.  "He spied it out.  Put me back on her tail.  I saw where she went, and with who.  Got a feeling you'd want to know, so that's the price."  Nivi grimaces.

"We go together, do what's got to be done with the demons, and only then, after that, yeah?  After that, I tell you about Aloysia."  Niva'ele Farstrider sets her jaw, pale green eyes expressionless once more.  Hoping that her gamble pays off and that she has not misjudged these deadly strangers.

Ylis makes a come along gesture," Yeah yeah, less talkin', more walkin'. Let's go." 

The bunny girl uses her passive sensor array to determine if this is a demonic trick which it probably isn't, and she's not going to turn away somebody that wants to help with the killing..

Passive Insight 17 (not that it matters much).

Sky frowns a bit as he looks around at the assorted group.

"Birds and bats and bats and bunnies."  He sighs.  "I can summon a horse ... not quite the same."

"Well... it seems the number of people who don't like that lady (with an awful taste in hats) just keeps growing."

Morgan tips his precious hat.
"I'm not saying no to an extra blade against those demons. I'm Morgan. What brings you here, Nivi?"

(OOC: @DM: What's the best way to test the rings and the goggles we found? Do we need to spend a short rest with them or we can just test it?)

Quote from Wysperra >>

Ylis makes a come along gesture," Yeah yeah, less talkin', more walkin'. Let's go." 

The bunny girl uses her passive sensor array to determine if this is a demonic trick which it probably isn't, and she's not going to turn away somebody that wants to help with the killing..

Passive Insight 17 (not that it matters much).

Nivi's poker face breaks slightly into a rueful half-smile.  "Killer bunny goes quick.  Never would've guessed," she drawls, happy to take yes for an answer.

It would not be hard to discern that, despite her possibly less than above board historical career choices, Nivi is not much of a liar.  (Deception modifier -1).  She is very clearly withholding information, as she has already admitted, but she is unlikely to be lying or 'telling truth with ill intent.'

Sky frowns a bit as he looks around at the assorted group.

"Birds and bats and bats and bunnies."  He sighs.  "I can summon a horse ... not quite the same."

"Chin up, Tiny."  Nivi reaches up to thump the goliath's shoulder.  "Shiv's got the personality of a horse."  A long-suffering look appears on the owl's face.

"Well... it seems the number of people who don't like that lady (with an awful taste in hats) just keeps growing."

Morgan tips his precious hat.
"I'm not saying no to an extra blade against those demons. I'm Morgan. What brings you here, Nivi?"

Might be goofy as all hell, but quite the charmer up close, Nivi thinks to herself.  Her response is deadpan, broken only by a wink.

"Killed the wrong guy in a hat."

Jacaranda regarded the new elf woman with some interest before turning and heading after Ylis, " That'll do."

The party begins their trek to the sewers, a new addition to their crew, for the time being at least, walking along with them. They get to the well and sure enough, Nokk is there, proudly brandishing his captain stripes. He sees Ylis and his beaming smile fades some. He knows that what got him these stripes was actually the Fellowship’s discovery, but Ylis was the only one to give him sass over taking credit for it. He eyes her, but says nothing as he lets the Fellowship down into the room below the well.

The body of Father Fon has been taken away, likely to the crematorium. Only a large red, irregular shape of dried blood spreads out over the area where he body had been found. Several more Auora Watch soldiers are stationed at the still open door and there are tripwires strung across it to snare invisible creatures. They look at the Fellowship with expressions ranging from worry to respect. Some nod to the heroes. A guard unfastens the tripwires from one side of the door and then lets the adventurers through.

DM: There are two single-file lanes on either side of the sewer tunnels. I need marching orders!

( Middle pack, right lane)

Ylis pats Randa on the knee and will be right in front of her.

She murmurs, "Moon Weaver light our way," making Sky's Halberd glow brightly. Then with a twist of her wrist she makes her spear glow and become infused with divine power (Spear glow and Shillelagh).

Ylis gives Luna an encouraging pat on the head while the bat settles between her ears.

OOC: last, right line. Mage armor's up. If we want to move stealthily, he'll rely on his bat familiars' senses... otherwise, he'll light a torch.

DM: Randa, Ylis, and Morgan on the right. Excellent. 

OOC: How wide is the chocolate river? The distance between the left and the right walkway?

As Nivi passes through the sewer entrance, she looks over it carefully, including the sigil inside, grimacing and shaking her head.  It clearly wasn't the way she had entered the sewers before, but the symbol is the same.  Because of course it is.

Thought I got free of these bastards when I fled Tal'Dorei.  Now they're here and they made a deal with some gods damned demons.  For what?

