Erik Soong's Call of the Netherdeep

Nivi exhales in frustration at not being able to spot any of the thug's accomplices, even though she is certain they are there.  Somewhere, likely watching.

[Morgan] "Who the freaking **** was that guy?" he hisses.

"Who do you think, Pretty Boy?  Drow Clasp thug.  Shiv says it's the same one Tracker saw shaking down some poor sap couple nights back when he was tailing Aloysia from the Ready Room.  Pretty sure the same one who offed that friend of yours, Sky.  Father Fon?  Cause he couldn't leave a witness to the secret sewer entrance.  Anyway, no way the bastard's plan here was to take us all down alone, gas or not.  He's got friends around.  Got to keep moving."

(Nivi knows Frekor himself could confirm that he saw the thug before, but the ranger is understandably not at his best currently.)

Not perceiving where any future ambush is likely to come from, Nivi attempts to lead the party towards Betrayer's Rise along an unexpected, indirect path, trying to keep their route unpredictable and scouting a bit ahead.  (Assuming everyone comes with her and Frekor is recovered enough.)

As she goes, she sighs and mutters quietly.  "Not good.  Never saw the bastard til it was too late.  That's on me.  Anyone got anything to boost eyesight?"

(OOC, per this DM Post from our long rest, Morgan has Eyes of the Eagle in his inventory.  Since Nivi's +9 Perception and 19 Passive Perception were not enough to spot the threat, she'is looking for a little magical help as a scout.)

Nivi also goes back to her routine of casting and renewing concentration on Blade Ward on herself every chance she gets.  Shiv continues to circle just above the rooftops overhead, attempting to serve as overwatch more effectively than he has thus far!

After a bit of walking, Morgan drifts closer to Nivi.
"I've got an idea," he whispers. "Why don't we ambush the ambusher?"

A grin spreads across his face.
"Suppose he's still following us. You slip away at the first good opportunity. While we keep playing the targets, you circle around and get behind him."

He tilts his head.
"What do you think? Worth a shot?"

As he speaks, he removes his goggles and offers them to her.
"They look better on you, anyway." A beat. "They hide my magnificent green eyes."

OOC: Eyes of the Eagle 5.5e do not require attunement 

Quote from TeethAgatha >>

After a bit of walking, Morgan drifts closer to Nivi.
"I've got an idea," he whispers. "Why don't we ambush the ambusher?"

A grin spreads across his face.
"Suppose he's still following us. You slip away at the first good opportunity. While we keep playing the targets, you circle around and get behind him."

He tilts his head.
"What do you think? Worth a shot?"

Nivi tilts her head.  "Worth a shot?  Yeah another time, maybe.  Though he might not be tailing us himself.  Might have eyes and ears in the rooftops or windows or alleys.  Set up an ambush or trap at a chokepoint ahead.  Or we might have lost him and whoever his pals are."

As she turns to continue scanning the very same rooftops and windows and alleys for threats, she goes on.

"Thing is, eyes on the prize, right?  Like you just got done telling Dawnrabbit.  Focus is rescuing this genasi broad and her crew.  Maybe nabbing Aloysia.  We keep getting distracted by these Clasp bastards, it's no good for anyone.  Slows us down, weakens us.  Taking us on a crooked route now, trying to mislead an ambush, but still bound for Betrayer's Rise, yeah?  Cause Ayo's priority number one.  Doubt the Clasp follow us into Betrayer's Rise."

As [Morgan] speaks, he removes his goggles and offers them to her.
"They look better on you, anyway." A beat. "They hide my magnificent green eyes."

Nivi's pale green eyes regard Morgan's deeper green ones with a glint, and a smile quirks the corner of her mouth as she inspects the glasses with interest.

"You got a problem with the way my eyes look on their own, Pretty Boy?  Think they need hiding?"

She dons the Eyes of the Eagle and resumes scanning the surroundings methodically, though her slight grin persists.

"You'd like my sister, Tara.  Tall, blonde, beautiful.  Blue eyes like the sky.  Leaves men speechless.  Good talker too.  Problem is, you're not her type."

Sky shrugs at the rest of the group.  Ever the pragmatist:
"I don't know any of these people that we're supposed to be here to find.  Someone else is going to have to tell me what we are doing next, here."

Quote from Tybard>>

Nivi's pale green eyes regard Morgan's deeper green ones with a glint, and a smile quirks the corner of her mouth as she inspects the glasses with interest.

"You got a problem with the way my eyes look on their own, Pretty Boy?  Think they need hiding?"

She dons the Eyes of the Eagle and resumes scanning the surroundings methodically, though her slight grin persists.

"You'd like my sister, Tara.  Tall, blonde, beautiful.  Blue eyes like the sky.  Leaves men speechless.  Good talker too.  Problem is, you're not her type."