"The hell are they after, I wonder," the she-elf mutters as she passes the sigil.  "They've gone too far.  Some Spireling's got to be in on it."

Otherwise she gazes at the guards coolly and takes the lead along the left side once in the dark, moving ahead 45' ahead of Ylis' light so as to be entirely in the dark.  Shiv, his soot-dark feathers blending into the sewer walls, perches completely still on her shoulder.

Unfortunately, she is too preoccupied with old memories and does about the worst job she has ever done being sneaky.  Could be partly because every minute she begins to cast, concentrate on and renew Blade Ward on herself. 

Advance scout rolls:
Nivi's Stealth:  12 (she has a +10 but rolled a 2).
Nivi's Passive Perception:  18 - 5 from disadvantage in darkness (dim light with 60' darkvision) = 14
Shiv's Passive Perception:  15 - 5 from disadvantage = 10 but 120' range on darkvision

Quote from Wysperra >>

OOC: How wide is the chocolate river? The distance between the left and the right walkway?

 DM: Yes, the same as the walking paths - 3ft/3ft/3ft under normal operation. As Ylis noted the previous day whens she was down here, it is capable o filling the entire tunnel during abnormal situations. >;)

Quote from Erik_Soong >>

Quote from Wysperra >>

OOC: How wide is the chocolate river? The distance between the left and the right walkway?

 DM: Yes, the same as the walking paths - 3ft/3ft/3ft under normal operation. As Ylis noted the previous day whens she was down here, it is capable o filling the entire tunnel during abnormal situations. >;)

 OOC: Well that ain't so bad.

Morgan moves closer to Nivi before she gets too far ahead. He looks at the elf with a slight frown... while pinching his nose with two fingers.
"Spireli'g? Dever heard of theb... It seebs you dow bore tha' we do. Bore tha' I do, for sure. If you have inforbation that could help us stay alive... by ears are bigger tha' by hat."
He winks with a smile.

Quote from TeethAgatha >>

Morgan moves closer to Nivi before she gets too far ahead. He looks at the elf with a slight frown... while pinching his nose with two fingers.
"Spireli'g? Dever heard of theb... It seebs you dow bore tha' we do. Bore tha' I do, for sure. If you have inforbation that could help us stay alive... by ears are bigger tha' by hat."
He winks with a smile.

On the verge of ranging ahead into the darkness, Nivi halts and favors Morgan with a flat look as he attempts to spare his delicate nose the redolent aroma of the sewer tunnel.  A flat look that gradually transforms into incredulity as the man speaks of not knowing.

"Never heard of a Spireling?  You saw the sigil there.  You all saw it.  Doesn't that..."  she trails off, looking around at the others.  Then closes her eyes as if willing herself to patience.  "Gotta remind myself sometimes.  Not in Tal'Dorei any more."

Opening her eyes, Nivi continues with an edge.  "That's the symbol of The Clasp back there.  Guild of assassins and thieves.  Spirelings call the shots.  Big in Tal'Dorei, where they got started, but here too now, looks like.  Shiv watched Tracker over there," she gestures at Frekor, "put one of them in the dirt with an arrow last night while I was chasing Aloysia.  And no, that elf b!tch ain't Clasp.  Far as I know, anyway.  Different styles, I'm thinking."

"In Tal'Dorei, Clasp had a code.  Protection rackets, high-end contraband, played politics, but a code, yeah?  Which I thought included, you know, NO GODS DAMNED DEALS WITH DEMONS.  But here, that's what they're doing, so whichever bloody Spireling made that call, they're getting something out of it, and it's not gonna be small.  Targeting something major.  Something or someone. Else allying with fiends wouldn't be worth it.  But what the hell do I know.  Might be it doesn't matter.  Can already tell bunny girl there doesn't care.  Could be she's right.  But believe me, you ain't killing them all..."

Nivi trails off, her voice having grown louder than she had intended.  She sighs and gives Morgan a final sideways look before loping off into the dark.

"Breathe it in, pretty boy.  Put some hair on your chest."

Sky puts a pair of boots on before they head down into the icky sewers.  He also takes a spot at the front of the marching order, on the left column.  

He wields his now-glowing halberd as he moves forward with the rest of the group, letting the newcomer, Nivi, stay in shadow as she seems to want to do. He casts Magic Weapon on his halberd, whispering soft words in a susurrus that sounds like wind blowing across an empty plain.  (+1 to hit and +1 to damage, lasts 1 hour)

Sky looks unhappy, but also focused, concentrating on the task at hand.  He's grateful for the light, since he has no ability to see in the dark himself.

DM: Nivi, is Shiv a Celestial, Fey, or Fiend? 

@everyone with familiars, please denote their creature type. 

Luna is Fey