Morgan smiles.
"Don't worry." He tips his hat slightly. "I grow on people."

A brief pause.
"Like a fungus."

Morgan gives Sky a sidelong glance.
"I know, it's confusing. I've never managed to learn all their names."

He winks.

"We've shared a few good fights, a long journey, and more than our fair share of misadventures. They're good people." A brief pause. "At least within the very generous standards used to judge adventurers." He shrugs. "You don't need to care about them, though. The real problem is this Aloysia doing gods-know-what inside Betrayers' Rise."

Morgan's expression grows more serious.
"If you care about the giant rift that keeps spitting demons into the region... and, one day, perhaps the rest of the world... you might want to care about that."

Immediately after confirming Frekor isn't going to die Jacaranda continues her march towards their destination...

The drow murderer is tomorrows problem, today she has to save a  unch of kids from their own ambitions.

The party leaves the murderer to his devices. Whatever plans he had for the party, they would not be his prey this day. They move on. Frekor’s eyes are glassy and his nose runs. Overall, he feels less than amazing, but by the time the party reaches the staircase, the side effects subside.

DM: Frekor clears whatever the substance was from his system. He no longer has Disadvantage.

The staircase is wide, enough that almost the entire party can walk shoulder-to-shoulder up it. It is steep as well, with steps that seem made to accommodate much larger creatures. They twist up the mountain in a winding fashion. If the walk up the base of the mountain made the calves burn, this was an intense workout for the glutes!

The Betrayers’ Rise is both ominous and beautiful. Its black walls are carved with intricate reliefs, many of them depicting scenes of torture. Lifelike grotesques of leering demons perch high above, peering down at you with contempt.

An immense double door forms the entrance. This gate is made of onyx inlaid with copper and silver. Three guards of the Aurora Watch stand between you and the demonic fortress. Two dutifully manning their station and what looks like a third come to keep them company playing a game of dice on the steps and cracking jokes.

As they see the heroes approach, the dice are quickly forgotten and they level spears at the heroes.

“HALT! State your business or turn back. Refuse and find yourself under arrest!” One shouts. The off-duty soldier adds, “Arrest... or put you to rest, permanently. I-wait, aren’t you the people that saved Taskmaster Thelyss?” He says, pulling his spear up to rest and placing a hand on the spear of one of his companions, lowering it at the steps. 

Randa jerked her thumb toward the others, " Technically they're the people who saved the Taskmaster........I just wasted a lot of time shooting arrows...."

" We're heading in after a group that may have gotten past you........not your fault.  They have a pretty powerful witch guiding them."

DM: Randa, please give me a Persuasion Check. 

Nivi is somehow both relieved and disappointed that the further Clasp ambush she was trying to avoid (by taking the party along a crooked, unpredictable route) never materialized.  After the exertion of the staircase, she falls to the back as they approach the guard post.

Same everywhere, Tal'Dorei or Wildemount, Clasp killers or Aurora Watch.  Even in the mouth of the demon's den, men find ways to distract themselves, with dice otherwise.  Women too, I guess.  Hope that drow bastard back there is busy dicing when I see him next...

With the watchmen distracted by conversation, she hangs back, allowing the others to do the talking.  Discreetly, she opens her newly-acquired Poisoner's Kit, still within her pack (thus hidden), and laces the backhand edge of her rapier with a colorless toxin.

(Mechanically, Nivi is just preparing the Poison option of her rogue Cunning Strike feature, more for Aloysia than for poison-immune demons.)

Once done, she begins the cycle of casting and concentrating on Blade Ward on herself, then calls out.

"Would have been two nights ago this 'witch' went in.  Same one who was supposed to be guarded at the Ready Room but gave us the slip.  Gave you all the slip too.  Taskhand wasn't looking too hot when we saw him earlier, but he asked us to go get her.  Dead or alive."

(Potential help for Jacaranda's Persuasion?)

Quote from Erik_Soong >>

DM: Randa, please give me a Persuasion Check. 

 9

With help- 4

( Well.....bugger....)

The guards share a laugh at the heroes’ expense. A long one. 

When they finish, one manages to say, “Nothing gets past us without an explicit order from Taskhand Thelyss, and they have to present a waiver form showing that the Aurora Watch cannot be held liable for lost life or limb.” They look among you in an exaggerated fashion, “See no form, so it seems you came all this way for nothing. Bye.”

Soldiers and bureaucrats. In Morgan's personal ranking of enemies, they are not that far behind fiends and demons.

He folds his arms and looks at the others, then at Sky in particular.
"Did our friend Verin forget to mention these documents? It wouldn't be the first time... Hey, Sky, check whether this order is actually among the other official documents the Taskhand gave you."